- Chapter 39 -

Bad Press

In the Channel 6 building, Robyn stood in the office of her boss, Burne Thompson, an overweight, irascible-looking man with slicked back blond hair.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked.

"Yes, come in," Burne said. "Close the door, please."

Robyn did so, sitting down.

"Your family is quite close with the Ninja Turtles, right?"

Robyn raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what about it?"

"I want you to give me your honest opinion of them."

"They've saved me, my dad, my little sister, the entire city. They're good people."

"I see…" Burne laced his fingers together, resting his chin on them. "I will admit that they have saved the city, but can we really condone vigilantism?"

"Sir...?"

"I won't deny they've done a lot of good, Robyn," Burne assured. "But the fact remains that the Turtles are masked vigilantes that take the law into their own hands. Also, there's the little fact that whenever they get into fights, property damage tends to follow. And that's not bringing up the rise in localized earthquakes near scenes of their exploits, and the dozens of other mutants that don't share their desire to protect. We don't even know how many there are. Or how many we can trust."

"What exactly are you saying, Burne?" Robyn asked, not liking where this was going.

"I want to know what the city is doing about the mutants." Burne began to hold out a hand, listing things off on his fingers. "Are there any efforts to reach out to the benevolent ones? Are the malicious ones being treated for their mutations? Do the police intend to allow the turtles to continue their vigilante activities unchecked?"

Robyn took that all in, unable to refute that Burne had made some very serious points. She knew from personal experience that not all mutants could be trusted, and that even those that could were prone to mistakes.

"Just so long as this doesn't turn into a smear campaign," she insisted.

Burne looked appalled at the very idea. "Oh God no. I'm a respectable journalist. I want facts, not bitter, irrational accusations."

Later, the entire city, along with the Turtles and Hamato Clan, watched as Burne broadcasted his report.

"The City of New York is facing an unimaginable change with the introduction of a new species into our population: mutations," he began. "After the events of the rise of the Technodrome, the city has become well aware of the anthropomorphic citizens living among us. However, this reporter has to wonder about the consequences of such a monumental change. I won't deny not all mutants are dangerous. But there are plenty out there that are. And we have no idea just how many there are in the city. And even those that mean us no harm may cause it inadvertently with their mutant abilities."

"Well, on the bright side, he's not actively slandering us," Donnie noted. "I was expecting J. Jonah Jameson levels of hatred towards us."
"And while we're on this topic, it's time to address the elephant in the room: the Ninja Turtles who brought down the aliens two months ago."

Donnie just blinked. "...Maybe I spoke too soon."

"No one can deny that the city is safe because of the actions they took to stop the Technodrome. However, their vigilante activities have left much destruction in their wake."

Some pictures began to flash on the screen as he continued.

"Thugs left bloody and beaten in back alleys, some of them left in body casts."

"Hey!" Raph objected. "That picture is from one of Casey's rampages!"

"Localized earthquakes toppling buildings and flipping cars."

Hisako grimaced, looking away in shame.

"And unregistered, unsafe vehicles tearing up the streets."

"Yeah…" Donnie rubbed the back of his head. "In retrospect, making the Shellraiser out of a train car probably wasn't the best idea."

"Even with the best of intentions, they must be held accountable for the consequences of their actions," Burne went on. "Regardless of anyone's personal feelings on the Turtles, there's still something called 'the law.' And no matter what kind of sewer mutants they are, they're not above it."

Splinter mulled over all of this, stroking his chin.

"I was wondering when the humans would begin to act on our presence," he noted. "With our existence no longer a secret, the consequences of our reveal are making themselves known."

Leo sighed, rubbing his forehead. "This is on us, Dad. We were reckless. We were so focused on stopping the Technodrome that we didn't think to hide from the humans when it broke out."

"What is done is done. We cannot change that they know about us. All we can do is wait and see what happens."

"Right…" Leo nodded. "Either way, we should try to keep a low profile for a bit. Just until this blows over."

At the NYPD, chief of police Rebecca Vincent hung up the phone, sighing and running a hand through her blond hair.

