There was still a piece of sunlight when they reached the designated village. To warm them up, they walked them until fit and amped up their speed as time went on. Ridden frequently or not, everybody needs a warm up. The whole Wild West riding thing doesn't work like that (sorry y'all). Venus pulled back on the reins ever so gently to cue her steed to slow to a stop. It was in the Andalusian’s nature to disobey somewhat, fighting back by shaking the bit in his mouth. Leonardo found it easy with Yujin, who listened and executed without question. Still, Venus was speaking and responding to her reacting steed. In a moment, he gave in and shuffled to a stop beside his equine friend. Venus pointed to a building ahead. It was pretty easy to set it apart. Much like the Wu Kwan, it was a ruby (not much a diamond), amongst the small rural homes. From what they can tell, there was no guard outside the door, but that wasn’t to say there was one. These are ninjas we’re talking about; an organization of ninjas and soldiers who are sure to keep a careful eye on who and what enters. “Let's tie them up over here.” She referred to their steeds when a tree caught her eye. Thick at the base yet bent at some degree, the green plumage spread across evenly at a tall height. The location of it was not too far from the desired building and hid behind a house at angle angle. That way, the animals could be hidden as well if a problem were to arise. She clicked on, having Nan lead the way for Yujin due to the incapability of his rider. As they drew closer towards the living log, he could feel the horse slow underneath him, leading to a stop in front of it. “If we need to, we can make a quick getaway.” Venus slid off her high horse. “Gotcha.” Leonardo tried to mimic her movements, though they weren't so subtle. His dismount that ended up as a climb downwards was no match for her simple slide down the leather. Both feet landed in two distinct beats against the ground. Yujin nickered and sashayed in relation to his odd movements, but did not overreact. The instant he touches the ground, a sudden shock went up his leg through his foot. They had been riding for so long and he had never done it before. It was torture on his behind as the belief was indeed true about why a cowboy walked in such a way. He forced himself to stand up straight, reaching backwards to pop his back. “Okay Leonardo, you are…?” The question lingered as she reached around a lower branch. In her hand was a rope to the horse’s halter that she had brought for such an occasion. With a good knot tied, she slipped the halter over Nan’s muzzle and bridle. Once secured, he immediately dove his head down to eat by the tree’s roots. She advanced to Yujin, unbuckling his own from the side of his saddle. “Just a tourist; Lost if needed be.” Leo answered, doing some random stretched hoping they would serve him justice. “Good.” She wrapped the rope about the tree on a different branch. “So what are you then? You know, since you're not a geisha.” His head cocked to the side to see hers. She was focusing on the knot until returning the gaze back. “When we get in, I'll check out the surroundings and determine what I could be. With a gathering at this degree, women may or may not be strictly permitted.” She sounded so down, so low as she presumed to secure her dark colored sweetheart. “Okay.” She was just giving Yujin assuring pats as he watched her. Such gentle hands smoothed over his velvet nose, delicate with love. Feeling the eyes, she looked up at him. Quickly (and not so smoothly), he turned away to stare at the empty spaces around him. Her smile faded and she let go of her horse’s face. He felt a hand grasp his arm. By the time her looked down, she was already folding it over hers. “Arm over, arm under. Now, stride!” The mantra repeated and continued in her head, remembering the etiquette she had left behind. Their steps were even and in pace as they left their steeds behind and towards the fire. Closer and closer they came, and more and more dos their stomachs swirled. It deemed too quickly were they about to ascend up the steps of the “forbidden” building. Both eyed each person who entered prior. Anybody is a potential danger, so best to catch any warning signs. “Keep your face still and confident when you walk in.” Venus kept her head low as she whispered to him. He lowered his head to catch every encouraging word. “It is most welcoming to the people and will serve you some demand of respect.” He gave her a single nod. Leo raised his head. Although his face looked deciding nod unsure, she carried it high at a comfortable rate. When he found an acceptable carriage, his expression straightened out. There was a glassy look in his eye, a look that looked right through one with relaxed facial muscles. The female turtle smiled as she watched his face transform. When he found his face, she continued to smile. He gave her a quick, playful glance before restoring his previous look. A man before them held the door open, letting the two walk into the dragon’s nest. The whole interior was marked in red and gold. Ruby colored wallpaper contrasted against gold accents and poles as the venue was set up circular. If you followed the path, you’d find doors on your right that could lead to anything. In the middle of it all, there was always a shallow set of stairs available for one to come down and join the occasion personally unless one wanted to watch it from above. Venus clutched Leonardo a bit more, trying to keep close and stay out of line. There was literally nothing they can expect but the worst if their hoax was to fail. “(Good evening.)” one gentleman greeted the strange boy as they passed by. By this minute, Leonardo’s face froze. What did he say? Is he onto us? He could only lean on Venus to help interpret. When he saw her smile, he relaxed the muscles he tensed up involuntarily. “(Good evening, sir.)” Venus returned in Leonardo’s place. Not at all thinking of Leonardo, the man went about his business. He was ok with Leo not responding and a woman instead. Good. As they walked around the path, they felt like hawks, watching everyone below on the “high” stoop. Traditional music played as drums and bells bounced around. Food was served on a platter carried by workers who went in and out of what would assumedly be a kitchen. There were not many women, but numerous men of all ages who chatted and laughed together. “Definitely a gathering, but it is highly