A/N: Thanks, one and all! The last couple of days have been kind of yucky in Polaris-land, and all your reviews have really been bright spots!
Starfire201: Yeah, it was good that they could get to Leo but you're right... that's not going to make them feel a whole lot better. Especially after what happens in THIS chapter... O.O
Surprise! You guys get this a couple hours early because I'll be gone all day tomorrow and won't be able to post. Unfortunately, that just means you'll have to wait even LONGER for the next chappie! Once more, a thanks for Mikell, the ever-wonderful beta.
Bishop's life was starting to look up. Only three days after going to Saki for help, and already he had the turtle kneeling before him, trembling slightly from both the fear and the cold of the cell, but with the helmet firmly attached on his head. Bishop strongly approved of fast results.
Not that the ridiculous Foot ninja had been able to grab any of the turtles themselves. Bishop had been running his surveillance on the turtles during the entire evening. Really, that enormous van of theirs… did they really believe it would be hard for anyone to spot that huge monstrosity trundling down the street?
Not that anyone ever did seem to notice it, for some reason…
Wiring it to detonate had been the simplest thing in the world. Then all he had to do was sit back and watch from his vantage point of safety and keep an eye on the cameras that he had set up to watch the rooftop above the alley where the Foot ninja had converged to draw out their four terrapin enemies. Blowing up the van would bring them all running back and the ninja he had waiting with him could've gotten all of them at once – but then Donatello had arrived on the scene first, alone. Why ignore fate's little gifts?
Easiest job ever.
He had wanted to laugh – actually, he had laughed, quite loudly – as he'd watched the turtles remove their masks and change weapons. He'd shaken his head, because he knew it would work. Those Foot ninja obviously couldn't see the little things… the minute details that made them unique and identifiable. The way, for example, each turtle was a different shade of green… the way Michelangelo couldn't stop that infernal grinning, even in a battle… the way Raphael never actually stopped moving, even while standing still… the way Leonardo would continuously shift to place himself in front, between the enemy and his brothers … the way Donatello would occasionally stop and stare at his surroundings, as if somewhere in his mind he was actually computing the next best course.
Really, Bishop had always thought that "knowing the enemy" was supposed to be a big deal for this Eastern style of fighting. Even he could see the subtleties, but perhaps that was because he had actually made a study of the four turtles. How he would love to get one on the dissection table… But he had promised Saki the remaining three to do with as he liked, and he needed Saki's cooperation a little while longer. Perhaps when Donatello had served his purpose?
Bishop resisted the urge to rub his hands together and cackle maniacally. It wouldn't do to become too cliché. Such a thing was hardly fitting of a federal employee, which he was going to be again once he was finished with Donatello. The turtle was his ticket back into the government's good graces; now that he could control him, all he had to do was send the terrapin out on a widely publicized killing spree.
The army wouldn't be able to stop him, oh no. Not with Bishop at the controls. He would force the turtle to kill as many people as was possible, then maybe he'd go after someone important. A senator. The director of the FBI. Maybe even the President. Of course, Bishop was a patriot and would never allow that murder to happen. He'd be sure to step in at the last minute, the apparent hero who was the only who could stop the turtle when no one else could. They'd be on their hands and knees, begging him to come back.
Oh, it was going to be good.
Bishop frowned. He hoped he could count on Saki to contain the other three turtles. He'd had enough experience with the four brothers to know that they would never rest with one of their own in captivity. Bishop had repaired some minor damage to Donatello's phone, knowing that the others could trace him that way. That should draw the other three in, but from there it was the job of Saki's ninja to nab them.
So far, Bishop simply wasn't impressed with the Foot. If necessary, he would have to use Donatello to stop the others from escaping. Then he would have to do something about Saki. Government agents doing illegal things couldn't afford to have witnesses lying around.
oOo oOo oOo
In his office, Oroku Saki paced back and forth, pondering the opportunity for which he was poised. That device that Agent Bishop had created… frankly, Saki was intrigued. Imagine the possibilities, if he could have his scientists reverse engineer such a device. Remote controlled people… unable to stop themselves from doing the Shredder's bidding… World domination was so much simpler when people took over themselves. It saved him a great deal of energy and work.
And imagine, it was all thanks to Donatello! Saki desperately wished he could see the look on Leonardo's face when he was faced with his own brother attacking him against his will. Revenge was so sweet.
Oh, it was going to be good.
"Master?"
Saki turned to the ninja who had entered and was now bowing respectfully.
"Mr. Bishop says he is ready to begin the first trial, if you wish to witness."
Saki allowed a smile to cross his face, though it wasn't a pleasant one. He strode out of the office towards the dungeons. He wasn't going to miss this for anything! It would be such a treat to see one of the obnoxious turtles brought down. Saki would let this play out a while longer.
Then he would have to do something about Bishop. Alien tyrants taking dictatorship over an entire planet couldn't afford to have government agents lying around.
oOo oOo oOo
Donatello bit back a whimper as he turned his head, following the sounds of Bishop's movements. He was still waiting to feel the white hot pain slam into his head and the images to start coming. His mind was racing, trying to think what Bishop could possibly want to find out, and why he hadn't tried asking. Not that Don was willing to give up anything, but he'd like to know what he should be trying to hold back. He didn't trust the agent for a second when he said he had other plans. What else could a helmet like this do?
