"I'll be straight with you, Destiny," Karai says. Shinigami giggles as if she told a joke, only serving to make Karai's serious expression lift into a smirk. "I want to take down Shredder's remaining assets and we could use the extra woman power. I want you to join me."

Destiny keeps her arms crossed tightly over her chest, tail swaying, eyes narrowed. The throne room is cold, dark, and the moonlight streams into the water beneath their feet, casting ripples of shadow. Destiny's arms tighten around her, holding herself together, and she starts to wonder whether she should have brought Leonardo along. He helps her keep the memories at bay.

"What do I get out of it?" she says.

"Well..." Karai bobs her head from side to side. "Shredder's got quite a bit of cash just laying around. I think if you, say...took some, it wouldn't be missed. We'll be burning the rest."

Destiny bristles. "Burn it?" she repeats.

"It'll be suspicious if we keep it, plus it'll make us a target. You don't exist, as far as the government knows, so it won't harm you," Karai says. "If you take a portion, I'll consider it your pay."

She purses her lips tightly. It's attractive, for sure, and she can't deny that having cash for once in her life would be amazing. The Hamatos heavily rely on April for all their needs (mostly of the pizza variety), and what April doesn't provide, they scavenge. Their only income is from lost bills and coins they find on the streets.

Destiny doesn't want them to have to rely on April. She feels guilty enough that April has basically provided her with her entire wardrobe, from her shirts to her bras to her pyjamas. It's the one area of her life where she doesn't feel independent and she hates it.

"Sound good?" Karai asks, making Destiny startle from her thoughts. "Don't tell me you've got cold feet about stealing."

Destiny grits her teeth. She hasn't stolen anything in a long time, not since the turtles came into her life, but she did before. She had to if she wanted to survive, even with the charity of Mr. Murakami backing her up, and maybe she isn't proud of it now, but it is what it is.

"No, I'm not," she says. "I'll do it, but I've got one condition."

"Yeah?"

She isn't sure whether she'll regret this, but she knows she can't do this without him. "Leo joins us on this," she says.

"He wasn't interested when I brought it up before."

"He..." Destiny pauses, her lips pursing. "It was a lot to take in. You couldn't expect him to have an answer right away, but he said he'd think about it." Her eyes narrow. "He cares about you, Karai, and if you're going to be bringing me into this, he'll want to be there."

"That's why I wanted to talk to you first," Karai admits. "You're his soft spot, always have been, and we can use that."

Destiny's body goes rigid, heart pounding, and the fragile hold she had on her stability snaps like a stick underfoot. She remembers a cold cell, phone calls, Leonardo's voice and water and blades and being used, being used to hurt them, right in this room, right in this room where there are still broken pieces of brick from where Michelangelo and Donatello and Casey were—

"Don't," she croaks, claws digging into her leg. She turns away, breaths sharp. "Just..."

Karai doesn't say anything as Destiny gives herself more space, moving a solid ten feet away from them and sitting down cross-legged on the floor. She closes her eyes, trying to focus on her breathing as her brain spirals and every nerve in her body goes deeper into attack mode. Meditate, grasp onto something solid, breathe...

"Is she alright?" Shinigami whispers.

Destiny doesn't hear Karai answer right away, but she notices the footsteps approaching.

"We can move somewhere else," Karai whispers. "Somewhere more comfortable."

Destiny nods, keeping her eyes closed. She can't risk opening them. She can't risk seeing them like that, not again. She presses her ears to her hair, hands pressing against them as if that'll stop the echoing of their screams.

"Can I help you?" Karai asks.

Again, she nods. Karai's hand slips beneath Destiny's arm, hooking around her elbow, and she gently pulls her to her feet. Destiny follows her blindly, past the gentle hiss of the doors opening and closing, down, down, down.

"Here."

Destiny sinks into something plush and finally opens her eyes. They're in another room, smaller, but cozier: safer, somehow. There are only two small windows, letting in a bit of outside light, and there are multiple armchairs set up in a circle around a coffee table. Shinigami is perched in one while Karai stands before Destiny, her expression pinched.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asks. When Destiny averts her eyes, she adds, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

Destiny swallows the lump in her throat and nods, slowly, deliberately. This room feels better, less familiar in all the wrong ways. She sits up, flexing her fingers against her kneecaps, and Karai sits down in the armchair next to Shinigami. There are still two chairs separating Destiny from either of them.

"We should have met somewhere else," Karai continues. "I didn't think about..." Her lips purse and she repeats, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Destiny breathes, still shaking a bit, reminding herself that she's safe, over and over again in her head. She drags her nails against her arm, just lightly enough to keep her grounded. "I'll talk to Leo. He'll probably want the rest of the guys in on this."

