Destiny pulls herself into the pizzeria lair, collapsing onto the floor and panting heavily. Casey perks up, having been pacing in the kitchen angrily until she arrived.

"Wolfie? What happened?" he asks, moving closer to her and helping her up.

She stumbles, leaning against him as he keeps her steady. "Poison gas..." she explains through her heavy breaths. "The guys...went after Karai..."

"Casey? Is someone here?" April calls.

"It's just Des," he replies.

A second later, she peeks her head into the kitchen. Master Splinter's face appears above her. Both faces slacken with worry at the sight of Destiny. Destiny notices April open her mouth to say something, but the mutant answers first.

"Just poisoned." Destiny laughs weakly. She grimaces and rubs her throat. "I'm getting my...voice back though."

Master Splinter's eyebrows crease as he stands and moves to the wolf mutant's side, worry evident in his eyes. She coughs, still using Casey as a support.

"Casey, bring her to the couch," the rat orders.

Casey nods, scooping Destiny off her feet and carrying her out to the living room. She sighs, pulling her ears back.

"Really, don't worry too much," she mumbles as Casey sets her down. "I just need to relax."

"Did you inhale the poison or was it some other method?" Splinter inquires, kneeling next to her.

"Inhaled, yeah. I was..." She trails off, a look of guilt crossing her face for a second. "I was next to Karai when Bradford and Xever showed up and threw this...poison grenade." She sighs and shuts her eyes. "They got away with Karai. I have to get out there and help the turtles."

"Not until I'm sure that the poison is out of your system," Splinter warns.

She frowns, staring up at them. "I need to help..."

"I understand the feeling, wolfie," Casey mumbles.

"Mmhmm," April agrees.

Splinter sighs and places a gentle hand on Destiny's head, petting her wolf ears. Her tail wags lightly, thumping against the couch as she smiles and shut her eyes. For some reason, having her ears stroked has always calmed her down.

"You're going to be fine," Splinter murmurs. "My sons are capable of doing this mission on their own. Until then, you must rest."

"Thanks dad," she mumbles without thinking, feeling herself growing sleepy.

He smiles. "You are very welcome, my daughter."

----------

"Casey...psst..."

Casey looks up from his magazine, his shoulders leaned against the couch even though he's sitting on the floor. Destiny still lays on the couch, but her complexion has regained its colour and her eyes have gained their spark back. She smiles just enough to show the points of her fangs.

Casey's dark eyes dart towards the table a little ways away from them, where April and Splinter play chess together, before he shifts just enough to lean his face towards the wolf girl.

"Is it time?" he whispers.

Destiny nods. "Yeah." When she speaks, she hardly moves her lips or makes much more than a whisper of volume. She keeps checking to see if April and Splinter notice them talking. "Xever got away with Karai, so the guys have to be going back to Foot HQ. Diaval and Karai are there...can you imagine saving them both?"

"We'd be the heroes of the day," Casey whispers back as he grins.

"Okay, follow my lead."

Destiny easily slumps back against the couch and pretends to sleep. Casey goes back to his magazine. The wolf mutant waits a few seconds before stirring, scrunching her face up as she yawns loudly. She blinks a few times and inches herself up, stretching her arms to the ceiling and twisting her back until little cracks and pops sound.

April glances over as she moves her red piece. "How'd you sleep?" she asks.

"Good, I feel better already," Destiny says. She swings her legs off the couch and plants them on the ground. "We've got water, right?"

"Kitchen," Splinter replies, gaining a new queen with a light smirk. April pouts and drops a black checker piece on top of his.

Destiny calls out a thanks as she heads off into the other room. Casey fidgets in place, pursing his lips as he slowly flips a page, glances at the pair in front of him, then puts his magazine aside as he stands up too. He hardly takes a step towards the kitchen when April's voice halts him in his tracks.

"Where're you going, Jones?" she asks. There's a bounce to her tone. He can just see her little smirk, the "I've got you" glint in her baby blues.

Casey rolls his eyes as he turns around. "I'm going to the bathroom. Geez, Red."

"No need to be snappy," she retorts. She doesn't look mad whatsoever. Splinter gives the boy a side-eyed glance before looking back at the game board.

