#treecjones

Karai scowls at her mobile, because she’s only had brothersfor perhaps a year and a half and they’ve already begun to really get under herskin at times.

Donatello is usually at least tolerable. He should watchhimself, or Karai will stop giving him even that much.

Karai elects to not deign Donatello with an answer, and putsthe event from her mind for the most part. She focuses instead on continuing tocement her power over New York’s crime and reminding her soldiers that slackingwill not be tolerated.

—-

It’s been some time since her father died. Both of them, thefalse one and the one she never knew. Karai mourned for them accordingly, andthen swept the loss aside. Only on late nights does she have time for that sortof thing; she’s got an empire to run and a reputation to establish.

Going rogue and disappearing from the criminal world forhalf a year or so does wonders to destroy your street cred. Karai is facing an uphillbattle to reclaim what she’d established as the Shredder’s daughter. It’sunendingly frustrating, and drives her to hours of pacing or snapping at anyonewho draws too close.

Shini just tuts at her, and says Karai’s growing irritationis likely because of the cold weather closing in. Fall is nearly underway andeven with the heaters on it affects Karai.

Her mutation is a blessing and curse; it cost Karai hersanity at one point, but gave her a healing factor that’s saved her multipletimes. No wonder her brothers always seemed to come back swinging; there arenights Karai swears she’s near invincible with the heightened reflexes andstrength.

But there are drawbacks, like getting urges she doesn’t wantand the changing seasons pulling at still new instincts. Karai admits that hersnake form is more prominent in the back of her mind lately, but she refuses tolet its presence deter her from her mission.

The last of summer starts to really slip away, and Karaistarts hissing at people. Shini rolls her eyes, and Karai’s soldiers cower atthe fangs Karai bares. Her mood remains irritable and tense, and it doesn’tmatter how many sessions of sparring she puts in, Karai can’t shake it.

The box showing up in her throne room, large in size andwrapped in pleasantly green paper with a dark bow, doesn’t help her mood.

“Find him,” Karainearly literally hisses at her closest soldiers. The Foot men and womenscatter, heeding the dark tone Karai has. Shini clicks her tongue, circling thebox in a mildly curious way.

“Really, I’m beginning to wonder how he does it,” Shinisays, toeing close enough to the box that she can stroke the large ribbon.

Karai swats Shini’s hand away, and because she knows it’sfrom her insolent little brother, judging from the purple greeting cardattached to the bow, Karai rips the thing open without care just to spite him.

There’s a large cardboard box inside, significantly lessfancy than the wrapping paper that’d covered it and smelling faintly of damp.Karai takes out one of her knives and slices the tape holding it shut.

Inside is a contraption of wires and bulbs and what lookslike large lamps.

Shini gives Karai a look, one eyebrow raised. “Donatellogave you a lamp?”

“Apparently so,” Karai replies with a frown. She finallydecides to acknowledge the card it had come with, plucking it off the floorfrom where she’d tossed it. Inside is the same scrawling handwriting from thesticky note, and it says ‘thought you’dbe feeling the winter blues coming. this helps keep you awake and alert throughit, and I’m fairly certain it’ll temper that temper of yours.’

Taped to the inside of the card are instructions of how toset up the heat lamps, and a list of warnings of its use and where best to hangthem.

Karai stares at the card, and tries to figure outDonatello’s angle.

Shini nosily leans over Karai’s shoulder, and humsinterestedly. “Just what every lady wants, a heat lamp. How thoughtful of him.”

“He attached a PS about it improving my skin health,” Karaisays. “I can’t tell if that’s sincere or a dig at my looks.”

“Both, perhaps?”

“That little shit.”

Shini just laughs at Karai, like she usually does when theturtles start causing trouble.

Karai resists all of two hours before ordering her stillmeager staff of technicians to set it up in her master bedroom. She thenresists ten minutes before actually trying the damn things, giving into thecuriosity of it all and shifting into her snake form.

Karai ends up having the best sleep she’s had in months, anddoesn’t move from her pile for over seven hours after.

When she finally drags herself back out of the blissfulcomfort of being warm, Karai managesto shift most of her upper body back into human limbs. Just enough to use herhands, albeit scaly versions of them.

She finds herself being quite sincere as she types. Thank you. I’ve decided to forgive you forbreaking into my base.

