Chapter Four

It's Not Lying, It's Being Economical With The Truth

Okay- some booboos I want to correct. Electrode is dark haired and tallish- yeah, I said he was blond at one point. And, oh yeah. In the letter, that should have been 'see y'all in eleven weeks' Dunno where I got four from.

Yay! More reviews! Thank-you to my reviewers- you guys are the greatest.

Pacphys- thanks, dude! And the answer's in this fic! Yeah- sometimes corny is just what you need!

Becca T- I have to say I like Paddy too. Kinda sorry what I did to him...(evil grin)

The REAL Cheese Monkey-Thanks! New stuff on its way!

Doll Girl- Welcome to my fic! It's great that someone in the military is reading this and likes it! Please feel free to shout at me if I get stuff wrong!

"Hey Leo- knew you wouldn't be able to stay away for long!" greeted Don as Leo entered the Lair. Leo laughed and agreed.

"Raph not back yet?" he asked.

"Nah- he'll be a while yet. You know Raph and time- flexible at best!" They settled down in the sitting room and a companionable silence settled as Leo closed his eyes on the sofa- jet-lagged and a bit tense from flying in a plane full of humans who kept sneaking glances at him- worried, confused, fascinated, hateful. Donnie was tinkering with a small machine on his lap which suddenly made a loud 'bing!' sound and Leo leaped about three feet in the air.

"Sorry…" said Don a bit sheepishly as Leo glared at him. His face relaxed into a rueful smile.

"Hell- I've even missed that." he said, shaking his head. "And that is something I thought I'd never say."

Donnie shrugged.

"Yeah, well, I've missed shouting and even occasional wall-thumping from you and Raph arguing and I really thought I'd never say that!"

At that moment Raph came in and looked a bit surprised.

"Didn't know I was that late." he said as they glanced up. He put down the boxes he was carrying as the smell of pizza and hot cardboard wafted through the air or the sewer lair.

"Ah- you're not really. You're earlier then Mikey anyway." said Leo absently before stopping. "Yeah- I forgot." he admitted.

"Weird- isn't it. Only three of us. No Master Splinter, no Mikey here." said Raph as he opened a pizzabox with a practised hand. "I keep forgetting- damn- I've done it again!"

"Mushrooms again, is it?" asked Donnie. Sure enough, there was the topping that only Mikey would eat staring up at them.

Raph sighed. "Ah well- it's not like we can't pick them out."

"Hey- I forgot- got a letter from Mikey today. Didn't have time to open it until now." Leo looked at him and Don didn't meet his eye. Yeah- so he'd saved it till they were all together. So what. He rooted it out of his bag and opened it. It was short and a bit unMikeylike. It was also in Japanese, which caused him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Ehm… Dear Sensei, Don, Raph and Leo

Not long to write this so I'll keep it short, I guess. How's everyone there? How's the training going in Japan, Leo? Bet Master Splinter is still beating you in katas every time! Still doing my training every morning- along with all the rest of it! How's Raph getting on with the travelling- probably won't get to talk to him-but I might get a phone-call in a couple of weeks if I don't land myself in any trouble before then! You're the only one with a landline Don, so you're the unlucky one! How's the inventing, anyway? Confusing the other scientists? Any of 'em get snarky- hey you're a Ninja Turtle. And you're smarter then them!…"

He paused to grin at that. Hah. Sucks to McKehoe and Ruth Reefy and one or two others.

He could take them on! Raph nabbed the letter when he paused and continued it.

"It's okay here. With the other mutants- Siren- a fierce woman with wings, Steel- he's sound. Guess what he can do. (Hint- the clue's in the name!) Electrode- he can shoot lightening. He's a great guy, actually. Glacier- she's a bit scary but I don't know- maybe she'll lighten up! And some humans- a hilarious guy called Malone and a big guy that everyone kinda respects already- George Henry. With them on our side it's a bit easier. Not too bad here- the physical stuff's okay- getting better now. Oh yeah- why am I writing this in Japanese? And yes Raph, I can in fact write. Don't look so surprised..."

Raph looked injured and Leo opened his mouth to say something. Raph hurried on.

