Foot Tower

Leo left the lair, and made his way through the tunnels. Once he's clear of the security, which is sort of their unofficial sign that they're far enough from the lair that they won't give away it's location he relaxes slightly and is open to conversation, which he will initiate. His counterpart doesn't know where they're going, and he should.

"One of the things we overheard tonight when we entered a Kraang base was that they were hoping to have the Foot come after us. Karai refused." Leo's tone is strictly matter of fact. He has absolutely no feelings for Karai anymore, and hasn't for several years now. In fact, he's actually sort of glad that she seems to have found something special in Chapman.  Chapman doesn't seem inherently evil... And Leo thinks the goofy nerd sort of helps her make better decisions. "Kraang SubPrime wants to capture her and replace her with a duplicate of some kind." He pauses there for a moment.

"She's an ally now... usually... and I think she needs to know what this threat is. Preferably before they replace her."

Dawn is approaching. And Karai was in her office at the top of Foot Tower. The barest hint of light on the horizon made her wonder if she had perhaps made an error in judgement.

Chapman had tried to convince her to go back to bed, and he was probably right about that being the healthiest course of action. He usually was right about that sort of thing. And it certainly seemed more welcoming than spending the night in this office staring out the windows at the city beyond. But the chance meeting she had yesterday was bothering her. Unfortunately, she needed to be here right now. And so here she was.

The speech pattern of the men who had approached her had been nothing short of bizarre. And their request had been concerning. She had been here most of the night. Waiting.

Security had been tightened. Much of the new system designed by Chapman, and the current complement of Foot Soldiers was the best it had been in many years. Certainly the best since the reign of her father. And many of them were outfitted with new tech suits. Perhaps, for once, she had won this small battle? But she had heard nothing from her soldiers. No... She had missed nothing. Her soldiers knew to keep her appraised.

She had no doubt that this is where she needed to be right now. And so she waited. Even as the light began to fill the sky.

Leo is silent and looks around the sewers in interest when they leave the lair, an impressed grin but holding his silence until he sees his counterpart relax, he moves closer to him in the dark of the tunnels and listens when he begins to feel him in. " Karai... um what is your Karai like? You saw mine and got to hear some of her attitude." He is trying to not sound like a love struck Donnie, and knows its not working.

He knew he should move on some time, but... he wasn't ready and not whilst he had two willing ladies. He was an teenager after all.


Leo chews on the replacement thing, " Kraangs usual replacements are robot replicas with a kraang pilot. Or a mind swap, they have tried that machine limited amounts of times but with success. Or Clones. But the clones are usually easy to pop with a strike or two." He agrees with the rest, " yes she should know and yous could use the knowledge that there might be Karai run foot out there destroying some kraang if she chooses to help." trying to gauge if his fellow Leo had no feelings for the Karai or was just good at hiding them, he was tempted to think the first.


Keeping to the pace Leo set.

Leo frowns considering his counterpart's question.

"She is extremely loyal and devoted to her clan, but she does understand honor and has been bringing that back to the Foot. Though there have been times when her honor and her loyalty have been forced to clash."

His tone is almost tight during the explanation. Like he's searching for the nicest way to put things. He definitely has no feelings for her... anymore. Once upon a time... perhaps. Leo does not have feelings for anyone who once spearheaded an attack on his home and attempted to pick off his family members one at a time as they tried to escape. But... she is an ally, and at least in this fight he trusts her. Though he knows Raph does not. Raph never has. And Leo probably could have been spared a whole lot of grief if he had listened to Raph in the first place.

He considers the information about the replacements.

"A popping clone would probably be a poor replacement for a competent kunoichi."

Leo sets a brisk pace, he wants to get in and get out as quickly as possible, and they have a lot of ground to cover.. He is also taking this time to mentally prepare himself for the challenge to come. He is sure that Foot Tower has upped its security since his last entrance. He will have to find a new way in.

He is not concerned that he won't be able to tell if she's been replaced or not. He knows Karai. Knows her too well. There is far too much history between them.

Leo smiles fondly, " Sounds like my Karai... She was loyal to Shredder when we attacked him... turned on us - but when she learned he'd lied to her, her whole life she flipped... needed some time first but once she was ready came back a swinging and took the Foot clan as her own to rebuild. With honor. So proud of her." and it showed. So he was easier to forgive her for the fighting and traps and attacks than Don and Raph. Especially Raph.


