Author's Note: Hello, everyone. After a couple weeks of voting, the polls have now closed. It was close, but ultimately, it was the original Spider-Nick fanfic, Spider-Man and the Ninja Turtles, that we have decided to update first. We have also decided to keep doing this weekly until we reach the events of "The Gauntlet".
Enjoy the chapter any and all comments are welcome.
Peter gathered his books from his locker and closed his door before walking down the hall to meet his friends. As he walked, he couldn't help but think back to the crazy last few days he had had.
After thinking back to how he met the turtles, found out about the Kraang, and had that fight at the mysterious hideout against Sandman, he thought back to when he introduced April to Master Splinter and showed her the Lair as well afterwards. Thankfully, Splinter didn't mind this as much as he had first minded Spider-Man being shown the secret home. Though, in all honesty, April's first meeting with Splinter hadn't quite gone as his had. First, she had screamed, then fell down and scrambled backwards, then was calmed by Splinter's words that he meant no harm and had quickly come to accept the rodent man as an ally in finding her father as his sons and Spider-Man were. Now, she was cool with him as Peter was.
Yep. A pretty crazy weekend. And of course, it was probably going to get crazy tonight since Yuri had let Spider-Man know about a potential weapons heist going on tonight at a lab that had had descriptions of people matching the Kraang's human vessels hanging around.
For now though, he had to meet with his friends at the entrance of their usual meeting place by the library water fountain. He knew for a fact that April was returning to school today (thanks to her telling Spider-Man and the Turtles yesterday) and he wanted to be there to welcome her back as Peter Parker, her friend who obviously had no clue she had been kidnapped by aliens and was saved by New York's resident supposed menace and four mutant ninja turtles.
"Pete! Over here!"
He got to the fountain and saw both Harry and Debra waiting for him, the former waving him over. He smiled and went over to his friends. "Hey, guys. April shown up yet?"
"Not yet, but she should be." Debra said. "I'm just so relieved that she's okay. I mean, being captured by the kidnappers who have been taking scientists the past few months? I can't imagine how horrible it must have been."
"Yeah. At least she managed to escape after her dad sacrificed his safety to get her out." Harry added. "I hope they can find him though."
Peter mentally breathed a sigh of relief. At least folks believed that. He and the turtles had told April to tell that story to the police as part of the cover up to Spider-Man and others helping her. He would have prefered to have her say Spider-Man swooped in heroically and saved her (maybe it would earn him some positive publicity points he was sorely lacking) but decided against it. It was best no one asked too many questions and this way, Peter could investigate the Kraang with the turtles in private.
"Hey guys!" The group turned and saw April coming over to them.
"April!" Debra cried, running over to the redhead and picking her up to hug her tightly. Harry and Peter followed her.
"Uh… Nice… to see… you too, Deb. Mind letting go? Can't… quite… breath." April croaked, starting to turn a little blue.
"Oops. Sorry." Debra said, letting her best friend down. "It's just that we were so worried about you."
"It's not everyday that you find out one of your friends was kidnapped along with her dad." Harry said.
"Yeah, it was honestly pretty insane and a bit scary. Plus, Dad's still out there with the kidnappers." April said that last part quite sadly.
"I'm sure the police are doing everything they can to find him, April," Peter assured, putting a hand on her shoulder. "And of course, me and the guys will do too."
April smiled. "Yeah, I know. I appreciate that, Peter."
The group then walked down the hall as they talked.
"So, any reason why you couldn't call us much over the weekend?" Debra asked. "All we heard from you was that you were okay and staying at your aunt's for now."
"Oh. Well, I was getting settled in mostly. And, uh…" She paused and seemed to fumble. "I also met some new friends I was hanging out with."
Peter smirked. "New friends, eh? You're not trying to replace us, are ya?" He, of course, knew full well who April was talking about, but she couldn't come out and say her new friends were four human-sized turtles, their rat father, and the city's resident web-slinger.
"What? No, of course not." April laughed. "I just met them close to Aunt Robyn's place. Their… dad runs a martial arts dojo."
"Really? Cool!" Harry said, making a few goofy martial arts moves. He had always been a fan of those kinds of things. Particularly of Chris Bradford. "Say, maybe we could meet them. Do they go to school here?"
April frowned. "Er, no, I don't think so, Harry. Um, they're homeschooled. Their dad is… kinda strict. Not in a bad way. Just… strict. You know?"
"Oh." Harry said seeming disappointed to not be able to meet cool martial arts practitioners.
"Well, you know? I think we should do something tonight. See if we can't get our minds off this craziness. I can meet you guys tonight after my intern work at Dr. Connors' lab is over. How about a movie at Harry's place?" Debra asked.
"Sure. I can order pizza if you want." Harry agreed.
"Ah, how about Chinese?" April asked with a small grin. "My new friends are kind of obsessed with pizza and I've had enough this weekend."
"Ain't that the truth." Peter thought, though according to the guys, they had had to spend the last 15 years eating largely worms and algae along with small treats here and there, so he couldn't totally blame them. Then he remembered. "Oh. Right. Sorry guys, but I have to do something tonight. I don't think I can make it."
"Aw, come on, Peter!" Debra groaned. "You've been doing stuff like this for the last three months! Skipping out on tutoring for Harry…"
"I mean, I still got a "B" on the last test, but still, I could have done better if you'd helped." Harry shrugged.
"Sorry, guys." Peter apologized. "I've just… been taking odd jobs here and there. Uncle Ben's insurance won't last forever, and I'd hate to leave Aunt May in a clutch."
The others then frowned in seeming understanding.
"Okay. We get it. Family comes first. We'll save you some fortune cookies, 'kay?" April said.
"Sure. Thanks." Peter was glad that they bought his fib, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized getting an actual job wouldn't be a bad idea. It would put a bit more money on the table.
For now though, he would need to prepare for the Kraang bust tonight. Perhaps he and the turtles could even get some answers to their plans and where April's dad was.
That evening, in an apartment building off 5th Street, a monkey-faced man in a long-sleeved white shirt and brown pants shoes was trying to watch TV, unaware of the unusual visitors he had on his rooftop.
Spider-Man and the Ninja Turtles were currently watching over a lab entrance, Donnie peering through a spyglass.
"Anything?" Leo asked Donnie.
"Nothing yet." Donnie said.
"Maybe the Kraang are working overtime." Spider-Man said. "In this economy, you'll need all the hours you can get."
Behind the three, Mikey was poking at Raph's head until the red-bandana turtle had enough and crushed his brother's finger making him yell.
"Guys, when ninjas are on surveillance, they are supposed to be silent." Leo reminded harshly.
"Sorry, Leo. I'll scream quieter." Mikey said.
"Uh, what does this mean for me?" Spider-Man asked. "I mean, I'm not a ninja. I'm just fighting the same guys you are. So what does that make me?"
"A liability." Raph said dryly before Mikey poked him again and he growled. "That's it!"
Raph grabbed Mikey by his arm and tossed him to the ground knocking over a satellite dish in the process. He then picked Mikey up and held him in a headlock.
"Say it."
"Raph, be quiet!" Leo ordered in another harsh whisper.
"Not until Mikey says it." Raph said squeezing Mikey's head tighter.
"Uh, says what?" Spider-Man asked.
"Oh brother." Donnie groaned from his watchout position. "You'll see."
Mikey gagged before finally saying what Raph needed to say. "Raphael is all wise and powerful."
