- Chapter 75 -

Fearful Symmetry

In his office, Agent Bishop was in the midst of a massive verbal attack at the hands of Dr. Bennett and Kari Miller.

"You actually did it! You kidnapped Hamato Hisako and stole her blood!" Sarah ranted. "I knew you had a history of morally gray decisions, John, but this ?!"

"I can't believe it took me this long to see through your blatant attempts at gaslighting me!" Kari added. "All this time you've been just as bad as the likes of the Grays, or Krang!"

"A child, John! A child ! I can't believe you…" Sarah shook her head in disdain. "Even if Kari hadn't dug up the Project Oracle files, you attacked and abducted a teenage girl off the streets! Do you have any idea how bad this makes the EPF look?!"

"Yes, I do…" Bishop admitted. "Which is why I am placing Dr. Miller in charge of all aliens who are brought in and authorizing you to make any changes to the intake process you deem necessary."

A moment of silence passed as they took that in.

"And what about the Slayers?" Kari asked. "I don't feel comfortable using Hisako's DNA."

Bishop sighed. "The Slayers are necessary for the protection of Earth, Kari. We've come too far on the project to turn back now."

"I never liked this project," Sarah spat. "Especially now. "

"If I continue with this project, they're under my command," Kari insisted. "I decide their training, their education, and I decide what missions they go on."

Bishop nodded. "I understand... but you must understand that they are not people. They are soldiers programmed to follow orders. Don't forget that."

Kari's eyes narrowed, then she turned and rolled out of the office. Dr. Bennett watched her go, then turned back to Bishop.

"I don't buy this change of heart for a second," she told him. "You've been too set in your ways for too long."

"All I want is to protect this world, no matter what it takes."

"Even if it costs you your humanity?"

Bishop flinched but said nothing as Sarah walked out of the office.

Mikey handed out large plates of pancakes for breakfast one morning, grinning as he did.

"I love Saturday," he declared. "Pancake day is the best !"

A loud yawn reached their ears as Hisako shuffled zombie-like out of her room, bags under her eyes and sporting the world's worst case of bedhead.

"Yeesh," Raph let out. "Rough night?"

"Weird dreams…" Hisako flopped down in her chair as Midnight came in after her, looking concerned.

"I'm brewing coffee if you want some," Donnie offered.

Hisako shook her head. "Hate coffee, but thanks."

"Nightmares again?" Leo asked in concern.

"No... not like normally. It was like… like I was looking through the eyes of another, but that person was swimming in... melted jello. Everything was distorted and weird, and I kept going in and out. I think there were other people, but I couldn't get a fix on them."

A dead silence followed.

"Wow…" Vee said at last. "You weren't kidding. That's even weirder than Mikey's story about meeting Megan Fox on that one rooftop."

"It really happened!" Mikey insisted. "I swear!"

"You keep telling yourself that, bro." Karai deadpanned.

"Whatever," Hisako shrugged. "As long as no one dies in this weird dream, I'll deal with it. Now pass the bacon. Mama needs her protein."

Mikey obediently passed her a plate of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon on the side.

"You are a saint," Hisako told him with a smile.

" Itadakimasu! (1)" the Hamato siblings declared in unison before digging in.

Meanwhile, in the EPF lab, Kari looked over four figures floating in tanks of culture fluid. She rolled in front of one, containing a massive figure that looked like an adult man.

"You're looking good, Rook," she remarked. "Growing up big and strong. Expect nothing less from the eldest of your siblings." She moved on to the next one, which contained what looked more like a gelatinous mass. "Still some solidifying issues there, Shadow. Don't worry, you'll iron out that little kink here soon." She moved on. "Link, still pretty small. Then again, size isn't everything." She approached the final tank. "And Rita… I can only hope I don't fail you like the world failed your predecessor."

She placed a hand on the final tank, sighing. As she jotted down her notes on all of the specimens in her lab, she was unaware of a glitch across her computer. For a brief moment, a red face took over the screen, only to disappear when she looked over at it. After a moment, she shrugged and returned to her work.

Viral rematerialized in an old warehouse a few blocks from Mirage Industries, where Krang had been hiding. Krang approached as she did.

