Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Oh, how I hate bank administration!” April O’Neil thought angrily, as she was sitting in the hall of the bank. It always took so much time to get things done. Not to mention that she had just arrived back from a trip involving her job, and she had her luggage with her too. She was tired and wanted nothing but to go home and rest.

As she was waiting for her turn, she looked around. She noticed a tall, handsome, Asian man in a black suit, standing nearby. He checked his watch, sighed, then sat down and picked up a magazine from the table, with a bored expression on his face.

Now at least April had something interesting to look at while waiting for her turn. Not only that, she suddenly felt an urge to approach the man. She still had many people in front of her in the waiting line, so she had time. “Excuse me, would you be so kind to watch my stuff while I get some drink?”

The man looked at her, and his eyes widened for a few seconds. He recognized her instantly. She, however, had no idea who he was. After some hesitation, he answered.

“Yes,” he nodded seriously.

April thanked him, and headed to the vending machine, smiling to herself. Upon closer look, he was well built, older than her, and seemed serious. She liked that. When she returned, she didn’t hesitate to continue the conversation with him.

“The waiting line’s always crazy here, isn’t it?” she chatted while holding a soft drink in her hand.

“I think so.”

Another polite nod, but this time accompanied with a smile. The ice started breaking, it seemed.

Shredder would have never imagined that one day he would meet with April in a place like this. He had evil plans, which needed to be brought to fruition, and he didn’t want to waste his time on such trivial things like bureaucracy. But whether he liked it or not, as a citizen, he too had ordinary, day-to-day things to get done. Despite his aggressive and anti-social personality, Shredder was able to act like a normal person, and blend into the crowd when he found it necessary.

“Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m April O’Neil,” she continued.

“Saki Takahashi. Pleased to meet you,” he said, and smiled. Obviously, he wasn’t going to reveal his real name to her. He was also glad that during their encounters as enemies, his helmet distorted his voice, so she wasn’t able to recognize his voice either.

“That sounds Japanese,” April thought.

“You’re the reporter of channel 6, right? I knew you were familiar somehow.”

“That’s right.”

A devious plan began to form in Shredder’s mind. April was clearly interested in him, and she didn’t know his real identity. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage, since the situation was more than convenient. Use her as a tool to attack the turtles, to learn their secrets. And to kill Splinter, too. He had kidnapped her many times, but he hadn’t thought of seduction before. Since it was she who approached her, to let this opportunity slip seemed foolish. She was indeed pretty, he had acknowledged that, but he didn’t care much about it before.

He turned to face her fully, put a charming smile on his face, and went into flirting mode. What started as a boring Monday suddenly became very much promising.

*

The plan worked perfectly, and Shredder silently congratulated himself. They started meeting, and soon began a romantic relationship. All the while, he managed to pry out some information from April about his enemies. He avoided being too obvious about it of course, and he was intelligent enough to make the right deductions.

There was one problem, though. He refused to admit it first, but eventually, he couldn’t deny it anymore.

April had grown on him during these months, and he caught himself not wanting to end the romance. That feeling was somewhat new to Shredder, an unexpected turn of events.  Already he was walking a precarious line. He was aware that if she discovered who he was, things would get hopeless between them.

And the time he had feared came soon enough. True to her persistent nature, April managed to sneak into one of their hidden bases, to video Shredder’s activities for her report.  He and Krang planned to steal a large amount of the city’s energy, causing a massive blackout. Before she could call the turtles and do any serious damage, she was discovered, and was cornered by the ninja.

“As you know, Miss O’Neil, it’s useless to resist,” he mocked, while approaching her slowly. He clearly enjoyed their usual game.

 “You never show your face. Hiding behind that mask is lame and cowardly,” she shot back. If she could somehow knock the bastard’s helmet off…

Shredder just laughed at that. He knew well that she wanted to taunt him to reveal his real identity just to sell the info to the TV. Splinter was the only one who knew how Shredder looked.

Before he could grab her hand, she slammed her palm on the light switch next to her, and that caught Shredder by surprise.  She didn’t waste any time to grab his helmet and pulled it off.   When she turned the lights back on, and recognized his face, her heart skipped a few beats, and her eyes widened in shock. She wanted to say something, but her mind just froze.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you speechless,” Shredder mocked.

He pretended that he didn’t care, but in truth, he was angry at himself, that the reporter managed to reveal his identity with such a simple trick.

“You…Shredder…how…why?” April stuttered.

“Continue to call me Saki. We’ve already been intimate enough for that, haven’t we?” he said with a boastful grin.

“What you’ve been doing is lower than low!” she spat. “Don’t think you’ll get away with this!”

“Who said we must end our relationship?” Shredder smirked.

“Are you kidding?” April yelled. “You’re our enemy...a criminal...a murderer!”

“Not your enemy. Only Splinter’s and his sorry bunch,” he shook his finger in dismissal. “You may hate it, but the truth is, we’re good together,” he leaned forward to kiss her. She pulled back, but he  gripped her and gave her a kiss.

“You should have been more careful when you flirted with a stranger. You may never know who that person really is,” he laughed.

Before she could retort, Krang appeared on the monitor behind them.

 “What’s the delay, Shredder?” he demanded. “Everyone’s waiting on you.”

“Stop patronizing me already,” Shredder snapped at the alien, and narrowed his eyes in anger.

“Then give me results,” Krang said in a whiny voice, crossing his arms.

The ninja just gritted his teeth, then turned back to April. She wanted to run away, but he quickly grabbed her arm. He firmly but gently led her to a nearby chair and tied her wrists.

“I apologize for the not-so-warm-welcome, Miss O’Neil,” he said, and April couldn’t figure out whether his tone was cynical or sad.

Shredder also reached into one of her pockets, and took her turtlecom out, only to smash it to pieces. He quickly turned and walked up to a console, all the while barking insults and commands at Bebop and Rocksteady when they entered the room.

 “Let me go, you bastard! The turtles will find you anyway, they always do!”

“You’ve seen my face, you know who I am. And you work in TV. Not what I’d call a lucky  combination…but if you have a solution, I’m eager to hear it.”

She just glared at him and pouted her lips. Shredder just shrugged and got back to work. He didn’t have time for the drama now.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw her wiping her eyes from silent tears. That made him feel a little guilty, which was completely out of character for him. Normally, he wouldn’t even have cared, but this was different, completely different.

Surprisingly enough, he and Krang could finish their work without the turtles intervention.

“Alright Krang, mission accomplished. I’ll return to the technodrome shortly,” Shredder stated triumphantly.

“Excellent work. It’s good to see that you’re still capable of not screwing things up,” Krang mocked and laughed.

“Someday, you’ll regret those words,” Shredder hissed.

