I don't own TMNT (Apparently Viacom does now D8) or UY (Which still belongs to Sakai 8D)
Brought to you from the bowels of my college's lunch break.
Xxxxx
"No way!!" I cried, staring up at the large red tentacle sprouting from Tibalt's side.
This has gotta be some kind of mistake! The last time I saw tentacles like that was when me and my brothers were under the old Volpehart mansion up on Wall Street. They'd belonged to that creature that got in your head to screw around with your fears. But it was dead! I'd killed it myself! I remember it clearly! I'd thrust the meteor spear right into it just as it tried to seduce me into doing its bidding! It was dead! It can't be alive! I killed it!
A very loud cry of pain woke me from my shock as Tibalt tightened the tentacle around Donny, attempting to crush him.
Memories flashed in my mind as I remembered the lie this creature had shown me of how easily it could snap Master Splinter's spine. But this was no nightmarish vision I was seeing now.
I had dropped one of my swords but I still had one katana in my grip as I sprung forward with a furious cry, bringing the blade down in an arc, aiming for the man's throat. This was one of the times I knew I had to strike to kill, and I didn't hesitate.
He turned his head to me as I leapt and I saw his smile widen ever so slightly before my eyes flickered and I found myself striking too far to the right. I don't know how he was doing it, if he was some-how tricking me into actually striking too wide or if he was somehow moving out of the way, faster than I was able to follow. It didn't matter. Whatever he was doing I had to counter it, and fast. He hadn't released Donny yet, and I could see him tightening his grip even further.
When I landed I quickly spun to face him again, slicing the air as I did so. This time he physically dodged the strike, crouching low as he kept his eyes on me. The wrapped coils around Donny let him go as the large snake-like appendage focused on me instead. Don dropped to the ground, I couldn't see him moving. More than anything I wanted to make sure he was ok, but there was no way I could. At the moment Tibalts entire focus was on me, his smile widened more than a human mouth should be able to, his eyes shining wildly as the tentacle lashed out at me.
I back-flipped out of the way once, twice, then landed on my feet, striking out with my sword at the writhing thing. My strike didn't cut into it as deeply as I wanted it to, but I felt the tip of my blade nick into the flesh.
Tibalt gave a furious scream of pain as the appendage recoiled, squirming. I lunged forward, aiming at Tibalt himself, my sword ready to stab into him but he recovered quicker than I expected. The red tentacle launched itself through the air, smacking me square in the chest and throwing me a good distance across the room. Sparks exploded in front of my eyes as I hit the floor, the ceiling above me tilting off balance for a few moments. I shook my head, trying to recover from my daze as I tried to focus my attention back on Tibalt.
The serpentine thing was coming right at me, right at my face and my eyes. I drew in a hard breath, feeling the growing pain in my chest as my lungs tried to act against the injured bruise.
There was a scream of rage and suddenly the appendage shuddered and curled in on itself. A short distance behind it I saw Raph, his remaining sai buried deep into the red flesh of the thing. Tibalt gave a loud cry, launching himself physically at Raph and delivering what I knew was a cripplingly hard blow to the side of my brother's head with his elbow. Raph made a cut off, swallowed noise, collapsing to his knees and letting go of his sai.
I jumped to my feet, readying my sword as I threw myself forward to protect him, but something wrapped around one of my ankles, tugging me backwards, off my feet and into the air. It took all I had not to drop my remaining katana in shock and I couldn't stop myself from giving a surprised yelp. I felt myself pulled high above the ground, the expanse of the room stretching out below me. Mikey was regaining his senses, slowly getting to his knees with his hands to his head. Donny lay curled next to the large portal gate, I thought I saw him cough and shift slightly. Raph was still in a stupor, trying to get up. Tibalt was moving towards him, curling his own red appendage closer to him and pulling my brother's sai free from the flesh, gripping it like a dagger as he loomed over Raph.
I wriggled wildly, grabbing hold of the the red thing around my ankle, trying to slice at it with my sword.
There was a very sharp, angry cry and I suddenly found my ankle released. I hurtled through thin air for a brief moment before I felt the hard surface of the ground below me smash against the back of my shell. I froze for a moment, biting back the pain before I rolled over hurriedly to see what had happened, panic stricken. The snake-like appendage as whirling and writhing wildly in agony, the last few feet of it severed and wriggling like a fish out of water a few feet away from me. Tibalt was stumbling, stunned by the wound. Raph was getting to his feet, his hands balled into fists as he shook his head, trying to clear it. A good distance behind them was Mikey, standing and quickly getting his nun-chucks ready to jump into the fight again.
