Some time had passed since Xanatos and Demona were defeated, and the gargoyles and turtles had become close friends. In fact, the turtles had practically become nocturnal, spending most of their nights up in the castle with their new friends when they weren't out patrolling. One night, as the sun began to set, Donnie pulled the Battle Shell up to the doors of the Eyrie building, where Willow was waiting for them eagerly.
"Hey guys!" she called out, waving as they all got out. "You're just in time."
"Aw yeah!" Mikey let out, pumping his fist in the air. "It's showtime!"
"You seem rather chipper tonight, Willow," Donnie noted. "Did something happen?"
"I've got some good news, but I want to make sure everyone can hear it," Willow informed him. "C'mon, Elisa's already up there waiting."
The turtles followed Willow inside and towards the elevator, where Owen stood with his usual stoic expression.
"Going up?" he asked, already inserting his keycard to access the castle.
"We'd like to, but your tone is bringing us down," Mikey joked, chuckling at his own joke.
Owen let out a small cough, one Leo swore was hiding a small snicker.
"Enjoy your visit, turtles," the man said as he recovered, the doors to the elevator closing on the six of them.
The group just stood silently as the car went up.
"You know, I read these things used to play music," Donnie commented.
"Me too," Willow agreed, looking up at the ceiling curiously. "I wonder why they stopped."
"I couldn't tell you," Owen replied.
Eventually, the doors opened up and the five riders quickly entered the courtyard, where Elisa was waiting for them.
"About time you got here," she announced. "Your dad hold you after class?"
"Hey, even ninjas have to contend with New York traffic," Leo remarked.
"True," Elisa allowed. "Frankly, I'm just surprised that Owen even lets any of us up here. I mean, you guys did kick his boss' butt, and I threw him in jail."
"Yeah, Xanatos told him that you guys were welcome to come and go as you please," Willow explained. "Between you and me, I think he's trying to butter me up."
"Well it doesn't sound like it's working," Raph noted.
"Not even a little," Willow confirmed.
Finally, the sun went down. All parties present turned towards the gargoyles' stone forms. Very slowly, they all began to crack, the stone skin shattering as all six gargoyles stretched and howled. Willow let out a sigh of contentment.
"That will never not be cool," she declared.
"My words exactly," Mikey agreed.
The gargoyles then glided down to the turtles and humans below.
"Good evening everyone," Goliath greeted them.
"Hey Willow," Brooklyn said, landing in front of her.
"Hey Brook," she replied, giving him a hug.
"Aww, look at you two," Mikey joked, earning him a slap from Brooklyn's wing.
Once Brooklyn released her, she stepped back, running her fingers through her hair.
"Guys, I have some news," she declared. "As you know, I have been dealing with the family court ever since Xanatos' arrest,"
"How's that going anyway?" Donnie asked.
"Well, a verdict was reached earlier this evening," Willow explained. "And… I get to stay at the castle!"
"Alright!" Brooklyn exclaimed.
"That's great," Mikey complimented.
"Congratulations Willow," Goliath told her.
"Eyup," Willow agreed. "Owen stepped forward and agreed to take temporary custody of me. Of course, once Xanatos is released from prison, custody will be turned over to him once more."
"Well, I say we go out and celebrate!" Mikey declared.
"Sounds like a plan to me, Mikey," Leo agreed.
"But where can we go that will welcome us?" Broadway asked.
The turtles all exchanged looks, grinning widely.
"I think we know just the place," Raph declared.
...
After a bit of driving and flying, the turtles, gargoyles, and humans arrived at a Japanese noodle shop. The gargoyles landed on the roof of the building, Broadway sniffing the air as he began salivating.
"Man, this place smells great," he declared.
"I've never been to this place before," Willow remarked as Brooklyn set her down. "What is it?"
"Murakami's noodle shop," Donnie answered. "We go here all the time."
"So how do you manage to not get thrown out by the owner?" Elisa asked. "Trench coats and fedoras?"
"Funny," Raph remarked. "Let's just go inside and you can see for yourself."
As they approached the place though, they saw several shadows moving about. Immediately, all non-human members of the party took cover in the darkness, Elisa and Willow peeking through the window.
"What's happening in there?" Leo asked.
Elisa pulled her gun from her belt, Willow scooting out of her way.
"Looks like a group of gang members trying to rough up the shop owner," Elisa answered. "From the tacky outfits and matching tattoos, I'd say they're purple dragons."
"I remember those guys," Brooklyn recalled. "I see they're all fowl marauders like the Vikings we dealt with back home. Cowards who attack the defenseless..."
"Yeah, that sums 'em up," Raph agreed.
"You four head in through the back," Elisa ordered. "Goliath, you and the rest of the gargoyles watch the door should any of them make a run for it. Brooklyn, keep Willow out of danger."
"Like you have to ask," Brooklyn replied.
Inside the shop, the leader of the purple dragons, dubbed Dragon Face, shoved the shop owner, a man by the name of Murakami, against the counter. Murakami slowly got up as Dragon Face walked over to him.
"Look Murakami, we don't mean any trouble," Dragon Face told him. "We just need a little... capital to help us get through these dark times. So, just give us access to the register, or-"
Just then, Murakami turned to face him, conking Dragon Face on the head with a frying pan. Dragon Face stumbles back a bit, holding his head in pain and groaning in irritation.