"…And no comments from you either Leo. Okay, at least wait till I'm around to defend myself. Was kinda worried my mail'd get rifled through. And I don't see why they should read my mail. At least not without working for it.

Well- lights out in a minute so I'd better go. See ya all in ten and a half weeks!

Mikey."

"Short." said Raph turning it over to check there wasn't anything on the other side. Unsurprisingly there wasn't.

"Left out a lot, didn't he?" asked Leo, frowning. "Surely after a week and a half, he'd have a bit more news then that? Half of it was a bout us."

"Well, if he's leaving it out, then it's on purpose." replied Raph matter-of-factly. Leo nodded but the frown was still there.

He was right. Mikey had left out a lot. Althoigh he preferred to think of it as being 'economical with the truth'. But now, thinking back while in the Zen-like state of doing push-ups, he recalled the real events of the past week, after the first weekend.

They had thought they were beginning to be accepted. Sure- there were still the scowls and snide remarks but there were also a (rather lesser number) of hi's and nods. They kept mainly to themselves- or with humans like Malone and Henry who in turn were matey with some of the more moderate humans. Slowly…very slowly, things were looking up.

Then came Thursday, six days after arriving in Hell. When Siren was attacked.

She'd been walking past one of the mens barracks, on her way back from the showers. She was there legitimately, if rather foolishly, perhaps. She knew she should stay with the others- they were all sticking together at the moment, and had good reason for it. It wasn't like they were really expecting anything though. Most of them were just…people trying to get through tough training. And anyway, she was just walking a short distance. And she'd been feeling a little crowded. Sure, they all meant well, but they weren't together out of friendship, really. They were all together because no-one else wanted them. She sighed- a particular conversation with Glacier running through her head.

"Look Glacier- you look human, okay?" Siren stepped in, sounding angry. "You can walk through a room full of strangers and people won't look at you any different. So can Steel if it comes to that. Or Electrode. You just have to be a little more careful of what you do, when you do it. But you can blend in. Me and Mikey can't. Wings, or a shell aren't easy to hide!"

Yeah- she'd been a bit hard on the woman. But she'd annoyed her a bit- going on about it when she could blend in and no-one would no the difference. At times she hated the wings, folded tight against her back, and times when she loved them. And she didn't know Glaciers story. She probably had reason to be bitter. But it had been hard to apologise and the tension had remained between the two women, even in the women's barracks, where sometimes they were half- accepted, when the other women were unanimous in feeling alone against a 'mans army'. Sometimes, the two mutants had to stick together for defence against the bitchier of the women who perversely didn't want them to be accepted too easily after their own trouble fitting in.

Perhaps if she'd been concentrating more on her surroundings and less on her thoughts, she'd have noticed what was happening around her. Her instincts screamed at her too late and she realised she was surrounded by unfriendly faces in a bad place, not close enough to either barracks for help to come, or even for people to realise she'd needed it in the first place.

"And what are you doing out on your own, freak?" asked one of them. She was half-expecting it to be Jackby- that prat that Mikey had taken the legs out from under, that first day. Of any of them, he had reason to feel pissy about the mutants. But no, he was lurking in the back, looking confused and a bit ashamed.

"I'm walking." she replied, staring the leader in the face. He seemed a bit taken aback by the reply.

"Is that all you people can say?" he blustered before recovering as she looked at him strangely.

"Look- we don't want your types here, right?" he recovered enough to spit with some rather less vehement sounds of agreement from the others. Five, she noted, looking at their faces and builds. If she needed to give a description, then she would be able to.

"By that, do you mean women or mutants? Or do you just have a particular vendetta against wings?" she asked coolly. The man scowled at her.

"Bad enough having to have women here. But…animals, too! What is this place, a freaking' zoo? So this is your warning, right? Get out, and get your freak friends out of here too. Especially that bloody turtle! Gives me the willies jus' looking at him!"

"I'm sure he cares." she answered, disgusted at his attitude. He snarled at her and stepped forward, his hand rising almost automatically. She suddenly wished she had a power like Electrode or Glacier, but moved into a fighting stance automatically.

