Chapter Text
Welcome back everyone! It’s time to get into one of the craziest events in the story to date. Things will be chaotic, unhinged, and full of surprises. This won’t be a date chapter but things will be crazier than anything you’ve ever witnessed from this story. Of course, we have an important detail to take care of first. ON TO THE REVIEWS!
duskrider: I’m glad that you enjoyed it! It looks like you’re the only one to mention a rating but that’s fine. Mina liking his turtle look definitely helps things a lot.
UltimateAvengers: Thanks! I figured they had the right kind of energy to be a potential couple.
Guest99: Thanks for the compliment. I will avoid spoiling anything for this chapter.
Skully13: Hello there. Raph may or may not join the site at some point. You are correct that there would be some rather interesting girls out there for him to click with.
djinn: It was something I planned to do a while back but I moved her up due to Halloween being a great time to do Mavis… before I ended up not being able to publish her chapter on Halloween. Anyway, having mutant quirk friends does make it easier for her to be with Mikey.
That looks like everyone so let’s get started! I don't own TMNT or any of the series that show up here. I do own original characters, items, concepts, and anything else that pops up unless stated otherwise.
Voices
“Talking.”
‘Thinking.’
“YELLING!”
“Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, big twist at the end of a section.”
“AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!”
“Whispering.”
“Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering.”
September 17, 2012
New York City, New York
Hamato Yoshi, a man of spiritual peace, was anxious. He walked back and forth, one hand behind his back while the other clenched his cane. His sons and Casey sat before him, Michelangelo sneakily rating his date at a nine through the T-phone. They had just informed him of the events of the day, events that he was not particularly proud of. He turned towards them as Mikey kicked the phone away, stamping his cane on the ground.
“You five have exposed us all,” growled the rat man. He pointed towards Casey, the human jerking. “You could not determine the intentions of your enemy before it was too late. You put yourself in danger and brought about this situation. You have dishonored the teachings I have provided.”
The hockey player looked away, not saying anything. The elder then pointed towards Raph, huffing. “You should have knocked the enemy out when you were behind her. You allowed her to grow stronger and put your brothers in danger. I KNOW you are better than this, which disappoints me the most.”
Raph looked like he had something to say before this, only to go silent as he looked towards the ground. “Donatello, you allowed the enemy to capture you. This escalated the situation to where you could have lost your life. Did you not train for such situations?” The genius looked up as if to defend himself, only to shrivel up at the gaze that was upon him.
Splinter then walked to be in front of Leonardo, the leader having his head on the mat. “Leonardo, as the leader of this team you are expected to act in swiftness and obtain the advantage whenever possible. You should have already been in the building instead of waiting on the outside. The environment would have allowed for such a thing.” Leo kept his head down, not looking his sensei in the eye.
“Hai, Sensei,” stated the leader in blue. “I-” Mikey looked towards their father, his eyes narrowing.
“Master, Leo followed the plan the four of us made together,” corrected the childish son. “If you’re going to call him out for it, it’s something that applies to all of us.” Raph gave him an annoyed look while the others gave him shocked ones. Splinter narrowed his eyes, looking back at the empowered one. He turned around, slowly walking towards him.
“Be that as it may, it was his ultimate decision to move forward with this plan. It is HIS responsibility to determine what the best path forward is on missions.” Mikey didn’t let up his expression, keeping things respectful.
“Not every plan survives the first encounter. Yes, as ninjas it’s our job to get things right the first time, but we performed honorably in adapting to the situation as things progressed.” The rat master was slightly taken aback by this response. He almost swore he saw a different person in front of him, needing a single moment to gather himself. He kept his composure strong, walking a bit away from the turtle.
“Perhaps it is time I remind you of your failings. Your mission was to ensure the safety of this young woman you were to have an evening with, yet you abandoned it. Not only that, you exposed your capabilities. Not only that, you did not immediately contact your brothers beforehand. If anything had happened to the young woman, the mission would have been a complete failure.”
Mikey remained firm as the walking tip of the cane was pointed at him, looking his master in the eye. “You were unable to take on the enemy with your speed, you took unnecessary risks, and what’s worse: you risked your life. Every shinobi must return alive to the best of their ability. That man who came with her will file your existence with his country, thus giving the Foot Clan an insight into what could have been our ultimate tool against them and severed any peace we could have had during the day.” The youngest turtle narrowed his eyes further, keeping his emotions in check.
“What was I supposed to do? Let Casey get hurt or worse?” Splinter didn’t give up his position, his staff still pointed at the boy.
“The assailant should have been allowed to escape so that you could have done so yourselves. Secrecy and information are most valuable to the shinobi way, and you threw both out of the window tonight. As a shinobi, your life and the mission come first. No exceptions!” The turtle took slow breaths, shaking his head.
“Does that mean if it were one of us, you wouldn’t do the same?” The master slowly began to anger, only to see the softening of his youngest’s eyes. “If it came down to a mission that all of us were on and one of us was in danger, you wouldn’t do anything but follow the mission?” For the first time, Hamato Yoshi didn’t know what to say. He sighed, tapping his cane on the ground.
“My son, I did not say that. What I meant was-” Mikey stood up, turning around to where his face couldn’t be seen.
“No, you didn’t. It felt implied. Goodnight, Father.” Mikey suddenly blitzed away, his T-Phone nowhere to be found. Leo looked like he wanted to say something, only for Splinter to hold a hand up.
“Leave me. Casey, go home.” The turtles bowed their heads as Casey made his way out, Leo looking uncertain.
“Master, just give Mikey time,” reassured the leader. “He needs to process everything.” Leonardo quickly made his exit with his remaining brothers, Splinter turning towards the large bonsai tree. Mikey’s words stung slightly, the master not sure what to do. He could only sigh, deciding to meditate on how best to approach this new scenario.
The Next Day
Mikey could be seen playing a video game, his face not carrying the same happiness it once did. He couldn’t get the argument from the prior night out of his head, affecting his ability to sleep. The youngster felt a bit betrayed, as if a blade were plunged into his chest. He didn’t even get upset as he got a game over, simply restarting from the last save point he had been on. Raph crossed his arms, being in his human form while leaning against one of the stone walls.
“He better not be like this the whole time,” huffed the redhead. “This would hurt any dates he has and I’m already sick of grumpy Mikey. He just brushed me off and said nothing at breakfast. I never knew dealing with someone as snarky as me was this annoying.” Donnie rolled his eyes, working on an invention.
“Well it’s not like Master Splinter has spoken much either,” stated the genius. “He's been in deep meditation ever since last night. He’s worked himself into a trance. I tried to tell him about breakfast but he hasn’t moved an inch.” Leo looked towards the others, crossing his arms.
“Mikey and Master Splinter need time to calm down and think,” stated the leader. “Last night was tense for everyone. We just need to be there for Mikey and wait for Splinter to exit meditation. Just have to find out what Mikey might want to do.” Donnie was about to bring something up, only to grin as he ran past his brothers.
“APRIL!” cried the boy. The group looked towards the entrance to the lair as the now human brunette boy lifted their redheaded companion into the air in a hug. “You’re back!” The girl giggled, poking his nose playfully as he set her down.
“I had to come see you as soon as Dad let me out,” stated the redhead. “I enjoyed every moment of being with you~.” Donnie giggled with a blush, only for April to frown as she looked towards the depressed Mikey. “What’s wrong?” Raph held his hands up, knowing he would be the first suspect.
“Mikey’s date took a nosedive and we’re exposed to some government guy,” stated the redhead boy. “Splinter got onto us but he said something that’s got Mikey in a mood. Now he’s not talking and Splinter’s been meditating all night. The date was fine before the whole ‘exposed’ thing.” April approached Mikey, the turtle huffing in annoyance.
“Are you alright, Mikey? Don’t you have a date today?” The turtle continued to play his game, still scowling.
“What happened last night made the service make everyone take a break so that they could search the system for any other criminals,” huffed the goofball. “I’m fine. Just waiting for Splinter to tell me I’m not part of the service anymore. Like he cares about how I feel.” Leo looked like he wanted to object, only for April to rub the uncharacteristically emo boy’s shoulders.
