Saturday! I loves me the Saturday. And it's really long! Sorry about that. Forty-one more words and it would have been 4000!

What's up with the new thing here where all my chapter divides in my old stories have vanished? I used to use "-" like that, now I have to use something else, like oooOOOooo. ponders

Oh, well! TMNT are belong to Mirage. OCs are belong to me. Strange talk are belong to someone else, but I don't know who.

Bragging Rights

He quietly pulled the Kusarigama from under his loose top, where it had rested, its odd shape hidden under the coup stick strapped awkwardly to his back.

"Fool!" came a breathy curse, and Jun froze, concerned that his victim had also heard it.

But the turtle continued to salvage the many supplies.

Jun closed his eyes briefly; centered himself, then opened his eyes and silently got into position.

With a powerful, silent throw, the weighted edge of the chain made an unerring beeline straight for the skull of the brainy turtle...

Don pivoted quickly; both arms came up, the left deflecting the chain towards the right, where with an additional movement Don caused it to loop several times around the forearm, while catching the slack with his hand. Moving smoothly and quickly, he grasped the chain with his left as well, got a good grip, and yanked hard.

Jun didn't lose his own hold on the weapon, but he was propelled forwards in a stumbling run, too stunned to resist. His mind was having a hard time grasping what was happening. It raced with thoughts so fast and panicked, he felt as if he were in a crowded room surrounded by hundreds of people all shouting at once. Every lesson his Sensei, his Jounin, his father and mother had taught him vied for his attention, like unwelcome and useless advice.

Don stepped towards the staggering figure, eyes steely and businesslike, as he shook the chain loose from his right arm. He then made a few flicking motions, wrapping the chain once, twice around Jun, pinning his arms in such a way that the business end of the weapon ended up just under his chin, a huge and deadly frown that could not match for sheer coldness the one on the turtle's face.

Another flick, another tug, and the chain dug through the material of Jun's outfit, painfully pinching the flesh beneath.

A third tug, and the hapless boy found himself face down on the damp rooftop. The scent of blood, dirt, and tea filled his nostrils. The blade of the kusarigama was making itself aware to Jun. He could feel its cold touch through his clothing.

No sound, except the beating of his own fearful heart in his ears- soon mingled with the adrenaline rush breath of Don. Then a very light "thud", and Jun guessed rather than saw that the other turtle had returned.

"What, you ain't ready ta go yet?" came the matter-of-fact query.

"Got a bit distracted," was the equally nonchalant reply.

But Jun could hear the edge in Don's voice despite the turtle's casual words.

"What's that on his back?" Raph asked. "Strange-lookin' weapon."

"Well I'll be... it's a coup stick," Don said, finally taking his eyes off the boy and focusing on the item.

Raph's face lit up.

"No kiddin'? A coup stick? I always wanted ta see one up close!"

A powerful hand entwined itself into the fabric of Jun's outfit, and he was hoisted up and held in a dangling position, feeling like a kitten being held by the scruff of the neck by its mother. Raph, with a tug or two, freed the coup stick from the boy's back and held it out to get a better look at it.

"That is freakin' awesome! I always liked them stories Master Splinter told us about counting coup."

"Yes, I liked them as well," Don agreed, as he untangled the chain from the dangling boy and relieved him of the weapon. "I remember Mike trying to prove he was brave by touching you with a coup stick."

Raph's beak wrinkled in disgust.

"That wasn't a coup stick, it was the toilet scrubbing brush," he reminded Don. "AND he'd just used it to scrub the toilet with."

"I'm surprised you didn't beat the crap out of him," Don allowed himself a brief chuckle.

"If I hadn't slid in the trail of water he was leavin' with that wet brush, I would have caught him before he made it ta Splinter." Then he eyeballed Jun, who was trying to decide if it would be worth it to toss the blinding powder. "So, you're carryin' a coup stick, eh? Listen, kid, if you're tryin' ta play 'Cow-Turtles and Indians', you ain't doin' it right."

Jun, trembling slightly, put on his prideful face and refused to answer.

Reaching out with the blade of the kusarigama, Don turned Jun's face to his, eyes hard and piercing.

"I warned you last time," he said, each word sharp and cold. "And you not only return, you kindly provide me with the tool to do the job."

Jun struggled now, trying to break away from Raph. The turtle, however, had too good of a grip on the boy. Raph shook the kid like a rag doll, and gestured with the coup stick.

"You see that? You've pissed Don off," he growled. "Don's not a good person ta piss off. Now it's gonna get messy, and frankly, I don't feel like disposin' of no bodies tonight- otherwise you'd be in good company with the others that we chased outta here instead a' guttin' them as a message to Karai!"

