Heya Readers!
Sorry for the late upload, I had been spending ages wondering what to write for this chapter, but I think I finally got something!
Credit goes to Tyroth Darkstorm as his fan-character Tyroth the Dragon appears in this chapter!
Note: References to Tyroth Darkstorm's fic 'Mutants Misplaced' and my fic 'Mona's Wonderful Life' are referenced in this fic!
Chapter Thirty-One
Back in the lair, Bends and Splinter were sitting in the TV area watching a soap opera whilst Pandora and Kemeko were in the classroom doing some homework.
Splinter smirked as he watched the TV screens where there was a man sitting at a desk looking at some papers then picking one up and looking at it in shock.
Bends chuckled as he too watched.
"Oh yes!" he said, "Richie's about to find out Sophie's affair with his brother!"
Splinter leaned a little closer to the television and Bends had his mug of coffee in his lap which he'd almost forgotten about as he was so engrossed in the television.
Just then, both heard the lair doors open as well as the sound of vehicles and both turned from the TV to see the Turtles, Monalisa and the Sharks returning.
Streex was cradling his cheek from where the Jellyfish had struck him, and the others were nursing similar wounds as well as cuts and bruises.
"My children!" Splinter cried.
"Guys!" Bends shouted in concern and after carefully placing his mug on the coffee table, he leapt over the top of the sofa towards the Sharks.
Splinter followed suit and when he saw the state of his children and their friends, he blinked and gasped.
"What has happened?" he asked, "What happened topside?"
"Master…" Leonardo started but he looked up to see Pandora and Kemeko coming out of their classroom and Pandora's eyes widened when she looked at Streex and the rash on his cheek.
"Streex!" she cried and ran over to the tiger shark.
'Hey Sharkette!" Streex greeted brightly yet he groaned at the pain on his face.
"What happened to you?" Pandora asked.
"Hey! Steady on Pandora!" Kemeko cried as she tried to pull her hybrid cousin back "Give them some air!"
"As much as I am happy you are reining your cousin in Kemeko," Splinter spoke "I do share her curiosity on what happened!"
Leonardo sighed.
"Oh man Sensei, where to begin!"
Monalisa nodded then turned to Pandora.
"Pandora, go and make some drinks as well as prepare some snacks, Kemeko help her, and get on the phone to April and Casey, this concerns them!"
"Yes mum!" Pandora said, though rather reluctant to leave her friends and family as she was concerned as well as curious to know what happened.
"Yes, Aunt Mona!" Kemeko agreed and nudged Pandora forward as well as took out her Shell-Cell to call April and Casey.
Monalisa then turned to Donatello.
"Donnie, go and get your first aid kits, so we can patch up our wounds, the rest of us should go to the TV area and have a conference!"
Donatello nodded at his adopted sister and ran to his medical room to get his first aid kits as well as his laptop so he could look up and analyse what they had been fighting.
At the same time, everyone began to gather in the TV area.
In the kitchen, Pandora arranged a tray of mugs as well as some pots of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate as well as a tray of snacks which included some of Splinter's Homemade Honey muffins.
Kemeko had already made the call to April and Casey for them to come down to the Lair as soon as possible and picked up the try of snacks whilst Pandora picked up the other tray with the mugs and drinks.
"Oh shell." Pandora breathed as she walked to the entrance of the kitchen "What do you think happened up there, Kem?"
"No idea!" Kemeko replied "But I'm sure we'll find out soon enough!" she followed her hybrid cousin out the kitchen and they made it to the TV area where Donatello was tending to the Sharks, the other turtles and Monalisa's wounds as well as take a few swabs from Streex's rash on his cheek.
"Drinks are up!" Pandora called as she placed the tray on the table, Kemeko doing the same with her tray.
"Well done girls!" Leonardo praised "Thanks!"
Kemeko instantly went over to her father and sat next to him.
"Are you okay daddy?" she asked as she hugged him.
"I'm fine Lotus!" Leonardo reassured his daughter as he hugged her back "But I feel even better now I'm with you!"
Ripster smiled as he watched the turtle hugging his adopted human daughter and patted Kemeko's back.
"You got a tough daddy kid!" he said, "You should be proud of him!"
"Oh, I am for sure Ripster!" Kemeko agreed looking at the Great White over her shoulder.
Pandora meanwhile handed out tea, coffee, and hot chocolate to everyone, yet she had a furious look on her face.
