April and Irma had lost their pursuers and finally stopped amid the junk for a much-needed rest. Time to catch a breath, and to think about their next move. April was kicking herself. Not literally - that would have confused her companion more than a little - but certainly in her mind. After defiantly refusing the Foot's attempt to make her betray her friends once, she came so close to falling for it the second time - All it had taken was for the offer to be repackaged with some bogus peace talks and the chance to get free from those ropes.

Anyway. Learn and move on. Never again.

"Yeah..." She considered carefully before continuing. "Look, Irma, I know some people who might be able to deal with this... Well, you know, I say people..."

"You mean the Turtles...?" Irma's answer came back quickly and almost casually, and made April look at her in astonishment.

"OK... You've met them, then... Looks like a lot was going on while I was stuck in that junkyard. Anything else I need to know...?"

Irma thought for a moment, and bit her lip. "Well... I suppose there is. I was going to save this for later, but I should probably tell you now..." Once she had made her mind up, Irma's confession came out in a rush. "I was spying on you. I was following orders, but that's no excuse, I know that's no excuse. I snuck into your office, and I found your Renaissance Boys note and that led me to the Turtles' place, and I met Donny, and then all the others. And I'm sorry, I really am. Sorry..."

Waiting patiently for her to finish, April didn't exactly look thrilled but she took this news better than Irma had feared. She said just one word. "Ed?"

"Yeah."

"OK."

"It's fine, I know you won't want me to be your assistant after this is over, I know. And it's fine. It's OK. I'll resign."

April's amusement grew as Irma went on. "I forgive you," she said laconically, when it was time to reply.

"I know, I- Really?"

"Really. Hey, you're better than my last assistant. He is well and truly fired. But you know, right now, we've got a bit of an emergency going on. So, maybe..."

"Yeah... Yeah, of course..."

April thought for a moment. "I know we should probably head back to the station, we really should, but I'm going to try to contact the guys first. You don't need to come – you can go and report to Ed, make sure he sees you being great in a crisis..."

Irma looked hesitant. "Uh, if you don't mind I'd rather go with you. Unless... Yeah, OK..."

April frowned, confused. "What...?"

"No, it's not... It's just... I know you were with them long before I came along. I don't want to... you know... get in the way."

"No... That's not it... Uh, no, I'm not..." Realizing the extent of the misunderstanding, April was a little flustered. "I'm not being jealous here, OK?"

"Yeah, of course."

April thought for a moment. "OK, change of plan. We both join the Turtles and see what we can do to help. Ed will just have to manage without us."

"He's got Jim McNaughton filling in."

April couldn't help herself - she laughed, before stifling the reaction. "Yeah... Good old Jim... My first day, he clicked his fingers at me and demanded I get him coffee."

"Did you?"

"Yeah..." April looked sidelong at Irma. "He never asked again."

After a moment, they both laughed.

***

"Get her back here!" Freddy commanded in a snarl, and turned savagely on the Foot ninja standing there awaiting orders. "And if you can't... Don't bother coming back!" The man ran off in relief.

Freddy walked across the yard, head spinning. As another masked ninja approached he snapped "What is it?"

"Something you should see, sir. Uh... Master."

"Don't call me Master, you moron. Do I look like... Master Tatsu...?" Freddy tailed off as his eyes were drawn to the other ninja behind this one, and the cannibalized door they were carrying. On it, a large human figure, covered with a looted curtain. He might be obscured beneath, but the body was instantly recognizable.

Freddy just stared at it, as Matt and Jake came over. A glance under the curtain, and Matt nodded to Freddy. It was Tatsu.

"Rats," said Matt. No other explanation was needed.

Freddy took a long breath. The Rat King had met his half of the bargain. That was unexpected. If he had known that, he could have continued to work on April O'Neil. He was sure he had been part-way toward getting her co-operation... Too late now. Even if she was recaptured - and she would be, he was determined on it - that option was gone. No plan survived contact with the enemy, he reminded himself.

He needed time to think. Annoyingly Matt came and stood very close.