Raph twisted his arms around Mikey's neck tighter. "And…"
"And he's better than me in every possible way!"
Raph released Mikey only to pin him down on the ground. "And…"
"And I'm a lowly worm beneath his feet who isn't fit to live on the same planet as him because he's so amazing and I'm a dirt clod!"
Raph then licked his finger and held it over Mikey's head preparing to touch him with it. "And…"
"And in the history of the universe, there's never been…"
"Okay, enough!" Leo yelled out.
Raph sighed before finally getting off of Mikey allowing him to rest. "We're wasting our time. The Kraang aren't gonna show up."
"Have a little patience, will ya?" Leo asked.
"Yeah, Raph." Spider-Man said. "Detective Watanabe personally told me she'd bet her career on this."
"So… You told your policewoman friend about the Kraang?" Donnie asked, sounding a bit concerned, which made the others look worried too.
"Well, not the 'brain alien' thing obviously or the fact that I'm working with mutant turtles. No need to worry about that." The guys gave breaths of relief at that. "But she knows the Kraang exist. She just thinks they're some sort of secret group or crazy cult or something."
"Well if she's so sure, why doesn't SHE just bust the Kraang here herself?" Raph asked incredulously.
"Do you really want to put normal police officers up against an alien gang with advanced laser guns? Besides, she doesn't have enough grounds for a warrant, so she can't officially get involved. Thankfully, she has me and my new friends to count on."
"Well, is Spider-Man vouches for her, then it's good enough for me." Leo said.
"Ditto." Donnie agreed. "After all, having an unofficial helper in the local law enforcement does have its advantages, even if they don't actually know they're helping US as well."
"Oh, sure. Take the advice of the guy who wears red and blue pajamas." Raph said sarcastically.
"Like I need fashion advice from a turtle who's only wearing a belt and a bandana." Spider-Man snarked. "I mean, if you took those off, you'd technically be naked."
"Ooh. He's got you there." Mikey snickered. Then he stopped cold. "Wait, doesn't that mean WE would be naked too?"
Raph growled with a vein throbbing in his head. "Listen, webhead! If you really want to…"
"What the heck's going on up here?!" a man's voice yelled out. Everyone turned suddenly to the monkey-faced man who was trying to watch TV below them. He blinked at what he was seeing. "What are you, playing dress up? Wait, are you… Spider-Man?!"
"Uh, yeah," Spider-Man said, "And these are my, uh…"
"If you say 'sidekicks', Spidey, so help me, I'm gonna…" Raph growled.
"Hold on!" the man shouted upon seeing the satellite dish knocked over. He glared and the quintet. "Which one of you busted my satellite dish?! Was it you?" He pointed at Spider-Man. "The Daily Bugle was right! You ARE a menace! Destroying private property like this!" He then looked at the turtles. "Or maybe it was one of you slimy green ham shanks that did it!"
"Ham shanks?!" Raph returned angrily.
"I don't even know what that means." Donnie said.
"Me neither, but I don't like it." Raph said. He was about to reach for his sais, but Leo grabbed his arm to stop him.
"It's not worth it." Leo said before turning to the man. "Sorry to disturb you, mister…"
"Martin."
"Right. Sorry, Martin. We'll get out of your way." Leo said.
"You can put the dish on the Bugle's tab if you want." Spider-Man said before turning with the others. "The guy in charge owes me."
"Oh, you think you're funny, don't you, web-stinker?" Martin insulted. "Well, at least I don't pal around with spineless cream puffs who need to listen to their mommy."
"Hey! Watch it, buddy!" Raph shouted pulling out his sais and pointing them at Martin.
"Oh, no! I didn't know you had salad tongs!" Martin laughed.
"SALAD TONGS?!" Raph shouted. He started running toward Martin, but his brothers and Spider-Man grab him and hold him back. "I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THIS FROM SOME UGLY, MONKEY-FACED BOZO WITH MESSY HAIR!"
"YOU'RE CALLING ME UGLY?!" Martin yelled back. "SEEN A MIRROR LATELY, CIRCUS FREAK?! YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME!"
"WHEN I'M DONE, A PIECE OF YOU IS ALL THAT'S GONNA BE LEFT!"
"Raph, that's enough!" Spider-Man yelled. "You're gonna…" He stopped when he felt his head tingling. "EVERYONE, MOVE!"
Everyone jumped away from each other just in time to avoid a laser blast that nearly hit them. Four Kraangdroids were seen on the same rooftop as them aiming their alien pistols at them.
"Holy toledo!" Martin yelled out.
"Kraangdroids!" Leo gasped pulling out his katanas. "Way to blow our position, Raph."
The Kraangdroids begin firing their guns forcing the heroes to scatter. They closed in on the Kraangdroids and began beating on them.
"Sorry, no autographs! Instead, how about a kick to the face?" Spider-Man quipped before shooting himself across the roof to knock a Kraangdroid off. He wasn't done though. He shot a webline at it and spun him around to hit another Kraangdroid.
While the fight went on, Martin rushed to his rooftop door where he stopped to pull out his phone and begin recording the fight.
"Holy cow. Spider-Man is working with… kung fu frogs." He kept recording until the Kraangdroids were forced to retreat. "Keep going, Wall-Crawler! You and your kung fu frogs? This is pure gold!"
The heroes turned and were alarmed when they noticed the phone in Martin's hand.
"We're not frogs, you idiot!" Raph shouted.
"Yeah, and it's not kung fu." Donnie informed. "It's an ancient Japanese battle art!"
"Uh, am I the only one concerned with the fact that the guy's been RECORDING US?!" Spider-Man asked worriedly. "Last I checked, you guys and my connection to you was supposed to be a secret!"
"I'll take care of that! It'll be my pleasure!" Raph growled. He ran ahead after Martin, but he was too late. He slammed the door shut in front of him and locked it, causing Raph to crash into it. As he got up a little dazed, they could still hear Martin's voice though.
"I'm gonna make a fortune off of this!"
Donnie then heard the alarms blaring from a distance. "Fire truck's on route! Thirty seconds!"
"Let's move!" Leo said.
"Wait! We have to find that guy and break his phone… and his face!" Raph yelled.
"If we stay, Martin's not gonna be the only one who sees us!" Spider-Man reminded. "Let's go!"
Raph grunted in frustration before leaving with the others.
When Spider-Man and the turtles returned to the lair, Splinter faced his sons strictly. "Not only did Raphael alert the Kraang, but you got caught… on video."
"Sensei, he was the angriest, nastiest guy you ever met." Raph explained.
"Except for you." Mikey reminded before getting punched.
"You should have heard the insults this Martin guy was throwing at us." Raph continued. "They were so… insulting."
"Oh, I did not realize he said mean things." Splinter said sarcastically. "Of course, you had no choice but to JEOPARDIZE YOUR MISSION!"
"Burn." Mikey said with a snide grin.
"Raph, Martin was just a troll. And believe me, compared to the enormous crowd of trolls on the internet, this guy is small potatoes." Spider-Man spoke up.
"I'd like to peel him like a potato." Raph said.
"You are ninjas. You work in the shadows, in secret." Splinter reminded. "This becomes difficult if there is proof of your existence in high definition!"
"Look, we know where the monkey face lives." Raph said. "All we need to do is find him and shake him until the tape pops out."