"Hey!" One of the other men stepped forward. "I thought we were just going to give her a scare. I didn't join up for no hittin' women."

"Look- she's either got a right to be here, in which case she's a recruit, and I can hit her. Else she's a woman and shouldn't be here and I can hit her anyway. All I'm seeing is some bitch who just cheeked me!" The hand swung back, curled into a fist and, with Siren briefly distracted by the short row, caught her across the cheek sending her reeling against the wall. She recovered, suddenly more angry then she'd ever been and used the wall to push herself forward and using that extra force to punch into the man. He was caught by surprise, not expecting a woman, and a mutant at that, to fight back. She watched him reel with satisfaction as he fell back and she steadied herself for further attacks. Unfortunately, as the fog of fury cleared, she realised that she was well outnumbered and now all the men looked angry. She tried to keep them all in view but she was encircled and she couldn't see any escape. Except one. Her wings ripped outward, catching them by surprise. She could see the awe and fear as they flew out to full expanse, widening the circle.

"Stop that!" shouted one of them, the leader again. "You bloody freak!" He launched himself at her again and this time she could see the glint of steel in his hand. She tried to launch herself into the freedom of the sky but he was gripping her now and she struggled to free herself, pinned. His hot breath hissed in her ear.

"You shouldn't have done that, freak, Now, I'm gonna have to punish ya." It was at that moment that she was truly afraid for the first time.

"Let go of me!" she shouted, hoping someone would here. The useless, useless! men were standing around in shock and discomfort. They hadn't expected it to go this far. She felt something score a painful line across her stomach and the arm pinned to her side and cried out in surprise.

"Ain't no-one can hear ya, freak." he hissed. It bought his face into close contact for a second and she reacted with a headbutt which caused him to screech as something crunched. His grip loosened enough for her to follow up with an elbow and then a well-placed knee. He reeled back again with blood pouring out of his nose.

"Bitch…Bitch!" he groaned before his eyes went wild with anger and he came for her again with the knife.

"What's going …? Siren!" It was Glacier, and Siren had never been so glad to see another mutants face in her life. Glacier ran towards the tableaux and shoved in front of Siren just as the knife man swung at her. She raised her hands and a lump of ice shot towards him as if she'd thrown it. Siren felt her mouth go dry as she realised how lucky she'd been. Glaciers hair swirled out as she called on her power and suddenly the air went cold- colder then it should have been in May. Siren couldn't see her eyes but the man she was aiming at could and he gasped and dropped the knife. A blast of cold, icy air and hail whistled at him and the frozen drops pelted him painfully. The surrounding men backed away and then three of them fled. It hadn't been meant to go this far. This could mean serious punishment or even being kicked out. One stayed.

Glacier widened her arms into an open circle and moved them upwards. A wall of ice built up around the disoriented man with the broken nose as he was still cowering from the blinding, painful hail and his fear of this strange mutant with the strange eyes! Within a few seconds he was enclosed in a circular cell of ice.

"He can stay there until someone collects him." sighed Glacier turning around. "Siren- are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Siren nodded then shook her head. "Yes, no- I mean, I'm okay." the worried look faded out of Glaciers eyes. Then she noticed Jackby and her eyes narrowed again with loathing.

"What do you want? You can join him if you like!" she snapped, waving at the figure within the shadowy glass-like wall. Jackby shuddered but didn't look up at her. He addressed Siren.

"I…I'm sorry… It…it was never. It shouldn't have gone…I'm sorry. I didn't know Martins was…" he trailed off, looking humiliated and angry.

"But you didn't stop it." she answered quietly. "I was well- outnumbered, and you didn't help me. I could have taken Martins. But if the other three had attacked me, what side would you have been on?" She turned and walked off, armed folded strangely, Glacier half-noticed with a frown. Siren didn't see the look of naked self-loathing and remorse on Jackbys face. Glacier did notice, but wasn't moved. She leaned into him.

"Count yourself lucky, Jackby. That's two. Go near another of my friends and you will have me to deal with." Her icy grey eyes narrowed and her words twisted into his soul. She could easily take him. Glacier walked after Siren without another backward glance.

