A/N: All right, another TMNT chapter for you to enjoy. This time around, there's more plot development, and the meeting with Sterns and Adam finally takes place.

As for the chapter's title: The main conversations in this chapter, the turtles being filled in on TCRI's problems, and Sterns and Adam's discussion, are full of truth, but not the whole truth. This will become obvious in future chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, though I used to have a lot of their action figures!

Chapter 7 – Half Truths

There was a knock on the door to the storage room the heroes were in. A few seconds later, the door opened and Adam entered. "Morning, I hope you all slept at least a little." The turtles, and their human friends, had already been awake for almost an hour, and as such they were already dressed and ready to go.

"Slept about as well as usual. But you failed to deliver on your promise to us!" Raph was a bit annoyed at Adam. The human only nodded.

"In a few minutes I will make good on it. Circumstances prevented me from doing so last night as I'd said I would, and for that I apologize." He stepped further into the room. "There's a room down the hall which was locked last night. That is where we're going, if you would be so kind." Seeing as they had very little choice, the group stood up and walked with Adam to the room.

In this new room, there was a large table, easily capable of seating a dozen people around it. On the wall on the right, as the group entered through the door, were several monitors and screens, as well as a couple keyboards. It was obvious that this room was used for accessing and presenting information, though for what purpose, the gang wasn't sure.

"This is one of our conference rooms." Adam chuckled a little as he looked around at the assembled group. "The reason it was locked last night was because... well, it was occupied. I believe, however, that for the remaining duration of your stay here, it will be available to you."

"The duration of our stay? You make it sound like we are your prisoners." Leonardo spoke up first.

"And you did pretty much take us off the streets and bring us here, so it's not like we're free to go." Donatello added.

"It is not my intent to keep you here. You should be free to go tomorrow. April, I know you need to go to work today, so I'll take you with me when I go into the city after this meeting is over. As for the rest of you, it would be beneficial if you could stay here for today, and give King and the others as much information as possible, so that we can get this situation taken care of."

"Hey, Adam? Who IS King?" Mikey's question received another chuckle from the human.

"Ah, right. King is the chairman of the board here at TCRI. As such, he is both my boss and Professor Perry's as well."

"I thought Perry was the head of TCRI." Raph was getting annoyed, and impatient.

"He is the head of research, yes. As such, he is on the board, but he's not the head of the company." As if on cue, the door opened and Professor Perry walked into the room. He was followed by Jade, who in turn was followed by a man the gang didn't recognize. This man was just over six feet tall, with gray streaks in his black hair. He appeared to be in his mid fifties, and fairly fit. Unlike the professor, who was ready to go to work in the lab, this man was in a suit and tie.

Behind the man was a red-headed woman in a motorized wheelchair. She had on a green shirt and jeans, and despite her obvious handicap, also looked quite athletic. She smiled as she saw the turtles and their master, nodding to them. However, it was the man who spoke first. "I am glad to see that you were able to come." He had a noticeable English accent.

"It's not like we had much choice." Raph was his usual hot headed self. "Though, would you mind telling us why we're HERE instead of out there looking for this missing girl?"

"That missing girl is my daughter, Raphael!" At Professor Perry's uncharacteristically angry statement, everyone's attention turned to him. The turtles and their friends were all shocked and surprised at this revelation. Perry realized this quickly. "You didn't know?" He turned to Adam, obviously confused. "Why didn't you tell them?"

"King told me not to give them any information other than what was necessary to get them here." Adam shrugged.

"I see." Perry then turned to King. "Can I speak to you outside for a moment?" King nodded and the two men left the room.

"What in the hell made you think you had the right to tell him what he could and could not tell the turtles with regards to my daughter's identity?" Perry was obviously furious at being played by his own boss.

"The turtles are close to you. We need them here, so we can use their knowledge of the city to our advantage. If they knew before they got here that it was your daughter who was kidnapped, they would have torn the city apart looking for her, and we would never have gotten the chance to get the information they have!"

"You used my daughter's kidnapping to further your own goals?"

"Is that really that surprising?" Perry was understandably upset, and King's nonchalant responses were only infuriating the professor more. "Fact is, they are more useful to us here than out there."

