- Chapter 58 -
Return to New York
The next day, the gang watched the news. On the screen appeared a man in his mid-to-late thirties with slicked-back black hair. His dialogue was stilted and emotionless, and was done while images of Krang's invasion played in the upper right corner of the screen.
"Ever since the alien invasion of New York City, people have wanted to know what's going on. Everything is perfectly fine. The military has it under control. But no one is allowed in or out of the city until General Krang- er, the military allows it. This has been Vernon Fenwick for Channel 6 News."
"Seriously?" Kagome said flatly. "Who does Krang think he's fooling?"
"Well, he's not exactly known for his subtlety," Hisako pointed out.
"His ego's gonna bite him big-time," Mikey declared.
"So what's the plan?" Vee asked.
"Seems pretty simple to me," Raph said. "Bust in, find Dad and Kasumi, kick Krang's ass, kick Shredder's ass, and save the city."
"Don, how are the modifications to the Party Wagon going?" Leo asked.
Donnie rolled a blueprint out on the coffee table. "It's not as heavily armored as the Shellraiser, but it's more maneuverable, has more weapons, and gets better gas mileage."
"And it's more street legal too because it's an actual vehicle," Mikey chimed in.
"Yeah, that too," Donnie agreed. "Guess that's one minor upside to the Shellraiser being destroyed."
"Can it get us through the wall erected around the city?" April asked.
"It should. If we hit the right spot."
"Then let's stop jabbering and build this bad boy!" Casey declared.
-X-
The team immediately got to work refitting the Party Wagon. The work flew by fast with all nine of them working together, and after an hour or two, it was done. They all admired the new and improved Party Wagon, now fitted with better armor, bigger tires, and Mikey's personal touch on the right side: the Foot Clan insignia, complete with a "No" symbol over it and the words "Foot Stinks" written under it in green.
"Everybody in." Leo ordered. "It's time to take back our home."
Everyone gathered up their weapons and gear, chucking them into the back of the Party Wagon. Among their supplies was Klunk's cooler, and a wooden crate with some hay in it containing Dr. Cluckingsworth.
"We're bringing the chicken?" Leo asked.
"She may be super smart, but she doesn't have opposable thumbs or a means to defend or take care of herself," Donnie explained. "Besides, I need her for the weapons system."
"Indeed you do, Donatello," Cluckingsworth typed out. "And I am willing to provide."
Hisako settled into her seat, Midnight curling up on her lap. "Hey, it's about time Donnie got a pet that wasn't mechanical or digital. Let him keep the chicken."
Leo nodded. "Okay, fair enough."
They crammed into the back, Casey and April in the front.
"Goodbye, farmhouse!" Mikey declared. "Helloooo, New York!"
"We're coming, Dad," April swore. "We're gonna save you, and everyone else."
The Party Wagon rolled out, the teens ready to begin the fight to take back their city.
Back in New York, multiple Krangdroids had cornered a little blonde girl in a blue dress with her parents. After a minute, the girl scowled, staring them in the eyes.
"I'm not scared of you!" she declared. "The Ninja Turtles are gonna come back and whip you good!"
The leader scoffed. "The Turtles are no more. They fell in the first charge."
"Liar!" the girl shouted as she grabbed a rock and threw it, striking the Krangdroid right in the face. "They'll be back! And when they do, you'll be sorry!"
The leader snarled, then grabbed the girl by the front of her dress.
"I'm going to enjoy handing you over to Lord Ch'rell," he hissed. "He always likes breaking the feisty ones."
An arrow came flying in, embedding in the Krangdroid's arm. He shouted in pain, dropping the girl as Tai and Jade rounded the corner, weapons at the ready.
"Get away from the kid," Jade growled. "Before I cut your heart out."
"Oh swell. It's those ninjas again," the leader sighed. "Eradicate them!"
They opened fire, Tai and Jade immediately going on the offensive. Tai ran up the side of the building, flipping over the droid and slicing off its arm.
