Shredder Strikes Back - Part 1
It was a rather gloomy day, thunder and lightning lighting up the overcast sky with rain pouring down with no sign of stopping anytime soon.
With all this, Leo ran along some rooftops, jumping from one to the next.
"At some point, you'd have to draw on everything you have within you."
Leo landed on a roof and pulled out one of his katanas as a bolt of lightning struck, growling as he faced some Foot Ninjas that appeared before him, all wielding katanas.
"A time when you'll have to reach down to the deepest part of yourself. That you have to give it your all, otherwise you won't get the job done."
Leo got into a fighting stance, ready to fight them all, but then Hun appeared, walking past the ninjas that parted out of his way. Hun then sneered at Leo, wanting to pummel him.
"It's these times that you find out who you really are."
Leo dared Hun to come at him, gesturing his fingers.
"Of course, that is if you live long enough."
Hun frowned before he charged at Leo, who growled before leaping in the air with a yell, both about to clash in the middle as lightning struck once more.
The sun was rising over the city of New York, its light beaming into April's apartment.
Within said apartment, the floor was a mess.
Splinter was sleeping in a meditation pose on the armchair while his sons slept on or around the couch.
Alex slept in a sleeping bag, his katana placed next to him, next to Raph, who was right next to the couch, where Mikey slept with Donnie on the top.
All of them, except for Alex, snored loudly.
Donnie unknowingly lowered one of his feet, shoving it into Mikey's face, who sniffed it and cringe in disgust.
"Ugh, jeez, what died?" He grumbled, moving the foot away and buried his face in the pillow he slept on.
Everything was relatively silent for a moment before Splinter opened his eyes when hearing a window being opened, courtesy of Leo.
"Your morning training, my son?" He asked knowingly, making Leo turn to his father.
"Yes, Sensei, while the city's still quiet." He replied as Splinter got off the armchair and approached his son.
"Your discipline is commendable, Leonardo. Have a good run." Splinter told him and Leo was about to jump out the window before Splinter spoke once more.
"But I trust you are not thinking of going back to scout the lair alone?"
Leo stopped and turned to his father again.
"Why would I do that?" He inquired. "Just because the sewer tunnels are overrun with Foot Ninja? So we're forced to hide at April's like cowards?"
"You ask a question that is not a question." Splinter pointed out. "If we are to succeed against our foes, we will need to act together, as a team, not as rash individuals."
"I understand, Master Splinter." Leo replied, knowing Splinter was right. "I am curious, though, with Shredder gone, what are the Foot Ninja up to?"
"Patience, my son." Splinter said as he placed a hand on Leo's shoulder and then walked back to the armchair. "I have a feeling we will find out, all too soon."
Leo looked at his brothers and father for a moment before jumping out of the window as Splinter got back on the armchair, now meditating.
Leo ran along a rooftop before jumping onto several more one after another.
But after he made another jump across buildings, four Foot Ninjas looked up in an alleyway, jumping up to go after him.
Leo ran across the next rooftop as the ninjas started pursuing him.
One of them raised their katana over their head, but Leo glanced over his shoulder at the same time and as the ninja leapt at him to land a blow on the turtle, Leo ducked down and the ninja crashed into a wall and got knocked out, falling upside down.
Leo turned and faced the other three, gritting his teeth and growling before wielding one of his katanas.
"Huh?" Leo muttered when he heard whooshing behind him, making him look up to see three more ninjas, making him realise that he walked into a trap, one of dishonour.
He grumbled as a couple of the ninjas swung their katanas, eager to strike Leo down.
Nearby, he noticed an empty clothes line as the ninja that was knocked out started regaining consciousness.
Leo ran at him and then bounced off him, grabbing the clothes line and slicing it so that he swung across several buildings, landing on a building on the other side of the street.
Leo then ran as the Foot Ninjas, along with several more, chased after him. He then jumped off the building with the ninjas jumping after him.
Back in the apartment, Splinter was still meditating and his sons were still asleep.
His turtle sons kept snoring as Mikey rolled onto his shell, his hand over his face until he ended up slapping himself.
"WHOA!" He screamed, waking his brothers up, who all had their weapons out instantly.
"What? What is it?" Raph asked, thinking they were under attack.
But then Mikey chuckled.
"Oh man, I slept on my hand and it got numb and hit my face, and I thought somebody slapped me. Don't you hate that?" Mikey explained, leaving his brothers to stare at him, unimpressed.
"Words fail me." Raph muttered as he walked to the bathroom and they all put their weapons away.
