Chapter 9: The Shocked Trail

The Turtles and Trainers were now staring up at drills and saws of the Technodrome lowered on top of the antenna structure nearby Mount Rushmore. "Pretty ironic," Raphael gulped. "After this, I don't feel well about my dental appointment."

"Look out!" shouted Brock as the saws and drills dug into the ground around the antenna.

"They're stealing the antenna!" pointed Leonardo.

"And there's no way we can stop it!" panicked Ash.

"That's what they think!" denied Donatello. "Come on!" The heroes bailed and headed to a nearby power plant where Brock and Donatello found a giant plug and cord with exposed wires. They donned rubber suits.

"How is this going to stop Shredder's plans?" asked Ash.

"Easy," Donatello started. "Brock and I'll plug this cable to the main generator and give Shredder and Krang the biggest hot foot in history!" Their time was short as the drilling and sawing was complete around the structure. Robotic claws came down and scooped the antenna from the ground into the Technodrome. Soon, it emerged at an upper portion of the fortress.

"The antenna is in place," Krang informed as James, Rocksteady and Bebop brought jumper cables to the underbelly of the unearthed structure. "Hurry and connect them, you clunkheads!" As Rocksteady opened the clamp, he turned to Krang.

"Don't ya know dat excellence cannot be rushed?" he complained.

"I tell that to Jessie all the time, but she never listens!" argued James as they clamped on the wiring. By a generator, Brock was ready to push in the cable into the socket.

"Brock, do it!" shouted Donatello as he held the exposed wire. "Let's zap the Technodrome's circuits from here to Helsinki! Stand clear!" Everyone moved out of the way of Donatello as Brock plugged the cable in. Donatello reached the treads of the Technodrome. "Goliath, I am David, and I'm ready to-" Before he could get the wire to the treads, the electricity fizzled out. Everyone gasped to the failed attempt. "The current's shut off. Boy, what a waste of a heroic line."

"Guys, look!" alerted Ash. Everyone looked up to find the antenna drawing in electricity. "Donatello, how far can the electricity reach?"

"With the technology in the Technodrome, it can be drawn in from all over Earth!" studied Donatello. "We need to do something or the planet will be without power!"

"Then we must stop them," Splinter briefed. "Whatever it takes!" The Technodrome began to roll away.

"Not so fast, Shredder!" growled Ash as he, Brock, Splinter and the Turtles climbed on the treads.

"We must shut down that power antenna!" urged Splinter. Watching the heroes climb the Technodrome, Shredder became iritated.

"I don't believe it!" he growled. "Those boys and those wretched reptiles are still alive… and Hamato Yoshi is with them! No matter, I'll get my bare hands on Hamato Yoshi, while crushing the Turtles into a pulp!"

"Not while I'm in charge, Shredder!" argued Krang. "I'm still interested in the boys myself, but we must keep the Technodrome moving." Shredder growled at being denied his chance to destroy the Turtles while James also found the Trainers and felt the need.

"So the twerps are also around!" he added. "I can tell Jessie and we can go after Pikachu!" He dashed off to tell Jessie and Meowth. The Trainers and Turtles continued to climb the side of the Technodrome.

"Keep it up, guys!" urged Leonardo. "We're almost there!"

"Define 'almost'," Brock wished. From the side, another eyeball missile dock opened up and a missile with an arm emerged.

"Head's up!" hollered Donatello. "An eyeball missile!" The missile took aim at the group.

"He wouldn't be crazy enough to shoot at us from here!" believed Raphael. "It would blow half of the hull to smithereens!" However, the missile took aim elsewhere.

"No, they're going after Mount Rushmore!" corrected Leonardo. This got under Michelangelo's shell.

"Why those unpatriotic cheeseballs!" he snarled.

"Even Gary comes up with better name-calling," Ash whispered.

"We gotta stop that missile!" urged Leonardo. The Turtles and Trainers all jumped on the missile as it launched at the monument. There was little time as the monument was closing in. "We need to distribute weight away from Mount Rushmore!" Brock had an idea.

"Ash, throw your legs towards me!" he urged.

"Okay!" replied Ash. He swung his leet to Brock who wrapped the legs around like pretzels.

"Okay, swing your weight to the side!" urged Leonardo. They pushed and pulled to the right. The missile diverted to the side, barely missing the monument. Looking back, Raphael saw the monument they narrowly dodged.

"Hey, do those guys look familiar?" he joked as they saw only soot sprayed the eyes of the mugs on the monument.

"We saved Mount Rushmore!" cheered Michelangelo.

"But now we need to save ourselves!" warned Leonardo. Seeing the trees, Ash had an idea.

"The trees!" he called out. "JUMP!" Everyone bailed from the missile as it flew over the trees. The group fell into and through the trees. Many limbs fell from the trees while everyone fell to the ground. The heavy thuds disturbed the ground. The missile flew into the far mountains and exploded on impact. Watching, the group was relieved to be alive.

"I can safely say that it's not a hill to be destroyed on," Raphael sighed.

"Agreed," Brock sided. As they gathered themselves, April and Pikachu returned to Channel 6 station.

