Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and others, are owned by Eastman and Laird and Fox Box.
Road Rovers, and others, are owned by WB.
Chapter 6:
Beginning of the end
"I'm king of the world!" Michelangelo shouted as they were still cruising through the sky in their big boat. Two strikes of lightning caused the frightened one to leap into the arms of the canine behind him. "At least there's no ice bergs up here. Right, Blitz?" The green one commented to the German.
"And Exile calls me a weird boy." The Doberman said back before dropping the ninja on the floor without a second thought. The canine in question along with his turtle chum were testing their ability to steer the boat without the use of their hands.
"Coolest ship ever." Donatello said to the Siberian as they continued to meditate and steer at the same time. At the back of the boat the tough red ones were having their own talk.
"So, Colleen…after all this blows over if you ever find yourself in New York…look us up." Raphael said to the canine who was only watching the ship pass by the stars and the crimson clouds, but she did hear his words.
"I plan on it." She said to him with a smile while turning to face him, and added, "Okay, tough guy." He sighed in relief that she didn't use his baby name since that was getting on his nerves, but at the same time he was getting used to it. Down in the base of the ship the leaders of the two team was with Chikara.
"The wretched one's heralds will not let our victory go unanswered." She said to the two of them while casting a spell of conceal on the piece.
"I don't get it. We have all the pieces, so doesn't that mean we won." Hunter questioned while scratching his head in confusion.
"I'm with Hunter. With us holding all the pieces shouldn't we have stopped Shredder's resurrection in its tracks." Leonardo added his own thought to what she had just said to them.
"We have won a battle, brave leaders, but only when all three artifacts are entombed within the monastery will I feel even an iota of relief." The strong woman said to them while covering the item with a towel that had her logo on it.
'There.' Hisomi thought as he pointed for the two to park the vessel. Kon was there to greet them, and led them to the lap of the gods.
"I've had a terrible vision Chikara. The beginning of the end is upon us." Kon said to them as he led the warriors over to: Juto, Ancient One, Splinter, Muzzle, and Shag who were all just standing there.
"Master Splinter, what's going on?" Leo questioned to his father after walking to his side. The ninja trusted that the rodent would have some ideaas to what the Master of Spirit was talking about.
"The omens have turned against us, my son. Despite your good work and hard won effort." The rodent said to the acolyte and told him no more.
"The mystic ones come to the monastery. They approach even now. The heralds of the Shredder." The silver haired man heard the gasp, but continued to talk, "We must take drastic measures if we are to survive." He added before taking the item from Hisomi. "Hisomi, lead the acolytes to the third artifact. They will be our last line of defense." He instructed to the taller man.
"The sarcophagus! Kon, the location of that artifact is our most closely guarded secret. Better to make our stand here." She said back to him in alarm before finishing it with a reasonable statement.
"Chikara I have seen the future. Secrets will not help us now. Time is of the essence. You must trust me on this." Kon said back to her and reluctantly she accepted her old friend's proposal.
"Acolytes, steel yourselves…and prepare." She said to them before leaving. At that moment Hisomi took the acolytes and their companions to the base of a stairwell. Once there the big guy tapped the circle they all stood on which caused it to sink just like an elevator going down.
"A secret floor at the base of the monastery. I would not have predicted this." Hunter said as they sunk not knowing that the female was having word with her friend.
"These actions seem rash, Kon. I do not understand why it is necessary that the acolytes know the location of the evil one's sarcophagus. If the heralds realize that the acolytes have this knowledge their lives are forfeit. We agreed that the location of the crypt would die with the Tribunal." She explained while walking with her friends down a hallway.
"Yes, we would not have it any other way." Kon said to her with the second item still in hand. They entered a small cut off room and the sight worried her: Kon, Juto, Ancient One, Splinter, Muzzle, and Shag were all in there with signs of defeat evident on their forms.
"Ch-Chikara, run." The master of weapons called out to her after hearing her familiar gasp. She realized the imposters and tried a sweep the feet move, but they floated out of the way.
"It's too late." The fire creature said to her which cemented her fear.
"No. It cannot be. The heralds of the Shredder!" Chikara shouted in alarm after seeing the wind and fire heralds levitating before her.
"Yes, we have come. You see before you now the beginning of the end. The end of everything." The red warrior said to her before he and his friend attacked her together. The secondary group had finally reached the bottom where they all saw that it ended at a lava location.
"Whoa! If the Tribunal ever gets strapped for cash you could charge boku bucks charging admission for this ride." Michelangelo said to his brother as they neared the bottom.