"Thompson again, Chief?"

Rebecca turned to see a younger woman with auburn hair and green eyes standing at her office door. Kara Lewis, a detective that had been on the force for two years.

"Unfortunately, yes," Rebecca replied, rubbing her temples. "He's demanding to know how I'm going to deal with the Turtles."

"You have to admit that he's not wrong about the mutants," Kara said.

"I will concede that much, but we've been investigating these allegations for months and we've come up with nothing. Just fingerprints not in our system or not human at all."

Kara thought for a minute before perking. "What about Kasumi Lee? She's the one who's paid off most of the damages the Turtles' fights have caused, and her daughter was with them during the alien attack."

"It's circumstantial at best," Rebecca replied. "The Lees are well known for their charity work, and just because Kagome was with them doesn't mean much. They rescued dozens of people from that ship."

"Still, it's a lead. I can go talk with them, see if I can find out anything."

Rebecca thought it over. "It won't be easy. Kasumi Lee is a very powerful woman."

"I've got this," Kara assured. "Leave it to me, Chief."

At the Lee household, Kagome, Hisako, and April relaxed in the backyard onsen.

"I cannot believe that you have an actual onsen in your house," April remarked.

"It's perfect for relaxing after a long day," Hisako sighed.

"Agreed," Kagome sank down, sighing. "That report... as much as I hate to admit it, Burne's right. We've been way more reckless than we should've."

"What sucks is that most of the property damage is usually my fault," Hisako said.

"Hey, it's not like you're doing it on purpose," April pointed out. "Well... except that one time…"

Hisako groaned and slipped deeper into the water.

"I'm mostly worried about me and Mom," Kagome noted. "I was caught on camera with the Turtles when the Technodrome got off the ground. And it's hardly a secret Mom helped fund repairs for the places we wreck."

"Well, nothing's happened yet," April said. "So maybe they haven't made the connection yet."

Just then, a doorbell that sounded almost like a gong rang out.

"Visitors?" Hisako perked. "On a Sunday?"

They dried off and went to check it out, staying out of sight as Kasumi answered the door.

"Mrs. Lee, I'm Detective Kara Lewis with the NYPD," Kara showed her badge. "I'm sorry to trouble you, but may I come in? I need to talk to you."

"Of course. Come on in," Kasumi allowed her to enter, leading her into the foyer. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to talk to you about your involvement with the mutant turtles," Kasumi stiffened briefly. "A lot of the property damage caused in their fights was repaired thanks to your funding. And your daughter was with them when the aliens attacked. At the very least, I have reason to believe you know them personally."

"I do indeed, yes. My daughter and I are close with them."

"Just how close?"

"I'm afraid that information is personal, and I don't feel comfortable disclosing any more."

Kara took a deep breath. "Mrs. Lee, I just need answers here."

"Do you have a warrant?" Kasumi asked. "Any actual cause to believe I'm involved with the Turtles' escapades?"

"Well no, but-"

"Then legally, I'm under no obligation to tell you anything else." Kasumi rose, holding open the door. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I'm quite busy this afternoon."

Kara rose at that, nodding. "I'm sorry to bother you. Thank you for your help regardless."

She left. Kasumi closed the door, sighing.

"Mom?" Kagome asked, stepping forward.

"I'm alright…" Kasumi turned to her. "But I'm almost positive that they'll come with a warrant. And I won't be able to lie if they do."

Hearing that, Hisako stood back, thinking something over…

Kara returned to her desk, sighing. "Is there anyone who would be willing to provide a warrant? I hate to harass the Lees like this, but we need to know the full story."

She looked at the paperwork, wondering where to begin. In the front lobby, Hisako made her way inside, nervous as she approached Kara's desk.

"Excuse me?" she asked. "Detective Lewis?"

Kara looked up. "Yes?"

"My name's Hamato Hisako. I'm with the Ninja Turtles. I've come to turn myself in."

That got Kara's attention. She looked her over.

"That's right. You're the other human girl who was with them that day…"

"Actually, Detective…" Hisako let her eyes glow green as she gathered mist in her hand. "I'm as much of a mutant as they are."

