Thanks everybody who has become a fan of this humble work in the last few weeks! Apparently I should post more in general, because with every update I've made recently, older stories have gotten more attention. Kinda nice, that.
As always, don't own the TMNT or Godzilla and HEAT or anything else with a previous owner in this work of fanfiction. Just borrowing them for a much-needed spin around my imagination.
Enjoy!
Spinning, falling, confusion. Fire and blood and pain and food. Sensations too big to be believed or even felt. Memories too strange to be understood.
And underneath it all, a burning rage. A rage that would burn from the inside out, consuming everything in its path.
No!
Never consume everything! Never rage at...at…a memory pieced itself together. Someone. Parent? Friend? Oneself? Impossible to say, as they all seemed true and all seemed wrong at the same time, but whoever that was, they must not be destroyed in rage. They must be protected. They must be spared the rage.
But the rage was already boiling.
Get away!
GET AWAY!
-==OOO==-
He opened his eyes, his heart quaking. He was himself. He was Donatello, mutant turtle, brother to three others, son to their sensei. Genius, engineer, student of the sciences. Practitioner of ninjutsu. Friend to April, Casey, Leatherhead, and others. Including a scientist named Nick.
"Nick!" Donatello rolled from where he'd fallen and looked. He was in the office on Staten Island. No, that couldn't be right – they were in the middle of the ocean. Then he looked more closely and realized he was still within Nick's mind.
A pace to his side, Nick twitched and sat up. He looked as disoriented as Don had felt, but his eyes quickly cleared.
"What happened?"
"If I had to guess," Don began, "I'd say we got really lucky."
"We were in Godzilla's mind, weren't we?" Nick asked. "It wasn't too bad at first, and then I felt like I had been eradicated, that all there was wasn't me. It hasn't been like that since the very beginning, when we first got this bond thing forced onto us."
"Yep. The virus has really started to take over, and it almost took us with it! We couldn't stay separate from him – he was too much for both of us. I think Godzilla's the one who threw us out, when he, or we, whatever, realized his mind would destroy you." Donatello shuddered again. "Came pretty close, actually. Good thing the big guy's fond of you."
"So now what?" Nick looked back towards the presence of Godzilla. The spiral of his mind was now fully clouded, covered in a thickness that was wrong, wrong on every level. But the spiral was also much smaller – it had pulled back from the walls and floor of the "office" and now floated in mid-air no larger than the TV.
"The mutagen in his system is taking hold," Don said. "He's losing himself, but I think he's trying to keep it from spreading to you."
"How does he know how to do that?"
"Um…I'm not sure. Ask me later," the turtle dismissed him hurriedly. "If Godzilla's being lost, we have to do something to protect your mind and fast. And then we've got to get out of here and start helping the others."
"I still don't want to wall him off," the biologist said, "but I don't have much choice, do I?"
"You can't help him now. Neither of us can. He's past the point we can influence. Now," and the ninja's hand on Nick's shoulder was steadying, "focus. This is still your mind, Nick. Build a wall, and quick. Create it out of whatever comes to you."
Nick closed his eyes and did the first thing that came to mind. It took a moment, and when he felt the warmth of Godzilla suddenly vanish, he opened his eyes to Donatello's bewildered face.
"What?"
"An aquarium? Really?" Donatello sighed, a smile threatening to break the otherwise serious situation. Indeed, the spiral of Godzilla's psyche was now held in a clear tank almost identical to the one that held his worm-farm, albeit bigger and floating.
"What's wrong with that?" Nick wanted to know.
"Never mind," Don shook his head. "As long as it holds."
-==OOO==-
This was just about the last thing Monique had been expecting, and she hated surprises more than anyone she had ever met. The prospect of Godzilla turning feral and attacking them had been logical and even likely – for that, she was prepared. The return of the man Donatello had called Bishop was also not without possibility, and she had considered its likelihood. But to be overrun out of nowhere by dozens of black-clad men wielding weaponry ranging from conventional firearms to what looked like massive tranquilizer guns – that she had not anticipated.
"What's going on?" Craven whimpered. His eyes were wide at the sight of so many foes spreading across the tiny sandbar like black waves, and he still didn't know where they had appeared from. At their head, a man strode with a long black coat flapping in the hot wind, obviously in command. He smiled up at the four on the bow of the boat.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bishop, and I believe you know a friend of mine."
"What do you want?" Randy yelled.
"I won't hurt you, don't worry. I'm only interested in your very large friend," and he indicated Godzilla, who had turned his attention to the soldiers crowding his personal space, "and your smaller turtle friend. You just stay out of the way and we won't have any problems."
