TCRI Research Facility
A nerdy black man in a white lab coat and large glasses strolled down a hallway, passing several locked security doors, each one with its own secrets. The most secure door stood at the end of the hallway where the man opened an eye slit on the door, staring into the darkened room. "And how is my favorite test subject doing today?" After a few seconds, the door shook with a vibration from being pounded on from the inside. "You'll come around, my friend. Soon you'll see the light." The man closed the slit before turning around to see Tatsu and his assistant standing right behind him. He jumped in surprised, catching his glasses as they slipped down his nose. "Mr. Tatsu, I wasn't expecting you today," Baxter Stockman said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" "The time is fast approaching to unveil our plans for this city," Tatsu told him. "Tell me that we are ready." "Well, uh, Mr. Tatsu, the thing is--" Tatsu's assistant grabbed Stockman by the throat with an iron grip. "Why do you seek to disappoint me, Dr. Stockman?" Tatsu asked as he slightly nodded at the woman, who squeezed harder. "We had an understanding." "The experiments themselves are going better than anticipated," Stockman choked out. "But while physically the results are better than we hoped, mentally they still haven't accepted the change. There's nothing we can do about free will. Perhaps if we had voluntary participation, ones who want to be improved." "Unsatisfactory answer," the woman said. "Master?" "Let him go, Irma, although the good doctor is failing me, he may have a point," Tatsu told her. "Perhaps we should offer some voluntary recruits to test his theory. And if those fail, then you can separate his head from his body." Irma dropped the doctor, letting his slide to the floor as Tatsu stared down at him. "My patience is not to be taken lightly, Dr. Stockman," Tatsu said calmly. "The next time you bring me unsatisfactory news... you will join your ancestors in the afterlife." As they walked away, Stockman tried to catch his breath, all while a low laughter was heard from behind the door. * The Tang Shen Dojo Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo snuck into the dojo without anyone noticing them. No one except April, who stood in the doorway behind them. "You could have come in through the rear entrance, I left it unlocked for you." The three Turtles jumped in surprise as they turned to face April. Leonardo was quick to bow as a sign of respect. "Miss O'Neil," Leonardo said as he stood up. "It is an honor to finally be able to speak with you." "The honor is mine," April told the trio. "Perhaps you can tell me why The Purple Dragons are targeting my student." "We believe he has something on the Purple Dragons, something that his brother passed on to him before his... passing." Leonardo told her. "Walt's death hit us all pretty hard," April told them. "He started as a student here, but he had anger issues. More than we were equipped to deal with here. We tried to help him, but The Purple Dragon's influence was too great. The day he walked out of this dojo is one of my biggest regrets." "The Purple Dragons are the reason he died," Donatello said. "Do you know what he did to make them want to kill him?" "Zack happened," April told them. "Zack... isn't a fighter. He's incredibly brilliant but he's not the physical type. Seeing them together when Walt a student here, he was a complete opposite of the angry, violent boy I usually saw. Zack had a calming influence on him, one The Purple Dragons probably didn't take kindly to. They most likely made him choose between them and his brother." "And he chose the kid," Leonardo realized. "By then it was too late to get out and he knew too much. But now they're targeting Zack, and we think it's because Walt left him evidence that could take them down. We just need to find it." "Okay, I'm just going to acknowledge the elephant in the dojo," Michelangelo said. "How come she's not freaked out by us. And why did you say that she knows us? I've never met you before in my life, and I've been around for a few years." "You remember," April said as she looked at Leonardo. "How much?" "I'm gonna call him Leonardo, after that hunk in Titanic." a little girl's voice echoed. After staring off for a few seconds, Leonardo looked back up at her. "I remember enough. Do you know where Zack might hide something important?" "His locker, he says it's the safest place for all of his valuables," April told them. "But I can't just let you invade his personal space." "His life is on the line," Leonardo told her. "If he has something on The Purple Dragons, we need it to put them down. Please." * At the park, Zack rushed toward the bottom of the hill where Danny had come to a stop. His head had hit a rock along the way, knocking him out and causing it to bleed. "Come on, Danny, wake up," Zack pleaded