social.” She observed. “A Foot meeting wouldn't look like this. If I learned anything from movies, they could be using this as a cover. It's best to figure if they are in a separate room.” Leo added, nodding his head welcomely to a man who caught his eye as they walked. “My thoughts exactly.” No sooner did she speak, she caught sight of the looks she was getting. Passing men or women by the walls with their fans up to their eyes singled her out. The look was not at all welcoming, but they weren't going to say anything. Venus already knew. “As if I don't get enough looks as a turtle.” She muttered disgustedly, glaring back at one older woman. Her skin was as porcelain as her face powder. The crooked, edgy look in her eyes were disturbed by how this one girl had no decency to keep herself out of the sun. A very rural, outdoors type girl she assumed to be. How unladylike. “All because I'm dark-skinned.” (Making sure y'all know this isn't a racial diss, it's a fashion diss). “Or because you're beautiful.” the comment caught her off guard. She was keeping her eyes on her toes until that warm voice came in. Venus looked up to him. Leonardo looked extremely genuine, all the while pulling her a little closer in their arm fold. “ Either one.” he shrugged, making the cutest of smiles with his slight overbite. The female turtle blushed, taking her eyes away to escape from his own. “I'd feel a lot better if we weren't possibly surrounded by a terrorist group.” she muttered, bringing herself back to reality. Leonardo had to face it too. This really wasn’t the time for him to be suave. Villains at every corner, but he took the chance to compliment the pretty girl. The band grew lively then soft again as the social floor became a dancefloor in transition. The men cleared a space in the middle of the circle as the lights began to dim. Leonardo and Venus were on their toes as the room went black. Bam! A white flash revealed the three women who appeared undetected in the circle. The band began to play once again, in tune to the small fireworks that were strategically set up for the performance. Following the rhythm of the flute, a red dragon costume hopped in and encircled the women as they performed feats with their gorgeously decorated fans. Both felt obligated to hunch over in the darkness of their higher platform. Although they were on a mission, Leo couldn’t help but watch the spectacle. It was something he’d never seen, or at least be able to see it in the origin of the art. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his arm. He whipped back and off to the side. Venus was up against the wall, in the middle between two doors. The turtle stopped himself short, just before he could bodyslam her. She made sure he kept close by pulling his hand towards her so no one could hear her whisper. “Take a look at every woman you see.” Man, Leo didn't want this to be the time where her hot breath sent shivers down his back. Poor man contained his composure and followed instructions. There were the women performing...and… most of the others were up were they were, either walking around in small groups or fraternizing with the male guests. “ What do they have in common?” Did she really want him to think about other girls in this room? “White faces, kimonos, black and red makeup.” he listed, which didn’t turn out to be so hard. Venus nodded, but even under no light, the shadows of her face weren’t smiling. “Every girl here has a pair of fans or a small stringed instrument at their sides.” She groaned. “I really hate being me right now.” “Why?” He asked. Not too long did he get an answer. Venus began to unknot her robe. Leo couldn’t think of what she was doing as a crimson blush took over his cheeks. He soon made him whip around in embarrassment. “Leo, I needed you to cover me.” She spoke harshly. He was too scared and bewildered when he slowly and awkwardly raised his arms, standing a foot or two away from her. She used a hand to reach his shoulder and whip him around. Now, her robe was spilling off her shoulders as she clasped it together at her chest with her other hand. “I’m just toying with it but it’s disgraceful if I do this in public. I’m human to everybody else, not turtle. You got to shield over me.” Her free hand grasped his and raised it up to her head, a couple inches to the left of it. She did the same to the other on the opposite side. Now Leo understood as he realized that his body and draping robe hid Venus underneath him. But, he had to admit, he felt uncomfortably close. It was already hot in there, but literally Venus could lift her head up and bump into his chin. He also felt lost, debating on whether to close his eyes or not because his position has him looking right down at her as she pulled her robe to sit just on her shoulders before they could choose to fall. He closed his eyes, hoping he didn’t seem like an idiot to her as she tied her robe back up. Before she was going to allow him to back off, she took a moment to revel at how he had closed his eyes even though there was nothing for her to hide from him. How sweet and gentlemanly. Now, back to life. “From here on out, I am a courtesan. Got it?” She urged, using a hand to gently push him off her. He opened his eyes, seeing a slightly different style before him. “Courtesan.” he repeated. “Correct.” “How do we figure what rooms they're in?” He referred to the Foot, the reason they’re here in the first place. By observation, people were going through the doors freely, just pairs of men and women who entered privately. “I see some couples walking into random rooms here. Do we do the same?” “No.” Venus shook her head, although she valued his insight. “We are visitors here. They are probably regulars.” The last sentence felt gross in her mouth as she cross her arms. “Hopefully, I can try to sense them behind closed doors.” She took Leonardo’s arm back and wrapped it as she had it done previously. In step, they stalked by the doors. To help her single out anything she could feel, she left her eyes to Leonardo when she closed hers, feeling any tendency through her body. “Feel anything yet?” He asked gingerly after the first five doors they’ve stopped by. “A little, but it's not getting any stronger as we go along.” She was honing in on something, but it felt off and eerie. Something could be blocking the transmittance. “There's definitely mischief.” she felt through her soul the evil tendencies, but it wasn’t strong enough to pinpoint