I know this is a little short and considering I haven't updated in forever...we'll I'm sorry, but this has a lot of things in it to set up for future chapters and events. Hope you like it and please review.
THanks go out to yesiamweird and TMNTluckygirl for reviewing.

Chapter 4
Cared

Since Ace had left out the part about confronting the terrapin mutants that night at Central Park, she avoided being punished. However, she only just avoided it. Her Father wasn't so pleased when he heard that she didn't take the turtles in, he almost blew up. However, he seemed to calm down relatively quickly considering how bad his temper usually was. She was actually pleased that the turtles were alive. He could eventually use them. That was, if he could get them on his side.

After informing her father on what had happened back at the park, she was sent back to her room. She was thankful there wasn't any punishment. She changed out of her work uniform and had gotten ready for bed. After that, the week started to go by slow. She had training, but really, that was the only work she had that week. It slightly bored her. She needed something to do, something to keep her mind busy. Although, she didn't want anything that would involve her doing much physical work. One of the days, feeling quite fed up with not having anything to do, she even went to watch a cage match at the Purple Dragon's place. At least that kept her satisfied for a little while. Hun wasn't too pleased to see her though. He wondered how she had managed to sneak her way in, seeing as they needed a password to get in. Really, what did he take her for? A stupid street rat?

However, just as she was starting to enjoy the relaxing quiet she had gotten ordered on a job. It was strange though. Her father didn't give her much information on the case. That caught her interest. She started to pay attention to what happened around the place a little more after that, just trying to figure out what exactly was going on. However, she wasn't getting much. All she knew was when her father had told her. Which wasn't much at all.

They were using some sword called the Sword of Tengu to locate some alien machinery, which was what she got from all of that. And putting that together with what she already knew, she figured he was just trying to find his enemies that were hidden. He seemed rather obsessed with finding his enemies. He was safe for the time being, why not take advantage of that and enjoy it?

It wasn't her call though. All she had to worry about was keeping herself safe. It was a dog eat dog world out there and nobody cared for anybody but themselves. Why should she be any different from them, except that she was genetically altered? She didn't see any reason to.

That was what Ace was doing. She was sitting on top of one of the crates at the South Street Sea Port, doing her job. It was relatively boring. All she was supposed to do was keep an eye out for anything suspicious. It seemed like that was all she had been getting assigned to do of late. She was a trained ninja; she could take down people three times her size, like Hun. Why wasn't she getting jobs that could test her skill level? Didn't her father trust her? She really didn't give him any reason not to.

Some of the tech people from her father's labs were down there two, doing the actual working part of the job. Unlike her job. Their lazar machine was connected to the sword that a couple of the Foot had been assigned to get. Not her job. Why didn't he have her go and get the Sword of Tengu. She was fully capable of doing it. It would have been more fun to go and steel it rather than sitting there and keeping watch. Anyways, they were shutting the lazar into the river to try and get some of the technology that her Master wanted. Once they got it, Ace was instructed to go with the air support back to their building with the cargo.

Really, the machine was a type of vibrational cannon, but it was just easier to think of it as an overgrown lazar. On that note as well, she was just as smart as those scientists! Why didn't he have her go and help them work on building the cannon? She could have done it so much faster than they had built it. She didn't understand the workings of her Master's mind at all.

That was when Ace saw something in the air. It had gotten too close to the cannon and was diverted away, flying out of control. Whatever it was fell into dirty, not so nice smelling water. Ace instantly ran over to the edge to try to get a better look at what it was, but still be concealed so she wasn't seen by whatever it was that crashed. It wasn't too hard for her to blend in since they cut the power and caused a black out. She was dressed in all black, after all.

A creature came up a couple seconds later spitting out water. Really? Ace asked herself. Come on! I thought the saying was 'When pigs fly' not 'When turtles fly.' Why are they here? This doesn't concern them! Ace rolled her eyes but then got another thought in her head. Well, at least they'll make my night a little more interesting.

Ace watched the purple banded ninja swim over to the dock and climb out. What was his name? What was his name? Don! Yeah, that's it!

Once he was on the dock, two of the Foot soldiers that were standing watch on top of the building next to them, jumped down to try to take him out. Before the first one could even land after jumping down, Don hit him with his bow as if he was a baseball and his bow was a bat, sending the Foot into the water. The second tried to nick him with his sword, but Don used the bow to deflect it and then hit him into the water like the first.

He was about to jump up onto the rather old fashioned ship beside them, but Ace made her appearance from the shadows and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying up to the deck of the ship anyways. She jumped up and landed on the railing to see that he had managed to land on his feet. He became preoccupied with two other Foot soldiers to fight Ace. She turned her attention away from him, feeling a little hurt.

Geeze, Ace thought. First Master doesn't think I can do my job and now the turtle ninja don't even fight me. What am I, unworthy? The red eyed girl was rather disappointed and felt underappreciated. Really, did nobody want her? Her father obviously only wanted her as an employee. That was why she was created in the first place. It was obvious that these guys didn't like her either, seeing as she worked for the person they were fighting against. She didn't have any true parents or friends.

Ace looked over to the cannon and saw that the machine was that they were trying to get was ready for air transport. She had to get over there fast so she could make sure that they got the cargo back safely go her master would be pleased. She was about to jump down off of the ship when she heard someone call out to her, making her stop and turn around to see who it was and what they wanted.

"What are you doing here, Geno?" Raph asked, standing in front of the rope latter leaving up to the crow's nest.

"It's none of your concern," she muttered, looking down at the dock below.

"It sure is my concern if you're working with them!" he pointed up to the Foot ninja who were looking down at them.

"It's not like you or anybody cares!" she snapped. She jumped off the side of the ship and ran as fast as she could to where the cannon was. Why should anybody care? Ace thought. "I'm just a tool," she muttered, finally realizing it and admitting it out loud.

It didn't take Ace long at all to get to where she had to be. The helicopter came and picked her up with its long claw. She held on with one hand while stepping on the claw. They flew over to where what looked to be a suit of robotic armor was in the middle of the river where the water was pulled back. They lowered the girl down into it with the claw. She made sure it was secure before stepping back on it and signaling that it was all clear to be pulled up.

They pulled Ace and the armor up to the chopper. Ace could just make out a large bunch of defeated Foot on the ship and four unharmed ninja turtles standing there, watching her and the cargo be pulled up. She wondered what they were thinking, seeing her go up with it and being part of the blackout thing. But why was she bothering herself about this though? They kept getting in the way and her Master wasn't going to like that. She shouldn't get attached. They were enemies and not friends. Plus, she didn't have friends.

Ace sat in the chopper and waited to get back to HQ. Her head pointing. Why was thing bothering her so much.

o0o

After debriefing with her Master and a surprising good job, Oroku let the girl go and rest. He could tell something was bothering the girl and he would question her later, but first, he waited for the scientists to get back. He had received bad, very bad news that they had lost the sword of Tengu. Usually, he'd blame all parties involved, but he couldn't with Ace. She had already left as he had instructed. She had done what she had been told to do. The sword had been lost after she was gone, not before. She couldn't have done anything.

It was strange. Usually he'd find a reason to blame the young female worker of him, the girl that they called his "daughter." But she seemed very down and in pain for some reason as she told him the events of what went on that night. He gave her a break, something he didn't ever do. It wasn't common for her to act that way. He was going to have to run some tests on her to see what the problem was.

Something was up.

He wanted to know what it was.

And what Shredder wanted, Shredder got.