Donnie is, of course, awake, and answers near immediately. You’re welcome. Raph gets just as bad duringthe winter without his fix, so I assumed the same solution would apply to you.Then, following that: You should watchwhat your men text each other. I’ve had fifteen key words flagged in the redjust tonight.

Is that how you knewto send this thing?

Yes, that and I’d beenplanning for this eventuality. You’re not quite the same sort of mutant as us,but snake is close enough to turtle that I assumed.

When did you even getinto my soldiers’ private communication lines?

I’d like to say in myspare time, but I don’t have any of that so I’ll just say because I felt likeit a couple weeks ago.

How thoughtful of you.

Your sarcasm is noted.

Quit interfering withmy clan, Donatello. I can take care of things myself.

Maybe, but I need apet project anyways, so. This.

The only reason I’mnot going to hunt you down is because of the lamps, I hope you know.

Oh I know.

You’re such a littleshit.

So I’ve been told.Enjoy the heat lamps, ‘sis’.

Karai decides to not deign that with an answer either.Instead, she tosses her phone across the room onto her bed, and returns tolounging under warm light that is somehow just the right temperature for her.

If a shipment of factory fresh motor parts finds its way toone of Donatello’s favorite scavenging dumps, within two days of Karai’s lampdelivery and wrapped with black bows, then Karai knows absolutely nothing of itand will never admit anything even under duress.

A collection of bulbs specific to her heat lamps shows up onthe roof of the church not a day after that, again with a green bow and purplecard and no trace of the sender, and Karai decides she’s got a favoritesibling.

—-

The season sets in properly, and Karai is warm all throughit. A few hours beneath her heat lamps, and the newly added UV ray lamps, does wondersfor her energy and mood each night. That, paired with the meatier diet she’staken to, results in her being faster, stronger, and thrice as deadly as she’dused to be.

Her empire is still too shaky in her opinion, voices ofdissention continuing to pop up as she spreads out to reclaim Foot territory,but Karai knows she’s got it in hand.

She notices that the nights in New York are becomingincreasingly miserable; cold and windy, and wet if it’s a particularly badevening. Karai adds a layer beneath her armor to fend off the damp cold, and athought occurs to her.

Michelangelo let slip at one point that they tended to breakinto super markets and take just what they needed to eat. None of them wear anyclothing and hunger is something that won’t ever leave someone; especially notfour hyper active mutant teenage boys. The weather will only worsen, and Karaiis well aware that her half-siblings have no warm human body to shift into asit does.

Karai has her technician staff reactivate three of the survivingFootbots. Their hardware has been scrapped of any Kraang programming traces, aswell as the programming the Shredder had given them. They’re not battle worthy,barely even able to balance heavy loads let alone fight properly, but they’regood enough for an errand run.

Karai sends them underground with coordinates and threeweeks’ worth of non-perishables.

They come slinking back to her base not a night later,programming and circuitry running better than even their decommissioned 2.0cousins. The leader of them bows at Karai’s throne, and presents a purple card.

Karai opens it, and finds a simple ‘thank you’ written inside.

She’s been getting grateful texts from Leonardo andMichelangelo all day, and one curt message of gratitude from Raphael, butDonatello’s name hadn’t shown up on her phone’s screen even once. Somehow, thelone card and sentence conveys his gratefulness better than paragraphs of textwould have.

—-

When a list of names, coordinates, and measured threatlevels appears on her computer’s screen, sometime later, Karai doesn’t questiontheir authenticity.

The highest level threats are dealt with immediately. Twoassassination plots and a mutiny in Japan stopped in their tracks. Karai givesher higher ranking soldiers the task of dealing with the remaining threats, andgoes to find her phone.

I believe you’vegraduated to a whole new level of stalking prowess, Donatello. There was animpressive amount of personal info in those details.

Donnie never, ever seems to be asleep, and as always, repliesjust as Karai sends the message. Theinternet is not nearly as private as people like to think it is, and it’s notstalking if it saves lives.

No, I think it stillis. And I would’ve handled it myself.

Maybe, but it’s donenow and I assume you’ve already dealt with the ones I listed as priorities,right?

Not very heroic ofyou, Donatello. You know what my men will be doing to those people. Isn’t yourclan all about sparing lives and mercy?

Donatello doesn’t reply for a long stretch of time, andKarai wonders if she’s being given the same treatment she’s been giving him.

Then, he does reply.

Leo’s ideals aren’tmine. Not anymore, at least. I do what I have to, to keep our family safe.