“Well sitting around here and moping about it won’t do you any good. You need some fresh air.” The empath suddenly grinned, looking around the room. “That reminds me! There’s a huge event going down at The Cavern!”
The turtles looked towards her, Mikey raising his brow. “They’re giving away a console set up to whoever can get the highest score of the day, and it’s all retro games! The top prize is a high definition TV, the latest console, and a collection of cheap games in a travel case! We haven’t been out on the town to hang out before so it would be perfect! We could set it up at my place so that we don’t have to worry about someone finding the lair!” Raph cracked his knuckles, grinning.
“All we need to do is be awesome at the games we already play down here?” questioned the hothead. “Sign me up.” Mikey bopped his head around as he looked tempted, April smiling at him.
“What do you say, Mikey? Marcy might show up and game herself~.” The turtle eventually sighed, smiling weakly as he turned human.
“Alright,” sighed the boy. “Alright, I’m in.” Donnie took up Mikey’s usual enthusiastic cheer, mostly due to getting to hang out with April. The group decided to pop out a good distance from the place, approaching the large cave-like building like average people. A large crowd could be seen waiting outside, a large set up on display featuring classic arcade games and a scoreboard.
“I wonder how exactly they set all this up,” pondered Donnie. “There’s a slew of games here, more than the arcade has inside.” Raph stretched a bit, a grin on his face.
“Who cares?” questioned the hothead. “Just point me in the direction of the pinball machines and watch me smoke the competition.” Mikey rolled his eyes as he smiled weakly, still feeling a bit glum. The words that stung him the most played in his head, making him clench his fists. He then heard a childish singing, his current situation lost as he hid behind Donnie.
“Hide me!” cried the blonde as quietly as possible. “It’s her!” The group looked around, soon spotting a childish blonde in a pink shirt and white bell bottoms skipping along.
“What, the sun child? She looks embarrassing but she’s definitely not a threat. In fact, I just feel bad for whoever’s related to her. What’s got you scared of her?” Mikey gulped, shaking his head.
“Dude, that’s Deedee.” The local group slowly looked towards each other, their eyes widening. April cleared her throat, causing the boys to jolt.
“You mean that’s the girl that used her father’s credit card to sign up for the service and then chose a kids’ restaurant for a date spot?” questioned the kunoichi. “THAT Deedee?” The boy nodded his head, shivering a bit.
“Dude, if it weren’t for that dragon it would have been the worst date of my life. If she sees me, she’s gonna try to hang around me all day.” Donnie tilted his head, humming.
“I don’t understand,” began the genius. “You said her folks pulled her out of the service, right? Why is she here?” They then heard the sound of the games being preemptively played, noticing a short red haired kid in a lab coat playing off against a tall boy that looked like the age old definition of nerd. The tall boy growled, pointing at the shortstack.
“I will prove my superiority over you, Dexter!” cried the teen. “In this colosseum of classic digitized entertainment, I shall reign supreme!” He then laughed like a textbook cartoon villain, the turtles and April deadpanning.
“AAAND the short kid is her brother,” clarified Mikey. “She must have come with him for this competition, and he brought some total loser.” Leo cleared his throat, shaking his head.
“Regardless, let’s just try to have a fun time,” stated the leader. “We’ll keep Deedee off of you if we can and tell her that you’re busy.” Mikey slumped forward with a sigh, getting a sense of doom. He suddenly heard a gasp, straightening up as his spine tingled. His fear was proven to be misplaced, however, as Marcy tackle-hugged April.
“APRIL!” cheered the clumsy girl. “You’re here for the big day!” The kunoichi giggled, shaking her head.
“Hey Marcy,” greeted April. “It’s not just me. I brought the guys with me. I’ve got Donnie with me and I’m keeping him close by.” The brunette nerd blushed at being hugged by the arm, Marcy cooing as she bounced on her toes.
“You’re with your boyfriend! I’ve been wanting to meet him! Does that mean Mikey’s-” The Taiwanese girl looked to her right, her eyes twinkling in excitement. “MIKEY!”
She tackled the blonde, said hero having to keep himself upright as he chuckled. Marcy then stood up straight, her face blushing as she felt his stomach. “Oh my gosh! You’re ripped… and I’m touching a boy too much. Way to look desperate, Marcy.” Mikey shook his head, grinning.
“All good, Mar-mar,” reassured the ninja. “Glad to see you and April getting along so well.” Marcy immediately hugged up to April, grinning.
“Are you kidding me? She’s my NYBFF: New York Best Friend Forever!” The blonde smiled, nodding his head. He then became confused as a pair of hands covered his eyes. He couldn’t help his blush as he felt a feminine figure press against his back.
“Guess who~,” grinned a cheeky voice. Mikey turned around as soon as he was released, surprised to see a heart cheeked blonde in a “I love NYC” T-shirt and some exercise pants that barely matched the boots she was wearing. What cemented the identity of the blonde girl was the horn hair piece on her head.
“Star?” questioned the teen. “What are you doing here?” The magical girl leaned back with a grin, stretching slightly.
“WE~LL Marco and Jackie Lynn wanted to have a fun date out of town and found out about the video game tournament. Figured we’d stop by and have some fun, and seeing you is a bonus~.” Marcy became obviously jealous as April rubbed her shoulder. Mikey gasped as he found himself being pulled along a bit, a new person leading him away. He looked towards the newcomer to see Haley Long in a white shirt with a black shadow of a raven on the front, a pink leather jacket with purple stripes running from one zipper to another, a black purse, a purple jean skirt, black leggings, and white high-tops with purple soles and laces.
“Sorry ladies, but this guy’s coming with me,” joked the dragoness. “I came for the fun games but a second time with this guy sounds wonderful.” The others giggled as Star and Marcy both took off after Mikey, Raph having a tick mark on his head as he growled.
“How come Mikey gets all the girls and I don’t!?” cried the redhead. “It’s not fair!” The hothead was ignored as the group laughed, splitting up to see the different games around. As this was going on, Mikey found himself being pulled around back and forth by the three girls that had eyes on him. The boy could almost swear that he was in a three way pull at one point, flopping on the ground as two shadows casted over him.
“Well hello there, Turtle Titan,” joked a voice. The hidden turtle slowly pushed himself up, seeing Cassie Sandsmark in her outfit from their date and Jubilee. The boy was still as a mouse, shaking a bit.
‘I got five chicks fighting over me right now,’ thought the speedster. ‘Please, if this is a dream, nobody wake me up! Best. Day. EVER!’
[Language Change: Japanese]
Hamato Yoshi took a deep breath, continuing to meditate on everything that had happened. Everything he had done right, everything he did wrong, and everything that he could have done better. He even remembered the exact moment he saw his younger self in his youngest child, the same look he had given his father in regards to Oroku Saki’s behavior. For the first time since he began his soul searching he took a peek at the water that fed the bonsai, seeing a reflection of his father rather than a reflection of himself. His reflection changed as he heard movement, going from human to rat as he narrowed his eyes.
He prepared one of the tonfas Casey had left behind the night prior, knowing full well that the others would not be trying so hard to sneak up on him. Not only that, the footsteps sounded heavier. He came to a stop just at the door, hearing the sound of something being squished slightly.
“Teenagers,” groaned a tired man’s voice. “They’re definitely here, or at least were.” Yoshi prepared some shuriken, hearing the intruder’s footsteps approach Mikey’s room.
“Michelangelo!” whispered the father to himself. He opened the door carefully before moving as quickly and quietly as possible. The rat man stopped as he saw the teacher that had arrived with Mina opening the door to the blonde’s room. The power canceling man was about to step in, only to immediately turn around as he slung his scarf towards the ceiling. Splinter blocked the attempted capture with his blade before jumping down, forcing the enemy to jump away as he stopped his weapon mere inches from the ground.
“Fifteen years and nine months. Even like this, those robes are unmistakable. It’s been a while, Hamato Yoshi. ” Splinter stood up slowly, keeping the sword at the ready.
“Shota Aizawa. Last I had heard, you were to become a teacher.” The red eyed man clicked his teeth, his hair floating a bit.
“Last I checked, you were dead. I only knew it was possible for you to be alive when I met the kid. Now look at you. You’ve brought your little war to the States.” The rat master narrowed his eyes, clenching the blade in his hands tightly.
