- Chapter 101 -

Earth's Last Stand


Down on Earth, all of the ground forces were meeting in the EPF to discuss strategies. Everyone from the Slayers and the Mutanimals to the Hamato Clan was there, even if only the adults were talking. As such, some of the younger members were sort of just minding their own business. The silence was broken up when Sam came running in, out of breath and pale.

"Guys…" he began. "Professor Honeycutt contacted Mortu not too long ago."

"What's wrong?" Tai demanded.

"Leo and the others failed. The Triceratons have the Heart of Darkness. All of it!"

"No…" Jade punched the wall. "No, goddammit! NO!"

"What do we do now?" Mizuki asked.

"They're on their way back here now," Sam replied. "They'll be docking at TCRI."

"Then why are we still standing here?!" Slash questioned.

"Excuse me…" All eyes turned to Zog, who had been brought out of his cell for interrogation. He was in the process of being returned to the prison hold but was currently looking at them all with an imploring expression. "Let me come with you."

"How can we trust you?" Jade questioned.

"Let me earn it. Your planet is in danger because of me and my foolishness. Give me the chance to atone."

Everyone thought for a moment before Kari cut in.

"Let him go."

"Doctor, are you sure that's wise?" Rook questioned.

"Look him in the eyes. He wants to help us. Besides, we need all the help we can get."

"...Very well," Rook conceded.

Kari nodded at the guards, who undid Zog's manacles and set him free. He rubbed his wrists, sighing in gratitude.

"Thank you, Doctor," the Triceraton said gratefully.

"Don't make me regret this," Kari cautioned.

Zog brought his fist to his chest in a salute. "I won't. You have my word."

As this was going on, Sam's phone began to chime. He took a look and gasped.

"Ship incoming! It's the Ulixes!"


The assembled groups quickly hurried to TCRI. As they waited, Kieran looked at Zog nervously from a distance.

"Is something the matter, Kieran?" Dr. Rockwell asked.

"It's Zog, Dr. Rockwell," Kieran replied. "He's…"

"If Dr. Miller vouches for him, I'm willing to give him a chance. Plus, his knowledge of the Triceraton army will be most fortuitous."

"It's not that… It's… The Triceratons are mutants, right? They were made with Krang's mutagen?"

"Millennia ago, yes. Any mutagen left in their bodies has no doubt diluted with time."

Kieran gulped, wiping drool from his mouth. "I was afraid of that…"

"Hey, look at it this way," Pete chimed in. "Just eat all of the other dinosaurs."

Kieran gritted his teeth. "Not helping, Pete."

"There they are!" Sam cheered, pointing up at the descending Ulixes.

They all stepped back as the Ulixes touched down. The ramp opened, revealing the Hamato/Lee family April, and Casey.

"Mom!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Kagome!" Kasumi shouted.

The two ran forward, embracing happily.

"Oh, it is so good to hold you in my arms again…" Kasumi let out tearfully.

Mikey was the next to run forward, and soon, all the Hamato siblings were in a group hug with Kasumi. Splinter let them enjoy their hug, searching the crowd for one person in particular. A serpent shot through the crowd, wrapping around Splinter in a desperate hug before shifting back into Karai.

"Miwa…" Splinter said with a smile. "My daughter… How I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Dad," Karai said, a tear tracing down her cheek.

She pulled away, everyone taking in Karai's new look.

"Oh wow…" Mikey let out. "Karai, you look great!"

"Thanks," Karai smiled. "Felt it was time for a change."

"Is that my hair dye?" Hisako smirked. "Looks good on you."

"Hope you don't mind sharing," Karai replied.

"Um, I hate to interrupt the touching reunion, guys…" Hana piped up. "But we kinda have a situation here."

Everyone sobered up immediately.

"Right." Leo cleared his throat. "I assume Mortu passed on the Professor's message?"

Everyone nodded at that.

"We tried our best," Casey lamented. "But we just couldn't cut it."

"Professor Honeycutt gave us the lowdown," Kagome explained quickly. "They have to set the Heart down on the planet itself to detonate it."