"We all feared Master Shredder's anger... I think we feared Master Tatsu even more. I know you think that's how you've gotta be... But they could do that stuff because... They had the weight." Freddy's look in response to this was a dangerous one. He was a second away from ordering Matt's death.

"I'm not saying you don't have what it takes. I'm just saying, you have to be different. You have to use what you got." The thing that annoyed Freddy most, and that he hated to admit, was that this was good advice. Matt had himself a reprieve.

"Are you the new Tatsu to my Shredder...?" Freddy asked quietly, eyes narrowed. "Or the Freddy to my Tatsu...?"

"I'm not the new anything," Matt replied, stepping back. "I'm just me."

"Get them all together," Freddy said decisively. "We're heading out."

***

Bryan was getting more and more confused. In the hour since he had arrived he had been told so much and yet so little. This was a top-secret federal project to come up with an effective universal liquid suspension for a range of fast-acting animal inoculations. Or this was, if he understood his long-lost Uncle Larry's (!) explanation correctly, a means of turning rats into some kind of super-soldier.

There had so far been no adequate explanation of why Uncle Larry was accompanied at all times by a bunch of rats, which had taken up positions around the room and more or less stayed there. Dr Pearson and the others didn't react, so presumably this was a known and accepted quirk.

One of those rats had taken up residence next to Bryan himself, and it looked up at him in a way that made him a little uneasy. Like it was... guarding him.

"If this works, this could mean an end to a range of animal-affecting viruses and murrain... Even myxomatosis..." explained Dr Pearson, who it turned out was an industrial chemist. "No more mass culls with the associated economic and social damage that involves... It could solve half the world's food supply problems, and save lives. Frankly, if we pull this off, it's the greatest achievement in animal medicine since... Well, ever."

With the arrival of Lawrence Hynten and his promised chemical catalyst, the final ingredient essential to making the liquid suspension stable enough for mass deployment, it was now possible to go forward. Dr Pearson had not been impressed that she had first been required to synthesize a supply of said chemical from some dehydrated residue, but with Nobel Prizes in her sights she was willing to break a few eggs to make this particular omelette.

No questions asked. It was an arrangement that had solved a lot of problems for her lately, and she wasn't going to change that approach just yet.

"Please..." said the voice. "Listen to me..." The voice in his head. Oh no, now on top of everything else, Bryan realized he was actually hearing a voice in his head. "You cannot let him do this... You must"-

-There! A quick shake of his head, and it looked like that had done it. He was just overwrought, that was all. The Japanese man in his head was just a symptom of stress and extreme fatigue. He was going to be fine.

Uncle Larry took him aside. "The test will be any minute now, Bryan. Before it happens, I am going to do something that may make you feel a little strange at first. But you must trust me..."

Bryan didn't know quite how to react to that, but Larry didn't give him much time to do anything. He just said "Sleep."

"Wake."

He didn't know what had just occurred, but when Bryan was next aware of his surroundings he was still standing in the same place. Same room, same people, same Larry. Everything else was different. He knew. He understood. Everything. The plan. Uncle Larry's plan. No, not Uncle Larry. He was certainly in there, but the man standing in front of him was more than that.

Hyn'tnn... The Rat King. His plan was nearing fruition. And Bryan had been vital to its execution.

Good news - he hadn't been suffering blackouts after all. Bad news - he had, in a hypnotized state, helped to initiate an offensive that might result in the overthrow of human civilization. Oh, and also, he was starting to hear his conscience in his head speaking with the voice of a Japanese man of mature years.

Interesting night.

***

"So what happened to Splinter?"

"Don didn't know. There was no sign of him." Irma followed April down the ladder into the Turtles' subterranean home. "And there wasn't much time to talk to the other guys before those ninja thugs showed up."

"Maybe we should have stayed near the junkyard..." April mused, wondering if they had done the right thing coming back here.

"Staying away was the best thing we could do," Irma reassured. "Neither of us can fight like they can... The Foot would just use us both against them. This is where they'll head back to, once they've kicked some... butt."

