- Chapter 71 -

Feel Like a Monster

Bishop, freshly released from the infirmary, made his way into the EPF's weapons lab, where he confronted two separate agents. They stood at attention as he entered, immediately getting down to business.

"What's the status of the device?" he asked.

"Fully operational and ready for field work, sir," one agent reported.

"Sir, we have some good news," the second one added. "The doc's finally back."

That got Bishop's attention. "Is she now?"

"Yes sir. She's in her lab, working to get everything situated. We figured you'd want to check on her."

Bishop nodded. "Yes."

He turned and made his way out of the weapons lab, taking a few turns until he reached a new lab. This one was labeled "Xenobiology" with the name "Kari Miller" on the door. Inside, he could hear music playing as someone moved around. A soft smile graced his face as he stepped into the lab, not surprised to find it a hectic mess. Boxes were everywhere, lab equipment was strewn about the tables, a coffee maker was brewing away at something ominously called Death Wish Coffee, and a woman in a wheelchair was eagerly rolling around. The woman was in her mid-twenties with black hair in a pixie cut tipped with a bright blue dye. She was wearing a black MTV t-shirt with some dark jeans and a pair of heavy boots. Over it all, she wore a pristine white lab coat, and an anime lanyard with her ID on it. She was singing along to her music until she noticed Bishop in the doorway

"Bishop!" She rolled over, giving him a big smile. "Didja miss me?"

"Indeed I did." Bishop ruffled her hair in an almost paternal manner before looking her over. "How are you adjusting?"

"Better now. Honestly, I'm just glad to be out of the hospital. I hate being babied by all the nurses. Still, I'll admit that getting used to being this short is going to be difficult, but I'll manage."

"My offer still stands to-"

Kari held up a hand. "Stopping you there. I told you before, I have no desire to use my position in the EPF to get access to treatments unavailable to the rest of the populace. Besides, the process is still unstable and I have no desire to break down."

Bishop sighed but nodded in the end. "Very well, I will not ask again."

"Thank you," Kari smiled. "Now is this a social call, or does this visit have a purpose."

"Right, my apologies. I came to see when you will be ready to continue with your work. Your project will be instrumental in the EPF's goals."

"I've almost got my lab set up, so not much longer."

"Excellent. I'm already making preparations to acquire some fresh samples for you to work with. I look forward to seeing the fruits of your labors."

Kari grinned at the prospect. "I'm looking forward to it as well."

Down in the lair, the various Hamato/Lee siblings were seated around bored as in the kitchen, Leo and Raph were in the middle of a loud, passionate argument about something.

"It's bullshit, Leo!" Raph yelled, throwing up his hands. "It's your brand of bullshit from first to last!"

"No, you can't ever see the big picture," Leo shot back. "You can't see any picture!"

"I am talking about something primal, alright?!" Raph exclaimed. "Savagery! Brutal animal instinct!"

"And that wins out every time with you," Leo hissed, getting into Raph's face. "You know, the human race has evolved , Raph!"

"Yeah," Raph scoffed. "Into a bunch of namby-pamby, self-analyzing pussies who could never hope to overcome pure aggressors!"

"They're bigger. They're smarter. Plus, there's a thing called teamwork, not to mention the superstitious terror of your 'pure aggressors'!"

"You just want it to be the way you want it to be."

"IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT I WANT!" Leo shouted at the top of his lungs.

Hisako groaned as she covered her ears with a couch cushion, Midnight whining as she nosed at her person. Karai walked in, looking at the scene with confusion.

"Yeah, you get used to it," Donnie deadpanned.

"Okay!" Kagome stood up. "I'm stopping this."

She stepped between the bickering brothers, forcibly pushing them apart. "Now, what exactly is this about, guys? What is so damn serious?"

"We were…" Leo rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "It was mostly a theoretical bit."

"We were discussing…" Raph sighed before starting over. "Look, we need an outsider's perspective. If cavemen and astronauts got into a fight, who would win?"

The entire lair was silent, everyone blinking in surprise.