Now he only had to decide what to do with April. Her face was wet from crying, being completely heartbroken.  As he approached her, he even noticed fear in her eyes. Against his better judgement, he decided that he took the risk and didn’t take her with him to the technodrome. Krang had probably thought of ways to dispose of her permanently, and he wouldn’t allow that to happen. The alien didn’t know anything about the two of them being together, since Shredder considered this a private matter.

He sprayed sleeping gas on her, without saying anything. He didn’t want her to be awake, he didn’t want to talk about his decision. He was already mad at himself that he let his emotions control him to such length, but he couldn’t help it.

He took April in his arms, and left the hideout. He brought her to her apartment, and placed her on the couch. His plan had backfired. It wasn’t the first time it did, and it wouldn’t be the last. Who would have thought that he and April made such a good pair? He was watching her for a minute, then left. But not before removing the tape from her camera.

*

Following the incident, April avoided reporting anything about Shredder and his gang like the plague. She had decided that she didn’t tell the turtles anything, things were embarrassing enough already.

But there wasn’t a single day when she didn’t think of him, and the more she was thinking about what happened between them, the more she thought that the affection wasn’t just an act on Shredder’s part. This must have been the reason that he had released her: that he really had feelings for her. He had been constantly calling her Miss O’Neil, for one. It just didn’t make much sense that he’d be so polite with an enemy. Especially knowing that Saki cursed a lot. There were times when he even called her pretty and bright. Kidnapping her regularly, even when it was unnecessary.

At night, she'd started not sleeping well, because she was missing him, but at the same time, she hated herself for it. She finally decided that this couldn’t continue after she had couldn't sleep for 2 days in a row.

*

Shredder on the other hand took all of it a lot better, continuing his evil scheming. Although not really the same way as he did before.

Krang even berated him that he had been doing a half-assed job lately, sending Bebop and Rocksteady out to do most of the work, without him being directly involved. That resulted in a higher percentage of failed missions, of course. Every time Shredder went out for a mission, he hoped that he wouldn’t run into April. But he knew her fiery spirit all too well, and it was only a matter of time before she appeared again, to fight side by side with those annoying turtles. Even when he had kidnapped her before, he didn’t hurt her, and he didn’t intend to do so now.

Back at the technodrome, he was practicing ninjutsu in the training room. In moments like this one, when he was alone, it took quite a bit to keep his mind from wondering back to her, and to focus.

It wasn’t much later that Shredder caught himself watching Channel 6 with April in it. The report with her had ended long ago, but he was still looking at the screen, lost in thoughts. She was the first person who totally took his self-control away. He decided that he would seek her out sometime later, after he and Krang managed to get the city under their control.

*

Shredder arrived to his home in the city a few days later, his head aching from the argument he just had with Krang. The alien had been a real pain again. He wanted nothing but to be left alone, and rest. That didn’t happen though. Suddenly, Rocksteady jumped in front of him, and yelled excitedly:

“Look, boss! We’ve captured the girl.”

Fearing the worst, Shredder followed him into the living room. Just as he had suspected, it was April, her hands tied behind her back, and Bebop standing beside her, making it sure she doesn’t run away.  Shredder was in disbelief. He certainly didn't expect that to happen.

“She was lurking around the house,” Bebop said.

“Release her at once, and leave her alone!” Shredder shouted angrily at his subordinates as he cut the ropes off her wrists. “Now get out of my house, idiots!”

The two henchmen quickly retreated, bickering among themselves.

“What’s his problem?” Bebop asked confused, raising his hands. “He has always ordered us to kidnap the girl.”

“The boss has gone nuts lately,” Rocksteady answered simply.

Shredder got his helmet off and tossed it on a nearby table. April noticed that he had let his hair grow longer, his locks falling forward on his forehead, making him even more attractive. He stood in front of her with a bitter expression on his face.

“What are you doing here?” he asked coldly. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with me.”

“I just…wanted to see you…,” she said with sad eyes, struggling to find the words. She found the man in front of him intimidating, knowing what he was capable of, but at the same time, she was drawn to him even if she knew how crazy that was.

“I see.” Shredder said simply.

For a few seconds she didn’t respond, then hugged him instead. He hugged her back, and realized how much he had missed her.

*

The holocommunicator started beeping in the darkness. Shredder woke up, and searched blindly for it on the bedside table.

“What took so long? I’ve just-“ Krang said in his usual annoying, whiny voice, when he suddenly cut himself short. He gasped, then yelled. “Whaaaaat?!”

Shredder was about to shot back, but then he realized what Krang was talking about. Beside him, April got herself up in a half sitting position, and looked at them sleepily. The only problem was that they were both naked, and April revealed too much of herself, the light of the holocommunicator illuminating her.

“Shredder!!!” Krang yelled, completely outraged.

This woke April up fully, and she hastily covered herself with the blanket, blushing deeply.

Shredder got up, and left the room in a haste.

“Cover yourself with something, for crying out loud!” Krang continued yelling.

“You’re the one who called me in the first place, genius!” Shredder fired back, while pulling his boxer on.

“So, care to explain why that troublemaker reporter is in your bed?”

“It’s none of your business. Now spit out what you want!”

“She’s our enemy!”

“Enough already! It’s a complicated situation, you see. I’ll tell you about it later.”

Not much later, when Shredder ended the call, he saw April walking up to him.

“Shredder, I know you and that freak are up to something again,” she told him disapprovingly.

“What if we are? What can you do to stop me?” he mocked, putting his hands on his hips.

“Oh, plenty…” she said in a seductive voice, and winked at him.

 “Damn,” he said, defeated, as she pushed him on the nearby sofa.

*

April was very surprised the next day, when Shredder casually walked into her Channel 6 office, dressed in his businessman attire. Quite a bold move from him, but since he looked like a businessman, he didn’t stood out much from the crowd.

“Shred—I mean Saki!” April yelled. “What are you doing here? Have you come to spy on us?” she added suspiciously.

“As much as you’ve been spying on me and Krang,” he waved dismissively. “We should go out for dinner tonight. That’s why I’m here.”

“Aren’t you too busy for that? You’ve wrecked quite a chaos yesterday,” she frowned. “I bet Krang won’t like that either.”

Unfortunately, she couldn’t prevent Shredder from returning to the technodrome yesterday. He only arrived a few hours late after he and April had some fun, which outraged Krang even more.

“I don’t give a damn about what Krang says on the matter,” he said seriously.

*

“Saki?”

“What’s wrong?” Shredder asked, while picking up a sushi with his chopsticks.

An hour later, they were sitting in a fast food restaurant near the window. April berated him for the crime he and his henchmen committed yesterday.

“It wasn’t that bad. You’re exaggerating. It comes with being a reporter, right? It was Krang’s idea, if that makes you feel better,” he teased.

