- Chapter 33 -
The Krang Conspiracy
A week following the underground incident found the Hamato/Lee siblings assembled in the lair, watching Super Robo Mecha Force Five while Leo was speaking to Tai over the phone.
"Hana's dad has to go back to Japan for a few weeks. Now that we're settled here and found you guys, he wants to wrap up a couple affairs. That, and I think he still wants to try and convince Oyuki to rejoin the clan."
"I hope he finds her," Leo said.
"Speaking of Japan, everyone here is craving a little taste of home," Tai remarked. "I don't suppose you know any good Japanese restaurants around here?"
Leo smiled. "Actually, I do. April introduced us to this place called Murakami's a while back."
"Is it any good?"
In answer, Leo turned to his family. "Who wants Murakami's for dinner?"
The entire living room erupted into cheers. Tai chuckled in response.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"We'll pick you up and lead you there."
"Alright. See you in a bit."
Leo hung up, pocketing his phone.
"Think we'll be able to drag Donnie out of the lab long enough for a bite?" Vee asked.
"Maybe…" Mikey mused. "He's been kinda cooped up in there."
"I got him," Hisako said. "It's my turn anyhow."
She was about to stand up when an explosion rocked the lair, the lights flickering on-and-off as the shelves rattled. Leo reached out, catching a falling vase and setting it back up as smoke wafted out of Donnie's lab. Hisako held her shirt over her nose and mouth before opening the lab, unleashing a massive plume of smoke.
"Don?" she coughed.
Coughing and clanging reached their ears, the smoke clearing to allow them to see Donnie stuck headfirst in a trash can, kicking his legs and rambling incoherently.
"Hey, you still alive in here?"
The can shook back and forth before tipping over, spilling Donnie out, his face blackened with ash.
"Yeah… somehow," he coughed.
"Do I even want to know?" Hisako asked, raising an eyebrow.
Donnie rubbed the back of his head. "It was a… precarious experiment."
"And the trash can?"
"It just happened to be behind me when I got blown across the room."
"Gotcha. Anyway, we're going to Murakami's for dinner," Hisako focused, her mist swirling at her feet as her voice took on a compelling tone. " You want to come with us, right?"
"N-No…" Donnie tried to resist. "I have to crack the retro-mutagen. I know things haven't been going well, but-"
"Not going well?" They turned to see Leo at the door. "Don, this is the fourth time this week it's literally blown up in your face!"
"Donnie, you're going to come with us to eat," Hisako insisted.
"Yes," Leo agreed. "Maybe a break will help you out."
"W-Well…" Donnie was cut off when Hisako waved a glowing green hand in front of his face, his eyes glazing over.
"Donatello…" Her mist began to climb up Donnie's legs and coalesce around him. "You are going to take a break and eat dinner with us."
"I'm going to take a break and eat dinner with you," Donnie repeated in a dazed tone.
"Okay, wow…" Mikey said. "First a Kamehameha, now the Jedi mind trick?"
Hisako smiled. "I'll give it to Makoto. He's got some interesting ideas."
"Just don't make it a habit, okay?" Leo requested.
"Oh, absolutely," Hisako reassured. "Trust me, that was... strenuous to say the least. I think the only reason I pulled it off was that Donnie did want to actually do what I was suggesting."
Later, they met up with Tai's group and headed for Murakami's. Donnie was muttering to himself slightly.
"You actually tried my mind trick idea?" Makoto asked.
Hisako shrugged. "It was the only way to get him out of the lab, but it took a lot out of me. Strong mind and all that."
"Tracks," Mikey agreed. "Donnie's got a bigger brain than all of us."
"Of course," Donnie crossed his mind. "Plus, anyone who's seen Star Wars knows the mind trick only works on the weak-minded. Which I'm not."
Jade raised an eyebrow. "Bit arrogant, are we?"
"Hey, you're talking to a turtle who can make a supercomputer out of a lunch box and some paper clips."
"It even had that old pinball game on it," Mikey chimed in.
"Is that true?" Erika asked.
Kagome nodded. "It was the first laptop he ever owned, until Mom got him a Google Chromebook for his eleventh Mutation Day."
"Mutation Day?" Jade asked.
"It's the equivalent of a birthday," Leo explained. "Basically, the day we mutated is the day we were born."
"Mine's Discovery Day," Hisako added.
Eventually, they found themselves in front of Murakami's place.
"Here we are," Vee declared. "Best Japanese restaurant in Manhattan."
Tai sniffed the air, Miko doing the same.
"It smells delicious," he remarked.
"You should check out the pizza gyoza!" Mikey insisted. "Murakami-san made it just for us after we saved his butt from the Purple Dragons."
Erika raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Pizza... Gyoza?"
"That sounds awful," Hana remarked.
"Awfully awesome, you mean," Mikey insisted.
Kagome shrugged. "Don't knock it till you try it."
They opened the door, seeing Murakami behind the counter.
"Good evening, Murakami-san," she greeted the man.
The man perked up, smiling. "Ah, Kagome-chan, welcome. And you brought more guests than usual
"Old friends of the family, fresh off the plane from Japan," Kagome answered.
"Ah! Well welcome. Let me make you some of my signature ramen."
"Chicken flavor for me, please," Tai requested.
"And I assume pizza gyoza for the turtles and Hisako-chan?"
"You got it," Leo confirmed, leaning against the counter.
Jade perked at the mention of the Turtles. "He knows? I thought he was, y'know…" she pointed to her eyes.
"Yeah, he's blind, but his other senses work just fine," Raph responded. "The smell of sewer and turtle stink is pretty damn distinctive."
"Especially when someone refuses to shower," Vee chimed in.
"Hey! I shower!"
