Work Text
Heroes in a Hard-Shell, Part 1/2:
"A Grand Day Out"
written by Malique Richardson & Joe Rougarou
VOICE TALENT:
Ben Diskin as Leonardo
Charlie Schlatter as Donatello
Curtis Armstrong as Raphael
Erica Lindbeck as Venus
Jason Marsden/Jaleel White as Michelangelo
Greg Baldwin as Splinter
Ming-Na Wen as Whiskers
Logan Browning as April O'Neil
Malique Richardson as Zach O'Neil, Cowabunga Carl
S. Scott Bullock as Two-Ton
Scott Menville as Johnny
Kody Kavitha as Sunita
Breanna Yde as Angeline "Angel" Bridgeman
Courtenay Taylor as Principal Sophie, Irma Langenstein
Mae Margaret Whitman as Caitlyn
Justin Felbinger as Timothy "Tim"
Jessie Flower as Girl on TV
John DiMaggio as Owen Rocksteed
Kevin Michael Richardson as Anton Ziktor
Rachel McFarlane as Taylor Martin
Josh LeBar as Burne Thompson
Matthew Mercer as Vernon Fenwick
Isaac Hayes III as Hunter "Hun" Rocksteed
This is the city...namely speaking, Manhattan. It's said that there's about a million stories in each city...but this time, we're gonna focus on one story in particular. It's a story about five siblings—four brothers and their sister—and the incredible adventures that they're going to have.
Far below the streets of Manhattan, nestled in an abandoned train station, there lived five adolescent mutated turtles, trained in the ways of martial arts by not ONE mentor, but two: a humanoid rat, and a humanoid cat. For the past 15 years, they had lived and trained down there."Remember, to be a true ninja you must become one with the shadows," Splinter instructed, sitting in the middle of the room. "Darkness gives the ninja power, while light reveals the ninja's presence. Now, can you extinguish this flame without revealing yourselves?"He was met with silence as his students were currently hiding in the shadows. They were trying to sneak over to the candle without getting exposed.First up, one scurried through the darkness, trying to extinguish the candle, but Splinter yanked it away, causing the would-be attacker to slam into the wall."Too noisy, Donatello," the rat-man chastised his pupil."Nuts," Donatello complained.Next, someone sprinted across the floor, cartwheeling along...before Splinter tossed the candle up and caught it, prompting the other one to crash into Don.Splinter shook his head. "Too clumsy, Michelangelo," he replied."Bogus, man," Mike grumbled."Could've been worse," Don told his brother.Venus got into position, then made a running start, darting from wall to wall and tossing a few stones to divert attention, before she leapt to the candle. However, Splinter simply sidestepped and let her go right by without blowing the candle out."A bit less clear, Kahlo," he shook his head."Understood," Venus agreed; 'Kahlo' had become her nickname for Splinter to use.Splinter once more ducked as Raph leapt over him. Bounding to a stop, the red-banded one turned and saw his father had risen to take several steps back. Raph rushed his father, who dropped to his knees and tripped Raph with his stick, making him slide into the other three turtles."Poor choice, Raphael," the rat sensei clucked his tongue."Nertz," Raph remarked.Of course, hanging overhead was the last of the quintet, Leonardo, who leapt down from the pipes, and used his swords to slice the candle's top off, catching it on the end of one sword."Got it," Leon smiled as he blew the candle out.Splinter flicked the lights on. "Well done, Leonardo," he smiled."Teacher's pet," Raph snorted as he got to his feet."Ninja dropout," Leon shot back."Ooooh~!" jeered Don and Mike."Oh, NO he didn't!" added Venus. What? Just because she was a girl didn't mean that she couldn't join in on her brothers' fun!"And with that...training is done," Splinter declared."Time to eat!" said Whiskers."You have come far in your training since we first began, my students," said Splinter as the Turtles exited the dojo. "Your path in life will not be an easy one, which is why Whiskers and I have spent the last thirteen years training you in the way of the ninja.""And we appreciate what you have done." Leon replied."We want you all to be ready for anything so you can be safe," Whiskers added."Indeed," Splinter continued. "There are those who may shun or despise you for the sole fact you are different...but you must never let that deter you.""The way of the ninja helps us accept ourselves, our surroundings, and how we fit in with them," explained Whiskers. "No matter how different we may seem, we are all part of life.""We understand," The turtles said together."Now, with that settled...it's time for breakfast," said Splinter. "Let us nourish our bodies for the day ahead. But first, you had best go wash up.""Okay." Venus agreed as she definitely recognized their need for a shower."I call first!" called Raph as he left the room."No way, Raph!" Don retorted. "I'll be the first one in!""Maybe, but you'll be first after ME!" Venus retorted."No chance, guys!" responded Leon. "Besides...I'm gonna be first!"Normally, Mike would've gone all-in on this. Of course, he'd been a little younger then."Just so you muchachos know, it's not a race!" he called as he ran behind. "But that doesn't mean I won't try!"The two senseis smiled as they watched their turtle children with warm smiles. It made them feel happy at how much they had grown up."Kids," Splinter smirked to himself.Meanwhile, up on the surface, another teenager was getting ready for the day ahead. She was a redheaded teenage black girl with brown eyes and freckles on her face. She also wore a yellow beanie, a jacket, a black CHANNEL 6 NEWS T-shirt, dark jeans, and white sneakers.Her name was April O'Neil, and she was determined to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a reporter. Of course, she was also a prodigy and very gifted, but since her family didn't have very much money, she was stuck in public school, so that left her in a rut.Still, she did the best she could within her limits, and at the very least she had friends by her side."Zach!" April called out. "Are you ready?"From the other room, a blonde-haired boy a year younger than her poked his head inside, with his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. "Sure, sure, just a couple more seconds!" he insisted. This was Zachary, but he preferred going by "Zach"."Okay!" April replied while grabbing a breakfast bar.Zach snagged a bagel while finishing up brushing his teeth, dropped it in his bag, and scrambled to the door. April wasn't far behind him as they headed out to school.They had to make sure they got there in time, and luckily managed to grab a ride. Eventually, they made it to school and went to their lockers. April had no trouble with her locker; Zach, on the other hand, opened his locker...and a massive mound of garbage fell out with a heavy THWUMP."Gyaaaaugh!" Zach gagged as he backed off."Not again." April said as she saw what happened."Grrrr...DAMN IT!" screamed Zach, irritated. "Every stupid week! I can't TAKE this crap anymore!""Maybe we should bug the area," April suggested."Good luck," Zach grumbled as he picked his bag up. "How are we supposed to get that done?""I actually have a few small cameras that are easy to hide." April revealed."...maybe," grumbled Zach. "But I've got my suspicions about who did it."Just then, two other kids Zach's age came over. One was a pudgy dark-haired boy, and the other was a punkish-looking girl in blonde pigtails."Hey, are you okay?" the boy asked. "We heard that noise.""Yeah, Tim, I'm good," Zach replied. "But my locker won't be usable for a while.""Bummer." The boy replied as he took notice of the condition of the locker."That's not even scratching the surface," grunted Zach."C'mon," said the girl, Caitlyn, as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go to class.""I dunno how, but I just KNOW Angel had something to do with this," Zach muttered as he rubbed his chin."I'll set up the cameras and figure out what's going on." April advised. "I have a feeling there's more to it.""Hm, alright," Zach shrugged as he and the others went off on their way.At that very moment, the turtles were having breakfast together.Today, Leon, Kahlo, Raph, and Don were having cereal, while Mike, Splinter, and Whiskers were having pancakes that Whiskers made (with Mike's help).
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Plus, this way they don't have to eat worms and algae!]
