April watched the news with irritation.

"We have recaptured and detained our experiments. Tomorrow we will show the president a preview of our work," Damien was bragging on every channel saying nearly the same twisted thing.

"Where are they being held?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. Now excuse me." He stepped into a black car that was surrounded by police.

"We don't have enough time," Donatello admitted reluctantly. "I won't be able to track them in time."

April nodded. "That's okay. Maybe we can still get in."

"How?" Leonardo challenged.

"I still have some friends who work for Damien. I'll pull some strings."

"And what about Raphael?"

April looked solemnly at Leonardo. She loved the brothers all the same but she wasn't even sure where Raphael was. If they knew maybe they would know where Kat was too.

When she woke up again it was to the sound of Damien's voice screaming at someone. Virginia's whimpers went unnoticed by everyone around her.

Kat opened her eyes even though she didn't want to. Bars of a small cage surrounded her. The young 19-year-old girl was curled up while Damien continued to kick her and scold her. The only thing that stopped him was hearing Kat growling from her spot.

"Get away from her!"

Damien turned on his heels and walked away from Virginia. Kat sat up. "How do you feel?" His voice held no warmth that had been there before.

Kat didn't answer.

"It doesn't matter how you feel. Sick or well you're going to be the star of our show."

She stared at him. She didn't care. "Where's Raphael?"

"Who?"

"The turtle! Don't tell me they left him on the street!"

Damien tapped his chin, probably trying to decide whether or not to tell her. "You shouldn't worry about the turtle anymore. He won't be bothering anybody ever again."

Kat wanted to lunge at him. She wanted to feel his throat in her jaw.

What if she saw Leonardo again? How could she face him knowing his brother was…?

Hot tears poured down her cheek. There was nothing else she could do but cry.

Damien knelt down to be her eye level. "Don't dwell on it too much."

She pressed her palm to her mouth. She felt sick. All she kept thinking was how stupid she was to have knocked them both out of the van but at least Jason got away, right?

Damien got back to his feet and everyone but Virginia left the room. Virginia lay so still Kat half thought she was dead.

"Why?" Virginia croaked. "Why did you stand up for me?"

Kat didn't know how to answer. She could only think of Raphael. She screamed into her hand as she finally allowed the sobs to freely fly out from her chest. Why was she so stupid to try and stand up to them? Why did she have this impulse to protect her pack?

Virginia never sat up. "Your turtle friend is fine, Kat."

This stopped Kat from crying and she looked up and stared at Virginia.

"We lost him and Jason both shortly after Damien left. We don't know where they are."

A small spark warmed Kat's chest. It allowed her to take her hand away from her mouth and breathe. "Thank you."

Virginia nodded. "Sorry I kicked you…"

Kat never acknowledged the apology. Soon Virginia would snap out of the friendly daze and she'd be back on Damien's side.

Despite objections from the others April insisted she and Casey should go alone. "There are other people you need to find, remember? Jason, Nathan, and Jeremy need your help just as much." She argued before she left but she couldn't get rid of this feeling in the pit of her stomach.

April shook her knee nervously as everyone awaited patiently for Damien. All around her were scientists, military and government personnel, Secret Service, The President and First Lady, and others who she knew helped with the project.

Casey put a hand on her knee. "Calm down," he whispered. "You looking nervous will make others nervous." Unlike April, Casey was street smart. He knew how to appear calm and relaxed.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Everyone waited in the chill of the coming winter. It bit at everyone's skins but she was the only one who couldn't feel it.

Finally, Damien took to the makeshift stage. "Welcome everyone," at his voice everyone fell silent except for a few whispers. "I'm very glad to have you all here. I apologize for the delay and disruptions leading to today's event. Somebody got a little stage fright and, well, you all know how teenage girls can be." There were some small laughs. Escorted onto the stage by personnel who were armed with tasers and armored by what looked almost like mattresses. "I'm here to show you a new way we can fight wars. These people will be faster and a lot more durable. We will demonstrate a few things. Do not worry anything that may look hurtful won't be all that harmful to her. This is because she is much more durable, and stronger, and faster than us."

April felt sick to her stomach.

Kat looked so tired, her knees were locked in a half bent position, her eyes looked distant and puffy like she'd been crying. She looked like she'd given up. "What have they been doing to her?" Casey whispered, trying hard to control a whole range of emotions.

"She is named Katherine or Kat for short. Katherine is the result of the DNA of an unnamed donor and myself. Grown in a lab and grown up in a lab this is her first real taste of the outside world."

Someone stood, "So in a way she's like your daughter."

Damien nodded. "In a manner of speaking."

Casey's jaw locked. His mask was slowly slipping away.

Damien looked at Kat and nodded. "Go ahead and show them."

She looked at the armored men from the corner of her eyes then took a deep breath. Her skin rippled and fur poked out from her skin. Bones snapped out and back into place. The whole scene was so grotesque that April had to finally look away until the people's gasping made her look back up.

Kat was almost more beautiful as a wolf than a human! Her fur was a beautiful deep red-brown with white spots dotting her back and her paws were also white. She had deep blue eyes like her human self.

Casey looked at April. "When are we supposed to crash this party?"

"When the show's over and everyone has been dismissed. That will be your only chance."

April was afraid that Casey wouldn't wait that long.

Splinter felt like he'd been out for days! In reality it had only been a day and a half. Vince was happy and surprised when he woke up.

"Where is everybody?" He asked the wolf boy slowly.

Vince's dark brown eyes darted at the door. "Gone out to save Kat and Raphael."

He shot up but immediately regretted it because his head swam. He laid back down. "What happened?"

"Jason and Raphael and Kat escaped. But Jason is missing. And Raphael and Kat were attacked and Kat was taken away from us and Raphael is missing too. And Nathan and Jeremy are nowhere to be found either but I'm less worried about them and Jason." Vince was very childlike in every aspect down to his speech.

He pat the boy's head. "They'll find them," or at least he hoped they could.