Casey hurries off as casually as he can. Destiny is already waiting by the exit when he arrives, uchigatana strapped to her waist and arms crossed over her chest. She arches an eyebrow.

"The bathroom thing? Really?" she asks.

"It worked, didn't it? Casey Jones is the king of excuses," he says with a wink. He snatches up his hockey bag and shoulders it. "I'll change on the way. I want some distance before they notice that we're gone."

"Good point."

They hop into the tunnels and hurry away.

----------

"Would they keep them in Stockman's lab like with Splinter or would they keep them in the dungeons?" Destiny wonders.

"Both, maybe? Karai could be in one place and Diaval in the other," Casey suggests.

"Oh yeah, 'cause he would want to cure Karai of her mutation and Diaval is..." She swallows and starts to run a little faster. "A traitor."

They slow to a stop as they look around the subway tunnels. Casey adjusts his equipment arsenal and rests his hands on his hips. All Destiny can see behind the hockey mask are the dark brown spots that make up his eyes.

"So where do we go?" he asks.

Destiny taps her foot, tail swishing. After a brief deliberation, she says, "Diaval. The guys will be tracking Karai, so she's practically taken care of. We'll loop back if we don't find her."

"Nice."

They start off, Casey trying to keep pace with the determined mutant. He's already deployed his land skates and it still doesn't feel like enough. He manages to pull up alongside Destiny, sliding backwards as he grins at her from behind his mask.

"Hey wolfie, you're actually pretty good at making plans," he says.

"Aw, thanks," she replies with a slight laugh. She straightens up just a little and swings her arms more dramatically. "Should I lead the team then?" she asks, donning a pretend look of courageous pride.

"I think Leo's got you beat," he admits. "You think calmly only when you have to. Leo does it all the time."

She bites her lip, a steely glare in her eyes. "I was just joking," she mutters. Her lips twitch slightly. "But...it's funny that you notice little things like that."

"Why are people always surprised when I'm observant about stuff?" he nearly whines.

"Because you usually aren't?"

"Touché."

They reach a tunnel leading to the surface and Destiny starts to climb the rickety ladder, Casey lingering below. She reaches the top and heaves the manhole cover up, taking a deep breath in through her nose. She can smell the mingling scents of Foot HQ, but nothing like Kraang. She whistles down before climbing out, feeling the vibrations of Casey climbing up after her.

Once both teenagers are on the road, they sneak into the shadow of the nearest building and peer out at the place that houses so much more than people.

"So what's the plan, leader number two?" Casey whispers, earning a prompt elbow to the ribs.

"Ssh," she hisses. "I'm thinking..."

"You're just full of surpri—" He grunts as he is again elbowed. "Okay, geez, I don't want bruises all over this work of art, you feel me?" He gestures to his body.

She snorts, her hand clapping over her mouth to stifle a giggle. She ceases all sound as she sniffs the air, frowning. Casey notices the change and arches an eyebrow.

"Wolfie?"

"Gasoline," she mutters. "Not the Party Wagon's. Motorcycles, maybe." Her wild eyes focus on the building. "Could be Xever's bike, but it smells like more..."

"So what does that all mean?"

"Not sure. I'm gonna hope that it means that Shredder's missing a few henchmen." Her ears perk and her hand flails out to smack Casey's arm repeatedly. "Oh, oh, oh, I see a way in. Follow me."

They sneak across the road and duck behind a dumpster right next to the hideout. She points to a broken window high off the ground, then to a service door leading out into the alley.

"I'll get in, then unlock the door for you once I've cleared the place," she whispers.

"You're benching me?!" he exclaims under his breath.

"No, I'm preserving your strength for later," comes the seemingly effortlessly reply. "Also, I doubt you can climb into that window."

"And you can?"

She flashes a devious grin. It's the exact look that someone gives when they're trying to say "just you watch me". Destiny pops out from the dumpster and jogs to the wall. She unsheathes her claws, crouches, and leaps upwards. She digs her nails into the wall and braces her feet against the brick.

Casey watches as she scales the wall, mouth hanging slightly open. She doesn't do it at an incredibly fast pace, nor does it look graceful, but she does it and that's enough to shock him. She disappears through the broken window, a few pieces of glass clattering to the pavement below as she sweeps through.

