So, so close! I will be working on the next chapter tonight, but we'll see how far I get! I decided that since I'm not trying to make it forty chapters exactly now I'm just gonna take my time and get it out exactly the way I want it. (Which I'm really glad I'm doing cause it just wouldn't have been right if I hadn't.)

Just so you know, most of this chapter kinda takes place simultaneously with some of the events described last chapter and it starts at about 'fifty hours to go'. To save you the trouble of looking back, remember how at 50 hours left Donnie and Mikey weren't in the lair?

Enjoy!

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"I don't know about this, Leonardo. Going behind the others' backs...it's risky."

Leo's face was stern and unchanging. "I know. But involving them would only increase the risk and raise the chances of failure. If we can find out for certain her connection to the Foot and what their reaction might be it could double our chances of success. That's why you have to do it. Please. I've already given Slash the plan."

"And yet you waited to tell us about it until the last minute? Great job with the procrastination, Leo." Don remarked with annoyance, still very unhappy about this whole thing.

There were little stars in Mikey's eyes as he attached himself to his oldest brother's side like a barnacle. "Leo procrastinating..." He said with youthful amazement and wiped fake tears of joy from his eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Leo growled and little and rolled his eyes, shoving his youngest brother off. "I couldn't tell you any earlier. I didn't want the others to have a chance to find out."

"I won't do this, Leo. Do you have any idea what could happen if it goes wrong?!"

"This coming from the brother who went back into a human research center alone to download files!" Leo retorted angrily. He sighed and rubbed his temples, as a splitting migraine began to set in. "Look, guys, please. You have to do this. If you don't we'll be walking in blind!"

"Enough with that crap, Leo! Why do you really want us to do this?" Don asked, raising his voice slightly.

"For Master Splinter." The oldest whispered. His brothers' posture immediately softened. "He shouldn't be involved in this unless he absolutely has to. If we know or at least have an idea of Shredder's plan we might not need Sensei's help. Having Mona there knowing that scientist wants to kill her is risky enough. Shredder's henchmen will all target Sensei and that mutant-hating woman will too. I don't want to put Splinter in danger unless there is absolutely no other alternative. I'm asking you to do this for Sensei, for our father. Please." He put a hand on each of their shoulders. They looked at him.

Mikey had on his serious face. "With you all the way bro. Besides, I am a great actor." He said with a flourish.

Donnie shook his head at Mikey's antics. "I'll make sure his big mouth doesn't blurt out anything it isn't supposed to."

Mikey pouted and stuck his tongue out at the brainiac while Leo smiled.

"Thank you. Go to the Mighty Mutanimals' lair. They'll be on lookout in case something goes wrong."

His brothers' faces stiffened a little. Mikey looked frightened. "You're not coming with us?"

Leo shook his head. "I can't. If all three of us are gone, Raph and the others will get suspicious. It's up to you two."

They exchanged sideways glances, then looked back at him and nodded determinately. He returned the nod.

"Then get going." Leo ordered, turning his back to them. When he glanced back over his shoulder, they were gone. His strong posture melted a little. "Be careful."

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Mikey stayed close to his brother as they twisted their way through the dark, narrow alleys. "Donnie, I'm not so sure about this. You know how the bad guys like to chase me. What if she attacks us instead of listening?" The youngest was surprised when a soft, gentle hand landed on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Mikey. We'll be fine. Just go with your instinct and put those acting skills to good use." They ground to a sudden halt and Mikey walked right into Donnie's shell, grabbing his brother's shoulders to keep from falling.

"This is it." Donnie whispered pointing to the building on their right. Mikey gulped trembling nervously.

Donnie's eyes went white with concentration as he eyed a shadowy figure that dropped onto a fire escape a building nearby and gave him a thumb's up. He turned slightly as a figure crouched down in the shadows where it was too dark to see their face.

"Ready?" Leo's voice whispered.

They nodded.

"Alright. Take it away, Mikey." It ordered.

Struck by the pressure of the moment, Mikey nodded and stumbled forward, accidentally bumping into a metal trashcan rather loudly. Donnie's eyes sent his littlest brother calming encouragement and he slowly opened his mouth.

"I don't like this guys. We shouldn't have come. I thought we weren't going to make our move until—"

"Enough Mikey. This is where that scientist lives, we've seen her going in and out of here!" Leo's voice said, floating angrily out of the shadows. The gentle slide of his katanas being removed from their sheaths could be heard, the eerie light of the moon through the pollution-filled clouds reflecting off the surface of the blades.

Donnie squashed all his nervousness and took a step towards the shadows and put a hand on the other's shoulder, trying to offer comfort. "Leo...we miss him too. She took Raph from us and...we're all hurting. But this isn't the way. Sensei said that revenge—"

"I don't care what Sensei said, Donnie! She killed my brother! And I'm going to kill her, too!"

