Dinora: Greetings. As yes, the English is not my mother tongue neither, but I still have a love for that language. And yes, I also love to read the stories about my favorite movies, series, books (and so on) with the heavy added stuff like added moments and OC characters. It's otherwise quite boring to read the stories with the same plot.
animegamefanatic: Yes! Kinda felt an urge to add Tatsu himself in this story while writing these chapters about the Darkness of the Edge of the Town episode. And trust me, Louie is going to make a lot of crazy stuff as the story progresses (and its mainly Dom who ends up chiding Louie about being a crazy). But that's just that Louie we know and love.
SulliMike23: Thanks! And there will be more of Tatsu in the future chapters. Just stay in tune.
=Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003=
=Darkness of the Edge of the Town Part 3=
Back in the lair, the turtles decided to confront their master by telling them about their second encounter with the same ninjas they've fought a few weeks earlier. And they also showed him the symbol Mikey had took from one of them in the museum.
"What does the symbol mean, Master Splinter?" Leo asked from his master.
Splinter frowned as he looked down at the blood-red footprint symbol in middle of the torn piece of black cloth.
"Trouble." Splinter replied with visibly uneasy tone.
Noticing the uneasiness in Splinter's voice, the turtles realized that maybe their master may know even more of these ninjas than meets the eye. And so, the turtles grew curious.
"You know something about these ninjas?" Raph gasped. "Who are they? Where do they come from? Who do they work for?" the turtle in red asked repeatedly.
"And who is this scar-faced baldie who was with these guys and carried the same symbol as a tattoo? The one goes by the name Tatsu,
"And who was this scarred bald guy with them, who carried the tattoos of the same symbol, and whose name was Tatsu?" Mary questioned, remembering correctly the lead-ninja's name after hearing it once back in museum last night.
"And he also looked pretty pissed off when we mocked his hideous scarred face. Even more when Raph teasingly asked were they given by the rat." Louie recalled.
Unknown to him and Mary, Splinter raised his head slightly up before frowning even harder after hearing the name of the said person and learning about the scars on his face - as his children had described him. He looked as if he knew this Tatsu-guy in person or just by the name. However, taking the ninja symbol in the torn piece of cloth with him, Splinter walked past his children and headed silently for his room while the turtles kept asking him questions.
"And what do they want with a magic sword?" Mikey asked, still astonished of what they had witnessed in the museum.
Donnie, however, dismissed Mikey's claim. "Nope, not magic. Remember that logically there is no such of thing as a magic." the turtle in purple said to his brothers and sisters.
"Not magic? Then how do you explain that what we all saw and literally experienced in the museum?" Louie countered. "If that thing isn't a magic sword, then what is it?"
"Probably more like a self-perpetuating oscillation frequency generator." the brainy turtle explained.
The turtles looked at their brainy brother in confusion, failing to get their brother's message.
"Uh...in English, Einstein?" Mikey requested.
"So you're saying that it is some kind of device in a form of the sword?" Arcee questioned.
Donnie shrugged. "Sort of, but it seems to be designed to pack up and shoot a shockwaves that will knock you flat on your shell."
"And now that that thing is in the unpredictable hands of those ninjas, I'm afraid that it will become a really big problem... whatever is their purpose with it." Dom said worriedly.
"Dom is right! We gotta go after these creeps!" Raph said as he draw out his Sais.
"I agree with Raph! We have to get that sword back before it turns into something worse than what we saw in the museum." Louie agreed.
However, before anybody else could agree with Raph's suggestion to go after these ninjas and have the sword back, Splinter finally snapped out of his thoughts and turned around to confront his sons and daughters.
"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I FORBID YOU TO GO AFTER THEM!" Splinter denied sternly, earning the surprised attention of his children.
Splinter then softened his voice before continuing with much gentler tone. "A wise ninja does not seek out an enemy he does not know and does not fully understand."
The turtles were looked at their Sensei with the disappointed looks.
"Father? Are you suggesting that we just should sit down and watch through our fingers how those ninjas gets away with this?" Arcee questioned, and she didn't like at all of what their father was saying.
It was then when Leo stepped forward to protest further.
"Arcee is right, Sensei. Besides, Bushido demands that we fight for honor and justice and-" Leo listed, hoping to change their Sensei's mind.
"Bushido also demands that you honor your master's wishes!" Splinter said, cutting his eldest son short.
The turtles looked at their father is surprise, taken aback by the clear harshness in his voice what he has never used before when talking to them.
"Sensei...?" Leo tried to say something, but he was silenced by Splinter before he could say more.
"Not a word, my son! I've heard enough and I've spoken." Splinter added harshly. "Now, starting from this night, all you eight will spend a next two weeks under house arrest. And if you try to sneak away from home and go after those ninjas behind my back, I will lengthen your house arrest with two weeks more. That's a plenty of time you can spend more for training down here."
Splinter then turned around to his room, paying a one more look at the symbol in his hands.
"And I will meditate upon this matter further. Now, goodnight." Splinter surly wished as he entered into his room and slid the door to shut, leaving the turtles with themselves.
After the Splinter had done, all the turtles, except for Leo and Dom, let out the loud groan of dismay in unison.
"Aww! Under-grounded again" Mikey complained with his face and mood lowered down.
"And just because we tried to do something right." Louie added, letting his arms drop to his sides while looking to his feet downhearted.
"Gee! I've never seen father so angry before." Arcee said a bit timidly, as he eyes Splinter's room's door.
"What was that what did you said to me earlier, bro? May you remind me? Oh yeah! "What can possibly happen during the routine vigilante-mission to cause Splinter to get mad with us?"" Dom suddenly said, sarcastically reminding Louie for what he had said earlier in front of the museum.
The turtle in white then lifted his right hand over his right temper and shook his head in irritation. "I knew our little shortcut to the museum would lead into this."