an exact location or person. “(Are you still with her?)” A timid tap bounced against Leonardo’s shoulder. Leonardo jumped, compressing his companion’s arm underneath his tense muscle. He relaxed once he figured where it came from. It was a very old man with a very strange look. A tattoo that ran along with head and a shaven do and that a lot of hairs pulled into a topknot. Prior, Venus felt something odd as they walked and it grew stronger up until the point Leo had squeezed her. She opened her eyes in shock of the suddenness. The man was her friend, Khan. What was he doing here? Maybe the same as her? But then again, this strange feeling must be associated with him. Whether it be good or bd, Venus had to know. “I am a tourist.” Leonardo enunciated in English, quite unsure with what to do with himself. “(He is a lost tourist.)” Venus giggled in a very high pitched voice. A gingerly hand pressed against his chest as she smiled brightly to the older gentleman. “(And no, he is not. Is there anything I can do for you?)” “(You are needed. Come with me.)” Quickly, he took her by the hand and tried to pull her away. “Um, I don’t think she’s-.” Leo was going to reach for her, but she dodged his hand elegantly. “It is alright. I am ok.” She nodded slowly. The way she looked, she could be nto something. It was knowing and in control. “You're going to leave me here?!” He whined. Given all the circumstances, she was going to leave him to his devices in a terrorist party? “I'll be right back!” Venus whispered harshly back. “(He asked me where the bathroom was. My apologies.)” She turned quickly to the older fellow, wrapping er arm around his as she had done Leonardo. “(I see.)” He did not take ny interest in the matter. The older man whisked his only saving grace away. He watched as they gained ground and entered one of the rooms they chose not to seek out. Leo just stood there, dumbfounded as he leaned against the wall. What was he to do now? Just then, a group of young men passed by. Each one eyed him critically. Tourist, they were probably thinking. Leonardo sighed and gave it a whirl. “How are you doing?” His throat reached a depth that kept them moving along. “(Dance for me. Could you do that?)” he asked so politely. A chair off to the side was dragged to the woman standing center in the room. It was pulled to sit underneath him as he rested his back against it. “(Yes.)” Hurried, she reached for the fans by her sides. She did not want to keep him waiting. “(Would one with these fans work?)” One opened in her hand. Although it was made of paper and elegantly painted on, the thick, sturdy handles were designed to fight. “(Yes. Please, begin.)” he asked. Khan relaxed, nearly melted into his chair once the other fan was opened and she began. It had been years since Venus watched or danced with fans before. It was not a skill she was interested in and would do other things with them rather than dance. Alas, her cover called for it . Calm and collected on the outside, panic surged internally for her brain scrambled for any moves that would keep her rhythm going and make her any less suspicious than she already was. When in doubt, recycle the moves from Gong Fu or Hai Yang. Probably not the best choices, but he’s old, he’ll dig the classics. He did not seem to have a preference for his mind was in two places at the moment, relishing them both. “(Everything's coming together nicely.)” she heard him mumble. “(Finally, all of my plans will begin after this day.)” That came out louder than the ast, Judging by the way he said it and with the volume, he wanted her to know something. One would not be so direct, but touch on the subject in hope to spark of some interest. “(What are these plans of yours? May I ask?)” She gave in. These mischievous vibes were still present, and now he’s talking about ‘plans’. Could be anything: improvements of the council, a solution maybe, a solution to the Foot problem… why was he here? A good guess that they invited the village as a coverup. “(You are a silenced employee of the Foot?)” Oh, snap. Her fan snapped open with a warrior’s pose when he popped the question. Venus couldn’t believe it. Could it be? Khan? But… but he was the one who hated the Foot. He detained that guy the last time… or he pretended to. Could it be that there are other wizards inclined to the Foot? There must be more than this story, otherwise the world will soon be in chin deep trouble. “(I am pledged to the Foot Clan, yet I know very little.)” She tried to keep her voice even, not letting it crack and ruin her elegant appeal. Khan twisted the end of his long, black beard between his fingers. “(It should not hurt to tell. Besides, I need to tell of my soon to be victory.)” Oh, no. A gloater. She just had to put up with him long enough to get some truth circulating. It just can’t be that he was the bad guy in this. Khan is a good man. Please, just be undercover, a mole in their plan, she prayed while she composed into a crane position. “(As the next, powerful magician in line, it is only fair that I may speak for all of China.)” “(Yes? You are put before the political leaders of the entire country.)” Venus wanted to keep it going, let it all flow out at once and keep her nerves from rioting from anticipation. “(If I could, they would have been the dust of my shoes by today.)” He spoke so snobbishly. “(What keeps you?)” “(I have been offered a position to become the ruler of China with an image that does not appear to be a dictatorship. A sense of peace, if you will.)” “(How so?)” He is evil. You could not imagine the terror and panic circulating within a content-looking, fabulous dancer as herself, fighting it to keep the secrets flowing. Later, she told herself, it will happen later. “(Mistress Karai, daughter of Oroku Saki, has created alliances with the underground ambassadors of nations to gain complete control of the United States. With my cooperation, she will, in turn, support my political campaign when China’s leaders fall to her hand. Of course, she will bring forth to me more.)” Both of his hands reached for his collar and taught them apart. “(For you do not know, the Council of the Chinese Magicians are quickly failing without the guidance of the Great Chung I. If I run China politically, the Council will have no choice but to turn to my guidance and control.)” Outside the room of horrors was the party of horrors. Every turn, every person there was someone to eye him critically, telling