"NOW!" Jade screamed.
Arrows rained down, pelting the Krangdroids and dropping them. The lead Utrom squirmed out of his cockpit, scoffing.
"Why do you keep fighting?" he questioned. "General Krang reigns supreme. Your efforts are fruitless."
"The smallest chance of victory is still a reason to keep fighting," Tai shot back. "In the meantime, you might wanna talk to Krang about better dental coverage."
"What the hell are you-" the Utrom was cut off when Tai kicked him in the face like a soccer ball, the Utrom flying into the wall as bloody teeth spilled out of his mouth. Jade then knelt to the girl's level, smiling gently.
"Hey Chloe," she greeted. "Glad we finally found you."
"Tai! Jade!" Chloe cried happily.
Tai jammed his sword into the Utrom's face. "Did they hurt you?"
Chloe shook her head. "No, I'm fine."
"Good." Jade scooped her up. "C'mon, let's get you all off the street."
They all took off, joined by Mizuki as she holstered her bow. As they ran, Chloe looked up at Tai.
"Are the Turtles with you?" she asked.
"Not yet," Tai replied, "but they should be joining us soon."
"We were actually out looking for any sign of them when we saw you were in trouble," Jade added.
"Well we're grateful for the aid," Chloe's father declared. "Thank you."
-X-
They eventually made it to the Chinatown safe house. Tai quickly performed the secret pattern knock, and was answered by Oyuki. The minute she saw Chloe, she ushered everyone in.
"As crowded as it's getting here, I'm glad you keep finding people," she said.
She led them into the living room, where Airi was seated with a dirty blonde-haired boy around her age. Airi perked as soon as Chloe came in.
"Chloe!" She ran over, hugging the blonde girl tightly. "I've been so worried! I thought for sure they got you!"
"We're okay," Chloe assured. "They never got us, and your big brother saved us." She looked at the boy. "Who's he?"
Airi smiled. "Chloe, meet Zach. Hana and Jade saved him and his folks two weeks ago."
"Hi, Zach," Chloe waved. "It's nice to meet you."
"Same to you," Zach replied. "So... Airi mentioned you're a Ninja Turtles fan, too?"
Chloe grinned. "Oh, big time! They're heroes, and I just know they're gonna save us all."
"Speaking of which…" Oyuki turned to Tai, "any luck?"
"If you define luck as the absence of success, plenty," Tai replied.
"Haven't seen hide or tail of any of them," Jade added. "And there's been a distinct lack of earthquakes and explosions."
"I see…" Oyuki mused.
"You heard the Sewer Hour," Tai remarked. "They're coming. And knowing them, they'll make sure we know when they're home. We just need to be ready."
Just outside the city, the Party Wagon pulled up outside the wall. Both April and Hisako let out pained grunts, clutching their heads.
"Are you okay?" Kagome asked in concern.
"Interference…" Hisako managed.
"It's like someone's playing static in my head…" April added.
"Could it be the crystals?" Leo pondered.
"No," Hisako shook her head. "It's not like that. It's like I'm reading… nothing."
Both girls curled up, clutching their heads as the Party Wagon slowly pulled up. Outside, they could see a squadron of Earth Protection Force officers standing before the barricade.
"It's the EPF goons!" Vee whispered.
"Heads down, guys," Leo ordered. "Kagome, you handle this."
"Right." Kagome peeked between April and Casey as an EPF soldier walked up to the van. Casey rolled down the window for her, then moved out of her way. "Um… hello, sir. I'm the daughter of Kasumi Lee, head of New York's Kohaku Enterprises. My mother will pay you quite handsomely... if you let us in."
"Authorized personnel only," the soldier said sternly. "No one goes in or out of New York City."
He turned to go, and the group immediately saw a small device on the back of his neck, realizing what it was.
"One of Krang's mind control gadgets!" Donnie realized. "They probably all have one!"
"That explains the static," Hisako said.
"Then let's punch it!" Casey declared.