"Yeah, once a month."
Murakami chuckled. "Just take your seats, and I'll have your meals shortly."
The group all took their seats, with Hisako noticing a familiar face at the end of the counter.
"Hey, April!" she greeted, getting her attention. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Oh!" April smiled. "Hey, guys." She saw Tai and the others. "And these must be the new ninjas Kagome's been talking about at school."
Tai blinked. "Wait, you know the Turtles?"
"Oh yeah," Donnie nodded. "We have human friends outside of Kagome and Hisako."
"I'm April O'Neil," April greeted. "These guys saved me from Krang when he tried to kidnap me awhile back."
"O'Neil…" Mizuki perked. "Are you related to Robyn O'Neil on Channel 6?"
April nodded. "She's my sister."
"April, this is some… extended family of ours," Leo explained. "The greater Hamato Clan."
"Yeah, Kagome gave me the cliffs' notes," April replied. "It's part of why you've been so busy the past week."
"Basically."
"Well, then I should probably get one thing out of the way," April held out her hand. Shakily, a tiny trail of yellow mist slipped from her fingers.
"You're psychic like Hisako?" Makoto grinned. "Cool!"
"Just not as adept with it yet."
"You're getting there," Hisako assured. "Especially for only having your powers for a couple months."
"You know what they say," Donnie said. "Practice makes perfect."
Murakami passed out their food, Mikey's eyes lighting up at the pizza gyoza. "Enjoy."
As they picked up their chopsticks, Jade looked over the Turtles' and Hisako's plates, realization dawning.
"Oh, I get it," she remarked. "It's just a calzone done up like a gyoza. That... actually sounds pretty good."
"Pizza toppings as a filling, fried up in gyoza dough," Leo clarified. "They're delicious."
"We'll have to try it out next time we're here, then," Tai decided.
They all eat eagerly, just enjoying their food. Hisako was about to take a bite, but stopped halfway. Her eyes narrowed and she lowered her food, looking out the window.
"Hey, if you're not eating, I'll take what's left," Mikey said obliviously.
He reached to nab it, but Raph slapped his hand away.
"Idiot," he scoffed. "Look at her."
Mikey rubbed his hand, noticing how she seemed to be staring at a hotel across the street. April slowly perked, beginning to sense what got Hisako's attention.
"I feel it too," she reported. "We're being watched."
"Think it's the Foot?" Raph asked.
"No," Hisako shook her head. "There's no underlying malice."
"Then who?" Donnie asked.
"Only one way to find out," Leo decided.
"Back exit, near the bathroom," Tai said. "Better make it a tiny group."
"Right," Leo nodded. "Hisako, you're with me."
Hisako nodded, the two discretely making their way towards the back exit.
-X-
They slipped into the window of the hotel where Hisako had sensed the presence. While they found it empty, they stopped short to see it was decorated with numerous photographs, several of them containing images of Krangdroids, various mutants, and the Turtles themselves. An entire wall of the room was covered in paper, scribbles, and miles of string.
"What is all this?" Leo asked, looking it over.
"I don't know…" Hisako said. "But these are… some of these are old. Wait…"
She saw a newspaper clipping about a fire at TCRI. Leo found another thing that took him by surprise. On top of photos of Leatherhead carrying an emaciated Hisako, there were also pictures of Splinter and Kasumi both fighting Krangdroids and fleeing from them, the basket containing the little Turtle-Tots and Kagome in their hands.
"Whoever this guy is, he knows all about us... and has been there since the beginning."
"But never came forward…" Hisako pondered. "But… why?"
At that moment, Hisako heard a floorboard creak. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure peeking into the room from around the corner. She looked at Leo, subtly jerking her head in that direction, and he nodded.
"Well, guess whoever was here isn't anymore," Leo declared loudly. "Let's get outta here."
The figure leaned further in, just in time for Leo to grab him by the collar and yank him into the open, revealing him to be a late middle-aged man with gray hair, dressed in a fedora and brown suit.
"Don't hurt me!" the man pleaded. "I know this looks bad, but I'm a friend!"
"Stalker is more like it," Leo retorted.
"One who's been following us for years," Hisako added. "Lack of malicious intent or not, this is super sketchy and sus."
"Start talking," Leo ordered. "Who are you?"
"My name is Jack Kurtzman. I'm a journalist." He pulled out a business card, which Hisako took.
"'Jack J. Kurtzman- Investigator," she read aloud. "'Occult, extraterrestrial, supernatural writer'?"
"That last one's more of a hobby actually," Kurtzman clarified. "I've been studying everything strange and unusual going on in the city, and your family... you're just the tip of the iceberg. I can explain everything, but I suggest you retrieve your extended family and April O'Neil first. They need to know this too."
Leo turned to Hisako. "Seems like the only way we're getting any answers."
"Right," Hisako nodded. "Let's take him down to Murakami's. Everyone's gathered already, and he always keeps the doors closed when we show up."
"If that's what it takes for you to feel secure, very well." Kurtzman grabbed a scrapbook before they headed out.
-X-
At Murakami's, the teens gathered around as Kurtzman began his explanation.
"I was on the trail of strange goings on in this city... and I stumbled across Krang and his men. I've been keeping track of him and his operations for years."
Donnie was flipping through the scrapbook. "Look at all of this…"
In addition to images of Krangdroids in feudal Japan, they gaped at the sight of Utroms in Egyptian hieroglyphics, as well as with medieval knights and the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.
"Holy Chalupa…" Mikey let out. "I thought he was just here since the days of feudal Japan."
"On the contrary, Krang has been visiting Earth on and off for millennia, trying to terraform it," Kurtzman clarified. "And he's left irreparable changes to our environment, and our planet."
