Ch.3: Confusion and Anger
Raphael couldn't believe this was really happening. Just last night he was wishing for a challenge, and one now suddenly appeared, in the form of foes that they had already put behind bars. And the worst part about it was, they all claimed that it was him who set them free.
" But I didn't!" thought Raph, as he blocked a club from Bebop " I would never do that!"
Yet the facts didn't seem to lie with his brothers. As Mikey, Don, and Leo faced off with the other three villians their minds kept swirling in torment about what Shredder and his goons said about Raphael. Did their brother secretly set these villians just so he could have a good fight?
Confusion blocked their every nerve as they swung out their weapons to block and strike. Shredder and his gang easily took hold of this advantage.
Throwing out a spinning back kick, Shredder knocked Leonardo right in the chest, sending the blue-masked turtle flying shell first into a lamp post. Kraang activated the morpher on his body and turned one of his hands into a buzzsaw.
When Donatello lifted up his staff to block, Kraang sliced right through, shocking the turtle, and then hit him the side with his hammer hand.
Both Michaelanglo and Raphael were having an easier time with Rocksteady and Bebop, until the rhino got lucky enough to grab Mikey's nunchucks then ram him in with his horn.
"Mikey!" yelled Raph in worry, as he kicked Bebop in the head and sent the warthog tumbling onto the ground.
Shredder immediately extended his blades to the three fallen turtles, making Raphael stop in his tracks.
"Come any closer my friend" said Shredder " and I'll slice them to ribbons,"
Raph growled in anger, then suddenly gasped in shock as his arms were twisted behind his back by a recovered Bebop and Rocksteady.
"Rah!" cried Raph " Let me go!"
"Patience my friend" said Kraang " first we'll kill them, then you. After all, it would be wrong to leave out of this villianous scheme,"
"Yes it would," suddenly said a dark and mysterious voice from out of nowhere.
In a bright flash of light, the frightening image of Crimelord suddenly appeared. Raph and not to mention all the villians were stunned by the grand appearence of this strange figure.
He looked almost like Shredder in a way, except that he was fully armored, and his favorite colors seemed to be black and white instead of silver and purple. But the most frightening difference of all had to be the eyes. Those souless, fiery eyes that seemed like they could burn through your very soul.
"Whoa" thought Raph in his mind " who is this guy?"
The Crimelord glanced at Raph, then turned his eyes towards the villians.
"That is enough for now" said Crimelord " set the turtles free. They will come to know my terror in time,"
"But now is the perfect time to destroy them!" complained Shredder " I want to destroy the turtles now!"
Crimelord just raised up his hand and red glow suddenly surrounded Shredder and his minions, making them float up in the air. Shocked by their sudden flight, Bebop and Rocksteady lost their grip on Raphael, making the turtle land hard on the sidewalk.
"Fools" said Crimelord to the villians " our work right now is done. But soon Raphael, you will come to know me, and fear will be the ice in viens,"
Letting out a demonic laugh, Crimelord and all of the villians disappeared.
Raph just sat their for a minute, staring at the sidewalk in silence, as his brothers groaned and got up, weary from their recent struggle. Raph couldn't bring himself to look at their eyes, his own body shaking with fear and guilt.
"Master Splinter was right all along" thought Raph " I brought this fight to the city. And if I'm ever going to win back my family's trust, I have to stop this new foe,"
When the turtles returned to the lair, Master Splinter was shocked by their story, and looked over to Raphael who sat seperated from his brothers just like the night before. No doubt the guilt of his wish plaguing his mind.
"They just came out of nowhere Master Splinter" said Leo " we barely had a chance to fight back,"
" Yeah" said Mikey " and they kept saying all these wierd things about Raph, about how he freed them from jail,"
"Although that seems highly improbable," said Don.
"Try impossible!" said Raph from the couch " it wasn't me who let them escape, it was that guy in the armor,"
"What guy?" asked Leo.
"A guy who could even put Dregg in his place" said Raph " he appeared while you three were knocked out,"
"And apparently" said Don " he has a vendetta againist you,"
"Why does he hate you so much?" Leo asked suspiciously, figuring his brother may have done something wrong.
"I don't know!" said Raph, and stormed off to his rooms, leaving his brothers and sensei in stunned silence.
With a sigh, Splinter looked upon the confused expressions of his remaining sons and spoke a warning to them.
" Beware of your bond my turtles" said Splinter " a mighty oak may ride out a storm, but a stick breaks in the wind. I fear whatever challenges await will break the bond between you all. Please, promise me that this will never be so,"
All three turtles looked at each other before turning back to their sensei.
"We promise Master Splinter," said Leo, Mikey, and Don.
Time would only tell if they had the strentgh to keep that promise.