She shook her head in annoyance.

“Saki, this has to stop.”

“Not until I get the power I want and deserve.” he answered haughtily.

He let out a short, sinister Shredder laugh.

“Why do you follow that crazy alien Krang anyway?” she scolded.

“Your boss isn’t better either, from what you’ve told me, he must be a real jerk,” Shredder retorted. “Krang gives me invaluable tech and weaponry.”

Shredder’s mobile phone suddenly started ringing, and he picked it up with a tired expression on his face.

“Excuse me,” he said to April, then began speaking in Japanese.

It was a nice language, and hearing him speaking it always turned April on. She couldn’t wait for them to get home…It also amazed her how easily he could transform into a polite businessman from psychotic Shredder.

Shredder ended the call and looked at her with a smug smile. It seemed that he had already noticed April’s attraction to the language. Good. Another thing as means to keep her with him.

April started a long train of thought about her career choices. She had never thought a day would come when she and Shredder would sit together in a fast food restaurant, and she would pour her heart out to him, but here they were.

“….then I realized...I shouldn't focus only on the turtles,” she explained. “As a reporter, there are so much more things to look into!”

“Good point,” Shredder simply said. “And that way you’ll get off my back too when I’m fighting the turtles.”

Before she could retort, Shredder’s eyes widened as he noticed Rocksteady and Bebop outside the street, waiting for him.

“Oh no. Those clumsy cretins…what are they doing here?” he thought.

The mutants had apparently brought his new, secret weapon with them, for God knows why. His blood pressure immediately reached extreme heights. He exited the restaurant and confronted them. April quickly followed him, being curious about what was happening.

“Idiots! Morons! Have you really brought this here, in front of her?!” Shredder was raging. It took all his willpower not to kick them right there and then.

“Um…you see, boss…,” Bebop began.

“We had to bring it here, ‘cause there was a little accident…and we thought it would be best if we bring it to you for safekeeping.”

“But Krang will tell you the details later,” Bebop added, and shrugged.

Shredder slapped himself on the head in annoyance.

“You can’t tell about this to the Turtles...” he turned to April, his voice worried and angry at the same time.

“Can’t I?” April teased, and raised her eyebrows.

“I’ve been working on this device for 2 weeks straight!” yelled the ninja, panic creeping into his voice.

“Where do you get this much free time anyway?”

“That’s the point: that I don’t. I warn you, April, I’ll be very angry if you reveal my plan to them,” he threatened her and raised a finger. “No more speaking Japanese…no more...sleeping together.”

Then he realized the two mutants were here too, and he shouldn’t have said the last part out loud. Rocksteady and Beebop looked at each other and shrugged. The boss has indeed gone nuts.

“This is starting to get awkward, not to mention hilarious,” April thought. It seemed that Saki’s IQ had the tendency to drop by several points when he was around his lackeys.

“Alright, Saki,” she said and crossed her arms. “You’ve convinced me.”

“Thank you,” he answered, and the smug smile returned.

“You two! Get out of my sight, and don’t you dare to talk to me today!” Shredder shouted to the mutants.

As he and April were walking home, she suddenly turned to him.

“Gohan wa dou datta ka?” [How was the food?] April asked in Japanese, with an innocent look on her face.

“Oishikatta,” [It was tasty.] Shredder said casually, and it took him several seconds to realize that she just spoke to him in Japanese. “Ah...sou ka. Nihongo wo benkyou suru,” [Oh, I see. You've been studying Japanese.] he grinned. “I’m impressed.”

Finding the language nice wasn’t the only reason April started learning it, though. When they began meeting months ago, Shredder said that he was a businessman, but after his real identity was revealed, April thought it was only a lie. Well, it wasn’t, and that took April completely by surprise.

“Who did you talk to?” April asked a few weeks ago, when she heard Shredder talking on the phone in Japanese.

“My employee.”

“You mean the foot soldiers?” she asked, puzzled.

“No,” he smirked. “I have a “normal” job you know…I’m a businessman, owning a small company.”

 “Really?  With all your world domination ambitions and evil acts, it’s hard to imagine you as a businessman. Which company is that anyway?”

“You don’t need to know everything, April. All I can say is, I’m in the electronics business. But I’ve never intended to be an ordinary salaryman, which is a dead bore…conquering the world is much more interesting.”

“Yeah, sure,” she rolled her eyes.

April wanted to gather more information about him by understanding at least some Japanese. So far, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary or crime related. She found it pretty hard to believe that Saki wouldn’t be involved in something shady.

Chapter Text

April and Shredder managed to keep their relationship a secret for several months, but the turtles were bound to find out eventually.  She had been meeting less with the turtles, which, of course, didn’t go unnoticed by her friends.

She was surprised when Splinter called her, since it was almost always the turtles who contacted her.

“Is everything alright, April? We haven’t met for weeks,” Splinter asked in a worried voice.

“Don’t worry, I’m alright. I was just very busy lately, you know? But I promise I’ll catch up later.”

April had the habit of walking up and down when she was talking on the telephone, and she did the same with the turtlecom. That was when the trouble happened.

Splinter couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the man behind April. Shredder was in the process of wolfing down a teriyaki chicken, sitting on April’s couch and watching TV. Moreover, he didn’t wear his armor either, but civilian clothes: a light blue shirt and black pants.

“Shredder!” Splinter yelled in disbelief.

The chopsticks stopped in his hands, and he narrowed his eyes when he heard the voice of Splinter. Now that he looked in Splinter’s direction, Splinter confirmed that it was indeed Oroku Saki.

April, realizing her mistake, ended the call quickly, but the damage had already been done.

*

“Guys, I have a terrible feeling about this…” Leonardo began, when Splinter informed them about what he had just seen.

“You’re not the only one,” Donatello added darkly. “This is very strange.”

“She has been avoiding reporting anything about Shredder lately,” Raphael said. “Plus that mysterious boyfriend of hers that she refuses to introduce to us…”

Everyone gasped at that. Michelangelo even covered his mouth with his hands.

“As far as I know, Oroku Saki has always been popular among women, but I hardly think April would get involved with him after all we’ve been through…” Splinter contemplated loudly.

“Maybe he’s blackmailing her or something. I too, refuse to believe April would get involved with such man. I mean, come on!” Michelangelo cried out.

“Yeah, that must be it. He always kidnaps her when he has the chance,” Donatello said. “We have to check on her immediately!”

“You’re right, Donatello,” Raphael said. “He won’t get away with this. Come on guys, let’s show Tinhead what we’re made of!”

*

Meanwhile, Shredder was fuming at April because of her carelessness.

“Why did you even answer the communicator while I was around?!” Shredder demanded angrily, while standing up and walking up to April.