"Thousands of years…" Makoto mused. "He may be a capital-A asshole, but you gotta admire his tenacity."
Hisako glared at him. "Makoto... please do not praise the guy who tortured me my entire life."
Makoto blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right, sorry."
"Krang and his men are responsible for much of the world we know today," Kurtzman went on. "In fact, I have reason to believe he created mankind."
They blinked at that.
"Wait…" Raph held up a finger. "Created mankind?"
"How do you think we evolved from fish? Or how the first ape learned to make a tool? Considering what mutagen has done to the six of you, is it really that absurd?"
"So... what?" Jade asked. "We exist as we are today because Krang pumped cavemen with the ooze?"
"No," Kurtzman shook his head. "We exist as we are today because Krang pumped apes with the ooze. From there, we evolved from the resulting cavemen."
Mizuki shook her head. "There's no way that-"
"I believe it," Hisako cut in. "Ch'rell would always flaunt how mankind only existed because of them, and how we owed them our existence. I always thought it was some twisted logic to justify his actions."
"But... why go to all this trouble?" Erika asked. "Spend all this time screwing with Earth, with our species?"
"The mutagen as it is doesn't work the way they want it to," Kurtzman explained. "They can't perfect it without a specific chain of human DNA. And that... is where April O'Neil comes in."
He turned the page of his scrapbook, and jaws dropped at the sight of what was on the final page: a picture of a younger Kirby O'Neil and a blonde woman resembling Robyn and April, an eight-year-old Robyn smiling and a baby that was clearly April in the woman's arms.
"That... that's my..." April covered her mouth. "My mom…"
"What... what is this?" Donnie demanded.
"Have none of you wondered why Miss O'Neil has psychic abilities? Or why Hisako here has similar powers?"
"You…" April blinked. "What are you saying?"
"Yeah, what are you saying?" Hisako added.
Kurtzman sighed. "There's no easy way to say this. Krang has spent millennia capturing people, shaping humankind's genetic code, until finally, they captured and experimented on your mother before you were born. In effect, Miss O'Neil, you are a half-human, half-Utrom mutant."
April was horrified, looking sick. "I… they…"
The mood was shared by the rest of the group, all of them staring at April as if finally seeing her. After a tense moment, Mikey finally broke the silence.
"Aw, yeah!" he cheered tactlessly. "Welcome to the family!"
Raph scowled, raising a hand to slap him, but Jade beat him to the punch, whacking him on the head with her staff.
"Idiot…" she spat.
Mikey rubbed the back of his head. "What? I was just trying to make her feel better. I mean, she's one of us."
"It's called 'tact', you donkey's ass!" Jade snapped.
"Nice idea, poor execution," Leo sighed.
"So she's part Krang and has my powers," Hisako mused.
"Not exactly," said Kurtzman. "You may not know this, but you're a year younger than Miss O'Neil. In fact, if my timeline is correct, you were born roughly three months after your turtle family mutated."
"So she really is the youngest of all of us…" Vee mused.
"Looks like you were right, Donnie," Hisako mused before pausing. "Wait… if I'm younger than April, how does she have my powers?"
"Like you, the mutagen altered her body and mind in utero. However, they're hardly patient creatures with their final goal so close to fruition. So, it is my theory that when they saw you, a natural born mutant with the exact abilities they sought... they augmented you."
Hisako perked, recalling various injections of some red substance they had given her over her ten-year period as Project Oracle. She unconsciously rubbed the side of her neck, where a small puncture scar sat.
"Augmentation…" she muttered, turning to April. "They spliced me… with your DNA."
"My God…" April let out.
"I apologize for dropping all of this on you out of nowhere," said Kurtzman. "But you all had the right to know why Krang has been pursuing April all this time, and why Hisako was taken all those years ago."
"But... I failed," Hisako pointed out.
"Because the mixture was wrong. You had the powers, but not the correct DNA code they needed."
"But... we stopped Krang from getting April," Kagome recalled. "The Technodrome's at the bottom of the bay around Liberty Island. He lost."
"Krang has outlived entire civilizations, Miss Lee," Kurtzman pointed out. "Do you truly believe this is the first setback he's suffered? He's going to keep trying."
"And the fun just keeps on leaving," Makoto deadpanned.
"Aw man…" Mikey moaned. "What do we do?"
Before anyone could say anything more, the door was kicked in and Krangdroids spilled in.
"They found me!" Kurtzman gasped. "I don't know how, but they found me!"
"Well, look at this," one Krangdroid remarked, smirking. "Kurtzman, the Turtles, and April O'Neil, all in one place."
"This is our lucky day," another remarked. "Vaporize them! But take O'Neil alive!"
"Take them out!" Leo shouted.
With that, the ninjas all pounced on the Krangdroids. Raph slammed one of them into the wall before piercing its head with his sais.
Tai punched an Utrom directly in the face before twisting the Krangdroid around.
"Leo, heads up!" he shouted before tossing it at Leo, who chopped it into pieces before it even hit the ground.
Another Krangdroid swung its fist at Hisako, who ducked before grabbing onto its arm. With a yell, she ripped the exo-arm clean out of its socket. Wielding it like a baseball bat, she started beating the Krangdroid senseless with its own arm.
"So. Much. Fun. To. PUMMEL!" she shouted with each blow.
"I hear you on that, sister!" Raph replied.
"You guys aren't entirely sane, are you?" Hana questioned as she hacked away at more droids with her sword.
"Some more than others, I'll admit," Donnie replied as he twirled his staff. "I've done some tests. They're… inconclusive."
"Let go of me, you damned rust bucket!" April shouted suddenly.