as he saw a small lake near him. He ripped a sleeve off of his shirt and got it damp, trying to stop the blood as he held it to Danny's head. "Please, I need you to open your eyes." "It's better that he doesn't witness this," Hun said as he cracked his knuckles. "You think that's a lot of blood? Just wait until I'm through with you." "Please, my friend needs a doctor," Zack pleaded. "Just let me get him to a hospital." "You think I give a damn about either of you?" Hun asked with a sinister smirk. "Or do you think he cares about you? No one cares about you, you little punk. Not him, not your parents, that dojo leader, or that idiot brother of yours." "Shut up," Zack said as he stood up. "Don't talk about my brother." "Your brother died like a little bitch," Hun told him. "Just like you're about to." Zack screamed in anger as he went to punch Hun, who easily blocked and knocked Zack unconscious with one harsh blow. "Damn, I really wanted him awake while I beat him to death." Hun said. "Hey, Justin Bieber, how about you pick on someone your own size?" Raphael asked, appearing virtually out of nowhere. Hun's eyes went wide as he looked at the humanoid turtle. "Wh- what the hell are you?" "I'm pissed off, that's what I am," Raphael as he punched his knuckle into his palm. "You really want to do this? Or do you want to walk away and crap your pants in private?" Hun immediately rushed toward him as Raphael smiled. "I was hoping you'd go with option A." Raphael met Hun punch for punch as The Purple Dragon Member attacked, both members showing their fierceness for combat as they attacked each other with everything they had. "Is that the best you've got, freak?" Hun asked. "Not so tough when you're not attacking people behind their backs." "Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you," Raphael as he spun kicked Hun, sending him twirling to the ground, where he quickly recovered and moved before Raphael could attack while he was down. Meanwhile, Zack started getting up, seeing Raphael and Hun were fighting. Seeing a chance to get Danny to safety, he started dragging his new friend away while the fighters had been distracted. * "There's nothing in here," Donatello said after having combed through Zack's locker. "Just his karate gi, some pictures and some food that's way past its expiration." "I can't believe I broke Zack's trust by doing this." April told them. "Zack's trust isn't broken," Leonardo promised her. "We're trying to save his life. If we can find what the Purple Dragons are looking for--" "Hey, I know this place," Michelangelo said while looking through Zack's pictures. He held up a photo of Zack and Walt. "It used to be a skate park before it got closed down. I used to sneak down there and watch the kids skateboarding, hoping one day I'd be able to join them." "Walt loved to skateboard," April told them. "He wanted to teach Zack, but never found the time. That was their special spot." "Wait a minute," Donatello said as he took the photo. "If this was their special spot, who else knew about it?" "Just me," April told them. "Before Walt joined the Purple Dragons and gave up on the things he loved doing with Zack. Zack mentioned he goes there sometimes to sit and think in the middle of the night when no one else is around." "I think whatever Walt left for Zack is there," Donatello told them. "We need to get to that park." Just outside the door, a spy for The Purple Dragons eavesdropped before pulling out a cellphone. "Aunt Irma, call me back, I found something you might be interested in." * Danny moaned as he started opening his eyes, seeing nothing but darkness around. "Zack?" "Shh, don't move, I put a cold compress on your head, hopefully the bleeding's stopped," Zack whispered. "I got you to a small cave that was big enough to hide in. The Purple Dragons found us, but we got away. I don't know if it's safe to leave yet." "Why'd you save me?" Danny asked. "Because you're my friend," Zack told him. "You saved me, first. I guess we're even." "You don't want to be my friend," Danny told him. "I was trying to join The Purple Dragons, Zack. Hun told me that if I got you alone so he could get to you... that I'd be a full member. I nearly sold you out." "Why are you telling me this?" Zack asked as he backed away. "Because you're the first person in a very long time that's been cool towards me," Danny said. "The kids at school, the guys in the gang, hell, even my own Dad, don't seem to want to hang out with me. But you... you took the time to be with me. I'm sorry I set you up. If you want to leave me here to die, I don't blame you. Anyone else would." "I'm not anyone else," Zack told him. "And I do feel kind of pissed at you right now, but I'm not leaving you to die. Friends don't leave friends behind. We'll spend the night here, and hopefully it'll be safe to leave in the morning." * Raphael kicked Hun backward down