"You seem to be in a pleasant mood," Krang remarked. "Report."

"No confirmation on the technology we need," Viral informed him, "but I found something that may interest you, General."

"Oh?" Krang asked. "Do tell."

"Agent Bishop is working on a group of super-soldiers. He calls them the Slayers. And it would be... catastrophic for him if they fell into the wrong hands, no?"

"Catastrophic indeed." Krang was grinning maliciously. "Can it be done?"

"They'll be mine before he knows it," Viral assured him.

"Excellent." Krang rubbed his fore-tentacles together. "With these Slayers at my beck and call, my vengeance will come to fruition."

Hisako's weird dreams continued for nearly two weeks. She managed to ignore them and get some sleep... until the final dream. Through the eyes of her submerged avatar, she could see figures talking and discussing. She couldn't understand what they were saying, but eventually, the liquid around her began to drain. As the fluid drained, she could see clearly for the first time... and one of the faces she saw was none other than Bishop.

"Excellent work, Dr. Miller. My Slayers are complete."

Hisako sat up in bed with a gasp. As she took a moment to catch her breath, her emotions switched from surprise to rage, her eyes glowing.

"That son of a BITCH! "

The lair shook for a brief second, a small shelf getting knocked off the wall. Before long, everyone in the lair was roused, running into Hisako's room.

"Anybody order an apocalypse?" Mikey said sleepily.

Hisako was already springing out of bed, grabbing her gear.

"That heinous, no-good, lying-" Hisako screamed in rage before kicking the couch, her powers tipping it over. "He used it. He fucking- AUGH!" She flipped the coffee table.

"Hey, so…" Karai began, totally deadpan, "whatever's going on, that's a pretty reasonable reaction, huh?"

"BISHOP FUCKING CLONED ME!"

"Oh, he cloned you," Mikey mumbled, still half-asleep. "Yeah, now it makes sense why you're so angry." A few seconds passed before his sleepy brain fully processed what she said, his eyes snapping wide open. "Bishop did what now?!"

"My weird dreams have been me seeing through the eyes of my clone!" Hisako ranted. "He took my DNA and fucking cloned me into some sort of super soldier!"

"He pulled a freaking Galatea?!" Raph exclaimed.

"Everyone gear up," Leo ordered. "Seems we need to pay the EPF another visit."

At the EPF, Bishop had just returned to his office when the building shook ominously. His office door was thrown open, allowing the Hamato siblings and Kagome to storm in with Hisako in the lead. Without breaking stride, Hisako grabbed Bishop by the neck, practically choke-slamming him onto his desk.

"Miss Hamato-" Bishop began.

" YOU FUCKING CLONED ME?! " Hisako shrieked.

Bishop's eyes widened. "H-how did you-?!"

"By my calculations, when you created her clone, a telepathic link was established between them," Donnie explained. "As such, she was seeing through the clone's eyes since it-" Hisako glared at him. "Since she became aware."

"That's why you had your goons jump her, isn't it?!" Vee demanded.

Bishop looked away before responding, "Yes…"

Mikey shook his head in discontent. "Donnie's always telling me how great science is, how awesome technology can be. Yeah, I agree some of it's pretty cool, but there's always some crazy loon like you. You take the potential of science, twist it and contort it, and push it way too far. and people always get hurt— innocent people!"

"Where are the clones?" Leo demanded.

"Dr. Miller's lab."

Hisako tossed him aside like a used gum wrapper before storming out of the office. Bishop slowly got to his feet, only to find himself staring down Leo's swords.

"Mikey, get your kusarigama," he ordered. "He's not getting off this time."

As Mikey wrapped him up in the chain, Bishop made his case. "What I did was done to protect this world! The Slayers are the next-generation special forces, what we need to fight off the likes of Krang and Sh'Okanabo!"

"No, what you did was play God and mess around with people's lives, Bishop!" Kagome snapped. "With our sister! The world has enough monsters without you adding to the mix!"

"They're not people! They're soldiers! Mindless creatures!"

"If that were true, then why did Hisako connect with hers?" Leo shot back.

That left Bishop genuinely stumped.