Back in the womens barracks, Siren sat on her bed, arms folded tightly across stomach. She suddenly felt shaky.

"You sure you're okay? Oh my…Siren!" Glacier had just noticed the blood leaking through Sirens vest-top and on her arm. Siren had just noticed it too and she looked bewildered.

"Ookay- what's happenin' in here?" Three women had just walked in and were looking at them slightly askance. One had a sneer on her face and Glacier could see her jumping to conclusions already. She moved away and scowled at them.

"Siren's been attacked. She's hurt."

"Shut up, Janet. And quit being a bitch." One of them hurried over.

"I've got some training in nursing. Let me see." She coaxed the shocked Siren to lie down on the bed. She lay a bit tilted due to her wings and the woman with nursing experience had to lean at angle to see what was wrong. While she soothed Siren, Glacier, furious, told the story of what had happened to the other two, wavering between sounding accusatory, angry and upset.

"Don't shout at them, Glacier, it wasn't their faults." said Siren, sounding more like herself. She paused. "They told me to pass on that mutants aren't wanted," she added quietly. "They've got it in for Mikey especially."

Glacier snorted. "Not surprised. He caused some trouble."

"Ah, but he's so sweet. He's never shouting and moody, but always has a joke… however dumb. Why would they try get him!" It ended in a squeak as "I'm Leah, by the way" used something to wipe away the blood.

"It's ok, Leah. It's not serious. He only got a swipe in." Siren tried to push her hand away but Leah glared at her and she meekly desisted.

Glacier lapsed into silence with her arms tightly folded across her stomach, unconsciously echoing Siren. One of the other women moved as if to speak and paused. The other one stepped in, a bit more forthright.

"Is she ok, Leah? Dya need a hand?" Leah shook her head. "It's okay, it's not too serious. But you should have gone to the hospital hut. When did it happen- just now I take it?" At her nod she continued. "And do you know who did it?"

Siren raised her hand to her face and winced as the bruise from the first blow made itself felt. She looked at Glacier.

"What do you think, Glacier?" she sighed. "If we hand in that guy you captured, then what. He gets disciplined, the others deny everything. We don't have any proof, they get out and suddenly everyone's on us." Glacier ran her hand through her hair.

"I dunno, Siren." she replied sounding just as tired. "Whose to say whose side they're gonna take Let's not forget, we're the outsiders here. They might decide to stick together- the old boys club."

"So what- you're just going to give up on it and this guy gets away with it?" asked one of the women sounding shocked. "You do have proof- that Siren's wound. And…" she paused. "Did you say you captured one!" Glacier, a bit off balance at this surprise attack, unbent enough to affirm this with a frown.

"How…?"

"When he grabbed her, Siren broke his nose and I put an wall of ice around him." she replied. "Guy called Martins?" One of the women grinned victoriously.

"Martins is trapped out there with a broken nose?" She high-fived the woman next to her with glee, before stepping forward and proffering her hand.

"Congratulations. The man's a pig. I'm Kate Darby by the way." Glacier looked at the hand in confusion. This wasn't what usually happened with humans. Nervous for the first time that Siren had seen her, she put her own hand in Kate's and they shook on it.

"Janet Holloway."

"Glacier…and Siren there." she re-introduced them and suddenly it was as if the last week hadn't happened and they were meeting for the first time on common ground. Which, in a way, they were.

"And I'm Leah Jackson, I think I've already said. We've all had harassment from that moron. If you're gonna make a complaint, everyone will be right behind ya."

"Has no-one else..?"

"Well, it was never anything serious. And nothing provable. And only single women have gotten trouble. No guys have ever seen it so they'll probably think we were being hysterical women, making a fuss over a bit of a joke. And whatever they say, you can't just get people hauled in like that unless it's serious. Unfortunately, you lose respect and the harassment gets worse." She shook her head and hissed angrily: "And then it turns into something like this."

Glacier nodded thoughtfully. "Well, Siren. We've got one idiot out in the cooler with a broken nose. If we report him we'll be supported by the women but probably ostracised by the men."