"The Heart will be set in the place you call Washington Square," Zog cut in, looking down. "Before Krang damaged my mask, I investigated the city for the most likely place to put it."

"We don't blame you, Zog," Hisako assured him. "We got a good look at Zanramon."

"Yeah," Vee agreed. "Grade A dickbag that makes Shredder seem like a saint."

Honeycutt emerged at that moment, followed by Wingnut and Screwloose. Everyone looked at them only briefly before returning to the matter at hand.

"So what's the plan, Leo?" Tai asked. "Mortu found Professor Honeycutt's notes. The only thing strong enough to destroy the black hole generator is a nuclear warhead. We don't have one, and even if we did, we'd blow up the entire city along with it and turn it into the new Chernobyl."

"We… don't know, honestly," Donnie confessed.

"We don't have a plan to stop that thing?!" Erika shrieked.

"For now, we focus on keeping them from turning it on," Leo decided.

"You are aware that going in without a plan for something of this magnitude is basically suicide, right?" Kieran asked.

"We don't have a choice," Leo replied.

Kieran sighed, rubbing his face. "Are we... really ready for this? Am I?"

"Remember what I said before, Kieran. When they arrive, don't talk, don't fight. Just save someone and get them out of the crossfire, and then you'll know what to do."

Kieran threw his hands up in exasperation. "Seriously, man! Just tell me what to do!"

"We can't," Kagome told him. "Because in the end, it's all up to you. Call it… a leap of faith."

"Something you need to learn is that there's no playbook for battle," Leo added. "You just have to do what you can in the moment. Focus on saving one person. After that, you do it again, and again. Until everyone is safe. Focus on one task at a time, until it's done. Can you do that?"

Kieran sighed. "I'll… try."

Leo smiled, clapping his shoulder. "That's all I ask."


Later, the group was assembled at Washington Square, including the Silver Sentry and Nobody. Leo looked the latter over, seeing him wearing a hi-tech exoframe.

"Nice suit, Nobody."

"Thanks," Nobody replied. "Dr. Lilija made it for me, along with one for the Silver Sentry."

"Impressive."

"Why would the Sentry need an exosuit?" Mikey asked. "He's already basically Superman."

"Even I need to breathe," the Sentry explained, adjusting his suit. "And that's something the vacuum of space is sorely lacking." Meanwhile, the others were talking with Diana, who happily saluted them. "Salutations, Hamato and Lee family!" she greeted cheerfully. "It is such a pleasure to meet you all."

The newcomers blinked at Diana.

"Wow…" Mikey let out. "Somebody likes RWBY ."

Diana blinked. "Pardon?"

Mikey shrugged. "Never mind."

"And you are?" Kagome asked.

"I am Diana. The Ultimate Slayer, created by Dr. Bennett and Dr. Miller."

Hisako tensed. "A new Slayer?"

Rita laughed, hugging Hisako from behind. "Relax, she's as fresh as a daisy! The only mental tampering she got was a basic education through high school being uploaded, along with some basic training. Aside from that, she's her own Slayer."

Leo nodded at her. "Well, glad to have you onboard, Diana."

Diana grinned. "It's good to be on board. We have so many things to talk about. I can't wait!"

At that moment, an ominous humming noise sounded, and everyone looked up to see the Triceraton flagship entering the atmosphere.

"It seems we will have to wait," Diana went on, not breaking stride.

"So it would seem," Splinter mused.

"That's… even bigger than the last one," Nobody noted.

Everyone readied their weapons as the Triceraton flagship descended, a black circular device following it.

"That's gotta be the Heart of Darkness…" Kagome let out. "They put it together that fast?!"

"Are you really surprised by that?" Vee demanded. "This is us!"

The ship hovered overhead as several Triceratons beamed down, Zanramon as well. He smirked at the sight of the Turtles and co.

"So Gamarons, you managed to make it here before us," he remarked. "What a shame your efforts were all for nothing."

"Good to see you again, Zanramon," Leo greeted. "You're not still sore over what happened at the Arena, are you?"

