TMNT are the property of Mirage. However, if my nefarious plans actually take hold, then in another month or two...

Convictions

"Mikey, you have to walk. We have to get out of here."

Mikey, groggy, never the less had focused on one thing.

"Why should I be grounded? I didn't do anything wrong."

"Michelangelo, look at me!"

Splinter, holding his light just so, examined his son, then sighed with relief.

"He is just still stunned," he said to Leonardo, as they forced him to his feet, supporting him on either side. "My son, we must leave at once!"

Mikey shook his head, as if to clear it. He gingerly felt the side of his face, and winced at the lingering pain.

"Man, Victor clocked me a good one," he murmured, causing the other two to look in surprise at each other, then back to Mike.

"My son, Victor is-"

"Dead, yeah, you guys keep saying that," he blinked a few times, working his jaw tenderly back and forth- it felt as if his teeth were not in alignment at the moment. "But that's Victor. I'm sure of it."

"Mikey, we need to get out of here!" Leo insisted, pulling his brother towards the door. "Those rats and their master will be back soon, and I do NOT wish to be here when that happens."

Unfortunately the door was locked. Splinter and Leonardo immediately went to the walls, trusting that Michelangelo was recovered enough to climb up after them.

The sound of that laugh floated down to them. Looking up they could see their captor silhouetted against the night sky, standing on the rim of the stack opening.

"Victor!" Mikey shouted, despite the looks and gasps of his family. "Victor! I knew it was you!"

"Mikey, that is not him!" Leo hissed. "It doesn't even look like him! It certainly doesn't sound like him! Victor is dead! This is just some crazy maniac-"

Mikey had moved more to the center of the room, staring up at this strange figure.

"Victor, we thought you were dead! Honest! I mean, I could tell you were dead- yet you've come back! You regenerated! Everyone said that you couldn't do that, but dude! You did! Don't you remember?"

"Michelangelo," Splinter said so quietly that it seemed like a shout rather than a whisper. "We have trouble, my son."

Splinter had sensed their presence before Leonardo, too, became aware of them- the smell of them, the faint rasping, whispery sound of hundreds of them moving together- there were holes in the walls here and there, holes too small for them to escape through but large enough to admit the rats.

Once again he felt some strange "call", pulling at him- not strong, but enough to alert him to the fact that it was there- calling him to attack-

To FEED!

"My sons, we must escape," he warned, and before they could respond, the rats were in the room, attacking with little fear!

Splinter drew his weapon and began to deal with the immediate threat. It did not take Leonardo long to join in, managing to suddenly clear a large section of rats that had appeared as if by magic around his feet.

Michelangelo, in the center, spared one more look up at the figure who stood on the edge of the ring, staring down as if watching a play of some sort. Then he felt several sharp bites, and automatically kicked and stomped the creatures around him, knocking off the few who had begun to climb his legs then smashing them with his 'chuks, tossing them like baseballs into the walls, and generally dealing out death and destruction.

The floor was becoming slick with the blood of the rats. The broken bodies, both still and twitching, piled high in no time. And still they kept coming.

"Victor!" Mikey shouted, as he killed and fought and maimed and was bitten again and again. "Victor! You've gotta remember! I'm Mikey! I gave you the book! You were created by Bishop! Victor!"

With a mournful howl of anguish, he ran unsteadily away from this pain, searching for his safety and his nest and his particular friends for comfort!

Inside the room, the blood was tripping them up, but they fought on. Yet the attacks were decreasing, until the rats faded away, chittering angry threats of vengeance, as they answered the distress of their friend. Soon the three were alone, surrounded by the dead and dying, ankles coated with the blood of their enemies, their own mingling with it.

Leo, searching the walls, found a likely weak spot, and with Mikey's help, they managed to knock enough bricks loose to allow them to escape.

"Quickly, my sons!"

No arguments- as swift and as silent as they could go, they gained the fence, escaped over it, and were soon underground, safe in the sewers once again.

Donatello finished popping up a big bowl of the white, fluffy treat, and headed into the living room. He sat on the couch, and turned on the TV, making sure that it was tuned to some movie or other- it didn't matter what, he had to have his cover in place. He was watching a movie, yes. That is the only reason he was snacking on the couch. Why? What did you think? That I was doing THAT again? I didn't even realize you were all gone...

"I swear, for being the smartest turtle in the world, you can be incredibly stupid," Raph said, plopping down and grabbing a messy handful of the popcorn, stuffing it into his mouth and crunching it with much relish.

"I have no idea what you are referring to, Raph," Don replied in haughty tones. "I want to watch a movie, and..."

" 'Steel Magnolias'?"

Quickly Don switched to something else, then turned to Raph.

"As I was saying, I want to watch a movie-"

"I dunno," Raph, grabbing another handful, said between bites of the well-salted, crunchy treat. "Splinter is not gonna buy it. I think you're outta your mind."

"Hey, he didn't ground me for eating popcorn," he pointed out. "He didn't say 'you may no longer eat popcorn, my son.' He just grounded me for the camera bit."

"I can't believe Leo bolted so quickly," Raph shook his head, still amazed at the turn of events.

"Actually, Splinter left first," Don said, as he settled in to watch some of this film- he had never seen it before, and he knew that his father would ask questions just to find out if he were really watching it. Splinter may not have seen every movie there was, but he was surprisingly well-versed in the synopsis of many.

Raph looked at Don.

"What?"

"Yeah. Right after Mikey left, then Splinter grabbed a weapon and headed out. Ten minutes later, Leo went out as well. They've been gone for a while now."