Mikey's face was filled with anger, sadness and regret. "I know, big brother. Believe me, I know. Don't worry, we'll make her pay for what she did to Raph." The orange-masked turtle's voice was so low and cold that it made Donnie shiver. "But Don's right, this isn't the way. We need a plan. Charging in all Raph-style won't help us win." A growl came from the shadows. Mikey threw up his hands. "Just forty-eight hours, bro. Please."

"Fine. We'll make a plan. But we'll be back. Ten o'clock, day-after-tomorrow." He said dangerously. "Let's go." He ordered and Mikey threw down a smoke bomb. When it cleared all three of them had vanished. As they ran through the sewers below towards the previously-arranged meeting spot, Donnie fell back to jog side-by-side with the shadowy figure, who had risen back to his full height.

"Good work, Slash. For a few moments there I could have sworn Leo had snuck up and joined us."

The large turtle grinned down at him and nodded thanks. "Give these back to Leo when you get back to the lair."

Don nodded and tucked the katanas on his back next to his bō. Mikey slowed down and joined them, still radiating nervousness. "You guys think it worked?"

No one answered and the youngest slowly turned back to running. Until Don poked him in the shoulder.

"You weren't bluffing Mikey. That was some acting. If I were her I'd be really scared for my life."

Mikey stiffened a little and looked away. "Maybe that's because that part wasn't acting."

They reached the rendezvous point to find Leatherhead, Pigeon Pete, and Dr. Rockwell already there.

Leatherhead turned to them and grinned. "She was listening in on the whole thing, my friends. It would seem as though our plan has worked."

"Well, Doc?" Slash called turning to the monkey mutant.

"The nanobug is attached to her clothing. I shot it onto her back and maneuvered it under the collar of her lab coat. It's very unlikely to be found there."

"Good work." The giant turtle said immediately. So far, so good.

"Pete, the laptop." Rockwell said holding out his hand. The pigeon gave it to him without delay.

"Hehe, here you go."

"Patching into the nanobug's frequency." Rockwell said, opening the laptop and sitting cross-legged, balancing the laptop on his feet as he floated about four feet off the ground. The others all leaned over him with anticipation as he pulled up an audio window and a tracking window.

"She's still on the building."

"Thank you, Donatello for stating the obvious." The monkey mutant answered distractedly. He could feel Donatello's answering glare and he grinned. "The nanobug isn't equipped with a camera since it would be too easily spotted. But it does have thermal imaging technology that can detect heat signatures of life-forms nearby." He zoomed in on the thermal window. "She's alone, no other beings within range, meaning that she's probably still on the roof." He turned his head. "Pete, you placed Donatello's spy-roaches in the proper positions?"

The pigeon nodded. "Yep, sure did." Pete replied jovially, turning the bag he was carrying towards Donnie so that the brainiac could retrieve his own laptop.

Don opened it and immediately patched into the spy-cams. They all glanced over at the image on the screen. Each had been placed on the edge of a rooftop opposite the apartment building, so some had a better view than others. Rogue Knight was leaning against the side of the building with a cigarette in her hand. She growled, the sound coming through the nanobug feed, and tossed the lipstick-stained cigarette on the ground, crunching it angrily underfoot.

"I'll kill those freaks." She said, starting to pace up and down the building.

Slash's hands clinched into fists and he fought the urge to growl himself. Ten minutes passed. Still, she paced. Donnie, Mikey and the Mutanimals were starting to get antsy.

"What if she doesn't go running to Shredder?" Leatherhead grumbled, voicing what they all had been thinking for the past few minutes.

Donnie grimaced at the suggestion. "Then this whole thing was a waste."

Slash shook his head. "No. Don't give up yet. She hasn't gone inside yet."

"So?" Pete asked.

"So she might be waiting for someone." The leader of the Mutanimals stated evenly.

Rockwell sighed. "Then we might as well get comfortable. Let's head back to our lair."

They were almost there when Rockwell, who had been amusing himself by listening to the bickering of Michelangelo and Pigeon Pete, looked down and saw something that made his eyes bug out of his head. "I've got a second heat signature! She's still on the roof, but she's not alone."

Don, who had closed his laptop, whipped it open again and saw the image from his spy-roach. He gasped. Just as everyone began to crowd around him to see the screen, voices began to sound from Rockwell's computer.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming. I demand to see the one you call your 'master'."

"The Shredder sees no one without good reason. He does not concern himself with trivial matters. You will do your dealings through me as agreed."

"And would information regarding the turtle freaks be considered trivial?"

Tigerclaw growled and turned to her with a fist raised. "What do you know?"