He sneaks to the service door and leans against it. He listens through the door, just able to catch the occasional metallic clang or clatter. The door suddenly opens and he yelps as he loses balance, two arms surrounding him before he can fall too far. Destiny smirks down at him.

"See? Now was that too hard?" she asks.

Casey rolls his eyes and stands up. Destiny ushers him in and shuts the door, consuming them in darkness. He blinks rapidly, grimacing, and he feels Destiny's hand grip his.

"It's easier to hide if we're in the dark," she murmurs. "I can see fine. Just follow my lead."

He does so. They creep through the area with hardly a sound save for when Casey's foot catches on the decapitated head of a Foot bot. They don't come across anything especially disconcerting, eventually coming to the stairs that lead down into the dungeons. Destiny stops there.

Casey stands at her side, waiting for her to make a move. It's brighter in this area of the headquarters, allowing enough light for Casey to make out the expressions on his friend's face. Her pupils are blown wide and her lip tremors every now and then. Not a hair on her tail moves.

"Destiny," he whispers, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She winces slightly. "Hey, it's okay. You've got Casey Jones on your side."

"Heh," she breathes. "Right."

"I'll lead now."

He starts down the steps, trailing Destiny along behind him. As they get further down, it gets colder and there's firelight in torches on the walls, casting cruel, dancing shadows over the dusty stones. Casey sees everything with the interest and curiosity of a child, a first timer in a new and freaky place, and Destiny is the exact opposite. She starts to methodically rub her arm with her free hand, murmuring something that sounds like Shakespeare under her breath.

They reach the bottom of the stairs and Destiny pulls her hand from Casey's. He notices for the first time that she's got tiny cuts lacing her palms and that the beds of her nails are reddened. She blows past him, sniffing desperately in every direction she can think of.

She whirls around. Her ears go completely erect and her tail stills. She sprints to the furthest, darkest corner of the dungeon and grips the bars of the cell residing there, staring inside at the most heartbreaking thing that she's ever seen.

Diaval is huddled against the wall, a chain fastened around his ankle. His skin is so pale in the darkness that it looks luminescent. His hair is lifeless, loosed from its ponytail, and hangs over his eyes like a sad mop. His cloak is absent, exposing his lanky body to view as well as the bruises on his strong arms. His red shirt, his only coverage aside from his tattered pants, is torn in multiple places. Destiny can't see his face.

"Diaval?" she whispers, knocking lightly against the metal.

Diaval's head lifts and he turns his ear towards the newcomer. Every movement he makes is sluggish and stiff, as if he hasn't moved properly since he was left here. His hair shields his eyes from view even when he moves slightly, allowing only his side profile to be seen.

"Destiny?" his bass voice is heard.

Destiny starts to bob her head up and down rapidly, her heart pounding as she unsheathes her claws and starts picking at the lock. "Yes, it's me. It's me," she repeats as she keeps fiddling with the lock. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to leave you behind. I'll never do that again."

The cage pops open and she rushes inside. She nearly collapses next to her friend, gripping the shackle around his ankle and searching for the keyhole. Diaval, while his head is still hung, gazes at her the whole time.

Frustrated and impatient, she morphs into a wolf, grips the shackles in her teeth, and breaks them into useless pieces. The iron rattles as it hits the floor. She returns to her previous form and wipes her mouth, breaths shaking and echoing in the quiet cell.

She looks up at her friend, opening her mouth to say, "Di—"

Two strong arms surround her and crush her against a firm chest. Diaval buries his face against her neck, his entire body trembling as he curls into her. She tries to say something but is again silenced as an unfamiliar noise reaches her ears. It's rough and scratchy and it breaks and trembles like when you try to wind a clock whose gears have rusted. It's a mournful sound, rising and falling erratically, without any sense of rhythm. Something wet presses against the skin of Destiny's neck and Diaval's calloused fingers grip the material of her shirt.

Only then does she realize that the creaky, heartbreaking noises are coming from his mouth. Only then does she realize that he's sobbing and clutching to her like a scared little child. His cry is one that hasn't been used in far too long. It's the cry of someone who's been holding too much in.