“There is more at stake here than the Shredder. I cannot allow you to expose myself or my sons in your failed attempt at heroism.” The two didn’t move an inch, their eyes locked on each other. Both showed resilience in their gazes, their souls on full display. A slithering sound suddenly filled the air, Aizawa stepping back as Karai leapt through the entrance in her human form.
[Language Change: English]
“FATHER!” cried the girl. “The Foot and the Kraang-” She looked towards Aizawa, hissing loudly at him as her face became snake-like. The teacher looked surprised, a look that wasn’t natural for his face. He looked the girl over, noticing her appearance.
“...Miwa?” questioned Aizawa. “Y-You’re… alive?” Seeing the look in the man’s eyes, Yoshi nodded his head.
“The Shredder can be thanked and cursed for that,” stated the master. “Miwa, what is wrong?” Karai looked between the duo, looking towards her father.
“The Foot Clan and the Kraang have initiated another alliance!” cried the girl. “They’ve chased me around the city. They’re invading, today!” Splinter actually dropped his blade, his eyes slowly widening. It was only at that moment that he realized the emptiness of his home.
“MY SONS!” The rat grabbed every weapon he could before he ran out the door, Karai and Aizawa on his tail. Unbeknownst to all of them, Mikey’s computer began to beep as the green lines on it pulsed slightly.
A buzzer suddenly went off, the scoreboard for the competition powering up to reveal several gamer names. Amongst them was MCMikey, quickly climbing up the ranks in the corner with classic dancing games. Mikey grinned as he danced with another opponent, hitting every beat with precision as he laughed a bit. The opposition was a boy that tried to dress up as Michael Jackson, not having the same level of skill as the legend. The blonde boy did one of his usual handstand tricks, unaware that he was getting the attraction of the girls in the audience.
Raph could be seen playing by the pinball machines, working furiously to get the top score while proctors watched. He grinned as he watched the ball get stuck, using the moment to pop the machine slightly to get it to bounce where he wanted it to go. It was so subtle that it looked like he simply leaned over the game, the attendees looking slightly shocked by how well he was doing. As the duo continued their gaming streaks, Casey could be seen walking through the crowd. He soon spotted Donnie sitting with April and Leo, approaching them,
“Hey guys!” cried the hockey player. “Thought I’d find you here with both Raph and Mikey on the games. I was trying to play some of the games myself for that grand prize but I think Mikey’s stealing the show. Glad to see he’s not too down after… you know…” Leo frowned, looking down.
“He’s still hurt by what happened but I think April was right to bring this competition up,” explained the ravenette ninja. “It helps that some of his dates decided to show up for the competition, and it looks like all of his good ones… plus Deedee.” The sports guy winced at this, looking around.
“Aw heck no. The ditz?” April rolled her eyes, nodding her head.
“Apparently her brother’s competing with another kid so she came with him,” clarified the redhead kunoichi. “We’re keeping an eye out so that she doesn’t try to hang off him all day.” They suddenly heard the sound of a pinball machine giving off a big score, Raph cheering as he raised his fists into the air. “And I think Raph’s joining Mikey in the Fina- What the heck is that?” The group looked towards where she was mentioning, only for their eyes to boggle a bit.
The kid that was competing with Dexter’s brother whipped out a pack with several mechanical arms, playing three pinball machines at once. Raph turned around, his eyes widening as he saw what was happening. He gestured towards the kid, growling.
“HEY!” roared the redhead turtle. “That’s gotta be cheating! Someone get an official over here!” The boy blew raspberries at the hothead, making him growl in anger. Donnie blinked at the sight, his eyes sparkling.
“Where did he get that?” questioned the genius. “Did he build it himself? It looks custom made but-” The group then heard an arcade machine going off, watching as Deedee’s brother was using a similar rig to get big wins on a classic Pacman game. Leo was about to get up, only for Mikey to be seen standing beside an official.
“It’s both of them,” stated the goofball. “They’re both able bodied and have been seen playing games normally before.” The official nodded his head, walking up to the redhead first.
“Young man, this machine is against the rules,” stated the man. “I’m gonna have to disqualify you.” The kid pulled out a pamphlet, handing it to the man.
“The rules specify that custom interfaces are allowed as long as legal software is used,” stated the boy. “I assure you that everything is legal.” The official scratched his head, only to huff.
“Interface, not something to play it for you. This is borderline cheating. Do I have to involve the police?” The shortstack looked dumbfounded at this, only to grab his machine as he hopped off the chair. His rival laughed maniacally, holding his free hands in an awkward position.
“You failed to take into account the core aspects of a simple interface!” laughed the nerd. “I am superior!” The official walked over, crossing his arms.
“I’ll have to ask you to leave as well, young man. This… contraption is damaging the machines and leaving no room for the other players to compete.” The nerd gasped at this, earning a smug look from the redhead.
“You can’t do that! I still interface with the arms and the grip strength was calculated for-” He gasped as some food hit the back of his head, Raph booing at him.
“It’s called you can’t play fair, you don’t play at all!” roared the hothead. “Get lost!” The nerd turned around, growling in anger as the mechanical arms rose a bit.
“You imbecile! I bet you’re too incompetent to know the value of Pi to the tenth decimal place!” Raph prepared for anything, only for a zapping sound to fill the air as the nerd’s pack began to fall apart. “NO! My machine!”
Mikey whistled from where he was standing, sliding a bag of nuts and bolts behind one of the games with his foot. “YOU SHALL ALL REGRET THIS!” The nerd ran away, being laughed at by some of the jocks in the crowd. The blonde rolled his eyes, watching the two top gamertags be removed from the board. He then felt a tap on his shoulder, shivering a bit as he had been distracted.
“Good to see you, Mikey,” greeted yet another girl’s voice. The boy turned around to see Mina in a green tank-top that hung a bit low on her chest, black leggings, a purple skirt, and green tennis shoes. “I didn’t get a proper kiss last night, and you left behind that reward~. Mr. Aizawa’s off somewhere so I’ve got exclusive access.” Mikey blushed as she leaned closer to him, feeling the glares of the other girls all around before a buzzer went off.
“Attention gamers!” cried the official that Mikey had contacted. “The competition is soon reaching its end! The top five gamers will now go head to head in the final game! Starting us off at number five, with the highest score in the Pinball Zone, is… TheWrathfulOne!” Raph flexed a bit, making his way up.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” roared the hothead with a grin. “Pinball is my game!” Mikey rolled his eyes, feeling slightly relieved that the tension was off of him as the announcer continued.
“In the fourth slot, with an impressive high score in the Arcade Legacy area… VagabondiaGirl! Come on up!” Marcy jumped up and down, grinning in excitement.
“YES!” cheered the clumsy girl. She ran up the stairs, only to trip and faceplant on the stage. “I’M OKAY! Hurt but okay!” Mikey lowered his head with a sigh, having a feeling that would be the case.
“R…Right then. In the third spot, with the highest score in Tetris Arcade Edition… ZetaOneK!” A rather generic looking kid in a school uniform made his way up the stairs, looking incredibly bored as he stood amongst the group. “In slot number two, with the highest score on Dance Dance Revolution… MCMIKEY!” Mikey grinned as he made his way up the steps, earning cheers from the people that knew him and a fist bump from Raph.
He took his place amongst the group, feeling a bit nervous at the size of the crowd. “And finally, with the highest score across the entire event… GAMESLAVER16!” Mikey looked towards the stairs of the stage, humming a bit.
He watched a rather bored looking girl with pale skin, straight purple hair that was cut in a short bob with two bangs, and brown eyes that were barely open. She wore a short black dress with gray striped sleeves, striped reddish leggings, black shoes, and a necklace in the shape of a skull. Unlike Mavis, this girl looked like she was purposefully goth as she seemingly ignored the crowd. The girl stood to his left, the announcer beginning a speech about founding the Cavern. Mikey adjusted his shirt a bit, the nerves continuing to eat at him.
“Hey,” greeted GameSlaver. Mikey looked towards her, seeing her bored expression. “I saw how you got those two nerds kicked out. I would have loved to smoke them in the game.” The ninja shrugged, shaking his head.
