Chapter Twenty One: The Power of Five Part Four:
Nega-Harry stood, looking at the Turtles, who glared at him. Grace remembered her father briefly mentioning his battles with his mirror universe counterpart but it was just only in passing. They were never described in detail, as if it was something that he wanted to acknowledge, but not bring into great detail. The Dark Emperor stood, with Adrenaline on the other side, perplexed.
"How did you get out?" demanded Raph.
"The last time you fought Harry, he knocked you into that interdimensional void, there is no way you could have gotten out of that oblivion," said Mikey in a shocked voice but the Dark Emperor just responded with laughing, a smile creeping onto his face.
"Naturally, I did escape, as I'm here, you seem, time doesn't pass normally in that void, it felt like years but was really only several months in reality," remarked Nega-Harry smugly. "When my misguided counterpart trapped me in that dimension, I thought this would be the end. On the other side of the mirror, my work would be eliminated, it would crumble, years of hard work eliminated in one fell swoop. My mind nearly snapped in that void but somehow, interdimensional disturbances, caused by Draxxor's little attempts to throw this world into the Realm of Darkness caused rips in the void to open. All of time and space were compromised for several months and I went through several alternate realities because of the interdimensional rifts opening and closing. I had a sense of where they were coming from, because of my experiments with dimensional travel and my work with the portal from the last time we battle. No matter what, each of the openings never lead to the one I wanted, back to my world. I managed to return to this one, but no matter what, my world was out of reach. I hated every moment of my time here, but I made plans, I watched as this city crumbled apart. Our favorite hero did nothing to stop the madness, even less than usual. In fact, he gave up and so did I, all of my work was consumed with finding a way back home."
The Dark Emperor paused, looking at the Turtles who were struggling, along with the Shadow Phantom but he just responded with a smug smile.
"I wouldn't really bother, those bindings are tight and I've shut down your armor, only leaving enough power for that little tracking device that your father has put into it," said Nega-Harry calmly as he looked at the Shadow Phantom. "Yes, I know who you are but quite frankly, I don't really care. You're only a minor problem to the over tapestry of corruption in the universe. I expected this from your father, maintaining the status quo but the moment you put on that armor, you nearly compromised anything. That's why I put together the Fiendish Five, even though I loathed having to work together with such petty thugs."
"I'm not with them, I hated working with them, I'm not a petty thug, I'm a heroine," said Adrenaline, speaking up for the first time and the Dark Emperor just turned to her, but he did not seem annoyed, rather he smiled.
"I know, Andrea, believe me, you were victimized by young Miss Potter as much as the rest of the city," said Nega-Harry. "My mirror counterpart was much the same we, he never understood that I was the true hero. He called me the evil, twisted, distorted counterpart, but he was the counterpart. I took over the world because I had to, I took care of all the evil. At one time, I mistakenly believed that I should have honor but why should there be honor, when the entire world doesn't have any?"
"It's because it's the right thing to do," responded the Shadow Phantom. "I wouldn't expect a twisted counterpart of my father do to the right thing, you unlocked those villains, to set them on me but why? What could you have to gain?"
"Now, silence, I don't give a damn about you, you aren't the objective, it's my counterpart I'm after," said Nega-Harry coldly. "You're merely the means to bait the trap. I have nothing personal against you, even though you have inherited your father's misguided sense of honor. As for the thugs, I unlocked them and I put them back in, don't you think that I would have left that lot running lose for long. They should have been put under control, but Bishop is content to study them and put them in danger by putting them in a facility that is so easily breached. As for the Turtles, you're just collateral damage. After all of this time, I will have my revenge."
"We're heard this song and dance before, what makes you think you're succeed?" asked Leo as he tried to struggle but he found that it was impossible to break the straps.