She exhales sharply and nearly hiccups as her chest pangs and she throws her arms around him, hugging him closer than she ever has before. His hair brushes against her chin and his tears continue to soak her clothes. She squeezes her eyes shut, her throat tightening so much that she has to force herself to breathe. Was it really only a day or so ago that he was left here?

"I'm so sorry," she croaks out. "I didn't...I never meant to..."

"Hate the dark," he whimpers. "Hate being caged. Wanna go home."

"Home is..." She takes in another sharp breath as her mouth tilts to his forehead. "Home...yes, I'll take you home. You'll be okay. I'm...I'm sorry."

"Mum, dad, can't find 'em," he whispers. He slumps more of his weight against her, coughing through another onslaught of tears. "F-Fiona, M-Mallory, they're gone, can't find 'em. Want m'f-family back..."

Destiny's eyes peel open and she runs her hand along his loose hair. "Your family?"

"Gone...gone..." he repeats. "Don't want 'em to be gone..." He finally looks up at her and she can see the bruises on his jaw, cheek, and eyebrow ridges as well as a cut on his cheekbone and his split lip. His pale eyes squint and his fingers trace along her face, running along the deep ridges left by her scars. "It's you," he breathes, sagging slightly with relief as more tears trickle down his face. "You're not gone. You're here."

There's brief movement at the entrance to the cell and Destiny nearly jumps out of her skin before she sees that it's just Casey. The hockey player walks inside, eyeing the pair with hesitance as he holds out a long black cloak to Destiny.

"I found it," he murmurs. He glances over his shoulder. "I've got a bad feeling, Des. We need to go."

Destiny nods and takes the cloak. She drapes it over Diaval, clipping it at his throat with some difficulty. Once it's in place, she leans down to whisper in his ear.

"Diaval, you need to walk," she says. "I can't carry you."

He gives a barely there nod. Destiny grips his arms and helps him to his feet, looping his arm over her shoulders as he leans against her for support. Casey slips his hockey stick out of its holder and grips it tightly, eyes darting to and fro as the trio makes their way from the dungeons towards the stairs.

"This actually went pretty well," Casey says to Destiny. "Shredhead must be away with his goonies."

"Not all of them."

Emery and Tiger Claw stand behind them, murderous glares in their matching yellow eyes. Casey lets out an unintelligible cuss as Destiny tries to find the door that the enemies came through in order to create such a dramatic entrance.

"Now...I believe that that," Emery says, pointing to Diaval, "belongs to our master."

"If you want him, you're going to have to go through me," Destiny hisses.

She releases Diaval and motions for him to wait against the wall. He does so without problem and she readies her uchigatana. Emery laughs and unleashes her twin daggers as Tiger Claw takes out his machete.

"I'll take Frosted Flakes, you take Chester Cheetah," Casey utters.

"I like the way you think," Destiny returns.

The teams clash. Destiny and Emery's blades come together again and again with ringing clangs that fill the entire space. Tiger Claw and Casey battle it out right near them, but with a far more mismatched duel. Emery's elbow meets Destiny's nose before her foot lands a solid kick to the wolf mutant's gut.

As Destiny crumples against the steps, Casey's hockey stick splinters against the might of Tiger Claw's jaws. Casey gets backhanded and goes rolling across the floor, stopping right near Destiny as the wolf girl gets back to her feet and rushes back into the fray. Casey follows with a baseball bat as his replacement. The battle is the same. They fight as hard as they can, but the Foot Clan mutants keep getting the upper hand. The only positive thing is that Destiny and Casey manage to keep them away from Diaval.

"We need to retreat," Destiny admits, no matter how much she hates it.

"When? How?" Casey retorts, narrowly avoiding a claw swipe to the face.

Destiny searches for exits that have any chance of survival if they attempt to use them, but she comes up empty-handed. Emery's pointed smile grows as she too notices the teenagers' predicament.

Emery knocks Destiny to the floor and pins her down, her dagger sailing right for Destiny's heart. Destiny hardly has time to blink before the blade freezes mid-plunge. Emery's face goes slack and the dagger clatters from her paw. Destiny cranes to look at Casey only to find that Tiger Claw has also gone still, Casey's face a mask of confusion, and Destiny's eyes find Diaval next.

