A/N: Here you have it: the wrap-up for the Circus folks and a little drama. ;)

WOFL - I'm glad! There's plenty in store as well, so prepare yourself. :D

Sciencegal - Marina and Mikey are a possible goldmine of witty retorts. We'll see what happens...

D - Thanks! That bank scene was a pain in the ass to write. LOL. I wouldn't call Marina Hugh's total opposite. Then again, I know her better. XD There's more to happen with...them. Anyways, enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 27: Phantoms

Donatello felt sick—more so from keeping anxiety in check than from the two pots of coffee circulating through his system—and he had a hard time keeping his hands from seeking Raphael's throat.

"I should've known," he told the hothead seated on an examination table in the Lab. "I mean, I guess I've always known, to a degree, but chose to ignore the possibility because, hey, it would be a horrible idea—even for you two."

"What'd ya expect, Brainiac?" Raphael spat, wrapping the last stretch of gauze around his upper plastron.

Don's vision lingered on the white line that kept his brother's fractured ribs secured then returned to organizing paper stacks along his main desk with a huff. "How about the truth, Raph? Or maybe I thought you'd actually listen to Sensei's pleas."

"Dun't twist things around. Cuttin' cold turkey ain't easy."

"And I wouldn't know?"

"Who could tell, what wit' yer busy schedule an' all?"

"Raph." Don spun, a sigh within his tight chest. "You aren't stupid. Why would you be there—alone? In the middle of…that?"

"It wasn't planned." Growling, Raphael gripped the knee protectors sewn into his worn leather pants. "I needed ta let off steam, an' I just stumbled inta Hell's Kitchen. Wasn't my fault Cowgirl 'n her posse planned a battle royal wit' some PDs."

"You shouldn't have been there."

"Can ya imagine the body count if I wasn't?"

The genius' sigh released—a shaky action. "There're others who would've helped."

"Like Starberry Girl 'n her sidekick? Ya know they were elsewhere."

"That's another issue that needs addressed when Mikey returns."

"But it ain't who ya meant."

Donny met Raph's narrowed eyes with a frown. "While bitter to admit, no. In the end, you could do very little. Tabitha and Sven helped bail you out and the EPF had to intervene afterwards."

"So now the EPF get ta be the city's heroes?"

"Just for a moment, until things at home are straightened out."

"Are ya serious?"

"We aren't complete, Raphael! We do our best work as a team. Solo is too dangerous. Hell's Kitchen taught you why. Wh—what if Sven and Tabi hadn't been there? What if you had been arrested? What if you had been too injured to call for help?"

"Well, I wasn't."

"But you could've been. Then what would I tell Sensei? 'Oh, Raph and Mikey didn't listen. Now the EPF has them. Don't worry; we'll get them back in a few years, so focus on your Chemo.'"

"That's unfair."

"How?"

"Mike 'n I got nothin' ta do here! Maybe ya can handle bein' on the sidelines 'cuz ya got Sensei ta focus on. What about us? All we can do is sit around, prayin' he dun't get worse. An' look at the state he's in now."

"Raph…"

"I…I could spend time here when Nia was around. But I can't anymore. It's literally divin' me insane."

"Obviously," Don noted thinly, gaze set on the bandaged knuckles Raph rubbed. "Did she know?"

The red-masked Chūnin hesitated before nodding.

"What about Mel?"

"Not until recently."

The genius shook his head then braced himself against the table behind him. "Do you have any idea how disappointed Sensei would be if he knew?"

"We're Phantoms, Donny. I—I can't just quit that. Neither can ya."

"I haven't quit," Donatello snapped with a sharp glare. "I've prioritized."

"So have I. Ya watch the news, ya know it's comin'."

"What is?"

"Now who's playin' stupid?"

"I—It's not our fight, Raph."

"Since when? This is our city, Donny. We've spent eight years workin' for it, an' the boundaries we've set have been scrubbed in a matter 'a weeks. Gang violence alone has—"

"Increased in attacks and thefts. I know. Still, you can't quell it by yourself."

"I haven't been alone. Not really. Besides, returnin' things ta normal was never the aim."

"Then what was?"

"I guess…I needed ta be in a situation where I could make a difference. Here, I'm helpless. Out there, I can—I can keep someone from losin' a loved one or their livelihood. Ya know me; I can't remain idle."