"So, sensei...we've been thinking," said Leon while they waited for breakfast. "Now that we're 16...I think we're finally ready to venture up to the surface. Don't you?"Splinter stopped eating and took a moment to think. "...perhaps you are," he responded, before looking at them all. "Your skills have improved over time, and you are all well-adapted to using your skills. I suppose it is time to put those skills to use by going to the surface.""Awesome!" exclaimed Leon."Ex-cellent!" Mike responded."Primo!" Venus chimed in."Yes!" Raph said with a smile. "Finally, I get to head out!""Great." Don added."Thank you, sensei," said Leon. "When exactly are we doing this?""Well, since you asked for the chance to go out, then how about today?" Whiskers offered."That's more than acceptable!" said Leon."Then I suggest you prepare for your journey," Splinter advised."Will do, sensei," Leon nodded as he finished his cereal, then headed off.Both Splinter and Whiskers watched on as their turtles went to prepare for their first journey up top."It really is time..." Whiskers said, glancing at their children."Indeed, but we will always still worry about them, regardless," Splinter admitted."You do that, Mom, sensei," said Mike as he ate the last of his pancake. "I got something to watch, and I can't miss it!"So after cleaning up his plate, he quickly left for the living room.It'd be a while before take-off. In the meantime, they had a lot to do.Back in school, April was seated next to her best friends, Irma and Sunita. Currently, they were in history class, trying their best to stay awake.History lessons were so boring. Nobody could truly blame them for falling asleep. However, the teacher managed to find a way to wake everyone up, with the use of a horn he knew how to play."GUAAAAAGH!" the kids shrieked as they were jostled awake."Never underestimate the power of a vuvuzela," Mr. Nathan commented before he resumed his lesson."Another day and another round of the horn," Sunita complained quietly."Yeah...you know how it is," said Irma. "So! Anything interesting happen with you guys recently?""Not really." Sunita replied."Not exactly." April admitted."Ah...well, I guess we're in the same boat," Irma replied, trying to remain casual."Sadly," Sunita agreed. "School sucks the fun out of life.""That's why we gotta make our OWN fun," shrugged April. "Even if school is boring and full of annoyances.""Got any ideas?" Irma asked."We could go by the news studio and ask Mom for help; I mean, Zach and I are trying to figure out who's pranking him," explained April. "He thinks it's Angel, but I have my doubts.""Hey, it's better than just going home," Sunita agreed."Definitely." Irma said with interest."Then it's settled," April smiled. "We'll all go for it after school!""Good," Irma declared."Perfect," Sunita agreed.
BACK IN THE LAIR...
Mike, naturally, was in front of the TV, watching cartoons—specifically, his favorite, Cowabunga Carl!"You know, I guess I owe you," said a girl on-screen. "If it wasn't for you, Death Dude would've won.""Hey, I couldn't let you end up being a sacrifice, y'know?" asked Carlos.From afar, a cloaked, skull-headed man fumed, clenching his fists. "One of these days, Cowabunga Carl: you shall suffer defeat!" he fumed in a Darkseid/Dr. Claw-esque voice.Mike sighed, impressed. "As usual, Cowabunga Carl, you are an inspiration to millions," he beamed proudly."There's something ironic about all this," said Raph, who had just come in. "You're tryin' to act all grown up on one hand...and yet, here you are, watchin' this dippy cartoon."Mike rolled his eyes and turned back towards the TV. When Cowabunga Carl was on, nothing could get him down. Not even Raph.Leon was getting in some extra training before he would spend some time to rest for the journey up top."And that should do for training," he declared as he grabbed his cup of water. "Now, to rest."Don, meanwhile, was working on a way for his siblings to communicate while they were up on the surface."As for the name—I'm caught between Shell Cell or T-Cell," he mused. "They're untraceable, unhackable, and they operate on their own network."As he saw how his design looked more like a turtle shell, that helped him decide."Okay, definitely Shell Cell." Don declared. "Shellphone's already been used before."So he jotted that down. "Hmm...should I include a belt clip?" he pondered. "Don't want them to be able to slip off, so...yes."At the same time, Venus was watching something on a tablet that Don had put together a while back.Specifically, she was watching Captain Nova Star, her favorite anime about a plucky teenage girl who'd been chosen to become a legendary heroine. A little more Mew Mew Power, not quite as Sailor Moon as you'd expect, but with plenty of Super Sentai-esque flair to go around.She was watching an episode where Captain Nova Star had to defeat her possessed best friend. It was an intense situation and Venus was really getting into it."Now THIS is TV!" she murmured. "C'mon, Elizabeth! You can't let the Nebula spirits seize control over you! You've got to believe in the bonds of your friendship!"Eventually, she saw that good had triumphed and friends were together again. "Beautiful...just...beautiful!" she gasped, feeling almost choked-up.As the turtles all did their thing, their senseis looked on.
BACK IN SCHOOL...
Classes were almost done for the day, and Zach was leaving the classroom. He wasn't sure if Angel really WAS the one behind all these pranks...but he had to take a chance and make his point clear.And if it wasn't her—then he'd do what he could to make amends. He couldn't deny that she was pretty, but he couldn't help how hurtful the pranks were to him.Alright...where could she be? he thought to himself as his eyes scanned the area, sweeping like a radar. So far, no sign of her. However he kept his guard up anyway.She's gotta be around here somewhere, Zach continued thinking. I don't need any distractions. I just need to keep both eyes open. And chances are...she's wearing something purple.Suddenly, he spotted two people that seemed to be worse than Angel could ever be: Taylor Martin and Johnny Stickler."That sort of trouble I don't need," mused Zach. "Better go look somewhere else."Of course, he only got a few feet before they noticed him."Well well well, it's Zach." Taylor said as she spotted him."The target boy," Johnny added.Within seconds, they were in pursuit, and about to corner Zach. Nuts...I couldn't lose these guys! he thought.Then, out of the blue, an arm grabbed Zach and yoinked him into the janitorial closet before they could catch up."WHUP!" Zach exclaimed as he was pulled inside and the door shut.To his surprise the one that saved him was the one person, wearing purple, that he was trying to avoid."...YOU?!" exclaimed Zach, bewildered."Hi," Angel said while looking down."You pulled my fat outta the fire?" Zach asked. "Pardon me for asking, but...why? Is this a territory thing? I mean, no offense, but you're the LAST person I expected to save my bacon.""There's more to what's been happening than what you may think," Angel explained."Oh?" Zach inquired. "Well, let's start, then. Specifically from WHAT IS YOUR DEAL WITH ME?!""Could you please not shout?" Angel requested, clamping a hand over his mouth. "Taylor and Johnny could circle back at any moment.""Fine-fine-fine," Zach hissed, his tone quieter."At first I did it to get your attention, poorly, but then my mom explained what I was doing was wrong, and before I could change the boy named Johnny Stickler forced me to continue pranking you." Angel explained."Who?" Zach asked. "You mean the redheaded kid?""Yeah..." Angel replied. "I once heard him mention that he was at the same orphanage as you and wasn't happy that the O'Neils picked you instead of him, because he has red hair.""...that's what he's so angry about? Seriously?" asked Zach. "That's so stupid!""What do you think he is?" Angel asked."Well, I didn't really acknowledge him," said Zach. "But yeah. What can I do, exactly? I can't go living the rest of my high school life in fear of when he'll strike next!""We need evidence," Angel replied. "He's been threatening me to prank you all this time or else he'll beat you up.""I'd love to give him a mouthful of knuckle, but I guess we'll have to settle for getting him busted," Zach relented."Getting him busted is better," Angel pointed out."Morally, sure," Zach muttered. "But I'd still like to show him not to mess with me anymore.""Believe me, hitting isn't always the right choice," Angel advised. "I was out of school for that one month due to a little something that I did by following that example.""Oh, alright," Zach grumbled."Let's expose him and if he decides to get violent, let it be self-defense," Angel suggested.Zach's grimace turned into a bit of a smile. "...acceptable," he replied."Now let's go, before people think we're making out in here." Angel suggested.Zach nodded and quickly pushed his way outside. "I mean, you're okay, I guess," he shrugged. "But I'm not ready for that kind of rumor yet. So how exactly are we gonna bust this guy?""I heard your sister this morning." Angel replied. "She set up cameras."Zach rubbed his chin. "Didn't think she'd get the clearance for that, but alright," he replied. "Just goes to show she's impressive like that.""Actually, the reporter club is allowed to do sting operations." Angel revealed.Zach facepalmed."You didn't know?" Angel asked."How was I supposed to?" Zach asked. "I'm not a reporter.""But your sister is." Angel reminded him. "And your mother, so I'm surprised they never mentioned it, but either way it'll be helpful.""...fair," shrugged Zach. "Anyways, school is about to end.""Be careful getting home, Angel advised. "That gang called the Purple Dragons has been on the rise.""I'll try," replied Zach. "Maybe next time you could sit with me and my buds at lunch?""I'll think about it," Angel replied. "After everything that happened, I might need time.""Yeah, good point," nodded Zach as he headed to regroup with his sister."How was your day?" April asked as Zach arrived."...interesting," said Zach. "Anyways, let's get going. As tempting as it would be to punch Johnny's teeth down his throat, I'll have to settle for getting him caught.""I'm actually going to visit mom." April mentioned. "Wanna come?""Sure, I have nothing planned for the rest of the day," said Zach. "Let's book it!"So, they headed for Channel 6 News.
MEANWHILE, DOWN IN THE LAIR...