"Angel, talk to him," he ordered.
Angel, a teenage girl with bright purple hair in pigtails stepped forward, cracking her knuckles while trying to look tough.
"Listen Gramps, just fork over the cash and this doesn't have to get ugly," she threatened.
"I sense a hint of hesitation in your voice," Murakami noted, not sounding scared, merely concerned. "I do not think you want to hurt me."
Angel blinked at that, taken aback by his abruptness. She steeled herself, grabbing the front of Murakami's apron and pulling back her fist.
"I will if I have to, Gramps," she warned. "Now open the register before-"
At that moment, the door to the shop burst open, and Elisa entered. She held out her badge in one hand, her gun in her other hands.
"NYPD!" she shouted. "Everybody freeze!"
The dragons looked up, surprised at her presence, but still quick to react. A few of them pulled out several makeshift weapons of their own, like pipes, chains, and knives. One such knife was held by Dragon Face, who grabbed Murakami and put it to his throat, much to both Elisa's and Angel's surprise.
"Not so fast copper," Dragon Face threatened. "One more step and the noodle man becomes mincemeat."
"Hey, he's more than a noodle man!" Mikey called out indignantly. "Have you tried his Pizza Gyoza?"
The dragons turned around to see the turtles standing before them. Raph quickly pulled out a throwing star and tossed it at the knife, knocking it out of Dragon Face's hand.
"Not these freaks again!" Dragon Face let out, shaking out his hand. "Get them!"
The Dragons all charged at the turtles, who readied themselves for battle. One dragon in a brown vest and yellow shirt, tried swinging his knife at Raph, but missed with every strike.
"Fancy weapon you got there pal," Raph admitted. "Let's see you use it."
"You're asking for it, pal," the dragon threatened. "I'm gonna cut you into turtle burgers."
"Ok, that didn't make any sense," Raph remarked as he swatted the knife out of his hand and punched him in the face.
Mikey meanwhile was flipping around a dragon with a purple Mohawk and 80's goggles trying to swing a chain at him.
"Dude, you're bringing back the Mohawk," Mikey complimented, landing on the ground. "Good for you."
"Oh, you got jokes, huh?" the dragon asked. "Well try laughing at this!"
The dragon tried swinging his chain at him again, but Mikey just grabbed it and pulled him in close, kicking him in the chest and sending him right into the dragon Raph was fighting. The two landed on the ground with a thud.
"Hey!" the dragon in the vest called out. "Watch it Bebop!"
"Sorry, Rocksteady," Bebop apologized.
Donnie meanwhile, was duking it out with a rather large dragon in a sleeveless blue shirt and welding a pipe. He clashed the pipe with Donnie's staff multiple times, neither one getting an advantage over the other. Finally, Donnie activated the blade function on his staff and sliced through the pipe. Before the two ton dragon could react, Donnie retracted the blade and struck him in the gut, causing him to kneel over in pain.
During the fight, Elisa made her way over to Murakami and ushered him to safety.
"This way sir," She told him.
"Thank you," Murakami replied.
Leo, meanwhile, was avoiding several swings from Angel, who grabbed a kitchen knife off the counter.
"Aren't you a little young to be in with the Purple Dragons?" Leo asked.
"No, no I'm not!" she insisted, swinging the knife at him.
Leo quickly knocked the knife out of her hands and shoved her against the wall. He was about to make another move when he saw some actual fear on her face. This wasn't like the other dragons, she honestly looked like just some kid who was in over her head. Angel took advantage of his pause and shoved him aside, bolting for the door. She ran right past the gargoyles, only to get snatched up by Goliath.
"Where do you think you're going?" he growled.
Angel froze in fear at the sight before her. Inside, the rest of the dragons were trying to make a similar retreat to Angel's, but were all intercepted by the gargoyles. Taking one look at the monstrous figures before them, they turned in the other direction and bolted. Goliath prepared to incapacitate Angel, but Leo stopped him.
"Goliath, wait!" Leo called out. "There's no need,"
Angel perked up at Leo's words as Goliath turned to the blue turtle.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, if we let her go, she'll just tell her friends about us," Lexington rationalized.
"Look at her," Leo insisted, gesturing to Angel. "She's just a kid."
Goliath took another look at her and saw very little cause for violence. He let out a sigh, and placed her on the ground.
"Go," he commanded. "Now."
Angel wasted no time, taking off down the street. She ended up running right into Willow, but quickly recovered before bolting. Not long after that, Elisa made her way over to the others.
"Nice job guys," she complimented, "Something tells me those low lives won't be shaking down this store for a while."
"Dude," Raph let out, walking over to Leo. "Why'd you let her go?"
"She wasn't exactly a threat, Raph," Leo insisted. "It looked like she had enough."
"Seriously? They were beating up a blind guy. I don't think there's a limit on enough for that."
"It doesn't matter now," Brooklyn interjected. "They're gone."
"Yeah, but they'll be back," Raph growled, crossing his arms, "and now they won't think we have the stomach to finish the job."
Leo looked down in contemplation over what Raph said. Before he could dwell too much on it, Hudson placed a hand on his shell.
"Ye did the right thing, lad," the old gargoyle assured him. "The child was a wee lass, and taking her out would have been a waste. Perhaps your mercy will help her to reevaluate her choice in friends."