Kara blinked, taking that in before standing up. "I want to let you know one thing, kid. You're not under arrest. I just need to ask a few questions."

"I know," Hisako nodded, her voice trembling a bit. "I just don't know if that's gonna change when you get the answers to those questions. I'm psychic, not precognitive."

"Well, that's a bridge we'll have to cross when we get to it. Just follow me."

Hisako nodded, then followed Kara deeper into the station.

Back at the lair, Leo looked over his phone, having gotten Hisako's voicemail once again.

"Hey, you've reached my number. If you don't recognize my voice, then hang up now. I will delete your message. If you do, then leave one and I'll get back if I can."

"She's not answering," Leo reported.

"Still?" Raph asked. "She should be back by now."

"Yeah, she left before we did," Kagome added. "There's no way we beat her home…"

"You think something might've happened?" Mikey questioned.

"I think that I don't want to risk the chance,"Vee decided. "D, didn't you install trackers in the T-Phones after April's kidnapping?"

"Yeah," Donnie nodded. "I'm on it."

He set aside his current mutagenic experiment, getting on his computer and typing away. A city map came on screen with several green dots.

"Okay, we've got us in the lab, I see Casey at a lacrosse match... now where's Hisako?"

He checked the address, eyes going wide.

"I don't like that look," Raph said.

"Yeah…" Donnie gulped. "Um… She's at the Central Park NYPD precinct in Manhattan."

"What?!" Leo screamed.

Donnie turned his screen. "The tracker doesn't lie."

"How... why...?!" Mikey demanded.

Kagome perked. "Wait... she was there when Detective Lewis came to question Mom."

"Oh no…" Leo grabbed the side of his head. "Hisako, what did you do?!"

"Better question... what do we do?" Mikey asked. "We can't exactly break her out of police custody."

"And just showing up at the precinct will be an absolute nightmare," Leo added.

"And if Mom and I go get her, we're all but confirming our connection to her," Kagome included.

"That's not even the biggest issue," Donnie said. "Ever since we learned Hisako's birth name, I've been trying to do some research. Y'know, see if she has any aunts or uncles out there. And… legally, she doesn't exist."

"Seriously?" Raph asked. "Not even a birth certificate?"

Donnie shook his head. "No birth certificate, social security number, health records... Nothing. Neither Hamato Hisako nor Rita Kaimera exist. For all intents and purposes, she's an illegal alien. And with everything the world is going through right now, they may take that alien part quite literally."

Kagome rubbed her temples. "This... is the absolute worst-case scenario, isn't it?"

Donnie just nodded silently.

At the NYPD building, Hisako sat in the interrogation room, pacing around the room nervously. Being locked in the enclosed space was not doing her psyche any favors. Her fingers danced along her arms as she tried to calm herself down. Meanwhile, just outside, Kara was talking with her partner, Raymond Sterns.

"Jeez... she's more skittish than a rabbit in a wolf's den," Sterns remarked. "How old is she?"

"Around fifteen," Kara said. "Sixteen at most."

Sterns rubbed his face. "Well, I ran her prints like you asked. Nothing came up."

"Nothing at all?"

Sterns shook his head. "The only match we had are the human ones we found at the Turtles' fight scenes. The ones we didn't have on record."

"So we've basically confirmed that she is with them, but nothing else?"

"Nothing. Her name is Japanese, but looking at her, I doubt she has a drop of Asian blood in her."

"No doubt it ain't her real name."

The two cops turned to see a third approaching them, chewing on a toothpick. Kara's eyes narrowed.

"What do you want, Miller?" she demanded.

"Oh c'mon, Lewis," Miller scoffed. "It's obvious just looking at her. Those mutants stole her and probably indoctrinated her into their little monster cult."

"You have no evidence of that," Kara spat.

"Seriously? She's covered in scars, she's been pacing around that room like a caged animal. She's showing all the signs of abuse and mental trauma we're trained to notice."

Sure enough, Hisako took that moment to shed her hoodie, revealing her scar covered arms.

