Heroes in the Half-Shell
Chapter 24 – TMNT vs. the Shredder Part Three
Disclaimer: I do not repeat DO NOT own TMNT and crew in any way cause they belong to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird (Only knows as the Greatest Guys on Earth!). Other characters like a certain OC that happen in these fanfic rightfully belongs to me and only ME!
Announcement from the writer: Hey guys! Wow. Interesting fact: I almost lost track of this story as we had the Grand Finale of AFL and my brother was down for the long weekend. Not to mention that I forgot to upload on the appointed time as I was at Sydney for my hip-hop competition last weekend. And since we are almost finished with it, it nearly slips my mind. Like before again and again and again. And AGAIN! At least this will be all over in a few short days if I can stick to my schedule and such. Let's check with the reviews, shall we?
From the reviews/PMs that I got, I will answer them:
To ChelleNorlund
Wow. This story is sooooooooo good. I like it, I love it. :-) I do like how Raphael says, "Cowabunga." I also like how the turtles work together as a team & stay together as a family. I bet they will show the Shredder what TURTLE POWER is all about. :-)
Keep up the good work, I hope you will update soon. :-)
Thanks,
ChelleNorlund.
I'm with ya. It was pretty good when he said that line.
With two more chapters to go, I'm getting chills down my spine as I get closer to the finish!
To erica phoenix16
Thanks for updating. :)
No worries!
And thanks for TerrorTwinsFan for adding me and the story to their favourites. Love to have my fans to come around all the time.
The final part. Before the grand finale…
(Sacks Tower, Manhattan, NY – 9:16am)
Once Sacks has collapses onto the floor thanks to Vern's strike, that is when April shuts off the Halon. Holding down the button to abort it, the smoke clears up and the alarms were set off.
They have done it. They managed to kill the lights on Sacks. Not figurative. Vern just only knocked him out with a microscope.
Sally stands up from the counter. After she threw the beaker at Sacks, she quickly duck down in case he fires the shot at her. She and April looked at the outcome of the small battlefield. Only two men were lying on the ground. One was completely unconscious. The other was struggling. Is Vern ok?
It turns out the last bullet that Sacks fired did went somewhere. Into the accidental hero himself. The pain looked on his face and with him straining to move says it all. With the help of his left arm, the cameraman pushes his back up against the table. His right arm was clenching up in a tight form. Groaning, Vern was trying to ease the pain surging through his body.
"Vern!" the teenager cries out.
April and Sally were shocked to see their friend took the bullet for them. They both rushed over to aid him. Sliding down on their knees, they both looked at the damage. A small patched hole was located just below the shoulder blade and it was now drenched in a dark liquid. The blood from the bullet wound was seeping through the fabric. At least it wasn't close to his heart. Then Vern would be in real trouble. Sally looks over at the unconscious businessman just close to them. There too was blood stained on his forehead thanks to the sharp fragile object that the teen threw at. But she and April didn't care. After what Sacks has done to them and put them through, they both had a right to do what needs to be done. And Vern played his part by whacking him on the head with a microscope.
"Are you okay?" April concernedly asked. Beside the burning sensation in my upper body? Not bad.
Vern takes his index finger and lightly touches the wound. Portion of the blood is on his finger and it continues to pour out. It won't stop until someone fixes it up. Does either of the girls know how to do first-aid? Man, he wishes he was bulletproof like the Turtles are. Now he knows what those heroes from action movie felt like when they get shot at.
But he can't worry about his injury right now. There are still the matters at hand.
"Look, just go get some help and take the mutagen with you. Just go!" Vern begged. The girls were shocked at this.
April becomes very anxious for his safety. "No!" the woman barked. He's not gonna die, right? He'll be fine, right?
"GO!"
Yeah, he'll be fine. He's tough.
But the girls don't want to leave him like this. He is severely injured and they would leave him in a room with a senseless lunatic. But right now, he doesn't seem to be awake now. Who knows how long until Sacks will come to? Not in the next few minutes, that's for sure. Enough time to Vern the medical help that he needs and to call the police.
Despite her objective, April did what he told her to do. She stands up, runs over to the two vials. One-by-one, she removes them from their stand. Taking one in her grip, she passes the second one to Sally as she places it in her bag. Just in case they lose the first dose. They do not want to leave it in Sacks' possession. With the mutagen in their custody, April and Sally make their as they head out to the same entrance that they took.
They went right around the corner, leaving Vern and the unconscious foe in the wake all alone.
The injured man simply breaths in and out to keep him calm and collected rather than freaking out. It was a foolish move to make but it was worth it to do their part to stop him and save the city. At least the girls will get some help for him in the meantime. With Sacks out cold, they would be no-one in the building currently to stop them.
He pictures an indignant smile on his face as he chuckles. "Just another day in the life of a man in action." Vern then laughs some more. He can sense that the agony in his shoulder is surprisingly dying down. Can he move now? Maybe he can try to stand up. "List—" But pain begins to act up when he moves an inch. He then falls back, knowing that he is pushing it. "Ow. No, I'm not getting up."