Leo smiled at this, thinking Hudson may be onto something there. With the dragons all running for the hills, the group made their way back inside to check on Murakami.
"You okay, Mr. Murakami?" Donnie asked.
"Yes, Donatello-san," Murakami assured him. "I am well. Thank you for saving me when you did."
"Don't mention it Mr. Murakami," Mikey replied. "Anything to keep our favorite noodle place open as long as possible."
Murakami smiled, adjusting a pair of sunglasses on his face. Willow took notice, blinking in surprise.
"Raph said you were blind..." she recalled.
"Yes child," Murakami confirmed. "I hope that's not an issue."
"Not at all," Broadway declared, sniffing the air. "Whatcha cookin?"
"Broadway, don't be rude," Brooklyn chastised. "He was just attacked."
"It is quite alright," Murakami reassured. "I'd be more than happy to prepare a meal for you all, free of charge. It is the least I can do to repay you."
"Your kindness is very much appreciated," Goliath told him.
"Michelangelo mentioned something called… Pizza Gyoza," Lexington recalled. "What is that?"
Murakami smiled in response as he ushered everyone into the store.
"Let me show you."
...
Back inside, Murakami got to work in the kitchen, moving at incredible speeds in preparing the meal he had promised. The turtles just smiled as the humans and gargoyles were awestruck by the skill on display.
"Are you a sorcerer?" Broadway asked, watching as the food was tossed around with expert skill.
"He's gotta be," Brooklyn insisted. "No normal human could do this."
"Nah," Mikey dismissed. "He's just got mad skills."
The food show ended with a flare as Murakami deposited a tray of Pizza Gyoza dumplings in front of all of his guests, human, turtle, and gargoyle alike.
"Pizza Gyoza!" he declared. "One of my most popular dishes."
"And one of our favorites," Leo added.
Willow picked one up, examining it before tossing it in her mouth. Her face lit up and she immediately reached for another one. Elisa did the same, unable to contain a moan of satisfaction. Taking cues from their human friends, everyone else dug in as well.
"These things are incredible!" Broadway exclaimed.
"I'll say, it's like Chinese food and pizza rolled into one tasty treat," Brooklyn agreed.
"Well, technically it's Japanese food and pizza combined, but you're close enough," Donnie corrected.
"No talking, just eating," Mikey silenced, taking another bite.
The two gargoyles and Donnie just shrugged and obliged, continuing to enjoy their meal.
…
Quite a ways down the street, Dragon Face, Bebop, Rocksteady, and their oversized companion were slowly stopped to catch their breath, having been running for what felt like an hour. As they leaned against the wall, Angel slowly caught up with them, also out of breath.
"What were those things?" she asked in between gasps of air.
"Gargoyles," Dragon Face scoffed. "I'd heard rumors that some of the boys got jumped by living gargoyles, but I didn't think they'd be that strong."
"Man, it was bad enough when it was just those freaky turtle things, but now we've got giant winged monsters?!" Bebop exclaimed. "This city keeps getting weirder and weirder."
"You're telling me," Rocksteady agreed. "So...who's gonna tell the boss?"
...
The group emerged from Murakami's noodle shop, Broadway's arms laden with leftovers.
"Thanks again for the food!" he called out.
"Come again soon!" Murakami called back.
"Oh, hold on," Willow insisted, stopping in her tracks. "I know you said this was free of charge, but I have to at least leave a tip for such amazing food."
She reached into her jacket, her face falling as she began patting down her pockets. She checked them again, then popped back inside to look around. Brooklyn noticed this, raising an eyebrow ridge.
"What's wrong?"
"My wallet's missing," she answered. "Maybe it fell out of my pocket?"
"More likely one of those dragons pocketed it," Raph surmised.
"I recall that girl running into Willow as they escaped," Goliath suggested. "It might be possible that she is currently in possession of the wallet."
"Aw man..." Willow groaned, rubbing her face. "And I liked that wallet."
"Blame fearless here," Raph sneered, gesturing to Leo with his thumb. "He's the one who let that little pickpocket get away."
"Save it," Leo responded. "Come on, let's go home."
"Willow, you can come with me down to the station," Elisa insisted, wrapping an arm around Willow's shoulders. "My shift starts in about 30 minutes and I need to file a report on what happened here. Heavily edited of course."
"And after that, I gotta start freezing every single credit card I have..." Willow let out, rubbing her face. "Whelp, that's gonna be fun."
"We best return to the castle then," Goliath decided, turning to his clan. "Come, all of you."
The gargoyles began scaling the building, getting high enough that they could jump off before making for the castle. Willow followed Elisa to the station, and the turtles made their way to the nearest manhole.
...
Back at the Purple Dragon's hideout, the dragons came before a large muscular man with a purple dragon tattoo on one arm and a dragon's foot tattoo on the other.
"I can't leave you alone for one minute, can I?" he asked. "It was supposed to be a simple job."
"I-it wasn't our fault, boss!" Bebop stammered.
"Yeah, it was the turtles," Rocksteady added. "And those other freaks! For real Hun!"
Hun raised an eyebrow as he effortlessly snapped the chains on their cuffs.
"Other freaks?" he repeated. "What are you going on about?"
"Those gargoyles the guys were going on about the other night," Dragon face explained. "They're real, and they're even worse then we were led to believe."
