- Chapter 10 -
Hob's Revenge
Deep underground in the hidden Technodrome, Old Hob sat in a featureless cell. He wasn't sure how long he'd been a prisoner there, the days blending together as his captors tortured and dissected him daily. He curled up in the corner of his cell, licking the many wounds that now decorated his skin. Patches of his fur had already been shaved off, burned off, or had simply fallen off. His coat had been taken from him, leaving him naked and exposed for their tortures. He knew they were trying to break him, but he refused. All he could think about was escaping from wherever he was and getting back at the Turtles for leaving him in that godforsaken dumpster.
As he finished licking a rather nasty wound on his arm, he heard a mechanical twittering noise. He turned towards the door of his cell, watching as it opened up so two Krangdroids could approach. He scowled at them, his hackles raising as he got into a defensive position.
"Let me guess," he hissed. "More of your goddamn needles and scalpels?"
The Krangdroids said nothing, silently getting out their taser sticks. They powered them on, closing in on hob with a pair of shackles at the ready. Hob hissed again, waiting for them to get closer. One went to stab him in the gut, but the cat dodged easily. The other went for a side jab, but Hob evaded it too, slashing at the unlucky brain creature. He caught it right across the face with his claws, tearing through his putrid skin. The brain cursed in an alien language, putting a metallic hand to its slashed face, which was leaking green blood all over.
"You will pay for that, mutation!" he swore through his metal palm.
"Fuck you, asshole!" Hob retorted, preparing to lash out again.
Before he could do anything else, the other Krangdroid jabbed him in the back with his taser stick. Hob screamed in agony as the electricity coursed through his body before he passed out.
"Let's get this thing to Ch'rell," the Krangdroid said, taking one of Hob's arms and slapping the cuffs on him.
"Agreed," his injured companion growled, giving Hob a swift kick to the ribs. "I hope he finally kills this blasted pest."
-X-
The two Krangdroids dragged Hob to the lab, tossing him onto a lab table where Krang was waiting with another alien. This one was red in color with a purple scar over its left eye, and was in a suit quite similar to Krang's. However, his was slightly smaller and the armor was a matt black color. When they saw his unconscious state, as well as the marks on one of the Krangdroids, the two sociopaths chuckled.
"Ah, he fought back again," the red creature, none other than Ch'rell remarked, smirking. "He's a tough nut to crack."
"Can we please just kill this thing already?" the injured Utrom pleaded.
Krang glared at him, turning towards him irritably. "I decide when the mutations are terminated, not you!"
The Utrom gulped in fear. "Y-yes, General Krang."
"Good," Krang replied. "Now go clean yourself up before you get your disgusting fluids all over the lab. NOW!"
The Utrom took off like a shot, his partner in tow. As the door to the lab closed behind them, Ch'rell sighed.
"Good help is so hard to find these days," he deadpanned, undoing Hob's cuffs so he could strap him to the table.
"Especially after those Turtles and Project Oracle resurfaced..." Krang added, overseeing the process. "If they're not slaughtering our forces, they're halting our operations and making things worse..."
"Yes..." Ch'rell hissed, putting the last strap on Hob before grabbing a laser scalpel. "If I ever get my hands on them..."
His fist tightened around the tool, snapping it clean in two. Ch'rell snarled, tossing it aside. It bounced on the edge of Hob's table, rousing the mutant cat. His tail twitched as his eye opened.
"Did you say turtles?" he asked.
Krang looked at him, surprised to find him awake and talking.
"What business is it of yours?" he snarled.
Hob scoffed, fidgeting on the table. "They're the ones that left me in that fucking dumpster for you to find me. They're the reason I'm in this fucking hellhole." He then cocked his head to the side, showing off his missing eye since his eyepatch had been taken as well. "And why I'm currently lacking in the eye department."
Krang and Ch'rell exchanged glances, their interest piqued.
"It seems we have a common enemy," Krang remarked.