-X-

The door to Kari's lab was blown open with a violent bang. Two of the slayers, Rook and Shadow, were quick to catch the door and shield the doctor from any debris. Link and Rita were standing in front of her, both in protective stances.

"Easy, guys," Kari soothed. "It's alright."

Hisako slowly stalked into the room, eyes glowing brightly. While she appeared calm at first glance, it was only skin-deep, and Kari and the Slayers could easily tell she was well and truly furious under the surface.

"Hello again, Hisako," Kari greeted calmly.

" How dare you… " Hisako hissed.

"You have every right to be angry, but please, don't take it out on them," Kari requested. "However these four came into existence, they're as much living beings as you and I. Punish me, not them."

Hisako looked at the four Slayers, seeing how protective they were. In their eyes, she could see the gleam of intelligence. More than that, she saw how they genuinely wanted to keep Kari safe. She softened at the sight. That was around the time the Turtles caught up to her. They stopped short, taking in the sights of the Slayers. One was a black blob that reminded them of Venom, another had the telltale pointy ears and wild hairstyle of a Neutrino, the third was a spitting image of Bishop, and the final was identical to Hisako, only missing the green highlights and tips. That was when they took in the sight of Kari.

"That's Dr. Miller?" Raph slumped. "She would be handicapped…"

"Excuse you?" Kari asked, offended.

"What?" Raph held up his hands. "I may be a hothead, but even I wouldn't pound a girl in a wheelchair."

"Is that so?"

Kari promptly rolled up to Raph before punching him in the groin with all her might. Raph slumped over, cupping his groin as Kari scoffed. "My only 'disability' is dealing with idiots like you, Hamato Raphael. So kindly keep your pity to yourself."

Rook chuckled. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Doc."

"I… apologize for him, Doctor," Kagome said awkwardly. "We usually expect that kinda tactless talk from Mikey."

"Hey!" Mikey objected.

"Apology accepted," Kari replied. "Just watch what you say."

"You're the one who made the Slayers?" Leo asked.

"Dr. Kari Miller, head Xenobiologist for the EPF. I study extraterrestrial lifeforms to try and learn from them. And for the record, I never approved of Bishop's 'guilty aliens' schtick."

"Well, at least somebody in this insane asylum has some common sense," Vee deadpanned.

"So these guys…" Karai cut in, "they're the Slayers?"

"They are," Kari put a hand on Rook's arm. "This one is Rook. He's their leader and was based on Bishop's DNA. With some augmentations here and there."

"A bishop and a rook," Donnie mused. "Clever."

Kari gestured to Shadow. "This is Shadow, team infiltrator, based on Sh'Okanabo's DNA. He's still getting the hang of remaining solid, but he's doing a lot better."

"Thanks, Doc," Shadow replied, sounding like a shy teenager.

Kari patted Link's back. "This is Link. I got his DNA donation from the female Neutrino you broke out of the other complex. With her permission, of course."

Kagome perked. "You mean Tara?"

"Yes, that's her name. I kept wanting to call her Terra. And finally, the youngest of the group," She turned to the Hisako clone, who shyly stepped forward. "This is Rita."

Hisako's head shot up. "Where did you get that name?"

"I was raised Catholic. Rita was the Patron Saint of miracles. I figured... perhaps a miracle would be possible, and she could live with people who care about her from the beginning. Have a happy life without too much undue strife. Why exactly do you ask?"

"...Because my name was her birth name," Rita shyly spoke up.

Kari went wide-eyed. "I-I didn't… I swear, I didn't know. It wasn't in any of the files."

"I…" Hisako didn't know what to say. "It…"

"My, this is a bit awkward," came a new voice. "How about I liven things up a bit?"

Everyone perked, turning to see Viral appear on one of the computer monitors.

"Viral!" Leo exclaimed.

The Slayers were quick to pull Kari behind them, getting into fighting positions. The virus eyed them up and down with a look of appraisal.

"Very nice work, Dr. Miller. The General will be quite pleased."

"What are you talking about?" Kari demanded.

Viral snapped her fingers. The Slayers all flinched, electronic collars around their necks flickering and turning red before their eyes glazed over.

"Control collars?" Vee whirled on Kari. "You put control collars on them?!"

