Story Three: Shadowplay

Chapter 3: Dark Puppetry


There were several moments that Hun hated to experience as well as certain moods. One of those is the pity waves that occasionally grip him since his transformation. He hated that feeling not because of the way it made him feel, but because he viewed it as a sign of weakness. He was not weak. A weaker person should be experiencing that emo bullshit not him.

Except here he was an hour after breakfast and resting on his bed, completely naked and feeling somewhat helpless, strange and a bit depressed. He ran his hands across his arms in areas that were devoid of spikes and felt the leathery scales that were now his hide. He ran his fingers down his chest, feeling his plastron. It was firm as his pectoral and abdominal muscles were but covered with a coating that was stronger than leather almost as strong as the shell on his back.

"My name is Hun and Im a monster," he said, but not too loud less a Dragon walking by his room might hear. He would not allow anyone to hear or see him when he was in a weak state. "I am Hun and Im a freak. Most of my fellow freaks live in the sewer. There is only five of my kind. No, there is ten of my kind here."

He could not forget the female turtles or that one guy that got mutated into an alligator snapping turtle. He had no idea how many of the other Foot Mutants had survived. He did remember coming to and crawling around several bodies to watch the other turtles escape. Those that brought the mutagen into his life, those that had set up the vials to easily break in his hands, those that knew what would happen when they touched him.

"My real name is Hunter Mason," he said as he sat up. "I am a mutant turtle. I was a human being until those filthy turtles turned me into one of them. I am still as strong as before. I can still fight as before." He felt his veins pumping as the anger surged through his head. "I am the leader of the Purple Dragons. The members of my gang don't care what I am. They still follow me. I am establishing my own empire. I have a great building, great vehicles. I even have a pretty bodyguard who can fight and bake. "He slid off the bed and stood up. "I am Hun and I will hunt down those filthy punks and make them pay."

Hun grabbed the new outfit Needles had recently made for him. It was a pair of dark purple slacks with a matching sleeveless jacket and a white shirt. The last thing he slid on was his belt with the golden dragon shaped buckle. He flexed his muscles and cracked his knuckles. He was ready to crack some sculls.

Pretty? Did he just refer to Gabby as Pretty? Well she was and he had a lot of female Dragons working for him. Raz was Pretty. Claudia with the blond hair and tan was really Pretty. Just because he was no longer human did not mean he no longer found human females attractive. That also meant he did not think that female turtles were attractive either. That one blond turtle was a little bit cute though. Too bad she crushed on the wrong guy.


"Bare in mind I haven't used this in a while," Donatello said as he set up the screen. They were able to salvage a lot of the technology from the old lair.

"You used to work with a lot of dimension hopping?" Donna asked.

"Not really," Donny said as he rubbed the top of his head. "I did use this screen to travel through the Internet and we have used a dimension hopping device that was made out of a flash light."

"A dimensional transporter out of a flashlight?" Donna asked as she gave him a funny look. "No offense, but that sounds uh silly."

"That was what I said to my counterpart." Don fished out a few more capaciters and circuit boards. But it worked. He actually made it work. He got on his knees to plug in a few cords, mostly to prevent Klunk from batting at them.

"Meow," Klunk voiced his displeasure.

"Sorry kitty," Donny said. "But this isn't a safe place for you."

"I'll take him," Mikey said as he held out his hands. "Leona was about to tell us more about Wayang and how to find him."

"Donna can fill me in here," Donny said as he handed the ginger cat over to Mikey. "I'm trying, well we are trying to work on a way to get Donna and her sisters back home."

"Come on Klunk," Mikey said as he walked away. "Lets play with your favorite ribbon instead."

"There is plenty to say about Wayang," Donna said as she sat down on a stool. "He looks like a shadow puppet and is insane."

"That's how they usually are," Donny said as he fished out more various parts. "Either insane or pure evil."

"Or so insane that they make you think they are pure evil."

"Exactly." He handed her a screwdriver. "We need to get a few parts assembled first."

"I know what you need," Donna said as she gathered a few of the pieces, wires and screws towards her. "We also have something similar back home. We used it to get our mother's data bits back."

Donny nodded. "What about Wayangs powers? What can he do?"

"Most magic that other wizards and sorcerers can do," Donna said as she worked on assembling the necessary components. "He also is a manipulator of shadows. He can travel from shadow to shadow. If he comes across the shadow of a car and he jumps inside he can travel even faster."

"He jumps inside the car?" Donny asked.

"I'ts shadow. He can control other shadows and make them animate. He can grow and shrink and he can control animals and people."