"Oh, I think we do have a problem!" Elsie shouted back, bristling.
"Then this will be less pleasant." He turned away from them and addressed his men, pointing to the place across the sandbar where Donatello and Nick sat, still doing whatever they were doing. "Take the turtle into custody, and the doctor too. If their friends try to interfere, prevent them."
"Monique?" Mendel said, asking about six questions in the one word.
"Elsie, go below and work on your cure with Craven. Be ready to administer it on my command if you can. Randy, distract them, do anything you can to keep them away from the Seeker. I will protect those two."
"What about Godzilla?" Elsie wanted to know.
"I think the G-man can take care of himself!" Randy pointed out, indicating how, even confused, off balance, and definitely feeling poorly, the mutant lizard was easily avoiding the men crowding around his feet and sweeping the annoying ones aside with his tail.
"Indeed. Now go!" And Monique was moving as fast as she could, swinging herself to the sand and sprinting forward towards Nick and the turtle, attempting to cut off Bishop's men before they arrived.
"I suggest you drop this line of attack," she said in her angriest, coldest voice. Out of Dr Tatopoulos's respect for life she did not often use lethal force, but she would not hesitate to use the weapons already in her hands to defend him if it came to that. She settled into a fighting stance and waited.
They rushed her, probably six of them at once, all skilled and well-trained. In an instant, Monique had slammed an elbow into an unprotected throat and twisted a knee into a kidney. They were good, but not better than she. However, they had the superior numbers. Even as she dispatched one and blocked the intended blow of another, she wondered how many she could defeat, especially if the dozens of men turned their attention away from Godzilla to help their few comrades sent to procure her friends.
A moment later, a sneaky punch hit her square in the jaw and she bounced backwards in pain. She felt blood at the edge of her mouth and her resolve tightened. They would not get past her – she would die first. Or they would die.
Monique drew the gun she had kept slung across her back, not the one at her hip that was specific to Godzilla, nor the tranquilizer at her other side, and leveled it at the men. It was a line she had never crossed in defense of HEAT, but today, apparently was the day for it. Several of the armed agents drew weapons of their own, and Monique realized that without cover, she could be cut down very quickly. Still, she had few other options.
"Now, that's no way to treat a lady!"
Monique looked up in surprise. In all the fighting, she hadn't heard the sound of it, but above her hovered a helicopter that had to belong to the turtles. It was, in fact, green. A rope ladder dropped, and two forms leaped from the open door to flank her on the ground.
"Mind if we cut in?" Raphael's voice was nearly savage as he drew his sai and flicked them expertly. Monique was suddenly gratified that the turtle felt so angry. His anger, like hers, would probably fuel him well.
"Yeah, quit hogging the bad guys!" Michelangelo quipped, grinning. "Besides, Leo wants to talk with you." He took in the scene. "This is like Gilligan's Island, but with monsters," Mikey said, his eyes on Godzilla. "And bad guys. So…maybe not so much like Gilligan's Island. Anyway…"
The French agent blinked at him, then nodded as he broke out of his odd monologue to indicate that she could climb. "Defend them well," and she gestured to Donatello and Nick behind her, "or I shall not be so friendly."
"Don't worry," Michelangelo replied. "We got this."
"Yeah. Nobody's gettin' through to our brother and his buddy," and again, the rough fury in his words was enough. Monique believed them. Without a backwards glance, she scaled the rope ladder.
"Sorry to drop in on you like this," Leonardo said from where he was piloting when she was aboard, "but we couldn't raise Don on the Shell Cell and it looks like you need help. What's the situation?"
"Your Agent Bishop is here," and she saw the turtle's grip tighten until she thought the metal should bend in protest, "and Godzilla is beginning to mutate as your brother did."
"Do you have a cure?"
"One dose, yes. Here," and she gestured to the dart gun.
"You'll need this to get in close to Godzilla, won't you? Especially with Bishop's goons down there making a mess. I can get us over there, but I'm no pilot. That's Donnie's thing," Leonardo admitted.
"If this is designed as I suspect," Monique slid easily into the co-pilot's chair and examined the controls quickly, "I should be able to pilot it sufficiently. If you feel you can hit Godzilla in one shot, I will manage the helicopter."
"Okay, then I'll take the shot," Leonardo said, preparing to ease out of his place and turn the helicopter over to Monique.
"Are you certain your skills are enough? You must strike where he is already wounded, he is a moving target, and you will have only one opportunity." Even as she took over piloting and began directing the aircraft towards the large mutant, as she relinquished the correct rifle to him, her eyes cut to the turtle's and the harshness of her gaze hit him.