"Take me to Shredder. Then we'll talk."

The sewers seemed to close in around them as they waited in tense silence for the next few minutes. Rockwell mumbled. "Headed for Shredder's lair."

"Big surprise." Mikey commented sarcastically.

"Hear that, old friend?" Pigeon Pete asked, reaching into his bag and retrieving something else from one of the front pockets. It was a pigeon...with a camera attached to its head. Donatello raised an eye-ridge and looked at Rockwell. The monkey shrugged.

"They can easily fly to any location quickly without being noticed. Besides, he can communicate with them."

Mikey stepped closer to Donnie and spoke behind his hand. "Dude, Pete and Raph should gather all their pigeon forces and create an army!" Donnie gave him the 'you are the craziest person I've ever met' look, but unfortunately, that form of perception had never been Mikey's strong suit.

"I know, right! It's so awesome I just blew your mind!"

Don rolled his eyes. Pete had gone, presumably to send the pigeon on it's way to Shredder's lair.

Slash straightened and lightly urged them onward. "We're almost to the lair. It'll be a lot easier to monitor from there, let's go. Rockwell, keep monitoring their position." The monkey mutant nodded and they were once again on the move.

When they reached the Mutanimal's Lair they crowded around Rockwell. Pigeon Pete joined them soon after. "Well?" Slash asked.

Rockwell had plugged ear buds into the computer and had one in his ear. At Slash's question, he unplugged them.

"So," Shredder's voice made all of them stiffen, "You are the scientist whom Tigerclaw informed me has a grudge against the turtles."

"I would kill them and every other mutant freak in this city for what they have done to me. Not only have they robbed me of sight in one eye, but they have something that I want."

Tigerclaw growled, silencing her.

Rockwell pulled up the camera feed from the pigeon as soon as he saw that it was on the roof of the old church. Peering down through the glass the camera showed Shredder standing from his throne and raising a hand to stop his second in command. Tigerclaw's eyes traveled from Shredder to Knight and back, angrily.

"Speak." The menacing bladed figure ordered.

Knight did so, keeping her head held high. "They are harboring another freak," Shredder turned toward her in interest and Donnie tensed, his knuckles turning white as his attention remained riveted to the screen. Rouge looked the metal-clad man in the eyes as she went on, "a female lizard. Eleven years ago she destroyed my life and took everything I ever cared about away from me."

"Bitch." They all looked up at Mikey in surprise. His angry stare met their eyes and melted into confusion. "What?"

They all turned back to the screen.

"You said you had news of the turtles." Tigerclaw said brusquely.

She turned to him and scowled before turning back to Shredder. Before she could speak, however he cut her off.

"What of their Sensei?"

Rouge canted her head, confused. "Their Sensei?"

"Their father. A mutant rat named Hamato Yoshi. What news have you of him?"

She thought back to the conversation she had listened to from the roof not an hour earlier. "He does not approve of what they are planning to do."

"How do you know this?" Oroku Saki demanded, turning and bringing his blades up to her throat.

Though initially she flinched slightly, Rouge's eyes remained calm and composed. "I heard them in an alley. Their pain and desire to destroy me blinded them to my presence. Thanks to me they have known the pain of loss and their hearts are thirsty for vengeance."

Shredder's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"They seek to avenge their brother."

Shredder actually stepped back and sized her up thoughtfully. "One of the turtles is dead?" She nodded. "By your hand." She nodded again.

"Their Sensei forbade them from pursuing vengeance, yet it seems as though their leader in blue has deemed it necessary. They return to my apartment ten o'clock day-after-tomorrow."

Shredder turned his back to her once again and thought for a few moments. Then he barked out orders. "Tigerclaw!"

"Yes, Master." He stated kneeling respectfully awaiting his assignment.

"Ready the Footbots."

"Yes, Master Shredder." The one-eyed tiger mutant glared at the human scientist. "I will capture the turtles and bring them to you, sir."

Oroku Saki turned back to her and scowled. "No." He looked Rouge in the eyes and stepped closer baring his blades once again. "Do what you wish to the turtles, but bring their bodies to me. I should like to see the look on Hamato Yoshi's face when he finds that I am in possession of his sons' corpses."

Donatello, Michelangelo and the Mighty Mutanimals stared as Shredder turned and walked back to his throne without another word, signaling the end of the conversation.

Rouge Knight nodded and left, Tigerclaw growling as she did so. He turned to his master, with uncertainty in his eyes.

"Master Shredder, I do not see why we are trusting this scientist. She desires the destruction of all mutants, it will not be long before she turns on us."

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Fast Forward—Only a Few Hours Left

The turtles, the Mighty Mutanimals, Master Splinter, and Mona Lisa were all gathered in the main room, seated around the TV lounge area. Leo was in the center with his arms crossed, Slash standing just to his left so as not to block anybody's view.