"Oh, there's no tape." Donnie said. "Video phones use flash memory…" He stopped when Raph gave him his nastiest growl yet.
Splinter looked at Raph. "Anger is self-destructive."
"I always thought it was others-destructive." Raph said.
"Raphael, stand up." Splinter said. Once Raph did, he and the others followed Splinter into the dojo.
Splinter then led Raph and the others into the dojo. Splinter guided Raph to stand at the center while Leo, Mikey, and Donnie were given bows and arrows and made to stand around him. Meanwhile, Spider-Man was standing beside the rat mutant, as he had held an arm out to keep him from joining his sons.
"Evade the arrows." Splinter instructed.
"No problem." Raph said.
"Hajime!"
Mikey fired the first shot which Raph dodges expertly. Donnie fired the next shot, and like before Raph avoided it. Leo fired the last shot, but Raph flipped up into the air to avoid it. The arrow would have hit Splinter, but he caught it in his hand.
"Ya me!"
"Uh, Splinter, no offense, but why didn't I join the others?" Spider-Man asked. "I don't even need any arrows. I can just shoot little web pellets."
"I've got another task for you, Spider-Man." Splinter said. "We will go again, except this time, Spider-Man, insult Raphael."
"Wait, what?" Spider-Man asked caught by surprise.
"Huh?" Raph asked confused as well.
"You heard me," Splinter said turning to Spider-Man. "My sons have often told me how you cannot resist bringing out your 'witty quips', even during heated situations. While Raphael attempts to evade the arrows, I want you to throw your insults and banter at him."
"What's this supposed to prove?" Raph asked.
"We will see." Splinter said. "You ready, Spider-Man?"
"A chance to trash-talk Raph without worrying about him throwing his sais at me?" Spider-Man asked eagerly. "How can I say no?"
"Hajime!"
Mikey took the first shot, and Raph dodged it, but that's when Spider-Man made the first quip.
"Nice form, green bean! You ever think about ballet?"
"What was that?!" Raph asked angrily. That's when Donnie fired another arrow at him which he dodged, but narrowly.
"Oh, so you ARE a dancer!" Spider-Man continued to quip as he then leapt on to the dojo ceiling. "Where are you hiding your tutu?"
Raph lost focus and faced Spider-Man. "If I had a tutu, I'll cram it up your…" He was interrupted by Leo's arrow, which stuck itself on the back of his shell.
"Ooh! That might have cost him the gold medal, folks!" Spider-Man declared. "Maybe even the bronze! Tonight is not Raphael's night!"
"Why I oughta…" Raph yelled before getting hit with more arrows. He tried to turn back to them, but was distracted by Spider-Man's quips even more as he crawled right above Raph and called down to him while his brothers succeeded in landing more arrows.
"Keep this up, and you'll go from mutant turtle to mutant porcupine! Maybe you can beat the Kraang by shooting your quills at them! Then, you can finally be worth something more than your loud mouth spewing hot air like a bloated buffalo!"
One last arrow to his forehead caused Raphael to finally fall onto his back. As he did, Mikey laughed. "'Bloated buffalo.' That's a good one, Spider-Dude." He then sighed in pleasure. "I wish this moment could last forever."
"You know what?!" Raph yelled throwing his sais on the ground. "Forget this! This is stupid!"
"Aw! It didn't!" Mikey groaned.
Spider-Man then flipped down to the ground and stared at the two arrows that were attached to the sides of Raph's head.
"I'm curious. Do you get the premium channels or…"
"Hey! I said I was done with the exercise!" Raph shouted as he ripped the arrows off his face and shell.
"I know. That one was just for fun."
Raph looked about finally ready to snap and strangle Spider-Man before Splinter spoke up and Raph trudged toward him.
"Raphael, ninniku seishin is the ability to endure insults with patience and humility. To allow them to flow over you like a river over stone." Splinter said. "You cannot be a true ninja until you master it. Understood?"
"Hai, sensei." Raph said.
"Well, now that the fun part of the night is over, we gotta get that video back." Spider-Man said.
"Agreed." Splinter said. "Only Raphael, you must use reason, not force."
Raph looked down clearly showing he wasn't thrilled with the idea of using reason.
"That's right! I swear on my mother's grave, Mr. Jameson, that Spider-Man is working with giant frogs who know kung fu!" Martin swore as he left his apartment building later that evening. He was talking on his phone to the Editor-In-Chief of the Bugle News Group on the other end.
"I'm not shy about my outbursts towards Spider-Man," Jameson answered, "But even I find it hard to believe that the Wall-Crawler somehow knows giant masked frogs! It's almost as unbelievable as that one story about a guy dressed up as a devil playing vigilante in Hell's Kitchen!"
"Just give me a chance to prove it to you." Martin said. "I've got the whole thing on video. You can show it for all of Manhattan to see. Maybe even America. You know, once you pay me for it."
"That's outrageous! Deal." Jameson said. "Come by the Bugle tomorrow so you can show me this video, and we'll discuss! If what you say is true, this might prove just how much of a menace Spider-Man is if he's secretly working with folks like these masked frog-things! Ha ha! We could have the whole city run him out on a rail! And maybe these things too if they're working with him! Just so you know though, Mr. Blank, I'm not an easy man to negotiate with."
"Neither am I." Martin replied before the turtles dropped in from above and surrounded him. Spider-Man swung in landing in front of him. "I gotta go. See ya tomorrow." He hung up and looked tough in front of the heroes. "Lay one finger on me, freaks, and I'm calling the cops."
"We're not gonna hurt you." Raph said trying to hold back his anger.
"Then what do you want?" Martin asked.
"We got off on the wrong foot last night." Raph continued. "Some things were said, and well, we would just like that video back." Martin didn't look convinced, and Leo gave Raph a nudge. "Please."
"Very convincing, Raph." Spider-Man said.
"What are you gonna give me for it?" Martin asked.
"Give you for it?" Raph asked.
"Well, I figure I've got you over a barrel," Martin said smugly, "So you've got to make it worth my while."
"I'll make it worth your while. I WON'T TAKE YOUR HEAD AND SMASH IT AGAINST THE…"
"Easy, short fuse senpai." Spider-Man interrupted.
Leo stepped up. "So what are you looking for, Martin?"
"Uh, a cool mil ought to cover it." Martin answered.
Leo nodded. "A cool mil of what?"
"Leo, he's asking for a million dollars." Spider-Man said. "Look, Marty, these guys live in a sewer and I had to knit this costume myself. We don't have a million dollars."
"We do have some Canadian quarters that fell through the grate." Mikey offered.
"I can make serious money off this thing." Martin said, flashing the phone with the video on it. "And if you don't pay, I'll just sell it to the Daily Bugle. Let me just say, J. Jonah Jameson is VERY eager to take a look at footage of the Spider-Menace and his freaky frog friends. Thinks it might finally be what he needs to get YOU tossed out of this city, bug-boy, and the rest of these green weirdos along with you!"
"What?!" Raph shouted.
"Spiders aren't bugs, they're arachnids." Donnie piped in.
"Yes! Finally, someone who understands!" Spider-Man cheered.
"I don't care what they are! They're creepy and freaky, just like you lot!" Martin insulted.
"That's it!" Raph shouted grabbing onto Martin's arm and throwing him to the ground. He then mounted him threateningly. "Hand over the video, or so help me, I'll kick your hairy butt all the way to New Jersey!"
