"What's up Donatello?" Raphael asked as he was walking by.

Donatello had a welder's mask on as he was putting together a device that resembled a skateboard, but without wheels. He turned and flipped it open.

"Oh just working on a new invention. I call it the repulsar board. It uses a special type of energy field that repels both solid and liquid matter. If this works, it'll essentially enable us to ride it at speeds as fast as a car and can even cross bodies of waters." Donatello explained.

Raphael looked it up and down with a bit of skepticism, "Sooo why not just call it a hover board?"

Donatello smiled, "Because that name was used in Back to the Future trilogy. Ever see those movies? They are classics!"

Raphael had a mild frown on his face, "Oh please, you just like those movies because of Doc Brown and his inventions."

Donatello pointed the welding torch at him, "Hey, hey may have been a fictional character, but he made time travel famous with the flux capacitor! And we ourselves have gone through time so don't say that he's far fetched! I just think that if I can actually succeed at creating this repulsar board, it could really promote long distance travel. And think about it, this gadget would not require any power to operate! We could travel the world on this thing. And the whole surfer mania is..."

"Alright alright, I get it! Carry on already!" Raphael exclaimed and walked away.

"Well you asked." Donatello said as he pulled his mask back down to resume his work.

Michelangelo was on the couch watching the news and Leonardo was doing some pushups on his training mat. Raphael joined Michelangelo on the couch.

"Anything interesting?" Raphael asked.

"Nada; it's all boring stuff," Michelangelo replied.

Michelangelo turned to see Raphael fidgeting. "Hey bro, what's got you so uptight?"

Raphael kept his gaze on the TV. "It's nothing. It's just... well damn it, I need some action! Things have been a bit slow around here lately and crime has slowed down. I mean, we literally have made a huge impression in the criminal world!"

Michelangelo leaned back against the couch. "Hey, don't sweat it! I'm sure something will happen that will require our immediate intervention."

Raphael also leaned back against the couch. "Yeah, let's hope so."

Suddenly, Splinter came through the door. "Hello my students! I have something I need to tell all of you."

The four turtles stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to their sensei.

A smile appeared on Splinter's face. "In light of the slowdown of crime here, I thought that we should take a trip to visit my friend in China. His name is I Chung, a shinobi who specializes in the mystical arts. He has someone who lives with him that you might want to meet."

Michelangelo was especially curious. "Oh, who is it?"

Splinter just grinned. "Oh come on, if I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise."

Leonardo gazed into his master's eyes. Somehow, he had a good idea. But it couldn't possibly be...

The five decided to call in a favor from the mayor to use his private jet; they didn't want to be a spectacle on a regular flight. Donatello brought his prototype repulsar board with him since he really wanted to finish it. Leonardo seemed to be the only turtle who was trying to figure out who this person was. The other turtles were too busy talking about other things to worry much about it.

Michelangelo ran down the isle. "And who says turtles can't fly?"

Raphael grabbed him by the arm. "Will you sit down already?!"

Leonardo was sitting with Splinter; his mind was racing.

"Sensei, please tell me. I really would like to know. Is he...a mutant turtle like us?" Leonardo asked him in earnest.

Splinter put his arm around him to make sure none of the others could listen, "Please don't repeat this to any of them until after we get there. Your concerns are correct. It is a mutant turtle like you. But it's a she."

Leonardo's heart leapt into his throat. "A woman? There's actually a female turtle in China? I...but how?"

"I can understand your confusion. And I can also see it in your eyes. And though I'm sure you already know at this point, but while you and the others have been raised as brothers, biologically you're not related. But I didn't want to reveal this until you all saw her for yourselves. You see, I know the pain you and the others feel. But that pain is most evident in yourself and Raphael. You're the only ones of your kind. I didn't want there to be fighting amongst yourselves about her. To be honest, I was very hesitant to even do this. But I promised myself that I would one day reveal her existence to all of you," Splinter explained.

Leonardo was unable to say anything. He was grateful to know that there was a female mutant turtle out there. But Splinter was right about one thing. How would this affect them? He knows that Michelangelo was content with his life. And so was Donatello with his inventive lifestyle. But Raphael felt the most isolated from this world. He has even come to blows with him on a few occasions. But he couldn't ignore his own desires. He has his strict code of honor that he lives by. He has trained to be at the top of his game. But he too has felt the pain that loneliness brings. And he was afraid that if this woman was for real, she may end up coming between him and Raphael.

Splinter snapped his fingers, "Hey, Leo. Snap out of it!" 

Leonardo came out of his reverie to realize that all eyes were on him.

"What's wrong with you, Leo? You look like you've seen a ghost or something," Raphael said.

Leonardo turned to his concerned bretheren. "Oh it's nothing; I was just spacing out."

Splinter said nothing as the others went back to their business.

Once they had landed, they immediately departed with Splinter in the lead. It was nighttime when they got there, and on purpose too. They made their trek to I Chung's place on foot with Splinter leading the way. When they got there, Splinter knocked and sure enough, I Chung answered.

"Well what a surprise this is!" I Chung said merrily.

Splinter took his hand and shook it, "It's good to see you again my old friend."

"What brings you all the way out here?" I Chung asked.

He saw the ninja turtles and beamed, "Ah, I see you brought the boys with you! How nice to see you all!"

Leonardo walked up first, followed by the others as they took turns bowing in respect.

"It's nice to see you sir." Leonardo said respectfully.

"Oh you don't have to use such honorifics around me, my friend. I know we've only seen each other once before, not long after you became the mutant turtles you are now," I Chung said as he eyed the brothers as a whole, seeing them in their ninja gear and checking their physical stature.

"And wow, you four have really developed physically! You all look very strong and able as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I've heard so much about!" I Chung beamed with a smile.

Raphael couldn't help but smile at the compliment, Michelangelo put his hand behind his head as if to say 'Aw shucks, you didn't have to say all that'. Donatello remained stonefaced, and of course Leonardo smiled at the compliment.

I Chung opened his door wide. "Well come on you guys, let's go inside already!"

I Chung lead Splinter and the turtles inside his nicely sized home. I Chung went over to the kitchen to grab a pot of stew.

"I know it's not exactly pizza, but I'm sure you're all hungry. I guess I'm glad I made as much as I did," I Chung said as he prepared some servings.

The turtles sat down as Splinter walked over to I Chung.

"So tell me, where's Mei Pieh Chi?" Splinter asked quietly.

I Chung's cheery attitude went south at the mention of her. "I assume you brought the turtles here to meet her?"

Splinter merely nodded.

I Chung gestured to the table the other turtles were sitting at. "Let's eat; I have much to tell you."

Splinter sat down with the others as I Chung served the stew and sat down himself.

I Chung pretty much had the floor as he spoke, "I'm guessing that Splinter brought you here as a surprise treat to meet my adopted daughter, Mei Pieh Chi?"

All but Leonardo reacted with surprised looks on their faces at the revelation, but just nodded knowing they were here to meet someone.

I Chung sighed. "I'm afraid she no longer lives here. Mei Pieh Chi, or rather Venus as she now calls herself, moved on to other ventures. I blame myself really for this outcome. She's led a rather sheltered life, and I feel I've been too hard on her while teaching her the mystical arts and the way of the shinobi."

Splinter's head lowered. "I see. I'm sorry to hear about that. Have you heard from her since she left?"

I Chung shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Though I do hear about some of the things she does from time to time. Last I heard, she was taking up her own training to further her physical abilities. She seemed pretty intent on being the strongest ninja ever. And with her strength, it wouldn't surprise me if she became just that."

"Whoa whoa, hold the phone, mister! Just who is this Venus you're talking about? Yes you said she was your adopted daughter, but how does this have anything to do with us?" Raphael interrupted heatedly.

"Raphael, calm down," Splinter ordered.

"No, he's right. Just where do we fit into this?" Donatello seconded.

I Chung put a hand up to stop Splinter. "It's ok, they're right of course."

Splinter looked at the four brothers. "She's a mutant turtle, just like you."

All four of the turtles' jaws hung open in surprise. Raphael was especially taken aback.

"Well gee pops, when were you going to tell us about this little revelation, huh?!" Raphael said angrily.

"I didn't want to cause any unnecessary dissension amongst you over this," Splinter tried to reason.

Raphael got up. "No, you knew how we all felt deep down!"

He paused and looked at the others. "At least, you knew how I felt."

Raphael proceeded to walk toward the door, but Leonardo grabbed his arm.

"Wait Raphael, we all know how you feel. But I think you should be thanking Splinter for even telling us about her."

But Raphael ripped his arm away. "That's just it Leo! It's amazing that he did tell us. But he should've told us the moment we became mutants."

"Where are you going?!" Leonardo asked in bewilderment.

Raphael didn't turn around. "To get away from you guys for a bit. I need to think."

After he left, Leonardo returned to the table. "He never changes. Something rubs him the wrong way and he takes off."

"Let him go, Leonardo. He's not a child any more than you are. Besides, I think we all know where he's going," Splinter said.

Donatello looked at the door. "To find Venus."


Chapter II: I'm Your Venus...
Raphael meets Venus in battle, a rather one-sided battle

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

"Venus! Where are you!? I want to meet you!" Raphael called out in the back alleys.

He knew the best places to look for ninja and the alley was as good as any. Though the others had a pretty good idea, Raphael knew best how he felt. Despite being in the company of his fellow turtles and sensei, he was lonely. And though he would never admit it to anyone, not even Splinter, he knew deep down that, up until now, he and his brothers were the only ones of their kind. To know that there was another like him, and female for that matter, really meant something to him. More than any of the others, Raphael wanted to fall in love. He wanted someone who could be the yin to his yang. And it excited him to no end that he might finally find his happiness.

But that was where the conflict came in. There was only one of her and four of them. Even if she were the type who would reciprocate love, who would be the one to win her heart? Despite his aggressive nature and tendency to fly off the handle, Raphael was fiercely loyal to his comrades; his brothers. And he loved them as such. But he very much doubted that there were other female mutant turtles out there, and this could be his one and only chance. Sure it might be selfish, but all is fair in love and war. He would find Venus first and win her over.

"Hey Venus! My name is Raphael! I'm a mutant ninja turtle just like you! I know you're nearby! I can feel it!" Raphael called out.

In the shadows, high on the side of a building, the silhouette of a mutant turtle clung to the wall. A subtle glow of energy emanated from her hands and feet, connecting her to the wall. From that perspective, she had a clear view of Raphael from behind and above. A closeup of her eyes showed the feminine beauty in them. They also had an intensity in them that would send chills down one's spine. She clung there like a shadow, watching her prey. With her three fingered hand, she reached into a pouch on her leg and pulled out a kunai. She released her energy grip on the wall and fell downward until she neared the ground. At the last moment, she gracefully propelled herself away from the wall, sprung off the opposite wall, and landed on the ground without a sound. She remained shrouded in the darkness as she snuck up behind her prey.

Raphael kept walking. He was no amateur. He had his senses on full alert. Knowing full well that if she were as skilled a ninja as he was told, she would try to surprise him. And he could feel her presence nearby. He walked a few more paces and instantly swung around with his sai drawn. To his surprise, no one was there. There weren't any large objects to hide behind. What if? He looked up the walls, barely able to see past the darkness that shrouded them. But there was nothing there as well.

Venus appeared from behind him again and made her move. She aimed for his neck, a guaranteed deathblow if it hit. Raphael, without even thinking, swung around as fast as he could and just barely got his sai up to parry the attack. Venus jumped back. She remained silhouetted by shadows. Raphael strained to see her. What he could see was that she wasn't petite. When he parried that attack, he felt tremendous strength behind it. Just half a second longer and he would be dead now.

Venus stood there a moment. "You got good senses; I like that. Now let's see you handle a direct assault."

Venus charged straight at Raphael with amazing speed. Raphael kept his defensive stance as she swung her kunai at him. He blocked the attack, but she kept up the pressure. Raphael was stunned to feel her immediately overpowering him with relative ease. This forced him to leap back away from her. Venus stood there again; it was like she was taunting him.

"So, I finally meet one of the infamous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and he can't handle a simple attack from me. Well then, it seems I really am so much stronger than you. In fact, if that was your best, then I know that I'm stronger than all four of you combined," Venus said.

Raphael wasn't too surprised at this. It wouldn't be the first time he has gone up against a mutant that was superior in physical strength. But he also knew there was more to being a warrior than just brute force. He would show her first hand that he was not one to be taken lightly. Still, he found himself feeling...exhilarated by this battle. He knew she was testing him. At least that was what he hoped. She could've killed him with that sneak attack. Raphael raised his weapons and went on the offensive.

"Alright! You want me, then here I come!" Raphael yelled as he charged.

He jabbed his sai at her, but she bent backward into a bridge, causing the sai to pass right above her. She swiftly did a fast handplant and kicked upward, knocking Raphael's sai out of his hands into the air. Before Raphael could react, she sprung from her hands and leapt back to her feet and landed a punch directly to Raphael's midsection, sending him flying back several feet. The force and speed behind that punch was unreal! Raphael clutched his stomach area, clearly feeling the pain from that hit. He saw Venus strolling up to him like it was all casual, grabbed him by his shell, and lifted him up over her head.

"Up you go!" she said with glee.

The last thing Raphael experienced, before he was launched into the wall, was how strong she was. He was not a lightweight by any means. But he felt like he floated up. It was all over in an instant as she hurled him at the wall, causing him to crash in an unconscious heap. All the while, she remained shrouded in darkness. But hard as it was to make out her physical appearance, it was known that she was far from being a lightweight herself.

* * *

Back at I Chung's house, the remaining turtles and Splinter were sleeping. They knew there was little they could do to stop Raphael. In certain cases, they may have tried, but this time was personal. So the only thing they could do was leave him alone to do his own thing. It was the middle of the night. No one noticed the front door opening slowly and a shadowy figure, carrying another, entering. It set him down on the couch, and set a note on top, and left; all without a sound.

The next morning, I Chung's voice reached into Raphael's consciousness, "Hey, wake up!"

Raphael opened his eyes to see I Chung and Splinter standing over him. It took a moment for him to realize where he was. He then remembered what happened previously and how Venus just manhandled him. He put a hand to his head. Surprisingly, he felt no pain. In fact, he felt rested.

"Are you ok?" Splinter asked.

Raphael got into a sitting position, "Yes, I'm fine. How long have I been out?"

"I don't know. We all went to sleep figuring there was nothing we could do to stop you. Next thing we know, you're here on the couch, asleep. Nice to know you came back," Splinter said.

Raphael's expression became stern. "I didn't come back here of my own will. I met her... sort of. I never could get a good look at her. She was able to consistently remain in shadows. It almost seemed unnatural though, like she was manipulating the light around her somehow to keep it off her."

I Chung smiled faintly. "It's one of the mystical techniques that I taught her. It's called shadow manipulation. It's more of a psychological tactic than anything. It makes it harder for the opponent to read their movements. It's kind of like fighting in the dark, hard to fight properly if you can't see."

Raphael pondered this as I Chung asked what he and Splinter were both thinking, "What was the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

Raphael recalled Venus's unbelievable strength. For a girl, she was very strong. Raphael clearly didn't want to answer that question.

I Chung seemed to read his mind when he saw his embarrassment, "Forgive me for being blunt. But judging from your reaction, she overpowered you and knocked you out, didn't she?"

Raphael crossed his arms and looked away. To put it simply, he didn't want to tell them that he got beat up by a girl.

Splinter was in no mood for Raphael's stubbornness as he joined the exchange. "Look, the others are still sleeping so they won't interfere in this discussion. It's still early in the morning, so it's just us three. Will you drop the tough guy act for just a moment and tell us what happened?"

Splinter was the only one whose command Raphael would obey; he complied. "Yes, it's true. I had a hard time anticipating her next move with her being in perpetual shadow. She nearly killed me with a sneak attack that I barely sensed coming at the last moment. I held my own briefly. But her physical strength was overwhelming, and her speed was equally impressive. She knocked my sai out of my hands with a handspring kick. The last thing I remember was her punching me with enough force to knock me back several feet to the ground. She... lifted me above her head and threw me full force into a brick wall, knocking me out. What puzzles me is why I'm not in pain or why I don't have a concussion or something. I hit that wall really hard; my head especially."

Splinter looked to I Chung for an answer. Talented as he was in ninjitsu and other branches of the martial arts, he didn't know much about the mystical arts himself.

I Chung went on to explain: "First of all, Venus is many things. But one thing she isn't is a cold-blooded killer. Chances are if you wouldn't have reacted to her sneak attack, she would've stopped just shy of the striking point. At least that's the case if she doesn't consider you a threat. And she's heard a lot about you and the others. She knows that you aren't evil so there would be no reason for her to try to kill you."

"Then why did she have to throw me into a wall and cause what I thought was a serious head injury?" Raphael asked heatedly.

"Yes, I can see where you're coming from. Though if you really want me to explain her in detail... Well forgive me for putting it like this, but it might hurt your ego," I Chung said delicately.

"I doubt anything can make me feel worse than I already do," Raphael replied.

I Chung breathed a sigh of relief. "Fair enough. She has acquired a thrill for fighting. She's not much unlike yourself actually. She tends to be aggressive and if you piss her off, it can get ugly real quick."

"Sounds like you two would really get along," Splinter said chuckling.

Raphael looked embarrassed. "Please, spare me."

Splinter said nothing. He wanted to try to break some of Raphael's tension.

I Chung continued: "You asked how you're unhurt after being hurled into a wall. Remember, Venus is skilled in the mystical arts that I trained her in. Not many people out there know of this art. Instead of using physical energy, this one uses spiritual energy. And it's not easy to control either. It takes a great deal of focus, concentration, and control to use properly. But once a shinobi successfully learns to control spiritual energy, it has a great number of uses. We also use special orbs that are made from spiritual energy which help amplify the use of a particular art. In the western world, they would call it magical energy. You see deep down, Venus is a caring individual and would never kill someone without good reason, or leave them injured. What she did was apply a healing technique using spiritual energy. It's a lot more effective than conventional means. The only drawback is that it requires a lot of spiritual energy to heal an injury, especially one as serious as a head injury. Chances are she used the orb of healing to amplify the effects of the technique."

Raphael found himself becoming intrigued by all this. Things finally began to make sense to him. And though he wasn't about to admit it; now that he could look back at it in hindsight, he found himself... exhilerated by his meeting with Venus.

I Chung took Raphael's silence as a cue to keep going. "You're probably also wondering how she overpowered you so easily? I've heard that your physical strength as a mutant turtle was greater than that of an ordinary human. But I've seen how strong Venus is, and it made me believe that she is even stronger than any of you. I don't mean to belittle you. It's just that from what you told me, that seems to be the case."

I Chung turned to Splinter. "I think you might want to explain this part to him."

Splinter nodded. "I believe we know why Venus, despite being the same type of turtle that you four are, is a lot stronger. When I discovered you, I never knew at the time that there was a fifth. And it was some time before your mutations took effect. Not long after I first started talking with I Chung here, he told me about his visit to Manhattan. Neither of us were certain how long it was since I left the scene where I found you and the others. But I Chung happened to come across the same place before cleanup crews eventually arrived. Apparently, Venus strayed from the area for a while and then returned after we all left. Being ignorant to the mutagen that she was walking through, she was exposed to it for a longer period of time than you four. As a result, when she mutated, her physical strength became much greater than yours and the others. In fact, based on what I Chung described at the time, Venus's strength was estimated to be even greater than Tokka's or Slash's."

Raphael's eyes went wide. "You've...you've gotta be kidding me! So you're saying she's some kind of... musclebound freak?!"

I Chung slowly nodded. "Basically... yes."

What they didn't realize was that Raphael's reaction wasn't how he really felt about this revelation. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. But when he thought about his prospective female counterpart being an Amazon, the thought actually excited him. As familiar as he was with society, that was one thing he was unfamiliar with. Was it... normal for him to desire a woman like this? He never did get a good look at her, but he did know that she wasn't small. He had to meet her again, but on more even ground. And even if she was a woman, even if she was the unexpected type of woman he desired, he'd fight her again if it came down to it. And this time, he will be ready.

