Dude, This is No Vacation (A Sonic-TMNT Crossover)

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

It was a few hours before the guys finally returned to the lair, without much to report. Raph and Mikey hadn't even known there had been a battle until they regrouped. They also never saw anything unusual. Leo and Donnie returned to the scene of the crime to try and find some clues, but there was no trace of either group of bad guys when they got there. It was as if the fight had never happened.

Kay went back to the surface under the Turtles' supervision and slipped a few quarters into the pay phone to call her parents. She knew they were asleep and wouldn't answer, but she left a voice message explaining as much as she could without mentioning the Turtles. She promised she was working on a solution to her problem and would be on her way home as soon as possible. Then she hung up and returned to the lair to retire for the night. Well, early morning.

When she got back to her room, she noticed a new addition sitting on the floor across from the bed. It was her luggage, and upon inspection, she saw that everything was still there. Amazed, she went to Leo to ask him about it. He offered a smile and a shrug, saying, "Don't worry about it." Kay thanked him over and over.

Finally, just before she lay down, Kay grabbed her cell phone and shoved it to the bottom of her suitcase. There was no use for it down here in the sewers, and she certainly wasn't leaving New York until she figured out what was going on with the Purple Dragons and the Foot Clan.

The next night, she woke up at about the same time as the guys. After eating breakfast, her first order of business was to watch Mikey as he played through the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. He had a sudden determination to beat her score from the previous night.

He hadn't made it to Act Two of Marble Zone when she felt someone tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, you," Raph said. She turned and looked up at him just as Mikey's invincibility shield wore off and Sonic lost all his rings. The muscle-bound Turtle stared down at her. "You gotta show me you're as good as Leo says."

"Now?" Kay asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I'm bored to death just sitting here. Come on." Raph nodded his head towards the dojo. Kay suddenly found herself thinking of Shadow for some reason, remembering how he had watched her fight Rouge for the first time before quickly taking her down himself. Kay shook her head and stood up, joining Raph in his walk towards the dojo. He smirked at her when she remained silent. "Don't worry. I won't beat you too badly."

She scoffed at him. "Please. I fought-" She stopped. She'd been about to say, I fought and defeated Enerjak. But of course, that argument wouldn't do her any good here.

Kay had never actually seen the dojo. She just knew of its general location in the lair. Now she stood in the entrance and marveled at its size and simplicity. There was a weapons wall and the floor was covered in Japanese mats, but other than that there was nothing extravagant about it. It certainly wasn't like the dojo she'd imagined.

Raph showed her where to stand, then moved a few paces away to his spot and faced her. He bowed at the waist. She returned the gesture. He pulled his sai from his belt.

"I've only been trained for hand-to-hand combat," she told him.

He tilted his head to the side curiously. "That's your first mistake." But he put his weapons away.

Kay frowned.

Then suddenly he was running for her, his hands forming fists and swinging at her. She reacted on instinct and blocked a punch to her shoulder, then another to the side of her head. He backed up a step, then aimed a high kick at her stomach. She dodged, just barely keeping her balance, and automatically grabbed his ankle. But then she paused, knowing there was no way she could flip him over. He was too big.

Thankfully, he showed mercy and stopped his assault. "Not bad. Your turn." There was a pause as Raph waited for her attack, but Kay simply stood before him, hands at her sides. She said nothing. He raised an eye ridge. "Not the offense type?"

"I don't fight unless I have to," Kay replied. "I defend myself. That's all."

Raph chuckled lightly. "That's your second mistake."

Again Kay's thoughts drifted to Shadow. For a moment it was as if he were the one running towards her, aiming his punches and kicks with more ferocity and speed than the first time. But his image soon faded back into Raph's, and she did her best to dodge his attacks. She stopped several blows to the face and even jumped to avoid a low kick once. When she landed back on her feet she put her arm up to stop his right hook and balled her fist to send one of her own his way. He blocked it effortlessly, but it was enough to make him pause.

"I thought you didn't attack," he said.

Kay shrugged. "Automatic reaction."

"Good." Then he was going at her again.

Each of his attacks came faster and faster. She dodged every one of them, shifting into her unique battle mode. Whatever she was doing was effective, and Raph noticed. He picked up the pace. Kay could not stop thinking about how much this reminded her of training in the "dojo" of G.U.N. headquarters, with Rouge starting her off slowly and Shadow beating her like a rag doll afterwards.

The blows stopped coming. Kay gasped. Shadow was there with her, in Master Splinter's dojo. He stood watching her without a word, his red eyes blazing.

Suddenly she felt her legs give out beneath her and the rush of air as she began to fall to the ground. Then a pair of arms were there, catching her. Kay blinked a few times and Shadow was gone. Raph was holding her still just inches above the ground. He raised both his eye ridges briefly, as if to say "I win" without really saying it.

Kay stared up into his golden eyes, stunned, and when she spoke her voice was almost a whisper. "And that was my third mistake."

Raphael grinned and pulled her to her feet. They bowed to each other. Then he began his review. "I have to admit, you did better than I expected. But defense will only get you so far, especially now that you've got so many bad guys after you." He crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Maybe Master Splinter could help teach you a thing or two."

"He's already offered," Kay told him.

"He has?" When she nodded, he blinked a few times. "Wow."

"That's what I said. I didn't expect that out of him."

"Why's that?"

Crap. "He just doesn't seem the type to take on new students so quickly."

"Uh-huh." Raph took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them so they were only a few inches apart. She had to look up to meet his gaze now, though he was less than a head taller. His voice came out much quieter than before when he spoke again. "How do you know us? Who are you?"

Kay's train of thought left the station without her. She found herself lost in his gaze, and for a moment, it was like looking into Espio's eyes. She felt her breathing begin to grow heavier and she was blinking more rapidly now, trying to clear her head and focus on the Ninja Turtle standing before her. "I..."

"Hate to interrupt."

The voice did not belong to either one of them. Kay sighed in relief, feeling herself relax as she turned to her rescuer. "What's up, Donnie?"

He made his way further into the dojo, seemingly unaware of what had just occurred between his older brother and the newcomer. "I may have discovered something about your situation, and I'd like to run it by you for confirmation. Can I talk to you?"

Kay felt a rush of nervous excitement course through her veins, followed closely by curiosity. "Sure." She turned to her former opponent and said, "Later, Raph," before hurrying to join Donnie as he walked back out of the dojo.

"Yeah," was all Raph had to say. Kay knew their conversation was far from over, but for now, she was grateful for the chance to think about what to say when it picked back up later.

Once they were out of earshot, she looked up at Donnie. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said cheerfully. "So how bad did he beat you?"

Kay punched him in the shoulder. He laughed.