All he can do now was wait for the help that he needs thanks to his friends. But the girls were going to take a little detour.
The only one of the group that should be allowed at the computer would be the purple turtle himself. Other than Shredder of course.
After finally pushing the metal fiend off the tower using the game that they pass the time when they were as kids, it provided them a clear path for the mutants to the machine. Donatello is going to put his expertise to the test by hacking into the console and shut down the system. If he fails, the toxin will be unleashed and the entire city will suffer. Only 35 seconds are left on the clock and the liquid inside the canister is at 80%. It's now or never.
The brute of the group was leaning over his shoulder. "You know how to use this thing?" he wonders as Leo and Mikey are standing right behind them. Knowing his younger brother, he definitely has the brains to hack into any computer no matter how old the model is. Time is of the essence. Because if his bro Donnie can't stop the procedure, it will be all for nothing.
Donnie looks at his older bro. "It's a simple command-line interface," he replied before facing the screen and he begins to type on the keyboard. But he does appear to be nervous as he gets to work. "No-one's used this code in 15 years. I mean, I've read about it online. But these kind of things take time." So apparently Donnie hasn't operated something like this on a massive scale before but he only knows it on the internet. And he has only one shot in such a short time. So, no pressure for him.
But only those like Shredder and Sacks who plan this plot for so long would know how to work this dinosaur. Obviously, he has to learn on the job in order to shut it down. And with only 30 seconds on the clock. Donnie can possibly work under this stress as this would really challenge him. The last thing that he and the others need is more problem.
A metal claw grips on the ripped edge of the building. Followed by another. He then pushing himself up onto the building.
The sound of metal scrapping overtakes the techie's voice. Donnie keeps on blabbing while his brothers all right behind their shells. More problem for them has just enter.
The Shredder lives on.
Looks like he has survived that fall of his and he has picked a really bad time to make a comeback.
The smart turtle was not aware of this certain someone's presence. He continues to talk while at the same time entering more inputs into the system. "Thinking there was no way I'd ever be in a position where the fate of an entire city would rest on whether or not I could hack out antiquated code on an antiquated system."
Leo and Mikey looks back and forth at their busy brother while Raph only looks at the screen once again. They have just pass the 20 second-mark.
Shredder finally stands up and looks out before him. The mutants are surrounding his machine. They are trying to shut it down. The Shredder is furious. He will not let this happen. He has come too far to let some providential adolescences to stop him. Not after everything that he and his men have accomplished so far. The metal foe slides his blades out; all ready for another bout. The ninja master was not giving up without a fight. This war is not only yet. Not until all four mutants lie on their backs in defeat.
Raph looks at the family's adversary. "I'll buy you some time." And so will Leo and Mikey as they all charged at the Shredder.
Spinning on his feet before resting on his knees, Shredder flings his blades out form his gauntlet and flies straight for Donatello. But thanks to Raphael, Leonardo and Michelangelo, they are in their brother's path and using their weapons, they block and deflect each and every of Shredder's blades as possible. With every strike that he makes, the knives all fly right back to its owner. Shredder keeps on doing this until one of them will at least get through. Some did actually but they have impaled on the tower and not at the shrewd turtle.
Sweats is now dripping down on the nerd's face. He has just pass the 10 second-mark. And he is still nowhere close to disabling the systems. Donnie was still entering more commands as time was running out. What if he doesn't make it? What if he makes the wrong mistake?
"TOXIN DISBURSEMENT IN FIVE,…FOUR,…
His eyes are twitching and his lips are shivering. The nerves in his own system were building up. His heart was racing so fast that even Sonic the Hedgehog would have a hard time keeping up.
"…THREE,…"
The red gas begins to seep out through the nozzle. It is happening. It is too late.
"…TWO,…"
In a split second, Donnie press in another command. As soon as the machine reads it,…the red gas stops leaking through the holes. The lights on the canister were shut off. The next number did not speak through the speakers.
Did the machine malfunction or did Donnie did the impossible?
He stops typing when the words SYSTEM DISABLED appears on the screen.
…
…
…
…
He did it.
He REALLY did it!
Donatello has managed to shut down a deadly mechanism from releasing deadly toxin to the whole city of Manhattan! With only 1 second to spare.
His face was still drenched from the sweat but a dorky smile appears on his face. "BAM!" he cheers, hitting the machine. "System disabled! Who wants Italian? I'm buying!" He slowly turns around. He sees his brother were still neck-and-neck with Shredder but Donnie didn't care as he is now gloating in his own achievement of shutting down a deadly time-bomb. Even a genius like Steven Hawking would have a hard time disabling this little puppy under a time limit. He holds his hands up in the air like he just scored a goal. "TIRAMISU FOR EVERYBODY!" As along if they are having pizza with it, it is still his treat.
One blade was still lodged into a satellite. It worms its way out of the plastic dish and flies back to Shredder. But not before passing by. Donnie wasn't prepared for it as it skims on the shell but he does duck and cover his head for protection. "Ah!" he yelps.
