To say I was shocked would be an understatement. More like flabbergasted, really.

To say I babbled like a youngling after hearing Mortu's verdict, as sad as it is to admit, would be absolutely correct.

To say my mind froze in disbelief, well, it is all too true.

Kage, her eyes wide in alarm, had turned to run the minute Captain Mortu found us. She barely made it three steps before she was surrounded. I worried she was about to cry, her eyes screamed panic. She tried to run, a desperate last action, but tripped over a stone, falling to her knees.

I was astounded when she did not utter a cry, not one of anger or of resignation, she did not utter a sound. She did not bang her fists on the ground, she did not move. After all her years of running, I began to question whether she could run any longer.

"W-What is the meaning of this?" I stammered at the Captain.

"This, my friend, is the Utromian Justice Force apprehending a wanted fugitive. I thank you for your service in this matter," Captain Mortu replied calmly, a smile on his weary face.

"B-But that is Kage! You must be mistaken," I responded, feeling flustered.

"Wait, you knew about this girl? Why did you lie earlier?" Mortu demanded, shocked. I knew what he was thinking, how could I, a living moral compass, allow such a travesty to occur in my own home? Under my own nose?

"I did not know," I responded honestly, shaking my head in disbelief. Kage, a girl I considered my own daughter, a traitor? A conspirator? A thief? How could this even be?

"I believe you my friend. I am sure she passed herself off as an ally, that can be the only way she stayed under the radar so long," Mortu sighed.

I watched as the floating Captain headed towards the silent girl, as he commanded her to rise to her feet and look at him.

Obedient as ever, Kage stood up.

"Tell me, why did you steal the amulet? Where is it?" Captain Mortu asked calmly, waiting. Kage just looked at her feet, caked and covered with mud and grime. Poor girl, I thought sadly.

"Answer me, please."

Kage slowly raised her eyes to look at the Captain, her eyes dull. She had given up the fight, I had seen that look in so many warriors eyes before. When faced with an impossible task, one you could not complete, hopeless and despair entered many a warrior's heart, tainting them. It seemed Kage had fell into this sort of situation as well.

Her time of running was over.

"I-I didn't," Kage finally whispered, and everyone winced hearing her. It had nothing to do with her statement, but her voice...Even I had to admit it was terrible. If you combined the sounds of rocks smashing together, a car crash, and nails on a chalk board, you would get the half way point to Kage's voice.

It was simply terrible.

Her voice was long gone, what was left made you want to cringe.

Even Mortu had trouble keeping a straight face, and Kage knew her voice was grating everyone's ears. Poor girl, I thought again.

"Then where did you get it? If you didn't steal it yourself?" Mortu continued, and I looked at Kage curiously. I knew she couldn't be a thief, not a true thief at least, so that left one vital question to be answered: Where did she get the amulet?
"Mama..." Kage murmured, her eyes falling back to the floor. "Mama gave it to me..."

"And where is your mother?" Mortu pressed, looking at the human girl suspiciously.

"Gone..."

"Gone where, exactly?" Mortu pressed.

"Passed on...You kill her," Kage whispered, tears glittering in her eyes.

Mortu seemed shocked by the response, drifting a little away from the girl.

"But, that's impossible. We're a peaceful race, we prefer prisoners..." Mortu was at a loss, not sure how to deal with this situation.

In the Captain's momentary lapse of attention, Kage jerked free of her two captors, and started running.

"After her!" Mortu exclaimed, alarmed. I knew what was going through his mind, how could she escape from me again?

"I don't think so," Raphael said calmly, and I turned to see my sons take positions in the tunnel to combat the flood of incoming Utrom goons. My heart swelled in pride, they were going to protect her! They were going to protect Kage!

The resulting battle lasted less than five minutes, long enough for me to know Kage was gone, disappeared into the sewers and to learn one thing:

Even if you've saved the word multiple times, been to the past, present, and future, defeated a centuries old villain who kept coming back, dealt with aliens, fought for fame and glory, and maintained a some what healthy brotherly bond, you can still be defeated.