I finally thought I had figured out what I needed to do to help Karai. I had a clear view on the situation, but it seemed that Shredder had other plans for his daughter...

I wait patiently on the rooftop for Karai. I'd sent her a message for her to meet me up here, but she's already 10 minutes late. I start to worry as time passes. Perhaps she didn't get my message, or maybe she's out on a mission and can't get away, or maybe she's been abducted...

I mentally smack myself in the head.

Listen to yourself, Leo! Karai knows how to take care of herself, she's a highly trained kunoich after all. For all I know she could be on her way right now. I take a deep breath and sit on the ledge of the building, swinging my legs like a child.

Suddenly, I hear a thud behind me, and I turn around to see Tiger Claw. I grit my teeth, and prepare to reach for my Katanas. "Can I not go one night without one of you creeps plotting to attack me?" I grunt.

He stands tall and proudly, and when I draw my Katanas, he doesn't even flinch. "I'm not interested in a fight." He growls.

I relax my pose, and drop my arms to my sides. "Why are you here, then?"

"I bring a message from Shredder." I can feel my muscles tense and my blood start to boil at the mention of his name. "If you ever want to see Karai again, come to this address at midnight." He hands me a slip of paper. "And bring your vermin master."

As he backs away into the shadows, I can feel my heart beat faster and a rush of adrenaline pulses through my body. Shredder's using Karai as bait so he can lure Splinter and us right into a trap.

I grip the paper tightly and prepare to head back down to the sewers. My stomach is in knots as I imagine what sorts of torturous things Shredder plots to do against Karai. His own daughter! He's more black hearted and twisted than I first thought. He's purer than pure evil.

...

I race into the lair, gathering the attention of all my brothers. Raph sits on the armchair reading a magazine, Donnie's fiddling around with MetalHead, and Mikey's enjoying a slice of pizza. When I enter the room, all eyes are on me. "I need your help."

Donnie looks up. "What's the problem?"

"Karai..." I say. "She's been captured by Shredder; and she'll be killed unless we show up at this address at midnight."

Mikey looks at the piece of paper. "Hey, I know this address!" He says. "Its an old abandoned warehouse. Used to be a meat factory."

Raph looks at our little brother, surprised at his knowledge. "And you know this how?"

"A couple of pizzerias used to use their meats for their pizza. I followed them one night to get their secret recipe." He replies, smiling.

I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to the slip. "Anyway, Shredder wants us here at midnight. And he wants Splinter."

"Who wants me?" We all jump to see Sensei gracefully emerge from his room. Everyone looks at me. "Leonardo? What is this about?"

"Shredder has taken Karai captive." The moment I mention her name, Splinter's eyes flicker. "He wants us to bring you here at midnight, or else she's killed."

He thinks for a moment. "Shredder wants me. I should go. Alone."

"Sensei--" I object.

"No!" He says sharply, cutting me off. "I will not allow you to be in danger. This is my battle." My heart sinks as I bow my head and take a step back, handing Splinter the slip of paper. He places a hand on my shoulder. "Should I not return by sunrise, do not look for Shredder and seek revenge." I look up, and for the first time in my life, I see fear behind his mahogany eyes. "Take care of them, my son."

I bow my head. "Hai Sensei." He smiles at Raph, Donnie and Mikey, who runs towards him and holds him tightly. Donnie joins in too, followed by me and eventually Raph, who is almost too proud to show his feelings. Although I know that deep down, Splinters absence would affect him the most out of all of us.

Once Splinter has left the lair, I prepare to gather my weapons. Shredder won't surrender, and no one is going to die tonight; not if I can help it.

I follow Splinter around New York, jumping from rooftop to rooftop until we come to the location. Just as Mikey said, it's an old abandoned warehouse, almost completely in darkness. There's a dim glow of a greenish light coming from deep inside the warehouse. I jump onto the balcony to get a closer look.

