A/N: Alright, folks hold on tight. Things are going to be moving fast here.

Once Ona was showering, Jamie locked up and called Leo. He didn't seem surprised to hear from her. "I was just about to call you. Donnie tracked Kaz's holo-band to the shop."

"Yes, he was here, but he isn't any more. He said he needed more time. I'm not sure exactly what's going but he left a girl here with me and he said he would come back for her."

The bafflement was obvious in Leo's tone. "A girl? Does she know anything about where he was going?"

"I don't think so and she's not exactly the talkative type."

"I'm going to head your way. Maybe I can get some more information out of her. I'll let Kala and Mikey know Kaz is okay too." He paused and when he spoke again his tone was suspicious. "Does she seem dangerous?"

Jamie frowned. "No, she seems…. lost."

There was relief in his voice. "Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes."

Raph groaned as he and Mikey stood on the edge of a building. Before them stretched the lower east side. The buildings here were all nearly the same height and it seemed like one could see forever in the daylight. But even with that advantage, they'd found no sign of Kaz all day. Now the sky was starting to turn orange as the sun began to set. "Mikey, this is pointless. Kaz is smart enough not to be out in the daytime. He's ninja. He'll be bunked down someplace. Just like we should be." Raph rubbed the back of his neck where a stress knot was forming.

"Maybe not, Raph. He does have a holo-band. We need to keep searching, maybe hit some of the abandon buildings further south. Or maybe we could ask around, see if anyone has seen him." Mikey knew he was grasping at straws but he just couldn't stomach the idea of going home without his son.

Raph snorted. "What we gonna ask them, Mike? Hey, excuse me sir, but have you seen a giant talkin' turtle?"

"No, but we could ask if they'd seen his holo-image."

Raph sighed. He knew this was really hard on his younger brother and he wished he could reassure him somehow. But he couldn't lie either. "He could have changed his holo-image, bro. Maybe even a dozen times by now to throw us off."

Suddenly, Mikey's cell began to buzz and he hurried to answer it. "Leo, did you find him?"

"Yeah, well sort of. Don tracked his holo-band to the music shop, but he must have turned it off when he left, because Donnie can't find the signal anymore. I'm headed there right now and you might want to meet me there."

Mikey sat heavily on the roof's rim. His whole body felt like it might turn into jelly from relief. Kaz was okay. Jamie had seen him and Leo didn't sound worried about him so he had to be alright. Didn't he? "Wait, why are you going over there, if he's not there anymore?"

"Jamie said he left a girl there with her. I'm hoping she can answer some questions."

Mikey blinked. "A girl?"

There was slight amusement in his brother's tone. "Yeah, a girl."

Mikey blinked again. "What…Never mind, we'll meet you there."

Raph couldn't help but grin as Mikey hung up. "A girl, huh? Maybe he's been doin' more than patrolin' on his own."

Mikey snorted as they started for the music shop. "Yoshi was with him, so maybe he was doing more too."

Raph's eyes narrowed and he wanted to smack him, but was just too relieved they had some lead on his nephew to bother.

Kaz raced across the rooftops in the near dark. He was hoping to find The Crew breaking into yet another store, but he hadn't stumbled across any yet. He'd already checked three different spots with nothing. Just when he was about to turn and try another section of the neighborhood, he spotted a white truck that was nearly identical to the one he'd seen the gang use earlier. Cursing under his breath, he shot after it. He was fast but the truck was faster. Even at a dead run, the vehicle continued to gain distance on him. At last it got a little too far ahead and disappeared around a corner. Kaz tried to cut across the street to find it, but it was gone. Growling in frustration, he looked around him trying to get his bearings.

A multitude of warehouses stretched before him and any one of them could be where the truck had gone. If the truck was the right one to begin with. Well, I might as well start looking. It's as good a place as any for The Crew to be hiding. So, he resolved himself to the search, which was going to take a while.

Ona stepped out of the shower to find that Kaz's aunt had set some clean clothes out for her. She frowned at them, knowing they were going to be way too big. But glancing around, she discovered her own clothes had disappeared. She slipped on the large t-shirt and jogging pants. And as expected both nearly swallowed her. When she stepped out of the bathroom she heard a washing machine spinning nearby. So, that's what had happened to her clothes. Jamie had put them to wash. She half smiled to herself. It had been a very long time since anyone had even made an effort to take care of her.

She swallowed hard, pushing down the memories. The past was the past and that was exactly where it was going to stay. Listening she could hear soft humming come from outside the apartment. Following the sound, she found her hostess in an adjacent store room that was even smaller than the one room apartment.

Jamie looked up from the tiny desk, set against a wall. "Oh, done already? I hope you enjoyed it." Ona nodded and then plucked at her clothes. "I'm sorry about that. It was the closest thing I had to your size. Don't worry, yours will be done washing soon and then a quick dry, and you'll feel normal again." Jamie smiled, pushing her glasses up her short nose. "I'll be done here in just a minute and I'll make you something to eat. Okay?"