Not too far away from me stood Usagi in a recovering position, his katana at the ready, small, crimson droplets from the wounded monster staining into the white silk of his juban. He spun his head towards where Mikey was standing, throwing out a hand to indicate towards something.
"Mikey-kun! Jotaro-kun wo mamotte agete kudasai!!" He yelled at him, ordering him to protect Jotaro.
Mikey blinked at him wide-eyed before he turned and bolted across the room. I could just make out the small boy crouching down behind one of the broken robotic arms for cover. Mikey joined him, ducking down behind the robot arm himself. I half-saw the boy throw his arms around my brother when he got close enough.
I jumped back to my feet, picking up my sword that I'd dropped during the fall and ran to stand beside my friend, my blade raised at our opponent.
"What are you doing?!" I barked at him angrily as I faced Tibalt again.
"You were in peril!" He replied.
"Well That's just great!" Was all I had time to say in return as Tibalt rounded on the two of us with a vengeance.
He brought the damaged tentacle down between us so that we had to jump in opposite directions to prevent getting crushed. Raph had by now regained his senses and pounced Tibalt directly, grabbing him around the chest and neck before arching him backwards, trying to subdue him. Tibalt struggled violently against him before reaching back, grabbing hold of Raph, and flipping him over, throwing him to the ground painfully where he proceeded to bring down his knee on my brother's gut as hard as he could. I winced at the sight.
Usagi leapt forward, swinging his Katana with blinding speed. Again there was the slight jitter, but I waited for my chance and just as I saw the strange flicker subside I flew forward. Tibalt barely had enough time to twist himself around and out of the way. My blade caught on the jacket of his suit and tore it open at the chest. He snarled and lashed out sideways with the tentacle, hitting both me and Usagi and striking us to the ground.
I choked and coughed, a sour, metallic taste growing in my mouth. I forced my head up to see the man approaching me meaningfully. I scrambled around for my sword again, keeping my eyes on him with as much hatred as I could
"I struck you down once, I'll do it again!" I screamed threateningly, finding the hilt of my blade and slicing upwards with it as a warning.
Tibalt froze at this, the same, unearthly smile twisting on his face.
"I believe you are mistaken, Hamato Leonardo!" He leered at me. "I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure! You must be mistaking me for some-one else!"
"Yeah right!" I sliced at the air in his direction, urging him to stay back. "Like there's ANOTHER red tentacled mind-screwing FREAK out there!"
Tibalt burst out laughing at this. "As if you're one to talk!" He calmed down again, sneering at me. "But I'm not lying. You really do have me confused. You see, I am merely a vassal, a servant if you will."
The red appendage struck again, knocking me back and to the ground once more. Tibalt took a few steps closer.
"You mistake me for My Boss. Although I am flattered, I feel you should get your facts straight before you spew out accusations!"
The tentacle shot out again before I had time to react, still reeling from the last blow it gave me. I felt it wrap itself around my neck and throat before it started to squeeze. I struggled, trying to locate my katana.
"You see, after your last encounter with My Boss in which you destroyed his body, he has anxiously been trying to find a way back into this physical realm." He tightened his grip on my throat. I felt a pain-filled rattle escape me.
"Oh it has been hard, finding servants to do his bidding when he had no way of communicating apart from telephones and radios, often coming across as nothing but white noise, but for those of us desperate enough, his voice could still be heard." He dragged me across the floor, lifting me up to face him eye to eye.
"He needed a way back into this world, to be able to continue his entrapment of those who want wealth, power and success badly enough. For that he needed a 'spokesperson' if you will. He needed me."
I struggled against the coil around my throat, but I could feel myself weakening. Dark clouds were starting to fog my vision as my chest grew tight and white-hot, begging me for air.
All of a sudden, ice cold breath flooded back into me as I felt myself dropping, hitting the floor where I choked and gasped, trying to fill my resisting lungs. I twisted myself around, forcing my eyes to focus.
Tibalt had released me, turning in place to strike out at some-one who'd tried to attack him from behind while he was distracted. I heard the clatter of Japanese steel hitting the ground and an agonized yell.
"Ouji-san!!" A child's voice screamed, sounding shrill and hysterical.
I twisted to see the red appendage wrapped around Usagi, pinning his arms to his sides as it coiled itself around him. He grit his teeth, struggling against it as he lashed out with one of his long legs, kicking it hard. Tibalt didn't so much as flinch, raising him a feet feet in the air before, to my horror, he slammed the samurai against the ground with full force.