Raph tossed the kid at Don's feet. Jun managed to land on his hands and knees rather than in a sprawling mess, but he was far from free. Though his mind kept crying out all sorts of fleeing commands, his body refused to obey. He felt so helpless, so ashamed-

-so scared!

Don squatted down, placed a finger under Jun's chin, forcing his head up and locking eyes with him.

"You are in luck," he said. "But I swear to you, the third time will be your last."

He rose and moved back to his share of the supplies, turning his back on the boy with a dismissive air.

Raph tucked the coup stick into his belt and picked up the rest of the items that had been dropped in the skirmish with the Foot patrol. Then he turned with a wave to the still kneeling boy.

"Thanks for the souvenir," he cheerfully said to Jun. "Splinter's gonna get a kick outta displayin' this in the dojo."

"NO!" Jun finally found his voice and his control. With a speed and a skill that startled his waiting friends, he leaped forward, simultaneously flinging some blinding powder and snatching the coup stick away from Raph, then beating a not so stealthy retreat across the rooftops, his retreating figure growing smaller and smaller until the night kindly and finally swallowed him from sight.

His team, stifling snickers, quietly followed, keeping to the shadows but never losing their friend.

"You're getting slow in your old age," Don chided Raph as the wind safely carried away what little powder had actually reached them, but the turtle in question shrugged his shoulders.

"We wasted enough time on these kids," he said indifferently. "So, I'm guessin' that coup stick is part of this whole mess."

"Yeah," Don replied thoughtfully, as they resumed their trek home across the rooftops. "I mean, I wondered what Karai was doing, sending a kid to attack me. I didn't see the stick the last time. I guess I'm his homework assignment in bravery."

The thought amused the turtle, but his brother didn't share in the feeling.

"Well, he'd better take your warnin' seriously, and not try it again," Raph said as they descended to a dark alley. With the ease of practice, he had the heavy manhole cover up quick and silent. " 'Cause you know Leo ain't gonna put up with it, and the kid just might not make it home next time."

oooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

Jun found his team waiting for him at the entrance- or rather, he found Yuuto and Naoto waiting. Asuka was nowhere in sight.

"She's gone to the Jounin," Naoto said, not waiting for Jun to ask. "She's gone to report how you once again tried to kill the Turtle."

Jun paled slightly, but recovered his bravado at once. With it he found a steadily growing anger.

"She has no right! This is MY test, not hers!"

Despite his exhaustion at fleeing home, Jun broke into a quick sprint towards their barracks, trying to catch up to Asuka, trying to prevent her from ruining his chance to prove himself.

"She's probably already with him," Yuuto said, catching up to his friend as they raced through the maze of hallways, passing Foot techs and trainees and soldiers who gave them no more notice that one would give a passing fly. "She was quite angry-"

"She has no right to be!" Jun repeated, working harder and harder to get through the ever-growing crowd.

"Jun-san! Yuuto-san!" Naoto called from behind, but Jun would not stop and Yuuto was determined to keep up with his friend and make sure he didn't get into any more trouble.

On they moved, but running was now impossible. It seemed the entire Clan was heading in the same direction- and that direction was towards the main room, where the Mistress held court.

Jun, shorter than most of the others, found it impossible to see what was happening. Yuuto was almost as bad off, though a few inches taller than his friend. Yet he couldn't see what lie ahead. Nor could they figure it out from eavesdropping on snatches of conversation; the Foot were too well-trained to gossip in the open halls where someone with a grudge could use it against a hated rival.

"Jun! Yuuto!" came Naoto's voice, and they turned to find their friend pushing his way through the throng, gesturing to them at the same time to follow him to a side hallway. After exchanging looks, Yuuto went after Naoto. Jun, looking reluctant, yet realizing that the way was now pretty much blocked, followed.

"What-?" he began, but Naoto waved him silent, leading them further down the hall, where fewer people could note them.

"We have to find a way into the Main Hall," he whispered. "While I was chasing after you two, I ran into my brother. The Mistress is angry about something that happened tonight- involving the Turtles!"

Jun stood still, and his head spun for a moment. Had Asuka sold him out to the Jounin? Had the Jounin reported him to the Mistress?

Slowly more of Naoto's words got through.

"... haven't much time. I know a shorter way, but we'll have to be careful. It's reserved for the higher-ups, not for students like us."

Quietly the threesome moved, trying to give the appearance of belonging where they were. Each worried what might happen if they were discovered, but it appeared that no one was watching for the unworthy.

In no time they reached one of the wide open entrances, where Jun spied the Jounin- and Asuka! He felt his cheeks burn with same, then the growing spark of anger once again. She had sold him out to their Jounin! She was so jealous, she had broken faith with her team, with Jun!