“You did the same thing when Krang called you!” April said defensively.

“Point taken. The difference is, however, that Krang doesn’t care that much about whom I’m sleeping with. Not that it’s his business either.”

“You have to leave. I’m sure the guys will show up soon,” she said, worried.

Shredder clenched his fists and April noticed the aggression behind his eyes. She could practically feel anger radiating from him.

“Saki, please. Don’t fight them now,” she continued to plead with him.

Shredder didn’t even have any weapons on him, at least April didn’t see any. He would have been at a great disadvantage if he got into a fight with the mutants.

“A ninja never backs away from a challenge,” he said haughtily.

“That’s all nice and everything, but not wise!” April objected.

“Don’t insult my heritage,” Shredder said with gritted teeth.

He quickly gathered his stuff – car keys, watch, and jacket - and tore the front door open. He got into his car, and drove off.

April was watching him with surprise, she had never seen him behave like that. Fortunately, she didn’t see the turtles anywhere. Yet.

Shredder pulled the window of his car down, and let the cold night breeze in to help him calm down. Damn it! Now April made everything even more complicated than it already was. That was when he suddenly noticed the turtle van passing him from the opposite direction. How come they arrived so soon? But the fools didn’t suspect him at all in his Toyota, and that made him smirk.

*

“What are you talking about, April? This doesn’t make any sense at all!” Raphael questioned angrily.

“I’ve told you, I was tricked by him,” April said. “Guys, I’ve never been this embarrassed in my life.”

The turtles, Splinter and her were all sitting in April’s living room. Her friends were confused and worried, and explaining the situation to them was more than embarrassing to her.

“Ok, so he tricked you. But you’re still with him…,” Leonardo pointed out.

“Well…yes,” she said, her face turning red, and clenching her fists.

An awkward silence followed, which was broken by Master Splinter. He gently put his hand on April’s shoulder.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” he asked in a comforting voice. “I can imagine how hard this is for you, April. “You know his other side. Apparently, he has a good one too.”

“I know I’ve messed things up. Me and my flirty nature. Life isn’t fair, I tell you!” she said with teary eyes, and pulled out a chocolate bar from her purse. A little endorphin always helped.

“Don’t blame yourself. It was a coincidence that the two of you met like that,” Splinter shook his head.

“But sensei, this won’t end well,” Leonardo remarked in a serious tone. “He has been using her to get to us, and no offense, but you’re playing with fire, April. You should do the right thing and tell the police that-”

“I won’t betray him!” April cut him short. “Just for your knowledge, I tried to talk him out of living as a criminal, but no use. But I haven’t given up on it.”

“I hope you didn’t tell him where we live,” Raphael added in a hostile manner.

“No, of course not! What do you take me for?” April retorted, outraged.

“You’re Shredder’s bitch, after all…” Raphael said.

“Raphael!” Splinter yelled at the turtle.

April stood up, absolutely livid, trying hard not to slap Raphael across the face.

“Get out! Now!” she yelled at him.

Splinter pushed the turtles outside, then said:

“My apologies, April.”

The turtles continued arguing while driving back home.

“Was that really necessary, dude?” Michelangelo confronted Raphael.

“April is our friend and she has always helped us a lot!” Leonardo scolded. “You just can’t behave like that towards her!”

“But guys! He probably wants to turn her on us,” Raphael fired back.

“That’s stupid, dude. Just because she’s with Shredhead, that doesn’t mean she’s gone all crazy,” Michelangelo said.

April was angry at everybody. Angry at the turtles for treating her as if she had committed murder. Angry at Shredder for still clinging to his megalomaniac, world domineering plans despite being defeated over and over again, and not even giving up for her sake. She pulled a blanket around her and decided to watch TV, to get her mind off her problems.

*

A week later, April was reading her Japanese language book in the office when Irma sneaked up to her.

“Oh, you’re learning Japanese! Because of your boyfriend, right? He’s so handsome,” Irma said in a soft voice. “How well can you speak it?”

“I’ve become pretty good at it, actually.”

“No wonder the boss chose you to do that report in Tokyo.”

“Wait…what?”

“Oh…so he hasn’t told you yet?”

Before April could answer, Mr. Thompson exited his room, and headed toward them.

“April, my favorite reporter. I have a fantastic assignment for you,” he said with a honeyed voice.

April raised her eyebrows. Thompson was never kind or polite to his colleagues, so April already knew her boss was up to something.

“I know that you’ve been learning Japanese,” he continued. “I’ve wanted to make a report in that country a long time ago, you know.”

“Actually, I’ve been learning the language because of personal reasons…” April began to argue, but to no avail.

“Nonsense, you shouldn’t waste such knowledge,” her boss waved dismissively. “Especially if it serves the good of the company.”

April mentally rolled her eyes. Of course, this was all about Thompson’s greed, not the professional growth of his subordinates. What a surprise. And the timing was unfortunate, since Shredder had disappeared, and she couldn’t ask for his help in this matter. She didn’t know if he was just angry or something happened to him, and that worried her greatly.

A few hours later, April walked out the door at the end of her workday, still fuming, when she noticed Shredder.

He was standing there, arms folded, with his back against one of the columns of the building, looking serious.

“Saki! You scared me!”

“Sorry, I didn’t intend to,” he smirked. “It’s late and you don’t exactly live in a safe neighborhood. I figured I’ll take you home.”

“Wait…How do you know my car’s at the mechanic? Have you been spying on me?”

“I know a lot of things, April” he answered mysteriously, and let out a sinister chuckle.

“I thought you were away because of our argument the other day. We haven’t met since then, and now you just show up like nothing happened,” she complained. “I’ve been worried, you know.”

“I was busy in the technodrome, that’s all,” Shredder said nonchalantly, and shrugged.

“So, how did the meeting go?” he asked in a mocking tone, as they got in his car. “Did they tell you how foolish you are and such?”

April knew he was referring to the turtles.

“They’re not happy about it of course, but it wasn’t nearly as bad. Besides, the turtles still don’t know how you look like, only Splinter does. Despite what you think, Splinter doesn’t hate you that bad. Even after the crimes you’ve committed against him.”

“Joudan deshou? [You’re kidding right?]” Shredder grunted. “You expect me to believe that?”

April sighed wearily.

“That’s far too many drama I can take Shredder, and my sense of justice has always been strong. Perhaps it would be best if I withdraw myself from your constant fighting, and not getting involved.”

“This conflict will never be solved so why bother?” Shredder shrugged.

When they arrived at April’s home, Shredder remained in the car.

“You’re not coming?” April asked, surprised and disappointed.

“I’m sorry, but I had an urgent call just before you walked out the office building. But I’ll come back later, preferably in an hour,” he said with a seductive smile, and kissed her.

