Sorry that this have taken so long, despite it being relatively short, but with Mass Effect Andromeda just released, I wasn't even in this galaxy for several days.
Chapter 10
A Challenge
The youngsters returned to the lair, meeting with Splinter, who nervously had awaited their return.
"You return, and all in one piece it seems." the old rat said, feeling relieved.
"We have, master." said Leonardo.
"That is good." Splinter then turned to Ben. "I hope that you now understand how foolish it is to engage the Foot."
"Actually, he did go in there alone, and got out again without a scratch." said Monalisa, still not believing it. Splinter's eyes went wide.
"Yeah, they might be dangerous for you, but me, I haven't had that much fun for weeks." said Ben.
"Fun?! Seriously, kid, you ain't right in the head!" said Raphael.
"I get that a lot too."
"I can't imagine how you could consider that place fun." said Donatello. "Especially not if Arden would have gotten his hands on you."
"Arden? Arden? Oh yeah! That's the doc with what I thought was an ugly mask."
"That's no mask, he got that scar after I threw acid in his face." said Monalisa with a grim tone, remembering all too well how it happened, and what had led to that.
"He said something like that too when I told him. But I thought it was the other side that was a mask. He didn't like that."
"You didn't!" said Michelangelo. "You actually said that to Arden?! Golden!"
"If you got the time, I can tell you all about how I dealt with them."
"This I have to hear." said Raphael.
"I am also intrigued." said Splinter, still not completely convinced that Ben had truly gone into the Foot HQ, but he saw in Ben's eyes that he was telling the truth.
A few days later, in the Foot HQ, Arden and Animo were working hard on a giant machine in Arden's laboratory, together with several Foot scientists and engineers. As they were busy with various calculations for the machine, Arashi entered the laboratory.
"Doctor?"
"Yes?" the two doctors said at the same time, followed by giving each other an annoyed glare.
"Doctor Arden..." Arashi clarified, and said doctor walked over to his master with a small smirk on his face, while Animo was left disappointed.
"How goes the project, William?"
"Everything is proceeding as scheduled, master. And while it pains me to admit it, my 'colleague' does know what he is doing. His technical and genetic expertise is very impressive, and far above that of our other scientists. And within a few days, his giant Trans-modulator will be completed."
"Will it deliver the results that he promised?"
"I have no doubt about it, not after seeing what his own Trans-modulator did to the Venomous Five. With this machine, we will be able to turn every animal within the city limits into powerful mutant beasts under our control in a matter of minutes. Not even the freaks will be able to avoid its mutagenic pulse, they will become like the Venomous Five."
"Excellent, and then they will serve us. How master Shredder would love that."
"Indeed. And I would love to see them as they mutate."
"As would I, William. And that gives me an idea. When will the machine be done? What day?"
"We require three more days, so on Sunday."
"Perfect. Then I have some things of my own to prepare." Arashi said with an evil smile, and left the laboratory.
As Arden returned to his work, he noticed that Animo had taken a break from the project, and was… sewing?
He was working on a small stuffed animal, featuring the torso and limbs of a gorilla and the head and tail of a crocodile. Seeing that made Arden completely speechless for several minutes, as he tried to comprehend it.
"What are you doing?" he asked once he had regained his senses. Animo simply looked at him for a few seconds before continuing sewing.
"Everyone needs a hobby, doctor, otherwise one will go mad. Mad, I tell you! Mhahahah! Mad… Isn't that right, little crocilla?" Animo said, petting the head of his little toy-creation.
Looking equally disgusted and terrified, Arden carefully took a step to the side, away from Animo.
'Pretty sure it's already too late for you.' he thought to himself, and then got back to work.
A few nights afterwards, the five ninja climbed up on the rooftop, preparing to go on their nightly patrol, and Ben followed them as he had done every night. As Leonardo planned their route, Ben searched for an alien to use for said patrol.
"So, what's it gonna be, Ben?" Michelangelo asked. "That Rath guy you beat the Venomous Five with?"
"Nah, I want something a bit more mobile. This one should do the trick." he said, hitting the Omnitrix.
When the light died down, Ben's new form was revealed, being that of an insectoid creature, easily as large as the turtles. The body was insect-like with four flat legs and two arms with clawed hands, all in a brownish green colour. A pair of light green wings grew from his back, as did four eyestalks from his more-human- than-insect-head, two on each side, each having a green eye, he also had a large, black blade-like stinger at the end of his tail. He wore clothes that covered all but the arms, legs, wings and most of his head, leaving only the lower half of it exposed. The clothes were black on the back and green on his chest and stomach with black lines, and he wore the Omnitrix on his forehead.
"Great, a bug alien..." Raphael groaned, remembering the giant wasp-like creatures they had fought in another dimension many years earlier.
"You got a problem with me?" Stinkfly asked, flying up in front of Raphael like a dragonfly. "If so, look me in the eyes when you say it."
Deciding to be honest whit his dislike of bugs, Raphael was about to do just that. But Stinkfly moved his four eyestalks in circular patterns, two clockwise and the other two counter clockwise, and that didn't sit well with Raphael.
