- Chapter 27 -
Booyaka-Showdown
April and Kagome were just sitting down to lunch at school, when Sam suddenly sat down next to them.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
Kagome and April exchanged looks, then shrugged.
"Sure. Why not?" Kagome replied. "Just keep your hands where we can see them, please."
"Still uneasy with me, huh?" Sam said dryly.
"You're getting there," April answered. "But better safe than sorry."
"Fair enough," Sam admitted, sitting down and putting his hands on the table. He looked around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I came to give you guys a warning. Last night, Krang's communication network went haywire. Something big is about to go down."
"How big are we talking?" April asked.
"Ten to one says he's ready to launch the invasion," Sam replied.
April choked on her milk, coughing violently. Kagome slapped her on the back, helping her regain control before turning to Sam.
"How is that possible?!" she whispered frantically. "The Technodrome can't be active!"
"I don't know," Sam replied. "You guys still have the power cell and the Sword of Tengu, right?"
Kagome nodded. "Yeah, what else could he be using to power it?"
"Maybe he found something?" April offered.
"Whatever's going down," Sam began, "we better find out before the Technodrome gets airborne."
"Looks like tonight's gonna be a busy one," April sighed.
At the lair, Donnie sat down in the lab, ready to go to work. As he did this, he happened to glance over to the compartment where he had stashed the Sword of Tengu, only to find it open and the sword gone. Donnie gasped in horror and sprang to his feet.
"GUYS!" He shrieked.
The other Turtles and Hisako all ran in at that.
"Okay, what's so important that you had to interrupt the final episode of Space Heroes?" Leo demanded.
"Oh, I don't know," Donnie said sarcastically. "Maybe the insignificant little detail that THE SWORD OF TENGU IS GONE!"
"WHAT?!" Everyone screamed.
"How can it be gone?!" Raph demanded.
"We gave you the sword because you were the most responsible turtle down here!" Vee snapped. "How could you lose it?!"
"I don't know!" Donnie shouted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Krang and Shredder don't know where the lair is! It had to have been one of us!"
Before they could discuss the matter any further, April and Kagome ran in.
"Guys, we just got word from Sam," April panted. "Krang and Ch'rell are preparing their invasion."
Kagome looked at the Hamato siblings, noticing the sense of urgency in their faces.
"Is... everything okay?" Kagome questioned.
Donnie chuckled, twiddling his thumbs. "Well, there's a funny story about that, actually."
-X-
In the living room, Donnie explained everything to Kagome and April. Unsurprisingly, Kagome didn't take it well.
"WHAT?!" Kagome screamed. "YOU LOST THE SWORD OF TENGU?!"
"I left it in my lab!" Donnie defended. "I didn't lose it! It had to have been taken!"
"It wasn't me, I swear!" Mikey insisted. "I like having two hands!"
"This isn't a coincidence," April mused. "Krang somehow got the sword."
"But he can't possibly know where the lair is," Vee pointed out. "We wouldn't be having this conversation if he did."
"Then how'd he get it?" Hisako demanded. "Nobody could get past Donnie's defenses without the codes."
"It matters not," Splinter declared.
The group all turned to see Splinter and Kasumi enter.
"What matters is stopping the Technodrome before it is activated," He continued.
"Right," Raph agreed. "That thing can't be allowed to fly again."
Splinter looked down at his and Kasumi's children, smiling slightly.
"When you first went up to the surface, I feared you were not ready," he said. "But now I realize you were not only ready to become heroes, it was your destiny. And if the fate of the world must rest in somebody's hands, I am grateful it is yours."
All seven bowed respectfully to Splinter and Kasumi.
"Thank you, Sensei," Leo replied.
"I want to help, too!" April declared.
"Absolutely not!" Kirby declared, entering the room. "You and I are going to find someplace safe."
April looked down in annoyance, and the gang prepared to walk out.
"Leonardo," Splinter said. "A moment, please."
Leo stopped to listen to his father's words.
"With the world at stake, the only thing of importance is that you complete your mission," the rat ninja declared. "No matter what you have to sacrifice... or who."
"I understand, Sensei," Leo assured him. "But don't worry. I'm bringing everyone back."
-X-
The gang promptly got ready. Raph equipped himself with tonfas, shuriken, and brass knuckles while Donnie called in a favor from Dr. Lillja to borrow Metalhead and Hisako called in Leatherhead. Soon, they were all gathered before the Shellraiser.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time," Leo declared. "Let's go save the world."
"Good luck, you guys," April said.
"Be safe, my children," Splinter added. "Be strong."
Leo gave him a thumbs up, and they all piled into the Shellraiser and drove off. As soon as they were gone, April turned to Splinter and Kasumi.
"Um... you mind if I ask you two a question?" she asked.
Kasumi nodded her head. "Go ahead."
"Why aren't you two going with them?"
Splinter raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"Your kids are out there risking their lives," April pointed out. "Don't you think they could use your help?"
"As their teachers, it's our duty to prepare them for the challenges they face," Kasumi said simply.
"But the whole world is at risk!" April exclaimed. "You said so yourself!"
"Enough!" Splinter snapped. "We do not have to explain ourselves to a child!"
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away with Kasumi close behind, both of their expressions softening as they went, while April just watched them go, shaking her head in disdain.
The Shellraiser made its way to the streets, and Vee turned to Leo.
"Okay, what's the plan?" she asked.
"We'll keep it simple," Leo replied. "Go to the Technodrome, find some of their heavy ordinance, and use it on the Sword of Tengu."