"They had some human friends too!" Angel chimed in. "An NYPD cop, and some girl."
Angel fished into the pocket of the ratty hoodie she was wearing, pulling out a familiar butterfly wallet. "I snagged this from her coat when they thought I was bolting."
She tossed it to Hun, who caught it and opened the wallet, looking at the picture provided on the license inside. As he read the name, a cruel smile spread across his face.
"Interesting..."
...
Back at the lair, Leo was having at it on a practice dummy. Just then, Raph came from behind it.
"Whoa there partner," Raph remarked with a sneer to his voice. "I think he's had enough. Better let 'em go."
"Seriously Raph?" Leo deadpanned. "You're giving me a hard time for not senselessly beating a defenseless kid?"
"I'm giving you a hard time because you went soft on them. Those punks don't show mercy, so why should we?"
"To show mercy is not weakness Raphael," Splinter voiced, walking into the room. "It is a sign of true strength."
"More than that, she was just a kid, Raph," Leo reminded his brother. "Probably no older than us. I wasn't going to beat her up, especially when it's not too late for her."
"She isn't a charity case, Leo, and this isn't Sunday school, it's war."
"A daimyo in the 16th century once said 'in times of peace, never forget the possibility of war. In times of war, never forget compassion'," Splinter quoted.
"That wasn't compassion, Sensei," Raph retorted. "That was just cowardice."
"To the untrained eye, maybe." Splinter then swung his staff out, stopping inches from Raph's face. Raph went wide eyed as he stared down at the end of the stick. "But I assure you, one day you will require one to combat the other."
Splinter then pulled the stick away before walking out of the room, leaving his sons to reflect on what they had heard.
"Wow," Mikey let out. "You gotta love Master Splinter's wisdom nuggets."
"Look, I'm not saying I'm anti mercy," Raph insisted as he got back on his feet. "But the dragons are, and they're not just gonna leave Murakami alone. And then there's Willow's wallet. Look me in the eye and tell me that the Dragons won't do something shady with info on the daughter of the richest man in the city."
"So we'll track down the dragons and make sure they got the message," Leo decided. "And if they didn't, we'll send them one."
"Now there's a plan I like," Raph remarked, pounding his fist.
"Question," Donnie spoke up, holding up a hand, "how are we gonna track someone down when we can't talk to anyone?"
"We go to the one person who knows more about the crime in this town then we do," Leo answered. "Someone get Detective Maza on the phone."
...
Elisa thumbed through some files on her desk, her cell phone held up to her ear with her shoulder.
"Possible Purple Dragon hideouts?" she repeated. "There's been a lot of speculation about their current den, so I'll have to do some digging real fast. But why do you need to know?"
"Call it a precautionary measure," Raph told her.
"Raphael, I'm not an idiot," she reminded him. "Are you guys going after them for what happened at the noodle shop, or because they robbed Willow? I mean I'm all for taking these guys down, but from your tone, it sounds like you want to cross a few lines."
"Nothing we don't do already I assure you," Raph reassured. "Just something to make sure they stay off our friends' backs."
Elisa sighed, then pulled a piece of paper from the file she was looking at.
"Alright then," she allowed. "I found what you want, and I'll take you to the location."
"That's not necessary, Elisa," Raph told her.
"Call it a precautionary measure," Elisa retorted.
Raph chuckled a bit.
"Fair enough. Want to call in the gargoyles too?"
"Nah," Elisa replied. "I'm pretty sure Goliath's probably nose deep in a book, and the others will be settling in for the morning."
"Too true."
...
Willow was sitting in the police waiting room, finishing off the last of her calls to the bank. Her cards were frozen, and new ones would be shipped out immediately. As she hung up, she rubbed her face and stifled a yawn. Elisa walked past her, pausing in front of the girl.
"You alright?" she asked.
"Yeah," Willow yawned. "Still not used to being nocturnal yet, that's all."
"Need a lift back to the Eyrie Building?"
"No thanks. I can walk," Willow promised, already getting to her feet.
"You sure?"
"I'm not that sheltered, Elisa. I know how to walk home."
Elisa chuckled, holding up her hands.
"Alright, alright. I yield. Just be careful, alright?"
"Same to you."
Elisa nodded and walked out, Willow heading out not long after.
...
Across town a few minutes later, Elisa's car pulled into a nearby alley. She got out of the car, looking around.
"Where are you guys?" she whispered.
Suddenly, something landed on the roof of her car with a thud. She looked up to see the turtles standing there. She let out a sigh, placing a hand to her chest.
"Just when I think I'm getting used to you guys..."
"We like to keep our friends on our toes," Leo remarked. "This the place?"
"Yup. According to our reports, it's where the Dragons have been frequenting as of late. Never really had enough for a warrant, but then again, that kind of paperwork won't stop you guys."
"Never has before," Donnie replied.
"How would that even work anyway?" Mikey asked. "Would we need to file for a ninja license, fill out kick butt waivers in triplicate, or-"
Raph cut him off with a smack to the head. Elisa chuckled slightly at that, then turned to Leo.
"You lead this one," she insisted. "I'll follow your command."
Leo nodded before the five of them headed out.
...
Inside the building, the purple dragons were engaged in various activities while Hun was sitting at his desk talking to someone on the phone.
"I don't care how long it takes," Hun snapped. "You two bone-heads will keep watch until she gets there! You either get the job done, or don't come back at all!"