The Turtles were grabbing the last of their gear before they headed up to the surface."Everyone ready?" Leon asked in excitement as he wanted to make sure they were good to go."Smokebombs and Shell Cells ready!" Mike replied."Weapons and defenses ready." Raph assured his siblings."Money is ready!" Don gave a thumbs-up."And I have a few snacks, just in case." Venus mentioned."Right...now let's go!" Leon declared."Have a good time," Splinter said as he saw them."We will, sensei," the turtles nodded before they headed up the ladder."There they go," Whiskers said as they watched the turtles leave.Splinter nodded in response."You think we should've hugged them before we left?" asked Mike as he and his sibs made their way through the tunnels towards a manhole."That probably would have made it harder." Leon advised as he climbed up the ladder.So, one by one, the Turtles clamored up the ladder and arrived on the surface.They were, for lack of a better word, amazed at the sights of the surface: supermarkets, repair shops, karate classes, comic book stores...you name it, and as long as it was realistic, it was all around them."It's glorious..." gasped Don."I could look at that sunset for HOURS," Leon beamed."This is amazing," Venus said happily.After a few minutes, Raph looked up. "OK, so whaddo we do next?" he asked. "Not that the sunset ain't great, but what ELSE are we gonna do?""What anyone seeing new territory would, go exploring." Don advised with an excited grin."Yeah, we finally get to see something other than a sewer or subway tunnel, so let's enjoy it by checking it all out!" Mike agreed."Right, then," said Leon. "We'll split off for an hour, then meet up to get food.""Agreed!" The others said together.And with that, the Turtles took off into the city to see what they could get up to.They were off to find new opportunities, sights, and who knows what else as they went off.Meanwhile, April, Zach, Irma and Sunita arrived at the Channel 6 News building."It'll be good to see Mom," Zach mentioned. "I wish she didn't have to work such long hours.""Same here," nodded April. "But she's got a duty to help bring the news to the masses."So, they headed inside. At that moment, Mike headed into the TV station, wearing some sunglasses and a jacket he'd found from a lost-and-found bin."I always DID like TV," he mused. "Now I get to see how it's put on the air."As he went into the building, he was amazed. "Dude...this building is mondo gigundo!" he remarked, awestruck.As he went looking around, he saw all sorts of cool productions. In one room, they were filming a game show; in another, they were filming a telethon. In another, one was running infomercials."Man, this place is a total hotbed of activity!" Mike remarked.Meanwhile, Zach and April met up with their mother, who was getting ready to go on-camera."Hey, Mom!" they greeted her."Hey, kids!" Veronica "Ronnie" O'Neil replied while waving."Mom, can we talk?" asked Zach. "Y'see, we have a bit of a situation. And by 'we'...I mean ME.""Oh?" Ronnie asked. "What's wrong?"And so, Zach explained the whole situation, and in great detail, too, not leaving out even a single bit of information."...and that's why he wants to beat me up, which is a really stupid reason!" he finished."I remember him." Ronnie admitted. "He had a terrible attitude problem, but even then we weren't looking for another redhead or a potential bad boy.""So now he's taking it out on me," Zach replied. "Which is bizarre, since I didn't even know who he was until today.""You'd be surprised by how often I've seen situations like that happen." Ronnie replied."Yeah?" asked Zach."Oh yeah." Ronnie assured her son. "So, what do you all want to do about him?""...I want to make sure he gets his comeuppance," said Zach. "I want to let him know that Zach O'Neil and anyone affiliated with me are off limits. I wanna make it clear I won't put up with his stupid pranks anymore! ...but since I have crummy, weak noodle arms, I may as well settle for getting evidence that proves he's guilty.""Honestly, that's the best choice," Ronnie replied. "Hitting him might give you more trouble in school, but proving his guilt can actually cause him more damage.""I've heard that twice today, yet it feels like thrice," Zach muttered, annoyed. "...okay, how exactly should we go about this?""Well, first I put cameras around your locker." April mentioned. "The Journalism Club is allowed special permission to set up such things, with certain restrictions.""Well, I know that now," Zach noted."Better late than never," Irma admitted."If we gather evidence of him setting then he'll end up in trouble," Sunita added."I hope we get it," said Zach. "Especially for my sake.""And for Angel." Ronnie added. "I actually spoke with her mom a couple months ago and heard that she's been having trouble with someone and now I think I know how and who.""Alright, if you think this'll work, Mom, we'll try it," said Zach. "...still, if everyone already knew, you could've said something awhileago and saved me a ton of trouble.""Good." Ronnie said with a smile. "I do hope that it does work. And...sorry.""Five minutes to air, Miss O'Neil!" called a man."Right!" Ronnie replied. "I have to get ready now, but I hope you all do good...and that everything goes okay.""Okay, Mom, and thanks," Zach said."Good luck!" April added."Thanks," Ronnie replied. "I'll try to be home before bedtime."Waving to her, April, Zach, Irma and Sunita headed out the door. As they did, they passed by Mike, who got a pretty good look at April.The world seemed to slow down...everything got all sorta-blurry, you know, like when someone smudged vaseline on the camera during those dreamy-effect scenes on episodes of Star Trek."...whoa..." Mike gasped in quiet awe.As soon as she was out of his view, things started to move normally. There was only one thing that could describe what had happened. It was love at first sight."That...was totally bodacious..." Mike gulped, the faintest trace of a blush appearing on his cheeks. As he stumbled through the hall, floating along on Cloud 9, he accidentally bumped into someone."Oh! I am SO sorry!" Mike exclaimed, embarrassed. "You okay?""I'm okay." Ronnie assured him. "It was an accident, nothing more. Things tend to get busy when it's time to go on the air.""Fair enough," Mike replied. "Michael D'Angelo, pleased to meet you.""Veronica O'Neil," Ronnie introduced."Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Mike replied. "Anyways, I better get a move on. It was nice meeting you, Ms. O'Neil!""Bye," Ronnie said as she headed to the news room. Mike smiled as he headed downstairs and on his way. "Nice lady," he commented to himself as he left.Then he remembered that both Ms O'Neil and that girl he saw both had red hair. "Huh...you don't suppose they could be related, do ya?" Mike pondered to himself.As he was pondering the possibilities, others were plotting.Namely, April was checking the footage from the camera she had set up. "I think we've got something," she mentioned."Yeah?" Zach inquired, leaning over. "What is it?""Look, here's a redhead at your locker after school," Sunita pointed out.Zach peered over and checked the camera footage; he saw a red-headed boy tampering with his locker. "There's the stinkin' fink!" Zach fumed.Then they saw Johnny push Angel towards the locker and forcing her to set up a pudding prank."...so it was him. For like half of them," Zach commented."We'll have to talk to Angel about how often he was responsible, but this is solid evidence," Irma said as she was listening to the audio. "We need to get this to someone important.""Yeah," nodded Irma. "The question is, who?""I know someone on the school board," Sunita revealed."I'd say that's pretty important," commented April. "And if that doesn't fit the bill, I don't know WHAT does!""My uncle hasn't let anyone down yet," Sunita assured them.And so, they headed homeward...but as they got further down the road, they were gradually being followed, and the company keeping on their tail was becoming more and more visibly unfriendly.At the same time, the turtles were regrouping."So, fill me in," said Leon. "What'd you guys see?""I found a bunch of gearheads that gave me tips on building a bike," Raph revealed."I ended up procuring a bunch of electronic parts I needed," Don mentioned."I passed by a few dojos, and a couple of neat little curio shops," said Leon. "The weapons they had on display were definitely interesting.""I went to a TV station," Mike replied, casually."I found a lot of people selling their do-it-yourself work," Venus added."Definitely impressive," said Leon. "Alright, how about we get something to eat?""Hold on," Mike said while checking the street. "I don't like the looks of that growing crowd.""Huh?" asked Raph as he went over and took a look. "...okay, Mike might have a point. That looks bad.""I think it's time to truly put our skills as ninjas to the test," Leon declared. "Let's go."With firm nods, the Turtles headed off.By now, April and her friends, plus her brother, were trying their hardest to lose their pursuers, but it seemed impossible."Well, well..." sneered a blue-haired man as he stepped forth, wielding a crowbar. "This is Purple Dragon territory you've come into.""We don't recognize the Purple Dragons as anything but garbage," Irma stated."Oh, that hurts...right here," the leader remarked, pointing at his heart sarcastically. "Two-Ton, let's make it better."A large, bulky-looking man stepped up, cracking his knuckles. "You got it," he said."Hey, leave us alone, huh?" Zach asked. "We don't even have any money!""Already spent mine," Sunita admitted."Got nothing," April added."I think we can...work something out," said the leader.Zach immediately caught onto what he meant, and he stood in front of the girls, his hands outstretched defensively."Not a chance, meathead!" Zach declared as he stood his ground."Move it, small fry," demanded the leader."I'd sooner see you go kick rocks," Zach shot back."Oooh, a feisty one," the leader remarked. "Two-Ton, Dragon Face, go get the girls. They're gonna like this one."The two the leader spoke to nodded before walking away."In the meantime, dragons? Circle 'em," demanded the