The last row of blades returns to Shredder and halted any further attacks. He looks up to his dominating canister. The deadly gas should have been unleashed into the public by now. The lights were not flashing. There was no sign of the marron fog that would have enveloped the city by now.
That could only mean one thing. They didn't?
Shredder is absolutely steaming now. They did not just shut down his machine, didn't they?
He does not see any of the red gas in the air, so, yeah, they did disable the system. He still couldn't believe that a bunch of teenagers can actually stop the countdown to his triumph.
Well,…not completely.
Just because that they Turtles have seal-up the holes and not letting any of the gas out, it doesn't mean that all of his plans have went out through the roof. There is another way to unleash the chemical.
Let's see if they can try to stop this!
Spinning a full circle, Shredder unleash his blades once again. But he has a new target.
The blades were sent flying towards the tower as its slashes and dents the steel supports of it. Lots of scratches and cuts were made on the sturdy supports when the steels made contact with the structure. Shredder does another couple of rounds. The Turtles were watching this random act that their foe is trying to pull off. Why is Shredder doing this?
A creaking sound was made as all four Turtles all looked up. "Ahhh…" Mikey utters.
They all see the upper part of the spire tipping forward. Most of the construction is shattering and bits were falling apart. Steel and concrete were breaking apart from the structure. Seeing the state of the wobbling tower, it was made very clear.
Shredder…he is trying to bring the spire down! At any cost!
He wants his plans to succeed at any possible way!
The tower continues to tip forward at a dangerous angle. Sooner or later, it will go all the way and crash down on the…
"Fall in!" the frantic leader orders his team. They put their weapons away and head for the spire.
Each Turtle went to a different part of the unstable spire. Leo took the nearest concrete pillar, Donnie went underneath a grated floor section, Raph is using all of his strengths to lift the steel pillar and lastly, Mikey who is next to his big bro has got his hands full with the same steel pillar.
"Hold on! Hold it! Hold it!" Leo pleaded for everyone on the rooftop.
Thanks to Shredder's attack, the spire is tilting on a difficult angle and continues to creep every second. Bits of debris from the tower were now falling apart and lands on the rooftop; creating bit of a dusty impact. But the weight of the spire is proving to be an issue for the guys as its pushes down on the four heroes.
"If the spire falls…and the toxin makes ground impact,…it'll contaminate a 10-block radius!" Donnie theorises as his limbs are now shaking. At least it won't be the whole city. But it can still spread as soon it crashes into the streets from a high-altitude. Since he has managed to shut the machine down, the toxin can still escape if the hull is damaged.
There has to be an upside to it. The leader looks over his shoulder while resting a hard substance on his shoulder. "What are the odds of us stopping that from happening?" Leo asked. Maybe out of 100?
Donnie does an uneasy quick calculation in his head of the probable result. "Uh,...0.00000000003%!"
Not the answer that he or the others wanted but what choice do they have? The city was on the line if they don't succeed. The eldest looks out in front of him. "I'll take it. Nobody moves,…" he squints his eyes from the dust entering his vision, "…no matter what." Leonardo has his eyes locked on someone else.
From the impending destruction that he envisions it, a light smoke clears up to reveal the destroyer. Shredder looks ahead to see that his attempt was proceed as planned even if the Turtles did stop the machine from falling off its post. But the damage that he cause has taken a toll on the tower and it will eventually fall.
The reason why Leo told them not to move was because…he is heading this way. Taking every terrifying step closer to them. It was a feeble effort to hold the spire for a little while longer but they have only delay their inevitable.
Mikey was getting chills down his mutant spine by seeing the monster coming closer. "But, Leo—"
"I said, nobody move!"
Raphael's limbs were starting to break. "Leo. I'M LETTING GO!" It would be a matter of time before his whole body is snapped. He may be stronger than his brothers but any other athlete does have their limitation. And Raph was on the brink of it if they keep holding it up. Plus, he wants to take Shredder down from getting any closer to any of his brothers.
No. We can't give up. We can't let Shredder win.
Shredder is now on the edge of destroying the teens. And what better way to take down the team of mutants is to take down their leader. That's whom he is approaching. He went pass his hacked computer, draws his right arm back and swings a nasty hook into the mutant ribs.
"AH!" the leader yelps, sending the shockwave of the strike through his veins. Leo winches in pain. He is taking this one for the team. But how long can he endure it and hold the spire up at the same time? Not very long if Shredder keeps this up.
But he didn't move out of the way and let the tower collapse off the building. Leonardo was only following his own advice. No matter how painful he will end up in the end. The others will too.
After racing up the elevator to the top and taking the small access ladder, April and Sally have made it outside. They did promise that they would get help for their friend who is injury. But then there is the Shredder issue. They need to know if the Turtles are ok.
Ran a few steps away from the ladder, they spot them. Judging from how they are holding a large tower from under it and how Shredder is dangerous close to them, they don't look so good.
It was time to get the ninja's attention. April takes a massive breath in and...
"SHREDDER!"