another, smaller hill. As he landed at the bottom, Raphael jumped down and picked Hun up by the collar. "You're gonna leave that kid alone," Raphael told him. "Or next time I'm not gonna go so easy on you." "Maybe it was me going easy on you this whole time," Hun said as he kicked himself off of Raphael, knocking him off-balance. Before he could recover, Hun kicked Raphael into a small chasm that sat behind the Turtle. Raphael fell a good dozen feet, landing hard on the ground as Hun looked down and spit down at him. "Good riddance, freak." * "You don't have to do this," Leonardo said to April as they arrived at the skate park well after the sun had set. "This isn't your fight." "Zack is my student," April told him. "The Purple Dragons made it my fight when they targeted him. Besides, we have a lot to talk about once we finish this." "I suppose we do." Leonardo told her as Donatello and Michelangelo looked over at him. "Uhhh, want to fill us in on this, boss?" Donatello asked. "Later," Leonardo told them. "Right now, fan out and search. I don't know what we're looking for or where, but if it's anywhere, it's here." Michelangelo stared around the park, imagining himself hanging out with the normal human teens, being treated as if he were a human while sighing to himself. "Find anything?" Donatello asked. "Not yet," Michelangelo told him. "You know, I saw Walt hanging out with Zack sometimes. You could tell Walt really loved the little dude. I felt kind of jealous, hoping that one of my big brothers would hang out with me like that." "You know none of us knows a thing about skateboarding," Donatello told him. "Stop being so emotional about not getting us to ride a wooden board with you. We need to find that... whatever." Leonardo frowned, watching the conversation from not too far away. "This place is abandoned, Michelangelo," Leonardo said. "Maybe soon we could come here together, as long as there's at least two of us watching each other's back while we're out of the lair. You know, late at night where there's less risk of being caught." Michelangelo was about to respond when he noticed something. "Wait a minute...," the Turtle said as he remembered that being the main spot Walt and Zack hung out at when they were there. It was a large, hollow upright orange pipe meant for balance with a hole near the top. The Turtle reached in and pulled out a small wrapped package. "Guys, I found something!" "Good work, little brother," Leonardo told him. "Let's get this somewhere safe and find Raphael." As the Turtles and April turned to leave, they found themselves surrounded by every member of the Purple Dragons, a good many of them armed with chainsticks, bo staffs and swords. "Hey, who invited these dorks?" Michelangelo asked. The masked troops stood aside as Tatsu stepped forward. "Give us the package," Tatsu ordered in a gruff voice. "And maybe we let you live." "Oh, I've got a package for you." Michelangelo said as Donatello stopped him from raising his hand toward the gang. "Very well, you had your chance," Tatsu said as he lifted his arm and made a fist to signal his followers. "Leave no one alive." To Be Continued...
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Two Minutes Ago
Having trailed the Purple Dragons all morning, Raphael was about to follow them into the Tang Shen Dojo in order to stop them from whatever they were about to do in there. As he prepared to descend from the rooftop he was on, the teenage turtle suddenly found a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing here, Raphael?" Leonardo asked with Michelangelo and Donatello standing behind him. "Oh, geez, Leonardo, I figured I'd just do a little bird watching, maybe get some Starbucks and relax. What do you think I'm doin' here? The Purple Dragons are in the dojo, we gotta stop 'em!" "In the dojo?" Leonardo asked. "Is the kid in there?" "No, Jackie Chan's making an appearance and they just really wanted his autograph," Raphael said. "We're wastin' time here!" "You're right, Raphael." Leonardo said as Michelangelo gasped, taking a step back. "I've seen this happen in a movie before. We need some holy water, a young priest, and an old priest!" Michelangelo said. "Don't worry, bro, we'll get that demon out of you!" Donatello sighed as he slapped Michelangelo upside the head. * Inside the dojo, Hun was still holding Zack with a knife to his throat. Across the room stood April O'Neil, owner and head instructor of the Tang Shen Dojo.She was wielding a bo staff in her hand, not taking her eyes off of Hun. "Let him go," April said in a calm tone. "I don't want to fight you." "You? Fight me?" Hun laughed as the other Purple Dragons snuck in, wearing purple and black masks to hide their identities. Within seconds there were six of them surrounding her. "You'd probably end up breaking one of your pretty little nails. Now, what do you think a little girl like you could