The Shredder Strikes Back pt.1
It was a cloudy yet beautiful morning in Manhattan. The turtles along with splinter are residing in April o' Neil's apartment until the foot ninja leave the sewers. Mikey, Donnie and Raph are sleeping on the couch, Master Splinter is meditating on the recliner, and Leo is looking out onto the city waiting, watching.
Splinter breathed calmly as he meditated in the chair, listening to Mikey's snoring as everyone else slept. Early morning sunlight streamed through the windows, but everyone remained asleep. While Donnie was dreaming, his foot rested on top of Mikey."Geez, what died?" he said.
Splinter then awoke and said to Leo "Your morning training my son?" Leo then replied "Yes, Sensei. While the city is still quiet." Splinter said, "Your discipline is commendable my Leonardo, have a good run."
"But I trust you are not thinking of going to scout the lair alone." He said firmly. Leo, though lying, said "Why would I do that? Just because the sewer tunnels are overrun with foot ninja, so we're forced to hide here at April's like cowards?!" Splinter calmly said "You ask a question that is not a question. If we are to succeed against our foes, we will need to act together as a team, not as rash individuals."
"I understand, Master Splinter." Leo sighed. "I am curious, though. With the Shredder gone, what are the Foot Ninja up to?"
"Patience, my son." Splinter assured, returning to his other three still-snoozing sons. "I have a feeling we will find out all too soon." Splinter then went to sit back down and when he looked back Leo had left.
Splinter stared at the floor worriedly. The silence was interrupted by Mikey's shout of surprise. Raph jolted awake and Donnie nearly fell of the backrest of the couch, each of them brandishing their weapons.
"What?" Raph demanded. "What is it?" Mikey laughed. "Oh man. I slept on my hand and it got numb and it hit me in the face and I thought someone slapped me. Don't you hate that?"
Raph, Donnie, and Splinter stared at him. Raph was the first to walk off as he sheathed his sais. "Words fail me."
Mikey suddenly flipped over Raph and darted into the bathroom, laughing. "First dibs on the bathroom!" He slammed the door shut, leaving Raph to only sigh and hit his head against the door.
Raph didn't look too excited, but just huffed and sat down on the couch, waiting for Mikey to get out of the bathroom. About ten minutes later, Mikey was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. Everyone else lounged about the house, waiting for the food. Soon, April emerged from her room, dressed in a pink bathrobe and yawning.
"I really do have four turtles and a rat sleeping in my living room." April tiredly realized. "I thought I was just having a really bad dream." April sniffed the air. "Hey, what's burning?"
"Mikey's cooking." Raph replied dully. "Hey, scrambled is okay with everyone, right?" Mikey called from the kitchen.
"Again?" everyone but Splinter groaned. Mikey turned to look at the living room when he noticed something. "Hey guys, where's Leo?"
"He is engaged in his morning exercises." Splinter reported. Donnie looked out the window. "If he doesn't get back soon, he's gonna get soaked." "That sky's looking angry." Donnie chimed in as lighting flashed and thunder boomed.
Leonardo had begun his exercises; running, leaping and jumping from building to building. As he leaped from a nearby roof, several foot ninja had spotted him, and immediately went after him. Running acroos the building, it didn't take leo long to figure out he was being followed. One of the ninjas lept toward him, but leo quickly ducked and the ninja missed. He turned around and saw the other Foot.
Leo then drew his sword and readied himself. But as he looked up he noticed several more ninja. Hoping to avoid a fight, he jumped in the air, cut a clothes line and swung to the opposite building. When he landed, he saw they were quickly approaching him. So he began running from the ninja.
"Got it!" Raph announced. "Next!" April walked in and saw Mikey and Raph tossing dishes across the room. "No!" "One more!" Mikey tossed a final plate. "Up high!"
"Not the china!" April cried. "Whoops!" Raph winced as the plate flew past his fingers and crashed to the floor. April groaned. "Why should today be any different?"
Splinter, from behind his newspaper, simply said, "Kids." "Sorry, April." Mikey said sincerely. Raph was sincere as well. "Yeah, really…uh….you got any glue?"
April only smiled softly and sat down at the table, pulling her hair up in its usual bun. "Don't sweat it. I realize it's tough for six, uh, people to share a one-person apartment." Donnie put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be out of your way as soon as we can."
"Don't get me wrong." April assured quickly. "I love you guys, I really do. It's just….my place is too small." Splinter and Raph joined them at the table. "We will leave as soon as the Foot Ninja are gone from the tunnels surrounding our lair." Splinter promised.
April looked up and noticed Mikey balancing her china plates and a jar of jam on his arms and head. "Um, can I help you with that very delicate china, Mikey?"
"I got it, thanks." Mikey assured, obviously not taking the hint. Much to April's horror, he threw the dishes into the air. April covered her eyes and waited for the crashing dishes, but it never came. When she opened her eyes, a plate of scrambled eggs sat before each person at the table. Mikey smirked and laughed like it was nothing. "Ninja training." He said simply before sitting down. He and Raph began wolfing down their eggs noisily, some of the eggs dripping down their chins.
"Say what you like about Mikey," Raph said as he ate. "The guy knows how to scramble an egg." "So, one would think that table manners were a part of their training?" April asked Splinter.
The rat cast a sideways glance at his two noisy sons. "One would think." Mikey looked up and noticed the extra plate. "Shouldn't Leo have been back by now?"
"Hey, of the four of us, Leo's the one turtle you never have to worry about." Donnie assured.
Leo climbed on top of the nearby rooftop, catching his breath. As he gained traction, he noticed that the foot had arrived before him. He drew his other blade, ready for a fight. The sky had lit up with lightning and thunder as Leo began fighting his opponents.