"Raph, Splinter said use reason, not…" Spider-Man stopped when he felt his head tingling again. He turned and saw a van full of Kraangdroids speeding up towards them. "HEADS UP AGAIN!"
Spider-Man shot two lines of web at Raph and Martin pulling them out of the street just before the van could hit them. That one van may have driven off, but another was starting up just behind them.
"Let's not let this one get away." Leo instructed.
Raph nodded and grabbed a trash can. He then tossed it at the front of the van just as it began to drive. It knocked it off-course and made it crash onto a metal garage door.
"Well, that was easy." Raph said. Suddenly, the back of the van opened, and three Kraangdroids stepped out firing their energy guns.
"Never, ever say that again!" Spider-Man shouted jumping to avoid the guns. The turtles all followed his lead and joined him in fighting the Kraang.
While Spider-Man and the turtles were engaging the Kraang, Martin stayed low to avoid the chaotic firefight. He crawled across the street and avoided laser blasts until he stood right behind the van. That's when he got knocked into it by a Kraangdroid.
Raph was alongside Leo fighting two of Kraangdroids when he turned and noticed Martin in the enemy's van. Immediately, he saw red and forgot about the fight to focus on the jerk. "Oh, no, you don't!" he bellowed before stomping in Martin's direction, leaving Leo to face the two Kraangdroids on his own.
"Raph, what are you doing?! Get back here!" Leo ordered before getting knocked down and kicked repeatedly. "Raph!"
"We've got unfinished business!" Raph snarled viciously, ignoring his leader and cornering Martin in the van. "You give me that phone RIGHT NOW!" That was when he noticed three more Kraang entering the van behind him.
At that moment, the last Kraang got the van working again and started driving. It reversed its way out of the crash and sped up down the street leaving the remaining turtles and Spider-Man behind.
"Raph's in the van!" Leo yelled.
"I'll catch up!" Spider-Man said before shooting outba web and swinging down the street. He soon landed on the roof of the van and peeked in to see Raph fighting the Kraangdroids while Martin watched. "Raph, we gotta bail! Martin, you gotta come with us!"
"Forget it!" Martin shot back angrily. "You and your lizard friends don't want to buy my video, maybe THESE guys will! It never hurts to have other buyers!"
"Listen, you idiot!" Raph yelled latching ahold of Martin's arm. "Frogs are not lizards! And we're not frogs!"
"That's not the main issue here!" Spider-Man yelled. "Listen, Martin, you DON'T want to make a deal with these guys! They… RAPH, LOOK OUT!"
Raph didn't respond in time. A Kraangdroid grabbed him by his shoulder and tossed him out of the van. Spider-Man was caught in the throw and was knocked off with Raph as Martin laughed.
"So long, froggy! And you too, ya menace!" Martin then turned to the Kraang, who simply stared at him. "Uh, thanks for the help, guys. Have I got a deal for you." He paused and got a good look at them "… So are you all triplets or what?"
As the van disappeared into the night, Spider-Man and Raph recovered while Leo, Donnie, and Mikey caught up with them. Once they saw the van had disappeared, they all gave a judgemental stare at Raph.
"Nice going, Raph!" Leo scolded.
"What did I do?" Raph asked.
"What did you do?! You left the four of us in the middle of a fight to yell at somebody! We could have stopped them, but thanks to your temper, the guy with the tape…"
"Again, technically, it's a flash…"
"Not now, Donnie… Is in the hands of the Kraang! How are we supposed to find them?"
Spider-Man looked at where the van traveled and soon noticed something on the ground. He knelt down closer noticing a trail of black liquid following the same path as the vans.
"Well, well. It looks like the Kraang are going to need a mechanic. They're leaking oil. Probably a result of the crash."
"Alright. This is good." Leo said. "We can follow the trail to their hideout."
"And then, we'll bash some bots!" Raph added before noticing everyone staring at him. "What?"
"WE are going to bash some bots." Leo said. "YOU are going home."
"What, are you kidding?" Raph asked. "Come on, guys. Are we gonna let Leo power-trip like this?"
"I think Leo's right." Donnie said.
"You gotta control your temper." Leo said. "Until then, we just can't trust you. Let's go, guys."
"Sorry Raph." Mikey apologized sadly as the others turned around to leave.
Spider-Man walked with them before stopping and looking back at Raph, noticing how upset he was as he threw his sais down with a frustrated shout and stormed off. "Uh, if it's alright with you guys, I think I'll go back with Raph. I kinda need to talk to him. I'll catch up later."
"If you say so." Leo said.
"Good luck. You might need it." Donnie said as the group left.
Spider-Man went over to pick up the weapons and stared at them for a moment before following Raph.
"Who does Leo think he is?" Raph asked angrily pacing around the kitchen. He was ranting to Spike, who was chewing on a piece of lettuce on the table. "So what if I got a temper? I'm still the best fighter we've got. In fact, if anything, my anger makes me a better fighter!" He then turned to Spike and leaned on the table to look at him softly. "You understand me, don't you, Spike? Chew on your leaf if you understand me." He waited until Spike took another bite. Raph smiled. "Yeah, thought so."
"Ahem."
Raph's gentle smile turned into a sour frown. He turned and saw Spider-Man standing in the entrance and holding out his sais.
"I think you left these up topside." he said in a slight joking tone. "Seriously, this is getting to be a bad habit. I don't think Splinter would appreciate it."
"Oh, for crying out loud, will you SHUT THE SHELL up already?! I've heard enough of your stupid jokes and quips to last a lifetime tonight!" Raph shouted as he marched over, yanked the weapons out of his hands and stuffed them in his belt. "Besides, I get enough about weapons maintenance from 'fearless leader.' I don't need it from you too." He eyed Spider-Man suspiciously. "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be with King Leonardo and his bunch of sycophants, beating up on Kraang and having a real fun time doing it?"
"I came back here 'cause I needed to talk with you," Spider-Man said, hopping on the table next to Spike. "Look, Raph, you can't deny Leo was right about what happened with the Kraang. If you had helped us during the battle instead of running off to scream at Martin, they wouldn't have kidnapped him and we would've had the video and deleted it by now."
"Oh please." Raph scoffed. "You think that that big ape woulda deleted it out of gratitude for rescuing him? You heard him, he wasn't willing to sell or get rid of it for anything but cold hard cash! We had no choice but to take it!"
"True, that's clear now. But we could have done it in a more subtle way. Like swiping it during the fight and deleting the video, or you guys distracting him and me webbing it and then taking it high up so Martin couldn't get it while I got rid of it. Yes, we'd have a very hairy and angry New Yorker on our hands, but that would be the least of our problems. Instead, you let his insults get the better of you and got reckless. Just like with the exercise."
Raph paused for a moment, seeming to realize Spider-Man was right, before sighing deeply and leaning on the table on the other side of Spike. "You just don't understand." he grunted.
"Oh, really?" Spider-Man asked dryly as he crossed his arms. "In case you haven't noticed, buddy boy, I'm being insulted every. Single. Day. Every time that loudmouth, J. Jonah Jameson, prints a new story in the Daily Bugle or shows his stupid mustached face on TV, he can't help but call me a menace or a threat to the public. He wants to blame me for every kitten stuck in a tree!"
"And you're saying that doesn't bother you?" Raph asked. "I mean, you're annoying as shell, sure, but you're definitely not a villain. That guy is just a big bag of hot air and a stupid 'stache spewing lies that are making the public hate you."