"Yeah. Sure you did, bro." Louie countered sarcastically. "If you really knew that this was gonna happen, then you should have just stayed outside just like I said. But don't be as if you knew from the very beginning that all this and all that happened last night in the museum would happen."
"Well, don't forget that I TRIED to warn you of the possible consequences of our little shortcut during of our most important mission on the surface, but none of you listened to me in the first place" the turtle in white defended, with somewhat accusing tone.
The others felt offended by their brother, who was like he was trying to blame all of them for something... of which he was just as guilty as everyone else was.
"Domenico! None of us, not even you, couldn't have foreseen for this ending up like this." Leo snapped with the scolding tone back to his brother.
"Yes, Dom. You DID warn us about the consequences, I'll give you that. But you did participate in last night's events nonetheless. It doesn't make you any less guilty than any of the rest of us." Raph agreed with his brother.
"So don't you even try to argue against that. You know all too well that you are as much to blame for this as everyone else is." Mary said with scolding tone.
"So, welcome to the club, the emperor and duke of hypocrisy and pessimism." Louie congratulated sarcastically.
"Hey! I agreed to accompany you guys to inside of the museum only because someone needed to keep an eye on all of you." Dom defended, though feeling now himself offended for being accused by his brothers and sisters for trying to put the blame on them instead of accepting to be as much to blame as the rest of his family.
"Nag, nag, nag." Louie retorted.
"That's the poorest excuse EVER!" Raph snarled.
"Never thought you to be so hypocrite, bro." Arcee countered
"You better stop arguing that you weren't involved in this all the time before you make things even worse, bro." Mary advised with calm yet stern voice.
"And speaking of keeping an eye on everyone ... I thought it was my responsibility as a leader to keep an eye on everyone, Dom." Leo then remarked.
"Yeah, it is. And speaking of which, bro, I expected that as the responsible leader of this team, you would have supported my proposal and pulled us away from something that wasn't even our concern in the first place, but you didn't. Instead, you led us into a trouble, Leo." Dom countered.
"And let those ninjas to carry on what they were doing in the museum. Don't you get it, Dom? That what they were doing there was a burglary... and that's against the law!" Mary countered.
"Mary got a point there, Dom. And like I said just a moment ago. As a ninjas and warriors, we are honor-bound by the Bushido-code to fight for justice. And that's exactly what we did back there. So, are you trying to say we should have just drop the whole code and watch those ninjas doing their dirty work through our fingers, and then just let them get away with the ill-gotten stuff? Is that what you're trying to say?" Leo questioned.
Dom was about to say something to counter, until he realized that Leo actually had a point with what he had just said, leaving the turtle in white unable to find the words to counter that... if there even was any.
"Touché." Louie said with the smirk.
"Mark my words, Dom. I would rather endure the Master Splinter's wrath than turn my shell on the Bushido code and my honor." Leo added proudly, as if the whole thing he had just said was some kind of oath that the turtle in blue had just sworn to himself.
"Does that include following Master Splinter's orders when he gives one." Dom asked with the raised eyebrow.
"Especially then!" Leo confirmed. "Especially if the order in question was given with a serious manner, like he just did."
"And how does that not make you as hypocritical turtle here as me Mr. Leonardo, given that you yourself went behind of his orders last night? Dom countered.
The others groaned in annoyance.
"Does it really have to?" Raph groaned in annoyance.
"Well, try to guess who comes to mind, Raph" Arcee said, earning a frown from her hot-headed brother.
While his brothers and sisters were arguing with Dom, Donatello was thinking something in his mind.
Eventually, some idea flashed in his head.
"Hey!" the brainy turtle said, clicking his fingers, before he rushed away from Splinter's room's door.
The other turtles immediately stopped arguing with each other as they saw Donnie leaving for his lab.
"Donnie?" Mary called out to her brother.
"Where you are going, Brainiac?" Raph asked.
All seven turtles then hurried after their brother.
Once the brainy turtle reached to his lab, he immediately rushed over to his computer, turned it on and began to typing away on the keyboard.
"Donnie? What are you doing?" Mary questioned.
"There's more than one way to seek out your enemy." Donnie replied. "Whoever those ninjas are, a criminal organization most likely or some cult, there's gotta be some websites in internet that can tell something about them. If I can find one and hack into it, maybe we can gather the information about them without need to even leave from the lair. Give me a moment to check it out."
Dom opened his mouth to protest. "Haven't we already got ourselves in enough of trouble already?! Because I think that Splinter said...?" he attempted to say.
"DO-OM!" all seven turtles shouted in unison, silencing their brother before he could've continue.
"What? What did I say?" Dom asked, shrugging his shoulders.
###
Elsewhere, the ninja warrior Jennika - now without her mask - was standing in middle of the small but tall room, which was illuminated by the several lit Japanese torch lights, creating an hellish red twilight in the room. In the room was a blood-red wooden floor, black-painted walls and red ceiling. In the same room was two large wooden doors, one in her left and one in her right, and both doors had the large blood-red foot-print symbol on them. The same symbol was also in middle of the room's floor, on top of which Jennika was just standing. In front of her was a round closed doorway, what was surrounded by a red Chinese dragon figure carved out of red wood, which was spreading its red wings against a black wall.
Jennika was standing with her arms crossed over her chest while facing the round doorway, as if she was waiting for someone to arrive. She let go of a small but audible disapproving snort while tapping her fingers, clearly having waited in the same spot unnecessarily long and was growing impatient.
Finally, when Jennika was just about to lose her patience, the doors of the red round doorway split in two, revealing from behind of the room behind of the doors the scarred-faced bald man she had been waiting, Tatsu, accompanied by two ninjas. Tatsu was also holding something in his hands; something that was covered with the cloth.
Jennika shot at Tatsu a harsh glare with her amber eyes. "Tatsu! You're late!" she said coldly.
"Jennika." Tatsu addressed with as cold voice, before - quite reluctantly - made the light and short-lasted bow to the fellow ninja warrior. "I am well aware of that myself without you telling me."
