Golden Angel

Artemis sighed, opening one of her fans easily.

“When are these punks going to learn?”

The shining metal smacked a couple Purple Dragon’s in the stomach.

“They can’t beat us!”

“Yeah! Green beats purple every time!”

“They’ll all be black an’ blue by the time I’M through wit’ ‘em!”

Mitsukai agreed with a sharp bark, and her ears cocked down the alley.

“What is it, girl?” Artemis asked, grabbing a pipe coming for her head.

Twisting it in its owners grip, she pushed it to hit the offending Purple Dragon in the head and knock him out.

With another bark, the husky was off.

“Be careful!” She warned, jumping up to give another gangster a kick in the face.

“We’ve got a runner!” Don shouted.

The gold-banded turtle sighed.

“I think Mitsukai’s got it…”

Still, she went anyway.

Ever since the husky had been ‘dognapped’, she was loathe to leave her on her own.

Running, she jumped off walls until she saw the young, purple-haired girl backing up from a growling Mitsukai.

Landing behind the canine, she smirked from the shadows.

“Good, girl.”

The girl took a chance to bolt, and Artemis wasn’t far behind.

Grabbing her from behind, she pulled back.

The purple-haired girl turned to face her, and crimson eyes widened a bit.

“Angel?”

A punch found her gut, and she gritted her teeth as Casey joined her.

“Angel? Artemis, let her go!”

Obeying slowly, a bit stunned, Artemis stepped back.

“Casey? What are you doing here?”

“Stoppin’ ya from makin’ the biggest mistake ‘a yer life!”

“What? The Purple Dragons? Nah. They’re my posse. My family.”

“FAMILY doesn’t make you steal.” Artemis bit out, and Mitsukai bristled from beside her.

“And ya got real family at home.”

“Yeah, well who asked you, loser? If I want to be a Purple Dragon, it’s my business!”

“It’ll be MY business when I have to kick your ass!” Artemis butted in with a growl.

“Yeah, well, I don’t see a badge on you!”

“I don’t need one to whoop somebody.”

“And I don’t see a dragon on you.” Casey added.

“Not yet. So why don’t ya quit while ya still got a chance?”

“I ain’t quittin’ nothin’!”

“So you’re quitting?” Artemis replied with a smirk.

‘I love double-negatives…’

“No! Tonight was my first test! Tomorrow, I pass my initiation!”

Artemis flinched a bit.

‘So soon?’

“And then I’m gonna wear my dragon with pride!”

“A dragon comes with a price! Ya don’t know what yer gettin’ yerself mixed up in!”

“Yeah…Maybe you’re right-!”

The bag of money smacked Casey to the ground, and the jade-skinned turtle lunged.

Angel managed to allude her grip, and got over the fence in a flash.

“Damn it…” She muttered, Mitsukai licking her fingers as she straightened.

“Guys? What happened? Who was that girl?” Raph questioned as the others arrived.

“Her name’s Angel…” Artemis stated, fidgeting with her fans.

“I know ‘er from the neighborhood. I promised ‘er Grandma I’d keep an eye on ‘er. Keep ‘er out ‘a trouble.”

“So she’s a Purple Dragon?” Leo asked.

“No!” Artemis snapped suddenly, but she bit her tongue.

“Not if I can help it…”

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“…Artemis?”

Looking up from her fans, she shot Leo a questioning look.

“Yeah?”

“…How do you know that girl?”

Sighing, she fiddled with the closed fan before putting it down.

“When I was younger, I used to go topside for fresh air…I know I shouldn’t have. But I made friends with her while I was in disguise…I taught her some moves when I found that kids were picking on her…”

Closing her eyes, she sighed.

“…She didn’t realize it was me…”

“…Are you okay?”

“…Yeah…I’m okay…”

The dull roar of an engine caught their attention, and they lifted their eyes from each other.

Tires squealed, and crimson eyes widened.

“SHELL!”

Grabbing her fans, she jumped out of the way, managing to pull Leo with her.

The Battle Shell hit Don’s workbench, stopping, and Artemis loosened her hold on Leo’s wrist.

“…MIKEY!!”

“EEP!!!!!”

“Donatello…You’re Battle Shell is a marvel of engineering. A true testament to your incredible mechanical skills. And I never want to see it in our home again.”

The gold-banded turtle marched up, glaring at her youngest brother.

“I know someone ELSE I don’t want to see in our home again…”

“AHHH!!!”

Tackling him, they wrestled, though it ended with her pinning him down.

“Are you going to touch Donnie’s stuff again?”

“No…”

“Are you going to almost run me over again?”

“No…”

“Good. Then DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING!”

Nodding meekly, Mikey tried not to move as she stood up, rubbing her forehead.

“Better get the Battle Shell up to the warehouse, huh?”

