Welcome to the first Armageddon chapter and part of the Mystic Prodigy Series in 2025!

I own nothing except the stuff I made up

Homeward Bound

Krysta immediately began smelling the air and twitching her ears a lot like she was trying to pin a certain scent or sound.

"Krysta?" Mikey asked.

"There's a town nearby but something about it is very familiar….Like I've been there before…." Krysta hummed.

Tiger Claw pulled out his phone and within minutes got a location. "Okay we're in the country of San Marino."

"San Marino!" Krysta gasped. "Tiranno said my mom fled here when she was six months pregnant. I'm starting to remember. I lived here until Carina found me. I was seven when she did."

"We'd better put on human disguises. Just to be safe." Tiger Claw said activating his own. His human form being a tall Asian man with light blue eyes and long black hair tied up behind him in a leather jacket and blue pants with a belt, a gold chain around his neck. And the sword his mother made slung to his back.

Mikey's human form was an Asian boy that looked a little like Lou Jutsu but kept his body and face plan. With an orange shirt a pair of black pants with orange belts and yellow cuffs and pockets and grey sneakers. Klunk immediately disguised herself as a gold shoulder bag that hung down his left shoulder and around his right.

Krysta's outfit was the same as what she had been wearing. A dark blue backless turtleneck with rose pink capris and blue sneakers. Her hair falling more neatly around her head. It was then she looked around.

"Uh guys, where's Casey?" she asked.

X X X

Casey was currently in the town of Saint Marino with the jubilance and overstimulation of a lab puppy that had broken out of his owner's house for the first time. He never knew that a city could be so small and much cleaner than New York. Now that he wasn't desperately trying to find the Hamato Clan.

He was actually observing people in their lives. It was amazing. People shopping children playing and chatting gazing longingly at many food-like substances the cakes and pastries he had heard Rocksteady go on and on about.

There were beautiful plants, and the buildings are made of stone and people just went on their lives and their was sky and air and and and.

"THE PAST IS AMAZING!" Casey screamed getting fisheyes. "People are living their lives the sun is shining GASSSSPPP I CAN SEE THE SUN!" he shouted looking right at it. "OW! DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!" He shouted covering his eyes in pain with, everyone looking at him weirdly.

"There are plants everywhere!" he declared happily.

"And there's so much food not just rats and leaves!" Casey declared as he kept getting looks. "Oh the buildings are shaped differently too! Gasp look at those towers! THIS IS AMAZING!" he declared screaming as he began gasping as Mikey and co finally found him.

"Yup Mothers son alright." Tiger Claw chuckled as everyone nodded. Mikey went up to the now hyperventilating Casey and patted his shoulder.

"Breathe Case." Mikey soothed as Casey regained composure. He cleared his throat and straightened up.

"So uhh where do we start?" Casey asked.

"I'm not sure, I guess we wait for the big black monster to show up." Krysta sighed as she did some squats out of boredom. That got her a gasp. Everyone yelped and looked over.

There was a woman with strawberry blonde hair that had Krysta's eyes a white sweater and black pants with a large purse rushed over to Krysta. She grabbed the girl's face and looked it over.

"Are you Krysta Mirano?" She asked desperately.

"Yis?" Krysta asked a bit muffled as the woman let go of her cheeks as Mikey immediately rushed between them his eyes wide and wary of the woman.

"Oh forgive me. I overreacted, my name is Bianca Mirano…I'm your aunt….Your mother Marissa was my sister…"

"WHAT?!" Everyone shouted.

X X X

Bianca had brought them to a house nearby where they had found Casey. A fifteen-minute drive from the downtown area but not far. It was a fairly new small white house renaissance inspired with a pair of columns and arches over the doors. A red stone roof and a large garden around it that Casey was gazing in awe at.

"You've got like a million plants here." Casey said looking around in awe.

"Well not a million but close to over a hundred." Bianca replied as she opened the door and let them in. The inside was very clean with tan walls and bright white tile floors as Bianca led them into her living room everyone found a seat. Tiger Claw was looking very suspicious while Casey had focused enough to become very observant.

"So you haven't asked about your nieces friends?" Tiger Claw asked.

"No I suppose not. But she has always been a smart girl so I trust you. Though I never got your names."

"Casey Jones." Casey grunted.

"Hamato Michelangelo baby! And this is one of my two dads Hamato Takeshi!" Mikey chirped off.

"Wait what!?" Tiger Claw asked caught off guard.

"It's more like a Co-parent situation." Krysta clarified.

"Yeah, I Basically have two dads and a mom that way!" Mikey added. Tiger Claw smiled a bit at this before looking around Krysta, who was as well suddenly saw something nearby a comic book.