"Let's just say I won't lose sleep over your impending demise," Zanramon grinned evilly. "You know, at first, this was nothing personal. Just a means to rid the cosmos of Krang. But you Gamarons and Terrans harangued us every step of the way, humiliated me, made a mockery of the Triceraton Empire... so when the Heart of Darkness consumes your world and sucks all of you into oblivion, it is a moment I will truly savor."

"It ends here, Zanramon," April vowed. "Everyone you've killed, everyone you've hurt… You're gonna pay for every shitty thing you've done in full!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, April," Leo remarked.

"Then let's kick some Jurassic!" Mikey declared.

A massive fight broke out at that. Mikey bashed one Triceraton in the knee, causing him to kneel over as Mikey turned his attention to a second one. He leaped up and brought both his nunchucks down on his head, causing him to stumble back.

Donnie darted forward and used his staff to vault over a Triceraton before striking it in the back of the head, knocking him back. As he landed, he spun around and struck him in the back, finally knocking him to the ground.

Hob sprinted throughout the battlefield, slashing and clawing at every Triceraton he could see. One tried to catch him off guard, but Raph intercepted the attack, knocking the Triceraton down. Hob glanced back, sharing a nod with Raph before they both resumed the battle.

The Punk Frogs charged into the fray themselves, all wearing improvised armor and wielding their choice of weapons. Atilla swung a massive flail, Genghis chopped away with a battle axe, Napoleon cracked a whip, Rasputin took precision shots with a bow and arrow, and Jeanne parried and sliced with a short sword.

Ximena and Tara stood back to back, laser blades at the ready as multiple Triceratons surrounded them.

"So…" Ximena began, "think you can handle this many?"

Tara tapped her chin in thought. "Well… it might be tough if one more shows up."

Ximena gave a small smile. "Then that'll be the one I handle."

"What?" Tara smirked. "You're fighting too?"

They shared a chuckle before charging into the fray. Tai deflected several laser blasts with his sword before charging forward and battling with one Triceraton. The alien dinosaur had mass and strength on his side, making this a one-sided fight. Thankfully, Leo came to his aid, leaping up and kicking the Triceraton in the head, allowing Tai to take out his legs and bring him down. The two ended up back to back as more Triceratons closed in.

As more battles raged in the background, Slayers, Foot ninjas, mutants, EPF agents, and the Hamato clan all banded together to keep their planet safe. Amidst the chaos and insanity, Zog fought his way through his former brethren, his eyes locked onto one target in particular: Zanramon. Zog charged at Zanramon directly, tackling him to the ground. Recognizing him, Zanramon scowled in a rage.

"TRAITOR!" he shouted.

"No, you are the traitor!" Zog spat. "You perverted the Republic! Turned us into monsters! Stooped to General Krang's level!"

"First Mozar, now you?!" Zanramon demanded.

"Mozar?" Hisako asked, knocking down a Triceraton before looking around, realizing he wasn't there. "What have you done to Mozar?!"

"He dared to question my authority," Zanramon replied. "Apparently, blowing up a star and throwing Lord Dregg out my airlock didn't sit well with him."

Hisako scowled, her eyes beginning to glow. "What. Did. You. DO?!"

"I stripped him of his position and had him locked up," Zanramon replied, as casually as if he was discussing the weather.

By now, everyone was absolutely furious and glaring at Zanramon. Hamato Clan stopped their battles, giving the perverse leader their full and undivided attention.

"What do you guys say we knock this guy all the way to the Stone Age?" Raph suggested.

"You got my vote!" Hisako declared.

Raph charged forward, jumping into the air and trying to kick him in the face, only for Zanramon to grab him by the foot in mid-air.

"Puny Gamaron." he scoffed before slamming him into the ground a few times.

Kagome ran in as Zanramon lifted Raph up again, drop-kicking him right in the groin. Zanramon's eyes widened, his pupils dilating as he dropped Raph and slumped down, groaning in pain.

"YES!" Kasumi punched Splinter in the arm excitedly. "Hahaha!"

She then looked at Splinter sheepishly, seeing the strange look he was giving her. "Sorry."