"Guess so," Hob agreed, seeing an opportunity. "So, how about we make a deal? You want the Turtles and their freaky sister dead. I want my freedom. I can use my senses and instincts to track 'em down for you. I kill them for you, you let me go. Everybody wins."
"The idea has merit," Ch'rell admitted. "But our men found you beaten by them before."
"Very good point," Krang agreed before turning back to Hob. "How do we know you will not lose again?"
"That mutagen stuff you've been talking about," Hob suggested. "I can use it on some of my gang, turn them into mutants."
"More mutations to play with..." Ch'rell mused, grinning evilly at the idea.
"Very well," Krang decided. "But if you fail, you and your mutated gang are ours."
"And to be sure you won't try to renege on the deal..." Ch'rell grabbed a metal collar off of a nearby table, snapping it around Hob's neck. "This collar will ensure you remain under our thumb until the Turtles and Project Oracle are dead. Try to double-cross us, and you get ten thousand volts."
Hob gulped around the collar nervously, but nodded. "Don't worry. I've got too much to lose."
"Happy hunting," Ch'rell said with a smirk.
Later that same evening...
The Hamato siblings and Kagome were on a recon mission, waiting on a roof overlooking a nearby lab. Mikey sighed as he leaned against a satellite dish.
"How long have we been out here?" he asked, bored out of his skull.
Kagome checked the clock on her T-Phone. "Coming up on twenty minutes."
"Ugh!" Mikey whined, throwing his arms into the air. "I'm so bored!"
Leo turned to him, exasperated. "Mikey, this is a stakeout. We could be out here for hours."
"Why are we here again?" Hisako asked.
"I have reliable intel that Krang's goons are gonna break into that lab tonight," Donnie replied.
"You mean April told you," Vee corrected.
"You mean your girlfriend?" Raph teased.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Donnie snapped, his face turning a darker shade of green.
"Let me rephrase my question," Hisako clarified. "Why am I here? I thought I made it clear I don't want to be within fifty feet of those..."
She trailed off and shuddered, unable to come up with a sufficient word to describe them. Kagome rubbed her back comfortingly, softly soothing her. Hisako sighed, managing to compose herself.
"So..." she reiterated, "why am I here?"
"Well, we need your skills, for starters," Leo pointed out.
"And don't you want a little payback?" Raph asked.
Hisako glanced over at Raph and sighed. "Yeah, I do."
Raph looked down at the lab. "Besides, either they'll show up… or we'll just sit out on this cold rooftop all night."
"Maybe I could order a pizza," Mikey offered.
"Why not," Donnie replied. "We could use some food."
"Go ahead, Mikey," Leo allowed. "I've got a feeling this is gonna be a long one."
Meanwhile, in the old warehouse that served as his headquarters, Hob's gang lurked in the darkness. They had remained in hiding after their boss' mysterious disappearance, their attempts to find him turning up empty. Snake, Hob's right-hand man, an assuming man with black hair, dressed in a white tank top, blue jeans, and black boots, had taken control of the gang in his absence, making finding their wayward boss their top priority.
"Come on, you idiots," he snapped, slamming his hands on a table where a map of New York was laid out. "How hard can it be to find a one-eyed mutant cat?"
"Snake, we've looked all over the goddamn city for Hob." One thug pointed out, gesturing to various red x's that covered the map. "It's like he just vanished."
"Nobody just vanishes," Snake replied. "He's somewhere, and we're gonna find him!"
"Don't bother," came a familiar voice.
Snake and the other thugs turned to see Hob himself shuffling into the hideout. He'd bandaged up what wounds he could, donning a new coat and scarf to hide his new "jewelry." His gang converged on him, seeing his rather sordid state.
"Boss!" Snake exclaimed. "Where've ya been? We've combed this entire city ten times, and then you turn up looking like roadkill!"