Karai's brow furrows. "Will Splinter allow that? He said it himself, he thinks I'm doing this out of vengeance."

"Are you?"

Karai doesn't answer right away, her jaw clenched. She looks away, exhaling. "This is something I must do," she says. "I'm trying to make things right, after everything I've done to..." She stops, wary as she gives Destiny a sidelong glance. "They shouldn't have to fight this war anymore, but I can't do this alone, and you'd do anything to protect them, right?"

Destiny's ears flatten against her hair as she says, "I would." After a second, she adds, "They want to protect you too, Karai. You're their sister."

"I won't make them do this," she says. Shinigami's hand moves to brush Karai's forearm, but Karai doesn't look at her. "If Leonardo wants in, then I'll let him in, but just you two. Understood?"

"Loud and clear," Destiny says.

"So, what happens if he says no?" Shinigami chimes in. "Are you two a...package deal?"

"I'll still do it," Destiny says. "You've got nothing to lose here."

Shinigami chuckles. "I like you more and more every minute, Destiny."

Karai extends her hand. "We've got a deal then?"

Destiny takes her hand, shaking it once. "Yeah, deal."

"Perfect," Karai says. "I'll send you the details for our first mission later. Make sure to wear black."

Destiny cracks a wobbly, halfway-smirk. "Consider it done."

----------

When Destiny returns to the lair, she makes a beeline for the bedrooms without so much as a second glance at the others. The turtles are nowhere to be seen and it looks like April's gone home for the night. Destiny can hear Donatello and Sarina in their lab.

She goes to Leonardo's bedroom, knocking once.

"Come—"

She pushes the door open, striding inside and flopping next to him before he has the chance to sit up on his mattress. He blinks at her, eyes wide, and she cuddles to his side, arms snaking around him as her wings press tight to her back.

"Des?" he whispers, hand falling to her hair and petting. "Are you okay? What happened with Karai?"

"I lost it," she says, voice small and tight. "I...she said..." A shudder rolls through her and she lifts her head, her eyes glassy with held-back tears. "I f-feel like I'm a second away from f-falling apart. I just..."

He rolls onto his side and pulls her close, ghosting his lips against her hairline. "Just needed to make sure I'm alive, huh?" he murmurs.

"Mhm," she says, nodding as she burrows closer. "I thought...thought I'd be okay, since...we were there earlier, but...I was alone, with her, and..."

"It's okay, Des, you don't have to talk about it," he says, still stroking rhythmically, waiting for her breathing to even out. "I've got you."

They lay together in silence, breathing and touching and letting their heartbeats synchronize. Words well up in her throat, a second away from being voiced, but every time she opens her mouth, she stays quiet.

She had been doing so well, keeping it together. The nightmares were less frequent and easier to handle. She thought she had been getting better, but reality is cruel. It'll never be gone. She'll never be truly free.

"It's really over, isn't it?" she asks. "Peace."

Leonardo purses his lips. "Yeah."

She slowly raises her head, propping herself up on her elbow as she gazes down at him. She tries to look stone-faced and brave, but her eyes are still pooled with emotion.

"Leo," she breathes. "I...we need your help."

She sees his resolve crumbling and when he softly agrees, she wishes she could feel anything other than guilt.

----------

In the dead of night, Karai and Shinigami approach a Buddhist temple from a nearby alleyway. They keep close to the walls, alert even as they look out into the empty streets.

"Seriously? A temple?" Shinigami asks.

"It's a front for a money-laundering operation," Karai says. "Taking it down is vital."

She peers out of the alleyway, checking for late-night stragglers, and finds none. As Karai darts towards the temple, Shinigami takes a second to shake her head.

"Your dad was one messed up freak," she mumbles.

"You ever meet him?"

Shinigami barely spares a glance when she hears Destiny touch down behind her. Instead, she shrugs lazily.

"Briefly. I got lucky," she says. She adds in a conspiratorial whisper, "Never liked him. Hated the way he treated Karai."

"Bad, huh?"

"Let's just say, I'm glad he's dead."

"Can't disagree with that."

The pair darts forward to join Karai.

----------

They find their way into the vault, a hidden section of the temple that the public would never think to visit. A single, giant statue of the Buddha meditates in silence, surrounded by stacks of cash, paintings, and other valuable items. Karai and Shinigami split off to either side, opening the cell doors leading into the wings, all filled with more money.

Destiny stays back, every muscle in her body alert. The cells look a lot like the ones in Shredder's dungeon and it takes all her effort not to think too much.

"Destiny," Karai whispers, beckoning her over to one of the cells.