"No!" Kari objected. "They were just meant to be GPS and to keep track of their vitals! Bishop assured me that was the…" She scowled, eyes lighting up with rage. "That lying SLEAZE! "

"Oh come now, Doctor," Viral scoffed. "Surely you've learned by now that Bishop will never change. He's incapable of being honest with anyone. Even the love of his life, and his surrogate daughter. But don't worry…" The Slayers all turned to Bishop, who was just staring in utter horror. "I'll put him out of everyone's misery. Slayers... eliminate them all."

"Leo…" Kagome began. "I think it's time for a tactical retreat!"

"You might be right," Leo agreed. "Let's-!"

A gray halo surrounded him, and suddenly, he was thrown back hard. Rita lowered her hand, her face emotionless.

"Rita!" Kari screamed.

Rita turned to her, then held up her hand.

"No!" Bishop pulled himself free of Mikey's grip, running right at Rita. He rammed his shoulder into the Slayer, knocking her aside and breaking her concentration. He got up and managed to shake off the kusarigama as Rook grabbed him by the face.

"Take Kari and run!" Bishop shouted. "All of you!"

"Now that's something I can get behind," Karai agreed.

Mikey rushed in and grabbed Kari, throwing her onto his back.

"Sorry, but the chair's too slow!"

"Everyone run!" Leo yelled.

They tried to make for the exit, only for Shadow to block their path.

"Not good!" Donnie cried.

Link then jumped from the rafters, attacking them like some sort of feral creature.

"Not good, not good…" Leo muttered.

Rita approached, eyes glowing gray as she began to raise her hand... only for the lights to ominously flicker. All eyes turned to Hisako, seeing her breathing heavily in anger, green light rolling off of her in waves.

"Uh-oh…" Mikey managed.

"Hit the deck!" Leo shouted.

Hisako screamed, a sound so utterly gut-wrenching that everyone had to cover their ears. Viral literally glitched out. Everyone was screaming as lightbulbs exploded, windows shattered, and cracks crawled up the walls. As Rook dropped him, Bishop dashed over to Kari, throwing himself over her as debris and broken glass flew around. Raph grabbed Kagome and Leo grabbed Karai, everyone shielding themselves. Viral, still glitching, forced herself out of the computer.

"Retreat!" she screamed. "RETREAT!"

The Slayers all ran out of the room, the collars sparking slightly but still functional. They managed to flee the building just as it came crumbling down, disappearing into the night. A moment passed before Mikey slowly looked up.

"Alright…" he began. "Who's not dead? Sound off."

There was a collection of groans from all over. Rubble shifted and Leo appeared, holding a dirty but unharmed Karai.

"Y'know…" Karai began, "if I haven't already, I take back every time I ever called Hisako weak…"

More rubble shifted, this time revealing a dirty and disheveled Raph and Kagome.

"You okay?" Raph asked.

Kagome coughed slightly. "That... was probably one of the worst bouts we've dealt with since the invasion."

Another pile of rubble shifted, Donnie pulling himself out before helping Vee up.

"Hisako?" Vee called out. "Hisako! Can you hear me?! Where are you?!"

"There!" Donnie pointed to where Hisako had collapsed in a circle that was perfectly clear of rubble. As they approached, they heard coughing sounds. A final pile of rubble shifted, allowing Bishop, supporting Kari, to stand up. Kari had a bleeding head wound but was okay. Bishop looked the worse for wear.

"Dr. Miller… Kari… please be alright," As Leo picked Hisako up, Bishop approached the Hamato/Lee family. "Wait. I don't care what happens to me from here, but please... help her."

The siblings looked at Kari, then at each other.

"She created the Slayers…" Leo mused, "but it's clear she saw them as people, not weapons."

"And she let Hisako go when she was kidnapped," Mikey recalled.

"Besides, she's one of the only good eggs in this godforsaken organization," Vee added.

Donnie took Kari from Bishop, allowing Mikey to bind his hands with the kusarigama. "We're doing this for Dr. Miller, Bishop. Not for you."

Bishop nodded. "I understand.

"What about him?" Mikey asked.

"Clearly, we can't leave him out here," Leo mused. "He needs to be locked up."