'We are nearly there.' The four thought as they stopped before a stone bridge that ended at a waterfall of lava. The silent giant stopped them, took out his fans, and opened the lava as if it was a curtain.
"Whoa. From scorching hot to the freeze zone; hope we don't catch cold." The orange member said to the others once they all made it inside, and found that they were now in an ice cavern.
"Yeah, Mikey, that's the big concern here." Raphael said back in anger since he knew that this mission was more important than a minor case of the sniffles.
"I am not getting problem. This place feel like warm day in my country." Exile said with his fists to his waist. Soon the group stopped and allowed their guide to point to the item they were looking for.
"This must be the place." The brainy turtle said as he and the others saw the item they came for.
"I don't need Hisomi to tell me that. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up - and I don't even have hair." Raphael said back to his brother. No one saw the sharing of a look between the four tag alongs.
"Master Splinter, Ancient One, Muzzle, Shag: are you okay?" Leonardo questioned after an unforeseen tremor knocked the eight and Tribunal member off their feet.
"It's the Shredder's heralds." The sickle wielder shouted after Splinter revealed to be the Earth herald, Ancient One to be the Water herald, and Muzzle/Shag to be the Metal herald.
"Yes, so generous of you to lead us to our master's sarcophagus." The mud themed man said to them while pointing to the item in question.
"What have you done with our friends?" The Golden Retriever questioned with his mighty sword pointed at the three before them.
"You will meet them soon enough now that we have all that we need." The metallic brother commented to the defenders of good before they all laughed at their victory. Back at the monastery fire was locking up the woman of the Tribunal.
"Do you feel it, brother? The third artifact is ours." The warrior of wind said as he kept a firm hold of the helmet.
"Yes, I sense it too. We now possess all the pieces we need to resurrect our master, and with these finished let us now join our brothers in victory." The fire one answered back before the both of them left the area.
'I thought they'd never leave.' Splinter thought as he opened his eye to reveal that they were alone. As he proceeded with his plan the wind and fire warriors appeared to where the other three were.
"Now, finally, the age of the Tribunal is at an end." The earth warrior said once they were all together.
"For Oroku Saki, the one true Shredder, will rise again." The fire warrior said even though the heroes were closing in on foot. Hisomi used his speed to get between them even though it meant that he was instantly surrounded.
"Remember what you've learned, acolytes. It all comes down to this." Leonardo said to them as they all charged at them, but the stone warrior erected a stonewall between the heroes and the coffin.
'I can still take you.' Hisomi thought before getting slammed by wind from behind, a stone fist from the ground, and having his back barbequed. 'Must stop heralds. Must stop her…' He thought while trying to continue the fight, but ended collapsing on the ground in defeat.
"Hisomi-San." Raphael shouted in anger after making a hole in the stone structure, and ran at the five responsible. Metal tried to stop them with a six limb move, but the Siberian smacked the first attempt away with his hammer before leaping up, and grabbing the limbs with both of his arms.
"The cleaving wind." The brainy turtle shouted once he saw his chance to strike. His blow cut off the extra limbs and forced the shiny one to come up with something new.
'They will not interfere.' The fire one thought before attacking which the brainy ones dodged the first one, and spinning both bonrai sickles Raph was able to return the second attempt to his brother with ease.
'We can't let the turtles have all the fun.' Blitz thought as he and Colleen tried to take on the wind one, but even with their skill, and the sudden appearance of Michelangelo the man still got away.
"Impressive, the reptiles have learned much since we last met, but it will not matter." The fire one said to them which caught the canine's attention, but under the circumstances they thought it best to discuss his statement later.
"What the shell are those?" Raphael questioned as he was thinking of a centaur version of Tangath Toborn and an early form of Mezzmar as he stared at the two creatures that came from the lake surrounding the island.
"Shojo - spawn of black waters, and Baku - devourer of dreams. Heed the wish of your master: leave nothing breathing." The fire man said as he explained what the creature's were along with giving them a basic command. The beasts tried a head butt and hammer punch, but they all evaded.
"We can do this! Stay focused and we can take them!" Leonardo shouted as he had pulled out his blades and had gotten ready to fight.
"Remember guys, true strength comes from within, and nothing-" Hunter said to them, but was interrupted when the serpent slammed him with his tail and again when the dog tried to get back to his feet.
"We're coming." Michelangelo shouted after seeing the hero hit the ceiling and fall down.