“I mean, if they can’t play fair then they shouldn’t play at all,” replied the blonde. “No one likes a cheater, especially in an event where people who work hard to show off their skills are competing.” He watched the girl’s eyes widen slightly, along with a small smirk.
“I can respect that. Still doesn’t mean I won’t crush you.” Mikey looked forward, smirking a bit.
“Right. May the best win then.” He focused on the announcer after this, watching the man walk towards the back of the stage.
“And now, to unveil the final game!” cried the man. “A modern rendition of a classic game, modified officially for five player competitions. I give you: CENTIPEDE!” A curtain dropped, revealing a large screen with the promised game on display. “Gamers, to your posts!”
Raph sat down at the red station, Marcy sat in the green seat, the bland guy slowly sat in the blue chair, Mikey took up the yellow position, and GameSlaver took up a purple console. “Now, the rules are simple. Play the game as you would Centipede, cooperating while also trying to score higher than your opposition. If you’re knocked out three times, you’re out of the game! The last player standing by boss three or the one with the highest score wins the whole thing!”
Employees swiped special golden cards along the payment devices, placing the cards on the stations. “For making it this far, golden passes are awarded to the competitors. Each one provides a discount on play charges! Who will take home the grand prize!? Gamers, ready yourselves!”
The group save for the bored gamer took up their controls at lightning pace, the bland kid following suit soon after. “Ready… set… FIRE!” The owner pressed the button in front of him, starting up the game as a long centipede began to scale down the board. The group began shooting immediately, trying to take the enemy down as quickly as possible. ZetaOneK suddenly had laser precision, hitting every split off centipede that came his way.
The group were majorly shocked as he took a huge point lead. “AND ZETAONEK TAKES A HUGE LEAD!” Mikey frowned as he fired at whatever he could to get points, clearing up the board a bit for the others.
‘That guy’s giving me some major bad vibes… We gotta get him out first.’ He looked towards Raph who nodded while Marcy needed it to be mouthed to her. He then looked towards GameSlaver, who surprisingly nodded in understanding. The group began to work as a unit, quickly catching up as they kept the bored gamer from getting any points.
“Looks like the competition is already gunning for ZetaOneK! This is getting fierce!” As cheering was heard from the ground, shinobi in black gear and red headbands carrying a foot logo set up a machine on top of the Cavern. The same thing was happening across the city, Kraang walking around as guards. One of the villains tried to drop something in a manhole cover, only to have its head sliced off as sparks went flying.
Splinter burst out of the hole, throwing shuriken and kunai at the Kraang before dodging blaster fire. He used his katana to bounce one of the blasts back at the Kraang that shot it, burning the alien to death as the shell fell over. Karai was the next one out, using her mutant form to bite a Foot Bot in half before knocking out a soldier that tried to get at her.
“I have their scent,” hissed the snake mutant. “They went this way!” The duo moved to leave, only for one of the Kraang to try and shoot at their backs. It found itself trapped in capture cloth, the duo turning around as Aizawa strained against the machine. The Kraang in the stomach popped out as it screamed, only for a kunai to hit it dead in the face as it flopped out.
“What the Hell?” questioned the teacher. “What is-” He let the shell of the Kraang drop, finding himself eye to eye with Splinter as the man stood at a fair distance away.
“THAT is the threat,” stated the rat man. “The Foot came after. Now, I have to retrieve my sons. You may gather your charge and leave, or we can waste time arguing.” The ninja didn’t leave room to argue as he ran to follow Karai, leaving Aizawa alone.
Back at the Cavern, the game was getting fierce. Everyone at least had one life lost, Marcy and ZetaOneK both in their last lives. ZetaOneK had retaliated to their attempts to get him out, as if his life were on the line. The more they played, the more excited the crowd became. Raph growled as he lost a life, glaring at ZetaOneK.
“This guy is good… too good,” whispered the hothead to himself. “How is he keeping up with this?” He watched ZetaOneK carefully aim, firing at a centipede to block Marcy’s shot. This took her focus away, the girl getting crashed into by a spider. Her station stopped working, her last life spent.
“AND VAGABONDIAGIRL HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT!” cried the man. “As the last place contestant, she gets the bucket of candy and points cards!” The girl moaned, dropping her head onto the console.
“No,” moaned Marcy. “So close.” Mikey narrowed his eyes, not even seeing a hint of satisfaction on Zeta’s face.
‘Whoever he is, he’s not normal,’ thought the blonde. ‘Time to kick things up a notch.’ Mikey fired as fast as he could at the remaining enemies, trying to get as many points as possible. GameSlaver followed his lead, actually working with him as their points evened out with Zeta’s. The bored gamer tried to go for one of them, only for Raph to blast one of the enemies in the kid’s path and force him to focus on not taking the hit.
The flat faced gamer then got his revenge, firing at one of the mushrooms so that a centipede would come down and take out Raph’s last life. The hothead slammed his fists on his legs, not even paying attention to what he won. GameSlaver looked towards the unknown gamer, huffing.
“There’s no way this guy’s human,” growled the girl. “He’s matching the intensity of the game at each and every point.” Mikey watched Zeta closely, noticing how he finally missed a shot as he predicted a move too quickly.
“...We make the game go wilder,” stated the blonde. “If we do that, we can make him miss his shots as he tries to predict them.” He watched the purple haired girl look at him, her smile slowly growing as her eyes opened wider. The two of them focused harder on the game, purposefully making things harder as the enemies became more erratic. Zeta began to preemptively fire, missing his shots as he seemed intent on being perfect every time.
The game eventually stopped sending enemies, making the group stop. “What happened?” The world in-game began to shake, a massive spider crawling into view.
“It’s the final boss!” cried the announcer. “This is the home stretch, folks!” Zeta immediately moved, stopping exactly on one of the weak points as he began to fire on it. Mikey and GameSlaver did the same, trying to match up with their opponent. They had to dodge as the boss began to fire upon them, the entity sending spiders and centipedes at them whenever they broke one of its legs.
Mikey gritted his teeth as he stopped an enemy from hitting GameSlaver, knowing that things were getting intense. That’s when it happened, the space between each of Zeta’s shots began to grow. Zeta was pressing way too fast to be human, messing up the delay in firing as he caused the button to crack a bit. The bored boy accidentally moved the control stick too far, running right into one of the legs as his last life was spent. “ZETAONEK HAS ELIMINATED HIMSELF FROM THE TOURNAMENT!”
The crowd cheered at the upset, ZetaOneK still as stone. It was to the point that the boy didn’t even look like he was breathing. Mikey suddenly got a bad feeling, watching the stomach of the bland boy began to wriggle. “He’s won a lifetime supply of-” The student stood up, his hand literally opening and breaking apart to reveal a blaster.
“Aw sewer apples,” gasped Mikey. “EVERYBODY DOWN!” The blonde tackled GameSlaver to the ground while Raph pulled Marcy away from the console, the mechanical boy firing at the screen and causing it to spark.
“Impossible,” growled the student in a monotone voice befitting an adult. “No species of any kind should possess the capabilities for which there is needed to outperform the Kraang, of which there are no capabilities.” Leo immediately shot up from his seat, his eyes narrowing.
“Kraang!” cried the leader. The drone turned to fire at Mikey, only for the boy to use his superspeed to kick off the arm of the machine. Raph then caught the robot in a stranglehold, the Kraang in its gut popping out and squealing.
“IT’S ONE OF THOSE FREAKY ALIENS AGAIN!” cried one of the people in the crowd. “RUN!” Some of the Foot Bots on the roof jumped down, their arms unfolding into various weapons as the crowd ran away from them. Mikey smacked the Kraang in front of him onto the ground, using the chair from his console to squash it. He looked towards GameSlaver, helping her up.
“Get out of here!” cried the blonde. “Go!” The girl then ran, allowing the boy to look back at Raph. “Get Marcy out of here!” The girl looked like she wanted to object, only for Raph to huff her over his shoulder and jump off the stage.
“MIKEY!” cried the Taiwanese girl. Mikey looked towards the approaching robots as he took a deep breath, time slowing down around him as the crowd eventually had their backs to him. Lightning arced off him as he took on a running stance, his eyes opening to reveal their orange glow as he dashed forward. He struck at one of the machines a few times, ripping off its sword arm as he used it to slice off the machine’s head. To anyone who could see, the orange bolt of energy then sliced off the heads of the remaining machines.