Her blood-curling scream has capture his attention. Just when he was about to lay another sucker-punch in the sore ribs of the blue turtle, Shredder puts a pause on that attack and turn his head around. Any second that they would waste and that would have been the end for the Turtles. Still holding the mast on their shoulders, the Turtles all looked forward to see the girls before them.
He has company. And they have holding in the women's hand high in the air…was the lone canister of fresh mutagen. "This is all that's left!" April said as she and Sally walked a metre back. They were trying to bait the madman away from the Turtles.
The woman with the yellow jacket and the young girl have got their hands on the mutagen! His mutagen. But…that is impossible.
What has happened to his son? What has happened on his part of the mission? How can they so easily take the mutagen from Sacks? He told him that he has everything under control. He wields a gun. He has taken martial arts lessons. Taking them on would be simple for him. How did they ever defeat him?
Seeing this makes his blood boil so much. These brats have butt into his activities a lot lately. The first in many years. Their fathers did work for him. It was very ironic that they both tried to stop him many years ago and they are doing the same thing years later.
First, O'Neil disrupt him from finishing off the rat. Then she and the other two humans infiltrate his adopted son's home to free his captured mutants, and now…they have entered his fortress with the one thing that they have no rights.
She has accomplished with another female with her. The same one with the purple headwear on who came in with the turtle known as Raphael to aid in his quest to save his blood.
See the cure in his possession has absolute broke the straw for Shredder. But their luck is about to run out. As you can see,…these wannabe heroes cannot fight. This will be easy. He will take them down like any other human that come across his path. And the Turtles are all occupied to ever come to their aid.
"Little girls." Shredder does a huge leap towards them. They could go down the ladder again and make a break for the elevator. They only bother to move a few steps back when Shredder lands near them. They were now scared like mouse like he stands tall like a mighty lion. "That belongs to me."
Maybe coming up to the roof was such a bad idea.
The heavy weight has nearly crushed the mutants. But they are not giving up so easily. "Hold on! Hold on! Hold it!" the leader cries out for his brother just about to drop dead from exhaustion. But this was too much for four mutants to take. They might have incredible strength to withstand for this long but sooner or later, one of them or all are bound to let go. Plus, the girls were in trouble. Why did they have to come up here? To put themselves in more danger? They have got the mutagen; why didn't they take it to Splinter? They would have by now.
The spire itself couldn't take much more of the pressure.
Smoke was flying out of the machine, setting off a big, fiery bang. It went on like a chain reaction. Letting out small explosions just a few metres above the Turtles, the tip begins to descend. A big explosion was set off; letting the small tower to fall down at a fast rate.
Hearing the loud noise, April and Sally both looked to their right. Their faces went from a nice shade of pink to absolutely pale. They both see the tall pillar holding the metal container tipping downwards. April has the smaller canister over the fence, threatening to drop the cure.
"Uhh,…I think…we need to move," Sally spoke. She was too dumbfounded to know that the pillar was not directly above them. No-one didn't even bother to yell timber! But the good news is that it drops past them so they would not be in the line of fire.
It doesn't mean that they are completely safe.
With them distracted, Shredder makes his move. He is going to get the mutagen. One way or another. He makes a mad dash towards the girls…and pushes them off the tower!
He too goes flying off the tower with them. Once they are over the edge, Shredder quickly snags the canister out of their grip. The girls were both shocked by this attempt made by the Shredder and they were sent pummentling to the ground; screaming at the top of their lungs.
Leaving the ladies to fall to their demise, Shredder sails right over to the pillar. He manages to grab on one of the small poles; saving himself. Sparks was made when the steel from his blades makes contact. As for the girls, they were pushed by the madman with so much force that they end up falling towards the bent pillar. And what is more miraculously is that they managed to grab onto the small poles.
That is not how a gentleman should act to a lady! Well, Shredder doesn't care about the girls or anyone. As long as he gets what he needs.
The tower falls on an angle until the top part crashing onto the small building that destroys the number "2014". Unfortunately, the top part of the tower is still loaded with the toxin.
More of the debris breaks off and falls down towards the ground. The civilians down below see this coming and they all managed to duck or move away from the crushing impact. No-one even bother to look up to see three humans, dangling on the large stronghold.
Sally didn't fall as much as she carefully slides inside. By some miracle, her beanie has not fallen off her head! With a lot of poles to grab on, only a huge shake would cause the girl to lose her grip. But what about April? Did she fell to her doom?
Fortunately, the older friend was too holding onto a set of small poles not too far from her that only requires her both her hands to hold on. And it looks like she doesn't have much time. She too sees the Shredder. He didn't fall at a high distance and let gravity do it works (which it is a bummer).
He has the mutagen in his grip. That is why he was charging at them. He doesn't care about anyone safety but his and his own needs.
The people closest to the tower were not having such luck when more of the debris counties to fall on them. The police were doing their very best to keep them away from the danger zone.
"Get back! All the way back!" the chief cries out as he and his forces push back the civilians of New York from being crushed.
"April! HOLD ON!" Sally cries out. She was moving through the poles like it was some kind of obstacle course. But only standing at least 15,000 feet in the air with your friend's life on the line.