Splinter produced the note that was left with Raphael. "And she left you this. I hope you can forgive me, but I read it. I Chung didn't read it though. It's addressed to you.

Raphael took the note and read it to himself:

Dear Raphael,

I just wanted to say that I enjoyed our little fight. I must admit, you had some pretty good moves. I always wanted to see how I fared against one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I must also admit that I kinda like you. You're every bit the bad boy I've learned about. And I could tell that you weren't psychologically prepared to fight me. You made it too easy for me. I'll keep it real simple, I want to fight you again. But this time, I want you to hold nothing back because I'm a woman. And believe me darling, I'm every bit a woman. I perform at a place called the Phoenix Club downtown tomorrow night. I Chung knows where it is. And bring your fellow turtles with you. I want to meet them as well.

I know you're just itching to see me. Believe me, if I wasn't using shadow manipulation while fighting you, the battle would've been one-sided. There isn't a man yet who hasn't reacted to my appearance. It's why you live in the sewers, right? Anyway, don't disappoint me sugar.

X O X O X
Venus De Milo

PS: It's nice to know you have great reflexes. I wouldn't have actually struck if you didn't react. I just wanted you to understand that I'm a lot stronger than you think. *wink*

"I want to meet her. I mean officially meet her. And you, I Chung, are going to take me to her!" Raphael demanded.

I Chung shied away at this. "Are you crazy!? You haven?t seen her! She's not exactly the Venus I raised anymore. She's changed! She's become unpredictable in the things she does!"

I Chung seemed to blush at this point, "And... she's become somewhat... indecent. While she is a highly skilled shinobi, well... she..."

This time I Chung really began to blush. Raphael knew what he was getting at.

"I already know," he said as he held up the note.

I Chung finally resigned to the inevitable, as he realized from the note Raphael held up, that Venus had already let the cat out of the bag. "I think it's best that we just take you to see her where she works on the side. But on one condition, we all go. The other turtles need to see her as well. It's what Splinter brought you here for, remember?"

Raphael wasn't keen on the others tagging along if he had anything to say about it, but he knew that Splinter would give him no other choice in the matter.

"Fine," Raphael said as he got up and walked into the next room.

Dawn had fully come. Leonardo was the first to wake up, followed by Donatello and Michelangelo. Splinter came into the room.

"Good morning, everyone. Did you sleep well?" Splinter asked.

Michelangelo stretched and yawned as Leonardo began to put on his ninja gear. Donatello went to grab some breakfast.

"I'll take that as a yes. Anyway we got some training to do. Because tonight, I Chung has agreed to take us to where Venus works," Splinter said.

Leonardo was the first to respond, "What do you mean where she works? She actually works at a job where humans gather?"

Michelangelo walked over to them. "Hey, has anyone seen Raphael? I wanted to ask him something."

"He went to the training hall to exercise. But before you go, there's something I need to discuss with the three of you," Splinter said.

And so Splinter and I Chung told them everything they discussed with Raphael previously, as well as their plan to see her. Their reactions differed. Michelangelo had a more traditional taste in women. Donatello was content with his hobby and felt that when the right woman came along, he would deal with it then. But Leonardo, he blushed at the mention of a female mutant turtle with muscles bigger than his. Michelangelo took notice.

"Hey bro, you look like you have a thing for a girl like that," he prodded.

"What are you talking about?! Go away!" Leonardo yelled defensively.

Donatello looked at this exchange. He's shared some personal conversations with Leonardo in the past and he knows of Leonardo's loneliness that he hides under his bold exterior.

"Hey Mikey, leave Leo alone will ya?" Donatello asked.

Michelangelo walked away to grab some breakfast as well. "Alright alright. Sheesh, can't anyone take a joke?"

Splinter walked over to Leonardo. "You going to eat?"

Leonardo finished strapping his gear on and started to walk to the training hall. "I'm not hungry, I think I'll go on ahead and start my workout."

Splinter looked on and sighed as Leonardo disappeared down the hall. "I was really hoping it was only Raphael..."


Chapter III: Conflict
Raphael and Leonardo come to blows

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

Raphael was training in an obstacle course using the simulated environment to hone his agility and acrobatic moves while attacking strategically placed targets. He seemed to be enjoying this room and all of its features. There were some heavily padded dummies that were placed around the course for him to practice his weapons on. He ran at a wall, used his momentum to run up it and backflip off it. A lot was going through his mind and he wanted to take out that aggression. He had fought against many enemies and triumphed against foes that had superior strength and even speed. His experience made those victories possible. All that seemed meaningless when he thought about how Venus totally overpowered him. He thought he could've beaten her, but she displayed abilities he had never seen before. Among them were shadow manipulation and clinging to walls like freaking Spider-Man! Raphael had a grasp on the chi energy that flowed through all life-forms, but he never learned how to manipulate it. He wanted to find a way to counter a chi user. And his best bet was intense focus and speed. He started wailing on one of the dummies with hard punches and roundhouse kicks. He demonstrated his moves with expert skill.

He saw the doors open out of the corner of his eyes, but continued his training. Leonardo stood there a moment, felt like perhaps maybe Raphael was venting in here, and decided to turn around and leave.

"Where are you going?" Raphael suddenly asked.

"Splinter told us about what happened. I came here to train with you, but you look like you want to be alone," Leonardo said.

"Not at all." Raphael said as he finally stopped what he was doing.

"In fact, I wouldn't mind a sparring partner," Raphael offered.

Leonardo eyed Raphael suspiciously. It wasn't like him to welcome company when he was training intensively. And given the recent circumstances, there was no question that this was one of those cases. Still...

"Are you game?" Raphael asked, noticing Leonardo's hesitation.

Leonardo walked in. "Anytime."

Raphael made his way to the small arena in the corner of the room, followed by Leonardo. When they were in position, they bowed to each other.

"Which fighting method do you prefer?" Leonardo asked.

Raphael puts his fists up. "Hand to hand combat."

Leonardo puts his fists up and assumed a defensive posture. Leonardo threw a jab, but Raphael deflected it.

"Nice forearm block," Leonardo said.

Raphael swung next, but Leonardo also deflected it. "Nice backfist. Show me a combo attack."

Raphael launched a series of punches aimed at Leonardo's midsection, but Leonardo's speed was enough to block each hit and counter with a takedown.

"You need to be faster with those combinations," Leonardo said as Raphael got up, clearly pissed.

"You're improving though," Leonardo said.

Raphael resumed his attack stance and started with a leg sweep, which Leonardo blocked; blocked a forearm strike from Leonardo, and hit him with a hard right to the jaw.

"You need to keep that left up, Leo." Raphael said in a mocking tone.

Leonardo brushed his hand over his mouth and pulled it away to see a bit of blood on it. That was a cheap shot if he ever saw one. But he wasn't going to back down now. He went at Raphael with another series of lefts and rights at different angles, but Raphael parried them all, landed a jab to Leonardo's midsection.

"You're improving though." Raphael said, clearly trying to push Leonardo's buttons.

Leonardo struggled to control his anger as he went into a full combination of punches and kicks. But Raphael blocked them, caught Leonardo by his wrist, and used a takedown maneuver to pin him to the floor stomach first.

"You see, you were looking at my hands and feet. But you should've been looking in my eyes!" Raphael said threateningly.

He let go as Leonardo got up. He knew what was going on here and he didn't like it one bit.

"Alright Raphael," Leonardo said with determination.

"Leonardo," Raphael retorted.

Leonardo performed a thrusting kick at two levels, but Raphael dodged them. He then upped his speed as he threw a faster series of jabs and seized his opening and twisted Raphael's arm, and leg-swept him off his feet, pushing him down on the floor on his back. He pushed down on him hard enough to pin his head to the floor.

"Tell me something!" Leonardo said angrily.
 
"What?!" Raphael asked.

"Why are you being this selfish!?" Leonardo asked.

Raphael swung his legs around Leonardo's head and used his own momentum to throw Leonardo off him. Both quickly sprung to their feet.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Raphael asked defensively.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! It's Venus! You meet her first, in battle no less, and you think you are solely entitled to her?!" Leonardo said.

"What, are you jealous?" Raphael retorted.

"No! You're being selfish! Have you ever considered that she may not be into you?!" Leonardo asked, knowing that he was appearing jealous in spite of the fact.

"Oh you just can't stand the fact that I have more fun than you, and all you do is play monk with all that strict code-of- honor bullshit!" Raphael grilled.

Raphael went for a lower shot to Leonardo's midsection, but he deflected it and connected with a palm thrust right at Raphael's face, causing him to stagger back.

Raphael tried a forearm shot, but Leonardo blocked it and countered with one of his own that connected. He then followed with a quick thrust kick, making Raphael stagger back again.

"Now you're just talking out of your ass! You see I have no problems having fun as you put it!" Leonardo said, clearly pissed.

Leonardo landed a roundhouse kick to the side of Raphael's head before he could recover from that last hit, this one knocking him off his feet to the floor. A trickle of blood streamed down the side of Raphael's face where he was hit.

"You think the world owes you for your lonely existence? Well I got news for you pal, you aren't the only mutant turtle in this world!" Leonardo said.

Leonardo began to walk out. "Nice sparring with you."

He was entering the hallway when: "LEO!!"

Leonardo turned around to Raphael diving at him, tackling him to the floor. Raphael backfisted Leonardo before he could recover. Michelangelo and Donatello were just finishing their breakfast when they heard the ruckus. Raphael got up and saw them approaching. He wasn't done yet.

"Stay out of this you two!" Raphael said as he turned around to a fist to the face. Leonardo swung at him again, but Raphael blocked it and grabbed him by the waist and twisted his body to propel Leonardo over him to the floor again. Both got up and went into a grapple, trying to overpower the other. Raphael slid his arms between Leonardo's and got an uppercut in, karate chopped him in the abs, wrapped his arms around one of Leonardo's shoulders and his head, and flipped him over to the floor on his back. Raphael got up while Leonardo laid there momentarily stunned.

"What the heck kind of move was that?" Leonardo asked.

"It's a move I picked up from watching wrestling," Raphael indulged.

Leonardo silently nodded in understanding as he got back to his feet. Both again assumed attack postures when...

"ENOUGH!" called the loud and angry voice of I Chung. They were surprised that it wasn't Splinter snapping at them. Nevertheless, he too was standing at the end of the hall, clearly not happy with what he was seeing.

"There are things I will not tolerate in my home! While I don't mind sparring between two guests working out in the training hall, to let it get out of control like this is unacceptable! This is not the type of behavior I would've expected from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I've heard many great things about!" I Chung yelled.

He took a moment to calm himself down. "Look. I don't know what issues you have between each other, but you better settle them right now!"

Rapahel and Leonardo looked at each other. Both looked pretty beaten up.

I Chung was suddenly in their faces. "SETTLE IT! OR GET OUT!!"

Both were feeling pretty small right now. I Chung's words seemed to make them realize just how petty they were acting. And having never had this kind of fierce scolding from Splinter had them at full attention.

"There's no problem," Raphael said.

"It's settled sir," Leonardo confirmed.

I Chung glared at them a couple more seconds, then finally walked away. Raphael and Leonardo stood there, still reeling from I Chung's sudden fierceness. Michelangelo and Donatello saw Splinter walk towards them and knew they should be somewhere else.

"I think I'll go in and train. Coming Donatello?" Michelangelo asked.

"I'm right behind you," Donatello said as they quietly disappeared behind the doors.

It was just Raphael, Leonardo, and Splinter now. Splinter walked up to them.

"Master Splinter, I..." Leonardo began to say.

"Just relax. I'm not going to start yelling. It's really not my style. Besides, I think I Chung did enough of that. I just wanted to say that I might have expected this from Raphael. But from you, Leonardo? It's not like you to let yourself lose control like this," Splinter calmly reprimanded.

Both turtles had looks of exhaustion now; from both the sparring and the verbal assault I Chung had given them.

Splinter looked them over, as if trying to probe their thoughts. And it seemed like he could when his expression changed.

"This is about Venus, isn't it?" Splinter asked.

Before either tried to anything, Splinter put up a hand to stop them. "Look, I know you better than you think. I know that you both desire her. She's a female mutant turtle and, as such, she is the key to real happiness, right? But... even if she is interested in love, you must consider who she'll be in love with. I was afraid that knowledge of her existence might drive a wedge between you. I almost didn't go through with bringing you here. But you're both young adults now and hardly teens anymore. Please you two. I know it's possible for you to both pursue Venus. Just understand that whomever she desires to be with, the other must accept her choice. Remember this, a man doesn't choose a woman, the woman always chooses the man. Please don't let desire drive you apart."

Raphael and Leonardo looked at each other again. At last, there was no look of resentment in their eyes. Raphael offered his hand. "May the best turtle score."

Leonardo let out a small chuckle at his comment, then took Raphael's hand and shook it. "Yes."

Splinter held his face in his hand as he sighed. "I swear you two are reprehensible. Alright, you two better get something for those cuts. If you feel up to it, I want you to go back in the training hall to work out. We have a big evening tonight."


Chapter IV: Expose  - Part I
If this were a porno, this would be the money shot

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

The rest of the day with the turtles was spent training. Donatello finished early to continue his work on his prototype repulsar board. Nighttime was soon upon them and everyone was ready to go. All four turtles were dressed incognito in large buttoned coats and hats. Splinter wore a hooded robe, a fashion that wasn't uncommon where they were. I Chung walked up to them.

"Alright, here we go," he said less than enthusiastically.

The Phoenix Club was packed that evening which was fortunate for the turtles and Splinter, since their disguises were enough in a crowd of so many people. They managed to get a table big enough for all six of them. The place was essentially a big lounge. There were tables like theirs scattered all over the large floor, which had multiple uses. A bar sat at the far left of them, complete with bartender and lots of drinks to choose from. The stage was of course, elevated. It had a large red curtain towards the front and there were lights hanging from the rafters above.

The place was abuzz with chatter since the show hasn't yet started. The turtles each held a program featuring the performers for the evening. Their eyes immediately fell on the highlighted star attraction: Venus de Milo. In fact, she was listed as having two performances; the first one as the third act and the second one as the final act. No specifics were given, which had them wondering just what she would be doing. They all remained relatively quiet, as all but I Chung were eager to see Venus.

The first two acts consisted of stand up comedy and magic tricks respectively; both were fairly well received by the audience. But when the third act was announced, everyone just erupted. It was clear how much anticipation was in the air. The curtain remained down when all the lights went dark. The noise gradually died down until suddenly, a spotlight came on and focused on the center on the curtain. A woman's voice of raw sensuality began to sing.

You haaad plenty money, 1922

All eyes went wide as a green and particularly muscled leg appeared from behind the curtain, with a blue high heeled slipper on the foot, and stepped down in front of the curtain. Her upper leg was covered with a dress.

You let other women make a fool of you

The curtain parted revealing none other than Mei Pieh Chi, a.k.a Venus de Milo. All four turtles' mouths dropped as their eyes were super-glued to the mesmerizing woman of a turtle that stood before them.

Raphael: "Oh..."
Donatello: "My..."
Michelangelo: "God!"
Leonardo was too stunned to speak.

Venus was drop dead gorgeous! She was simply gorgeous! Apparently she wasn't wearing her shell. Instead, she wore a flowing, sparkling green dress that seemed to blend with her skin. She walked sensuously along the stage as she continued singing.

Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too

The curtain rose, revealing a mock up of a 1940's era setting, complete with a full size car from the time period off to the right, a band of musicians in the background, and some rather large dumbbells and a huge barbell packed with weights to the left. The turtles were confused about the weights, that is until Venus strolled to the center of the stage and without hesitation, removed her dress.

Not only did the turtles' eyes fly open and jaws drop, but so did those of everyone else in the club. Venus was covered from head to toe in massive highly defined muscle. Her thighs were twice as wide as any of the turtles at the tables and you could make out every muscle striation that bulged amazingly to form them. Her calves looked rock solid as a split appeared down the middle giving them the look of a wide football that was split in two. Her abs were cut like bricks and looked just as hard, and yet she moved them with her stomach so sensuously; even fluidly. It was almost difficult to believe that they were as hard as stone from the way she moved them. What clothing she still wore consisted of a bikini that barely covered the nipples themselves on her large and pert breasts, and a thong. For all the muscles she wore on her powerful frame, she was surprisingly very busty; just like another popular figure who sang this song. Her breasts bounced lightly with each step, yet hovered straight out from her powerful pecs that supported them. She wore opera gloves that extended to just past her elbow, but just shy of her biceps - and for good reason: Her arms were huge! The gloves were clearly custom-made to not only fit her three-fingered hands, but her muscular forearms which were really massive. The ends of those gloves were obscured by her monstrous biceps! And they were relaxed at the moment. But they were still, like her thighs, at least twice as big as any of the male turtles' when fully flexed. They also sported really hot vascularity on them to emphasize the extreme strength that filled them.

Venus strolled past several men that sat at the base of the stage area and gave them an up close view of her monster-muscled thighs. She even invited them to touch, which they eagerly did. Though one of them tried to feel a little too far up her leg, and she kicked his hand away with enough force to snap his arm in the opposite direction. His arm would be hurting for a while after that one. But Venus showed no deviation from her performance or her rhythm.

You're sittin' there and wonderin' what it's all about
If you ain't got no money they will put you out

Venus walked over to the weights that sat on the stage floor. Clearly they were loaded to the brim with really heavy weights. The largest plates looked like they were fifty pounds easy. She started with the dumbbells, which looked like they were maxed out. Raphael was blushing so much that he was on the verge of having a nosebleed. He remembered seeing a video clip of a man who attempted to lift a dumbbell that was similarly loaded. It took everything he had and lots of grunts to lift it even once. And here was Venus not even showing any signs of increased breathing. She squatted with her legs, grabbed them both, and with a flex of her thighs and arms, stood straight up and with little effort, began cranking reps with them while still singing!

Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too

Leonardo was captivated by her unbelievable show of strength. He wasn't sure if he could even lift something that heavy and, if he could, it would take a lot of effort to do so. And here she was doing reps alternating between the right and the left like they were only ten pounds. He couldn't deny how he felt; Leonardo was madly in love at first sight with this muscle goddess! Now he understood how Raphael felt. And that thought brought him back down to Earth as he forced his gaze over to his brother. Raphael was clearly transfixed on Venus and didn't even notice Leonardo looking at him. It was clear that selfishness wasn't the appropriate word to describe him. He understood now why Raphael was bent on fighting over her. Leonardo turned back to the performance taking place on stage. It was clear that he would have to compete for Mei Pieh Chi after all.

Venus set the dumbbells down near another group of men close by the stage after doing a total of ten reps with them. She knew that there would be disbelievers and it was apparent when the guys tried to move those dumbbells that they really did weigh a great deal. It was clear she could've done several more. But now that everyone knew the purpose behind the heavy objects on stage; they knew she was going to lift them all.

If you had prepared twenty years ago
You wouldn't be a-wanderin' now from door to door

Venus grabbed the barbell that was stacked with the really large plates. Simply put, it looked heavier than the two dumbbells combined twice over. She was about to demonstrate physical strength that was now beyond human capacity. In short; superhuman strength. She erotically swayed her hips back and forth as she squatted down. Her back was intentionally facing the audience as it bulged with hulking muscles all over it. She took hold of the bar and, with some apparent effort, she hoisted the entire thing up to her chest above her breasts!

Why don't you do right, like some other men do?

What amazed the crowd was the fact that her voice remained steady through all this. Some began to think she was lip- synching at this point. But the feat she was attempting put such accusations on the backburner for the moment. She immediately powered the bar above her head and held it there. Her entire body was swelling with flexed muscle. If she were wearing a purple wig, she could've passed for the She-Hulk with flying colors! She turned around to face the audience, smiled, and winked. She had it all down to an art. Anyone who had doubts about her singing stopped giving a damn. She had them all captivated by her superhuman strength alone.

Get out of here and get me some money too

After setting the enormous weight back down, Venus walked to the center of the stage again and scanned the faces of the crowd as she continued singing; making occasional hand gestures to go along with the words.