Just then, a loud crashing sound rang out through the building. The dragons looked up to see the turtles smashing through one of the windows and landing on the ground in a dramatic pose.
"I'll call you back," Hun replied before hanging up and tossing the phone aside.
"Freeze, dirt bags!" Leo cried out, before noting Hun rising from his desk. "Whoa."
"You know, I was not prepared for the walking brick wall when we decided to do this," Mikey commented as Elisa entered the room.
"So, who's the big guy?" Elisa asked, walking over to the turtles.
"The name's Hun. Don't worry if you have trouble remembering it though..." Hun cracked his knuckles as he walked over to the heroes. "I'll beat it into your skulls."
...
Willow made it back to the Eyrie building, where Owen was waiting for her at the door. She yawned as she approached, rubbing her eyes.
"Long night?" Owen asked, noting her visible exhaustion.
"I got robbed," she answered, quickly interjecting before Owen could say anything. "I'm okay, I'm not hurt, but some Purple Dragons stole my wallet. I've already done all I can for the cards, but I'll need to get a new license later this week."
"I'll set up an appointment to do so."
Willow nodded sleepily as Owen opened the door for her. Just as she was about to head in, two figures began walking up the steps to the door.
"Excuse me!" one called out. "Hey!"
Willow looked back, seeing that the two approaching were Bebop and Rocksteady. Snapping fully awake, she tensed at the sight. Owen quickly took notice of her change in posture, Owen stepped in front of her, glaring at the pair.
"You are trespassing on private property. Leave now, or I will be forced to remove you."
"I don't think so, pal," Rocksteady remarked, shoving him aside.
Owen quickly grabbed him by the wrist and twisted his arm hard behind his back.
"Run!" Owen shouted. "Willow, run!"
Willow quickly bolted inside, rushing towards the elevator.
"Oh no you don't!" Bebop exclaimed, shoving Owen aside to get into the building.
"Stop!" Owen tried, attempting to reach out for the mohawked dragon.
Rocksteady quickly grabbed him by the shoulder and punched Owen in the face, knocking him out. As Owen fell, Bebop managed to snag Willow by her jacket, pulling her back.
"Let go of me!" she screamed, kicking and flailing to try and free herself.
"Oh shut up!" Bebop snapped.
Rocksteady came over and reeled back his fist, knocking Willow out with a single hit.
"Thanks," Bebop replied. "She was getting on my nerves."
"C'mon, let's get back to the boss," Rocksteady insisted. "Maybe now he'll get off our backs."
…
Back at the warehouse, a massive fight between the turtles, Elisa, and the dragons broke out. Elisa unloaded her clip into the warehouse, forcing many of the dragons to take cover. As she rounded a corner, one dragon tried grabbing her by the arm, but she just kicked him in the stomach and elbowed him on the back of the head.
"Hands off, pal," she warned, slamming her second clip home.
Across the room, Mikey was whacking and bashing every dragon that came close with his nunchucks. One dragon grabbed him from behind, but Mikey sprung off the ground and forced all his weight over the dragon. Eventually, the dragon's legs gave out and he fell to the ground.
Donnie was duking it out with Dragon Face, who was brandishing a steel pipe against his wooden staff. The two clashed weapons back and forth, neither of them giving any ground.
"You're good," Donnie complimented before finally sweeping the guy off his feet, "but I'm better."
Raph, meanwhile, swept a dragon's feet out from under him before standing up and brandishing his sai. One dragon tried swinging a crowbar at him, but he caught it in his sai before kicking him in the head. Raph then elbowed another dragon in the chest before hitting him in the face.
Leo found himself facing off with Angel again, much to his annoyance.
"You won't scare me off this time, turtle!" she declared, holding out a sharp piece of broken pipe as a weapon.
"You know kid," Leo said, ducking under her attacks, "you're starting to make me regret letting you go."
Leo then drew a sword, slicking the pipe in half before kicking Angel to the ground. Before he could make another move, something grabbed him by the shell and lifted him in the air. He looked down to see Hun glaring at him evilly.
"What do you think you're doing?" the behemoth sneered.
Hun then punched Leo so hard, he went flying across the room. Raph saw this and ran towards Hun. He then proceeded to bash Hun repeatedly with the blunt end of his sai. The behemoth stumbled slightly, then caught Raph's wrists mid-blow. He then threw Raph into a stack of crates, which shattered on impact. Donnie then ran towards him and tried swinging at him with his staff, only for Hun to catch it and raise Don into the air before slamming him on the ground. Mikey extended the chain of his kusarigama, wrapping it around Hun to try and restrain him. Hun grabbed the chain and pulled Mikey in close, wrapping his arms around him and head-butting him. Hun then let Mikey go, allowing him to slump to the ground as Hun removed the chain from his body.
"Freeze, Dirtbag!" Elisa threatened, aiming her gun right at Hun.
Hun turned around to see her aiming right at his head. Surprisingly, he just smiled at this.
"You seem pretty confident for someone outnumbered," Hun remarked. "And I don't think you have enough bullets to go around."
She began to sweat, her hands shaking slightly but she stood firm.
"Guys, we gotta get out of here," Leo called out.
"Run away?" Raph replied. "Are you kidding?"
"Yes, it's part of my hilarious 'let's all live' stand-up routine," Leo responded sarcastically. "Grab Elisa and let's go!"