The only heavy one on the bars was Shredder. The first pole breaks off because of his weight unlike April and Sally and he manages to grab the second one. His armour is twice the weight of each Turtle and it is dragging him down. At least he has his prize in his grasp.
But where are the Turtles? The last time that they saw them was they are trying to hold up the tower to prevent the gas from escaping. And now it has barley fallen off Sack's building and just dangling on the edge.
Out from the smoky sheet, the green boys made it out with only a few scratches. But it was not over yet. Their heads were a bit wonky when they got hit thanks to the collapse of the destroyed tower.
Raph comes to the fence first and looks ahead. When they last saw Shredder, he went flying off the building. As for the girls…
The brute turtle manages to see one of the them inside the bars while the other…was hanging for her dear life! And the one hanging for her life was wearing a yellow jacket. And they both need help!
Shredder was located right behind them as their lives will be cut short if the Turtles don't get to her in time. Terrified for their safety, the red turtle flips over the metal bars and heads over to recuse them.
Leo was right behind his brother when he too saw the girls in trouble. "April! Sally!" he yells out. He followed his brother's lead as he does a forward flip and descended a massive distance until he lands on the rocky pillar.
Raph was way ahead in the lead. "Come on, guys!" Donnie was trying snap his head back into portion but he climbs over the rail and jumps down onto the tower. Mikey also wasted no time to come to his girls' rescue despite being in the back of the pack.
With only a metre away, Sally moves her secure position and towards the edge of the pillar. April see her friend just only an arms' length away. "Hang on, April! I got ya!"
Once Sally has gripped tightly on a small pole, she has pulled herself through the open gap and extended her arm out for her distressed friend. Her finger tips are barely touching April's arm. But not far enough to grab and pull her in. She needs to get closer. Sally is too keeping on an eye on the extra body on the tower.
While she is on the verge of being saved, April looks down before looking over her shoulder. Shredder was only hanging by an arm while his other hand stores the canister on his belt. He clips it on to make sure that it does not fall off after he deals with his next agenda. And seeing a sharp tool in his reach will do that.
A lone blade was sticking out of his gauntlet. Guess it must have almost came out when he jumped off the building to get his mutagen. This is what he needs to get rid of the annoyance of Miss O'Neil. And once she is done, Miss Hope will be next.
He yanks it off, flips it around for him to hold the blunt part of his weapon. The girls can see what he is about to do. Please miss, please miss, please miss, PLEASE. MISS.
Pulling his throwing arm back, Shredder does a ninja star throw as it heads towards them. It misses Sally's arm…but it causes April to lose her grip!
April was falling! "AH!" the woman screams as the helpless reporter drops down.
The teenager quickly shot her arm downwards to grab her friend's hand but missed it by a millimetre. "APRIL!" Wide-eyed and petrified, Sally could only watch her dear friend fall to her death. She can't even close her eyes as she doesn't want to lose sighting of her roommate but she also doesn't want to watch her go splat on the grey ground.
Where are guardian angels when you need them?!
And they come in the form of four, giant, green mutants.
"NO!" Leonardo cries out.
"APRIL!"Raphael was the first to jump off the spire and dives down as he calls out her name, followed by Leonardo, then Donatello, and lastly, Michelangelo.
Out in the lead, the red turtle has his hand spread out, ready to grab April.
Leo was close enough to reach Raph's foot. He quickly grips it around his ankle. "Got you, Raph!" Good! Once Leo has caught him, Raph catches April's hand. She screams from the sudden jerk but she looks up to see the Turtles. No longer dropping, they were now swinging back and forth which scared the woman even more.
"Hold on! Hold on!" the leader cries out to the fallen human. "April!"
April lets out a squeak as she frantically tries to gain a good grip on the turtle but loses her.
Raph looks deeply in her eyes. "I got you."
His large hand is clasped tightly around her small hand. He has got her. And he is not letting her go. Not this second. At that moment, April trusts him. Completely.
She must have been terrified to fall at such a distance. She isn't indestructible like the guys. She would go splat on the pavement like paint.
Sally lets out a frighten breath but she produced a smile. They saved her. The Turtles have saved April!
The four Turtles were acting like a human rope. Donatello has both of his hand occupied with his right grabbing his little brother's ankle and his left gripping his big brother's ankle. And dear Michelangelo was at the very end by gripping the pole. He was now carrying the weight of his family and his babe. With the combine weight of four giant turtles and a human, the pole does not seem to give away.
Upside down, Leo looks over to the other human of the pack. A mixture of terrified and relieved was on her face. Some tears were forming in her eyes. "Are you ok?" he asked.
Shakily, Sally nodded. Her heart was still racing for that scared moment. She was thankfully that they saved her friend but scared that they are hanging on the perilous edge. She doesn't know how to thanks them, personally.
Now hanging off the edge is the team of four with a damsel at one end and the menace.
Lots of glass and material splitting off from the bottom section of the pillar were falling down to the streets. Many people in the area have already evacuated to avoid any collateral damage to their health. One side of the spire bends; letting the tower to drop a foot down. The beam that supports the large structure could give way any minute if they don't do something.