Forgetting caution, he ran up to the Jounin and Asuka, protestations and accusations at the ready.

"Jounin-" his voice sounded loud in the hushed room. The Jounin immediately and silently commanded him to be still- Jun was aware of many eyes upon him- once again he felt fear that night.

But then, as he took in the sight, the eyes on him turned back to the head of the room, where Karai sat on a raised platform, looking beautiful and deadly.

Before her was a quartet of Foot, bloodied and bruised, kneeling low as if praying for their lives.

Jun felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Asuka gazing at him in a meaningful way, trying to convey "something" to him but without speaking.

What? he mouthed the word, frustrated at her various nods, significant head gestures, and constantly moving eyes.

"Buta!" she finally whispered, and pointed directly through the crowd at the large ninja-in-training.

"Am I to understand that this so-called team followed the Turtles tonight?" the harsh tone of Karai carried around the room without the benefit of a microphone. Jun swallowed, hard, and strained his ears to hear the soft response of the man in charge of sending out the patrols.

"Hai, Mistress," the older man bowed. "They followed two of the Turtles in an attempt to locate their new lair."

Karai gazed at the four who were dripping blood on her beautiful floor.

"And did they find the hiding hole of those reptiles? Did they kill my hated enemies?"

The eager tone in her voice was not lost on Jun; she DOES want them dead! But the Jounin had forbidden-

If so much was not going on, he would have been caught up again in his glorious dream of earning the praise of the Mistress.

"No, Mistress," the man replied again. "They were unsuccessful in locating the lair. They... were too eager... the two they were following attacked them.

Jun thought he could hear Buta breathing- he had such a noisy whistling wheezy way of doing so when under a lot of stress. HOW he would ever make a successful ninja, when he sounded like a kettle on the boil...

Karai gestured to the man, who prodded Daichi with his toe. The "leader" looked up, and there was no mistaking the brief look of fear on his piggy face.

"You fought the Turtles?"

"H-h-hai, Mistress."

"And came back alive? Without their heads?"

An uneasy pause.

"Ha-hai, Mistress. We were about to strike when... when something alerted them to our presence."

"Probably heard him grunting," whispered Jun to Yuuto, who had to turn quickly and cover his mouth with both hands to keep from being heard.

Unfortunately, he had made enough of a noise to attract the attention of others- including Buta. The disgraced ninja did not see who laughed, but his piggy eyes singled out Jun in an instant. Growing bold, he straightened up on his knees and leveled a beefy arm in the direction of this boy.

"Yes, there is the one who warned them!" he almost shouted. "He and his team have been out past curfew, getting involved in our business, making trouble! Jun is the one who ruined our chance to kill your hated enemies!"

He was only guessing, but unfortunately for Jun and his team, it was a pretty decent guess.

Jun felt the eyes of the room on himself again. Beside him, the Jounin stared with icy calmness at Daichi. It was not his place to speak until commanded to.

Karai did not look to whom Daichi was pointing at. Rather, she continued to favor Daichi and his team with a withering glare, keeping silent.

"I know it all!" Daichi went on, emboldened by the lack of orders to be quiet. "I have caught them many times returning well after curfew! I have seen them haunting the places we stake out, the places we know that the Turtles may come to. I have reported-"

"Enough!" Karai snapped out, and Daichi bowed down again. "Enough of these feeble excuses!"

Then she turned to the Kunochi on her left- Jun's mother. After a whispered conversation, Jun's mother bowed then left the room. Karai arose and descended from the raised platform.

"Until the heads of the reptiles and their rat master hang on the walls of my bedroom, I will not be satisfied! My father did not tolerate failure. I do not either, though I do not display my displeasure as he did. Find me the lair of the Turtles! If you attempt to fight them again, and fail- do not return at all! For if I cannot have their heads, I will have yours!"

oooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

"See? She wants them dead! I can do this, I know I can!"

Jun, perched on a bunk in the wing of the women's dormitory, was desperately trying to persuade his teammate to not report him. The whispered conversation between the Mistress and his mother had not been lost on Jun, but so far the Jounin had not revoked their permission to be out after curfew. Nor had he taken the coup stick back from the hapless Jun.

Asuka was not happy. She had been so very close to telling the Jounin of Jun's humiliating performances, of his stubborn belief that he could actually KILL one of the turtles. The girl felt such anger at her friend that she was ready to break their trust and go against him.

Yet, even as she had approached the Jounin, she found the words sticking in her throat. As she had stood there, stammering and suddenly shy, the news that Karai was receiving a report about an encounter with the turtles had saved her from turning in her friend.