The reply makes Karai blink at her screen, a little unsureif she’d read that right.

Family?

Aren’t we?

…I didn’t know youconsidered me as such.

You’re our sister,whether you wanted to be or not. And I’m a little tired of losing familymembers, so I think I’ll keep bothering you a bit longer.

Karai doesn’t know how to respond to that, not really. Theonly family she’s ever had was her crime lord father, and her singularconfidant Shinigami.

Though, she realizes that she’s been referring to Donatelloas her brother for months, same as she has with all the turtles, rather thanjust calling him his name.

She settles on replying: ThenI’ll keep in mind to not get lost.

Donatello doesn’t reply after that, but Karai finds sheagrees that there’s not much else to say on this subject.

—-

The army decides to crack down on the mutant population inNew York- part of a budding social revolution, now that aliens and monsters andmutants are acknowledged by the general public- and Karai is lucky enough toget a notification from one of her contacts within the justice system about newbills being put up for consideration.

Karai isn’t a mutant that could easily be tracked or takendown by military forces- the Foot clan is still growing in power again, butshe’s got power in the hierarchy already- but she knows there are many othersmuch more vulnerable than herself.

She gets a single text from Leonardo that he and his family,as well as their allies, are all going into hiding for the time being. Fulllock down on communications and outings, until imminent threat to their livespasses.

Donatello still answers his phone when she calls.

“I’m not supposed tobe doing this.”

“Maybe, but you are, aren’t you?”

“…what do you want?”

“How many wrenches have you managed to throw into the worksso far?” Karai asks, resisting the urge to pace the room. She’s oddly worried,despite knowing the brothers can take care of themselves. They have for years-except this is different, isn’t it? “I know you won’t just be sitting theretwiddling your thumbs, Donatello.”

Donatello scoffs over the phone line. “Like I’d do that when I could be steadily taking our nationalsecurity’s security apart into iddy-biddy pieces.”

“And how well is that going?” Karai asks. Then, she amends.“Or I suppose, how fast is thatgoing?”

“…too slow for myliking,” Donatello admits, and for a brief second Karai can hear theexhaustion in his voice. He probably hasn’t slept at all since the news hit theinternet. “I can only do so much soquickly with what I have.”

“What if I offered you an entire room with the latestcomputers available, and a fully trained staff to go with it?”

She can hear Donatello’s silence, audible in its confusion.

“I’d say you’d make mylife a shit ton easier,” Donatello says warily after a long pause.

“I’d offer transportation to my lair, as well as shelter toyour family and allies, to go with it,” Karai says boldly, looking around atthe desks of computers and miscellaneous extra components she doesn’t know theuse of. “I have plenty of room and plenty of man power for those things.”

“…shouldn’t you betalking to Leo about this?” Donatello asks in a quiet, disbelieving voice,and in doing so, reveals the truth of scared he is of what’s threatening himand his own.

“You’re the brains of your team, Donatello,” Karai says.“You’re the one who’ll likely be able to put a stop to this whole thing, if Igive you the tools to do so. I’ll ask Leo after you tell me it’s possible if Igive you all this.”

Donatello takes a soft inhale, and then breathlessly says, “I can do it in two days, maybe less, if youreally have everything I’ll need.”

“If I don’t, we’ll get it expressed ordered. None of you aredying while I have a say in things, Donatello. I won’t let you.”

Donatello laughs, shaky and relieved. “Then I guess none of us will. You’d probably scare anyone to death whoeven tried.”

Karai smiles to herself, and waves a hand to her nearestattendant to send out the trucks to retrieve Donatello and the others. If shewere truthful with herself, Donatello’s assumption of her behavior is likely acorrect one. “They’re heading out now. You’ll be picked up in less than twentyminutes, and the pickup spots are being sent to Leo as we speak.”

“I thought you weregoing to ask him before you did anything.”

“Time is of the essence,” Karai replies blithely. “I’llexplain everything to him later.”

“Oh, he’ll just love that,” Donatello laughs.

Karai chuckles, and hangs up the phone.

Donatello comes striding into the computer room not a halfhour later, and looks ready to take on an army by himself. Karai snaps herfingers, and her team of hackers and programmers introduce themselves to thestorm in mutant form.