"I'm telling you this because I am quite surprised that from such of high-ranked and well-experienced warrior of the Foot like yourself, it took more than half of the night to simply break in the museum under the cover of the distraction, steal the Goblin Blade from its case and then return to the base with the goods!" Jennika scolded with harsh voice. "And yet you said that it wouldn't take long from you and your men. So what took you so long? Did you get into trouble with the police?"
"Those American amateurs?" Tatsu scoffed. "No police is match for the power of the Foot, as you should know."
"So what happened?" Jennika asked again.
Tatsu first paid a quick yet stern glance at his ninjas behind him, ordering them to leave. And once they had retreated back through the round doorway and the doors closed in front of them, Tatsu turned back to Jennika.
"Breaking in the museum was easy, too easy now that the power was out." Tatsu began. "But when we were close to getting the Goblin Blade out of its case, we were suddenly under attack, taken by surprise. And trust me, Jennika. Those attackers... It was something I have never seen before in my life."
"Attacked?" By who or what?" Jennika demanded.
"By KAPPA!" Tatsu replied with slightly raised voice and with the manner, as if he was telling her a ghosts-story,
The cold glare on Jennika's faces faded away after what Tatsu had just told her. And instead, she tilted her head slightly left and quirked her right brow in confusion.
"Kappa?" Jennika questioned.
"Yes, Jennika. That's what I saw back in there. Kappa-Tengu! Demons with the eyes of malice! They speak and think like us humans. They use the regular human equipment, yet they fought like demons!" Tatsu said, describing the attackers to Jennika.
Jennika, however, scoffed and rolled her eyes at Tatsu's claim. "Tatsu, you superstitious old fool. We both know that Kappa-Tengu does not even exist. If you came to tell the Japanese ghost-story to somebody, you got the wrong guy." Jennika said dismissively.
"Foolish woman!" Tatsu snapped back harshly. "I'm not that old and I'm not a fool either! I know that I saw out there! I do recognize an evil demon when I see one! These eight green-skinned and shell-backed warriors, marked with the colors of purple, white, orange, pink, black, red, turquoise, and blue colors, even tried to trick me by denying of themselves being demons and called themselves "the turtles", but I won't be fooled by them! Even claimed of having met some of my men earlier too!"
However, unknown to Tatsu, Jennika's head jumped up and her amber eyes grow into saucers upon hearing Tatsu saying there to be about "eight" of his so-called demons, whom he described as "green-skinned" and "shell-backed" warriors, that are marked with eight respective colors "purple, white, orange, pink, black, red, turquoise and blue". It sounded strangely familiar to the female ninja, and her short-lived suspicions were confirmed when Tatsu mentioned that the strange creatures he encountered in the museum called himself as "the turtles."
"The turtles." Jennika muttered, before turning to Tatsu. "You encountered the turtles?"
"Yes. I encountered those Kappa-Tengu freaks in the museum!" Tatsu confirmed. "We probably should tell about this to the master. Those demons could mean trouble to us."
Tatsu was about to head towards the door on his left, but before he could, Jennika grabbed firmly from his right shoulder and forced him to halt. Tatsu looked from the door at Jennika in surprise and irritation, while Jennike stared back with the questioning look.
"Did you get it? Did you got the Goblin Blade?" she demanded to know. "Of did those green warriors got it?!"
"No, they didn't. I got it right here." Tatsu confirmed, partially turning to Jennika and lifted with one hand the cloth by its corner from over what he was carrying: Jennika looked under the cloth and saw that Tatsu was carrying the Goblin Blade he had stolen from the museum on the red ceremonial pillow.
The sight of such of extraordinarily designed, crafted and decorated yet powerful weapon resting on the pillow caused Jennika to look at it almost as if she was disappointed. And staring its shape, design and the its whole presence itself caused her face to shape into the look of the disturbing dread. However, Jennika quickly hid her disappointment and dread from her face, forcing a satisfied and proud smile on her lips before looking up and nodding to Tatsu approvingly, who then lowered the cloth over the blade's handle.
"You got it! Well done, Tatsu. Well done." Jennika congratulated the fellow high-ranking ninja master with the forced smile. "The master will be pleased of the success of your mission, indeed."
Jennika then turned around and began to head towards the door, motioning Tatsu to follow. "Come. Let's show it to the master at once."
Tatsu stared at the woman with the slight confusion, as if the obvious threat of the turtles didn't matter to Jennike.
However, he did follow the woman nonetheless with the sword in his possession. But when they were standing at the doors and were just about to enter inside, Tatsu moved swiftly in front of Jennika and confronted the ninja woman about her apparent lack of concern about the matter in the hand.
"Jennika! What about those Kappa?! Are we not going to tell to the master anything about that matter?!" the ninja master asked, demanding an answer.
"You got that Goblin Blade already, Tatsu. That's the most important thing here, not those turtles. And there is no need here to talk to the master about them now that the task is completed." Jennika reasoned.
However, Tatsu got closer of her face with an angry snarl. "Do not underestimate them, Jennika! These demons are more than meets the eye! They nearly wiped out all my men without getting even a single scratch themselves! And if they attacked us once already, they'll obviously do it again in other time! That's why we have to hunt them down and KILL THEM! Before they can cause us any more trouble!"
Jennika then took a step closer of Tatsu with such a swift move that could've forced any man to take a step back. However, Tatsu stood his ground, not deterred by Jennika's swift and forceful step, or her intimidating scowl she was giving him.
"Listen to me here, you walking chew toy of a rat!" Jennika said sharply, earning with her insult a venomous frown from Tatsu.
Jennika didn't care about it but kept going. "Last time I checked, the master was in a quite pleasant mood! You know all too well what he is like when his good mood suddenly disappears. And so, telling him about those turtles will only stir his wrath."