"We'll need something like the Micro-Fission Omni Disintegrator," Hisako added. "It's powerful enough to oneshot just about anything."
"That's great!" Donnie declared. "Where can we get one?"
"The armory," Hisako replied. "They'll have one, and we can use their own weapon against them."
"You sure this plan'll work, Leo?" Raph questioned.
Leo looked ahead, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "It has to work…"
Back at the lair, Splinter and Kasumi were meditating off to the side. April was flipping through channels on the TV as Kirby approached her.
"April, we're leaving," he said.
"Leaving?" April repeated.
"I managed to get the van working," Kirby explained. "We're going upstate. We'll be safe there."
"Well... okay," April replied. "But what about Robyn?"
"We'll go pick her up on the way out," Kirby said. "But we need to leave now. Before Krang's plan takes effect."
Splinter and Kasumi heard everything, and stood up.
"Wait," Kasumi objected. "It's too dangerous for you to go up to the surface! You know that, Kirby!"
"My family is in danger," Kirby shot back. "I'm tired of sitting here. I'm their father, and I've already lost their mother."
"And some of us can't just sit around and do nothing," April said in discontent, glaring at them.
Splinter and Kasumi were taken aback by April's words, but before they could say anything, April turned her back on them, walking out with her father.
-X-
April and Kirby walked a considerable distance away from the lair before Kirby suddenly stopped.
"Well April," he said ominously, "it's time for the truth to come out."
"Dad?" April asked, confused. "What's going on?"
Before she could say anything else, a powerful arm grabbed her from behind, lifting her off of the ground. She turned, finding herself staring into the face of Hun.
"I was the one who took the Sword of Tengu," Kirby revealed.
"What?!" April gasped.
"Seems the slime-balls came through," Hun remarked, smirking. "Now go deliver the master's message. I'll handle her delivery."
Kirby walked away, two Mousers trailing behind him.
"You bastards brainwashed him!" April shouted.
"No, Krang did," Hun corrected. "It's a mutual benefit."
He then dragged April off, the girl kicking and screaming the entire way.
In the underground caverns near the Technodrome, many Krangdroids stood at attention, ready for orders with a Ms. Campbell robot standing before them. Suddenly, the sound of a car engine reached their ears, and they all turned just in time to see the Shellraiser rev into the area, mowing several Krangdroids over.
"The Turtles!" one Krangdroid shouted.
"Destroy them!" screamed another.
As they readied their blasters, the hatch sprang open, and Leatherhead and Metalhead jumped out.
"Utroms!" Leatherhead screamed.
His eyes glazed over as he grabbed one Krangdroid in his jaws and performed a death roll, squashing several others into the ground. Metalhead fired on the Krangdroids as well, providing cover for Leatherhead.
As this was going on, the Hamato siblings and Kagome swooped in, all wearing their own version of Donnie's latest invention: a flight-pack consisting of two large batlike wings propelled by fans.
"Turtle Flyers are workin' like a charm!" Donnie cheered.
Leo shushed him before turning to others.
"Okay, you all know the plan," he reminded them. "While LH and Metalhead keep them busy, we sneak in, grab the disintegrator, and blow the sword to Hell."
Hisako had her eyes closed as they landed, barely keeping herself calm. She had sworn to herself that she would never return to this ship, but now here she was, willingly coming back. She couldn't keep the pure terror from washing over her, her stomach roiling as she struggled to keep herself calm.
"Hisako..." Kagome began, turning to the young psychic. "Breathe deep."
Hisako took a deep breath and nodded, giving Kagome a thumbs-up.
"In and out, sis," Raph said comfortingly. "And this time, this ship is going down for good."
"Okay... okay," Hisako breathed in and out, composing herself. "Let's do this."
-X-
Taking the maintenance hatch the turtles had used during their first venture into the ship, they all entered. After a brief moment of frozen terror from Hisako, she managed to get her bearings and led them to a large room stocked with weapons.
"Here we go," Hisako said as she searched through the armory, eventually pulling out a large, red rifle-like blaster.
"That's the Omni Disintegrator?" Leo asked.
Hisako nodded as she handed it to him. "Will turn anything to ash with just a pull of the trigger. I've seen it work, so be careful."
Everyone nodded at that.
"Okay," said Donnie. "I'd say the most likely place we'll find the sword is the main engine."
"Well, sis," Vee proclaimed. "Lead the way."
Hisako nodded, and led them out.
Back at the lair, Splinter and Kasumi were in the dojo mulling over April's words. Eventually, Kasumi sighed.
"Yoshi..." she began, "April's right."
"Yes..." Splinter agreed. "Our children need us, and yet here we sit."
They stood up, ready to move out, only to be met with Kirby just as they exited the dojo.
"Kirby?" Kasumi said in surprise. "Where's April?"
"Master Shredder has a message for you," Kirby said robotically.
Splinter gasped.
"Master Shredder?" He repeated in shock.
Two Mousers appeared, one projecting a pre-recorded hologram of Shredder.
"So, Hamato Yoshi, Kasumi Lee," he said. "You thought you could hide from me forever. I have April O'Neil."
Both of them gaped in horror.
"And if you two value her life, you will come and face me like true warriors. We will finish what we started all those years ago."
The recording ended and Kirby turned to go, only to be grabbed by Kasumi and spun around.
"Kirby, what have you done?!" she demanded, shaking him. "Have you lost your mind?!"
Splinter approached, putting two and two together.
"No," he said, removing a small device from the back of Kirby's neck. "It has been stolen."
The two looked it over.