The soldiers all turned back, readying their weapons. Seeing this, Casey yanked Kagome out of the way, got back behind the wheel, and floored it. The Party Wagon went smashing through the barricade and into the city.
"Casey! Have you lost your mind?!" Raph shouted.
"I had no choice, Raph!" Casey replied. "They were powering up their blasters!"
The Party Wagon rolled through the city, which was utterly empty, only a few Krang zombie mutants roaming the streets.
"Where is everybody?" Vee asked. "You... you don't think Krang mutated the whole city, do you?"
"I don't know…" April replied. "I'm not sensing anyone."
Hisako had her eyes closed, focusing, before shaking her head. "There's only a few hundred people left in the whole city. Everyone else…they're gone. Millions of people just... gone."
"That doesn't mean they're dead… does it?" April asked.
"No," Hisako assured. "Krang wouldn't have mutated the city just to kill everyone off. They're somewhere. And we'll find them."
"For now, let's focus on finding Dad and Kasumi," Leo insisted.
Just then, blaster fire rang out, nearly hitting their tires. Midnight began to bark loudly as they all looked out, seeing Krangdroids approaching. The leader, Lieutenant Kleve, gaped at the sight of the two in the front seats before scowling.
"It's Jones and O'Neil!" he shouted. "Destroy them!"
"We got company!" Casey declared.
"Dr. Cluckingsworth!" Donnie ordered. "Get to your station!"
The chicken hopped out of her crate and over to a white cage attached to a pipe system. Mikey and Kagome got to work, shaking up several two-liter soda bottles before popping in breath mints and loading them into the pipes.
"Soda cannon prepped and ready, Doc!" Mikey declared.
"Let 'er rip!" Kagome shouted.
Dr. Cluckingsworth clucked loudly and a glowing green egg rolled through the tube and into what looked like a high powered potato gun. The egg shot out, along with several high-speed breath mints, pelting several Krangdroids and knocking them flat. As they recoiled, Raph and Vee picked up a large balloon filled with some kind of green fluid, loading it into a catapult-like device.
"Bombapult locked and loaded!" Raph declared. "Launch!"
Leo slammed his fist down on the fire button, launching the bomb. It plopped down heavily, exploding with a flatulent sound and unleashing green gas that had Kleve and the rest of his minions choking and gagging.
"Punch it!" Leo shouted.
"Consider it punched!" Casey slammed his foot on the gas and floored it.
-X-
Not too far away, Makoto and Erika were on patrol, searching for any sign of them when they heard the noise and saw the green gas. They immediately ran to the edge of the roof, seeing the Party Wagon go screaming down the streets.
"Erika, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Makoto asked.
"That there's only one group that can cause that much mayhem?" Erika grinned. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"
They immediately took off after the van.
-X-
The Party Wagon pulled into an abandoned alley, the group getting their bearings as they relaxed.
"I think we lost 'em," Casey noted.
At that moment, April perked, sensing two people approaching. "Hisako… you feel that?"
Hisako felt out herself, then gasped. "Casey, open the skylight."
"What? Why?" Even as Casey asked, he did as he was told. The second it opened, both Erika and Makoto plopped down into the van.
"How nice of you to drop in," April remarked.
Makoto perked, seeing the others. "It is you!"
Erika smiled, adjusting her glasses. "Boy, are we glad to see you guys."
"Glad to see some friendly faces," Leo replied.
"Or any faces," Donnie added. "The city's deserted."
"Not entirely," Makoto said. "We've been using the apartments as a safe house."
"Then that is where we need to go."
The two ninjas turned to see Dr. Cluckingsworth typing away at her Mr. Spell.
"Is... is that a chicken?" Erika asked.
Donnie nodded. "Meet Dr. Henrietta Cluckingsworth, MD."
Makoto raised an eyebrow.
"If you've been listening to the radio, long story short, Mikey didn't detail absolutely everything on the Sewer Hour," Kagome said.
"Obviously," Erika deadpanned.