"I've planned this for over fifteen years, I won't be denied this time, in fact, this will be the reason why I succeed," said Nega-Harry as he pressed a couple of buttons on a console device and a door rose up, to reveal a mirror, surrounded by several cables and magical energy swirling around it. More energy appeared to be flowing into the mirror. "I managed to create this interdimensional gateway, based on mostly my memories and a few additions of my own. The Hyperdrive, yes I stole it, was the perfect means to transmute energy into magic, with a little help of a machine powered by DNA that I took from Luther Malfoy when he was knocked out. Unfortunately, this city does not have a powerful magical source like Hogwarts to run an interdimensional gateway, but now, I can open a portal to any dimension I choose. Including that oblivion that it threw my mirror counterpart…"
"But I don't think it's a good idea to be saying these things, revealing your plan," said Adrenaline, who shook her head. It seemed like a very foolish thing to do.
"Normally, I wouldn't do this, but they won't be leaving here alive, especially these reptiles," said Nega-Harry as he turned to Adrenaline who shrugged. "I will allow you the final decisive victory over the Shadow Phantom, but right now, I want my victory."
Adrenaline responded with a nod, as she knew her time would come soon enough and it would be glorious when it happened.
"Now, I know you're curious of why you have been spared, other than the fact that you're not one of them," said Nega-Harry. "I could have just as easily not taken your word for it and dropped you down with the rest of them."
"Yes that thought did cross my mind," admitted Adrenaline in a grudging voice, as Nega-Harry turned to her. "So why did you do it?"
"Some things had to be done, for your protection, until I was ready to cleanse the world of all undesirable forces," responded Nega-Harry and Adrenaline responded with a calm understanding nod, wondering where this is going. "I had to put you with them for your own safety and protection, while blocking your memories, but they were just manipulated pawns. You ever notice how cold and distant your parents are, I assume."
"Well yeah, but I don't mind, they always buy me nice things so I don't care," responded Adrenaline. "I know they love me."
"They don't because they're not capable of emotion, being robots," responded Nega-Harry and Adrenaline gasped in shock, but while this seemed far fetched, it did explain a lot of things about her parents. "Your real father is here for you however and now wants you to take your rightful place, in helping change the universe, taking care of this world where I go back to my home dimension, to try and fix the damage that was caused when I was thrown into this scattered, twisted dimension. And your father is me."
Needless to say, this revelation floored Adrenaline, as the implications of this revelation completely hit her.
-
Harry moved down the sewers, the tracking blip on the Shadow Phantom's armor was growing stronger, as he limped forward. He sensed that his daughter was in danger and the fact that the entire city was blacked out, had caused some alarm bells. It had to be interdimensional travel and it could be anyone, as he got out of the sewers, on one leg, but a helicopter touched down on the ground. The light was very prominent in the blacked out city, as several commandos exited. Harry stood, hand on his wand, as Agent Bishop stepped out.
"Mr. Potter, please put the wand away, we're not here to cause trouble," said Bishop calmly but Harry refused to listen.
"If you're here, there can be nothing about trouble," said Harry. "The blackouts are happening, my daughter is missing, my brothers have been dragged in this, and I know you have information. However, if you're not going to give me that information, than get out. I'm on my last nerve regarding you, after what you've done."
"It is your right to know, Mr. Potter and I feel I have made a judgment of error in sending your daughter in there with those five, but the mastermind behind this, we're beginning to sense that it is someone really dangerous and someone that you thought was gone for good," said Bishop calmly. "There were a series of odd disturbances years ago…"
"What do you mean odd disturbances several years ago?" asked Harry as his eyebrow raised up. "I never heard anything about this."
Bishop stood across Harry, arms folded. The commandos fingered their weapons, preparing to pull the triggers but Harry just stared back at them, with the slightest hint of a triumphant expression on his face.
"Don't bother, I've already vanished the firing components of your little laser blasters," said Harry.
"On the ball as usual, Mr. Potter," responded Bishop with grudging respect as he looked at him but Harry just stared back, a calm, unfeeling expression on his face.
"Now, Bishop, you mentioned something about odd disturbances, I want to know exactly what is going on here, because if my guess is right, it puts the entire city in peril," said Harry and Bishop looked back at him, before he slowly nodded in response. "Okay, spill it Bishop, what's up."
