[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CRteBS6.png?2[/img][/center]

"This is Vernon Fenwick for Channel 6 News, reporting from the Techno Cosmic Research Institute here in New York City," the man on the television said as Splinter sat down with a cup of tea. His sons were in the dojo, preparing to go out into the New York night. He was nervous, of course. The city was a dangerous place, and they had spent so little time on the surface.

But he knew they were strong. They would not fall prey to the surface as he had allowed Artemisia to do all those years ago.

His daughter. He still thought about her every day. About how he had been the one to fail her. How he was not fast enough to save her. He hoped, without much conviction, that she was still out there somewhere, and he would be able to make up his failure to her.

"TCRI, as it's known for short, has been a beacon of invention, and a crown jewel in New York's tech sector," the reporter continued. "It's not often that members of the press are allowed in this beehive of creativity, but we were given a special look inside, and a sit down with Doctor Jordan Perry, the director of the institute."

The screen shifted to showing shots of various labs and experiments going on, before showing a man in his mid-to-late fifties. His hair had already turned white, but he had a kind face wrinkled by smile lines. Still, there was an air of intelligence about him.

"Doctor Perry has been the driving force behind TCRI, along with his partner Doctor Baxter Stockman," Fenwick continued. "Having emigrated from the United Kingdom after graduating from Oxford and getting a doctorate in physics from MIT, Perry immediately started his think tank in the city, first in a lab no bigger than a studio apartment. Now the lab is turning out scientific breakthrough after scientific breakthrough. I sat down with Dr. Perry to discuss their first in-house product line."

"Dr. Perry, thank you for sitting down with us," the interviewer started.

[color=bc8dbf]"My pleasure,"[/color] Perry smiled, a cordial English accent flowing from his lips. 

"So you've invited us here to talk about your new project? Something about cleaning up the city?"

[color=bc8dbf]"Yes!"[/color] Perry got excited, like a shot of lightning went through him. [color=bc8dbf]"Something of the sort. Vermin have been a problem in big cities since the beginning of time. They've brought disease and plague throughout history. So we've been working on these little guys."[/color]

Perry pressed a button, and in a moment a line of sparkling, two-foot-tall, bipedal robots marched out in unison. Their bulbous heads were bisected by a razor-sharp, toothy beak with a sensor "eye" on their forehead.

"Wow!" Fenwick exclaimed. "Now that's impressive!"

[color=bc8dbf]"Thank you,"[/color] Perry smiled. [color=bc8dbf]"These little guys are going to rid the world's cities of vermin in a snap. They've been designed to track rat and mouse DNA in sewers and the like, to help keep our fair city sparkling."[/color]

Splinter's eyes narrowed at the TV. He would have to tell Donatello about this. The last thing he wanted was one of these creatures busting into their home because they tracked his rat DNA.

"Well, I certainly think that's something we could desperately use, though I think you might be putting some cats out of a job."

[color=bc8dbf]"That's true,"[/color] the inventor chuckled. [color=bc8dbf]"But we think this may be a little more efficient. And the city has just given us the go ahead for a pilot program so we can see some results. Or little Mousers will be out cleaning up New York sooner than you think!"[/color]  

[center]**********[/center]

[color=92278f]"Come on,"[/color] Donatello pleaded with his brothers. [color=92278f]"You guys cannot believe this. A ninja who is hundreds of years old has awoken in New York in order to find out the secret of immortality so he can take over the world? Like...we're really taking this at face value? Maybe we should take a minute to really figure this out."[/color]

The other three turtles were preparing for the hunt. Raph taped and re-taped his hands. Mikey spun his [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusarigama]kusarigama[/url] around to check its balance, even though he had used the weapon hundreds of times before during training. Leo was meditating in the middle of all of them, focusing his mind for anything that could come their way.

Donatello had been apoplectic ever since Splinter's message with them. When the others decided that it would be prudent to start patrols in the city to search for The Foot and its leader, Donnie had heard enough. He loved and respected Master Splinter, but he made it known that he did not think tracking down a fairy tale was a reason for them to hastily return to the surface on a regular basis. He was sure that they should be more strategic than that.

Leo had heard enough. He enjoyed his time meditating in order to center himself before a fight, and Don's rambling wasn't allowing him to really tap into his Chi. Instead, he was just getting annoyed. Leonardo imagined this is how Raphael felt every moment of every day. If that was the case, it was totally understandable that his brother often lost his cool.

[color=0054a6]"Don, we get it, man,"[/color] he said, finally breaking his attempt at keep calm and letting his brother burn himself out. [color=0054a6]"You don't believe Master Splinter. We do. I know you've never been thrilled about fighting. That's cool. If you want, you can hang back and help on the comms. It's not like we're going to think less of you or anything."[/color]

Leo winced as that definitely came out wrong. 

[color=92278f]"No...you're right,"[/color] Don nodded. [color=92278f]"I've never wanted to fight. And it's true, I think it's nuts that father thinks that there is a centuries-old ninja in New York. But if there is a ninja clan in the city, I'm not letting you guys face it alone."[/color]

[center]**********[/center]

Jordan Perry stood over a computer console in the off-limits wing of TCRI. Behind him a massive assembly line pieced together Mouser robot after Mouser robot, creating an army for his disposal. An army of scouts to search and retrieve the things he had lost far too long ago.

Beside him, Baxter Stockman worked. Stockman was a genius. Not as smart as he was, of course, but a genius none the less. TCRI never would have became what it was today without him. For that, Perry was forever grateful to his partner.

[color=00746b]"Levels are nominal,"[/color] Stockman smiled after a few more key presses. [color=00746b]"We are good to go for activation. Care to do the honors?"[/color]

Jordan smiled at the other man, [color=bc8dbf]"We've worked a long time for this."[/color]

[color=00746b]"We have,"[/color] Baxter agreed. [color=00746b]"And we came up with a pretty good cover story, if you ask me. The mouse catching business was a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself."[/color]

[color=bc8dbf]"Always so humble, my friend,"[/color] Perry chuckled and pulled a vile of blood from his lab coat pocket. [color=bc8dbf]"For fifteen long years they've been out there. And if anyone ever found them, they would be led back to us. To our true project. And if that happened-"[/color]

[color=00746b]"We'd have every regulatory agency kicking down our door,"[/color] Stockman grumbled. [color=00746b]"And science doesn't have time for that."[/color]

[color=bc8dbf]"No it does not,"[/color] Perry agreed and put the vile into the computer. Instantly, the dozens of Mousers sprang to life, and began walking out of TCRI and into New York. [color=bc8dbf]"Let's reclaim our creations."[/color]

[center]**********[/center]

April couldn't believe what she saw. The Mouser she had stayed late to run some diagnostics on after the demonstration today had activated on its own, and was now marching straight for the exit of the building.

[color=f9ad81]"Okay...that's weird,"[/color] the intern said to herself. [color=f9ad81]"Let's see where you're headed."[/color]