A Million Miles Apart

A/N: Story nominated for TMNT Reader's Choice Awards! Well, it has been nominated for some time now, but thanks either way!

Hey guys, I'm back. And before we get into this chapter, can I level with you guys for just a moment? I'd like to think I can talk about this stuff with you and that you would understand, but in case you really don't care and just want to get to the chapter, feel free to just scroll down and read. I promise I won't mind.

(For those of you who are still reading this, thank you, I really appreciate it. So, I've said for quite some time that I've had this apathy and that I just don't have the energy and passion to write lately, and now we've gotten an answer as to why. I went to a doctor some time ago and we did some tests on my blood, and it turns out the hormonal production in my thyroid gland is a bit out of whack. Basically one of the hormones it produces is way too high, which has almost the exact same symptoms as depression. And it also makes you very apathetic and you lose a lot of your power of initiative. I have, however, started taking medication for this, so it might come back to me soon.

Plus, I've been battling with anxiety and I am now working on that with a psychiatrist, so hopefully that will also get better soon. But I've also had some… dark thoughts lately and I need to get it all sorted out with a doctor at some point in the (hopefully) near future.

You may also remember that I said in the last chapter that I got into dental school? Well, my anxiety got so bad that I had to quit and now I'm right back where I started. So, as you may imagine, I'm not exactly in the best place right now, but I'd really appreciate your support if you can give it.)

I hope you'll like this chapter and please review, favorite and follow!

Chapter 66, Interrogations and A Captive Sister

To say that the next morning felt better was the understatement of the century. I suppose it's a bit weird to wake up after such an awful night and feel so good, but I felt so vindicated, filled with a new energy after I had finally let go of the loads that had held me down for so long, practically nailing me to the ground and holding me back from being the best I could be. As soon as my eyes were open, I felt lighter and more at ease than I had in months, ready to take on the world and to take back the piece of the Black Hole Generator from the Triceratons.

I got myself out of bed seconds after having woken up, hurrying out the door.

The first thing on the agenda today was to find new gear since I'd burned all my stuff last night – which in hindsight might not have been the smartest idea, since I still felt self-conscious to walk around the ship completely 'naked', especially among girls. That, and it might not help in a fight if I had nothing to protect myself with, right? But what was done was done, so I had no other choice than to start digging through the ship's weapons supply to find something to wear. Eventually, after lots of searching, I found something that was perfect.

Instead of pads for my knees and elbows, I found what looked like braces for my arms and legs, made out a soft and stretchy yet strong material that would make a good replacement, along with a belt and a holster that I could carry my staff in. Sure, It was all in black and grey, which were colors that I usually didn't care too much for- would it kill them to have some supplies in purple?- but they would have to do, since there weren't any alternatives. Besides, how shallow would I be if I decided that color was more important than practicality or modesty? I mean, I'm already a mutant turtle, it's not like clothes are gonna make me look less like a freak. Also, I thought, wondering when I'd started caring about color coordination, if nothing else, it matched the amulet around my neck. I didn't find anything that would replace my mask, and after some digging I decided to figure that one out later. If I ever did... I mean, I had rejected my role as a ninja and might not even need a mask anymore.

But, then again, the scars…

I shook my head and stood up. Shower and breakfast first, then deal with Moriah, then plan out our next move, and then work out my mask problem.

So after a quick shower and putting on the new gear, I made my way towards the dining room for breakfast.

When I got into the dining and entertainment room, I found Jhanna, Mona and Starlee there, already eating. Mona and Starlee still had a few marks and scars from last night's mysterious fire- that I still, for the life of me, could not remember- but otherwise they looked okay. Jhanna's ribs seemed to have healed and she looked just fine, if a little grumpier than usual. Mona stared down into a bowl of fruit salad, seemingly in another world- after last night's traumatic events, I couldn't blame her. Starlee did talk and smile and laugh like she usually did, but her usual energy wasn't in it.

Other than that, they were talking and eating like normal and from the words I could pick up as I got my own breakfast, they were talking about Moriah, theorizing on what to do next. None of them seemed particularly pleased to be discussing it, I noted with some amusement. Jhanna in particular looked like she had taken a huge, sour bite of a lemon right before I came in.

