TMNT Half Heart Hero Out of the Shadows

Chapter 12

At police headquarters, Vern hurried to Chief Vincent and handed her the hard drive he'd taken from the T.C.R.I. "Chief Vincent. I'm Vern Fenwick. You might know me as The... Doesn't matter. Listen. You need to see this."

He showed Vincent the tape that revealed Shredder and Stockman together, and the amazing transformation. "Let them go," she said. Jade handed April and Casey, still in their cuffs, their belongings, including April's phone.

"Chef, You might need this."

Vincent took a look to see more of the footage. "Great. So I've got a rhino, a cobra and a warthog to add to our troubles."

"Should I contact the Animal Control?" Jade asked.

"I know what you meant," Vincent said, still walking. "I want an APB on a Dr. Baxter Stockman. And get a few..." But before she brought out the orders, they heard a loud rumbling. Everyone froze. Listening, wondering where the sound was coming from.

In the sky above New York City, multiplying storm clouds form a whirlpool, spinning around a growing rift in the fabric of space and time. The portal was opening and the Technodrome came streaming of chunks like puzzle pieces which came together assembling themselves into a massive structure in the twisting sky. A little girl pointed at the Technodrome. "What is it, mommy?"

"I don't know, baby," the mother said, scooping up her daughter and running away.

All over the city citizens panicked at the sight of the huge alien craft letting out terrified cries and running for shelter. Except the worker who glanced up and then went back to work. "Eh," he grunted. "Seen worse."

Even in the Turtle's lair, deep below the streets, the rumbling could be heard and felt-vibrations shook the dust and dirt from the ceiling on the turtles. Shira didn't hear it. Instead, she just sat there, still curled up.

"Shira! Shira!" Manako peeped. "Have you seen Shira-chan?"

"Not since yesterday," Reika pondered. Tomoka seemed more worried and confused, since she hadn't seen Shira for hours. She hasn't come out of her den since their argument. Looking over, they found Shira curled up in her den where she last stood there.

"Shira," Tomoka chirped, "please come out."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"You might argue again," she sniffled, tears leaping from her eyes and sniffling.

"That I wasn't expecting," said Donnie.

"Am I the only one seeing this?" Mikey asked while Leo only stared in silence.

Shira stood up, her face filled with black tears, more bubbling like acid. "Now do you see why you went into different ways? I was scared and I didn't want you to go. I just want you back. I deceived you all. All I wanted is to find a way to become human but there is no cure. We're stuck like this and the rest of us are not special." She finally exploded. "I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH, AND I CARE FOR YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW, AND BECAUSE I CARE SO MUCH IT COMES OUT HARSH SOMETIMES! I did not want to risk any of you getting hurt because of something I did."

Through blurry eyes, Shira saw a flash of green and orange and MIkey suddenly gathered in her arms, hugging her tightly. She was surprised but at the time it helped her relax. Another stepped forward as Mikey pulled back pulling his sister into a hug of his own. Shira wrapped her arms around him and clung to him, feeling Mikey squeezing her fin, and Raph hugging her from behind. After a minute, her brothers slowly let Shira go and all looked at Leo. Shira wished he had to say anything but she spoke.