Though not wanting to admit it, Tatsu knew that Jennika was speaking truth about one thing: He KNEW what their master is like when he is in the ill-mood. "But keeping knowledge from him does not please him either. You know that as well."
Jennika nodded in confirmation. "True. But what he doesn't know, cannot hurt him... and so it cannot hurt you neither." the ninja woman reasoned. "Besides, I prefer to keep the master in a good mood today by just telling him about the success of your mission and nothing about else. You hear me, Tatsu! Only about the success of your mission, nothing about else!"
Tatsu looked a hesitant to follow Jennika's advise, even though he too would prefer to face the master when he was in the good mood. He wasn't a coward, but meeting a man capable of cold-blooded murder in a bad mood is as pleasant as meeting a sudden death sentence. The last time that happened was not long ago, and it was a clear message enough in order to avoid getting their master's bad side.
"Fine." Tatsu said, begrudgingly giving in. "I'll tell him only about the success of my mission, nothing about else, earning an approval - yet without the smile - nod from Jennika.
Jennika then walked past Tatsu and moved to open the door.
"However!" Tatsu called her again.
Jennika sighed in annoyance, struggling the urge to roll her eyes to the continuation of this debate while their master was waiting. However, swallowing her irritation and begrudgingly turned around to face Tatsu one more time.
The older ninja master was shooting at her a warning look with his cold eyes while pointing at Jennika with his free hand's finger, while holding the pillow and the sword on it woth his other hand, careful not to drop it off the pillow.
"We both know exactly for what this Goblin Blade is for, and the master is expecting that to be a successful mission as well, and I'm gonna make it sure it will be a success! But if those Kappa freaks reappear and lead the whole operation to the complete failure, this is all on you! Mark my words, woman!" Tatsu warned coldly, before taking the pillow and the sword on it back in his both hands.
Jennika shrugged, as if she did not mind about Tatsu's pretty clear warning. "Then make sure the mission will be successful, Tatsu."
"I will." Tatsu added with the firm determination.
With that, Jennika turned back to the door and opened them, before she walked through them inside of the throne room, Tatsu following closely behind.
As they entered, they saw a man standing in middle of the blood-red floor of the throne room. He was dressed in the white Japanese robe and with the gray vest, which was adorned with two same blood-red three-toed ninja symbols. He had a short - though chin-length - and dark-blue haircut and a stern frown on his face.
The man then took off his shirt and took a battle-ready pose. With that, about ten ninja warriors then moved out of the shadows and from behind of the room's columns and walked towards the man, surrounding him. All of them then knelt down in front of him.
"Master." all of them said in unison, as they bowed to the man in respect.
The man then put his hands together and bowed back to the ninjas as well.
A moment of silence then fell upon the room, while Jennika and Tatsu followed it from aside.
"Begin." the man then said calmly.
One of the ninjas then drew out his sword and jumped at the man as he was still standing in the bowing pose, swinging his sword down on him. The ninja could have decapitated the man with his sword if he hadn't dodged it by jumping upright surprisingly fast. Then just as quickly as he had evaded the ninja's sword, the man then side kicked the ninja away, sending him flying the other side of the room.
The second ninja then drew out two swords and jumped at the man. The ninja attempted to bring his left sword down on the man, but he blocked it with his right wrist. The ninja then attempted again and this time with his right sword, but the man blocked it with his left wrist, before he quickly spun around and moved behind of the ninja. The ninja turned around, but was met with the man's firm palm strike, that knocked off his feet and send him flying on his back to the floor.
The man turned his head slight as the third ninja, who wielded Kusarigama, spun his weapon's chain wildly above of his head. And then, he threw the chain's weight towards the man, but he missed him as the man flipped out of the chain's weight's way and towards the door of the room.
The ninjas then charged after him, one of them climbing on top of one of the red beams and running along it towards the man, as he stood nearly in front of the doors. That ninja then jumped off the beam, landing behind of the man with his sword drawn out. The ninja then lunged at the man from behind, trying to bring his sword down on his head, but the man then back flipped and kicked the ninja with his right foot, sending him into fourth ninja, knocking them both down.
As the ninjas charged, the sixth one attacked the man directly, with his sword held high above his head. But before he could hit the man with it, the man snap-kicked him in the chest with his left foot, sending him flying away. The seventh with the Naginata then attempted to swing his spear's blade at the man's head, but the man dodged the blade from under it. But as the ninja charged forward in an attempt to run the spear through the man, he spun around and out of the spear's way before he brought his right arm down onto the spear with enough force that broke the spear's haft in half. The man then proceed to kick the surprised ninja in the back with his right foot, sending him head-first against the doors. The man grunted in pain upon impact, before he dizzily stepped away from the door. And after a moment, he fell onto his back beside of observing Jennika and Tatsu, out cold.
The third ninja spun his Kusarigama's chain wildly again, before he threw its weight towards the man. However, the man managed to snatch the chain from bellow its weight with his hand, and then he pulled hard from the chain, sending the ninja holding from it flying to the air. The ninja yelled as he flew over the man's head and hit upside down against the column behind him, before he fell back to the floor.
Eight ninja, armed with the pair of Kamas, then charged at the man, holding his sickle-bladed weapon up in the air and ready to bring them down on the man. However, as the ninja attempted to bring his right Kama down on the man, the man seized his right arm with his left hand before grabbing from his suit with his right, and then threw the ninja over him and to the other side of the room.
Second ninja then, having recovered from the man's palm-strike earlier, charged at the man again and attempted to bring both his swords down on him, only for the man to block them both with his left wrist, before he punched the ninja hard with his right and, sending him flying away. The man then turned slightly to his right and side-kicked away the ninth ninja who attempted to jump at him from his right with his sword held high. The kick caused the ninth ninja to drop his sword, which the man then caught from the air with his right hand.