They turned, and froze to see April being manhandled by multiple Krangdroids, who were ushering her out the door.
"APRIL!" Donnie screamed. He made an effort to go after them, but was soon pinned by more Krangdroids. Mikey rushed in, swatting the droids off of Donnie.
"Go save your girlfriend!" he ordered. "We got this!"
Donnie stood up and hurried out, exiting just in time to see a van drive away.
"No…" he whispered, collapsing to his knees. The others soon came out, running up to him. "They got away…"
"Damn it…" Leo cursed.
"C'mon!" Jade insisted. "We've gotta go after them! Hisako, where's the nearest Krang facility?"
Hisako thought for a moment, then went pale. "My facility…"
Leo blinked. "Your facility?"
"Where I used to be held before I was transferred to the high-security facility where I met Leatherhead." Hisako took a deep breath. "It's where all of their... human experiments were kept."
Her siblings winced at that.
"And… that is?" Makoto asked.
"According to my research, it would be Mirage Industries," Kurtzman cut in.
They turned to him at that.
"The big megacorp across town?" Kagome asked. "It's one of Krang's hideouts?"
"Well... that would explain why every time she saw their logo, she'd flip out (1)," Vee mused.
"You would too in my position," Hisako deadpanned.
"I'm afraid to ask…" Hana said.
"Long story short, about a year before we met April, I came into the lair wearing a shirt with the Mirage Industries logo," Kagome recalled. "I… ended up going home wearing nothing but a spare trench coat."
Jade blinked. "She blew up your clothes?"
"More like she vaporized them and blew out half of our light bulbs," Mikey clarified.
Kagome blushed, rubbing her cheeks. "I'd never been so embarrassed in my life... but it did teach me not to wear Mirage merchandise around her anymore."
"Krang has merch…" Tai let out.
"Odds are it's just a cover, something to help them blend in," Leo replied before turning to Hisako. "Sis, look. We know where Mirage Industries is. You don't have to come with us."
"I'm going…" Hisako insisted. "I have to, for everyone's sake."
"Before you go, I have something for you." Kurtzman reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, white card. "I swiped this key card off one of the Utroms. It should give you access to the building."
"Thanks," Leo replied, taking it.
Mikey looked over his shoulder at the ID on the card.
"Norman Krangenhoffer?" he read aloud. "Guess Hugh Mann was already taken."
"C'mon," Leo insisted. "We're wasting time."
It wasn't long before the group found themselves before Mirage Industries. They stared up at the building, already working on a plan.
"Okay, here's the plan," Leo said. "While we're here, we scrub their computers of any data on April and Hisako. That should set back Krang's plans."
"Hisako said she wasn't the only test subject," Kagome recalled. "If any people are still alive, we should get them out too."
Hana sighed. "And if they're too far gone, then... grant them peace."
Tai blinked. "What are you saying, Hana?"
Hana turned to him. "You've seen Old Yeller, Tai. You know exactly what I'm saying."
At the mention of that movie, Miko immediately whimpered, his ears drooping.
"I'll do it," Hisako decided.
"We can't do that…" Leo insisted. "We don't destroy victims! We save them!"
"You think I like entertaining that idea, Leo?" Hana snapped. "But after hearing Hisako's story, what she went through…"
She just sighed, shaking her head. Jade placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Trust me, Leo," Hisako said. "I've been there. If they're still alive and can be saved, we'll do it. But with some of the others... it'll be better to just stop the pain."
They all grimaced at that, but they knew there was no arguing. The Turtles knew a bit of what had gone on, and what they did know was horrible. So, without another word, they used their grappling hooks to climb the building. Once they reached a window, Donnie used a glass cutter he made so he could cut a hole and open up the latch of the window, allowing them to climb inside. Hisako let out a shuddering breath.
"All the pain…" she managed.
They looked around, finding they were in a wide room of cubicles. Mikey slowly rounded the corner to find himself face-to-face with a human-suited Krangdroid, and let out a yelp. Raph pulled him back, a sai at the ready, but after a few minutes, they realized the bot was completely silent and still, not even acknowledging their presence. Donnie looked in at the other cubicles, finding several others that were the same, with long power cables attached to the backs of their necks.
"It's okay. It's all right," he assured. "I think these androids are just...charging."
Mikey was already poking and prodding the prone Krangdroid, seemingly oblivious to the sleeping Utrom in its chest cavity. He laughed.
"Dudes, their faces are all rubbery and stuff. Check it out!" He started moving its lips with his hands, speaking in a deep, goofy voice. "Blah, blah, blah. Hi, I'm Norman Krangenhoffer. I'm a smelly jerkwad who likes to wear ladies underwear!"
"Very funny, Mikey," Leo said flatly.
Mikey started ruffling the Krangdroid's lips with one finger, making a "bbbbbbbb" sound.
"Mikey, if you don't cut it out, I will punt you out a window," Hisako hissed.
"Oh come on, I'm just having-" Mikey was cut off when Raph yanked him back, passing him to Donnie and Vee.
"We need to move before they wake up," Leo said. "So be quiet, stay close, and whatever you guys do, do NOT let Mikey touch anything."
"Oh come on," Mikey insisted. "I know when to be serious."
"I find that very hard to believe," Jade deadpanned.
"Oh just you wait. I'm so serious, even the jokes I tell are serious."
"Shut up and move," Raph snapped.
"Right. Moving. Seriously."
Raph just whapped him as they moved on. At that moment, the Krangdroid Mikey was fooling around with began to power up slowly.
"Wasn't me!" Mikey exclaimed.
Tai looked, seeing the others were slowly beginning to rise themselves. "They're done charging. Let's move, people!"
