TMNT are the property of Mirage.

Victor- Part D

Bishop stood and stared in delighted shock as his Slayer moved forward, unceremoniously dropping the bodies before him. He turned and entered the corridor again, only to reenter dragging a large mutated crocodile by the tail- the trail of blood was horrendous, but Bishop was overjoyed beyond expectations!

"The crocodile as well?" his voice was so joyful, so surprised and pleased and joyful, that Splinter, strapped down as he was, unable to see anything, knew beyond a doubt what Bishop was talking about.

Bishop, Splinter forgotten for the moment, moved to the bodies and stared. The sheer joy, the undisguised exultation in his voice alerted Splinter to the news that his sons were dead; that this creature, this "Victor" had lied to him.

Pain from his heart welled up for a moment, overwhelming the physical pain of the incision in his scalp, the many tubes in his body.

For a moment, Splinter, half-drugged, completely in pain, gave himself up to despair...

My sons, he thought, fighting hard to keep control in spite of it all. My sons! I have failed you! I am sorry! My sons!

"Where are the others?" he heard Bishop's greedy voice, and his eyes snapped open; his resolve suddenly tripled; his will suddenly became as white-hot steel...

"In the tunnels, dead," Victor replied calmly. "I couldn't carry all of them, so I brought two of them, plus the crocodile. I thought you would appreciate the gift."

I will kill you both! Splinter thought fiercely, working as desperately and as quickly as he could, trying to free at least one hand. I will kill you both, and then kill myself for failing my sons! I will kill you both!

Bishop sounded as if he were drooling, he was so pleased.

"Help me get them on the tables! I want to preserve as much as possible!" And he leaned down to grab the nearest turtle-

And gasped in shocked disbelief as a sai suddenly pierced his torso!

"Surprise!" Raph's voice reached Splinter's ears- he couldn't control his emotions- he started to cry such tears of joy- and fear, fear for this son!- such tears!

The sound that Bishop made was indescribable. He staggered back, and wrenched the sai from his side, tossing it aside as if it were nothing more than a minor nuisance. Blood gushed down his body, pooling on the floor- and then the flow slowed; stopped, and Bishop's outer body healed. Raph had managed to run him through, but had missed the heart and lungs.

But Bishop was hurting!

By now both Leo and Raph were on their feet, as well as Leatherhead. Before Bishop could gather his thoughts, the three of them were upon him, pressing home their attack swiftly.

In spite of his wound, Bishop was still an excellent fighter. He had trouble, but he did his best.

The biggest shock was the blow he received from his own Slayer!

Victor closed with him, almost overpowering him. His hand on the watch, he managed to wrench it from Bishop's arm and crush it as completely as possible.

"So, it comes to this," Bishop, breaking free, turned to face his creation.

The mirror-image of his own face stared back at him.

"I never asked for this life!" he said. "I never asked for this existence! You made this choice for me! Now I choose my own future!"

"Fool! You choose death! The control in the watch isn't the only way I have to destroy you!" Bishop sneered, and the Slayer once again closed with him. Bishop was an excellent fighter, and though it was difficult, he managed to break the hold his creation had him in, and tossed him aside as if he were a rag doll.

"I will not let you hurt these beings anymore!" Victor shouted, as reinforcements entered the lab-

Only to be met by Don, Mikey, Casey and April, who had found their way there at the same time!

"Gee, Don, we almost missed the party thanks to your bad sense of direction!" the welcome sound of Michelangelo's voice came to Splinter, and in spite of the danger, he felt such joy, such relief!

"Hey, not my fault you can't read a map!" Don's cheerful tone lifted Splinter's resolve even higher, and he managed to finally break one hand free!

He desperately worked the strap securing his head, heedless of the loss of blood, trying to free himself so he could join his sons in battle!

"Now, Master Splinter," Honeycutt, who had come in directly after the others, had quickly made his way to the table, and gently prevented Splinter from doing more damage to himself. Blood was everywhere from not only the slight incision, but his forehead as well. The strap had cut into him in his struggles. "Take it easy, Master Splinter! I will free you, but you must take it easy!"