"Where?" Donnie asked.

"Does TCRI have some sort of holding area?" Karai questioned.

"I think so," Leo replied.

"How ironic," Mikey mused. "He spent his life locking up aliens, and now it's his turn."

Bishop just looked down.

At TCRI, Kari was placed in a mutagen vat while Bishop, after having his wounds treated, was led to the detention center. Starlee watched him go with disdain.

"Why did you bring him here?" she asked. "I'd much rather have him locked in a trunk and sunk to the bottom of the ocean."

"I have to agree with you on that one," Raph said.

"But we're better than him," Leo replied. "Besides, he still has his uses."

-X-

Meanwhile, in one of the Guardian barracks, Hisako was slowly coming to. She woke up to find Midnight by her side, Zephyr sitting in a chair next to her. Hearing her movements, he slowly stood up and approached her, unsure of what to expect.

"Rita?" he let out uncertainly.

"Don't…" Hisako's breath hitched. "Don't call me that. My name isn't Rita. It never was. Whomever Rita was supposed to be died when Krang took me." She curled up on herself before sobbing. "Please… I'm Hisako. Not Rita, not Oracle… Hisako."

Zephyr sat down next to her, reaching to hold her before stopping himself. "I'm sorry. If there was something that I could do…"

Hisako just shook her head, rolling over on the bed. Midnight hopped onto the bed, nosing her way under Hisako's arm. The psychic lightly cried, holding her puppy. After letting her sit there for a minute, Zephyr slowly reached out for her, laying a gentle hand on her upper back. Hisako stiffened in surprise before slowly relaxing as he comfortingly patted her back.

"I'm sorry… I know it doesn't change anything... but I am…" By this point, he was barely holding back tears himself, his heart aching at the sight of the girl in front of him. "If I could do anything to help you, take away your pain... I would."

They just sat there, comforting one another in gentle silence.

-X-

Back in the lab, Starlee checked on Kari's vitals, sighing as she did.

"She'll need a few more hours to fully recover, followed by a day of rest. Then she can return home."

"Do you think you can fix her?" Mikey questioned, looking at Kari's legs as he said that.

"Sadly, no," Mortu lamented. "Mutagen is powerful, but her paraplegia is an old wound. Too much time has passed to fully heal her."

"Wish we could though," Starlee admitted. "She was nice to me back in the EPF."

"Once she's out, we'll need to question her about the Slayers," Leo remarked, his face grim. "If they're in the hands of Viral and Krang, it just promises all manner of trouble."

"The main issue is those collars," Donnie recalled, tapping his own neck for emphasis. "They were fine until Viral took control of them. And frankly, I can't see myself hurting any of them… especially Rita."

The silence that fell across the lab made it clear that he wasn't alone in this sentiment. Everyone exchanged looks at that, trying to figure out where to go from there.

"If the collars are the issue, then we just need to get them off," Raph surmised. "You think Bishop has some sort of emergency release for them?"

"It's possible," Donnie surmised, rubbing his chin. "Still, after everything we've seen, I doubt we can trust a word he says. How can we ensure that whatever he tells us is the truth?"

Vee opened her mouth and raised her hand, about to suggest something.

"No, we are not going the Jack Bauer route," Leo said automatically.

Vee promptly closed her mouth, lowering her hand.

"Her," Starlee interjected, pointing at Kari. "There's always been something…. Familial between them. He apparently found her when she was a child after her parents were killed by Krang. He basically raised her, even if there was no formal adoption."

"That explains…" Donnie glanced at Kari, remembering Bishop's desperate attempts to rescue her, and his pleas for her safety even at the cost of his own. "That explains a lot."

"Tell Bishop that if he lies, then I stop her treatments. Paint me as the villain if you have to."

"No, Starlee," Leo shot down, shaking his head. "You're not the villain, and even if he did lie, there's no way you'd ever do that. Instead, let's wait for Kari to be well enough to move, and have her do the interrogation. I get the feeling Bishop won't be lying to her anymore. Not after this."

-X-

A few hours later, Kari was out of the healing tank and settled in a new wheelchair. They debriefed her on what happened and the role she needed to play. She accepted it with a grim determination, then allowed herself to be wheeled into the elevator leading to the detention level.