"Seriously?" Vee managed. " That's what you've been yelling at each other for the past forty minutes about?"

"Do the astronauts have weapons?" Mikey asked.

" NO ," Leo and Raph firmly said in unison.

"Are you kidding me?! " Hisako shrieked. " You two have been fighting like this since breakfast ... and it was over something THIS STUPID?! "

Raph turned to her. "Hey, what got up your ass, Hisako?"

"I dunno, maybe the fact that I can feel the animosity rolling off of you two like a black wave and it makes me physically ill?" Hisako groaned again, getting up and snagging Midnight's leash. "I'm going for a walk. Don't wait up."

She clipped the leash on Midnight before storming out with the pup in tow. With that done, Leo and Raph took a seat, Raph snagging the remote.

"I wonder what's on TV…"

"Seriously?" Karai demanded. "Your sister just stormed out and that's it? And all because of a dumb argument? I mean, c'mon! The astronauts would be the clear winners!"

"Not you too, Karai…" Donnie sighed.

Meanwhile, on the streets, Hisako stood patiently as Midnight did her business on a fire hydrant, grumbling indignantly to herself over her brothers' idiocy.

"Seriously, Astronauts vs. Cavemen… All morning I was listening to that nonsense." She rubbed her head. "Gives me a migraine just thinking about it."

Unbeknownst to Hisako, she was being watched a distance away by two EPF agents on the roof.

"Target sighted," one of them remarked.

"No sign of the Turtles," the other reported. "Target is alone."

" Excellent, " Bishop answered. " Remember, bring her in alive. "

One agent was having second thoughts. "Sir... are you sure you want to tangle with the Hamato Clan again? Even with the dampeners, the girl is still a threat."

"Exactly. With that girl's power, we'd be unstoppable. Besides, we're running out of time. With Sh'Okanabo and Viral on the loose, the Slayers may be the Earth's only chance."

"Yes sir…"

Midnight finished her business and Hisako kept rubbing her head, leaning against one of the sidewalk trees.

"Ugh, what is with me today? I feel like I'm near one of those Y'Lyntian crystals…"

Midnight went to comfort her but froze. She began growling, her hackles raised and her tail tucked.

"Midnight? What-?" Suddenly, a wave of pain hit her and she dropped to her knees, several shadows closing in on her. One of them was holding out a small device, one that was glowing with a familiar white light.

"Grab her!" one agent yelled.

As they began gathering Hisako up, Midnight barked furiously. She lunged forward, sinking her teeth into one agent's arm. The agent yelped in pain, then threw Midnight across the sidewalk. The dog skidded across the ground as the men shoved Hisako into a van, the device now pasted to her forehead. Midnight jumped on another one, sinking her fangs into their sleeve. When the agent inevitably threw her off, she took a chunk of the sleeve with her. She went to try a third time, but the agents were already in the van screeching off at high speeds. Midnight looked ready to give chase, but thought better of it and started running in the opposite direction.

Bishop stood in the loading bay of the EPF headquarters, watching as the van carrying the payload arrived.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"She had this feisty dog with her," the first agent reported. "A few of us got some bites, but nothing major."

"The important thing is, we got her," a second agent chimed in as the unconscious Hisako was wheeled out on a stretcher in restraints.

"Then it worked, just as we planned," Bishop declared.

"Yes sir… but the dampener…" the first agent looked down at Hisako with trepidation. "I think it was hurting her, or making her sick. She's just a kid…"

"The dampener was deliberately designed to be weak," Bishop said calmly. "She'll have a headache, but she'll live."

"He's right," the second agent chimed in. "Besides, you've seen the stuff she can do. She's dangerous."

"Maybe…" the first agent still seemed unsure.

"Now, take her to Kari's lab," Bishop ordered.

-X-

Kari had just gotten everything set up and was settling in with a cup of coffee when the door to her lab was opened. She perked, jaw dropping at the sight of the bound and out-cold Hisako being wheeled in.

"What is this?" she demanded. "Who- that is a human child!"

