Chapter 11:Return to New York
After searching for a place to stay, Michelangelo suggested that the group should stay at a local pizzeria. Halkrath landed his ship close to the pizzeria and away from any Kraang, while the group made their way to their new hideout. Halkrath did not follow them since he decided to see the destruction that the Kraang and the Weyland-Yutani Corp have caused. With his cloak on, Halkrath ventured through the city and saw nothing except for the Kraang and Androids. However, he soon discovered two humans trying to hide from the Kraang. As he stalked them, Halkrath listened to their conversation.
One of them said, "Hurry up ! We gotta find some supplies to bring back to the hideout."
The other person said, "You know I'm scared of Kraang, Zeck. I feel as if they watching us."
Zeck responded, "Stop being such a baby, Steranko. The Kraang ain't nothing to us."
Steranko looked around the streets and saw nothing, so he continued to follow Zeck. Halkrath kept on following the duo until they have gotten their supplies and returned to their hideout. Zeck and Steranko started talking to each other with Halkrath listening to them again.
Zeck said to Steranko, "Look, we're already running out of supplies this time. I think that it's time for you and me to ditch this city. So here's what I had in mind, you know Karai ?"
Steranko replied, "The Shredder's daughter ? What about her ?"
"I say that we capture the girl and bring her to him, but we'll only give her back if he takes us out of the city with protection. That way, we'll be out of here before you know it," Zeck said as he was about to leave the hideout.
Steranko stopped him and said, "How will we find girl ? We don't know where she could be."
Zeck was unsure where Karai might be, but he replied, "How hard could it be ? It's not like she can leave this city with all of the Kraang and those Androids around."
Steranko agreed and he left the hideout with him. Halkrath became slightly angry, but he calmed down and returned to the pizzeria. Once he got back, Halkrath saw that Miwa was conscious again. He entered the pizzeria and startled April and Casey, who seem to be cleaning up the hideout. Halkrath looked around the whole place and saw that Master Splinter and the Turtles were gone.
He asked where they were and April replied, "They went back to the lair to get some stuff. By the way, where did you go ?"
Halkrath said, "I went all over the city to see what happened after we left."
"Okay then, but since you're here, why not help us clean the place ?" asked Casey as he was trying to mop the floors.
Halkrath turned to see Miwa, who was looking very depressed. He went and sat next to her until she turned to him.
Miwa said, "Halkrath, I want to ask you something. Do you have any children ?"
Halkrath shook his head and she added, "I just wanted to know, that's all. I thought that you would have some family to care about."
"What makes you think that I have a family ? All I have is my clan and my brethren," said Halkrath.
Miwa then asked, "Do they treat you like family ?"
Halkrath took a moment and thought about what she had asked. His whole clan basically treated him like a warrior, but never like an actual family that the Turtles and Miwa have. His whole life was just training to hunt and kill humans until the day he had met the Turtles and the others. Halkrath was one of the best and strongest warriors of his clan until he started to grow out of that and became something else. He became friends with four humans and several mutants, who really made him feel like he was part of their family.
He told Miwa what he had thought and she replied, "Then I guess you're part of our family now. We'll stick together and look out for each other."
Hearing their conversation, April and Casey went up to them. The three then hugged Halkrath and he hugged them back. Afterwards, Master Splinter and the Turtles returned and saw what was happening. Miwa, April, and Casey stopped their actions and returned to cleaning up the pizzeria.
Leonardo went up to Halkrath and asked, "Uh, what did we miss ?"
An hour later, Halkrath ventured through the city once again to search for Ivan and Steranko. He went to their hideout to see if they were there, but no one was present. Using his mask, Halkrath tracked down their footprints and followed them. A few minutes later, Halkrath had finally found them. Ivan and Steranko were heading towards the pizzeria, but Halkrath decided to stop them quickly.
At the entrance of the pizzeria, Ivan and Steranko snuck their way to the back. However, Ivan went ahead of Steranko and was unaware that he disappeared. As Ivan reached the back door of the pizzeria, he turned around to see Steranko gone.
He whispered, "Hey ! Where the hell did you go ?!"
No one replied and he added, "Don't mess around with me, Steranko ! I'm being serious right now !"
A clicking and a growling sound was heard and Ivan kept looking around to see nothing. As he made a few steps backwards, a loud thump was heard from behind him. Ivan turned around to see Steranko tied up and tape over his mouth.
He said to Steranko, "What the hell happened to you ?! Who did this ?"