"Which is precisely why I had my suspicions. Look, I don't blame you two for caving. What upsets me most is that you lied about it, and disrespected Sensei's wish."

"We didn't do it ta defy him."

"He's…he's barely breathing. If he doesn't make it, would you want him to die knowing the one request he made went overlooked?"

"He ain't gunna die," Raphael said hurriedly.

"I don't want it either, but we should consider possibilities," Don muttered, "just in case."

"He won't leave us before Leo comes back. He can't…"

"Donatello, Raphael, you have received a call."

Donny's head jerked up at his wife's dead drawl, and he watched the half-dressed cyborg approach with a Shell Cell in hand. Her blue eye surveyed the wounded hothead before regarding the genius—which likely signified her acceptance of another's medical handiwork—then she tossed the phone in her lover's direction.

"Did you finish speaking with Tabi and Sven?" the tall mutant asked while catching the device.

"I did," she replied.

Donny met her expressionless face, but she said nothing more, blinking instead. "We'll talk later. So who called?"

"Hugh Reese. He is curious as to whether or not you can join him tonight."

"For what?" Raphael interjected.

Melody sent him a lazy look. "A meeting between you and his family."

"You mean"—Donny paused for air—"his wife and the Williams?"

Calmly, the blonde nodded, so Raph did everyone a favor and cursed.

"This is 'cuz a what happened at Diamond Bank."

"I get the feeling Marina's been very insistent since speaking with Mikey," the purple-masked Chūnin added under his breath.

"She gave Hugh an ultimatum."

"Really?" Don shared a look with Raph. "What kind? When?"

"A while ago, apparently. She is threatening divorce if she cannot meet us. Claims he should not keep such secrets."

"It was only a matter of time, huh?" Raph's words were snide, yet softened by an apprehension that drew his clan's even gazes.

"It isn't right for Hugh to lose his wife over us," said Don.

"I take it we're goin' out then."

"Yeah. Let's call Mikey."

"Hey, this is where I first saw you," Michelangelo noted while passing through Chinatown's ornate gate. It looked so big compared to a bird's eye view, and he craned his neck towards its golden tiles lit by red paper lanterns. "Hard to believe that was three weeks ago, huh?"

"Concentrate, Figo," Starberry Girl chided from ahead. "We have to be on time."

"Or else what?"

"Or else Nom de Guerre will cut us loose and no deal will be setup for Zebb and his family."

"Can this guy be trusted?" Trotting up to Hoshi, Mikey furrowed his eye ridges behind his cowl. "I mean, I trust you, and you say he's good. But…What does his name even mean?"

"You talked me into helping. Now you're going to complain how I do it?" The heroine huffed, probably rolled her eyes, and took a sharp turn down a wide alley on the left.

"Wait up!" Mikey called. He found her side again, although her Chi said his presence was unwelcome. "Are you mad?" he asked, soft.

"Why would I be?" the green-haired human countered. "The smoke worked. We got out of that place before any big media caught up and we missed the EPF by seconds."

"Why do you sound pissed then?"

"Who says I'm pissed?"

"You aren't mad about Zebb, are you?"

Hoshi's thin lips pursed. Then, she took another turn down a smaller alley.

"Come on; the guy shot at us, but he had good reasons," the hero said, following her to a store front lined with security gates.

"I'm not mad over being shot at; I'm shot at all the time."

With a snort, Hoshi kicked the metallic shield then headed towards a thin, iron railing beside it. There, she descended several concrete stairs that ended at the narrow door of another store's basement. Her combat boot broke the knob without missing a beat and she left it for her companion to close after he checked the area for traffic.

"But you are upset." With a silent sigh, the hero switched his lenses to night vision. He matched Hoshi's footsteps through an open room littered by abandoned VHS tapes and ancient take-out containers. Clearly, this wasn't the first time she'd met someone in said place.

"Why do you care?" asked Hoshi over her shoulder. "We're helping Zebb. Like you wanted. Shouldn't you be happy?"

"You have a strange idea about happiness."

"So you aren't?"

"Not really. I'm relieved Zebb's family will get a chance for a new life, but I can't be happy when others aren't."

"I'm a big girl, Figo; I'll get over it."

"Still"—Mikey raced forward so his night vision caught the faint eye reflection behind the heroine's mask—"we're friends, right? I wanna know why you're upset. Maybe I can make it better."