"Hunter!" The hammer wielder shouted, but was slammed by a battering ram motion from the centaur. Exile was able to slide to a halt with Donatello and Raphael to either side of him.
'Need to get rid of you.' Leo thought as he evaded the serpent, and after making the beast gnaw on a stalagmite he rushed over to his fallen friend. "Hunter." He said in alarm. "Save your strength, Hunter. I'm gonna get you out of here." The warrior explained, and was about to make good until the canine grabbed his right shoulder.
"Leo, my time here is at an end." The humanoid struggled to say since he was in extreme pain. "Gunshin is yours. It was always meant for you. I was just holding it." The canine said before going with a smile on his face.
"I will honor you with it, Hunter." Leonardo vowed before going back into battle. Back in the monastery Splinter had freed the Ancient One and with his aid the others were also free.
"The enemy has already found the third artifact - their master's sarcophagus." Chikara said to them since she felt a disturbance down below.
"If they escape with all three artifacts the world is doomed." Juto informed them after Ancient One released him.
"Then we must stop them. Come." Splinter said to his associates. Even though he held a grudge from what happened with his master the rodent knew that his anger could wait if it meant the safety of all life.
"You hit high! I…hit…" Raphael struggled to say anything since he and Donatello powered up, but right when he was ready to bash the beast the turtle felt all of his strength leave him.
"Get up. Get up." Colleen shouted to the two warriors that had just been paw slammed by Baku.
"We've wasted enough time. Finish them." The fire creature said as he and the others watched the show from above and was enjoying every moment. The beast understood, broke a big piece of stone spike, and prepared to slam it into all three, but was stopped by a blue beam.
"By the dragon's fire - BURN DEMON!" Leonardo shouted after channeling for a second blast, and the second one took care of that eyesore.
"Now that's being a turtle." The angered one shouted in praise after seeing the disposal of the lion creature.
"Gunshin, but what happened to Hunter?" Donatello questioned since last he knew the canine was the one that held that sword. At that moment the red serpent went after a fellow red creature.
"Blimey!" The rough collie shouted in alarm when the beast grabbed her around the waist and pulled up.
"Colleen, no!" The warrior of anger shouted as he watched what was happening.
"Raphael, avenge me." The canine shouted back since she knew her staff and fighting skills weren't enough for this situation.
"That's it you slimy serpent!" The avenger shouted in anger before using his saw move on the stone spikes above. "That one was for you, Colleen. I won't forget ya." He said after killing Shojo with falling rock.
"It is time!" The fire themed villain shouted after seeing that the two thugs were defeated, so he decided to hurry this along. "We have all that we need. The master will rule once again." He shouted after he and wind placed the other two items on the coffin.
"Not today. Not ever." The brainy turtle vowed as he saw four of them fly away and the earth one create a pillar to send the three items skyward, but his move was shattered by several purple shock waves.
'We're up.' The two canine's on the field thought as they leaped onto the crypt and grabbed the two smaller item while letting the body cask slam onto the ground.
"Inazuma, do your thing!" The slacker shouted and fired one blast for each of them. Taking them out of the fight.
"The casket. We did it. Mikey, catch." Exile said as he ran up to the third item, and tossed the helmet to the one standing beside Blitz.
"All right! We got back all three artifacts, and the three gooma's are out of commission." The youngest shouted with excitement since it seems that they have won.
"Yes, but for how long." The Doberman questioned to his friend; he wasn't trying to sound doubtful - just honest.
"Master." The young one said as he looked on the tallest of their teachers. "We have to get Hisomi back to the monastery. He needs help!" The one in orange shouted, and after placing his item on the ground to turn the being face up; ready to drag him away, but a whip stopped him.
"Leave him be. His time is done." Juto said with the other end of the whip being hidden from within his sleeve. "You have all fought well, but the fight is far from over." The Master of weapons stated to the six before him.
"But Hisomi, Colleen, Hunter - they're all…" The chucker was about to counter, but his father stopped him.
"All we can do for them is honor their courage by stopping Oroku Saki's return. I am sorry." Splinter said and let his second sentence have three meanings: apologizing for how he viewed the Tribunal, apologizing to the Rovers for the lose of their friends, and apologizing to his sons for them seeing someone actually dying around them.
"And the first step along that path is to destroy the Shredder's heralds." Chikara said to them with Blitz holding the gauntlet, Exile the body, and Michelangelo the helmet, but as soon as she said that the five reappeared.
"Oh no, look." The biter shouted out at the return of the five men. The three saw them and got ready with a little move of their own.