They hurried for the nearest elevator, coming within a hair's breadth of being discovered as they went and the Krangdroids arose one by one.
"Yoom, does this human suit make me look fat?" one of them asked.
The Utrom in question, Yoom, just blinked. "Seriously, Churk?"
"I'm just asking."
Yoom sighed. "See, this is why we're just General Krang's goons. We have stupid discussions like this."
"Come on, this facility is important."
Before they could hear any more, the door to the elevator slid open. They hurried in, closing the door as Leo slid the keycard Kurtzman gave him through a slot.
"Level 40 access granted," came a computerized voice.
"Hisako?" Leo asked.
"Full access," Hisako replied. "We're in luck."
"Y'know, we gotta talk to Krang about setting up some tunes in here," Mikey said.
On cue, a bizarre muzak tone began playing through the speakers (2).
"You were saying?" Kagome deadpanned.
"N'sho-v…" Hisako snapped her fingers and the speaker sparked, the elevator shutting off.
"Gesundheit," said Mikey.
Hisako shook her head. "No, N'sho-v. It's a music style from Dimension X. Basically, a mix of EDM and bluegrass. Basically, its own form of torture."
"Yeah, I'll leave it in space where it belongs," Jade decided. "I'll take J-pop any day."
"Classical for me," said Hana.
"You like classical music?" Vee asked.
Mizuki nodded. "She does her morning katas to Gilbert & Sullivan."
"Hard rock," Hisako said. "Or Chinese guqin."
"I'm a turtle of many tastes," said Mikey. "You should check out our hip hop Christmas album. But my personal favorites are rap, surf music, and Jimmy Buffett."
"What exactly is the point of this?" Leo asked.
"Does it always have to be doom, gloom, and serious with us, Leo?" Tai questioned. "We could afford to get to know each other better."
"Alright then," Leo decided. "I like traditional Japanese and New Age music."
Makoto blinked. "You like that New Age crap?"
"It's good for meditation," Leo said defensively.
"For me, it's a tie between rap, metal, punk, and grunge," Raph said.
"I like classical and classic rock music," Donnie said. "Ever hear of the Roches? They're great at nerd-folk music."
"Lindsey Stirling," Vee remarked. "She does electro and dubstep. Plays a mean violin."
"I'm into jazz and pop myself (3)," Kagome noted.
Before they went on, the elevator dinged.
"Looks like we'll have to table this for now," said Tai.
They stepped out and Hisako staggered. She clutched her head, stumbling back. Leo and Donnie quickly caught her. They looked up, the blood draining from their faces at the sight before them. Several tanks with people floating around sat, as well as people strapped to tables in varying degrees of consciousness. Makoto wavered at the sight, a hand going to his head.
"Anyone else feel a little woozy all of a sudden?" he asked.
"This... this is where Hisako grew up?" Jade demanded. " Kami …"
"Where do we even begin…" Leo let out.
"Just..." Hisako began, "Just focus on April. She's not here… I'll… I'll deal with this."
"You sure you can handle-" Mikey was cut off by a simple look from Hisako. "Yeah, okay. We're on it."
"Someone should stay with her…" Erika insisted.
"...Miko," Tai piped up, getting the dog's attention. "Keep an eye on her. Please."
Miko nodded, trotting over to Hisako's side. Hisako put a hand on the dog's head, shakily getting to her feet.
"Go, please," she insisted. "Nobody needs to see this."
Leo nodded, the others filing out. Hisako went over to the first person, a woman who looked up at her weakly.
"I'm sorry we didn't get here in time," she whispered before placing two fingers to her forehead. "Rest now."
There was a pulse, and the woman stopped breathing. She slumped back, a relieved, peaceful expression frozen on her face. Hisako sighed before turning to the others…
-X-
Meanwhile, the rest of the team entered another room, stopping short to see numerous Krangdroids standing before a hologram of Krang himself.
"What's goin' on, Donnie?" Raph asked.
"It's a Krang sweet sixteen birthday party," Donnie said in a sarcastic, falsetto voice before giving him a look. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"
"Shh!" Tai hissed. "Listen."
"Progress report, men," Krang ordered.
"We succeeded in acquiring the O'Neil girl," one Krangdroid said. "Once we extract what we need from her, the next phase of our plan can finally begin."
"Excellent," Krang grinned. "And the Technodrome's repairs are proceeding as scheduled. Soon, we will transform the Earth and all of its hideous people. "
"Just like Zephyr warned us…" Vee muttered.
Another Utrom, this one with a bizarre, fleshy mohawk, spoke up.
"General Krang, what of the Turtles and Project Oracle? If the invasion is to succeed, they will need to be dealt with."
"What about them, Kleve?"
"Well, sir... with all due respect, they have proven themselves a threat."
Krang scoffed. "They're a handful of mutants and a reject. We outnumber them, and when the time comes, they will be helpless to stop us."
"But General-"
"They've only lasted this long because they got lucky. It's only a matter of time before their luck runs out and we squash them like the annoying little flies they are."
"Wow, he is seriously full of himself," Tai scoffed.
"Sadly, he has the power to back up his claims," Leo pointed out.
Another Utrom approached Kleve.
"Lieutenant, the General isn't wrong," he said. "What harm can a bunch of adolescent misfits possibly do to us in the long run?"
"Those 'adolescent misfits' are the entire reason the first invasion failed two months ago, and why the Technodrome is currently gathering algae at the bottom of the ocean, Montuoro. Taking them lightly is a mistake we can ill afford to make."
Montuoro scoffed. "They are nothing more than a team of amphibious freaks that have only survived this long due to Project Oracle's involvement. Once she is disposed of, the others will fare no better."
The Turtles and Kagome were visibly enraged at that.