*

“Shredder, where are you?” Krang demanded, when the ninja returned his call. “I’ve got terrible news for you.”

Shredder just sighed, irritated.

“What is it now?”

“I’ve got locked out of the technodrome! The portal has closed itself, and we can’t open it.”

That was the worst possible timing. Shredder even considered that Krang may have known about his date with April, and purposefully tried to sabotage it.

“What? You’ve got to be kidding me, Krang!” Shredder cried out in frustration. “But how is this possible? Has the machinery got damaged?”

“All I know is that Beebop and Rocksteady have been in charge there. I have some ideas how to fix things, but since it’s already getting late and dark…”

“I don’t like where this is going…”

“I have to stay somewhere safe for the night.”

“NO. There’s no way I’ll let you in my house!”

“If the turtles catch me, I won’t hesitate to tell them your secrets, and you’ll be finished.”

“Come on, I know you’re bluffing!”

“Try me!”

“Alright, dammit. Just stop nagging me already. What is your location?”

The first thing Shredder did when they went inside his home was reaching for the telephone.

 “April, I must cancel our meeting.”

“Why?” came her response. She was clearly upset.

“Because of reasons.”

“I hope you’re not cheating on me...”

“Do I look like the type?”

“I don’t know. You being a villain and such…”

“Baka hanashi,” [Nonsense],” he said, and sighed. “There’s some trouble concerning Krang...but we can meet tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Krang turned the TV on and made himself comfortable in the armchair. Shredder resisted the urge to tell him not to touch his things, so he just grunted and gritted his teeth. He only had to endure one day with him being here, and hopefully he won’t watch soap operas either.

“Oh, I should’ve known,” April said with anger. “You’ll have to make up for this, you know.”

When Shredder ended the call, Krang turned to him with a disapproving look on his face.

“This whole thing’s fucked up, Shredder. That busybody reporter will be your downfall someday, I tell you,” Krang argued. “She might compromise our mission.”

Shredder flashed a nasty leer in his direction.

“Shut up, Krang!”

Compromise their mission? Yes, that was certainly true, but he’d never admit it, especially to Krang. He lured April into a trap, but in the end, it was him who felt trapped.

Shredder was so exhausted that he didn’t even bother to go into the bedroom. He fell asleep on the couch, thinking about how pleasant his night could have been with April.

Chapter Text

When April’s workshift ended at Channel 6, she walked out to the corridor, only to see that Shredder and her boss, Mr. Thompson, were talking.

“I agree, Mr. Takahashi. Those turtles must face justice for all the trouble they’ve been causing,” Mr. Thompson said vehemently. “Forgive me, but I have to go now. It was nice talking to you.”

“Nice talking to you too,” Saki replied with a smile, and nodded.

As soon as the editor was out of earshot, April stopped in front of Shredder with a disapproving look on her face, and placed her hands on her hips.

“Saki, I hate it when you do things like that! Have you got any idea how hard I’ve been trying to convince my boss not to hate and blame the turtles?”

“I was just waiting for you, when he approached me,” he shrugged, playing innocent, then smirked. “It seems that your boss and I have something in common, after all.”

Before she could retort, Vernon too, appeared in the corridor, and didn’t miss the chance to taunt April as he walked by:

“April, that report of yours was lame and boring. Surely you could do better, now that you’re the boss’ favorite,” he rolled his eyes.

Shredder recognized the man. He also worked at Channel 6, and sometimes accompanied April during reports. He shot a death stare at the reporter, and stepped in front of him, blocking his way. Then he reached toward, and grabbed Vernon’s shirt.

“Be polite to Miss O’Neil…or else!” he threatened.

Vernon’s face turned pale, and he gulped. April had to admit that Saki looked very intimidating when he glared like that.

“Sure,” Vernon faltered. “But who are you?”

“I’m with April. That’s all you need to know,” Shredder said darkly, and released the man, who hastily walked away.

“Wow, you know how to make a point,” April commented, amused.

Shredder just grunted.

“Listen, Saki,” she began, as they walked out the building. “I know it’s not your thing, but…there will be an important auction this week I want to do a report on. It will be a really big event, with a banquet and everything. I’d be happy if you accompanied me.”

“I’ll go,” he answered simply.

“Really?” she asked, surprised.

“You sound surprised,” Shredder said with a slight smile.

“Actually, I thought it’d be hard to convince you. But anyway, I’m glad you’ll be there,” April said and locked arms with Shredder, who smiled at her in return.

*

Shredder checked his watch, then sighed in frustration. He already regretted that he agreed to accompany April on the event. An hour had already passed, but she was still getting dressed and such.

“April?” Shredder called out.

“I need to put on some makeup first, it won’t take long,” came her response from the bathroom.

“Are you kidding me?!”

When April finally exited the bathroom, she saw that Saki was on his cellphone, arranging all of the shoes by the door, while speaking to his subordinate.

“Are you finished? I didn’t realize we were invited to the president himself,” he remarked cynically, when he ended the call.

“Yes, I’m ready to go. Can I ask you something? Why are you arranging the shoes so neatly? It’s not the first time I’ve seen you doing that,” she said amused. She always left hers in disarray.

“Oh, it’s a Japanese thing. Part of the etiquette, to be precise,” Saki shrugged, then he then went on and explained where shoes must be placed exactly, and how.

“Wow. You just don’t know how to relax, right?” April raised her eyebrows.

“You should look into these things, since you’re learning my language. Besides, it’s automatic, I don’t even realize when I’m doing it,” he said nonchalantly.

At the auction, Shredder was sitting in the third row, with his arms crossed. It turned out that they were selling antiques, and a large crowd of people gathered to partake in the event. The prices of the items were crazy as well, especially the biddings on the Chinese porcelains.

Then he noticed something strange. A group of men were hanging around at both sides of the room, whispering among themselves, seemingly not caring about the auction itself. Being a criminal himself, Shredder instantly knew they were up to no good. He kept watching them with suspicion, but by the time he realized what was going on, it was already too late. When a third group appeared, they began raiding the building, incapacitating the security guards and everyone who tried to resist. They had weapons, and some of them even used martial arts.

He didn’t waste his time and began searching for April in the crowd.

“Saki, why on earth did you ruin this evening?” she confronted him angrily when he ran up to her.

“April, I’m telling you, this isn’t my doing,” he said defensively, folding his arms. “I’m as much in the dark as you.”

“Then what is going on here?” April answered, now visibly shaken. Many of these robbers looked Asian, that was the reason she thought they were members of the Foot Clan.

This situation felt unusual to Shredder too, because it was him and Krang who did the threatening and stealing in this city.  

During the chaos, the men managed to steal a large number of artifacts, and successfully get away. Two of them even attacked them, trying to take April’s camera. Shredder took out several gang members, he didn’t even count how many, and they eventually retreated. During the fight, he suddenly felt a sharp pain, but didn’t care about it until now.