"I thought that we'd find Vernon and Pete at the scene, but no one was there," April groaned. "At least I'm ready to show Burne that I'm still alive." She exited the car.

("Wait up!") urged Pikachu. He hopped out of the car before April got to the door.

"No, you stay in the car! This is between me, Burne and Vernon!"

("No, I'm coming with!") He reached the door and continued to argue.

"Pikachu, I'm a big girl! I can deal with my boss and my co-worker just fine!" Not budging, Pikachu sparked up. "Okay, but as long as you don't get in my way."

("No problem!") An agreement made, April opened the door and the two entered. Vernon was at the desk with Pete behind the camera. There was a short and stout blond middle-aged man waiting by the door.

"As the monstrous machine approaches the city," Vernon reported. "A mysterious force is drawing all of the electrical energy from the city's power sources!" He looked smug facing the camera. "Thousands are fleeing the city in this crisis." April and Pikachu came through the door which the blond man noticed.

"April, where in blazes have you been!?" he hollered before looking at Pikachu. "And what in blazes are you doing with that rodent!?" April had enough of the blond's argument as Pete saw Pikachu race to Vernon.

"I've been getting your story!" snapped April. She tailed Pikachu as Vernon continued his broadcast.

"Among the missing are Channel 6's own, second-string reporter, April O'Neil," he mocked. "She's probably cowering in some air-raid shelter." Pikachu sparked at Vernon's insult.

("You take that back!") he growled. Hearing Pikachu, Vernon turned to find the Mouse Pokémon. Quickly, he yelped and leaped onto the desk.

"RODENT!" he cried. "GET IT AWAY FROM ME!" Pikachu took a step forward before Vernon stepped back, fear making him tremble. April was in front of the camera as she took control.

"This is April O'Neil," she identified herself as a picture of the Technodrome appeared. "This humongous sphere is the Technodrome, and it's stealing all of the electrical energy-" The power cut off, forcing everyone but Pete, April and Pikachu to run.

"Well, that's just great," Pete mulled. Pikachu jumped onto the desk which Pete saw. "So that's why Vernon became a chicken: He never told anyone of his Musophobia." April came to Pete.

"Did you get the Mini-Cam?" she requested.

"Charged up and ready to go," Pete assured. "I even have an extra battery pack." April smiled and nodded.

"Great," she accepted. "Let's get to the roof." She led Pete after Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. Meanwhile, the Turtles and Trainers gathered back in the Turtle van.

"So, the Technodrome's heading back to the city," Brock mulled.

"And we still need to stop it," Donatello urged. Michelangelo felt something off.

"You know, dudes," he spoke. "I have this funny feeling that we're missing something."

"Did you lose the keys while riding that missile?" questioned Raphael. Michelangelo pulled out and showed the keys to everyone.

"Nope," he corrected. "They're here." To Raphael, the heroism wore on Michelangelo.

"I think all of this stress is getting to you," he studied. Leonardo started to go through the same feeling.

"No, I agree!" he spoke up. "It does feel like something's missing!"

"But we don't have time to look if Shredder has the Technodrome on the move," Ash urged.

"I'm just saying that we need to be prepared as Splinter taught-" started Raphael when everyone realized what was missing.

"SPLINTER!" they all shouted.

"He's still in the Technodrome!" gasped Brock as Michelangelo started the van.

"Michelangelo, burn rubber!" urged Raphael. Michelangelo drove the van back to the city as the Technodrome began to bulldoze buildings to the ground. Splinter turned on corner to another hall.

"I must find a way to stop that power antenna," he muttered as he was on the move. "I only hope the Turtles and their friends are alright." Behind Master Splinter, Meowth tailed the mutated rat.

"Dat rat makes me wonder what I would turn out with dat mutagen," he muttered. The van entered the city limits where it saw the Technodrome. Watching the path, Donatello had an idea of the destination.

"It's headed for the World Trade Building!" he pointed out. A claw came out and broke into a building as Pete, April and Pikachu reached the rooftop of Channel 6. Electricity drained from the building to the Technodrome. A tower illuminated from the distance where the Technodrome stood.

"Why would the Technodrome be by the World Trade Center buildings!?" she wondered.

("Nothing good,") Pikachu murmured. Pete reached into his pocket and saw a tiny black box.

'Not yet,' he thought. 'I'll wait until this crisis is over.' The van stopped and everyone inside stepped out as a beam shot up to the sky.

"Look!" pointed Raphael. The sight shocked everyone.

"Holy guacamole!" gasped Michelangelo.

"Krang's using the tallest skyscraper as an energy transmitter!" studied Donatello.

"And it looks like he's created some sort of tear in the sky!" believed Ash.

"That 'tear' means Krang just made an interdimensional portal!" corrected Donatello. Looking up, Leonardo saw what crisis loomed.

"That looks like it leads to Dimension X!" he thought.

"So that's what's going on!" growled Brock. "He must be wanting to send Earth to Dimension X and rule over everyone." The Turtles and Trainers knew time was running out. They needed something to keep Earth from becoming enslaved in a new universe.

TO BE CONTINUED...