At the same time, she had been gripped with the fear that Jun's actions HAD been witnessed by someone else, and that there would be hell to pay for all four of them.

"Look!" she suddenly said, rising from her own top bunk and facing Jun. "I do not like these constant attempts on your part to kill this Donatello! I just want to train! I want to be the best I can be so that when I am out on patrol I can do my job without getting my ass kicked! You're the one who needs to 'prove' himself! I do NOT!"

She jumped down from the bunk, stalking towards the women's communal bath, Jun hard on her heels.

"I can do this!" he pleaded. "Please. Asuka-chan! I'm begging you."

Asuka paused, defeated, in the doorway to the baths, shoulders sagging.

"Jun," she said. "I- I do not-"

"Please!" his eyes were filled with such pleading.

She drew in a deep breath, let it go- then stared him in the eyes.

"Promise you won't try to kill the turtle! Promise that you will do as the Jounin ordered!"

Jun, with only a moment's hesitation, nodded.

"I promise."

And he kept his face as sincere and innocent as possible.

oooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

It was two more weeks before their next lucky break.

Daichi rode them hard every chance he got, making their task so difficult that even Jun was ready to go to the Jounin.

He had not found out what Karai had said to his mother. She had made one appearance to him at breakfast a few days after the incident, inquiring after his progress- and even then she had only spoken to the Jounin, ignoring the presence of her son.

His father, too, had been seen in conversation with the Jounin's superior, but other than a brief nod, he had not acknowledged his son in any real way.

"They are up to something, and I am going to find out," Daichi swore to his team one night, while they were on patrol. "Did you see how guilty he looked the other night when we were with the Mistress?"

The other three stared in disbelief at Daichi, who made it sound as if Karai had personally invited them to some special war counsel.

"All I saw was the puddle of blood that slowly formed on the floor from the cut on my head," came the sharp retort of Mahito. But Daichi ignored the others. He was going to find out what Jun-tachi were up to!

Meanwhile...

"Don, we're running a great risk, meeting like this."

"Afraid Casey will be jealous? Ow!"

"You KNOW I mean Karai," April frowned, sorry she'd popped Don on the arm like that- her hand hurt something fierce now!

"Look, she watches your place like a hawk. How else can I get the stuff I need for this project unless we somehow meet up?"

"Yes, but we should have stayed underground. I don't like being out here like this. I feel like we're being watched."

"We are," he reassured her. "Anyway, I won't risk keeping you any longer. Say hi to Casey for us."

"Take care of yourselves," she whispered, and gave him a long hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then she was down the ladder, into the tunnel, and being escorted by Leatherhead back to her place, to the secret entrance they'd made to avoid detection by Karai's soldiers.

Don, disguise in place, looked around before loading the last of the items April and L.H. had brought to this location. It had been difficult enough for them to haul these items from her place to here via the tunnels, but Don knew that it would be impossible to get them back to the pumping station unless he used the "moving truck"

The team had discovered this meeting place quite by accident, and Jun once again knew that Fate was working for him!

"My ancestors are guiding me to you, Donatello," he whispered.

"Remember- ONLY touch him!" Asuka admonished, nervously looking around. She had been increasingly aware that Buta had been following them. She and the others were finding it harder and harder to escape his detection. They had managed to give him the slip, but it would not take long for him to find them. He was that determined.

"Touch him and run!" Yuuto advised, also looking around. "I can feel Buta's piggy eyes upon us even now!"

"I will not fail," Jun said, displaying the coup stick for all to see. Then he slipped into the shadows and made his way towards Donatello.

The truck would block their view; good. He would be able to kill the turtle without their witnessing it. They would be surprised! He would prove himself tonight, and there would be no doubt in anyone's mind just how great Jun was! Jun would make his ancestors proud of him!

And he would play it safe tonight! Before he got out of their sight, he carefully pulled from the front of his outfit the fukiya he'd hidden, exchanging it for the coup stick. Once he'd done this, he turned and held it up in such a way so as to make his team think he still held the artifact of the Jounin.

He was particularly good with this weapon. He found himself remembering how he'd demonstrated just how skilled he was by tormenting Buta one day, shooting small paper containers of pepper at the huge fool's face, to the amusement of his team and the displeasure of his Jounin, who had made him scrub the dumpsters as a punishment.

Tonight, however, it would be poisoned darts that would aid him in his quest!

Carefully he aimed the fukiya at the turtle. Dart in place, he drew in a deep breath- and froze!

Something sharp pressed against his throat.

"Your next breath will be your last," a cold, hard, calm voice whispered in his ear.

oooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

(A/N: yeah, another cliffy- but this time it's Jun in trouble)