"Who this this to you?" she demanded "I'll give them all a beating with Mr Swinger! Or better yet a slashing and stabbing!"
"Rein it in Tigeress!" Raphael growled "Getting angry won't help!"
As the hot-headed turtle said that to his daughter, Leonardo felt a slight feeling of amusement within him, as everyone in the family knew how furious and hot-headed Raphael got, he was famous for it, seeing red and wanting to take revenge on those who hurt his loved ones.
Pandora was mirroring him; it was almost scary and laughable at the same time.
"We're okay Sharkette!" Streex cut in, yet he winced as Jab dabbed his stings with a cotton bud "That's the main thing, right?"
"For sure!" Kemeko agreed as she looked up from hugging Leonardo.
Pandora still looked furious, yet she sighed as she agreed that at least everyone was okay and safe.
Before long, April and Casey arrived and after a few apologies about the sudden message to come down below and with it being late, as well as saying hello and accepting a drink and snack, everyone sat down to hear the account of what happened topside.
Ripster agreed to let Leonardo tell the story whilst he cut in every so often and Splinter, Bends, April, Casey, Pandora and Kemeko listened in silence as they heard the whole thing.
Bends gasped when he heard about the new Seavites.
"'Why am I not surprised?" he asked, "Paranoid creating new Seavites!?"
"And they were mutated via an airborne virus?" April asked, "Oh God!"
Casey gulped.
"Oh boy…" he groaned.
Pandora and Kemeko looked at each other in fear.
"So yes!" Leonardo said, "We're dealing with something so serious it could mean the end of humanity!"
"We should get Tyroth here!" Casey piped up "He could deal with this before you can say Bob's your uncle!"
Leonardo turned to Casey.
"Ask Tyroth?" he questioned.
"Why not?" Casey asked "That guy is practically a God when it comes to the powers he possesses! He could get this taken care of in a mere second!" he clicked his fingers.
The turtles and Mona looked at each other, and the Sharks looked confused for a moment then they remembered the stories of the famous Dragon mutant Tyroth they had been told of.
There was a moment of silence then Leonardo shook his head.
"No." he said.
"NO?" Casey and Michelangelo said together, and the others stared in bewilderment.
Leonardo shook his head.
"No…." he said "And I know what you're thinking, why can we not ask Tyroth to help us? Given his great powers?"
"Why not?" Michelangelo asked, "Big T is the answer to all our problems!"
"Yeah!" Pandora nodded agreeing with her uncle and Kemeko also piped in her opinion.
"Uncle T could sort this yes!"
"Quiet Mike! Girls!" Donatello said then turned to Leonardo.
"As much as I'm as surprised, and agreed with Mikey, I can understand why we should not call him."
Monalisa frowned then she too came to the same realisation.
"Tyroth may be the strongest Mutant we know and could take the Foot down with his eyes closed and both paws behind his back, but he isn't our solution for every problem!"
Leonardo looked at Donatello and Monalisa.
"I'm glad you two have realised before me having to explain!" he said then turned to everyone else who looked shocked.
"Guys, I was in conference with Tyroth a few weeks back last time we visited Mutopia, we were comparing enemies we had faced both in Chicago and in New York." Leonardo said, "And how we've coped whether together or on our own teams."
"And what did you speak about my son?" Splinter asked and the Sharks leaned in to listen.
Flashback
A few weeks ago, Mutopia, Chicago.
Leonardo and Tyroth sat in the Temple of the Well, both meditating deeply, both taking advantage of the stillness and silence of the most sacred place in Mutopia.
Both were confident their children were busy playing with Sonia, and the other mutants were busy with activities which meant they had all the time they needed to do their daily meditation.
As they sat in the respected lotus positions and let their minds clear, they soon entered the deepest part of their minds and before long their internal avatars were floating together in a stillness of stars and darkness.
Leonardo looked around the area as he floated, and he looked over to Tyroth's internal avatar.
"I have to say Tyroth." The blue masked turtle said, "Despite all the practice and experience of this from you and sensei's teachings, this is a whole new level I'm not quite used to!"
Tyroth chuckled.
"Trust me! There are times I find it surreal! But this is wonderful, somewhere to find peace, and think clearly when one has troubled thoughts!"
Leonardo nodded in agreement.
"Yet my thoughts aren't troubled Tyroth." Leonardo confessed "But rather curious as well as conflicted."
"And why is that, Leonardo?" Tyroth asked raising an eyebrow ridge.
Leonardo blinked.