He picks up on the tone but - again does not ask more feeling the pace shift and moving to join it, aware they were probably facing a obstacle course of some sort to get in.


Nodding a bit, " than her replacement is mostly likely to be a bot if they can manage it. Throw her in a kraang holding cell in some dimension and have a bot of her installed, a bot can learn her fighting move in a fight with her. though the speech patterns will always give them away."

"Our Shredder never lied to her... It's just that whether she will choose honor or loyalty or occasionally revenge makes her... unpredictable." There's more careful word choice. Leo is never entirely sure whether they can trust her or not, but Karai heading the Foot is infinitely preferable to a Kraang-Bot doing so! "Their speech patterns are a nightmare... and I'm not sure the Foot would fall for it. Chapman definitely wouldn't."

As they near the tower, Leo is back on high alert. They still have a way to go, but like the lair, Foot Tower has quite the security network surrounding it, and Chapman is good. He's not Donnie, but he's good.

"We're almost there. Stick close." It's an old game. And lately, Leo has been the undisputed victor.

And today? Today Leo is feeling ballsy. They're going to waltz right through the lobby.

" Unpredictable." he is definitely taking it all in. Annnnd he finds that kinda hot. Especially in his own Karai. Was she going to kick his tail or kiss him? he could never tell!! First time she got all up in his personal space he was sure it was going to be a smooch and instead it was a knock out pellet right to the face!


Next time it had been a kiss!


then the last she tripped him over!


The Leo had to wonder if he was a glutton for punishment.


But - " whooooooooa!" it escaped him and was full or wow - a actual tower! not a run down repurposed church. An actual tower!


He heres Leo's order though and nods. " On ya six." he confirms ready to be lead in. Wondering what his counterpart had in mind. He'll draw his weapons if Leo does and not before then.

Nope, Leo is weaponless. This is stealth through and through. Karai is an ally, and Leo doesn't particularly want to go slicing up her employees. At least not for something like this.

A handful of Foot Ninja patrol the halls, but they're easily evaded, despite that they seemed to be on high alert. Which Leo actually finds sort of amusing. Karai must know something. In fact, she probably knows he's here.

There's a conduit system intended for heavy duty equipment that he has climbed up before, and it doesn't seem that they have found that weakness in the security yet. Leo opens the access panel and slips inside, making sure that his counterpart has space to enter, and closes the panel behind them. The conduit is over-sized and Leo can't help wonder what they could possibly need this much space in here for. It would have to be something big.  He's pretty sure that if they were to follow it downward, they would end up in the main lab or one of the foot mech garages.

Either way, from there, it's pretty much straight up.

Leo is happy with no swords out. He will slice and dice where called upon but didn't mean he usually enjoyed it! so he was happy to be dodging the sentries as if their not there and slipping up into some sort of ventilation system.


He too ponders for a moment as Leo pulls the opening back into place why this was so large... but then maybe that was normal for towers? like the tcri tower? wish he'd been in the vents there more and knew the answer.


But he doesn't have all the time to think harder and is moving again along with Leo - this is a wicked work out.

Leo is silent as he reaches the top level of the tower, he slips out of the duct work near Karai's office and waits for his counterpart. He silently replaces the panel. This is actually a great way to travel through the tower and he would like to keep this particular access point under wraps until she finds it herself.

In another bold move, Leo slips into the office right through the front door, nodding for his counterpart to join him.

He stands in the entryway and waits for her to notice him. It never takes long.

The sun is just peeking over the horizon. True dawn. She was about to give up, when she felt it. He was here. Drat!

Not a single notice from her sentries! Not a single hit on her security systems! Double drat!

And yet, here he was.

Again.

How does he do that? Every damned time!

She doesn't turn around. She doesn't need to.

"Leonardo..."

But wait there was another one. And this time she does turn around. It's not one of his brothers. This is someone new.

Hmm... sort of...

"And you have brought a friend." She does not have her weapons out, though her tone suggests that may change at any moment. "Interdimensional counterpart," is not really a question. Though, this is definitely not one of the counterparts she's seen before. In fact, she's pretty sure this one wasn't even in the slide show her father had projected of all the multiverses. Interesting...

Leo had travelled quietly. Waiting somewhat behind and off to the right of Leonardo as they wait.


Waiting.