Elisa inched her way towards the door, keeping her gun level until her back was to the door. She quickly opened it and bolted out, with the turtles not far behind her.
"That's right!" Dragon Face called out. "Run away ya cowards!"
"Well, that went well," Hun commented.
"Went well?" Angel questioned. "They got away! What happened to snatching their human friend and using her as bait?"
Hun chuckled a bit at that.
"Who said the cop was going to be the bait?" Hun asked.
Just then, another door opened. Hun and Angel looked up to see Bebop and Rocksteady entering. Thrown over Bebop's shoulder was an unconscious Willow. Angel gasped, covering her mouth.
"Brat's a fighter," Bebop remarked, dropping Willow unceremoniously to the ground. "Her manservant gave us a good run, but in the end, he wasn't as good as the turtles, and she definitely didn't measure up."
"Nice work, boys," Hun complimented.
"What do we do with her now?" Rocksteady asked.
"Keep her somewhere safe until tonight," Hun told them. "That's when the real fun begins.
...
Once they escaped, the turtles decided to convene at the Eyrie building. Elisa elected to go home, tired after the night's events. The quartet said their goodbyes, then made their way up to the castle. Dawn was fast approaching, and the gargoyles would be stone in mere moments.
"I hope we can catch them before they petrify," Donnie remarked, looking up at the lightening sky.
"If we do, good, if not, we can talk to them tonight," Leo assured him.
They approached the doors, Raph slowing down as they did.
"Uh… guys? Is that Owen on the ground?"
The others looked down and saw the downed assistant. They dropped down to the ground and rushed over to him, rolling him onto his back. He had a massive black eye and his glasses were broken, the man groaning in pain as he opened his eyes.
"Owen, what happened?" Donnie asked.
"Willow… they took her…"
"They?" Mikey asked.
"Two thugs, both with Purple Dragon tattoos. One of them had a purple mohawk."
"Bebop and Rocksteady..." Leo realized. "But why would they take her, and in front of you?"
Raph then noticed something on the wall, tapping his brother on the head.
"That answer your question?" he asked, pointing at the wall.
Leo looked up, seeing what appeared to be a note stabbed into the wall with a knife. He walked over, pulling it off the knife before reading it aloud.
"Fun and Games are over. Meet us tonight on the roof of the abandoned fortune cookie factory at 11:00. Bring those winged freaks with you."
"Aw man, they want the gargoyles!" Mikey squealed.
"They must have decided to use Willow as bait, figuring she'd be the easiest target to grab."
"So what are we waiting for?!" Raph asked. "They took Willow, we get her back!"
"Need I remind you that Hun creamed us a few hours ago?" Leo reminded his irate brother. "We wait until tonight and get the gargoyles."
"Leo's right Raph," Donnie agreed. "Besides, we need some rest if we're going to be any help to Willow."
...
That night, the turtles returned to the castle just as the gargoyles awoke from their stone sleep. The cacophonous roar and rain of shattered stone skin came to an end as the gargoyles jumped off their perches.
"Hello lads," Hudson greeted. "What brings ye by so early?"
"Trouble," Leo answered.
"The Purple Dragons have Willow," Mikey blurted out.
"What?!" the trio exclaimed, all of them completely shocked.
"What happened?" Goliath questioned, holding out a claw to calm his young clan members.
"Two thugs jumped her last night, took out Owen, and fled with her," Donnie explained. "They wanted us to meet them at the abandoned fortune cookie factory at 11:00."
"Then we will go," Goliath decided.
"Aye," Hudson agreed. "Bronx and I will stay here and guard the castle. Ye will be more than enough to rescue the lass."
"Sounds good," Leo agreed as they all moved out.
As Goliath took off from the tower and the turtles made for the elevator, Raph stayed back, pulling the trio aside before they could take off.
"Look guys, you know that if we want to save Willow, we can't play fair," Raph declared, cutting right to the chase. "We need to show them that we're not to be messed with."
"No argument here," Brooklyn agreed.
"I doubt Leo or Goliath will agree," Lexington voiced.
"No offence to either of them, but they're too merciful for their own good," Raph disputed.
"Maybe you're right," Broadway allowed, albeit reluctantly.
"Besides, the dragons crossed a line by taking our friend," Brooklyn added, punching his fist into his palm. "I say it's time to show them we can cross that line too."
"And I know just how to do it," Raph suggested, smirking.
...
In another part of town, Angel decided to get out for a bit and clear her head. She walked down the street, kicking a stray can across the sidewalk as she did. She couldn't get her mind off of everything that had happened last night. First there were giant turtles, then living gargoyles. And yet, none of them had hurt her. In fact, all of them had let her go. Now the Purple Dragons were trying to lure the monsters out by using their friend. Angel had been positive that they were going to use the cop, and she was cool with that, but using some innocent girl just didn't sit right with her.
"Ugh…" she let out, punting the can as hard as she could, "What is wrong with me?!"
Just then, a shadow whooshed over her. She looked up but saw nothing there. She rubbed her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"And now I'm seeing things… Can this night get any worse?"
Just then, Brooklyn swooped down and plucked her off the streets and into the air, causing her to panic.
"What the-?! Put me down!"
"Trust me," Brooklyn spoke up, a growl lacing his words. "You wouldn't want that right now."
