Welcome back to The Dark Order. Last time, as the Gilded Resistance split up, it was revealed Vermillion wasn't in charge of Clockwork Swamp at all, and that Necromancer had taken over in his place after Vermillion betrayed the Dark Order. But as the tower in Clockwork Swamp was destroyed, he retrieved Dracia's necklace, and the gem around it, giving it to Darkblood and reopening the worlds for Conquest, just in time to capture the Gilded Resistance's spy within Darkblood's castle, specifically hidden within his harem, Wasp. So, what's going to happen now? Read on to discover...
(Our story resumes down a trail long after the clockwork machinery and hydraulic snakes have faded to but a memory, where the Gilded Resistance is resting after their brush with death, as Dracia reawakens.)
Dracia: (Groggily) Wha... what happened?
Goldix: Aether is what happened, Dracia. You unleashed the strongest bolt of Aether I've ever seen!
General Goldix: And depending on how close to your limit that was, we've now got an even bigger tar... (Now panicking) WHERE'S THE GEM?!
(At this point everyone notices the gem Dracia was carrying around her neck is missing, with the reveal even startling her into full consciousness as she starts trying to find it in a panic)
Mysterio: (Attempting to be the voice of reason) Okay, everybody calm down. (To Dracia) Where was the last place you remember having it)
Dracia: B...B...Back in Clockwork Swamp. Then after that flash of purple light, everything's a blank.
Mysterio: If I had to take a guess, that's where it is.
Jasper: Meaning Necromancer and Foxtrot likely have it, and have probably turned it over to Darkblood by now.
Mysterio: My thoughts exactly.
Goldix: Well then we've got to stop them! We've got to find Darkblood's base and get the gem back!
General Goldix: It's not going to be that easy, seeing as it's held aloft by a massive wall of Dark gems and 12 obsidian obelisks like the one you just saw in Clockwork Swamp. Add to that how we took out the ones in the Sub-Zero Arctic and Darkfang, and that Dracia has confirmed Volcanic Wastelands' tower is gone as well, there's still only two towers we know about, and the rest of the group hasn't been able to come up with any other locations.
Sulfur: One of them was on the Flying Island.
Dracia: Sky-Tearing Mountain had one.
Goldix: And the Asylum where James died had a third.
General Goldix: Okay, so that's seven gone. (Realizes something) Wait a second, what direction are we headed?
Cyrax: South. If my calculations are correct, Caustic Bog and the Caves of Flesh should be nearby.
General Goldix: The last of the towers we know. Alright team, this is the plan. We'll keep heading south from here towards Artisans Plains, taking out the towers in Caustic Bog and the Caves of Flesh as we go. Once at base we need to devote all our energy into finding the remaining three towers. Caustic Bog is the closest, so we'll start there.
(With a sort of mutual agreement, the group continues moving south as we transition back to Darkblood's throne room, where some of his soldiers are measuring out the width of a hole before plunging a pike into it blade up, all the while Darkblood watches on from his throne, now revealed to be in the base of the missing obsidian obelisk, the 12th one keeping the palace aloft. After the pike is placed the door is pushed open by Jade and Wonder Woman, in the garb of Darkblood's harem, as Wildblaze enters the room, now adorned in some sort of jewelry, made up of the shattered remains of the Crystal Gems: Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and the intact gem of Steven Universe. As Wildblaze curls herself seductively around Darkblood's throne, the shattered gems produce a slight tintinnabulation that catches Darkblood's ear)
Darkblood: Ah, I see you decided to get your finery out.
Wildblaze: Well, all this talk of new Conquests has gotten me reminiscing about my own, seeing as it was the most recent.
Darkblood: Ah yes, the one to Vermillion's home realm. He certainly seemed hesitant to help you get there.
Wildblaze: Probably because he'd seen what happened to that other conduit, Kuai Liang. Or the glitch that sent Hellboy back to his homeworld as Nosferatu went on his. (With a devilish smirk) If I recall correctly, you were hesitant about me going at all.
(Hearing this, and with a devilish smirk on his face, Darkblood bids his soldiers to leave the room, which they obediently do while he leaps from his throne and pins Wildblaze to the floor, placing her completely at his mercy)
Darkblood: (With a seductive growl as he caresses her) You know full well why. You are my treasure. The most prized of all the females I've ever mated with. That's why you're the Alpha in my harem, followed shortly by Synapse, Toxica, and Tempest. The only ones I really care about, and the female of my dreams above all. Of course, all of that was before I knew how... persuasive you could be. And how deadly.
Wildblaze: (Almost purring in response) I remember it like it was yesterday...