"Krang's technology," Kasumi realized. "Must be some kind of mind control device."
Kirby blinked, rubbing his head. "They... they made me take the sword, and then..." He choked on his words, looking up at Kasumi and Splinter. "Please... save April."
"We will," Kasumi assured, putting her hands on Kirby's shoulders. "I promise."
Splinter grabbed his hooded robe, pulling it over his head.
"Let us go, quickly," he declared.
"Agreed," Kasumi said, her expression souring. "If Saki wants a battle, we'll give him a war."
The Hamato siblings and Kagome gathered on the upper levels of the Technodrome's engine room, looking down at their opposition. Multiple Krangdroids were gathered along with the two rock soldiers who kidnapped Kirby several weeks ago. In the center of the room sat the Sword of Tengu, which was plugged into the main engine.
"Shit," Vee cursed. "Rocky I and II are here."
"With any luck, we'll be gone before they even know we're here," Donnie replied.
Leo took aim with the Omni Disintegrator.
"Okay guys," he said, charging the gun. "This all ends in three... two... one!"
He fired the gun, and an orange energy ball blasted out and flew at the Sword of Tengu-
-only to be deflected by a purple energy barrier.
"What?!" Leo shouted. "There's a force field?!"
He turned to Hisako.
"Why didn't you tell us that?!" He demanded.
"Well, because I wanted us to screw this up," Hisako said sarcastically before scowling. "OBVIOUSLY, I DIDN'T FUCKING KNOW!"
The rock soldiers turned to notice them, as did the Krangdroids in the room. Mikey gulped as their eyes bore into the group.
"Uh..." he let out. "Anyone have a Plan B?"
"Donnie, disable that shield!" Leo ordered. "The rest of us will buy him time!"
The rock soldiers then charged at them, poised to attack.
In the Shredder's throne room, April furiously struggled against the heavy chains keeping her anchored to the floor as Tokka, Dogpound, and Xever stood guard, Xever's robotic legs finally finished. As they waited, Xever turned to Tokka and Dogpound.
"So, just how good are these so-called ninja masters?" he asked.
"Two of the best," Tokka replied. "They trained in the same ninja clan as Master Shredder."
"You bet they did," April cut in. "And they're gonna kick your asses when they get here."
The three mutants all scoffed at that.
"Anyway, Hamato Yoshi and Master Shredder used to be like brothers until Yoshi betrayed him and Kasumi Lee sided with him over the Master," Dogpound went on. "Let me put it to ya this way: those two are as skilled as Master Shredder, but they don't have the stomach to finish the fight."
"Shredder's the one that betrayed them," April scoffed. "And it's not that they can't finish the fight. It's that they have a little something your master doesn't."
"And what, pray tell, is that?" Tokka questioned.
"Honor," was the reply.
"Can we shut that little brat up?" Xever demanded before turning to her. "You're supposed to be bait, so start acting like it."
"Why don't you make me, Fishface?" April shot back.
Xever, now Fishface, scowled at his new moniker.
"I told you not to call me that," he hissed.
"Oh, sorry," April said flippantly. "I didn't care."
Before they could say anything else, they heard the sounds of pummeling outside and Dogpound's ears twitched.
"They're here," he declared.
The door of the throne room slid open to reveal a lone Foot ninja, who then collapsed. A pair of eyes flashed in the darkness before the ninja was suddenly dragged back, with Splinter and Kasumi appearing in-between the villainous trio out of nowhere.
Dogpound took a swipe behind him, but the two ninja masters dodged easily. Growling, Dogpound slammed his fist into the ground, but Splinter leaped over it, flipping through the air and kicking Dogpound squarely in the face.
Kasumi weaved to the side, going for Tokka.
"You know, Yoshi's children are so much cuter than you," she said flatly.
Tokka growled. "I'll make you eat those words, you bitch!"
"You're more than welcome to try, kappa meinu (1)," Kasumi shot back.
Seething in rage, Tokka charged at Kasumi, swiping with her claws. Kasumi ducked under the swipe and jabbed her fingers into Tokka's underarm. The turtle mutant scrambled back.
"What was that?" she asked, confused and slightly weirded out. "A tickle?"
"Actually, that was a nerve cluster under your arm," Kasumi corrected. "It might not have hurt, but you won't be moving that arm for a while."
Naturally, Tokka responded by trying to move her arm. It was unresponsive and limp as a noodle, just as Kasumi predicted. Kasumi hit a few more pressure points, bringing Tokka to her knees before finally deciding to end it. She backflipped, kicking Tokka right in the face, and as she came down with a yell, clasped her hands together and pulled off a solid double axe-handle right on Tokka's skull. The turtle mutant dropped like a load of bricks (2).
At the same time, Dogpound and Fishface were double-teaming Splinter. The rat-man dodged a kick from Fishface just as Dogpound charged him from behind, resulting in Fishface kicking Dogpound right in the groin. With a pained whimper, Dogpound slumped over, clutching his groin. As Splinter continued to dodge Fishface's attacks, he quickly grabbed his tail and pulled it in the way of a bite attack. This caused Fishface to chomp down on his own tail and cry out in pain before Splinter tossed him into the water tank. Fishface rapidly swam away, and Dogpound pulled himself up, helping Tokka to her feet and making a break for it.
"Well, that's the last of them," Kasumi said.
The two then went over to April and Splinter knelt down.
"April, do not make a sound," Splinter whispered. "We will have you free in a moment."
He reached for the chain, only for his hand to phase right through it. They looked up in surprise as "April" smirked and suddenly disappeared, revealing herself to be a hologram cast by a Mouser.