April and Casey, a beautiful team, seemed choreographed in their movements as they dealt with the guards who came near them. Casey's sheer strength, combined with April's natural gymnastic abilities, effectively dealt with at least seven of Bishop's men in very little time.

Leatherhead- words could not describe the sheer raw power this being exhibited as he dealt with those few foolish enough to venture near him, to engage him! Expensive machinery was destroyed in the process, but it mattered not to Leatherhead whom or what he was destroying.

Don and Mikey worked their weapons to deadly perfection, and managed to clear the way for Leo and Raph to once again close with Bishop- Bishop who, now that the initial surprise was over, arrogantly waited for their attack.

"Fools!" he started to shout. "You actually think yourselves-"

The rest was lost in a concerted attack by Leo and Raph. Blood spurted from the stunned Bishop as katana and sai bit into him again and again.

But he managed to repel their attacks again and again.

Then Victor grabbed him from behind in a spine-crushing embrace.

"I- never- wanted-" he emphasized each word with another squeeze, another tightening of his arms. His goal was to break Bishop's back. "I- never-"

Bishop kicked against Raph who had moved in for another attack, and the momentum helped unbalance Victor, sending him staggering back into one of the strange machines in the lab. His grip loosened just enough that Bishop slid from it, immediately turned, and delivered several blows to Victor's throat, stunning him. Before anyone could act, Bishop pulled a large, square devise from his inner pocket and aimed it at his creation.

"I've always got a backup plan!" he shouted. Don's bo staff sent it flying from Bishop's hand- but not before he'd activated it.

Victor froze. Then his body shook a few times, as if he were receiving an electric shock. The look of sheer pain on his face, the incredible look of sheer pain, was nothing compared to the grief that welled up in his eyes- his hands slowly went up to his head, as if he couldn't quite believe that he was hurting-

His eyes were dull, unseeing now. Tears were spilling from them. Tears. Blood started dripping from his ears, and he slowly collapsed to the floor, to his knees.

"Victor!"

Mike's voice seemed to register with him. He turned his head in the direction, but his sight was gone, along with his ability to speak, to acknowledge this Turtle in any way.

A stray thought flitted through his damaged, dying brain: Life.

Without a word he pitched forward on his face and lay still.

Mikey's 'chuks smashed against Bishop's forehead with such fury blood flew across anyone standing close by. Mike smashed him again, but the injured agent snatched one of the weapons and used it against this angry, shouting turtle.

Don and Raph both struck him, and Raph managed to take the 'chuk from him. Leo moved in again and with one swipe Bishop's hand was on the floor.

Blood once again gushed from Bishop, only to slowly stop as the strange healing ability took place.

But he was hurting! He was hurting and knew that he must escape! His body couldn't take more of this! He must escape!

Bishop staggered back from the concerted attacks of the brothers- and disappeared through a hidden door in the wall!

"Damn! NO!" Raph was shouting, trying to get the door open. Casey and April were fighting a few more guards who had come through the open lab door. April managed to grab a weapon, and as Casey disarmed the last of them, she covered them menacingly.

"Just don't move, boys!" she ordered, as Casey rounded up the walking wounded. "Just don't move! I couldn't possibly miss from this distance!"

"Aww, jeeze, April, that is so cliché," Casey groaned, ignoring the dirty look she threw in his direction.

"Master Splinter!" Don and Leatherhead were now assisting Honeycutt in gently and carefully removing the various tubes and the I.V. drip from the damaged, tortured body of the rat. "It's all right, Sensei! We've got you! We're going to take you home." Don, rummaging in his bag, brought out some gauze and began to make a temporary bandage to stop the bleeding.

"Victor?"

Mikey had gently turned over the body of the Slayer- of Victor- but he knew it was no use. The plan to destroy the watch had worked, but they had failed.

It's not fair.