leader, and his cronies began to surround the kids.The group stood back to back as they were trying to get ready for anything."Yo, muchachos," said Mike, getting their attention. "Didn't your parents ever teach you about pickin' on others? Includin' pretty ladies and their younger brothers?""Okay, who said that?" The leader asked while looking around.The circle parted, revealing Mike, nearby while the other Turtles joined him."What's with the dweeby costumes?" asked one of the thugs, a blonde guy with a military helmet and camo pants."Hah! Whaddo they think this is, Halloween?" replied another thug, a black guy with a purple-dyed mohawk and blue sunglasses. He also wore hi-tops and a matching red vest."Must be some really dedicated cosplayers," One more suggested."Whoever you geeks are, you are dead," snapped the leader. "Nobody trespasses on Purple Dragon turf and gets away with it-especially when they're wearing stupid turtle costumes!"Leon stepped forward, katana drawn. "We don't want any trouble. Just let the kids go, and we'll be on our way.""No chance!" The leader declared. "Get them!"The Purple Dragons lunged at the Turtles, but the siblings were ready. Leon moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, his katana flashing as he disarmed one thug and kicked him into another.Don twirled his bo staff, knocking away a pipe aimed at his head. He used the staff's length to keep multiple attackers at bay, striking with precision and force. A thug charged at him, but Don ducked under the swing and swept his legs out from under him."That's one way to sweep someone off their feet!" he commented."And here's how you deal with a pushover!" Raph said as he knocked a few of them down on their butts.Venus was a blur of motion, her tonfa spinning in her hands. She blocked a crowbar strike with one tonfa and retaliated with a powerful jab to the thug's stomach, doubling him over."Shame on you," she remarked. "Picking on a poor, defenseless girl!"She spun and struck another attacker in the jaw, sending him reeling. "And if there WAS one around, I bet you'd feel pretty stupid!" Venus commented.As for Mike, he was busy deflecting his with his nunchuku. He flipped over a thug and landed behind him, delivering a rapid series of strikes that left the thug groaning on the ground. Mike grinned and gave a playful wink to April and her friends. "Pretty cool, right?" he asked."No showboating!" Leon warned as he knocked out a guy that tried to get a cheap shot off Mike."OK, okay," shrugged Mike. Flashing another wave to April, he turned back towards the fight."...I think he likes you," commented Zach.Don, meanwhile, disarmed another attacker and used his bo staff to vault over a low swing, landing a solid blow to the back of the thug's head. He nodded to Venus, who was nearby.Venus blocked a pipe with her tonfa and struck her attacker in the ribs, then spun to deliver a high kick that knocked him out cold. "They're not so tough," she remarked, her tone confident."Gang members are mostly all hot air and nothing else when opposed by true fighters!" Leon declared as he slashed the pants of a few members before giving them all a hard kick that knocked them down and out.Mike's acrobatics kept him one step ahead of his foes. He flipped and twisted, his nunchaku a blur as he struck at any thug who got too close. "You guys are so slow!" he taunted, dodging a wild swing and delivering a knockout blow to the thug's temple."Ooh, I hate stinkin' toitles!" grumbled the thug in camo pants.Soon enough, only the leader was left and he found himself surrounded. The turtles waited for the right moment to strike together."3...2...1..." said Leon, as they each collided with him, shell-first."SHELL SLAM!" they exclaimed as he slumped to the floor."Ohh, yeah!" exclaimed Mike. "We came, we saw, we kicked major butt!""And we got exposed," Leon mentioned."So?" asked Raph. "We had a good reason for it.""But now we have to hope my signal jammer keeps working." Don mentioned. "Safety first.""...thanks for helping us out back there," said Zach."No problem!" Mike beamed."Just who are you guys, anyway?" asked Sunita."It's a long story," Raph stated."One, sadly, that we don't have time for," said Leon. "Besides, we didn't even get to eat yet.""Try Antonio's," April suggested. "Homemade crusts and fresh ingredients."Mike made a physical note of that. "Got it, and thank you, Miss..." he trailed off. "Sorry, I didn't get your name.""April, Sunita, Irma, and Zach." April introduced them."Well, it was nice to meet you all, and here's hoping we'll meet again," said Mike coolly."Until then, you never saw us." Leon advised."Yeah, what he said!" Raph added as the Turtles headed off, while the humans watched."Well...that was something." Irma declared."Something awesome, more like," Zach beamed."I think we'd better leave before something worse happens," said Sunita."Right," said April as she and the others left the alleyway.Of course, Irma made a quick call to the cops and let them know that the Purple Dragons were out cold and ready to be taken into custody.Meanwhile, the Turtles were on their way to Antonio's, having been led there courtesy of Don's GPS."Looks like this is the place," mused Kahlo."Okay, let's head in," said Leon. "And hope nobody will assume the worst.""That won't be a problem," said Kahlo as she looked inside. "Looks like most of the patrons are cosplayers today.""Primo!" Mike exclaimed. "We can blend in real easy-like!""Sometimes, invisibility is being right out in the open," Leon said as they went inside."Save the fortune-cookie shtick, Leon," responded Raph as he followed. "Besides...I'm hungry!"They headed over and took their seats at a nearby table. The aromas of Italian food filled the air, and made many of the patrons' mouths water.Soon, a waitress came for their order."We'll take one large cheese pizza for the table," said Leon."Coming up," The waitress replied as she left."How's that sound?" asked Leon to the others."It's a good starting point," said Don. "This way we can gauge if we like it or not.""Agreed," Venus nodded."Better than nothing," Raph shrugged."I've seen how gooey it can get on TV," said Mike. "So yeah, it sounds awesome!"Soon, the pizza arrived and it was warm and fragrant. One by one, each Turtle took a slice and bit into it. And they were each blown back by how good it tasted! So, they ate slowly to completely savor it.Eventually, they finished eating, and put down some money (each of them contributed) as payment."Should we get something for Mom and sensei?" asked Raph."We'd be fools not to," Leon declared before he received a small box for carrying out."Alright, fair enough," said Mike. "There's our verdict."So they got some extra food for their senseis before they took off for home. They took to the rooftops and headed towards the same alley as before. Then, they went down the manhole together and returned to the lair.Venturing back through the tunnels, they headed into the old train station."Mother?" called Leon. "Sensei? We're home! And we brought something for you!""Oh, really?" Whiskers asked from seemingly nowhere. "That was very thoughtful of you all.""Well, we thought it'd be nice, you know?" Leon asked as he came inside and put the takeout box on their kitchen table."You thought right." Splinter agreed as he came out of the shadows and grabbed the box. "We appreciate the kind gesture and are proud of you for having such kind hearts.""Thank you, sensei," Leon replied, taking a bow."You're welcome," Splinter replied before Whiskers came out of hiding."Now let's see what's inside," she said, pocketing her mask and opening the box. Inside were 2 dozen cheese sticks, with dipping sauce."Cheese sticks!" Splinter said excitedly. "Even before I was a rat, I enjoyed these tasty morsels plenty of times.""Makes me think of our fourth date," beamed Whiskers.Splinter gave a nod of agreement. "It was splendid," he replied.So the parentals tucked into their treat, while the Turtles broke off to busy themselves for the rest of the night."I'm gonna turn in early, dudes," said Mike. "Inspiration's struck!""I think we're all gonna turn in," Raph admitted."Well, okay," said Mike as he scurried up his rope ladder to his bedroom. "G'night!"The others headed to their rooms as well. They all had a great day and wanted to reflect on it.Once he was in his room, Mike immediately got out his art supplies, and began drawing. In fact, he drew three times, and his thoughts were focused on April."She...she's just...totally bodacious~" Mike gushed. He had a crush, and it was getting stronger. "Maybe I should take this slow, so I don't drive her off," he mused. "Yeah, that's the ticket! We'll just be friends for now."With that choice made, he settled in for the night and put his sketches away. He had a lot of things to think about from today, and April was definitely on the top of all of them.Of course, the ones the Turtles had defeated were currently cooling their heels in a holding cell at the police station, while seething over the creatures that so thoroughly humiliated them.But that was when they got company. He was at least 7 feet tall, bore a blonde buzzcut with a rat-tail dangling off the back, and an absolute tower of muscle. He wore a black sleeveless shirt and pants, and on his right arm he bore a large purple-ink tattoo of a dragon."Care to explain what happened?" he rumbled."We had these teenagers cornered, but before we could take 'em, we got jumped by some weirdos in turtle suits," explained the mohawked punk."That's definitely a new one." The man declared with a raised brow."No kidding," the blonde camo-pants wearer agreed."Any other details I should know about?" The man asked while looking around."They had these martial arts weapons, too!" the Mohawk punk chimed in."Definitely useful on them," The man declared. "What about the teens you cornered?""One was a dark-skinned girl with red hair, and the other was a blonde kid a little younger than her," said another punk."I'll look into this," The man stated. "You'll be out soon enough." he added as he turned to leave.The punks watched him go, then settled in. It was definitely going to be an interesting time in the city from here on out.