Taking off her leather jacket and leaving it over the back of a chair, April smiled at that. Then, with an abrupt mood change, she shuddered. "Yeah... The Foot. Try being their guest. Would not recommend."

"Um, OK," said Irma. "I promise I'll try to stay away from them from now on."

April stood at Donatello's work bench, absently turning the handle on the vice. "There's something else going on, Irma, something bigger than the Foot. That guy who can control rats..." April's eyes widened at a horrible realization. "Oh God... Splinter."

They looked at each other in alarm, Irma coming to the same realization. "Splinter..." Irma mused, sounding frightened. "That's the guy... The rat... who taught the Turtles everything they know, right...?"

April turned, mind shying away from even thinking about the implications of Splinter being turned against them. "OK..." she said, keen to be distracted, "You know, I need to start keeping a change of clothes down here..." She ran a hand over her yellow T-shirt and black leather pants - OK for a motorcycle trip upstate, but not for every situation.

Irma wandered over to the TV. "Mind if I...? 'Never know, maybe it'll tell us something useful."

"And as this night's strange events continue, a new development. Believe it or not, folks, but word has reached us of our old friends, those Ninja Turtles - you remember them?"

***

Jim McNaughton took a breath before continuing. "The Ninja Turtles are apparently in the custody of the NYPD at this very moment after a meticulously planned capturing operation... Now, you may or may not believe in the veracity of the famous Ninja Turtle reports from weeks back..."

***

"But I'm sure you'll agree, this is an interesting development, to say the least."

Jim's voice coming out of the TV echoed a little in the subway station and Irma became agitated as the importance of what he was saying became clear. "Hey, look at that..." Pointing towards the screen, she looked over to see April's reaction, only to find her friend was already hurrying up the ladder, jacket slung over her arm.

"Come on!" April urged.

***

"Handsome fellas, ain't ya?"

"Thanks," said Michelangelo cheerfully.

They were in what looked like a gym hall. One entrance, climbing bars all along each wall, floor space enough for the four large steel cages that had been put here at very short notice. The zoologist that had come with the cages stood looking at them - An hour had passed since he had first become aware of the Turtles' existence, and he still wasn't near to processing it.

Sterns walked around the cages, arranged as corners of a square, spaced far enough to prevent any of the Turtles reaching the others. Raphael gripped the bars tightly and glowered at the Chief as he passed, Sterns careful not to come within reach. Michelangelo gave him a cheerful nod and a thumbs up. Donatello just looked back at him with polite interest.

He stopped at Leonardo, who was pointedly facing away. Becoming aware of their captor's proximity, Leonardo glanced round. "Oh. Hi."

"Amazing," breathed Sterns. "I'll never get used to that." He turned to the zoologist. "What could cause something like this?" The man thought for a long moment, and seemed to reach a conclusion. He shrugged.

"You're the leader, aren't you?" Sterns asked Leonardo. "I can always smell the leader."

Leonardo looked confused for a moment, gingerly sniffed his own armpits and turned to face Sterns, looking a little hurt. "Well, it's been a very trying day."

"I could be the leader," Raphael said quietly and a little sulkily. "For all you know."

Sterns produced a sheaf of photographic prints from a folder he was carrying. Looking like he couldn't quite believe what he was doing, he held them up so that Leonardo and Donatello could see them. Raphael and Michelangelo squinted through three and two sets of bars respectively to try to get a look. "Do you know anything about this?" The pictures showed a New York street in disarray - a streetlight toppled to the ground, windows smashed, cars destroyed. "This was six weeks ago."

"Oh, that must have been Tokka and Rahzar, guys," piped up Michelangelo. "Am I right? I can't see from here."

"Mikey!" Raphael exclaimed.

"What?" Michelangelo considered for a moment. "Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"It's not often I encounter giant walking talking animals carrying martial arts weapons," mused Sterns. "And I'm a cop in New York City! Nasty looking weapons as well." He spoke to Michelangelo. "Those things you were carrying, my friend? Not exactly a string of sausages!" He added with a hint of a smile, "You could hurt somebody with those things."