I fell for your jivin' and I took you in
Now all you got to offer me's a drink of gin

Her eyes fell on I Chung, who was clearly embarrassed just being there. Venus smiled sensually and looked at the five coated figures. She thought they were rather cheesy disguises. Splinter's snout was clearly visible, but no one around him seemed to notice or care. Venus took her eyes off of them and walked over to the last object, the car. Now this was something everyone had to see. Venus covered her eyes with her hand and pointed to a random person near the front of the stage, led him by the hand to the rear of the car, and gestured for him to try to lift it. She wanted to make it clear that it wasn't fake. The man, who was clearly nervous to be up there, took a deep breath and tried to lift it. The bumper went up a little, but the tires never left the floor. He tried as hard as he could until his face started to turn red. He finally stopped as Venus guided him by the small of his back to his seat. She kissed him on the cheek as he put a hand to it swearing that he would never wash that cheek again.

She started pumping her pecs, which in turn made her breasts bounce up and down, to the timing of her singing.

Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too

She resumed her place behind the car. She leaned down, and lifted the rear end off the floor with relative ease.

Why don't you do right, like some other men do?

She set the rear down and walked around to the front. Like all cars, the front end was much heavier than the rear. Without delay, she grabbed the bumper and to everyone's shock and amazement, lifted the front end up. Raphael was struggling not to lose control of his arousal right there. Leonardo was fighting a similar struggle. All the while Michelangelo and Donatello were simply amazed by this feat of strength, even though it wasn't their personal cup of tea.

But it didn't stop there. Venus set the front end down. She walked over to the side of the car hidden from the audience and bent down. Everyone knew what she was going to attempt, but this had to be too much, even for her; that was at least one and a half tons! The car leaned to its side, then, gradually, the entire thing began to float upwards! She had to put some serious effort into this lift, but at last she got it overhead and held it high. None of the turtles could fathom such strength, even by their standards. But Venus just raised the bar to a whole new level. She returned her gaze over to the turtles and smiled at them as well as made a kissing motion with her lips.

She set the car down, took her small microphone that she wore on a band around her neck, and put it up to her bicep and flexed it hard. The whole lounge became filled with the sound of muscle stretching and growing. Men all over the nightclub were sporting serious erections. And even a few of the women were also turned on by the sight. Venus knew it, and she was clearly enjoying it. It was like she fed off the sexually charged atmosphere. She strolled over to where the turtles sat. None of them were able to move. Raphael was too mesmerized to do so, Leonardo was too in love to respond, and Donatello and Michelangelo were afraid to approach her out of fear of embarrassing themselves. Even Splinter wasn't immune to the sensual effects of this woman. With one fluid motion, Venus took Raphael's hand and placed it on her abs as she flexed them really hard for him. Raphael was in a trance at this point as he tried to press into them, with no success. He felt himself having a silent orgasm on the spot as he did his hardest to hide the fact.

Venus then took Leonardo's hand and placed it on her bicep. She then flexed it as Leonardo watched his hand rise on an inflating mass of steel that was her bicep. He could feel several small veins and a really large one bulge across her peak. At that moment, he too had an orgasm as his eyes rolled up into his head. They were very fortunate that none of the others saw this; they were all too focused on Venus. Venus leaned in close to Donatello and Michelangelo, who were blushing heavily at her unparalleled beauty as she brought the song to an end:

Like some other men.... doooooo!

She finally straightened back up and remounted the stage with that sensual strut as the curtain came down behind her. The entire crowd erupted in applause that raised the roof. The four turtles, Splinter, and I Chung were the only ones who were silent. But Raphael and Leonardo were lost in their bliss that Venus generated. Her voice caressed one like touchless sexual contact, and to feel those muscles was pure heaven for them. I Chung was blushing in spite of himself. He clearly had not wanted to see this, but even he wasn't immune to the charm that Venus exuded like an aura. Raphael and Leonardo got up at the same time to go to the restroom. When they got there, they realized why the other was there.

"Not a word of this to anyone... ever. Understand?" Raphael said very firmly to Leonardo, who nodded understandingly.

"I couldn't agree with you more. This is our secret," Leonardo replied as they went into separate stalls and wiped themselves off. Without another word, they returned to the table while the others didn't seem to notice or care that they had even left. The whole crowd was still enraptured by Venus's performance. And after sitting back down, both Leonardo and Raphael became lost in their thoughts playing back the feeling of Venus's rock-hard muscles in their heads like a broken record.

Donatello turned to Splinter, "Holy crap sensei, she is just amazing!"

"Yeah, well, she is obviously... um... different from you four," Splinter answered in a rare uncharacteristic manner. He was beside himself from watching Venus' show of superhuman strength.

Donatello was a bit perturbed by Splinter's unusual response, and decided to just stay quiet. Not that he could blame him though. She was that damn good to affect even Splinter!

Donatello was startled by Michelangelo's hand grabbing his shoulder, "Oh my god, that was awesome! Who knew anyone could be that strong! I can't wait to see more!"

"Uh yeah, me too." Donatello said with a little uneasiness.

"Hey, do you mind?! That's my daughter you're clamoring for, remember?!" came the sudden loud and angry voice of I Chung.

Donatello and Michelangelo felt a bit embarrassed by their foot in mouth comment and got quiet.

"You're daughter is hot!" came the voice of one of a couple guys sitting nearby who overheard I Chung. I Chung put a hand to his face in embarrassment.

Rapahel and Leonardo were still lost in their repeated playback of the hardness of those muscles. It was like they were trying to burn that memory into their minds like a tattoo.


Chapter V: Expose - Part II
Venus shows off her amazing skills as a shinobi in her final performance

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

This has been a wild ride for everyone gathered at the Phoenix Club. Forget the other acts; there was only one, and it stole the show. Venus was a true freak. She had muscles covering her whole body. She even seemed to have muscles on top of muscles! And yet, she had a busty chest that would make Pamela Anderson jealous. But that was hardly the half of it! Her strength was the greatest any of the four turtles have ever seen. And to feel her muscles was the most erotic thing that both Raphael and Leonardo ever felt. It was so intoxicating to feel such strength and power that those bulging biceps and rock-hard abs put out.

Michelangelo and Donatello also enjoyed the performance and certainly were not immune to the sensual effects of this goddess of a turtle. And what's more, the sight of Venus aroused even Splinter, a seasoned and wise individual. Any heterosexual male would be insanely lucky to have a woman like her. She's even enough to turn a gay man straight.

The fourth act of the show was insanely boring in comparison. The sole thought on everybody's minds was Venus. Most would have left if it weren't for the stipulation that those who did would not be allowed to return. No one was more anxious to see Venus's second act than the turtles themselves.

"This is crazy! Why couldn't they just save both of her two acts for last?!" Raphael said with annoyance.

Leonardo, trying to regain his composure, put a hand on Raphael's shoulder, "It's alright Raph. Just remember, good things come to those who wait."

"Speak for yourself," Raphael said with a glance that told Leonardo what he was referring to. Leonardo blushed at this.

I Chung was quite annoyed with them both, and quite conflicted. This was supposed to be his adopted daughter. But who was he kidding, she was obviously not blood related. Hell, she wasn't even the same species! And now even he was beginning to see Venus in a similar light as the others. He considered himself a man of honor and virtue. But Venus was testing his limits on that one. He clearly didn't want to be here. But he didn't have much choice. He was probably the only person in the club who was finding enjoyment in the other acts.

At last, the final act was upon them. The announcer's voice echoed through the lounge.

"There you have it folks! That was quite a show! And now for the final performance! She's lean! She's green! You've seen her! You want her! But can you handle her!? Here she is one more time folks: Venus de Milo!"

The curtain remained down and all the lights in the lounge went dark. People strained to see the stage as their eyes adjusted. Suddenly, everyone could make out a faint blue glow that outlined a silhouette. A series of colored lights lit the stage as Venus stood in the middle of it. There were three targets with bulls-eyes spread evenly across the stage floor behind her.

At last, Raphael's curiosity was satisfied when he finally saw the Venus that he fought. And she was a whole new kind of awesome! She was wearing her shell, strapped in ninja gear, and wearing a pure white bandana with long flowing bands. Her magnificent breasts could not be completely contained by the front part of her shell as it did it's best to hug them together, leaving some eye-popping cleavage that teased everyone in attendance. And not only that, but the rest of it was shaped to conform to her bulging abs and all of her other muscles on her front. Unbeknownst to the crowd, inside of her shell was housed a rather impressive armament of ninja weapons. She wore straps around her highly muscled arms and thighs that held pouches for kunai and shuriken. And her waistline had pouches attached that contained a couple of the mystic orbs she could use to enhance some of her mystical techniques. In all, she emanated an aura of fierce strength and confidence that would make most think twice about facing her. She had been transformed from sex symbol to proud and powerful shinobi warrior.

She surprised everyone with a sudden code of conduct befitting a shinobi warrior. She bowed to the audience and some high-paced music played in the background. Venus began doing a brilliant series of punches and kicks that were so fast that it they were almost a blur. How could someone with such huge muscles and wearing a large shell be able to move so fast? Even the turtles themselves were surprised at her speed. It was clear that she had been training really hard to overcome any limitations her musculature might give her. She went into a one-handed handstand with the rest of her body being horizontal, a move that required a lot of strength and balance.

The four turtles, Splinter, and even I Chung were in awe at the level of control and balance that she was showing. It isn't easy to perform moves like that. Venus continued to wow the crowd by doing a few more moves that required a great deal of balance and strength to pull off. She did the famous inverted helicopter kick made famous by Chun Li, only she did it in an arcing pattern since the laws of physics simply didn't allow her to actually hover across the floor. She started doing some stunning feats of skill by going into a handstand and walking on her hands while kicking with her feet. She sprang upright and leapt high into the air, doing a backflip. Upon landing, she instantly sprang up into a front flip and landed in a split with her fist thrust forward. Any male on the receiving end of that one would sound like a chipmunk forever after.

Leonardo was beside himself. This same woman was displaying some highly advanced ninja moves. It just didn't seem possible for her to be this good. He himself has trained and learned diligently for years and even he still can't do some of those moves. Raphael was too much in awe to care; so were Donatello and Michelangelo. Splinter was highly impressed to say the least. He looked at I Chung, thinking this was all a result of exceptional training on his part, only to see that even he had a look of amazement on his face! It was true then that Venus really did learn new forms of martial arts since she left. But to pick them up this quickly was something that very few people were able to do. And yet here she was, showing off those moves like a pro. She must've soaked this experience up like a sponge!

Venus paused in her routine and pulled out her primary weapons, two tessen, or war fans. She began performing a radical series of moves, with those tessen, using a form designed specifically for their use, known as tessenjutsu. She handled them with such skill and grace that it almost seemed like a dance. After a minute of this, she signaled for a group of twenty men to come on stage from opposite sides; they all held a bows and arrows. The music got quieter as the men loaded their arrows and prepared to fire them at her. Venus held out her tessen in a wide defensive stand as her senses went on high alert. Immediately, each man fired an arrow at random intervals as Venus shocked the crowd by deflecting every one of them with cat-like reflexes and accuracy. This elicited a collective gasp from the crowd.

After the guys left the stage, Venus took a moment to smile to the captive audience as she did a series of stretches and bends that required a great deal of flexibility. She once again defied the odds by proving that her huge muscles, and even her turtle shell, weren't a hindrance when it came to flexibility. Leonardo and Raphael were getting aroused again by this show of flexibility especially with muscles as big as hers. The other turtles were simply amazed by this.

Venus began the last part of her performance as she squatted down at the knees and, with a feat of strength that rivaled her lift of that car, she sprang straight up into the air so high that she reached the rafters. She did a flip just before contact and using her spiritual energy, clung to the steel so that she was upside down. In one swift move, she reached into one of her pouches, pulled out three kunai, and threw them downward at the three targets, nailing them with amazing accuracy. She then released her grip on the rafters as she dropped down and made a graceful landing. She went into a ninja stance as the music stopped, signaling the end of her exhibition. Everyone erupted in applause, cheers, and whistles as she bowed to the audience and exited the stage.


Chapter VI: At Odds
Venus shows her equally sexy casual side

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

Cheers, cat calls, and whistles went on for many minutes until finally, the announcer thanked everyone for attending and wished them well until next time. After most of the people left, the turtles, Splinter, and I Chung made their way to the hall leading to the dressing rooms for the performers with I Chung wisely taking the lead. They didn't get far when a huge bouncer guy blocked their path.

"Sorry, but only performers are allowed back here," the guy said.

I Chung bowed in respect. "Please good sir, we are here to see Venus de Milo..."

But the bouncer cut him off. "A lot of people want to see her. But I'm not letting them through just to bother her."

I Chung kept his composure. "Sir, this isn't the same. My name is I Chung. Venus is my adopted daughter who is originally named Mei Pieh Chi. I wish to see her, so please let us through."

The bouncer was quickly losing his patience. "Look gramps, I don't care who you are! No one may pass through here!"

Raphael was getting pissed and started to advance on the bouncer, not giving a shit if he had to pummel this guy senseless, when suddenly a voice came from behind him.

"It's alright Chong-Lin, they're with me," Venus said to him.

Chong-Lin turned to her. "Venus, the boss's instructions were clear. He does not want anyone back here, except the performers!"

Venus strutted sensually up to him. She made a point to flex her body as she did, showing the vast measure of every bulge on her body. She came close to Chong-Lin and sexily put one hand on his chest. "And what are you going to do about it? This club wouldn't be doing half as well if it weren't for me. In addition to that, I could cause you pain that would make you beg for death just to be free of it."

As she said this, she casually grabbed hold of Chong-Lin's shirt and, in one smooth motion, she lifted him up with his feet dangling inches off the floor. And Chong-Lin was a full foot taller than Venus.

"Alright alright! Put me down already! Geez Venus, don't think that you are above the rules here. I can't keep covering for you when you bring in visitors like this," he said.

Venus lowered him back down. "Thanks, Hun. But just so you know, I Chung there really is my adoptive father."

Chong-Lin brushed his shirt off. "Yeah, well, I've heard better excuses than that from older guys like him."

Venus gestured for them to follow her. "This way guys."

She led them into her dressing room, which had the usual makeup station, benches, and a locker in the corner. But it was also made to look like a small lounge itself. There was a couch, a recliner, a flatscreen TV on the wall, a small refrigerator in one corner, and some dressers in another. There was even a bed against the wall too. It was like she lived here.

"Please everyone, sit anywhere you like," Venus said as she went behind a changing curtain and removed her shell and ninja gear. She threw on a blue robe and emerged from behind the curtain looking as sexy as ever with those muscles lining her body and her incredible bust. She went into one of her drawers and pulled out a long kiseru and a pouch. She stuffed the bowl end of it with koiki tobacco until she could fit in no more, lit a match and inserted it over the bowl end of the kiseru, and took a deep inhale from it. After putting out the match, she let out a slow exhale of a thick plume of smoke and sat down on the recliner. Both Leonardo and Raphael were highly intoxicated by her beauty. Venus saw them staring and took another long drag from her kiseru and blew some smoke rings.

But the first person to speak up was I Chung. "Look at you. Shameless!"

Venus turned to I Chung and shrugged her shoulders. "Nice to see you too, Father."

I Chung had a lot to get off his chest and was finally in a position to do just that.

"You may have developed a lot, but you don't know what it means to be a true shinobi behaving like this!" I Chung said in anger.

Venus had a look of intensity in her eyes, "You've got some nerve saying something like that!"

Without missing a beat, I Chung countered: "It's the truth!"

Raphael interrupted as he removed his disguise clothes with the others following suit. "Hey! Hey! A little English for those of us who might have something to add to this conversation?!"

I Chung was in no mood for Raphael's attitude, "This is between me and Mei. It has nothing to do with you or..."

"No, Father! This has everything to do with them! You've kept me practically caged in your home like a pet! And all because of how different I am!" Venus finally snapped.

She pointed at the four other turtles while keeping her stare on I Chung. "Look at them, they don't have those restrictions that you placed on me! Oh don't get me wrong, I am most grateful for everything you've taught me. But, what good is it if I can't apply those skills for those who can't defend themselves?!"

"And I suppose you like being gawked at? Do you know how much of a spectacle you are now that you've let yourself become known to the general public? Mutant turtles are not exactly something people see everyday," I Chung said.

Venus took a brief pause in the conversation to take a few puffs from her kiseru. "It obviously worked out for me. None of those guys out there treated me any different than any other human women."

I Chung delivered a low blow: "No, they just see you as a piece of ass."

Venus wasn't going to take this from him as she leaned forward from the recliner, "What is it Dad? What bothers you more: That I left? Or that I've actually learned a great deal from other senseis in a shorter time than I did with you? Why can't you just let me enjoy some of life's pleasures? After all, you only live once. That's something you yourself taught me. I just took your advice to heart. And thanks to that, I couldn't be happier with my life."

I Chung got up from his seat. "You know what, I've had enough of this."

He turned to the others. "I'll be waiting back at my place. It's obvious that Mei isn't going to listen to me."

As I Chung walked out, he turned back around to face Venus. "You just remember what I said. You're burning the wrong bridges. I don't want to see you end up shunned by everyone. This whole thing, it can come back to haunt you one day. Just remember that." Then he left.

Venus said nothing as she took one more drag from her kiseru, savored the smoke, and let it out in a streamy exhale, then emptied the small bowl into the ashtray.

There was an awkward silence as Venus glanced around the room at the other turtles and Splinter and smiled. "Well aren't any of you going to say something?"

Splinter spoke up. "I think you were somewhat hard on him, wouldn't you say?"

Venus just kept smiling faintly as she talked. "Look, don't get me wrong. I love him as my father, I really do. I just can't keep on living in hiding like that just because I'm a turtle."

Donatello spoke up this time. "But Venus, we live in hiding from the general public on purpose. If public knowledge of who we are were to ever get out back in New York, it would be a media frenzy and we would never be able to have any privacy. We do it to protect ourselves. Doesn't that concern you?"

Venus didn't seem convinced. "Why should it? At least you are free to walk in the shadows and fight evil. I couldn't even do that. Plus, you five are a family who are all mutants, so it's beneficial to live in hiding. But my father is a well-known figure in the martial arts world. It would be out of place for him to live in the sewers."

"I must admit that you do have a point there," Splinter said.

After a brief pause, Donatello took the floor. "So tell me, how is it that you have become so fluent in English?"

Venus smiled warmly at him. "Ever since I was able to talk, Chinese naturally came to me pretty easily. Once I had it down, Dad taught me English for reasons I never quite understood. It's not like I was planning on going to America or anything. But eventually, I became fluent in both languages and figured it was handy to be able to speak Chinese and English. Of course, once I heard about you five, it finally made some sense. I figured that he would eventually arrange a meeting between you and me."

"Actually, it was I who ultimately arranged the meeting between us," Splinter interjected.

"I see. Well then, what's it like in... New York is it?" Venus asked.

Leonardo answered. "It's not all that different from China from what we've seen. But, it's a lot noisier than it is here. People call it 'the city that never sleeps'. Surprisingly, most adapt pretty well to city life. Mikey here, for example, can't even sleep without the periodic muffled sound of the subway passing over us."

"Hey, you tell me if you could sleep with total silence all around you," Michelangelo retorted.

Leonardo just rubbed his head. "I guess you got a point there."

Venus just sat there in her recliner with hardly a care in the world. Leonardo looked at her and appreciated just how gorgeous she was. It's unlike him to disagree with a wise martial arts master; but to him, Venus had really developed herself well. Oh sure, there are maybe a couple things she could do without. But who is anyone kidding? She's clearly in her own special league.
 
Raphael's voice brought Leonardo back to reality. "So tell me Venus. How did you get to be so strong?"

"Yeah Venus. That was totally awesome how you just lifted that car up like that! I bet you could bend steel, too!" Michelangelo said excitedly.

This made Venus blush a little. "Well, as I'm sure that you're all aware, I was exposed to the same mutagen that transformed all of you. Only I was exposed to it longer and its effect on me was greater. After I transformed and my intelligence increased, I was already living with my father. He wasn't sure what to do with me at first. I apparently had a personality not unlike most young human girls. After realizing I wasn't some kind of threat, he raised me as his daughter. And... I was very happy to be accepted by someone like that."