The man then switched the blade to his right hand as the tenth and final ninja charged at him. The ninja swung his sword at the man from his right, but the man blocked it with his own. The ninja tried to strike him again from above, but the man blocked his strike again, this time holding with his left palm from his own sword's blade. The man then moved with his sword the ninja's blade away, breaking through of the ninja's defense before kicking him to his right side, sending the ninja flying onto his back to the floor.
As all ten ninjas were lying defeated on the floor, moaning in pain, the man dropped his sword to the floor and stood still for a moment. Despite the recent workout and its tough and obviously sweaty going, the man was like he wasn't exhausted from the workout at all, nor even had broke a sweat. Instead, he looked to be ready for another round if there was any more ninjas still up on their feet.
It was then when Jennika took a step forward from Tatsu's side and started walking slowly towards the man while his back was still turned to her. Slowly but certainly, Jennika picked up the pace to the jogging speed, before she reached her hand for her sword's handle and drew it out. And as she gripped from it with both hands, Jennika picked up the pace to the running speed, charging at the man with the intention to strike him with her sword.
However, as Jennika swung her sword towards the man's neck, the man bowed his head down swiftly as the blade was just a few inches away from his neck, before he spun himself around couple times while moving quickly to Jennika's right side, before he aimed the kick with his left foot towards Jennika's neck with the force that could've break it. However, Jennika threw herself forward, somersaulting in the air and landing on her back to the floor, before rolling onto her feet.
Jennika then spun around in the crouched position, taking support from the floor with her right hand while holding her left sword-hand and her sword horizontally up in the air, glaring at the man in front of her, who glared back while taking a battle-ready pose.
Jennika then jumped forward and charged towards the man, but before she engaged him in the combat, Jennika spun around and threw four Shurikens at the man, which the man evaded with the move that was the mixture of the backward flip and the barrel roll in the air, managing to survive from the Throwing Stars without the scratch.
Jennika then began waving her Katana towards the man with rapid repetitive moves, aiming at his head, neck and chest, but the man proved to be too skilled and faster by both body and mind. He predicted Jennika's moves one after the other and effectively either moved out of her sword's way at every strike - making Jennika to miss him by few inches - or blocked the strikes with bare hands, aiming his palms and wrists to the flat sides of the blade.
Jennika then attempted to run her sword through of the man's, but he moved out of her blade's way before he then kicked the sword out of Jennika's hand with his left foot, sending Jennika's sword flying to the air. Jennika was briefly stunned by this, from which the man took the advantage of. The man then moved forward towards Jennika and began to rain the series of punches and palm strikes at her from both left and right side, forcing her to go on the defense and to retreat.
Jennika did her best to block the man's repeating attacks with the great effort, only barely keeping up with the man's swifts moves, but the man eventually broke through of Jennika's defense and the ninja woman was met with multiple punches and palm strikes to her face and chest. The man then spun around and gave a double punch to Jennika's chest, knocking her off her feet and sending her flying backwards. However, Jennika's endurance was tougher than she looked and landed on her hands to the floor before she flipped back on her feet.
Jennika then reached out for her second sword and drew it out. Gripping to the handle with both hands, Jennika charged at the man again, who easily snatched Jennika's sword from the air into his own hand. Gripping from it with both hands too, the man charged at the ninja woman. Jennika and the man then met in middle of the room and clashed their swords together.
Both Jennika and the man then fiercely exchanged the slashes with one another with speed, skill and fierce determination to take one another down. The sound of clashing metals and the duelers' grunts through of their gritted teeth filled the air and the sparks flew from their respective blades' impact against each other.
Between of their clashing, both Jennika and the man attempted to deliver the series of punches and kicks on one another, aiming each other to the head, chest or legs in order to either knock each other out or give the diversion to make either of them to let their guard down or break through their defense and make the finishing move to the weak spot.
For example: After clashing their swords together, the man attempted to sweep Jennika's legs off from under with his right leg, but Jennika flipped over it, before attempted to punch with her right fist at the man's head after another clash of their swords. The man leaned his head backwards to avoid the punch, but then she managed to lay a punch in Jennika's stomach, making her grunt in pain. Then the man spun around and attempted to slash Jennika by swinging his sword at her unprotected right side. Jennika, however, moved her sword in the man's sword way, before she moved the man's sword out of her way and attempted to snap kick with the man in the face with her right foot. When she missed him due to the man leaning his head backwards again, Jennika spun around and attempted to send the kick with her right leg at the man's chest, only for the man to block it with his crossed wrists.
Jennika then moved forward and attempted to stab the man again, only for the man to block the attempted stab with the swing of his sword from underneath of the black, knocking Jennika's sword slightly upwards, before the man spun around and brought his sword forcefully down onto her sword, knocking it off the woman's hand.
Jennika tried quickly reach to her Tantos, but the man then kneed her in the chest with his left knee, nearly forcing the air out of her. Jennika gasped from the painful impact of the man's knee against her chest and bent over, though she stubbornly struggled against the urging feel to fall onto her knees to the floor from pain and slight dizziness.
However, the man then snap kicked him with his left foot, making Jennika to fly backwards, before the man the delivered the kick to her chest with right foot that finally knocked Jennika off her feet and sent her flying woman onto her back to the floor.
With Jennika defeated, the man dropped both his fighting pose and Jennika's borrowed sword to the floor.
"Excellent training, Jennika. My thanks." the man said, pleased of the success of this training session, before he clapped his hands together and patiently waited for his defeated opponent to get up.
Jennika, fighting against the pain, struggled as quickly as she could to get back to her feet. And once she was back on her feet in front of the man, Jennika clapped her hands together and bowed to the man.
"It was my honor, master." Jennika said humbly while bowing.
The man bowed back.
In the background, while waiting for his turn next to the door, Tatsu watched both Jennika and their master in the shadows as they both bowed respectfully to each other after the match. Tatsu's eyes were locked on Jennika, glaring at the woman with his eyes full of venomous envy and contempt.
