Ch.14: Bishop's Night

"Madness. Chaos," grumbled a man, as he peered out the window to the unruly crowd outside "Chaplin, I have to say that is worst I've seen in New York since the invasion."

"I agree with you Sir" said the red-haired scientist " but how do we solve it? The Earth Protection Force is…,"

"I hope you're not doubting my progress gentlemen," said a dark-haired man suddenly entering the room.

"Agent Bishop" greeted the first man with a bow " No, of course we weren't. Everything has been progressing smoothly since you've taken hold of the EPF. Soon everyone shall forget all about these Kraang."

"Don't support false hope" said Bishop, giving the bald, black man a hard stare " After all Striker, weird things seem to follow this city around. What can you report on this most current crisis?"

"Uh well Mr. Bishop" stumbled Chaplin " it appears that the citizens of New York are starting to praise their loyalty to someone called Shredder. By last count nearly half the town has been gathered in the square."

"Any thought to this Shredder?" asked Bishop.

"No Sir," the scientist answered.

"That's not the only strange thing" said Striker, looking towards Bishop " I went to get a cup water while we were waiting for you, but it looked weird coming out of the faucet, so I gave a sample for Chaplin to analyze."

"Very well" said Bishop, throwing a glance at Chaplin before moving on " the last thing we need is for more trouble to happen. Come along gentlemen, we have a crowd to disperse."

"Shredder! Shredder!" continued the crowd cheering in the square, clueless to anyone sane around them.

One sane person was watching from afar, in an alley, where his mutated mess of a body nearly blended in perfectly with the trash on the street. New York's own monster hero, Muckman. The garbage themed mutant just shook his head at the sight.

"This isn't good Eyeball" said Muckman to his little sidekick " the whole city looks like it has gone insane!"

"You're telling me!" said Joe, Muckman's independent eye "this has to be stopped."

"But how?" asked Muckman.

"Hey don't ask me" said Joe Eyeball " you're the monster hero."

"Hmm" grumbled Muckman " some help you are. Wait, here comes the EPF!"

Seconds later, Bishop and his men pulled up in their vans, stepping out armed as they greeted the hostile crowd that was not pleased to see them there.

"You're not Shredder!"

"We don't want you!"

"Get out!"

"Sir?" asked one of the EPF soldiers, turning to Bishop.

"Arrest them," said the agent, and with that the entire government force moved.

Using strict and very violent means, Agent Bishop's men brutally attacked the mind-controlled citizens of New York, subduing them on the ground by whatever means necessary despite the pain caused to the innocent. Muckman was appalled.

The government had no right to just viciously attack like that. They were supposed to be the good guys! But the man in charge seemed like he was enjoying all this chaos, judging from the smug grin on his lips.

Anger boiled up deep from Muckman's gut, but before the mutant could make any move to stop this disaster, something unexpected bumped into him.

"Oof!" Muckman cried, before turning around to see who had hit.

"Wow" said the mutant gecko before him " this just isn't my day."

"Who are you supposed to be" questioned Muckman " a lizard or something?"

"Gecko actually" said the mutant " Name's Jason, I was just heading back to my crib."

"Well I'd say you'd better take a different route" said Muckman, looking back at the crowd " this whole city has turned weird."

"Tell me about it" said Jason " I spotted this crazy goop in the sewers, got caught in a fight and…,"

"Wait a minute" interrupted Muckman " what crazy goop?"

"This red stuff in the water" said Jason " it's spreading out everywhere."

"Looks worth investigating" said Muckman to his eyeball, and then looked back at the kid " Take us there. If that goop is causing this mess, I say we purify it!"

Meanwhile, outside of Shredder's stronghold, Master Splinter stood looking up at the fortress, determination set in his eyes. The cut in his side was throbbing again from pain, a sensation he had barely thought of when facing Bebop and Rocksteady back in the lair.

However, right now, his injury was the last of Splinter's concerns. Already the rat's mind was filled with complete worry for his sons, and resentment towards Shredder for anymore evil he might use against them.

For years, the evil has spread increased to harm anyone within his sights. Now had come the time to end things once and for all. Tonight, Shredder shall be destroyed.

Meanwhile, somewhere inside the fortress, Pigeon Pete had finally managed to find Casey and the Party Wagon located in a smaller room. The sight of a third party, Angel, stunned Pete for a bit, but the pigeon quickly shook off his confusion and relayed to Casey Don's plan.

"Alright" said Casey, when Pete was finished " then once they come back, we're out of here."

"Don't count on it my friends!" said Fishface, suddenly appearing in the room, his balisword in hand "You'll never leave here alive!"

At that time, Donatello and Leatherhead had finally managed to locate the infirmary where a poisoned Leo was still fighting for his life. The sight of sick brother shook Donnie to the core, as he quickly leaned over to get to work on healing him.

Leatherhead stood on guard, suspicious of the darkness of the room. For a clinic, it seemed Shredder spend to much money for illumination, or was there some other reason for the lacking light?

The answer to Leatherhead's question soon came when he felt a presence seeking behind, and quickly turned around to hit Karai as she moved in for a bite.

Donatello's concentration was instantly broken by the noise of Leatherhead's fight, but before the purple-masked reptile could even figure out what was going, a flash of metal caught his peripheral vision, and he dodged just in time to avoid getting slammed with a mace.

"Grr!" Slash growled, stepping out into the light, armed and ready to take another shot.

"This is bad" thought Don, drawing out his bo " I just hope the others are doing okay,"

"Any answers Stockman?" demanded Shredder in the fly's lab "How did he resist the formula?"

"It's amazing Sir" said Stockman, turning to Shredder " but his mind seems to be adjusting, attacking the serum. I may have to resort to stronger means to keep him on our side."

This was exactly the news Shredder didn't want to hear, as he focused his cold gaze upon Raphael who lay strapped unconscious to the table, gauntlets still on hand.

This trouble had happened soon after they had defeated the turtles and their friends once they had infiltrated the lair. After Leo had fell poisoned to the ground, something odd had happened to Raphael causing him to temporarily disobey Shredder's commands.

Shredder was angry at this, and immediately took his 'apprentice' over to Stockman to run some tests. The serum was supposed to wipe his mind, and make him completely loyal to the Foot, what memory could possibly still be there for him to resist?

Just at that moment, Mikey entered the room to carry out Donnie's command and destroy Stockman's lab. However, when the orange-masked turtle noticed Raph, Stockman, and Shredder in the room it immediately caught his gaze.

"What's going on here?" thought Mikey, looking to the prone form of his brother "What are they doing to Raphael?"

Something worse than mind control entered Mikey's thoughts as his muscles immediately tensed with the sensation to save his brother. Even if Raph still saw him as his enemy after the rescue didn't matter one bit.

Mikey would free him, and take Shredder down!