He was pressing his hand on his side, gritting his teeth. April watched in shock as a large, red stain began to appear on his shirt. He had been stabbed, and was bleeding badly. She put her hand on her mouth, and knelt next to him.

“We must take you to the hospital immediately.”

“No. We have superior equipment back in the technodrome,” Shredder said in a firm voice, and shook his head. “Krang can patch me up faster and better.”

“But Saki-“

“I’ll be fine,” he said firmly. “And you’re safe now, the cops have arrived,” he added, when he saw the policemen enter the building. He used the teleporting device, leaving the horrified April behind.

*

Now in the technodrome, the ninja was slowly stumbling into the medical room, when Beebop and Rocksteady suddenly came down the corridor to report to him.

“Hi boss!” Rocksteady greeted him. “How come you’re not wearing your armor?”

That was when they noticed the blood drops on the floor Shredder had left behind.

“Oh, boss! You’re bleeding!” Beebop stated, surprised.

 “Help me, you morons,” Shredder wanted to shout, but his wound hurt too much, and his voice faltered. He did his best not to faint, while he sat on the operating table with the help of the mutants.

“The boss is in terrible shape,” Rocksteady told Krang, when the alien joined them.

“What happened, Shredder? How come the turtles messed you up so badly?” Krang said with surprise.

“Wasn’t them,’ Shredder groaned, as he removed his shirt and tie. “Later…”

“It’s a good thing you have my help, isn’t it?” Krang said with cynicism, half an hour later. “The immediate threat is gone, but you need to heal for at least a week…So I can’t rely on you on our next mission, which is a shame, to put it mildly,” he continued with as much disdain as possible, then left.

Shredder threw his bloodied and tattered shirt in the trash. Damn, it was one of his favorites. But no matter, it was just a material object. It can be replaced. Not like his wounded pride.

“I swear, someone will pay,” he muttered to himself.

*

Shredder’s sick leave involved more yelling and more insults than usual. In other words, he was a horrible patient.

“Could someone check the thermostat?” he asked in an irritated voice.

“I think so.” Beebop said, scratching his head.

“That was a rhetoric questions, idiots. And bring me some decent food, I’m fed up with Chinese takeaways. Tempura and miso soup will do.”

Rocksteady nodded, and headed for the door, when Shredder shouted after him, a little hysterical: “And beer! I need beer too! But only Asahi!”

“Yes, boss,” Rocksteady answered, and quickened his steps.

Shredder hated his bed rest, he had always been a man of action, and he felt utterly useless now. He didn’t even contact April, because he felt ashamed of his failure, and he didn’t want her to see him in such condition.

Soon came the evening news on TV, and Shredder leaned forward as he saw April on the screen, discussing the events that happened the other day.

“...in a brazen daylight robbery attempt. The armed gang is still nowhere to be found. Police are fully committed to finding the persons responsible. They are asking anyone with information about this group to contact them immediately, to further the ongoing investigation.”

Shredder narrowed his eyes. So those damned wretches have managed to elude the authorities. He would have loved to see them go to jail, or even better: dealing with them himself.

*

The next time the turtles got into a fight with Beebop and Rocksteady in a warehouse, April would have never thought that someday, she would be happy to see these two. She didn’t waste any time, and stepped between the two groups before they clashed with each other.

“Beebop, Rocksteady!” she called out to them in a commanding tone.

The two henchmen flinched when they saw her approaching.

“Oh, Miss O’Neil,” Rocksteady said with an unsure voice.

Shredder forbid them to hurt or kidnap her, so they just stood there dumbfounded.

“Why isn’t he with you? Is he ok? He was badly hurt the last time I saw him.” April demanded.

The turtles looked at April as if she was crazy.

 “April, what the-?” Leonardo asked, but April ignored him.

“I must know!” she insisted, still staring at Beebop and Rocksteady.

Seeing that she was getting hysterical, Beebop instantly went into defense mode.

“The boss is ok. He just needs some rest.”

“Just be glad you’re not the one nursing him…he’s a real tyrant,” Rocksteady complained, and rolled his eyes.

“What? Shredhead got hurt?” Michelangelo asked.

April reached forward, and simply tore the holocommunicator out of Beebop’s hand.

She felt relieved when she saw Saki appear on the monitor. He was slouching on his bed, drinking beer, but seeing who called him, he immediately sat up. His hair was uncombed, his face unshaved, and he was wearing a crumpled, white T-shirt and sweatpants. April had never seen him like this.

“April! How did you get the com?” he yelled in surprise, almost spilling the drink on himself.

“Saki, you know how I hate it when you disappear like that! I’ve been worried sick!”

Both the turtles and Shredder’s henchmen stared at April wide-eyed, listening to the rather awkward conversation.

“Don’t worry, I’m alright. Krang helped me with his alien tech.”

“So that blasted alien is good for something after all.”

Meanwhile, Shredder’s lackeys and the turtles decided that they had heard enough, and went at each other’s throats.

“What’s going on there? Are they getting beaten up again?” Shredder asked when he heard the background noises.

April looked behind her, and saw Rocksteady flying by, crashing into a couple of barrels nearby.

“Yeah. Does that surprise you?” April answered, amused.

“Not at all,” Shredder sighed, and waved his hand dismissively. “Listen, I apologize for not calling you. I just didn’t want to-“

He couldn’t finish the sentence, because Krang began yelling in the technodrome for him.

“Shredder! Come and help me operate the cannons!  Move your ass already!”

“Damn it…this is about to get ugly. You’d better get away from there, April,” Shredder told April, and ended the call.

Meanwhile, Beebop and Rocksteady began to retreat, they too, received new orders from Krang. April stood up, tossed the holocommunicator at Rocksteady, then walked outside as if nothing happened. She didn’t even say anything to the turtles.

The turtles became disheartened at this, and didn’t feel like pursuing the two mutants.

“You said earlier that she didn’t go crazy. Now here’s the proof of the opposite,” Raphael pointed out to Michelangelo with disdain.

“Dude! This is wrong,” Michelangelo sighed, and shook his head.

“It seems that she chose not to side with either of us…probably the best decision for her,” Donatello said thoughtfully. “But she’s still our friend. There’s not much we can do at this point, I’m afraid.”

“Except getting rid of Tinhead,” Raphael said angrily, stabbing the air violently with his weapon.

“April is very serious about this,” Leonardo noted. “She’s crazy for him. We’ve seen how she reacted. We can’t afford to lose our friend.”

Suddenly, they heard a large explosion outside: Krang must have began his attack.

“No time for being philosophical, guys,” Leonardo yelled. “We must stop the alien!”

