Golden Angel

Sliding into a stance, Artemis pulled water from the pipes and wrapped it around her body as it floated, like a snake ready to strike.

At Stockman, that is…

“I will enjoy dissecting you!”

She smirked, placing a hand on a snarling Mitsukai’s head.

“Same here…”

One hand moved the vine of water like a whip, slashing the robots chest wide open.

Seeming angry, the robotic scientist shot missiles at her and the others.

Pulling up the floor enough to shield them, she closed her eyes as it was blasted to pieces.

“Artemisia, be careful!”

She nodded, water starting to crystallize around her fingers.

“I will…”

Bolting from her spot, the ice in front of her blocked the barrage of bullets as she jumped to the offensive.

Ice claws on her fingertips, she slashed straight through the protective dome as she flipped over him.

Landing easily, the water around her rippled as she stood straight and turned to Stockman.

“Not so tough now, are you?”

As the dome healed itself, she felt her eyes twitch…

“It’s a self-healing polymer acrylic. Just one of thirty-nine patented items I created using the Shredder’s resources.”

“…Oh come ON! Give me a break!”

He shot more missiles at her, and she jumped back as the explosion sent fissures through the floor.

“Hey! Watch where you shoot those things!”

BAM!

…

“NEVERMIND!”

Rolling away, she watched the robot lift Hun up like he was a doll.

“…As much as I’d like to watch you dismember the big idiot, I have a score to settle with your big metal ass…”

Dropping Hun, he aimed his flamethrower at the gold-banded turtle, flames blossoming from the tip, and the water fell to the floor around her like rain.

Biting her lips to fight the fiery chaos within her very core, she molded the hot fire into a sphere.

Breathing in, it dissipated in her palms.

Something wet slipped down her chin, and she touched it carefully with a fingertip.

Seeing the vibrant red liquid, she felt her heart twist, and bile rose in her throat.

‘Blood…’

A large hand picked her straight up off her feet, and she struggled violently.

“Put me down, you giant piece of shit!” She snarled.

“If you insist…”

Flying through the air was going up on the list of things she’d kill someone for doing to her…

She hit something before a wall shattered under the combined impact, and she sat up stiffly, groaning.

“OW…”

She flinched as the blood from her bitten lip dripped onto her plastron before trying to stand up.

Someone grabbed her wrist, and she yelped as she was pulled back.

Landing on hard concrete with a gauntlet at her throat, she cursed under her breath.

“Now might not be the time…” She growled lowly, and another explosion shook the debris.

Using the distraction, she slipped out of the metal grip and back flipped away.

Splinter was fighting against Stockman, though he was thrown roughly to the ground.

“SENSEI!”

Bringing up the water again, she used it to send a wave of sharp icicles at the robot, distracting him as the elderly rat got away.

Leo ran in to try and stop Stockman as he reached for Artemis, and was punched away.

“LEO!”

Don and Mikey tried to help, but they were smacked away, and Artemis jumped up.

He shot missiles at her, and she spun in the air, wind knocking the explosives off-course.

Don and Mikey wrapped rope around the robot’s legs, and she kicked him in the chest, using Airbending to give herself more momentum.

With a cry, Stockman fell down QUITE a few stories, seemingly defeated.

Crimson eyes narrowed as she felt the air shift, and she FELT someone behind her…

With a flick of her wrist, water came up and crystallized as a shield, catching a gauntlet.

“Let’s not be hasty there. The idiot hasn’t died yet.”

As if on cue, the robot flew back up, and she jumped back, bringing the water with her to block a punch.

“Not so fast!”

A missile hit the ground she was about to land on, and she cried out as she fell through thin air.

“ARTEMIS!”

Leo caught her hand, stopping the gold-banded turtle’s descent.

“Leo…” She forced out, breathless from the scare.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

Nodding mutely, she helped lift herself to the edge as more explosions rocked the room.

“Be careful.”

The blue-banded turtle nodded, a small smile on his face.

“Anything for you, love.”

“And we’ll always have each other.”

The city crumbled above them, but she managed to Airbend the debris away.

“Maybe we should do this later…”

“Probably…”

Mitsukai yelped as she dodged debris, eventually hiding behind her owner.

“Leo! Artie!” Don shouted.

Both nodded, running into the fray.

Jumping up with weapons raised, they managed to cut off his missile arm and one of his legs.

The robot swung, hitting the blue-banded turtle into a wall.

