The sudden explosion that wrought the air gave Donatello immediate hope, until common sense told him the fireball was entirely too close to have been connected to the EMP. He jerked in the direction of the roof and saw flames spreading across the building. What…? Where did that come from? When he returned his attention to Morais, the man appeared just as shocked…for a moment.

The stranger's smile returned as he tapped a hand to his earpiece. "Oh, really? Then fire up another cannon, and send ARCIS to retrieve him. Thank you, Miss Helms." He clipped his radio back in place. "Apparently, one of your kind attempted to kill himself by assaulting a cannon. May have succeeded."

Don caught his orange-masked brother by the shoulder when he sensed rapid movement on his left. "Mike, no," he whispered. "Stay put. Black Out is coming. It has to be coming!"

Michelangelo only responded by nearly jerking out of his grip. Leonardo slowly joined the purple-masked turtle on his other side and grasped Mike's opposite arm. A sound like a cross between a growl and a sob erupted from the youngest brother, but they held fast to prevent his suicidal charge.

Morais tsk'ed as he shook his head. "I warned you about casualties, didn't I? If you'd surrendered when requested, it could have been avoided." He glanced at the immense droids behind him. "Take them into custody. If they still resist, kill the female."

The cold order brought the turtles back into a huddle, defiantly gripping weapons while Donny assumed they were praying for the same deliverance he was.

"The only thing you're accomplishing is more pain for yourselves."

Donatello could hear the man, but it wasn't possible to see him anymore because of how the sentinels surrounded them. He was tempted to close his eyes, but focused on his oldest brother instead. Can't help wondering if he's got anything else up his sleeve. If this takes much long—

A deep rumble like distant thunder distracted the thought, drawing his gaze toward the sea in time to watch a burst of light expand across the northeastern sky. Donny stared, transfixed by the way low-lying clouds were illuminated in the blast, forgetting about the giant robots mere feet away from them.

It was Morais' cursing that drew him back to reality. Through a gap between two droids he could see the man fixed on the ocean, appearing visibly torn. The look in the stranger's eyes indicated a desire to run, but he took refuge behind his sentries instead. Such safety proved short-lived as every outdoor light was extinguished at the same moment, and the legs of the top heavy robots buckled.

The purple-masked turtle rapidly backpedaled from the faltering droids, checking out of the corner of his eye to make sure his brothers did the same. It was an amazing sight to watch their heavy enemies descend, and the ground literally shook from their combined weight.

Relief was the first feeling to flood Donatello as he snatched up his phone – just to be sure. The device was dead, but it was a worthy sacrifice for their own salvation. When he looked up he saw Morais doing a peculiar dance around the heads of the robots, like he was searching for a remaining ally. It almost made Donny laugh, but his younger brother was far less amused.

Michelangelo hurtled toward the man like a speeding bullet, scoffing when Morais raised what was definitely a worthless plasma rifle. "Program's been canceled, dude! Get with it!" His jump kick connected with the human's jaw and sent him flying, but the orange-masked turtle didn't even check where he landed. "Guys, we gotta find Nate!"

And with those words, the pit returned to Don's stomach.

"Go with him!" Leo motioned to Donatello. "Raph and I will take Olivia and search for the others. If you need to find us…I guess you'll have to yell." The blue-masked turtle ended with a shrug.

"We'll catch up with you!" Donny returned, and dashed to follow his brother already in motion.

Michelangelo pointed to the flame-engulfed rooftop, heaving for breath. "If Nate was up there—"

"Then he probably ended up back in the courtyard," Don finished. "Breathe, Mikey. We're going to find him."

"I'll breathe when we do," he muttered.

The excess adrenaline still coursing through the purple-masked turtle's veins made it easier to keep up with Mike's sprint. I sure hope Kelley and the others are on their way to get us. We can't contact them now, but they'd have to assume we need them.

They rounded the corner sharply, and Don instantly picked out about a dozen droids in the darkness, strewn across the stone pathways like toys that a child had forgotten to put away. A sign of movement a few yards away made him stretch for his bo, but the crouched figure shouted at them before he could lunge to attack.

"Stop! Wait!"

Don lowered his weapon, but picked up speed along with Mike to reach the Asian young man.

"Shun! Where—" Mike cut off sharply when he saw the figure Shunshi was knelt beside. "Nate!"

Donatello grabbed his brother's shoulder to prevent his descent. "Don't touch him yet, Mike! Let me in there."

Michelangelo shuddered, but managed to stay where he was while Donny dropped to the ground apprehensively, pressing both hands to the young turtle's plastron. The fact that Nathaniel was soaked was confusing.