The machine on top of the building suddenly shot a beacon into the air, other buildings around the area sending out similar lights. A barrier encompassed the entirety of the city, people on both sides unable to get in or out as cars crashed into the energy. Large triangular portals began to open all around, unleashing spacecraft and drone alike. The people panicked as Kraang walked out of smaller portals, aiming weapons at them that stunned and restrained them. April looked around, her eyes widening.
“Oh no,” gasped the redhead. “It’s another invasion!” Donnie suddenly flipped the table, the flat surface of it blocking thrown shuriken.
“Look out!” cried the genius. Casey dug behind the table as Foot Bots and Kraang ran towards them, intent on carrying out their orders. One of the machines suddenly had a lasso around its neck, the head being torn off by a strong tug from Cassie. Mina then slid between two of the drones, splashing them with acid as their limbs slowly fell off. Mikey came slamming down on the last one, bashing its head into the ground and breaking it.
“Nice one,” commented the blonde. He looked up towards the roof, narrowing his eyes. “We need to get up there and shut that thing down. It won’t do much but it’ll help.” Donnie poked out from his spot, looking up at the machine.
“If I can get up there, I can hack into it and find a way to shut it down. With any luck, I could shut the whole thing down.” The group nodded, Star standing nearby as she took a deep breath.
“SUPER QUICK STAIRWAY BLAST!” cried the princess. She fired magic from her wand, making a rainbow stairway up to the roof. “Hurry! It’s called ‘Super Quick’ for a reason!” Donnie looked like his brain just broke as the guys pulled him along, Mikey running up the side of the building while Cassie flew up to the rooftop.
Kraang aimed at her to open fire, only for her to reflect their lasers back at them with her bracers. Mikey blitzed around the area, taking out a few of the aliens as Star dropped in from a tear in reality. “NARWHAL BLAST!” She aimed her wand, sending a Kraang flying off the building as it was pierced by a magical narwhal. Donnie had to be slapped in the back of the head by Raph, quickly getting to work on the console.
“Hurry up, Egghead!” roared the hothead. “We’re kinda exposed out here!” One of the smaller spaceships zoomed their way as the alarm went off, only for sparkling energy similar to fireworks to hit it and make it explode. The vehicle began to fall towards the group before Mikey spun his arms as fast as possible. This created a small tornado, the winds powerful enough to slow the ship down before it crashed onto the ground below.
“Dudes, it might be Ninja Time!” cried the blonde. His brothers looked at him, watching as more Kraang dropped down on the roof. “We can trust them. I promise.” Raph looked towards Leo, the leader slowly nodded his head.
“Right,” agreed Leo. “Let’s do it.” All four brothers narrowed their eyes, Mikey slamming a fist on the ground.
“Turtle Power!” He dashed forward at high speeds, his outfit absorbing into him as normal whilst he changed into his true form. He tucked into his shell as he revved up, buzzing through a few Kraang before sliding to a stop. Raph stabbed one of them with his sai before kicking another so hard that its robotic head came off. Donnie remained at the console, occasionally hitting enemies in the head with his staff if they got too close.
“Maybe keep them off of me and watch the laser fire!” cried the genius. “Mikey’s the only one with special powers!” April pulled out her fans, using them to block a few blasts while cutting through any Kraang droid that got too close. Cassie punched an enemy so hard it fell off the building like the other one, Jubilee acting as anti-air for anything that got too close. Donnie continued typing as Mikey picked up a rock, the blonde throwing the object so hard that it ended up tearing through the Kraang Droids that tried climbing up the building.
The barrier suddenly started to sound weaker, the beacon flickering as Donnie backed up with a cheer. “I did it! Watch the magic happen!” The beacon suddenly shut off, Mikey suddenly getting a danger sense warning as he saw the device begin to crumble in on itself. He quickly zipped everyone off of the building, the part of the roof exploding as the other beacons in the area began to go off as well.
“Nice work, Donnie,” commented Leo. “Now we’ve just got to find a way to send all these ships back before-” The ground began to shake, a huge shadow suddenly casting over the group. A spherical vehicle rose up from the largest portal in the city, followed by a slew of ships and machines. “The Technodrome.”
The massive machine continued to rise, looking like it was being slowed down as the forcefield dropped. The girls slowly backed up, most of them having not seen such a massive vessel before. Raph turned around, chuckling nervously.
“So… anyone got Superman’s number?” questioned the hothead. “Because I don’t think we have time for that AND all these ships.” Cassie pulled out a communicator, nodding her head.
“Now that the field’s down, I can contact the League,” informed the Amazon. “It could be a while before the heavy hitters get here.” Jubilee looked like she was using a communicator of her own, talking into it rather quickly. Splinter suddenly ran into the area, his eyes widening at the sight of the rising vehicle. He then looked towards the others, his eyes narrowing.
“My sons, we have to leave,” stated the rat man. The girls jolted at his appearance, Star almost instinctively grabbing her wand before realizing the rat was friendly. Leo shook his head, a frown on his face.
“Master, we can handle this,” stated the lead turtle. “We’ve beaten the Technodrome before.” The master shook his head, frowning deeply.
“It is an order, Leonardo! The protectors can handle this. You have completed your mission. It is time to come-” Mikey frowned towards their father, clenching his fists.
“No,” denied the shortest turtle. The group looked towards him in surprise, Splinter most of all as the boy continued. “I’m not going. There are innocent people out there that need help and we can stop this.” Hamato Yoshi frowned, narrowing his eyes.
“I will not tolerate this insolence. You cannot go out there! The whole world will see you! Not to mention you have no plan.” The youngest looked away, huffing.
“Actually, I do. We’re taking out the portal for the Technodrome.” Karai and Aizawa soon arrived as well, watching as Donnie gave Mikey a confused look.
“How would we do that?” questioned the trio. “The portal device could be anywhere. It might even be on the Dimension X side.” Mikey took a deep breath, trying to gather his words. He looked towards his previous dates before looking towards his brothers.
“The portal has the same triangle shape as the other Kraang Portals. That means it has to have three spots that the energy stuff comes out of. If there’s one thing comic books and videogames have taught me, it’s that a portal completely shuts down if the important parts break. If we can take out even one of those sides-” Donnie’s eyes widened as he nodded his head, beginning to understand.
“It would cause the portal to collapse in on itself, either forcing the Technodrome back to Dimension X or be smelted in half! Mikey, this is scarily the smartest thing you’ve ever come up with.” Master Splinter shook his head, slowly growling.
“Still, you would all expose yourselves to get there. The Shredder would achieve the ultimate victory and-” Mikey growled, the tone spooking the group.
“I’m tired of running!” cried the orange wearing turtle. “I’m tired of hiding away! I have powers, I have friends, and I’d hope I have my family! I can’t just hide away or run when people are in trouble! On my honor, I can’t and won’t leave those people to be taken away or worse!”
Splinter jerked again, seeing his younger self in his son. Mikey then looked towards his brothers, nodding his head. “You guys can look for a way to deal with those ships in the air until the big hitters show up. I know we always fight together but it would take too long to get the Shellraiser there and time’s running out.” Cassie stepped forward, cracking her knuckles.
“You think you’re going in alone?” questioned Wondergirl. “I’m coming with you.” Star also stepped forward, readying her wand.
“I can use my dimensional scissors to get us there faster,” reassured the princess. “We can meet you at the closest one. BUT first, I think we need something a little special. EMERGENCY NINJA MAKEOVER~!” The turtle jolted at the name of the magic, gasping as the energy flew around him.
A form fitting black muscle shirt with burnt orange lightning bolts formed on his torso, the pants that he wore in disguise rose up as they became black shinobi slacks with the same burnt orange detailing, a sickle with a burnt orange chain wrapped around his waist, and his bandana popped out to extend more to have black bolts on the tips. A hood rose from his shirt, a burnt orange face mask wrapping around his neck and covering up to his mouth. The turtle looked over himself, nodding his head as he hummed.
“Not bad,” admitted the boy. He looked towards his father one more time, sighing. “I have to. This city, these people, my family and friends… they will always be my mission. I don’t expect you to understand.”