The ninja master felt that not only was the woman able to talk him around about some things, such as convincing him not to mention the appearance of those turtles and how they nearly thwarted his mission to get the Goblin Blade just when their master was in a good mood, but he also felt that Jennika was stealing majority of their master's favor to himself over him. Like now, when Jennika was praised by the master for giving him a good training session that pleased him even more.(1)
Tatsu hated Jennika bitterly for that. And if it was up to him, he would gladly challenge Jennika to a mortal duel and thus get rid of her once and for all, but not before humiliating the woman by stealing her clan symbol from her suit as a trophy - the loss of which was considered as one of the clan's greatest shame. And he hoped that their master would be there to witness his victory as well as the humiliation of his rival, after which he would give him his favor over Jennika.
Or, he could also challenge Jennika to the regular duel but trick her during of the match to make her to slice across his own clan symbol in his suit with her sword, which also was considered as one of the most disgraceful actions against the clan. This violation would effectively result in the offender being casted out of the clan, deprived of all the rank positions she has earned, her suit, weapons, and symbol would be taken away, and she would eventually be executed.(2)
However, as beautiful as such of though was, Tatsu had to focus in the matter in the hand.
"Master?" Jennika said, changing the subject. "Tatsu just returned from his mission. He's waiting there with the goods." the ninja woman said, gesturing with her hand at Tatsu's direction.
The man turned to the door and saw Tatsu, carrying a covered pillow in his arms.
"Ah, Tatsu. A perfect timing for you to arrive." the main said in the pleasant tone.
Tatsu bowed deep down in respect for his master, as he walked away from Jennika to where he had dropped his shirt. He picked it up from the floor, put it back on and turned back to Tatsu.
"I trust you bring good news." he said with the smile as he walked towards his loyal servant.
"Yes, master." Tatsu replied calmly, as the man stood in front of him.
"Were there any problems during the mission, Tatsu?" the man questioned.
After hearing this question, Tatsu felt an urge to tell him about the turtles' showing up in the museum during of his mission and nearly thwarting the whole thing, until he stole a swift glance at Jennika who stood at the background. Jennika gave Tatsu a stern glare and nodded her head towards their master, silently reminding Tatsu about their master's good mood and their agreement about of not to tell him a word about the turtles.
Tatsu slightly grimaced in disgust that he had to go along with Jennika's plan to keep the master in the good mood and begrudgingly gave her a nod before turning back to his master, who was waiting for his answer.
"No, master. There were no problems. Everything went according to the plan. And we got what you requested." Tatsu said.
The ninja master then knelt down in front of his master and lifted the pillow towards him. The man then pulled off the cloth covering the pillow and the stolen "Goblin Blade" that rested on it.
The man grinned even wider at the sight of the sword. "Ah! The Sword of Tengu." the man said as he took the hold of its handle and picked it up from the pillow, marveling its blade and design in front of his face. "Still just as potent after all these years."
The man then walked to the large glass case in order side of the room, that contained the ominous-looking Samurai-styled armor full of blades and black cape. He held the sword's blade close to it and its blade began to glow. This pleased the man even more.
"And still able to locate other artifacts that share its unique origin. Yes... this sword will help me to track those that I have been hunting for all these years." The man said, before he walked back to Tatsu.
"Take it to the Tech Division, Tatsu." the man instructed, as he put the sword back on the pillow. "It's time to proceed to the phase two!"
Keeping a calm look on his face to hide a little frustration that the master did not praise him as much for his success in the mission as he did to Jennika a moment ago, Tatsu bowed deeply to his master before he turned around and left the room the Sword of Tengu with him.
After Tatsu was gone, Jennika turned to the man with the curious look. "Master? What is this 'phase two' you were talking about? And what does what Goblin Blade have anything to do with it?" she asked curiously.
"Well, Jennika. You see..." the man began. "My agents reported to me yesterday that they made an interesting discovery in the docks near the Brooklyn Bridge. An abandoned artifact that has something to do with my enemies that might be hiding from me in this very city."
The man then walked towards his table and sat behind of it. "I want that artifact in my hands so that my scientists can analyze it to see if my assumptions are correct. And that's for what the Sword of Tengu is required; To make sure that the artifact is fished from the river without damaging it further." the man said, ending his explanation.
"Ah, I see it, master. Maybe your assumptions may turn out to be correct after this missions." Jennika said supportively, earning the nod with the smile from her master.
Jennika then bowed to the man. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a routine rooftop patrol to lead tonight."
With her master's permission, Jennika turned around and left the room. However, before she exited through the doors, the ninja woman side glanced back at her master with the hidden look of concern on the face.
###
Back in the lair, throughout the first day under house arrest, the turtles were on their normal routines of the day.
Mary was meditating on the wooden railing of the bridge while Leo was practicing some kata moves of his at the lair's Dōjō.
Raph and Dom where in the training ground as well: Raph was giving a good beating to the punching dummy while Dom was practicing the wrist- and shin-blocks and counter-attacks to the rotating, wooden practice post's poles.
Donnie - who had moved to the computer table next to the entertainment zone's TV screens - had spent the whole day with his computers, attempting to find some answers to their questions about those mysterious ninjas. However, the results of his hard work were not very good, because he was unable to find any information about those ninjas' or their crime or cult organization from the internet. One possible reason for this was that a few websites with the same ninja symbol were protected by a very complex firewalls that even Donnie found surprisingly challenging to break into.
And the rest of them, Mikey, Arcee and Louie were spending their time in the entertainment zone.
Arcee was, as usually, meditating in the corner of the entertainment zone while listening her relaxing music discs with her record player. Mikey was sitting on the couch, reading the comic book while eating chips. And Louie himself was sitting next to the turtle in orange, watching the news from TV screens while eating some pizza.
The turtles were watching from TV-screens this morning's news that were repeated in TV. The news told even more about the events of last night in the museum.