him he did not belong there without words. Being a tourist was hard, he thought. Somehow, through the pushing and confusion, the six footer found himself in the middle of it all. Dodge that person, waiter with a full platter coming through. Most of the guests were a foot shorter than he was, so there was no way of missing him. Little scowls here and there, dancers over there, now there’s a dragon-coming-this-way! “Excuse me, dude.” It apologized when it bumped the disoriented man. Leonardo had to double take. Did that dragon just say ‘dude’? Taking a chance, he grabbed hold of the mouth of the beast and opened it wide for him to see inside. The person doubled back. He was white, much like himself but a hue darker. Freckles, blue eyes, but you can't miss the orange bandana around his eyes. “Mikey?” Leo questioned in surprise. “Do I know you?” The orange masked man lifted a brow and zoomed up close to the other. With a closer study, he realized the blue eyes and noticeable scar across one of them. “Oh, Bro, Leo hey!” He exclaimed. “You look good.” “What are you doing here?” “Rescuing you!” “Leo!” Another familiar voice. From behind Mikey, a taller yet lighter skinned fellow emerged with glasses. “Donnie?” He began to search further into the costume for the rest. As word quickly spread Leo was in front of them, a brown haired, muscular woman was followed by a red banded and even more muscular male. “That's… 1,2,3,4… All of you are in there?” There was a mutual head nod from every one of them. “Yep! So, what's going on? Anything suspicious?” Mikey whispered in a sneaky, childish voice. He leaned in close and put a hand up to the side of his mouth to make it “private”, creating a harsh sound on the last word. The only thing it did was make his big brother back off and wave his hand to get rid of the stink of the young one’s breath. “No, but…” he stopped fanning. “How'd you guys know about us being here? And how are you people too?” “Venus told Don.” Raph stated blatantly. “The old guy gave us magic charm necklace things.” “She knows nothing about this so not a word!” Donnie dropped in. He did not want to be the one that told Venus’ secret. Miwa already volunteered to take the blame. “Where's Venus anyways? Is she safe? It doesn't look” she paused to criticize the nature of the surrounding women. “‘woman friendly’ in here.” “Not sure. Some old guy took her away for something. I don't know what a courtesan is, anyways.” “She's posing as a courtesan?!” Mona pushed the other two brothers as she pushed forward, answering in shock. “Yeah?” He replied, quite unsure how to go about this situation. “Leo, a courtesan is a Chinese prostitute!” She exclaimed as quietly as she could. The eyes of every single English speaking boy doubled in size. She’s posing as a what?! “Whoa. Never thought it would come to this.” Mikey commented. “One day she's playing with dolls and now she's dancing on poles. So sad.” The orange banded boy dropped his head low in honor of the innocent Venus de Milo. Donatello grabbed the tails of his mask. Pulling them back, they forced his head up. Neck curling all the way back and looking at his brother towering over him, he listened. “She's pretending, Mikey.” Donnie assured. “You sure? It's always the good girls that go bad.” The older brother let go of the tails to playfully knock his head forward with his nonsense. “She said just go with it for her cover.” Leonardo explained. “Besides, this guy was beyond ancient. If anything goes haywire, she can handle it.” Mona Lisa was still not satisfied, as noted by the cynical expression she presented them with. The older turtle wanted to keep Venus out of any trouble if she were to pop back up and find out they're here. Of course her cover is not in any shape or form an intention. Leo saw the way she resented the fact, groaning as she changed her ways to fit the part. He was quick to defend her position.“She was using her senses to flush out the hole that the Foot are hiding in. Said something about mischief and that guy came by. Surely, she left to follow a lead.” “Alright. We got to keep moving.” Leonardo couldn't tell what the rush was. It was when Mona pointed with a timid finger and Leo turned to see. Yeah, it looked a little weird for the man to be carrying quite a conversation with the performing dragon. Yeah, better move on. “Keep us posted.” With that, she and Raphael were pushed towards the back in their original positions. The eldest could tell as the back end became full again. “Yes ma’am.” He saluted. Donnie backed up to disappear as well so they could roam around the room. Before he could release the grip on the mouth, Mikey stopped him just before he could. “Kung Hay Fat Choy won ton soup!” He whispered harshly. Leo raised a brow. Was he speaking Chinese? “Hai…?” His answer in Japanese, but he really didn't understand a word he said, or believe it was actually a Chinese phrase for that matter. Mikey rolled his eyes sarcastically. “That's my code for you got your woman stolen by an old dude.” He mocked, snickering inside when he let Leo close the mouth back up. “Go jump on the rails.” He threatened as the costume backed up and skipped away. “(Were you planning to kill Chung I?)” Venus tried to keep most of the stress of her voice at bay. At this part of the dance, her back was turned. One foot up in a crane pose and fan opened up, hanging over her head, tears tried to escape their ducts, but she wouldn’t allow it. She just needed a little more time from looking at him in the face to suck them back in. “(What was that?)” Please don’t make her ask again. She changed poses to keep her from shaking her head. “(If he hadn’t left, would you have killed him to gain that power through the council?)” That came out a little stronger than she had anticipated. “(I couldn’t.) He admitted. From the tone of his voice, he was very sincere. Venus was unknowingly still when he heard his answer. It was quite a surprise to her. (His children would never forgive me. Strange creatures they are. The young one is a magician as well, but she has no clue. And her oldest sister,)” an inappropriate chuckle. (“ a disgrace to the family. Quits everything for she was impregnated before marriage. Not only that, but she killed the child. A pity really, but who’s to say we should have more snakes like her running around our village.)” He was asking for an amen, but would not get one out of the entertainer. Can she beat him up right now? Every bone in her body screamed to stay cool and not blow her cover, but then again there was this other nice voice screaming ‘DRAG HIM!!!’