But not for long the woman's shape speaks and Leo is intrigued, older of voice and a little more accented than his own Karai. He takes in the same sever hair cut, only his foot princess was a little more wildly up styled in a way she could never undo now thanks to her mutation. but they were both slim and tall and had a sort of self assured predatory way of looking over you that instantly alerted you to not asking for a fight.


Unless you were a ninja turtle of course.


And she was addressing them and him. He draws himself up into a bow, " My lady Karai." Cause it didn't feel right addressing her as in formerly as he would his own

"At least he is polite." Karai states, clearly directing her comment at the Leonardo she if familiar with. There is a definite implication in her tone that he could stand to be more so. Though she's not particularly polite to him either. It's been a long road to this point.

"It is an honor to meet you, Leonardo."

She then bows to the new turtle, particular of her direction. And it is the greeting of a new potential equal. There is no part of this for the other Leonardo. Her respect for him is far more hidden, and she is sure the converse is also true. Otherwise, he would not be here now. When she rises, she is all business.

"I assume you are here regarding the 'twins' with the strange 'accents'. The emphasized words suggest that she's fully aware that they were not what they purported to be. Though she is not yet aware of what they truly are. It had been a brief meeting off site, and she had shut them down quickly. But even without the topic of discussion, the strangeness of the encounter would have been enough for her to expect a visit tonight.

Leo is amused at the greeting between Karai and his counterpart, and he's not bothering to hide. It's been a long time since Leo was formal with Karai. That all ended about the time she was put on trial by the Utrom. After their most recent confrontation with the Shredder, he wondered if she was finally understanding that her father was not the wonderful being she desperately wanted him to be.

But she has gotten down to business, and so will he.  Besides, the sun is up. They need to get back underground.

"They're a group from Dimension X called the Kraang. Leonardo here has been fighting them for some time and now they've come here. And I have heard words like 'terraforming' bandied about." Karai is smart, and she will know what that is. And if she doesn't, she won't show it, but she'll find out.

"They've brought in our evil, genetically altered clones from the future, long story. You'll recognize them. Since you refused to join the Kraang, they're looking to kidnap you and replace you with some sort of duplicate in order to ensure the Foot's cooperation."

He then nods to his counterpart to explain further what the kidnapping and duplicate may entail.

Leo hides a chuckle but his tone is full of it as he receives a bow back, " I've received a lot of tail kickings from my own worlds Karai."


Listening to the tones between this Karai and Leonardo and nodding then picking up upon the tailing off of Leonardo's explanation. " Those twins, yes the kraang are interdimensional aliens and been looking for places to set up shop. Their usual mo is to infiltrate as much as possible building underground contacts, taking over gangs, criminal syndicates or other prominent figures, eventually replacing leaders with their own, either a clone, or more likely a kraang with a robotic body. They have three basic designs for their bots, the 'twins', a teenaged girl Irma and older woman. they are able to create other designs though and I think they'll try to replace you with one." A fast learning programmable bot body with a kraang head would save time with trying to kidnap Karai and switch her brain out or create a popable clone.

Karai frowned as she listened to Leonardo describe the plans of the Kraang. And damn it if that smug bastard isn't smirking as the smaller turtle admits to multiple tail kickings. She can't even enjoy that moment! Ugh, he makes her crazy!

She listens attentively to the information from the smaller turtle, her face is carefully neutral. It does not betray her concern at the situation or anything else for that matter.

"I understand, and I will step up security... again. And I appreciate the warning." She shoots a glare at Leonardo who is smirking again, dammit. And has once again broken through her defenses to walk right into her office. Through the main door no less! He was not usually so bold. Perhaps showing off for the counterpart? Or he is in a poor mood. It is difficult to tell with Leonardo.

Once upon a time, Leo had a few tail kickings of his own from Karai, but ever since he studied with the Ancient One, and even more so since their time with the Ninja Tribunal, Leo has been secure in knowing he could defeat her. She has not been much of a problem since he let her live after she destroyed the Ylintian lair and tried to kill his family. He smirks a little, just to remind her that she hasn't kicked his tail in years. It's sort of a game they play.  Much like every time he waltzes right through her upgraded tower security. There's another smirk. It's subtle, but definitely there.

"So can we count on the Foot for aid in stopping a planetary threat?" Leo asks

"I will deploy my ninja as I see fit."

Leo nodded, it was a stock answer, and he was pretty sure they would have her assistance if it was truly required. He looked to his counterpart. Anything else?

