A/N: Chapters will be booming; I want this story complete by the end of the year. XD

If people are emotionally connected, Sciencegal, I count that as a job well done. So yup! :D

Chapter 35: Torn

Did he say Marco Rizzo? As in Sophia's ex-boyfriend Marco Rizzo? Now, Michelangelo knew very little about the man. What he did know was that he should be dead!

"Alright," Raphael said in the passing silence. "So, are we not fightin' this guy or what?"

"My fight isn't with you," Marco said over his shoulder. He then sent a smile at Sophia. Mikey found it sickening. "I'm thankful Nom de Guerre finally gave me your location. I was going crazy trying to find you on my own."

"Nom de Guerre knew you were looking for me?" It was the first confident sentence Sophia had voiced in the last five minutes, and her thin brows furrowed as Marco reached for her shoulders.

"For over a year now. He kept revealing hints until I narrowed down the city. Then for some reason, he contacted me with this address. Something about you insulting him and not wanting to stay in the States anymore."

"So he knew? For a year?"

"Calm down, Soph. You know how he is."

"I just—I don't. You can't be here, Marco." Sophia's voice cracked—a pitiful sound. She drew Cuddles closer, unblinking in her stare, and Marco's fingers traveled up and down the blonde's upper arms.

"You've grown prettier since I last saw you," he said. "And here I thought that wasn't possible."

"Prettier?" Sophia's flushed face hardened as she swatted one of the man's arms away. "Four years of deception, and that's all you have to say? You've been alive this whole time. You let me believe I'd lost you. And you don't have the decency to apologize?"

"Mi dispiace, amore mio. I know it hurt, but it needed to be that way."

"No!" Voice roaring, Sophia handed off Cuddles to Michelangelo then used her palms to hit the tall man in his buff chest. "I've talked to your grave. I buried you. I mourned you for years, stronzo! And all this time I never needed to?"

"Everyone had to think I was dead, Sophia," Marco countered in a chilled voice. "It was the only way to protect my family."

"And what about me?"

The Italian stiffened under his ex-girlfriend's glare. "Mi dispiace. Bishop needed to see you torn."

"Fottiti!"

"Ascolta, ascolta!" Marco caught the little blonde's hands to keep them from hitting him. "He wouldn't question my death if he saw you were sincere. It misdirected him, and since you disappeared from Italy soon after that, the rest of your family assumed you committed suicide."

"What?"

"It was a messed up choice, yes, but," pausing, Marco fluffed Hoshi's straight cut bangs, "it gave us good cover, right? To beat Bishop, you must outwit him, which is damn hard."

"Ya're tellin' us," Raphael said behind the group. Everyone turned to face the red-masked Chūnin, as he had finally joined the group inside. "We've been after him for eight years. What makes ya think ya got a chance?"

Shoulders squared, Marco ran a hand over his curled, dark hair. "I got inside knowledge from working with the EPF."

"EPF?" Raphael's hand reached his sai's hilt before Mikey could blink, but he kept it stationary, respecting the hand motion his youngest brother gave to calm him down.

"You worked with them until something bad happened, right?" Mikey asked Marco.

"Until South America. Si. Since then, I've been sabotaging him the best I can. Even took the so called 'artifact' he sent me to retrieve."

"My necklace," Sophia said, gentle.

"I never told you, Sophie, but that necklace came from an alien species that lives deep in the Amazon."

Raph snorted. "Aliens? Explains why ya haven't questioned me or Mike."

Marco sent the mutant a light smirk. "Sophie's been hanging around mutants for as long as I've known her. I'm not surprised she found some here. Although…"

"Although what?"

"Nothing." Shaking his head, Marco disregarded Raph in favor of Hoshi. "The, uh, Jade-like jewel is called the Davu Stone. It's a weapon, in a way, meant to be handled with great care. I doubted its potency when I stole it from their home base. While I was heading for the extraction point, however, I—I killed one of them with it."

"That's what changed your mind."

"It's a war where they live, Sophie. They face death every day, and witnessing it first-hand…I didn't want to be part of that. I felt the Davu Stone's capability and decided I wouldn't unleash it again—especially not on a Languu."

"Oh my God," Mikey breathed. He earned two questioning gazes with his gasp, but Raphael was the one who caught his attention when the hotheaded reeled back. Eyes wide behind his mask, Raph stalked towards Marco then spun him by the shoulder, asking,

"What was that name again?"

"The Languu?"

"What do ya know about 'em?"