"Friends?" Starberry spoke through pressed lips and a whisper. She paused, but then avoided the hero by entering a door beyond the first room and conquering a short hallway. "You hardly know me."

"Meanwhile, you apparently know more about me than I thought," Mike snapped behind her.

Hoshi halted at a rotting office door, not turning around when she sighed. "That doesn't have to change anything. We can go on like before, keep things as they were."

"And pretend I'm not real?"

"It has nothing to do with you being a mutant. Trust me."

"I do. Maybe that's my problem."

Starberry sighed again, which brought her shoulders down.

"It seemed like you were aching for a friend before we met," Michelangelo continued in a low tone. "But are you really content with a casual partnership?"

The green-haired heroine shrugged. "Why not? We're having fun."

"Is that the only reason you hang around me?" Mikey couldn't keep hurt from his voice, nor could he act as if Starberry Girl's actions didn't sting as she tightened her grip on the door handle in silence. He watched her ponytail shake, frowning at the truth. "You flirt and laugh and play, yet…you're not happy at all, are you?"

"Like I said, we don't have to change," whispered Hoshi hoarsely. "We don't need to talk about me, only the mission."

"Hoshi—"

Michelangelo had a better chance of catching a wet fish than he did of catching Starberry Girl. She twirled away from his outstretched hand and entered the office space—all without meeting his gaze. She then approached a desk set up at the room's back, where someone in a hoodless cloak sat.

Upon closer inspection, Mikey detected an anomaly about the figure's white face. It wasn't real. At least, not most of it. The doll-like eyes were flat, painted so it gave the illusion of three sets on one head, while its three noses and two mouths were perfectly uniform. It looked creepy—horror-movie-worthy even—yet Hoshi nodded with no issues.

"Nom de Guerre," she addressed.

"Any longer and I would've left," Nom de Guerre replied, his tone ambiguous of gender. "I sent the tattooed one after you."

"Sorry; told Figo to hurry."

"Are you Figo?"

Mikey refrained from shuddering when Nom de Guerre's lifeless eyes fell on him, yet blanched at the nickname. "Actually, I'm Turtle Titan."

A pause passed before Nom de Guerre's center face met Hoshi again. "You sure he doesn't want a new name as well?"

"Funny," Mikey mocked, crossing his arms.

"Your price is steep, Nom de Guerre. I can't afford his debt too."

The mutant caught Hoshi's frown—a subtle action. He meant to ask her what she meant, except heavy footsteps drew everyone's attention towards the door. Zebb entered not long after, with a small group in tow.

"I said I only needed to meet with the family's head," Nom de Guerre spat. The figure huffed more so in exasperation than anger, and straightened in his seat as Zebb's family surrounded their protector.

"They don't listen well," Zebb replied, eyeing the two children and women.

"Actually," Rose started, "we came for Titan and Starberry Girl."

"We wanted to say bye," Barry added, mostly towards the ground.

Nom de Guerre huffed. "Then do so outside. I have business to attend. Matters of"—the middle face bore into Zebb—"payment."

"We already discussed that," Hoshi told the three-faced figure.

"Yes," replied Nom de Guerre in a tone as smooth as his head movements, "but given your track record over the years, I would like to hear what Zebb can offer. So everyone except him, leave until I call you back."

"You made me come here so you can kick me out?" Hoshi's mouth hung agape then snapped shut when Nom de Guerre remained quiet. "Non mi insultare, ragazza; il tuo debito è precarioso in questo momento."

"Calmati, stronzo. Ti ripago quando posso."

"Hold it." Michelangelo glanced between Starberry Girl and Nom de Guerre. "De Gear speaks Italian too? What'd he say?"

"Nothing important, Figo," Hoshi growled.

"Hardly," Nom de Guerre followed up. "Were I to retract your debt, you'd be found in this city within a matter of days. I'd say I've been very patient and charitable."

"What debt?" The mutant reached for Hoshi, but she avoided him a second time by twirling. She passed him, her lips downturned, and kicked the office doorframe before leaving.

"Hurry up!" she yelled from beyond the room.

'There is a lot I don't know about her, isn't there?' Michelangelo thought. His focus remained on the door frame before settling on Barry and Rose. He sent them a smile, allowing them and Ulla and Unna to go on ahead of him.

"Nice meeting you, De Gear," he teased with a lopsided smile.

The figure scowled, saying, "It's Nom de Guerre, Figo."