"Well, of course, it bothers me!" Spider-Man cried. "Most of the time, I just want to swing over to Jameson's office and web him to the ceiling with one over his mouth for good measure!"
"Well, why don't you?! You're entitled to it with him treating you so badly for no reason!"
"Raph, it would simply give him more fuel to use against me in his smear campaigns, painting me as a bully who can't take bad criticism/" Spider-Man explained. "You gotta understand. Giving into anger like that without thinking or imagining the consequences often leads to bad things happening later on."
"You'd be teaching that jerk a lesson, man! What kind of bad thing could possibly happen from that?!"
Spider-Man fell silent for a moment before letting out a breath. "Raph, I wanna tell you a story."
"I'm not in the mood for a story." Raph groaned.
Spider-Man paused and thought for a moment before saying to the pet turtle between them, "Spike, chew on your leaf if you want to hear a story." He waited until Spike took another bite, causing Raph to groan. "Okay then. Do you know how I got my powers?"
Raph then thought for a moment. "Uh… You know what? I don't think so. I mean, you said something about trying to right a mistake you made that cost you someone being the reason you do all this, but you never said a word about anything before that."
Spider-Man nodded. "Well, I was raised by my aunt and uncle since I was five. Wonderful people. Biggest hearts you ever saw. I pretty much lived your average teenage life until about about three months ago. I was on a tour of the Oscorp building with my high school science class."
"Oscorp?" Raph asked. "I think Donnie's mentioned that before. Some big name tech and genetics place."
"Yep. One of my classmates is the owner's son, so he got us the tour. Anyway, we had entered the genetics lab when suddenly, I was bitten on the hand by a spider," Spider-Man continued. "It was a pretty weird looking one too. About a third of my pinky and red and blue colored with a bit of green mixed in."
"Yuck."
"Yeah. I guess it was radioactive or some experiment they were working on that escaped or something. I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that after a day of dizziness and nausea, the next day, I was able to walk on walls, flip like an expert acrobat, sense when danger was coming..."
Raph chuckled. "Be glad you didn't get four extra arms or being able to shoot webs from your butt."
Spider-Man also chuckled. "Yeah. Totally. But it was all so amazing. I was living a dream come true!"
"So, what? You then decided to put on the mask and pajamas and fight for truth, justice and all that junk Leo talks about?"
"Well, no. I didn't decide it right away. Admittedly, I first used my powers to get back on some people who tormented me, but that just got me into trouble. I then thought I could make some money with these abilities. Not just for myself to flaunt in front of my peers, but also to help my aunt and uncle since money was often kinda tight. I figured I'd get into show business. I even created the web-shooters so I could use them as a gimmick later on once I got big. Later on, I saw this ad in the paper: 'Three-thousand dollars to the man who can last three minutes in the ring with the champion, Crusher Hogan!' I leapt at the chance. So I designed this costume, went to the challenge, and faced Crusher."
"Considering you're still alive and walking, I take it you lasted that long?" Raph asked.
"Oh, more than that. I BEAT the guy in TWO minutes!"
"Seriously?!" Raph cried impressed. "Okay, you just went up about 2% in my cool ranking for you."
"I'll take it. Anywho, I had never been more proud of anything in my life. I was on top of the world! That is, until I had a talk with the promoter backstage..."
"What do you mean you're not gonna pay me?!" Spider-Man yelled angrily at the promoter in a darkened office. "I did everything your ad asked! I came! I competed! I beat Crusher Hogan!"
"The ad said you had to LAST three minutes with him, not DEMOLISH him in two!" the promoter argued from behind his desk. "The fans aren't happy about the upset and they're demanding refunds! Plus, Crusher was beat up pretty bad from the thrashing you gave him. The three-thousand you tried to hustle from us should cover refunds and help Crusher's med bill."
"He's a WRESTLER! He should be used to injury!" Spider-Man cried. "You can't do this to me! Don't I get ANYTHING? I need that money!"
The man sneered. "I forgot the part where that's my problem! Now get outta my office, freak, before I call security!"
Spider-Man started seeing red and grabbed the promoter by his shirt, dragging him right over his desk to hold him in front of his face. "Listen, you swindling, scumbag! I just beat your so-called 'champion'! You really want to make ME mad?"
The promoter stammered in panic and fear until he heard a noise. He looked behind Spider-Man and noticed a man in a jacket and hat by the door, heading out into the lighted hall. He was carrying a duffel bag full of cash!
"Hey! Stop him!" the promoter pointed. "He's making off with the money!"
Spider-Man turned his head and saw the man behind him freeze. He turned and Spider-Man got a good look at his face as he gazed in fear, thinking he was caught.
"What are you waiting for? Stop him!" the promoter cried.
However, Spider-Man chose NOT to go after him. Instead, he just watched as the thief smirked upon realizing he was safe and continued to run to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Spider-Man then set the furious promoter back down on his feet.
"What was that?! You beat Crusher, you could've stopped that guy easy! Now he's got all my money!"
"I forgot the part where that's my problem," Spider-Man returned in an icy tone before walking out.
"How was that a problem?" Raph asked. "That guy cheated you out of your money. He deserved to be robbed."
"Maybe so, but that's not the point of the story, Raph! Just listen a bit more, okay?" Spider-Man asked. Raph grumbled but did so. "So, yeah, I was still pretty steamed, so I just changed and walked around the city, brooding and cursing about how life wasn't fair to me. I stayed out a lot longer than I should have. My aunt and uncle had no clue about my abilities or the fact I was at a wrestling ring that night, but I was too caught up in my anger to care. But when I finally returned home… I saw police cars surrounding the place. I rushed in and saw my aunt distraught and horrified. As it turned out, there was a break-in. The burglar hadn't known my aunt and uncle were there, so they spooked him. My uncle tried to stop him, but he had a gun and…" He paused with a frown hidden in his mask.
"Oh shell." Raph whispered looking horrified. "I'm… jeez, that's awful."
"I was so angry then. Furious. So when I heard the police had found the suspect and cornered him in an abandoned warehouse, I wanted first crack at him myself. So I secretly changed and used the web-shooters to swing over there. Snuck up on the guy and surprised him. I delivered a few good blows, all while screaming at him for taking a good man from this world. I was so furious and rage blinded I was all set to toss him out a window! That is… until I got him in front of the light streaming through and I finally saw his face."
"His face?" Raph asked.
Spider-Man nodded. "Bruised from the beating it may have been, I recognized him instantly. It was the same guy who had robbed the wrestling promoter, the thief I had let escape. I was so shocked and horrified at what I saw, I just webbed him up and left him for the cops." He stopped to notice the look of realization on Raph's face. "Yeah. That's right Raph. The person I let die for my mistake was my uncle."
"But.. Spidey, that… It wasn't your fault, man," Raph tried to assure. "Y-you couldn't have…"
"What? Couldn't have stopped it?" Spider-Man asked. "When I first saw that guy at the arena, I COULD'VE grabbed him or tripped him up or something!" Spider-Man stopped and looked at the ground. "Then… maybe my uncle would still be alive. But I was so mad at that guy for cheating me and insulting me that I let the burglar go just to spite him! I was so focused on me and my fury that didn't even stop to think what might have happened after he escaped." He sighed. "Ever since that day, I lived by the last words my uncle said to me… 'With great power comes great responsibility'." He looked at Raph. "You see what I meant about anger without thinking leading to bad things happening?"