"Hey!" Marco backed up, a few steps from where the burly mutant had been squeezing his shoulder. "All I know is they recycle energy to live. They've been here for hundreds of years, and the Davu Stone was harvested with the purpose of killing them."

"Uh, question," interjected Mikey. "Why would the Languu keep a stone that's capable of killing their own kind?"

"It's a precautionary measure," Marco answered while eyeing Raph. "The Languu realize they can drain a planet if they're irresponsible and unbalanced. Think of them like a plant. They feed on energy generated by organic matter then release it into the Earth as a new form of energy. They convert it, basically."

"So they need ta make sure none 'a their people get outta line," Raphael noted. Had it been any other time, Mikey would've teased his older brother for showing deep interest and concern. However, he knew the reason why the Languu meant so much to him, and thus added,

"How does the Davu Stone affect a Languu?"

"In simple terms, it disrupts their ability to recycle energy. With the ability blocked, they starve, for a lack of a better term. It's a fast process, makes them weak, disoriented, and"—Marco drew in a slow breath—"they convulse until the end. When they stop moving…then they're dead."

"Sarah…" Sophia's whisper rung loud as she met Mikey's gaze.

"Nia," the mutant corrected.

"Whatever. But that"—the blonde tugged at her undone hair, gesturing towards Marco with her eyes—"that explains exactly what happened to her at Warner-Frost! That's why the stone would act funny around her. That's why it burned me those few times. Which means, she's…"

"Told you there were other reasons for her running from Bishop," noted Mikey with a grim smile.

"She ain't pure Languu, though," Raphael added, crossing his arms. "About half her DNA's human."

"She's a hybrid?"

The hothead gave Sophia a nod.

"Hybrids are the worst."

Oh, damn; Marco really shouldn't have said anything. Michelangelo jumped when his brother gripped Marco's jacket then slammed the tall human against the nearest wall.

"Wanna repeat that, kano yarou?" he snarled while glaring upwards.

"Even I can understand the risk they pose," Marco countered, tugging at the Chūnin's large hands. "Just for good measure, the head Languu showed me what happens when a hybrid is left unchecked. She was trying to keep me from stealing it. You already know that didn't work, but I know the truth regardless.

"Hybrids aren't born with the balance a Languu needs. They turn into monsters, who lose all sense of self-awareness then suck the life out of everything around them. That's why it's forbidden to try for children outside the Languu race."

"And yet Nia was born," grumbled Mikey. He clenched his hand free from Cuddles and hated how close his brother looked to tears.

"My wife ain't a monster," Raphael said in an undertone. "Any 'a her races can tell me she wasn't meant ta be, but she's provin' them both wrong. While she's slipped a few times, she's found that balance. An' she works like hell ta keep it. So no curly-haired little pretty boy is gunna tell me she's the worst. Got it?"

"Alright," Marco conceded. "I never meant to offend anyone, but a hybrid in the city could definitely account for Bishop's long residence here."

"Don't even get me started on that." After releasing Marco, Raphael headed for the window, where he leaned against it, unwilling to make eye contact with Mikey.

"So, Sophie"—Marco approached the blonde—"you still have it, right?"

"Um…" Glancing away, Hoshi sought to retrieve Cuddles. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"Y—yesterday Michelangelo and I ran into some trouble. Big trouble. Um, d—d—do—"

"Dog monsters," Mikey finished.

Sophia flashed a thankful smile, yet paled when she faced Marco again. "I think the EPF created them because their only goal was to get my necklace. Once they had that, they left. Mostly."

"You mean Bishop has it now?"

"It's not certain!" The slender blonde shrunk away when Marco stepped forward then cradled her albino pet. "it isn't with me anymore, though. I—I'm sorry, Marco."

"You don't have to apologize," added Mikey, chest puffed. "You fought hard and did what you could. We'd need something more than shuriken and cables to take down those things."

"Thanks, Figo," Sophia whispered into Cuddles' thorax.

Marco sighed. "I don't mean to get mad, Sophie. But the whole reason I gave the Davu Stone to you was for safe keeping."

"Way to keep me in the loop about it."

"It was better if you didn't know."

"Why? What if I had decided to pawn it or something?"

"I knew you would never do that."

"How so?"

Smile soft, Marco's voice grew tender. "The necklace was a gift from me. You never throw away my gifts. You still have Cuddles, too."

Sophia had no counter attack. She simply stared in return, freckled features tainted red. Mikey felt a familiar jab once she huffed—the sting of jealousy. For once, he thought he could keep the feeling tempered, yet his eyes narrowed at the man who dared picked up where he left off with a girl he had faked his death for years prior.

