It had been and hour their spontaneous and random encounter with RK, and two days since Splinter's health went south. Fast. His children sensed something was wrong. Was he sick? Yes, perhaps he was. Leo was discussing with his brothers and sister about what was wrong with their sensei, while said sensei was sleeping.

"Maybe it's fleas." Raph suggested

Sliver shook her head "No, if it was fleas then Klunk and I would have them."

"Perhaps it was from the rats themselves?" Donny asked

"No. I would have smelled their sickness." Sliver said, getting up from the table "I will meditate on this while you four tend to our father." She left no room for argument as she went to the dojo to meditate.

"Just like Splinter." Leo said to himself while pouring some tea into a cup and taking it to Splinter's room. He walked in to see Splinter looking terrible: his fur was unkept, his breathing was switching from shallow to regular, his eyes were clamped shut and he was shaking so badly that Leo saw he was shedding. "Master Splinter," Leo said, balancing the tea in one hand and shaking Splinter with the other "wake up. I made you some tea."

"I can smell it, barely." Splinter said, slowly sitting up. He shuddered, more hair fell off of him and stuck to his robes. That aside, he took the tea and nodded at him "Thank you."

"Do you know what Rat King did to you to make you sick?"

Splinter, relishing the tea with whatever senses he had left that hadn't begun numbing themselves since an hour, shook his head. He swallowed his mouthful of soup before saying "He was trying to get into my mind, but I was evasive to his mental attacks. A needle had punctured my neck, but aside from that, it was nothing."

"What?! He injected you with a needle and you didn't say anything?!" Leo gawked at the, and he loved his mentor/father very much when he thought this, idiocy of the rat in front of him.

Splinter looked Leonardo in the eyes "Not all of what we are injected with is poison. It would have been water for all we can guess. The point is, I am fine. There is nothing to worry about."

The turtle took the empty tea cup and let his master resume sleeping. When he was outside the rat's door, he muttered " "There is nothing to worry about." For now. Then those are going to be your famous last words. Not if we have anything to say about it." He walked to the kitchen to see his brothers looking at him "Donny, is there anyway to see if there is a problem with Splinter?"

"Other than him telling us, I have no idea." Donny said "Why?"

"Because, RK put a needle in his neck. Splinter says he's fine, for now. But I want to be safe that he isn't going to die."

"Alright. I'll monitor him from the shell-cam I put in his room."

"What.. How come you never told us you did that?" Raph asked

"Because it never really occured to me to tell you guys." Donny said.

Leo nodded "Right. Someone go tell Casey and April we-."

"Oh me!" Mikey said, standing at attention "I am ready to accept my mission, you leadership."

"Go inform Casey and April that we aren't going topside for a while."

"Right-o, moi capitan." Mikey said, saluting Leo and rushing to the ladder that led to the surface.

"Raph, go check on Sliv. Odds are, she's going to be upset."

Raph nodded. He walked to the dojo.

"So," April said "You're saying is Splinter is probably going to get really sick soon."

Mikey nodded "Yeah."

Casey looked confused "How did it happen?"

"Rat King." Mikey said, disdain in his voice "That freak is going to get it when I get my hands on him."

April put a hand on Mikey's shoulder "If you want to, I can get him some medicine and Casey can take it down there."

Mikey nodded "Thanks April. Well, gotta go. By now, everybody's probably freaking out that I've been gone so long."

As soon as she sat down to meditate, Sliver could feel an ominous presence in the air. She meditated, letting everything go. Big mistake.

Hello, little rodent.

What do you want Rat King?

Nothing. Other than a chance to meet with you. Talk, get to know one anoth-

What is the true reason you have contacted me? Tell me now, or I shall track you down and squish you like the insect you are.

Perhaps a compromise.

I do not make compromises with villains.

You will make a deal with this villain.

And why would I do that?

Because, I am the only one who knows what your daddy was injected with, and how to get it out of his system.

Sliver felt her rage boil up inside of her, but kept her inner tigress caged. Fine. Where shall we meet?

Follow the chain of rats. They wait for you by your old burrow.

How did you know the location of our former home?

The rats told me.

Of course they did. She sighed before getting up From there, where do I go?

Ask the rats, for you can understand them just as well as I can, if not better.

Very well. She felt him exit her mind. Sliver snuck out of the dojo, through the shadows of the living room, hiding her cell, and quietly dashing out of the front entrance. She ran on all fours, instinctively knowing where the former burrow was.

Raph, after checking the dojo, looked for his younger sibling in her room. He couldn't get in, considering that her room was as locked up as Splinter's, so he figured he'd tell Leo.

He took one step into the living room and Leo asked "Couldn't find her?"

"Nope."

"She's probably out on a walk." Donny said, looking at the monitor. Splinter was still sleeping, peacefully, nothing was wrong with him- aside from what Leo had seen earlier. "Where's Mikey?"

"I'm back!" Mikey announced.

"Good." Leo said, not looking up from the screen "Donny, can you trace Sli's Shell-Cell?"

"Already did. She hid it under the couch." Donny said as they all heard the rhythmic chime of the cell phones.

Aw SHELL!" Raph yelled.