"OUJI-SAN!!" Jotaro screamed.
He was still ducked down behind the robotic arm with Mikey, but when I turned to him I nearly choked on my own gasp to see the child spring over the wreckage, terror on his face as he charged the stricken figure of Usagi.
Mikey was after him like a flash, leaping over the robotic arm himself before he broke into a gallop to stop the boy. Tibalt raised Usagi again. I could see the samurai struggle once more, just as furiously, but even from this distance the sharp, piercing colour of crimson on white fur caught my eye as blood seeped from his mouth and nose. Tibalt lifted him again before smashing him down as hard as he could a second time. Mikey dove forward, catching Jotaro around his middle and physically dragging him backwards and away from the scene. Jotaro fought him all the way, desperate to help Usagi.
An ear-splitting crackle suddenly filled the room, like a strike of lightening that was drawn out longer than possible. I turned my head around towards the portal.
The first thing that caught my attention was the figure of Donny struggling to his elbows shakily, but I only kept my gaze on him for a split second when I saw the swirling blue vortex had changed. A long, pulsating white line had sliced the spinning oval in half. It crackled again, the metallic structure shaking with strain as a sudden flurry of cyan blue blots of energy shot outwards from the oval, striking walls and floor and broken control panels wherever they landed. The white line through the centre of the oval widened, then divided itself into 2, slowly separating from each other to form a dark, black third line in-between them which grew in size. From this slit I could see long, eager coils inch their way forwards before they slowly pierced through the last dimensional wall of the portal and slowly started to bleed into the room itself.
Tibalt broke into a large, toothy smile once again, his own red appendage unwrapping itself from Usagi and promptly dropping him to the ground like a burlap sack. I forced myself to my feet, forgetting about my sword as I shot forward towards my stricken friend, but before I got close enough I felt myself once again wrapped up by a thick, muscular tentacle, this time coming from the portal itself. There was another crackle from the gate and I heard an otherworldly roar echo from it. Another slew of blue blasts shot across the room.
"Look out!!" Some-one yelled.
I nearly broke my own neck as I spun my head around to the cry, just in time to see Mikey tense his hands on the small boy's shoulders and physically shove him as hard as he could. Jotaro hit the ground and rolled a good few paces away, just as one of the blue strikes of energy hit Mikey dead-on.
"NO!" I went berserk, thrashing against the coil wrapped around my torso, my eyes glued to my little brother as he collapsed in a heap to the ground.
"Mikey-san!!" Jotaro Screamed, springing to his feet.
"Michelangelo!!" Raph cried out, shaking off his daze as he leapt up as well, shooting forward before dropping to his knees beside the unmoving form.
"TEME!" An enraged scream came from my friend as he jumped up, stumbled, then charged Tibalt like he was going to rip him to shreds.
Tibalt dodged the strike from Usagi's katana, side-stepping the second strike as well before he ducked and threw his palm upwards, striking the samurai in the jaw. Usagi stumbled backwards, giving his head a hard shake before pouncing forward again. He sliced with his sword but changed the direction of the blow in mid-air, bringing it down at a different angle than expected, giving Tibalt a long gash across his cheek. Tibalt gave a surprised yelp, staggering back a few steps, a hand flying up to the wound. He blinked at the blood on his hand before he turned to give Usagi a wide, evil smirk.
"You fight well, ronin!" He sneered
Usagi didn't reply, thrusting forward again with his sword. Tibalt dodged the strike, turned in place before bringing up his knee, striking it upwards right into Usagi's ribcage. Usagi gave a choked breath before he spat blood, He swayed in place slightly before he recovered, raising his sword for another attack.
"Do you know why I chose your dimension to get Bishop's precious little 'sample'?!" Tibalt said, his grin widening. He was taking great enjoyment from infuriating the rabbit even further.
Usagi didn't answer, slicing at the air. Tibalt dodged it, throwing out a hand and grabbing Usagi by the wrist, twisting it violently and forcing the samurai to drop his weapon. His eyes flashed.
"It's because when My Boss was trapped between realities, unable to do anything but wait and observe all the stupid, greedy mortals in the physical planes around him, he noticed your world. So juicy and rank with treachery, greed and lust! Your own leaders set against each other, thirsty for more of everything! More servants, more land, more wealth, more power, more prestige!! Family members ready to cut down their own flesh and blood if it meant a higher seat in power! From the highest politicians trying to tear scraps of territory from each other to the lowest peasant scum slitting throats on the roads for a meagre purses of copper! The allure of it drove My Boss Crazy! He had to have it! He had to plant his seed in that realm as well as this one!"