Raph looked away from his friend, those words weighing heavily on his mind. He then let out a deep sigh. "I really messed up, didn't I?"
"We both did." Spider-Man said. "Still, we can always make up for it. I know I still am." He then said in a more happy tone, "So, if you think you've learned your lesson, how about we go and help your bros against the Kraang and see if we can't rescue a jerky monkey-man and keep your existence a secret while we're at it?"
Raph thought for a moment before smiling confidently. "Yeah. Let's go, Web-Head."
They both nodded and left the kitchen. As they left, though, Splinter came out from around the corner. He stared at their direction and stroked his beard curiously.
"Hmm…"
Leo, Donnie, and Mikey followed the oil trail to an unmarked building. When they sneaked inside, they hid themselves behind a stack of crates as they looked at the wide, open area ahead. They were witnessing an industrial-sized tank full of mutagen. They then looked around and saw Martin getting close to a cage with an animal in it.
"Aw. What a cute, little monkey," Martin said, wiggling his finger in front of the cage. "Who's a good monkey? Come on. Who's a good… AAAAHHH!" Martin yelled as the orange-brown ape shot itself at the front of the door and bit his hand. He yanked it out and held it before glaring spitefully at the primate. "I changed my mind! I'd love to see you stuffed and put in the Natural History Museum, you miserable little…"
Suddenly, the Kraang grabbed Martin by his shoulders and sat him down in a chair where they proceeded to tie him up.
"Please to be doing that which is known as the not touching of the test subjects." one of the Kraang said.
Behind the crates, Donnie scoffed silently. "How stupid is this guy? Monkeys have tails. That thing is clearly an ape. A gibbon to be precise."
"Shh. Look." Leo whispered pointing at the Kraang.
The aliens gathered around a computer screen and entered in a sequence on the control panel. A couple of seconds later, the screen revealed a dark silhouette against a white fuzzy background. A voice came from the computer, but it sounded garbled and disguised.
"What's going on? I thought we agreed you wouldn't use this line unless it was an emergency."
"Kraang sends those which are known as apologies," a Kraang said, "But Kraang has come across that which is known as a setback courtesy of one who calls himself Martin Blank."
"What are you on about?" the figure asked, sounding like it was trying to keep their anger in check. The Kraang then pulled out Martin's phone to show the video of Spider-Man and the turtles fighting the Kraang. Though their face was unseen, the figure was clearly furious when they spoke up again. "You squid-brains! You were supposed to keep a low profile! What good is an underground operation if it's caught on video?!"
"Guess this guy doesn't like the video either." Leo whispered before squinting. "Who is he anyway?"
"And why doesn't he talk all funny like the Kraang?" Mikey asked.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say this guy was… human." Donnie said in surprise. "Yeah, except I don't think this human is some flunky like Sandman was. Spidey said there might be something big going on with the Kraang and Marko mentioned they have a lot of money. This must be the one behind that money and he's helping to keep them hidden." He then stopped to continuing listening to the conversation.
"Hey, look, buddy!" Martin cried out rolling his chair closer to the screen so the mystery man could see him. "If you want the video, it's yours. All I ask for in return is a million bucks. Otherwise, I can sell it to the Daily Bugle."
It was a long, stressful few moments as the mystery figure was quiet. They then finally spoke up. "Fine. Stand by while I make the arrangements."
"Oh, yes!" Martin cheered before being pushed farther back by the Kraang. He was to busy celebrating being rich to hear the rest of the conversation as the Kraang turned back to the figure.
"Does the one who is our partner really intend to do that which is known as paying the human known as Martin Blank?" Kraang asked quietly.
"Of course not, you fools. Like I would allow myself to be blackmailed like that. Just eliminate the idiot, erase his video, and dispose of the body. In that order."
The call ended leaving the turtles alarmed by what they heard. Mikey then quietly reached out his chain around the bottom half of Martin's chair. As soon as it started moving, he looked back and noticed the turtles pulling him.
"We're gonna get you out of here." Leo whispered.
"What about my pay?" Martin asked.
"Shh!" Leo expressed. "They're not going to pay you. They're about to kill you."
"Yeah, right!" Martin shouted before turning his head toward the Kraang. "Hey, fellas! The kung fu frogs are here!"
"Stop the one that needs to be stopped!" Kraang ordered as they turned and began firing their pistols. "Stop!"
"Remind me why we have to rescue this guy?" Donnie asked.
The Kraang began firing their weapons at the turtles, who began dodging their blasts and ran towards them. While they were fighting the Kraang, Martin was once again doing his own thing. He saw his phone on the floor and moved in to try to take it, but kept getting kicked around. He eventually caught up to it after it slid underneath one of the mutagen pipes. A stray laser shot managed to knock him over, but that didn't stop him from inching closer to the phone until he managed to grab it.
"Got it!"
All of a sudden, another stray laser shot passed through the air and hit a mutagen pipe. It then burst out and spilled mutagen down right where Martin was. He gazed in horror and screamed just as he was splashed with it. His outburst went from normal to more gutteral and caused the turtles and the Kraang to stop their fighting.
"Kraang," one of the Kraangdroids said to another, "Go look at the place where the thing that makes the noise is, and tell us what thing makes that noise in that place."
The Kraang followed his order and stepped into the darkness following the sound. About a second later, he was thrown out. As he laid spread on the ground, the Kraang inside the robot body squirmed out and scurried along in fear just as a monstrous roar echoed from the other side of the room.
"I don't like the sound of that." Mikey said.
Just then, a large, orange-brown, hairy beast leaped over the mutagen machine and landed in front of everyone. What they were seeing was the biggest gibbon they'd ever seen.
"I don't like the look of it either!" Mikey yelled out.
"It's Martin!" Leo cried out. "What happened to him?"
"It must have been the mutagen!" Donnie said. "It turned him into a giant gibbon!"
"He looks more like a Bigfoot than a gibbon!" Mikey said.
"What did you do to me?" Martin asked looking at his monstrous body. "I'm hideous!"
"Don't worry." Leo assured. "The five of us can handle him."
"Okay, this might be a bad time to point this out," Donnie said, "But you sent one of the five of us home and another stayed behind with him."
"And right now, I wish either one of them was me!" Mikey cried out.
"This is your fault!" Martin shouted pointing accusingly at the turtles. "I'm gonna rip your heads off!"
"All right, guys." Leo said dramatically preparing to fight. "Prepare to dish out the mighty wrath of justice!"
"Seriously, just yell 'get him'." Donnie groaned.
"Get… OOF!" Leo was struck by Martin and sent crashing into a couple of crates. He looked at his large fist and smirked sadistically, liking this new power now.
Donnie ran ahead to deliver a blow with his staff, but Martin caught it in his massive hand and threw him across the room. Thankfully, Donnie was focused enough to land on his feet. Mikey swung his nunchucks at him, but the giant primate blocked all the blows. Leo rushed back in to swing his swords at him as Mikey moved aside. Martin tried to crush him with his fist, but Leo jumped over him to dodge the strike.
"Is that all you've got?!" Mikey taunted.
Martin huffed before slamming his hands together creating a concussive shockwave shaking everything around him.
"The answer I was looking for was 'yes'!" Mikey said nervously.