Donatello stops only briefly to speak with them to thembefore he starts barking order, and what he says is- “If any of you try tosabotage this in any way, I will personally see your entire life torn downaround you in every way conceivable, and then set my little brother on you andyour families. I haven’t slept in a full day, have more coffee in mybloodstream than I do water, and am thisclose to just stealing nuclear war codes to get this over with. Do not push me. Do I make myself clear?”

Karai’s staff nod their heads, and she catches the scent offear on at least three of them.

Donatello gives them all an even look, then gives one toKarai, and nods once. “Good. Let’s get to work, then.”

He rattles off fifteen different important governmentfigures he needs researched and dirt dug up about, twelve different bases ofmilitary operations he needs the firewalls of destroyed, five locations in NewYork he needs eyes on yesterday, anddemands a cup of coffee that’s at least the size of his fist and black as theycan get it.

Karai steps back, and watches her brother destroy themilitant efforts to capture and imprison his family from the inside out.

It only takes him a day to put a stop to the law bills, thepatrolling of the city for mutants, and expose all fifteen government leadersfor corruption and severe law breaking in one form or another.

Karai hears him order her staff to plant evidence for six ofthose individuals, and says nothing of that fact. Donatello looks drained andexhausted when he finally finishes, but triumphant of their victory.

It puts something warm and suspiciously close to pride inKarai’s chest, and she can’t help the oddly fond smile she has as Donatellopromptly passes out where he sits.

She calls his- their-brothers to come find him, and leaves as they collect their savior and bundlehim off to bed.

—-

When Donatello wakes up, in a bed bigger and comfier thanhe’s ever likely had, Karai makes sure there’s a warm breakfast waiting and acongratulatory bouquet along with it.

He gives her an openly grateful look as he and his ragtagfamily leave the base, and Karai allows for a moment her mask of leadership tofall. She smiles, and waves her bizarre family goodbye.

Donnie gives her one in return, along with all theirsiblings, and Karai wonders if this is how family is meant to feel.

—-

Karai curses, and loses her balance. Everything slides outof her grasp as she does, and not even her mutant fast reflexes can save herfrom hitting the floor.

Agony spreads from the wound in her side, and sheinstinctively knows there’s poison flooding into her system with every beat herheart gives.

She has so many enemies- new and old- and she’s failed tokeep track of one that has been stalking her since the beginning of her rise topower.

The assassin, no doubt sent by a member of the Foot’s sisterclans, slips out of the room before anyone can stop them. Karai’s soldiers givechase, Shini’s furious commands sending them out into the night to hunt downthe man, whoever he was. Bring him back alive for them to skin alive.

Karai’s lips part and she coughs as red climbs up herthroat. Shini is there by her side immediately, hands going to Karai’s alreadyclammy face as the medical staff rush into the room.

“Karai! Karai, justhold on!”

Karai can’t speak, and barely manages a nod as pain takesover every inch of her body. Against her will, her survival instincts kickingin, her body begins to shift out of human form. Getting bigger and longer;stronger biology taking the place of her human one; easing human thought out ofher grasp.

Karai blacks out from pain and self-preservation-

-and wakes up warm and only aching a little.

Donnie is beside her bed, typing away rapidly on his laptop.Karai takes a moment to figure out he’s really there, and not a hallucinationor dream.

“…why are you in my bedroom?” Karai asks, hoarse voice nothelping the slight lisp her snake form has.

Donnie’s eyes flicker up from his laptop, and then return towhatever he’s working on. “You’re a giant mutant snake. Your medical staff wereonly trained how to deal with human anatomy. You should really do somethingabout that.” He’s clipped as he speaks, focus completely on the screen in frontof him. “You nearly died, actually. Probably would have if Shinigami hadn’tcalled me, and I didn’t get medicinal mutagen into your system to boost yourhealing factor in time. You are a very, very lucky snake, Karai.”

Karai experimentally shifts her lithe body around, and findsa tightness around her midriff. She feels bandages and are likely to bestitches in her side. Her six eyes move back to Donnie, as she carefully getsinto a sitting position- or rather an approximation of one. She closes the eyeson her secondary heads, feeling too off-kilter to stomach the triplicate visionat the moment.

“Thank you,” Karai says, once she’s upright and not seeingthe room spin. “I’m guessing I owe you my life now?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go thatfar,” Donnie says, a hint of humor in his voice despite the tiredness aroundhis eyes. “I’d say a new coffee maker and some nice instant grounds would begood.”