"This is the sort of thing that could divide the place if all the women go for this lunatic. And except for today… he's never done it when there are other men about. Either way, the other four won't bother us again. I think ya scared three and Jackby…?" She shook her head thoughtfully. "How about we do this…"

Tony Martins hurt. His nose hurt especially. And he was cold. And her eyes. They'd scared him. Especially when she'd hissed those parting words. He felt a bit ashamed. He'd just gotten so angry. She shouldn't have made him angry, he thought self-pityingly. He saw the knife on the ground. He hadn't meant to hurt the winged cow, he thought. The thought of the wings made him shudder. How dare some freak winged bitch attach him? He hammered on the ice wall surrounding him and then paused. Were those shadows around it? He went cold all over. What if she'd run to the Sarge? He could get done for attacking her. He could get thrown out. He stood on the knife, trying to hide it from view. The ice was melting and the first thing he saw was that scary face again with those terrifying eyes. It was her again! He stayed as far back from her as possible but she barely spared him a glance. He looked around. The ice wall was gone, but there was a wall of people instead.

"What.." They were all women. He recognised some. Some were just faces, maybe seen once- for an insulting taunt when they were alone. And when he was too. Most of the others wouldn't stand for it. He couldn't understand that they mightn't mind women in here.

"We all know what you're like Martins. Come near any of us again and you'll answer to all of us." said Leah sweetly, speaking slowly and deliberately, just so he couldn't miss a single word. Or the threat.

"But…you can't want those…things here with us…" he spluttered thickly through the blood from his nose. Siren's eyes narrowed and Leah stepped closer to her.

"If you mean Siren and Glacier, they are part of us. And any attack on them is an attack on all of us." At this some of the women looked a little less certain, but it was perhaps worth accepting the two different ones to get rid of Martins.

"And as for the mutants", another woman spoke up. "They've never started anything. Unlike some of your bunch."

"You saw what that inhuman thing did ta Jackby. In front of everyone in the Mess!" cried Martins feeling vindicated. But the women looked even more scornful if possible.

"He had it coming to him, that loser! And we know what Jackby did in the first place and how Mikey met him. Siren told us."

"Get out of here, Martins and get that nose seen to."

"She didn't even use her powers for that one." chuckled someone nastily, causing a ripple of laughter to go through the crowd. That was what finished him off. He stumbled away, leaving the knife on the ground and Siren and Leah shook hands again.

"Sorted."

Mikey grinned as he switched hands. He hated push-ups, but they seemed to go in for them in a big way here. Yeah, that had been a real turning point. Not so much with the men- Steel and Electrode had been attacked too- both on the Friday. And Malone the day after that. Steel had flummoxed them with his inability to be hurt or intimidated and the man that had unwisely gone for gangly, uncoordinated Electrode had obviously not thought about his name. Ah well, he should be able to sit down soon, when the painful results of that impishly aimed bolt of lightening wore off. His face closed down again as he thought about what happened to Paddy Malone. That had been the one to really sharpen the divide in the training camp between purists and non-purists.

Mikey didn't know what had happened really. Malone was still unconscious and had been transferred to a civvie hospital. That was another thing glossed over in the letter. Poor Malone, all he'd done was be friendly to an unpopular bunch.

It was the Saturday, just before lunch. They were all taking their turns in the showers and, due to being in separate groups, Mikey and Steel were the only ones of their group together. They were just coming out of the main shower house and were starting towards the Messhall when someone ran up. Mikey recognised the kid as one of the quieter recruits, who was neither for nor against the mutants.

"You know Malone, don't ya?" he asked, breathless and highly excited. "Help him wouldya? I don't know what happened but a bunch of 'em attacked him. He's outnumbered- him and another couple o' guys. They told me to get help! I can't find the Sarge…"

"That way!" yelled Steel pointing towards the Officers Mess and following Mikey at a run from where the kid had just come. They came upon the fight soon enough. There was a crowd surrounding them and a certain amount of milling confusion as some people tried to help Malone, who was outnumbered and shouting blue murder at some guys that had him cornered. Some people were shouting about mutants and Mikey scowled. How dare they go for him just because he was friends with them! Some more people- idiot troublemakers, were cheering both sides on indiscriminately and several were trying to get away with an; 'I'm not involved' look on their faces. Mikey waded right into it, shouting at everyone, pushing people out of the way and occasionally picking up someone who didn't move or who attacked him, and deposited them out of the way, until he got to the melee in the centre.