"Trust me." Leonardo's voice was suddenly both commanding and calm. "If we don't get this into Godzilla, he'll go the way Donatello did. He'll be a danger to my family. I won't miss." He met her eyes unflinchingly.
"Very well," and she turned back to the controls. Though her face remained impassive, inside, Monique felt a certain cool respect blossom. Donatello had shown bravery and selflessness along with his obvious intellect, and had, as such, won her notice. Raphael had demonstrated a fierce loyalty. And in Leonardo she knew she was witnessing the best qualities of a warrior – focus, insight, strength, and the will to bend any limitations in pursuit of victory. She still would have preferred to take the shot herself, but if she had no choice but to trust another with it, there were a precious few individuals she would accept in her stead. Perhaps these turtles were worth considering as she had considered their brother already.
"When we're done here," the turtle's voice came to her from farther back in the helicopter as Leonardo got into position at the open door, "can you swing back around so I can join my brothers?"
"Yes. I will use this craft to otherwise antagonize our enemy," she replied. "Are you concerned about them?"
"Nah," and the confidence in his voice was warm. "They've got a few surprises for Bishop's guys. But it's my job to protect them, and with Bishop around, I need to be there."
"I understand." And she did, all too well.
-==OOO==-
"How'd they get so many guys out here, anyway?" Mikey shouted as he tossed two agents into four more and blocked a kick from behind.
"Who knows? Ask the brainiac," Raph called back, disarming another and knocking his lights out with a fist. "Here's the question I got," and he paused to throw a sai, and then a punch, in the direction of someone getting too close to Donatello. "How come they ain't shooting at us?"
"Don't look a gift goon in the mouth, Raph!" The orange-clad turtle grunted as he was momentarily pinned by two men, but a flip and kick quickly freed him. The two, almost sheepishly, drew their guns. "And thanks for reminding them!"
"No prob!" Raphael spared a glance backwards. Donatello still sat knee to knee with Nick, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. Suddenly he realized that a small contingent had broken away from the others, and five agents were about to strike. He couldn't extricate himself quickly enough. Anger, and a trickle of fear, welled up inside.
"Don!"
The lead agent was within a few paces of Donatello when he leveled his own tranquilizer gun at the turtle. But as he began to pull the trigger, a blur appeared in the air above him, and then the gun was in two pieces, the agent was down, and the next two attackers were attempting to defend themselves.
"You will not harm my son!" Splinter easily dispatched the third and set himself between the remaining two agents and the pair still in mediation. If the agents had turned to fight Raphael and Michelangelo, the rat would have permitted them to leave; however, they brandished their own weaponry, and he flew at them. Moments later, they joined their fellows on the sand. Looking up, he realized how very many more agents there were, and how many were beginning to turn their attention to the altercation. Though most remained with Bishop in attempting to subdue Godzilla, or at least bother him sufficiently, a dozen more moved to join their battle.
"Donatello, my son, you must return to us." Master Splinter knelt down beside them, speaking gently. "There is danger, and your brothers need your assistance." Although he could have woken his son directly, Splinter decided against it. Whatever Donatello was doing, he was doing it with good reason, and pulling him out of meditation unwillingly, especially without knowing precisely what the genius turtle was doing, could be disastrous. However, he had other means of reaching the turtle.
"My son, hear my voice and rejoin us." The words were whispered aloud, but Splinter cast them forward from within, seeking the mind of his second son. In such a heightened and deep mediation, he knew it would take little for a talented mind such as his to hear.
"Father," the purple-clad turtle's voice sounded in his mind.
"Yes, Donatello. If you can, you must wake. Your brothers need you."
"I'm coming, sensei."
A moment later, the turtle's whole body seemed to tense, then settle once more, and his eyes slid open. He spared just a moment to meet his father's eyes with a smile, then turned his attention to the young man before him.
"Nick, wake up," Don said gently. Since had put Nick into the meditation, he could bring him out again. In fact, Nick probably didn't entirely know how to wake. "Nick," he said again, calling a little more firmly. He set a hand on the man's shoulder, and was gratified to see his eyes open.
"Don…What…?" Nick shook his head, then noticed the new individual only inches from himself. "Who is…?"
"This is Master Splinter, but there's no time to explain," Donatello said, pulling Nick to his feet. They both took in their surroundings. At the other end of the sandbar, Godzilla was obviously in pain, his body showing definite signs of mutation. Swarms of black-clad agents surrounded him, but they seemed unable to do much to him – mostly, they got knocked into the water by his tail or limbs, or when dodging his fire, which seemed to be more and more difficult for him to control. Only a few yards away, Raph and Mikey battled to keep another group of agents from reaching them. Near to the HEAT-Seeker, Randy appeared to be taunting still more agents, and flinging them off the boat whenever he could. Above, the turtles' helicopter was making a beeline for Godzilla, maneuvering expertly to avoid tail both tail and fire.