The detention level was a long hallway of cells completely enclosed in thick, transparent shielding that kept the occupants contained. Ignoring the main cells, the group ventured to a small section behind a thick, metal door that declared that it was maximum security. Samson was already waiting for them, looking grim as he swiped his ID card, opening the doors. There, a circular room was visible with about nine cells available. Each cell contained only a slab sticking out of the wall to lie on, as well as a small toilet in the corner.

Inside one of these cells was Bishop, who was now clad in a light blue jumpsuit with a pair of white slip-on shoes. He was sitting on the slab with his head in his hand, looking up only when he saw the group approaching. He stood, approaching the barrier as Kari's chair was placed in front of it.

"It's odd," Kari remarked, watching as Bishop sat down on the floor in front of her. "These are the maximum security cells in this place, and yet their quality is far superior to the living conditions of the alien prisoners back at the EPF. It's quite unfair, in my opinion."

Bishop remained silent, though the shame in his eyes made it clear he was listening.

"I have a theory… about the Slayers. You knew they would have wills of their own. That's why you collared them. So you could erase that will and make them mindless soldiers."

A moment of silence passed before Bishop answered, "...Yes."

Kari's grip tightened on her chair. "You never saw them as anything more than tools. You never saw any of us as people. Not Sarah… not me."

"Who's Sarah?" Mikey asked.

"Dr. Sarah Bennett. The EPF's chief scientist... and my girlfriend." Bishop looked Kari right in the eye. "You can think whatever you want about me. Yes, I lied about a lot of things, Kari, but the one thing I refuse to let you accuse me of lying about is whether or not I ever cared about you, or her."

"You don't lie to those you love," Kari shot back. "You don't gaslight them or manipulate them. Bishop, if you really cared about us, you would have listened to us. Would have heeded us before any of this happened."

"And if I didn't, I wouldn't have taken you in after your parents died. Or went out of my way to get you the care you needed when you were crushed in that building during Krang's occupation of the city. I don't expect you to believe me, not after everything else, but whether or not you do, that's the truth."

Kari looked truly conflicted but steeled her resolve. "We're off-topic. The collars… How do we get them off?"

"They were designed not to be removed. They're waterproof, heat resistant, and have a solar battery to keep them charged. However, a strong enough electrical current should be able to short them out."

"Donnie, the electroshock shuriken," Leo cut in. "Do you think you can make them work?"

"I should. And if that doesn't work, I might be able to rig something," Donnie turned to Kagome. "I'm gonna need your taser."

"Not a problem," Kagome nodded.

"And him?" Kari gestured to Bishop.

"He stays," Leo replied. "We've been burned enough by him, and I'll sleep better knowing he's off the streets."

Kari nodded in response. "He's all yours."

-X-

Sometime later, Zephyr and Hisako, the latter still red-faced but composed, came out to join the group. Donnie was putting the finishing touches on a group of specialized shuriken, as well as some kind of blaster.

"Hey, sis," Mikey greeted. "How you doing?"

Hisako was silent for a minute before asking, "What's the plan for the Slayers?"

"High voltage is the only thing that can break those collars," Donnie explained. "Finally have a use for the electroshock shuriken idea…" he raised the blaster, "and this specialized stun gun."

Hisako just blinked. "That's Kagome's taser turned into a Jupiter Jim prop."

"Yes, and what of it?" Donnie turned a knob before pointing into the air, firing an electrical beam into the ceiling. "You'll find it works perfectly."

Hisako took a step back. "That won't hurt them, will it?"

Donnie shook his head. "If we can pin them down, it'll just take out the collar. The only problem now is finding out where Viral took them."

"Maybe one of those warehouses near Mirage Industries?" Mikey suggested.

"Mikey, you really think Krang is that stupid?" Vee asked. "He knows that would be the first place we look."

"Or he's expecting us to think that," Mikey replied. "Maybe that's why he chose that. Reverse psychology!"

They let that sink in, surprised by the logic that came from their resident spacy airhead.

"That fits with what I saw," Hisako told them. "I... dozed off, and I saw through… through Rita's eyes. They're being kept in a warehouse on standby." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Rita... she knows what's going on and that I'm watching. The last thing I heard before I woke up was a cry for help."

