Chapter 6: Stockman's Downfall, Part 1
A FEW DAYS LATER:
"Good morning, New York. This is Tammy Tamlin, Channel 6 News. In today's top story, a robbery spree continues to envelop the Big Apple. While the notorious street gang known as the Purple Dragons terrorizes openly, an unknown thief has taken to emptying bank vaults from below-"
April paused the broadcast, her attention drawn to a detail on the floor of the televised bank vault.
"Is that a-"
"Yep. That's a Mouser footprint." Raphael said.
April sighed.
"So, now what do we do?"
"We go topside and take Stockman down, that's what. Bastard needs to pay for what he did to our old lair and to you."
"It's not that easy. The building's got bleeding-edge security systems-"
Michelangelo cleared his throat.
"You're forgetting we've got an amazing techno-turtle here…DONATELLO!" he proclaimed.
April then remembered something.
"I think I know someone who might be able to help us on this one as well…"
MURAKAMI'S NOODLE SHOP- THAT AFTERNOON:
"April? Where've you been for the past couple days? And why do you smell like you swam in a storm drain?"
April looked across the table at Langen.
"It's a long story. Right now, I need your help. I've reason to suspect Doctor Stockman's involved with those robberies, and I need an inside man at Stocktronics to get past the security systems."
"…not sure I can do that. I mean, you have any proof-"
"You see Channel 6 this morning? One of the bank vaults had a Mouser footprint in it." April whispered.
Langen nodded.
"I'll see what I can do."
In the concealed portion of the Stocktronics building, Stockman looked over the spoils that the Mousers had brought in from the day's heists. On a nearby video screen was the image of a hulking, heavily muscled figure with blond hair and dressed like a street tough.
"Gaze upon my efforts and despair, Hun! My subtlety and subterfuge has paid more than you and your Dragons' reliance on brute force conceivably could!"
"Easy for you to say. You don't have to deal with a meddling vigilante in a hockey mask busting up your operations."
"That wouldn't be an issue if you kept to the shadows instead of causing mayhem in broad dayl-"
"I don't know what's bigger, Stockman: my body or your head." Hun snarked before hanging up.
"And…done. We've poked out Stockman's underground eye."
April looked at the source of the sound. Before her was Donatello, kneeling in front of a security panel embedded in one of the storm drain walls. A boxy device with a pair of wires running out from it had been connected to the panel's circuitry, while its testudinal operator pounded away on the keyboard with a seemingly unlikely degree of dexterity.
"You sure about that?"
"Positive." Donatello testily replied.
"Ya know I could've just cut the wire." Raphael piped up, readying his sais.
"Yeah, and then Stockman would be tipped off when one of his setups suddenly stopped broadcasting." April replied.
Donatello looked up from his device.
"Quick FYI- just because the sensor's out doesn't necessarily mean we have a way in. The entrance here in the storm drain seems to be secured via maglock. It'll take us a-"
Raphael threw a sai at another electronic panel, and a massive stainless steel door suddenly opened.
"Or we can just cut the power." Leonardo said.
There was a whooping noise in the background from Michelangelo.
"See that? We are the ultimate badasses! State of the badass art! You do not want to mess with us! Me and my-" the youngest member of the quartet rambled.
"Mikey, you have until the count of three to stop running that trap of yours." Raphael butted in.
Leonardo sighed.
"Can we get this show on the road?" he and April asked in unison.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Michelangelo's little rant is a reference to the "Ultimate badass" speech from Aliens as delivered by the late Bill Paxton. Also, the name of April's inside man is a dual reference to the 1990 TMNT movie, which was written by one Todd W. Langen and starred Elias Koteas as Casey Jones. Additionally, Murakami's Noodle Shop is a nod to the 2012 version of the Turtles.