. She kept her dance, yet it was less elegant and more simple to execute. Repeatedly, her bottom lip was chewed, fighting back every motive to break, “(Mona Lisa is not a snake.)” she bit her lip back to keep her from letting her feelings get in the way. “(What?)” The old man straightened up in his seat. “(She’s not a snake.)” she repeated. “(No, no. I didn’t mention her name to you, did I?)” Oh my gosh, he got out of his seat. She’s done it now. Khan approached quietly, head cocked to one side in wonder. “(No, you didn’t, but-.)” She tried to keep dancing, looking as innocent as possible.“(I have heard of her tale. The two reptilian sisters of the brush.)” she explained. Khan came closer and closer to her. “(Nobody should know of them outside of the village.)” Venus straightened up when he drew a hand towards her. There was no glow and no tension in his fingers. He bought it! But now, he was getting really close.Closer than what Venus would ever call comfortable to a menace like him. “(Well, someone must be leaking this information to the wrong people.)” How can she talk so smoothly while being forced to stare into the eyes of an evil man? His hand touched her face, fingers caressing her cheeks. She wanted to scream ‘back up!’ but could not. Could this possibly be how Mona felt way back when she was being mind controlled. Khan was now her Bebop as he stared into her beautiful eyes. The girl’s breathing hitched for she had not anticipated his old fingers dragging down to her jaw and down her neck. Was he really going to do this now? How can she get out of this? She certainly did not want to get this far with him. Just get some information and make a lame excuse to leave. How could the time get away from her. As she thought of a plan, Khan made his hands and eyes go down her collarbone. With prying eyes, he took notice of a piece of stringed leather around her neck, hidden within her robe. With full right to do so, he slipped his hand shallowly into the fold of her robe. Venus had no idea what to do as he made his hand inside her clothing. Suddenly, his hand clasped together with immense force and pulled at the charm, undoing the knot around her neck. “(Mèilì mèilì!)” he shouted, glaring at the stolen charm. He felt something off about this girl when she mentioned the unknown. When he looked up, he was less than surprised who it had been. What he saw was no longer the golden curled, dark skinned girl. Now, there was an anthropomorphic turtle he had know for so long, but not her cal stature was replaced with ever flowing tears. “(How could you? I thought you were our friend!)” She screamed. Khan took a couple steps back, quite affected by her pitches. “(You don't understand, foolish child. With the council dwindling, the only way to keep it alive is to take over China.)” “(You just took ten steps to solve two.)” “(If I rule China, that makes me automatically in power over everything. The council refused to have a single leader and would rather work together. It's not working! We're dying! Mystic arts will be gone if I don't do this!)” He bellowed. “(But taking over China, under the Foot clan!?)” “(A small inconvenience, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep the council alive.)” “(There's other ways to fix it.)” Venus shook her head, This just couldn’t be. All the lies… it just couldn’t. (“ I'm here now, let me help! Chung I was my father, I'm sure that-.)” “(You are not the biological daughter of Chung I!)” He cut off in distress. “( He has no heir, no continuance of his great blood! You have nothing of him! Neither you or your sisterly snake!)” Out of stress, he threw the magic charm away from him on the other side of the room. “(Don't do this! I know there's good in you-.)” “(My “good” is only available if they would let me be in charge of them! If they don't do it willingly, I shall do it by force!)” “(I'm not going to allow it!)” “(I did not ask for your approval, child!)” “(Do yourself a favor, and leave. Now!)” “(Over my dead body!)” Suddenly, her hands glowed. Khan was ready for a blast of some sorts, but instead the aura was in another part of the room. It surrounded the charm and lifted it. The old man allowed it for there was no other use for the charm that could stop his plans, Merely a cover up item and nothing more. Soon, it's magic will have no effect. She brought it to her. When it hit her chest, her magic created a new knot around her neck and cloaked her with her human body. “(That can be arranged.)” A yellow energy orb began to form. Once fully charged, he threw it at her. Venus was quick to counter with one of her own. It hit a little later than his, so the aftermath was closer to her, The power sent her back, but she kept on her feet. “(You are the only magician to know of my intentions. I was able to mask any emotion sense for the most part. Congratulations.)” he chuckled, taking strong steps to the side. He wanted to be in control of the situation, thus giving him the illusion of it early in the fight. Quite clever. “(A sense I've used quite often.)” She smirked before sending a surprise back. The ray of light was hit by his own magic who shied it away from him. A glimmer of it, however, marked up the side of his body. The old man put a hand over the wound as an impulse. It stung, but not enough to bring him down, He looked back into the eyes of the young girl. She stood so proud, so strong. How cute. “(I can tell.)” He sneered. “(Amazing that someone could like you so much in such a way. Maybe even love.)” He had used the same intruding senses on her. She knew who he was talking about, but she couldn't’ let that phase her. He knew she was insecure and intended on using that against her. Venus had to shut it out. She knew she wasn’t ugly, she knew that she was special, she knew that she was beautiful and there was a whole list of those who think the same. She stood her ground and smiled. Both fists were clenched up to her chin. “(Amazing how someone as respected as you could corrupt.)” One by one, people of the party began to quiet their chatter. When one asked their comrades to stop and listen to the weird muffling sounds, they shushed their friends and then forth. The rotation got around to the middle of the room when Leonardo took notice of the discrepancy. With the room quieted, there were some sounds he could make