Destiny obeys, taking in the obscene amount of money hidden inside with wide eyes, and Karai tosses her a hockey bag. Destiny swallows, lashes her tail once, and sets to work piling stacks into the bag. She doesn't get far before her ears perk and her pupils narrow into slits.

"We've got company," she hisses.

The three women turn just as Hun and three other Purple Dragons—Fong, Tsoi, and Sid—arrive. The latter two are carrying duffel bags that they drop as soon as they see the intruders.

"Well, well, well," Fong muses.

Hun steps forward as Sid cracks his knuckles. "I see we have an uninvited guest," he says, folding his hands behind his back.

"Hun," Karai greets with a smile.

She and Shinigami leap into battle and Destiny keeps filling her bag, sweat pricking on her brow. Karai told her not to worry if they got intercepted. They could handle it.

Of course, Leonardo was supposed to be here. Destiny isn't sure whether she should help now that he's AWOL. Destiny can hear grunting, the clash of weapons, and a guttural instinct wells up within her. Protect.

"You think you can take the Shredder's place," Hun snarls, "but you are just a spoiled little girl!"

Destiny gets up and whirls around just as a flashbang goes off. Destiny yelps and shields her eyes, but she hears Hun doing the same. When it clears and the spots disappear from Destiny's eyes, Leonardo is there, dressed in his new vigilante armour—black, black, and more black, all Destiny approved.

Leonardo lets out a shout as he nails Hun with an uppercut that sends him flying out the front doors. Leonardo follows him out, Karai at his heels, and Destiny hoists the hockey bag onto her shoulder. It's full enough.

She darts out the nearest exit, a back door, and stashes the bag next to the dumpster. She'll retrieve it as soon as they're finished. Going back inside, she finds that the Purple Dragons are tied up, Shinigami is cackling and tossing money into the air, and Leonardo and Karai are talking nearby.

"The Purple Dragons must have moved in and claimed this," Karai says. She eyes the paintings and jewels. "Shredder wouldn't have cared for anything other than the money."

"There's millions here," Leonardo says. He meets Destiny's eyes as she slips into the group and flashes a grin. "Miss me, babe?"

"Desperately," she responds, bumping her shoulder to his.

"Do we really have to burn it?" Shinigami pouts, clutching a bundle to her chest. She gives Karai the biggest doe eyes she can. "We could buy so much stuff! I could spoil you..."

"You already spoil me, Shini," Karai retorts. "You know what we have to do."

Shinigami groans and gets to her feet. A few matches and a few splashes of gasoline later, the money goes up in flames and they take their leave, abandoning the temple behind them.

"Karai, are you sure you didn't need any of that?" Leonardo asks.

"Shredder left a sizeable inheritance to his next of kin," Karai says with a smirk. "I'm fine, but thank you." She glances over her shoulder at Destiny. "You're good?"

"Yeah," Destiny says. Her entire body feels tingly with adrenaline. "I'm great, actually."

"Good," Karai says. She jerks her thumb at the unconscious, restrained Dragons. "Let's get these guys somewhere more...noticeable."

----------

"You enter the treasure vault, but...three pus trolls attack!" Donatello says, dropping three cutouts onto the Mazes and Mutants game board. "It's a trap! Ice Cream Kitty?"

Ice Cream Kitty, playing an ice mage, mews and rolls the D20.

"That's sixteen. The pus trolls are frozen by your ice spell," Donatello says, "but the Slime King approaches!"

Maddalena, sitting on Raphael's shoulder, makes a croaking noise. Raphael reaches up and strokes her shell, nodding.

"Yeah, Maddy, I agree. She's definitely cheating," he says, shooting a glare at Ice Cream Kitty.

"How can she cheat?" Sarina asks. "It's a dice roll, a game of chance."

"Except she's been rolling high this entire time!" Raphael complains as he snatches up the dice. It sticks to his finger. "Ugh, and the ice cream's making the dice all sticky. I don't know how you talked me into playing this stupid game again."

"Just roll, dude. Don't be a buzzkill!" Michelangelo says, poking his tongue out.

"Fine," Raphael says, rolling without looking at the outcome. "I attack with my fire axe."

"Nat 20! Your attack defeats the Slime King, and you obtain his plus two Amulet of Audacity," Donatello says.

"HAH!" Raphael leaps to his feet, just able to catch Maddalena before she slips off his shoulder. "In your face, kitty!"

Ice Cream Kitty lets out a warning meow, eyes narrowing. Sarina claps politely while Michelangelo crosses his arms over his chest and pouts.

"Hey, Leo, Des, aren't you gonna play?" Donatello calls as he removes the enemies from the board.

Leonardo glances up from where the two of them are seated on the couch, his arm over her shoulders as they watch TV. Destiny doesn't acknowledge them, eyes locked on the screen.