(With that, we transition to Beach City, a city in flames, only the original four Crystal Gems left fighting Wildblaze. Needless to say, it isn't going well, Garnet is the first to fall, both her gems being crushed, so Ruby and Sapphire die as well. Pearl attempts to stab Wildblaze in the back, only to get her gem shattered by Wildblaze impaling a horn through it, followed by Amethyst immediately getting shattered by Wildblaze using Pearl's spear before it dissipates. As the Crystal Temple starts to burn, Steven is the only one left fighting, or rather, blocking with Rose's shield. But even he can't hold off Wildblaze for long. With one final lunge, and before he can even get a word out, Wildblaze takes Rose's own sword from the crispy remains of Connie and uses it to behead Steven before ripping his gem from his stomach, through the sheen of which we transition back to the present)
Wildblaze: Good times...
Darkblood: Indeed they were. And soon, there'll be more of them.
Wildblaze: (As Darkblood prepares to mate with her) Looking forward to it.
(As this happens, we transition to a sickly green bog, the natural water content replaced with pools of acidic chemicals and other noxious substances, and one into which, unfortunately, Dracia and company are heading.)
Cyrax: Definitely going the right way. This place smells like the Dead Pool, only worse.
Dracia: (Seeing something moving beneath the pools) I take it this is Caustic Bog.
General Goldix: Yep. I can only hope that Splinter didn't go through here taking his team south.
Dracia: (Genuinely curious) Why?
General Goldix: Toxica, the mistress of this territory, is the one who conquered his world...
(As General Goldix recalls the story we transition to a version of New York City overrun with mutants as Toxica floods the sewers with toxic chemicals, hoping to flush out her quarry, with a mutant wolf and snapping turtle duo by her side, before coming to a final manhole cover)
Toxica: Tokka, Rahzar, open it.
(Heeding her command, Tokka and Rahzar lift not only the manhole cover, but part of the street as well before a pair of sai emerge, thrown from the darkness, impaling themselves into Tokka and Rahzar's heads, killing them as the rubble of the street comes crashing down, revealing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Sewer Lair, but with no sign of the Turtles themselves, rather only holding Splinter and Casey Jones.)
Toxica: Ah, there you are.
Casey Jones: Splinter, get out of here. I'll find the others. She's got to know where they are.
Toxica: You mean the rat's children? Don't worry, they're perfectly safe. Though that red one has a chance to die if I don't wrap this up quickly. So for his sake, why don't we?
Casey Jones: Nice try, lady. (Pulls out a baseball bat as he dons his hockey mask) I'm not falling for that one so easily.
Toxica: Ah, about as smart as Krang. In other words, this should be easy.
(Without wasting any effort, Toxica directs the flow of toxic sludge erupting out of every sewer in Manhattan into the Sewer Lair as Splinter flees, forcing Casey Jones to play the world's most dangerous game of "The Floor Is Lava". After a few minutes of this, Casey Jones makes it to the street and attempts to hit her with his bat before Toxica swipes it out of his hand before the two start dueling, a duel that doesn't last too long as Toxica keeps knocking away his sporting equipment time after time, before Toxica outright starts killing him, chopping off his arms and his legs before kicking the torso into a garbage truck, head leaning out guillotine style as Toxica stands by the lever for the compressor)
Toxica: Any last words? (Before Casey Jones can say anything) That's what they all say.
(With that, Toxica pulls the lever, destroying what remains of Casey Jones' body before she rips off his head at the neck, the mask falling off to reveal the look of fear and pain now frozen onto it as toxic sludge floods the streets, before the story transitions back to the present day)
General Goldix: (Shudders) I can still hear the sorrow from Splinter's telling.
Mysterio: Did they ever find them?
General Goldix: No, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey are still missing. Wouldn't surprise me if Toxica did something to them when she got back from her Conquest.
(But just as General Goldix gets that idea out, we hear two voices coming from nearby. The group manages to hide behind what looks like some tall grass just as Toxica and Shredder enter the scene, discussing something)
Toxica: You had better ensure this shipment arrives safely Oroku Saki.
Shredder: You have my word, Lady Toxica.
Toxica: And if you stop by Scarecrow Farms, do kindly kill that idiot Crane. His little stunt has slowed all production of the chemicals Lord Darkblood requires.
Shredder: Of course. It would give me nothing but pleasure to see him die.
Toxica: I'm glad we agree.
(As the two pass through the scene, Dracia and company emerge)
Dracia: That was close.
(Just as everything appears calm, the ground begins to shake as some kind of giant turtle emerges, but with a blindfold of familiar purple across it's face. It's Donatello, resembling his second mutation from the fourth season of the 2003 series, followed by three others, with blue, red, and orange blindfolds, all appearing right behind Dracia and company as their growls catch her off guard)
Dracia: There's something right behind me isn't there...?
Sulfur: (Glancing behind them) Oh more than a few things!
(At this point, Dracia doesn't even get the chance to turn around as the mutated TMNT manage to grab each of them and bring the entire Resistance in front of Toxica and Shredder, standing in front of a familiar obsidian obelisk as Doctor Destiny is loading a cart with what looks like barrels of chemicals)
Toxica: (Seeing their prisoners) Well, well, isn't this quite a reunion? The little girl who led to Darkfang's destruction.
