Therefore I am

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult, or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Twenty Five - Science is Blind

Raphael:

Mike and I had always been more than brothers. We were friends, not that we didn't have our share of fights, or that he didn't go and irritate the hell outta me to the point I so wanted to kill him, but soon everything would die down and we'd forget what ever it was that had started the disagreement and go back to being buddies as well as partners in crime.

Mike had always talked to me about everything, though once Ramiela was born he seemed to value Master Splinter's advice about child raising tips over anything I told him.

Go figure!

Anyway it just wasn't much of a surprise that while Rama had been gone, Mike would come to talk to me about his fear and uncertainties about where Ramiela could have gotten too, if he'd see her again and how he found it difficult to sleep not knowing where she was or what was going on. I tried my best to reassure him, but I'd always been very realistic, and it sure as heck wasn't easy saying nope that isn't happening and you'll see her again.

When we realized we were dealing with scientist things got a lot darker there. Scientist who felt that they had the right to probe, to study, analyze and torment something, all in the name of research. They did their best to let us know that this was research to curing some fatal disease, or would end up being for the good of all man kind and if a few dumb animals had to be injected with this or that, or what have you then it was all worth it in the long run. A scientist research was valuable.

If ya asked me it was a crock of sh-- well, you get the idea.

To think for a month, Ramiela, my favourite niece, had been subjected to the Scientist and their whims, shoved into a hibernation containment unit, plans of breeding her not to mention any other number of torture and degradation that she had to put up with at the hand of these low lifes. These so called scientist, would never consider taking a thirteen year old girl off the street and impregnating her.

People would scream bloody murder if it was learned that scientist were doing that. It would be against the law, considered rape among other things but because it was too, a mutant who looked more animal than human, the scientist could entertain such thoughts and no one would bat so much as an eye if they had gone ahead and done the task. It would be like breeding two dogs, or horses, or what have you together to get some sort of young from it.

I'm sorry but that thought was too repulsive to me. It disgusted me to no ends.

Then Catherine, would have me believe that she had helped Ramiela, out of the goodness of her heart, that she felt bad for Rama and the light suddenly flashed on giving her the wonder revelation to get Rama free.

'Yeah right!' I scoffed inwardly to myself, 'she'll be concerned for Rama when pigs fly.'

Here was a scientist who admitted to studying animals for a living, now dropped into a whole world of mutant turtles that she could sit back and silently research then find some way of getting rich off of us, and she wouldn't even have to share it with her buddies. Believing she was not going to study us, was pretty much believing that ninja know nothing about killing, lets just say it is second nature in either case.

I didn't trust Catherine. I didn't want to be protecting her from evil, not when I was damn sure she was going drop it into our laps at any time soon, and I sure as hell didn't want her here. I didn't get to vote in the matter though.

I was going in the dojo to work out and spotted Ramiela in a corner sitting on a stool, cleaning a katana, the blade lying flat across her lap as she polished it with extreme care. I smiled and walked over to her corner sitting down cross legged near her, "So how's it coming?" I asked.

" I just finished the small weapons. Why do we have so many of them?" She lamented, " I'm just starting on the bigger ones, at least there isn't as many of them, but there is a lot more to clean on them," She grumbled sourly, before giving a heavy sigh.

I picked up a sword and a cleaning rag and saw a flicker of a smile cross Ramiela's face as I started to polish it, "Remember I'm just visiting, right?"

"Right, Uncle Raphael, you are keeping me company, that's all it is." She agreed whole heartedly.

I nodded my head, " Nothing wrong with keeping you company, having a little friendly conversation with my niece" I stated casually, while I worked.

"Dad didn't say I couldn't have company," Rama pointed out, " But I doubt Splinter or Sensei will buy that line." She said.

"If they have no proof they can't exactly get you into any more trouble," I declared.

"Just as long as it doesn't get me into trouble," she muttered.

"Hey, what have I told you about trouble?" I asked quickly narrowing my eyes on her.

" That there is two types of trouble the one you get caught at, and the ones you don't," She replied. " I wish Melody would stop snitchin on me all the time. Jessie's friends aren't gonna cause any trouble," Rama held the sword to the light to get a better look at it.

"No, but she knows your rules and while she's used to us by now, she still doesn't want Jessie falling in with a bad crowd turning crime and becoming a no good street hood because then we are going to have to kick his ass." I told her kindly, " She thinks you are a bit of a bad influence on Jessie at time due to your ninja training."

" I try to obey all the rules Uncle Raphael, it's just there are so many of them. I'm not allowed to go shopping on my own, and hardly allowed to go with someone else either when it gets down to it. I can't join any clubs or sports, I'm not allowed to go to big games because people might get rowdy and due to security checks. I'm not even allowed to go to a regular school," Rama complained bitterly, "I'm not supposed to make any friends, or meet people, I'm not supposed to be seen because people shouldn't know we exist and I am just so sick of living my life in the sewers."

I listened to her rant, knowing how hard it was, and she was only starting to figure it out. I picked up the last sword for cleaning, " Consider yourself lucky, Ramiela. If you think you have rules now, wait until you start bringing home boyfriends. Your dad will meet him at the door swinging his chucks saying ' Sure you can take my daughter out, if you can get by me first.' Then he'll follow you on your date and ninja kick any guy who so much as lays a hand on you."

Rama gave me a strange look, " One problem with that Uncle Raph, if I can't make friends, how will I go on a date?"

"Same way we got wives," I quipped, "Course there is always Jessie."

