Chapter Text
Quick rule of thumb in this story: (this means translation from a non-English language. Short phrases and sentences will have the original text followed by the translation. Long sentences and conversations will only have a translation and not the original language written. I want to keep the flow of the story going without much interruption)
Hazel eyes moved back and forth, taking in every detail of a photo. They looked to one side jagged as a sign of the being torn down the middle. Then the eyes trailed to the only part of the image left. A woman with long, raven-black hair. Her red, long sleeve matched the red of her lips. But no other make-up was needed to give the woman the beautiful glow she radiated. It made the owner of those hazel eyes, a fifteen-year-old girl, smile.
As she looked down at the photo in her left hand, her right hand came up to brush aside strands of black hair growing past her extremely short bob and triple-pierced ears. Then the girl heard it, the sound of a door sliding open and close behind her. She wasn't alone. Quickly, she slid the photo in the pocket of the black leggings she wore with a matching sports top. Then she closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "OK, Karai, ikimasu." (Ok, Karai, here we go.)
Staying where she kneeled, Karai tilted her head to listen to what she figured were the shallow, quick breaths of three people. A sign they were prepping for a surprise attack. She imagined them tiptoeing alongside the brownish-red walls that made up three sides of a dojo, with the wall behind her built-in shoji style wooden framework and paper. The newcomers probably used the training equipment set in the far back of the room to hide behind. Or maybe they were grabbing one of the many weapons decorating the wall to her right.
Suddenly, there was a shift in the newcomer's footwork. It didn't matter how soft the padded floor was she could still hear them come closer. They were ready to attack.
Good.
"HAJIME!" (BEGIN!)
Karai was itching to fight.
Before she even opened her eyes Karai's reached for the hilt of a small blade, a Tanto, sheathed to the small of her back. Metal clashed. Her Tanto was out, now blocking the twin sai of an attacker from above. They were dressed head to toe in all black and loose-fit clothing with arms and feet wrapped in bands. Even though the attacker's face was hidden behind a bug-eyed mask, Karai could hear his muffled grunts as he struggled to push his whole weight down on her.
Suddenly, the war cry of a woman came from behind Karai. Her head tilted up slightly, catching sight of a second opponent, dressed like the first, coming towards her with a bladed bo-staff. Karai smirked. The younger girl immediately rolled backward, her momentum bringing the weight of her first attacker to fall face-first to the ground. The second attacker swiped empty air and even tripped over Karai's roll, causing her to fall to the ground, too.
Karai rolled into a crouch before standing tall and holding her tanto out and ready to the side. As she watched her two attackers struggle to get up, Karai wiped off imaginary dust from her shoulder. This was too easy. Way too easy….
The know-it-all smirk Karai had disappeared, replaced with a thin line as she felt the wind shift behind her. She jumped up and over a third opponent in a summersault as they tried tackling her. Once she landed and faced the next attacker, Karai immediately stood straight and held her tanto in both hands at a ready position.
A tall, almost 7-foot man turned and face her. Light would glisten off his armor covering his chest, back, forelegs, forearms, and shoulders. Even his spiked helmet covered his entire head and face. The only skin Karai could see was his eyes, surrounded or touched by scars. But the girl never wavered, even rolling a shoulder to stretch it out before she charged. Karai swiped towards the metal man's side, but he used his armored forearm to block the attack. Karai then tried to swing her right leg back to hook it around his left leg, hoping to pull him to down if she tugged hard enough. No such luck.
He pulled his left leg back causing Karai to fall on her back. Though she maintained focus by keeping hold of her blade, she couldn't help but sit up and look up impatiently at the armored man. Hidden blades quickly slide out from the armor of the man's forearms and raised them. Karai gritted her teeth and dove forward between the man's legs and as the blades came down and swiped the air where she used to be. Before she could get up, Karai was lifted from the ground by the arm holding her tanto.
She was raised to be at eye level with the man so he could see her wide eyes. He stared her down. There was anger, but mostly disappointment. Karai's earlier shock turned to a deadpan. She even scuffed. Relax. She was just getting started.
Karai let her tanto fall so she could catch it with her free hand. She aimed for the neck, but he blocked it once more with his for arm. Using the upwards angle his blades where at, Karai let her Tanto slide up the metal so that the tip came towards his face. The man tilted his head back, causing him to put distance between him and where he still held Karai by the arm. It gave the girl room to swing her leg up for a swift kick in the face- er- mask.