out. The sound of what a cartoon gun would make in an old cartoon, grunting, but nothing giving them direction as to where it's coming from since no damage was made on the building despite its shakes. The echoing of the sound distorted and was deceiving to the ear. Leo knew. He recognized that sound and knew exactly where it was coming from. People were apologized to frantically as he pushed the crowd and parted them to make way for him. As he tore closer to the outer ring, the people took notice and moved out of his way. Leonardo was at the base of the stairs when another rumble shook up the building. His head shot up when the sound of splitting wood cackled. A yellow light caused the audience to react violently, especially when a body was flying in the air. Leonardo charged those stairs, gaining as much momentum as he can. Venus seemingly lifeless body was doomed to fall flat on the unforgiving ground. At the top, the athlete leaped. Gaining a substantial amount of airtime, he grabbed the girl and snatched her down from the splintering wood. The people did not know how, but Leonardo used his shell to cover Venus from the falling wood. When the last of it took its turn to fall, he lifted himself off of her. She wasn't bad. Scrapes from the wood was definitely there in the appropriate places. “Leo!” Her vision cleared to see the worried turtle looking over her. “Whoa! Venus!” He didn't know if she could stand, so he placed his hand gingerly under her head. Her eyes squeezed in pain from being slammed against such heavy wood. Surely, without a shell she would have been done for. “You alright?” “It's Khan!” She forced out. Her hand was offered, indicating that she wanted to stand. Leonardo kept his hand behind her head and put the other in her own as they both pulled to get the turtle girl to stand. “Khan? Who's Khan?” She was unsteady and had to lean on him for support. To answer his question, the older man emerged from the sawdust, standing in the middle of the dusty room. A few men rushed towards him. The older gentleman only had to point directly to the two diversified people to divert the men’s attentions. “Oh boy.” “(Kill her!)” Khan ordered. Swiftly, the men sprinted, flipping down the stairs and made a beeline towards the two despite the crowd’s fears. “What'd he say?” He pushed Venus behind him, pushing them back from the men. “He ordered them to kill me.” The turtle girl stumbled, in which she grabbed the rim of his shell to keep herself up. She really was banged up pretty bad. The turtle before her reached inside his robe and withdrew two katanas from their sheaths at his sides. “Not today, they won't!” He affirmed, squatting low and clenching the blades tight. The first to reach him drew a single sword from the sheath at the side of his hip. When he came down, the metal rang across the room. The second the people saw a sword fight break out, they panicked and fled for the exits (shouldn’t they have ran when Venus’ body flung from a wall?). The Foot member, totally unaware that he was fighting a turtle, went to go in for a punch with his empty hand when he saw the opportunity. Crack! The felling of his hand faded away. He retracted it, holding it in his other hand very carefully. Then, dazed, he looked up at Leonardo. The caucasian man turned to look at his back, very confused as to why he did that. But then, he remembered. The mere thought of it brought a devious smile to his face. “My turn.” he spoke slyly. Oh man, how the soldier looked ready to cry when Leo swung his sword again. In pain, he released his hand to defend himself with his sword. They metal slipped off one another as the soldier went through with the motions, opening up his back to his opponent. One good elbow in him back brought him to the ground. “It's ninja time!” Mikey called to the furthest in the costume. Following the sound of grunts and metal clangs, he located the commotion through the crowds of people and viewed his now fighting brother. “Hey, hey, whoa!” He called as the family withdrew their weaponry and gripped the top of the costume. “What?!” Mona shrieked, both annoyed and in a hurry. “Can we pop out like the Huns from Mulan? Just straight up ‘ARRRGH’?!” Mikey pitched with enthusiasm. Before an answer could be made, the three taller siblings blankly pushed up the roof of the costume and turned it over. No fancy reveal, no screaming. Just… stood there. They took a second to glower at him before charging into the fray. Michelangelo was left behind to pout and look back at the costume. What he couldn’t see were to two Foot soldiers advancing towards him. His body sulked as he withdrew the nunchucks at his side. “I never” He began to swing his arms and chucks around wildly as an upset child would, “get to do what I want!” He whined. A moan from behind made him jump and turn around. In a fighting stance, he was ready to take on the ghost who yearned. A little sight down revealed to him the two outcold Foot Soldiers he unknowingly beat up. Michelangelo made an ‘o’ with his mouth, holding a fist to it with widened eyes. Man, he did them dirty. “Yeah Boy!” He shouted. “What’s up?!” He howled over them. The turtle gave them another cocky expression and gave his nunchucks a whirl before hustling over to his family. Khan emerged from the sanctity of the room. His eyes gazed around the chaos that surrounded him. There were more fighting against him than he had thought. More colorful characters were added into the picture. From careful observation, he can see the necklaces around their necks. More disguises, it may be. “(Remove their necklaces!)” He shouted from his spot. The orders were easier said than done. Three were off to the side, trying to fill in their quota first by taking down the biggest one with the red mask wound around his head. Each took a turn to try to kick or punch the person, but it proved too difficult as he dodged every single one. It also seemed that he was smiling, highly enjoying their demise. “Nice Dragon kick. Ah, sweet double Phoenix punch.” He commented sarcastically. “ Hey! You know this one?” A 180 twist of the hips granted a flying leg to the now flying men to the ground. Another off to the side, twirling and swinging a Bo staff that defected their swords and took a jab at their soft stomachs, lurching them forward in pain. Despite such views, he had more and more men. Those colorful characters could not last too long. In the corner of his eye, he can see a splash of light