I could understand the girls' feelings; I didn't like the idea of having Moriah onboard either, especially considering what she had done to all of us to slow us down, and how she had treated her own sisters. But what could we do? We had her and she probably had information we could use. And after we were done with her, we could just drop her off with whatever authorities this quadrant of space had.

After I had gotten my breakfast and sat down with the others, they looked up from their conversation and stared at me like they hadn't noticed me coming in, which was a bit odd, but I certainly was no stranger to hyperfocus- I too had sometimes been so deep into whatever I was doing that I wouldn't notice when others entered the room or were trying to talk to me.

Starlee seemed to recover pretty quickly and smiled at me, gentle if a bit hesitant. "Hey, Donnie. Are you… um, feeling better today?" Her voice was soft, much more her sweet and compassionate side than her excitable, energized one.

I smiled back at her and nodded. "Yeah. I admit I'm a little shaken, but I'll be fine. Honestly, I think I got most of my emotions out of my system last night, so I'm feeling much better. But, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not talk about it."

She nodded and sipped on her milk. "Of course. Why would you want to think about that?" she agreed, which prompted Mona to open her mouth. Her cyan eyes were much more awake now, but that usual spark that I had come to recognize from her was gone. The concern she had shown last night was still there, though.

"So you still don't remember anything?"

I sighed despondently and shook my head. I hadn't even dreamed of anything that might resemble what might have happened after I blacked out, which honestly worried me a little. My memory was usually at peak performance at all times; I had never really lost time before.

So I just shook my head and shrugged apologetically. "No. I'm sorry, I don't." I took a sip of my coffee and a bite of my toast. "I only remember heat and the smell of smoke. Nothing else." Mona nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

I bit my lip and brought my cup up to my mouth, hoping she wasn't going to ask me to explain further- since I didn't even remember that. I only said that I did to ease her worries a bit. I didn't like lying to my team, but considering how concerned they looked, I felt like they needed to feel good about whatever I could think of.

I looked over at Jhanna. "Where are Traximus and the Professor?" She nodded her head towards the door to the bedrooms.

"Traximus is keeping watch over Moriah and the Professor is scanning the ship for clues from last night." That was all she said before she turned back to her breakfast, brows drawn together angrily. "I still think we should just throw her out into open space or something. It's nothing less than what she deserves," she muttered, and I wasn't entirely she sure if she was talking to herself or to us. Still, it was loud enough for me to hear and in an attempt to calm her, I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That may be true, Jhanna. I can't speak for what she's done before all of this, I don't know what else she did to hurt you or your planet, but what I do know is that she may have been working with a Triceraton to get the drop on us and steal the piece of the Black Hole Generator. Which also means she has information we can use."

She looked up at me, eyebrow raised and expression clearly saying 'are you kidding me right now?' "And you actually think she's going to tell us any of this? If I know anything about Moriah, it's that she takes her role as a soldier of the Federation extremely seriously. She'll never reveal anything."

I shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not. But I think we can all agree that we can't just send her on her way, hoping she's learned her lesson. If she refuses to cooperate, we'll simply have to find another way to deal with her, whether it be through the authorities or by keeping her here as a prisoner until we find an alternative. But at the moment we have to focus on trying to get info out of her before we decide what to do with her. Whatever your personal feelings towards her may be, you'll have to put them aside for now." Her brow went a little higher before she rolled her eyes and turned back to her food.

"Whatever," she muttered, taking another bite of her cereal. Her fists were clenched tightly enough that I honestly worried she would crush the spoon in her hand without even realizing it, so I decided a change in subject was in order. Donatello: Defender of Innocent Silverware.

Evidently Mona thought the same thing, because before I could think of anything good to say, she cleared her throat and tried to smile. "So, what's the plan concerning the Triceratons? I mean, I get that we're tailing them for the time being, but what will we do when we catch up?" I bit my lip, taking a deep breath through my nose.

"Hm, still working on the details... but I figure that stealth is our best bet. The Triceratons are obviously stronger and more powerful than us. Save for Traximus, none of us are gonna stand much of a chance in a battle of brute strength. I think we'll just have sneak on-board and steal it back without them noticing. The way I see it, there's no other way we can do it."