“LEO!”

With a growl, she lifted up a large sheet of rock, throwing it at the robot so he fell through a wall and down to the streets below.

“I’m gonna miss that guy…NOT!”

Artemis grinned, high-threeing her brother.

“Got that right!”

“Alright, Shredder! Let’s end this! Now!” Leo stated as everyone drew their weapons.

“I intend to!”

A wall blew, showing Stockman again.

“…Two major entrances is ENOUGH for one robot man, THANK YOU!”

More missiles were fired, and she flew through the air, bending a beam with her shell.

“OW…”

“MAN…Can someone PLEASE shut down the flying giant toaster oven?”

“Maybe we can pull his plug!” Don mused.

“Leo! His exo-suits power source! The cells on his back!”

“On it!”

Stockman shot at the blue-banded turtle as he charged, and Artemis used water the block and absorb the bullets, as Leo cut the cords.

The robot fell, seemingly motionless.

“Shut him down and shut him up!”

“FINALLY! He was so ANNOYING…Not as annoying as Mikey, though…”

“ARTIE…”

Then the robot stood up…

“…Scratch that…He is WAY more annoying than Mikey…”

“Why thank you-! Wait a minute…HEY…”

Stockman’s talking was now like a fly’s buzzing, irritating.

It made her want PUNCH something…

Preferably the scientist…

“So what you’re saying is…”

Don lifted up the dismembered robot arm with a grin.

“This arm should still be fully functional, right?”

“Oh no…”

“Oh, yeah. Nail him, Donnie!”

“FIRE IN THE HOLE!”

The blast literally sent Stockman FLYING, and Artemis was sure he wasn’t coming back.

‘If he does, I swear to God, I’m Metalbending him into a frickin’ pretzel!’

She paused, then smacked her forehead.

‘WHY DIDN’T I DO THAT BEFORE!?!’

“Now, where were we? Oh, yes…”

Shredder kicked Don and Raph down, and went for Mikey as he was standing.

“MIKEY!”

Tackling him in the side, she knocked him out of the way and blocked the gauntlet with her fans.

“SHREDDER!”

Both Ninjitsu masters faced off as Artemis backed up, fans open still.

Shredder kicked Splinter straight through a wall, and her heart clenched.

“SENSEI!”

Jumping forward, she tried to grab his hand, but someone grabbed her by the shell and threw her backwards.

Landing with a dull thud, she groaned.

“OW…”

Sitting up, she glared at the Shredder, realizing Leo had gone to save their father.

“OH, I’m pissed…”

Flipping to her feet, she slid into a stance.

“No more Ms. Nice Turtle…”

Lifting the ground so it shook, she ducked as Don and Raph jumped over her, kicking the Shredder into an outdoor, rooftop garden.

Jumping out to face him with her brothers, she brought the water from the man-made pond.

They didn’t do very well…

Artemis bit back a cry of pain as she was kicked into a tree, feeling the bark shatter on impact.

Groaning a bit, she sat up, and blades were at her throat.

“I want to hear you scream…”

The static from the Sword of Tengu made both look up.

“Get away from her, Shredder!”

“The Sword of Tengu…”

Leo blasted the man through a small wooden bridge, and the gold-banded turtle sat up.

Putting a hand to her head, she groaned as strange flying contraptions came in, Foot ninja blasting at them.

“Dear lord-! CAN’T I HAVE A BREAK?!”

Lifting up a boulder of earth, she fired it at one, knocking the ninja right out of the air.

“YES! I’ve got game tonight!”

Pulling the water up, she threw icicles at the many flying black-clad ninja.

Some went down, and she ducked under a powerful punch.

Kicking back, she hit metal, but the actual form didn’t move.

“…Shell…”

About to break contact and bolt, she froze when his hand closed over her throat, slightly choking her.

“Join me. Imagine the control you would obtain, the power…”

“I don’t want it the easy way!” She forced out in a deep growl.

A snarl cut through the air, and Mitsukai was biting and clawing at the Shredder’s arm.

Almost carelessly, he threw her off, and she yelped in pain.

With his other hand, the Shredder reached for the sword, but Leo got in the way.

Summoning his elite, he was taken by surprise when she breathed out a large gust of air, pushing him back.

She joined Leo as he fought the Foot elite, and blasted them a few feet away.

“Artemis, I can finish this alone!”

“But you don’t have to!”

She smiled, snapping her large fan open.