"That doesn't mean the Turtles caused it." Sterns insisted.

"Then why is she here alone?" Miller questioned.

"Here's an idea," Kara offered. "How about instead of jumping to conclusions, we actually do our job as cops and collect info?"

"Fine," Miller grumbled. "I'll do it."

Before Kara could stop him, he stomped into the room, sitting down at the table in the center of the room. Hisako looked at his long, pointy nose, and smirked.

"Well, look at that honker of yours," she quipped, sitting down opposite of Miller before lacing her fingers together, resting her chin on them. "You ever sneeze and blow the house down, Dick Miller?"

"That's Officer Miller to you."

"Whatever you say, Dick. How's the ex-wife doing? Then again, considering you're late on alimony and child support, I imagine you're not talking to her."

"Cut the shit and answer my questions," Miller demanded.

"Fine." Hisako shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "But I don't know if you'll like the answer."

"Tell me about the Turtles. Everything you know."

Hisako chuckled slightly, a playful glint in her eye. "What do you wanna know first? Name? Rank? Favorite cereal? Ooh! How about the names of my brother's toes?"

A vein was beginning to pop on Miller's head. "You are-"

"Really trying my patience," Hisako finished.

"Don't-"

"Put words in my mouth."

"Now you-"

"Listen here you little- stop doing that!" Hisako smirked as Miller got angrier and angrier.

"Here's an idea," he growled. "Can you give me something else to go on other than an aneurysm from how much you're pissing me off?!"

"I can."

Hisako then went silent, the pause stretching for an almost uncomfortable amount of time. Miller's eyelid flickered.

"WELL?!"

"You just asked if I can, not if I will."

Miller pounded the table with his fist. "Don't screw with me, little girl!"

Hisako sighed, getting serious. " Listen bozo. Do yourself a favor and walk out of here before I let Don Turtelli know that his favorite dirty cop is skimming from the drug bust raids before shipping them his way."

Miller flinched, sweating slightly. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Richard Miller, age 47, divorced twice, no kids," Hisako listed off. "You still think about that time in the seventh grade when Billy Falmer gave you an atomic wedgie in front of Liliana Grace, and you fudged some evidence so that he got arrested for drunk driving, because you're a petty bastard who just can't let go of a grudge."

She gave a grin akin to a shark. "You really wanna test me?"

Miller took a deep breath. "Kid, you don't seem to comprehend the condition that you're in."

"Don't I? Enlighten me."

"You have no family, no birth certificate, no social security number. You're not enrolled in any school. All that together means you don't exist, and therefore aren't a citizen of this city. Or this country."

He smirked, thinking he'd won, only for the light above them to start flickering. He glanced up at it, but his gaze snapped back to Hisako as she started to speak once more.

"You wanna know what I am though?" The room was beginning to shake ever so slightly, mist coalescing around the girl. "I am the survivor of ten years of pure torture. I am a highly trained ninja warrior with near mastery of the bladed fans and the Hamato style of martial arts, and more than that, I am the most powerful telepathic, telekinetic being in existence. I have faced down alien warlords, an ancient order of ninjas, and some of the most dangerous, power-hungry villains you will ever meet."

The lights were flickering more now, an eerie green glow surrounding Hisako. Miller felt like his entire body was frozen, his tongue like lead in his mouth. He could only stare as the teen before him kept talking.

"You look at me and see a fragile little girl, and you're half right. I'm fragile, but not like a flower or glass." She opened her eyes, revealing that they had become solid green. "I'm a fucking nuclear bomb, Miller. And you. Don't. Scare me."

All of a sudden, her mist faded away to nothing, everything steadying and the lights returning to normal. She blinked and returned to her serious, calm demeanor.

"By the way, the Chief wants to talk to you about the accusations I just laid out. Expect an Internal Affairs investigation." She finished off this statement with the same shark grin from earlier.

Miller sat there in silence for a moment before slowly standing up. "Have a nice day."

He walked out of the room, where Rebecca was already waiting for him.

"My office," she said sternly. "Now."