Mona nodded and suddenly I was struck by an idea so clear and so flippin' obvious that I almost wanted to smack myself for not thinking of it sooner. "We should start training together."

All of them were staring at me; Starlee tilted her head, Mona drew her eyebrows together and Jhanna's expression was difficult to read.

"What?"

They all looked confused, but I didn't let myself be deterred.

"Look, if we're gonna be a team and fight by each other's sides, we're gonna have to learn how we all fight and how to adapt to each other's fighting styles- to be able to rely on each other on the battlefield and to trust our teammates. We won't be able to do that if we all insist on training separately. So if we took a few hours out of each day to train together, we would be much more effective as a team."

Mona and Jhanna looked at each other, contemplating, and then Jhanna shrugged with a smile.

"Yeah, I can work with that. Honestly, it'd be nice to be in a fight and not have to look over my shoulder every other second to see where all of you are- and I might not have to save your butts half the time." She was clearly making a joke of it all, but that was good enough for me. Besides, I felt like I knew Jhanna enough by now to be able to read between the lines of what she was saying.

Mona looked a tad apprehensive, but nodded and tried to smile, even if it was a little weak. "Yeah, it sounds like a really good idea."

Happy, I turned to Starlee. "Good. And Starlee," I began before she could say anything. She looked at me, caught off guard by how I'd suddenly put all my attention on her. "After breakfast, I would like you to join me in the holo-dojo. Alone. There are some things we need to discuss." She narrowed her eyes a little, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What? Are you guys gonna train together as a team without me? Is that you wanna talk about? It's because I'm too little, right? You're gonna make me sit on the sidelines while you do all the fighting, is that it?" She sounded annoyed, angry, and a little hurt, so I quickly shook my head.

"No, I was going to say that you're inexperienced." She was a bit taken aback, her arms dropping back down on the table as her face softened up. "I meant what I said about training as a team, and that includes you too. You've already proven to learn fast, you're quick on your feet and you have the innate skills to be one of the best marksmen I have ever seen. But you're still untrained, and instincts and a quick mind and body can only get you so far if you don't learn any of the skills necessary to use them."

Starlee played a little with her hands and looked down at her lap as she took in what I was saying, one of her legs bouncing, something I had been noticing more and more as a tic of hers. She never seemed able to sit still.

"I guess that makes sense," she conceded. Then it seemed to really sink in and she looked up with a radiant grin. "Wait, you really think I could be a great fighter?" I chuckled and placed a hand on her back.

"Let's just finish our food first and then we'll talk when it's just the two of us. We can go into more details then." She nodded enthusiastically, breathed out an 'okay' and took a massive bite of her food, wanting to finish it as soon as possible so we could have our talk. Now it was Jhanna's turn to look a little apprehensive- I was sure she wasn't totally okay with her sister going into battle, but either she trusted me to know what I was doing or she realized that Starlee ending up in a bigger battle than we had been in up until now was at this point inevitable. As such, she said nothing- instead she offered to help her with weapons practice or sparring if she'd like.

After we were done, and I asked to be informed when Moriah woke up, Starlee and I closed ourselves in the holo-dojo, leaving this conversation entirely private. She skated over into the middle of the room while I took my time walking. I took a breath, sat down on the floor and beckoned her to sit down in front of me- which she did, but immediately started bouncing excitedly.

I took another breath, looked her in the eyes and started talking. "Okay, Starlee. Like I said before, I've seen that you have very good instincts. And while I admit that I don't have the best eye for these things, it looks to me like you have a natural affinity for the martial arts, at least physically. And I think it's because of this that you fared as well as you have up to this point, despite the fact that you are untrained. And I have to say, that's impressive." She accepted the praise eagerly.

"However, it's not going to last in the long run." She looked a bit put out. "But I guess that's my fault. I haven't been thinking far enough ahead, nor did I realize how dangerous this mission is going to be- especially for you. But I think that you have all the means to become a great martial artist, given a little guidance and teaching. I would have liked to have a little more time so we could do this right, but we don't have all the time in the world, unfortunately, so we might have speed things along quite a bit."

Starlee tilted her head, one of her pigtails falling over her neck like a necklace. "What do you mean, Donnie? Time for what?"