Dodging every attack, he countered and succeeded, defeating the ninjas. It began pouring rain as Leo made his back to the apartment. Looking up, he noticed three foot tech ninja, which immediately leaped down toward Leo.
Redrawing his swords, the ninja then pressed a cloaking device button, rendering them invisible. Leo looked around and readied himself, but the ninja had the advantage. They struck and hit Leo with full force, but Leo didn't give up. He calmed down, and blind-folded himself so he could fight.
One of the ninjas approached him, but Leo kicked him away. Another approached but his cloaking device was sliced by Leo's sword, then he was knocked out. Leo waited for the other, and sensing him he jumped up and defeated the last one. Fixing his mask, he then set back for the apartment once more.
"May I have your attention please?" Mikey's voice sounded behind her and made her turn. Donnie and Raph were on the couch, Mikey in front of the football game on TV they were watching, and April with Splinter at the table, staring at a map. Mikey suddenly let out a monstrous burp, lasting a full three maybe five seconds. Donnie and Raph began clapping for their brother.
"Cool." Donnie mused. Mikey only smiled and bowed. "Ew!" April groaned, covering her eyes with her hand. "This is what I live with all the time." Splinter groaned with her. "I can't believe I just clapped for that." Realizing what they had done, Raph and Donnie stopped clapping.
"That's it." Raph's tone was a annoyed one. "I'm gonna look for Leo so we can get this show on the road. No offense, April, but we really need to get back to our lair. I'm goin' stir-crazy."
"You are going nowhere until your brother returns." Splinter ordered. "Sit." "Man, what a jip." Raph growled as he flopped back on the couch. "We gotta sit around on our butts while Leo's out there havin' all the fun."
Leo came onto another building only to discover more foot ninja but this time with Hun. The ninjas stepped back while Hun cracked his knuckles in anger, and then ran toward Leonardo.
Leo jumped out of the way as Hun ran into him but missed. Hun then saw a large pipe, broke it off and used it as a weapon. Hun slashed and attacked Leo only to have him block every blow. Enraged, Hun dashed toward Leo, only to be forced into a concrete wall. "Boo!" Leo yelled at the remaining ninjas, causing them to fall off the building.
He then ran off, knowing there would be more. As Leo was jumping buildings, dozens of foot ninja were following him. Leo finally stopped to catch his breath, as did the foot, along with one furious Hun. The foot surrounded Leo, trying to intimidate him. Leo gathered all of his strength and took out the ninjas one by one.
Hun ran toward Leo, but with lighting speed he grabbed an antenna, flipped backwards and let go as it rammed Hun's face. Hun was about to cave in Leo when he saw "reinforcements", and stepped back laughing.
The "reinforcements" was one lowly ninja, only this one wasn't wearing a mask, and it was a girl; a small, ten year old girl whose name was Gwen Tennyson. But relying on past experiences, Leo didn't let his guard down.
Gwen lept toward Leo, landing a hard kick in his chest. She didn't let up for a second-Leo was getting beaten and injured worse. Managing to dodge a few attacks, he had tried to counter the blows but either they were blocked or when he did hit her it was as if she didn't feel a thing. Bruised and hurt, Leo stepped back trying to gain traction.
Suddenly, Gwen stepped back with the other foot ninja and bowed. Leo looked with confusion and turned around only to see four ninja, but these too were different. They were wearing traditional Japanese clothing, glowing red eyes, torn capes and deadly weapons; they were known as the elite guards.
Leo then regained focus, drew his swords and leaped toward the ninjas, only for them to disappear as he landed, then reappear with Gwen, Hun and the other foot ninjas. In unison, they all faced toward another building and then bowed.
Leo looked to see to what or whom they were bowing, only to be filled with shock and fear at the same time saying "No!''. On that other building, a man was standing there in samurai armor, a man whose name was the shredder. The elite guard then appeared around Leonardo and ruthlessly attacked him. Leo tried to counter, but was too slow and injured to do so. He fell down and tried to regain his breath and strength.
He leaped back up and tried once more to defeat his opponents, only to be injured worse and thrown off the building.
Mikey looked up at the clock, now reading well half past nine. "Hey guys, I'm really starting to get worried. Leo should've checked in by now."
"I know this is a first, but I'm thinking Mikey's right." Donnie agreed. Raph turned to Splinter. "Master Splinter?" he asked questioningly.
Splinter didn't say anything for a moment, even when April put a hand on his shoulder. He knew for a fact that Leo's exercises did not last this long; the only other explanation was that something happened to him. It didn't matter the severity; he could not wait any longer. "Go." He ordered.
"Geez…" Mikey breathed. "What if something really happened to him?" Everyone jumped with a gasp as Leo suddenly crashed through the window and hit the floor, nearly unmoving. They shouted his name and rushed to his side. Mikey picked up his head and pulled him upright. The turtle's eyes wearily blinked open, but all he saw were fuzzy shapes that looked like his brothers and their voices sounded like echoes.
Raph stood, glaring. He drew his sais and made for the broken window. "I'm gonna find out who did this."
"No…Raph…wait…." Leo's weak voice made them pause and they hurried to his side. Leo leaned in close so his whispers did not escape their ears. "He's…back…the Shredder…" He suddenly fell backwards, his eyes closing as he slipped into unconsciousness. Everyone gasped, exchanging shocked looks.
Minutes later, as the foot went off to find Leonardo, only Gwen and the elite stayed. The Shredder began to approach them as they bowed before him. Gwen then lifted up Leonardo's two swords in respect.
Shredder took the blades and held them in the air and broke them in half as a sign, a sign for which no one could defeat him. He threw the broken blades on the ground and laughed evilly, for the Shredder had returned.
TO BE CONTINUED...