*

Several days later, Rocksteady and Beebop were eating lunch in the technodrome, while discussing Krang’s newest plan.

“I’m not sure if this new plan would work out fine…the turtles will be on us in mere minutes,” Beebop said, worried.

“Well, at least the reporter won’t interfere. Ever since she got laid by the boss, she hasn’t caused much trouble to us,” Rocksteady said slyly.

“Oh, maybe he’ll ask her to marry him!” Beebop added with an amused voice.

They burst out laughing at this.

“What’s so funny?” they heard Shredder’s thundering voice. Beebop almost choked on his food when he saw the ninja.

“Nothing, boss,” Beebop groaned.

“Why aren’t you working? Krang gave you clear orders.”

“Um…we think the plan might be flawed?” Beebop said, and shrugged.

“And why do you think that?” Shredder demanded angrily.

As they explained it to him, Krang appeared at the doorway too.

“The plan is fine, you’re just too stupid for it. Well, there’s always a second option. Just kidnap April, take her hostage, that should do the trick,” Krang said in a bored voice, and waived his hand.

“Unfortunately, that won’t work,” Shredder said reluctantly, and shook his head.

“Why wouldn’t it work? It has always worked before!”

“Because the turtles know that she and I are not enemies,”

Krang’s eyes widened with surprise, then anger washed all over him.

“Well done, Shredder!” he shouted. “You’ve managed to lose our one and only hostage. You screwed up big time!”

“Shut up, you know that there are other possible hostages as well!”

“But April was the best, because she was a special hostage! Their friend!”

“Special hostage…oh my God, Krang…seriously…”

“You must correct this mistake. Unfuck what you’ve fucked up, in other words.”

“I warn you, Krang: Lay one finger on her, and our deal will be over. You’ll also experience the rage of a ninja!”

Krang folded his arms, and said mockingly:

“I’m not impressed, Shredder.”

“Do not think I’m bluffing. I’m not impressed by you, either.”

Shredder grumpily returned to his room, and turned on the TV. Just a few more days, and he will finally be able to fight again.

Chapter Text

“Saki, I’m travelling to Japan next month. My boss wants me to join a short-term project there, since I speak the language and everything…I want you to come with me. Please?” April pleaded.

“I’m not interested,” Shredder replied dryly, as he was switching the channels on the TV in his home.

 “It’s not just about the job. We could go on a vacation together. Like, before you die of karoshi, or something,” she said and rolled her eyes. “Have you even given yourself a moment to breathe today?”

She heard him multitasking in the other room before. First, he was shouting with Krang, then he called one of his employees.

Shredder just laughed at this.

“You could teach me as well,” April continued.

“Teach you?” Shredder asked, confused.

“You know, practice Japanese with me.”

“Why don’t you ask your friend, Hamato Yoshi?” he asked cynically.

“Please, Saki. Don’t be such a pain. You know this is important,” April said, and caressed his arm.

“Begging me, are you? You’ll have to do more than that,” he said haughtily with a challenging smile.

“Who said I won’t?” April replied with a seductive smile.

However, things didn’t go as smoothly as April had imagined. They were practicing the Japanese counter words – the language had tons of it – because April had been struggling with those.

“Ok, one more time,” Shredder said, as he was holding April’s language book in his hands. “It’s really not that difficult.”

April still made mistakes, and Shredder covered his face with his hand, and shook his head in annoyance.

“Kami-sama, give me patience. Why don’t you go to Hamato Yoshi, and destroy his nerves instead?”

She angrily threw a pillow at him in response.

“I need some coffee,” she said wearily.

“I need some sake”, he grunted angrily.

“Why on earth do you use so many counter words?” April whined, while she poured herself the drink.

“English has pretty crazy grammar too,” Shredder fired back. “I could complain too.”

“How come you can speak English so well, by the way?”

“I took private lessons as a child. It wasn’t a big deal,” he said with a shrug, and turned a page on a tech magazine he was reading.

“Not a big deal, sure,” April pouted.

*

“I’ll be abroad for a week,” Shredder declared as a matter-of-factly. “Personal business.”

“What?!” Krang yelled. “We need you here! You know that the-”

“I don’t give a damn, Krang. It’s only a short time, and you’ll do just fine,” Shredder waived him off, then a malevolent smile appeared on his face. “Or are you implying that you can’t achieve anything without my help?”

“You wish!” the alien grunted. “At least bring me some souvenirs, will you?”

“Maybe. If I’m in the mood.”

*

“Um...Saki...I need some help.”

April was standing in front of the ticket machine at the Tokyo train station, struggling to read the writing.

“Oh, kanji,” Shredder chuckled when he realized what her problem was, and quickly pressed the correct buttons, while April cursed under her breath.

As they were waiting for the train, April suddenly gasped and pointed at something behind Shredder.

“Look, it’s your brother, Kazuo!”

“What?!” Shredder yelled, and quickly turned his head into that direction. “I was wondering when he’d show up,” Shredder sighed, annoyed. “That was fast.”

“We meet again, brother,” Kazuo began in a threatening tone, but stopped when he recognized April. “Wait…you’re the reporter from the US, whom I saved from him. Has he kidnapped you again?”

Now that was awkward. April turned red.

“Does this look like a kidnapping to you?!” Shredder mocked.

“No, Kazuo. I’m here on my own,” she explained, while locking arms with Shredder. “In fact, I was the one who asked him to accompany me on a business trip,”

Kazuo’s eyes widened at this.

“Masaka [Impossible]. I understand nothing.”

“I appreciate your help from last time. But a lot of things have changed…We’re a couple now, but we don’t really have time to tell the whole story,” April told him, embarrassed.

“Not that we’re interested in doing so,” Shredder added in a hostile tone.

“I seriously hope you won’t disgrace our family again, brother. You were lucky to escape the authorities last time.”

“Back off, Kazuo. We have a train to catch, and I’m about to lose my shit now,” Shredder threatened angrily, and checked his watch.

“I promise he won’t cause any trouble,” April tried to ease the tension. “We’ll be only here for a week anyway.”

Kazuo stayed silent for a short while, but nodded eventually.

“Alright, I believe you. But we’ll watch him closely. It was nice seeing you again, April-san.”

The train arrived, and Shredder and April boarded it with a dark expression on their faces.

“I feel bad about Kazuo. We were so rude to him. He’s such a nice person,” April said to Shredder.

Shredder snorted.

“Don’t make me laugh, April.”

“Why do you hate each other so much?”

“I don’t wish to discuss my family feud on a train full of people.”

“Fair enough. You can tell me later.”

*

April’s boss was satisfied with the report, and with her work being done, they still had several more days to enjoy their holiday.