I took another breath, closed my eyes and gathered up my courage. I knew I had to do this, but I had promised myself after Timothy that I wouldn't try to play Sensei again, and that was a hard vow to break after all that had happened. Still, I knew it was necessary for Starlee and the team- she needed some type of training to survive, and ninjutsu would be a good match for her. So I opened my eyes again and looked her right in the eyes.

"What I am trying to tell you, Star, is that I want to train you to be a kunoichi- a female ninja."

"Ninja…" she murmured thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "That's what… you are, right? That's your Earth fighting style?"

Glad that she remembered some of what I'd already explained, I nodded. "Yes. I'm trained in the art of Ninjutsu- it's a stealth-based fighting style from a part of Earth called Japan. And I'd like to teach it to you as well."

She gasped in excitement, covering her mouth with her hands and her eyes as big as grapefruits. "Really? You mean it? Oh my Aeons, thank you, Donnie! That's so amazing! I promise, I won't let you down- I'm going to give it 120%, I swear! I'm gonna be the best ku-" she kept up her excited grin even as she stumbled over the pronunciation, "kuno- ee…?"

I couldn't help it; I laughed at her enthusiasm. It was impossible not to- her emotions were just so infectious. "Kunoichi."

"Kunoichi! I'm gonna work super hard and become the best kunoichi ever!"

"I'm glad- and I'm sure you will." I smiled at her, then had to become serious again, because there was a very important point I had to make clear this time around. "However," her eagerness came screeching to a halt and she looked like a rabbit that had just heard a twig break in the woods; ears up and all focus on what was going on around her.

I almost chuckled at how quickly she had switched gears, but forced myself not to. This was important. "However," I repeated. "There are certain things I want make quite clear, and a few rules that I expect you to follow. First, when we're in here, I am not Donnie, okay? I will not be your friend or your companion: I will be your teacher. Or 'Sensei', as it's called. And if you agree to do this, I am going to be tough with you. You might walk out this room aching all over, cursing my name and hating my guts, but I still expect you to show up to training the next day and give it your all again. There will be no exceptions, unless you're severely injured, puking your guts out or dying from illness or injuries.

"Second, you have to use the things I teach with maturity and responsibility. I will do everything I can to prepare you and teach you to defend yourself in battle, but that's also it: defending yourself. I don't want you to treat this like a game or a joke. Nor do I want you to go looking for a fight and using these skills to attack first. I am going to teach you all this so that you can defend yourself, not to hurt others. This also applies to weapons. I will teach you to use a weapon, not a toy. You don't use your weapon unless absolutely necessary. Fighting will always be the last ditch resort, not the first.

"Third, and most important: since I will teach you and be your leader, I will be responsible for what happens to you. So I expect you to listen to me. These new skills and abilities may be exciting and fun and you'll want use them, but if I tell you to do something, or give you an order, or say you can only fight once I say so, I expect you to listen to me. I can't keep my eyes on you and make sure you're okay in the middle of a fight, and neither can anyone else, you'll have to be ready to take care of yourself. So if I give you an order, whatever it is, I expect you to obey. No running off on your own to try and save the day, no disobeying just for fun or because you think the order is stupid- and absolutely no going into battle or using these weapons until I say so.

"Is all of this clear?"

Starlee had stopped smiling now, dead serious, looking me straight in the eyes. She nodded.

"Yes, Donnie, I understand. But I have one question." I nodded and motioned for her to go on, and she pointed down at her feet. "Do I have to take off my skates for this?"

The question was so unexpected and out-there that I couldn't help the sudden laughter that burst from me. A kunoichi on roller-skates? Creative, definitely. Why not? It would give her a fighting style of her own, and might also be able to throw the enemy off if she could fight on wheels. Of course she would have to learn to fight on her own feet as well- being dependent on your weapon or gear wasn't good, and I had learned that the hard way. But my brothers and I had always been encouraged to find a fighting style that fit us, and I had always been told that resourcefulness was important to a ninja… Yeah, why not?

So I smirked at Starlee and winked playfully. "You know, Star, we might be able to work something out." Her eyes widened and she planted her hands on floor, jumping a little on her knees in excitement, positively beaming.

"Really?"