Well, Shredder is willing to do something to bring it down. And it involves destroying his foes.
Trying for the second time, he pulls another bent blade out from his gauntlet. Rather than aim for the girl or her friend instead, only one turtle catches his attention. And he is holding up the rest of the squad up. With one flick from his sharp weapon to impale the fool, he will let go and they will all come tumbling down like dominos. And the rest will be history. And he will have won.
Mikey sees what Shredder is about to pull on him. With quick thinking, he lets one hand free from the pole letting his lone hand to do all the holding. He pulls out one of his chunks. Shredder does another throw. As the blade comes closer to him, Mikey whacks the blade right back at him; stabbing him in the right chest. The mark was so close to his shoulder that his lone hand is holding onto the beam. His hand nearly slips from the heavy weight but managed to retracts his other hand back on. Mikey may have nearly lost his grip but it was worth it from letting Shredder to strike him down.
Sally wants to help out. But what can she do? She is located inside the pillar from a far distance from Shredder, with no weapons and no experience in combat. There was got to be something that she can do.
Light glints in her eyes which almost blinded her. Sally turns to the source of the shine. Looking up, one of Shredder's blades was jammed in a small pole.
She may not be a ninja but after taking down the lieutenant back at Sacks' mansion with a wheelchair and throwing a glass beaker in the face of the terrible businessman, she is willing to fight again for the sake of not only her friends but the whole city. With every step, she carefully reaches up through the bars to grab hold of the blade and rips it out.
Raph looks up at the metal fiend. How long will it be until either Mikey's arms give out or one of Shredder's blades strike them down? If this keeps up not long.
That is when he noticed Shredder's hand…slipping. Thanks to the last move, he is losing his grip. A few more attacks, and he will be sent plummeting to the ground.
They need to knock him off. And April here…was at the same level as he is.
The ex-reporter looks at Shredder before looking up at Raph. "Swing me towards him!"
She wants him to push him off? Is she crazy? Crazy enough to come to the rooftop and be nearly killed by him.
The leader agrees on the silent plan. "Do it!"
A pause was made but Raph nods in agreement. Works for me. Anything to knock this block off.
But they have only one shot at this. Because Shredder is about to throw another knife once again. Using his strength, he crouches inwards before he move April back before going forward. The others follow to build up momenta.
The ninja master sees that they are about to attack. It was pretty foolish of them to make their final move. He will simply get rid of them as they have already now been a thorn at his side for far too long.
The goofy turtle sees Shredder about to try for the third time. He has pulled out the same blade from his shoulder blade and proceed to repeat it again. "Leo!" Mikey quickly warns his brother.
The leader sees him. Not this time! Leo grabs hold one of his katana…
"Hey, SHREDHEAD!"
Leo looks up (or down) to see the younger female who made the call. Shredder halts his attack and looks at the girl. Cause she has got a surprise for him. Hooking her left arm around one beam, Sally swings outside of the spire and throws her lone weapon right at him. The blade goes flying through the air and strikes hard in Shredder's shoulder. The knife in his hand was flung out of his grip and hits the part of the shattered building.
Sally has made a hit! And it was perfect for the heroes as the Turtles swing the woman back towards the menace himself.
Letting out a karate cry, April lifted her right foot as she gets closer to Shredder before striking her heel down…into his face! This sudden force was powerful enough for Shredder to lose his grip on the tower.
It was now Shredder's turn to fall.
The large metal object was no descending at a high speed thanks to the heavy weight of his armour. Bits of his cover were breaking away from the suit as he continues to fall down.
Everyone sees a large figure coming towards them at a great speed which causes them to move away.
As he gets closer to terra firma, Shredder looks behind him to see the grey ground. Like a small meteor, the Shredder makes a strong impact into the concrete ground to create a large man-shaped hole; sending small shockwaves in the ground. The muddy smoke was emitted as soon as he collides with the earth.
The dust clears up to show Shredder…no immobilise.
The Shredder…has finally been shredded.
April looks down at the damage on the enemy. She could not believe what she has done. For someone who cannot know how to throw a punch, she manages to take down the notorious criminal on the planet.
The orange turtle dreamily looks at his babe. "That's my girl." He was very impressive with the move that she pulled on Shredder to take him down.
But she wasn't the only one who pulled a surprise on Shredder. The amused blue turtle looks over to the young teenager who was still hanging on from her spot. He noticed what a smooth toss that she pulled on Shredder. Looks like she has the skills of a true warrior.
"Nice throw," he comments on her performance. Sally turns to Leo as she smiles back.
Mikey was the first to pull Donnie to the tower. The second-youngest then grabs his older brother as he helps the second-eldest up. Once Raphael is back on the tower, he lifts April up back up to the pillar as she places her feet onto the beams.
Sally reaches her hand to grab hold of April's shoulder. The woman didn't bother to turn around to know who it is. "Are you okay?" Sally asked. The reporter only nodded. Just only her heart was beating so fast, she won't be able to sleep for a few weeks. Not that she can try.
