Chapter 12: This Just In… the Station
Four white thruster engines were presented to Krang in the Technodrome. Jessie, James, Rocksteady and Bebop had one engine each. "Are these it?" asked James.
"The Trans-Warp Thrusters, indeed!" confirmed Krang. "With these, we can attach them to the base of Channel 6 before launching the station into Dimension X and taking the transmitting equipment. All we need to do is get inside and place the Trans-Warp Thrusters accordingly at the base of the station, then activate them before it blasts off like a rocket and transport it back through Dimension X." Shredder had more.
"We will make sure the Turtles and their friends are in the building at the time so I can have my revenge on those who ruined our plans!" he wished. Meowth sensed a problem with Shredder's addition.
"Except it won't be dat easy to sneak into da station!" he mewed. Jessie, James and Shredder realized the problem.
"Good point, Meowth," Jessie realized. "And knowing that redhead and being with the twerps and Turtles, we'd stick out like sore thumbs." To Krang, it wasn't an issue he couldn't solve.
"Not to worry," he scoffed. "Rocksteady and Bebop will sneak into the station to put the Thrusters in place." Jessie felt baffled to Krang's choices.
"You're obviously not thinking for a living brain!" she snapped. "These two... they stick out even worse than we do!"
"But I have something that can change that," Krang promised. "Follow me!" As the group followed Krang, April entered the sewers to see Ash training Corphish with its pincers aglow. Leonardo and Splinter watched during the training.
"Use Crab Hammer!" instructed Ash. Corphish attacked with the pincers before Ash guarded with his tonfas. When Corphish attacked, Ash deflected each strike.
"Tonfa sticks?" noticed April.
"Master Splinter gave Ash and Brock new weapons as they're now Turtles like a couple others," Leonardo briefed. "Brock was given Kunai knives." April awed the titles and weapons Ash and Brock received.
"Huh, and after they told us about having no weapons back where they're from," she recalled.
"That as it may be," Splinter started. "Training as ninjas is more than having a weapon, April. One must know of the physical and mental experience becoming a unit."
"That's fine and all," April agreed somewhat as she stepped forward to Ash and Corphish. "Take five, you two!" Ash and Corphish relaxed and turned to April.
"What's up?" the trainer asked as Brock and Michelangelo came out of a training room.
"Brock, there you are," she eyed. "I wanted to invite you two to the station." Ash and Brock blinked to Channel 6. "It's a little break from the training and you'll see who's there, and the staff wants to see who helped the Turtles."
"You two have tried to catch up with my sons after your new statuses," Splinter advised. "Relax and go with April to Channel 6 to know what goes on in a news station." Ash and Brock nodded.
"Okay, Master," Brock greeted as Donatello came to the trainers.
"Before you go, I got a present for you two," he offered. He handed Ash and Brock a Turtle Comm each.
"Hey, Turtle Comms!" cheered Brock.
"That way, we can keep in contact," Leonardo assured. After they accepted the Turtle Comms, Ash, Brock and Pikachu entered topside and to the station. They entered where the receptionist greeted them.
"Miss O'Neil, you brought the two youths and the mouse here?" she greeted.
"I did," April confirmed. "I thought I'd show them around to show what goes along around here."
"Well, the Chief won't mind," the receptionist warned. "But remain cautious. He's still upset about the damage during the crisis."
"Hey, it wasn't easy to borrow military equipment to rid the Technodrome," Brock tried to explain.
"That's not necessarily an issue at this point," April irked. "Anyway, after I show them the station, I'll conduct the interview." The receptionist awed the planning.
"I know just the place to conduct one," she offered. "I can call up Katz's and you can have it there while enjoying what the restaurant has to offer." The trainers and Pokémon blinked to the name.
"That's a great idea!" agreed April.
"It is?" wondered Ash.
"It's a legendary restaurant that anyone who comes to Manhattan needs to try once," April briefed before returning to the receptionist. "Let them know I'll arrange one tomorrow." The receptionist agreed with a nod.
"Sure thing," she replied as she journeyed. As April led the boys around, a blond and stout man in a red vest over a yellow shirt and a dark-skinned man with a purple mohawk and red vest over a white shirt emerged.
"How long did Krang say these holographic disguises last?" the blond asked, sounding a lot like Rocksteady.