"Years ago when you fought the powerful demon overlord known as Draxxor, he opened up a portal that intended to pull this planet into the Realm of Darkness, which you clearly know and despite the fact you shut the portal, it caused all sorts of interdimensional backwash and several portals opened up, for brief instances, it was pure luck that something got through but something did," answered Bishop and Harry stepped forward, but winced, as he had stepped down a little too hard on his leg for his liking. "An old enemy of yours if I'm not mistaken but…"
Bishop's wrist communicator went off at that precise moment and he held his hand up as Harry leaned forward.
"This had better be good, Stockman," responded Bishop in a calm voice.
"Oh, I think it's of interest, Agent Bishop, the entire city might be blacked out but since our scanners are on a separate source of power, we're picking up a magical influx of strange energy, in fact, the signature is nearly identical to that of the Hyperdrive," said Stockman. "It's driving power and…"
Suddenly, Stockman was cut off by a loud shockwave going through the city. Harry staggered backwards and several of the commandos were knocked nearly to the ground.
"Magic," muttered Harry. "Enough to punch a hole in the dimensional barriers and cause untold chaos if not directed properly."
"Precisely what I was afraid of," said Bishop as he looked at the wrist communicator before he spoke to Stockman. "Stockman, can your scanner pick up any portals or anything that might cause a dimensional anomaly."
"Yes, yes several, only remaining open for a second or two, but its just backwash of the power source," reported Stockman calmly. "The Hyper Drive is causing these dimensional rifts but enough power may be drawn to open up a larger opening in time and space. To where though and to why?"
"A mirror dimension," responded Bishop coldly and immediately Harry caught onto exactly what was going on and he hated having to deal with him again. It was only by a technicality he beat him last time and threw him in that void between dimensions.
"Keep your eyes out for anything strange, I have something I need to take care of," said Harry and without another word, he was gone, rushing towards the source of the tracking device that he left in the Shadow Phantom armor. His steps quickened, he was fully aware since it was left in one place, he may be walking straight into a trap but that was to be expected. Harry was ready for anything that his mirror counterpart but what being prepared be enough? He did not know and that quite frankly spooked him to a great degree.
-
"You're my father?" asked Adrenaline in a shocked voice and Grace realized the implications of that.
"That means that she's…my…mirror counterpart," said Grace in a shocked voice and Nega-Harry just turned to her, before he started to clap, slowly and loudly, before he bowed.
"No wonder it was so difficult to trap you, with wonderful leaps of deduction like that," commented Nega-Harry in a light voice. "Yes, I'm your father, as difficult as it would seem. You don't remember anything about me but your basic instincts are still the same. You've fought for justice, even though people would foolishly brand you to be a villain. Your counterpart is twisted, misguided, but you try and do the right thing, no matter how many times you fall flat on your face."
"Yes, that's right," stated Adrenaline and Grace responded by rolling her eyes. Yep, the clues fit perfectly, they were both vain and misguided, thinking they were heroes but in reality they really were not. "I'm all those things but I think I understand why I wasn't told. You wanted me to live a normal life…"
"Indeed, until you're ready, not with the pressures of being the daughter of the greatest wizard that ever lived," said Nega-Harry as he looked at his daughter with a smile. "A heroic avenger like myself can have some big shoes to fill…"
"Not to mention a big ego," muttered Raph but Nega-Harry ignored him.
"You grew into that role naturally," said Nega-Harry as he pulled his wand out and tapped it to Adrenaline's forehead. "I'm releasing your memories and your magic, which unlike certain people, you have the ability to control without doing a great harm to yourself and others."
He nodded towards Grace, who tried to vainly struggle to get out and Adrenaline felt her memories slowly returning to her and a strong warm feeling coming to her fingers. She smiled, she knew exactly what was happening and the fact she could do magic, while Grace Potter couldn't without killing herself or others, made it all worth while. The smirk on her face was self assured but her triumph was cut short by an alarm on the outside.