Midnight barked, as if affronted by the lack of attention. Makoto looked at her, smiling. "I see you finally got Hisako a therapy dog."
"Meet Midnight," Hisako replied. "And she is the best."
"As nice as this is, we need to get moving," Leo cut in. "The longer we're out in the open, the bigger the risk."
"Right," Erika turned to the driver's seat. "Casey, there's an alley behind the Canal Street apartments. We can stash the car there."
"Perfect," Casey nodded. "Let's get moving."
Casey pulled into the alley and parked the car. As they piled out, Leo and Raph covered the Party Wagon with a tarp, and they hurried to the door. Makoto did the secret knock, immediately getting an answer from Seiko. She looked them over, her eyes widening at the sight of the Hamato septet, April, and Casey.
"Hey," Leo greeted. "We're home."
Seiko opened the door and quickly pulled all of them inside. "Oh, thank God… After what we found at the 2nd Time Around, I thought you were all done for."
"We came pretty close," Leo replied. "Me especially. But we're all okay."
Seiko looked Leo over, noticing small cracks in his shell that hadn't been there before, and the scar partially hidden by his knee pad. "I'm just glad you're all alive. Come. We've all been waiting for you."
She led them into the living room, where the clan was assembled. They perked at the Turtles' arrival, smiles slowly breaking out.
"They made it!" Airi cheered.
Miko trotted over to them, noticing Midnight. Hisako immediately set her down, allowing the two dogs to sniff at each other. They circled one another, then barked, and happily began to tussle.
"You have a dog now?" Jade asked.
"Eyup," Hisako nodded. "Meet Midnight."
Tai held out a fist, Leo bumping it. "Welcome back, man."
"Good to be back," Leo replied. "How much do you know?"
"Airi found the Sewer Hour about a month ago," Mizuki replied. "It's how we learned you were all alive." She sat down. "God, you have no idea how much of a weight that lifted from our hearts."
"The survivors reported an earthquake near the beginning of the invasion," Hana piped up. "Hisako?"
Hisako nodded, and Hana let out a sad sigh. "Then it's true. Master Splinter and Miss Kasumi didn't make it... did they?"
"No, they made it," Kagome assured.
"We thought Shredder had killed them, throwing them down into a drainage junction, but they survived," Raph added.
"Dad contacted us spiritually, saying that Kasumi's been watching over him," Leo included.
"Our first step is finding them," Vee concluded.
Seiko nodded before turning to Donnie. "Just so you know, Yukio, Asuka, and I salvaged what we could from your lab. Krangdroids and Footbots were all over the place, but from the looks of it, they haven't found the lair."
"That's a consolation at least," Donnie remarked.
Mikey perked up at that. "Dudes, they haven't found the lair! Kasumi and Dad would have gone looking for us after they got free of the septic tank!"
"It's worth looking into at least," Leo agreed.
"But… they weren't there when we salvaged Donnie's lab equipment," Asuka pointed out.
"The septic tank was huge, and they did have a big fight with Shredder before he flushed them down," Donnie said. "It would've taken them some time to get there.
"And right now, it's the only lead we've got," Kagome insisted.
"First things first." April turned to Tai and the others. "Please tell me you saved my sister."
As if in answer, Oyuki escorted Robyn into the room. "Through here."
Robyn stopped short at the sight of them. "A-April?"
"Robyn!" Immediately, the two sisters embraced.
"You got out…" Robyn wept. "You're okay…"
" You're okay!" April sobbed in relief. "This entire time, all I could think about was if you were okay!"
"Same here," Robyn remarked. "They… told me about Dad."
"We're gonna save him," April promised. "Him and everyone else. Mark my words."
After that reunion, the Hamato/Lee siblings, April, and Casey all made their way down to the lair, evading Krangdroids and Footbots all the way and almost as soon as they crossed the threshold, Leo's eyes widened.
"Hit the deck!" he shouted.