A little dazed, the man let go of Karai. The girl landed on her feet and had her sword in both hands, ready. After the man recovered, he stood up straight and tall with his blades still out. He eyed Karai, head to toe as if searching for something before his blades finally retracted back into their hiding place. "Yamet (Enough)," The armored man said in a low, groveled voice as his hands went behind his back.
Karai sheathed her tanto with a grin on her face before kneeling once more. The man looked to the two first attackers who stood watch the entire time. The armored man hissed, "Go to Bradford and ask him for more training. You both are in desperate need of it."
Their shoulder's sagged at his word but quickly righted themselves before bowing and saying in unison, "Hai, Shujin Shureddā (Yes, Master Shredder)."
Karai smugly watched as the two walked out of the room through the sliding shoji doors before she looked up at Shredder with pride. He began, "Anata wa, mottomo yowai ugoki, Karai to onaji kurai tsuyoi dakedesu" (You're only as strong as your weakest move, Karai.)
Karai slouched. "Maji? (Seriously) Watashi wa akiraka ni ano futari no genin yori sugurete ita." (I was obviously better than those two genin.)
"(Your skills in ninjitsu are greater than anyone in the clan. Just the way I trained you since you could walk. But I also taught you that fear in battle is weakness.)"
Karai's face flushed. "(I wasn't afraid! You caught me by surprise. And you know I did the same to you.)" She said the last part as she pointed an accusing finger at him.
"(And I never was afraid.)"
"(I'm sure if you didn't have the mask on, we could see-)" Karai interjected before thinking.
"(Enough with your stubborn pride, Karai!)" Shredder yelled as his blades appeared once more. On instinct, Karai bowed her head with wide eyes focused on the ground. She was used to this. The yelling, the empty threats. But as much as she wanted to say that he was obviously the prideful and even hypocritical one here, Karai bit her lip.
"Watashi no musume..." (My daughter…) he began in a calmer tone as his blades retracted again. Karai sighed. There it was. The reminder that this was more than just skill and weakness he was yelling about. Yes, his parenting style was a bit harsher than most, and that's putting aside the rigorous, near-bruising training sessions. But this was all because he was a father. Her father.
Shredder continued, "(Remember what happened to the mother you never got to know. How Tang Shen's life was taken away by those who seek to bring us to our knees.") Karai's hand rested over the pocket holding the torn picture of the women in red. Blood boiling at the thought of her mother's cruel death. Then a wave of guilt washed over her. Karai wanted to have her say. But it wasn't worth arguing when it came to her mother. Shredder continued, "(We must protect what we have left. You and I.)"
"Soshite watashitachi no ichizoku" (And our clan) Karai added, finally looking up.
"Hai…" the armored man said slowly. Then he began to walk towards the door. "(But remember we protect the clan for another reason.)" He motioned for Karai to follow him.
As the girl walked with him out the door, Karai answered, "(We protect the Foot Clan by making sure they represent what the clan stands for. Strength and Resolve of the Ninja. We strip them of weakness.)"
"(In turn, they serve us the Oroku Lineage,)" Shredder added as the two walked down the hallway to an elevator. "(And only do they serve. Thus, nothing must distract us. The less we are attached…)"
Karai raised her chin in pride and said, "(The more we can achieve our goals.)" The corner of her mouth twitched as she did. As they got to the elevator and waited, Karai put a hand on her hip and said coyly, "(You've been saying this since I was five. It's not that hard to remember.)"
Shredder grumbled. Teenagers. When the elevator door opened, the two walked in as Shredder said, "(Then your new task shouldn't be hard either.)" Karai's brow raised. Doors closed.
One explanation and an elevator ride down later, the doors opened on the second floor. "Shikashi…" Karai began as Shredder finished. "(I only work with experienced fighters so I can lead them on nightly patrols around the city.)"
Shredder replied, "(That is why you must start instilling a great presence among new recruits before they become soldiers. Remind them of their role when they stray.)"
Karai nodded and stepped out of the elevator. She only stopped to turn and bow to Shredder. "Watashi wa sō shimasu, chichiyo." (I will, Father.) And she didn't hear anything else but the elevator doors close. Alone, Karai stood to look outside a wide windowpane that made up the entire left wall of the hallway. The main Foot Clan base in the Tokyo Prefecture had so much that Karai loved. One of them was the amazing views of the noon-high skyline from the Japanese girl's home district of Yanaka in Taito City.