"Both the director of the museum and the police are puzzled about the mess in the museum's Japanese exhibit, that most likely happened last night during a mysterious blackout that caused a large part of New York City to fall under the darkness. The police believes this to be a burglar, because one museum object was found missing: the unique ancient Japanese sword, once known as the name The Sword of Tengu." the news reporter's voice said in screen as it showed the messed room of Japanese exhibit, along with the sword's display case with the round hole in its glass.
The blade's name got the turtles interest, including Arcee as she quit her meditation session, stood up and headed to the couch with Mikey and Louie.
"That sword had a name? The Sword of Tengu?" Mikey questioned.(3)
"Yeah! Kinda shell-kicking name for such of shell-kicking blade." Louie commented, recalling the last night's events.
"But what does that name even means?" Arcee asked.
"I may know why that sword is called with that name, especially after reading something about the day when that weapon was discovered. It has a quite interesting history." Donnie replied, though not taking his eyes from the computer screens.
A sweating Dom, while having a little break from his long-lasted and hard workout, headed from the Dōjō to the entertainment zone as the younger siblings were discussing with Donnie about that from the museum stolen sword and its in the news mentioned name, the Sword of Tengu.
"Which is mostly consider as a mere myth." Dom said logically, as he leaned over to the couch's back with his elbows, right behind of Mikey and Louie, while looking at the TV screens that showed the mess inside of the museum's Japanese exhibit.
"No one asked your opinion here." Louie said dismissively, still not taking kindly of Dom's boastful attitude earlier.
"Myth or not. Tell us, Donnie, what do you know?" Arcee pleaded out of curiosity.
"Well, I do not know much but when some human explorers found that sword in Japan in some point at the end of 20th century, they discovered that something had been engraved to both sides of the sword's blade. The written that says in Japanese "Fallen from the Heavens and crafted by Goblins"." Donnie explained.(4)
"Goblins?" Louie questioned.
"Fairy-tale creatures. Live in the 'real world', will ya, guys?!" Dom scoffed, rolling his eyes.
However, irritated by his brother, Louie picked up his pizza box with unfinished pizza inside of it from the table with his leg and then kick the box squarely right at Dom's face to shut him up.
SPLATS!
"HEY! Dom cried, surprised by the pizza-box and unfinished pizza that hit his faces, making him step backwards too hastily that he eventually lost the footing on the edge of the outer ring of the lair's floor and fell off it, landing with the thud and grunt on his shell to the inner level's floor.
"Sovvy." Louie apologized fake-innocently, though he couldn't hold back his snickering as he peeked from behind of the couch's back at brother, who glared at him darkly with his faces stained with pizza toppings.
"Don't look at me like that, bro! You kinda asked for it." Louie said, justifying his actions, before he turned back to Donnie. "Please, continue, Brainiac."
"Well, as I was saying..." Donnie continued. "These goblins I mentioned are called Tengu: A legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion. In Japanese legends, they're traditionally depicted as a mix of characteristics of humans and avian - like anthropomorphic birds or men with either a bird's beak in the place of nose or unnaturally long noses and birds wings in the back - with the mystic abilities and powers. And in the worse case, they're sometimes depicted as a Japanese demons. For example, that Tatsu-guy back in the museum mistook us for Kappa, a species of demon in Japanese folklore that resembles greatly us, the turtles."
"But all of that is just a rubbish, as Tengu are mostly a mere make-believe things only for superstitious people." Dom said as he hopped back to the entertainment zone, wiping the pizza toppings off his face.
"And your point is?" Louie questioned.
"Well, my best guess is that whoever is the person who crafted that sword and wrote those engravings in Japanese into its blade, he most likely wanted the play with the superstitious people's beliefs by boasting it to be so-called "mystic" gift from so-called Tengu themselves to scare them off their pants. That is nowadays considered as a possible theory of the sword's and its name's background or something like that." Dom explained logically.
However, his younger siblings weren't convinced by this.
"But how can they even consider that to be just a theory if they did not even know for what that sword is capable of?" Louie questioned.
It was then when Mary appeared to the entertainment zone, having witnessed her brothers and sister's discussing about the sword.
"And what about what Donnie said earlier about that sword when he theorized its strange capabilities, Dom? "Some kind of device in a form of the sword with ability to pack up and shoot the powerful shell-kicking shockwaves?" Besides, keep in mind that that sword dates back to a time when modern technology didn't even exist." Mary remarked.(4)
The turtles were completely puzzled by the many comparable and logically complicated theories of the origins of that sword and its name.
"At least there is no point even trying to combine theories with each other. Otherwise it would sound more weird than what it actually is already." Arcee eventually said.
The word "weird" got Louie's interest.
"And speaking of weirdness..." turtle in black began, as he looked over his shoulder at Splinters room. "Have you guys noticed that Splinter has acted quite weirdly since morning. He hasn't showed up from his room for his usual routines. Not even for the Ninjutsu training session. And that's weird enough, because he has never before missed - and not the mention about the word "skipped" - any training sessions for any reason, except now."
The subject of talk immediately changed among the turtles, as all of them around the couch turned their eyes at Splinter's room.
"Yeah. Louie's right. What's up with the big cheese? He's been zoning in there all day." Mikey asked, as confused of Splinter's odd behavior as Louie was.
"It's probably that ninja symbol." Leo replied, as he kept practicing with his Katanas in Dōjō. "It's got Sensei all weirded out."
The other turtles around of the couch nodded in agreement.
"It is understandable if Splinter is still upset with us for the last night, but this is something new. Something more. Something deeper than just that." Dom said, worriedly staring at Splinter's room.
"You're telling me, bro." Arcee agreed. "I've never seen father so unease before. You don't think there might be something big between of him and those ninja guys?"
"Hmm! Well, judging from his reaction after seeing that symbol, his unease voice, reluctance to answer our questions... even that little outburst at Raph's suggestion to go after them, I wouldn't be surprised." Mary admitted.
Raph was elsewhere starting to get both frustrated and impatient of the lack of their progress to find the answers for their questions, that he began to punch and kick his punching dummy even harder and harder in anger.