"Ah, we have company, I'd love to continue this family reunion, but there are scores to be settled and misguided mirror counterparts to eliminate," remarked Nega-Harry as he looked at Adrenaline. "Do keep an eye on these five and makes sure they don't escape. I'll deal with them later."
"Sure thing, Dad" remarked Adrenaline as she held the sonic weapon on the four Turtles and the Shadow Phantom, never bothering to take her eyes off of them, as Nega-Harry moved off, to meet his mirror counterpart. The Shadow Phantom attempted to twist. "Well, I guess it's the end, Potter, my Dad is going to beat up your Dad, and then I'm going to unmask you. So the question is, what are you going to do about that?"
"This," responded the Shadow Phantom calmly, as she turned her positioning slightly. "Shrink suit to locket now."
Suddenly, the suit shrank to a locket, which gave Grace just enough room to slip through the straps and she sprang up, knocking Adrenaline backwards with a kick. Adrenaline was staggered back and another kick rocked her. She bounced back up and grabbed Grace, before throwing her down to the ground. Adrenaline hammered a kick right into the ribs of Grace and picked her up, before throwing her right onto the operating table that she was strapped onto.
"You can't defeat me without your armor and now I can beat you easily," stated Adrenaline as Grace flipped up, before she kicked the operating table. It slid forward, smacking right into Adrenaline's stomach, knocking her down. Grace picked up Mikey's nunchucks that were laying on the floor and swung them but Adrenaline caught them and yanked them forward, before delivering an uppercut. Grace dropped to the floor, her lip cut from the impact. Adrenaline swung the nunchucks around, cracking them right against Grace's body several times. The sound of wood smacking against flesh and bone was sickening, and she dropped down. "I can keep this up all night, but as for you, you can't hold up too much longer. Without that tin can to protect you, you're just another thug on the street."
"And you're just another arrogant loudmouth with powers," said Grace as she flicked a metal disk from her sleeve. She had learned not to rely on the armor, to always have more tricks up her sleeve and the disc hooked to the chest of Adrenaline, before several thick metal cables held her place. She struggled and Grace turned over.
"Get us out of here, because this isn't that pleasant or really comfortable," grumbled Raph.
"Anyone know how," said Grace as she tried to pull the straps loose but that was no dice. She moved over to the control console and began to work with the buttons, hoping for anything, but she heard Adrenaline pull herself loose. Quickly, she picked up the sonic weapon that Adrenaline had dropped and pressed a button. Adrenaline screamed as she was blasted full force right in the head with the weapon, a loud ringing moving throughout her ears as she thumped right to the ground. She cursed herself for removing her ear plugs. That bought Grace some more time and she continued to attempt to figure out how to free the Turtles.
-
Harry walked inside the abandoned convenience store where the tracking signal had lead him. His guard was up for anything and suddenly a huge chain with a sickle swung at him by the ceiling. He just narrowly dodged the attack and it smashed into the wall. Harry moved around, looking up, before he saw lasers blasting. Holding his wand, he put up a shield charm and the lasers were deflected by the shield and he gimped over on one leg. Harry stepped around, his bad leg very nearly crumpling out from underneath him, as a net dropped down. He whipped his wrist, slicing the net to pieces. Suddenly another figure dropped down and Harry came face to face, with his mirror counterpart.
"So, it's you, you managed to return," said Harry calmly, but he had his hand on his wand and the other hand on his walking stick.
"Yes, no thanks to you, it was luck and a bit more trouble than I would have liked but I returned and now I will finish you off, at one time, I thought you could be educated on the right ways, but now you must be destroyed," responded Nega-Harry as he bowed. "You've lost more than a few steps, the great hero, bowed by age and injury, quite sad, but I'm not as nearly as foolish to reduce myself to such a pathetic state. I can defeat you easily now but perhaps I have misjudged you. You did dodge a few traps I put in place, so you still have a few more tricks up your sleeve."