"How does he do that?" Donny grabbed the soldering iron. "He needed to fuse a few pieces of plastic and metal together."

"He jumps in their shadow. Once he gets situated he will move their arms in the direction he wants and their legs. He can force a person to kill their friends, their family and those they fall in love with in that way."

Don shuddered. It sounded like demon possession. "How do you stop him?"

"We have and idea of how to hold him," Donna said. "We have found ways to weaken him. We know he had to have shadows to work with and that means he needs just the right amount of light. If there is too much or not enough."

"There won't be any shadows," Donny said.

"Hold it," Donna placed a hand over what he was working on. "I've been watching you and I think it would be better if you wrapped the wire around these two points and then soldered it in."

He studied the wires and considered what she said and pointed out. "I think you are right." He wrapped the wire around the points she had shown him and then ran the iron over it in various places. "Tell me about this idea on how to trap Wayang."

"It involves large sheets of paper, glass and a frame," Donna explained as the two worked together.

The two of them assembled the necessary components in no time and worked to fuse, bind, and connect them to the larger parts: the mini processors, capaciters and the large screen itself. They both worked up a sweat and Donnys arms felt sore once it was completed.

"That would have taken much longer without your help," Donny said.

"Usually when I have a big project like this my friend Leather helps," Donna said as she sat back and wiped away at some of the sweat that gathered on her forehead.

"Leather and not Leatherhead?"

"That is her name," Donna said.

"I'm going to set up a reader to try and scan you," Donny said as he fiddled with some of the buttons. "Hopefully that will help narrow it down, but first I have to make certain it works."

The screen crackled and an image appeared. It looked like the city, but it was different. In fact it looked like that world their goofier pizza loving counterparts were from.

"Help!" A man with red hair shouted as he was being carried away by a large banana.

"Come back with Andrew," a female voice shouted and four female turtles ran across the screen. They looked like Donna and her sisters but a bit chubbier with rounder snouts and monogrammed belt buckles.

"What the shell was that?" Donna asked in a weak voice.

"That was the female version of wacky world," Donny explained. "So far the visuals work. As of now we can see into other worlds but they can't see us or jump into our world accidentally."

"And we can't fall into theirs," Donna said.

"Hopefully," Don said as he switched the channel and jumped back. On the screen was the Shredder, the Utrom Shredder.

"Oh no," Donna gasped. "Wait I think that was a statue. She looks a bit plastic."

"You are right," Donny said as he watched the screen. Suddenly the Shredder flew up.

"No fair you got to be the Shredder the last time," a kids voice said.

"I should try to pull back," Donny said as he made a few adjustments on the screen. The image shrank until the could see the entire bedroom. There were two human boys in there and one was holding a miniature Shredder.

"I got first pick," the boy with the Shredder said. "You can have Leonardo."

"So you can have all the bad guys again?" The second boy said. "No I'll be Karai." He picked up a figure of Karai from a table that had action figures of Donny and his brothers as well as Casey, April, Splinter, Stockman, Hun, Bishop and a few Foot Ninja. There were posters with Donny and his brothers on the wall.

"Well I'll be," Donny said. He couldn't keep from a smiling. It was a world where their lives was some form of entertainment such as a movie or a TV show and they had action figures of themselves. "I need to write down the coordinates of this place."

Planning for an ego trip? Donna teased.

"No not like that. Id like to show the others."


Hun had even felt better now that he had is daily work out. He felt even more pumped than before and was ready to issue out the order of business. He was going to command all of his lieutenants to meet him in the main meeting room. Everyone needed to know what the top priority of the day was. Some will be looking for new stores to steal the right kind of mirrors from. Others will be casing around museums to look for the right one and then there will be others who will be scouting out new gangs that are on the rise and have plenty of potential.

Everyone was already in the meeting room, including Gabby and a few of the artists who were sketching down an image they saw on the computer.

"What the hell is going on?" Hun demanded. "Who called for a meeting?"

"I did," Raz said. "I knew you were gonna call anyways but Gabby said she found the mirror."

"She did?" A tiny bit of Huns anger had ebbed away. "Where is it?"

"The Bronx Museum of the Arts," Gabby said.

"Breaking in is going to be tricky," Hun said. "We are going to need Razs lock pick tools and plenty of tranquilizer darts."

"Uh boss," Knuckles held up a hand. He was very pale and bald and wore a black leather vest with no shirt and camo print pants. "I had this idea."

"Go on," Hun said.