Mikey blinked. "Did she just…?"

"Damn… you…" Zanramon wheezed before activating a com. "Lieutenant Zom!"

" Sir? " came a female voice.

"The Terrans are proving more troublesome than I anticipated. They need to be...demoralized. Gather as many men as you can and go into the city… and open fire."

" Sir, they're non-combatants. There's no honor in- "

"I do not care about your delusions of honor!" Zanramon roared. " DO AS I COMMAND! "

Zom paused for a moment. " By your command, Prime Leader. "

A female Triceraton soldier appeared, along with several troops, before beginning to march into the city.

"What are they doing!?" Kieran demanded. "The battle's over there!"

"They're targeting the civvies!" Slash realized. "Zanramon's getting them involved!"

"What?!"

"They're trying to spread us thin," Ace shouted. "Force us to divide our attention so we're easier to take down."

"Bastard!" Herman snarled.

"The turtles must focus on the Triceratons!" Leatherhead yelled. "Meaning we must protect the innocents!"

"Took the words right outta my mouth," Hob mused. "Mutanimals, MARCH!"

They chased after the Triceraton soldiers in question.

-X-

While the other Mutanimals fought, Kieran was doing his best to try and stay out of the battle.

"Okay, pull yourself together, Kieran!" he said, smacking himself in the face. "You can do this! You're a Mutanimal. The Manhattan Ghoul. You're a…flesh-eating monster that becomes overwhelmed with hunger just being around people…like the dino-people you're supposed to fight and humans you're supposed to save…B-But they deserve it! The dinos, not the humans! C'mon, everyone's counting on you! Everyone needs you…everyone's watching you. They'll see you. And if they see you, they'll…"

"Ahhh!"

"Stop them!"

Kieran peered out from his hiding place and saw a group of soldiers cornering some civilians.

The Triceratons raised their weapons. "By order of the Prime Leader, you are to be executed."

"No, please!" one of them begged.

They didn't listen. One of them even grinned behind his visor.

"Leave them alone, you big, scaly hooligan!"

Suddenly, an old woman stepped forward from the group and whacked the soldier with her purse. Sadly, all this did was enrage him.

"Miserable, old bitch!"

He struck the woman with the butt of his blaster, knocking her down.

"Mz. Barton!" cried a woman. She rushed to her aid, only to freeze as the Triceratons took him.

"Now, perish!"

Time seemed to slow down as Kieran watched the events unfold. The civilians watched in horror as the soldiers' weapons powered up; humming and glowing with hot plasma. In a few moments, they would be dead and the Triceratons would move on to the next group. All those lives snuffed out in an instant. Like they were nothing. Because to them, they were nothing. Just an obstacle in the way to be crushed.

Like a bug.

Like she used to.

Kieran could hear the screams and death rattles. Smell the burning flesh and particles. See the death that he could've prevented.

Then, his mind returned to reality…before that happened.

And he snapped .

"No!"

Kieran darted off with a speed far greater than someone his age and physique should be capable of, throwing himself in front of the blasters. The people watched as he took the brunt of the fire; the people looking in shock.

"What the…!?" the leader of the soldiers shouted.

"Get…LOST!"

Kieran screamed loudly, stunning the Triceratons and causing them to fall over. He then slowly turned to the people he'd just saved.

"Go…" he whispered. "Run away…"

The citizens watched as the strange boy went limp and fell to the ground.

"Dear Lord…" the old woman whispered.

"C'mon, Mz. Barlowe, we need to go!"

As the civilians ran off, the leader of the Triceratons slowly got to his knees and readied his weapon.

"Dammit…they're escaping…"

He furrowed his brow, then turned to Kieran.

"Lousy kid!" the soldier spat.

He kicked Kieran but was shocked when his foot sunk into the boy's flesh.

"Huh!?"

He recoiled as a dark chuckle echoed through the area, sending chills up his spine.

"What the…?"

A loud crunching sound greeted the soldier's ears, followed by an intense, sharp pain. He screamed as he fell to the ground.