"Do you have any kids?" Krysta asked. Bianca looked over and huffed.

"I thought I told him to put that back in his room!" she groaned. "I am so sorry."

"No not at all we're family after all. Family can be messy with each other!" Krysta assured. "Where is he I'd like to meet him. I didn't know I had cousins."

"Yes, Antonio about the age of your friend Mikey, but he's at school right now." Bianca replied. "Please make yourselves at home I'll make you all a cappuccino your mother loved them so much."

"I can't wait then!" Krysta replied to her aunt a bit excitedly. Bianca smiled and rushed into the kitchen.

"Isn't this exciting?" Mikey asked Krysta. "You found of your mom's family!"

"Yeah, she has a cousin around my age!" Krysta replied. "I have to admit the idea of having more family is awesome!"

"Be careful, somethings kind of wrong. She kind of just brought the rest of us home without question. Especially when me and Casey are strange adults and one of us is dressed up like they came out of a war zone."

"That is true," Casey hummed in agreement.

"You don't think this is a trap, do you?" Klunk asked, her eyes showing up on her disguise on Mikey's chest. "I mean the Tiranno family got to Krysta's moms and even if Leo killed Tiranno himself the rest of them are still out there."

Yeah, Krysta muttered deflating a little. "Tiranno would've left her alone if there was no reason to go after her. But I'm not sure what Dog Pound would've done."

"I'm back! Nice and sweet with a caffeinated kick!" Bianca happily replied as she handed out cups, everyone thanked her as she went to sit down with hers. Casey seemed to take a sip of his but actually let a bit spill on his scarf before gasping.

"Ooooh that's good!" Casey cheered. Tiger Claw could see he was acting. Something he would've picked up from future Leonardo.

"So, what was your sister like? I don't remember much about her." Krysta replied.

"She loved to work out and be athletic, she used to do little exercises when she was bored like you. That's how I knew. You look a bit like her too. Her eyes, her smile and…."

"The rest of me is him isn't it." Krysta growled.

"Yes, but you look far better than he does! You're a very beautiful young woman Krysta."

"Oh, thank you." Krysta replied blushing a little.

"Uhh excuse me I need to speak with everyone quick Mrs. Mirano you don't mind, do you?" Casey asked the others surprised.

"Oh," she said disappointed. "Not at all."

"Don't worry we'll be right back!" Mikey assured as they went out into the hall.

"You didn't drink the Cappuccinos did you?!" Casey asked.

"The Cappuccinos are gonna betray us!?" Mikey gasped.

"That or Bianca." Tiger Claw replied.

"Exactly." Casey replied before showing off a bit of the scarf he had let the drink spill onto. For some reason it had turned from it's usual brown color into a bright almost electric blue.

"Uncle Tello made this scarf able to detect contaminated liquids and poisons." Casey replied.

"They're drugged! The Cappuccinos really did betray us!" Mikey gasped before looking at Krysta who looked horrified. "And Bianca….but why?" he asked sadly. He then noticed something on one of the pillars outside and rushed out.

"Hey guys look at this." Mikey said as they rushed over.

"Mystic Runes?" Tiger Claw asked.

"Not in any language I've ever seen…." Mikey replied worriedly.

"My Mask has a decoder in it." Casey replied pulling it over his face and began scanning them. "I've got a couple of words. Guard, capture the resuscitators?"

"The hell does that mean?" Tiger Claw asked as Krysta suddenly heard something she yelped and quickly as Bianca had thrust her large kitchen knife forward at them. She quickly grabbed Bianca's arm and pinned her down by pulling it towards her as Mikey quickly knocked her out from behind.

"She was being controlled!" Mikey gasped.

"You don't have to make me feel better Mikey…." Krysta sighed.

"No, I could sense it!" Mikey replied as he Krysta, Klunk and Tiger Claw removed their disguises. "And those runes they're instructions. And what if they're all over town?" Mikey asked. while Casey and Tiger Claw placed her on her couch.

"How do we find out if they are?" Casey asked. Mikey pulled out some chalk and began drawing a rune on Bianca's driveway.

"Mystic detection spell baby! If they're more out there then I'll light them up like a Christmas tree!" Mikey replied as he jumped into the middle and knelt down placing his hand down as a bright orange light shone brightly from his eyes and markings before lightning up the run which sent out a burst of gold light that lit up in the area and to their shock from the hill that Bianca's house was on clear as day were several more runes.

Rushing back into town they noticed the people of the city searching the place like a witch hunt with torches and various bats and sharp garden tools. Something else on them all were a word.