Shredder: (Raising his tekko-kagi) Now that the Master has your little charm, you are useless to us, girl.
Toxica: (Stopping Shredder) Hold, Oroku Saki. Lord Darkblood still requires her alive. The rest... go for it.
Sulfur: (Recognizing who Toxica was) Mom?!
Toxica: (Realizing the resemblance) Well... it looks like I got busy with someone in your world. Based on that physique of yours, I'm guessing Everest. (Thinking about it) Sounds about right. Everest always did like being my pet when that was still going on. (With a growl of pleasure) Maybe I'll call him here for some fun, assuming Lord Darkblood allows that of course. Everest would probably love to hear he's got a son in some way, shape, or form.
Dracia: Aunt Sizzle, this isn't you!
Toxica: Oh please, Everest said the same thing before he saw the light, while he was still Rokko. How wrong he was...
(Now we flash back to one of the earlier battles against Darkblood and Wildblaze, the same one where Tundra tries to talk Shade into retreating before ultimately getting captured himself)
Toxica: For years prior to that day, I was arguably one of the darkest of the Element Guard, given my proclivity for bondage and dominance. My brother had the darker mind of the two of us, but we pretty much kept that part on the down low, only known to our lovers really, with the then Rokko frequently being the one bound.
(As the scene draws on, we see Sizzle, Bloodtar, and Tundra captured by Darkblood and Wildblaze before being subjected to massive infusions of Dark Aether, which twists Sizzle into the the blue and black clad dragoness we see today, her fangs extending to collapsible levels, her tail turning scorpion-styled, her entire skin dripping poison, her saliva becoming infested with the same micro-organisms in Komodo Dragon saliva, spikes and stingers extending from her shoulders and claws)
Darkblood: Rise... Toxica.
Toxica: In that moment, Lord Darkblood showed me a truth I had never known. Why should I hide the dark parts of my soul? Because someone would get offended? Well too bad for them, I am who I am, and I would not let them repress me from that point on! (Returning to the present) And as you've seen, I've taken on a few new pets in my time, given Everest is doing his own thing and doesn't have time to come over and play. I do hope my little turtles haven't hurt you too much. For most of you, there'll be worse torment incoming. But as for the girl, she will be brought before Lord Darkblood with the next batch of my toxins. (To the now mutated TMNT) Put the girl on the cart, throw the rest into the bog.
(With that, the mutated TMNT split up, Donatello placing Dracia on Doctor Destiny's cart before knocking her out while Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo are about to throw the rest into a pit of toxic chemicals. But just as they are about to, Goldix gets an idea, one shared by his eyepatch wearing twin. The two both concentrate their thoughts into a strange power only they possess, Sight Jacking. Both of them specifically focusing on Sight Jacking the mutant Michelangelo, who is holding them. Knowing he's blindfolded they won't be able to see much, but their plan works, as the amount of energy from two Golden Dragons is enough to fry the beast's mind, causing him to drop them both as his head explodes from the psychic energy. With one down, Goldix and General Goldix focus their attentions towards taking out the other two turtles. Apparently the mutation didn't do much for their ninjutsu skills, as the two have them taken down in under a minute. But as the two beasts fall, two more creatures emerge from the bog, a heavily mutated D'Vorah and what looks like a midnight blue fusion of all of Marvel's Symbiotes dripping with the sickly green and yellow. But even then the creatures don't last long against the Gilded Resistance, prompting Toxica and Shredder to worry.)
Toxica: Okay, this is not going well. (Looking at Shredder) This should work.
(Thus, with no mercy, Toxica shoves Shredder into the bog, and within seconds the toxic soup does it's work, as while Shredder went in, it's Super Shredder that emerges, who straight away joins D'Vorah and the mess of Symbiotes in battling the Gilded Resistance. But even with the addition of Super Shredder, the superior mental ability of the twin Golden Dragons is able to lead the Gilded Resistance to victory, even tricking Super Shredder into punching through the obsidian obelisk, dropping the massive structure on both himself and the mutant Donatello. But as the tower falls, Doctor Destiny has high-tailed it out of there, with Dracia still in tow. Seeing this, the group leaves Toxica in her ruined territory, her creations dead, yet she is smirking the whole time, as if she knew this would happen, as the scene ends)
And that looks like a good spot to wrap up for today. So, another tower falls, but Dracia is already being taken to who knows where. Well, I know where, but that's neither here nor there. A few notes before we wrap the chapter. The version of Super Shredder I'm using here is the one from Secret of the Ooze, because that guy looked awesome. And second, the Symbiote fusion thing should seem familiar for Age of Miracles readers. So, where is Doctor Destiny taking Dracia? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!