"What the hell!?" he looked down and to his horror, his foot was missing. As if something had bit it off.

"My…My foot…"

The soldier heard another noise. This time, the sound of chewing. He slowly looked up from his foot and froze. Standing before him, was the boy he had just gunned down, blood dripping from his wounds, his hair covering his eyes. And right in his stomach, where he had kicked him, was his boot, which was slowly sinking into his body, as if it were being consumed.

"Kriff..."

"Mmmmmm…I was right…" the boy hummed as he looked up, revealing a dagger-filled grin. "You are delicious…"

-X-

Meanwhile, Zom was doing a sweep.

"Spread out and search the area!" She ordered. "Leave no survivors!"

"Lieutenant," one soldier began. Are we seriously…?"

"The Prime Leader's orders are absolute, soldier. Our job is to follow them, no matter our feelings." Zom sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter in the end. They're dead either way."

"Lieutenant!" A soldier came running in, terrified and bloody. "Something's wrong! One of the humans is-!"

"Leaving so soon... Baby Bop?"

They froze as he heard a dark chuckle. Everyone jumped as Kieran emerged from the shadows, moving just fine despite being riddled with blaster holes.

"What the-?!" Zom exclaimed.

"Don't go near that thing!" the soldier cried. "It… it ate Rampart!"

Kieran attacked the soldier, kicking him aside.

"Shut up," he hissed before turning to Zom. "You… your armor is fancier. You the leader of these dino dipshits?"

Zom took a step back. "Wait a minute… that sound… "

"I asked you a question!" Kieran roared.

"Then let me ask one of my own! Are you truly a human?"

"Not anymore." Kieran grinned as he licked his lips, saliva dribbling off his long, black tongue.

"Fall back…" Zom let out.

"Ma'am?" one soldier asked.

"FALL BACK!" Zom screamed. "Can't you hear it?! That creature... it's a Voidworm nest! We're not equipped to fight it!"

"DING-DING!" Kieran declared. "Very good, Cera! You just answered the multi-billion dollar jackpot! What're you gonna do now?!"

"Retreat!" Zom shrieked.

The Triceratons all took off running as Kieran laughed, kneeling.

"The Ice Age didn't kill the dinosaurs… and it wasn't no meteorite. It was me ! AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA! DINNER MEEEEEEEEEEEEAT! "

Some of the other Mutanimals watched on as Kieran pursued them.

"That kid scares me sometimes," Slash remarked.

"Pete, as soon as you're free, tail him," Hob ordered.

"You got it, Boss-Man!" Pete flew off.

"Slash..."

Slash nodded before returning to battle.

-X-

Leo shoved a Triceraton off of him, stumbling back in exhaustion.

"They just keep coming!" he yelled. "We're barely making a dent in their numbers!"

"Now what do we do?!" Mikey demanded.

Raph kicked one away, panting. "We need another approach! A better plan than this!"

"We need to regroup!" Donnie cried.

Leo nodded. "Fall back!"

The Turtles all climbed up the first powerline they could, pulling Kagome up with them. They jumped onto a rooftop, where they could see the armies marching through the streets like a scene straight out of Star Wars.

"Oh, this is not good…" Vee let out.

"In the words of George Washington, we're outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, outplanned." Mikey mused.

"We can do this," Kagome insisted. "We just need to keep our heads and-"

She blinked, looking amongst the group and doing a quick head count. "Wait... where's Hisako?"

All of them looked around in dread, and then Mikey gasped. "I see her!"

He pointed toward one of the ground ships, where Hisako was making her way through, dealing with anyone who got in her way.

"She looks like she has a plan," Vee mused.

"Here's hoping it's what we need to turn the tide," Leo prayed.

"Only one way to find out!" Raph jumped across the heads of the Triceratons, making his way to his sister. The others exchanged looks, then followed.


Meanwhile, Hisako had managed to board the ship, slaying the crew that got in her way. As she made her way to the bridge, the pilot tried to fight her. She ripped his weapon from his hand telekinetically, crushing it.

"You're gonna fly this ship to the Tribase," she ordered.