"Well I got this idea from this show," Knuckles said as he rubbed the top of his head. "It's about these feds who find magical artifacts and bring them to a warehouse so they don't make regular people go crazy."

"Get to the point."

"Well at the start of one episode the break into a museum and carefully replace the real artifact with a copy so that no one would notice."

"Where are we going to get a copy?"

"We'll make it," Gabby said. "We'll use the other mirrors for the parts and with the skill of your artists we will make a convincing copy."

"Then we sneak in and do the switcheroo," Tobes said as hand shot forward. "What the hell?"

"Are you okay?" Two Ton asked him.

"I've been having these spasms," Tobes said. "It's the strangest thing."

"Gabby heal him," Hun ordered. "I want everyone with every artistic and creative skill to work on that mirror."


Hun braced himself at the top of the museum. He was not going to allow himself to fall or break through any of the glass on top. He can be dainty on his feet if he tried, at least he used to be.

"We have an entrance," Raz said as she moved away from the windows. "We just need to make sure any of the alarms are taken care of."

"Good." Hun picked up the two way. "Hax how are we coming on those alarms?"

"Almost through," Hax said. "I got a confirmation from Knuckles that he and his group have cut away through some of the wire. I just need to disable the rest with my computer."

"Make it fast," Hun instructed and turned off the radio. "Any sign of any guards?"

"None so far," boss, Raz said. "Just waiting for the final confirmation."

Hun glanced at Gabby who was looking at the ground. "Do you see anyone?"

"No one," Gabby said. "I don't see any cops or any rival gangs or any of the turtles."

"I doubt your friend will tell us if they are coming."

"That is true, although she did give me some information. We need to keep an eye out for a dark wizard called Wayang."

"Wayang?" Hun asked. The name sounded like Why Young.

"The girl turtles followed him through into our dimension," Gabby explained. "According to Urielle he is insane, powerful and therefore dangerous. His specialty his manipulating shadows."

"What does he look like?" Hun asked. "That was the last thing he needed to deal with."

"Like a shadow."

"That narrows it down," Hun said in a disappointed tone. He did not want to be jumping from shadows.

"Boss," Haxs voice came in through. "We are in."

"Excellent," Hun said. "Raz, you heard him."

Everyone slapped on a pair of night vision goggles and several ropes were lowered into the museum. Raz and her team climbed down first followed by Hun and finally Gabby.

"Now to find the mirror," Hun said as soon as his feet touched the ground,

"We should be in the right place," Gabby said. "According the museums website we are on the right floor."

"Give me the dummy," Hun ordered.

"Go to him," Raz said as she pushed Two Ton closer to Hun.

The fat Dragon slapped her hands away. "Not funny."

"Enough joking around," Hun demanded. "Give me the fake mirror."

Raz handed him a small bundle that was covered in a soft velvet cloth. Hun peeled back the material and saw the mirror. It was silver with the frame outlined in small round pieces of onyx and pearl. The middle of the handle was covered in an enamel like grip. The back of the mirror had an amethyst stone in the middle and pink and red stones surrounding it.

"Now we just have to find the one that looks like this," Hun said.

They did not have to search for long. The mirror that was identical to the one Hun held was in a display case along with a few other treasures that included bejeweled combs and brushes and other mirrors.

"Not even by its self," Two Ton commented as Raz went to work at opening the display.

"They do not know what it really is," Gabby explained. "That means a lot of people dont know the truth of the mirror."

"But there are some that do," Hun said as Raz and Two Ton lifted the glass case. "Hun covered his hand with the velvet cloth and grabbed onto the handle of the real mirror and carefully lifted out and handed it to Gabby. He placed the fake mirror back into its place. "Seal it."

Raz and Two Ton set the top of the clear case down and Raz used her tools to lock it again.

"That was pretty easy," Hun said and turned around. He froze when he realized he was staring down at the blunt end of a gun being wielded by Tobes.

"Dude, what the hell?" Two Ton asked.

"Drop it," Gabby was ready to fight as she held onto the mirror.

"I want to," Tobes said. "His arm was shaking. Sorry Boss, but this isnt me. I ain't moving my arm."

"What do you mean?" Hun asked.

"Someone is moving it for me," Tobes said. "And he wants the mirror."

"Who is he?"

"He is-" Tobes neck and head jerked back and forth while his mouth twitched. "He is the one who is making this offer to you, turtle. His voice changed from being frightened to cold and steady."

"Oh God," Gabby gasped. "He's possessed."

"Crud," Hun grumbled. "If it wasnt one thing it was another.

"Are you an angry spirit that resides in this museum?" Raz asked. "Are you someone we offed?"