"You really do perplex me sometimes, Mikey." Alex grumbled as he yawned.
Mikey then got off the couch and flipped over Raph to get ahead of him to the bathroom.
"First dibs on the bathroom!" He bragged as he entered and closed the door on Raph's face, making him sigh and bang his forehead against the door.
A few minutes later, Alex was in the middle of cooking breakfast (after heatedly telling Mikey he would be doing it instead of him), currently mixing to make omelettes as bacon was frying and the toaster was making toast.
Meanwhile, Splinter kept meditating, Raph sat on the couch as he read a book, Donnie hung on the top of the couch and Mikey was drawing some doodles on some paper.
April then woke up, leaving her bedroom, wearing a bathrobe and with her hair down. She then yawned before looking at Splinter and the Turtles.
"I really do have four Turtles, a rat and a teenage ninja sleeping in my living room. I thought I was just having a really bad dream." She then sniffed, smelling the food being cooked. "What smells so good?"
"Alex is cooking." Raph replied as he turned a page.
"I should've been cooking." Mikey whined.
"If you did, we would've had scrambled eggs yet again and you would've burned the toast." Alex replied just as the toast came out of the toaster, cooked just right. Alex then put some jalapeno slices and ham in the omelette mix. "Hope you guys don't mind some jalapenos and ham in the omelette."
"Sounds delicious." Donnie said as he got off the couch to turn the TV on.
Then Mikey looked around, realising something.
"Hey, guys, where's Leo?" He asked, making his brothers notice this as well.
"He is engaged in his morning exercises." Splinter replied as thunder rang outside, making Donnie approach one of the windows, seeing just how turbulent it was.
"If he doesn't get back soon, he's gonna get soaked." He said concerningly as lightning flashed the sky. "That sky's looking angry."
Leo climbed up the side of a building until he reached the roof, taking a moment to catch his breath before climbing onto the roof itself and got on his hands and knees to continue catching his breath.
But he didn't have the chance to, as six Foot Ninjas appeared before him, all wielding katanas, which they all pointed at Leo with.
Leo got to his feet and held his sword out, knowing that he's just gonna have to fight his way out of his current predicament. He then backed up to the edge of the roof as the ninjas closed in on him, glancing down at the street below before pulling out his other katana.
Leo growled before the ninjas all charged at him.
He was able to jump onto one of their heads and then jump onto another's before split kicking a pair.
Then he went on a rampage, slashing and kicking the rest, leaving them groaning and off their feet on the roof.
Leo would've soaked in this victory, but he saw some more ninjas on a nearby roof right before thunder struck the sky and heavy rain started falling.
His eyes widened when loads more ninjas appeared on other nearby rooftops, some with katanas, the rest with other weapons like bo staffs and spears.
He knew that this was all a ploy to overwhelm him to the point he'd get tired, but he'll have to keep going, no matter what if he was to get back to April's.
Speaking of April's, Alex and Donnie went back and forth from the kitchen to the dinner table, putting plates and cutlery on the latter while Raph, Mikey and Splinter, currently reading the newspaper, sat elsewhere in the apartment.
April then came out of the bathroom.
"I still think throwing the plates would be quicker." Mikey moaned.
"And I told you that if you did that, you'd end up breaking at least one plate and we don't want to deal with an angry April." Alex argued against him as he and Donnie finished setting the plates.
"At least one of you guys is considerate about my stuff." April said gratefully as she tied her hair and Donnie pulled a chair out for her to sit on. "Of course, it's still tough having seven people to share a one person apartment."
"We'll be out of your way as soon as we can." Donnie replied as he sat next to her on her left, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't get me wrong, I love you guys, I really do. It's just, my place is too small." April explained as Splinter sat on her right.
"We will leave as soon as the Foot Ninja are gone from the tunnels surrounding our lair." He reassured her.
Then as Mikey and Raph sat at the table (Raph next to Splinter and Mikey on the chair opposite April), Alex carried the omelette, buttered toast, bacon and jars of strawberry, grape and apricot jam on his hands, arms and head.
"Um, can I help you with that very delicate china, Alex?" April asked nervously.
"Don't worry, I actually know what I'm doing." Alex assured her as he placed the jars of jam on the table, then the omelette, bacon and toast one at a time.
"Dig in, folks." Alex grinned as he sat next to Donnie and took a slice of the omelette, a few strips of bacon and a slice of toast, which he spread grape jam on.
Everyone else gathered what they wanted to eat and started digging in, all the Turtles scarfing their food down while Alex, Splinter and April took their time with their food.