With the Shredder finally defeated, all they need to do was to get off of this death-trap and then…
CREAK.
Hearing that and feeling the tremor does not sound good.
And it was soon followed by a case of the rocking; nearly shaking the six beings off the pillar. The long end was snapped off from the tower, causing the top section to fall down and the group latching onto it to scream. It doesn't stop until it comes crashing onto a small billboard. Just sitting right above them was the Giant Ball that is used for a special occasion at the end of every year. Guess they are not escaping so easily.
Knowing that she would fall off from the outside like before, April slides herself inside the pillar to secure herself right next her younger friend. If they go down, at least she would not be alone.
All four Turtles were still located on the side with their chest facing out and their shells in. The green hands are gripping on the large beams. The scared purple turtle was looking down. It was so far down, that by his calculations, no human or mutant can actually survive a drop at this altitude. They could all end up like Shredder. And he was still in that big ditch. Very still.
Donnie's legs and arms were already shaking from the fear which causes him to look up and closes his eyes up tightly. "I think this is it, guys!" he screamed.
His words spark a tingle of fear in their hearts and minds. This…this is it.
The petrified leader was looking over the edge. Donnie doesn't need to let everyone know. They are at a high elevation in the air with nowhere to escape and the tower is rolling a bit more to the edge. They all now know deep down in their guts. There was nothing that they do to prevent this. But they are prepared for any outcome. "Does anyone have anything they want to say?" Leo asked. What he means to say was, speak now or forever hold their regret.
The destroyed tower falls a few metres down before landing with a big thump on the nearest tower to Sacks' building. After the small fall, Raph looks over his left shoulder. The two girls are still with them, gripping the bars so tightly that their knuckles are turning a lighter shade of white. On their faces were totally frightful. They are about to face death. They are just young people about to have their lives cut short. He can't really blame them. He too is a young kid as well as his brothers. At least they have all saved the city, that's what matters.
Since they were falling to their ultimate demise, yes. They would like to say something. Anything to get it off their chest. Leo turns his head over to his left side. "Donnie?" he said as he and the others all tied to gain a grip on the bars before sliding off.
"I'm the one who licks the icing off the Pop-Tarts every morning and puts them back in the box," the techie shamefully admits. Eww. They might mentally slap him upside the head and they will do it again in the afterlife. But Donatello had to tell his family about his deep, dark secret. They might have been sick back then! He can finally rest easy now.
"No, no, no, no!" April yells as the pillar tips forward and descend to the ground once more. It falls onto another ledge and begins to roll. There was no stopping it. No one has hit the brakes or can even hit the brakes on the thing. It will keep on going.
It was Mikey's turn. And he has something to say. "I so did not understand the ending of Lost."
Since he was a master when it comes to popular culture, there are some admired shows that can even confuse the young turtle. Even some people were perplexed about the ending but they did eventually get their answers from the creators themselves. Guess Mikey didn't bother to look it up before he and his bros got caught in this situation. But it is ok, Mikey. No one understands the ending, too.
The pillar turns once more, leading it to a very big drop. With no more ledges to stop it. Everyone was screaming. Including the citizens and the officers who are trying to escape the impact.
As the leader, Leo has nothing to say. But deep down, he regretfully failed to protect his father from the evil. Eventually, he and his family did avenge him. The rest of the family do. Leo looks over to his left. There was only one more turtle who hasn't had a say yet. "Raph?"
For the first time in his life,…Raphael was completely speechless. He turns to his family.
This could be it. This could be it for him, his brothers, April and Sally.
He does have something on his chest. He either didn't want to say it or he doesn't have the time. He was scared. No, is scared. Terrified in fact. He was the last one to see their father alive. He might have gone to the heavens after he left their destroyed home. Maybe he is there. Waiting for them. Not to mention that of how he has treated his brothers over the years. He never explains to them why. That is what he searching for, the reason behind his temper and anger towards them.
With so much guilt riding up inside, he might as well do it.
"I just, uh…" Raph pauses for a second to carefully chose his final words. He speaks a little louder for them to hear what he has to say. "…If this is our last moment together,…I just want you guys to know I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was so hard on you. Every time I pushed you, I…I threatened you, I yelled at you, I pushed you beyond your limits, it was because I believe in you!"
Each of his brothers stops freaking out to listen on to every word that Raph has to say. His true words have taken to their hearts; something that will live on to the afterlife. "I believe in each one of you! I believe in your spirit and your intelligence and your potential." April and Sally didn't lend their ears as they were too busy freaking out while they are falling.
As he keeps on going with his confession, he begins to tear up and was screaming at the top of his lungs. "And every time I talked about walking away, it was because I was scared! I just didn't think I was good enough to stand next to you and call you brothers and say to you…I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!"
A huge burden has lifted off his shoulders. He has finally got it off his chest.
Now, he and his dear brothers can finally face death…
…
…
"Raph?"
Was he is heaven? Was that his brothers calling him in their heavenly haven?