"What? Uh, nah, you guys go ahead," Leonardo says, batting his hand at them nonchalantly.

The commercials end as a news update pops up. "Breaking news from Chinatown," Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe says. "A fire has burned down a mob warehouse, destroying millions in cash. Some face-painted gang members discovered at the scene failed to comment."

The screen switches to a shot of the Purple Dragons, tied up and dangling from a light post. It cuts to a close-up of the Dragons themselves, revealing the clownish makeup covering their face. The other turtles and Sarina get up and move closer.

"Goodness," Sarina murmurs.

"Oh, man, I've gotta text Tay about this," Raphael says, his phone already out. He sends a text and looks up. "You know, I bet that place used to be Shredder's."

Michelangelo laughs as he creeps closer to the screen. "Dudes, look at their faces!" he says.

"This definitely looks like the handiwork of that crazy girl Karai's been running around with," Donatello adds.

Sarina approaches him. "Do not be cruel, Donatello. She's just...eccentric."

"She shoved your face into the pavement, and all you have to say is that she's eccentric?"

Sarina idly touches the fading scrape on her cheekbone, then nods. "I stand by my word choice." She looks back at the screen, her eyes flashing once. "On another note, I cannot help but wonder if we should do something. Leonardo? Destiny?"

Leonardo's shoulders hunch and Destiny sits up and away from his embrace. "About the fire? 'Cause I think they've got that under control," she says.

"No, about Karai," she clarifies.

Leonardo gets to his feet. "I'll go talk to her. How about that?"

"Do you want back up?" Raphael asks.

Leonardo purses his lips. "No, it should be fine."

He hops out of the living room pit and heads off. Destiny gets to her feet, watching him go with her ears pressed to her hair.

"I'm...gonna go check on him," she says.

She hurries off before anyone can question her.

----------

When Leonardo and Destiny get back to Karai's hideout, Karai is practicing by herself while Shinigami plays a handheld game. Leonardo opens up a window, allowing them both inside.

"Look who finally showed up," Shinigami says.

Karai sheathes her tanto and crosses her arms over her chest. "Having trouble sneaking out without Splinter noticing?"

Leonardo drops down, Destiny behind him. "We need to be more careful, Karai," he says, moving closer to her. "You can't just go charging in like that. If I hadn't been there as back-up, you might have been hurt by Hun."

Karai scoffs. "Don't flatter yourself, Leo," she says, a laugh in her voice. "I had Hun right where I wanted him."

"The Purple Dragons are one thing, but just us four against all of Shredder's army?" Leonardo shakes his head. "We should get the others."

"Your brothers aren't interested in going after Shredder's empire," Karai says. "They have other interests that they'd rather focus on, right?"

"If we told them what was going on, they'd help," Destiny says, tail swishing back and forth.

"We're outnumbered," Leonardo adds. "We need the help."

"On that, we agree," Karai says. She snaps her fingers, saying something in Japanese.

At her command, at least fifteen ninjas in red shozoku drop down from the rafters. Destiny startles a bit, immediately going back to shell with Leonardo as he presses closer to her. The ninjas wait, some still crouched, others standing tall.

"Shinigami recruited these new Foot ninjas from Japan," Karai says, turning back to Leonardo and Destiny.

"But...these guys are mercenaries," Leonardo says, still eyeing the newcomers warily.

"They're perfect for our cause," Karai insists, "and for our next target."

She looks up at Shinigami, prompting the pair to follow. Shinigami stands, flips her hat off, and pulls a few photographs from inside. With a flick of her wrist, the photos flutter towards them, and both Leonardo and Destiny reach out to snatch them from the air.

Even in grainy black and white close-ups, it's obvious. Destiny's lip curls a little while Leonardo's brow furrows.

"Shredder's...chemical factory?" he asks.

"Last I heard, some Italian mobsters were moving in, trying to claim it," Karai says. "If we destroy it, it'll cripple whatever they're planning. Even better, Tiger Claw won't be able to lay a finger on it."

"Do you know what anyone plans to do with it?" Destiny asks. "You know, any theories?"

"The Italian mob is run by a guy named Vizioso. Last I checked, he hates mutants more than anything else." Karai scoffs. "As for Tiger Claw, he'll probably aim for something similar. Chemical weapons are a valuable resource."

"Then what's our plan?" Leonardo asks.

"We go in, snuff it out, and we've got another problem dealt with. One more step towards bringing peace." Karai smiles a little. "After that, we'll see."

Leonardo looks up from the photos at Destiny, only to find that she's already looking at him. Her wild eyes are resolute, tense, but determined. He purses his lips, then nods.

"Alright, we're in," he says.