He twisted Usagi's wrist a little further, causing the samurai to give a strangled cry of pain. "But for that he needed a vessel! He had me, but I had no chance of moving around your world without drawing attention! So he needed some-one else, some-one who could fit in seamlessly and spread his influence! So when Bishop asked me for a sample, I provided him with one... but in truth I was merely letting him play with what would eventually become our servant!!"
He released Usagi's wrist, giving him a hard kick in the gut, striking him to the ground. Usagi gave a sharp cry, landing on his back. Tibalt took a few steps closer, looming over him.
"However, children are hard to seduce. For all the selfish wants of a child, all they truly desire is a future. Everything else they yearn and pine for are merely idle fantasies. They have no concept of true desires. So they are difficult to influence and coerce into doing My Boss's bidding. Not impossible, but difficult."
Usagi stared at him wide-eyed, scrambling around until he found his sword again before he leapt to his feet to the face the man, his blade raised. However Tibalt made no move to attack him, staring deeply into him with dark eyes.
"But then...you fell into my lap, masterless samurai. You are young, but you are most certainly an adult and must have desires and yearnings like every-one else." His smile widened. "There is much that you could gain by succumbing to us."
Usagi's face hardened and he raised his katana a little higher. "You speak as if you expect me to turn my back on my friends and family, demon! You ask me to throw away honour and dignity and loyalty for my own profit!! Treachery is something I abhor above all else!! You cannot seduce me!!"
Tibalt gave a dark, low chuckle at this.
"You say that now, but you haven't even stopped to consider what it is I offer you. Think about it. The lives of your friends, the lives of your family. If that is something your heart cherishes then we will spare them. For you. But that is only the beginning."
Tibalt's long red appendage twisted itself slowly, encircling the space around them.
A little further off I could see Raph and Jotaro. Raph was gripping Mike to his chest tightly with one arm, his other curled protectively around the little boy as he stared at Usagi and Tibalt. The dark slit in the portal had widened to nearly fill the entire oval, countless numbers of the red tentacles writhing and squirming from the opening as they tore their way further and further into this dimension. I could make out the figure of the enormous beast behind them approaching, it's central, large eye shinning blindingly bright into the room, turning the blue light from the portal red.
Usagi stared hatefully at Tibalt, his sword still raised aggressively.
Tibalt smiled at him, almost affectionately.
"What is it you yearn for most strongly, Miyamoto Usagi? Is it Power you desire?" He paused for a moment, looking Usagi over. "No. No not power, and it isn't wealth. You are friends with numerous wanted men and women who could line your purse handsomely if you turned them in, yet this thought has never crossed your mind." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Usagi refused to budge, still glaring venomously at the man. "Perhaps servitude then?" Tibalt continued. "You who are a ronin with no-one to pledge your sword to. But then... no. Your beliefs are too loyal to those who have perished and you see yourself as being loyal to them still. But there must be something. All beings crave something they don't have."
He went silent, his eyes narrowing to a squint as he stared at the samurai, unmoving and still as he bore holes into him with his eyes. Usagi didn't show any trace of being unnerved, glaring back just as hard, his blade still at the ready. Tibalt's eyes relaxed and he blinked before he broke into a wide, victorious smile.
"Aaah. I see. There is a woman."
Usagi's glare faltered and he blinked at this.
Tibalt laughed. "But then... isn't there always?" His smile became dark and serious again. "You hide it well, but I can see your heart aches for her. Her and the family you have been denied. Your own family who live their lives without you."
Usagi's face twisted into something painful, as if he'd swallowed something acidic.
"We can grant you your wish Miyamoto Usagi." Tibalt said.
Usagi blinked again before shutting his eyes tightly for a moment, giving his head a sharp shake before focusing on Tibalt again. From my position, still trapped by the tentacle wrapped around me, I felt my pulse speed up as I watched my friend.
"The peace you cannot afford." Tibalt continued. "The Woman you cannot touch. The son who doesn't recognize you. We can grant you your desires Miyamoto. All that you yearn for, all that life has denied you, it lies before you for the taking. All you need to do is say 'Yes'...."
Usag blinked, his eyes wide as he stared at the man standing in front of him. There was a long, breathless moment in which no-one moved. The chaos of the room swirling all around us as the monster continued its slow approach through the portal. Long clawed hands could be seen grasping for the edge of the oval, looking for a hold to grab onto so it could pull itself out and free. Donny sat on the ground next to the gate, his face pale and his eyes wide as he stared in frozen panic at the scene encasing us.