"In the years we've known each other, we've had enemies who have tried to take us down, Overlord, Shredder, Arashi, Dr Arden, and many others…some more dangerous than others."
Tyroth nodded, yet his eyes flashed as the names were mentioned, all gave him a bad taste in his mouth and felt the rage within want to awaken after all those evil individuals had done.
"Yet when we've fought these enemies." Leonardo said, "There have been times you've been there for us, when you've happened to have been in New York, and sometimes not."
Tyroth nodded.
"And my family and I always value you as a strong and great asset to the Hamato Clan." Leonardo continued "But I can't help but wonder if a really big threat came…"
Tyroth cocked his head on one side.
"Well…we've prided ourselves on taking on whatever is thrown at us!" Leonardo continued "Monsters, demons…whatever sick experiment Dr Arden has thrown at us…"
Tyroth gave a proud smirk.
"Yet…there have been tomes we've wondered whether to call you when in a serious crisis?" Leonardo pondered.
"Like how serious exactly?" Tyroth asked.
"I don't know." Leonardo replied chewing his lip "I guess I never really thought about it, as we've been able to tackle anything."
"You know you can always call on me if things get so serious you can't handle it right?" Tyroth asked.
Leonardo looked up.
"Oh, I do!" he said quickly "Don't think for a moment that I feel I can't talk to you, it's just…. just…."
"You're just worried about calling me to clean up any mess you can't handle, and you feel guilty?" Tyroth asked.
Leonardo sighed and looked down a little ashamed.
"You hit the nail on the head there, Big T!" he said.
He soon felt the dragon's paw on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Tyroth looking at him with compassion.
"Leonardo." He said, "Trust me when I say there's nothing, I wouldn't do for you and your family!"
Leonardo looked at the Dragon and he knew what he said was true, Tyroth had been there for them through thick and thin, he had looked after them when they were accidently transported to Skyrim those years back, he had saved Monalisa's life that Christmas many years back, and there were many other times he had been there.
"But you are right." The Dragon spoke "You are correct when you say you're worried about calling me, especially as there are times I can't always be there, or even be there on time to help you when the shit really hits the fan."
Leonardo nodded in agreement.
"I have my powers, Leonardo." Tyroth said "I might be able to breath fire, use magic, be able to fly, go berserker, and many more, but getting somewhere in record time isn't one of them, and you will need to lead your family and team even in the direst of situations, and trust me when I say, I have faith in you!"
"You do?" Leonardo asked.
"By the Gods I do!" Tyroth replied fervently "I swear my place in Valhalla!"
Leonardo chuckled.
"If there's anyone who believes fully in you, it's me!" Tyroth patted his chest where his heart was "Trust me!"
"I trust you!" Leonardo smiled feeling more empowered "I trust you with my life! I know I can handle anything! No matter how bad, or dire, or life threatening!"
End Flashback
After Leonardo finished his story, he looked at everyone who sat there silently, until his sensei broke the silence.
"I see." Splinter mused as he rubbed his chin "That I can understand."
"Tyroth might be the strongest mutant we know." Leonardo said "But he did have faith in me, in all of us that we can handle the worst of situations on our own! Like we have before!"
The other turtles, April, Casey and Monalisa looked at each other as they remembered many situations, they had fought their enemies without Tyroth's help and despite some drawbacks and situations, they still came out on top and still alive and returned home to their children and friends.
The Sharks and Bends also listened in silence and they looked at each other.
"He's right boys!" Ripster agreed "No matter how dire, we need to go into battle ready for anything and with a plan!"
The Sharks agreed and fist bumped each other.
"Okay Leonardo." Ripster turned to the blue masked turtle "We're ready to follow your lead!"
"Totally!" Jab agreed.
"Ready and willing!" Streex nodded, yet he winced again as he held a cloth on his cheek where the Jellyfish had stung him.
"Ditto!" Slammu agreed.
Leonardo nodded with a determined smile then turned to Pandora and Kemeko.
"Girls, I think we're gonna need more drinks and snacks whilst we plan!"
"No worries, Uncle Leo!" Pandora grinned before turning to go into the kitchen.
"Certainly daddy!" Kemeko agreed with a bow then followed her cousin to the kitchen.
So a conference has happened to plan the next plan of attack.
Of course there is the thought of involving Tyroth, yet Leonardo knows that the Dragon can't always be there when needed.
Stay tuned to find out how our heroes are going to go about this situation and stop the Foot and Dr Paradigm's plans!