"That's not what we're about," replied Leonardo. "We protect people, not hurt them."

Sterns raised his eyebrows. "Do you, really? You know, that's my job."

"Well maybe if you did that job better, pal, we wouldn't-" Raphael stopped. This wouldn't do them any good.

"That's right... pal," said Sterns. "Get it off your... That is a chest, right?" He glanced at the zoologist as if for confirmation.

"I'd call it a carapace," the man replied.

Sterns shook his head. Didn't the guy know a rhetorical question when he heard one? "Are you in any way affiliated with the organization known as the Foot Clan?" he asked, as if hoping to catch them off guard. "Or with the current rat infestation?"

"Far from it," said Donatello.

Leonardo decided to throw caution to the wind. "The Foot are our enemies. They're holding some friends of ours hostage, and if we don't do something... Look, you have to let us go. Our friends are counting on us!"

"These friends of yours... More Turtles? Just how many of you are there out there?"

"No, it's not like that. There are four of us."

"Maybe you should tell him, Leo..." Donatello suggested. "I don't think he's gonna let us go."

"I agree," said Raphael. "We're running out of time. What's more important? Our secrets, or April and Irma's lives?"

"Our friend April is in trouble," explained Leonardo. "We have to help her."

"And Irma too," said Donatello.

"Uh, I agree too, guys," piped up Michelangelo. "Just saying."

Sterns looked at the a little dubiously. "That wouldn't be... April O'Neil?"

"That's the one," said Raphael, and rattled the bars. "Now, would you let us outta here...?"

"You don't even have to let us out of here," said Leonardo hurriedly. "But you have to help our friends."

"You know," mused Sterns, "This explains a lot..."

"Chief...!" A voice from outside.

Glancing back at the Turtles, annoyed, Sterns pointed at them. "Don't go anywhere!"

As he stalked toward the exit, the Turtles looked round each other. "Nobody say it," warned Raphael.

***

"Sorry Chief, she insisted on seeing you."

Sterns ignored his subordinate as he pondered the new arrivals. "Speak of the devil," he muttered.

"Chief - You have to let me see the Turtles."

"Miss O'Neil, I never thought I'd ever say this, but I'm glad to see you. I heard talk that suggested you might be in trouble."

"Yeah, well, it's been quite a day," April conceded.

"I heard something about kidnapping, but it looks like you went and joined some kind of motorcycle gang... Don't Channel 3 have some kinda dress code...?"

Smiling politely, April listened with increasing impatience, not interrupting. After all, she did need a favor. "Please, Chief, I know we don't exactly always see eye to eye, but this is important." She glanced at Irma, as if looking for her to add her weight to this.

Irma, still distracted by the question of the dress code, was looking down at her own baggy pullover, sneakers and duffel coat dubiously - No one had said anything... She realized everyone was looking at her. "Very important," she shot back. Was that OK?

Sterns turned to look at Irma with a jowly impassivity, then back to April. "Why, Miss O'Neil, I see we're off the record again... and you know what that means."

He turned on his heel and made to return to the gym, and April stepped forward. "In that case," she said urgently, "This an official question, to be reported on air at a later date"-

-"I'll write it down," said Irma, looking round for pen and paper. None were to be found. "Uh... I'll remember it!"

"What do you intend to do with the mutant turtles you captured earlier tonight?" demanded April. "Have you provided them with legal representation? Have you charged them with any crime?" Catching herself starting to hold out an imaginary microphone toward Sterns, she snatched her hand back hoping no one had noticed.

"Official question, huh? That sounded more like three questions. Well, here's my official answer to all of them... What Turtles?" Looking smug, Sterns re-entered the hall, and April tried to catch a glimpse inside as the door closed.

"This isn't over!" she assured him.

"Sorry, lady, but you wanted to talk to him and you just did. Let's get you two outta here, OK...?"

With a final glare at the closed door, April stormed back along the corridor with Irma running along behind her.

***

"Where were we?" asked Sterns casually as he walked back over to the Turtles.

"Don't let the lack of ears fool you, Chief," said