Unknown to the pair outside, the door was left partially open, and everyone in the normally sealed room was able to hear every word that was being spoken and yelled. Several uncomfortable glances were exchanged between the turtles and the humans as they listened in. Even Adam seemed slightly disturbed by the argument.

"This is my daughter you're talking about! To hell with your plans!"

"And that is exactly why you were left out of the loop, Professor. We can't afford to get caught up in a war here, and you know it. But you would have had Adam tearing into every gang in the city searching for Maria. And because that fool cares so much for her, he would have gladly done it!"

As the turtles looked to Adam, he showed little emotion. It was obvious King's words had riled him up, but he was controlling his anger, as Splinter noted silently, much more successfully than Raphael.

"If you pull a stunt like this again, King, the gangs out there will be the least of your worries." Perry pushed past his boss, reentering the room. When he looked at the faces, and when King followed behind him, they both realized quickly that their private conversation had not been very private. Sighing, he shook his head and sat down. "I'm sorry, I didn't know about King's plans for you." He glanced over to Adam, who shook his head. "It appears none of us did. Please, would you help me find my daughter?"

"I didn't even know you had a daughter, dude." Mikey smiled as he sat down. The rest of the group followed suit.

"How come she didn't report you missing when the Foot kidnapped you two years ago?" Don's question started the conversation again.

"Because she didn't know." Perry was silent for a few seconds as he considered what to say. "My wife divorced me when she was ten and took her to California when she left. I hadn't seen her since until about eighteen months ago."

"What happened?" April's reporter instincts were kicking in.

"I got a call from a social worker in California. My ex-wife had terminal cancer and didn't want Maria to watch her waste away. She sent Maria to me to take care of her. Maria was still 16 at the time. I enrolled her in school here, and when she graduated, she decided she wanted to study genetics at New York University. Obviously, I agreed to help her with her schooling as much as I can."

"And now she gets kidnapped by someone who knows of your work." Leonardo's face was one of determination.

"King's right, we would have torn the city apart looking for her if we knew she was your daughter. We still will, once we go back." Raphael was definitely starting to let his anger get the best of him.

"You will go back." At King's words, everyone looked at him. "But not today. We have been having issues lately with the city and its gangs beyond Maria's kidnapping. We need your help in navigating these problems. If you will take today and go over all the data we have and help us with our problems, you will be taken back to the city tomorrow. Adam will see to it himself."

"I have to get back to work, King. I can't stay here or I'll get fired."

"I am aware, Miss O'Neil. Adam is leaving after this meeting to head to the city for his own work. You may accompany him."

"We will do what you request, King." Splinter spoke up for the first time since the argument started. "As long as you keep your word and release us in the morning."

"Unlike those you are used to dealing with, I do have some honor." With everyone in agreement, King stepped back and the woman in the wheelchair took center stage now.

"My name is Rose. We talked briefly last night." The group nodded and several of them started to open their mouths to speak, but Rose held up a hand. "Before you ask, no I wasn't always in a wheelchair. I was in a car accident a year ago which resulted in a broken back and nerve damage. I can still walk, but not very far. Some of TCRI's research is helping to get me to recover the full use of my legs."

"So what do you do, then?" Donatello was intrigued by this woman, even if she was already taken.

"I coordinate communications and information between Jade, Adam, and the others here at TCRI. I'm also a bit of a computer geek and a hacker, so I'm pretty sure you and I can learn quite a bit from each other, Donatello." The purple turtle blushed slightly at being called out by the woman. This led to a bit of a snicker from the other turtles.

"What do you need?" Casey was actually the one keeping the conversation going this time.

Rose turned to the computers near her and began typing. "We have acquired information on most of the city's gangs, including their home bases and territories. In the last week, due to our need to find Maria, we have been systematically checking them for her presence. Obviously, we have come up empty." On the screen, several circles and dots appeared, showing various gang territories and their home bases. Rose turned back to the mutants now. "The first question I have is whether or not we have missed anyone or anything."

"Well, let's take a look at what you have." Leo and the others approached the computer to look at the screen. As they did, King, Perry, April, and Adam moved toward the exit.

"We can leave them for now. You three all have work to do." Adam nodded to King's statement. April gave Casey a kiss on his cheek and the four humans walked out. King and Perry went deeper into the building while April and Adam got in April's van and headed for the city.