"Almost there, Donatello," he heard Bishop say from his left side. Donny tugged at the chains furtively, but the cold iron clamped on his wrists didn't give an ounce of leeway. A computer started whirring away in the background and the federal agent chuckled. Donny could almost imagine him rubbing his hands together to along with the maniacal cackling.
How cliché.
"Ah, Mr. Saki," Bishop's smooth voice acknowledged as the other man appeared in the doorway.
Donny's head snapped back to the other side as he heard the door swing closed with a dull thud. His pulse quickened as he realized that both of his worst enemies were now in the same room alone with him and neither had his best interests at heart. Shell. Shell, shell, shell…
"Bishop," the noncommittal answer came. Donny thought he heard some anticipation in the voice. Great. At least he was going to amuse plenty of people while yelling in agony.
"Now, Donatello, we're going to begin."
Bishop held his breath and hit the button. The helmet thrummed to life and the turtle immediately collapsed to the ground. Bishop brought up a panel on the screen to check the turtle's vital signs via the helmet. All of them indicated that Donatello was perfectly healthy, but his brain activity had decreased dramatically. Bishop smiled. Time to explore just how much control he had.
Accessing the voice command program, Bishop spoke clearly into the microphone.
"Get up."
The words had barely left his mouth when the turtle tried to leap to his feet. The chains were still restricting his movement though, so after a few more tries, he settled for kneeling instead. Bishop wondered how much reasoning the turtle would be able to do on his own.
Motioning a ninja guard over, Bishop took the key for the cuffs from him and tossed it on the ground just within Donatello's reach. The Foot soldiers standing by looked warily at Shredder, but he remained standing aloofly to the side, waiting and watching.
"The key is on the ground in front of you," Bishop said, ignoring Saki completely. "Get it and unlock the chains."
The guards automatically took a few steps back as the turtle immediately stretched out and felt around until he got the key. Bishop watched with narrowed eyes as the turtle tried to reach his other hand to unlock himself. The shackles, however, weren't long enough to allow that much of a stretch.
Here was the first test: simple, unaided problem solving. Could the turtle still figure out his dilemma without being instructed?
At first, Bishop thought Donatello might be stumped, but the monitor suddenly showed a quick flair of brain activity and the turtle dropped the key back to the ground. Getting his feet out from under him, he grabbed it back up instead with his toes and dexterously maneuvered it back up to the wrist cuff, which he had unlocked in a matter of seconds.
"Excellent!" Bishop said with a smile as Saki nodded approvingly. This was going to be-
"Excellent," Donatello repeated dully. Bishop frowned.
"I didn't tell you to speak," he snapped.
"I didn't tell you to speak," the response came back waspishly after a few seconds hesitation. Bishop's face darkened as he heard a muffled laugh from one of the guards and even an amused noise from Saki. He looked back at the monitor.
"Foot ninja are pathetic," Bishop said tonelessly into the microphone, feeling the bristle of irritation from the guards who had been laughing at him. He watched as the brain activity spiked, the turtle apparently trying to decipher his words as a command. When no command could be found, it seemed as though Donatello would just parrot what he heard instead. Interesting.
"Foot ninja are pathetic," Donatello snorted derisively, with much more feeling than Bishop had used. Bishop smiled again. Apparently the turtle already had an opinion on that matter in his subconscious. The smile left his face again. Just how strong was the turtle's subconscious? His plan would be ruined if the power of the command wasn't strong enough to overcome ingrained feelings.
"It would seem that your helmet cannot take complete control over the turtle," Saki said from the sidelines, apparently having drawn the same conclusion. "Some of his own mind is coming through. Why don't we test how strong your device actually is?" Saki stepped forward, drawing a dagger and throwing it to the ground by the turtle.
"Your other hand is still chained. I want you to cut it off," he instructed the turtle, smiling coldly. Bishop opened his mouth to protest, but Saki stopped him with a glare. Bishop seethed inside. If Donatello lost his hand, he wouldn't be able to fight as well, as Bishop's plan required! He watched in trepidation, but the turtle didn't move.
"Well?" Saki demanded. Still, Donatello held still. Bishop turned back to the computer, realizing that while the turtle must be able to hear Saki, the monitor didn't show any acknowledgement that a command had been given at all.
"He's connected to the computer, which only recognizes my voice," Bishop explained, covering the microphone to stop the ridiculous mimicking. "He won't obey anyone but me." It was a struggle to keep the smirk out of his voice.
"Then you tell him," Saki snapped, clearly furious.
Bishop shook his head. No need to cause permanent damage to his puppet when something less drastic would answer the same question for him.
"Donatello. There's a dagger in front of you. Make a cut on your palm with it."
The brain activity monitor spiked again, flickering up and down as Donatello's self-preservation survival instincts fought against such an obviously harmful suggestion. The reaction was slower than Bishop's more basic commands, but soon the knife was in the turtle's hand and he dragged it obediently across his palm, leaving a small trail of blood.
Bishop leaned back in gleeful bliss. It was as he had hoped. No matter how strong the turtle's mind may be, it was a physiological impossibility to fight the command. He motioned for the ninja guard to chain the turtle's hand back the way it was as he switched off the computer, satisfied with the trial run. As the helmet was deactivated and pulled off Donatello's head, the turtle slumped back, unconscious.
"Ah, Donatello, you and I have so much to accomplish together…" Bishop smirked as he packed away his equipment, ignoring Saki as the Japanese man swept from the room, looking irate. "As soon as your brothers arrive, we'll begin the next stage."
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