"Let's just say I ran afoul of my reptilian nemeses and ended up a… guest of some unsavory cretins," Hob replied. "Luckily, we came to an arrangement. And I've got a gift for you, Snake."
He held up a glowing canister of mutagen. Snake raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What the hell is that? Snot?"
"It's the next step in evolution," Hob replied. "And what we're gonna use to take out those damned Turtles."
With that, Hob grabbed the first thing he could find, an old plant, shoved it into Snake's hands, and poured the mutagen over his head.
"Welcome to the mutant side, Snake," Hob declared, stepping back as Snake collapsed.
The other thugs backed away in horror as Snake writhed and screamed in agony, his body shifting before their eyes.
The ninjas chowed down on the pizza Mikey had ordered, the only highlight of their so-far uneventful evening.
"Anything yet?" Vee asked, tossing her pizza crust into the empty box on the roof.
"Nothing yet," Donnie answered, reaching for another slice as he kept watch with a pair of binoculars. "Wait… Van at 10 o'clock."
"Dude, it's like 2 am," Mikey pointed out.
Raph whacked him upside the head, pointing down the street. The ninjas all looked down to see a featureless white van pulling up next to the lab, coming to a stop in the alley. Donnie lowered his binoculars, nodding to Leo.
"It's gotta be them," Donnie surmised.
"Then it's go time," Leo declared.
They crept down, sneaking up on the van. Leo laid a hand on the back door handle, turning to the others.
"On three," he said to the others. "One... two..."
The door was suddenly thrown open violently, sending him flying back. Much to their shock, from the van emerged Old Hob. He grinned viciously, his teeth gleaming in the dim light of the alley
"Three," he concluded, jumping out of the van.
"HOB?!" Raph screamed.
"What the fuck?" Vee let out.
"What is he doing here?!" Kagome demanded.
"Fulfilling a bargain," Hob replied.
"You and what army, Garfield?" Mikey retorted.
Hob smirked, then snapped his fingers. On cue, a small army of Krangdroids emerged, along with a massive, deformed looking plant mutant; his heart was exposed in his chest, with bones and muscles exposed on the inner sides of his legs.
"This one," Hob declared.
"No..." Donnie said. "You... you're working with Krang?!"
"Thanks to you, yes I am," Hob scowled, clenching his fist. "They found me in that dumpster you locked me in! Weeks of being poked, prodded. All the scalpels, the fucking needles!" Hisako covered her ears, trying to block out the memories that were rapidly rushing back. "So I made a deal to get out. The price: your heads!"
The ninja septet (1) all drew their weapons as Hob turned to the plant mutant.
"Snake!" he shouted. "You're on!"
The plant mutant, now revealed to be Snake, lashed out with the Venus flytrap-headed tendrils he possessed for arms. They all dodged, ducking and jumping over the plant monster.
"They can mutate plants as well?!" Donnie shouted.
"Yes and no," Hob corrected. "Snake was human before. Thanks to the mutagen, that changed."
They all looked at him in shock.
"You turned one of your own men into a plant monster?!" Kagome demanded.
"That's sick!" Vee shouted.
"C'mon, guys!" Mikey declared. "We can take down Snakeweed!" The fighting stopped for a second and everyone looked at him in confusion. "Y'know, his name's Snake... and he's a weed."
"We get it," everyone said flatly.
The newly christened Snakeweed lashed out with a tendril again, but Leo chopped it off. Purple fluid began gushing from the wound, and Mikey scurried back as it splashed near him.
"Ew! EWWWW! Don't let it touch me! Don't let it touch me!" Some of the fluid did indeed splash on him. "EWWW! It touched me!"
Hisako made her way forward, trying to get to Hob. "Hob, listen to me! You don't have to do this! Whatever deal you made with Krang, he'll never keep it! He will turn on you the second he gets what he wants!"
"What the hell do you know?!" he snapped as he took a swipe at her, one she narrowly dodged.