Steranko was trying to warn his friend something, but it was already too late. Halkrath turned his cloak off and stood in front of Ivan, who became very terrified. Ivan turned to see a long wire in Halkrath's hands and wondered what he was going to do.
Inside the pizzeria, everybody was doing their usual thing until they heard voices coming from the back. It sounded a lot like screaming and shouting, but it was hard to hear. The Turtles decided to investigate and they all went to the back. Moments later, the Turtles came back with shocked expressions.
April asked, "What's wrong ? Did something happened ?"
Raphael replied, "Why don't you asked Halkrath ? He's waiting in the back."
Everyone else was confused and they all went to the back, only to see two people hanging upside down from a fire escape. They also turned to see Halkrath sitting on the ground, playing around with his wires. He then got up and explained to them about Ivan and Steranko. Miwa became upset and she cut the two people down. She then ripped the tape off of their mouths and they screamed in pain.
Miwa shouted, "What makes you think that the Shredder wants me back ?!"
Steranko replied, "Are you the Shredder's daughter ? We just wanted to return you to him and he can take us out of the city."
Ivan said, "Yeah, we can't stand around the Kraang and these Androids ! They're driving us nuts !"
"It doesn't matter now, where are you meeting the Shredder ?" asked Casey.
Ivan replied, "We haven't established a meeting with him yet. We've been planning to capture Karai first and then meet up with him."
Donatello said to the group, "What are we gonna do ? The Shredder could be looking for her right now."
Halkrath replied, "He won't lay a hand on her."
Raphael said, "So, what are you going to do ? You're gonna try to fight the Shredder again ?"
"You'll see," said Halkrath.
Minutes later, Halkrath was climbing to the Shredder's throne with his cloak on. As he reached the same open window where he hung out last time, Halkrath entered the building and saw no one in the room. Halkrath turned to see the door opening and saw the Shredder with his mutant allies. The Shredder went and sat on his throne while Rahzar, Fishface, Tigerclaw, and Stockman-fly stood next to him. Another person went into the room and walked towards the Shredder. The person was Karl Bishop Weyland and he looked as if he was disappointed.
He said to the Shredder, "We made a deal and you did not return the favor."
The Shredder responded, "I have already told you that my Foot soldiers were unable to find your specimens. It became a complete waste of time for me."
Weyland said, "These specimens are quite dangerous unless they are dealt with, but since they are gone for a while, they could be making a large hive that could..."
"Enough ! I don't want to have to deal with your blabbering and complaining anymore. Your company and the Kraang have already got want they wanted, now leave my building," said the Shredder.
Rahzar and Tigerclaw threaten Weyland, who said, "Fine, I'll leave. However, no one wold protect you if the Xenomorphs come and take you back to their hive."
Afterwards, Weyland left the room and the Shredder told his minions, "I have had enough of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the Kraang. If they hadn't grown an army this big, it would have been easier to defeat them all."
Everyone nodded except for Rahzar and Tigerclaw. They both sniffed the air and smelled something familiar. Rahzar turned to where Halkrath was standing and walked up to him. Tigerclaw followed and he prepared his weapon. Halkrath didn't know what to do, but he drew his blades and prepared himself. Rahzar and Tigerclaw stopped, staring at the invisible Halkrath.
The Shredder turned to see them and said, "What are you two doing ? Is there something wrong with your minds ?"
Rahzar replied, "No, but an old friend is here for a visit."
The Shredder was confused until Halkrath turned his cloak off and revealed himself. He jumped back in surprise, but he grew angry at the same time. Fishface and Stockman-fly went up to Rahzar and Tigerclaw, who looked ready to pounce on Halkrath. The Shredder also went up to them and brought out his blade.
He said to Halkrath, "What do you think you're doing here ? Where is Karai ?"
Halkrath replied, "She is with her true father. Miwa won't be seeing you again for a long time."
The Shredder responded, "You cannot defeat all of us at once. This will be the day you will perish."
"I can assure you, I will not fail," said Halkrath as he ended the conversation with a howling roar.
Back at the pizzeria, Ivan and Steranko were tied up and sat in the back of the pizzeria. Michelangelo watched TV along with Raphael and Leonardo, Donatello kept on experimenting with the Mutagen, and Master Splinter and Kirby took a rest. Miwa, April, and Casey sat at a table with absolutely nothing to do.
Miwa asked, "How long do you think Halkrath will be gone ?"
April replied, "I'm not sure, but he usually takes his time."
Casey added, "Whatever he's doing, I bet it's much better than sitting around."
They all sighed and Miwa asked, "Will he go back home ?"
Confused, April replied, "What do you mean ?"