"Alright. We're all here to review the plan. As you know we only have a few hours before we set out to do this thing. And so far, this is what we know." He paused for a moment and looked over at Master Splinter. "The first of which is...Shredder is sending Tigerclaw and a legion of Footbots to the fight."

Raph, Mona and Sensei all sent him looks of surprise. Raph's eye-ridges immediately curved down to form a suspicious scowl. "You sound awfully certain of that."

"Two days ago, Mikey, Donnie, and Slash staged a conversation that would inform Rouge of our plans."

"What?!" Raph exclaimed angrily, his hands balling into fists. "How come I'm not hearing about this until now?"

"Because we couldn't risk involving you, Raphael. As far as she's concerned, you're dead, and I want to keep it that way. It will give us an edge."

"I still deserve to know when my little brothers are going in on a mission! You lied to me Leo! What the shell were you—"

"It was necessary Raphael. We now know exactly what we're dealing with on the Foot's end."

"Oh yeah? Well what if Shredder just decides to send some of his other henchmen at the last second, huh? What are you going to do then? Leo, you can't seriously be keeping Shredder at his word? He's a lying—"

"That is enough, Raphael." Splinter said, placing a hand on Raph's shoulder, placating him.

"I agree with Raphael." A melodious voice rang through the room. They turned to her in surprise. They waited for more to come, but she added nothing else.

Leo stepped forward, getting closer to his most volatile brother, knowing that he was playing with fire. "Raph, please, understand that I just wanted to get an idea of the situation we'd be dealing with."

"Yeah, and they all bought it word for word, that's gotta count for something, right?"

Master Splinter thumped his tail and Leo's face grew slightly fearful. "Next time, Leonardo I expect to be informed of these kinds of actions. You took a large risk and you put Donatello and Michelangelo in danger. Though that risk seems to have paid off, do not celebrate prematurely."

"I understand Sensei and we won't. We're ready. Donnie, Rockwell." He turned to them indicating that they take over.

"Alright. Donatello and I managed to create these EMP generators, of sorts. They are more like grenades." Rockwell used his mind to hold one up so that they could see it. "This button here, is the trigger, which sets off a ten-second timer till detonation. When they detonate, their range is not nearly as wide as we had hoped, so try to toss them into groups of Footbots. And our supply is clearly not endless, so do so sparingly and with care." Rockwell stated, motioning to the three garbage bags of the spherical 'grenades'.

Raph canted his head. "I thought you were going to try and make a big one."

Don cleared his throat and answered. "The large one would have taken far too long to transport and hook up to an electrical source. It would also have shut down every electrical item within a certain radius and led to mass confusion, which would unfortunately increase our risk of being discovered."

Raph nodded. "Gotcha." He took one of the grenades in his hand and tossed it lightly to get the feel before catching it again. Don glared angrily at him and he smirked before putting it back in the bag closest to him.

Leo stepped forward and took control of the briefing once again. He knelt down on the floor and grasped a tin can that was there, dumping its contents out on the floor. A miscellaneous assortment of sticks, pencils and pens poured out and he sorted them into different positions, taking some tape forming a map-like image of the building, the adjacent street, and the side and back alleys.

"We break into teams."

Raph raised both eye-ridges, though he wasn't the least bit surprised.

"It's important that we deceive them into believing that our plans haven't changed, so that we don't arouse their suspicion and lead to them gathering reinforcements. So, Mikey, Donnie and I will enter her top-floor apartment through the window here. No doubt the Foot will emerge, as will she, and attack us. From there we take the fight to the rooftop, where Slash, Leatherhead and Rockwell join us. Pete," The pigeon bounced eagerly and Leo grinned slightly, "you'll come in from above. Try to get a good aerial view so that you can tell us if anyone else is on their way. That will also put you in a perfect position to drop the EMP grenades on the Footbots. Rockwell and Mona, you'll be on the building to the east, which is tall enough for you to have a good view of the fight before you jump. Keep an eye out for anything unusual, you jump in whenever you feel the time is right. I'll handle Tigerclaw while the rest of you focus on the Footbots."

"I think you forgot about something, Fearless. Or should I say someone." Raph said coldly, his voice low and menacing.

Leo turned to his immediate younger brother and frowned. "I didn't forget, little brother. Rouge still thinks you're dead, they all do. We're counting on the fact that she'll be overwhelmed by the sheer number of mutants present, even if only for a split second. That's your operating window. Think you can do it?"

"So I drop in and catch her off guard?"

"Yes."

Raph crossed his arms over his chest. "And then we bust some heads?"

Leo's smirk was wicked. "And then we bust some heads."

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How was it?