As they walked off, Kara entered, sitting before Hisako herself.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she said. "As you can tell, Miller's basically a wannabe Al Capone with a badge. We've been building a case against him for a while."

"I know," Hisako replied. "Hope that helps."

She sagged onto the table. "So how badly did I just fuck myself over with that stunt?"

"Honestly, you didn't destroy any property," Kara replied. "All you did was put on a bit of a lightshow."

"I threatened a cop."

"That was intimidation at best, and I'm sure the chief's willing to overlook it given the information you provided."

"That's good…" Hisako sighed.

"Now, with Miller and his dumbassery out of the way, you mind if I ask you a few questions for the record?"

Hisako nodded. "Sure, go ahead."

She remained sagged, seemingly drained physically and mentally.

"For starters, the Turtles. Am I correct in assuming you've lived with them for some time now?"

"Since I was ten, yes. They're my family, my siblings."

"Next question. Kagome Lee was with you and the Turtles when the aliens attacked. Her mother mentioned being close with them as well. I assume you're friends, at the very least?"

"We're more than that. Kasumi Lee has been like a mother to all of us, and Kagome a sister. They didn't speak up earlier because they were afraid of police involvement and that my family would be in danger." Hisako smiled. "But I can tell that you want the genuine truth, and that secretly, you're happy we're helping keep the streets clean. Even if you don't approve of all of our methods."

"There are things you can do that the police can't," Kara replied. "I just hope that in the future, you keep property damage to a minimum."

"Most of the time, it's me. I... well, let's just say that my mental state leaves much to be desired, but I am getting help. And I'm pretty sure my brother is working on a more street-legal vehicle."

Kara nodded. "Now, one more question. You mentioned ten years of torture. By the timeline, you fell in with the Turtles afterward. If you're comfortable with me asking, what happened to you before?"

Hisako fell silent, looking down.

"The aliens that invaded… they happened. If you want more information, talk to Mr. Mortu at TCRI." She slid her hoodie back on. "I... I can't say anything more."

After a moment, Kara nodded. "Alright. Thank you."

Hisako laid down on the table, closing her eyes.

Meanwhile, at TCRI, the Hamato/Lee family were speaking to Mortu over Hisako's situation.

"She is so much like her mother," Mortu mused. "Always putting others before herself."

"What concerns me is that she doesn't exist to the city of New York," Donnie remarked.

"Yes, all of our records on Hisako were destroyed in the attack," Mortu said. "We had elected to keep information on her within the company while we studied her abilities."

"Thankfully, we've been recovering the lost data, so we should be able to prove Hisako is an American-born citizen," Samson added.

"Well, there's that, at least," Leo sighed.

At that moment, Sam entered the office.

"Sir, um... there's a police detective in the lobby," he reported. "She wants to talk to you."

They exchanged looks at that.

"She must've dropped Mortu's name at the station," Vee realized.

"No doubt," Mortu nodded. "Let her in, Sam."

Sam departed, allowing Mortu to turn to the Turtles. "The rest of you, I suggest you make yourself-" They had all vanished from sight. "-scarce."

At that moment, the door opened, Kara entering. "Mr. Mortu, I presume?"

"Yes, indeed. Please, come on in." He gestured to the chair across from his desk as Samson stood behind him. "Please pardon Samson. He's one of my security officials."

Kara nodded, taking a seat. "I'm here to ask you some questions about Hamato Hisako."

"Ah yes, Miss Hamato. Her parents used to work for me before they perished."

"She mentioned the aliens that invaded two months ago. Based on what little she told me, I'm assuming they were involved."

Mortu nodded. "I suppose with everything that has come to light, this reveal is all but inevitable."

Samson turned to Mortu in concern. "Sir?"

"If Hisako trusted this woman to tell her to come here, then I will trust her as well."

Mortu rose, unbuttoning his shirt slowly to reveal his Utrom body. Kara blinked a few times, before rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Yeah…" she began, "it's a sign of how weird my world's become that this doesn't really surprise me."

Mortu chuckled slightly. "At least you're not screaming or attempting to shoot me."