do again--" THWACK! POW! ACTION NOISE! April held her bo staff in one hand, and snapped her fingers with the other. One second later, all six Purple Dragons fell to the ground in unison. "Stay back!" Hun shouted as he pressed the knife closer to Zack's throat. "I'll kill him!" As Zack struggled to breath, several smoke pellets hit the ground, covering the room in a fog. As Hun stepped back, he found the exit had been blocked by something big. He slowly turned his head around to see a shadow in the smoke, with glowing white eyes. Hun pushed Zack to the ground as he started to run, as another shadowy figure landed right in front of him with what looked like an absurdly sharp sword. "Monsters!" Hun shouted as he started running for any exit he could find. When the smoke cleared, only the unconscious Purple Dragons remained while Zack was still on the floor, too afraid to move. * "Where'd he go?" Leonardo asked the Turtles headed for the roofhatch to make their escape. "I think we lost him, Leonardo," Donatello told him. "Probably cut through the back entrance. If he made it to the grassy field he can lose himself in the woods." "Dammit!" Raphael said as they got to the rooftop. "We can't lose him, he'll strike at the kid again once he thinks the coast is clear." "We'll report back to Father and come up with a new plan," Leonardo told them. "But first we need to get away, the cops are sure to come now." "They're actually on their way, but I won't mention... you," April said, now standing on the rooftop behind them. "Provided you tell me who you are and what just happened down there?" "Wha-- how did-- why is--?" Michelangelo stammered before whispering to Leonardo "Is she magic?" "You're April O'Neil, we've heard much about you," Leonardo said as he nodded to his brothers to let them know it was okay. He put his swords back into their holsters on his back as he bowed to April in a sign of respect. "We were only here to help your student. He's somehow become a target for the Purple Dragons." "That much is obvious," April told them. "Meet me back here tonight after the dojo closes. We can talk more then." The sound of police sirens was heard in the distance as April turned toward the distraction. When she turned back two seconds later, the Turtles were already gone. * "Tatsu's going to kill me," Hun said as he stopped to breathe in an alley. "Unless..." * "So, what, we're trusting humans now?" Raphael asked as the Turtles returned to their lair. "How do we know she won't have a S.W.A.T. team waiting for us? Or the army? Or some kind of mutant sharks? Supposedly those are a thing now." "I heard mutant sharks only come in tornado form." Michelangelo said. "We can trust her, we know her," Leonardo said as he continued walking. The other three brothers just stared at each other. "We do?" they said in unison. * Splinter meditated in his own personal room, which had been decorated in Japanese artwork and other items such as a small porcelain collection. "Father, we bring news, good and bad," Leonardo said softly as he stood at the entrance. "We stopped the Purple Dragons from getting that kid again, but... their leader got away. Plus... April O'Neil spotted us." Splinter slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward his oldest son. "Come, Leonardo, sit down and we shall talk," Splinter told him in his aged voice. "Tea?" "Of course," Leonardo said as he sat down across from his father and took the tiny cup in his large hand. "I am sorry we failed in stopping Hun from escaping." "You saved the boy's life, you did not fail," Splinter told him. "But it is imperative that we know why they seek to murder this child. Does April know anything beyond what she witnessed today?" "She wasn't shocked at seeing us," Leonardo told him. "Do you think she knows the truth?" "April O'Neil has always been an intelligent young woman," Splinter said. "Even though you are the only one of your brothers that has memory of what happened those many years ago, perhaps April is one of the few people we must trust with our secret if we wish to help save this city from whatever the Purple Dragons are planning." * "Jeez, Michelangelo, are we really watching this crap again?" Raphael asked as he saw his younger brother on the couch, turning the channel to cartoons. "Oh, come on, Raphael, Rise of the Monchichis is a good show." Michelangelo told him. "The comedy is forced, the animation's crap compared to the last version of the Monchichis that ended last year, and they cram too much stuff into eleven minute segments," Raphael said. "It's like they narrowed their demographic to 5-year-olds instead of trying to make a show that everyone can watch." "I preferred the 80's cartoon," Donatello said as typed away on his computer. "And the 1990 movie with Corey Haim playing Wizzar." "What are you doing, Donatello?" Raphael asked. "Visiting the dark corners of the