"That could be anyone," Two Ton said.

"Are you Wayang?" Hun asked.

"Very astute," Tobes said. "I now understand now why you are in charge, besides being a powerful and impressive creature."

"What do you want?" Gabby asked.

"I want that mirror and either you hand it over or I'll end his life," Tobes said. "He doesn't want to live this way."

"I just want to live," Hun said.

"And my number one goal is to keep you alive," Gabby said in a defeated tone. "Im sorry sir." She handed the mirror over to Tobes.

"Very smart," Tobes said. "I also have another offer. We can work together. Think of all the benefits."

"Forget it." Hun continued to stare down at his gun.

"Are you certain?" Tobes raised an eyebrow. "I can find a way to turn you back to a human again if you so desire and I know you do. Together we can destroy the turtles, both yours and mine."

"I said forget it," Hun growled. "I will not work for any demon sorcerors."

"Very well." Tobes walked away with the gun still pointed at Hun. I do know of a better way to keep you from following me. He stared at some sculptures of three different animals: a goat, a lion, and a hawk. He chanted in an odd language before he turned and ran.

The shadows of the sculptures sprang to life. They leapt from where they were rooted to their hosts and grew and changed form becoming deformed versions of the sculptures they represent.

"Shit," Two Ton said.

"What the hell?" Needles asked as he Knuckles and several more Dragons had caught up to them.

"Kill these monsters," Hun said as the hawk creature came for him. Its figure was something similar to a griffin.

Two Ton and Raz fired their bullets at the monster. The ammo sailed right through and penetrated the ceiling.

Hun dropped to the ground and rolled away as the shadow griffin tried to snatch at him. The beasts claws struck the floor instead.

"Watch out," Gabby cried as the lion tried to pounce on him. She tried to strike at him with her cane but it was as useless as the bullets.

The monster swatted her away with one swipe of the paw and grabbed at Huns arm with its mouth. Shadow or not that thing had teeth and it hurt.

A blur of green and gold swept past his eyes and caused the lion to yelp.

Hun stumbled backward from the monster and stared at his arm. The blood that was trickling from the bite wound was not a shadow.

"You have to align your own shadow to come into contact with these," his rescuer said. It was that girl turtle, Mikaela. She jumped again and whirled her nunchucks around. While it looked like it did not hit the monster it yelped again.

Hun grunted as he looked at his own shadow. He pulled back an arm and punched forward. His shadow struck the monster straight in the face.

The lion cried out in pain again and stumbled backwards.

Gabby made her shadow grab onto one of the legs of the lion shadow and pulled it down, causing it to fall down.

"If you have any flashlights on you use them now," Mikaela said as she shone a flashlight on the monster.

Hun and Gabby pulled their flashlights and shone it on the lion. They were joined by the two beams from two other Purple Dragons. The other monsters were also on the ground and had lights shining on them that came from Purple Dragons and Ninja Turtles.

The monsters melted into oil slick like puddles and slithered back to the sculptures before they reformed into the shadows they once were.

"No time to talk," Gabby said as she placed both hands to hover over Huns injury. "Wayang has the mirror."

"Aw shell," Raph said.

"Where did he go?" Leona asked.

"He ran in that direction," Hun pointed with his good arm the direction he had seen Tobes ran of to. "First he takes the body of one of my men and now he takes my mirror."

"We have to go after him," the female leader said before she and other turtles ran off.

"No," Hun said as he pulled away from Gabby. "They will not have it." He ran after them.

"Wait," Gabby shouted and ran after him.

The turtles were ahead of him but he still would be able to pass them and catch up to Wayang if he dropped to all fours and loped at a full gallop. He found that a bit ironic that he was able to be faster as a turtle than he was as a human.

Hun slid to a stop when he saw Tobes was standing in front of large rectangular mirror. He was chanting again and shadows were swirling around in front of the large mirror.

"Wayang," Hun stood up. "Get out of his body and give me my mirror."

"Your mirror?" Wayang/Tobes laughed. "Your friend gave it to me, so it is now my mirror."

"She only handed it to you to save my life," Hun said. He heard the other turtles as they caught up.

"Well if you want it so much then come and get it," Tobes said as he jumped into the shadows and into the large mirror.

"He did it again," the female leader said as she ran after him followed by her sisters and Leonardo and his brothers.

Hun ran after them. He felt a hand grab his, Gabbys.

"The shadows are fading," she said.

"But the glass is still moving like water," Hun said as both he and Gabby followed the turtles and leapt through the mirror.