The first thing I see is a gigantic tank of mutagen, and Karai being strung above it by a single cable with her hands tied firmly behind her back. The cable is connected to a pulley, which is connected to a control desk on the other side of the room. If I can just manage to slip past Shredder, I can set Karai free.

I watch anxiously from above as Splinter cautiously enters the building. He also spots Karai, and I can see the anger building up inside him. "Oroku Saki!" He shouts, his voice echoing through the near empty building. "Let Karai go! This is between you and I!"

I watch Karai squirm, trying to somehow free herself; yet it comes to no avail. Suddenly, a dark figure enters the room - Shredder. His deep and chilling voice echoes as he laughs maniacally. "Hamato Yoshi." He says. "We meet again."

I clench my jaw, trying to formulate a plan. I can't help Splinter without Shredder knowing I'm here, and I can't free Karai if he knows I'm here either. This is all too risky.

"Let Karai go free, and then we can settle this man-to-man." Splinter argues.

Shredder chuckles again. "You're not a man, Yoshi." He taunts. "You're a rat. A disgusting, unloved piece of vermin."

Splinter has Shredder distracted, so I try and silently open the window. Karai notices me, and her face instantly lights up. I silently hold a finger up to my lips, as I sneak around the eves of the warehouse.

By the time I reach Karai, Shredder is still monologuing to Splinter about everything Splinter supposedly did to him. I ignore it, and untie Karai's hands.

"What took you so long?" She hisses.

I narrow my eyes at her. "Do you want me to free you, or not?" She rolls her eyes, and waits patiently for me to finish untying her hands. Once I'm done, she swings herself onto the platform that I'm standing on, and unties the cable that was tightly secured around her waist. She stands tall and proud, rubbing at her wrists where they had been tied.

"Thanks," she says. I smile and nod, before I hear a loud groan from below.

It was Splinter.

He was lying on the ground, clutching at his side, while Shredder saunters gleefully towards him. Without even thinking, I jump from the platform and land gracefully between Shredder and Splinter, Katana's at the ready.

"Leonardo?" Splinter asks, his voice gravelly.

"Turtle!" Shredder gasps in disgust. He then swings at me, but I block his attacks with my Katana's. There a several swings that come a bit too close, and I'm slowly running out of steam. I look to the eves above me, to see Karai watching in pure horror.

"Karai!" I shout. "Get Splinter out of here!" She nods, before disappearing into the shadows.

Shredder growls. "You will pay for this injustice, turtle." He says, taking another swing at me.

"You're the one with the injustice, Shredhead." I mock, dodging his attacks. "Keeping your own daughter locked up over a vat of mutagen? What sort of a father are you?"

He lunges for me again. "You won't live to see the next sunrise, reptile."

I leap into the air and roundhouse kick his helmet, knocking him backwards and out cold. "Don't be so sure."

My moment of glory is short-lived when I hear Karai shout behind me. "Leo!" She says. "Help me with Splinter!"

I turn around to see her struggling to haul my immobile father out of the room. I take one last look at the Shredder, to make sure that he's actually knocked out and not faking in the hopes of staging an ambush. I turn and run to Karai, and we share Splinters heavy weight by carrying him with one arm each over our shoulders.

We slowly drag him outside, where I lay him down behind a dumpster to look at his wounds. It's a deep cut on the left side of his body, and half of his robe is soaked in blood. Karai watches anxiously. "Is he going to be okay?" She asks.

I shake my head. "I don't know. We need to get him back to the lair. Maybe Donnie can fix him up there?" Karai nods, as he resort to carrying him over our shoulders. As we're emerging from behind the dumpster, I spy a manhole cover only a few feet away. "There." I say, pointing to it. "If you get the cover off, then I can-- GAH!" I wince in pain as I feel something sharp penetrate my right shoulder.

I collapse on the floor as a poison smoke bomb suddenly detonates around us. The last thing I see is Karai covering her mouth and holding onto Splinter protectively, as a dark figure enters the cloud.

Then it all goes black.