I nodded. "Of course, I want you to be able to fight with normal shoes on, too- but so long as you can use both methods responsibly and don't become reliant on your skates, I don't see why not. Tell you what- keep up basic training with normal shoes for a month and I will try to figure out a way to implement the skates."

She squealed with glee and threw her arms around my neck, so tightly I almost couldn't breathe, and started talking a mile a minute.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I will, you won't regret this decision, I promise! I will be the best student ever! I won't let you down, I swear! Oh, I'm so excited, when will we start? Can we start right now? Or maybe after Moriah wakes up and we deal with her! Do I get to fight with all of you guys too? Will the group training include me too, or do I need to train alone for a while before that? Do I get my own weapon? What kind? Ooh, a sword? Or maybe a spear? Or could I get-"

I huffed and shook my head at her antics before gently pushing her back a little so I could look her in the eyes. "Whoa, whoa, slow down a little. And don't forget to breathe." She laughed, smile splitting her face, and her dimples appeared in her cheeks. "And let's not get too carried away, alright? Yes, you will be included in the group training once you get enough basic training to be able to keep up. Again, I wish we had more time, but beggars can't be choosers. And yes, you will get your own weapon- again, when you have enough basic skill. I don't want you to rely solely on a weapon or your skates. You have to be able to fight and defend yourself without them. And we'll see what kind when we get there, okay?"

She smiled and looked so happy, like I had just given her the sun, moon and stars, or made her biggest wish come true, and I couldn't help but feel moved by that. This had started out as something I did straight out of necessity, but she treated it like a huge gift I had given her, and she was clearly grateful for it. I could feel my eyes getting a little wet just at the thought of that, of someone valuing what I had to offer so very much, but before either of us could say anything more, Traximus came in somewhat urgently.

"I hate to interrupt your discussion, but I wanted to inform you that Moriah has awoken." I narrowed my eyes.

"But Jhanna said you were watching her. If she's awake, then who's making sure she's not getting up to anything?" Traximus pursed his lips and clenched his fists. That definitely didn't fill me with confidence.

"Well, I was. But Jhanna came in and offered to watch her while I gathered the rest of you. She was quite insistent on it, actually. Practically shoved me out the door before I could say anything about it."

Starlee and I shared a look. Jhanna and Moriah, alone in a room where Moriah was shackled, weaponless and had no means of defending herself while probably also still suffering from the aftermath of her concussion? Knowing Jhanna like I did, that was a recipe for disaster.

Without another word, Starlee and I got to our feet and ran out of the holo-dojo towards the 'dungeon'.

My first coherent thought was 'ow, my head' as I regained some semblance of consciousness. As I started to stir, then tried to move, I felt my wrists, feet, legs and arms restrained by something cold and metal. I would like to say my Federation training kicked in and I started to make a fuss, but my head pounded and spun so much that the more I tried to move, the more it hurt. Not to mention the dizziness and nausea that came with it. When I opened my eyes, my vision was blurry and I could barely make out anything other than that the room I was in was bright and white, which only made my head and eyes hurt more.

"You're probably still feeling that concussion, aren't you?" My head snapped up- which I immediately regretted, because ow- and I saw a blur of blue and black. I couldn't quite make out the shape yet, but I recognized the voice- Jhanna. Of course it was Jhanna; only she would think this was funny.

"Yeah, Mona Lisa's potion can heal a lot, but it does take time. Believe me, I got a concussion after Zerij and it took, like, half a day for the pain to go away. And my ribs still ache despite having a night to heal." She loudly tapped her foot twice, the force behind it enough to communicate how displeased she was. "But honestly, lying there in pain is exactly what you deserve- if not worse. A lot worse, if it were up to me." Once my vision cleared a little, I could see she was leaning against the door, her arms folded over her chest. But the color of her hair and her face was the only thing I recognized on her, because she looked very different. She was dressed almost entirely in blue, save the black boots, a stark contrast against the brown and black that was standard on our planet. Her hair was cut shorter, but still tied in her normal pigtails. Her bangs were also cut differently, showing off the scar across her face. Almost nothing about her reminded me of the Federation anymore: like she had thrown her planet, her people and her entire life away- and for what? To be a part of some reptile scum's rebellion?