blue on the floor. Battered, Venus was still suffering from the effects of her earlier defeat. Khan grinned before glowing. “(Let's take it to my domain.)” He whispered to himself. His eyes began to glow white, and in return, Venus’ did as well. The world around her disappeared, transporting her to a place far beyond comprehension. The skies, if they could be called that, was a gradient of a dark coral and white. There was no floor to touch, in which she was floating in the atmosphere. Despite the colors, items and pieces of sets that made up the previous ballroom floated around them in a chaotic state. She had to question: Why am I here? Her answer came when a quick flash of a bright light simmered down to show the body of Khan. He appeared stoic and strong, looking over her pitifully, seeing a broken bird on the ground. She growled at his presence. “(Didn't think you'd survive a physical plane?)” she mocked, straightening herself up. The older man chuckled to himself, humoring the child. From her groggy expression, she was still feeling the effects on her body. “(Anyone can kill physically. This will be far more amusing to me.)” “(Bring it on!)” Little bursts of energy flung from her hands, hurdling in his direction. Creating a type of shield around his body, Khan deflected then once they hit. Behind his wall, the sound and impact of the balls vibrated against it, feeling its power indirectly. When the hail was over, it became his turn to retaliate. His entire body glowed yellow as the aura surrounded him. Only one of his hands was more concentrated than the other while the power source built up. At its peak, he forced the beam onto her. The girl was quick to react to the Magic by placing a shield of his own. As the yellow clashed with the blue, a blue aura spilled fiercely off the sides of which her shield took up. Four separate bursts fled from the sides, aiming at the offend man. He stopped his magic to defend himself from her own. Each burst was caught in both of his crossed hands and feet, but it did push him back on the plane. “(I must admit, you are raw.)” He levitated back up to her height. Venus stood ready. It was quite a big power surge that drained her of the majority of her energy. Khan knew it and she had to hold herself up. “(but out of my league.)” The girl’s eyes widened in horror. A bright yellow bubble surrounded him. Bolts of lightning and other explanatory lines ran around him in a storm. She had never witnessed magic in this type of state. That was the moment Venus knew. She was going to lose this battle. In the real world, things were getting a little better. The small family was getting tired, but the soldiers weren’t the best fighters to go up against. They still havent figured why some of their tactics didn’t work when they hit them in the right spots, meaning they have not successfully ripped off a single one’s necklace yet. But that was going to change very quickly. At the moment, Mona was having a wonderful time with the boys. A couple cute little team-ups here and there, but mostly independent. Currently, she was finishing off the last of her opponents. She jumped over the charging man, pushing off his back. When she hit the ground, her leg knocked him off his leg with a single swing. His back hit hard, choking him with the impact. The girl smiled at his discomfort. Leonardo approached her, but not to give her some praise, explanations, or deliver a witty phrase. He noticed Khan standing at the top of the stairway. A blank expression followed by white glowing eyes kept him still. Coming close, Michelangelo was busy using the pathway as a place to run to the other side of the room to assist Raphael. “Mikey!” He shouted. The boy stopped on on leg. A couple jumps forward on it kept him from falling over as his back leaned back to see what he wanted. “He’s the bad guy!” He explained. “Khan?” Mona shrieked. Leonardo nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. It shocked her tremendously. Mikey was brought to the attention of the still man. Since he wasn’t posing any threat at the moment, he came up close and sneaked a peak of his face. “So?” he asked nonchalantly. “He’s right there! Clock him already!” “Yo! I'm not gonna punch an old dude!” “But he's evil!” “So?!” this time, it was a lot more sassy and resistant. “That's a bit of a double standard.” Donnie added before swinging his staff at the few of the standing Foot soldiers. “Look. I'm not gonna hit him, and y'all aren't either. Leave it to V.” Leonardo raised a brow. “What are you talking about?” Mona had to guide his eyes by pointing to the turtle girl hiding close by. Although the shadow hid her body, they could see those bright eyes glowing vividly. “She's fighting him mentally. What if she messes up his brain or something?” Raphael asked when he hoisted two men in both hands. As their fate would have it, their bodies clashed together. Outcold, Raphael dropped them like rags. “He's old anyways, probably forgot to turn the sink off at home.” Mikey defended. He put a hand on the old man’s shoulder. Before he could touch him, a shocking sensation pulsed through his arm. The turtle yelped and gripped his upset arm. Curious, and stupid, he tried it again. The same results occurred. So much for the punching plan. Harmless on the outside, they couldn’t not imagine what was happening on the other side. Venus was down. She could not protect herself from what Khan had delivered. It did not kill her, but she was sure he was going to finish her off. The entirety of her body either burned or stung from the unknown properties inflicted upon her. The man stood over her, watching her try to get up but definitely couldn’t. “(If you had just let me help the people, you would not be in this predicament.)” He glowed once more. The same unforgiving orbs of light surrounded him again. This was it. Venus, seeing her fate, put her head back down. Khan was not the last person she wanted to see. Instead, she’d rather remember the life she’s led. She couldn’t recall the wonderful life in China without Khan somehow being present. Instead, she recalled New York. The amazing lights and culture diversity. The adventures, the lessons, Splinter, her new brothers, Mona. Such beautiful figures. “(Give my apologies to Chung I when you see him.)” He asked. Khan unleashed his light in close proximity. The brightness was too hot to watch as it hit the girl. Even he had to back up from the heat. This was burning her alive. Both