"I tink it was three hours," the dark-skinned man replied, sounding a lot like Bebop. He pressed a button on a case. A robot erected and stood. "Now to get the Pretendicon to work." He pressed a few buttons before the robot took form of Splinter. It wandered off before they headed to the station. April reached the technical equipment where Pete finished checking the cameras.
"That should do it," he smiled. Turning, he found the boys. "Hey guys! You look ready to roll!" Pikachu jumped onto Pete's shoulder. "You too, little terror?" Pikachu laughed to the tease.
"Little terror?" repeated Brock.
"Apparently, Vernon's afraid of mice," April snickered. "Among other things..." Ash and Pikachu had a slight grin to the claim.
"Anyway, is there something wrong with the cameras?" asked Ash.
"I'm just checking to make sure," Pete assured. "I mean, these cameras are worth tens of thousands of dollars so daily maintenance is required."
"Pete is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin in Madison," April explained. "We often tease him as being a Badger Boy." Pete giggled.
"She does that since the badger is the state's animal I'm from," he added.
"I see," Ash giggled as well. Burne found April and the boys.
"Oh, you brought the boys in?" he started. Everyone turned to Burne who walked to them.
"I did, Chief," April acknowledged. "Ash, Brock, this is Chief Burne Thompson, CEO of Channel 6."
"So, you're calling the shots, huh?" understood Brock.
"Believe me, I just got off the phone with the military to which they said they didn't want their failure to destroy the Technodrome be brought into the limelight so much," Burne said. "Come with me." The trainers followed Burne out of the tech room. That's when they eyed the two others, now in business suits talking to Vernon.
"Hey, Brock?" whispered Ash. "Do those two guys seem… fishy to you?" Brock studied them.
"I was about to ask you the same thing," he quietly replied. "But yeah… those two guys over there seem… off…"
"I mean, the blond guy in the brown suit looks legit, but I'm getting some bad vibes from him."
"Try his friend. Whoever heard of a guy sporting a mohawk and suspiciously similar sunglasses while wearing the same suit as the blond, albeit a different color?"
"Right? I'm still too young to look for employment, but even I know that's not good work ethic." Seeing suspicious grins made Ash feel uneasy. "Those two guys are definitely up to something… I know it." The notion made Brock ponder.
"Think we should keep an eye on them?"
"Probably… If those two try something, we'll be ready. Let's not talk about it anymore until then."
"Right." The tour took place as Irma returned to the station. She soon found April, Ash and Pikachu as Brock was somewhere else.
"April!" she called out. They turned where Pikachu ran up to Irma who greeted him with a hug. "Hi Pikachu!"
("Irma!") he greeted as Ash and April came forward.
"Irma, I'm surprised to see you back so soon!" giggled April.
"I know, but after seeing what happened from the live feeds before it blacked out," Irma started. "I wanted to know if everyone here is fine… and my folks said that I could return at any time."
"I can understand that!" believed April as she turned to Ash. "By the way Ash… this is my best friend, Irma." Ash awed as April turned to Pikachu's new friend. "Irma, this is Ash Ketchum, one of the two boys I've told you about… the ones from another world and are staying with the Turtles."
"Oh, so you're Pikachu's owner," Irma awed as she and Ash shook hands. "Nice to meet ya. Any friend of April and the Turtles is a friend of mine."
"Likewise," Ash agreed. "And you've sure taken a liking to Pikachu."
"Why wouldn't I?" teased Irma. "He's the cutest wittle cutiepie I've ever seen!" She and Pikachu shared a hug while Pikachu squealed. "By the way, April said that there's someone else. Where is he?"
"You mean Brock?" he guessed. Looking, Brock was coming back from seeing the receptionist and getting a few brochures. "He said something about getting to know Manhattan more. He should be back soon." He entered the room.
"Hey Ash," he spoke up. "There's a place called Central Park that sounds like a great place for our Pokémon to have a good time." Irma saw Brock and her eyes soon formed into hearts. She felt the need to know the young, tanned man.
"Cupid shot me!" she cooed as she released Pikachu, who leaped into April's arms. Brock gawked to the shout as she grabbed his hands. "You are the one young man who can give me a romantic life." April, Ash and Pikachu gawked to Irma's confession to Brock.
"Oh?" replied Brock. Pikachu was back on Ash's shoulder as April pulled on Irma's ear. This broke Irma's grip.
"I think you came back a little too soon," she scorned as she pulled Irma away.