Bishop entered at that. "She looks as such, but she's one of the mutants responsible for the mass breakout that landed me in the hospital."

"What?" Kari looked over at Hisako, watching as the men laid her out on one of her work tables. "That… she's a child ! There has to be some sort of mistake!"

"No mistake, Dr. Miller," the second agent said. "This is Hamato Hisako of the Hamato Clan. She and her ninja pals are the reason the likes of Sh'Okanabo and Viral are running loose in the city."

Kari still looked concerned and uneasy. "Bishop... what exactly do you want from her?"

"I want to know how her powers work. I want to harness her abilities for your project. I want to know what makes her tick, and how best to use what she can do."

"...I- I don't…" Kari sighed. "I don't think I can do this."

Bishop looked down at her, sighing in an understanding but somewhat disappointed manner.

"Kari, remember why we do what we do. Why you do what you do." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You lost your family to alien incursions. Krang's invasion cost you your mobility. This girl's DNA is the key to completing your project, to ensuring that what happened to you never happens to anyone else on Earth."

Kari put a hand to her stomach, looking down and away. "...I'll... see what I can learn…"

"Excellent. Report to me when you find anything of value."

"...Yes, sir…"

Bishop paused slightly at the honorific but remained silent as he left the room.

By this time, Midnight had made it to the Canal Street apartments. She scurried up the steps, frantically scratching at the door and barking at the top of her voice. She was exhausted, injured, and still clinging to that piece of shirt like her life depended on it. Still, she kept barking, scratching, and throwing herself at the door. Inside, Miko began to bark as well, and the scratching on the door doubled.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" Tai's voice came.

Midnight backed off as footsteps approached, Tai opening the door. The second the door opened, she bolted inside, running straight for Yukio and Seiko.

"Whoa!" Tai exclaimed. "Midnight?!"

She ran over to the older ninjas, yipping frantically.

"Oh, no!" Airi cried. "She's hurt!"

Everyone gathered around, seeing Midnight's battered form. She was still barking, tail tucked as she kept trying to shove the piece of cloth in her mouth at the adults.

"Hold on," Seiko piped up. "She's got something in her mouth."

She took the cloth, looking it over. It was the EPF logo on tactical cloth, clearly pulled from a combat uniform.

"The EPF attacked you?" Erika perked in realization. "Oh, no... they took Hisako!"

Hearing that, Midnight practically collapsed on the rug, whining and covering her snout. Miko curled up by her, resting his head on the pup comfortingly. Immediately, Tai grabbed his jacket and gear, suiting up.

"Erika, do what you can for Midnight," he ordered. "If those asshole G-men think they can take one of ours hostage and get away with it…" He tightened his bandanna. "They're gonna regret making such a mistake."

Kari carefully cut through Hisako's clothing, disposing of the remains as she did. She kept the girl covered with a blanket for her modesty, especially when she saw the scars. It made her feel even worse than she already did, but she had a job to do. She picked up a recorder, taking a breath.

"Log date, 7-14-22… Examination of the humanoid mutant subject, designation: Hamato Hisako. Estimated age is believed to be fifteen, possibly sixteen. Female, Caucasian, with dirty blonde hair. Green tinge is suggested to be hair dye rather than the result of mutation. All in all... she is far too human... and I feel like a monster for doing this…"

She swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.

"Brain scans show an unprecedented level of activity, even in the enforced comatose state the dampener forces on her. Blood tests reveal that the subject's mutagenic signature is engraved into her very DNA. Unlike other mutant subjects, this girl seems to have been... naturally born a mutant."

Taking a moment to steady herself, Kari turned back to the table, carefully shifting the blanket so she could take a closer look at Hisako.

"Physically, the subject is in peak condition, outside of... excessive scarification across nearly 40% of her body… Her wrists show signs of severe abrasions, with identical marks along her ankles and neck. The implications are... unsettling to say the least. Various contusions along the inner arm suggest multiple needle injections. Once again, I find myself unsettled by the implications."