He suddenly zipped off, Splinter standing in one place as he held his hand out to stop his son. The turtles didn’t know what to do, their father almost motionless as Karai walked closer. The rat man sighed, nodding his head.
“But… I do,” responded the rat to himself. “My son…” Raph looked towards Star, coughing into his hand a bit.
“So… can we have a turn?” questioned the hothead. “I wouldn’t mind an upgrade, especially if it can show off the muscles a bit.” Raph’s question went unanswered, Splinter sighing in embarrassment. Mikey could be seen dashing through the city, blitzing through Kraang droids and Foot Bots whilst freeing anyone that was trapped. He bounced between a few enemies before making the back of a van open, moving faster than anyone could see as he forced their restraints to unlock.
“GET OUT OF HERE!” ordered the turtle. “GO!” The people ran as soon as he said to, allowing him to dash forward on his way. He spotted a sign about to fall towards a little kid, grabbing said child up and moving away before the object could even hit the ground. He passed the child to his awaiting parent before continuing on his path, the lightning that trailed off him growing as he moved faster and faster.
The turtle then used his Shell Dash to spin as fast as possible, cutting through a metal sign to make it squash some Kraang. He skidded to a stop, looking at the black trapezoidal building that acted as one of the portal’s origins. He looked up as a ship looked like it was going out of control, grinning to himself. “Be careful, dudes…” He sidestepped a barrage of bone nails, Rahzar landing on the ground as he was joined by a red fish mutant with mechanical legs.
“That scent,” huffed the wolf. “Here alone, Michelangelo?” The red fish chuckled, crossing his arms.
“Only one of them?” questioned the mutant sea life. “I’m almost insulted.” Mikey frowned, cracking his knuckles.
“I don’t have time for you,” growled the turtle. “I have to stop the Technodrome.” Rahzar chuckled under his breath, brandishing his claws.
“You aren’t even a threat without your brothers,” barked the unsightly wolf. “Maybe this would serve as a reminder.” The large enemy jumped forward with a snarl, only to strike nothing but air as Mikey was gone. “What?” He then gasped, coughing out a bit of blood as his stomach felt like it was hammered.
The villain was sent rolling backwards, pushing himself up slowly as Mikey stood in the same spot he was in. The mutant actually regurgitated, his ears lowering as his tail drooped. The fish man looked shocked, looking towards the sparking turtle.
“Two choices, Xever. You can either get out of my way, or you can join Bradford on the ground.” The fishman growled as he leapt forward, Mikey simply dodging as if it only took a single step.
“Why you,” growled the enemy. Mikey dodged kick after kick, as well as a few attempted bites. He then zoomed behind the enemy, grabbing him by his tail and dragging him across the ground as he ran. Rahzar tried to get up, only to keep his ears drooped as Xever was launched into him. The two of them laid flat on the ground, groaning as Mikey walked over them.
“I told you, sucker. That’s how Turtle Titan does things.” He looked towards the building, only to hear the sounds of missiles being fired. He looked up just in time to dodge out of the way, one of the Kraang ships firing down upon him. He reached for his sickle as if to use it, only for a blue streak to fly straight through the ship and make it explode.
He watched as the streak blitzed around different ships, soon being joined by pink and green lines as he grinned. “Nice save, Miyako.” He then saw signs of other hero activity, from an armored man flying around to three different guys firing arrows at the Kraang. Deciding to let the heroes have at it, the boy blitzed into the building. He crashed through the doors, several Kraang aiming at him.
“Kraang!” cried one of the aliens. “An assailant unknown to the Kraang has forced entry into the place of which is supposed to-” Mikey simply buzzed through the guards and turrets, running through the halls as he left exploded machines in his wake. He really didn’t want to hear the Kraang droids talk in their… rather verbose lingo. He rushed faster, avoiding blasters and other traps, a larger ship about to fire on him when Star’s dimensional scissors opened a hole above it.
“SUPER BADDIE BLASTER!” cried the voice of Star. A beam depicting paddles and punching gloves tore through the machine, allowing the girl and others that followed her to drop in. “FOR MEWNIE AND EARTH!” Cassie rushed ahead of the group, lifting one of the tank-like vehicles into the air before dropping it onto a group of Kraang. Mikey eventually came upon a long corridor, slowly walking down it as he saw a control panel on the end.
“That was easy,” admitted the boy to himself. “Let’s shut this thing down and-” His senses suddenly went off as his processing power went into overdrive, a laser round nearly singing the back of his hood before he spun in a dodge. He grabbed his sickle as he turned towards his opponents, his eyes narrowing as he saw them.
The first was a mutant tiger with short orange and white fur with black stripes, pink and black skin, yellow eyes, and a large, muscular figure. He had four fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot, black claws, white whiskers on his muzzle, and a docked tail. He wore a cyan shirt with rolled up sleeves, a brown shirt vest, a double chain bullet bandolier with a jetpack, an azure scarf around his neck, a double chain bullet belt around his waist, and brown pants with pouches for his pistols on his thighs and belted bottoms that stop at his ankles. This was Tiger Claw, one of Shredder’s top enforcers. Speaking of, the monster himself stood before Mikey.
The Shredder was a slim, but tall, brawny, and toned Japanese man. He wore shiny, chrome plated armor on his chest, shoulders, arms and lower legs, worn over a maroon outfit with a dark blue cape hanging over his back. The armor on his shoulders bore spikes upon them, his boots also having the same style. Upon his head was a chrome plated helmet, his most defining trait as the leader of the Foot Clan. He had tekko-kagi built into his gauntlets, the two blades on each one poking out slightly as if waiting to be drawn. “Tiger Claw, and Shredder.” The tiger man growled slightly, narrowing his eyes.
“The youngest of Hamato Yoshi’s disciples,” identified Tiger Claw. “He must have been foolish enough to come alone.” Shredder narrowed his eyes, seeing the look that Mikey held.
“Where is your clan?” seethed the burnt man. “Where is Hamato Yoshi?” Mikey remained in his stance, spinning his sickle around a bit.
“Not here,” stated the boy. “I came alone, shikeishū.” The Shredder didn’t respond to the title, Tiger Claw stepping forward.
“Master Shredder, I will make this quick,” stated the burly man. “With him captive, the others will surrender.” Oroku Saki made a rare look of surprise as his subordinate looked forward, Tiger Claw looking just as stumped as Mikey was missing. “Where did-” He cried out as he was kicked back down the hall, gasping as his back ran into Mikey’s prepared elbow.
The villain turned around as he began to block and dodge a barrage of attacks, the movements becoming faster as each strike hit harder. Tiger Claw tried to grab the boy, only to cry out as his palm was sliced by the hero’s sickle. Mikey was about to go in for a finishing blow, only to tuck into his shell and spin out of the way as the Shredder extended his claws and nearly cut the young man’s head off.
“Enough, Takeshi. Halt the other intruders. I will deal with the boy myself.” Tiger Claw grabbed his hand with a wince, only to leave as Mikey stood up. “You have intrigued me, boy.”
The turtle remained in his stance, watching the Shredder extend the blades of his other gauntlet. “How did you achieve such speeds, such power?” Mikey clenched his fists, not taking his eyes off his enemy.
“Information is a shinobi’s strongest weapon,” denied the speedster. “Even someone with no honor should know that.” The two began to walk circles around each other, both sizing each other up.
“Hamato Yoshi has taught you well. No matter. As impressive as your power is, you are still just a boy. You will fail, and the Technodrome will rise to raze this city.” Mikey spun his sickle around again, finding a flow that he could work with.
“Revenge doesn’t solve anything. How many people have to be hurt for you to get what you want? And what comes after?” The boy noticed the tightening of Shredder’s hands, realizing that he struck a nerve.
“How foolish and naive. I will destroy this entire city if it means destroying the Hamato Clan. I will kill you before the rat’s eyes, then go down the list of offspring one by one until I finally pierce his heart. Perhaps I’ll kill you in a way to where you can watch it all unfold: the end of Hamato Yoshi! Or… perhaps I kill you now and use your corpse to aggravate the others into their demise.”