End of Day One.
I had to take a while and redo this one because I wanted it to be better, honestly. Plus, my original files got deleted after my Discord was hacked. But...I've been re-learning that there's no such thing as a perfect story, just a damn good one. So I'll do my best to make sure this story is at least quality.
Credit also goes to my cowriter, Shadodemon123. Great guy, solid writer, but he tends to make some grammar mistakes. But hey, who doesn't? That's why proofreaders exist.
Also I had to repost this here after I got review-bombed by some whiner who got mad I wouldn't write some fanfic request I had no interest in doing. Their name was fully inactive account, and he started review-bombing me, claiming that I was a "selfish cur".
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Previously...the Turtles ventured to the surface for the first time ever, did some sightseeing...and ended up in their first real battle, where they saved some people who were in danger. But now the people they were saved from are looking for some payback...
The next morning, Zach was feeling better than he had yesterday. He'd gotten up an hour earlier to take care of something...namely, making his own bandana, like those turtle guys had!"Hey, how you feeling?" April asked while she was getting ready."To sum it up...better than I did before," Zach responded as he finished putting the eyeholes in."That's good," April replied while putting breakfast together.Zach rolled up his new mask and stuck it in his pocket. "And I am ready for breakfast!" he added as he came into the kitchen."I managed to make toaster waffles and bacon," April revealed."You can have the bacon," said Zach as he snagged some of the waffles."Okay," April agreed as she took the bacon and put it on a sandwich with peanut butter and jelly.Zach winced. "Honestly, I don't know HOW you can eat that," he mused."Oh it's actually not bad." April assured him. "The peanut butter is just extra protein and has been proven by food critics to work well with bacon and I've had jelly on bacon biscuits before, so it works."Zach shrugged before he ate his waffles, and after that, they headed off to school.Oh-kay...this time, things change, Zach told himself on the way there. Today is a new day.As they went inside to get to their lockers, Zach decided to be cautious—after all, he didn't know if his was booby-trapped again or not. So, pulling out his ruler, he slid it inside and prodded around a few times to check if anything was set inside.Fortunately, there was nothing there. With that, Zach turned the dial a few times until he got the locker open.As he did, he was able to get everything he needed peacefully. "Hm...looks like I got lucky today," he mused."He's planning to get you later," Angel revealed as she stood off to the side."Hm?" asked Zach. "Is that right, then?""Yeah," Angel confirmed."What, did you overhear him or something?" Zach asked."Yes..." Angel replied. "Since he likes to keep me close most of the time, I hear everything."Zach fumed. "...did he let slip where?" he inquired."Your locker at the end of school," Angel revealed. "Said that morning and lunchtime were too predictable now.""If that's the case, I'll just bring everything with me," Zach decided."Or set a trap for him instead?" Angel suggested."Alright, that works too," nodded Zach. "But what?""We'll expose him," Angel said as she held up a flashdrive."Now THAT'D be great," riposted Zach."I have videos and recordings of all of his plans and whenever he made the pranks," Angel explained. "I even included evidence of his blackmail against me.""Way to keep on your toes," complimented Zach. "In a situation like this, it's called for.""Exactly," Angel agreed."Anyways, I guess I'll get to class now," said Zach."See you later," Angel said while heading to class as well.
MEANWHILE, IN THE SEWERS...
The Turtles were in a class of their own. And by class, I mean they were in a training session."Today, we are focusing on balance," explained Splinter. "A true warrior finds it in all things."The turtles all nodded as they prepared for balancing. They each chose a position, what they would be balancing on, and got ready to begin.Each of them got into position, as Splinter set the timer. "And...hajime!" he exclaimed as he started the clock.So as the countdown began, the turtles all did their best to focus on their task and remain balanced. However, a few minutes later, they all had growling stomachs."Sounds like you're kinda hungry, Leon," smiled Raph. "Wanna call it quits?""Nah," Leon replied. "Besides, I hear YOUR stomach growling!""We're all hungry, since Splinter had us start before breakfast." Don pointed out as they smelled food being cooked in the kitchen."Yup," said Mike."Can confirm!" Kahlo chimed in."You may eat once everyone has fallen, but for now remain as you are." Splinter advised."Hai, sensei," the turtles responded as they continued to sweat it out.It was a difficult time as they continued to balance. Sadly it didn't help that Splinter was tempting them by bringing in a few pieces of food.Mike swallowed heavily, and tried to maintain his focus...but it was really hard—especially since it was breakfast pizza fresh out of the oven for breakfast. Usually pizza wouldn't be enough to tempt him, but breakfast pizza was something else entirely and it was driving Mike crazy.Cheese...scrambled eggs...is that hash browns I smell?! Mike groaned inwardly as he began grinding his teeth together."Croissant crust, eggs, cheese, bacon, tater tots to fit the place of hash browns on the pizza, and plenty of ham slices." Splinter listed off the ingredients on the pizza. "And not all of them are the exact same.""Damn it..." groaned Raph. I freakin' LOVE ham! "Shell, I forfeit!"So he dropped off and went to snag a piece, but Splinter pulled it away. "You may partake...when the others are finished," he informed him."UUUUUGH...!" Raph groaned. "Fine.""That was just cruel," Don said before he received a notification informing him that he needed to download something important within the next five minutes. "Oh, no."Do I stay the course? Or do I diverge?! Don thought. Keep going, or forfeit?...ah, nuts."Forget this!" Don exclaimed as he jumped off and scurried away."Two down." Splinter declared."And then there were three~" Whiskers smiled, intrigued by who else would be next to drop.The senseis watched the remaining students closely as they were struggling. Leon managed to center himself as well as Mike and Venus, but they were starting to feel it.Sweat was beading on their brows, and it was getting harder to stay upright."Oh! I must not forget the freshly-squeezed orange juice." Whiskers mentioned and made both Mike and Venus fall over."Blame thirst?" Mike asked."Exactly." Kahlo agreed.Last down was Leon, who jumped down from the perch."Giving up?" Splinter asked as he stopped the stopwatch. "10 minutes and 37 seconds."Leon shrugged. "Everyone else was done," he replied."Maybe so, but the task was to see how long you lasted," Splinter reminded him. "So even though the others were done, you could have continued for until you were done on your own.""...oh," nodded Leon, a bit embarrassed."Well, we all make mistakes, so we'll try again later," Splinter assured him. "For now, breakfast time."Leon bowed, and left the room as quickly as he could.
MEANWHILE, AT CHANNEL 6 NEWS...