The pilot scowled. "No, I won't."

"I'd listen to her if I were you, buddy." came Raph's voice.

Surprised, Hisako turned to see her family standing there. All of them had weapons drawn and their serious eyes on.

"Don't act so surprised, sis," Mikey remarked. "You think we'd let you carry this plan out alone?"

Hisako nodded before turning back to the pilot.

"Who do you think you are?!" the pilot demanded.

"We're your passengers," Hisako waved her hand, a halo forcing the pilot into his seat. "Now fly."

"I will not betray my-!"

Hisako let out a growl, grabbing him by the horns and glaring into his eyes with her own glowing green ones.

" Shut up and do what I tell you! " She phased a glowing hand into his head. " Or I'll set the inside of your head on frappé and yank the mush that used to be your brain out through your nose! "

The Turtles all made collective groans. Swallowing hard, the Triceraton gunned the engines.

"Okay, so you hijacked a Triceraton scout ship," Kagome remarked. "What's step two?"

"Find and rescue Mozar," Hisako answered. "He was a high-ranking military official, meaning he knows the ins and outs of the Triceraton Homeworld. He can help us shut everything down and cause as much chaos and destruction as we can."

"Homeworld's a big place," Raph pointed out. "Where would we even start looking?"

"The dungeon where they held us."

As soon as the ship docked at the Tribase, the pilot turned their way. "Is this the part where you kill me?"

"Not quite," Hisako slammed the pilot's head into the steering wheel, knocking him out cold. "Now you get to take a nap."

"Leniency?" Vee raised an eyebrow. "After earlier?"

"We may need a ride out. Now come on."

With that threat taken care of, they made their way inside, not even bothering with stealth. Hisako was in the lead, her tessen at the ready, making a beeline for the first Triceraton she saw. The unlucky Triceraton, one of the guards stationed there, suddenly found himself lifted into the air. He clutched at his throat, trying to breathe as Hisako stalked towards him, a glow around her hand and the guard's neck.

" Where is Commander Mozar?! " she demanded.

"W-we don't know!" the guard choked out.

" Don't lie to me! " Hisako shouted. " WHERE IS HE?! "

"Looking for someone?" a new voice cut in.

They whipped around, seeing Traximus and Mozar rounding the corner.

"Mozar?" Leo let out.

"Traximus?" Raph repeated.

"Hello, my friends," Traximus greeted.

Hisako dropped the guard in stunned shock.

"We heard what happened," Mikey told them. "Straight from Zanramon himself."

"Traximus jumped the guards and helped me escape," Mozar explained. "And now... I'm doing what I should have done a very long time ago."

Hisako nodded. "Glad to see you finally saw sense."

"What's the plan?" Donnie asked.

"The Decimator Cannon," Traximus decided. "We can use it to take down Zanramon's air support."

"That thing that destroyed Magdomar?" Raph questioned.

"Well, the plan was to cause chaos," Donnie mused. "And that would certainly qualify."

Leo nodded. "Lead the way."


Back down below, the fight raged on. Silver Sentry flew at breakneck speeds, plowing through ships like they were made of papier-mâché . Several tried to shoot him down, but their lasers did little more than annoy him. Suddenly, he heard something powering up and looked up to see the Decimator Cannon aiming at him. He braced himself as it began to fire… on the other ships in the sky. Silver Sentry blinked, then watched in surprise as it took out several more ships. This did not go unnoticed by the ground troops, specifically Zanramon.

"What do you idiots think you're doing?!" Zanramon demanded.

The comms were dead; he wasn't getting anything. Then Mozar's voice came over.

" Your reign over our people is done, Zanramon! " he declared.

"Mozar!?" Zanramon screamed. "How did you-!?"

" He had a little help from a friend ." came Traximus' voice.

" Seven friends, as a matter of fact, " Leo's voice added.

" We got everything up here ." Hisako's voice cut in. " You guys deal with the ground forces! "

Tai cracked his neck and knuckles. "You don't even have to ask."

They all surrounded Zanramon at that.