"A lot more than you can imagine! Please, just stop fighting us and let us help!"
Hob wasn't listening, his single eye blazing with rage. "Do you have any idea what he put me through?! Scalpels and needles are the least of it! When you've been in my shoes, then try to sell me on it!"
Hearing that, Hisako completely snapped. Her eyes began solid green and she began to scream.
"I HAVE BEEN IN YOUR SHOES! For ten fucking years I was in your shoes!" Her powers began to manifest, her voice growing more demonic and echoey by the minute. "I was born in that hellhole, Hob! They made me! Used me! Tortured! Me!"
Hob was visibly shocked. He stepped back as mist began to pour off of Hisako. Trash began to float off of the ground, whipping around her. Hob saw this, never having witnessed her full power before. His eye slowly widened as he stared up at Hisako. Hob backed up, the fur on his face practically blanching white with fear as Hisako approached him. Tears poured down her face as she continued forward, her siblings finally taking notice of her deteriorating mental state.
"They took a few weeks from you, Hob... with me... they took my LIFE!"
"Oh, no..." Kagome gasped. "Guys! Hisako's gone critical!"
"SHIT!" Raph shouted.
The Krangdroids all moved in, blasters armed as they surrounded Hisako.
"Destroy Project Oracle!" one of them shouted.
They fired their blasters rapidly, but the sheer telekinetic force surrounding Hisako deflected every laser. She turned to them, her breath becoming ragged. She thrusted her hand forward, launching the garbage through the air towards the robots. Leo saw this and quickly turned to the other five.
"Raph, you, Kagome, and Vee take out Snakeweed," he ordered. "Mikey, Donnie, help me with Hisako. We need to calm her down before she gives herself an aneurysm."
They all nodded, and Leo, Mikey, and Donnie ran off to deal with Hisako. Kagome leaped up, chopping off another one of Snakeweed's arms, only for it and the arm Leo cut off earlier to grow back.
"Great, he can regenerate," Kagome groaned flatly. "Nothing's ever easy."
"How do you kill weeds?" Vee asked.
"You go for the roots!" Raph answered.
"So, what? We go for the feet?" Kagome asked.
Raph turned to her. "You got a better idea?"
"Well, there is the big, beating heart sticking out of his chest."
Raph looked up at the heart, and nodded. "That works, too."
Snakeweed had a look of fear on his face as he nervously took a step back. The ninjas closed in on him, keeping him stationary. As this was going on, Leo, Mikey, and Donnie struggled through the telekinetic pressure, trying to get to Hisako. Trash swirled around her as she struck down the Krangdroids with a wave of her hand. So far, she had spared Hob from her attacks, though the cat was still petrified with fright. He remained right where he was, his back against the wall and his arms above his head as he did his best to shield himself from her relentless attacks. She began to float off of the ground, lost in her silent pain.
"Leo, what do we do?!" Mikey demanded.
"I've never seen her this bad!" Donnie added.
Leo said nothing, just using his swords to pull himself across the alley towards Hisako. He eventually managed to force his way through her telekinetic wall, the occasional piece of trash striking his face and shell. Hisako was about to attack again when she felt a hand grab her wrist. She looked down to see Leo looking up at her, his hand around her wrist. He pulled her down and wrapped his arms around her, pushing her head into his chest. Feeling the security of her brother's embrace, Hisako slowly calmed down, the trash falling around her as her glow faded. Tears streamed down her face, and blood from her nose as she slowly returned the hug.
"It's okay..." Leo whispered. "It's okay..."
The two of them slowly sunk to the ground, Leo gently petting her head as Hisako clung to his shell for dear life. Hob stared in shock, falling to his knees.
"Holy shit..." he whispered, still seeing his life flashing before his eyes.
A barely functioning Krangdroid pulled itself up, crawling over to him.
"Remember our deal, Hob," it said, its voice stilted from the damage it had received. "Take. Them. OUT."