Don nodded, sighing.

“Then I’ll have to fix up all the furniture…”

“Mikey will help.”

“But-!”

Artemis’s glare silenced him.

“…Okay…”

Getting the Battle Shell topside was harder than it seemed, but they managed…

Somehow…

Mitsukai was sleeping on some covered crates, ears perked to catch sound, as the gold-banded turtle sat below her, twirling her small fans.

It seemed calm, actually, until the husky perked.

“What is it, girl?”

Head tilted, she sniffed the air and barked.

“I don’t think it’s anybody bad…”

The wood-covered window was pounded on.

“Artemis?! Raphael?!”

Perking, she recognized the voice.

‘Angel?’

Standing, she headed to the large door.

Mikey stopped her, probably wanting to show off, and she waited for the Battle Shell to be in position, headlights on.

‘Brothers…’

The door opened, and she rolled her eyes, hands on her hips.

‘Can’t just open the door, can we?’

“A’right, kid. This better be good.”

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They were soon in the Battle Shell, Artemis pulling on baggy jeans over her long legs and shell.

“Okay, I knew Casey hung out with some weird dudes, but you guys are off the charts.”

“Speak for Mikey. He’s the weird one.”

“ARTIE…”

Angel seemed to have a thoughtful look on her face as the jade-skinned turtle pulled on a black shirt and a baseball cap.

“…Artie?”

Hearing the questioning realization, she gave a small smile.

“Yep. That’s me.”

A smile spread on the girl’s face.

“ARTIE!”

Artemis almost fell over from the powerful hug, and she grinned.

“Hey, Angel. About time.”

Mikey and Raph looked confused.

“Uh…princess?”

“Old friend.”

Pulling on some shades, she stood up with Angel, pulling on shoes.

“I’m sorry, Artie…”

“No prob. But now we’ve got to save Casey’s sorry butt…”

“I ain’t goin’ out like this! Don’t tell me humans seriously dress like this!” Raph complained.

Mikey grinned.

“It’s a good look for you, Raph. Kind of a hip hop, cat-burglar, storm-trooper thing.”

“Don’t laugh, green boy. You’re next.” Angel stated, handing Mikey clothes.

His sister grinned wider.

“You GO, girl…”

Once at the building, Angel led them, disguised, inside.

‘It’s lucky that we need only three fingers…’

Standing near the bleachers inside, she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

“Man, it’s like we walked into an ugly convention.” Mikey whispered to his red-banded brother.

“Hey, then ya must feel right at home, Mikey.”

“Knock it off, guys. I’m trying to blend here.” Don intervened.

Raph crossed his arms.

“Ya really wanna look like a Purple Dragon? Try gettin’ yer butt kicked by a ninja turtle.”

“I’m down with that.” Mikey agreed.

Artemis rolled her eyes.

“I have to agree, though…”

“Okay, guys. Take note. We have exits there and there. Guards posted around the perimeter. Everyone’s pretty heavily armed, so can we TRY to avoid a fight.”

The group looked at him like he was crazy.

“Yeah, right…What was I thinking?”

The arena in the center was OBVIOUSLY important, and a cage was lowered over it.

‘…I don’t like where this is going…’

Seeing the large man in the center with a mike, she smiled a bit.

‘…I think this might be fun…’

“Tonight’s cage match championship will determine which team will have the honor of ridding the Purple Dragons of a most hated enemy.”

‘Awww…I’m not number one? Bummer…’

Casey was lowered on a strange x-shaped table, upside-down.

“Lousy thugs…I got yer most hated enemy right ‘ere!”

She held up her arm out before Raph charged.

“We can’t blow our cover…”

A smirk crossed her face.

“Yet…”

Plenty of thugs ran into the cage, eager for a chance to beat the crap out of Casey.

Said vigilante was lifted into the air again, and Artemis furrowed her brow.

“You guys should go in.”

Raph gave her a slightly disbelieving look.

“Princess?”

“You and Leo can fight while Don, Mikey, and Angel get Casey. I’ll stay as back-up.”

Leo nodded, smiling a bit.

“Good idea.”

“I’ve got plenty.”

The group split off, and she leaned on the bleachers easily.

Though seemingly relaxed, her muscles almost burned with tension.

She smirked at the cage.

‘Seven against two? Hardly fair…There should be more Purple Dragons…’

They were beating up the Purple Dragons badly, and she twitched a bit when a blow seemed ready to land.

Smacking her forehead when Raph was revealed, she grabbed the large fan hidden under her clothes as the Purple Dragons in the stands got angry.

Moving forward as inconspicuously as possible, she somehow managed to cut a few bars and slip in without being seen.

‘Some idiots are frickin’ BLIND…’

The large man busted through the ‘door’ to the cage, and headed straight for her brothers.

“HEY!”