"Hisako doesn't seem like the type to send me into a trap. And besides, I've learned not to judge by appearances."

Mortu closed his shirt. "I see."

"I have to ask though... what is your role in all this?"

"To put it simply, Krang and his ilk are a plague upon the galaxies. One that I have been battling for far too long. Samson and his Guardians have fought at our side to try and protect humanity. Sometimes we succeed, and other times we fail, as is the case with the mutant population, as well as Miss Hamato's tragic story."

"The fire at TCRI fifteen years ago…" Kara mused. "I've read the files. This Krang was the one behind it, then?"

Mortu nodded. "Yes, they attacked, killing many of my people and Guardians. Among the deceased were Hisako's birth parents. We believed her to be among the dead until recently. In reality, she was taken by Krang. Used as a lab experiment for the first ten years of her life... until she escaped with the aid of another prisoner, and was left in the care of Hamato Yoshi."

"Where have I heard that name…?" Kara perked. "I remember. From what I know of Kasumi Lee, she flew in from Japan with a close friend named Hamato Yoshi before starting her business and making her fortune. All reports say he moved out of Manhattan to find himself."

"In truth, he was another unfortunate victim of Krang, mutated and forced into hiding. He's raised the Turtles underground for the past fifteen years, and Hisako for the past five."

"And in your opinion... can they be trusted?"

"Detective, they were raised under the doctrines of Bushido. They are honorable warriors who seek to protect this city. And, if I may be frank, without them doing what they do, this city would have perished many times over."

"Yeah…" Kara agreed. "We all would've been dead if they hadn't stopped that alien ship."

"And who's to say what other silent crises have been hindered because of them? I believe your precinct would benefit more from working with them than going against them."

"I'll admit Chief Vincent has brought up the idea a few times. If we knew where they were, we'd offer them a consultant job."

"We'll take it," Leo's voice came.

She turned around, seeing the Hamato Ninjas standing right behind her. Kara jumped slightly, a hand over her chest.

"Have you been here the whole time?" she managed.

"Yep." Mikey confirmed.

"We're also really worried about our sister," Vee chimed in. "Can we go pick her up without getting shot and/or arrested?"

"Unless you start a fight at the station, yes," Kara stood up. "That's all I needed. Thank you, Mr. Mortu."

"Thank you for listening."

"C'mon," Raph said. "Let's go get our sister."

The Shellraiser rolled up to the NYPD, the Turtles filing out and entering. Rebecca was just coming out of her office when they did.

"Well, this is unexpected," she noted. "I assume you're here for Hisako?"

Leo nodded. "We are, yes."

"Well then, you're in luck. We have no reason to hold her, so she's free to go. I do hope I'd be able to talk to at least one of you about consultation."

"You handle that, Leo," Raph said. "We'll get Hisako."

They headed off while Leo followed Rebecca into her office.

"We ran into Detective Lewis on our way here," he explained. "She mentioned your consultant offer."

Rebecca nodded. "And your thoughts?"

"The world knows we exist, so things have gotta change. People need to know that not all mutants are bad, and if working as NYPD consultants helps with that, we're happy to."

"That, and I think that with police help, we can help you to actually make a difference in this city," Rebecca replied. "You can do what we can't, and we might even be able to pay you."

"Really?" Leo asked. "I mean, protecting our home is reward enough. And it's not like we're short on cash."

Rebecca shrugged. "Up to you."

Leo thought it over. "Well, Mikey will kill me if I turn down pizza money. But I'll admit, taking money for this feels... wrong somehow."

"I'm sure even the samurai of old were paid for their services," Rebecca pointed out. "And it's not like you're exclusively working for us. You can still do what you do. We'll just occasionally be calling you to help."

"Fair point," Leo nodded, offering a hand. "Alright, Chief. You've got yourself a deal."

Rebecca smiled, shaking his hand.

-X-

Later, the assembled siblings were exiting the station.

"So…" Hisako began, rubbing the back of her head, "how much trouble am I in?"

"Well, we're pretty pissed that you ran off half-cocked and turned yourself in like that." Raph replied.