"More than you could ever know," said Harry as he stood, hand on his wand, waiting for his twisted counterpart to make the first move. "I'll show you that I might have one more good fight in me yet…"
"Spare me the dramatics, you couldn't beat me when you were at the peak of your abilities, hero, and now that the sun has set on your life, you have even less of a chance to defeat me," responded Nega-Harry. "But, I'm nothing but a fair man and I will give you a chance to prove me wrong. Let us fight and see who the better warrior is. Let's fight and see who was right, one more time."
Harry responded by throwing a stunning spell at his mirror counterpart. He ducked and Nega-Harry sprung up, aiming his wand with a black light that ripped through the air. The Boy-Who-Lived blocked the attack and shot another attack back at Nega-Harry. The next two spells collided with each other in mid air, knocking both wizards off of their feet. The Dark Emperor got to his feet first, with Harry following, struggling, wincing. He felt the full impact of that one and he flicked a shuriken right at his enemy, but he quickly deflected it. It impacted the wall and caused a miniature expulsion, before Nega-Harry flipped over the back of his opponent. Both feet impacted and Harry did a flip forward, just narrowly avoiding being crippled by landing on the back of his neck. He dropped down, wincing, as Nega-Harry conjured a sword with his wand and swung it forward, but Harry blocked it with his walking stick.
"Weak, pathetic, useless as you always were, yet more so," remarked Nega-Harry, as he kicked his enemy in the ribs and deflected the walking stick with one blow. Another kick to the ribs and Harry crashed down, before the Dark Emperor grabbed the walking stick and swung it, cracking it right against his right knee. "This has lost all amusement for me, so I'm going to end it right now."
Nega-Harry pointed his wand, but quickly Harry threw a miniature disc. It exploded in mid air, causing the Dark Emperor to gag on the smoke that rose up and Harry gimped forward, before he swung a punch. Nega-Harry blocked it, but Harry sent a banishing charm right at him. The Dark Emperor smashed into a stack of shelves and Harry moved over, sending thick ropes but Nega-Harry sliced through them. This left him open for an attack from Harry, as he managed to deliver a partial back flip, wincing as he landed on his leg, but grabbing his mirror duplicate around the throat and throwing him down to the ground backwards. The Dark Emperor grabbed his sword but Harry used his wand to transfigure a broken shelf piece into one of his own. The two swords clanged together, sparks flying from the impact, as both versions of Harry Potter staggered, in an attempt to push each other back but the attacks remained at a stalemate. They were both at a stalemate and Harry's fatigue was obvious, his knee killed him, a sharp stabbing pain shot through the knee but he refused to give up. The same qualities that he used to defeat Voldemort, the Shredder, Draxxor, and many other enemies throughout the years was pushing through, and he knocked his counterpart down. Another swing and the sword was broken, before Nega-Harry was knocked backwards through a door that flung open. He landed on his feet, but he managed to grab a piece of pipe and swing it. A loud crack and Harry flopped to the ground, knee injured and all.
"I believe the second wind is over," said Nega-Harry but suddenly the four Turtles and Grace moved forward, ready for the fight and the Dark Emperor saw his daughter on the ground. He sprung forward, shielding his eyes, as he sliced a pipe. It released a thick cloud of green, non-lethal gas, before he picked up Adrenaline, hoisting him up and removing an amulet. He tapped it from his wand. "You've won this round but I will return."
"He's getting away," coughed Don as Harry got up, managing to push the smoke away from his wand.
"I've noticed," said Raph in a grumbling voice.
"Look on the bright side, he's left his little toy here for us to bust," said Mikey and Leo swung his swords, but they passed through the control of the portal.
"Hologram," grumbled Leo.
"It was a trick, we should have known he wouldn't have held the real thing here," said Grace and she saw her Dad, on the ground, moaning in agony. "Dad!"
"I'm fine," muttered Harry but the look on his face indicated that he was not fine. "I have to find him fight him…"
"Harry, you're in no condition to fight," said Leo and Harry looked at his brothers, really seeing them for the first time in many years and just slumped to the ground defeated.