"Jeeze- I hope they don't need help," Raph now worried. He had just gotten home, and had not seen anyone on the way.

The bowl was half-finished when the door opened and the three in question came in, shedding their "disguises" and heading to the infirmary.

"Donatello, come and help us," Splinter ordered. In a flash the two on the couch were there, wondering what the hell had happened.

Fifteen minutes later, in the living room, cleaned up, bandaged, and on trial, Splinter in his chair stared over his tea cup at his sons.

"I do not know who I am angrier at," he admitted. "Leonardo, who once again defies my authority, or Michelangelo, who lies to me about his destination."

"With all due respect," Mikey interrupted. "Leo didn't break your grounding you know."

Splinter, eyes wide, ears first up, then flat at this statement, got himself under control. But his twitching tail, free from the chair, warned them all as to his emotions.

"I'm not being disrespectful, Sensei," Mikey continued. "But Leo didn't leave the lair alone, and he didn't go about ground alone. You're the one who said that he could only go topside- or anywhere for that matter- with you. And since you were the first one to leave and to hit the street, technically Leo was with you, so he wasn't breaking his grounding."

Stunned silence reigned for a full three minutes.

Damn! And I always thought Donnie was the smart one! Raph could NOT help but smile, carefully concealing it from his father.

"He- uh, he has a point," Don hesitantly agreed, earning a look from Splinter. "Leo didn't really defy your authority."

Splinter sipped his tea, not because he wanted it, but because he had to keep from speaking at the moment. He was afraid that he would begin to shout at such "logic". A few deep breaths, a few counting up to ten, and he sighed, letting the immediate anger go.

"Very well. Though we all know that he did break his grounding, I will accept that it could be interpreted in this manner."

Then he turned back to his youngest.

"But you! You told me you were going to April's, and yet you go to this place- on a ghost hunt, as you told us- and you are nearly killed! You lied to me!"

This had been the biggest shock- that Michelangelo had lied. Oh, they had all "lied" in little ways that kids lie- "I didn't do it" type of things. But Michelangelo was even more honest than Leonardo when it came to important things, like where he was going. They had all learned quickly to never lie about that, though Raphael would push the envelope the most- but the safety of their family depended on being painfully truthful about where they were going and what they would be doing. All it took was one careless mistake, and the family would fall to the superior numbers of their enemies.

"But I was going to April's," he protested. "I didn't lie! I was going to April's- I just- stopped on the way-"

"Sensei," Leo spoke up. "Technically-"

"Technically?" Splinter snapped, and his tail lashed against the side of the chair at the use once again of this word.

Leo bowed his head respectfully.

"Yes, Sensei. Technically he did not lie. He did not say 'I'm going to April's' when he in fact was going somewhere you had banned him from going; as if he had no plans to really go to April's. And he isn't on restriction, so his going to this place- while incredibly stupid and careless," here he favored his brother with a dirty look, "really wasn't breaking any rules. He should not be grounded for lying, because he didn't lie. He just withheld information."

Splinter, without another word, got up and went into the kitchen.

Four turtles remained rooted to their spots in the living room.

"Well, that's a good sign," Don smiled. The other three turned startled gazes on him. "He's thinking about it. He's gone into the kitchen to keep from beating your asses for being able to weasel out of your punishments. He sees that he can't do anything at the moment, that you both were right- technically."

"Are you-" Leo started to ask, but Splinter, fresh cup of tea in hand, had returned. He settled in his chair and sipped the fragrant, hot liquid. Then he looked at the two on the couch.

"Very well. I accept your reasoning. But I will not accept any such behavior in the future."

"Hai, Sensei," they chorused, bowing.

"Now, let us deal with this business," Splinter said, "of your thinking this man is Victor."

"Mikey, how many times do we have to explain-" Donatello began, when Mikey held up his hand, halting him.

"Look- I'm not crazy," he replied. "That is Victor. I know it is."

"That is some serious whack bag who can fuckin' control rats!" Raph burst out. "What's the matter with you?"

"I know that he is Victor! He is alive! We need to reach him, to bring him back to himself somehow," Mikey insisted heatedly. "I know he is alive, and that his mind's all messed up-"

"He controls rats! Victor didn't control no rats!" Raph shouted. "This guy don't even look like him!"

"My son," Splinter interjected. "I told you in the tunnels of this being's 'power'. I could hear him calling them- he was trying to call to me as well- this is not something your friend could do. This man- if indeed he IS a 'man'- I just do not believe that he is your friend."

Mikey stubbornly crossed his arms, looking like he used to as a child. He was tired, hungry, hurt, and probably in a world of trouble with April as he realized that no one had called her to let her know he wasn't going to make it tonight.

But he was convinced he was right.

"Mikey, I know- tomorrow, let's get in contact with that Dr. Baker," Don suggested. "He and Leatherhead and Honeycutt can come over, and you can tell him about it. He must have some knowledge about the Slayer and all that stuff, and perhaps he can convince you that you cannot regenerate a brain."

Mikey slowly uncrossed his arms. Yeah- that doctor dude- he could be the one to talk to- but it might just be his family that gets the "rude awakening".

For Mikey recalled at that moment that Baker's research had been in the field of repairing brain damage! HOW could Don have forgotten that?

"Yes," he heard himself say, a smile beginning to cross his features. "Yes, lets do that."

So it was agreed. Peace now reigned in the lair.

Until the phone rang.

"Hello?" Mikey, closest, answered the device.

"I'm going to freaking kill you, Michelangelo!" April's shrill threat was loud enough for everyone to hear.