Martin leaped up into the air and proceeded to try and pound the turtles, slamming his fists down and shaking things and cracking the floor. The guys tried running away while Martin then swung from pipes overhead to catch up. He landed in front of them and roared. Mikey then grabbed a barrel and threw it. Martin caught it, but was then hit with another from Mikey. Martin threw the barrel away and roared again before slamming his fists down on the ground one last time. The whole floor shook until it fell apart completely, sending the turtles down to the next floor.
"We're no match for the Gibbon!" Mikey yelled.
"What?" Leo asked. "You're just calling him the Gibbon?"
"I couldn't think of any clever names with the word 'gibbon', so I just went with the simplest one. Even us expert namers have off days," Mikey explained. "I mean, I was thinking 'Mankey', but I think that's already taken. Ooo! Though now that I think about it, maybe 'Gibboom' with that shockwave thing he did!"
"Name later!" Donnie cried out.
Just then, the newly named Gibbon dropped down from the floor above and growled as he towered over the turtles. They tried to run away, but he kept blocking their path, trapping them in the corner they found themselves in. He then cracked his knuckles.
"Playtime's over, frogs!" Gibbon yelled preparing to finish them off.
"Wow." Everyone stopped and looked up to where Raph was standing beside Spider-Man. "When I called him a monkey-face, I didn't mean it to be literal." The two then jumped down.
"Raph!" Donnie and Mikey cheered.
"And Spider-Man!" Leo added. "What do you think? Is Raph punished enough?"
"Either that or we're all going to be gibbon chow, and that's the last thing I want to die from." Spider-Man said.
The Gibbon smiled cockily. "Hey, it's the kung fu frog with the salad tongs."
"Hey, it's the stupid loudmouth who's about to get his butt kicked." Raph said. "Seriously, Martin, you're a big, hairy, dumb ape with a tiny brain and bad breath… and then, you became a mutant."
"Let's see how funny you are with a face full of crate!" the Gibbon yelled grabbing a crate and thrusting it toward Raph, who dodged out of the way.
Spider-Man managed to use his webs to catch the crate in midair and swing it back at Gibbon. It knocked him back, dazing him enough for Raph to hit him with a dropkick. While they did that, Leo, Mikey, and Donnie ran to gain some distance.
When Gibbon recovered, Spider-Man was swinging in his direction. Unfortunately, Gibbon noticed him coming and swung his arm at him. Spider-Man's Spider Sense went off, but it was too late as he was knocked across the room with the others. It all came down to Gibbon and Raph now.
"Aw, froggy thinks he can stop me. Ribbit, ribbit." Gibbon insulted trying to get a rise from Raph. "What's that, tadpole? Are you too scared to leap off your lily pad and get the warts knocked off you?"
Despite his insults, Raph thought back to the story Spider-Man had told him before and what Splinter had said. With it on his mind, he took a deep breath, whispered, "Like a river over stone," and calmed down until his enemy's words faded out. Finally, he was able to focus.
Raph charged ahead closer to the Gibbon. The beast tried to pound Raph with his fists, but he dodged them both and returned with a spinning kick to his face. He then struck him with several punches knocking him further away. The Gibbon tried to grab at Raph, but he used his sais to grab his finger and twist it causing him to yell out in pain and pull his hand away as Raph leapt back and landed with his back to him.
"That's some kung fu, frog." Gibbon said. "And now you have the menace to help you too."
Raph then turned just as his brothers and Spider-Man returned to his side. He smiled before looking back at the Gibbon.
"We're not kung fu frogs, and he's not a menace." Raph said. "We're the Ninja Turtles and Spider-Man."
"Or maybe Spider-Man and the Ninja Turtles," Spider-Man said. The others looked at him oddly. "Not trying to sound like I have an ego or anything. It just rolls off the tongue better."
The Gibbon reached his hands out again, but this time, they were both caught by Spider-Man, who then jumped over and landed behind him holding his giant hands back. While he held him, the rest of the turtles charged toward the Gibbon and attacked him one by one. Once they were done, Spider-Man pushed with all his strength and sent the Gibbon flying away.
The Gibbon recovered, groaning with angry exhaustion. He looked back at the heroes and huffed. He then looked and saw something on the ground. It was his phone. He glared at the heroes. "If I have to live like this forever, at least I can do it in luxury knowing you bunch have been run out of New York! I just need to send that video to Jameson and get my money!" He leapt up to get it, but Spider-Man shot a web and pulled it back, leaving Gibbon to smash into the ground. The phone landed right by Raph's foot. He smirked as he lifted his foot and stomped on it, shattering it to pieces.
"My phone!" Gibbon yelled before growling. "You guys are gonna regret this!" He then leaped up into the air swung on pipes and such to reach the top of the building. Spider-Man and the turtles followed him to the roof, but they soon lost him as they watched him leaping away.
"I think I know a gorilla at the zoo who would be perfect for him." Spider-Man quipped.
"Okay, so to recap," Spider-Man said once he and the turtles returned to the Lair and sat around the common area. "We have a mutant ape on the loose in the city that might try to pull a King Kong for all we know, we now know that that mutagen is more dangerous than we thought, AND it turns out that I was right about there being something bigger to the Kraang Conspiracy. They have an unknown human partner who is their backer and aid in keeping them hidden." He sighed. "Not quite a peachy evening, I'll admit. But on the bright side, we did stop Martin…"
"Gibbon or Gibboom." Mikey reminded. "Still choosing."
"... Right. We managed to keep him from releasing that video, we managed to drop off all of those test animals at the local shelter where they'll get the help they need, and kept your guy's existence a secret. And Raph learned to control his temper." He paused. "Well… at least for tonight."
"Yeah, chances are, I still got some issues to work out." Raph said. "But the important thing is, I came through tonight." He smiled at Spider-Man. "Thanks for talking sense inta me Web-Head. You know? You ain't so bad when you drop the idiotic quips and stuff."
"TWO compliments in one night by Raphael! This IS a red letter day!"
Raph frowned. "And just like that, I retract my previous statement and my 2% increase."
"Ah well. Can't win 'em all."
"What was that about 2%?" Donnie asked.
"I'll tell you later."
"I have to agree. Good work, Raph." Leo congratulated. "I just want to say…"
"You don't have to apologize." Raph said getting on Leo's nerve.
"I wasn't going to."
"Oh. Okay."
"Yeah, Raph." Mikey said. "Not bad for a bloated buffalo."
Raph paused for a minute before jumping onto Mikey and wrestling him again.
"Okay! Raph is all-wise and powerful!"
"And…"
"AND HE'S BETTER THAN ME IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY!"
Spider-Man chuckled before hearing the sound of a metal stick behind him. He turned around and noticed Splinter standing there.
"Spider-Man, may I speak to you for a moment? In private?" he asked.
"Oh. Uh, sure." Spider-Man said. He got up and followed Splinter into the dojo. He closed the door behind him before facing him again. "What's up?"
"Have a seat." Splinter said kneeling on the ground. Spider-Man looked around before sitting on his legs like Splinter was. "Forgive me, but I could not help but overhear the story you told Raphael earlier. About the burglar and your uncle's death. You have my deepest sympathies."
"Oh. That," Spider-Man said, looking down and frowning. "Did it change your mind about me being friends with you guys any? Knowing I caused my uncle to die for stupid wounded pride and vengence?"
"On the contrary. I feel we now have far more in common than I believed," Splinter said, surprising Spider-Man. "I, too, once let my anger get the best of me back when I was human. Perhaps if I learned to control myself better, followed the advice you and I both gave Raphael, maybe things could have turned out different."
