A/N: O-oh my gosh. Is this - could it be? The END? Dun, dun, duuuuuun!

EPILOGUE

Leonardo found it unfathomable how such frail-looking creatures could represent the future. His whole life, he'd barely given the idea of a wife any thought. Forget children. Yet here two laid: his nieces who defied all probability and odds. They slumbered inside their pack-and-play, cuddling one another with four-fingered hands. Just listening to their breaths stirred emotion inside the Jonin.

"Dude," Raphael said, "ya cryin'?"

Leo rocked his chin along the pack-and-play's top rail, not bothering to clean his face. "They're incredible," he said.

"Yeah, Ni did a pretty good job."

"You too, I think."

"Aw, shucks, Fearless."

The Jonin chuckled and shifted. He felt Kaiya's weight on his leg lift then return as the child resumed sleeping.

"That kid acts like ya're the damn savior 'a the universe," Raph continued.

"She's the reason I hung on so long. I'd say she's the savior." Leo ran his fingers through Kai's curls with a weak smile. The girl hadn't let the Jonin out of her sight, which had caused some issues with Coyolxauhqui throughout the party. Not because the tribeswoman had been jealous, but because Leo had been her only source of familiarity at Saisei when everyone wanted to meet her. "We gotta be stronger," Leo added. "If our clan is growing, if we have children…"

"No more kids on my part." The hothead sounded near frightened. "At least for a while. I just got these two."

The Jonin snorted into his bicep, noting how nervously his brother gazed at the hybrids. "They're our top priority." All humor left Leo when he dried his tears and met Raph's gaze. "If these girls will be living in New York, it's more important now than ever to make sure it's safe. Below. And above."

Slowly, as if to test his older brother's intent, Raph smirked. "Does this mean we finally get ta kick ass again?"

"As a team."

"My favorite way ta kick it."

Leonardo had no reason to scold Raphael for the way he beat a fist in his palm. Instead, he straightened his posture with every ounce of determination that filled his muscles and voice, saying, "It's time we took back our city."

Of all the things Agent Bishop had to maintain in his career, fake cheer was the hardest, and his guise always dropped whenever he turned his back to a camera or Commissioner Powell.

"Sir? Uh, Sir!"

Bishop gave a long-suffering sigh, facing a stout gentleman who dashed down a hallway in EPF Headquarters. "Doctor Gaertner," he addressed. "What now?"

Gaertner huffed and stared up at his boss through rectangular glasses. "The interview," he panted.

"What about it?"

"Yo—you went through with it?"

"Of course."

"You told them?"

"I told what was needed to keep our organization looking progressive."

"But the stone—it—we—we've hardly scratched the surface of its capabilities. The Disrupter—"

Bishop sneered. "Failed. On two accounts. Yes."

"So why would you...?"

"Gaertner"—the agent's sneer morphed into a snide grin—"by all accounts, the stone has slingshot our interests forward. Ecuador's disaster isn't attributed to a lack of knowledge. Rook reported Leonardo's involvement months ago and asked for backup before his facility flooded. However, Rodgers credited the mess to Hyde's...revelation."

"A psychic," the doctor whispered.

"A plague, proof the screening stage requires an extra level of security."

"So you mentioned. But Baxter and I helped design the Disrupter. The stone has no effect on—"

"Not yet. You're smart doctor. Or you're supposed to be." Bishop felt his sunglasses slip down his nose and he glared down at Gaertner so closely, he could see sweat glisten off the doctor's balding skull.

"I understand the concept," said Gaertner. "The stone gets us closer to Project Blackout."

"Only Languu we have left. Native scum."

"Manipulating the IgRs how you want, though. Enhancing the cyborg? Tracking hybrids through genetics? Completing Project Demigod? Feats like that are years beyond our capabilities. We've only recently formulated a serum to stabilize Yahna and Boisvert's latest work. Which, I might add, has teetered disturbingly along inhuman standards."

"Salvation requires sacrifice. If I must create a few monsters to flush out more dangerous ones, so be it. Least these ones are in our control."

"To ensure EPF demand." Gaertner's objection didn't go unnoticed.

"A distasteful yet necessary tactic, Doctor. Earth's people are like children unaware of what dangers their parents attempt to shield them from. I plan on exposing those dangers, starting with this city."

"By parading around the fact that we can weed out 'true' humans from 'false' ones? Who will waltz up to HQ under those pretenses?"

"As I told local news, the test is voluntary. It causes no harm. Offers a piece of mind. Participants are well compensated for their time, as well."

"Bribed with IgR booster shots."

"A cleanse. FDA-approved. Nothing permanent or radical, though they should leave buzzed." The doctor sighed as Bishop chuckled, yet kept silent while his boss regained composure. "Give it time, Doctor. Before long, it won't be a matter of who claimed their humanity so much as who hasn't claimed it. The masses will contribute, to prove their worth to their community. Our influence in the NYPD will become seamless. Our research will blossom with sufficient funding. And I can wait years, decades even."

"For?"

"Revolution, Doctor. Revolution."

A/N: Yes, I DID leave you there. You're welcome.

Thanks, everyone, for coming on this journey. D and new-comer musicluvr86 for the faithful support. DuckiePray and Sciencegal for insisting I stick with this beast - no matter how many times I wanted to curl in a corner and burn it. My best friend and her mother for helping me with Peurto Rican and Mexican slang/curses. And all those who favorited, watched, and read my Saga.

So, this is the end of what I consider "Phase 1". "Phase 2" consists mostly of extras and smaller books, which are now shifting in content and timelines. Keep on the lookout for these future adventures! :D