"I mean that when the Kraang and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation are dealt with and the Shredder is defeated, will Halkrath go back to his home planet ?" asked Miwa as she became slightly worried.
Casey replied, "I don't think so, he kind of likes it here. Remember when we started treating like a family earlier, he wouldn't try to leave us forever."
April said, "I guess Casey's right, but there could be chance that he'll return back home."
Miwa got up from the table and said, "No, Halkrath cares about us. No matter how much we make doubts about it, he still will not leave our side."
Casey added, "What are we gonna do about it ?"
"From now on, the Turtles won't be the only team to defend this city. We gotta find Halkrath," said Miwa.
Casey agreed with Miwa, but April was hesitant at first. After thinking about it, April decided to join them. The three went to the back of the pizzeria and untied the two held captives. Ivan and Steranko wondered why they had set them free until Miwa explained to them about a plan that she had in mind.
Meanwhile, Halkrath was breathing heavily after a long fight with the Shredder and his mutant minions. Rahzar and Tigerclaw were stuck between a few walls, Fishface and Stockman-fly were unconscious in the water under the glass floor, and the Shredder was lying near his throne with his armor broken. Halkrath's mask was slightly cracked and he had a few wounds all over his body. He reviewed the whole fight in his head and thought that it was the toughest fight he had ever had.
Eight minutes earlier
After letting out his battle cry, the Shredder's mutants charged at Halkrath and started their assault. Halkrath also charged at the incoming mutants and fired his two Plasma Casters, disrupting their formation. The mutants dodged the plasma bolts and Tigerclaw took out his guns, aiming them at Halkrath.
Tigerclaw said to him, "So you wanna play with guns ?! I have my own too !"
Firing his guns at Halkrath, the bullets manage to hurt him a little bit. Halkrath barely felt a thing from Tigerclaw's weapons, but he was so distracted that Rahzar slashed his claws at his face. Fishface then kicked him in the gut and sent him flying towards a wall. Halkrath impacted the wall and caused a few cracks that lead to the ceiling. Stockman-fly launched an acid spit at him, but Halkrath quickly dodged it and threw a few shurikens at the mutants. Some of the shurikens missed their targets and returned, only to get deflected by the Shredder.
The Shredder said, "Those weapons won't be touching me."
The Shredder turned around to see a whip coming towards Rahzar and pulling him into the air. The whip swung Rahzar around and threw him towards the ground, causing a small dent on the floor. The whip came from Halkrath who swung it around himself repeatedly. Tigerclaw drew his sword and deflected the whip's attack, allowing himself to get closer to Halkrath. However, the whip grabbed his sword and pulled it out of his hands. The sword was dragging along the floor and landed near Fishface. Tigerclaw decided to make a run for it and used his acrobatic skills to dodge the whip's attack. After getting close to Halkrath, Tigerclaw launched an uppercut until Halkrath grabbed his fist and punched him right in the face. Tigerclaw stepped back in pain while Fishface ran towards Halkrath and threw a punch. Halkrath grabbed the fist and was about to fight until a sword was struck into his torso. He saw that Fishface used Tigerclaw's sword and stabbed him with it.
Fishface said, "Not so tough now, are you ?"
Fishface grabbed Halkrath's whole body and slammed him into the ground. He pulled the sword out of Halkrath's body and tried to swing it at his face, but Halkrath grabbed the sword with his bare hands. His palms started to bleed a oozing green liquid and dropped onto his mask. Halkrath held the sword tightly and kicked Fishface in the face. Fishface let the sword go and stepped back, but fell to the ground when Halkrath tripped him with his leg. Halkrath got up and threw the sword away, but was suddenly grabbed by Tigerclaw. Halkrath struggled to get free until a punch landed on his mask. Halkrath turned to see Rahzar smiling and throwing punches repeatedly on his face.
Rahzar said to Halkrath, "It feels great to have some revenge after what you have done to me."
The punches started to crack Halkrath's mask until Rahzar stopped due to exhaustion. Halkrath then cracked his neck and broke free from Tigerclaw's grasp. He grabbed both Tigerclaw's and Rahzar's faces and slammed them together. Halkrath then grabbed the two mutants and threw them at a wall, firing a net at them afterwards. The net pinned both Tigerclaw and Rahzar on the wall and began to put pressure on them. They looked to see Halkrath running towards them and jumped, kicking them at the faces and broke the wall behind them. The two mutants then became unconscious and Halkrath turned to seek out his next target. He saw Fishface and Stockman-fly trying to flee, so he fired plasma bolts at them and injured the other two mutants. They both fell on top of the glass floor and Halkrath walked up to them, punching them through the glass floor and breaking it apart.