Lee smiles a little, unsure if he should be sheepish his adopted older sister and sometimes sex buddy was able to make him regret stepping into the dojo or not.


But he is back to the more seriousness and nods a bit as Leo's glance at him, " yes please do employ your ninjas, maybe a bit to take out any kraang labs close to your headquarters here, if the kraang can they'll ring your place of operation so they can keep an eye on your activities, especially if you have turned them away. Ummm here..." he feels about in his pockts for a mutagen tracker, the old one built of an oven button old style game boy, lightbulbs and egg beaters. " I am aware you have tech savvy personnel, this is a old prototype of a tracker that picks up on the kraang tech energy, they use a specific crystal from dimension x and it gives off a specific isotope signature, I'm sure one of your techs could reengineer something more sleek looking." he holds it out to her.


He choose that one and not the mutagen tracker out of habit he didn't want her and this foot to be able to track mutants created by the mutagen. But he was ready now.

She gives this smaller Leonardo a look that says she didn't promise to employ her ninjas as they see fit. Only as she does. It wasn't actually a promise to help. Though, she probably will. Keeping the Earth habitable is really in the best interest of herself and her clan.

The tracker is accepted however... in much the same manner one might accept a dirty sock.

"I am sure the lab will... enjoy... the challenge." Chapman is going to have a field day with this thing... One way or another. Depending on whether or not it works will determine whether it will be his unbridled excitement, or his vague disgust at how such a piece of garbage could possibly have come into existence.

Though she hasn't seen anything this ugly show up from the Donatello she knows, she suspects that this item probably works exactly as advertised. Early prototype or not.

She sort of hopes it's the eager chatter and unbridled excitement...

She hasn't seen that in awhile. Too long awhile.

Whoa... is Karai really... HA!

Leo nods to his counterpart and disappears out the west window where the early morning shadows are still dark. Karai appears to be having some 'pleasant' thoughts about Chapman. This is the perfect time to exit. She won't even notice them leaving.

He waits until his counterpart joins him, and he makes his way down the decorative roof couple stories to a point that he can safely jump to the next rooftop. It is also still cloaked in the deep shadows of Foot Tower. From there, the fire escape to the alley will take him to a very familiar manhole cover. He often uses that point to access the tower.

Lee doesn't give anything else away about the device, it looked like a badly made toy, but like most of Donnies stuff was a marvel of upcycling.


And should be entertaining for who ever is pulling it apart to make their own sort.


He senses Leo picking a time to go and despite wishing to politely disengage and the go, he is moving with the other blue banded turtle like a shadow when his counterpart is on the move!


They are out and away but he will take Leo's lead in when they can or chatter.

Only once they’re underground and a couple blocks away does Leo speak. He is keeping a decent pace, but it’s not quite the hurry he in on the way to the tower.

“I think you might have just made her year there. Which might just secure her assistance.” There’s amusement in his tone.

“Chapman is going to love that thing. Egg beaters and all. It’s not often he gets to play with Don’s tech. And I know yours is just as capable.”

Lee grins back at Leo, picking up on the amused tone and finding his own glee too, " Yeah Donnie and as I have seen Don too seem to do some truly incredible things. Sometimes with stuff most would consider junk." he is glad to have nudged in the right direction. It was possible he could have created offense instead offering some sort of offense.


And proud of the Dons in general, both of them.


He mirrors Leos pace chuckling a bit, " Egg beaters and the lights serve the purpose of flashing and spinning faster when honing in on the signature isotopes kraang tech give off.... but most importantly so Mikey, Raph and I know which way is upright." And he is amused.

"Mostly junk... except what he scavenged from various aliens, Bishop or the Foot. Well... back when the Foot was an outright enemy. He doesn't go for Karai's tech anymore." And Don has had plenty of options when it comes to various alien tech over the years.  And now the Kraang are here with their new tech. Leo has no doubt his brother will find plenty to do with it.

He chuckles at the extent Donnie went to to make sure his brothers knew which end was up.

"Don's trackers typically have an obvious up and down... Though the newer ones orient themselves. But I find it's typically most efficient, and less painful for all involved, to just let him use them, rather than have anyone else try. Though Raph's alright."

"Donnies are master re and up cyclists." Leo muses with light chuckles. " must be hard to keep hands off from brief glanced of the security and systems as we went in I guess it'd be a field day for any Don."