She shifted the blanket a bit more, her fingers tracing over every mark on Hisako's skin.

"Major marks include Lichtenberg marks along the ribs and neck, deep gashes along the stomach akin to that of a wild animal, or a long-bladed weapon. And across the back..."

She stopped short as she rolled the girl onto her side, seeing something through Hisako's hair. "I... just spotted discoloration on the back of the neck. It… It appears to be... a hexagonal marking, dark pink, and with lettering identical to the Utrom Alphabet beneath it. I... I believe this is... a... a barcode…"

Her breath was beginning to become ragged, her face paling. "I... am going to attempt to... to use the barcode to... to see if any file appears from the data taken from the seized Krang data chips left behind in the invasion."

She did just that, and files appeared on her computer. The color drained from her face, and she promptly vomited, dry-heaving for a bit before picking the recorder back up.

"...End Log…"

Back in the Turtle Lair, the remaining siblings and Kagome were still in the midst of the "cavemen vs. astronauts" debate, thankfully keeping it civil and not another shouting match.

"But it doesn't make any sense," Kagome said.

"I just call it as I see it, babe," Raph told her.

"But the cavemen have fire. That's what they live in their caves. The astronauts should at least have some sort of weapon."

"Astronauts don't carry weaponry. They're not warriors, they're scientists. A caveman could bash an astronaut in the head with a club and take him out in one shot. End of story. Bye-bye." Raph leaned forward before whispering, "See ya later."

Kagome shook her head. "I'm almost positive that an astronaut could easily avoid a caveman's attempt to bash their head in. And you know why, hon? Because they've evolved, fully intelligent Homo sapiens, not dumb Neanderthals."

"Thank you!" Leo exclaimed, throwing up his hands.

These types of arguments were all over the lair, everyone ignoring everything else around them, including their ringing T-Phones. Splinter was attempting to meditate through all of this, gritting his teeth through all the missed calls and yelling. Then, the cheese phone began to ring. Splinter's eyes snapped open at that, and he snatched up the phone.

" Moshi Moshi… " he managed, exasperated.

" Why the hell aren't the guys answering their phones? !" came Tai's voice. " We've been calling them for almost an hour! The EPF took Hisako! "

" WHAT?! " Splinter shouted.

Hearing that shout, the argument outside instantly died as Splinter exited the dojo.

"Taiichi just called. The Earth Protection Force has taken your sister!"

"WHAT?!" everyone screamed as all of them immediately began scrambling for their weapons.

"How did they take Hisako?!" Mikey wailed. "They never should have been able to lay a finger on her!"

"Midnight appeared at the apartments, injured and holding an EPF logo in her mouth," Splinter explained, readying his weapon.

"Why didn't Tai call us?!" Leo snapped as he slung his swords over his shoulder.

"He tried, repeatedly. You seven would know if you weren't too preoccupied with your inane debate to notice."

All of them froze.

"Oh no…" Donnie let out, his voice a thready whimper. "How much time did we lose because of this stupid debate?!"

"How could we be so goddamn stupid?!" Raph bellowed.

"Forget that," Karai said. "We have a bigger problem. There's no way in hell that Bishop's still holed up in the joint we busted into last time."

"Midnight got an EPF logo," Kagome pointed out. "If nothing else, we can use her or Miko to sniff out where he is now."

"Then let's get moving," Leo insisted. "We've wasted enough time as is."

In his office, Bishop was seated as Kari wheeled inside, a stack of files in her lap and looking like she'd seen a ghost.

"Kari?" She remained silent as she handed over her work. "Kari, what happened? Did that mutant hurt-?"

"Read the file," Kari said simply.

She just wheeled out as Bishop began looking it over. His expression slowly turned to shock as he looked over the details of Project Oracle, finding several images and data logs of Hisako's ten years of torment at Mirage Industries and the Technodrome. By the end, he looked physically ill as the horror dawned on him.

"She… she's one of Krang's escaped test subjects."