Ona nodded again, her eyes falling on the guitar leaning against the wall. She slowly picked it up. Jamie opened her mouth to protest. Her guitar was a very personal item. But she clamped her mouth shut a second later as the girl began to play. After a moment, Ona caught Jamie staring at her and blushed, setting the instrument back down. Jamie lifted a brow. "Very nice. That's a pretty complex piece for a teenager."

Ona just shrugged and turned to go back into the apartment, but as she got to the door something caught her eye. She turned towards the front of the store. The lights were out but the shades hadn't been drawn. She could see easily the street beyond through the large display windows. Her eyes widened as she saw the flash of a pale blue light. She hurried to the window for a better look. In the street walked six figures, all wearing the glowing eye-pieces. They began to pass under a street light and a silent gasp left her. She knew two of them. Jack and Sam marched along with blank expressions. Without thinking she tore open the front door and bolted across the street.

She latched onto Jack's arm, tugging and gesturing at him. But Jack did not respond, other than to brush her off. She frowned and tried again, tugging harder this time. But again he brushed her away. Ona turned to Sam, trying her best to get him to look at her. But his eyes remained blank and expressionless. After several more attempts at trying to get their attention, a voice buzzed through the headsets. "Stupid girl. Fine, she wants the two of you so bad, she'll be the first female. Squad fifteen, bring that girl to me."

Her jaw dropped as Jack suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, and then Sam took the other. No! No! What's wrong with them! Kaz! Where is Kaz! Help me! She wanted to scream but what came out was more like a whimper. Fear raced through her body as she was dragged to a white truck and forced inside. Terrifying memories broke free as she was backed into a corner and the scream finally ripped its way out of her throat. But it was too late, the doors to the truck were closed. No one could hear her cries.

A little while later, Jamie heard the alley door being opened and she got up to greet her husband. She smiled as she rounded the corner and saw him and two of his brothers approach. He smiled as well, giving her quick embrace. She loved seeing him at the end of the day. As a matter of fact, it was her favorite time of day. She loved the feel of his powerful arms around her, his warm breath on her skin, and his enthralling scent. But the thing she loved most of all was the look in his eyes. Love was an understatement when it came to that look. It was like relief, love and joy mixed together with passion and hunger.

Raph glanced around. "So, where's this girl?"

"She's probably back here in the apartment." Jamie led them back but frowned once they were inside. The girl was nowhere in sight. "I don't understand. She was just here a minute ago. And her clothes are still in the washer."

"Would she have left?" Leo frowned as Raph left the room.

Jamie shook her head. "No, she seemed fine with staying until Kaz got back."

Raph returned, lingering in the doorway. "Did you leave the front door unlocked?" Jamie shook her head. "Then I hate to you but it looks like out pigeon flew the coop, because it is."

Mikey groaned. It was beginning to feel like they were running in circles. "Did she say anything at all that could tell us where he went?"

Jamie frowned, her brown eyes sad. "No, she doesn't talk. But Kaz said he was hoping to find The Crew's base."

Mikey paled. "He's going after them by himself!"

Jamie nodded. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he seemed pretty determined. Oh, he did give me this." She pulled the eyepiece from her pocket.

Leo took it, examining it. It was a pretty sleek design, whoever made it was obviously technically sound. "We'll take this back to Donnie. You might as well come home too. I don't want you here by yourself in case Kaz is followed back here."

Jamie nodded and began to follow them out. She caught Mikey's arm. She could tell he was still pretty worried. "Kaz seemed fine when he was here. I'm sure he'll be okay, Mikey."

He smiled weakly, covering her hand with his. "Thanks, sis." Jamie smiled as well. They had accepted her into their family so completely that it warmed her heart.

Across the city, Kaz was becoming frustrated. He hadn't spotted the white truck again, hardly any trucks for that matter. He sat on a roof, frowning. He was worried about leaving Ona with his aunt and he was worried about the rest of his family. What would they all think about him dropping the girl in their laps and taking off? And poor Ona, Leo was probably already interrogating her. He sighed inwardly, continuing to scan the buildings and alleys. That's when he saw it. It was just a flash of white as a truck slipped between two buildings. Jumping to his feet, he dashed in its direction. He made it just in time to see a metal door close behind it.

His frown returned with a vengeance as he observed the structure. It was windowless, the only access besides the giant metal garage door was a vent on the roof. As he slipped closer, he could see the roof was covered in cameras and sensors. If he set even a single foot there while they were active, his enemy would know he was there. He'd have to bypass them somehow.

Inside the warehouse, Ona was totted from the truck in a state of unconsciousness. She'd been sedated after a struggle that had given her bruise on her cheek. The squad carried her through a set of doors and into an elevator that descended several flights. Then down a corridor to a large room that glowed with computers.