Giggling down the hallway made Karai look left. Three girls her age whom she recognized as experience soldiers were coming her way. They leaned close to each other, giggling about some guy who cut his hair in the latest fashion. Interest piqued, Karai smiled and tilted her head hoping to hear who they were talking about. Upon spotting Karai though, they shushed each other and straightened up.
Karai's face fell and she looked back at the window, the group passed her without a word. She could feel them stare at her as they continued down the hallway. Distant stares much like the distance the whole clan gave her. But she didn't care, right? So, she didn't dwell on it.
Remembering her job, Karai made her way down the hallway. She only stopped by another shoji style-door. Sliding it open, she was met with another dojo. All around the room, a group of ten people were fighting in pairs. They all wore the black Foot Clan robes, though the red band on their head was missing. Karai's entrance made them all stop and look her way. One person had managed a good kick into the stomach of another before they stopped. The victim, a short and lithe figure, fell with a yelp and clutched their side.
"Genin, line up!" came a harsh order from nearby.
Karai stepped in so she could spot a Caucasian-skinned man with dark brown facial hair cut to give Chuck Norris a doubleganger. He wore red short-sleeved robes along with spiked shoulder, arm, and knee pads. As he walked up to Karai, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"(Shredder wants me to observe the new recruits from now on)" Karai explained.
"He didn't tell me." He took advantage of her short size and looked down at her with arms crossed.
Karai put her hands on her hips and never wavered from the stare down. "(He doesn't have to. I'm the Second Hand.)
Braford narrowed his eyes and switched to Japanese to be more discreet. "(You've got the highest rank, yes, but Shredder only gave it to you year ago)
"(And I've been training longer than you have. Should I go on, Bradford?) She added a smirk in the end.
The man grumbled before stepping back and putting his hands up in surrender. Karai looked back to the trainees who just finished standing in a row. The lithe one struggled to stand straight, still holding their side in pain. "Gaijin ga sū-ri imasu," (We have a couple of foreigners), Bradford added as Karai went to stand in the middle of the room and face the group.
Karai knew what she had to do. Fortunately, Bradford taught her enough English that she wasn't too sloppy. She just had to choose her words carefully and go slow. "I am Karai. Second in Command. Daughter of Oroku Saki. The Shredder." She noticed all trainees' heads perk up. "Chris has told you. An enemy clan hurt our family. We seek justice. So, I will make sure you only focus on our goal. In the end, there will be no weakness. You will become what the Foot Clan is. Strong ninjas." With every word, some of the trainees slowly raised their heads, chests swelled in pride.
Karai smirked and even nodded. So, these new genin weren't so bad. She could see their confidence, even if it came from their selfish need to learn to fight. But now the trainees knew they were part of something important. Satisfied that she started off with her new job well, Karai looked to Bradford who had been waiting with his back to the wall and arms crossed. Getting his cue, Bradford dismissed the group.
Some trainees bowed right away; others followed suit. Then they just filed out of the room without a word. Yep, they got the message all right. No need to add pleasantries to the mix. Karai followed them out but stopped at the door when she heard a thump. She looked back to see the lithe recruit stay behind, lay against a wall before sliding down to sit. They took off their mask to reveal a Caucasian girl. Shoulder-length brown hair was in a messy bun and green eyes were puffy red. She used her mask to wipe away the tears. A hiccup escaped her lips.
How the heck did Karai's speech do that? As if reading her mind, Bradford said from next to her, "(That girl has been crying since training started)"
"Majide? (Seriously?)" Karai scuffed. "(That's just sad even for a new recruit.)
"(She's more of an unwilling volunteer.)"
Karai raised a brow as the man began to walk out the door. She quickly followed him out and stopped him just outside the room. "(That would mean she's here as some sort of deal.)
"(A debt, actually,)" Bradford corrected as he shut the sliding door closed. "She's the daughter of a French family that helped Shredder with something years ago. Her brother sent her here a week ago to get some training. Your father accepted as a way of repaying his debt."
Karai turned to the door, noticing it hadn't closed all the way. There was a wedge a couple inches wide to give her a view of the French girl. She now sat with her knees pulled to her chest for comfort. "(By how it's starting it looks like it won't finish.)"
The new trainee looked towards the door and spotted Karai looking through the wedge. Her green eyes no longer puffy red and sad. Just curious as her head cocked to the side. Karai didn't do anything but keep a narrow gaze. So, it shocked her when the new trainee raised a small hand….
… And waved at her.
What the heck? Karai blinked several times and looked down to the bottom of the doorframe wide-eyed. Not noticing what had happened between the two girls, Bradford crossed his arms and continued, "Well, if the debt doesn't call for the completion of her training, then Shredder can just send her away now. Where is he anyway?"