Venus realized she was trailing off and snapped out of her memories. "But anyway, Dad was eating one day when a small earthquake struck us. The whole thing knocked him off balance and I saw one of his large Terracotta Warrior statues falling down on top of him. And it would've crushed him if I didn't instinctively catch it just inches from his head. Believe me, we were both surprised by how strong I was then, and I was still just a little girl."

"How much did that statue weigh?" Raphael asked.

Venus thought for a moment. "Well I never really asked. But if I had to guess, I'd say around the neighborhood of eight hundred pounds."

"Holy crap! That's pretty heavy for a statue!" Michelangelo exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, that statue was life-sized so, yeah, it was heavy," Venus said.

Raphael was especially into this conversation as of course was Leonardo. But that wasn't to say the other three weren't intrigued as well.

Venus went on with her backstory. "Anyway, I already had impressively large muscles, but even I didn't think I was that strong. As I grew up, my Dad took it upon himself to train me in the mystical arts and in the way of the shinobi. But most of his focus was on the former. He taught me about how we all have chi inside us and that with proper control, we can use it to do extraordinary things that are otherwise undoable. You saw that when I clung to the rafters upside-down. It also enhances your physical strength to an extent as well. When I lifted that car, I was channeling my chi throughout my muscles. After all, the car was pretty heavy considering it was made entirely of steel."

Venus winked as she said this. Raphael felt like she was teasing him.

Venus saw the mixed reactions of everyone as she continued her discussion. "Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself again. Going back to when I was first maturing into an adult, I learned as much as I possibly could from my father. Naturally, I expressed my desire to go out and fight crime. I felt like a superhero! But he didn't approve of me doing that and insisted my life was well spent at our home and that the knowledge and experience I gained was for discipline. For a while, I reluctantly went along with this. But as time went by, I grew tired of the isolation. And after learning of you, through a meeting between Dad and Splinter, on one of our spirit walks through the dream realm, I was more determined than ever to become independent. Well, suffice to say, Dad and me got into a pretty heated argument when I told him I was leaving. At first, he tried to stop me, but I surprised him when I trashed one of his walls with one punch. I rarely talked to him since I left."

Splinter spoke up. "You know, I Chung felt really bad to see you go. You caused quite a stir when you went out in public."

Venus sighed. "Yes, I know. I would be lying if I said I didn't attract any attention. I'll admit, there were lots of stares and even a few men who tried to touch me inappropriately. They quickly found themselves on the wrong end of my fists. I went to dojos outside of Dad's circle of fellow masters. Most of them saw me as a 'sign of interesting times ahead' when they first met me. But all the same, I was accepted and learned a great deal of fighting abilities and skills. One of them took special note of my huge muscles and suggested I join a weightlifting gym to further increase my strength. I thought that was a great idea. So I joined a gym where the manager gave me a special room to train in that was separate from any gawkers. I began to see myself in a new light. The feeling of exerting my muscles while lifting such heavy weights was so stimulating! I had already begun to feel my hormones raging as I longed for release and the feeling of increased strength really aroused me! I wanted more! After building my body up to the muscle mass you see now, I decided to blend my own mix of weightlifting and martial arts training. I was so strong that I outclassed the strongest humans and I used that strength to create my own unique set of ninja moves that require this level of strength."

Venus flexed her right arm into the biggest bicep any of them had ever seen. It was like a magnet for all eyes within range as that was what they were all focused on.

Venus stared especially hard at it. "I am aware of just how arousing it is to feel such a bulge in my arm. But I think I myself am turned on the most by it. It's what influenced me to join the Phoenix Club. As you can tell, I make a lot of money there and I enjoy the sexual atmosphere that is in the air. And very few people would dare to mess with me after seeing what I demonstrate. Those that do are lucky I go easy on them when I work them over."

It was like Venus was in a trance. She stared at her massive bicep as a large vein pulsated over the side of its peak, filling it with raw power. She was feeling very horny at the moment.

"I had once heard about there being people who can be turned on by their own body. It must be true. I have had so many orgasms just feeling my muscles as I flex them," Venus said without a second thought.

She looked up to see everyone blushing hard; especially Splinter.

"Look Venus, I think that's a little too much information. I know that you are... proud of your developed body. But there are some things you don't just go announcing to people like that," Splinter said, trying to maintain his composure. But poor Leonardo and Raphael were tortured already by everything she said and did.

Venus flexed her bicep real hard again as it swelled up. "I don't see what the problem is. I mean, why should I hide what I feel? It's not like I'm out telling random guys I want to have sex with them. I'm simply talking about my own body."

Venus winked again which prompted Splinter to get up. "Look, I think I should catch up with I Chung to make sure he's OK. The rest of you please make it back safely and cautiously."

Donatello and Michelangelo turned to him. "Yes, sensei."

Raphael and Leonardo merely nodded. With Splinter gone, the atmosphere became considerably more relaxed. More than anything, the turtles wanted to be alone with her. Venus sat back into her recliner and twirled a kunai around her finger.

"So tell me boys, what's on your mind?" Venus asked, almost seductively. Without Splinter or I Chung standing over their shoulders, the turtles were like putty in her hands.

Leonardo was the one to answer. "I was thinking?"

Leonardo paused as he looked at the others, especially Raphael. "How about coming back to New York to live with us? I'm sure the answer is obvious. We're the only ones of our kind..."

But Venus interrupted him. "Look Leonardo. I appreciate the offer; I really do. But I can't. My home is here. New York already has you four defending it. But who is going to protect my home here if I leave? And besides, even though Dad and I aren't seeing eye-to-eye, I want to remain near him in case he needs me. After all, he's still my father."

Leonardo was visibly disappointed. "I see."

Venus noticed the sudden change in mood. "Look, don't let it get you down. I'm really glad to have met you four. Regardless of where I live, we are all kindred spirits. I have the ability to transcend time and space by entering a domain called the dream realm. I mentioned it earlier. When you dream, your spirit drifts into this realm in a passive state. Few people are consciously aware of it as their thoughts transform the realm around them into whatever the subconscious conjures up and that is what they experience as a dream. I can consciously walk through the dream realm and seek out anyone I wish through an act of will. In other words, she said smiling, you'll see me in your dreams. I can enable you to become consciously aware that you're dreaming and then we can explore the world in new ways while our bodies rest."

Venus got up and walked over to the door. "Well look fellas, it's late. I need to get some sleep. And... it was an honor to meet you."

"The honor is ours," Donatello said.
"So is the pleasure," Raphael said.
"And the privilege," Leonardo said.
"And the awesomeness," Michelangelo finished.

Venus giggled at their diverse personalities as they walked out the door. After they left, Venus grabbed her kiseru and decided to have one more relaxing smoke with it before turning in.


Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Leonardo sneaks in a heart-to-heart with Venus

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

After putting their coats and hats, the turtles left the building to return to I Chung's place. As they passed by a couple other stores, Michelangelo noticed that there was pizza place across the street. He stopped the others.

"Check it out guys, they serve pizza in China! Awesome!" Michelangelo said excitedly.

Leonardo looked at it and got an idea. "You guys go on ahead; I'll go and order the pizza and bring it back with me. I'm sure Master Splinter is going to worry about us before long. And I need to clear my head anyway."

Raphael eyed him suspiciously. "I'll join you. I'm sure you'll need some help carrying the pizzas."

"No, Raphael! Didn't you hear me the first time? I want to be alone for a bit. Is it too much to ask for some alone time? After everything we've seen, I'm sure you can understand what I'm getting at. I just want to be by myself for a little while to clear my head and sort out everything I've seen. OK?!" Leonardo said, agitated.

Donatello put a hand on Raphael's shoulder. "Come on bro, just let him be. I can see where he's coming from and so should you. Besides, I think we all need a piece of home to enjoy. Just let him get the pizzas, alright?"

Raphael glared at Leonardo for a couple seconds, then his expression finally softened. "Fine, just don't keep us waiting."

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it," Leonardo said with a smile.

As the others headed off back to I Chung's home, Leonardo went into the pizza parlor.

"May I help you?" the cashier asked.

"I'd like to order four large pizzas with everything except sushi," Leonardo said, hoping the cashier understands English.

The cashier nodded. "From America I take it?"

"Yes I am. I'm visiting someone with my three brothers," Leonardo said.

"Nice to hear. Anyway, your pizzas should be ready in twenty to thirty minutes," he said.

Leonardo breathed a sigh and figured that a lot of Americans probably come here for the cashier to be fluent in English.

He left and went back to the Phoenix Club. He made his way back to the dressing room, but Chong-Lin blocked his path.

"You cannot pass. Only performers allowed back here," he said.

Leonardo wasn't in much position to reason with him and decided on a direct approach. He removed his coat and hat, pulled out his katana blades, and twirled them in his hands, indicating he was serious. Chong-Lin's eyes went wide.

"No way! You're just like Venus! I had no idea there were more of you!" he said excitedly.

Leonardo gestured in the direction of Venus's dressing room. He figured words wouldn't be needed to get his request across.

Chong-Lin got the hint."Alright, fine. But only because I don't want Venus out here making a fool out of me again. But only for you."

Chong-Lin stepped aside and Leonardo bowed respectfully, put his katana away, and walked over to Venus's dressing room door and knocked.

After a couple seconds, a soft voice responded."Yes, what is it?"

"It's me, Leonardo, Leonardo said.

The door opened up revealing Venus, who was down to her basic lingerie and looking hotter than ever. Leonardo lost his words as he got an eyeful of Venus's tightly muscled bod. Venus smiled as she placed her hand under Leonardo's chin and eased it upwards so they'd have eye contact.

"If I'm not mistaken sweetie, you're supposed to be the leader of the group. Shouldn't you be on your way back with the others?" Venus asked.

Every word she spoke just reached deep into Leonardo's soul. Right now, he didn't care about the other turtles. He didn't care about anything beyond the space he and Venus were occupying.

"Alright, come in," Venus said when she figured that there was a reason for Leonardo's surprise return.

Venus walked over to her bed and sat down on it. She patted the space next to her in invitation for Leonardo to sit next to her. Leonardo was in heaven, though her casualness was making this difficult for him. He sat down on the bed next to her, trying to make himself more relaxed. Venus looked into his eyes and giggled.

Leonardo pried his eyes off her immensely muscled physique and found his voice again. "Venus, I came back because I... well... I wanted to personally ask if you will reconsider coming back to New York to live with us. I think..."

Leonardo trailed off a moment as he struggled to find the right words. Venus was really making this hard for him as she kept her gaze into Leonardo's eyes. He looked into them and started blushing.

"You would be most welcome among us; even... lovedaspartofourfamily," Leonardo said a bit fast as if the words might fail him if he didn't say them fast enough.

He was blushing so heavily that Venus could see it in his otherwise green face.

"Leonardo. I know that isn't exactly what you wanted to say," she said as she put her hand to his cheek and stroked it tenderly. Leonardo was deeply in love. And it was that heightened feeling that made him muster up the courage to just say it.

Leonardo took her hand into his. "Venus, I'll just say it. I'm deeply in love with you. And not just because of your body."

It was Venus's turn to start blushing a little. "But in a large part because of it though," she said as she winked.

She has had many guys profess their love for her. But they were all sex-crazed jerks who were messing with her. She has learned to tell if a guy was serious or not. And looking into Leonardo's eyes, she could tell he was actually dead serious. And this was different in another way: He was a mutant turtle just like her.

"I'm in love with you Venus. I felt that way from the moment I laid eyes on you. And I'll admit, I really do find your muscles incredibly sexy and beautiful," Leonardo said.

Venus blushed and it was enough for Leonardo to notice. He had high hopes that his words would be reciprocated.

"Leonardo..." Venus began to say, "It's very sweet of you to say that. In fact you're the first man to think of my muscles as beautiful instead of just sexy. Believe me, I had heard how muscles on women were normally a turn-off for most guys. I was amazed, to say the least, to discover how exaggerated that claim was. But..."

Leonardo's heart sank at the word 'but'. He sensed it really fast. Venus looked down a moment and then looked back up at him.

"Look Leonardo, you're a sweet man. And perhaps under different circumstances, I would love to come live with you in New York. When I learned of you four, I was so happy to know I wasn't the only one of my kind. But I have too many things going on here to just leave. I've thought of returning home to live with my father, but I just don't see how I could go back to living there normally. And there are bad guys who would prey on the innocent. It's my job - no, my calling - to bring them to justice!" Venus explained.

She let out a small chuckle. "There I go again, rambling on."

Venus got a serious, but calm expression on her face. "I'm really sorry Leonardo, but I must stay here. I must continue to train to become even stronger and to be the best ninja ever."

Leonardo gently set her hand down. He was clearly heartbroken at her answer. A single tear escaped from his eye and rolled down his face, but he remained silent. Venus saw this and wiped it away with her finger.

"Most women might think that a guy baring his soul like this is weak. But I know better. I think it proves to me that you are definitely..." Venus said as she considered her words, "...husband material," she said as she winked.

This helped greatly to bring Leonardo out of his pain. Venus got up and stood in front of him.

"I don't mean this to sound conceited, but I'm sure you already know that you're not the only turtle who has a thing for me," Venus said.

Leonardo got up and walked across the room. "Oh, I know alright." 

Venus looked after him, "Let's not kid ourselves here, you turtles are my first choice for a mate. Human men just don't click with me. But I think it's necessary that I tell you I see something special in both of you. But until the time comes that I explore the possibility of settling down, my place is here. I can feel something big is going to happen that will truly put all of my hard-earned abilities to the test. Perhaps it's Destiny calling out to me. I hope you understand, Leo."

Leonardo put a hand on the recliner as he gathered his feelings. He was still hurt by her rejection, subtle as it was, but tried to focus on the fact that she didn't outright say no.

"Venus, if you ever need someone to spar with, it would be an honor to be that someone," Leonardo said with as much nobility as he could muster.

Venus softened up again and walked over to him. She looked deep into his eyes. Leonardo was a man in love. And if those eyes are a window to her soul, then he could look through it forever.

"I'd be honored to spar with you Leonardo. I'll take you up on it sometime," Venus said softly.

For a moment they were inches from each other. Leonardo, not wanting to create an awkward scenario, turned and started to walk to the door. But a very strong hand gripped his arm and slowly turned him around again. Venus looked into his eyes, closed hers, and before he realized what was happening, she leaned in and kissed him most tenderly on the lips for several seconds. Leonardo returned the kiss and lost himself in his passionate love for the woman of his dreams. Their lips finally separated and Venus looked deep into his eyes. Next to that kiss, Leonardo could get lost in those gorgeous eyes.

Venus moved back a step and flexed her right arm. Her bicep just inflated into a mound of veiny mass that exuded strength. She took Leonardo's hand and placed in on her bicep, letting him feel how hard it truly is. Leonardo quickly sported a serious erection that showed prominently. This clearly made him feel embarrassed.

"So it really is true; muscular women really do turn you on," Venus said teasingly.

"That's not fair," Leonardo said in mock indignation.

Venus walked over to her bed. "Oh you like it; don't deny it. Well look Sweetie, I really need to get some sleep. I'll see you again, OK?"

Leonardo walked over to the door, looked back and smiled. "You can count on it."

After putting his disguise back on and leaving the building, he went to the pizza parlor to pick up the finished pizzas. Even though Venus was staying, Leonardo was content with it. Because he knew somehow that deep down, he would be the one to win Venus's heart.


Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire!...
Poor Venus isn't going to get much sleep tonight

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

Leonardo arrives back at I Chung's place with the pizzas. All the other turtles greet him at the door.

"Alright! Now this is what I'm talking about!" Michelangelo said excitedly as he grabbed a box.

"Oh yeah! Dinner time!" Donatello said as he took the second box.

Raphael took the third box without a word.

Donatello offered I Chung some and he hesitantly accepted, admitting that he?d never eaten pizza before.

"Dude, you haven't lived until you've had a pizza!" Michelangelo insisted.

"Well alright then," I Chung said as he took a bite. His face lit up, "Wow! This is good!" he said as he took another bite.

The hot topic around the table was, of course, Venus. Because of his discomfort with talking about Venus, I Chung focused on eating his pizza.                                      
"I'm telling you, she is incredible. I've never seen anyone with that kind of strength, not even in Tokka and Rahzar!" Michelangelo raved.

"You're telling me. And those muscles on her are enormous! I bet she could crush your shell between her legs!" Donatello added.

Splinter surprisingly spoke up. "I'll admit that she is very well developed physically. But no matter who you are, there is always room for improvement in other areas."

"Well said, Master Splinter," I Chung said, glad to have someone speaking with common sense.

Leonardo took a breather from his pizza. "I don't know. I must admit, she seems to be an already experienced ninja from those moves she displayed."

I Chung was a bit annoyed by this. "You know something, Splinter is right. She may have advanced a lot. But there are still things she needs to learn better. One of them is humility. She's clearly lacking that."

Leonardo caught himself looking at Raphael, who had been quiet ever since he returned.

"What's going on with you that you're so quiet? You've hardly eaten anything," Leonardo said cheerfully.

Raphael set down his slice and looked back at him with narrowed eyebrows. His expression was hard for Leonardo to decipher.

"You went back to see Venus, didn't you?" Raphael asked bluntly.

"What? No way! I just needed time to clear my head. All of that action was a lot to absorb and it has been a very wild evening," Leonardo said.

"Speak for yourself," I Chung said.

Raphael went on as if I Chung never spoke. "It's not like you to lie, Leo! Just admit it! You had a golden opportunity to see her alone and that's exactly what you did! You're blushing for crying out loud!"

After a tense pause: "Alright fine, I went back in to see her while I was waiting for the pizzas. But all we did was talk."

"Could've fooled me," Raphael said.

"It's the truth!" Leonardo insisted.

Raphael got to his feet. Everyone at the table was tense now, thinking another fight was going to break out. I Chung was ready to jump in.

But Raphael calmly walked out of the room. "Please excuse me guys. But I think I'm going to go train for a little bit before turning in."

The relief was visible amongst everyone else. Raphael stopped at the doorway. He actually had something of a twisted smile on his face.

"Leo, until Venus makes her choice, you and I are rivals. Just remember that," Raphael said.

Leonardo, remembering what Venus said to him, looked over at Raphael. "That's if she makes a choice. Remember that."

Raphael turned and walked off. The rest finished up their pizzas. Michelangelo made sure a few slices were saved for Raphael since he didn't eat much that time.

* * *

It was really late and everyone had gone to bed. Raphael was the only one who was still awake. He was having a hard time sleeping. He looked over at Leonardo, who was clearly sleeping like a baby. He knew that he went to see her and clearly had a good time. Raphael tried to fall asleep, but images of Venus flooded his mind. Those incredible muscles were such a turn-on. And her amazing strength is so sexy. He wanted her badly. He was consumed with winning her over and being able to make mad passionate love to that woman. To him, she was a super warrior; so big and strong that the more he thought about it, the more aroused he got.

He couldn't take it anymore. He knew they were leaving in the morning so this could be his only chance. Using his expert ability for stealth, Raphael equipped himself, put on his disguise, and headed out. It wasn't long before he arrived at the club. It was closed at this late hour, but he wouldn't let that stop him. He found an opening in a window to the attic, and made his way to the hall leading to the dressing room. He noticed that Chong-Lin wasn't there anymore. He was glad as this made it easy for him. He opened the door and went inside. But there was no sign of Venus there. He thought perhaps she somehow sensed his approach and was lying in wait to surprise him. But he checked everywhere and she was nowhere to be found. This was unacceptable to him. He would find out where she went. Raphael went out and into the lobby area. A couple workers were left. Raphael knocked one out and grabbed the other before he could react.

"Where is Venus?" he asked with a deadly calm.

Fortunately for the guy, he knew a little English, "Venus not here! She go! Don't know where!"

Raphael believed him and set him down before knocking him out too. He went back outside and paced around the area.

"Damn! I thought you lived there or something!" Raphael said to the darkness.

He drew his sai and moved with caution. For all he knew, she could be lurking nearby, waiting to strike. He wouldn't be caught off guard again. He searched the area, but found nowhere that she might go. And to his surprise, and relief, all was quiet outside. He kicked a pebble in frustration.