He looked up as her foot hit his face in a roundhouse kick.

Jumping back, she tilted her cap up.

“Remember me?”

He growled, lunging for her.

Back-flipping away, her feet caught his chin, sending him back.

“Aw, you do!”

Grinning mockingly now, she pulled off her shades and shirt.

“Still testy?”

She danced around his blows, giggling now.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Kicking off her shoes, content that they hit him hard enough, she jumped up to the top bars, gripping them tight.

“Alright. Time for some patented butt-whooping.”

Managing to push off, she pulled out her large, closed fan and smacked it into his chest.

He managed to stand his ground this time, grabbing her arm.

“HEY!”

Struggling, she tried to rip his fingers loose as her feet flailed.

“What? Can’t beat me without your little ‘surprise attack’?”

She smirked.

“Oh, I don’t need it…”

She pulled her foot back.

“It just makes this easier!”

Her foot met the same spot, and she used her free foot to push him off.

Mikey and Don managed to hold off the other Purple Dragons, and Artemis grinned a bit wider as the large blonde stumbled to his feet.

“Come on! It can’t hurt that bad!”

Raph flinched a bit.

“Then ya’ve never been a guy, princess…”

“Princess?”

Hearing the mocking tone, she jumped up, her fist smacking into his face.

“You can’t call me that.” She growled.

“Why not?”

His fist smacked into her chest, and she flew back, bending the bars when her shell made impact.

“It’s obvious that’s what you are. That and a whore.”

Her eyes were blazing, and a snarl rumbled in her chest.

“I’m going to kill you…”

She seemed eager to do just that, fans open and looking deadly sharp in the spotlight.

She jumped forward, lunging for the throat, and actually cut him up pretty badly in her seething rage before Leo pulled her off.

“Artemis! Artemis, calm down!”

Still looking ready to breathe fire and glaring hot enough to melt steel, Artemis tried to catch her breath.

She looked wild, eyes flaming and breath ragged.

“Artemis, it’s okay…” Leo soothed.

He knew how horrible she’d feel with blood on her hands, and had to stop her.

As the anger faded, realization hit her, and she dropped her fans on the ground.

“Leo, I…”

“It’s okay…”

Closing her eyes to the blood and fighting back the vomit in her throat, she felt her eyes burn.

“I’m sorry, Leo…”

“I forgive you…”

She felt the air shift, and flipped one of her fans up with her foot, pointing the sharp end at the man’s throat.

“Don’t you dare.” She growled lowly, sounding deadly.

Raph jumped at him from the side as Leo’s arm relaxed, now around her waist.

“…We’ve got to go…”

Almost hesitantly, he released her, and she picked up her other fan.

“Princess, watch out!”

A large fist hit the side of her head, and she fell, dazed and hardly conscious, into Leo’s arms.

“ARTEMIS!”

Her vision blurred on his face, and she felt something warm sliding down her cheek…

‘Blood…’

Her stomach twisted, and she closed her eyes…

“I-I’m sorry…”

And her world went dark…

When she woke up, she was on someone’s lap, the rumble of an engine lulling her senses into a dull throb.

Something soft was on the side of her head, and there was no longer warm blood on her skin.

“Artemis?”

Looking up, her vision cleared on worried brown eyes.

“Leo?”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Besides my head, arms, legs, and chest? I’m fine…”

She smiled a bit, and he seemed relieved.

“That was a pretty bad hit to the head you got…”

“Yeah…did he used a boulder or something?”

Groaning a bit in pain, she put a hand to her bandages.

“Actually, a pipe.”

“…I hate Purple Dragons…”

“Yeah, I thought you would…”

Her head was still fuzzy, random thoughts drifting in and out of focus just long enough for her to see them.

One, however, managed to reach her mouth before she could stop it.

Though, she WAS rather sleepy…

“You’re really handsome, Leo…”

His eyes widened a bit, wondering if she’d slurred her words somehow, as she fell asleep…

‘…You’re really beautiful, too…’ He admitted in his thoughts…

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“Any more information on the turtle?”

“Actually, yes. It seems they came to free their vigilante friend.”

“What have you learned?”

“She’s a fast-paced fighter, more long-range, but she’s…sensitive…”

“Of what?”

“I called her…a whore…and she went into a blind rage. She would’ve killed me if that blue turtle hadn’t stopped her. It seems she gets sick at the sight of blood.”

“Did you manage to leave a mark?”

“Not at the time. She seems strangely protective of that turtle. But I did manage to get her on the head. She was out like a light.”

“What were their reactions?”

“Protective. The blue turtle wouldn’t let me get anywhere near her.”

The Japanese man sighed, looking at the folder.

“…He may be the risk factor on her joining…Or the very reason she does…”

“Should I get rid of him, master?”

“Not yet…”