Then, as my head started to clear despite the pain, the memories of the last two days started to come back. The deal with the Triceraton, the bucket of blood, sneaking around Ypsagon, the party at the club, seeing Jhanna dance with that reptile, pouring the blood over him, the destruction and havoc and running away only to encounter Jhanna and then… nothing. I guess she got me and dragged me here. I also felt phantom pain in my face, which gave the distinct idea that she had punched me.

I squirmed and wriggled until I could see Jhanna easier without twisting my neck, then glared up at her. "Jhanna? What the hell are you-" My voice was raspy and a bit croaky, but before I could finish the sentence or clear my throat, Jhanna snapped, pushing away from the door and stalking up to me.

"I know you were there last night. I know that you were the one who dumped that blood all over one of my best friends- which led to over a hundred people dying in the aftermath of your little stunt. And I also have the sneaking suspicion that you know why the piece of Black Hole Generator we had just gotten our hands on was gone when we got back to the ship. And you are going to tell me everything, now." Her voice was firm, strong, controlled. I was almost surprised that she could speak like that, but I guess she must have picked up some things from me and our father and the Federation. But there was an underlying tone of anger there too, which made me sure she wasn't quite as controlled as she tried to convey.

I snarled, yanking at my arms and legs to try and break the bonds. "Jhanna, let me go this instant! You can't tie me down like this! This is-"

She just smirked at me and put her hands on her hips.

"I wouldn't go wasting my energy like that if I were you, Sis. Those bonds are unbreakable, at least as far as we can tell. And I did a little digging around the ship and learned that there are, in fact, prison cells onboard, so I wouldn't get too comfy, 'cause I will make sure you're moved there after we're done here. Again, it's far less than you deserve, so you should really count yourself lucky." Her smirk turned into a glare and she tried to stare me down. "Now, you tell me what I want to know, or I will beat it out of you."

I rolled my eyes and wriggled until I was resting on one elbow so I was half-lying and half-sitting, and looked up at my sister. "And why would I do that? I don't take orders from you or your little reptile friends- especially not from your little reptile friends. Do you have any idea how you make yourself and Starlee look by hanging around-" I was interrupted when Jhanna suddenly kicked me in the ribs, hard. I could feel them ache, but they didn't break, that I was sure of. Still, it hurt like hell and I had to bite down on my tongue so I wouldn't scream. Jhanna stood above me with her boot raised, ready to kick again, and there was venom in her gaze.

"Don't you dare talk about my friends like that! Mona, Traximus and Donnie may be reptiles, whatever that means for you, but they have proven to be real friends. They're there for us and they help us when we need them. I don't know how you see them or reptiles as a whole, but as long as I'm around, I will be the only one to insult, or tease, or make fun of them in any way, shape or form. You haven't earned that right and you never will." She then slammed her foot down on my ribs again, and this time I couldn't hold back the loud grunt of pain. But after the pain subsided a little, I glared up at her again.

"Can't you see he's manipulating you? He's just using you to get what he wants, and now he's on the verge of starting a war! Zanramon doesn't see him as a threat yet, but he will if you steal the piece back. It isn't too late to stop and come back home. This doesn't concern you- AAH!" Another kick, this time to the face. I ran my tongue around in my mouth and tasted blood.

"It became my concern when it threatened my friend's planet. Loyalty means something to me, too, you know. I just don't like to show my loyalty to spineless, murderous, backstabbing traitors!" I groaned and looked up at her. She was furious, but looked like she was trying to hold back. 'Not particularly successful at it,' I thought and smacked my lips, still tasting the blood in my mouth. I spat out some of it out before returning my gaze to her.

"C'mon, Jhanna, you have to be reasonable for once. What can you gain from helping him? Your planet might need your help in battle. You can't turn your back on your people- on your family!" Jhanna growled and kicked me in the stomach.

"What family?! You've never been there for me! Dad kicked me to the side when I was a kid and you stopped talking to me altogether! Starlee was the only one who actually cared about me. She loved me enough to defy orders, steal a ship to save me from the Triceraton prison and support and help me when I said I wanted to help save another planet- And we've also started to work on what problems we do have between us. That's more than what can be said for you and Dad and every other soldier back on D'hoonib! You don't care- none of you do, but least of all you!" She landed another kick on my face, this time on my cheek. I was sure that it was turning purple. This time, however, she seemed done trying to rein in her anger and just kept kicking me in all the places she could reach, and it was all I could do to clench my teeth and hold back my grunts and screams of anger.