Raph turns his head to see his brother, calling out to him. Were they dead? They weren't in the clouds like they say. Although, atmosphere was cloudy. There was bright light. But it was more of a 25% or more. And looking to his right, the others were either crouching or on one knee. Their lower limbs were shaking from the sudden impact while each hand was still grasping onto a small pipe each. The brainiac turtle looks up and smiles at his older brother. Still: Are they dead?
"We made it."
Donnie wasn't kidding. They were no longer falling. The large, broken piece of canister was slammed onto the concrete ground. And so were they. No part on their body was wrecked but only a few pipes that are broken off from the spire. The canister didn't break apart; thus not releasing the deadly toxin to the public to thousands of citizens. But it did produce a dusty atmosphere around them instead.
They didn't take the big dirt nap.
They're alive! They have cheated death!
With his feet firmly on the ground, Leo lets out a breath of relief. Their time was not up yet. Guess the universal still needs the mutant ninja brothers a little longer. On his knee, Mikey lifted his head up. He then squints his eyes to notice a strange addition on his brother's face. "Are you crying?" he asked the first thing he said after escaping their demise.
Everyone turns to the brute himself. Was he really crying? The muscle of the clan bawling his mutant eyes out, thinking that they were only seconds away from their departure?
His vision was blurrier from the wetness of his tears. Raph was breathing rapidly. "No, ding-dong. It's just a little dusty out here," he brushes it off before looking away from his brothers.
They all know he was crying. Crying from sweet relief. He just needs to make sure that no words go out to anyone or any of his brothers would make fun of it. Or else he will really pummel them.
Stunned from this experience, April and Sally looked at each other before looking at the streets before them. The dirty smoke has concealed the pillar as only many civilians were standing only a metre away from the large structure. Thankfully, no-one was hurt or killed from the impact. And so were they. The girls couldn't believe that they survived. They just hope that they will never do something like that ever again. Both of them looked at the commotion that is happening just a few feet away from them.
A large man-made dent was located not too far from the damaged spire. More sirens were made as they got closer to the scene.
Many people who were close-by and whom survived the ordeal all gathered around the hollow. Inside is what the city has feared the most. But he remains motionless. Guess the fall must have taken a great toll on him. They have no reason to run the other way. Only the police force are keeping the civilians back as some got their phones out to record this moment.
His armour was ravaged. His men have either escaped or are captured. His plans have failed. He has lost.
With the damage from the fall, he needs the remedy. Pronto.
Close to his armour glove, the smashed glass case has exposed what is left of his precious mutagen. Sliding his closest hand to the canister, he daps his finger into the green substances. Only one small sample is all that he needs. He clenches his fist tightly; letting the miracle juice seeps through his skin and into his systems. The ninja then collapses; waiting for the police to take him away.
Shredder may have lost this battle. But he is not out of this war.
Enjoy your victory, turtles. But I promise you, I will be back. With vengeance.
With everyone occupied with the metal fiend in the hole, no-one bothers to see six beings leaving the pillar and made a dash for the nearest manhole as the cover slides to a close.
WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-WWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! And that, my friends, is the conclusion of this epic battle! But the story is not over yet! We still have one more chapter to go in the next instalment of:
Heroes in the Half-Shell: Brotherhood
Author's Notes: *takes a deep breath in. And then out.*
Wow. Simply wow.
I told you guys that this is one of my longest chapter yet. But no longer than the shortcut one.
Guess that only leaves the final chapter. In which, I will reveal the title for the sequel. Whoever has suggested, he/she will be the first to read the new chapter. More details will be added later on but it is not too late to come up with a title by the end of…maybe this week. That is when I am aiming for!
First, I want to dedicated this chapter to the victims that are murdered and affected of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.
No words to explain what has happened in the West Coast of the States. The lives of 59 were taken away by a lone shooter with – at the moment – no motive. Horrible.
We did have a mass shooting in Australia back in 1996 in Port Arthur. It took the lives of 35 people but wounded about 23. That is when we created new gun laws that took away the ones that was used in the event. Ever since then, we never had any mass shooting. With all these mass shooting that is happening in America, why are there still more happening? I personally wish there was something I can do to help but all I can do at the moment is to give my sincere to all. We need more Love in this world, not Hate.
So, I had a few busy weekends. First, it was the Grand Final in which my brother, his partner and their dog came down for the weekend to visit us and see the game. I wanna congrats to Richmond for a great win. It has been 35 years since the last one. It was worth the wait. My uncle and cousin both go for the team. So, it would be my cousin's first time seeing his favourite team win the premiership and for my uncle to feel like a kid again to see his team win.
Next was my hip-hop competition in Sydney. I can't say which one but my team has qualified for the International round. More on that later on in the next chapter!
With the holidays done and dusted, I wish I had more time on this and finish it before we all go back to school (most of you, I'm still working and on the job hunt at the moment) but a lot of things were in the way and most of them were the main priorities.
And please, forgive me if this chapter seems a little off as we are getting close to the finish. Anyhow, you guys take care of yourselves and see for the final chapter. Ta-ta!
Until we meet again,
The DragonLord2912