Diaval has both his hands stretched out to the cats. His eyes are scrunched closed and his back is braced against the wall, his fingers trembling. Destiny gasps and launches back into action, punching Emery in the jaw, retrieving her weapon, and scrambling back to the stair.

"Casey, retreat! Diaval can't hold them for long!" she shouts.

Casey grins and gives Tiger Claw a swing to the groin worthy of a home run. Too enraptured with whatever Diaval is showing them, the cat crumples without a change of expression.

Diaval's magical grip loosens and he drops just as Destiny and Casey sweep to his side, supporting him. Destiny whips smoke bombs at the groggy Foot mutants and they disappear without a trace.

----------

Outside the hideout, all three teens become very aware of how much their bodies hurt. Destiny and Casey grit their teeth and try to force their way past the pain and keep supporting Diaval's drained form, but they're hardly in tip-top shape.

"Casey," Destiny says, wincing as her knee nearly gives out. "We...we have to find a faster way out. Tiger Claw and Emery will catch up."

Casey adjusts Diaval's arm, his hockey mask the only thing hiding his exhaustion. "I don't know, wolfie, I don't know," he groans.

A horn blares as they emerge onto the street and they freeze in place as a familiar yellow vehicle squeals to a stop in front of them. Destiny and Casey's eyes widen when they see April in the driver seat.

She looks, for lack of a better word, pissed.

"Get in!"

They waste no time and soon enough, they're driving away as fast as humanly possible. April stares straight ahead as she maneuvers the Party Wagon, arms and posture rigid.

Casey, now lounging in the passenger side, flashes a hesitant smile at the redhead. "So...uh, thanks for the—"

"What in the shell were you thinking?!" April snaps. Casey shuts his mouth so fast that it's almost inhuman. "Splinter and I were so worried! You could've been killed!" She frowns and reaches over, batting at his mask. He backs away. "Casey, take off the mask. How bad is it?"

"Not that bad! It's just a bruise or two!" he insists.

"Casey—"

"Red—"

"Take off the damn mask or else," she growls.

Casey doesn't want to find out what "else" means, so he removes the mask. April lets out a gasp and has to stop herself from accidentally swerving off the road. His face looks like someone used it as a punching bag, his lip bleeding and a few bruises starting to purple up in different places.

Destiny's face appears in the back window. She's pretty much in the same shape as Casey, with a few bruises as well as a bloody nose, which she's holding a torn piece of cloth against.

"April, we thought that the turtles would be there with Karai," she says.

"Were they?"

"No."

April exhales heavily as they disappear into the subway tunnels. "You should've just waited. We could've worked something out."

"Diaval couldn't wait. He was in there for a little over a day and—" She bites her lip and sucks in a long breath.

April seems to soften. She glances in the rearview mirror. "How is he?"

"Sleeping," Destiny answers, casting a quick glance to her friend. She lets out the smallest of growls as her eyes narrow. "I swear, Shredder will pay for this one day. All of it."

"Des," April starts, but then stops herself.

She lowers her gaze for a second and sighs as Casey shifts to look out the window, leaning his hand onto his chin only to wince and lurch away from the fresh bruise. Destiny disappears from the window and sits next to Diaval. She watches him for a few seconds before reaching over and taking his hand in her own. His fingers tighten almost immediately around hers.

----------

It's not fun when the turtles return to Antonio's. Not only did they fail in retrieving Karai, but they're greeted with Destiny, Casey, and Diaval in all their beaten glory. To say the least, they aren't happy.

"Leonardo, you must calm down."

Leonardo freezes mid-sentence, finger still raised in the air and mouth open. Destiny winces as Splinter pats a bandage onto her cheek. Leonardo stares at Splinter, forcing in a deep breath. The other brothers remain silent, unwilling to interrupt their leader or father, while April patches up Casey's face.

"Sensei, they put themselves in harm's way," he says. "Can you imagine what might've happened if Shredder hadn't been at the docks with us?"

"But he wasn't! That's a moot point," Destiny retorts. She lets out a hiss of pain as Splinter realigns her face towards him and dabs antiseptic onto another cut.

"Both of you need to stop," Splinter utters. He looks Destiny right in the eyes and she averts her gaze as much as she can. "You are arguing only out of fear, to hide what your true feelings are. While I am unhappy with Casey and Destiny's actions, the dangerous part is over."