He found some of Hisako's words from their previous confrontation coming back to him:

" Now you know how all those helpless aliens felt when you ganged up on them and locked them up: helpless and afraid. Did you get off on that, you piece of shit?! Did you?! DID YOU?! " The realization hit Bishop like a ton of bricks. He stumbled back, leaning against the wall as he realized what he had become.

"Oh, my God…" he let out in shock. "My God, what have I done…"

-X-

Kari returned to her lab, where Hisako was still laid out on the work table. The doctor stared at the girl for a moment, then rolled over to a small cabinet. From it, she pulled a sweatshirt and some slacks, something she kept for lab emergencies, and began carefully dressing Hisako. When she finished, she reached up and removed the dampener, throwing it hard on the ground and shattering it. As the crystal stopped glowing, the effect was instantaneous. Hisako's eyes snapped wide open, her head bolting upright and eyes glowing bright green before her similarly glowing hand shot out and wrapped around Kari's throat in a vice-like grip. Kari gagged, clutching at Hisako's hand as the young psychic stood up and bodily lifted her out of her chair, her expression a mix of fear and pure animalistic rage.

"P-please…" Kari wheezed. "I… not… urk…"

Hisako was clearly disassociating, her breathing coming out in ragged gasps as she looked around in a panic at where she was. The lab setting seemed to make things worse for her until she noticed the lack of dissection tools. The dawn of reason slowly returned to her eyes, just as she realized she was strangling a paraplegic woman who was already turning blue. Immediately, she dropped Kari, who collapsed into her chair. The woman coughed and gasped, clutching her throat as she struggled to regain her lost oxygen.

"What... where... where am I?" Hisako managed. "Who are you?"

"I…" Kari coughed again, her voice raspy and her throat bruised. "My name is Dr. Kari Miller… I... I work for the Earth Protection Force..."

"They're the ones who jumped me?" Hisako looked around, realizing something was missing. "Where's my dog? What did they do to my dog?!"

"There was no dog. Just you."

Hisako sighed in relief. "Then she got away…"

"Most likely," Kari sighed. "...Listen… I... I want to apologize for all of this, and... and what you've gone through."

Hisako looked around, seeing her cut-off outfit in the trash and taking in the clothes she was currently wearing. "You and yours knock me out, strip me down, run Bushido knows what kinda tests on me in a lab, and you're SORRY ?!"

Kari held up her hands. "I swear on my life that all I did was a medical examination. Brain scan, blood drawn, and the equivalent of a physical. Then… I found the barcode on your neck."

Hisako instinctively slapped a hand over her neck.

"I saw everything…" Kari sighed. "I am so sorry…"

"...You mean that, don't you…" Hisako managed.

Kari nodded. "I do. I can only imagine what you think of the EPF, but I promise you we are nothing like Krang…"

"At least not all of you are…" Hisako mused. "Where's my stuff? My weapons, my T-Phone."

"I think Bishop has them with the personal effects taken from prisoners."

Hisako's expression steeled. "Then I'm getting them back. And sitting Bishop down for a violent talk while I'm at it."

Kari nodded. "I understand… I may need to have one myself when this is over… It's clear that there is a lot he has been keeping from me."

With that, Hisako turned on her heel and stormed out into the hallway, the lights across the complex flickering in her wake.

Meeting up with the clan turned into a hectic affair. Literally, every ninja was battle ready, and the Turtles all got serious eyes when they saw Midnight wrapped in bandages in Erika's arms.

"I did the best I could for her," she told them. "But I'm not exactly a vet."

"You did more than enough," Donnie assured her.

Mikey carefully took the puppy from Erika as Tai held out the scrap of fabric.

"That is one amazing dog because she brought us exactly what we need to find Hisako," he remarked.

"Atta girl," Leo took it, holding it out to Miko. "It's up to you, Miko."

Miko sniffed at the fabric, then growled and took off down the street.

"Come!" Splinter declared. "I will not lose my daughter!"

They took off after Miko, determined to rescue their fellow ninja.