He hears Leo's chuckling and grins, " Should have seen the way ninja skills went out the window the first time he let us in the Shellraiser and three of us fought over who would drive. He elected me, I thought it was because you know, new leader and all. No it was because I would be least likely to run things over for fun." Of course Raph and Mikey had driven since then and not been too bad. He is glad for the quiet chatter and to be returning to the lair.


[color=#0066ff]' Donnie has to be extra ostentatous with what should be obvious, Mikey has been known to avoid warning stickers. You know once... he actually spilt a little mind controlled serum Donnie had been trying to reverse engineer on Donnie and made him regress to to a goofy mess. it was a crazy time."

“Don’s stuff is better than theirs now anyway.” Leo chuckled.

And again at the fight to drive.

”Don crashed his way through half the city when we found the armored car that became the original Battle Shell.” To be fair, they hadn’t really been in a car before. Or topside.

“See, it’s stories like that that make me glad Don is more of an engineer than a chemist... Whyyyy was he making a mind control serum?”

His demeanor changes slightly as they approach the edge of the lair’s security. They’re not quiiite there, but it’s close.

" Way better. You know your technology needs a serious upgrade when a Donatello can break into it with a tphone, broken toaster and a hula doll." that had amused Leo to no end. He is chuckling too now picturing their first driving and the veritable path of destruction left in its wake hoping most had insurance. " I love stories like that.' and he did, telling and hearing it.


A reminder no matter how hard the coming battles were going to be they had all that brain power, the stubborn strength of Raphaels, and the intuitive of Mikes. He grin becomes guilty and he senses they are close to the lairs boundaries and slows a little looking immensely guilty. " That had been mostly my fault. See... our Karai... like yours was adopted by Oroku Saki. But mostly out of spite. Though in his own way I truly believe he had loved her as a daughter. He'd lied to her all her life telling her Hamato Yoshi had killed her mother, Tang Shen. Had disfigured and burnt her 'father'. It took much fighting between Karai and I before she believed me, that Yoshi was her father, that Saki killed her mother. When she learned the truth she immediately sought him out to get revenge. I wanted to help her but she um - got the drop on me. blushing maybe suggesting he, Leo had let his feelings for Karai allow her to get him very very easily.


" By the time I came to and called for help ... and we headed out Saki had set up a trap, in Baxter Stickboys la, Karai dangling over a vat of mutagen. He'd intended for one of us, probably me to get up there and fall in, mutate into a snake... and ... and well eat Splinter.' He sighs, he'd still never forgiven himself for not freeing Karai in time. " It went wrong, Karai fell in the vat and... became was she is now, a snake mutant. Any way we lost her for months after, trying to find her in a race against Foot. She was doing her best to avoid us all frightened of what she'd become and her new instincts and body, afraid of losing her humanity. She wasn't ready. Any way I thought she escaped. But she'd been caught, Shredder forcing a brainwashing serum feed worm into her. Bringing her under his complete command. And setting her to kill us all. After the fight in which I learned about my healing hands and that I have the weirdest hallucinations when hopped up on her venom. I pressured Donnie a lot to try reversing the serum and it's affects. Too much... i am ashamed to admit I was the cause of many of his sleepless nights during that time. So thats why he was playing with the mix..."


Guilt was there but Leo manages a smiles, " Mikey actually saved Donnie that time, he recalled everything Donnie had been doing and...went with whatever weird instincts he has and created an anti serum. We stopped messing around with it after that. I forbid him to keep attempting it, was not going to risk any of them again. And the situation with Karai resolved itself after a last run in with her. She returned with Shinigami at her side later." And that was the story behind the mind serum. All the while he explained his voice growing softer and he instinctively moves half into the shadows,

“I don’t think we’ve met Earth Based tech that Donatello can’t break into with a phone, broken toaster and a hula doll...” And he can’t think of much else he can’t get into with those items either.

“Well, I’m glad it worked out.” His voice is almost silent as they near the lair. He also slips into shadows and pays more attention to his surroundings for this last section. After the last few turns, he opens the section of wall to access the lair.

A grin and chuckle, agreed. Earth or alien tech.


But he doesn't say any more as his voice had grown lower now he sensed more than just shadow time, it was quiet time too.


Even more so he knew there was sick kiddies in through that door way.


He was pleased to have put off sleep for the night. He is close to Leo ad the lair door is opened and begins to silently mantra as he moves through it, finding his glow. Forcing the energy into himself, revitalise and sooth what should have been restored through sleep.