Karai heard what Bradford said, though it didn't quite register right away as she was too busy recovering from the shock of whatever the new trainee just did. "Kare wa… (He's…)" She finally began to say, still looking down, "(He's probably in the Great Room. Why?)"
Bradford walked around her. "I'm going to ask him the terms of the debt. The sooner we send her away the faster we can focus on more promising recruits."
Karai's head whipped back between Bradford walking away and back at the French girl still sitting in the dojo. Bradford was right. It was the best course of action. No room for weakness here. But… "Chris, matte! (wait!)" She called out. The man stopped and looked back at her with a raised brow. Karai bit her lip. What could she say? No, don't tell Shredder to send her off because she waved at Karai? That made no sense not even in her head. Why was she so invested now in this new trainee who didn't want to fight? Karai's head perked up. "(She's still in the dojo and I don't have any place to be right now. I'll work on her.)"
"Why?"
"(So that Shredder doesn't find out he's got one less soldier to fight in his army.)" Then she smirked. "(Unless you really want to tell him. After all, he's never in a good mood for bad news.)"
Braford's eye widened, the thought enough to strike fear. "All right. Kōun o. (Good luck.)" Finally walking away, Bradford finished with, "You'll need it."
Now, Karai was left alone to think. She couldn't care less about what her father would do to Bradford if he bothered him with bad news. So why? Cause of that silly little wave she shouldn't care about? Something no one ever did to Karai, at least without some sort of gain. But this new trainee didn't want to be here or prove anything. Karai could just walk away from this, but there was some truth to her earlier excuse. The clan always needed soldiers. Karai opened the door and marched into the dojo.
By then, the French girl had buried her head in her arms, so Karai's sudden approach made her almost jump to her feet. "Watashi wa anata o kizutsukemasen (Rirakkusu. Relax. I won't hurt you)," Karai said as she toward the girl. The girl's face twisted in confusion. Right, she probably didn't understand Japanese yet. Karai repeated what she had just said in English, then said, "Stand." The girl did so slowly, wondering what was going on. Karai explained, "More training."
The girl's face fell, and body sagged. A not-so-great start to getting this French girl to fight. Well, her brother sent her here to fight, right? Desperate, Karai asked, "Why are you here?" The girl looked down. Rolling her eyes, Karai answered it herself. "To train." The Japanese girl then grabbed the trainee by the wrist and began to pull her toward the middle of the room. "To be kunoichi, you must be determined."
"Kunoichi?" Came a small, curious reply. "Not genin?
Karai kept herself from getting visibly stunned from hearing the girl speak for the first time. However, she did let go of the girl and looked back to see her with lips pressed waiting for an answer. "Genin is your low rank," Karai explained. "Kunoichi means female ninja. Like me." When the girl's head perked up and nodded in understanding, Karai got an idea. If the French girl reacted positively to learning something new, maybe she would react when she did something new. Maybe she never won a fight of any kind. She just needed a push.
Karai motioned to herself and said, "Come. Hit me." The trainee looked at the Japanese girl quizzically before getting into a lame stance. The trainee swung a fist but was too slow and Karai easily stepped back. She looked up at Karai depressed. "Again." The girl blinked before becoming determined and throwing another punch. She was a bit faster this time, but her aim was way off, and she even stumbled. "Not enough. Again."
This went on three more tries before the trainee swung so hard, she tripped. The girl wrapped her arms around Karai's waist to keep from falling. Instead, she pulled the kunoichi down with her. They heard cloth ripping but Karai was too angry at the girl falling on her to figure out the source. Karai wriggled her body out from below the trainee before kicking her away.
"Bukiyōna kimi wa ―" (You clumsy, little—) Karai began as she stood up. But she stopped as she watched the girl sit up but turn her back to the Japanese girl. One arm held her side as she hissed in pain. This little porcelain-doll act was getting old. "The Foot Clan keep fighting. So, fight!" Karai barked. But the girl made no move to fight. In fact, her body relaxed in place. Curious, Karai walked up to stand to the right of the trainee, giving her a view of a photo the girl suddenly had in her hand. A Photo… of… Tang Shen?!
Karai's hand raced to her pocket, feeling it torn from the seams. She sneered. THEIF! Her left hand clenched into a fist, ready to strike the trainee in the face. But the girl's gentle, curious tone made Karai freeze as she asked without looking up, "Who is she?"