Hob looked at him incredulously.
"You think I'm fucking with that?!" he exclaimed, pointing at the still sobbing Hisako. "Hell no!"
The Krangdroid scowled. "Then your freedom is forfeit!"
Before it could say anything else, Donnie's staff, the hidden naginata blade within (2) extended, was plunged into his face, silencing him. He pulled it out, huffing slightly, before turning to Hob.
"Get outta here, Hob," he said, calmly yet coldly. "Before I change my mind.
"Yeah... I can't," Hob admitted, deciding to come clean in order to continue existing. "Believe me, I would if I could, but I can't,"
He removed his scarf, revealing the collar around his neck. Hisako gasped at the sight of it, recognizing it for what it was.
"I made a deal with Krang," he explained. "I go back on it, he'll fry me crispy with this."
Hisako pulled herself from Leo's grip, slowly approaching the cat. Drawing one of her tessen from its sheath, gripping it tightly in her hand. Her expression was blank, something that made Hob extremely nervous. He attempted to back up, but he was already flesh against the back-end of the alley. Realizing there was nowhere to go, he held out his hand in a warding off gesture.
"No, wait! I give!" he shouted.
Hisako got to him, brushing his hand aside. He flinched, closing his good eye before waiting for the blow to fall. As she brought down her tessen, Hob jumped at the sound of metal on metal. He blinked in confusion, looking over to see her attacking his collar with all her might.
"What the-?" he let out.
Sparks began to fly from the metal with every strike until it snapped open, upon which Hisako yanked it off of Hob's neck. She them promptly dropped it onto the ground and stomped on it over and over until it was nothing but a pile of scrap metal. By the time she was done, she was panting heavily, wiping sweat from her brow and blood from her nose.
"You took it off..." Hob whispered, rubbing his neck. "But why?"
"Saying Krang is a monster doesn't even begin to describe him," Hisako explained simply. "I wouldn't wish him on anyone. Not even you."
Hob pulled himself to his feet.
"This doesn't change anything between us, kid," Hob replied, before his face softened somewhat. "But... thanks."
"Just go, Hob," Leo ordered.
"And if I were you, I'd lay low for a while," Donnie added.
Hob nodded before turning to Snakeweed, who was still clashing with Raph, Vee, and Kagome.
"SNAKE!" he shouted, Snakeweed turning to him. "We're done here. Our business with these brain freaks is finished."
Snakeweed nodded, then walked towards Hob, who waved the Hamato septet off before walking away, his plant minion in tow.
"Well..." Vee remarked. "That was surprisingly easy."
"You call that easy?" Raph asked.
At that moment, Hisako collapsed in exhaustion, Leo catching her before she hit the ground. He gathered her up in his arms before turning to the others.
"C'mon, guys," he said. "Let's go home."
Meanwhile, back in the Technodrome, Krang and Ch'rell watched as the signal coming from Hob's collar go offline.
"WHAT?!" Ch'rell shouted, his eyes wide with shock.
"He escaped..." Krang said, his fists clenching in rage. "Just like the other one."
"Those Turtles are becoming a real thorn in our side," Ch'rell hissed. "They must be annihilated."
"Sending forces after them has proven futile," Krang pointed out. "We need them to come to us."
"So we need bait," Ch'rell mused, a terrible, toothy grin spreading across his face. "And I think I know just the bait to use."
Author's Note:
(1): A general term for a group of seven.
(2): One of several varieties of traditionally made J in the form of a pole weapon. Naginata were originally used by the samuraiclass of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sohei (warrior monks). The naginata is the iconic weapon of the onna-bugeisha-archetype, a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility. Donnie's staff had a retractable naginata blade in the 2012 show.
Snakeweed is from the 2012 series, just FYI.
Ch'rell has his voice from the 2003 show,Scottie Ray. Was there ever any doubt?
Please R&R. Until next time!