guilt and relief washed over him as the light began to dim. Venus as a threat was gone, but surely her sister and allies will come after him. He thought of his plans that his empire will be much bigger by the time they figure it out. The light simmered away and what he saw was shocking. The yellow light slipped off the rainbow colored bubble that covered the girl. Venus was in just as much shock as he when she looked up and saw that she was still alive. “(It is over, Khan.)” a deep-bass voice echoed. Suddenly, the invisible figures of twenty numbers revealed themselves. It was the wizard’s council. Everyone wielded a hand that outstretched their colorful auras to protect the turtle girl. Venus wanted to cry at the arrival of her salvation as they stood up to Khan. “(Gentlemen! Please! I was only trying to help!)” He nervously backed up. “(By attempting to kill the daughter of Chung I?)” One accused, offering a hand to the proof below them. “(It's not what it looks like! I swear!)” “(That's not what he told us.)” Another chimed in. “(Who?)” Khan asked. No answer. Just a squint of the eyes. Khan took the time to try to figure it out while one floated down to Venus. “(Mei Pei Chi,)” The field around her dispersed as he came to her aid. He turned her around carefully. Her eyes were partially shut from fear and happiness. “(will you help us?)” he asked, which was also his way of asking if she was alright. He helped her to her feet when she gave an unsure nod. He noticed her struggle, but she had to stand. The man let her lean her heavy figure against him. Slowly, she rose her head from her chest. What she saw was the most promising sight she had seen. With the council behind them, Khan stood, shook in terror. Now, it was her turn to get back at him. “(Goodbye, Khan.)” One granted as he raised his hand. The rest followed suit. The man who held Venus held up Venus’ arm so she may participate in his demise. Much obliged, she tried to contain herself. “(No! Don't do this! You all need me! I was trying to help!)” Nothing was going to stop them once their iridescent colors flung from out of their souls. Khan’s single magic couldn’t help the twenty-something others that assaulted him. His screams of anguish filled the space as he doubled over from their power. The next phase was prepared and ready. The man turned to Venus. When she caught his gaze, he gave a nod and they both looked back at Khan. He started his magic. With his hand around her wrist, the green color surged through hers like a glowing spiderweb up to her hands. It was charging her own, combining their powers. A look of awe took over her face as she saw a teal orb form in the palm of her hand. Longer and longer, the power built. When she saw it fit, they released it together. The bolt smacked into Khan. Louder shouts emerged for a second until it became silent. The magician's stopped their flow of magic and lowered their hands. Before there was nothing. What was left of Khan was gone. Just as the man disappeared, so did their surroundings. Her eyes were blurry, but she could make out a few heads over her. A couple blinks, her vision began to sharpen. “You ok?” It was a caucasian woman, but that pink around her eyes and long hair could only be one person. It was her sister. How she got there, she didn’t know, but she sure was glad she was with her. From what she could tell, she lay in her lap, in her arms as she gazed upon her worryingly. “Mona?” She asked, voice cracked. A subtle nod. “Yeah. Yeah I'm fine.” Not really, but better than not. “Good.” Mona’s voice dropped low. Venus wanted to raise a confused brow, but rather waited. “If I catch you actin like a h**, we’re gonna have some serious problems!” So much attitude! “Missed you too.” Venus muttered. She tried to sit up, using Mona’s assistance. “What happened in there?” Leonardo asked. He was squatting besides her, along with the rest of the squad who had mysteriously showed up just as Mona had. “I punched an old guy.” She did not want to tell a long tale, so this was explaination enough for her. Mikey’s face built up. He sucked in his lips while forcing air against his closed lips. “I TOLD YOU!” He bursted, shouting into Leo’s ear. The eldest turtle closed his eyes from the impact of his voice. A general laugh humored him after a hard fight. Donatello stood up first to extend a hand to her. Venus took the friendly gesture. As she rose out of Mona’s lap, she tried the best she could to help her sister up without hurting her. A couple grunts lead her to her feet. Donnie held her against him until she hung an arm around him shoulders. She smiled. “Was this your doing?” She quizzed. “Uh- uh actually, your friend Miwa called us.” The words spilled quickly out of his mouth. The girl nodded. “You’re a terrible liar.” she giggled. With that quick, shocked look in his eyes, he couldn’t hide that from her. “And thank you.” She squeezed him gently with the arm around her shoulders as a type of hug. He smiled warmly from her affections. He knew he made the right choice. They heard footsteps click against the tile floors. The family shut their heads up. The three boys surrounded their downed sister in protection as the man approached. It was Hong, the man who assisted Venus in the other plane. To call off the dogs, she placed a hand on Leonardo’s shoulder. He turned to see her calmed expression on her face. He then called off Michelangelo and Raphael as they let the man gingerly approach them. “(Khan is no longer a threat to the world.)” he informed with the most peaceful mind. “(Where'd he go?)” Mona asked. “(Where he can no longer do any harm.)” “(You mean…?)” Her finger pointed to the sky. The brothers followed it, wondering to what she was talking to him about. Nothing but a roof. The man chuckled briefly. “(No, a different dimension.)” “(Thank you so much, Hong.)” Venus bowed her head. He returned the favor by bowing fully for his friend could not. “(How did you know I was in trouble and that is be here?)” Another question when he rose. “(An old friend came to us.)” His explanation was followed by a knowing smile. The girls looked to one another and smiled, then back to him, stifling their giggles. “(I must help clean up this mess. Excuse me girls.)” Coming in from behind, a couple more council members showed up by the doors to direct work for hired help to clean the mess Khan inflicted upon the gorgeous building. “So…” Michelangelo broke the silence. “Can we go stop to eat?”