A man leaned over the controls. He was so thin his bones could be easily seen through his skin. His eyes were sunken and he was topped with a scraggly tuff of black hair. He turned as Ona was dropped heavily on the floor in front of him. He smirked as he squatted down beside her. "Such a pretty thing. You'll make a good personal slave." He stood, speaking into a mike attached to his wrist. "Put her in a chair."

Several pairs of hands lifted her and moved her into one of the metal chairs lining the wall. Metal restraints were placed around her ankles and wrists. Ona began to stir, opening her eyes slowly to gaze around the room. She blinked at the gangly man. "Well, now. I'm glad the effects have worn off. It's better if you're awake to do the procedure." She fought against the restraints, whimpering. "Don't worry, my dear. It isn't painful. Well, not much. You will wake up renewed like a new born babe. All those terrible memories forgotten, all those that hurt you will be forgotten. All that you will know is me." He smirked again and her jaw dropped.

This man wanted to erase her memories? There was no doubt that there were many she'd be glad to be rid of. But there were a few she wanted to keep. They were the ones that kept her sane. They were the places she retreated when the world became too much – where she had hidden when he had touched her. Tears began to streak her cheeks as the bony man reached over her head to pull down a metal hood-like device. Adjusting a knob, he pressed it tight against her skull.

This time when he smiled, it was almost genuine in its depth. "You will thank me when this is over."

Outside, Kaz leveled the stone in his hand and threw it as hard as he could. The front of one camera shattered, followed by the other three as they too were struck with stones. Then he leapt to the edge of the roof, not touching the top itself until he could remove the four sensors. Using the blade of his kusarigama he took out the two closest and then darted along the roof's ledge to take out the other two. When he was satisfied that all cameras and sensors had been removed, he waited for any sign that his presence had been realized.

But the building remained silent. No alarms blared and no sirens wailed. Kaz let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Either the sensors and cameras were fake or their owner was distracted. Some part of him hoped it was the former. Because if The Crew was inside and their leader was distracted, it meant he was up to something. Kaz sprinted across the roof and kicked open the air vent. Thanking his mother's slender form and his father's agility, he jumped down the narrow shaft, landing lightly. He picked a direction at random and crawled along the duct. It was strange how quiet things seemed. There were no voices or machinery or anything at this level.

Finally, he spotted a grate and stopped to look inside. Rows of boys and young men stood, staring blankly ahead their eyepieces glowing. This madman was growing a small army. Kaz noted that the boys all looked like runaways, dressed in the same tattered and dirty clothes Jack and Sam had been in. And now that he knew the crew was kidnapping the street kids, he knew what was happening to his new friends as well.

Kaz suppressed the desire to growl with anger. What gave this man the right to steal these kids from the street! He pushed down the desire to leap down and rip the eyepieces of every one of them. Instead he crawled on until he came to a vertical shaft. Moving down it, he stopped to listen at each level. The first two levels were silent, but the third and final hummed as if a lot of machinery was being used. He paused as he started to move into the duct, because a scream ripped through the air turning his blood cold. Something inside him urged him forward at a speed he didn't think was possible in the tiny space.

The scream pierced through his head and heart. It was a scream of pain and loss. Kaz ground his teeth as he followed it to a grate. Beneath him was a large room, humming from the dozens of computers and monitors. The scream faded and he could see a form slump limply in a chair to one side. He couldn't tell who it was from his angle, but the voice had been female. Then he saw a man standing beside the monitors, his back to him.

"Good, the first phase is complete. Now we begin to recreate you, my dear." The man said folding his hands behind his back. Kaz recognized the thin male voice immediately as the one he'd heard over the headset. He snarled and kicked the grate out, jumping down to land in the center of the room. The man turned at the sound of the metal grill hitting the floor to stare at the turtle. "You."

Kaz glared back. "I take it you're the one that's using street kids to do his dirty work."

The man's lips rolled back into what must have been his version of a grin, but it looked more like a snarl. "Dr. Anton Lanius, at your service."

Kaz snorted. "Let me guess, you're a doctor of crazy."

"No. I am a neurologist."

"So, that's how you're controlling people by messing with their minds."

Lanuis waved a hand. "No, it's how I save them. I am helping these poor souls, by removing the memories that cause them so much pain." He motioned to his right. "Like this miserable creature here. She will never have to remember the things that hurt her ever again."

Kaz couldn't help but glance in the direction he'd indicated. It didn't register at first. The girl half slumped in the metal chair in clothes that were way too big for her with a bruise forming on her cheek. But he did a double take when he saw a strip of pink hair peeking out from beneath the metal hood. His heart fell to his toes. "Ona!"

A?N: Okay, so what did you think? Review PLEEEEAAASSSEEE...