Karai makes a mental note to purchase the nicest coffeemaker she can find, as well as the most expensive, high quality beans to gowith it.

“Where are your brothers?” She asks, looking around herroom. There’s only the two of them at the moment.

“Where I sent them,” Donnie replies, turning his computeraround to show the screen.

On it is maps and video feeds; heat signature camerastrained on a building and the few bodies within it; a running list of data inthe corner that’s in a number of languages.

Karai lacks eyebrows in her current form, but she feels herlook conveys the expression regardless.

“He got away, didn’t he?” Donnie says, turning the computerback around. He resumes tapping as he continues. “And we couldn’t have that. SoI tracked him down through the traffic cameras and his paper trail, and nowShinigami and our brothers and your men are in the process of dragging him backhere. You can do what you want with him, just let Leo and the others get somehits in before Shinigami starts pulling out his entrails.”

“…I don’t know what to say,” Karai says quietly.

“Saying thank you again would be a good place to start.”

“Thank you,” Karai says, and she feels a tad overwhelmed asshe does. She’s been fighting the assassination attempts off this whole time,briefly helped by Donnie’s list a few months ago. It’s a bit of a surprise tohave so much support all at once; she’s used to doing things on her own, orjust with Shini.

Donnie shrugs, like it’s nothing really. “You saved outshells just a little while ago. It’d be poor form for us to let something likethis slide. And besides, you’re our only sister. I don’t think any of us wantto go back to being a total sausage fest.”

“…that’s an interestingly roundabout way to say you careabout me,” Karai says, a smile finding its way onto her thin lips.

Donnie hums innocently. “Could say the same to you, seeingas I just happen to keep finding the exact parts I need every time I goscavenging. How do you even know which ones I need, anyways?”

“April O’Neil is a wonderful woman who has a potentialcareer in a certain line of work I know of. Also an excellent source ofentertainment to set Shini on. I don’t know how you missed the grand makeoverShini’s been attempting to enforce on the girl; trying to pry April out ofthose clothes of hers has been like putting a cat in the tub.”

“Is that why April was setting dresses on fire the othernight?”

“I’d assume so.”

“Huh,” Donnie looks thoughtful for a moment. “If you’resetting Shinigami on April, could you find someone I could set Mikey on? And Leoand Raph, too? I can only take so much prodding before I feel like druggingtheir food.”

Karai nods solemnly. “I’m sure I can find a few people.”

She and Donnie share something akin to understanding in thatmoment, about people you love but sometimes don’t have enough energy to dealwith, and it lasts until Donnie receives a call from Raph that they’ve got thewould be assassin in Foot clan custody.

—-

Karai personally bites the neck of the already horriblebeaten man, sliding deadly venom into his system without a hint of mercy. Shethen has her soldiers dice him into easily transportable pieces, and mails apiece of him back to each person who orchestrated the whole ordeal.

A list has already appeared in her phone at that point, ofeach one of those people who attempted to kill her, and a bottle of mouthwashis left on her throne the night she kills the assassin.

The night following she sends the coffee maker and coffeebeans- ones that were apparently shat out by some rodent in the south, worthmore than the coffee maker itself- right to the lair in the arms of a Footbot.

The Footbot returns a few days later tuned up and carrying abrand new sword in its arms. Karai takes the sword in her hands, checking thebalance and length. It’s a perfect fit in every way, and she’s briefly amazedthat her brother knew her weapon type simply from observation.

She calls Mikey over the next time she’s got new recruits towhip into shape. It’s good experience for them, setting on them a fully trainedwar veteran with very little compulsion control about using dirty tricks. Hebrings with him a box that he tosses carelessly towards her, heading straightfor the tatami mats of the Foot clan dojo and smiling very, very toothily atthe young men and women inside it.

Karai opens the box, and finds a new pair of scythes forShini inside it. Who, at that moment, according to a text Karai has just beensent, is busy finally getting Aprilinto some fashionable clothing, thanks to Donnie telling April she could hideso many more knives on her person if she wore a suit jacket.

Karai smiles to herself as she hears Mikey’s joyful tauntingbehind her, and listens pleasantly to the cries of dismay from her recruits ashe puts fear of the devil into each and every one of them.

—-

Karai starts sending a new kind of ethnic meal down to thesewers once a week; giving her half-siblings a taste of what the world reallyhas to offer, outside cheap takeout.