"It's a trap!" Kasumi shouted.
At that moment, ominous laughter filled the room. Kasumi and Splinter quickly stood back-to-back, surveying the area.
"Hamato Yoshi. Kasumi Lee," the Shredder announced, his voice echoing across the room. "I am so glad you two accepted my invitation."
Flames shot up from the glass enclosures on either side of the tank, and the two looked around for any sign of their enemy.
"Where's April?!" Kasumi demanded. "What have you done with her?!"
"Now that I have you two right where I want you, young Miss O'Neil is of no further use to me," Shredder replied. "I gave her to someone who will make proper use of her: General Krang."
Both of them gasped at that.
"You FOOL!" Splinter shouted. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
"Krang is a monster who can't be trusted!" Kasumi added. "You've damned the entire world, Saki!"
At that moment, an unseen force knocked the two to the ground. They pulled themselves up as Shredder materialized from the shadows.
"I know exactly what he is capable of," Shredder remarked. "I also know it will destroy your family and allow me to put an end to you two... once and for all."
Kasumi and Splinter stood up, both glaring at Shredder, and Splinter dropped his hood, allowing Shredder to see his mutated visage for the first time.
"What? A rat?" he said aloud before laughing in mockery. "I see you are as hideous as those Turtles that surround you. How fitting. You are a rat that has been caught in my trap."
Kasumi scowled. "Rat or not, Yoshi's still a much better man than you could ever hope to be, Saki!"
"And what does that say about you, Kasumi?" Shredder retorted. "One who affiliates with rats?"
"Look closely at this face, Shredder," Splinter hissed. "For it is the last thing you will ever see!"
Back at the Technodrome, things weren't going so well for the Turtles. They frantically dodged around the Rock Soldiers and Krangdroids as Donnie tried to hack the force field.
"Hurry up, Donnie!" Leo shouted as he avoided a crushing stomp from one of the Rock Soldiers.
"I'm doing the best I can!" Donnie snapped back.
Leo turned to Hisako.
"You said the Omni Disintegrator will blast through anything, right?" he asked her. "Does that include big, ugly rock monsters?"
"It should, yeah!" Hisako replied, ducking under a laser blast.
Leo took aim at one of the Rock Soldiers, and blasted its leg off. His victory was short-lived as the monster turned toward him.
"Uh-oh..." he gulped.
Meanwhile, Raph threw his sai into an advancing Krangdroid before spinning around and stabbing another. Kagome stabbed her Shiranui blades right into the Utrom within another's cockpit, green blood squirting into her face as she did.
"YUCK!" Kagome screamed, wiping her face in disgust.
"These guys just keep coming!" Raph shouted. "Where does Krang find these goons?!"
"General Krang drafted those of us who understood his cause!" one Krangdroid replied. "Not like that foolish weakling, Mortu!"
"We're running out of time, guys!" Hisako exclaimed, slicing left and right with her tessen.
Donnie finally managed to power down the force field, but at that very moment, everything lit up and the engine powered on.
"You're too late, Turtles!" a Krangdroid shouted in triumph. "The Technodrome is now fully operational!"
"No!" Hisako shouted. "No, no, no, no, NO!"
Leo took aim at the Sword of Tengu with the Omni Disintegrator, but it sparked before shorting out.
"Damn it!" he shouted.
"Now what?!" Vee demanded.
"We need to scram!" Mikey screamed. "Like now!"
Leo looked around at their enemies, then nodded.
"Tactical retreat!" he exclaimed. "Hisako, give us some cover!"
Hisako turned, focusing the last of her energy into a telekinetic blast. Everything in front of her went flying and she collapsed in exhaustion. Vee quickly grabbed her and they all ran for the garbage chute. They leaped out and activated their Turtle Flyers before swooping away, finding Leatherhead and Metalhead standing before the Technodrome amongst multiple disassembled Krangdroids.
"Leatherhead!" Mikey screamed. "Grab Metalhead and run!"
"The Technodrome is online!" Kagome added. "We need to get out of here NOW!"
Leatherhead went wide-eyed before grabbing Metalhead and running for the Shellraiser. The Hamato septet all flew out of the tunnels, Leatherhead driving the Shellraiser.
-X-
They all made it to the surface just as tremors began to shake the city. Within minutes, the Technodrome burst out of the ground, rising into the sky.
"This is it..." Vee gasped. "It's the end of the world!"
"Well, technically, it's the end of humanity's reign as the planet's dominant life form," Donnie pointed out. "Y'know, like the extinction of the dinosaurs-"
Raph smacked Donnie upside the head. "Now? You're doing this now?!"
"Well, excuse me," Donnie snapped, "but it's how I deal with stress!"
"Well, maybe it won't be so bad," Mikey offered. "I mean, maybe it doesn't have any weapons?"
As if on cue, lasers began firing from the Technodrome.
"I... think it has weapons," Leo remarked.
"No..." Leatherhead said in horror, clutching a barely conscious Hisako to his chest. "It has begun..."
As they all stared up at the Technodrome in horror, Kagome glanced over her shoulder and gaped at the sight behind her.
"Uh, guys?" she began. "We've got another problem."
"Oh, now what?!" Leo snapped.
Kagome pointed behind her and they all turned to see just about every human in Manhattan behind them, not only noticing the Technodrome, but the Turtles and Leatherhead as well.
"Oh fuck," Raph cursed.
"Alien monsters!" one woman in the crowd shouted.
"They're holding those girls prisoner!" another screamed, pointing at Hisako and Kagome.