As they were floating in the water, Stockman-fly said, "Thisssss issss sssssooo not fffunnn."
After the long fight, Halkrath finally turned to the Shredder. He let out another roar to show his victory against his minions, but the Shredder was unimpressed. He wanted to have a rematch with him after the last fight. Ever since then, the Shredder has been training very hard in order to face Halkrath again.
The Shredder said, "I will defeat you, and then I'll find the Turtles and eliminate them. This time, you will be the one to face my wrath after I'm done with you."
The Shredder drew his blades and charged at Halkrath. Feeling very tired, Halkrath did not felt like fighting any longer. So Halkrath activated something on his wrist device, which caused it to morph into some strange glove that glow red on some parts. As the Shredder was near, Halkrath used the glove and punched him. The glove broke through the Shredder's armor and sent him flying towards his throne.
As the Shredder landed, he said, "It's...not fair. How could you...possibly defeat me...this easily. Well...it doesn't matter...you're too overpowered for...me."
The Shredder started to take deep breaths and stared at the city as he laid on the floor, feeling defeat ruining his pride. Halkrath looked back at the other mutants and then left the building. Defeating the Shredder was his top priority in order to defend Miwa and he had accomplished it. Although, he was hoping that the Shredder was going to give up trying to find Miwa and Master Splinter, but he decided to let it go. After coming back to the pizzeria, Halkrath entered it and saw that the Turtles, Master Splinter, and Kirby were the only ones there.
Raphael went up to Halkrath and said, "Where were you ?! Those two guys escaped and now April, Casey, and Miwa are gone after them !"
Leonardo calmed Raphael down and said, "Enough, Raph ! Halkrath was on his business and I'm pretty sure that they can catch Ivan and Steranko by themselves."
"That's not what I meant ! I'm saying that they're going after the Shredder WITH Ivan and Steranko," Raphael replied.
Master Splinter said to him, "Raphael, how could you have known about this and not tell the rest of us ?"
Raphael responded, "I didn't think that they were serious, but now they're going to be in big trouble to fight the Shredder themselves."
Halkrath chuckled and caused the rest of the group to become confused. He explained to them what he had done and surprised them all.
"Holy cow, why didn't you ask us to come ?" asked Donatello.
Halkrath replied, "You were all busy doing your usual things, so I decided to have fun by myself."
Raphael shouted, "I wanted to kick the Shredder's butt, but you had to take the opportunity from me !"
Halkrath responded, "Calm down, Raphael. At least we know that the Shredder won't be much of a problem anymore."
Back at the Shredder's hideout, Miwa and the others stood in front of the entrance to the Shredder's throne room. Ivan and Steranko held onto Miwa as April and Casey waited in a secret position.
As they were about to open the door, Miwa said to them, "Alright, you guys know the plan. Ivan and Steranko will turn me in and then they will leave the city. Then, April and Casey will free me from the Shredder and the three of us will defeat him together."
April and Casey nodded, while Ivan and Steranko opened the door. As they went in, they saw the injured mutants and the Shredder lying on the floor near his throne. They were too confused about what had happened and they went up to the Shredder.
As he heard their footsteps, the Shredder thought it was Halkrath and said, "What do you want now...creature ? Have you...not torture me enough...already ?"
At that moment, Miwa, April, and Casey knew that Halkrath was responsible for the assault on the Shredder. Afterwards, the three left Ivan and Steranko at the Shredder's hideout to get any supplies and weapons to help themselves get out of the city. Miwa, April, and Casey returned to the Pizzeria where they saw Halkrath sitting on the roof. Once he saw them, Halkrath jumped down and went up to them.
He said, "I knew that you all would return home safely. I'm glad that you are all unharmed."
Miwa nodded and said, "We only did this because we wanted to show you that we were capable as a team. April, Casey, and I have been thinking."
April added, "We wanted to form a team with you and recreate Master Splinter's clan."
"The Hamtato clan," Casey said, but Miwa and April corrected him and said that it was named the Hamato clan.
Halkrath was at a loss of words, but he knew what to do. He took out an old Xenomorph finger with a bit of acid on the nail. Halkrath explained to them about what he was going to do and they happily accepted his offer. He drew a T-shaped mark on each of their left cheeks and finished. They all looked at their new marks and decided to put their hands on top of each other. Miwa, April, and Casey waited for Halkrath as he placed his hand on top of theirs. After a few seconds, they cheered to show the new arrival of the newly formed team, the Hamato Clan.