"It just says Obey and control…." Casey replied having managed to decode the word.

"Then Bianca must have had it on her too. What's going on!?" Tiger Claw asked worriedly. Klunk immediately grew white and orange wings on her back and took off to the sky.

She flew out a bit keeping mental note of where the others were and flew off across town. Immediately she saw all of the buildings covered in many of the same runes. Then she saw small lights all headed to a large building. Made of smooth polished cobble stone. With eight tall columns edged in silver. The Bell tower jutted to the side of the building with it's worn red stone roof rimmed in gold with little crosses over various tips of the roof. Klunk saw a language she didn't understand on the large overhang that the columns held up as a large stone staircase acted like the building's throne. Upon smooth stone streets. Right now, it was illuminated in an eerie amber light.

Immediately Klunk darted back to the others. And floated just above them. "All the towns folk are headed to some large building with a bell tower and crosses on it back in the city.

"That sounds like the Basilica of san Marinos. It's the main church in the city. And dedicated to Saint Marinus. And doubles as the cathedral of Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro."

"Oooh!" hummed Casey in interest.

"Do you know where it is?" Tiger Claw asked.

"Yeah, it's on the Northeastern edge of the city." Krysta replied.

"Well," Tiger Claw said looking at the van they had come in. "Let's hope your aunt doesn't mind we borrow her car." Tiger Claw sighed as they found the keys and took off back to the city.

X X X

With the building soon in view, Tiger Claw hid and parked the van. They snuck closer sure enough everyone was going inside of it wearing black large, hooded cloaks.

"That's not creepy or Sacrilegious at all…." Tiger Claw muttered sarcastically. They suddenly heard grunting, and Casey was expertly dragging a couple of the control towns folk up to them while wearing one of the cloaks.

"Got what we need!" Casey replied, tossing the others their cloaks as they were placed down in the bushes. Mikey then made fake runes for everyone before they began to shuffle their way towards the church as they did the feeling of dark magic strengthen.

"Baaaaddd." Klunk hissed from inside Mikey's cloak.

"Shhh, just for a little bit Klunk okay?" Mikey asked.

"Okay…." Klunk muttered as they all gathered around the Alter in the chapel. Everyone stood at the seats.

"If they start passing poisoned food around, I'm freezing everything." Krysta muttered worriedly.

"Yup." Klunk, Mikey and Tiger Claw replied.

"That's a thing cults do!?" Casey muttered in shock.

"Yeah, to meet with their god in theory." Krysta hissed.

"Speaking of gods!" Mikey hissed pointing at the front of the room to show a blue skinned man with pointed ears and a pair of horns under his beard and hair combo. His Cloak was black with an image of Gothano on the cloak as he wore a tiara around his head with a large red eye crystal in it.

"My Children!" he declared to the control townsfolk who began shouting his name.

"Ho-Chan! Ho-Chan! Ho-Chan!" They all shouted over and over.

"As we meet to celebrate the journey of our beloved entropy the Gothano! It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that the resuscitators are among us."

"BOOOOOOOO!" shouted the controlled people as Mikey and Krysta shrunk in closer to Tiger Claw and Casey.

"I know! These monsters seek to stop our ending and keep this wretched world alive. We must stop the resuscitators so Lord Gothano can continue his glorious work of ending the wretched circle of life!"

"GOTHANO! GOTHANO! GOTHANO! GOTHANO!" they all shouted.

"As the Apocalypse Trigger! It is my destiny to receive my instructions and bring about the Glorious End!"

"Not what I'd call the Apocalypse but okay." Tiger Claw hissed under his breath.

"The ritual to bring our lord here is almost complete! But it requires a special jewel! Hidden somewhere in this hideous eyesore of civilization and nature. We must hurry before midnight! You will all split into two groups and search in these specific areas!"

Ho-chan, declared summoning two maps that flew towards a couple of the controlled Cult members. They walked up to the Altar and stood with Ho-Chan. "Your captains will lead you too the areas! Now go!" he declared as the cult members began to file out and split into those two groups.

Unfortunately, there were so many Casey, Mikey and Klunk got swept one way and Krysta and Tiger Claw the other.

"Shit! Move!" Krysta hissed getting bumped back. "Ow!"

"Forget it! We're stuck like this but we know what to do! We need to find that crystal first and find a way to stop Ho-Chan." Tiger Claw stated.

Krysta sighed but nodded, part of her mind was on something else though.

"It would've been nice to meet my aunt and cousin for real though." Krysta sighed. "But how are they gonna react to this whole situation!?" Krysta asked, flipping her hands towards her.

"If they're anything like you. It'll be fine. But remember it's your choice. If you're not comfortable then you don't have too." Tiger Claw assured.