"Dammit!" he said.

His eyes fell on a manhole and his heart skipped a beat with excitement. "Of course! She is a mutant turtle after all!"

So Raphael went into the sewers and continued his search. Back home, he knew the sewers inside and out. So it was rather awkward that he would feel lost in one. He searched around until he came across an artificially built dwelling that filled a section of an isolated tunnel with a dead end. There were no lights on and it was quiet. But he knew she was in there, possibly sleeping. With the best stealth he could muster, he made his way inside. It was roughly half the size of her dressing room at the club and the ceiling was blended with the curvature of the tunnel he was in. It definitely looked homey to him. He saw a small bed on the far end of the single room. His eyes about popped out of his head when he saw Venus lying there, sheets loosely covering her. She was clearly naked; her shell sitting on a small table nearby. Raphael was feeling very turned on at the sight. Even asleep, her muscles looked so powerful. Especially her arms; her biceps still bulged impressively even when relaxed.

Raphael stood there unsure how to handle the situation. But he got his answer when in one swift motion, Venus sat up and threw a shuriken right at him. He felt it graze his cheek. He put a hand to it and pain suddenly filled it. He pulled his hand away to see blood on it. He saw that Venus was suddenly on her feet, looking intensely at him. Raphael was fighting a losing battle with his hormones. She was so sexy-looking back at the club, but now she was positively on fire with sexiness. Her muscles bulged all over her body! She was completely naked from head to toe and was making no attempt to cover herself up.

"Well? hello, Sugar. I guess I should've known I'd see you too. Seems I won't be getting much sleep tonight," Venus said.

Raphael opened his mouth to talk, but Venus put a hand up, signaling him to stop.

"Don't explain. I know what you want. And... well... shit! I must not be a typical woman because I want it too!" Venus said.

She flexed one of her biceps as it responded by ballooning up and filling with vascularity. She stared at it with lust in her eyes.

"I said it before, these muscles really make me horny, even more so than you, Sweetie. I worked really hard for this level of muscle mass and strength. Oh god, it feels so good to feel this strong," Venus said as she repeatedly pumped her bicep as the peak swelled to the size of a softball. Raphael certainly had no objections. Though he thought to himself that the jury was still out on who was more turned on by her incredible muscles. Venus snapped herself out of her trance as she looked at Raphael.

"I'll tell you what baby, how's about you and I have that rematch? If I win, I send you home a battered and humiliated mess this time. Because let's face it, you did interrupt my sleep. And on top of that, you entered my home without permission. And I get real cranky when I don't get my beauty sleep," Venus said with a deadly calm.

Raphael felt himself beginning to sweat. It wasn't often that he felt this nervous about fighting someone. Venus turned around, letting Raphael get a good look at her remarkable body all around.

"However... If you can defeat me, then I will...reward you," Venus said with a wink.

Raphael caught on real quick to what she was hinting at. He couldn't kid himself. She wasn't going to make this easy for him. But as aroused as he was, he was ready to do anything at this point.

Her voluptuous breasts bounced lightly as Venus walked up to him. Her nipples were erect and her areolae were a good two-inches wide, clearly indicating she was aroused.

"You better be prepared to kill me. Otherwise, you won't win. Ready?" Venus asked as she assumed a defensive stance; ready to fight, in the nude!

Raphael readied his sai. If he had to defeat her then so be it. He wasn't going to hold anything back, not after seeing those moves she demonstrated. With a sudden swiftness too quick for Raphael to react to, he found himself on the painful end of a roundhouse kick that sent him crashing right through the wall of her dwelling into the sewer tunnel beyond. Venus leapt through the hole and was on top of him in an instant.

"Remember what I said in my little "love note", don't you dare hold back because I'm a woman!" Venus said as she raised her fist and brought it down on Raphael's face. He just barely managed to move his head aside as her fist cracked the concrete floor. Raphael grabbed Venus's shoulders and used his momentum to roll back and throw her off him. Both sprung to their feet as Venus charged at Raphael with her super-powered legs. Raphael was on his toes trying to keep up with her speed. He swung his sai at her, but she dodged them with ease. Raphael knew he'd have a better chance going fist to fist, so he put his sai away and shifted his fighting stance. Raphael launched a series of punches. Venus blocked some, but let a few low ones connect against her rock-hard abs. Raphael was really aroused at how defined they were and the obvious fact that they deflected his hits like a steel wall. He threw some kicks, which Venus blocked with her arms. Raphael was momentarily taken by her arms. He couldn't get used to the strength that was contained in them. To think that she lifted a steel car with those sexy muscular arms while flexing those massive pythons!  Venus saw her opening and threw a volley of punches back at him with even greater speed. Raphael was able to block some of them, but a few got through and he was knocked off his feet by the sheer force of her blows.

Raphael got back up and saw Venus leap up to the ceiling part of the tunnel and charge at him. Raphael was once again forced into a defensive stance to stop a kick from above. Venus leapt down and landed on Raphael's shoulders, facing him and giving him a very up close view of her nether region, causing the blood to rapidly rush to his face. She grinned, knowing her distraction worked as she used her weight to lean back so she was on her hands and flipped Raphael over with her legs.

Raphael pushed himself back to his feet once again. He knew that her nakedness gave her an unfair advantage. He knew he'd have to go all out just to keep up with her, let alone to beat her. He put as much focus as he could into his attack and threw some shuriken at Venus, who dodged all but one of them, which got her upper arm. But to Raphael's astonishment, the blade bounced off her arm, leaving only a small cut in the skin. He could make out the veins lining her bicep as she had it flexed. This once again bore into Raphael's focusing ability. So much so that he didn't notice her coming at him until it was too late. She tackled him to the ground knocking the wind out of him in the process.

"This isn't like your ninja moves you demomstrated at the show," Raphael said, while clutching his midsection.
 
Venus lifted him up over her head like it was nothing. "Yeah, well, I like to play rough when I can."

She threw Raphael at the wall, but this time he was ready. He withdrew his head into his shell right before impact. The crash still hurt a lot, but he managed to avoid serious injury this time. He knew that Venus could overwhelm him if she really tried. Something was telling him that she was holding back. Their fight made its way into a more spacious area of the sewers, giving them room to maneuver. Venus brought her tightly muscled leg up and then down in a wide arc that Raphael was forced to dodge, or become several inches shorter. The kick caused another batch of cracks in the cement floor. Raphael back flipped away from Venus to put some distance between them. He needed a plan to catch her off guard and fast. He felt into his pouch and found a couple smoke bombs. They would certain give him a brief advantage, but what could he do? Physical attacks were powerless against her hard body and even shuriken had little effect. Who was I Chung and Splinter kidding here? Venus was physically superior to all of them. And that was something he really hated to admit. But this didn't mean he couldn't win. A plan popped into his head as he pulled out one of his smoke bombs and waited for the right moment.

Venus was walking towards him, naked as ever. "Let's say we wrap this up, Sugar. I need to get back to sleep and have some wet dreams about the things I'd love to do to Leonardo. You're clearly no match for me; even without my shell or weapons, you can't beat me."

Raphael was briefly pissed at her mention of Leonardo like that. He was his rival now and he would prove Venus wrong and show that he could beat even her; just as he did against many other foes that were physically superior to him. Raphael subtly moved his hand to his belt and began to slowly untie it. Venus went from walking to running until she was mere feet from him. Raphael seized the moment and threw down the smoke bomb, momentarily shielding him from view.

Venus stood still in the midst of the smoke. "That's really good. But I think you can do better than that."

Venus jumped up and saw Raphael's outline from above. She would end it here. But what she didn't see coming was that his shell was empty and her punch sent it flying several yards away to the floor. She landed, only to have her arm pinned behind her and to feel a kunai pressed against her throat. Raphael couldn't help himself as he was all smiles.

"You're dead. I win," Raphael said triumphantly.

Venus's voice became really seductive. "Well, well, it seems I was wrong about you. You are good. But, mmmm, your hands feel so good on my body."

Raphael was desperately craving this woman now.

"I can feel your erection even harder than that kunai. And, while I sometimes like a big strong man keeping me at bay..." Venus said. She flexed the bicep that Raphael was holding until her peak got so big that it forced Raphael to lose his grip. Venus turned around and, in a surge of strength, pinned him to the ground and the two began kissing passionately. Raphael was on cloud nine. It wasn't long until Raphael began kissing his way down her body while feeling her muscles, which she flexed for his eager hands. He could feel the strength in them and knew that he could never truly overpower her in physical strength. But he was willing to put his pride aside for her. He kept squeezing and squeezing her biceps, which were sporting really thick veins and pulsing with power. Venus was ahead of him as each flex made her that much hornier and before long, she was having intermittent orgasms from the intense feeling of strength within her.

"OH GOD I FEEL SO STRONG!! COME ON BABY! FEEL THOSE WONDERFUL MUSCLES!! OHHH!!" Venus cried, as she was lost in the throes of passion.

Raphael happily obliged and made his way down to her abs where he felt every crease, every bulging abdominal as they swelled in his hands in response. They were especially hard and he knew that his fiercest punches couldn't hope to overcome them. Raphael eagerly went for Venus's warm and very wet pussy and began sucking and licking with all his might while feeling her massively muscled thighs. Venus tossed her head this way and that as her continued moans intensified.

"OH GOD! DON'T STOP!! OH GOD!! THAT FEELS SO GOOD!! KEEP GOING!! OHHH!! OHHH!!! AAAHHHHH!!!!" Venus screamed as a mind-blowing orgasm overwhelmed her being. Her whole body tensed up as every muscle maxed out. She was a hulking beast of a woman and Raphael wanted to be inside her more than anything. He climbed on top of her and went to stick his stiff cock inside her, but she wildly rolled him on his back, putting her on top.

"Allow me to handle this," Venus said with an animal lust in her eyes.

She took Raphael's throbbing member and stuck it into her waiting pussy, which completely enveloped it. She began to thrust herself up and down on his really long cock as Raphael hit a feverish pitch of sexual ecstasy. He saw a pillar of muscle riding him like a bull and bringing him to levels of pleasure he never thought possible. All of this was so new to him, so intense, and so right! He wanted to blow his wad inside of her and feel her vaginal muscles squeeze in response. As Venus increased the speed of her thrusts, it didn't take long until Raphael exploded inside her, screaming and moaning all the way. Venus kept increasing her speed as she rapidly approached another orgasm herself.

"OH GOD YOU'RE SO BIG!! OH WOW!! UGH!! OHH!! AHHH!! OH GOD I LOVE BEING A TURTLE!!! AHHHH!!!" Venus screamed.

A couple taking a late-night walk was startled by the muffled moans and screams they could've sworn came from beneath them. But the darkness of the night made it creepy, so they dismissed it as a product of their imaginations and they walked off in a hurry.

Raphael was out of breath. He felt his cock pulsating from the aftermath of that orgasm. He looked at Venus's body, taking in an eyeful of her bulging muscles. She was glorious! A perfect specimen of mutant turtle, muscle, and strength. She was his fantasy; everything he could have dared desired in a woman was embodied in her. Venus too, was shaking a little from the aftermath of her orgasms as she grabbed Raphael's wrist.

"Let's go back to my place sexy; I want to use the bed this time," Venus said.

And Raphael knew that she was not to be refused. They quickly went back to Venus's little home where they resumed their passionate lovemaking. Raphael felt like the luckiest turtle alive to experience those sexy biceps and all the rest of her big bulging muscles. They kept at it until they fell asleep in each other's arms.


Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns
I Chung comes face to face with an old and powerful enemy

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

Raphael awoke feeling most rested. At first, he was a bit disoriented as to where he even was. Last night was an intense blur of erotic action to him, but one thing was certain: He was the happiest he had ever been in as long as he could remember. As he rolled over, he was reminded of exactly where he was. Venus slept there with a smile in her face. She remained naked in all her gorgeous muscular glory. Raphael sat up to look around. The hole in the wall was still there as he looked down the tunnel of the sewer that they were in. He could see random streams of sunlight pierce through the darkness. That was when it hit him.

"Oh shit! We're supposed to be leaving this morning!" Raphael yelled in panic.

This startled Venus awake as she looked at him, confused. "What's wrong, Baby? What happened?"

Raphael was already out of bed and putting his shell and ninja gear back on. "We're supposed to be leaving! The jet that the mayor let us ride in is taking us home and once it leaves, that's it!"

Venus got up as well. "Well, you'd better get going then."

Raphael grabbed his disguise, ran over to Venus, and embraced her with a kiss. "Last night was wonderful Venus! I had the best time of my life!"

"So did I!" Venus said excitedly.

And with that, Raphael put his coat and hat back on and took off running out of the sewers. He made sure the coast was clear before emerging from the manhole, then hurried back to I Chung's place. Upon returning, he was relieved to find that everyone was still there; it wasn't too late as the others were still at I Chung's. What did happen was he was found out. Unlike Leonardo, there was no doubt to the others where Raphael had been. I Chung wanted to say something but, in this instance, it didn't feel like it was his place to do so. Splinter in a rare move, was unsure what to tell him. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he could blame him. And the look of contentment on Raphael's face said it all: he was happy. And that was something that was actually a comfort among the majority of them.

Leonardo on the other hand was a bit perturbed at the obvious fact that they did something together, and it really upset him.                                            

"It seems that you got to see Venus in private as well," Leonardo said matter-of-factly.

Raphael didn't respond as he made his was across the room to pack his stuff. The others were also packing, while trying to listen in on their exchange.

Leonardo glanced again at Raphael, who put his extra ninja gear into his bag.

"In fact, as cheerful as you are, I'd say private is a key word here," Leonardo said in a rather uncharacteristic tone.

Finally Raphael spun around at him. "What's the matter Leo? Jealous? Our great and noble leader is green with envy? I told you she'd take me over you."

Leonardo was quick to retort: "So then why are you packing up to come home with us? Seems more like a one-night stand to me."

Raphael was in too good a mood to care though. "Yeah, well at least I got to sleep with her."

Leonardo summoned his willpower and restraint. Raphael was right; he couldn't let himself behave like this. And he still believed that he would ultimately win her over.

Donatello broke the tense silence, much to everyone's relief. "Alright, I was hoping I could complete this before we left! Say hello to my first official repulsar board!"

Donatello held up the board which was a few inches thick, three feet long, and a foot wide. It was colored green and had the pattern of their shells drawn in it. There were two foot controls, with clamps to secure the feet. The bottom was smooth with a layer of black on it.

Donatello went on to explain. "It is controlled by the feet. The clamps are designed to keep us on the board, but not so tight as to impede use of the controls. You see, the more you lean on the front control, the faster you go. And the more you lean back on the rear one, the more you slow down. I don't know how fast it's capable of going, but I did design it with extreme speeds in mind. We'll need to wear these special helmets designed to direct the wind around us and make breathing easy. Also, we'll need to wear these suits that will protect our shells more than anything. Without it, the wind will likely rip our shells right off our backs. This suit makes it so the wind won't catch on our shells or any of our ninja gear. Though we'll still experience wind turbulence."

Donatello held up a helmet uniquely shaped to the turtles' heads with the front having a built-in faceplate. It resembled a motorcycle helmet, but was sleeker and not as bulky. He also held out a metallic green one-piece suit that bore a vague resemblance in structure to Batman's batsuit. It had custom padding on the front to better withstand extreme winds and the back was thinner, allowing it to hug the shell closely, but not too much so.

The others were quite impressed to say the least.

"NERD!!" Raphael yelled, teasingly.

Well, most of them. Splinter couldn't help but chuckle at this.

Donatello responded with mock indignation. "Hey! Don't knock the suit! Wait til you wear it while riding at speeds in excess of a hundred miles per hour!"

That got their attention. "Over a hundred?! I thought you said you weren't sure how fast it could go!" Leonardo said.

"I do know it can go that fast at least. But if I had to guess, it can go upwards of three times that speed," Donatello said.

Michelangelo was stoked. "Sweet man! Now that is just awesome! So are you going to make a board for each of us?"

Donatello smiled. "Of course. Now that I got the first one made, the subsequent boards will be faster and easier to make. Not to mention the suits and helmets."

"Hold on a sec, Don. I understand the board, but when did you find time to make the helmet and suit? And for that matter, since when could you make clothes?" Raphael asked.

Donatello looked at his ensemble on the table. "Oh that? I made those weeks ago. I knew how I wanted the board to turn out and I wanted the suit and helmet out of the way before I focused on the board. As for me designing the suit, it's not all that hard really. Learning how to design clothes came easily to me. And this suit breathes so you won't sweat much under it."

Raphael shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever you say man."

Splinter looked at the clock. "Well my sons, it's time for us to leave."

* * *

After the turtles finished packing, they stood at the door with I Chung.

"Thank you for your generosity in letting us stay, Master Chung," Splinter said while bowing.

I Chung bowed back. "The pleasure was mine Master Splinter. Let's meet up in the dream realm from time to time."

"That would be great." Splinter said.

Each of the turtles thanked I Chung as they walked out the door with their disguises on. Leonardo was the last one and wanted this brief moment alone with I Chung. Splinter stood just outside as he waited patiently for him.

"Master Chung, I..." Leonardo started to say.

But I Chung held up a hand. "It's alright Leonardo, I think I understand. I suppose seeing you four turtles has slowly helped me come to terms with Venus's actions. She's been alone in this world with only me for companionship. I feel that I am to blame for her leaving. And..." I Chung paused as he put a hand on Leonardo's shoulder.

"I personally feel that you and Venus would make a better couple. Nothing personal against Raphael, but I know Venus enough to say that she would want long-term stability in a relationship," I Chung said.

Leonardo smiled. "You have a beautiful daughter. Despite her choices, you should be proud of her development. She has a will of fire that is matched by her strength."

I Chung glanced at a picture of Venus on the wall. She's posing with him and smiling.

"That she does Leonardo... that she does. Well you better go," I Chung gently urged.

Leonardo bowed. "Thank you for everything!"

I Chung bowed and smiled. "My pleasure!"

And so, the four turtles and Splinter head on foot for the small airport. Unknown to them, Venus is standing on a distant hill, watching them, her long bandana ribbons flowing in the calm breeze. Many thoughts and emotions are swimming through her mind and her heart, "Goodbye my fellow turtles. And Raphael, thank you for a wonderful time. But..."

Venus stopped there and continued to watch them until they disappeared from her sight. She finally turned and left.

* * *

The dream realm is an endless place full of color and form. But in one corner of that realm, the color has been drained away and all is only gray. There, five physical beings channel their power into a focused nexus of energy, forming a portal.

"At last, freedom! Let us depart quickly!" one of them said as they stepped through the portal, which promptly closed behind them.

* * *

It's been two days since the turtles and Splinter left. It was late in the afternoon and the sun wasn't far from the horizon. In his training room, I Chung was making full use of the space. He bounded off one of the walls and ran along the ceiling, throwing shuriken at simulated enemies with precision. He leapt down and took out several more. He began wailing on a practice dummy with a complex series of punches and kicks. He channeled his energy into his hands until they glowed. He then spun around and punched clean through another dummy like it was made of wet tissue. I Chung stood tall as he closed his eyes and focused himself into gathering his energy back up.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked his house as he ran out of the training room. I Chung barely got to the living room when, to his horror, the wall that was the front of his house was destroyed. Five large figured stood just outside, now in direct view of I Chung. They were humanoid, but clearly not human. Four of them were male; the fifth was clearly female. They were dragons, though wingless, except for the tallest and broadest one among them who stood front and center; clearly the leader. He wore a suit of armor with an ancient insignia on it that covered a massively muscled body. He had an evil grin on his face. The one standing next to him was similar in appearance, but a few inches shorter. The third stood on his other side had his hand held up, producing a mystical flame that danced on his palm. The fourth one stood on the far right. He had the most ninja-like appearance of all of them. He had twin katana swords that were strapped to his back and he had pouches that held various throwing weapons.