"Exactly," Krang agreed. "Now get back to work. I don't want any more delays."
His hologram dissipated at that.
"Seriously?" Raph muttered. "All those plans of his we've ruined, and Krang just sees us as a minor nuisance? Fuckin' insulting…"
"Also while amphibious, we're not amphibians," Donnie chimed in. "We're reptiles. You'd think a species of brains would know that."
"Really?" Leo deadpanned. "That's what irks you?"
Donnie shrugged. "A lot of this irks me, but scientific inaccuracy is particularly grating."
"Let's just focus on finding April and getting out of here alive for now, shall we?" Kagome suggested.
"Right," Leo nodded. "Let's move."
-X-
Meanwhile, Hisako had laid almost everyone in the room to rest, closing their eyes while Miko comforted her. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails practically cutting into the palms.
"I promise all of you, Krang will answer for this," she swore. "For all of your lives."
She steeled herself before straightening. "Miko, is there anyone left?"
Miko lowered his nose to the ground, sniffing. He made his way around the room, stopping before a sealed door. He barked once, getting Hisako's attention.
"Right, the private labs." She sighed, seeing a keycard slot beside the door. "Right... Leo took the card." She began gathering her mist. "This is gonna be loud…" She ripped the doors open, looking left and right.
"Keep watch for me, Miko," she ordered. "And if anyone gives you trouble, go for the shorter tentacle. (4)"
Miko nodded, standing at attention as Hisako entered the room. Before long, she was greeted with a familiar sight. Strapped to a chair, being continuously pumped with mutagen, was a muscular African-American man in his late twenties or early thirties.
"No way…" she managed. "You're still hanging on."
She went over to the pump, using her tessen to cut the pipes. The man groaned, looking up blearily at Hisako.
"Who… who are you?" he let out.
"A friend," Hisako found the button to release the straps. "Can you walk?"
"Yeah… I think so."
Before Hisako could press the button, the sound of tearing metal reached her ears. She spun around, seeing the man had ended up breaking free of his own, seemingly without even meaning to.
"Holy Chalupa…" she gasped.
The man looked at his arms, in shock at what he just did. "Holy shit... is this why he kept pumping me with the ooze?"
"Looks like," Hisako said. "Do you remember your name?"
"It's… Gray. Sebastian Gray."
"I'm Hisako. Now, how about we get out of here. I want to be able to say I saved at least one person from this hellhole today."
Sebastian stood up slowly. "Thanks, kid."
"Lean on me if you need to."
Sebastian stumbled a bit, before wrapping an arm around Hisako's shoulder for support. The two exited the lab slowly.
-X-
After sneaking out of the Krangdroid-infested meeting room, the group looked around for a bit, and jumped when April herself emerged from a nearby room.
"Guys!" she exclaimed. "Thank God I found you."
"April!" Donnie exclaimed. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
"I'm fine. But we gotta go, now. This way!"
They followed her down the hall, into another room, which turned out to be a dead end.
"A dead end?" Raph questioned. "What the-?"
"April, why did you lead us here?" Donnie asked.
April smirked evilly. "I was just following Lieutenant Kleve's orders."
Before they could do more than register what she said, the door slammed shut, and poison gas began flooding in as April laughed maniacally.
"What is this?!" Leo exclaimed.
"You're not April!" Vee realized. "You're a fake!"
The fake April just laughed, and they all began coughing as the gas began to take effect.
"We…" Tai wheezed, "we gotta get outta here!"
"There is no escape," the fake said smugly. "You will all die here."
-X-
Outside, Hisako caught a brief glimmer of her siblings' distress.
"Uh-oh…" she gasped. "My family… Sebastian, I need your help!"
Sebastian nodded. "You saved me. It's the least I can do."
She found the door, then pointed at it. "Tear it down."
Sebastian grabbed the door in both hands, pulling with all his might. There was a loud sound as the door was ripped off its hinges. Gas spilled out of the room.
"Don't breathe it in!" Hisako screamed.
Sebastian pulled back at that. The others quickly hurried out of the room, coughing and gasping, while the fake April scowled, whirling on her.
"Project Oracle! How dare you interfere in-"
Hisako just kicked her in the chest. It stumbled, off-balance, and slammed face-first into a control panel near the door, where it was promptly electrocuted. After a few seconds, it exploded into black sludge. The others looked on in shock.
"A genetic clone…" Donnie realized.
"But she looked so real…" Makoto mused.
"Like tofu bacon!" Mikey exclaimed.
Raph scoffed. "Tofu bacon does not look real, Mikey."
"It tastes real, though."
"Are you guys okay?" Hisako asked.
"We're fine…" Leo noticed Sebastian. "Who's your friend?"
"Sebastian Gray, the only survivor."
"Damn…" Jade let out.
Miko went over to Tai, who was still hacking slightly, nudging him with a paw.
"I'm okay, boy." Tai hacked, clearing his throat. "And that... is why I don't smoke."
Miko licked his face, whining slightly.
"We need to find the real April," Leo insisted. "And fast."
"But how will we know she's not another fake?" Erika questioned.
"That's where I come in," Hisako replied. "Trust me, I'll be able to tell."
They hurried down the hall, eventually coming to another door locked with a keycard slot.
"On it." Leo stepped forward, sliding the card through the slot. A beep sounded, and the door opened. They entered, stopping short at the sight of numerous April clones floating in stasis tubes.
"Oh jeez..." Hisako let out.
"So many…" Donnie looked them over. "Perfect genetic duplicates... Krang must've been growing them to harvest her DNA."
"Weird," Mikey remarked.
"That's putting it mildly," Vee deadpanned.
"My guess is so they don't need to keep the original…" Hisako realized. "And have what they need under control."