Everyone threw themselves to the ground as a hail of shuriken and kunai embedded themselves in the wall where their heads were a few seconds before. Kasumi rounded the corner, her sword in hand.
"So, you finally found me, huh? Well, I'm not going out without-!" She cut herself off as she realized who was there, and dropped her sword. "Kids…"
"Mom…" Kagome dropped her weapon and practically tackled her mother. "MOM!"
She buried her face in Kasumi's chest, openly sobbing in relief. Kasumi clung to her, opening sobbing as well.
"Oh, Kagome…" she managed. "My little baby…"
The others watched, smiling, before Kagome looked up. "Hey, the rest of you are family too. Get over here, will ya?"
The others rushed into the hug, all eager to hold their mother figure.
"I've been listening to Michelangelo's radio station non-stop since I found it," she told them. "Hearing the stories, hearing your voices... It brought me so much hope."
Eventually, they pulled away, wiping their eyes.
"Kasumi," Leo began, "Is Dad here with you?"
"Yes," Kasumi said with a sigh. "But… it's easier to show you than to tell you."
The group exchanged worried glances as she led them into the dojo, and everyone gaped at the sight of the feral, snarling Splinter chained to the wall.
"Dad?" Mikey said in shock.
Splinter snarled and lunged at them, the chains pulling taut at that.
"What... What's wrong with him?" Leo demanded. "Hisako?!"
Hisako looked on in horror. "There's... there's nothing there. It's just... feral instincts."
Kasumi sighed. "He's been like this since the fight with Saki three months ago. Maybe he hit his head. All I know is the minute we were washed out of the junction and woke up, he was feral and attacked me."
"Three months…" Donnie let out. "Has... has there been any signs that he recognizes you?"
Kasumi shook her head. "No. But... when we were listening to the radio... it calmed him."
"Damn…" Vee mused. "That's what Dad meant in the woods. When he said his spirit was detached from his body."
"So how do we put it back in him?" Casey asked.
"Hisako, could you…?" Mikey began.
"I mean… I- I don't know… this is..." Hisako gestured to Splinter helplessly. "This is way beyond anything I've ever done!"
"What if we work together on it?" April asked. "I mean, at the very least, it's not like we can make it any worse."
At that moment, Splinter stiffened, sensing something. In a burst of strength, he ripped free of the chains and charged out of the lair.
"Sensei! Dad!" Leo shouted. "Come back!"
Mikey gave April a dirty look. "You know this is your fault for saying that, right?"
"Chew her out later!" Kagome said urgently. "We can't lose him!"
They hurried after him, stopping a short distance from the lair to see Splinter clashing with multiple Footbots. Eventually, one of them managed to taser him, and he collapsed, the bots slinging him over their shoulders and walking away.
"NO!" Leo shouted.
Donnie yanked a small, turtle shell-shaped device out of his pocket and tossed it, the gadget attaching itself to the back of Splinter's neck.
"Fall back!" he ordered, the group reluctantly retreating.
Once they were a safe distance away, Donnie pulled a tracking device out, fiddling with it.
"Turtle Tracer's working like a charm," he noted.
At the Foot HQ, Tiger Claw and Tatsu confronted Shredder in his throne room.
"Master Shredder, your enemies are defeated," Tiger Claw remarked. "Do we wait for Krang to mutate the entire Earth? Destroy all of humanity?"
"Patience, Tiger Claw," Shredder replied. "When the time is right, we will destroy Krang, and the city will belong to the Foot Clan. Until then, keep searching for Karai."
Before the henchmen could leave, the Footbots dragged Splinter in, the rat mutant snarling and struggling against them.
"It cannot be," Shredder muttered. "Hamato Yoshi lives?"
He looked over Splinter's condition. "Well… in a manner of speaking."
Tiger Claw and Tatsu looked him over as well.
"He survived," Tatsu mused. "His will is stronger than we thought."
"But not intact," Shredder remarked. "His mind is gone. He has truly become a rat."