And finally, the fifth really stood out in appearance. The female had long flowing gray hair, which was not indicative of old age. But her hair was just the tip of the iceberg. She had immense muscles that covered her body. She had her hands on her hips, which caused her biceps to flex mildly. But that mild flex was enough to make them look as big as bowling balls. There was a huge vein that bee-lined across both of them. In fact, her whole body was vascular. She was clearly the muscle of the group. She had breasts that pressed out from her rock-hard pecs that sat on her chest. Her abs were an amazingly defined eight-pack that bulged heavily from her belly, complete with a few veins that worked their way randomly across them. And her legs were the most muscular of all! They were thick pillars of power that gave her thighs extreme detail and strength. It was clear that no living being would want to be on the wrong end of a kick from one of those legs. And lastly, she wore an armor designed to fit her outrageously muscular physique, as well as leave her abs exposed and the cleavage in her breasts most apparent.

I Chung recognized them all immediately, but most importantly, the leader: "Dragon Lord Tatsuo..."


Chapter X: Silent Scream
I Chung faces Lord Tatsuo in an epic showdown

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

"Dragon Lord Tatsuo," I Chung said with angry narrowed eyes.

"Well, well. If it isn't the one responsible for sealing us away, I Chung," Tatsuo retorted.

I Chung had to know. "How did you escape?"

Tatsuo swung his tail up and down fast onto the concrete, cracking it. "Like it really matters at this point? My first order of business is revenge; both you and Hamato Yoshi. How is that old coot anyway?"

I Chung was in no mood for conversation. "He died years ago. Now answer me! How did you escape?!"

Tatsuo brought his tail down on the concrete even harder, creating a small crater and showing a sample of his strength. "Foolish old man. Very well, I'll tell you before killing you! The answer is simple. You know that mystical energy that you know all so well? You'd be amazed at how many applications that it possesses. Once me and my minions perfected the technique, it was only a matter of trial and error until at last, we found the right frequency that led into the physical world. All it took was enough energy that the five of us combined were capable of generating."

I Chung understood this. He just never saw any reason to use energy like this. And even if he did, it's as Tatsuo had just said: the amount required would be enormous; much greater than he could generate on his own. But then again, these are the Dragon Lords that once ruled with an iron fist ages ago. And, back then, it took an entire army of rebels to seal them away in a mirror. I Chung's role in this came in recent years, when they broke free of their mirror prison and attempted again to reestablish dominance. But I Chung, along with his comrade, Hamato Yoshi, were in the prime of their youth and were much more powerful themselves. They managed to surprise Tatsuo and his guards and seal them away once again in the dream realm, a place they were certain there would be no escape from. As physical entities, the Dragon Lords would be invisible to the spiritual beings that inhabited the realm; much like spiritual beings are invisible to physical beings in our realm. And, because there was no physical body in the physical realm for them to be attached through the dimensional barrier, it wasn't much different from being dead.

Seeing how resilient Tatsuo was, it has become apparent that sealing him and his minions away would ultimately prove futile. I Chung now knew that there was only one way to eliminate the threat permanently, and that was to kill him. But as powerful as he is, it would take an equally powerful force. I Chung's thoughts turned to the recently departed mutant ninja turtles. He shared many stories with Splinter during their meetings in the dream realm. And he knew Oroku Saki as well as anyone. The one they knew as Shredder may not have been as powerful as Tatsuo. But what he lacked in power, he more than made up for in ingenuity and cunning. And Shredder had his massive foot clan army at his disposal. But in the end, the turtles were able to overcome such odds and defeat them all and end Shredder's reign of terror permanently!

He then thought of his own. Despite how he felt about Mei Pieh Chi's decisions, he still loved her like any human daughter. And he knew, more than anyone, her strengths. If anyone could match Tatsuo in physical strength, it would be her. But with her not around, it was up to him to try to stop him. He was afraid; there was no denying it. He did his best to keep his skills up, but...

"No matter what Tatsuo, you are not going to turn this world into your own twisted empire! I will do everything in my power to stop you here and now!" I Chung declared.

I Chung pulled out his old headband that he wore back in his glory days. He took off his ki and prepared to fight. Despite his older age, he was still physically fit. Tatsuo smirked as his minions started to advance. But Tatsuo put a hand up.

"No, it's OK. If the fool wants to fight, then I'll fight him myself. It's going to be his final hour!" Tatsuo declared.

I Chung branded a special bo staff made of a lightweight, but highly durable steel in the handle area complete with wraps around the middle for gripping. The ends had sword-blades attached to them. He immediately went into an attack posture.

"Don't take me lightly just because I'm old. I still have some moves in my arsenal!" I Chung said.

Tatsuo pulled out a sword constructed of a curved grip composed of a dragon head at the top of the grip with a snakelike body wrapped around the first four inches of the blade. The rest of the blade was four feet long, resembling a masamune blade. Tatsuo brought his sword to bear as he charged.

"No more words! It's time we do this!" Tatsuo yelled as he came at I Chung in a blaze of speed that was enhanced by his wings. I Chung only barely got his bo up in time to block the sword. But even then, he found himself overpowered by Tatsuo's strength and was forced to back away. Tatsuo pursued him mercilessly as he swung again. This time I Chung dodged it and channeled his energy into his feet to leap high into the air. In one swift move, he threw several kunai at Tatsuo, who blocked some of them with his sword. Others hit his armor, but it deflected them. Only two made contact as they bore into him. But Tatsuo grinned as he took a deep breath and exhaled a fireball that I Chung did his best to block as it only barely missed him as he descended from his jump. Upon landing, I Chung stood horrified as Tatsuo pulled out the two kunai that made contact. But it was clear that neither of them hit anything vital, nor did they penetrate deeply. His body was covered in scales that served as an armor in and of itself. He took them and made them glow a faint orange as he charged once again at I Chung. I Chung and Tatsuo engaged in close combat with Tatsuo trying to get a hit in with those kunai.

Tatsuo made contact with I Chung's bo. I Chung could feel the heat building in his weapon. That energy Tatsuo was using was a fire element energy. Tatsuo leapt back and tossed the kunai aside.

"As you can see, it'll take a lot more than a couple kunai to even slow me down. Fine! I guess I should stop toying with you and get serious," Tatsuo said as he held up his sword. That same orange glow emanated from the blade. But then the glow intensified until it became a flowing strand of fire that encircled the length of the blade. Tatsuo saw I Chung's reaction and grinned.

"I bet you never saw energy manipulation like this. This is my fire sword. Its blade is uniquely designed to channel mystical energy. And as you can see, it has a special affinity for fire, which is naturally my elemental nature," Tatsuo explained.

I Chung put his bo up. "What happened to 'no more words'?"

Tatsuo grinned an evil grin. "Well then, if you are in that much of a hurry to die, far be it for me to let you down!"

Tatsuo brought his sword up and swung it down on I Chung. I Chung swung one of the blades of his bo to parry the sword, and switched to offense as he used a brilliant series of moves with his bo that managed to put Tatsuo on the defensive. Tatsuo's fire sword clashed with I Chung's bo. They kept up this clash for a handful of seconds until Tatsuo brought his sword upward, which hit I Chung's bo with such force, coupled with the intensity of the flame circling it, that it managed to cut through the bo. I Chung jumped back, held up his broken staff, and tossed them away. He pulled out one of his mystical energy spheres and began to channel its energy into his body.

"You may have destroyed my weapon, but I'm not finished yet." I Chung said simply.

He threw some shuriken at Tatsuo, who deflected them with his sword. But that was all the distraction I Chung needed as he used his speed to get close enough to Tatsuo to use a palm thrust that channeled his energy, giving it enough force to knock Tatsuo back several feet and to the ground. I Chung wasted no time as he leapt high into the air and came down on Tatsuo's chest with his knee. He hit him with enough force to easily kill a regular human. And sure enough, Tatsuo was gasping in pain from the attack. I Chung landed next to him as he channeled his energy into his hands, which began to glow. I Chung stole a quick glace at the other four dragons to make sure they weren't attempting anything. Sure enough, they remained where they were. I Chung turned back to his primary target as he brought his fist up, ready to finish him off. He swung with all his might, but he was stopped by a surprisingly strong grip from Tatsuo, who held his wrist. I Chung tried to connect with his other fist, but Tatsuo caught that one too. I Chung struggled in Tatsuo's grip, but his strength was greater than I Chung imagined.

"You almost had me there. If you would've connected, you might have critically wounded me," Tatsuo said.

I Chung gasped as Tatsuo held him at arm's length and propelled both his feet up at him, kicking him with so much force, that he went flying into the side of his house, crashing through the wall. His house was beginning to show signs of impending collapse at this point. Tatsuo got up and brushed himself off like it was just another typical day. It was clear that he wasn't taking I Chung very seriously after all. Tatsuo picked his dropped sword and walked over to the hole in the wall and peered inside to see I Chung struggling to get up. It was clear that he was hurt badly. Tatsuo jumped inside, grabbed I Chung and threw him back outside. After reemerging, Tatsuo walked over to I Chung, who was trying as hard as he could to get back on his feet. Amused, Tatsuo decided to wait and let him get on his feet.

At last I Chung was up. But he was breathing hard, clearly approaching his limit. He knew that this was a fight to the death, and he was losing. He stumbled a bit as he grabbed a nearby tree for support. He had only one possible chance to change the outcome. He needed Mei Pieh Chi. He wasn't sure if he had enough focus to call out to her through the dream realm, but he had to try while he had the chance...

* * *

Venus was at the gym lifting specialized weights made especially for her. They looked like regular barbells, but the metal was much heavier and the plates weighed a minimum of a hundred pounds each. She was benching a total of a thousand pounds; clearly not her limit. She was enjoying the feeling of strength that coursed through her as she pumped the iron with relative ease. Suddenly, a voice rang out in her head: 'Venus! Tatsuo has escaped! He and his guards are at my house! Please, come quick!'

It wasn't just the urgency in his voice. Venus could feel the pain he felt as well and knew instantly that he was fighting them...and losing. She put the weight down and stood up, walking slowly toward the exit.

"No... no... Father... not them. It can't be," Venus stuttered.

She bolted out the door and ran as fast as she could to I Chung's house.

"FATHER, NO!!" she cried out as she ran to her father's house like her life depended on it.

* * *

I Chung tried to gather his energy, but his recent training and the use of his energy sphere already took too much out of him. He pulled out his last kunai and his last mystical sphere. He was fully aware of the risk he was about to take. Tatsuo saw this and was less than impressed.

"Are you really sure you want to do that? If I'm not mistaken, use of a mystical sphere amplifies one's mystical energy. But it looks like you have very little of it left as it is. The strain will kill you before I can," Tatsuo said quietly.

For the first time since the fight started, I Chung smiled. "That may be, but I'm willing to risk everything to stop you; even if it costs me my life!"

Tatsuo held his sword and watched as I Chung absorbed the sphere's effects into his body. He felt his energy rise dramatically. But at the same time, he could feel pain throughout his body. He knew he had precious moments to make a difference before his body succumbed to the strain. I Chung held up his kunai and channeled his energy into it. Tatsuo once again channeled his fire energy into his sword, reigniting it. The final clash was about to begin...

* * *

Venus was a few miles from I Chung's house. As fast as she was in battle, she wasn't that much faster a runner than the fastest humans. Her legs were best geared toward leaping than anything else. She had taken I Chung for granted and had little reason to think he needed help with any hostile enemies. But these were no ordinary foes. She learned about Lord Tatsuo and his guards from I Chung fairly early on in her development. She was convinced that they would never see the light of day. But she also knew that from the way he described them, even she would be unlikely to survive a battle with all five of them. Dragon Lord Tatsuo alone was very powerful and highly skilled. He was once the ruler of an empire and there was very little he couldn't do. Perhaps one of those things was compassion.

Venus ran as fast as her muscled legs could carry her. She had plenty of stamina and endurance to run all the whole way; that wasn't a problem.

"Please let me make it in time!" Venus cried out loud to herself.

* * *

Blades clashed over and over. I Chung was moving faster than ever. Tatsuo found himself having to struggle to keep I Chung at bay. They locked blades as the added energy infusing them gave them increased cutting power as one tried to break the other. I Chung managed to match Tatsuo's strength, but only briefly. Tatsuo's muscles flexed as they swelled with raw strength. He loved his powers, especially his strength; they made him feel unstoppable. And why not? He rationalized that the only reason he and his fellow dragons were sealed was because they were caught off guard. And a dragon's physical strength was immensely superior to a human's. As far as he was concerned, he had yet to face anyone who could give him a real challenge.

Tatsuo overpowered I Chung, breaking his kunai. I Chung leapt back. He was in a great deal of pain now and his energy was dwindling fast. He looked up with desperate determination in his eyes. He charged at Tatsuo with his fists glowing with energy. Tatsuo swung his sword at I Chung, but he managed to catch it with his palms clamped against the sides of the blade. He could feel the intense heat radiating from it as he quickly pushed it aside and went for a punch, but Tatsuo was too quick and back-fisted I Chung, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Tatsuo grinned an evil grin as he watched I Chung struggle to move. But his body had finally given out on him; he had nothing left.

"Master, I think you've proven your superiority. Just finish him so we can get going," the especially muscular female dragon said.

Tatsuo turned to her. "There you go again Pachua, always impatient. You really need to learn your place when talking to me like that. We leave when I say we leave, got it!?"

Pachua bowed. "Forgive me Lord Tatsuo."

Tatsuo glared at her. Of all his elite guards, Pachua had a tendency to question some of his decisions. Not that it was really a problem. Of all the Dragon Lords, she was the strongest physically. Her musculature made that clear. He even wondered if she was even as strong as him. Either way, she never had a problem with an opponent; none of them did. They were unmatched; unrivaled. And soon, Tatsuo would reestablish his once dominant empire by tearing this world asunder, and rebuilding it in his image.

Tatsuo walked over to I Chung, who was on all fours, trying to get up. Tatsuo smirked as he brought his elbow down on I Chung's back, forcing him on his stomach. He was in terrible pain. He rolled onto his back as Tatsuo grabbed him by the neck with one hand and slammed him against the remnants of the exterior wall of his house. I Chung tried to fight Tatsuo's grip, but it was no use.

"I have anticipated this moment for a long time. I can't wait to experience the pleasure... the pleasure that comes with killing you!" Tatsuo said darkly.

Tatsuo grabbed his sword and held its tip inches from I Chung's chest, right over his heart. The blade once more glowed with fire.

Venus reached the top of the hill that overlooked I Chung's neighborhood and wrecked home. From her distance, she could just make out the large figures that surrounded I Chung and the one who was fighting him. She squinted to see what was happening and saw it with terror in her eyes and fear in her heart: I Chung was about to be killed.

"FATHER!" she cried as she broke into a run down the hill.

"No! Damn it! How could I have been so arrogant!? It's my fault! It's all my fault! If I had just stayed with him, this wouldn't be happening!" Venus cried as she ran as fast as she could.

Some of I Chung's last words to her echoed in Venus's mind: 'You may have developed a lot, but you don't know what it means to be a true shinobi behaving like this!' She wouldn't listen. She had been a fool! And now...

Venus ran so fast that she tripped over a small rock that jutted out of the ground and landed on her side with a thud. "Shit.... shit!" she yelled. She was close enough now to have a better view of what was happening.

Tatsuo pulled his sword back, about to deal the final blow. He grinned that evil grin again.

"It's over I Chung!" Tatsuo screamed as he began to thrust his sword forth.

'Goodbye... my daughter.' I Chung thought as he saw death's door opening.

"NO!!!" Venus screamed as loud as she could.

But it was too late. Tatsuo's sword pierced through I Chung's chest.

It was like time slowed down. I Chung's eyes were wide open. Blood flew out of his mouth as the life began to leave his eyes. Venus was back and up and running. She wanted to get there. All she wanted was to be there. But it seemed the faster she ran, the slower she went; the closer she got, the farther away she was. She cried out, but couldn't hear herself. It was like a nightmare she was begging to wake up from. She ran and she ran, ever closer to her father, but not close enough. Tears were streaming down her face.

"FATHER!!!"


Chapter XI: The Promise
Venus and I Chung's final moment together

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

It was early morning back in New York. The sun wasn't up yet and the turtles were sleeping. Splinter, on the other hand, woke up unusually early and was enjoying the peaceful quiet sipping some tea at his table and reading a book. Suddenly, the rumble of a subway a couple stories above them rattled the room a bit. Everyone there is so used to it though that it doesn't faze them at all, and so the turtles remain asleep. Splinter heard something crack and turned around to see a mantle with a few framed pictures. There were some pictures of Splinter and the turtles at varying ages. There was even one of Splinter back when he was living with Hamato Yoshi. But what caught his eyes was one particular picture that fell over. He picked it up and saw that it was a picture of himself and I Chung that was taken during a previous visit to China a couple years ago. The glass was cracked down the middle and a foreboding feeling swept over him. Splinter believed in omens and seeing a picture fall over, when they usually sat sturdy on the mantle, was unsettling.

"Splinter!" cried I Chung's voice from behind him.

Splinter swung around but saw nothing. His heart began to race. Terror filled his heart. Something has happened to I Chung. There was no denying it. There was no way he would be able to get back to China in time to make a difference. But perhaps if he could get into a deep meditation, he could contact him in the dream world. He saw no reason to disturb the turtles, not yet. They knew not to disturb him when he was deep in mediation. He only hoped he wasn't too late.

* * *

It was like time slowed down. I Chung's eyes were wide open. Blood flew out of his mouth as the life began to fade from his eyes. Venus was back and up and running. She wanted to get there. All she wanted was to be there. But it seemed the faster she ran, the slower she went; the closer she got, the farther away she was. She cried out, but couldn't hear herself. It was like a nightmare she was begging to wake up from. She ran and she ran, ever closer to her father, but not close enough. Tears were streaming down her face.

"FATHER!!!"

Tatsuo stared into I Chung's eyes with a merciless gaze of satisfaction. His wicked grin widened. The flames around his sword faded as he pulled it out from I Chung's chest. It all seemed to happen in slow motion to Venus as she saw her father slowly fall forward to the ground. Her heart was filled with anguish and rage as she looked at I Chung's attackers.

"You sons of bitches!" she screamed.

It was then that the Dragon Lords reacted to her in the distance running towards them.

Zu, another of Tatsuo's minions held up his hand as flames danced across his palm. "It looks like this one had a student who revered him. Shall I send her to oblivion to join him?"

Tatsuo looked at the person running towards them. He could see that she was a turtle and smirked. "Not now, Zu. I'm feeling generous enough to let her live... for now. Besides, I've got a world to tear down, starting with China."

Pachua spoke up. "But Lord Tatsuo, she called him Father. If that's the case, she's going to want revenge."

Tiamat, the ninja-like Dragon took a turn to speak. "She appears to be a mutant turtle, and a very well developed one at that. She looks almost as muscular as you, Pachua."

Pachua flexed an enormous bicep that filled the space between her forearm and her head. A thick vein bulged out of it as she licked her lips.

"Almost Tiamat, but not as much as I am. I could break her in half between my thighs!" Pachua said almost seductively as she flexed her legs and they swelled massively! She was scary big!

Tatsuo's voice broke into their exchange. "Enough you two! I for one want her to try to fight me with rage in her heart. It would be a pleasure to show her how hopeless it is for her to try to defeat me, no matter how mad she gets! I eventually want to face down all of the strongest ninja in this world until no one dares to dispute my strength and power. But not right now. Destiny is at hand! Now let's go!"

"Right!" said Zu and Pachua as all five of them leapt into the distance and out of sight.

Venus reached the hill that I Chung's house sat on as she saw the Dragon Lords retreat. A strong part of her wanted to pursue them mercilessly. But I Chung was laying there, dying. She had to go to him. At last, she finally made it and looked down to see that I Chung wasn't moving. She leaned down and listened for a heartbeat, but couldn't hear it. 'That bastard got his heart!' Despite knowing it likely wouldn't work, Venus pulled out her healing sphere and channeled its energy into her hands as she began performing her healing technique. She poured as much energy as she could into the fatal would, hoping that she might be able to save him.

"No father! This can't happen! You can't die! You just can't!" she cried as tears poured down her cheeks. She was pouring as much energy into the technique as she possibly could, but it wasn't working. Her eyes were locked onto I Chung's. His eyes were empty; there was no sign of life left in them. Venus couldn't focus anymore as the energy around her hand flicked, then faded.