"Then let's not keep them waiting," Leo decided. "C'mon, guys."

It didn't take long for the Hamato octet (2) to reach Mirage Industries. Hisako closed her eyes, trying to feel out for the Slayers.

"Any luck?" Mikey asked.

"I'm trying," Hisako replied.

"Stay on your toes, guys," Leo said. "They could be anywhere."

As they searched, a mental voice whimpered in the back of Hisako's mind. She heard a quiet "I'm sorry" just as Rita came crashing down next to Leo, kicking him in the chest. Rook got behind Mikey, grabbing him in a crushing hug.

"What the hell?!" Raph shouted.

Shadow dropped down like water, getting in front of Raph before tackling him to the ground, while Link hopped down, immediately going after Kagome and Karai.

"We've been had!" Leo yelled as he jumped to his feet, yanking an electroshock shuriken out of his belt and throwing it at Rita. She blocked it with one hand, a grey barrier causing it to hit the ground.

"Force fields!" Mikey exclaimed, turning to Hisako. "You can make force fields?!"

"I just learned that recently myself!" Hisako shot back.

Raph slashed at Shadow with his sai. It just seemed to separate around his attacks, reforming when they were done. It then morphed its hand into a massive fist, slamming it into Raph's face.

"I hate shapeshifters!" Raph shouted, getting back to his feet as he charged back at Shadow.

Link jumped around like crazy. He punched and kicked fast, much faster than Kagome and Karai were used to.

"Hold still, you little runt!" Karai snapped, only to receive a kick to the face.

"He's fast!" Kagome shouted. "I can't keep up!"

"If all Neutrinos are this scrappy, I can see why Krang was never able to beat them!"

Karai shifted into snake form, hissing at the Link before trying to use her heightened speed to catch him. She was able to keep up better, but he was still faster. Meanwhile, Mikey struggled in the grip of Rook, before deciding to chomp down on his wrist with all his strength. He howled, dropping Mikey before grasping his wrist in pain, and Mikey immediately jumped on him, kneeing him in the face.

"Sorry, man!" he shouted. "No hard feelings! You just look like someone we hate!"

Hisako jumped into the fray with Rita and the two grappled.

"I know you're in there!" she yelled. "We're trying to help you! You have to fight the control!"

"We can't," Rita replied telepathically. "We're programmed to obey. We have no choice. We don't want to fight, but we must."

"We'll get you free, I swear!" Hisako shouted. "Until then, I'm sorry!"

She mentally shoved Rita back, and the two both thrust their palms forward, pushing with telekinesis and trying to overwhelm the other as the entire building began to tremble. Gray and green light poured out of both of them, congealing into a large mass of deadly power that continued to grow until it exploded. The shockwave sent everyone flying into the walls while Shadow splattered into goo on impact. His collar fell off as he reformed, causing the slayer to blink as if coming out of a daze.

"I… I'm free?" he let out as he felt his neck. "I'm free!"

Rita, Link, and Bishop all slowly got to their feet.

"Oh, no…" Shadow let out before lunging forward, engulfing them all and trapping them in his body. "I got them! We need to get the collars off!"

The Hamato octet stood up, surprised to see the Slayer helping them.

"Dude, how did Shadow get free?" Mikey asked.

"Not important!" Donnie yanked out his stun gun, powering it up. "Get ready, Shadow!"

"Do it!" Shadow replied.

Donnie aimed the stun gun and fired, the electricity spider-webbing from Shadow into the other Slayers. They all spasmed, babbling incoherently in pain before the collars sparked, unlocking and releasing. When it was over, they all collapsed to the ground, gasping in pain and holding their necks. Shadow completely melted but began slowly reforming not long after. Carefully, Hisako approached them all as they got to their feet.

"Are… are you okay?"

Rook was the first to come to, holding his neck in disbelief. "We…. we're free…"

"You did it!" added Link, grinning from ear to ear as he jumped to his feet.

"I knew they would," said Rita, just sitting there and smiling.