Tiger Claw put a hand on his blaster. "Shall we put him out of his misery, sir?"
"No," Shredder decided. "He is merely an animal, not the warrior I knew. Take him to Stockman."
Tiger Claw nodded as the Footbots carried him off. "What will you have the bug do? Experiment on him?"
"No," Shredder shook his head. "I want to restore him. I want him to recognize everything around him as his city burns and his children fall. Why kill him now, when he is not even aware of himself? There would be no point."
Tiger Claw smirked. "As you command, Master."
Meanwhile, the assembled Hamato/Lee family reached an access tunnel beneath Shredder's lair, guarded by two Footbots. Raph tossed a kunai into one before tabbing the other with his sais.
"Stupid mounds of metal," he said in disdain.
"We're getting closer," Donnie reported, checking the tracer.
"You sure he's gonna be okay?" Mikey asked.
"Saki will no doubt try to restore Yoshi's mind," Kasumi said. "Though I doubt he'll be as gentle as Hisako and April will be."
"Why would he wanna do that?" Mikey questioned.
"My guess?" A look of disgust crossed Kasumi's face. "So Yoshi will be fully aware of what's going on when Saki's blades pierce his heart."
"Yeah, sounds like Shredder, alright," Leo mused.
Raph gritted his teeth, pulsing with rage.
"I know what you're thinking, Raph," Leo turned to him. "Stop thinking it. Dad's the priority right now, not payback. We'll worry about getting Shredder after we get him out."
"Right..." Raph took a deep breath, calming himself. "Right. Now's not the time for blind rage."
As they were about to go down the pipe, a familiar shadow fell over them.
"Shredder?!" Leo gasped. "Here?!"
They whirled around to see… a diminutive version of Shredder, barely a foot tall, glaring at them. After a moment of stunned silence, everyone cracked up laughing.
"What's that supposed to be? Mini Shredder?" Kagome asked, wiping her eyes. "I'm gonna pee myself!"
"It's soooo scary!" Mikey added. "Who's a scawy wittle baby psychopath?"
"What even is that thing?!" Vee asked.
"Whatever it is, it smells like rotten shrimp!" Raph cackled.
At that, the Mini Shredder let out an enraged scream and jumped at him, grabbing onto his face.
"AHHHH!" Raph screamed, clutching at the creature. "Get it off me! GET IT OFF ME!"
Kagome ran to his aid, trying to pry the thing off of him.
"One Shredder's… more than enough, tiny!" she said, yanking the Mini Shredder off of Raph's face before tossing it down a nearby pipe.
"C'mon!" Leo said. "Let's bolt before that thing gets back!"
As they went, they discussed what was going on.
"What the hell was that?!" Raph demanded.
"Shredder's basically in love with himself," Vee said with a shrug. "Guess it was only a matter of time before he started making clones."
"Terrifying thought," Leo said with a shudder.
"Something felt… off about it," April mused, turning to Hisako. "You felt it too, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Hisako agreed. "Like there were dozens of voices speaking at once"
Casey scratched his head in confusion. "Maybe it has a split personality disorder?"
"No," Hisako shot down. "It's more like… a hive mind."
"Or hive of minds," April offered. "Is there a difference?"
Hisako just shrugged. "Maybe?"
-X-
The group emerged on an upper level of Stockman's lab, and saw Splinter in a cage as Stockman approached him with a wedge of cheese.
"You want this cheezze, don't you?" Stockman asked mockingly. "You want the nice swizz cheese, yeah? Hmm, come on. Take the cheezze. Come on."
As a drooling Splinter reached for it, Stockman promptly spewed fly acid all over the cheese and ate it right in front of him, laughing cruelly as he did. The Hamato Clan watched in disdain.
"I was never the type to pull the wings off flies," Casey muttered. "But in his case, I'm gonna make an exception."
"Agreed," said Raph. "I'm gonna squash that bug."
"Hisako, you and April focus on restoring Dad," Leo ordered. "The rest of us will deal with Stockman-Fly."
