TMNT Half Heart Hero Out of the Shadows

Chapter 11

At police headquarters, every officer was intent on finding the monsters hiding somewhere in the city. And in the interrogation room. Vincent was questioning April and Casey again.

"It's been almost twenty four hours," April said. "If you're going to press charges, just press charges."

"And you owe her a phone call," Casey added.

"I don't owe anyone anything until you tell me where those things come from, and where the Hamato sisters are," Vincent answered in a steely voice.

"I didn't do it!" April protested to the woman. "I never hurted them and Shira and her sisters are all I have."

"And those things are from New Hampshire," Casey answered.

Vincent gave them a long look. "Wow, I'm impressed. You're actually an even bigger loser than I thought." There was a knock on the door.

Jade entered. "Chief, we need you for a briefing."

Vincent left with Jade and closed the door. April realized Casey had been stung by Vincent's words. "Don't worry about her, Casey. She's just trying to get under your skin."

"Nah, she's right. Been hearing that my whole life. You know, I've only ever really had one goal. I wanted to become a detective in the New York City Police Department," sighed Casey. "I wanted to put criminals away, not just keep them in cages. But working Corrections, you do learn two good things. One, justice comes in all shapes and sizes. And two, it's way easier to pick a cop's pocket than you might think." He held up Vincent's cell phone and grinned, "Make your call." April smiled and took the phone. She knew just who she was going to call.

In his apartment, Vern was blowing a plastic bag. He placed it along with the other bags until his phone rang. "Vern," April's voice came in. "Vern, listen, I need you to... What is that sound?"

"Just a little side venture. Falcon breath. Turns out, people are willing to pay $200 a pop for a bag of my hot air." said Vern.

"Okay, look, forget that I asked. Casey and I are in police custody," April told him.

"That's shocking!" Vern realized. "Why would they want to question you? I mean, just because you broke into their headquarters."

"Vern, look, I've got bigger problems than myself right now, okay? Baxter Stockman doctored the footage from T.C.R.I, but I'm betting that there's some sort of a secondary feed that will show that he's been working with Shredder and that they turned Snake Eyes, Bebop and Rocksteady into mutants."

"Look, uh... What do you want from me?" Vern asked.

"I want you to be the hero that the whole city thinks you are," April said.

At the T.C.R.I building, Vern walked confidently up to the young security guard. "Coming though," he started with a fake authority. The guard was thrown. No one had ever just walked to Stockman's private laboratory and said 'coming through' before. "It's a restricted area," the man said.

"Restricted? You know, I know something that will open just about any door in this town. Key to the city." Vern pulled out a key hanging on the chain around his neck. The young guard was impressed. "You are The Falcon?"

"You haven't earned the respect yet to say my name out loud. You want to put yourself on the path to that respect, run downstairs and grab me a mochaccino." He slid past the guard, who hurried over to the elevator to go fetch Vern's mochaccino. Vern headed into the lab, looking around for the device storing the footage April needed. "Come on Vern," he said to himself. "You were a cameraman in your former life. Before you got fancy. We're with you-."