Kagome saw the device in the center of the room. "That must be the computer."
Mizuki looked around. "Okay, we've got a ton of April clones here. But where's the real April?"
-X-
In a room adjacent to the clone chamber, April, strapped to a table, was surrounded by multiple Krangdroids and facing a massive, needle-like device aimed directly at her face.
"The clones' DNA is lacking," one Krangdroid remarked. "We need more from the real deal."
"Uh, can't I just give you some of my hair?" April suggested nervously. "That has DNA, right?"
"That's true," another Krangdroid said, before looking at the needle with a sadistic smirk. "But it's much more fun to do it this way."
April went wide-eyed…
-X-
As this was going on, Donnie hurried over to the computer and began hacking into it. Hisako perked.
"I got her!"
Before anyone could act on it, however, alarms began to sound. On the upper level, Kleve and Montuoro came out, Kleve scowling.
"The Turtles?!" he growled. "I told General Krang it was a mistake to leave you running around. It's a good thing I'm not about to take you lightly twice." He turned to Montuoro. "Corporal, open the reject bin."
Montuoro gasped. "Lieutenant, you can't be serious! Releasing it just to deal with them?"
"We don't have a choice. We can't let them take the specimen. Now open the reject bin. That's an order!"
With a whimper and a groan, Montuoro pressed a button. The floor opened up, and they all backed up as a large hand emerged. From the bin emerged a horrifying creature, one that vaguely resembled April with the hair color. However, it was horribly malformed, with a bulbous left arm that was tinged green and covered in pustules. its right leg was the same way, swelling beneath the knee into a large, three-toed foot with jiggling blobs of flesh. From its face was a massive protrusion, and a malformed second face attached to it. It was twice the height of the Turtles, and barely seemed sentient. They slowly walked back as the beast let out a roar, that bizarrely ended with it babbling "Derp" repeatedly.
"What…" Jade managed. "What the HELL is that?!"
"It looks like some form of... malformed reject clone!" Donnie exclaimed. "A genetic mishap!"
"An April Derp!" Mikey chuckled. "'Derp, derp, derp.' Get it?"
Even Miko rolled his eyes at that.
"We'll deal with the April Derp," Leo decided. "Hisako, take Sebastian and find the real April."
He turned to the man. "Please don't let my sister get hurt."
"I won't," Sebastian assured.
They rushed off, leaving the ninjas to face the reject clone. Hisako closed her eyes, sensing intently, before they snapped wide open. "This way!"
-X-
April cringed, wincing and closing her eyes as the needle inched ever closer. Suddenly, it froze in place, and all eyes turned to see Hisako standing atop the needle.
"Not this time, you bastards," she spat.
"Oracle…" the lead Krangdroid spat. "You've become quite irritating. No matter. You are no longer necessary. And once we extract April O'Neil's DNA, she won't be either."
Hisako continued to push against the needle. They immediately let loose with blaster fire, forcing Hisako to jump off. Sebastian tried to act as cover, but was knocked out. His girth ended up pinning her down.
"Damn it!" Hisako cursed.
-X-
Back with the others, the fight with April Derp was going sour. As she had Makoto's face in one meaty paw, Mikey lashed out with his kusarigama, wrapping around her leg, only for one jerk from the leg to send Mikey flying forward, slamming into her back. Mikey looked up just in time to find himself face-to-face a deformed mouth on April Derp's back, a giant tongue shooting out and licking his face like a dog.
"Oh, sick!" the orange turtle exclaimed. "Get a breath mint!"
"Donnie, will you hurry up?!" Tai demanded.
"I'm working on it!" Donnie snapped.
"Work faster!" Makoto screamed. "She's killing me!"
April Derp yanked him closer, pulling him into a bear hug and swinging him around. "April give hug!"
Makoto scowled, drawing a jitte in his free hand. "Get your slimy hands... OFF ME!"
He stabbed her in the shoulder. The Derp shrieked like a banshee before dropping him to the ground, scowling as it held a bloody shoulder.
"You hurt April!" it roared. "You make April mad! April make you DEAD!"
Makoto narrowly rolled out of the way of a stomp from the Derp's bloated right leg that shook the floor and shattered the tiles.
"Yikes!" he let out. "She almost squashed me like a bug!"
Kleve looked on with an evil smirk.
"Not bad, it is, kids?" he gloated. "And this is a deformed reject that's giving you so much trouble. Just imagined what a perfected O'Neil clone can do. Though find solace in the fact that you won't live long enough to witness it."
-X-
Hisako barely had time to move before the Krangdroids yanked her out from under Sebastian, dogpiling her and pinning her down. The leader gave a psychotic smirk as he reactivated the needle
"No!" Hisako screamed. "GET OFF ME!"
"April O'Neil will soon meet her demise," the leader declared. "Patience, Oracle. First her... then you."
"April!" Hisako screamed, frantically squirming to get loose. April began hyperventilating as the needle inched closer and closer.
"No!" she screamed before her eyes flashed yellow and began glowing. "NOOOOOO!"
A massive telekinetic pulse surged outward. April's restraints exploded, as did the needle. The Utroms screamed in pain as their minds were overloaded and their exoframes sparked and deactivated. Hisako gasped in shock, throwing off the deactivated forms before approaching April.
"Wow…" she managed. "That was... are you okay?"
"Brain on fire, ready to pop," April replied groggily. "Other than that… meh."
Sebastian groaned as he too got up. "What just…"
"No time," Hisako replied. "Help me get her out of here."
They pulled her up, supporting her on either side.
-X-
The Krangdroids and their technology weren't the only things affected by April's telekinetic assault. April Derp stiffened, then let out a screech before exploding into black goo, coating everyone in it.