"Did you find him like this, Shun? Has he been moved?" It was absolutely maddening to be working in the dark, without any way to get an accurate look at his nephew.

The young man nodded shakily. "He fell…from the roof. Not straight to the ground. That tree broke his fall a little." Shun pointed to a nearby trunk surrounded by broken branches. "He ended in the pond, and the droids pulled him out. They were not gentle. I climbed down to help, but by then…" Shunshi drifted off questioningly.

"We had Director Kelley activate Black Out," Don replied, without glancing up from Nate. On impulse he reached for his scanner, then sighed. The electronics are dead. All of them. A shout succeeded in distracting him from the young turtle, and he glanced up to see a shadowy figure slipping down the sloped side of the roof across from them. Don stood with alarm when he realized it was Reina. "Mike, go get her before she breaks her neck! I've got Nate."

Michelangelo nodded reluctantly and headed for the building to climb up after the teenager. Donny focused his attention on Nathaniel, feeling his neck gingerly. He worked his way up his nephew's head, fingering his bleeding face with extreme care. He did not need another head injury. We've got to get him scanned as soon as possible. The wound in his temple was seeping strongly, but it didn't feel particularly deep. His breathing is too labored…there are probably internal injuries I can't see.

Donatello winced at the bubbled texture of the backs of the young turtle's arms, indicating what were probably contact burns.

He slowly continued checking Nate

by touch alone, hesitating when he felt a fracture in his left femur, along with what were likely more second degree burns.

"What is it?" Shunshi asked nervously. "Is he all right?"

"I think he will be, Shun, but I need more details. I can't tell you anything about what's going on inside of him, or the possible swelling of his brain."

"He has to be all right," the young man said bleakly.

Donatello turned his head to the human. "He made it this far. You all did."

Shun exhaled deeply. "It was thanks to him. I am not sure what we would have done otherwise."

Mike came up on Don's right side with a cringing Reina. "I gotta go back and help the other kid, Donny. What do you think of Nate?"

"He's alive, Mike; that's the important thing. I can't tell you how badly he's hurt yet, but there's hope."

Reina sniffed twice before managing words. "When I saw him fall, I thought…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Mike squeezed her shoulder. "Try not to expect the worst, Reina. I'm grabbing the other guy, and I'll be back. "

When the orange-masked turtle was gone, Reina trembled and stared at the ground. "After the night we had, it's hard not to be pessimistic. This is all my fault. If he's not okay…" She seemed to sense Donatello's gaze, and turned her head so she wouldn't have to face him.

"I know you feel bad, Reina, but blaming yourself won't—" Her gasp interrupted Donny with a jolt. "What? What is it?" His head spun wildly as though robots could have resurrected.

Instead of answering, the teenager trotted a couple of feet away and retrieved something from the shadows. "Look, uncle Don!"

He squinted in the darkness and realized she was holding up a katana. "Don't scare me like that," the turtle chided.

Reina carried the sword over to him with great care. "I think it's chipped."

Don peered closely at the blade and found a small shard missing from the slightly blackened underside of the katana. The handle was singed, but in good condition otherwise. "It's not detrimental. Polishing will take off some of the damage. The Arsiterite can survive a mighty impact."

Reina looked down at Nate wistfully. "I have to believe he can too."

As disturbing as Greg found the pitch darkness, he was also encouraged by it. Only reason I can imagine for a complete power failure would be something to do with Black Out or Donny. I'd accept either, but I sure hope we're not stuck cluelessly in the dark for the next three hours. The fact that they'd heard nothing further from their metallic captors was also reassuring. But I'd feel better if I could freaking see something.

Greg jerked upright in the metal chair he was shackled to when Brandon cut loose with an ear-splitting yell.

"My eardrums thank you, Bran," Katherine complained.

"So does my heart," the sandy-haired man murmured.

"You're gonna thank me when they find us," Brandon said shortly, accompanied by the sound of metal grinding across the floor.

Kat sighed as only an annoyed older sister could. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Something," Bran retorted. "I'd prefer for the guys to find us sooner than later."

"If they got into trouble, they may not be able to find us," Sayuri faltered anxiously. "They could be hurt badly, or imprisoned as we are—"

"The chances of them all going down are pretty slim," Greg cut her off quickly. "They've been in a lot worse spots than this, Sayuri. I think. But we're going to get out of here, I guarantee it." He forced confidence into his voice for the Asian woman's sake, though he was inwardly terrified over the turtles' condition as well. He longed for physical contact with his wife, or to even be able to share a glance with her, but the darkness separated them like a thick blanket.