“That’s why I’m here.”

Blocking a naginata, she jumped up and delivered a roundhouse kick to the face.

Crouching, she dodged a shuriken, closing her fan.

“Why do you insist on angering me?!”

Standing up, she quirked an eye-ridge.

“I don’t do thing just to piss you off…It’s just a nice bonus.”

She smirked.

“Besides, if I REALLY wanted to piss you off, I’d do this.”

Putting a hand on the back of Leo’s neck, she pulled him down for a kiss.

Leo, surprised as the open show of affection, hardly responded when her tongue snaked into his mouth for a taste.

When she pulled back, a churr rumbled through her chest, like a kitten’s purr.

“Mmmm…Chocolate…”

A responding churr escaped him, and he hardly realized the earth had come up to defend them from attack.

“You know you shouldn’t have…”

Artemis smiled sweetly, like lazy honey, and nuzzled his chin.

“I know…and I don’t care…”

“Artemis…”

“I just needed a taste…a little one…to calm the fire inside me…”

Earth crumbled, shattering the peace of the moment, and she pulled up an ice shield.

It shattered against the mighty sword’s blast, and both turtles were thrown back.

Lifting her head in a sudden daze, her vision focused on the Shredder as he towered over the pair of turtles.

“You shouldn’t have.” He growled darkly.

“That is something you should be sharing with ME.”

Stubborn as ever, she glared as a fire in her chest started burning brighter.

“Never.”

“Then we’ll both lose something we want. But you body will still be mine.”

He raised the Sword of Tengu, pointing the blade at a still-dazed Leo’s throat.

The fire roared like a dragon, and the yell escaped her throat with the heat.

“NO!!!”

Fire flared, searing metal and throwing the Shredder back quite a bit.

It spiraled around her in a tornado of flame, sparking and blossoming as it made the air waver.

Instead of cooling, her core made the heat grow, scorching her veins and frying her nerves with pain.

Screaming in pain as she felt the pain start ripping her apart, she tried to pull the flames back in…

“Artie!!!”

“Princess!!!”

She couldn’t pull in the fire…

Couldn’t control it…

“ARTEMIS!”

Hands on her shoulders, steady, stabilizing her heart…

Arms around her waist, cold against her hot skin, cooling the flames…

A cool, light feeling crashed into her chest, holding her close as it seemed to blow the fire away…

Another heat, raging against hers, but bringing her control…

With a shaky breath, the flames were sucked into her chest…

Crimson eyes opened to her brothers, looking worried and slightly relieved.

With a small smile, she tilted her head a bit cutely as her soul fought to keep the fire under control.

“Hey, guys…Have s’mores without me?”

Mikey smiled a bit at the joke, but snuggled against her chest more.

“Oh, Artie…”

The heat boiled her blood steadily, and it made her vision blur.

Leo helped keep her up as she struggled to stay conscious.

“Artemis?”

“Too much…fire…”

“ARTEMIS!”

Raph caught her safely as she fell back, holding her close.

“It’s a’right, princess…I got ya…”

She tried to keep her eyes open, and failed as the colors only blended more.

“Artie, are you okay?” Don asked worriedly.

“I-I’ll be okay…B-But you guys h-have to finish th-this…”

“Are you sure?” Leo asked, concern wrinkling his brow.

“I’m sure…Just go…”

After a moment, Leo nodded.

“Raph, take care of her.”

“I’m goin’ wit’ ya, bro.”

Don and Mikey took her weight, and Leo kissed her forehead.

“Be safe, love…”

“Be careful.” She managed in a whisper, nuzzling him lightly.

“I love you…”

Her senses darkened as they shared a sweet kiss…

“I know…I love you, too…”

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Artemis awoke in a helicopter, her head on Leo’s lap.

“You feeling better, Artemis?”

She smiled lazily, nuzzling his plastron.

“Yeah…Where’s sensei?”

He stiffened, and she felt sure something was wrong…

“Leo?”

“He…We don’t know where he is…”

Her heart twisted, and Mitsukai whimpered from the floor.

“Is he okay?”

“…We don’t know…”

Sitting up, she ignored the pain throbbing through her.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she tried to comfort him.

The tears overflowed, and she buried her face in his neck.

“It’s okay, Artemis…” Leo soothed, fighting back his own grief.

“We’ll find him…”

He squeezed her in reassurance, closing his eyes.

“I promise…”