After a few minutes, as Jhanna raised her boot to kick again, the door suddenly opened and Starlee, the Fugitoid and those reptiles ran in. The Terrapin ran up to Jhanna and dragged her away from me, yelling "Jhanna, that's enough!" while the Lizard girl ran up and kneeled down beside me. She ran her hands over my chest, stomach and face, and I tried to twist my body to keep her filthy hands off me. She persisted, however, without saying anything to me, before she turned back to her teammates.

"She's bruised, her ribs a bit fractured, but doesn't seemed too hurt other than that. She'll probably be fine, but maybe an extra drop of the potion will help her with the concussion and the new wounds." I jerked my face away from her touch and tried to bite her hand, but she withdrew just in time.

"Potion? You're gonna make me drink your poison and what, kill me? No way I'm taking anything from you!"

The Triceraton raised his eyebrow at me. "Poison? You think we would bring you on board and help heal your wounds only to kill you once you wake?" I sneered at him.

"Well what else can you expect from a reptile? You are nothing more than cowardly, spineless monsters and that's all you'll ever be!" I spat him, but it fell short- but my point was still made. "Keep your poison, I'll tough through my injuries myself." The Lizard girl only rolled her eyes at me, stood up and joined the others.

"Suit yourself," she muttered, and went to Starlee, who was just staring at me from a distance. She also looked very different. Her hair was tied in two pigtails hanging down her shoulders instead of her high ponytail, and she was dressed in all purple and magenta, plus she wore roller-skates instead of shoes. But what caught my attention was her face. There was something in her eyes that I didn't recognize, especially not from her. There was… anger, resentment, maybe even a little fear. From my little sister, the girl who I had watched grow up, being so insistent on being like me when she was big, helping our people and planet to her best potential. That little girl was now looking at me like I was a monster. I had to admit, it cut deep.

Jhanna was still struggling in the Terrapin's arms- not to get back to me, but to get him to let go of her. "Okay, okay, I promise I won't kick her again, now will you please let me go?" At that he did let go of her arms, but didn't look too happy with her, which she seemed to notice.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know I was out of line. I know you said to not let my feelings towards her get in the way. I just-" The Terrapin rolled his eyes and looked at her flatly, hands on his hips.

"Jhanna-"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the floor like a pouting, sulky child. "I just thought I could get her to tell us something." The Terrapin rolled his eyes again, with gusto, shoving her shoulder slightly until she looked him in the eye.

"Jhanna, she can't tell us anything if she's dead!" He was probably exaggerating a little, but I still couldn't help but consider that Jhanna might have actually gone through with it if she hadn't been forced to stop. Whether it be by accident or not.

Jhanna's head snapped up. "I would have stopped!" Then she looked to the side, and said with a lower tone of voice, only slightly reluctant, "Well, eventually." The Terrapin sighed and took a step forward, towering over me.

"So, I take it you're not too eager to talk?" I glared up at him and pressed my lips together.

This time his eye roll was for me. He looked over at Jhanna. "Nice going, She-Hulk. We might actually have gotten something if you hadn't decided to give her a beating."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at them all.

"Yeah right, like I'd ever tell you freaks anything. Federation secrets are not to be shared with anyone and I'd rather die than give them up." The Lizard took a step forward and looked down at me with disgust.

"We are not interested in the petty ambitions of the Federation; that's hardly important. We want to know what the Triceraton you collaborated with has told you. Why were you working with him and what do you know about his plans?" I bared my teeth and looked away.

"Yeah? Say that I do know something and that I worked with a Triceraton who wanted the piece- why would I tell you anything? Why shouldn't I just hold my tongue?"

Jhanna shrugged and turned to look back at me. "Well, if you don't prove to be useful to us, we could just dump you at a prison somewhere, tell them we caught General Blanque's firstborn daughter and the next in line to be leader of D'hoonib. I bet they'd love to have you in one of their cells."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You wouldn't dare. You don't have the guts to throw your own sister into such a dangerous place." I was sure I had her, that I was calling her on her bluff, but Jhanna just narrowed her eyes back at me and leaned down to look me in the eyes.