As soon as Stockman was in position, Raph jumped down on him from above, pinning him face-down on the ground as the others jumped down as well.
"The Turtlezzzz?!" Stockman exclaimed in shock. "Impossible! General Krang destroyed you!"
Raph placed a foot on his back, putting pressure on it as he put his hands on his sai. "You'll be as quiet as possible, Bug Boy, or I'm gonna clip your wings."
Donnie made a beeline for the cage, quickly picking the lock.
"Lock it behind us," Hisako told him. "We can't afford for him to run off again."
Donnie nodded, opening the cage and letting them in.
"Miserable reptiles…" Stockman buzzed, "you don't know when to quit, do you?"
Mikey put his hands on his tips, going on a "noble tough guy" routine. "As long as there's injustice in the world… as long as scum like you is walking, or flying, the streets... we'll be around. Look over your shoulder… we'll be there."
This got him blank stares from the others.
"Oh come on! I've been dying to make an epic speech like that."
"Yezzz, well," Stockman began, "look over your shoulder."
Leo did so, and narrowly managed to duck a punch from a massive, hulking, four-armed Shredder clone. Next to it was the Mini Shredder, along with a humanoid Shredder clone with long arms that ended in spiky crablike claws.
"The fuck?!" Raph let out.
"How do you like my Shredder Elite?" Stockman gloated.
"Great…" Leo groaned. "More of them."
Donnie quickly locked the cage. "We'll keep them busy! Do your thing!"
The girls nodded, turning their attention to Splinter. He huddled in the corner, as if sensing something unnatural about them.
"Dad…" Hisako said. "Dad, it's me. It's Hisako."
"We're not going to hurt you," April added, keeping her voice soft. "We're here to help."
Splinter hissed at them, and they recoiled before joining hands. Their eyes began to glow and they spoke in unison.
"You are not a rat. You are Hamato Yoshi. Now… Remember."
They focused their power on Splinter, his eyes rolling back in his head as he was surrounded in a halo of green and yellow light.
-X-
As this was going on, the others faced off against the Shredder Elite. Leo and Raph faced off against the Shiva Shredder.
"As if Shrimpy wasn't bad enough!" Raph exclaimed. "Now he's made this butt ugly thing!"
The Shiva Shredder slammed its four fists down, and Leo jumped up, slashing it across the chest. They all gaped when in addition to blood, what appeared to be earthworms oozed out from the wound.
"What the hell?!" Raph shouted.
Kasumi assisted Vee and Kagome against the Claw Shredder; she pierced its claws with her sword, and it also exuded worms.
"Oh, gross!" Kagome shouted.
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Vee moaned.
The others fought the Mini Shredder. Donnie swung his staff down on it.
"Hold still, you little pipsqueak!" he demanded.
"This one's probably all wormy like the other two," Casey figured before glaring at Stockman, who was hovering overhead watching the fight. "What the hell did you make these things with?!"
"If you muzzt know, they are a project Kitsune and myself undertook," Stockman replied. "They are the product of science and sorcery... the Paramecia Coloniex! Colony wormzzz that link together to form a zzzingular entity!"
"Well, at least that answers that hive of minds question," Vee noted.
"We designed them in the event of Master Shredder's demise, and included samples of his DNA, creating the Elite you see before you."
"And they're ugly as sin, why exactly?" Donnie asked.
"...They were beta tests," Stockman replied after a minute before eyeing the alarm button on a nearby wall. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"
He began to fly for the alarm, but Mikey grabbed him with his kusarigama chain.
"Gotcha!" he shouted.
Stockman grinned. "Who hazzz whom?"
He took off flying, dragging Mikey along for the ride.
"I didn't think this through!" Mikey shouted as he went along. Eventually, they crashed near the alarm button, and Mikey slammed Stockman down, knocking him out. He stood up, grinning.
"Like a turtle do," he said casually, leaning against the wall-
-only to end up pressing the alarm button by mistake. As the alarm went off and a red light flashed, everyone turned to glare at him.