"Alex, you sure do know how to make an omelette." Raph complimented, enjoying the spicy kick from the jalapenos before taking a bite out of some bacon.
"So one would think that table manners were a part of their training?" April asked Splinter, who just swallowed a bite of omelette.
"One would think." Splinter agreed with her.
"I'll have you know that I do have some table manners, thank you very much." Alex pointed out before taking a bite out of his toast.
"Shouldn't Leo have been back by now?" Mikey asked.
"Hey, other than Alex, Leo's the only one you never have to worry about." Donnie assured him.
All of the ninjas that appeared all leapt onto the rooftop that Leo stood on and they both charged at each other.
Leo flipped over the first ninja that tried to strike him, kicking them in the back before ducking the second's katana and kicking them away.
He then blocked a third's katana with one of his before kicking him into two other ninjas, knocking all three out.
Two more charged at him but Leo split kicked them away before charging at another, kicking them down, and then rammed his elbow into a ninja's stomach, knocking them off their feet. Then he got on his knees and kicked another away before punching and kicking a pair away, knocking them towards the edge of the roof, along with a third.
With the fighting over, Leo was panting as he looked at the aftermath, putting his katanas away.
But when he turned and wiped sweat from his forehead, he heard a noise.
"Huh?" He muttered, looking up at a taller building in front of him, seeing three Foot Tech Ninjas looking down at him before they jumped down to him, Leo jumping back right before they landed where he stood a moment ago.
Leo glared at them as he pulled his katanas back out.
Then the Foot Tech Ninjas turned invisible, making Leo now be on guard, looking in every direction, wishing he had a pair of heat sensor goggles.
He heard footsteps from a nearby puddle and swung his katana where the sound came from, only hitting air and getting struck on his shell, knocking him onto his hands and knees.
He got back on his feet but instantly got kicked in the plastron, knocking him onto the other side of the rooftop, making him scream until he landed hard on his shell.
Leo groaned as he got to his knees, looking around for any sign of the Foot Tech Ninjas when he got whacked in the plastron again, launching him into a small wall, one of his katanas knocked out of his hand.
Leo grumbled before wiping sweat off his forehead and grabbed his katana.
He then started slashing his katanas in the air until some footsteps in the puddle he stood in approached him and got hit a few times, knocking him off his feet. But Leo got back up and spun his katanas and slashed at the air. More footsteps approached him and found himself lifted up and was held over the edge of the building, making Leo look down at the street below.
He was then thrown down, screaming as he fell until he put a katana away and was able to grab onto the edge of a rooftop, causing him to smack his plastron against the side of the building before he climbed onto the rooftop.
He knew that the Foot Tech Ninjas weren't going to be done with him, so he got himself in a fighting stance, especially when he saw footprints in a puddle.
But then he lowered his katana, realising that he can't rely on sight to beat them.
So he moved his headband so that he would be blind, therefore, relying on all his other senses to try and beat them.
When a footstep landed in the puddle, Leo picked up on it much better than he did with sight and then performed a spin kick, landing a blow on one of the ninjas, making them visible as they landed on their back.
He then sensed another and stabbed them right in the button that makes them invisible, making them visible as they short circuited, Leo kicking them away onto their back.
Leo finally heard the final ninja approaching through a nearby puddle and flipped in the air, slashing at the final ninja, making them visible. He turned to face Leo, now wielding a katana but gasped when Leo came at him with a kick to the face, now falling onto the rooftop out of dizziness.
Now that it was over, Leo put his katana away and turned his headband on properly before bowing in respect to his opponents, even if they don't deserve it for how they are basically cheaters.
He then turned to start heading back to April's, unaware that some more Foot Tech Ninjas were watching him as he jumped onto another rooftop and ran.
Back at April's, Alex, Donnie and Raph were cleaning plates and dishes in the kitchen. Donnie was washing while Alex and Raph dried them off.
Meanwhile Splinter was currently meditating.
"You guys need any help?" Mikey asked as he peeked from the living room, making his brothers turn to him.
"Keep him away from the dishes!" April shouted from her bedroom, as she was currently dressing herself.
"Yes, it worked." Mikey grinned as he pumped his fist before heading back into the living room.
"Is it just me or is he getting worse?" Raph asked Alex and Donnie.
"He's getting worse." Alex backed Raph's conclusion as lightning struck.
"Leo must be nuts to be out in this weather." Donnie commented as Donnie scrubbed a plate and a glass before handing them to Alex and Raph, who started drying them off.
"Ah, you know Leo and his training, nothing stops him." Raph tried to assure him.