Angel looked down and saw just how high they were going. Immediately, she curled up in a ball, clinging to Brooklyn's arms in terror.
"W-what do you want?"
"To get a friend back. And you're gonna help me do it."
"You mean that blue-haired chick? Listen, I honestly thought they were gonna go after the cop, not her. Please, don't hurt me!"
"Oh yeah, that makes me feel so much better," Brooklyn replied sarcastically.
...
Hun and the rest of the Purple Dragons stood on the roof of the fortune cookie factory. Tied up and held by Bebop and Rocksteady, Willow was forced to kneel before Hun. She glared up at him, looking more angry and annoyed than scared.
"You're going to regret laying a hand on me," she warned. "If my friends don't tear you to shreds, my dad's forces will."
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Hun remarked.
Just then, several shadows dashed overhead. Hun looked up to see the turtles and gargoyles, sans Raph and the trio, landing on the roof. Hun nearly did a double take upon seeing Goliath.
"So, you're the freaks palling with the turtles," He noted.
"You wanted us," Goliath spoke. "Here we are!"
"Let the girl go, Hun," Leo demanded.
"I would, but unfortunately, there's been a change in plans," Hun told them.
Bebop and Rocksteady pulled Willow to her feet, dragging her over to the edge of the building. They dangled her over the edge, her feet swaying as she tried to pull herself to safety.
"No!" Donnie let out, just barely keeping himself from rushing forward.
"Actually," Raph's voice called out. "There's been another change in plans."
That's when Brooklyn landed on the edge of the roof, dangling Angel from his claws. Raph, Broadway, and Lexington landed next to him.
"You drop Willow, I drop the brat," he snarled, holding Angel out over the edge of the building by her hoodie.
"What are ye thinkin', lad?!" Hudson snapped.
"Giving this thug a taste of his own medicine," Brooklyn told him.
"It's so simple, even a Neanderthal like you can get it Hun," Raph spoke. "You let our friend go, we'll let your friend go!"
"Bold move freaks," Hun commended, actually smirking a bit. "I didn't think you had it in ya."
"Guys..." Willow hissed, her eyes glued on the girl in his grasp.
"Release Willow now, and the girl goes free," Raph promised. "Drop her, and we'll see if this Angel has wings."
"You know what, I'm enjoying this way too much," Hun told them. "Why don't we both find out what happens together."
Bebop and Rocksteady held Willow farther out over the street, her eyes widening his shock and a terrified whimper escaping her lips. Brooklyn's eyes began to glow as he loosened his grip on Angel's hoodie.
"I'll do it!" he promised. "She's not the first human I've killed!"
"Then why don't we see how cold blooded you reptiles are," Hun challenged.
Brooklyn turned back to Angel and saw the sheer terror in her eyes, as well as the fearful tears falling down her face. That look softened the gargoyle's hardened gaze, the glow fading somewhat. Raph saw that, realizing what that meant. Brooklyn lowered his head and placed Angel on the roof. Hun just chuckled at the sight before him.
"Just as I thought," Hun remarked, scoffing before gesturing to the group with his head. "Get them!"
Bebop and Rocksteady tossed Willow safely onto the roof before they and the rest of the Dragons charged at the group. As they fought, Angel recovered and got as far away from the edge as possible, approaching Hun.
"I can't believe it..." she let out, "I honestly thought they were going to kill me… How did you know they were bluffing?"
"I didn't," Hun replied bluntly before running into the battle.
Angel stood there, completely thrown by what she had just learned. She sank to her knees as the battle waged around her. Goliath made a beeline for Hun, his eyes glowing brightly as the two giants clashed.
"You took a member of my clan," he snarled. "Why? She is innocent!"
"Nothin personal, just needed her to get to you," Hun replied, picking Goliath into the air and throwing him.
Goliath went flying, crashing hard into Broadway as he tussled with Two-Ton. The two picked themselves off as Broadway looked over at Hun.
"Man, what is he?" Broadway questioned. "Some sort of half-giant?"
"I do not know," Goliath admitted. "But not even a giant can stand forever."
He charged at Hun again as Broadway narrowly avoided the swipe of Two-Ton's thick metal chain. Meanwhile, Bebop and Rocksteady closed in on Brooklyn and Raph, the two dragons grinning maliciously.
"So much for the cold blooded killer, eh Bebop?" Rocksteady asked.
"You said it, Rock," Bebop agreed. "These freaks are just a bunch of gutless cowards."
"It's not gutless to spare an innocent life," Brooklyn snarled. "Besides, I wasn't lying about having killed humans before."
With that, the red gargoyle jumped at Bebop, fangs bared and claws out. The two tussled on the ground as Raph ran towards Rocksteady. The dragon tried slicing at him with a knife, but Raph quickly ducked under it before leaping into the air and kicking it out of his hands. The knife skittered across the ground, landing right in front of Angel. She looked down at the knife, then at the ongoing fight. Her eyes then drifted over to Willow, who was trying to free herself of her bindings. Angel looked down at the knife again, then came to a decision before kicking it away. It went across the ground again, knocking right against Willow's foot. She wasted no time snatching it up and cutting through her restraints.
Leo meanwhile was going mano y mano against Dragon Face, who was wielding a rusty makeshift machete against the blue turtle's katana. The two continued to trade blow for blow, with neither showing signs of stopping.
