Chapter 23: With These Watchful Eyes

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Destiny is proud to say that she's able to remain slightly calm and suppress her excitement as she heads to the surface with the turtles. She feels like a brand new person—or mutant—and it's a good feeling. She's not as polished as the turtles, far less experienced, but with her uchigatana and wolf skills combined, she feels like a very dangerous woman.

"Stay close to us," Leonardo orders as the quintet reaches the base of the tunnel that leads to freedom. He turns and gives Destiny a pointed look, confirming who he was speaking to, and he jabs his finger towards her sword. "Don't go crazy with that until you've got more practice."

"Then you can go crazy," Raphael says, a defiant smirk curling across his face.

Leonardo scowls. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Hey, guys, how about instead of fighting, we get up to the surface and start this patrol?" Donatello butts in, stepping easily between the nearly-quarrelling turtles. "Good? Yes? Great."

"I'll go first!" Michelangelo volunteers.

Before anyone can argue, he goes climbing towards the surface, going so fast that Destiny can easily imagine him just flying upwards. Donatello follows with Raphael and Leonardo going after. Destiny moves to the ladder, reaching out and securing her hand over the nearest rung, and hesitates as she cranes her head back.

Evil has been on the down low lately save for the normal muggers and riffraff, or at least that's what Destiny remembers the turtles saying after each of their patrols before. What's more, Casey and April had mentioned previously how they haven't seen much else happening during the day (a comment that served to ignite a pent-up rage inside a certain vigilante).

Destiny's attention wavers to thoughts of Karai and Diaval and the last time that she spoke to them, three or so weeks ago. With that, she remembers how she hasn't even told the turtles about what they talked about. They think that the Foot Clan members simply attacked Destiny.

That's not the case at all.

"Yo Des! It's all good up here, girl!" Michelangelo hollers down to her.

She shakes her head, bringing herself back down to earth as she scrambles up the ladder towards the surface.

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Free running with the turtles is more fun than Destiny ever could have imagined; the wind whipping through her hair, the air cool and brisk against her skin as the running warms her body from ear to tail tip, just everything. It feels like freedom.

The turtles leap and laugh and twist and turn as if they're parkour dancers, moving with a grace that makes looking away an impossible task for Destiny to do. It's hard to believe that a human boy their age would be going through the clumsy, awkward stage of life.

"No sign of the Foot?" Leonardo asks.

"None!" Donatello reports.

"Kraang?" Raphael questions.

"Nada," Michelangelo answers.

He lands on a water tower, launching into the air and tucking his body close for a series of front-flips. He lands directly next to Destiny and keeps running at her side, flashing her a bright smile before he pulls ahead.

Destiny, on the other hand, slows to a stop as a sick feeling builds in her gut and sends cold fingers grasping at her shoulders and neck. Evil is still inactive, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the correct time to strike. Her skin erupts with goosebumps as her ears swivel in all directions. There's someone watching her, invisible eyes tearing away at her and making her feel far too vulnerable.

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