Ronnie O'Neil was in her dressing room, taking a break between news reports. She was clad in a full yellow-skirted suit with a skirt that reached mid-thigh. Her jacket was open to reveal a tucked white blouse and black belt for holding up her skirt. As she rested on the couch in her dressing room, she took her heels off to relax her feet."Only a few minutes, but it's a few minutes I can use." Ronnie said.Granted, delivering the news was rewarding, but it really took a lot out of her.Of course, she didn't get long to enjoy it—because she received some very unwanted company knocking on her door."Who's there?" she called."Uh...fanmail from some flounder!" responded the individual behind the door."Coming!" Ronnie called as she got up, put her heels back on, then she went over and opened the door.Of course, the second she opened the door, she was immediately assuaged by a few of the Purple Dragons, and in disguise, no less.Two of them tied, gagged and bagged her, while one left a disk on the dresser, marked PLAY ME before leaving with their cohorts.Zach was on his way to lunch in the cafeteria. He was still on his guard, but his confidence hadn't wavered."Hey," Angel said as she was nearby."Heya," replied Zach. "...anything happen so far?""He's waiting for the end of the day," Angel revealed."Figures," said Zach. "...you wanna sit with me and the others?""Well, I guess I could." Angel ended up agreeing."It'll go a long way in smoothing things over," said Zach as he led her over to the table, where Caitlyn and Tim were seated."Hey, Zach!" Tim greeted."What's she doing here?" Caitlyn asked, noticing Angel."Look...I'm trying to smooth things over with her," said Zach. "I know, it sounds crazy.""I was just checking," Caitlyn replied. "I had a feeling that she might try to make amends eventually.""Yeah...she was responsible for some of them, not all the pranks," said Zach. "But we're going to work on resolving it.""Good to know," Tim responded."It'd be better if it works out," Zach replied as he sat down and started eating."Absolutely," Caitlyn said as she secretly knew something important about this moment.While they ate, an announcement came over the intercom. "April and Zach O'Neil, please report to the front office."Zach raised a brow. "...I didn't even do anything!" he remarked."That's not her "you're in trouble" tone," Tim pointed out."For the sake of this mission...I hope not," responded Zach as he got up. "I'm ready to plead innocent, if the case calls for it."And with that, he left. Soon he and April made it to the Principal's office."Hey, Principal Campbell," greeted April. "So...what seems to be the problem?""You had better sit down," Principal Campbell advised. Both siblings heeded her advice and took a seat. "This isn't easy to say, but something's happened to your mother."April looked shocked, and Zach was one step ahead: mortified."...what do you mean?" April asked."Apparently your mother has been kidnapped," Principal Campbell explained. "There was a message left behind."Perhaps if sensing her brother's distress, April put a hand on his shoulder. "...could we see the message?" she asked."I was sent a copy," Principal Campbell said as she pulled out the disc. "Are you sure you want to see it?"April gave a firm nod in response. "May as well know who we're dealing with," she added."Very well." Principal Campbell agreed as she played the video.On the video were a few of the Purple Dragons, flanked by a big, bulky blonde guy with a buzz cut and a dragon tattoo on his right arm."This one goes out to the punks who decided to play hero and challenge the Purple Dragons," he said. "Well, you're gonna learn what that gets you. Either come to the Kuan Ti Cookie Factory tonight, or Veronica O'Neil will be signing off for the last time."Zach and April watched the whole thing and were shocked. Principal Campbell turned it off and sighed."In light of this, I am sending the both of you home early," Principal Campbell explained. "I'll send word to your teachers and write up your excuses.""...thank you," replied April. "C'mon, Zach."She took her brother's hand and left the office.Over with the turtles, they were doing their own things, when suddenly a breaking news bulletin came up."For those of you tuning in, we regret to inform you that our regular roving reporter, Ronnie O'Neil, has been kidnapped, for lack of a better term," the reporter explained. "She's been missing for two hours, and this message was left in her dressing room."As the turtles suddenly gathered around the sofa, they saw the same video message from earlier."Those stinkin' creeps!" Mike fumed. "Why is it that scumbags always want payback for being put in their place?!""Does it matter?" asked Raph. "Any suggestions on what we should do, fearless leader?""First, we focus on what this guy did," said Leon. "Why would he want to kidnap a reporter for our actions?""...maybe she's connected to those other teens we saved yesterday?" Mike suggested."I'll look into it," Don said as he got out his personally made laptop."How do you know that lady, Mike?" asked Kahlo."I ran into her yesterday at the Channel 6 building," replied Mike. "She kinda looked like that April girl.""The chances of them being related are high," Don said as he found some information. "Veronica O'Neil does have three children, two biological and one adopted.""So, maybe we could try and find them again?" asked Raph."They're currently in school, but we can wait outside," Don advised. "No doubt they'll be let out early due to the situation at hand.""Sounds like that's what we'll have to do," Leon advised."...alright, but let's make it—how do I put this?—not creepy," Mike stated."Yeah, guys, let's not embarrass Mikey in front of his girlfriend," Raph smirked."I know what you're doing, and first, quit it," Mike replied. "Second, don't be dumb. I barely even know her.""Don't fight during a crisis," Leon advised. "If they're getting out early, then we'll be able to find them on the way over.""Fine, fine," said Raph and Mike."Let's go ahead and get the disguises on," said Kahlo. "What're we going with this time?""Basic hats, jackets, and pants will do," Leon advised. "We're traveling via rooftops.""Fine by me," nodded Venus. "Got a location on the school, D?""Yup!" Don replied."Then send it to the phones, and let's haul shell," Venus replied.Don nodded, and sent the information to everyone's shell cells and then they got ready to go. Once they were dressed, they left the lair and headed towards the surface. Next, they got to a rooftop and began venturing towards Roosevelt High.Back at school, Zach was heading towards his locker. And once again, he pulled out his ruler and checked around by waving it through the door vents.So far nothing happened. He was beginning to doubt that it was booby trapped.Maybe things didn't go off, he thought as he started opening his lock.Once the door was opened a small metal bucket, that was being held up by a magnet, dumped the water it was holding.The contents poured out, splashing all over Zach and his things."...well, there it goes," he said, incensed."Ohh, yeah!" Johnny exclaimed, laughing his ass off. "Talk about being 'washed up'!"At that time, lunging at Johnny would've felt like the right thing. Punching him right in the mouth would've felt like the proper thing. Pummeling him would've felt like the smart thing.......but it wasn't.Sometimes being the bigger man tended to stink.Zach just sighed and turned to leave, discarding his drenched things as he did.However, Angel stopped him. "Wait," she said before they suddenly he heard a familiar voice."Johnny Phillips, I have been shown evidence of your constant pranking and blackmailing!" Principal Campbell said as she approached Johnny. "You're coming with me!" she declared as she grabbed Johnny and took him with her."Ah! Hey!" Johnny shouted. "You can't do this to me!"Angel waved smugly as she watched him get taken off into the office. "I sent in the evidence." she revealed."...so I see," Zach responded."I heard about what happened to your mom," Angel mentioned. "Apparently Johnny knew something about it."Zach raised a brow. "...is that right?" he asked, his fists tightening. As if I didn't have enough of a reason to bash his face in..."Once he heard about the revenge plan, I overheard him mention knowing the mother of two of the kids that were saved," Angel explained. "That's how they found out about your mom.""That stinking piece of—" Zach fumed, his face turning red."We'll get him later." Angel assured him. "I owe him for years of blackmail.""And I owe him a fist in the mouth!" Zach added, still sore."I also got a pass to leave school," Angel revealed."Yeah?" Zach asked. "...how so?""After revealing what I had, I was technically suspended for a week for doing the pranks to begin with." Angel admitted. "However, it's only one week because of how I was willing to turn myself and Johnny in.""...thanks," replied Zach, after some hesitation. "Let's go."Angel nodded as they left.Once they exited the school, they met up with April. "So, what exactly do we do about this?" asked Zach."I don't know..." April admitted. "I kinda wish we could find the heroes from yesterday.""You're not the only one," replied Zach. "If only there was some way to contact them."Suddenly a note fell down on top of his head. He picked it up and unfolded it.
Come to the rooftops if you want our help, we can't be seen in the open.