Another screech of metal across the floor preceded the bang of something striking a solid surface.

"Brandon-san, what are you doing?" Sayuri wondered.

"I'm making some noise!" Bran was defensive. "You want them to find us, or not?"

Katherine growled under her breath. "I'm so done with waiting. If something doesn't happen soon, I'll chew my own arm off."

"Sounds like a good plan, sis. Why don't you get started on that, and we'll see which of us actually accomplishes something?"

Greg winced as the sound of whatever Brandon was doing reverberated through the enclosed space. "You could attract unwanted attention too, you know."

"You think I care, Heff? What else are these guys going to do to us when we're already chained up? You ought to be helping me!"

Katherine snorted. "Don't think you want any help from Heffernan, Bran."

Greg's head whirled toward the sound of his partner's voice. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a walking jinx, and you always have been."

"How can you call me a jinx?"

"Greg, you've been caught more times than the rest of us combined," she stated matter-of-factly.

His mouth dropped, though the gesture was lost in the darkness. "Are you trying to pin this whole thing on me? That's a completely bogus accusation."

"Do I need to review the last few years for you?"

"Yes, please, Kat. Explain to me how exactly I'm a bigger jinx than the rest of you."

"Well, there was Dayton," Brandon pointed out.

"Your sister was along for that ride!" Greg corrected.

"Wasn't with you in Okinawa, was I?" Kat continued.

"Oh, you're not pinning HijutoChem on me!" Greg cried. "I was dragged into that building against my will."

Brandon snickered. "Right. You were 'kidnapped', only to turn around and be caught again."

"Number one – neither of those things were actually my fault. Number two, the Akiudo never laid hands on us that night, so it doesn't officially count!"

"I must agree with Greg-chan there," Sayuri offered timidly, tone diminished by her own guilt over the matter.

"What about the Travel Agency?" Brandon countered. "No one to blame there except you, Heff. The Akiudo would have toasted you and Jazz if it weren't for the guys. We could sure use her pipes right now. The turtles would hear her scream from anywhere on this island."

"I can take responsibility for the Travel Agency," Greg allowed.

"Oh, and the Genetic Institute in North Carolina," Katherine added. "Caleb had to save your butt there. And let's not forget Indian Point. Face it, Greg: if someone wants to make it through a mission safely, the answer is to avoid being teamed up with you."

The sandy-haired man grunted in frustration. "I resent this attack."

"Why, because it's true?"

"None of us are perfect, Kat—" Greg's rebuttal was interrupted by another loud assault of the floor from Brandon's direction.

The bronze-haired woman had the nerve to laugh. "Oh, Heffernan. You make it too easy."

"I don't see anything funny about this."

"I only laugh to keep from screaming," she told him. "But now that I think about it…I saved your tail with that gang too, the Latin Kings? Because you had to show up to a sting too early, and take matters into your own hands."

He shook his head. "You didn't show up until after the fact, Kat. Somebody else stepped in to…" Greg trailed off with a low curse as the pieces of the mysterious night from long ago suddenly fell into place. He uttered a startled laugh at the revelation of his actual rescuers, but the sound was promptly drowned out by Brandon's latest series of bangs. "That's getting really irritating, Bran…"

A low scrape echoed across the room, accompanied by a small sliver of light. "Who's in here?"

Greg was so relieved to hear Leonardo's voice, he allowed his weight to sag painfully against the shackles binding him.

"You were saying?!" Brandon called triumphantly.

"Leo, get us out of these!" Katherine bellowed.

The blue-masked turtle opened the door wider, spilling faint moonlight into the room. "It's too dark in here. I'll get you guys out to the hall, and finish the job there. Is everyone all right?"

Kat ignored the question entirely. "Leo, where are the others? Where are the kids?"

"There were a lot of stairs to climb, so I sent Raph out to wait for Kelley with Olivia. She's injured, and at the point of exhaustion. We…we were separated from the other kids, but Don and Mike are catching up with them."

"How did you lose them?" Katherine sounded livid.

"How did you end up here?" Leonardo snapped sharply. "Nothing went as planned, all right? I can't answer all of your questions yet, but give me a couple of minutes to get you loose, and we'll finish up together."

Director Kelley felt a little strange pulling up to Lendáno's dock as though he owned it, but there was no better place to park the boat for the sake of picking up the others. Leonardo didn't sound good on the phone. I sure hope they're okay. Maybe they can actually appreciate my bringing the EMP now.

Matthew stepped away from the wheel to tell Luke and Tim it would probably be safe to get off the ship, only to find the men were already gone. He saw their flashlights taking off down the dock at top speed and sighed. I was never really in charge of anything this whole time, was I?