The duo were now in each other’s original positions, a breeze blowing between them. “I suppose we’ll find out.” The two moved at the same time, Mikey speeding forward as he prepared his sickle. The two enemies clashed blades, creating sparks as they actually pushed against each other. Mikey tucked his head into his shell to avoid a slash, headbutting Shredder in the face to make him back up.
The boy went on the defensive as he used his blade to block a few more slashes, sometimes using the chain to intercept a kick. He wrapped said chain around an attempted stab, flipping the Shredder over his shoulder. The boy zoomed back as the man caught himself on his feet, narrowly avoiding another killing blow. He then spun up a spin attack, the Shredder jumping just in time as the boy cut into the ground with this spin. Mikey came to a stop as he spun his arms rapidly, actually catching Shredder in the wind as the man dug his claws into the ground to keep him from flying out the window.
The hero rushed forward, taking advantage of his enemy’s state to land a few hits at high speed. He went for a long sweep of his sickle, Shredder finally freeing himself as he grabbed the handle of the blade. He pulled the boy in, trying to stab into his stomach. Mikey spun his arms to go over the enemy, wrapping the chain around his neck in an attempt to choke him out. The Shredder spun out of the attack, grabbing at his neck as the boy stood tall.
“Surrender, dude. The city did nothing to you, so show some dignity and leave it alone. You had everything you wanted, but you chased Master Splinter here and lost everything you actually cared about. You may be skilled, but you’ve failed in so many ways.” The villain growled at this, narrowing his eyes.
“You… you sound just like him. You sound like that DAMNED HAMATO YOSHI! I HATE IT!” The man rushed at the boy, Mikey surprised to see that the technique he was using moved close to the speed of his enhanced senses. He ran along the wall to avoid the hit, making his enemy cut into the ground.
Mikey looked proud of himself, only to feel the building shake a bit. “It’s already too late. It’s here.” The blonde watched as the Technodrome was most of the way out, its weapons readying as it focused on the city. The turtle looked frightened by the scene, only for something to begin rocketing in from the atmosphere.
A huge robot with lions for arms and legs landed on the ground, the human face having a helmet based on a lion’s head. The machine brought out a huge sword, slashing into the side of the sphere before a forcefield could rise around it. The Technodrome began to fall apart as it was cut again, explosions going off on it. “NO!” Mikey suddenly crashed into the Shredder, tackling him out of the window as the two of them landed on one of the rooftops.
The whole Technodrome exploded, the group inside escaping as pieces crashed into the portal building. Mikey slowly stood up as his ears rang, smoke and debris floating around. Shredder slowly approached him from behind, his gauntlet raised. The turtle looked back as he felt a need to dodge, the enemy trying to skewer him. The boy cried out as his leg was cut, falling onto the ground as he huffed.
“SAKI!” roared the voice of Splinter. Shredder turned around, his eyes widening as he watched Hamato Yoshi approach in his human form. “Leave him. You want me, so here I am.” Mikey scooted away quickly, the Shredder forgetting about him as his revenge clouded mind urged him to move forward.
“That face… You undid your transformation. Now you are nothing more than a man. How does it feel to be inferior?” Splinter took a deep breath, preparing his katana.
“I am just as capable as a human as I am a mutant. It is you who has fallen since our younger years.” Shredder gritted his teeth, growling in anger.
“Enough! I will have my revenge!” The villain rushed forward, immediately locking blades with Splinter. The Hamato head blocked several attempted slashes, weaving to the right to avoid a stabbing attack. Splinter took a slash at Shredder, his mortal enemy effortlessly dodging.
The villain’s eyes widened as something unseen tripped him, forced to cartwheel in order to avoid falling. Yoshi turned to face his enemy, crouching low as he gestured for the man to come at him. Oroku Saki roared in anger, jumping at the object of his hate. Splinter then took on his rat form again, striking the enemy in his gut with a palm strike that sent him rolling backwards. The master then went in for a kick, knocking Shredder’s helmet off to reveal his severely burnt face.
“Look at what you have become, Oroku Saki. You are dishonorable, scarred, and alone. You killed Teng Shen, you stole away her child, and you eventually lost Miwa to your hatred. You are a shell of the man who I once called my brother.” Shredder stood up with a growl, the look of hatred on his face now completely visible.
“YOU KNOW NOTHING OF MY PAIN! TENG SHEN WAS TO BE MINE, AND YOU BETRAYED ME!” Splinter found himself being forced to block several blade strikes, his katana finally being broken as he had to catch one of the slashes with his teeth. He quickly found the strength to break the metal with a crunch, leaping back to avoid a stab. The shredder suddenly grabbed one of the blade pieces, throwing it to where it stabbed into his enemy’s leg. Splinter cried out as he landed on one knee, huffing as the leg practically screamed at him.
“You are wrong, Saki. I know the pain of losing a child and the only family I have, and I almost felt it twice. In my efforts to ensure the safety of my children, I nearly pushed away the most innocent of them all. Michelangelo may have the upbringing and training of a shinobi, but his heart reaches out for others so willingly even when he is hurt.”
Splinter pushed himself up on his sword, watching as the Shredder slowly approached him. “As you have said, he reminds me of my younger self before the truth of shinobi life hit me. His self-giving nature, his ability to feel for others and help them in spite of his missions, and the honor he carries is more befitting of a samurai than a ninja. He has become wiser than any child his age… and I am proud to call him my son. I wonder how it would have been, if I could have reached out to you long ago like he would reach out to others.” The Shredder began to run faster, his remaining blades at the ready.
“Touching final words, for a rat! I will claw them into whatever tomb they bury you in!” Splinter tried to prepare himself for the incoming slash, ignoring the blade in his leg as he stood up. A piercing sound was heard before the Hamato clansmen could react, his eyes widening. A cry of anguish filled the air, along with the tightening of chains.
“GET. AWAY. FROM. MY. FATHER!” roared the voice of Mikey. The boy stood at a good distance from Shredder, his sickle pierced into the villain’s arm as he kept the limb from striking Splinter. The speedster’s eyes were giving off orange lightning as the rest of his body did the same, his entire being vibrating as he bared his teeth. He then yanked with all his might, pulling the Shredder closer to him and dislodging his blade from the man’s arm. Oroku Saki grabbed the limb, still screaming as he struggled to stay standing.
Mikey began revving up a Shell Dash, electricity flying off of him and lighting up pieces of debris around him. He blitzed forward as fast as possible, the Shredder’s eyes widening as he saw an approaching dragon in the storm. “KAMINARI RYU NO TOSSHIN!” The Shredder’s life flashed before his eyes, only for him to be tackled from the side as Mikey broke the sound barrier and smashed through a piece of the Technodrome. The boy skidded to a stop, still displaying the power of lightning as Tiger Claw could be seen with Shredder in his arms and the villain’s helmet in one hand.
“You win this day, Hamato,” growled Tiger Claw. “Mark my words: this is not over.” The tiger villain then used his jetpack to take off, leaving the father and son alone. Mikey suddenly jolted, slowly falling over as he passed out from blood loss. Splinter caught the boy, his eyes widening.
“MICHELANGELO!”
The Next Day
Mikey groaned as he heard the beeping of a heart monitor, wincing as a light hit his eyes. He slowly opened them, his baby blue irises having orange splotches in them. At first thinking he was in Donnie’s lab, he found himself waking up in a hospital room that looked a bit too high tech for a regular hospital. He winced as his leg bugged him, moving the blanket aside to see where the area was stitched up. He spotted a fresh cup of water next to the bed he was in, taking a sip before he looked around the area.
“H-Hello?” questioned the boy. “Splinter? Leo?... Raph? Donnie?” He pushed himself up on the bed, only to feel himself being eased back down by a hand.
“Easy does it, now,” soothed a deep voice. Mikey looked towards the origin of the voice, his eyes widening as he saw a furry blue man with sharp canine teeth poking out of his lips. “You’ve been asleep all day. I’m frankly surprised you awoke so soon, given the amount of blood you lost.” Mikey grabbed his head as he groaned, rubbing his temples.
“W-Where am I? What is all this?” The man gestured to the space around them, smiling gently.
“This is a medical ward. Welcome to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. I am sure Jubilee gave you the number to call should any assistance be needed. She spoke rather fondly of you.” Mikey sighed in relief at this, slumping further into the bed as his temperature was being taken.