'Not cool, Dude. She was just starting to open up to me and he thinks…'

No. Mikey didn't know what Marco thought. In fact, he didn't know Marco at all.

Four years was a long time. What if the man had thought better of running from the EPF and decided to rejoin them? What if he wanted to take Sophia to another country? What if he wanted to return to their roles from back in Italy? What if…what if he wanted Sophia to immerse herself in the soldier life she thinks she needs to have?

'She's more than a mission,' the mutant thought with curling fists. 'And I'll tell that to his face.'

"Guess this means our first goal should be retrieving that stone."

Mikey eyed Marco, silent for once.

"We have no idea where his true New York base is," Sophia said. "And that's if he took the necklace there."

"You've lived here four years and don't know?"

"I had other priorities, Marco. A job, Mum; for a time I didn't patrol."

"Why not?"

The blonde shifted then headed for Cuddles' tank. "I felt safe. Bishop's name wasn't mentioned here until last October. Besides, the Phantoms kept the city safe."

"The who?"

"Hum, wonder who they could be, eh?" Michelangelo sent a devious smirk towards his brother by the window. However, the red-masked Chūnin was rigid, his gaze set on his Shell Cell. "Uh, earth to Troll Turtle. Come in, Troll Turtle."

Raph remained silent then slowly lifted his eyes.

"Dude, what up? What's wrong?"

"I—I don't know if it's—maybe I shouldn't, but…Mikey, look."

In seconds, the youngest brother stood beside Raph and tilted the phone so he could see its screen. There was an open text message from Gavin, reading:

Nia's had another seizure, but otherwise remains the same. Since no one can explain what's going on, they're sending her back home. She's at our townhouse now.

"Is this permission to see her?" Mikey lifted his head then froze under Raph's hopeful eyes. The poor guy wanted to stay controlled, nevertheless the nunchaku master placed a hand on his shoulder, nodding. "I'll call Don or Mel to pick me up."

"But—"

"Raph" —Mikey smiled—"go see your wife. Let me know how she's doing, okay?"

He needed no further push. After a nod, the hothead vanished in a flash, so Michelangelo sent the bystanders behind him a wave.

"He doesn't meant to be rude; he's just...Raph. Now where were we?"

"We were planning," answered Marco. "Although I'm not sure where you fit it."

"I think I fit right here." That said, Mikey sat down, letting Marco know if any plans were to be made, they would include him—no matter what.

Raphael heard his heart thump in his chest like a soundtrack for his mad dash across the city. He was on auto pilot, for sure, and never had he been so thankful that he'd memorized New York's layout. It served him well while his mind raced with Gavin's text.

'Two weeks has never felt so long,' the mutant thought, gripping the lip of a gable roof. He crouched in the moonlight then sprung to continue his journey towards Lincoln Square. 'But I get ta see her again. Or I beddah see her, if Gavin likes his face…'

A cynical part of Raph believed it was a hoax. Gavin could've sent him on a wild goose chase, almost as if the redhead had told his imaginary friends "Look what I can make this fool do." Still, he'd rather risk that chance than it be true and remain stationary. It wasn't in the mutant not to act.

'I swear Gavin don't deserve her. She gives him way more chances than he deserves. Then again…it's for that very reason I'm wit' her now.'

How twisted was that? She still loved her father, and by now the mutant felt so torn on how to handle Gavin that he as compelled to bang his head against a brick wall. Of course he refrained; that shit hurt. But the urged remained all the same.

'I can at least punch him, right? Guess we'll find out.'

Having reached the Anders' townhouse, Raphael immediately descended from the tile rooftop. He landed on a rounded balcony capable of holding two chairs then tested the window. It was unlocked, unlike the many times before. So the mutant lifted it with care, ensuring no sounds were made while he entered the house. He closed it behind him then headed for the narrow stairs he knew led to Nia's room.

Despite the tight fit, he entered the darkness above and cursed the moment his foot collided with a paint bucket. That's right; his wife had a horrible habit of leaving out her paint materials. He knew he wasn't any better when it came to his workout gear, but maybe they should both consider cleaning up more…

Dude, was that responsibility talking? In his head?

This was all Gavin's fault.

"When I see him, I'll—"

Click. A faint sound filled the loft bedroom with light, and Raph inhaled, set on telling off Gavin when their eyes met. However, the gaze he caught wasn't green. It was brown. And belonged to a female figure beside Nia in bed—a figure he knew well from visits to Lennox Hill Hospital.

"Hello, Raphael," Mia said. "I've been waiting for you."

A/N: Well then. Raph has some e'plainin' to dooo. ;D