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It had to be karma, there wasn’t any other explanation. Although she wasn’t a believer of such things, she couldn’t help but wonder if her past actions had unleashed this chain of events that eventually put her in this predicament. She didn’t consider she had herself to blame when the true culprits where the brothers she’d come to despise just as much as her father did. They were the ones responsible for this mess.The mission was relatively easy: Shredder demanded they retrieved cargo from one of Oshiro Kenichi’s ships as payment for his protection debt then be delivered to Lionel Pierazzo, current leader of New York’s mafia ring. She had an idea of what kind of cargo they were dealing with and had her reserves about getting involved in this kind of affairs; if what Saki wanted was to assure the mafia’s loyalty, his presence alone in one of their secret meetings would have sufficed since it didn’t take much to scare those greasy haired bastards. But it wasn’t her place to judge and it never would be. Appetites of all sorts must be gratified and if they collected more profit along with some allies in the process then so be it.Everything was going according to plan and without complications, that alone sent off alarm bells in her head warning the kunoichi of what was about to happen and soon enough they arrived. Despicable creatures sticking their noses into her father’s business. She thought they were ready this time, it was the reason why they spent hours perfecting their technique, blood and sweat over the mats to achieve perfection. She thought they’d played this scenario before and won during training in the simulator. Alas, they weren’t ready and were caught off guard. Again. Even outnumbered, the four demons dispatched her soldiers one by one, relishing in their defeat. And the loud one… he loved mocking them, mocking her .When she grew tired of his foolishness, the raven haired woman went after him. She had to silence him forever, erase that stupid grin off his face at all costs. What a stupid mistake, she thought as she watched the other three beastly warriors come to his aid. She should’ve known he’d have backup, that he’d be protected by his brothers the moment she got too close to him. Worst part was that he knew it and used that to his advantage to infuriate her more ignoring the blue banded swordsman’s warnings.That didn’t make her desist. On the contrary, it made her want his blood even more. What a fool. Acting out of brashness like an amateur.So lost in her ire she failed to see she now faced a new complication: another ambush. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t prepared for this, of course she was. Only an amateur with a death wish would go unprepared. However with half her team limping away to nurse their wounds elsewhere and the other half panting from exertion, barely able to stand on two feet, she began to fear the inevitable outcome of her mission.To her annoyance, Kenichi wasn’t going down without a fight and the fool thought it would be a good idea to go against her Master but he wasn’t expecting to find four abominations interfering with his plans too. The moment Kenichi’s attention switched to the turtles, the kunoichi ordered her soldiers to retreat. Kenichi would be the turtles’ problem now, she could get her revenge on the little orange pest later.And yet again, she failed to see the variables. Perhaps that wasn’t her day but what happened next caught her by surprise; the faint prick of a needle on her neck followed by a slight burning sensation that spread quickly through her veins before her legs went soft at the knees, her vision turning blurry, her speech slurred and she was on the floor seconds later, lifted by none too gentle hands and thrown like a broken rag doll over a cold, stiff surface she couldn’t yet identify. The fight outside continued and it seemed to get worse but for which team, she wouldn’t know. Kenichi and his men shouted and then she felt like floating before succumbing to the drug in her bloodstream.So in the end Kenichi got what he wanted and Karai’s destiny was uncertain. Knowing him, he would’ve had his men get rid of her weapons and all ways of communication she’d been equipped with before Shredder could send a rescue party and that was if he sent a rescue party. She couldn't blame her father for punishing her whenever she failed a mission, a rare occurrence in itself, after all he’d trained her to do better than this for years and this is how she repaid him? By becoming the lousy hostage of a low ranked soldier? Disgraceful. Truly disgraceful.It had to be karma, it really had to be. What other explanation could there be behind her current predicament? What else could explain her surprise when upon waking