"Ew, ew, EW!" Mikey exclaimed. "This is worse than the Snakeweed gunk!"
"What just happened?" Erika let out, cleaning her glasses.
"Mental backlash," Leo realized. "Did Hisako go nuclear?"
"No," Hisako answered. They turned to see her and Sebastian joining them, April leaning heavily on the former. "April did."
"April!" Donnie exclaimed.
"She's okay, just exhausted," Hisako assured.
"Cool," Kagome sighed. "Now, can we get outta here and take a shower? I'm gonna be cleaning April Derp out of my hair and ears for weeks."
"Not just yet." Leo looked at the other clones. "We gotta take care of these fakes first."
"Maybe if we overload the system, they'll all explode like the Derp did," Tai offered.
Erika sighed. "Normally, I'd be against taking out defenseless living beings trapped in tanks... but these things are Krang's monsters, so I'll make an exception."
"Allow me." Sebastian grabbed the terminal and ripped it out of the ground, then threw it at the main power node. The clones all spasmed and convulsed as the system sparked, before messily exploding into oozing black gloop.
"How did you…" Mikey let out.
Sebastian shrugged. "I've been pumped full of mutagen for over a year. Even I'm surprised by how strong it's made me."
"Huh... think maybe that's why Hun is so crazy strong?" Mikey pondered.
Raph shrugged. "I thought he was just on roids or something."
"Can we please just get the hell out of here already?!" Hisako demanded impatiently.
Leo nodded. "Right. We've spent enough time in this place. Let's go home."
-X-
As they headed out, one of the vans on the side pulled up. They tensed, only to relax when Kurtzman threw open the door.
"Somebody call for a taxi?" he asked.
They all scrambled in. Unsurprisingly, with everyone inside, the car was quite cramped. Nonetheless, Kurtzman drove off.
"Well…" Hana let out, "now I know what a sardine feels like."
"I mean, it could be worse," Mikey pointed out. "We could still be in there."
"I trust you wiped out the computers?" Kurtzman asked.
"I think ripping the entire terminal out and throwing it at the power node counts," Donnie replied.
Once they were roughly six blocks away, Kurtzman pulled to a stop.
"You walk from here," he said, the group piling out. "I'm still keeping tabs on Krang's operations. If you ever need my expertise, you know where to find me."
"Thanks for everything," Leo said gratefully. "If you get any more leads, let us know as well."
Kurtzman drove off at that. With that, Mizuki sighed.
"Well, we saved the day, and beat the bad guys," she said. "Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm gonna go home and take a very long and thorough shower with extra soap."
"You said it," Raph agreed.
"Mr. Gray, do you want me to call someone for you?" Kagome asked. "Friends, family, anyone who may be looking for you?"
"I appreciate it, but this is my first night of freedom in... far too long," Sebastian replied. "I'll just walk to the police station. They can help me get settled again."
"Hey, Sebastian," Hisako piped up, pulling a small green light from her mind. "This is my phone number. If... you ever need to talk, call me whenever."
Sebastian blinked before reaching out, the light being absorbed into his body.
"Yeah, she does that," Mikey said.
Sebastian nodded. "You kids take care."
As he headed off, Tai turned to Leo.
"You can rinse off at the apartments too, if you want," he offered. "We have bathrooms and tubs to spare, and... I don't think I saw one at your place."
"Actually, we have this big communal shower room off to the side," Leo replied. "Something sewer workers used so they wouldn't stink on the way home. But thanks for the offer."
"Fair enough," Tai nodded. "See you when we see you."
With that, the two groups dispersed for their respective homes.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the upper New York bay around Liberty Island, within the Technodrome, Krang was being informed of the havoc that ensued at Mirage Industries.
"You lost EVERYTHING?!" he roared.
"The Turtles euthanized our test subjects, wiped out our mainframe, and freed April O'Neil, sir," Montuoro sighed. "It seems Lieutenant Kleve was right about their threat level."
"Damn it…" Krang cursed, rising to his feet. "I've waited far too long for this. I will not let a bunch of misfit mutants and a failed experiment ruin my plans for this planet. I want them stopped, no matter what. I want every last one of them eradicated."
"Sir?" Montuoro asked.
"Kleve was right. I was a fool to underestimate them before. I will not make that mistake twice. As of this moment, destroying the Turtles is priority number one."
Author's Note:
(1): A reference to the classic show Firefly, and how River Tam flipped out when she saw the Blue Sun logo.
(2): In my head, it's a muzak rendition of one of the TMNT TV themes; namely the 1987/2012 theme.
(3): A dual reference to my chosen dream VA for Kagome, Kate Higgins, and her creator's chosen VA, Cristina Vee. Kate is a jazz singer/pianist and Cristina generally sings pop.
(4): I based Utrom anatomy here on cephalopods like octopi. The tentacle Hisako mentions is the hectocotylus, the octopus' equivalent of a penis.
Mirage Industries is the property of Writing Avenger 2016, used with his permission.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Kleve: Patrick Warburton (Kronk in The Emperor's New Groove, Brock Samson in The Venture Bros., Mr. Barkin in Kim Possible, Lemony Snicket in Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Joe Swanson from Family Guy)
* Montuoro: Charlie Adler (Snively in Sonic SatAM, Ed Bighead in Rocko's Modern Life, Cow, Chicken, & the Red Guy in Cow and Chicken, T-Bone from Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron, Ickis from Aaaah! Real Monsters)
* Sebastian: Khary Peyton (Cyborg from Teen Titans, Aqualad from Young Justice, Azrael from Batman: Arkham, Rafiki in The Lion Guard)
Please R&R. Until next time!