"Make haste. Take the artifacts far from this place! Hide them! Leave the heralds to us." The strength ordered to them, but since she did not like the worried look Exile and the others were giving her the woman added, "Go, now." With that the ten ran as fast as they could while the heralds went after the sphere of energy.
"Join your master!" Kon shouted at the five charging fiends. As the group got to the lift and headed up all heard explosions, but forced themselves to focus on the mission. They all knew the best spot was the lap of the gods, but none of them liked the sight before them.
"No! The heralds!" Leo shouted to the five above them.
"But how?" The brainy turtle question since he was praying the explosion was for their team.
"You have underestimated our powers." The water mystic said to the group since he did not like to be underestimated.
"And for that mistake. Your lives will end here." The flaming man stated with a clenched fist. The turtles were still lost over how these five could be the victors against their teachers.
"If these guys are up there; than that means…" Leonardo started to speak, but was too scared to finish; luckily one the heralds were happy to finish for him.
"That means the Ninja Tribunal is no more." The aqua antagonist stated to them and felt proud for their achievement.
"The artifacts - now!" The fire one said and before they could think of a way to answer it the metal one attacked Blitz.
"Blitz!" The Russian shouted out before going to help his friend. Leo was about to do so, but was stopped by earth based hands - keeping him grounded. Water put Ancient One and Splinter into bubbles.
'Your through!' Raph thought as he tried to take on the earth warrior, but as soon as his two toed feet were on the body cask the earth mover back handed him off. 'That's the way you want it.' He thought before rising up, and walking over to the Rottweiler. "Muzzle, `im." He said darkly and used his dragon weapon to cut the secret weapon free.
"Whoa!" The one in orange shouted out before dodging the stone man changing at him, and making a big hole in one of the walls. His move made the building shake, and the ceiling to give way.
"Look out!" Donatello shouted to the sheepdog, who tried to help against the metal man, and Siberian Husky before body checking them out of one chunk of ceiling only to have one fall on the three of them.
"We can't hold it. Go! Go!" Exile shouted as he and Shag tried to hold it, but before the fellow acolyte could refuse they kicked him out of the way, and were both crushed.
"Exile! Shag!" Donatello shouted as he crouched before the ceiling chunk that did away with his friends. Blitz was defending quite well with Metal until Muzzle tried to match his fangs against the creature.
'How annoying.' The shiny herald thought before creating spikes on his back which ran the secret weapon through. As soon as he did that the beast saw his opponent's guard drop so he plunged his claw into his stomach.
"Muzzle! Blitz!" Michelangelo shouted after dodging a wind attack, placing his item down, grabbed both dogs, and hid where purple was. "You two are gonna be okay…I…" The young one started to say, but could find a way to finish it.
"You finally got me to laugh, Mikey." The Doberman said to him before his life force completely vanished. Donatello and Michelangelo had to look away since they did not wish this to be real.
"What a pity. Such a waste of power simply to delay the inevitable." Fire said to them before they put the items on top of the body, and channeled their energy into the items. "From the ashes of your accursed Ninja Tribunal our dread lord Shredder will rise again." Fire said to them during this their ploys against three of them stopped but at the same time the Lap of the gods was reduced to nothing more than a giant lava pond.
'This is bad.' The bearded man thought before looking up at the fire herald who had stayed behind to deliver a message while the others followers flew into the portal with the items.
"On behalf of the great one - we thank you." The boot-licker of the five said with a bow before going into the portal. The field leader of the turtles did not like where this was going.
"NO! It can't have all been for nothing! I won't let it be!" Leo demanded before channeling his chi into glowing form, and focused it into his blade. When the power was just right he fired the Dragon's Fire right at the portal. "I will never stop fighting." He demanded and after a moments the humanoid added, "Hurry! I don't know how long I can keep this thing open!" They heard him and leaped inside with him bringing up the rear.
"We're home.' Donatello pointed out after helping his young brother out of the dumpster, and looking out of the alley they were in.
"Master Splinter, I can't believe it. Hunter and the other Road Rovers, the Ninja Tribunal - all gone." The eldest son said to his father as a way to try to ease the pressure on his chest.
"They have made the ultimate sacrifice. We can't let it be in vain." The father said back as his answer.
"What about the heralds?! Why the shell would they come here to New York City?!" The second oldest questioned out of anger; trying to get off the subject of his fellow acolytes and onto why those punks come here.
"I do not know Raphael, but I do know what their victory today means. It means that the end of the world begins…here." The rodent answered him, and they all decided to head back to the lair because of the storm over head.