Shredder was watching TV in their hotel room that evening, when he heard beeping. It was the turtlecom in April’s handbag. He hesitated for a while, but answered it eventually. He also turned off the lights in the room, so the turtles wouldn’t be able see his face.

“Good evening, you wretched reptiles,” he said haughtily.

“Shredder! What happened to April?!” Leonardo, who initiated the call, demanded.

“Unfortunately, April can’t talk now. She’s in the shower,” Shredder let out a mocking laugh.

“Saki, did you call my name?”

April exited the bathroom, wrapping a towel around her.

“Why are you sitting here in complete darkness?” she asked in a confused voice, and turned on the lights.

Shredder instantly threw the turtlecom aside.

“Saki, what the hell?”

She went and picked the device up.

“Oh, hi, Leonardo! It’s good to see you!” she began conversing with the turtle, as she walked back into the bathroom and closed the door. “I’m perfectly fine, don’t worry.”

Half an hour later, April confronted Shredder in an angry voice.

“Saki, you’re not allowed to use my turtlecom! Or rummage through my personal belongings! Seriously!”

“Hah. Be thankful I didn’t smash it like the last time. I don’t like the idea of them spying on us.”

“They just wanted to know how I’ve been doing. They’re my friends, after all.”

“Figures,” he answered dismissively. “Anyway, I have something for you.”

Shredder handed a gift box to her. Seeing her confused look, he added:

“Today’s your birthday, isn’t it? I picked a present up for you.”

“Oh, I totally forgot! So, that was the reason the turtles invited me for dinner…anyway, we postponed it, because they didn’t know I was abroad.”

She tore off the wrapping paper. The present was a really expensive, professional video camera.

“Oh, Saki! You shouldn’t have!” April yelled happily.

“I only have one request. Don’t use this to film me or my crew,” he said, raising a finger, but at the same time, he couldn’t resist a smile.

“Agreed. I must try it at once,” she said excitedly, while proceeding to open the terrace door.

“Perhaps you should get dressed first,” Shredder warned her. “I’m sure the neighbors would love the sight…but I would have to punch them in the face if they would stared at you for too long.”

She blushed. Just as she was about to close the door, both of them noticed a man, who – just as Shredder had predicted - was staring at April with his mouth open, from the terrace of the adjacent apartment. Shredder immediately got up, went to the door, pushed April away, and yelled angrily:

“Oi! Fuzakeru na! [Hey! Fuck off!]”

The man ran back inside with a scared look on his face, and shut the door.

“Actually, I should’ve taken a video of this…,” April laughed.

Shredder closed the curtains, and turned back to her.

“I take everything, that involves you, seriously” he said with a grin, and his eyes wandered down to her chest.

“Saki, stop checkin' me out,” April said embarrassed, and blushed a bit.

“Oh, I’ll do much more than checking, my dear,” Shredder chuckled.

*

“It’s so good to be home again. No offense, Saki,” April said while they were driving home in New York.

“None taken,” Shredder shrugged. “I like the US better, too.”

As they arrived downtown, they noticed a massive fire that had broken out near a bank.

“Now, that’s some serious shit…,” Shredder remarked, furrowing his brows.

“I must film this!” April took the opportunity, and grabbed one of her bags, which contained her new camera. “Can you drive me there?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Shredder said, and shook his head. There was concern in his voice.

“It won’t take long,” she promised.

Shredder gave in, and steered the car in that direction with a sigh.

The sound of fighting and gunshots can also be heard behind a wall of police cars that were parked nearby.

April leaned out of the window, and started filming, but soon realized that wasn’t enough. In order to get a decent footage, she needed to get closer to the scene.

“Wait, where are you going?” Shredder demanded, when she got out of the car.

“I need to get closer, so I can get a better view,” she replied casually.

“Out of the question. I won’t let you get hurt, and I don’t want to get involved in this fight either.”

"You can’t permit-“ she started angrily, but couldn’t finish the sentence, because Shredder grabbed her and simply tossed her back in the car.

“What the hell?!” April was completely outraged.

Suddenly, they saw a van drove past nearby, jumping red lights, chased by police cars.

Shredder started his car and drove off.

“Sorry but not sorry. Now you see how dangerous the situation is, and you already got some footage. All I want is to go home, and not getting involved in this.”

“You know well that I…wait a minute…maybe these people were your henchmen! Is that the reason you don’t want me to film them?”

“Here we go again…No, April. They’re not mine.” he said wearily, while resting his elbow on the window of the car.

“Really? You haven’t been here for a while. Krang probably orders the Foot soldiers around.”

“Krang didn’t contact me the whole week, which means he was doing fine. Or maybe he’s already dead. Anyway, I recognize my own men. I think the jet lag is kicking in. I’m very tired too, but it seems that you need more sleep than I do…”

“I’m sorry. We’ve just arrived, yet I’m already arguing with you about your…activities.”

“You always tend to forget that I’m not the only criminal -as you call it – around. I’m one of many. But I’m the best,” he smirked.

After taking April home, Shredder was about to start his car, when he heard a voice behind him.

“Well, hello, Shredhead! Long time no see,” came a mocking voice.

He looked in the interior mirror, only to see Raphael sitting in the backseat behind him. He was about to turn around and attack the mutant, but froze when he felt two sharp objects pressing into his skin. One into his neck, the other into his side. Raphael’s sais. Shredder felt panic rising in him.

“Damn you,” the ninja hissed.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” Raphael said menacingly.” Now put your hands on the steering wheel. Slowly.”

Even though he didn’t see any weapons on Shredder, he knew he could be deadly even without them.

“How did you know?” Shredder questioned.

“I was waiting for April,” the turtle said simply. “I knew she would be back today.”

“I see.”

It was bound to happen eventually. So, Krang was right when he said that April would be his downfall someday. “You got lucky this time, wretch, catching me by surprise,” Shredder thought angrily. He knew it was futile to fight back, but the turtle would have probably killed him already if he wanted to.

“It’s about time to end your rampage. The things you’ve been committing this week alone were atrocious,” Raphael spat.

“What?!” Shredder snapped at the mutant. “I wasn’t even here, I was off-seas you disgusting mutant!”

“A likely story, Tinhead. Krang and your lackeys stayed here, and you obviously cooperated with them, as always.”

“It doesn’t matter what you believe, the truth stays the same.”

“I came here to warn you. For now. You can’t hide anymore.”

“Then consider me warned,” Shredder replied with gritted teeth.

“I’m sure we’ll meet again. Nice car, by the way,” Raphael grinned, as he got out of the vehicle.

“Of course, it’s nice,” Shredder grunted. “It’s a Toyota, after all.”

Now that the threat disappeared, Shredder realized he had forgotten to breathe for a while. His cover was blown, and that meant one thing: he must get rid of Raphael as soon as possible.