As they entered the city, April grew tired of the silence in the van. "So, where am I taking you, anyway?"

"Hmm? Oh, to Safe Haven." Adam was apparently lost in his thoughts as he looked out the window.

"You work there?"

"I manage it."

"Why?"

"Because it's different than working for King and TCRI. And it's useful in gathering intelligence and knowing what's going on around the city."

"Because of the various people who come there."

"Yes. It's hard to keep the peace, but I've proven that it's not impossible."

April considered this for a few minutes before asking a question that had been bothering her for a while. "Why do you work for King? He openly treats you like garbage, yet you are loyal to him."

Adam was silent for a while before answering that question. "When I turned eighteen, I joined TCRI's security force. At the time, my master, Master Naka, was a Guardian. Because of this, I was able to see and know many things most people just starting work at TCRI wouldn't. When I joined, I was stationed in Japan, far away from Master Naka. About five years ago, he came to see me. He told me that he had cancer and would be dieing within six months. He asked me to take his place in the Guardians when he was gone, to protect King and TCRI. I agreed. And now, I must honor my master's last request."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Adam. I didn't know."

"It's all right. Things happen." He smiled to April then turned his attention out the window once more. "Wow, that helicopter's flying low." His sudden comment caught April by surprise, causing her to look over at it.

"It looks like it's heading for the Nakura building."

"Nakura?" Adam looked at the reporter curiously.

"They're a multinational corporation. I'm not surprised you've heard of them. Though, there are rumors they are nothing more than a shell company." She shrugged a bit as she continued driving. "They are building a new skyscraper in downtown. Several floors are still unfinished, but others are already occupied. From the looks of things, that was probably one of the executives for the company." Adam nodded to his companion.

April was right, the helicopter was carrying a Nakura executive to their building. As the helicopter landed on the roof's pad, the man stepped out, flanked by two security officers. As he did, he was met by Karai, with security of her own. "Ah, Mistress Karai. It is a pleasure to see you again." The man bowed slightly to the woman. "Congratulations on your promotion."

"Thank you, Chen." Karai smiled. "It's good to see you too."

"What can I do for you today?"

"I need your help. I assume you've heard about the split." Chen nodded as he motioned for her to walk with him into the building. As she complied, she continued. "Several members of this fake Foot clan are here in New York. I need to know who's running their operations."

The man nodded in understanding. "You wish to know if any of your father's former associates are still active here."

"Yes."

"I will pull the files I have. Please, come this way." Chen led Karai and her soldiers to a conference room. On the way, he pulled out his cell phone and began speaking in Chinese to whoever was on the other end. Once he was done, he put the phone away. "The files will be here momentarily."

"Thank you, my friend." Karai smiled and sat down in one of the chairs.

It was nearly two in the afternoon when Chief Sterns walked out the back door to the police station with Lt. Smith and Detective Anderson. He was greeted by a van and three cop cars, their lights already flashing. Standing on the steps, waiting for him, were the two FBI agents he'd met the previous night. "Everything's set to go. The prisoner's all yours."

"Thank you, Chief. It's been a pleasure working with you." Johnson held out his hand, which Sterns shook. "You're not going to be in on the motorcade?"

"I have something else I have to do. I'm sure everything will be fine." Sterns nodded and he and his companions got into another car and drove off. A few seconds later, a cop approached Agent Johnson.

"Sir, we're ready to go."

"Good. You know the route, right?" The officer nodded. "Stick to it. We'll meet you at the airport."

"Sir?"

"There's a few loose ends that need tied up before we leave."

"Yes, sir." The officer turned and spoke to his partner, and the cops got into their vehicles and pulled out of the lot. Once they were gone, Agent Johnson joined his partner in the car. Agent Wilson was on the phone to someone.

"Yes, they just left. As you wish, sir." He closed the phone and put it away. "We're supposed to return to base."

"Good, I'm tired of dealing with these pigs." Agent Johnson smirked as he turned on the car and pulled out of the lot.

Karai had gone over several of the files in the conference room. Chen had to admit, she was just as determined as her father was, even if her goals were different. A knock on the door got everyone's attention, and Chen opened it, speaking quietly to whoever was on the other side. The person handed Chen another file, which he immediately brought to Karai. The Foot leader opened the file to look at it, and immediately paled. "Is this accurate?"