"Try me. There isn't a lot that I don't have the guts to do. Especially now. Throwing a backstabber of a sister into the prison she deserves to spend the rest of her life in… Easy. In fact, if it were up to me, I'd throw you in the Triceraton prison to rot, just like you did with me just because Daddy said so." She sneered at me and then spat. It didn't hit me, but the ground in front of me, but I got the message.

She hated me.

She smirked wickedly. "I know Donnie, Mona and Traximus are too good to do it to you, so I will. They're too good to show themselves as the bad reptiles the galaxy probably think they are, but fortunately I'm not quite as concerned about looking bad. So mark my words, Sister: the next time you try to insult or hurt and show that kind of disrespect towards my friends in front of me again, I will make sure you are repaid tenfold."

The Triceraton placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pulled her back, but her words had already made their mark. She definitely hated me. I looked over her shoulder at Starlee, who hadn't said a word during this whole thing and was standing uncomfortably close to the Lizard and had a grip on her arm. I sent her my best pleading look without looking too pathetic.

"Star, don't tell me you're okay with this. Don't tell me you think it's okay to throw your own sister in jail? To keep her a prisoner? To treat her like scum!"

Starlee's face contorted, showing grief and anger and pain before she seemed to gain enough composure to look at me.

"I didn't want to believe you were how Jhanna said you were. I wanted to believe you were the big sister I looked up to when I was little, that I cared about... but after how you've chased us, how you've treated us, and especially after what you pulled last night?" Tears formed in her eyes, but she looked more angry and betrayed than sad. "You're more than misinformed, you're more than wrong, you're… you're downright evil!" Her words punched me in the gut and I almost couldn't breathe anymore, and I thought she was done, when- "I'm not your sister anymore."

I inhaled sharply but couldn't find the oxygen. Starlee had tears streaming down her face, her face a mask of hurt and anger and such betrayal that I almost couldn't look at her, only I also found myself unable to look away. Jhanna came up beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to her side.

"Make that two of us." Her words were directed at Starlee, but she didn't look at her. She looked at me, and the same anger and pain and betrayal was there too. Then she looked over at the Terrapin. "Donnie, I found some prison cells further into the ship; we could put her there. There are surveillance cameras and unbreakable shields. It would probably be safer." He nodded.

"Okay, good. Traximus, you take Moriah there. Jhanna, show him the way." He looked over at the others. "The rest of us will go see where the Triceraton mothership is and how far behind them we are." Said and done, they all left the room one by one. The Triceraton grabbed and threw me over his shoulder, keeping me in place with one arm. Not that I could have made much resistance even if I tried with these bonds. And even then I couldn't even think of trying to escape. Starlee and Jhanna's words still echoed in my head and I was unable to make them stop. I felt wetness in my eyes and something in my chest was hurting, but it didn't feel like a broken bone.

Eventually we made it to a large room with a couple of cells with see-through doors. They weren't big, maybe ten feet long and five feet wide, much smaller than the room I had been kept in before. Traximus held me tightly as Jhanna, in the only act of kindness anyone had shown today, undid my bonds before I was thrown into the cell and thick, see-through door slid back into place. Without a word they left the room and I was left alone in silence. I rubbed my aching wrists and moved my legs around to get the blood flowing again after having been still for who knows how long, and then crawled into a corner of the small cell.

So here I was, weaponless, defenseless and without any means of escape, kept prisoner by my own sisters- who had clearly stated that they hated my guts and didn't want me for a sister- and their disgusting reptile friends, along with the Fugitoid that I had been meant to capture and bring home to finally make my father proud of me.

I had failed. Failed as a Federation soldier, failed as a daughter and, most importantly, I had failed as a sister. I gathered my legs in my arms and rested my face on my knees, my hair falling like a curtain over my body, and did something I hadn't allowed myself to do in years, but was the only thing I could do given my situation.

There, on the floor of the cell, aboard an enemy ship where my sisters had left me to rot, I started to cry.

A/N: Well, it's finally done. Seriously, I've been struggling with the next chapter for months, along with everything else going on in my life. But I'm very glad that it's finally done.

I hope you liked this chapter and please review, favorite and follow! G'night everybody!