Hisako twiddled her thumbs. "I just wanted our story to be told as peacefully as possible, and I figured that I was the most 'human' member of the mutant team."

"Well, we've avoided the worst case scenario, and we've established positive connections with the NYPD," Leo mused. "All in all, things turned out okay."

"Still, I doubt that everyone is gonna be so easily swayed," Donnie said. "After all, humanity fears what they don't understand."

"That's a hurdle for another day," Vee answered. "For now, let's just go home. I'm exhausted."

Later, everyone was watching Channel 6, Robyn sitting with Kara at the NYPD.

"This is Robyn O'Neil with Detective Kara Lewis of the NYPD, here for an exclusive interview. Detective, is it true that you had one of the associates of the Ninja Turtles in your custody?"

"While she was not in my custody, I did have the opportunity to sit down and speak with one of the allies of the mutant turtles," Kara replied. "A young mutant woman came with me willingly, looking to clear the air on the Turtles. She explained to me that the turtles are aware of the damage they have caused and that they do not want to cause harm to this city."

"I see," Robyn replied, a small smile visible on her face. "Has this meeting led to any changes in how the police will be handling mutant affairs?"

"As Burne said in his report, there are benevolent mutants and malicious ones. We cannot allow fear and prejudice to influence the law, especially when many of these mutants are victims of illegal, immoral, and inhuman experimentation. As such, Chief Vincent is organizing a specialized task force that will be in charge of aiding the mutant population. Working alongside the mutant turtles themselves, we will work to help the mutants who need it, and ensure the malicious ones are handled within the confines of the law."

Watching the report, the turtles all felt a bit of a weight lift off their shoulders.

"Well, it's a start at least," Donnie let out. "There's still a lot of political and sociological aspects to consider, but this is a step in the right direction."

"Agreed," Leo nodded. "And connections in the police force will give us easier access to information and back-up we didn't have before."

"Still, we got insanely lucky with this," Kagome pointed out. "The police were reasonable, but we're gonna run into a lot more bad press in the future. As someone who's been dodging the paparazzi most of my life, they're like bloodhounds. We slip up, and everything will crumble."

"All the more reason to stay on our toes," Leo insisted.

"Well, I ain't gonna be taken down by some pompous jerks badmouthing us," Raph declared.

A chorus of agreement filled the lair as they all settled in for the night.

Author's Note:

Yeah, this was a bit of a side chapter. A break from all the craziness and fighting.

Next chapter, Donnie finally completes the retro-mutagen. The Underground Monsters' salvation is at hand…

Sterns is from the first two live-actions movies back in the 90s. His first name, Raymond, is taken from his actor, the late Raymond Serra. Kara Lewis is from the IDW comics, and Rebecca Vincent is from the Out of the Shadows movie. Miller is from IDW.

And yeah, a recent revision I decided to make for this version of the fic. In the original, Burne became a full on anti-mutant extremist. I decided here to make him more J. Jonah Jameson and less Will Harangue; despite being a hot-tempered jerk, he's not without reason.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Burne - J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Vernon Schillinger from Oz, Tenzin from The Legend of Korra, O'Brien in Terminator Genisys, Wade Eiling in Justice League/Unlimited)

* Kara - Ashly Burch (Cassie Cage from Mortal Kombat X, April O'Neil in the Mutants in Manhattan game, Chloe Price in Life is Strange, Chun-Li in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Danika Hart in Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sasha Braus in Attack on Titan seasons 1-3)

* Rebecca - Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Kurenai Yuhi from Naruto, Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell, Cornelia from Code Geass, Cetrion in Mortal Kombat 11, Kanna Kirishima in Sakura Wars: The Movie, Nina Williams in Tekken)

* Sterns - Robert Costanzo (Harvey Bullock from Batman: The Animated Series, Phil from Disney's Hercules and Kingdom Hearts)

* Miller - C. Thomas Howell (Eobard Thawne in the DC Animated Movie Universe, Will Magnus in Justice League: Gods and Monsters, Walter Jenkins in LBJ, Captain Cold in Injustice 2)

Please R&R. Until next time!