Bishop sat in his office, staring at the paperwork in front of him. Everything he was too blind to see… What else had he missed in his blindness? Had Kari been right when she had told him not all of the aliens he took in were the enemy? All this time, he had believed it to be childish naïveté, but in truth... she could see what he refused to see, and he had been trying to coerce her into seeing his own twisted "truth". At that moment, he perked as he heard blaster shots, followed by pained grunts and crashing as the lights flickered on and off. A split second passed before his office door was hit with a loud smash, crashing off its hinges to reveal the raised, glowing foot of a rip-roaringly pissed Hisako.

" Agent Bishop… " she growled.

Age-old instincts had him reaching for his gun, but a green halo stopped him. He was shoved into a wall hard enough to leave an imprint, pressure on his body making movement impossible.

" We need to talk. "

"Yes…" Bishop sighed calmly. "I suppose we do."

More agents came running into the office, but their weapons were ripped from their hands and trained on them.

" Call them off, " Hisako hissed, cocking the guns for emphasis. " Or you'll need new soldiers. "

"Stand down, all of you," Bishop ordered. "It's me she's after."

"But sir-!" one soldier began.

"In the state she's in, she will go through with her threat, and it will crush her. Stand. Down."

A moment passed before the agents slowly stepped back, hands up in surrender.

" Leave, " Hisako ordered.

The agents turned and left at that. Hisako watched them go, the weapons still in her telekinetic grip slowly turning to aim at Bishop.

" You're not fighting back, and you're being oddly cooperative. "

"Kari gave me your files. I know everything."

The halo faltered, two of the guns dropping from her shock. " You know… "

"I do. Miss Hamato... no... Hisako…" He looked at her with an ancient vulnerability. "I would like the chance to talk with you. No tricks, no traps. Just you and me. Grant me this, and when it is over, you may do as you wish to me."

Hisako stared at him for a good minute, then the guns she still had lowered to the ground. He was released as well, and the glow faded from her eyes.

"I want my stuff," she demanded. "My tessen and my phone."

"Yes, of course." Bishop opened his desk drawer, pulling them out. She took them, then reached for a chair that had been knocked over in her assault. She righted it, then sat down.

"Alright," Hisako told him. "I'm listening."

Bishop sat back down behind his desk, taking a deep breath before beginning to speak. "First, the reasons why my men captured you. I took an interest in your powers after you broke the Mutanimals out of my other complex... as well as the alien prisoners. You and your family don't seem to realize just who you freed that day."

Hisako scoffed. "Innocent aliens who were being held against their will."

"Not all of them. Does the name Sh'Okanabo the Dread Lord ring a bell?"

Hisako paled at that. "He... he's a boogeyman. A tall tale. A scary story to keep little alien kiddies in line…"

"I can assure you, he's very real. If my men weren't first on the scene when he landed in Roswell, this world would be a distant memory."

"Roswe-" Hisako perked. "Hold on. Are you saying you were part of the Roswell incident? In 1947? That's not possible. You look like you're barely in your twenties."

"I'm older than I look, Hisako... courtesy of alien invaders who abducted and experimented on me, a simple soldier fighting for the Union Army, during the Capture of New Orleans."

Hisako blinked. "You're saying you fought in the American Civil War?"

"That's exactly what I am saying."

"Are you a mutant too?"

"I honestly don't know. All I know is I was abducted by Gray aliens, who tampered with my DNA and dumped me back on the battlefield." Bishop clenched his fist. "The incident scarred me, left me with trauma no man should have to bear... so after the war, I persuaded President Grant to fund the Earth Protection Force. Ever since that day, I've sworn to protect this world from alien scum who would seek to do mankind harm." He sighed. "Yes, I may have imprisoned innocent aliens who posed no threat... but considering your experiences with Krang, you of all people should know that there are aliens who are truly evil and dangerous. And Sh'Okanabo is among the worst."

"No…" Hisako shook her head. "No no no… this isn't good."