"Sensei—" Leonardo starts.

Splinter holds up his free hand, his stern expression combined with the gesture enough to silence his eldest son. "You must focus on the fact that Destiny and Casey succeeded in their mission and retrieved Diaval," he says. Diaval, who's resting on the couch near them, stirs slightly in his sleep. Splinter leans back from Destiny and gives a curt nod. "You're done. No broken nose. Perhaps now is a good time to go and talk out some of your problems."

Destiny's cheeks turn pink and she crosses her arms over her chest. "I don't think that's a good idea. Besides," she says, glancing to her British friend, "Diaval needs some patching up."

"You won't get anywhere if you bottle everything up. Go on. I will tend to Diaval," Splinter insists. He stands, grabs the first aid kit, and walks away.

Destiny sighs and glances at Leonardo only to find that he's already looking at her. A beat passes before she stands and walks to the kitchen. Leonardo waits a second before following her.

Raphael relaxes once they've gone, snatching a magazine from the counter as he lets out a long whistle. "Oh thank shell, the tension in this room was smothering me."

Michelangelo tries to peek into the kitchen. "Do you think he'll punch the stove again?"

"I hope not," Donatello sighs as he ushers his brother away.

Inside the kitchen, Destiny and Leonardo stands with a safe distance between them. They stare at one another as if they're both trying to read everything off each other's expressions instead of talking.

Destiny is the first to crack. "I'm sorry for a lot of things, but not for saving him."

"I am too," Leonardo says. She arches an eyebrow and he exhales as he rubs the back of his neck. "I'm...proud that you were brave enough to do what I couldn't and smart enough about it to get out with a few scratches."

Her eyes widen. Her tail sways, a betrayal to her true feelings as she sniffs and glances at her nails—now cleared of dried blood. "Oh..."

"Yeah."

Their words fade away and they're left in the tense quiet again. Destiny runs her hand up her arm. Leonardo shifts on his feet.

"Well...good talk," she says, starting towards the door.

"Wait," he says. He doesn't reach out for her. His tone isn't commanding. She stops and turns to him as he takes in a long breath. "We aren't together anymore. I get that, and...and if you want to move on, I can't stop you." He shuts his eyes. "I just want you to be happy."

"Leo..." When he slumps and angles himself even further from her, she starts forward just a step. "I..."

She reaches out to brush his arm, unsure of whether or not she should touch him. Her mind is too full. There's too many things she wants to say but none of them are making it to her mouth. She's trying. In her imagination she's saying everything and she's confident about it, but in reality, she's just an insecure fifteen-year-old with no idea how to deal with what she's feeling.

Somehow, one sentence gets out. "I won't be happy without you in my life," she whispers.

Leonardo's shoulders stiffen. Her stomach plunges. She's too vulnerable. The alarms in her brain start going off, screaming at her to abort the mission and run, run until she can't anymore.

Leonardo says something. She just manages to catch it and it takes her a second to comprehend the words.

"Ah, screw it," he mumbles.

He turns, cups her bruised face in his hands, and kisses her like his life depends on it. Her hands move of their own, snaking up his shoulders and gripping the tails of his mask so that she can deepen the embrace. Her back hits the wall. One of his hands slips from her face to brace itself against the wall next to her head. They break away, their breaths the only audible noise, but they don't release one another. His forehead brushes hers as his eyes flutter open, hazy but warm.

He gulps. "Ah...one more?"

She nods, curving her body towards his as their lips brush. "Maybe two," she says as they delve back into the feelings they've been repressing.

He feels alive. How long has it been since he held her like this? How long since he felt her touch, her warmth so close to his? He feels like a starved man who's been crawling through a desert and only now has he found an oasis. One problem remains, and that is whether he'll be able to stay at the oasis or if he'll have to move on.

"I love you," she breathes against him before his kiss silences her.

His fingers tighten against the wall. He wants to say it back. He wants to scream it to the heavens, but there's a small part of him that reminds him why he can't do that. He doesn't know what will happen once they part ways and intermingle with the others again. He doesn't know how this will change things.

He abandons his fears for a moment, just long enough to whisper that he loves her too.

For a little while, they're in their own little world and they aren't coming out unless they want to.