"Godzilla!" Nick shouted. The answering silence in his mind was deafening, and he began to step forward until he felt a furred hand grasp his wrist. The rat beside him indicated a crowd of agents about to rush the trio. His calm face spoke volumes: they needed to act on their immediate safety at once, and worry about other circumstances after.
"Where did all these guys come from?" Nick asked. Don shrugged and drew his bo. Splinter set himself beside his son, between the turtle and the human. The two mutants shared a look, and Don nodded at his sensei. Immediately Nick found himself behind the rat. He looked questioningly at Don, who shrugged again before turning back to the situation at hand.
"I think the better question is – how do we get out of here?"
-==OOO==-
"Are you ready?" Monique called back to the turtle as she made what she hoped was the final pass.
"As ever," he replied, steadying himself on the doorframe and aiming the gun carefully. It was pretty heavy-duty, better quality than what Don had created for them against the outbreak virus, but it handled basically the same. And in his hands, that was enough.
Godzilla turned suddenly, noticing the helicopter for the first time. He released a jet of green flames that felt painfully hot, even as Monique dodged them with relative ease. Leo reminded himself that the mutant before him shot radioactive fire, not normal fire, and decided that getting singed was probably not a good idea. But a small explosion, probably from a grenade below, drew the lizard's attention once more. As he switched targets, his side was suddenly exposed.
"Now!" Monique shouted. Without hesitating, Leo tracked the wound in his side that was his target, noticing at once how relatively small of a target it was, and fired. He felt the familiar hitch in his chest as he momentarily doubted himself. But the shot was true, and the thick dart impacted and disappeared within the already-open wound. Godzilla howled.
"Well done," Monique said, allowing a touch of approval into her voice. "Now, rejoin your clan. I will see what your craft can do to assist us. If a retreat is in order, I will retrieve everyone on the deck of the HEAT-Seeker."
"Will do!" Leonardo smiled grimly. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
-==OOO==-
"I think they got him!" Randy shouted to anybody who was listening.
From his vantage point, he could see Monique flying the green helicopter – Randy couldn't get over the coolness of the gadgets Donatello and his brothers had! – and from the looks of things, she was going to become a serious pain in the neck to the bad guys in black pajamas. Arcing out wide, a green shape fell from the chopper to land back near where Nick and Don had been. Randy sucked in his breath before realizing that it was the blue-clad brother, Leo, and the turtle was in no danger falling from such a height. Watching the ninja land and enter into the battle, cutting down any who opposed his sword, the hacker grinned. This was awesome!
Or not.
Because a moment later, the whole situation seemed to change. On the one hand, Randy saw Nick and Donnie emerge from where they'd been sitting so long, entering the fray alongside the others. But on the other hand, a new group of agents had appeared and were preparing to make the fighters' lives more difficult. This time, however, Randy had been looking in the right direction at the right time. To his astonishment, a portion of the sand not far from the HEAT-Seeker had slid away to reveal a metal hatch.
"A secret lab? Out here?" Randy looked around to confirm – they were miles from the mainland. Why on earth would there be a military installation out here, under water, pretending to be a sandbar? "And just our luck to park on top of it," he sighed.
A roar drew his attention back to the main event, the battle between Godzilla and the tiny figures that seemed intent on annoying him. The G-man shook his head back and forth as though he had something in his eyes, but the bulging of his muscles was calming and his legs looked more normal, well, normal for him; apparently the drug was working a little. But he wasn't reverting to himself completely, and his eyes were still red.
"Hey guys! I think we need more chicken soup for the lizard soul!" he yelled backwards to the lab below.
"Hey up there!"
Randy looked to see Donatello take out a few more agents with his bo before leaping up the deck. "That is still so cool when you do that," the hacker said enviously.
"What's the situation?"
"All quiet on the Seeker front. And the cure seems to be doing, well, something," he pointed. "I think we need more of it, though."
"I'll go check on Elsie and Dr Craven, then. Keep a look-out, okay?" Donatello asked, throwing a worried glance to where his family continued to fight below, keeping the agents away from the HEAT-Seeker and Nick. "If something happens, let me know."
"Yes, sir, Your Turtle-ness!" Randy saluted, smiling. Don smiled back and headed below.
"That's me, the lookout, the watcher, the fearless, observant…" Randy began. But the cold, unmistakable feel of a gun suddenly pressed against his temple silenced him.
"Perhaps less chatter would render you a better guard."