"I'm surprised you haven't turned tail and run away, freak," Dragon Face taunted. "Or is the little coward finally growing a pair?"
"You know, I'm getting real sick of punks like you confusing compassion for cowardice," Leo remarked. "Time you learn the difference!"
Leo then swung his sword so hard, he cut right through the machete. Before Dragon Face could react, Leo swept his feet out from under him and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying across the roof. He hit the factory's sign hard enough for it to begin shaking.
Back with Goliath, he and Hun were still having at it. Their strengths were almost a match, but Goliath's attention was pulled elsewhere as he continuously checked on the state of his clan and the turtles. Hun saw this and decided to use it to his advantage. He then struck Goliath in the gut, causing him to hunch over. Hun then raised his fists overhead and brought them down on the gargoyle's back, causing a grunt of pain to slip through Goliath's teeth.
"Not so tough now, are you?" Hun growled.
All of a sudden, a brick collided with the side of his head hard, causing the giant to see stars as he toppled to the side. This revealed Willow, wielding the brick with a triumphant grin.
"I could say the same to you," she taunted.
"Why you little-!"
Before Hun could finish, Goliath used his tail to strike him in the back. As Hun turned around, Goliath leapt at him and lifted him into the air.
"Now, let me make this clear," Goliath threatened. "If you or any of your clan come near mine ever again..."
He didn't even bother finishing the statement, letting an ear piercing roar do that for him before he threw the behemoth into the factory sign. This time, it bent considerably before toppling over all together.
"Aw crud!" Hun cried out as he and the sign fell to the street below.
The dragons saw their leader fall down and immediately took off after him, scrambling to get away from the turtles and the gargoyles.
"Yeah, you guys better run!" Mikey taunted, spinning his nunchaku a bit.
"Good riddance to the lot of them," Brooklyn remarked.
That's when Leo noticed Angel was still on the roof, just standing there while rubbing her arm awkwardly.
"Hey," he spoke up, walking over to her as he kept his tone soft. "Look, I'm sorry about what my friends did to you."
"No… I get it," she said quietly, glancing over at Willow. "You were just trying to get her back..."
"Still, what we did was wrong," Brooklyn admitted, looking down at the ground. "You're-"
"Just a kid?" Angel guessed. "Yeah, and a pretty stupid one since I honestly thought those bozos cared about me."
"Why were you even with those low lives in the first place?" Raph asked.
"Honestly, there ain't a lot of places a kid like me can go," Angel admitted. "Life on the streets is tough, and the Purple Dragons were the toughest around. I thought if I was one of them, at least I'd be safe, you know?"
"Too tough to care about anyone other than themselves, it seems," Goliath noted.
"Yeah..." Angel admitted. "But you guys… you honestly care about one another. I mean, you look all big and scary, but she was willing to go against Hun to help you."
Willow just shrugged at that, walking over to the gargoyles and wrapping an arm around Brooklyn's shoulder.
"We're a clan," she explained. "Gargoyle, turtle, human, it doesn't matter to us."
"I wish I had something like that..." Angel lamented.
"You could join us," Lexington suggested.
Angel perked up at that.
"You- you'd do that? Even after everything I did?"
"We've all made stupid mistakes," Brooklyn told her.
"But we watch out for each other," Leo promised. "No matter what."
"Wow…" Angel let out. "That would be amazing! And I think I know just how I can help you guys."
"What's that?" Donnie asked.
"Easy, even with the big guy's threat, Hun will probably try and get payback for what happened tonight. It might do you all some good if you had someone to tip you off when he tries to make a move."
"You mean like being a spy?" Mikey asked.
"Exactly," Angel said, snapping her fingers and pointing at Mikey. "What do you say?"
"You sure?" Donnie asked. "It could be dangerous."
"This is New York City," Angel reminded him. "Everything is dangerous!"
"So we've noticed," Broadway replied.
"Then it's settled," Angel declared, fishing into her pocket. "But before I go, I have something."
She turned to Willow, holding out her missing wallet.
"You might want this back," Angel told her.
Willow laughed as she took it back, then Angel turned towards the fire escape.
"See you soon, guys," she called back with a wave.
"Nice kid," Mikey commented.
"Goliath…" Brooklyn spoke, turning to his leader. "I'm sorry. It's just, we've already lost too many members of our clan. The idea of losing anyone else… it was-"
Goliath placed a hand on Brooklyn's shoulder, cutting him off.
"You feared for her safety, I understand," He told him. "But we cannot allow ourselves to succumb to feelings of hatred and rage, lest we become no better than the ones we fight."
"I guess I'm sorry too," Raph spoke up. "Guess that mercy stuff isn't as useless as I thought."
"See?" Leo replied. "I told you."
Everyone shared a laugh, then Willow let out a yawn.
"C'mon guys," she told them all. "Let's go home."
...
Across town, Hun walked into the Japanese looking office and bowed at the armored man's throne.
"What have you to report?" he asked.
"Our intelligence was right. The turtles have allied themselves with Gargoyles."
"What else have you learned?"
"The gargoyles appear to have ties with the Xanatos family, though we are unsure if it extends to David Xanatos himself, or just his daughter."
"We will have to continue our observations of these new creatures. To determine who in this city they call friend," the man raised a fist as a metal claw sprung out of the gauntlet. "Or foe."