"I've had enough of this pointless sitting and waiting around! If Splinter won't tell us anything, I say we head topside, find those ninja-guys, kick their ninja-butts, uncover their ninja-secrets, and find out the whole ninja-story for ourselves!" Raph declared before he, letting out the angry roar, spun around and unleashed a powerful kick to the back of the dummy's head, which knocked it off from the dummy's shoulders.
The force of Raph's kick sent the dummy's severed head fly across the air to the other side of the lair, 'till it landed in a bag of chips that was laying next to Michelangelo, startling the turtle in orange.
"Whoa, remind me never to get on your bad side, dude." Mikey replied nervously.
"Too late, bro." Raph muttered coldly.
Raph then left from Dōjō and began walking towards the lair's entrance. However, Leo sheathed his Katanas and hurried ahead of Raph from above, 'till he landed soon back to the ground to block the entrance from Raph, preventing the hotheaded turtle from leaving the lair.
"Hang on, Raph. No one's going anywhere." Leo said firmly, folding his hands.
While witnessing this from the entertainment zone, Dom smirked at Leo for preventing Raph from leaving the lair.
"Finally he does heed my advice from the last night." the turtle in white muttered gleefully, much to the others annoyance.
Almost immediately Raph took the offensive pose after Leo blocked his way out of the lair. "Seriously?! We've gone this same thing through too many times, Leo. Get out of my way, or else..." Raph threatened, before he was cut short by Donnie, who called all of them while sitting on his computer.
"Hey guys! Check this out! I've hacked into the power company's computer system. Looks like there's another blackout in the topside tonight." Donnie informed to them as the turtles gathered around of the brainy turtle to check his discovery.
"Another blackout?!" Dom questioned.
"Yes. And this one is taking place down by the South Street Seaport." Donnie confirmed.
The turtles immediately grew suspicious of these news.
"Ain't it weird, guys? Two blackouts in two consecutive nights?" Arcee asked.
"Yeah! Now I'm officially assured that this ain't a coincidence." Mary admitted.
"I smell a rat... and I don't mean Splinter." Raph replied.
"Me too, bro." Louie replied in agreement. "I'm starting to get the feeling that maybe those ninjas have something to do with this blackout, because they were on the move exactly at the same time when the first blackout appeared. What do you guys think?"
"I'm exactly thinking the same, bro." Mary replied. "Maybe we should pay a look to the South Street Seaport and check out what's truly going on."
"As you wish, milady." Raph said as he started to head once again to the entrance of the lair... Louie and Mary following right behind of him.
However, dumbfounded Leo and Dom were instantly protesting this.
"Hey! Where you guys think you're going?! Remember that we've been placed under house arrest!" Dom reminded.
"Hang on guys. Splinter told us..." Leo attempted to halt his brothers and sister, until he was cut short by Louie.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Leo. We already know. Master Splinter told us we're not supposed to go after those ninjas." Louie shot back.
"But did he say anything about not investigating power failures? No, he didn't." Raph pointed out. "So we have a sufficiently reasonable excuse to sneak away to check out what's going on...without the risk of more weeks of house arrest." the turtle in red added as he kept walked.
"Besides, we do not fully know that who really is behind of those blackouts, so we're not going after anyone... yet. And if we encounter those ninjas again while investigating the power failure, it'll be only an innocent coincidence." Louie added as he kept walking, Mary, Donnie, Mikey and Arcee right behind him.
Donnie was more than just pleased about this. "Excellent, I have a few new surveillance toys I want to test."
All six turtles left dumbfounded Leo and Dom behind as they entered outside of the lair's entrance.
Both turtles let out a sigh of defeat before they quickly rushed after their siblings.
"Jeez! Don't you hate it that guys always find some loopholes in Master Splinter's orders and use them to get the upper shell over our protests and attempts to enforce the master's wishes?" Dom asked from Leo as the turtles in blue and white ran into the tunnels through the front door.
"Sometimes, bro. At least it reminds me many times over that it's tough being a leader." Leo replied.
Unknown to the turtles, the Master Splinter had been watching them from behind of the pillar the whole time
TO BE CONTINUE...
TRIVIA
- HELL YEAH! Here I gave a quite moment for Dom of being TMNT family's sourpuss, just like I meant him to be while designing his character!
1 = Because I added my OC character Jennika and Tatsu to the same story, I kinda felt that there needs to be a some sort of rivalry between the characters over of Oroku Saki's/the Shredder's favor, which Jennika seems to be getting more than what Tatsu does. But there's also a reason behind of it, which is seen in the future. Just stay on tune.
2 = I gave a two different things to the Foot Clan's symbols. If the symbol is taken from the clan member's suit, just like Mikey did with one ninja back in the museum, it is considered as a greatest shame in the clan. And if the symbol in the ninja's suit is either purposely or accidentally damaged, that will be a very disgraceful act against the Foot Clan's supposed honor and which is with the penalty of death.
3 = Have you guys even wondered how Splinter and the Turtles actually even knew the Shredder's sword's name, The Sword of Tengu, before their attack on the Foot Clan's headquarter in Return to New York episodes? I kinda decided to write this scene to fill that loophole in the series.
4 = Foreshadowing the episode, "The Secret Origins" by two ways. I kinda felt the urgent to give the Turtles' a bit of the head start to the knowledge about the Sword of Tengu's origin, though not completely by this point of the story.
I fan-casted these actors to voice Jennika and Tatsu in my story.
- Lucy Lawless as Jennika, the high-ranked female lieutenant of the Foot Clan. (Known from her role as the Warrior Princess Xena, Lucretia from Spartacus Series and, by a pretty coincidence, Alien Queen Hiidrala from TMNT 2012 series.)
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Tatsu, the high-ranked lieutenant of the Foot Clan. (Known from his role as a badass Samurai Ujio in The Last Samurai film.)