"When you were human?" Spider-Man asked in shock.
Splinter nodded. "You were kind enough to share your story. And you know some of the tale of how my sons came to be. It is time I shared MY tale."
"Whoa. O-okay," Spider-Man said quietly before focusing on Splinter.
"About 16 years ago, before I was mutated, I was once a human named Hamato Yoshi. Growing up in Japan, I studied the ways of ninjutsu under my family's clan—one of the last of the ninjitsu practitioners in the modern age. And in my life, I fell in love with a woman named Tang Shen. Her beauty was only rivaled by the compassion and kindness in her heart. In time, she came to love me back. We married and even had a child together. A girl named Miwa." He turned his attention to a shelf, which had an old photo of a Japanese man along with a woman and a baby girl. He gazed fondly at it. "She would have been just a year older than my sons by now. Around April's age and perhaps yours too."
"Would have been?" Spider-Man repeated. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking."
Splinter frowned and his face hardened before he sighed and continued. "There was another man who loved Tang Shen. His name was Oroku Saki. Once the son of the leader of my clan's most hated enemies, the Foot, he was taken in by my father, Hamato Yuuta, after a battle between the clans wiped out the Foot. He and I were raised as brothers and, while we loved each other, Saki always was far more ruthless and willing to engage in dishonorable actions to succeed. Over time, our love became a bitter rivalry, only exacerbated when we met Tang Shen.
"When she chose me, Saki's heart grew hardened and cold, and one night, he lashed out, calling me numerous dishonorable things in front of my wife. In my anger, I believed that he had to be punished for this, so I lashed out. While I succeeded in the fight, that action led to our brotherly bond crumbling altogether." He sighed. "Much like you and Raphael, I acted in a rash way without thinking of the consequences of my anger. And those consequences came back to haunt me. Saki fled after the fight, where he eventually learned the true nature of his origins. He then sought to end me and the clan that ended the one of his birth. He managed to sway the Hamato Clan ninja to his side, forming a new Foot Clan, and that day, he took on a new moniker: the Shredder.
"He attacked me in my own home. In our struggle, the dojo was lit ablaze. I tried to stop him, to try and reason with the man who had been my brother, but he was too far gone, maddened by revenge and self-righteousness. He almost overpowered me, but Tang Shen leapt in the way, blocking the fatal blow. Eventually, the structure came down on us, the debris burning and scarring Shredder horribly. He fled at that moment, leaving me to die in the rubble. Miraculously, I survived, but… I was alone. My wife, dead by Shredder's hand, my Miwa and my father having perished in the inferno, and my ancestral home gone. I was the last Hamato. There was no reason left for me to stay in Japan. Plus, I also knew that if Shredder discovered that I was still alive, he would stop at nothing to hunt me down and achieve his mad vengeance.
"So I moved to America, where eventually, to curb my loneliness, I bought four baby turtles at a pet shop. Eventually, I witnessed and fought some men whom I now know to have been the Kraang, and was exposed to the mutagen they use, as were my turtles. The rest is history."
Spider-Man was nearly speechless upon hearing the harrowing story. "Whoa. That's… That's incredible. And so sad at the same time. I'm sorry for what happened to you, Splinter. You were right. We ARE more similar than expected."
"Thank you, Spider-Man. It still hurts to this day, but I then remember that I gained a new family in my sons. And now, we have new allies in you and April. Which is one of the reasons I have come to this decision."
"Decision?" Spider-Man asked.
"After hearing your story, I realize now that you are not only worthy of fighting beside my sons, but you are also worthy to fight WITH them. Thus, I wish to train you in the art of ninja."
"Me?!" Spider-Man cried out in shock. "Uh, no offense, Splinter, but I'm going okay on my own. I can fight just fine."
"Yes. Leonardo told me about how you fight and Donatello has shown me videos of you fighting street crime. Quite impressive," Splinter admitted. "However, I have noticed a few things. While your skills are flashy and dramatic, there is no solid technique behind them. In addition, you may have your webs, but they will only take you so far. What will happen if you run out of your supply? I do not wish to force you. I am only offering you a chance to be a better, more focused Spider-Man. One could say… the ultimate Spider-Man." He stroked his beard. "Plus, if you're going up against enemies like the Kraang, the Gibbon and the Sandman, you will need every advantage you can get."
Spider-Man gave the idea some thought. He had a point. Being able to use a different fighting style might help a lot. And with his athleticism, it may aid in making him stronger. He stayed quiet for a minute before turning to Splinter with his answer. "Okay. Might as well give it a shot."
"I'm glad." Splinter said with a nod. "But before anything, I would like to know who you really are first."
"What?"
"If we are to be sensei and student now, there shouldn't be any secrets between us. So your mask…"
"But… My secret identity."
Splinter chuckled. "Who am I gonna tell?"
Spider-Man thought harder than before until he grabbed the bottom of his mask. He lifted up showing his real face to Splinter.
"My real name's Peter Parker. Just a high school kid who lives with his aunt in Queens."
Splinter took his face in and nodded. "Yes. Thank you… Peter. And do not worry. I will not tell my sons of this."
"Really?" Spider-Man asked putting his mask back on. "What happened to 'no secrets between master and student'?"
"It is not MY secret to tell," Splinter said. "You may tell when you feel the time is right. Though I would recommend telling the story of your origins to the rest of my sons. I believe it will help you gain a closer understanding of each other and foster camaraderie."
Peter nodded. "Maybe you're right. Okay. I'll tell them."
"Good. Now, I believe it is time you headed home." Splinter and Spider-Man stood up. We would not want your aunt being worried. Come by tomorrow night so we may begin your training."
"Got it," Spider-Man said before stopping. "I mean… hai, Sensei." He bowed to Splinter who chuckled and bowed himself. He then turned to leave, leaving Splinter alone.
The rat went over to the picture and lifted it up to caress it. "The world works in strange ways, my love. I did not expect to gain an ally such as him, nor to train him in my ways. But I vow I will ready him for all that he will face."
Spider-Man left, passing by the guys who had halted their roughhousing to relax and catch their breath.
"Hey. Did Splinter want to talk with you?" Leo asked.
"Yeah actually. He and I spoke about some stuff and it turns out, I'm going to be learning with you guys as well as fighting alongside you!"
That surprised the turtles. "Wait, what?" Raph asked.
"You mean Sensei's offered to train you in ninjutsu?" Donnie inquired.
"Aw yeah! We got a superhero training with us!" Mikey cheered. "The Spider-Ninja! Oh! Or Spider-Shinobi! Even better!"
"I start training tomorrow with you guys tomorrow." Spider-Man said.
"Well, at least I have a good reason to try and pound you into the ground now." Raph chuckled.
"Guess so. But don't think I'm gonna make it that easy." Spider-Man laughed. He then paused. "Also, before that, I want to talk with the rest of you guys. Raph already knows, but I feel you all should all know too."
"You mean…" Raph asked with wide eyes. Spider-Man nodded. "Well, okay. If you insist, Web-Head."
"What do you know?" Leo asked.
"Eh. Wait til tomorrow. You'll see."
Spider-Man then waved goodbye to his friends and left the Lair. Once he was up top, he shot a web and swung away for Queens.
"Heh. How about that? 'The Amazing Spider-Ninja!' Sounds like this is gonna be a blast!"