Rama laughed a bit, " His mom would have a fit," She declared, then silently considered her words, "Could be worth it."

" There you go!" I encouraged her. "I know it isn't easy Ramiela, maybe, one day it will all change."

"Ah, well" Ramiela shrugged, " Maybe I just got to be a little more ninja like."

I chuckled inwardly. Translation: Get sneakier!

I loved this kid! She reminded me so much of Mike and I when we were little, what one of us didn't think of the other did. Ramiela was the main reason why I wanted kids of my own. I mean yeah, Aiden gave Leo a bad time, which made him a pretty good kid in my book. But for creative mischief and mayhem Ramiela had Aiden beat hands down. Her mother's stubbornness had mixed with Mike's creative genius for trouble and Ramiela was the outcome.

You ever hear that saying; Smile everyone will wonder what you are up to. With Ramiela it was far more true than anything, she might be smiling because she was happy, or she might be smiling because you were heading right for one of her famous pranks.

Ramiela waited till I was done cleaning the last sword, "Uncle Raphael?"

"Yeah, kid?" I couldn't call her Rama, but she would permit me to call her kid, a nick name she hated from anyone else.

"Will you teach me to pick all kinds of locks?"

"Sure, we can start tomorrow if you want," I replied, " I can teach you how to pick any lock, except for those high tech security ones that are coded or card swiped types, those ones are Don's specialties not mine."

Ramiela nodded as she went to replace the swords and pulled out the sai, and chain weapons, she waited until she returned to her stool, " Uncle Raphael do you think that Catherine, really wants to hurt us?" She asked sounding not too sure of that.

"Ramiela, she's a scientist. All we mean to her is the all mighty dollar, people like her, can never accept us for who we are, because they've been trained to study and learn about what is different. Gee, lets see if we perform an experiment to determine whether subject A can feel heat, and how hot can it be before subject starts to burn to a crisp?" Raph scoffed, "Scientist sort of learn to block off feelings, perform the test and make a conclusion on the test. The conclusion they come to could be wrong. But if the tests backs them up then that is all they need."

Ramiela nodded grimly, " Yeah, I sort of saw that. It's so much like the blind man and the elephant, each touching a different part of the elephant and deciding that it is something else, but none of them taking it for what it is."

I grinned, "Science is blind, I like that idea, I can go with that."

Ramiela laughed then sobered her eyes starting to look a little frightened, "I don't want to go back there Uncle Raphael" her voice was a little shaky.

I got up and hugged her close, kissing her forehead, "Honey, your not going back, and neither are we. It is over now and the scientist can't hurt you anymore. Just let any one of those bastards try," I practically growled, " Even Catherine better not do, one damn thing to hurt you, or she'll find out I won't put up with that guest or not. I'm not gonna put up with being turned into her guinea pigs."

Ramiela sniffed a little, " Thanks Uncle Raphael."

" Any time kid. You know I love you," I murmured softly.

She gave a faint trembling smile before sitting back down to continue her work.

" How you coming with your essay?" I wondered switching the subject.

"I got some done but I was having trouble with it so came to work on the weapons while I tried to think of what I wanted to say, maybe when I'm done here I'll have a better idea mentally of what to write."

"Heavy emphasis on the mental," I teased lightly. The two of us sat cleaning weapons and talking, we polished metal, sharpened weapons that needed it, rubbed oil into the wood of the staff and chucks to keep them well treated until all of them had been cared for.

"Good night Uncle Raphael, thanks for keeping me company," Ramiela said giving me a hug and a kiss before going to wash up and go to work on her essay.

I watched her leave an turned to work out for a bit in the dojo, while I reflected on things, I knew I shouldn't help Ramiela with the punishments she received for misbehaving, but as long as no one caught on there really wasn't any trouble, and I found it was an excellent time to spend with my favourite niece. I often thought that Mike tended to be a little harsh on her, besides she'd been through a great deal recently so I was more inclined to cut her some slack.

After a quick work out I showered in the bathroom area off the dojo and headed to the kitchen to grab myself a drink and a snack. I wandered back into the living room with my can of pop and sandwich and that is when I saw Mike and Catherine come in. Mike had his arm around her in a friendly way, hell you wouldn't know just about two weeks back he'd been threatening to go after all the scientist and give them what for so he could break free his little girl.

With all Ramiela had to deal with the nightmares, the uncertain dread of ending up in the lab, the guilt of thinking she had lead the enemy right to our doorstep, you think that Mike would, at the very least sympathize with his daughter, but no here he was getting friendly, almost too friendly, by fraternizing with the enemy.

To top it off there was also that feeling of emotion from the two that I could easily detect, a feeling of friendship, closeness and a hint of something more, like this could possibly grow if left to it's own devices.

Oh no! Tell me it isn't so, that it just can't be. Tell me that, of all the girls my brother could have fallen for he had to go and chose a scientist, of all people. Hell, Mikey doesn't even understand the intelligent mumbo jumbo scientist speak. I could see Don falling for her if he wasn't married. But Mike? I mused to myself.

I shook my head considering that this might just be another part of her plan, free Ramiela, learn where all of us where, go back to the other scientist with information of where we were and her own little experiment cooking in her belly. The thought sickened me enough I didn't know if I'd be able to eat the sandwich after all.

Mike had to be off his rocker, slipped in the shell and utterly certifiable insane if he went for her. Even though I'd finished a work out I had the sudden intense urge to go beat the stuffin out of a punching bag.

TBC