"They were found this morning. The police are still trying to identify them, but given the damage, it could take weeks to know for sure." Karai nodded and grabbed a file she had been looking at earlier. As she read through it, her expression changed from shock to concern, and if Chen didn't know any better, fear. Suddenly she looked over at one of her companions. "Send out a message to all members. Code Black."

Sterns arrived and as usual, the bouncer was outside. The man nodded, as he'd been expecting the trio of officers, and stepped aside to let them in, following behind them. Adam sat at the counter, sipping from a coffee cup. Above the counter a TV was showing Channel 6, though the volume was turned down. Adam looked up when the cops came in and nodded to them. Sterrns made his way down the stairs to Adam and the bouncer headed to the second floor offices across the dance floor.

"I'm impressed, you're early, Chief."

"I do believe in punctuality." Adam nodded to him again.

"You also believe in the letter of the law, right?" Sterns knew exactly what Adam was talking about.

"You going to tell me about last night?"

"Hmm, last night?" Adam shrugged a bit. "Myself and some friends got jumped by a gang of thieves. We fought back, some of them tried to steal my van, and the whole damn thing exploded."

"Why didn't you call us? Why didn't you report it?"

"I left my cell phone here last night. As for why I didn't stick around, I didn't believe that staying in a place where people were trying to kill you was a good idea. I left the city, took my friends to a place where they'll be safe, then came back here."

"Your friends." Sterns scoffed slightly at Adam's words. "They are vigilantes, freaks!" He was becoming angry at Adam's indifference toward the situation.

"Yes, they are." Adam looked at Sterns's badge. "Though, their vigilance wouldn't be necessary if you and your men could do their jobs."

"You DARE insult the NYPD!" Adam had definitely hit a nerve with his comment. Smith and Anderson moved to keep the two from doing something regrettable.

"Take it how you wish, Chief. Fact is, this gang formed under your watch, it damn near tore this city apart, and you turned a blind eye to it."

"I WHAT!"

"Where were you when teenagers were running away? Where were the police when nearly everyone in Manhattan was getting things stolen right out of their living rooms?" Sterns was actually turning red in the face from his anger toward Adam. Adam, for his part, was actually being quite calm. "Fact is, Chief, if it wasn't for the turtles, this city would be a lot more broken than it currently is." He sighed and finished the cup of tea. "Now, is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

At this point, Sterns was too angry and frustrated to speak up, so Smith spoke for him. "I think that's all for now, Mr. Thompson." Before anyone else could say anything, the show on the TV cut away to the news desk. Curious, Adam grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.

"-Live on location to April O'Neil. April, what's going on?"

The screen changed to April, standing with a microphone in her hand. Behind her, a police van had slammed into a light pole, causing it to crash down on top of it. Nearby, two police cars were engulfed in flames. Fire crews and more police were running around trying to get medical help for the surviving cops and put the flames out on the cars.

"Yes, June, as you can see behind me, there is utter devastation. The attack happened just as the cars were crossing Bleaker Street, heading down 73rd. According to witnesses, the two police cars were hit with some sort of rocket fired missiles or IED's. The van swerved to avoid the explosions and crashed into the power pole. After that, a group of thugs attacked the van and freed the prisoner inside. Though nobody has positively identified the prisoner, one source claims that it was a wanted terrorist named Yoshihama Tatsu."

Adam looked back at the chief. Sterns's anger had been replaced by shock as a result of the news report. Adam stood up and started walking away, heading upstairs.

"Hey, wait, where do you think you're going?" Sterns moved to stop him. Adam simply turned around, his expression unreadable.

"If she's right, then I fear this city's troubles have only just begun. Your attention is needed there, not here, and I have work to do. I trust you can show yourselves out?" Realizing that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Adam at this time, Sterns turned and walked toward the exit. "Oh, by the way, next time you want to talk, all you need to do is call." Adam smirked slightly to Sterns, whose anger quickly returned. The Guardian then disappeared into the hallway.

A/N: Well, this chapter was a lot longer than I thought it would be, but I wanted to end it with the news report. Next chapter will be more on the attack on the van, and we'll get new information on the villains of the story! I have the ENDINGS of the next two chapters planned out, both of them will have fights, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get to those points.

As always, please leave a review or comment!