"Game over, dino-boy," Jade swore. "Time for you to go extinct!"

Zanramon snarled, furious.

"Fine!" he shouted. "I'll deal with you all myself!"

Leatherhead and Slash charged in, beating on him with all their might. The Triceraton Leader couldn't even get a single hit in, the two massive mutants just wailing on him mercilessly.

"We will handle this scumbag!" Leatherhead yelled.

"You do what you gotta do to stop the Heart!" Slash added.

The gang hurried over to where the Heart's countdown timer was slowly ticking down.

"Jesus Christ…" Makoto let out. "What're we gonna do?!"

"I can try to disarm it!" Sam replied. "Just try to buy me some time!"

"We'll buy you as much as we can!" Hana shouted.

Sam dropped to his knees, prying the casing off of the timer and beginning his work. The Hamato Clan surrounded him, performing a protective barrier as soldiers closed in. Blades slid, staffs swatted, and all manner of weaponry flew as the Tricerations were fought off.

The Slayers got involved as well, Shadow swallowing several in his gelatinous body before smashing them into anything and anyone he could. Rook swung several punches, knocking several Triceratons back as Link played the nimble nuisance, tearing apart respirators and disarming guns. Rita's telekinesis allowed her to rip weapons right out of their owner's hands, turning them into clubs. Diana rocketed through the battlefield, jet boosters in her boots allowing her to maneuver with ease. One Triceraton came charging at her horn first. Bracing herself, the Ultimate Slayer caught the soldier's horns, skidding back about a foot before planting her feet, stopping it, and slamming it into the wall.

The EPF swarmed the area not long after, Bishop leading the charge with Dr. Bennett at his side. They let out volleys of laser fire at the Triceratons, flanked by the Guardians and the Utroms of TCRI. Nobody was among them, as well as Metalhead the robot, and the rest of the Mutanimals. They all fought furiously as Sam did his best to try and disarm the detonator. After several attempts, his efforts were proving to be futile, and finally, he snapped.

"Oh, the hell with it!"

He drew two red-and-blue laser blades and furiously stabbed and slashed at the detonator again and again until it short-circuited and exploded. He flinched slightly when it happened, but let out a sigh of relief when he realized that there was no black hole forming.

"It's down!" he informed the others.

"Went the caveman route, eh?" Jade asked before shrugging. "Whatever works."

"It's over." Sam declared. "The Heart is out of commission."

Zanramon looked at the smoking generator, gasping in horror.

"This cannot be!" he shouted.

"It can, and it is!" Tai declared. "It's over, Zanramon! You're finished!"

"No…" Zanramon collapsed, punching the ground. "NO!"


On the Tribase, the comm flickered on, revealing Professor Honeycutt's face.

"Professor Honeycutt." Hisako greeted. "Did it work?"

"Is the Heart deactivated?" Mozar asked.

" The detonator is down, but the Heart is too dangerous to be kept intact for any reason ," Honeycutt reported. " Traximus, get everyone off of the Tribase right away. "

Traximus raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he questioned.

" No time, just do it! " Honeycutt snapped.


Traximus, Mozar, and the Hamato/Lee family beamed back down to the ground as the Ulixes flew in, capturing the Heart of Darkness in a tractor beam.

"What's going on?!" Leo demanded. "What's he doing?!"

Donnie gasped in realization.

"Oh, no." he let out, turning to the others. "He said the only way to destroy the Black Hole Generator is a combination of fusion and dark matter."

"Which means?" Vee asked.

"The ship uses dark matter, and the Professor is powered by a fusion core." Donnie reminded her.

They got it at that.

"He's… gonna sacrifice himself!" Leo exclaimed.

"No!" Hisako shrieked. "No, he can't!"

"Professor, don't!" April yelled.

"Zayton, stop!" Splinter shouted.

" It has to be this way, my friends, " Honeycutt said over his ship's speaker. " If you knew my intent, you would have surely tried to stop me, and for that, I thank you. "

Donnie looked down in sorrow. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not. Had to be me. I created the Heart, and now I'm taking it out. Let it be known that you are my friends, and I love you all."