Her Footbots always return fully repaired and reprogrammedbetter than ever; often times also with a collection of notes to improve theirdesigns or another aspect of the Foot’s security.

April continues to wear the clothing Shini manages to cramher into, and starts showing up to spar with the other woman on the nights shefeels like doing so. Karai continues to hint to her that April’s presence inthe Foot clan would be welcomed, and the young psychic continues to play coy.

But, Karai can tell April is at least considering the idea,especially since she seems so happy after Shini and Donnie collaborate to getApril into fashionable and functionalarmor. Weapons do make the woman, after all, and April O’Neil is shaping up tobe a very scary one indeed.

Karai finds jobs and missions for her three rowdierbrothers, and calls them up whenever she feels like extra muscle is needed, orgets hints from April that Donnie needs some extra space at home. It gives therest of the world the impression she can summon demons to her aid, and givesDonnie some nights to himself alone.

He typically sends an invention as thank you, or gives hersystems another cleaning and update without her say so.

A small rebellion starts in a Japan faction of Karai’s clan,and she finds soon after that the shell companies of those factions havesuddenly suffered catastrophic stock plummets. How unfortunate for them, sinceit deprives them of the necessary resources they needed to even stand a chanceagainst the Foot clan.

Karai purchases a memory foam mattress and another shipmentof the ridiculous rodent coffee beans. It’s delivered by Leatherhead, who ismuch stronger than the Footbots and easier to instruct to be careful with thebedding.

He returns some hours later carrying a collection of bottlesin his large hands. The soap inside them eases the itchy dryness Karai has beensuffering as winter draws closer, soothing all over her scales as she appliesit.

Karai sends heated blankets and a new television, as well asa few bottles of good sake.

Donnie sends yet another list of possible threats, and thistime adds a secondary list of good targets for hostile takeover.

“Stop trying to one up me,” Karai says, the moment Donniepicks up.

“I’ll stop if you stopfirst,” He replies, and Karai can just hearthe grin in his voice.

“You little shit,” Karai huffs, grinning despite herself.

Donnie laughs over the phone line, and Karai thinks shecouldn’t have found herself a better brother if she tried.

—-

A clan that’s always rivaled the Foot clan in strengthstarts muscling in on Foot territory, back across the sea in Japan. From thesounds of things, Karai will need to be there in person to fully put thebudding war to rest.

She decides bringing some extra help along would make thingseasier.

Shini follows her as they waltz into the lair, theirfootsteps drawing the attention of everyone in the room. April sits up from herslouch on the couch, looking interested. “Hey, you guys looking for me?”

Karai shakes her head, even as Shini starts towards theother woman. They’re not here to tempt April (exclusively) into semi-criminal activities. “No, not tonight, O’Neil. I’m hereto see my brother.”

Leo sits up straighter, and then gives her a confused lookas Karai passes him by. Karai stops in front of Donnie, who is fiddling withsome sort of grappling hook contraption in his lap.

“What would you say if I offered you and our family a tripto Japan to crush an entire crime ring?” Karai asks, putting a hand on hersword as she does.

“I’d say I hope you have a private jet and a lot of tranqsto keep them asleep on the way there,” Donnie replies, a smile starting it hecorners of his mouth.

“How fast could you ruin their digital banking and stocksfrom the same city?”

“Faster than I could here, but that wouldn’t be by much. I’vedone a lot of upgrades to my tech, I could take them out easy just from thelair,” He glances up, taking his eyes off the spring coil he’s adjusting. “Whythe half a day flight and god knows how long stay across the sea?”

“Don’t families take vacation sometimes?” Karai asks,smiling innocently.

“Yes, but they usually don’t include hostile takeovers orsmall wars,” Donnie points out.

“We’re going on a WHAT?”Mikey interrupts loudly.

“We’re gettinginvolved with a what??” Leo echoes in a concerned voice.

“Finally, I wasgetting tired of staring at the same tunnels every day anyways,” Raph adds.

“Dude does thisinclude plus two’s?” Casey questions.

“It better,” Is April’sreply.

Shini just cackles and Karai smiles down at her brother.

“So? How about it?” Karai asks again. “See Japan, crush someinsolents, maybe have a family dinner…”

“If we do… you better be ready for a long, long flight,” Donnie says, nodding hishead at their increasingly excited siblings and friends.

Karai smiles, fanged and delighted. Donnie smiles back,toothy and too wide for human jaws.