"I'm afraid that's not the end of it," Bishop went on. "Do you recall an alien seemingly composed of red energy, sealed in a cell composed of rubber and insulated glass?"

"I was… a little busy. Why?"

"Your friends freed her as well. That alien was Viral, a sentient computer virus from the Andromeda Galaxy... and the one who nearly triggered the Y2K bug."

"Oh no… what have we done…" Hisako buried her face into her hands, muttering numerous expletives into them before looking up. "What happened to her?"

"She was pursued by one of my squads… who chased her right into the hole where General Krang has been hunkering down since you overthrew him. He had managed to use leftover scrap and technology to repair his exoframe." Bishop sighed. "My men pursuing Viral, good men doing their jobs, were all slaughtered by that psychotic Utrom."

Hisako went truly white. The lights flickered and her breathing became ragged.

"No…" she managed. "No, this- This is a nightmare."

"Yes, it is," Bishop agreed. "Still, even with those two as examples of the good I have done for this country, I know now that I have done even more ill towards those who didn't deserve it. It took seeing your scars, that barcode, to realize it, but now I do." He looked away. "I've become the very thing I swore to destroy. No better than the Grays who abducted me, or the likes of Krang."

With that done, he slumped in his chair, hands on his desk. "Alright, I've said what I wanted to say, what you needed to hear. I don't care what happens from here, so do what you want, and I won't try and stop you."

Hisako looked up at him, staring for a good minute. Her grip on her tessen loosened and tightened intermittently as she contemplated her options. After a bit, she finally spoke. "That doctor… Kari Miller?"

"What about her?"

"She has a good head on her shoulders and a good heart. Have her decide who stays and who goes when it comes to the aliens you take in…"

"Right…" Bishop sat up at that. "You're free to go."

"Right," Hisako stood up to leave. "Stay away from me, my friends, and my family. If our paths cross again… I can't guarantee you'll walk away."

And with that, she was gone.

-X-

Outside, the ninjas arrived just outside a massive military complex.

"Shit…" Karai cursed. "This is a fortress."

"Okay, the first step is recon," Leo decided. "Look this place over top to bottom, find anything that could get us inside."

"Guys?" Mizuki piped up.

"We don't have time for that," Raph insisted, ignoring her. "Every minute we waste, Hisako is being tortured, or worse! Let's just bust in, kick everyone's asses, and get our little sister back!"

"Guys…" Mizuki tried again.

"Raph, if we do the direct approach, all we'll succeed in doing is getting ourselves shot!" Leo shot back. "Playing it smart is the key to saving Hisako!"

"GUYS!" Mizuki shouted.

Everyone turned, seeing as she pointed at the opening gate. From it emerged a subdued Hisako.

"...Or she could just walk out the front door," Mikey allowed.

All of them jumped down, surrounding her as she looked up.

"Guys…" Hisako sighed.

As her family crowded around, hugging her in relief, Jade was already plotting. "Whatever they did to her, I'm gonna fucking blow this place up for it."

"Jade, stop," Hana told her. "They're not worth it. Besides… that's not what Hisako needs right now."

Leo picked Hisako up as she buried her head in his shoulder, clinging to him while sobbing. He adjusted his grip so Donnie could give his sister Midnight. She held the puppy close, looking so much like a terrified little girl. Seeing this, Jade's rage abated and she walked over, gently rubbing her shoulder in comfort.

"You're right," she said simply. "Let's get her home."

And with that, the group walked back to the lair, both the Turtles and the clan alike doing their best to comfort Hisako.

Author's Note:

So... Bishop's seen the light. Who knows what will happen next?

Kari Miller is Author of the Insane's OC, used with her permission.

The "cavemen vs. astronauts" debate comes from an episode of Angel season 5.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Kari - Ashley Johnson (Terra in Teen Titans, Gwen Tennyson in Ben 10: Alien Force/Ultimate Alien, Ellie from The Last of Us, Renet Tilley in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012, Jinmay from Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, Shiseru from Naruto Shippuden, Gretchen Grundler from Recess)

Please R&R. Until next time!