"Can you quit that?! It's freaking me out!" the turtle snapped, but Stinkfly just laughed.
"If you two are done, it's time to move out." said Leonardo.
"Are we sticking together tonight as well?" Monalisa asked, and received a nod as confirmation.
"The Foot have been far too quiet for my taste, even considering them getting roughed up by Ben, but that should just have made them interested in the Omnitrix. They should have done something by now, but we haven't seen anything."
"Valid points, Leo." said Donatello. "Though they might react the same way as when Tyroth is around, keeping a low profile to avoid guaranteed casualties."
"Perhaps, but it's still best if we keep our eyes open, just in case."
After about an hour, the mutants and alien stopped on a rooftop for a quick break, during which Stinkfly reverted to Ben to let the Omnitrix recharge properly.
The night had so far been rather quiet, with only a few Purple Dragons trying to break into a shop, but Stinkfly had quickly dealt with them, in his own, disgusting way. Neither the thugs, nor the mutants, had been prepared for the alien shooting green, sticky goop from his eyes, expertly disarming the thugs and literally glueing them to the wall of the shop.
Michelangelo had commented on it being equally cool and disgusting, though the others only agreed on the disgusting part.
But as the team took their break, a lone Foot ninja that arrived on a nearby rooftop spotted them. Sticking to the shadows, he moved as close as he dared, remaining on the building, as he drew his bow and readied an arrow.
Focusing on his target, he held his breath, and released the arrow, letting it speed through the air.
As the arrow struck its target, the tip pierced it, embedding itself deep within.
The mutants and teen alike, jumped back as the arrow struck the air-vent, the ninja instantly drawing their weapons, while Ben readied the Omnitrix.
"Where the shell did that come from?!" Raphael exclaimed as he and the others scanned their surroundings closely for any sign of the attacker.
But the ninja had already left, his mission was done, so he had no reason to stay.
After a few dreadful minutes of waiting and searching, the mutants could finally allow themselves to relax just a little, but they still remained on high alert. Ben, on the other hand, seemed almost disappointed that nothing more happened.
"Huh, don't think anyone have shot against me with arrows before." he said as he pulled out the arrow from the intake. "Darts, sure, missiles, yep, energy blasts, to many to count, even magic, but not arrows."
"Can you ever be serious?! Someone could have gotten killed by that!" Raphael snapped.
"I doubt that. It was five feet away from us, and I'm pretty sure the guy who shot it didn't want to hurt us. Check this out."
Holding up the arrow for the others to see, they could all see that there was a piece of paper tied to the arrow.
"I think it's for you." Ben said, handing over the arrow to Leonardo.
Removing the paper, Leonardo saw that there was a message written on it, and his eyes narrowed as he read it.
'Freaks, and that Tennyson boy, in light of our last encounter, it has become painfully clear that our conflict has reached its end, and only one of our groups can continue to exist.
Therefore, I challenge you to a final battle. The entire Foot clan against you five freaks and that shapeshifting boy Tennyson, all in a battle to the end. No mercy will be given, no-one will be allowed to flee, it will be a fight until death have claimed all on one side.
We will meet in Central Park, Sunday at midnight.
Izo Arashi, leader of the Foot clan.'
"Tell me this is a joke." Michelangelo said after hearing Leonardo read the note out loud.
"I wish it was, but I think Arashi is serious." said Leonardo. "Unless he has completely lost his mind after Ben's visit."
"That have happened to some bad guys I've dealt with." said Ben.
"Still, even if this is real, it would be a really stupid idea of us to even consider it. It is obviously a trap." said Donatello.
"And it's not like we could fight every single Foot ninja Arashi has. There has to be several hundreds of them, way too many to deal with at one time." said Monalisa.
"Not with me on your side." said Ben. "I can easily handle a few hundred ninja with one of my heavy hitters. This should be fun."
"Okay, that's it, kid! This ain't no game!" said Raphael. "They are merciless killers, dishonest the lot of them!"
"He's right, and you heard what it said in the letter. Arashi wants a death battle. Can you really deal with that?" said Monalisa.
"Don't have to, all I have to do is knock 'em out and lock 'em up. Same as I've been doing for years now."
"As much as I hate to admit this, he is right." said Donatello. "He's already dealt with the majority of the Foot on his own, so he is capable to take care of himself. But they have to know that too, and that's why Arashi wrote that it would be all ninja."
"He's after the Omnitrix. And he wants to have an advantage in numbers." said Leonardo.
"Let him try. There are so many others that have tried to do the same, most of them more powerful than this dude. Much more."
"I still don't like this. Arashi is dishonest and crafty, and I am certain without a doubt that he has something special planned."
"I've dealt with those kinds of guys before as well, I'm not worried. Sunday's gonna be a blast."
Now things are getting intense. Everyone is completely unaware that the Foot have gotten themselves a new ally. And the giant trans-modulator, things will just get worse, even without Arashi's plan to draw in the mutants.