up, the first thing her emerald eyes saw a very familiar, albeit blurry. unconscious bright orange clad ninja turtle just inches away from her? Throughout the years, countless investors, politicians, and snobs considered Oroku Saki to be many things. A master strategist, a savvy businessman, disciplined, and kind. His generosity knew no end and it showed after the invasion happened. When the city had no one to turn to, Oroku Saki came to their pleas as an act of providence, helping the mayor restore New York to its former glory without seeking any personal gain or retribution for his immeasurable help, thus becoming a hero. And of course, his endless patience was something the people always praised him for, among his many other attributes.Of course, none of them were clan members. Only they knew the true Oroku Saki; a ruthless man leading his clan with an iron fist and well known to have little tolerance towards failure. Sometimes new recruits would find out the hard way just how short a fuse Shredder had when the mission report wasn’t flawless, suffering the respective punishment for their incompetence by the Master’s own hand, more often than not ending in disfigurements, deeper scars than the ones gained on the field, and even death. His cold heart torn families apart within his clan, to the point of driving sons, daughters, and parents to cut all ties with those they once loved as to spare them from Saki’s cruelty. For no one was safe from his ire, not even the heiress of the Foot Clan, which made the task of informing him of what had become of her during their last mission all the more complicated. They could always use the turtles as an excuse, and to be fair, they were partly responsible for Karai’s capture in the kerfuffle that ensued after Kenichi showed up uninvited. One thing was clear to them all, no matter what they said, Shredder would be pissed . Karai’s second in command, a seasoned warrior with tough skin to deal with Shredder’s lashings both literal and metaphorical, reported back to the clan Master. He found him in his office, going through stacks of papers piled on his desk; the glow from his computers the only light source in the otherwise dark room. As amusing as it was to see Saki have a flair for the dramatic, one had to admit the man inspired fear no matter the setting. The soldier’s presence was seemingly ignored as he entered, coming to a stop just a few steps from the mahogany desk to then bow down, presenting his respects. “Nagi Ryota reporting back, Master Shredder. The shipment was secured and is being delivered to Pierazzo as we speak”A pause followed, the heavy and uncomfortable silence only perturbed by the faint sounds of the busy city outside. Ryota waited patiently until Saki spoke at last. “Good. No complications, I assume?” “The turtles, Master. Kenichi as well. He tried an ambush to take the cargo for himself. And there is something else you should know” Suddenly, the aura in the room changed, turning heavy and dangerous as Saki rose to his feet. “ Do I now” “Mistress Karai was taken prisoner by Kenichi and his men,” Ryota continued, showing no fear to Saki even as he began to walk towards him. “Our tech division couldn’t find her on their scanners. It is as if she simply vanished”“But we both know that cannot be, do we Ryota?” Saki countered, circling the soldier like a vulture around a fresh carcass. “People from my clan do not vanish unless I give word to make them vanish. Am I correct?”“Absolutely, Master” After what it felt like two lifetimes, Saki walked away from the soldier once he grew tired of waiting to sense a sliver of fear from him. He should’ve known by now that, at this point in his life, Ryota was hardly impressed by Saki's theatricality. “I will ignore tonight’s mistakes in view of your successful delivery. As for Kenichi, he is not as important as he thinks he is, but his insolence will not be tolerated,” he declared, going back to his ridiculously expensive office chair. “Bring him to me”“What about Mistress Karai, Master?” Ryota inquired. Surely not even someone as heartless as Saki would allow harm to come to his daughter, his only heiress. And yet-“What about her, Ryota?” “Shouldn’t we send a search party after her, Master?”Saki tore his gaze briefly from his documents. His expression was one of annoyance. “I grow tired of her constant failures as of late. She should be grateful that I will allow her to live when she dares show her face here with her report. Whenever that is”He returned to his menial businessman tasks without another word, so when Ryota bowed and turned to leave, the warrior nearly tripped on his steps when Saki spoke again. “Find Kenichi and you will find her . And if you do not, find his family and make him watch them suffer” “As you command, Master Shredder”