“What happened? I remember trying to save Master Splinter from the Shredder- MASTER SPLINTER! Is he okay!?” The large man nodded his head, shushing the boy.
“He’s recovering here as well. Both of you should be cleared to leave tomorrow. As for what happened, you and your family were brought here to be treated in a safe environment. Your brothers have also been asked many questions, some of which they were glad to answer.” The door to the room suddenly opened, April grinning as she ran over.
“Mikey!” cried the redhead. “You’re awake. We were so worried about you. I swear, you and Leo just love to worry everyone.” The goofball chuckled at this, shaking his head.
“Sorry. Guess the hero complex carried over from Master Splinter.” He blinked at his forehead being flicked, watching as the guys began to filter in. Karai was amongst them as well, having a small smile on her face. Raph crossed his arms, a smirk on his face.
“Look at you, Mr. Tough Guy,” joked the hothead. “Master Splinter says you messed the Shredder up pretty good, carving into his arm.” Mikey winced a bit, his leg aggravating him.
“I couldn’t just let him kill Master Splinter. I did what I had to.” Casey nodded his head, his hands in his pockets.
“And you left a gnarly impression on the world as the ‘Orange Flash’,” recalled the hockey player. “Be glad that they extended the break period due to the invasion in New York. Otherwise you’d be out of the dating scene for good. I-” Casey cried out as his foot was stomped on, Karai rolling her eyes.
“The point is, you did good,” stated the cool girl. “Still, you’re never going in alone again, so long as I can help it.” Mikey chuckled nervously, shrugging in embarrassment. The boy took the rest of the day to heal, the mutagen in his blood helping to speed up the healing process. The next day saw him walking through a door in crutches, seeing his father in the midst of the room while in a meditative position.
“Hey, Master Splinter,” greeted the dater. “How’s your knee doing?” The rat man opened his right eye, giving his son a blank stare.
“Healing, much like your leg,” answered the man. “Please, have a seat.” Mikey did as told, sitting in a chair as he didn’t want to mess up his leg. “How is your healing coming along?” The youngest turtle looked towards his leg, smiling weakly.
“It’s healing up good. Definitely won’t be running for a bit.” He then frowned towards his father, sighing. “Master Splinter, I-” The rat man held up his hand, stopping his son.
“Allow me to speak, Michelangelo. Three days prior to today, I fell into the mindset of my father. Back in those days, other than the clan, the only thing that mattered was the mission. I had to harden my heart in many places, even leaving innocents to their fate. Those were decisions that I am not proud of today, but they were necessary for survival back then.”
The rat man closed both eyes, thinking back to his youth. “I sometimes wish that I had kept such levels of kindness to my older years, considering if I could have reached out to Oroku Saki before he became the Shredder. It was your reaction to my words that made me realize where I had gone wrong, along with your refusal to leave the people of New York to be taken or worse. While your plan may not have succeeded as intended, your distraction allowed for that strange machine to deal the decisive blow to the Technodrome. In the end, you were also able to last longer against the Shredder than I had ever thought possible.”
Mikey nodded his head, unsure what to say as his father continued. “You have wounded him greatly and rescued me from an attack I do not believe I would have recovered from. While there is much to discuss when it comes to your behavior, as well as things to work through on my part, I believe in every word that I told the Shredder. You have grown into a skilled shinobi and an honorable young man, one I can be proud to call my son.” Mikey sniffled a bit, hugging his father as he moved his leg in a way that wouldn’t aggravate the wound on it.
Splinter returned the gesture, rubbing the back of the boy’s head. “When we leave this place, we will discuss what to do moving forward. It is obvious that the Kraang are not yet finished and the Foot Clan is not stabbed so easily. For now, however, there is much to do.” The father and son remained like this for a while, Mikey working through his emotions.
The family stayed for only a few more days following the incident, wanting to make sure Mikey and Splinter were back on their feet and ready for the long trek to the lair. The family was given the offer to stay in the institute, though it was a group decision that being closer to the operations of the Kraang and the foot would be better for them. Not to mention that their home had been left alone for far too long. They did, however, take the offer to ride in a car to get to their destination. Everyone was in human form as they watched the city go by, Raph leaning back with his hands behind his head.
“You know, I could get used to riding like this,” sighed the hothead. “We should get a car.” Donnie grinned, nodding his head.
“I could totally make one!” cried the genius. “I’d just need an old car, a lot of materials, and anything else fun I can think of to use. Of course, for casual driving one of us would need to get a license. Can’t exactly print those off the internet, at least not legally.” Leo rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
“Let’s not go that far, Donnie,” huffed the leader. “Let’s just focus on letting things get back to New York’s brand of normal.” Mikey watched out the window, humming a bit.
“Hey… these apartment buildings are wrong,” stated the blonde. “Are we on the wrong street?” Splinter smiled knowingly, the others having their own degrees of knowledge. The car soon stopped in front of a building that looked more like a house than an actual apartment complex. The group exited the vehicle, Splinter walking up the steps with his cane as the car drove off.
Mikey was the first one at the door, his eyes widening as he saw the spaciousness and coziness of the building. There was a decent sized TV, a small couch with a loveseat and a plush ottoman, a table long enough for their usual group size, and a kitchen that had black marble tops. “Whoa. Is… is this ours? I don’t-”
The boy turned towards the group, looking excited. “How did we get this? What about the Lair? How did-” Raph crossed his arms, huffing a bit.
“Well a certain someone had friends in high places and got certain peoples interested in us,” satiated the hothead. “They worked something out with the city and, well-” Donnie pushed Raph aside, an excited grin on his face.
“It’s the best thing ever!” cried the genius. “Watch this!” Donnie ran for one of the walls, pressing some stones in a certain order. The wall slowly opened up, revealing an elevator on the inside. “We’re ABOVE THE LAIR!”
The genius got in the elevator, cheering as it suddenly went down. It came back up just as quickly, Donny having to fix his hair a bit. “Everything is made by Stark Industries, Wayne Enterprises, and even has a few fun surprises of my design! The best part is, we get actual rooms!” Mikey chuckled a bit, feeling a bit nervous before Master Splinter placed a hand on his shoulder.
“This is a good thing, my son,” reassured the rat master. “A lesson you and your brothers taught me is that learning to trust in others and open up is a skill anyone should possess, as long as it is paired with a strong evaluation. This is our home now, and I do believe there is cause for celebration. Of course, first we must ensure everything is well.” The blonde nodded his head, his smile growing.
He opened up a door with an orange lightning bolt on the front, looking inside to see a room that was only a bit larger than his one in the sewers. There was a new bed with orange colors, a black desk that had his computer on top, a TV of his own, a bookshelf for all his comic books and whatever else he needed, and a soft white carpet. The walls were painted black, having orange lightning bolt patterning on them. The boy laid down on his bed, turning into his true self as he took in the atmosphere. He couldn’t help but smile, looking at the flat white ceiling.
“Welcome home, Mikey,” sighed the boy to himself. “Things will never be the same.” He closed his eyes, thinking about where he would put what when it came to moving things up from the Lair.
-To be Continued-
Next time onThe Many Dates of a Ninja Turtle
Daters Go!
And that, my friends, is the last chapter of the month. The Kraang invasion interrupts the festivities of a gaming tournament, Mikey and Splinter have an argument, and in the end the Turtles gain a new place for their heroism. There was also a surprise meeting with Gaz from the Invader Zim series. That makes for an interesting confirmation if I do say so myself. In any case, Mikey has proven that he can be quite the power house.
In any case, what did you guys think? Did you like how the invasion was handled? How do you think Mikey’s dates will go moving forward? Let me know what you think down below and let me know who you think Mikey’s next date will be. This is Inkaliber, signing off.
Date Ratings:
Miyako Gotokuji (Bubbles): 9
Marcy Wu: 10
Mabel Pines: 8
DeeDee: 1 (Canceled)
Star Butterfly: 10
Jubilation Lee: 8
Katie Holt (Pidge): 9
Shinigami: 3
Cassandra Sandsmark (Cassie): 9
Mavis Dracula: 8
Haley Long: 10
Ring Ring: 1 (Pending Suspension)
Ester: 8
Mina Ashido: 9