Venus threw her face into I Chung's chest and cried. "FATHER!!"

Venus cried as she became filled with such grief and sorrow. Her whole world fell apart. She immediately hated the person she had become. She felt like she was ungrateful by learning from others. And settling into such a lifestyle, what had she been thinking?!

And so, she let her sadness pour from her heart. She swore that she would make the Dragon Lords pay, and pay dearly! But she had to sort out her grief. Then it finally occurred to her: the dream realm! She remembered her training and knew that the dream realm offered a temporary sanctuary for the recently departed! But the time was short. She had to act fast. She had to reach a meditative state; but with her emotional strain, how was she going to do that? She had to calm herself. Once she could separate her spirit from her physical body, she could allow her emotions to flow again. She checked the area to make sure she was indeed alone and laid I Chung's body down on his back. Venus then sat cross-legged in front of him and began to concentrate on reaching a meditative state. Normally, this was easy for her. After all, she had visited the dream realm many times and seen things most people couldn't even imagine. But this time was difficult. The pain of losing her adoptive father was a major obstacle to overcome. She had to let it go long enough to become relaxed enough.

As much as she tried, the pain was too much for her to just push away. Fresh tears streamed down her face as she choked back sobs. Suddenly, a wave of calm swept over her. This took her by surprise. It was as if an outside source began to pour this calm into her being. It was strong enough to overpower her sorrow. In fact, it felt as if an unseen force was guiding her to the dream realm she was trying so hard to reach. All her emotions seemed distant now. She didn't have time to question what was happening, so she used this opportunity to focus. It was working; she could feel herself shifting through the dimensional barrier. No longer did she feel physical in the corporeal sense. She knew then that it was OK to open her 'eyes'. For it was one of the many things she had to learn. The third eye that is usually associated with psychics is real. And like a newborn opening her eyes for the first time, it took some practice and effort to learn to open it consciously in the dream realm.

Her eyes opened to a world filled with light and color. It was like an exaggerated version of the world that her physical body sat in. There was no day or night here; only light and color coming from everything and everywhere. Even time could be bent to one's will in his or her pocket of the realm. She got up and walked around, trying to adjust to her new surroundings. She looked and saw I Chung's house, completely intact. And there, in the open doorway, was I Chung himself.

"DADDY!!" Venus cried as she ran to him with open arms.

I Chung smiled with content as he opened his arms invitingly. "Mei Pieh Chi."

Venus leapt into his arms and embraced him in the tightest hug she could muster. For in the dream realm, physical strength didn't apply so she knew she couldn't actually hurt him in that sense.

She let it all out as she cried harder than she has ever cried in her life.

"I'm sorry father! I'm so very sorry for the way I treated you!" Venus cried as she let it all out. I Chung held her close patiently while she poured her heart out.

"I've been such a fool! You were right! You were! But I wouldn't listen! Please forgive me!" she cried as she kept her face buried in I Chung's chest.

His whisper came soft and soothing as he patted her back. "It's all right my daughter; it's OK. There's nothing to forgive."

Venus finally looked up into his eyes. She saw only peace in his eyes. And looking into those eyes, she felt her grief lessen some.

"But you said..." Venus began to say, but I Chung interrupted.

"I was wrong too. Yes, I felt that some of your habits were unbecoming of you. But I was wrong about your development. You are strong; very strong. And not just physically. You have become quite a ninja. For that, I am proud of you," I Chung said.

Venus kept her gaze on I Chung's eyes. Looking into them brought her solace. "But it feels like I was ungrateful for your training when I went and learned other martial arts."

I Chung merely smiled warmly. "I never once forbade you from learning from others. You continue to use my training more often than any of the others. I think that's deserving of some pride on my part."

"Father. I..." Venus began, but wasn't sure what else to say.

I Chung's expression became a bit firmer, but no less warm than before, "Listen to me Mei Pieh. I want you to let go of all the guilt. What I may have thought of the things you did no longer matters. That's how fathers are. You're a grown woman now and are quite capable of making your own decisions. If anything, it was my fault because I didn't want to see you go. You see, I love you very much Mei. It was hard to see you go under those circumstances. But I couldn't blame you for being mad at me. I didn't want to see you become an object of ridicule. But you've taken the public by storm and made them see you in a completely different light; albeit a sexual one."

Venus couldn't help but smile at that. But she was quick to get serious again. "Is it so wrong for me to feel this way about my muscles?"

I Chung looked at her. "In hindsight, I guess I would've felt the same way if I had muscles like that. And you are by far one of the most muscular women I have ever seen. You did what you liked to do. I may not have agreed with it, but it was your decision. But as I said, I need you to let go of your guilt. The Dragon Lords are a grave threat to the world and must be stopped. I know you can do It, Mei Pieh. You have the strength and ability."

I Chung put a hand on her shoulder, "And don't forget the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They can be of invaluable assistance in evening the odds."

I Chung turned around and smiled. "Isn't that right, Master Splinter?"

Venus didn't even notice his spirit there. She ran over to him; "Master Splinter! You're here!"

She paused in front of him. Splinter could see her slight awkwardness and smiled as he opened his arms. Venus smiled and hugged him close.

"Thank you for coming." Venus said.

Splinter gently pressed her away from him. "Go ahead Mei Pieh. This is your moment with your father. I'll be waiting here once you're done."

Venus nodded and walked back over to I Chung. I Chung looked at a point past her. She saw this and turned to look in the same direction. The sight was stunningly beautiful. It was a portal. And through it, she could just make out outlined human-like figures. They stood there... waiting. She turned back to I Chung and saw his warm glow return. She then knew what was going on and fresh tears returned to her eyes.

"Daddy!" she cried as she hugged him tightly again.

I Chung put his hand on her shoulder again, "Which one do you love Mei Pieh? What does your heart tell you?"

Venus was a bit surprised at his sudden question. But she knew that it was a question she had been trying to answer for some time now. But having heard him ask that question aloud, the answer became clear to her.

"Leonardo," she said softly.

I Chung smiled, "Follow your heart Mei Pieh Chi. And know that my spirit will always be with you. Be at peace my daughter. And be strong."

Venus slowly let go as I Chung held her hand as he began to walk away, letting it go once he was out of arm's length.

"I love you Daddy!" Venus said.

"I love you too... Venus De Milo." I Chung said as he walked through the portal. Before long, his form became as indistinguishable as the others who stood on the other side.

"Daddy!" she cried as the portal didn't exactly close, but faded into the surrounding light. She wanted to cry again. But she needed to be strong for her own sake.

"Venus," came Splinter's voice from behind.

Venus turned around and mustered a weak smile. "I really am glad you are here. I just can't believe this has happened. But I can't waste any time; I need to prepare for war. Those Dragon Lords are ruthless. They'll destroy everything if left unchallenged."

"I'll inform the turtles. Try not to be too hasty. Getting there quickly won't be easy," Splinter said.

Venus's expression didn't waver. "Oh I have no intentions of going to battle just to die. My father was caught unprepared, but he still no doubt put up one hell of a fight."

"Good luck to you Venus," Splinter said as he faded from her sight.

Venus followed suit and returned to her physical body. Her eyes opened with a newfound deadly determination. "You fucked with the wrong shinobi! I will destroy you Tatsuo, and avenge my father!"


Chapter XII: Gearing Up
The turtles make haste for China

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

Back in New York, the new day has come. But for the turtles, it was one filled with terrible news. Splinter has informed them all of I Chung's death at the hands of the lethal Lord Tatsuo and his fellow dragon warriors. It was clear that Tatsuo was an even greater threat then Shredder. And if he wasn't stopped, no one on Earth would be safe from his wrath. They had to get back to China, but there was no conventional means with which to do it.

"Couldn't you like, ask the mayor if we could borrow his jet again?" Michelangelo asked.

Splinter shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible. He's a very busy man and it was already agreed that that was a one-time deal."

Michelangelo lowered his head in disappointment. None of the others were sure of what to suggest. It was already established that Donatello would be working on repulsar boards for the other turtles. And when he heard the news himself, he said nothing, got a determined look on his face, and went right back into his room to finish his work. He gave no indication how far along he was.

Raphael had enough, "That does it! I don't care if we are discovered! I'm hitching a ride on the next plane to China! There's too much at stake!"

Before Leonardo could say anything, it was Donatello's voice that called out from his room. "Wait! That won't be necessary! Come in you guys! I just finished!"

Splinter and the other turtles walked into Donatello's room. It was, as usual, filled with various gadgets, tools, and computers. But what immediately caught their eyes were four repulsar boards leaning against the wall. Each had its own color that matched each turtle's headband to go along with the shell pattern. Donatello took each one and handed it to them. Orange went to Michelangelo, red to Raphael, blue to Leonardo, and the purple one was his.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Leonardo said.

"Thanks," Donatello said, smiling. He motioned to another table where four one-piece suits lay. And next to each of them were four helmets, also color coded to each turtle.

Michelangelo took the orange helmet and looked it over. "You must've been pulling some serious overtime here to get all of this completed in such a short time."

Donatello's smiled weakened. "Yeah, well, I suppose the driving force behind this was so we could return to China to visit Venus again."

Raphael smirked. "I thought you weren't interested in dating."

Donatello turned to Raphael and tossed his helmet to him. "That doesn't mean I don't enjoy her company. Don't worry, you don't have to feel threatened by me. I know that my time will come one day."

Raphael breathed a secret sigh of relief. It was true that he had enough to contend with already in Leonardo. He didn't want to have to compete with Donatello and Michelangelo too.

"Enough, now is not the time to talk about that! Donatello, are these boards operational?" Splinter asked with urgency.

Donatello held up the original green prototype board. "As far as I know. I've haven?t actually had a chance to test them out in the open."

"If they are as fast and efficient as you say they are, then it's the only thing we have to get us there in time." Leonardo said.

All eyes were on Donatello. He was usually confident in his inventions. But this was a new level of extreme. One wrong move and any of them would be splattered across the ground for several hundred feet. He knew the risks, even with the suit and helmet. But he had to remind himself that they grew up surfing the sewers and many other places. He had to have faith that they could all handle this.

"Suit up guys! China awaits us!" Donatello said loudly as he began tossing the suits and helmets to his brothers.

* * *

The turtles put on their suits and held their helmets and boards under each of their arms. Donatello repeated his instructions on how to operate the boards. He knew that they were in for a fast ride and needed to make sure they knew the risks. All was ready as they stood at the entrance to their lair. Splinter stood there and took in their appearance.

"First Batman, now this?!" Splinter said with a grin.

The turtles looked at them with puzzlement. Splinter started laughing. "Oh come on! That was a good funny!"

Leonardo smiled warmly. He knew Splinter was trying to cheer them up a little. They were headed to what could be their last battle.

"Father, I know you can traverse the spirit realm. When we get back, you think you could teach us how to do it?" Leonardo asked.

"It would be my honor," Splinter said.

Raphael took his helmet and put it on. "Let's get going guys! We don't have any time to waste!"

Leonardo glanced at him. Sure he was the leader of the team. But he saw Raphael and saw that he would be a leader himself before long. That made him realize something. And it was kind of unsettling. All of them were grown up. They were adults now. And with Venus out there, it became apparent to him that this may very well be the last time that they would go on a mission together. Could it be?
 
* * *

Donatello led them to a straight and large tunnel passage in the sewers. They could see light from a wide open exit in the distance.

"Alright you guys, listen carefully. That exit down there leads directly to the harbor and the ocean. All right, let's mount up!" Donatello ordered as everyone set their boards down and got themselves strapped into them. As soon as they activated them, they rose off the ground about a few inches.

"I plotted our course to take us northeast from here, go left around Newfoundland, over the Pole, through the Bering Straits, southwest around Japan, and finally into China. It's going to get cold, but the suits should offer enough protection from the temperature extremes. I did my best to adjust the inertial stabilizers to keep you from tipping over. You shouldn't have much trouble keeping your balance," Donatello said as he activated his board.

"Ready everyone?" Leonardo asked.

The turtles nodded their heads and pulled down their faceplates as Leonardo did the same and looked forward. "Alright, let's go!"

Each of them carefully leaned forward onto the front foot switch a bit as the board began to accelerate rapidly. They managed to keep formation as the exit rapidly approached them. The adrenalin rush filled them all.

"Woooooo!!" they all screamed as they shot out of the tunnel and landed smoothly over the surface of the water. They put a comfortable distance between them as they got side by side with each other and in unison, they gradually leaned harder on the front switch as they began to accelerate very rapidly. Each turtle had a headpiece embedded in their helmet to allow communication between them.

"Alright, let's see what these boards can do. Please try not to lose control anyone! Let's do this!" Leonardo said. As they passed beneath the Verrazano Bridge, he glanced behind him to see New York gradually shrinking into the distance. They continued to accelerate as they sped out over the Atlantic Ocean...

* * *

Venus had just finished burying I Chung. She stood over the grave and let a single tear to stream down her face as she stood there in silence. After a few seconds, she headed back to I Chung's home and began to sort through the wreckage. She gathered a few shuriken and kunai from the storage shelves and added them to her carrying pouch. She also looked through all of her father's larger weapons. There were some katana swords, a bo staff, and... what was this?

Venus saw a pair of tessen war fans opened up and hanging on the wall with a small note under them. She looked at it and it said simply: For Mei Pieh Chi, when she comes home.

She looked at the tessen. They were a more streamlined set than even her own. Each fan actually had short curved blades sticking out of the ends, giving them a more lethal appearance. The design was a clear upgrade from her own. They were made of metal and had curvy lines etched in the handle. She took them and closed them up. They were heavier, but a lot more durable than hers, and she was more than strong enough to handle them with ease. She smiled as she strapped them up next to her own tessen. She would still use her own since she was so accustomed to using them. But just in case?

Venus pulled out her white headband and put it on. She then went into the room where I Chung created his mystical spheres. She grabbed two energy spheres to add to her own healing sphere. She spotted a specific sphere and remembered something I Chung once told her: 'This sphere is necessary to perform this ancient mystical art. Should you ever need to use it, do so only when absolutely necessary. Remember, use of this technique will require a portion of your life energy, which will shorten your life span.'

She took the sphere and looked at it. It swirled with purple energy as she grabbed a scroll that sat next to its resting place and opened it up. Remembering her instruction on how to perform this technique; she took out a kunai and made a small cut on the tip of her thumb and drew a line across the symbols, on the laid out scroll, with her own blood. She then took the sphere, held it in her left hand as she began to absorb the energy from the sphere and combine her own mystic energy, and channel it into the scroll. As she did this, she began chanting illegible words as the sphere began to resonate with her energy and a mist started to rise up from the scroll.

After walking outside, her preparations now complete inside, she looked in the direction the Dragon Lords went: the city. There were thousands of people there! She had to hurry! She wasn't sure what fate had in store for her, but one thing was certain; she would make them pay!


Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Venus engages Tatsuo's minions

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

Venus was truly a fierce, powerful, heavily armed, amazingly muscled, and incredibly strong shinobi warrior. She stood on a precipice, ready for the fight of her life. There was no doubting that Tatsuo alone was a powerful warrior, never mind his minions. And while backup was on its way, there was no telling how soon they would get here. No, she had to be prepared to face them alone.

As Venus looked herself over, she secretly admired her enhanced battle-ready look. She has been armed before, but never like this. She modified the straps on the back of her shell to hold the two katana blades criss-crossed and the bo staff vertically. She had a belt with pouches hooked up to a belt around her midsection so that she wouldn't be in short supply of throwing weapons. One of the pouches carried her healing and energy spheres but she hoped she wouldn't have to use them. And her monster-muscled thighs had pouches containing kunai strapped to them.

She looked at her arm as she flexed a vein-lined bicep that swelled to immense size. She was feeling good. She always felt good when she flexed her muscles. They always have such a stimulating effect on her. She felt the immense strength coursing through her sexy body as she stole a brief moment to let herself soak in the pleasure that her strength gave her. It may be the last chance she'll get, though she has no intention of making it easy for them. Without a word she tensed her legs, which bulged powerfully, and took off running after the Dragon Lords.

Night was upon China. In a nearby city, unbeknownst to the residents, the five Dragon Lords arrived as they made their way into the thick of the metropolis. Tatsuo looked on in malevolent disgust.

"Look at this! Pathetic! They think I can be forgotten? Not a chance! I'll make them remember! I think it's time we begin the restoration of my world starting with this city! Tiamat!" Tatsuo commanded.

"Got it!" Tiamat said as he focused his energy into his hands. They began to glow as the energy shifted into an electrical surge, resulting in lightning element energy. Tiamat held his hands in the air and let the lightning energy shoot in many directions at the surrounding buildings and cars driving by. The bolts were thunderous and the sound was deafening. Chaos erupted as cars were wrecked and the few people on foot ran in all directions. A nearby cop car pulled up as the officer got out and drew his gun.

"Alright, whoever you are, freeze or I'll shoot!" the officer yelled.

Sirrush stepped forward. "Don't worry my lord, I'll take care of this."

Tatsuo smirked and watched as Sirrush channeled his energy into a field that surrounded the group.

Tiamat eased up on his attack as small lightning bolts crackled in his hand. He held it up and aimed at the officer.

"You and your primitive weapons; they're no match for real firepower!" Tiamat said as the officer opened fire. But the bullets bounced harmlessly off of the energy field.

"No way!" the officer said in panic.

"You rely so much on your gun that you don't realize how weak it is against Sirrush's kinetic field. Projectile weapons are useless against it." Tiamat said as he upped the intensity of his lightning attack and focused the bolts at the officer. The cop never stood a chance as the bolts ripped right through his body and scorched him from the inside out. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Tiamat ceased his attack as Tatsuo took point. "Enough playing around! It's time to rain destruction upon this world!"

Tatsuo used his wings and took to the air. He ascended until he was high up in the air. He clapped his hands together as he channeled his energy into his wings.

"The element of wind is a powerful force. Those fools won't even stand a chance against this. Time for hell!" Tatsuo shouted as his wings began to glow.

His minions braced themselves as Tatsuo made a single flap with his wings with intense force. "SHINRA TENSEI!!"

The blast that came from his wings was a distortion that shot straight down to the ground. Upon impact, it created a shockwave that spread with the force of an atom bomb. The other Dragon Lords were physically strong enough to brace themselves against the force of the blast. But everything within a radius of a mile was devastated by the gust of wind that wrecked buildings, structures and everything else in its path. Cars and trucks were tossed a good distance by the shockwave. Many people were killed in the process, thrown against structures and buried by fallen debris.

* * *

As Venus ran after Tatsuo and the other Lords, she paused as she saw the destruction wave come toward her.

"Oh shit!" she said as she held a hand up and generated a field of energy in front of her just in time to deflect some of the explosive wind. She struggled with all her might to hold her ground as she was bombarded with wind and debris.

"Ahhh!!" she screamed as she lost the field and her balance and went flying backward.

* * *

Tatsuo watched with satisfaction as the circle of destruction expanded. Fires broke out in some places as most of the buildings around him were blown apart by the sheer force of the wave. His minions lowered their guard as Tatsuo descended back to the ground.

"I think that will get everyone's attention. And that wasn't even my full power. The next time, I'll use shinra tensi with my maximum power. Nothing will survive! And once this whole planet has been purged, I can begin rebuilding my empire from the ashes!" Tatsuo declared.

"Not if I can help it!" came the voice of Venus as she appeared over a small hill.

Tatsuo turned to the source of the voice. "I had a feeling you'd come! I let you live on a whim! You should've stayed with that dead fool!"

Venus was enraged. "You dare talk about my sensei like that!? For your information, he was my Father! And I will avenge his death by bringing about yours!"

The Dragon Lords turned towards Venus, ready to fight. Tatsuo walked towards her.

"It seems that I Chung has taught you well. You look almost as strong as Pachua," Tatsuo said.

As Venus clenched her fist, her bicep swelled up into a wide ball of muscle, a thick vein protruding and snaking its way around the peak. "I'm strong enough to take you down Tatsuo! And I'll go through all of your underlings to get to you if that's what it takes!"