With that, he flew the Ulixes up into the air and the Turtles and co. began crying, April grabbing Casey and Kagome grabbing Raph. They all watched the sky as the ship flew towards the Tribase. Then, in a fiery explosion that lit up the sky, the Ulixes collided with the Tribase. The shockwave rippled through the atmosphere, washing over everyone.

"No…" Hisako choked, collapsing to her knees and bawling.

Leatherhead made as if to go for her, but Sam reached her first.

"It's okay…" he said gently, touching her shoulder. "It's okay…"

Hisako turned and hugged him tightly, sobbing hysterically. With the battle won, Shredder turned to his men.

"Retreat and rest for now," he ordered. "The battle is over."

"Master, we have the opportunity of a lifetime here!" Rahzar objected.

"Our forces are outnumbered and exhausted," Shredder said in a tone that booked no argument. "We will claim our victory another day."

With that, they all retreated. Everyone just looked saddened as they looked up at the site of Honeycutt's sacrifice.

"We won. We saved the world." Hana mused. "But... was it worth it?"

"Zayton thought it was," Splinter replied.

Zanramon began picking himself up off the ground and everyone tensed. Before he could say anything though, Mozar's metal fist connected with his face.

"And stay down," he spat.

"We'll take Zanramon back with us," Traximus told the others. "He will answer for his crimes."

"It will take some time to rebuild the republic," Mozar added. "The true republic."

"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, but I know you'll do great," Leo assured.

Mozar turned to Zog. "What will you do?"

"I think I shall stay here." Zog decided. "This world is different and new. These past few months, it has grown on me."

"Well then, you will serve as the Triceraton Ambassador of Earth," Traximus told him.

"A title I will wear with pride," Zog said with a nod.

"We wish you luck, Gamarons," Mozar told them.

"And to you," Donnie replied.

Sam looked up at everyone as he hugged Hisako comfortingly.

"I'll talk to Mortu." he decided. "If there's anything left of the Professor, we'll make sure he gets a proper burial."

"Thank you." Hisako sniffled, wiping her eyes. "He deserves that much."

Mizuki yawned, stretching her arms. "I'm beat. I say we all go home and get some sleep."

"Agreed," Leo replied.

"Can we have a turtle pile, please?" Hisako asked.

"As long as it's in our home, I'm game." Raph agreed.

"Sounds like a plan," said Kagome.

"I will come with you." Kasumi decided. "I... missed you all while you were gone."

"We missed you too, Mom," Kagome told her.

"A turtle pile sounds wonderful," Splinter said with a smile.

They all began to go, but Hisako stopped for a minute. She turned around, giving Sam a peck on the cheek. His eyes lit up, and he smiled as she rejoined her family.

"What was that all about?" Kagome asked.

"Taking the Professor's advice."

Kagome just smiled, and then they caught up with their family as they made their way home.


Later, Mortu and his men scoured the wreckage of the Ulixes and the Tribase. Eventually, their efforts bore fruit when they found Professor Honeycutt's disembodied head.

"Well, at least it's something," Mortu remarked.

The head was collected and brought onto the ship. Mortu picked it up, sighing.

"You finally destroyed it…" he mused. "But at such a cost…"

Suddenly, Honeycutt's head began whirring, his eyelights reactivating and beeping. Mortu nearly dropped it in surprise.

"Zayton?!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe it…"

"M-M-Mortu?" Honeycutt stammered, his dialogue stilted. "I-I-I'm a-alive? D-did i-it wo-o-ork?"

Mortu nodded, smiling.

"You did it, Zayton," he informed him. "The Heart of Darkness was completely obliterated."

"G-g-good…" Honeycutt said in relief. "I-i-it's do-o-one then."

"Yes." Mortu agreed. "Just hang in there, old friend. We'll have you fixed up in no time."


Author's Note:

And with that, the Space arc is concluded. But unlike 2012, I'm following up on the Fugitoid's head surviving and reactivating in space.

Next chapter will be a breather before we get into more craziness.

Please R&R. Until next time!