"Wait!" Mikey pleaded. "You don't understand!"
"Save it, Mikey," Raph remarked. "They don't care."
The crowd began to advance on them, before a young voice piped up.
"No! They're not monsters!"
From the crowd emerged Kristy Verne, dragging her father along by the hand.
"They saved me!" Kristy shouted, patting her belly. "Changed my pump thingy!"
Mr. Verne looked at them, smiling.
"So you're the turtle men Kristy mentioned," he said. "Now I get to thank you in person."
The crowd looked confused for a minute, and Verne turned on them.
"These creatures saved my daughter!" he declared. "If anyone wants to hurt them, they have to go through me!"
While the crowd was distracted with Mr. Verne, the Turtles and co. took advantage and slipped away. Vee sighed.
"Splinter's gonna kill us for this," she lamented.
"That's if the Technodrome doesn't do it first," Kagome added.
At Shredder's lair, Splinter and Kasumi faced off against Shredder, all three staring one another down.
"Oroku Saki," Splinter sighed, "you were once my friend. My brother."
"We were never blood," Shredder spat, mirroring his words from their first battle.
"Fifteen years ago, I was a different man," Splinter went on. "I had everything I ever wanted. A loving wife, a beautiful daughter... But you, my 'loyal friend', allowed your jealousy to consume you, and sought to steal that which was mine."
He pointed a condemning finger at Shredder.
"You took everything I loved away from me. Everything!" he shouted. "And still you hunt me down!"
"Every second that you draw breath is another stain upon my honor!" Shredder declared. "And I will not rest until you, Kasumi, and every last trace of the Hamato Clan has been erased from this world!"
"Then there's nothing more to be said, Saki," Kasumi replied. "Let's end this, now!"
Kasumi and Splinter both charged at Shredder, who blocked both of their attacks before taking a swipe at Kasumi. She quickly brought her sword up to block the attack.
"It is fitting you die by my blade just as Kohaku did!" Shredder declared as he and Kasumi crossed blades. "And when I'm finished with you, Kagome is next!"
Something inside Kasumi snapped and she forced Shredder back.
"Stay away from my daughter, you son of a bitch!" she screamed, slashing at Shredder who barely managed to block her attacks before Splinter hit him from behind.
As Shredder stumbled back, he aimed a high kick at Kasumi's head, but she ducked under it and slashed at him, catching him across the chest plate.
Shredder growled in rage before jumping across the room, Splinter and Kasumi following. Splinter stepped on part of the glass enclosure and it opened up beneath him, dropping him down.
Splinter pulled himself up and looked around, seeing that Shredder had vanished.
"Kasumi!" he shouted. "Where'd he go?!"
Kasumi frantically scanned the area and saw an ominous looking shadow rise up behind Splinter.
"Yoshi, behind you!" she screamed.
Splinter turned around just in time to block a strike from Shredder and jump back.
"Attacking him from behind…" Kasumi scowled. "You honorless coward!"
"I fight to win!" Shredder retorted.
He and Splinter continued to clash for a while before the flames began to shoot up. To Kasumi's horror, they were closing in on Splinter fast.
"Yoshi!" Kasumi screamed. "GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!"
Splinter quickly leapt from rock to rock until he made it out of the enclosure, glaring at Shredder.
"Why must you persist in this insanity?!" he demanded.
"Because you took Tang Shen away from me!" Shredder snapped back.
Splinter pressed a button on the side of his cane, unveiling a whip-like device within it.
"She was never yours!" he replied as he lashed out with it, ensnaring Shredder.
"All these years, and that's still all you can think about," Kasumi remarked in disdain. "I've said it before, Saki, and I'll say it again: you're pathetic."
"Silence!" Shredder shouted as he struggled against Splinter's whip.
April slowly came to, finding herself strapped to a metal slab in a hi-tech looking room. As her eyesight cleared, she gasped to find Krang looming over her.
"April O'Neil," Krang declared, grinning evilly. "I've waited a long time for this… and at last, I have you right where I want you."
"Krang!" April shouted as she frantically struggled against her bonds. "What do you want from me?!"
"I have need of this planet for my kind to live on," Krang replied.
"That's great," April retorted. "But we're kinda using it. So you came all this way for nothing. Bummer."
"Oh no, Miss O'Neil," Krang chuckled. "I've come all this way… for you."
"Me?" April demanded. "What makes me so special?"
"Your mental energies are essential to my plans," Krang replied.
"Oh, hell no!" April shouted. "I won't end up like Hisako!"
"You will be so much better than Oracle ever was," Krang corrected. "And when I harness your mental energy, I will be able to transform the Earth into a world fit for my kind."
April gulped nervously.
"And… how are you going to do that, exactly?" She questioned, her bravado gone.
"I'm so glad you asked," Krang answered, grinning evilly. "Ch'rell?"
On cue, Ch'rell pressed a button, and multiple wires swarmed toward April from the walls as she screamed.
"APRIL!"
Hisako sat up in Leatherhead's grip, gasping in horror.
"What's wrong!" Leo demanded.
"I… I heard April," Hisako managed. "She's in pain… screaming in fear."
"No…" Donnie gasped. "Krang must've captured April!"
Hisako nodded.
"Damn it all…" Kagome cursed. "Krang's got April, and the Technodrome is airborne. It's game over, man! Game over! (3)"
"We lost…" Leatherhead lamented, looking down.
"No."
They all looked up, seeing the determination on Leo's face.
"It's not over yet," the blue-banded turtle declared.