"MIKEY!" they all shouted in annoyance.
"Oops," Mikey chuckled nervously. "My bad."
Kasumi glanced desperately at Splinter's cage. "We're running out of time."
-X-
In the cage, Splinter still had his eyes closed as Hisako and April continued their work.
"Dad, please! We need you!" Hisako begged. "Come back! COME BACK!"
Eventually, Splinter settled down and slowly stood tall, opening his eyes to reveal the dawn of reason had returned to them. He gave the two girls a smile before breaking out of the cage, charging at all three Shredder mutants and defeating them in record time. As they all laid out flat, the others cautiously crowded around him.
"...Daddy?" Vee said hopefully.
"Hello, Venus," Splinter greeted before turning to the others. "My children..." Tears welled up in his eyes as he held out his arms. "How I have missed you all."
They all charged forward, hugging him tearfully.
"Dad… welcome back," Leo let out.
"We missed you too," Mikey said.
"Shredder didn't take another father from me after all," Kagome cried, smiling. "I'm so happy you're okay... I really am, Splinter…"
"As am I," Splinter told her. "Though I suggest we leave this place while we can."
"So, the Turtles live," a haunting voice echoed through the lab. They all stiffened, looking up to see Shredder glowering down at them from an upper level. "And the rat thinks like a man again. Now you will know when my blade is at your throat!"
The group scowled up at him.
"You stupid bastard!" April yelled. "You sold out all of mankind, and for what?!"
"Revenge. And now, I will claim it."
"Not this day, Saki," Splinter spat.
Taking the cue, Mikey threw down a smoke bomb, covering their escape.
"Sorry, Shredhead, but we gotta run!" Mikey's voice echoed as Shredder fumed. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll get the chance to kick your ass again real soon!"
At the apartments, the clan shared a tearful reunion with the ninja masters. As they sat down, Kasumi walked up to Splinter, holding out his cane.
"I believe this belongs to you, Yoshi," she said.
"Thank you," Splinter took the cane back, getting a feel for it again. Seiko then brought him a clean robe, which he happily slid on. As he tightened his sash, he took a breath, truly feeling like himself again.
"By the way, Dad, we brought back a new member of the family." Mikey piped up.
Midnight walked over to Splinter, sniffing at the rat before barking happily, tail wagging.
"Looks like she likes you," Mikey smiled.
"Meet Midnight," said Leo. "We got her for Hisako up in Northampton."
Splinter gave the puppy a gentle pet, smiling. "Thank you for being there for my daughter when I could not. You will make a fine addition to our family."
Midnight rubbed against his leg, smiling.
"Now, our next step," Leo declared. "Sending a message. Letting everyone still in the city know we're back... and Krang is gonna get the boot."
Mikey smirked. "I have just the thing."
Much later, Krangdroids marching through the streets stopped, staring up at a bright light on the skyline. Survivors peeked from their hidey-holes, gasping in disbelief. Footbots stopped, and mutants froze.
"So… they're back," Tiger Claw mused from Shredder's hideout as they observed the sight.
Krang and Ch'rell looked on from the Technodrome in disbelief.
"Impossible…" Krang let out in shock.
Every creature in New York, mutant, human, robot, and Utrom alike, stared at the burning insignia of a turtle shell that had been set ablaze atop the Channel 6 building. A symbol to all that the Turtles, and the city's hope, had returned.
Author's Note:
The last scene of the flaming turtle emblem was inspired by the scene of the flaming bat emblem in The Dark Knight Rises.
Also, the Paramecia Coloniex come from the original Mirage comics. It's how they made the mutant Shredder clones there. Zach is from the 1987 show.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Zach: Maxey Whitehead (Alphonse Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Crona from Soul Eater, Lilith from Rosario + Vampire, young Dende in Dragon Ball Z Kai, Lullaby from Fairy Tail)
Please R&R. Until next time!