"Yeah, but I don't go training for this long. I'm getting worried something happened to him." Alex expressed his concerns, as Leo definitely should've made it back by now.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Raph tried to calm his nerves, which didn't work.
Leo backed up on a rooftop with one of his katanas out as several Foot Tech Ninjas closed in on him.
But then Hun appeared and the ninjas stepped aside to let him face Leo.
Initially worried, Leo got back into battle ready mode, growling and holding his katana up as Hun growled and cracked his knuckles.
The ninjas all backed off as Leo then gestured for Hun to come at him.
In response, Hun charged at him and Leo jumped over and landed behind him, gesturing to come at him again.
Hun ripped off a pipe from the roof and charged at Leo.
They met in the middle and clashed weapons until Leo leapt in the air and tried to strike Hun down, but the large brute hit Leo with the pipe, making him crash into a small shed, his katana dropped next to him.
He groaned in pain as Hun approached him, ready to strike him down.
He yelled as he was about to swing the pipe down, but Leo grabbed his katana and flipped over Hun.
Hun yelled, charging at Leo again, who stepped aside and slammed Hun's face into a brick chimney, causing it to crumble a bit and fall on top of him.
"BOO!" Leo then shouted at some Foot Tech Ninjas on the edge of the roof, scaring them so much that they ended up falling down the side of the building.
Leo watched for a moment as he put his katana away before running off, panting heavily.
At April's, Alex, Raph and Donnie sat on the couch watching an American football game while Splinter and April looked over a map of the sewers at the dinner table.
"Panthers, Rams, Bears, uh, they've even got Dolphins. You'd think they have room for something a little more reptilian." Raph ranted.
"The Turtles? My friend, unfortunately the lowly turtle has been saddled by society with the stereotype of being velocity challenged." Donnie replied.
"Say, what?" Raph asked in confusion.
"He's saying that turtles are stereotyped as being slow, and therefore, no sports team would want to be called the Turtles." Alex translated Donnie's explanation.
"Oh. Then why didn't he say it like that?" Raph asked.
"Because Donnie likes showing off his intellect by using a bunch of fancy words." Alex teased Donnie.
"Hey." Donnie whined, smacking Alex's arm.
Mikey got in front of the TV just as a player was about to be tackled by a member of the opposite team.
"May I have your attention, please!" He requested, getting everyone's attention.
He then let out a loud burp that lasted more than five seconds.
"Cool." Raph and Donnie said as they clapped, whereas Alex looked very unimpressed while Mikey bowed.
"Ew!" April said in disgust, facepalming.
"This is what I live with, all the time." Splinter told her. "At least I have one son that isn't like that." He glanced over at Alex, who winked at Splinter in response.
"Please, please, you're too kind." Mikey told Raph and Donnie, who then stopped clapping.
"You two do realise that you clapped over a burp of all things, right?" Alex reminded the pair, who now had looks of disgust.
"Great, now I feel the need to wash my hands." Donnie shuddered.
"Ugh, that's it, I'm gonna look for Leo, so we can get this show on the road." Raph said as he got off the couch. "No offence, April, but we really need to get back to our lair. Going stir crazy."
"You are going nowhere until your brother returns. Sit!" Splinter sternly told him off.
"Man, what a gyp!" Raph grumbled as he sat back down. "We gotta sit around our butts while Leo's out there having all the fun."
"I'm seriously getting worried that he might've been ambushed." Alex expressed his concern, leaving everyone in a tense silence.
Leo raced across various rooftops, trying to make it back to April's, but the constant fighting has left him tired and worn out.
And there's also the issue that the Foot is still chasing him down, including Hun.
Then some Foot Tech Ninjas joined in as Hun roared, holding a pipe and had bruises on his face.
Leo was now panting hard as he kept going until he stopped by the edge of a roof and faced the Foot, of which there were many.
Leo continued panting as Hun stepped forward with Foot Tech Ninjas alongside him.
Lightning struck as Leo kept panting until he psyched himself up and leapt in the air, yelling as he pulled his katanas out.
When he landed, he got in amongst the ninjas, attacking any and all of them non-stop, giving it his all in his tired state, yelling as he took them down.
Hun narrowed his eyes as he gritted his teeth before charging at Leo, who leapt at a TV antenna, bending it before releasing when Hun was close enough, whacking him in the chest so hard he slammed onto the roof on his back, splashing a puddle.
He got back up, ready to take on Leo again, But he looked up past him and chuckled, stepping back as all the ninja that remained standing bowed.
This left Leo confused until he looked to where Hun looked.