Usagi blinked again, his gaze cast to the floor, his pink eyes darting around as if looking for something as he thought. I was breathing without taking in any air. He wasn't considering it! There's no way he could be taking this seriously! He can't do it! He can't!! It would spell doom for him! For us! For both our worlds and dimensions! Usagi is kind and brave and loyal to a fault! He's a living martyr who would, very literally, cut himself open if it meant it would help a friend! He would never cave under the empty promises of a monster who stole his son and put us all in mortal danger!
His confused expression changed into a more serious one as he lifted his head again, his face becoming hard-set as he stared back at the man in front of him purposefully. Tibalt stared at him expectantly, remaining silent.
Usagi stared him down for a few moments before he lifted his sword, held it out at arms length, and then dropped it.
The clatter the blade made when it hit the ground cut through all other sounds in the air. My blood turned to ice in my veins, my breath seized in my lungs.
No.
Tibalt's smile widened even further as he beamed darkly at the white-furred samurai standing in front of him.
"You make a very wise choice, Miyamoto Usagi." Tibalt purred.
Usagi gave a single nod. "Yes." He answered. He stared at the man for a few moments before he added; "My short sword has a much quicker strike."
Tibalt blinked, his smile twisting in confusion.
Usagi shot forward, his hand to the hilt of his wakizashi still in its sheath at his side. He lunged, faster than my eye could follow. He drew the shorter blade from its scabbard, arcing it forward before burying deep and hard into the blue-suited man's chest, the blade disappearing from sight.
Tibalt gave an unearthly scream, arching as Usagi dug the blade deeper inwards still, thrusting forward with every scrap of strength he had in him, forcing the man back, back, until he tipped him off balance. Tibalt fell, Usagi tumbling down with him before they both crashed to the ground. When Tibalt's body made impact it cracked and crumbled, as if he was made of dried mud. Hairline cracks shooting across his flesh before he broke apart and burst into dust. There was a blinding flash of red light before ash clouded into the air, blasting outwards before calming, falling and getting lost in the portal's wind.
Usagi twisted himself around onto his back, his eyes wide as he stared at the portal.
"Donatello!!" He screamed.
I twisted my head just in time to see Donny drop the calculator, turn, and dive away from the structure as it shuddered, rumbled and then burst into a white, scorching halo. There was a deafening, ancient roar from an inhuman throat before the white light erupted, causing the entire room to shake and bits of machinery, electronics and rubble to go shooting outwards from the portal, slamming against the walls. I felt the coil around me release its grip in a single instant, causing me to crash to the ground. I didn't even give myself enough time to recover from the blow, jumping to my feet and looking around, trying to blink away the red spots burnt into my retina from the light.
Donny had been knocked off his feet, but even as I watched he pushed himself upright again. Raph had slung the inert figure of Michelangelo onto his back, Jotaro clinging to his belt as he gaped at the destroyed machine with a terror-stricken, wide-eyed stare. Usagi was pushing himself off the ground, stumbling before he recovered his katana, replacing it in its sheath.
I took a shuddering breath, moving towards him as fast as I could.
Before I was able to reach him another tremor shook the room. I twisted my gaze back to the gate, but the oval had broken. Slabs and twisted pieces of metal had been torn clean off, leaving nothing but a scorched, black, half-moon shape, the centre of it showing nothing but the blank, ruined wall of the room behind it. Severed, oozing tentacles lay squirming and writhing everywhere. The nauseating, sweet smell of scorched flesh hung heavy in the air as smoke swirled from the wreckage of the machine. There was nothing that could suggest a second tremor.
A third tremor shook us, this time causing one of the remaining robotic arms in the ceiling to groan and drop slightly, its support structure failing it. I ran towards Usagi, grabbing his arm and steadying him as I twisted myself to Donny.
"Don what's happening?!" I screamed frantically.
Donny's gaze was flitting around the room in panic before he turned it to me. "Bishop must've rigged that security code to not only destroy the gate but the entire base!!"
I gave a furious growl, turning and leading Usagi towards Raph, Mikey and Jotaro. Donny moved to follow us.
"We need to leave! NOW!" I ordered, making sure we were all together before I broke into a run, heading for the nearest exit.
Usagi scooped his son onto his back before he followed, Raph carrying Mikey while Don sprinted ahead to lead the way, back to the shell sub.
"Bishop you BASTARD!" I heard Raph yell.
Xxxxx
Not much more to go!
I might have screwed up on the Japanese ^^; if so please let me know and how to fix it!
BETA thanks goes to Arwing