Karai's sneer was replaced with wide eyes and jaw-dropping. The question made her think of all the times she had wished for that photo to come alive. To talk to her mother. Just a simple… hello. The girl's heart ached and fluttered thinking of Shen. The sudden mix of emotions made Karai bring her arm down slowly to rest at her side again.
The new trainee looked up when she didn't get an answer right away. Her eyes went to Karai's ripped pocket. "Sorry. Pocket was… an accident."
This snapped Karai back to reality, quickly swiping the photo from the trainee's hands. "Don't be clumsy," Karai hissed.
The French girl stood up to look down at the photo and then back at the Japanese girl several times. Then she said, "Same nose." She tapped her own nose to emphasize she noticed a relation between Karai and the woman.
Karai blinked. This trainee was just kicked and almost slapped by her superior and she was still curious. Why? "Yes. She was… my mother."
"She… was…?" The girl then gasped. "She is… gone."
Karai bit her lip. New members were only given certain details about what happened to the Oroku Family. Eventually, they find out the rest through gossip. But Karai didn't want to tell the girl anymore. "Training is over." The Japanese girl hastily put the photo in the other pocket before marching towards the door.
Her hand was on a wooden frame when she heard the girl say. "My mother is gone. And father. Bad men killed them five months ago." Karai almost stopped breathing. The pain that came with thinking of her mother. This new girl knew it, too. And she was only just learning to deal with it. Loss threatened to just swallow her up and give up. Not wanting to fight. The trainee added, "You asked. Why am I here? That is it."
"To protect yourself." Karai knew the need to protect oneself and why all too well. The kunoichi looked back as the French girl nodded in reply. Karai noticed her brows shifted upward slightly. But she wasn't getting nervous. No, the way this trainee leaned forward, she was looking at the Japanese girl in a way no one ever had. There was empathy. And to Karai's surprise, she felt it, too.
Karai turned around again and forced her eyes shut. No, no, no. No attachments! It was impossible not to feel for this new girl knowing her situation, but action was the only course, right? Karai had one goal. Protect what her family had left. Be strong. No weakness. That's just how things were for Karai. As for this new girl, Karai wasn't going to stop her from feeling, especially since she was grieving for her family. But Karai had to make sure she was living to the Foot's expectations. And not just that.
"To protect yourself," Karai repeated as she turned around once again. "You must fight." She approached the trainee and with no warning grabbed her hands. Dumbfounded, the girl watched the Japanese girl arrange her hands so that her fists and elbows were locked in a ready position. "You will be strong." Karai used her feet to nudge the girl's own feet around. One foot back the other forward.
The girl blinked. "Will be strong?"
"Hold the stance." Karai took a step back and motioned to the space between her eyes. "Focus here. Hit me." Nodding, the trainee eyed her target and then she swung a fist. Karai still stepped away faster, but the French girl never wobbled. "Now on toes." The girl did as instructed with her feet bouncing a little to keep her balance. "Step forward and hit me." The girl took a step with her left foot to swing a right hook. Karai only had time to lean her head back this time to avoid the hit. "Again. Stronger—"
She cut herself off as the trainee came so close to hitting Karai that she had grabbed the fist just inches from touching her nose. The Kunoichi and the girl blinked as arms stayed locked in position. The girl's eyes were wide in fear at what she almost did. Karai, however, smiled. "Good. You are learning." Karai stepped away, leaving the girl to look at her hand confused at first.
Then the trainee's chest swelled as she pointed to herself. "Kunoichi?"
Karai snorted. "Maybe." Suddenly she squatted low so one leg came out and swept the girl off her feet. The trainee fell hard on her back, coughing on impact. As she recovered, Karai added, "But not yet." The girl was still wincing from the pain, but a small smile crept up the corner of her lip. Satisfied she had done her job, Karai said, "Go rest, trainee."
"Fillien," the girl said as she started to get up.
Karai's brow forward. "Fillien?"
"My name," the girl explained once she was on her feet. "Fillien Lefevre." She then reached her hand out, palm out, towards the Japanese girl and waited for her to shake it in return.
Karai looked between Fillien and her hand and once again asked… why? Yes, as the Fillien gained confidence her true, friendly nature, came out. But she didn't need to be with Karai. Especially after that training session and finding the spark to fight, Fillien didn't need anything from the Second in Command. But here she was reaching out to Karai. Weird.
So, what was Karai going to do with something she knew she shouldn't – couldn't – respond to? Friendliness she hadn't seen in a long time. Slowly but surely, Karai shook Fillien's hand.