"Looks like we have a destination," said Zach. "To the rooftops.""Sounds reasonable." April agreed."Huh?" Angel asked."C'mon!" Zach said, as they headed off to the nearest rooftop.Soon, all three of the humans had reached the top of the roof, and looked around."So this is the place?" asked Angel. "Hopefully whoever invited you shows up soon.""Behind you." Leon's voice said."Alright, let's see who—" Angel said, before she turned around. "HOLY EMPANADAS!" she exclaimed, bewildered, as she fell down.Zach was surprised to say the least. "...and here I thought nothing could shake her!" he commented, almost looking like he was stifling a laugh. Sure, they were on tumultuously better terms now...but that had felt a tiny bit satisfying."Sorry if we startled you," said Leon."Yeah," added Mike. "We know we're not exactly pleasant to look at!""Are you kiddin'?" asked Zach. "You guys are great! Personally, I've never felt a bigger sense of vindication until now.""We're talking about your mom and the fact that we have to meet like this." Raph explained."Ahhh, right," nodded April. "OK, yeah—that is a problem.""So, who's your friend?" asked Venus."Oh, her?" asked Zach. "That is my former-enemy-turned-working-on-friend, Angel.""Hiya!/Greetings./Hello./Hey.""So, who are you guys, anyway?" asked Zach."It's a long story, but to sum it up?" replied Leon. "We're five siblings who hate bullies, and love this city.""And if we get to kick some ass while doin' so?" Raph shrugged. "Then that's just fine.""We can help get your mother back." Leon declared. "But we need help.""What sort?" asked Zach."For starters, we don't know where the cookie factory is," Don admitted. "Its address has been reassigned.""I guess we could take a look online and see?" suggested Zach. "...unless you already tried that.""I did, actually," Don confirmed."I know where it is, and that there's a secret way in." Angel revealed."...how?" asked April. "And that's to both.""It was one of Johnny's hangouts and the front door is usually locked, so he revealed a hole in the back wall," Angel revealed. "I was forced to visit a couple of times.""OK, but they said to come tonight," said Zach. "Whaddo we do until then?""It's actually a long way from here," Angel mentioned. "We'll be able to get there by tonight on foot unless someone has a ride.""...I might," replied Don. "Something I've been working on for a little while, actually.""Then you'd better go get it." Venus advised."It's better if I show you," explained Don. "Not exactly something I can 'go and get'."They all shrugged and had him lead the way.So, Don led the group to a shed. Once they were all there, he opened the door to reveal...an old, six-wheeled military van."Oh...this is awesome!" gushed Mike."Well, I needed something to occupy my time before we got to go out," said Don. "And luckily, yesterday I got the last component I needed.""So, does it run?" Leon asked."Let's find out," said Don as he climbed into the driver's seat, and put the key inside. The engine roared to life, and was humming gently."Looks like we officially have a ride!" Leon declared."Shotgun!" Venus declared as she got into the front passenger seat when nobody noticed."Admittedly, we're definitely gonna need more info," said April as she got in the back. "Like, what to call you guys."Mike scrambled in next to the redhead. "I got this one covered!" he declared."Okay," Zach replied as he followed suit. "Who are you?""Well, for one, guy in blue is Leonardo, Leon to his friends. King o'the katanas, first to hatch," said Mike."I was given the position as leader, so I don't take the "first to the hatch" title." Leon pointed out."Hey, according to Dad, you hatched first," said Mike. "Next up, the purple powerhouse, Donatello. One smart cookie who knows his way around machines!""More or less." Don replied."Up next, the hothead in red, Raphael," Mike continued. "This turtle's got a temper, and an attitude to match. If there's a fight, he's ready to throw down! But on the whole, he's a total teddy bear!...if teddy bears had claws.""They do in horror movies," Raph pointed out."Next is my twin, Venus, aka Kahlo," responded Mike. "Silver bandana, rocking the tonfas and pretty cool.""Call me whichever you want," Venus advised. "Not a problem, honest!""And finally...I am Michelangelo, but just call me Mike!" finished Mike. "The artist, the dreamer, the party dude! Someday, master of the whirling nunchaku...and pretty good with a manriki-gusari, too!""Now let's go." Leon said as Don started driving."Alright, feel free to start guiding," said Don while he drove off."Just follow my directions." Angel advised as she wrote them down and gave Venus the paper.So Venus read from the paper while Don followed the instructions to the letter.Eventually, they made it and saw the factory half a mile away. "Let's stop here and sneak over," Leon advised.After the van was parked, the group disembarked and made the rest of the way over to the factory.Once there, they saw that the front door was left unlocked."Definitely a trap," Leon noted before looking at Angel. "Besides the secret way in you mentioned, is there any other way to enter?""There's an old air duct on the side of the building you should be able to get into," Angel revealed."Hmm...maybe that could work," mused Mike."Sounds better than going through the front door," Raph declared."Where they were obviously expecting us," Don added."We can pat ourselves on the back later," said Leon. "First, let's get inside."They all nodded in agreement before heading their separate ways, with the turtles going to the air duct while the humans went to the back entrance."Alright...so how far is Mom?" wondered Zach as he and April followed Angel inside."Once inside we need to get to the control station, that's where she should be." Angel explained.Zach nodded, before he grabbed a nearby discarded pipe. After all, he'd definitely need a weapon of some kind.Then they went inside through a hole in the wall. Angel was first, then Zach, then April and the space was only crawl access. Zach got quite a view of what Angel was born with from behind....whoa... he thought to himself as he kept up his pace, though he could feel his face growing warmer.Soon they got through the vent, although Zach accidentally bumped into Angel. "Careful, it's a bit cramped," she said with a blush."...y-yeah...I've noticed," said Zach, clearing his throat as they noticed they were inside a locker room.After a few minutes, Angel opened the door to look around. She, April and Zach spotted a couple of Purple Dragons walking by before quietly closing the door."We'll wait for the turtles to distract them," Angel advised."Right," nodded Zach.Meanwhile, the turtles were still making their way through the air ducts."How much further?" asked Raph. "Not that this ain't cozy, but I'm not exactly enjoyin' the sight of turtle tush in my face.""I think we're over the main area," Leon replied as he looked through a vent."Great," said Don. "Now let's get it open."They opened it up, got out of the air ducts, and hopped down to the floor."Good," said Leon. "We made it in.""Nice to see you were able to make it on time," boomed Hun's voice over the intercom. "Here we were starting to worry Ms. O'Neil wouldn't be getting any company tonight.""Alright, whatever beef you have is with us!" called Leon. "Why get Ms. O'Neil involved at all?""Simple. You chose to interfere with one of my packs," explained Hun. "And I just didn't appreciate that one bit. Every action, you see, has a consequence.""Yeah, and the consequence of this is your stupid flunkies getting their ugly asses kicked!" Raph shouted."I'm gonna level with ya," said Hun. "I didn't expect anything as crazy as this. Martial artist turtles with ninja weapons. Still, I could probably make some serious bank selling you freaks for dissection.""No way, dude!" Mike shouted. "We're bringin' you down, and bringin' you in!""Nice attempt at a joke, pipsqueak," replied Hun as some doors opened. "But let's see if you can back it up.""Weapons out, guys," Leon said as he drew his swords.Raph readied his sai, Don unsheathed his bo, Venus pulled up her tonfa, and Mike drew forth his nunchaku.And from all around them, came dozens upon dozens of Purple Dragon thugs and punks."Well...looks like we might have our hands a little full," said Raph. "...okay, big cheese, got a plan for us?" he asked Leon."Mainly to go for the nerves and maybe their empty heads." Leon suggested with a shrug. "They might have the numbers, but they're still street punks, while we're ninja.""...alright," shrugged Raph. "But I'm definitely gonna make the most of this.""DRAGONS!" bellowed Hun. "...rip 'em apart."With a collective shout, the Purple Dragons all attacked the Turtles in waves, and the quintet sprang into action! They immediately fought in defense as they blocked whatever the Purple Dragons were using. The turtles even managed to knock a few down in the first wave.Leon moved with precision, disarming a thug with a swift slash before spinning to deflect a pipe aimed at his head. With a powerful kick, he sent another thug crashing into a rusty conveyor belt. Twirling his staff this way and that, Don managed to disarm a few other Dragons and tripped some of them up as well.Raph was practically on a warpath as he knocked a few thigs down and even managed to slash their belts and dropped their pants, thus causing them to trip over their own feet. Still, he couldn't have been happier. Here he was, getting to go as close as he could to all-out as possible!Mike was deflecting attacks with his chucks as the Purple Dragons surrounding him kept trying to punch him. "Ooh, nope! Dat's-a no good! Sorry, Charlies, but no dice! Ever heard of 'three strikes, you're out'?"As that happened Venus ended up fighting the female members. "Is this rigged just because I'm a girl?" she asked.Three of them just shrugged in response."What a stupid question!" Kahlo relented. "A fight's a fight."And so, she knocked each of them down.As the fighting happened, Angel led the O'Neils to the control room. "Right this way," she said, beckoning them further ahead.Zach and April continued forward, moving closer."It's probably locked," noted April.Angel pulled out a bobby pin and picked the lock. "Problem solved," she declared, stepping back as she got the door open.So Zach and April went inside the control room. There was their mother tied up, but unharmed."Mom!" April exclaimed."Hang on, we'll get you out," said Zach as he moved towards his mother."Zach?" Ronnie asked. "April?""Yeah, it's us," said April as she started untying the rope. "You're probably wondering how we found you.""That is on my mind, yes." Ronnie admitted."We had some help," said Zach, gesturing to Angel. "...this is Angel. Not quite friends yet, but we're working on it.""I think I know about her," Ronnie mentioned. "Yes, I remember now, her father is a foreman going through a transition into womanhood. I did a story on it and everything.""Ah, cool," Angel replied. "Nice to meet you.""Honestly, it's quite impressive you made it here," said Ronnie. "But what about the Purple Dragons?""Actually, we didn't come alone," Zach smirked."We have other help," April pointed out. "Some unusual help, but help nonetheless.""Once we make it outta this...I'll introduce you," Zach added."Sounds fair to me," Ronnie agreed as they started to leave.As they left the room, back on the ground floor, the Turtles had finished their confrontation with the Purple Dragons."Well!" Raph commented. "That wasn't such a chore, now was it?""Just wait," Leon advised. "The real grunt work is about to come.""Very impressive," boomed Hun as he made his way down to the ground floor. "I see you've really put my crew through their paces."As the Turtles got a good look at him, they could very clearly see that Hun was at least seven feet tall, towering above them."