"Dude, look around!" Raph snapped. "We couldn't stop Krang! We couldn't save April! Hell, we couldn't even protect our own secret existence!"
"We're still alive," Leo pointed out. "And the first thing Splinter taught us is where there's life, there's hope."
He stood before them as he went on.
"We're gonna break into the Technodrome, save April, and take Krang and Ch'rell down once and for all!" he proclaimed. "You guys with me, or what?!"
Donnie was the first to step forward.
"I'm with you," he said. "For April."
Soon, everyone else walked up to Leo as well, agreeing to help him for April's sake.
"Okay, question," Mikey pointed out. "How are we gonna get up to it?"
At that moment, the Technodrome began releasing pods into the streets, which started to snatch up the panicking civilians.
"Specimen pods," Hisako quickly supplied.
Leo grinned at the sight of them.
"That's our ticket in," He told the group.
"I got this," Kagome declared.
Before any of them could stop her, she ran out into the streets, waving her arms.
"Hey! Down here!" she shouted. "Nice human specimen, right out in the open! Come and get me, you slimy brain blobs!"
"Kagome!" Vee exclaimed. "Have you lost your fucking mind?!"
"Maybe," Kagome admitted. "Now get over here. Our ride's on the way!"
"Oh, I get where she's going with this!" Raph remarked, catching on.
"She's baiting a pod in so we can get onboard," Donnie mused. "That's incredibly stupid! Or brilliant...Or both."
"Just move your shells!" Hisako snapped.
They charged in just as a pod descended. It opened up to grab Kagome, and ended up grabbing all seven of them.
"Okay," Leo said as the pod began to ascend. "Here we go."
Shredder continued to struggle against his bonds as Splinter and Kasumi glared at him.
"All this time you've wasted on your stupid, petty grudge, your hatred," Kasumi hissed. "Even if you do end up killing us Saki, what next? You'll have NOTHING!"
Shredder broke free of his bonds before trying to stab them. They backflipped out of the way as he laughed maniacally.
"That is where you are wrong, Kasumi," he declared. "I will have everything."
"What are you saying, Saki?" Splinter demanded.
"My vengeance will finally be satisfied," Shredder went on. "Our feud will finally be put to rest. And my daughter can rejoice, knowing her mother's killer is finally dead!"
"Daughter?" Kasumi asked, already dreading the answer. "What are you-?"
"It's simple," said Shredder. "Yoshi took something from me… so I took something from him."
Both Splinter and Kasumi gasped as they managed to connect the dots.
"No…" Splinter whispered. "It can't be…"
"The night of the fire…" Kasumi managed, "you… you took little Miwa!"
"Her name is Karai," Shredder corrected. "And I merely gave her the life she deserves."
Flashback
Saki staggered out of the burning remains of the Hamato Clan dojo, clutching his burned face and feeling bittersweet about the whole ordeal; he had managed to kill his hated enemy, but lost the love of his wife at the same time.
As he made it out, he heard the sounds of a baby crying, and followed it, finding baby Miwa under a stone lantern; Shen had set her there before running into the dojo.
"Shen's daughter…" Saki murmured.
He gently picked her up, caressing her face lovingly.
"I will take care of you, little one," he promised, doing his best to soothe the baby. "I'll call you Karai."
Flashback Over
"I gave her a home, a father, a life," Shredder went on. "And soon, closure, when my revenge comes to fruition."
He approached Kasumi and Splinter menacingly.
"What an exquisite vengeance," he declared. "You will die here, Hamato Yoshi, and your own daughter will go through her life cursing your very name!"
Kasumi began trembling with rage, glaring at Shredder.
"You…" she managed, "you heartless… BASTARD!"
She charged at Shredder in a rage, crossing blades with him as Splinter still reeled from the knowledge.
"You killed Kohaku! You killed Shen!" she screamed. "And then you even kidnapped Yoshi's baby girl! You're going to regret telling us that, Saki!"
"Oh, did I make you angry, Kasumi?" Shredder mocked, before Kasumi forced him back.
"No," she replied. "I'm beyond angry. I'm beyond furious. I swear that before this day is out, I'm going to tear… you… APART!"
She managed to back Shredder into a corner, Shredder barely holding her back. Finally, Shredder maneuvered himself so Kasumi's blade would stab into the wall, allowing him to kick it, shattering it. Kasumi barely had time to react before Shredder kicked her in the gut, knocking her to the ground.
"Give my regards to Kohaku," he declared, readying a blade.
"SAKI!" Splinter cried out.
Shredder and Kasumi turned to see Splinter charging towards them, running on all fours.
"Yoshi?!" Kasumi exclaimed.
Splinter didn't hear her, having embraced his inner rat and given in to his animal side. Shredder tried to stab at Splinter, only for the rat man to catch the blade in his teeth. With one vicious chomp, he snapped the blade in half.
Splinter then kicked Shredder aside before pouncing on him, hissing like a rat and clawing at him before kicking him into the air. Kasumi jumped up, landing an aerial roundhouse kick that sent Shredder flying across the room. He slammed into the wall, his helmet being knocked off by the impact. He slid down before glaring at his foes, his horrifically scarred face revealed.
"You were always hideous on the inside, Saki," Kasumi said in discontent. "And now your face matches your soul!"
Splinter grabbed his cane, drawing the hidden blade within, and charged at Shredder with the intent of finishing him off.
"NO!"
Suddenly, Karai ran in, blocking Splinter's blade with her tanto. Her eyes were brimming with hatred as she stared down the two masters. Both got a good look at her face and gasped in realization.