He grabbed one of the large remaining flashlights along with his camera, and jogged after them. From a distance he saw the gates to Ravensrock swinging open before the men's flashlight beams had a chance to reach it. Matthew hurried to catch up with the shadowed forms waiting at the entrance. By the time he got there, the blond doctor was already trying to get his hands on…Olivia. The man smiled at the sight of the young turtle, but it faded under her pained expression.

"She needs to be looked at all right, but we got bigger problems, Doc," Raphael was saying. "I'm pretty sure Nate's hurt worse, but I ain't seen him yet. Don and Mikey went after him, so you gotta look for them. I'm taking Liv to the boat."

Luke nodded swiftly. "All right, then stay put. I'll meet you back there. Do you know where they went?"

Raph shook his head, and the action made him wince. "They were outside…somewhere."

"Maybe we should—" Kelley started, but the other two men were already jogging again.

The Director chased after them once more, but stopped cold when he'd taken a few steps inside the gates. Luke and Tim slowed down, but continued moving ahead of him. Matthew took another step after a long pause, holding his flashlight high while he stared aghast at the monstrous heap of metal on the ground in front of him. And it wasn't alone. The man cursed, fumbling with his flashlight and camera.

I don't believe this. I don't believe it! All the weapons we were concerned about, and Lendáno was harboring these? He changed the setting on his camera to adjust for the dark conditions and began taking photos of the robot. When he looked away from the wreckage he didn't see any sign of the two men, but he did pick up movement of several more figures near the sandstone building. Kelley recognized the unique shape of one of the turtles and dashed over to meet him.

"Leonardo!" he cried upon seeing the turtle under his flashlight. "This is…you…why didn't you call me sooner?"

The blue-masked turtle eyed him wearily. "Because we couldn't. Do you think we were holding out against robotic death machines for the shell of it?"

"Is everyone all right?"

Leo shook his head. "Olivia is hurt, and I'm sure Nate is too. Mike took a plasma shot, Raph got thrown into a building. But we're breathing, so there's that. Thanks for coming to get us."

Matthew peered at the four people standing behind the turtle curiously. "When did you guys get on the island?"

"After the bastards sank our boat," Greg volunteered bitterly. "Swam to shore, just to get picked off by security like some newbie."

Matthew raised his eyebrows. "Well, it's not the first time, Heffernan."

The man glared at him. "Shut. Up. Is there anything useful we can still contribute?"

"The only other thing we need to do is get out of here," Leo said firmly.

"You don't want to make sure—" Katherine started, but stopped under the turtle's look.

"You're not tracking down anyone but your daughter," Leonardo informed her. "She has to be nearby."

"I'm going to get a few more pictures of these robots, if it's all the same to you," Kelley offered.

"What will you do with them?" Leo wanted to know.

"Use them as evidence to substantiate activating the EMP. I'm not turning in anything pertaining to you," Matthew ended with exasperation.

Leonardo sighed. "Just…be quick, okay? We're ready to leave. Do you mind if I use your phone? I'd like to tell our family we're safe."

Kelley removed the device from his belt and handed it over wordlessly. The group moved on to search for the others, and he resumed picking through the remnants of dispatched technology. The man documented everything he found of the large droids, to a pair of much smaller bots that were closer to the size of human being. He kicked through debris in confusion as he went from one pile to the next.

This is surreal. I never expected to discover this level of technology. What else is Lendáno capable of? Have to get this place quarantined and taken apart by experts. He shook his head at the flames already engulfing part of the structure. If it doesn't burn completely to the ground first.

He spent about ten minutes traveling the length of the grounds slowly, trying not to miss anything of significance in the darkness. The sound of rapid footfalls drew him away from the study, to find another turtle carrying a jacket-wrapped bundle in his arms. His brow furrowed in concern when neither Donatello nor the orange-masked turtle behind him spoke, but continued straight by him.

"Was that Nate?" he asked the doctor on their heels.

"Yes. We need to get him home."

"Is his life in danger?"

"He suffered multiple head traumas tonight, and the building pressure is too high for my comfort. We've got a long way to go, so do you mind if we get out of here?" Luke implored.

Kelley spun to follow. "Not at all!" He looked over his shoulder at the familiar figures of Reina and Shunshi, then settled on a curly-haired teen he was sure he'd never seen. "Hey. Who's the kid?"

"He's part of a long story, Director," Tim informed him. "We'll catch up later."

Matthew nodded, clutching his camera to his chest. Can't wait to find out what else a recovery team uncovers here. Despite what I've already seen, I bet it will still surprise me.