Tatsuo's demeanor turned sour. "So you dare challenge us all so recklessly?! You must seriously have a death wish yourself! Very well then! Let's have a little fun, shall we? Pachua!" he commanded.

Pachua smirked as she walked up next to Tatsuo.

"I want to see just how strong you really are. If you can overpower Pachua in a test of strength, I might let you live a little bit longer," Tatsuo said.

Venus put her hands on her hips, "What the hell kind of messed up deal is that?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

Tatsuo kept his expression. "You're the one who will die for your foolishness. I am merely giving you a chance to delay your inevitable demise. And that's by showing just how strong those muscles of yours are."

Venus flexed her entire body real tight as all of her muscles expanded and became vascular. She could blow away any human bodybuilder at any bodybuilding competition in the world with those muscles. And for the first time since she left I Chung, Venus managed to smile.

"So you want me to outmuscle Pachua then. Fine, consider it done!" Venus said as she walked up to her.

Pachua didn't say a word as Venus stopped right in front of her. Pachua was more than a foot taller than Venus and it was unclear just how strong she was. Pachua held up her arm and flexed a bicep that exploded in size until it reached as high as her head. It was a sight that was unreal, even to Venus. Pachua then brought up her other arm and turned it into a full double bicep flex as her peaks reached sizes that were never before imagined.

"Hard as titanium, bitch! These muscles are all that I care about!" Pachua taunted.

"What's that supposed to mean, the only thing you care about?" Venus asked.

Pachua opened her hands and held them out for Venus to take. "Never mind that. Show me the incredible strength you claim to have!"

For the first time ever, Venus was actually hesitant to do so. She was proud of her immense musculature, but Pachua was jam-packed with extremely dense and gigantic muscles. She reasoned that it had to do with her dragon nature. No matter! She would not back down from this. Venus took Pachua's hand and then the other one as they locked up in a battle to see who could overpower the other. Both of their arms swelled to their maximum as veins bulged out of several points all across those heavily muscled arms. Even Tatsuo was in awe at the combined musculature of those women.

Venus was gritting her teeth as she put everything she had just into holding Pachua at bay. But it was immediately clear that Pachua was putting less exertion into the struggle.

Pachua actually smiled as she leaned in and whispered into Venus's ear. "Feels good doesn't it, the strength? These muscles are all that freaks like us need to be happy. No man could ever hope to understand the sex appeal. Their loss, eh?"

Venus was surprised at her comment and tried to turn her head to look at her without losing ground. "What are you suggesting? That men don't find muscle on women attractive?!"

Pachua licked her lips as she smiled more seductively. "Oh don't play dumb with me. You know as well as I do that men can't handle having a woman who is bigger and stronger than they are; they have such fragile egos. So I ask again, it feels good doesn't it? The raw strength coursing through your body? It makes me so hot and horny just thinking about it!"

Venus couldn't believe what she was hearing. To hear another woman talking about how pleasurable it feels to flex her muscles was something she wasn't used to. And at a time like this?  But...Venus has had lots of men going wild over her muscles... she wondered why Pachua didn't.

Her thoughts turned back to I Chung. He was dead because of them. And Pachua dares to mock her own passion?! No! She was not going to lose so quickly. She would not allow any of them to make light of the situation; not after what they did, and certainly not after all those other people Tatsuo had just killed. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as she began channeling her mystic energy into her muscles, giving her an increase in strength. It was working; she managed to regain some ground as she pushed Pachua's hands back towards her.

"So, you are stronger than you've led on. But it's not enough against these babies!" Pachua yelled as her arms became truly dangerous; the size of her biceps and triceps exceeding Venus's by quite a margin. It became clear that Pachua was a mega powerhouse. Venus felt her hands being pushed right back towards her as she sank to her knees. Pain began to fill her wrists as Pachua started to bend her hands backward.

"No one is as strong as I am! And now to finish this!" Pachua yelled as she brought herself to bear on her opponent. Venus knew that Pachua would break her wrists if she didn't act fast. She stopped struggling and quickly reversed her momentum as she rolled backward and got her feet into Pachua's bulging rock-hard abs and threw her over her head where she landed on her back with a thud and releasing her hold on Venus. Venus shook her hands, trying to shake off the pain. But Pachua was quick to get back up.

"Clever desperation move," Pachua said.

Venus had enough. It was time to eliminate the Dragon Lords or die trying. She pulled out her twin katana blades.

"Come on! No more games! I'll take you all on!" Venus yelled.

Tatsuo grinned. "Oh my! Aren't we in such a hurry to die? But I'm not going to allow you to depart this life so soon. I want to savor this! I doubt I'll ever get such a challenge again."

Tatsuo thought to himself. 'With her level of strength, she really may be the best I'll get.'

Tatsuo gestured at Pachua. "But you're not done with Pachua just yet."

Venus turned to see Pachua, who was a hulking beast of a female dragon.

"Time to see how well you can fight!" Pachua said.

It was clear that Venus would have to fight and defeat Tatsuo's minions to get to Tatsuo himself. And fight them she would, no matter how hard it may be. She may not be able to best Pachua in strength. But there may be another way to defeat her.

Venus crouched and assumed an attack stance. "Let's do this!"

Pachua glared at Venus menacingly. "Don't get cocky now! We both know whose strength is superior! Now to show you my other power!"

Pachua put her hands near each other and held them in front of her like she was holding a grapefruit. Out of the air itself, water began to materialize inside the space between her hands. She held her hands above her as the amount of water rapidly condensing from the air forced her hands to spread out to accommodate them. Once her hands were three feet apart, she moved one hand underneath the floating mass of water and pointed two fingers from her other hand at Venus, who was unsure what Pachua was planning.

Pachua grinned as she channeled the water from the reservoir along her body to her fingers. "MIZURAPPA!!"

Venus raised her swords to try to block, but it was no use. The spiraling jet of water bypassed the blades and drilled right into her, sending her flying backwards until she smashed into the ruins of one of the buildings. Pachua laughed as she gathered even more water to replace what she used.

"You like that?! Come on out of there and I'll show you another one!" Pachua called out.

A piece of the wall was thrown a few feet to the side as Venus emerged, clutching her stomach. She saw the indentation the attack left on her. If she wasn't so densely muscled, that attack would most likely have impaled her. She held her katanas at the ready.

"That one smarts, but I'm far from done!" she cried as she dashed at Pachua.

Pachua brought the entire ball of water down in front of her. "Then let's see how well you deal with a full frontal assault of pain! SENSATSU SUISHOU!!"

Hundreds of small droplets broke off from the ball of water and shaped themselves into small needles. Venus froze in her tracks. There was no way she could defend against something like that! Pachua smirked as more and more drops left the ball of water until there were indeed well over a thousand needles, ready to pierce their way into Venus's flesh. But she wasn't about to become a pincushion. She had something up her sleeve as she began waving her hands in a criss-cross pattern in front of her; slowly at first, she began increasing the speed until the energy she was emitting became visible.

'Focus, focus, FOCUS!' she thought to herself as she did just that. It was an amazing sight: her arms were moving so fast that they were a blur. The net pattern of energy pulsed with light in front of her as Pachua's attack was fully formed and all the needles shot at Venus with blinding speed. But much to Venus's relief, all the needles splashed harmlessly against the energy barrier that Venus had formed.

"It can't be!" Pachua said, stunned by Venus's successful block. Suddenly, Venus rapidly leapt into the air above her.

"Never take your eyes off your opponent!" Venus yelled as she brought her leg up and then swung it downward in an ax kick. Pachua responded by releasing her water technique, letting the remaining water splash on the ground in a small puddle, and flexing one of her trapezius muscles and letting the kick hit it. It was as if Venus hit metal. Her kick bounced off the extremely hard muscle. Venus landed, beside herself.

"No... No way! That was one of my strongest kicks! And yet her muscles are truly like steel!" Venus said in disbelief.

Pachua answered by flexing her bulging bicep that towered on her thickly muscled arm. "I'm glad you noticed. It's such a pleasurable feeling to get hit by something that can't put a dent in your muscles. Pachua's voice became a soft, dangerous purr. I really would like you to do that again, because it really feels so good when someone can actually hit me hard enough for me to feel it."

Venus knew the game Pachua was playing and leapt high into the air again.

"You'd best not take me lightly!" Venus yelled as she came down, fist extended. Pachua leapt back to avoid the attack, but Venus was on her in an instant, fists flying. The first couple Pachua blocked, but Venus showed that her ninja moves were fast and managed to land a few good punches. Venus channeled a large amount of energy into her fist and released it all at once as she punched at Pachua's abs. The force was so great that she went skidding back for several feet. But miraculously, she remained on her feet. Venus couldn't believe it. That was a deathblow, but she still stood?! Closer inspection showed that she was wrong, sort of. She could see the look of pain on her face as she clutched her stomach. She looked at her abs and saw that her fist didn't penetrate them. But it looked like the impact was enough to reverberate through her midsection. She caused damage all right. Venus had to give Pachua credit. She really was a tightly muscled powerhouse. It seemed like none of her best physical attacks could overcome those extremely dense muscles.

But this also gave her an idea. Pachua didn't carry any weapons; she was a weapon. But now, Venus had discovered a weakness. Venus ran at Pachua to attack, but shifted to the right, effectively avoiding her punch, and coming back with a punch of her own. She channeled some mystic energy into it, and the force was enough to make Pachua stagger. Venus repeated this strategy from a different angle. Pachua was doing all she could to land a blow, but Venus was moving too fast. Each of Venus's punches was enhanced by a moderate amount of mystic energy, though not at the level she initially tried to use on Tatsuo. She had to conserve as using this method was rapidly draining. But it worked; it was becoming clear that Pachua was losing this fight.

"Damn it! Why can't I hit you!?" Pachua yelled in frustration.

Venus took the opportunity to grin, "You're too confident in those huge muscles of yours. I'll admit, it makes you stronger than me. But it's not going to get you anywhere if your opponent is really fast!"

"Ugh." Pachua uttered as she dropped to one knee. She sustained a great deal of damage to her body from those enhanced punches. To think that just one is enough to finish off anyone else. The fact that she survived several of them was unheard of. But it did take its toll on her.

Venus wanted to finish her off, but she had already used up a lot of energy. She realized also that she was in a vulnerable position. It took nearly all of her own energy just to overcome one of the Dragon Lords. She still had three others plus Tatsuo. And it's not like they'll just stand there and wait for her to recover her energy. She had no choice. She pulled out her energy sphere and channeled its power into her body. She wasn't sure how much of a strain it would have on her. But now was not the time to think about it.

* * *

Four streaks of green blazed across the ocean as the four turtles moved at extreme velocities. They have just reached the other side of the globe and were passing through the Bering Straits and soon to approach Japan. So far, they've been without incident, but their trip wasn't over yet. Very little was said between any of them as they all struggled to keep their focus on their balance as they all surfed at speeds no one in history had ever dreamed of.

"I'm starting... to get tired here." Michelangelo finally said.

Donatello's voice filled his helmet. "I sympathize with you Mikey. I'm tired too. It's the cold air we've passed through. Even though our suits are designed to help negate some of the temperature extremes, the rapid shift in climate is having a sedating effect on us all. Once we reach warmer climates, our strength should return. But we can't stop now, or we may not be able to make it back up to these speeds with the required focus. Just hang on there bro."

"Think about what's at stake," Leonardo added.

Michelangelo found his resolve. "I'll do my best guys. Thanks."

* * *

Back at the battlefield, Venus faced the Dragon Lords. She had absorbed the energy from the sphere and felt rejuvenated. But at the same time, she could feel the underlying strain it was putting on her body. Venus pulled out her katanas.

"What do you say we just cut the bullshit and battle it out? I'm not going to play your game, Tatsuo! I'm not going to wear myself out facing each of the others before I can face you directly! If you're going to kill me, then send all of your goons at me at once!" Venus yelled.

Tatsuo could tell that she wasn't going to be swayed any further as he pulled out his fire sword.

"Very well then, if that's how you want it! Dragon Lords... ATTACK!!!" Tatsuo commanded as the other three rushed in, weapons drawn. Venus stood ready as all three of them branded swords and swung. Venus managed to block all of them with her twin blades, but she was forced to leap away from them to avoid being overpowered and instantly killed. Sirrush, Zu, and Tiamat took turns trying to get hits in as Venus used her best moves to keep up with them. She soon realized that none of them were even fighting at their maximum. This left her feeling insulted. But on the other hand, the way things were looking, she might never be able to best all three of them. With Pachua taking time to recover; it was a miracle that Venus wasn't facing her at the same time also. Pachua's strength was simply incredible!

Venus was giving it all she got to stay in the fight. She blocked and parried, but the intensity of their combined attacks was becoming too much for her. Venus had no choice but to fall back. She had to think of some way to get to Tatsuo...

* * *

Back in New York, deep in the sewers, Splinter was pacing in his room. He has seen his sons fight many battles and overcome amazing odds in the past. But he couldn't shake the premonition that they might not return from this one. He knew from personal experience how powerful Tatsuo was; he was not to be underestimated. Splinter tried everything he could to shift his focus elsewhere, but couldn't. As he wandered about their rooms, he came into Donatello's lab and spotted the prototypes for the repulsar board and flight suit. Without a second thought, he grabbed the board.


Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles
The turtles arrive just in time as the final battle is about to begin

Chapter I: West Meets East | Chapter II: I'm Your Venus... | Chapter III: Conflict | Chapter IV: Expose - Part I | Chapter V: Expose - Part II | Chapter VI: At Odds | Chapter VII: Leonardo's Love
Chapter VIII: ...I'm Your Fire... | Chapter IX: An Ancient Evil Returns | Chapter X: Silent Scream | Chapter XI: The Promise | Chapter XII: Gearing Up | Chapter XIII: A Shinobi Stands Tall
Chapter XIV: Return of the Turtles | Chapter XV: The Die is Cast | Chapter XVI: Turning the Tide | Chapter XVII: The Death of a Good and an Evil | Chapter XVIII: Tatsuo's Trump Card
Chapter XIX: Angels Never Die | Chapter XX: ...Your Desire!

In the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, the turtles were shooting across the water at scary speeds. They were approaching China rapidly. Each of them had a look of focus in their eyes. Soon, they would be fighting their fiercest opponents.

* * *

Venus was in the fight of her life as she struggled to hold the three remaining Dragon Lords at bay. She tried to focus her attacks on Sirrush, who was throwing shuriken upon shuriken at her. It was taking every last bit of Venus's skills to keep from being skewered. Venus started running away, trying to draw her attackers to a section with more cover, while dodging shuriken from Sirrush. She reached one of the destroyed buildings and leapt inside an opening and hid inside, buying her the briefest of respites. Venus made her way as deep as she could into the ruins and attempted to formulate a strategy.

"You cannot hide for long!" Tiamat called out.

Venus pulled a kunai from her leg pouch. She needed to catch them off guard. She didn't have a good view of them from where she was hiding. If she tried to get any closer, they would surely spot her. She looked at her surroundings. An idea struck her! She focused energy into her shadow manipulation technique, the same one she used on Raphael. This gave her near invisibility in the darkness. She had them right where she wanted them. She held her kunai at the ready and moved in for the kill.

The three worked their way through the wreckage when Zu stopped them, "Wait. She's near. I can sense her lifeforce approaching."

Zu turned his eyes toward the direction Venus was coming from. He couldn't see her, but he knew she was there.

Zu grinned wickedly. "So she knows how to use shadow manipulation to camouflage her approach. A very skillful technique, but it has a weakness."

Zu held up his hand and channeled energy into his palm. He then added his elemental nature and turned the faint glow of the energy into fire as it rapidly intensified and lit up the area with its luminescence. Venus's cover was blown when her figure became outlined against the background.

"It's weaker against light!" Zu yelled as Sirrush dashed past him toward Venus. Venus went for it and threw her kunai at the rapidly approaching Sirrush. But he cast a shuriken at Venus's kunai, causing them to collide and deflect in different directions. Venus realized that one of them had to be able to sense the lifeforce of others to know which way she came from. It was no use; ambushing them wouldn't work at this point. Her best hope would have to be in the open.

Bolts of lightning lit up the ruins with a strobe effect as Tiamat used his lightning elemental energy.

"Let's see you dodge this!" Tiamat said as he let loose several bolts of lightning in Venus's direction. Venus didn't have time to think. She responded instinctively by leaping as hard as she could from her hiding spot and ran right between the three. A couple of the smaller bolts hit Venus, but they weren't strong enough to stop her. Tiamat was too focused on trying to get in a good hit that he accidentally hit Sirrush with a few of the larger bolts in the process.

Sirrush cried out in pain. The scales on his body prevented the bolts from penetrating his body, but they still hurt badly, causing him collapse to the ground.

"Shit! Sirrush!" Tiamat yelled as smoke suddenly filled their surroundings.

"Smoke bomb! She's getting away!" Zu yelled as he ran after Venus.

Tiamat grabbed Sirrush by the arm. "Are you alright?"

Sirrush ripped his arm away from him. "No thanks to you! You put too much reliance on your damned lightning attack! Just go! I'll catch up!"

Tiamat gritted his teeth in frustration and ran out of there.

Venus was outside and looked back to see the smoke from her smoke bomb seeping out of the wreckage of the building.

"Good, now's my chance!" she said to herself.

Venus ran as fast as her muscled legs could carry her back to where Tatsuo was. She would avenge her father or die trying!

Zu and Tiamat emerged from the wrecked building and used their powerful legs to leap for great distances in pursuit of Venus. They were closing on her rapidly.

Tatsuo watched impatiently, gazing in the direction they went, as Pachua was back on her feet.

Pachua looked at the carnage in the distance. "Lord Tatsuo, let me go after I Chung's daughter. This time I'll..."

Tatsuo stopped her with a raised hand. "You had your chance. Besides, you're still not completely recovered." Tatsuo reminded her.

Pachua was frustrated, but obeyed.

A faint smirk appeared on his face. "Well, it looks like you'll get your second chance after all."

Pachua looked harder and sure enough, she could see Venus running straight towards them. The look on Venus's face was pure hatred.

Pachua began focusing her mystical energy into her hands and waited until Venus was in range.

"That's right; just a little closer. Yes, that's it! Now! MIZURAPPA!!" Pachua yelled as she fired her spiraling water jet stream at Venus, who got sent crashing into the wall of a nearby ruined building. Within seconds, Zu and Tiamat caught up and converged on Venus. Venus managed to land a swift kick on Tiamat, causing him to go skidding a few feet along the ground from her strength. But Zu landed a hard right to Venus's stomach. It felt like he punched a brick wall though as he clutched his hand in pain. Venus had flexed her abs just in time as they bunched up into blocks of incredibly hard muscle. Venus ran towards Tatsuo again.

"FIGHT ME YOU COWARD!!" Venus screamed as she pulled out her katanas and aimed for Tatsuo's vitals. But her rage left her open to a counterattack from Tiamat, who got her in the leg with a shuriken, causing Venus to stumble. She pulled out the shuriken and threw it back at Tiamat, but he easily dodged it. Zu nailed Venus with a more powerful kick to her stomach. This time, she doubled over in pain from the blow. Struggling to get back to her feet, Venus could feel the pain in her leg. If it weren't for her dense musculature, her leg would be out of commission entirely. She was beginning to look battle-worn and had the look of a deadly warrior fighting the good fight. She looked at her attackers and began to feel despair.

She saw them closing in, preparing to finish her off.

Venus closed her eyes as her thoughts turned to her father. 'Forgive me father. I have failed. They're numbers are just too great.'

Tatsuo pulled out a his fire sword to deal the final blow. "That's right, accept your fate! You are no match for us! You never were! Now die!"

A green streak appeared just as he swung his sword in a lethal arc, but the sword passed through empty space; Venus was gone!

"What the hell!?" Tatsuo yelled in surprise as he looked around.

Tiamat turned right into a fist to the jaw that knocked him off his feet. Tiamat slowly got back up and rubbed his fist over his mouth, pulled it away, and saw a spot of blood on it. All eyes turned to see that it was another mutant turtle just like I Chung's daughter. At least it looked that way through the suit and helmet that he was wearing.