"...Miwa?" Splinter managed.
"My name is Karai!" Karai snapped before turning to the fallen Shredder. "Father…"
"Karai…" Shredder wheezed, pointing at Splinter and Kasumi. "The rat… is Hamato Yoshi."
Karai straightened up, turning to face Kasumi and Splinter.
"You…" she said, her voice dripping with hatred. "Father told me about what you two did to my mother! And now I get to return the favor!"
Shredder chuckled evilly as Karai advanced on them. Kasumi sheathed her sword, backing up in fear and revulsion.
"Yoshi," she said urgently, "we've lost. We have to go, now!"
"Miwa…" Splinter managed absently, still zoned out.
Kasumi grabbed his arm.
"Yoshi, come ON!" she begged.
He snapped out of it and, with great reluctance, followed Kasumi out the window.
"Cowards!" Karai screamed. "Come back here and face me!"
-X-
They made it a short distance across the rooftops before Splinter stopped short, shaking. Breathing heavily, he let out a howl of rage and sorrow to the heavens before collapsing and punching the ground.
"Yoshi…" Kasumi said, looking down at her friend sympathetically. "I'm so sorry."
"He took my home…" Splinter managed. "My wife… and now, he took my Miwa."
He broke down sobbing and Kasumi followed suit, collapsing and pulling Splinter into a hug.
"We'll get her back," she wept. "I don't know how, or when, but we will."
Splinter's grip around her back tightened and he buried his face into her shoulder.
"I promise, Yoshi…" Kasumi swore tearfully. "I promise…"
Meanwhile, the Hamato septet was waiting for the pod they were in to dock on the Technodrome. After a moment of silence, Mikey began tapping his nunchucks together rhythmically.
"MC Mikey…" he sang as he continued doing so.
The others looked at him oddly, but found themselves enjoying the beat. Donnie was the first to join in, tapping his staff against the side of the pod. Vee and Raph began replicating and adding back up beat boxing, Kagome tapped her Shiranui blades together while Hisako did the same with her tessen, the metal ringing slightly, and finally, Leo gave in, adding vocals as well.
"Go ninja, go ninja, go!" Mikey chanted. "Go ninja, go ninja, go! Go ninja, go ninja, go! Go, go, go go!"
A hiss sounded as the pod docked on the Technodrome, and the minute it opened, the Hamato septet charged out, screaming and ready for a fight-
-only to find themselves floating in midair.
"What the hell's going on?!" Raph demanded.
"I think Krang forgot to pay his gravity bill!" Mikey remarked.
"It appears he's generated anti-gravitons," Donnie observed.
"Is there any way to generate anti-anti-gravitons?" Leo asked.
"You mean gravitons?" Donnie said flatly, getting a nod. "No."
"Guys, I think I'm gonna throw up," Mikey said, looking pale. "Or down. Or maybe sideways."
"Just think of it as swimming," Hisako told him. "It helps, trust me."
"We still have a job to do," Leo reminded them. "Where would Krang be keeping April?"
"I know where," Hisako managed, looking sick. "Ch'rell has a private lab."
"Lead the way," Vee replied.
Hisako breast-stroked through the compartment, the others following her.
"Swimming through the air…" Kagome mused aloud. "Never thought I'd see it."
"You live with mutant turtles all your life, and this is what amazes you?" Donnie questioned.
"Don't judge me, Donnie," Kagome retorted. "I grew up with you guys. You are mundane compared to this. No offense."
"None taken," Raph said.
As they went, they heard a scream of pain and fear coming from a nearby room.
"April!" Donnie screamed.
"Oh, no…" Hisako gasped. "Guys… I know this room…"
-X-
Inside the room in question, Krang and Ch'rell watched with unholy glee as April was fitted with an unpleasant-looking helmet, which was siphoning away her cerebral energy and feeding it into a large purple crystal in the center of the room.
"Yes… YES!" Krang exclaimed. "Soon, the planetary mutation will begin! And we have you, April O'Neil, to thank for it."
"Your mind is ours now," Ch'rell added. "Witness the end of your pitiful race!"
The door was thrown open, and the Hamato siblings and Kagome charged in, gasping at April's condition.
"The Turtles?!" Krang shouted. "I will not be stopped by pathetic mutants!"
"At least we're not stupid aliens!" Mikey shot back.
Hisako saw the machine, the quaking April, and began shaking with rage.
"You…" The entire room began to shake, and all eyes turned to Hisako. She was glowing bright green, brighter than ever before.
"Guys, she's going critical again!" Vee exclaimed.
"Not again…" Hisako managed through clenched teeth, her eyes glowing green as well. "NEVER AGAIN!"
She floated off of the ground, and let out her rage and pain by screaming one solitary word:
"KRAAAAAANG!"
All of a sudden, she released a large telekinetic blast, one that tore through the machinery like it was nothing. Sparks flew, Krang and Ch'rell were thrown back, and the straps holding April to the table broke.
"Grab April!" Leo shouted. "Quick!"
Donnie grabbed her mere seconds before the entire machine fell on her, and they all turned back to Hisako. She was still in critical mode, decimating the entire room, and from the looks of things, she wasn't stopping there. The entire Technodrome began to shake and moan under the force of her telekinetic assault.
"She's bringing the ship down!" Mikey shouted.
"Yeah," Raph added. "On top of us!"
Leo struggled his way through the telekinetic pressure and grabbed Hisako's arm.
"Hisako, please!" he screamed. "You have to calm down!"