"Tomato, to-mah-tow." Shrugging, the mutant rotated on his heel, satisfied with Nom de Guerre's bang against the desk, then sent Zebb a sincere grin. "Hope you get a better deal than Starberry did."

The broad man ran a hand over the tribal tattoos across his bald head. "Any deal will be better than what we had at Lacio." Pausing, he gripped Mikey's shoulder. "Thank you, Titan. If it weren't for you, I would've lost everything."

"Donna was the one who hacked the vault. All I did was talk some sense into you."

"It meant a lot, showing me your true nature."

"Well, the security cameras were out, so I thought 'Why not?'"

Zebb chuckled, although no humor lit his smile when his hand fell. "You had every reason to leave me for the police. I'm in your debt for guiding me, Ulla, and Unna out."

"Prison isn't a place for birth," Mikey noted softly. He glanced towards the group standing outside the office—specifically at Ulla and Unna—then back at Zebb. "I have no idea how that works with conjoined twins, but congrats. I pray the three remain healthy."

"Yeah, me too," Zebb muttered.

"Are we giving your family a new life or not, Zebb?" Nom de Guerre rested his real chin atop his interlaced hands, his fake eyes unnerving.

Mikey waved him off then spared Zebb an encouraging nod before exiting the office. Starberry slammed the door shut behind him and he was forced into Ulla and Unna when the heroine pushed him aside to snap kick the barrier. It shuddered from old age, yet didn't disintegrate like it seemed it would.

The mutant would've commented on it. He wanted to and he could've—if it weren't for the all-knowing glare Hoshi sent while leaning against the doorframe.

"This is real, isn't it?" Rose's soft tone came from the group's midst, where the hairy girl glanced at everyone with wide, shining eyes. "We're going to have a real home."

"Yes," Ulla and Unna said together. Their middle arm reached forward to ruffle Rose's long bangs, the right one wrapping around Barry's high waist.

"Seems like a dream," the lanky boy noted.

"It's what you deserve," Mikey added.

"Even after all the trouble we put you through?"

The mutant rewarded Barry's hesitant glance by snickering. "I'm used to it. Just make sure you maximize this chance."

"Believe us, we will," Unna said. The middle-aged blonde rested her head against her twin as Ulla brought their left arm over their stomach.

"I kind'a feel bad, though," said Rose.

"Why?" Hoshi asked a little too rudely.

The young girl drew her hands close to her hairy chest, saying, "The woman who was helping us at Warner-Frost, we never got a chance to thank her."

"She didn't do anything," noted Barry, tart.

"But she meant to. Now, she'll never know how thankful we were that she wanted to be our friend."

"Never say never, Rose." Mikey grinned. "I can tell her."

"Really? How?"

"I know her."

"You do?"

"Yup. She's my sister."

"You never mentioned that," Starberry spat from the doorframe.

The hero shrugged in turn, not facing her. "Thought you weren't interested in pasts."

"Is she okay?" Barry added over the heroine's scoff. He glanced at Mikey, but not for long before his eyes averted. "Not like it matters."

"She's stable," Mikey replied with grim words. "I don't…I don't know any more than that. It's complicated. When I see her again, though, I'll tell her everything that's happened, and that you wanted to say thanks. It'll mean the world to her."

"Really?" asked Barry as if in fear of being wrong.

"She saw a little of herself in each of you, so she was quite stressed over what she could do."

"She didn't need to be."

"Isn't that what makes her special?" Smiling, Mikey caught the family's attention and stood straight under their stares. "If I have one critique, it's that you accept help more. Sometimes, you can't handle things on your own. It can actually make matters worse, especially if you force away what could be a good chance or change.

"You're going to become phantoms in this world, lead a secret life like I do. Phantoms need other phantoms to lean on. And who knows, maybe life's preparing you to help others that need to become phantoms as well."

"You think we're collected enough to help someone else?"

The mutant gave Ulla and Unna firm nod. "You can be, when the time comes."

"Thank you, Titan," the women replied in unison. Their left arm found Rose to complete their family line up, and Mikey couldn't help smiling like a fool knowing they had a better life ahead of them.

If only he could say the same for his family...

A/N: Mikey's speaking prophetic words to Ulla and Unna. And none of you will understand until years later. ;)

Next chapter is called "Truth". It's ALL about the meeting mentioned earlier, so if you've been itching for Meg, Jen, and Rina to meet the Hamatos-it's time! :D