"You're with them, you bloody traitor!" shouted one of the men. Malone was incandescent and swinging back in outrage.

"So what if I bloody am, ye gobshites!" seemed to be the general gist of his incoherent shouting. One or two were backing Malone up but they were outnumbered. Mikey decided he'd better end this as quickly and non-violently as possible. But he was blocked in again as one or two went for him with a shout of 'It's one of them!"

He was just free in time to see Malone go down in the melee and then to thump some guy that didn't seem to mind hitting a man when he was down. Then…Oh thank God- came the sound of the Sarges whistle as the man himself stormed in and people began picking themselves up and more decided that actually they hadn't been here at all but were over the other side altogether.

"ATTENTION! THAT INCLUDES KENNY AND HORGAN SNEAKING AWAY LIKE THE COWARDS THEY ARE!"

He was obeyed very quickly by everyone except Malone on the ground, and Mikey who was pulling someone else off him, blocking the Sergeants view.

"ANGELO WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WHEN I SAY ATTENTION I MEAN ATTENTION! he screamed without punctuation or breath.

"Sorry sir, Malone's hurt. He's out cold. I think he's concussed." Sarge stomped over and sent someone for the medics. Mikey stood to attention belatedly.

"When I say Attention, I mean Attention, Angelo! And when I say jump, you don't even wait to ask how high- GOT THAT!" he roared, standing right in front of the turtle who didn't flinch.

"YES SIR!" he shouted back, as two medics checked Malone, and, deciding he could be moved, took him away on a stretcher.

"Now, what the hell happened here? No- I don't want to know- You Angelo, Jackson, Hendricks, Fisher and Georges follow me. The rest of you can start running around the Quad. Twenty times. AND YOU'D BETTER STILL BE RUNNING WHEN I GET BACK!" He blew the whistle and the chastened recruits fled.

Mikey didn't dare glance around at the others that had been called out but his mind worked furiously to figure out why the five of them in particular had been called out.

"At ease!

He prowled around them as they continued staring straight ahead.

"You five seemed to be in the middle of it. Are any of you injured?" he asked first. There was a noise from Jonny Fisher, who, Mikey could see out of the corner of his eye, looked pale.

Sarge walked over to him.

"Hospital hut with that. Now." The man stumbled off with his arm cradled to his chest.

"Why did I come over here to find almost twenty recruits brawling in the yard! You, Hendricks!"

"Um…Sir- there was a fight between the guy that was injured- Malone and another recruit. Who was calling him a traitor and stuff for hanging around with the mutants. Uh…some other people joined the first guy and attacked Malone, then some of us were trying to help Malone and others to break it up. We sent Daniels to you. Uh…then Steel and Angelo came and were breaking it up, more or less." This was all said fast, as if the faster it was said, the sooner Sarge wouldn't be looming over him. It didn't work, as he stared at the confused recruit until he stumbled into silence.

"And how did the mutants get involved- you didn't start it when they started the hazing?" he asked mockingly, standing in front of Mikey.

"No sir. We weren't here when it started. A young dude ran up ta us- said there was some guys beating up on Malone. We pointed him towards where you were and came down to either break it up or help Malone. Uh…Sir." He winced slightly at the word 'dude' but kept going.

"No other injuries? Go on- twenty laps and this incident is going on everybody's records."

The unfairness of this made Mikey gasp slightly and the sergeant pounced.

"DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS! ANGELO!"

"NO SIR!" he yelled back, his face impassive again.

"GOOD!" He blew the whistle and they flew off for twenty painful laps. Maybe his earlier idea of running after a battle wasn't so good...

He finished the press-ups and stood wearily. A week and a half were gone. Another ten and a half to go.

But now...finally, they had some people on their side.

And others ready to do anything to bring them down...

Not exactly a cliffhanger, but, y'know, I'm working on it... :)