"Yeah, it's honestly thanks to Mikey I have that choice at all honestly…." Krysta sighed a bit gratefully.

"I know what you mean…" Tiger Claw said thinking about how different and awful his life would've been if Mikey hadn't run into him that day.

"You two! Hurry up! We're going to the three towers to find the jewel for Leader Ho-chan!" snapped their captain as the two jolted and hurried along.

Only to see from a distance, Mikey, Casey and Klunk were basically now making their way to a place outside of the city. As they made their way to Guita tower, the biggest tower with a smaller tower on top of a small mountain close to the city.

Climbing up the path that was covered in grass and vines they soon saw the fortress looming over them. Krysta and Tiger Claw gasped in awe before they were instantly brought back to the sound of the gate being broken down by a battering ram. Krysta and Tiger Claw jolted a little bit as everyone rushed into building and began tearing up the place.

"Oh no!" Krysta hissed catching a few of the objects that began to be thrown around and place them down gently. "Damn it! I guess wanting the sweet release of death means no respect any of the historic stuff here!" Krysta snarled.

"Hey! You're gonna get us caught! Just let it go!" Tiger Claw snapped loudly. There was suddenly a chilling silence. "They just heard me, didn't they?" he asked a bunch of glowing eyes immediately looked over from behind him.

"Hi pot name's kettle yes they did." Krysta replied swiftly as she got into a fighting stance. Her fox features, much easier to see now.

"Okay Smartass you better start figuring out how to stop them without freezing them solid!" Tiger Claw growled. Only to get pulled into the next room and have a bright light shine brightly in their faces.

When it finally faded after a few seconds the man gasped and backed away whimpering. "Easy! We're not actually among them…one of them?" Krysta asked wondering if she said something right as Tiger Claw immediately found something to block the door.

"You're not?!" the Man asked. Krysta noted his collared shirt and brown kakis and hiking boots and traveler vest. Brown hair and caramel colored skin and Greek ethnicity. "Oh my you're not even human! How is this possible!? Are you aliens."

"Nope, I'd explain but they've got a battering ram, so we only have time for names." Tiger Claw rushed as he began to look around for a way out.

"Follow me! We'll escape through the dungeon!" the man replied as he lead them to a stairwell and rushed down it and disappearing into the corridors below as the door was smashed open.

"Keep looking!" Shouted the leader of the group. "Don't let the resuscitators escape!"

X X X

The three were now outside the tower before Krysta noticed the jewel a blue colored spear head shaped almost stone with a large black line inside it glowing with an electric blue. "What is it?"

"The Clear Eye! It is said that the Clear eye can break through all illusions and mind control." The man replied.

"Okay but that doesn't tell us who you are." Tiger Claw replied.

"Fair I am Professor Augustus Suriano." The Man replied.

"I've heard of you! You've been looking into ancient artifacts and civilizations!" Krysta replied.

"Yes, on the side I was looking into the existence of a civilization that came into existence when a shooting star crashed into the Earth eons ago." Augustus replied. "By the way what are your names."

"Krysta Mirano."

"Hamato Takeshi, but I mostly go by Tiger Claw for obvious reasons."

"Not surprising." Augustus replied.

"How come you're not under Ho-Chan's control like the others did the Clear Eye protect you?" Krysta asked.

"Yes, I was looking for an opportunity to free some of the Cultist members. Unfortunately, you were the only ones I could surprise. Probably because you had blown your cover." Augustus replied. "It's quite possible this can free everyone from that Madman's power. But I don't know how to shine it on everyone. I can only do up to one or two at a time." Augustus replied sadly. "And I'm not match for that Wizard! I was here when he took control of the people of this poor country. I was the only one to escape."

"I don't suppose you have learned anything?" Tiger Claw asked.

"I have during my time living off trash and stale pastries." Augustus replied as Krysta got out her phone to forward information to the boys.

"The Jewel they seek is most likely the Heart of Tengu. A Terrible Crystal that call forth a wicked abomination, most like this Gothano Ho-chan goes on and on about. The other being that they'll need a sacrifice." Augustus said as a sharp chill went down their spines.

X X X

Ho-Chan stood over Bianca with a disappointed look. "You failed to stop them, Bianca. Now the Resuscitators are among us searching for the Heart of Tengu."

Bianca got to her knees bowing her head low. "Forgive me Leader Ho-chan. I beg you for a second chance! I will do anything to make up my failure to the Magnificent Gothano! Anything!"

Ho-Chan thought for a minute before nodding having an idea. "Very well…You and your son will be the sacrifice."

To Be Continued…