Up on a taller part of the roof were five figures that were clearly among the Foot, but were nothing like the standard Foot Soldiers and the Foot Tech Ninjas.
All of them wore red capes and face masks that covered the majority of their faces, only showing their red eyes, as well as black leggings, shirts and bamboo hats.
One wielded a trident, one a double bladed sword, one a double headed battle axe, one a spear and one a nagamaki.
Lightning flashed the sky as Leo gasped, having never seen these ninjas before, but he squinted his eyes in anger, knowing he'd have to fight them, no matter what.
So he pulled out his katanas and yelled as he leapt at them. He twirled his weapons as he neared them, but they suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke just as he landed, which baffled him.
He looked down to where he previously stood and there they were, among their fellow Foot.
Leo grumbled as he prepared to fight them, but then every single Foot warrior, including Hun, turned to Leo's right and bowed.
He looked in the direction they were bowing to and saw a figure standing on a nearby rooftop.
When lightning struck, illuminating the sky, Leo was overcome with horror as he recognised the figure to be the Shredder, who he thought was vanquished.
"No!" He gasped, horror intermingled with disbelief.
After they all stopped bowing, the five elite warriors disappeared in another puff of smoke and reappeared behind him.
He yelled just as the ones with the trident and the double bladed sword struck Leo's front and back.
He tried slashing at all of them, but they dodged his attacks and would slash at him with their weapons, overwhelming him and giving him bruises and cuts.
Eventually, Leo fell to his hands and knees, head hanging and panting.
After a moment or two longer, he leapt in the air and tried attacking then, but they just kept moving, dodging his attacks and overwhelming him with attacks, blocking his attacks while others would hit him elsewhere.
But then both the warriors with the trident and nagamaki hit him across the face and plastron so hard that Leo fell off the rooftop and screamed in agony as his katanas flew in the air as lightning struck.
Back at April's, everyone stood in the living room in silence, all waiting for Leo, who's been gone for far too long.
Raph punched his fist a few times, Donnie stroked his chin, Mikey stood, stroking the back of his head and Alex leaned against the wall, looking up at the clock, seeing that it was now 8:33 PM.
"Hey, guys… I'm really starting to get worried." Mikey said, breaking the tense silence. "Leo should've checked in by now."
"I know this is a first, but I'm thinking Mikey's right." Donnie admitted as he grabbed his staff, which was leaning against the railing on the stairs that led down into the store.
"He is right. Leo's never gone for this long. I really am worried that he got ambushed by the Foot." Alex told everyone.
"Master Splinter?" Raph asked, he and his brothers turning to their father, who stood with April, now wearing a white turtleneck sweater.
"Go." He sighed after giving it some thought, hoping what Alex said wasn't true.
"Jeez, I hope you're wrong, Alex." Mikey said as they started walking to the stairs.
But they didn't even make it as they heard yelling right before Leo came flying through one of the windows, smashing it, and everyone gasped in utter horror.
Leo landed on his shell, limp, covered in bruises and cuts, having been beaten to a pulp.
"LEO!" Alex yelled in horror.
"Leo, what happened?" Raph questioned before the four brothers all gathered around Leo, Mikey lifting his head.
Leo opened his eyes briefly, looking up at his brothers, groaning in pain.
"Who did this to you?" Raph asked.
"Come on, Leo, tell us!" Alex demanded, his voice shaky.
But all Leo did was close his eyes in exhaustion.
This left both Alex and Raph with their blood boiling as they stood and growled.
"I'm gonna find out who did this!" Raph snarled as he twirled his sais.
"So will I! No one hurts our brother and gets away with it!" Alex growled, pulling out his katana.
They were about to jump out the shattered window, but Leo spoke.
"No, guys… wait." He strained through the pain.
They turned to their brother and crouched near him.
"Who did this, Leo?" Alex asked.
"He's back… the Shredder." Leo replied before passing out.
This left everyone gasping in shock and horror, hearing that their enemy is back before looking out the shattered window.
On a rooftop, the five elite warriors stood as the Shredder approached them. They turned to face him and bowed on their knees.
One of them lifted up Leo's katanas, which Shredder grabbed, snapping them in half with utter and evil delight before throwing the pieces away and laughing with malice as lightning struck the sky.
And his revenge wasn't even over. This was just the beginning.
This and the following episode is just further proof of how much of a dishonourable cheapskate he is to have Leo be worn and tired when his Elite Guard finally attack him so that it would be easier to defeat him.
And I'm being kind to give you all a hint of who Alex will have a relationship with: they're a TMNT character that doesn't have an appearance in this incarnation.