Hisako gave no sign that she heard him. She was seemingly beyond reason, dark memories flooding her mind as she poured out her rage and fear.
"Hisako!" Leo pleaded. "Come back to us! To your family!"
That seemed to get through. Hisako turned to Leo, tears streaming from her glowing eyes as she looked at him. He reached out his hand, and very slowly, she took it. The glow in her eyes faded and she slowly descended back to the ground, clutching Leo's hand tightly all the while. She looked at him for a moment, then her eyes fluttered closed as blood trickled from her nose.
"Come on, sis," Leo said, gently picking Hisako up. "Let's get you home."
At that moment, a violent tremor shook the entire Technodrome.
"Oh, no…" Donnie said. "Hisako's damaged the engines! This whole place is gonna go!"
"The pods!" Vee pointed out. "There are still people trapped inside!"
"We need to get them all out of here, NOW!" Kagome shouted.
"No…"
They turned to see Krang, who glared at them hatefully as he got to his feet.
"It may be my fate to die this day…" he snarled, "but if I go down, I'm taking you with me!"
"Sorry, but we're taking a rain check!" Raph replied, throwing a smoke bomb in Krang's face as the gang bolted.
-X-
They ran back to the pod room, examining them all.
"Donnie, can you launch the pods back out into the city!" Leo asked as he set Hisako down in an empty pod, Donnie doing the same with April
"I think I can," Donnie replied, working on a control panel and releasing the pods.
"C'mon!" Raph shouted, hopping into the pod with the girls. "We're checking out of this dump!"
As they all piled in, they heard a hysterical howl of rage, and turned to see Krang and Ch'rell barreling down the hall toward them.
"Not so fast!" Ch'rell shouted. "None of you will leave the Technodrome alive!"
Leo looked back at them, then at his family, Splinter's words ringing in his ear:
"With the world at stake, the only thing of importance is that you complete your mission. No matter what you have to sacrifice. Or who."
Making his decision, Leo slammed the pod shut without getting in.
"Leo!" Vee screamed. "What the fuck are you doing?!"
Leo hit the launch button before turning to face Krang and Ch'rell.
"You have sealed your doom, turtle!" Krang shouted.
"You wanna get to them?" Leo shot back. "You gotta go through me!"
The three charged at one another and Raph crowded up against the pod as it was launched out, seeing Leo facing off against the two crazed aliens.
"Leo!" he shouted. "NO!"
-X-
The pod splashed down in the waters around Liberty Island with the Technodrome following shortly after. It rapidly sunk into the murky depths, disappearing from sight.
"We made it…" Donnie breathed. "I can't believe it."
"But Leo…" Kagome managed, tearing up. "I… I can't believe he's dead!"
Mikey looked sadly out into the water. "Leo…"
"And I did nothing but give him a hard time," Raph said, tearing up as well. "If I had a chance to do it over…"
April slowly came to. "Leo…"
"April…" Donnie lamented, turning to her. "Leo… he didn't make it."
"No…" April said, pointing out into the water. "There he is!"
On cue, Leo's head broke the surface of the water. He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of seawater.
"Leo?!" Kagome exclaimed, smiling. "You… you're okay!"
"Managed to get clear just before the splashdown," Leo explained, swimming over to them.
"You boneheaded shell for brains!" Raph shouted, pulling Leo into the pod and hugging him. "Don't you ever do that again!"
"Sorry," Leo said sheepishly, before looking out on the water. "Well… I'd say the Technodrome isn't gonna be flying anytime soon."
"We… we won, guys," Mikey whispered in awe, before grinning. "We did it! We saved the world!"
"We really did, little brother," Leo said, smiling. "We really did."
"That's one problem down," Kagome remarked. "Now for the next one."
She pointed to the shore, where multiple news crews were waiting for them.
"Disappear into the night to deal with it tomorrow?" Donnie suggested.
"Won't make much of a difference, Don," Vee pointed out. "All of New York knows about us by now."
"Agreed," Leo decided. "Let's make sure they get the full story."
They got to the shore, and it just so happened that Robyn was the reporter on the scene.
"This is Robyn O'Neil with a special report!" she declared. "Turtle creatures save New York!"
"So…" Mikey began, turning to the others, "you guys ready for our close-up?"
"Ready as we'll ever be," Raph replied.
"Tell us," Robyn asked, holding the microphone up to Leo, "who are you?"
"We're six siblings who hate bullies and love this city," Leo replied.
"Your friendly neighborhood Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" Mikey exclaimed.
Later, the gang was watching Robyn's report in the lair as Leo turned to Kasumi and Splinter.
"Dad, Kasumi, I'm sorry," he said. "All the chaos going on with the Technodrome... it just happened."
Splinter just stood there quietly, still reeling from his battle with the Shredder.
"You all did well," Kasumi reassured Leo, smiling proudly. "You saved the city, possibly the world. We would be fools to be angry with you."
Splinter finally shook off his funk, smiling as well.
"Kasumi is right," he said. "This… revelation will need to be dealt with. But tonight, we celebrate."
"Aw yeah!" Mikey cheered. "Who saved the world?"
"We saved the world!" Everyone else replied.
"It's party time!" Kagome declared.
And that's just what they did. They partied, danced, and celebrated on into the night.
Author's Note:
(1): "Turtle bitch" in Japanese.
(2): One of the possible takedown animations of a Titan-infected enemy in Batman: Arkham City.
(3): Aliens reference
Yep, it was always my intent that the Turtles eventually go public in this story. But it won't be smooth sailing, I assure you.
Please R&R. Until next time!