"That looks familiar," Brock gulped. Ash and Pikachu looked to Brock, knowing all of his antics.
"You mean that it just dawned on you?" the trainer questioned. Brock shrugged before they had gone after the women. That's when Ash and Pikachu saw the two guys before, now wearing potato suits. Passing some glass, Ash and Pikachu saw the reflections showing Rocksteady and Bebop. They hid back behind the wall. "Brock!" he called quietly. Brock returned to Ash before huddling.
"What's up?" he asked.
("Trouble…") growled Pikachu.
"I think I saw Rocksteady and Bebop," Ash added. "We need the Turtles here. I think they're up to something around the station." Brock shook his head.
"Let me deal with those two," he offered. "You call Leonardo and have them come over. If there's something they're using for this, find it." Ash agreed as Brock left with Pikachu joining. Ash got his Turtle Comm and pressed a couple of buttons.
"Leonardo, come in," he called quietly. Leonardo responded.
"Ash, are you still at Channel 6?" he asked.
"We are, but I believe Rocksteady and Bebop are back and joining us," Ash answered.
"Wait…" hiccuped Leonardo. "Rocksteady and Bebop?" The Turtles, wearing trench coats and fedoras, looked at each other.
"Well, that didn't take long for Shredder to find his way back," Raphael sighed.
"But dudes…" voiced Michelangelo. "What about Master Splinter?" Overhearing, Ash blinked in confusion.
"Allow me to contact Master Splinter while you guys reach the station," he instructed. "I smell a rat, and it's not Splinter."
"Hey hey, who told you to take the punchlines?" mulled Raphael.
"But if Ash is right, April could be in trouble!" pointed out Donatello. "Let's get going!" The Turtles chased as the phony Splinter. Vernon found Ash as he put the Turtle Comm away.
"Now, what would you be doing here?" he asked. Ash turned to the other broadcaster.
"Do you know the two in those potato suits?" he asked. "One of them with a mohawk?"
"They're supposed to be our new janitors and they needed help looking for the basement," Vernon asked. To Ash, the puzzle was coming together.
"I should've known…" he mulled. "Did they have anything on them when they arrived?" Vernon scoffed to the question.
"It's not my responsibility to know who they are," he refused. Ash gritted the denial.
"Never mind…" he groaned before running off. He arrived at the front doors when the Turtles arrived as well.
"Ash!" welcomed Leonardo. "What's the story?"
"I believe Rocksteady and Bebop are heading to the station's basement," he reported. Donatello knew they needed to act.
"Let's get down there and pronto!" urged Michelangelo. They raced with Leonardo leading. April followed the two suits with Pete not far behind.
"Careful, April," Pete whispered. April quietly walked behind as Brock, Irma and Pikachu reached Pete. "Irma? You're back?"
"Yeah, and I'm sorry if I prefer Brock over you," Irma teased.
"Not important, as those two were acting rather strange from April's description," Pete refocused. "I want to go in and make sure April isn't hurt." Ash and the Turtles rejoined as April screamed. "Oh no…" They rushed in and found April tied up and the Thrusters put on the corners of the basement and activated.
"Dere!" sounded Bebop. Rocksteady stuffed April into a locker.
"Relax for da flight," he taunted. "It may get bumpy." The group rushed in, finding the potato suits.
"Hands off April!" shouted Pete.
("Or else!") squeaked Pikachu. Turning Rocksteady and Bebop found the large group.
"Ash, are you sure those are the guys?" doubted Raphael. "They looked like a few thugs we dealt with on the street." Now, Ash wasn't sure.
"I thought I did," he wondered. Suddenly, the two spuds were aglow.
"Oh no!" realized Rocksteady. "Da holographic disguises are wearing off!" The glow dissipated and Rocksteady and Bebop were shown. The Turtles, Trainers and staff gasped to the sight.
"YOU!" they snapped.
"Yeah, us!" claimed Rocksteady. "Ya wanna fight?"
"You sure with these overwhelming numbers?" urged Brock.
"Oh, we're sure!" grinned Bebop.
"I'll hold dem toitles back," Rocksteady planned. "Youse start da thrusters!" He charged at the large group while Bebop raced after a thruster.
"I don't think so!" shouted Brock as he threw a Kunai. It pierced the thruster, causing sparks to emit.
