Midori: Chapter Fifteen
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"There they are."
Raphael looked where Midori was pointing and saw it too. Dark figures moving along the building's base. They themselves were hiding a few buildings away, not wanting to tip their hand too soon. Once Raphael thought about it, he realized that Midori would make an excellent wild card, since the Foot thought she was dead. "Let's go."
Midori nodded and followed. She knew Raphael had more experience than she did and that's why she let him lead until the time was right to put her own plan into action. Raphael's plan was simply to get the Foot before they got in the building, and knock out as many as possible. Too bad Shredder wasn't still around or Raph would show him a thing or two as well.
But Shredder wasn't there, and neither was Taro. Midori searched for him. She'd be able to pick him out even if he was dressed like all the other soldiers but he wasn't there. She was so sure he'd be here. But then again, Taro was hardly one to risk himself during a mission like this. He'd be giving orders from a relatively safe vantage point.
Ah ha! Midori looked up and saw what she was looking for. Taro and two of his bodyguards were standing on a roof across the street. She glanced at Raphael but he was focused on the Foot soldiers. He could take care of himself. After all, he'd planned on coming alone in the first place. Before he could stop her she jumped up and grabbed hold of the fire escape ladder.
"What do you think you're-" He stopped in the middle of the sentence when a blade was thrown in his direction. "Shit."
Fifteen to one it looked like. All their attention on Raph, their mission forgotten. Raphael pulled his sai from his belt and stood ready. "Bring it on. I've got a score to settle with you chumps."
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"What's happening?" she heard Taro say into his radio, most likely relayed down to his soldiers. She had heard Raphael yelling at her and felt guilty about ruining his surprise. From the sound of things, he'd started the party anyway.
Midori threw a shuriken at the radio before Taro could give the command to attack Raphael, although the soldiers would do that anyway she supposed. The three of them turned to see who had managed to sneak up on them. One of the guards fell back upon seeing her. "You're…you're…"
"Dead?" Midori finished for him. The other guard seemed to be frozen with shock. The only outward clue of Taro's shock was a slight twitching of his eyebrow. She was dead, she had to be, I shot her myself, how could she still be alive?
Taro narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't know how you managed to survive but I'll make sure you stay dead this time." He drew his katana, ready to face her himself, since his bodyguards had fled in fear. He'd kill them later, there was no room for cowards in the Foot, but he would deal with Midori first. "How do you expect to beat me? I taught you everything you know." He began to circle her and she matched his movements.
"I learned a lot more once I was away from you."
"I never wanted to kill you, Midori, but you left me no choice. I wanted you by my side, fighting as the perfect soldier I knew you could be. And to think, there was a time I thought we could be more than master and soldier." He gave an exaggerated sigh. "But I just can't let you live, not after leaving the Foot... after leaving me."
"You're sick, Taro, you know that?"
Taro answered with a backhand slash. Midori managed to duck out of the way and return the attack. She hit him with the blunt end of her weapon and cursed. She wanted it to be the blade. After the next few attacks it became painfully obvious that he was just playing with her. She'd lost her weapon and he was backing her towards the edge of the roof. It was time she stepped things up a little.
She caught Taro completely by surprise with a fake while she swept his legs out from under him. She'd have to thank Raphael for that move. She brought her fists down on the back of his shoulders and sent him to the ground as he tried to get up. She stood over him, breathing heavily. She'd finally done it, she beat him. She walked over and picked up her naginata.
It would be easy, one blow would kill him. She heard something behind her then was thrown violently to the side. Instead of Taro, it was Raphael who had shoved her. Taro was standing a few feet from them, sword stabbed through the air where Midori had been standing.
"Never assume that because an enemy is down," Raphael told her. "That they are defeated."
Taro attacked both of them now, and was aided by the soldiers Raphael had led up to the roof. Even the Elite had rejoined.
"Don't worry," Raphael told her. "We can do this. They don't stand a chance."
Midori wished she could be as confident. The silence was suddenly broken by a trio of voices shouting, "Cowabunga!"
Midori blinked as Michaelangelo popped up in front of her face. "Miss me?" Don and Leo pushed back the attacking soldiers, Leo reprimanding Raph the entire time.
"I thought I told you to leave it to the police!"
"I thought so, too."
"Raph!"
"Do you see any cops here, Leo?" Of course, that was when the sirens came within hearing range. Leo shot Raph a smug look. "Shut up."
The Foot started retreating but the Turtles didn't go after them. Raphael and Leo were still yelling at each other as they went in the opposite direction, Mike and Don following after. They seemed to have completely forgotten about Midori. She just stood there, looking after Taro, who turned to look at her for a split second before disappearing again.
She felt a hand brush against her arm and turned to see Leonardo. "You okay?"
Midori nodded. She still felt angry, she wanted to go after them. The sirens were close now, maybe just below them. They'd need to jump a few roofs to get far enough away before going down to the streets. Leo squeezed her hand. "Let's go home."
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