"Get him out of here and to safety," said Grace but she frowned, as a small metallic disc was on the floor, just barely visible through the hologram. "Then get back here, this might back our only clue."
Grace picked up the disc, as the Turtles moved over. Harry attempted to stand on his feet on his own but it was the impossible task. He collapsed, barely able to move at all, his injuries beyond anything else that he had ever suffered. As much as she hated on relying on this man for help, Agent Bishop was perhaps the only one who might be able to give her a clue on what that was. He would need to be contacted at any rate to pick up the four captured members of the Fiendish Five and take them away to there holding cells. She just hoped for the sake of the city that they could be kept in place this time, because of all the damage they suffered. She watched as the Turtles moved backward, now that they had helped her, it were uncertain where they would go from here. Only time would tell and would properly heal the wounds of what had happened in the place. Right now, Grace made a movement to contact Agent Bishop, to see what he could tell her about this small metallic disc she found if anything at all.
-
"Extremely interesting, a bunch of these devices were stolen by Zixx," said Stockman as he looked them over. Right now Wraith, Slash, Jammerhead, and Master Magic had been moved back to their cells in the Earth Protection Force prison, where they would hopefully stay without a problem this time. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if that mirror universe nutcase has them, we may never find the Hyper Drive."
"Exactly what are they?" asked Grace. "Because after you nearly got me killed against those five nutcases, you do owe me an explanation."
"Well there really isn't much explained, except they are a useful and rather frustrating tool that he could use with the proper programming to mask the energy signature given off by the Hyper Drive," said Bishop in a calm voice. "They belonged to one of the many alien races that visited this planet over the years and we confiscated them. Zixx managed to swipe them when they were being moved for disposal when we found them to be potentially unstable and corrosive after a long period of time."
"Why would he want something that dangerous?" asked Grace.
"No telling, but I'd imagine he fixed that little defect and is now using them to hide the real location, perhaps even finding a way to drum up some fake dimension anomalies on the way," responded Stockman.
"Rest assure, we are doing all we can to find out where he really has that interdimensional portal hidden and find a way to destroy it, but the fact he explained to you what he done in great detail is rather intriguing," said Bishop. "It could be to have us looking in the wrong direction or he could be so blatant that's exactly what happened. He'll keep us guessing, with that mirror evil, you should expect the unexpected."
"I plan to, this isn't over yet," said Grace more to herself than Bishop.
"I'd imagine not, but you're dismissed for this evening, after what he did to your father, I believe you deserve some rest, the four are locked up, I can't imagine a situation where he would ever use them again, the one he wanted is still out and about, but we will do all we can to bring her in," said Bishop calmly. "You have my word."
Grace nodded, even though his word didn't really mean all that much to her.
-
Adrenaline sat up on the couch, groaning, as she tried to remember. Than it came to her, the Shadow Phantom, Grace Potter, defeated her again.
"I wouldn't sit up too fast, you haven't been completely healed," said Nega-Harry as he looked over his daughter, before he made a few small calibrations. "That fool Bishop is running all over the city looking for the portal, misdirected every way, when I have the real thing hidden in a building under the Fidelius Charm. It is a stroke of brilliance if I do say so myself."
"It is Dad, but I still want to finish her off," said Adrenaline.
"You shall, in time, but right now I believe, yes I have it, I sent a message, if this is timed right, my armies should come through the portal, as loyal to me as they were the day I left," said Nega-Harry as he pulled one more switch. The portal lit up, before a light shot up in the air. "Small temporal glitch but no matter, it's properly calibrated otherwise, now to bring forth my legions into the world, to fix the problems that my distorted counterpart caused."
The portal was full power and several shadowed figures stepped from the portal, that the Dark Emperor recognized his elite ninja assassins. They stopped in surprise and bowed before him. He still had his army, maybe not as strong and numerous as they were in times past.
Still enough to destroy his distorted mirror counter part along with his wife and daughter and those accursed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.