Mikey stared at the face of Victor, hoping that he was mistaken and that he was alive, just injured. He stared hard, hoping that the eyes would slowly open and recognize him. But he knew. He knew it wasn't going to happen that way.

It's not fair.

He stared at Victor's face, and knew.

He actually looked at peace.

It's not fair!

He just wanted to live! He just wanted his own life! He didn't ask for this!

"It's just not fair!" he shouted, his own tears dripping onto the peaceful face of Victor.

"Mikey, give us a hand!" Don's voice cut through his confused, angry thoughts, his rage, his grief. "Mikey! Come on! Sensei needs help!"

Mike tore himself from the body and quickly joined in tending to his father, who in spite of his own pain and suffering could see that his youngest was suffering as well.

Splinter, weak from the confinement and tortures and drug, weak from pain and loss of blood, managed to take hold of Michelangelo's hand and squeeze it in comfort and understanding.

Mikey so wanted to be a little kid again so his father could hold him in his lap while he cried. That squeeze of the hand steadied him, and he joined the others in carefully removing the last of the straps and tubes from Splinter.

"Uh, fellas!" Casey said, and they turned to where he was standing. "Fellas, there's a few more people in here, and they don't look so good."

Leatherhead and Leo joined Casey and saw that in the far reaches of the lab, there were more tables- and a few of them held semiconscious men, strapped and tubed much as Splinter had been.

Leo turned and stared at the cowering guards. He moved swiftly and snatched up a startled man by the front of his uniform, and bodily dragged him to the tables, roughly throwing him up against one with an indescribable growl.

"Your own people!" he shouted at the terrified guard. "Your own PEOPLE!" By now Casey had dragged another over. April, weapon indicating the direction, had the rest of them move there as well, and they were put to work freeing these so-called "volunteers".

"My sons," Splinter weakly said, as Don and Mike helped him to sit up. "My sons, we must get out of here. Bishop is loose. We must-" a dizzy spell caused him to momentarily sag against Michelangelo.

"Take it easy, Sensei," Don soothed him. "We'll get out of here, but you've got to take it easy."

"Hey, where's Raph?" Casey asked, looking around. He noticed for the first time that the hidden door through which Bishop had escaped was now open again.

As if in answer, Raphael suddenly appeared through that door, a huge grin on his bloodstained face, a tracking devise in his hand.

"Leo! Found him!" was all he said, and left the room again.

"Don, you and Mikey take care of Sensei! Get him out of here! Take him home! Casey, you, Leatherhead and April make sure they have a way out! And make sure those others escape as well!" Leo commanded, and he followed Raph who was following the signal.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Don yelled to them, as he and Mikey supported the injured Splinter.

"Get Sensei out of here! Take him home!" he yelled back, but Don almost followed them.

"Leonardo!" Splinter managed to shout. "What is going on?"

"Raph and I have a little unfinished business to take care of, Sensei," came the faint reply. "We'll see you at home!"

Fear came to Splinter's face as he realized what his sons were up to. The activities of the past few months, the extra training, the huddled conversations, suddenly flooded Splinter's memory, and suddenly made sense.

"No! I forbid it! Stop your brothers!" he told Mike and Don. "Stop them! They must not be allowed-"

But it was too late. Don and Mike had no way of finding them at the moment.

"We must find them!" Splinter insisted, as they got him to his feet. He tried to race after his sons, but he was so weak he could barely stand. "We must find them and stop them!" He tried again to walk, but collapsed. Only the arms of his sons kept him from hitting the floor.

"Where have they gone?" Don wondered, trying to ease their father's worry. "We need to get out of here."

April, going to one of the many computer terminals in the room, got online and tried to pull up a plan of some sort that would give them an idea of where the other two were headed, but it would take precious time to locate the information.

"Hey! I think Raph still has one of my 'chuks!" Mike realized, looking confused. "Why would he need it?"

"Revenge," Splinter softly said, as Leatherhead gently lifted him in his arms. "He needs it for revenge."