Shadow eventually reformed and was aided to his feet by both Rook and Link. This allowed Rita to gather all of the collars, crushing them into scrap metal. She then turned back to the group, smiling widely and gratefully.

"Thank you," she said as she walked up to Hisako. "I'm glad you got my messages. I'm sorry for using you like that."

"I'm glad you did," Hisako replied. "Nobody deserves to be a weapon."

Rita hugged her, Hisako hesitating before hugging her back.

"Listen," the ninja began, "I want you to do me a favor."

"Anything," Rita promised as they pulled back.

"Live freely. Do what you want and what makes you happy. Don't let anyone use you or make you do anything you'd regret. Be what I never had the chance to be." She squeezed her clone's arms. "Be free."

Rita smiled and nodded. "I will. We all will. I promise."

"So what will you do?" Leo questioned. "Go off on your own?"

Rook shook his head. "We don't know enough about the world to do that. For now, we'll head back to the Doc, and let her teach us how things work. Then, we'll see how things go."

"But if you ever need us, don't hesitate to call," Shadow insisted.

"I'll always answer," Rita added, tapping the side of her head.

"We will," Leo promised. "Just go. Be happy with whatever you choose."

Everyone waved goodbye as the Slayers walked hand in hand into their new lives.

That night, Hisako lay in her bed, unable to sleep. She rolled over, her eyes resting on the memory orb of her parents Zephyr had given her so long ago. With a sigh, she got up, picked up the orb, and activated it. Soon, she was greeted by the images of Richard and Renee. The cloudy landscape did not appear with them, making it seem like they were truly in the room with her.

"Hi, Mom," Hisako said with a smile. "Hi, Dad. It's been a while."

They embraced, smiling before parting.

"It's good to see you," Richard told her. "How are you doing?"

"You seem troubled," Renee noted. "Is something on your mind?"

"I…" Hisako sighed, sitting down on her bed as she did her best to explain her troubles. "I met someone. Another me. She was full of hope, eyes brimming with life. Not a single scar to be seen. She was who I was supposed to be, the Rita that was taken from you."

Renee put a hand on her shoulder, sitting down next to her on the bed. "That Rita is right here, no matter what you may think."

"But that's not who I am," Hisako insisted. "I don't know if I can be Rita."

"You are Rita," Richard assured her, sitting down on her other side. "You're our little girl. One who survived, who lived, and became something beautiful."

"Your new family gave you a new life and a new name," Renee added. "But inside, you're our Rita. Nothing will ever change that."

"I… I never thought about it that way…" Hisako admitted.

"From what you've told us, your new father, Splinter, has changed quite a bit on the outside," Renee went on. "But on the inside, he's still Hamato Yoshi, the human he was born as. Why wouldn't it be the same with you?"

Hisako let that sink in. "So… I can be Hisako, and still be Rita, without changing who I am."

"Of course," Richard told her.

Hisako smiled and let out a relieved laugh before hugging them both. "Thank you… That's just what I needed to hear."

"Any time," Renee replied. "We love you, Rita. And always will."

"No matter what you call yourself," Richard added.

The connection ended and Hisako set the orb back down before laying back on her bed.

"Rita Kaimera…" she said quietly to herself. "Hamato Hisako… they're both the same girl. They're both me."

Bolstered by that confirmation of her identity, she hugged her turtle close before drifting to sleep.

Author's Note:

(1): "I humbly receive." Essentially the Japanese equivalent to "Bon appétit!"

(2): A group of eight. The Turtles make five, and Karai, Hisako, and Kagome round it out.

Now that was an emotional and beautiful ending, wasn't it?

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Link - Ben Diskin (Young Xehanort from Kingdom Hearts, Numbuhs One and Two from Codename: Kids Next Door, Eddie Brock in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Sai from Naruto Shippuden, Death Gun from Sword Art Online, Knuckle Bine from Hunter × Hunter, Mega Man in Mega Man 11)

* Shadow - Steve Blum (Venom in Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop, TOM from Toonami, Orochimaru and Zabuza Momochi from Naruto, Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat X onward, Wolverine in various X-Men cartoons and games, Shishio Makoto from Rurouni Kenshin, Roger Smith from The Big O, Mugen from Samurai Champloo)

Please R&R. Until next time!