...anyone else feeling stunningly less confident than they did five miinutes ago?" asked Mike."Not really/Nope/No chance/I'm still good." The others admitted."It's all about strategy from this point on," Don declared."Just gotta find the right one," Leon pointed out."...so it's just me feeling it, then!" Mike shrugged. "...greeeat.""We're just focusing on our objective," Raph pointed out. "Do that and you won't be too worried about anything else.""If you won't make the first move—I will!" Hun declared, as he swung, and smacked Mike, sending him flying across the room into a bunch of crates."What are the odds?" Raph asked."I'd rather not think about that..." Don admitted as they got into defensive positions.Hun turned around, a sadistic smile on his face. "Alright...who's next?" he asked, shaking his wrists and getting ready for another go-around."Gonna have to go by the numbers against him." Don advised."Attack at all directions." Leon said as they split up.Hun smirked as he watched them go. "OK, then...come at me one by one," he declared. "It'll be more fun that way."Suddenly, Leon led the charge while Don attacked from behind. Hun grabbed a discarded pipe and used it to block Leon's swords, but took a hit from Don's staff."One on one is only for honorable fights, thugs get the numbers," Leon declared as he kicked Hun in the shin before backing away. "You alright, Mike?""Yeah, big bro..." Mike grunted as he pulled himself out of the crates. "...I'm fine! All good!""It's attack by numbers." Leon advised. "We can't let up on him.""Right...I can do that," said Mike as he got his manriki chain. "...and maybe hold him back, too!"They charged back out as Raph and Venus distracted Hun for an attack from Don and then from Mike.Don jabbed and swiped at Hun, while Mike swung his chain and lashed it around Hun's left arm, then secured the other end to a girder. Venus managed to kick Hun in the gut before Raph socked him in the chin. Then Leon kicked Hun in the chest."Cowabunga!" Mike exclaimed as he got his nunchuks out, and brought them down on Hun's head when he doubled over."Keep it up!" Leon said as he hit Hun's gut again to keep him down. As he did, Hun strained and began to pull his trapped arm free."Back up!" Leon called out as he pulled back from the attack.The other Turtles withdrew as Hun got his arm free, bursting the chain like it was made of paperclips."Aw, bogus!" Mike exclaimed, wincing."Gonna have to alter our strategy a bit." Don advised."Yeah, good luck with that," said Hun. "Too bad I won't give you a chance."And so, he charged at them like a wrecking ball. The turtles had to be quick on their feet as they moved around and even ducked into their shells a few times.They managed to avoid Hun, but they had to put him down for the count."I'm gonna try something!" Mike said as he stood firm and put his shell out."Is he nuts?" asked Venus.As the fist swung, Mike held his breath and braced himself for impact.
Please—let this work...
K-K-K-KRUNCH!
"GGGGAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Hun exclaimed, clutching his broken hand."Hey! Sweet, I lived!" Mike exclaimed as he opened his eyes."Of course!" Don exclaimed. "Our mutated shells are much harder than that of a normal turtle's!""Which means that we're literally heroes in hard shells!" Raph stated."Well, okay then!" Mike said as he got to his feet. "Let's take down Goliath!""Let's put a shell on this lizard!" Leon said as they charged at Hun."GO, GREEN MACHINE!" they exclaimed.Hun roared and charged at them in return, but as he did, they turned around and let him hit their shells.
CRRRUNCH!
Hun howled in agony once more, as he felt his other hand break. As he did, Venus and Mike went for his knees. Two more crunches, and Hun went down for the count, writhing in pain."So, did we win yet?" Mike asked."Considering that he can't get up, yeah," Leon replied. "Flip him over."Don and Raph pushed Hun over onto his back."This is your one warning," Leon told Hun. "If you ever go near the O'Neils again then not only will we bust you up again, but we'll make sure you never fight again.""You stinkin' freaks..." grunted Hun. "...who the hell do you think...you are?!""We're the ones who just handed you your ASS on a silver platter, that's who!" Raph retorted."And we'll do it again, if you don't stay away," Venus added.Hun groaned in agony as he passed out from the pain."Let's take off," said Leon. "But make sure the boys in blue know that they're here.""Already sent an anonymous tip." Don revealed."Good work, Don," Leon responded as he led the others out a window and up to the rooftop.A while later the cops arrived and the turtles were watching from afar.Soon, Hun and the Purple Dragons were carted off, in cuffs... although Hun was on a stretcher as he was taken away.As the turtles were watching, the O'Neils and Angel arrived on the roof and joined them."Oh, hey!" Mike waved. "How's it going?""Alright for us, but I think my mom might need a moment." April admitted."Turtles?" Ronnie asked."...naturally!" Mike responded."We ain't toads, by the way," said Raph. "Note the shells!""How did you end up like this?" Ronnie asked as she examined them."That's a long story," said Venus. "You sure we have the time?""Actually, I might have an idea about how it happened, but I need to find some notes." Ronnie admitted. "For now, thank you for your help.""You're welcome," said Leon. "We were glad to help.""And kick some butt while we were at it," Raph chimed in."So I see," Ronnie replied. "If you ever need anything, please let me know.""Noted," said Leon.Don gave Ronnie a small, shell-like device. "Just in case you need to contact us," he explained."We'll send more once Don makes more, so each of you can have one of your own." Mike assured them."Whoa, really?" Zach asked. "Awesome!""It'll be more helpful if you all have one." Leon advised before he checked the time. "We'd better get going now.""Yep!" Venus added. "It's just about time for dinner!""Any chance we'll see you again?" Angel asked."I do believe so," Leon assured her. "Since you know all about us, I'm sure we can all hang out.""I'd be so down for that!" exclaimed Zach."Me too, little dude!" Mike responded."We'd better get going," Raph advised. "See ya later."And with that, the Turtles took off, heading back to their van via the rooftops.Then the O'Neils and Angel headed back to their own homes."Maybe I don't have reporter skill," shrugged Zach. "But...that's okay, I guess. You and Mom already have that covered. Just need to find out my thing.""Everyone has their own thing," Ronnie assured him. "So don't worry if you can't do what we do.""...sure, Mom," Zach replied after some hesitation."On one positive note, you have six new friends." April mentioned.Zach perked up a little. "Yeah...I guess I do," he replied. "And so do you!""Yeah..." April agreed. "And maybe you'll get to enjoy more views of Angel."Zach coughed, his face going a bit red. "...yeah, I guess that wouldn't be so bad," he responded.April and Ronnie both noticed and smiled at one another.
BACK IN THE LAIR...
The Turtles returned to their train-station lair."We came, we saw, we totally thrashed!" Mike exclaimed as he did a somersault over the turnstile."And we kept a family together," Leon pointed out."Plus, we put some scumbags away for a long time!" Raph chimed in. "...ah, what the hell. I feel like celebratin'!""Then it's a good thing that we prepared for it," Whiskers declared.Curious, the Turtles made their way further inside to take a look. To their amazement, they found a bunch of mini pizzas of various flavors, and Splinter was waiting for them at the table."When we first came to New York, one thing that caught our eye was the various pizzas they could make," Splinter revealed. "So we spent all afternoon and evening making homemade mini pizzas to celebrate not only you all going to the surface, but also all the good that you are doing there.""Gosh...we don't know what to say," commented Leon."I can think of two words," suggested Don. "Dig in!""Now THERE is a brilliant idea," Whiskers smiled.And so, the Turtles began to partake in their little feast to celebrate their triumph that night."I think I can figure out one other word," said Mike as he swallowed. "COWABUNGA!"
ELSEWHERE...
Hun was stuck in the prison medical ward as he was in casts for his broken bones.Well, this is just great... he glowered. I'm stuck here, cooling my heels...and all because of those freaks!From a nearby window, a cat seemed to be watching him. After a while, it grew bored and strolled off into the shadows nearby.Then, a young woman emerged from the shadows, giggling in anticipation at eventually meeting the ones responsible for Hun's condition.For the time being, Hun decided to rest and bide his time. After all, he wasn't exactly flush with options. He'd have to wait for his revenge...but he'd have enough time to plan for it.