"Uh oh!" gulped Bebop. His flank exposed, Pikachu smashed his body into Bebop, propelling him into the wall. Pete and Irma were able to break April out of the locker.
"April, are you okay?" he wondered as he and Irma untied April's arms and legs. Rocksteady came charging at the three when Ash intercepted him, using the tonfas to trip him and get his horn embedded in another locker door.
"Why you!" he snapped. He undid his horn from the door before facing Ash. He taunted Rocksteady by spinning his tonfa toward himself. Instead of taking the bait, Rocksteady pulled out a gun and shot laser blasts at Ash who dodged and back away. Michelangelo used a fire hose which sprayed the weapons, Rocksteady and Bebop to the wall. Donatello gathered the thrusters and brought them to the rest.
"These propulsion engines shouldn't be used again," he urged. Rocksteady and Bebop gathered the thrusters from Donatello.
"No ya don't!" urged Bebop.
"Dese are Krang's property!" claimed Rocksteady. Pikachu was ready to pounce.
"You know what, you're right," Raphael eased. "It's best that they get returned to their rightful owner."
"And he can charge us for the repairs," Leonardo added. "Right, Pikachu?"
("Allow me,") Pikachu squeaked before using Thunderbolt on Rocksteady and Bebop. The thrusters received the voltage before they activated and shot Rocksteady and Bebop out of the station and through a tear. They crashed back into those inside the Technodrome. Recovering, Krang and Shredder were displeased. Team Rocket stayed away.
"I guess they didn't get the Turtles, Channel 6 or Pikachu," James summarized.
"I don't tink Jessie would've done any better," Meowth believed.
"Do you wanna bet?" snarled Jessie. James and Meowth gawked to Jessie as she glared at them. "I can be famous! Just wait!" Back at Channel 6, Brock and Irma were going around the station some more.
"I do admit that I kinda lost it meeting you for the first time," Irma admitted. "Maybe it's that I've been looking around for too long for someone who's Mr. Right."
"Believe me, I've had my fair share of girls that I would've wanted to cook for to get a taste of what I can do," Brock shared.
"You can cook? Now I wonder if there's a dish that you can make that would seal the deal." That made Brock grin.
"Then, prepare your socks to be knocked off!" Suddenly, a scream.
"Vernon?" she guessed. The two entered to see Vernon at the news desk with papers strewn. Burne waited for him to take a break.
"Come back tomorrow evening when the bill from the Army on the Turtles is released," Vernon signaled. Pete cut the feed when Burne came forward.
"Vernon, you're not being professional!" he snapped. "Sure, there was a bit of a crisis earlier… but that's not an excuse to mess up the lines! You look like a buffoon in front of the camera!" Vernon's sheepish face was hard to hide.
"Boss, it's not fair with all of the excitement going on!" he pleaded.
"You're lucky it's just the three of us," Burne groaned before leaving the room. Vernon's upset became anger as he eyed Irma.
"You!" he snapped. "If you didn't come back so soon, I would've been fine in doing my job!" Irma became horrified to the blame that she was being accused of.
"What!?" she gawked. "How is it my fault!?"
"It's…" stammered Vernon. "It's…" Unable to properly answer, Vernon snapped. "It just is!" Brock came forward and grabbed Vernon's collar.
"Now that is irresponsible of you to say that to someone who did nothing to you!" he snapped. "Here's what will happen: Either you apologize to Irma or I will throw you out of here and stick you to a wall upside down." Vernon's face began to sweat at Brock's ultimatum.
"But I don't wanna!" he whined.
"Maybe I can hang you up outside on a flagpole for all to see!" threatened Brock. Vernon's head bowed.
"Fine, I'm sorry and I'll try to be more professional," he whimpered. Brock released Vernon and he slinked away in shame. Irma's eyes were lit with hearts again.
"Thank you, Brock!" she awed. Brock smiled, knowing that Irma was in good hands as Ash, April and Pikachu arrived.
"Finally found you two!" she called out. Brock and Irma turned to the other three.
"Katz's Deli said that we can do our interview there as soon as we arrive," Ash informed. Brock was rather astounded.
"Already?" he realized. "And Irma too?"
"Pete's not the only one who can handle a camera," April teased. Satisfied, Brock and Irma joined Ash, April and Pikachu. "By the way, what happened to Vernon?" Brock shyly tried to keep it hushed. The interview would be something to enjoy.
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TO BE CONTINUED…