internet again?" "I told you, I needed a sample of a computer virus to build the ultimate anti-virus," Donatello reminded him. "Now I have anti-viral software that can stop even the worst computer virus out there. And what I'm doing is looking up history on this Zack kid to see if I can figure out what he-- Whoa." "What is it?" Raphael asked as he got up and looked at the screen. "Whoa." "Hey, I wanna 'whoa', too!" Michelangelo said as he got up and looked over Donatello's shoulder. "Whoa. Wait, why are we 'whoaing' again?" Leonardo coughed to get his brothers' attention as he stood at the entrance door. "Father has a solution." * Hun returned to the old warehouse that The Purple Dragons called home, cautiously making sure Tatsu wasn't there. Hun had been relieved to find out that Tatsu was out on personal business with his assistant. That bought him some time to get the Zack situation taken care of. "I can't take that brat out because everytime we get near him, those jokers show up to save his bacon," Hun said to himself as he strolled through the play area where the recruits were enjoying their downtime. "I need to get Zack isolated, but for that I need a little help..." After several minutes of looking over what the warehouse had to offer at this time of day, Hun finally found exactly who he'd been looking for. "You," Hun said as he pulled a young red-headed man aside. "You're one of the new kids, right?" "Yeah," the boy said with an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. He'd been taking baby steps into smoking, not yet having the courage to actually light one up. He looked to be around Zack's age, give or take a year or two. But Hun didn't have time to screen candidates, he just needed someone young and stupid. "Just joined yesterday." "Well, Master Tatsu has already taken note of you," Hun lied as he led the boy to the side away from the others who were playing their games and having fun. "And he has personally chosen you for a very special mission." "Really? Me?" the boy asked. "Why?" "Because he thinks you've got the real makings of a Purple Dragon," Hun smirked. "And if you complete this mission before the end of the day, you could be training to be a full member within the week." "Awesome," the boy said. "What do I have to do?" "I need you to help take out a threat to the Purple Dragons." * "I don't like this," Raphael said. "We need to be kicking some Purple Dragon butt, getting to the source of the problem." "Yeah, except we don't know why they're targeting this kid," Leonardo told his brother as the Turtles shadowed Zack back to his home, where they were waiting in a large leafy tree across the street. "What's so special about him that the Dragons are actively trying to take him out?" "Well, it might have something to do with the news story I found online," Donatello told him as he pulled up the story on his wrist computer. "His brother was a Purple Dragon, or at least suspected of being one, no one could ever connect him to the gang. They might have wiped every trace of him being part of the gang off the map before anyone could connect his death to them." Leonardo looked at the story before looking up at Donatello. "It's him, this is the kid that--" "We know," Raphael said, looking away in shame. "Which is why it's important that we make sure the same thing doesn't happen to Zack." "Guys, I just thought of something." Michelangelo said. "This better not be about getting pizza," Raphael said. "Or I'll sock you one in yer beak." "No, well, yes, but that wasn't the main thing I was going to say," Michelangelo said. "If Walt was a Purple Dragon, what if he left proof behind with Zack that the Purple Dragons couldn't destroy? Like in all those espionage movies where the dead dude leaves incriminating evidence behind that the mob is willing to kill for to make sure it never gets revealed?" "I can't believe it, Michelangelo might be onto something." Leonardo realized. "First time for everything." Donatello said bluntly. "HEY!" "What if Walt did have something on the gang, and Zack knows where it is, but doesn't realize it?" Leonardo told his brothers. "Like a flashdrive or video footage?" "We have three hours before we meet up with April at the dojo," Donatello said as they saw Zack leaving the house. "How do you want to play this?" "Raphael, you keep an eye on Zack," Leonardo said. "Donatello, you sneak into the house and search for clues for whatever Walt evidence Walt might have left. Michelangelo... go to the dojo and make sure the Purple Dragons aren't scouting the place. I'll help Donatello. We'll all meet back up at the Dojo in three hours." * Zack had arrived at the park with a backpack slung over his shoulder, having decided to run away. He sat down on a bench, running a hand through his hair while trying to figure out his next move just as a red-headed boy skateboarded up next to him. "Hey, kid," the boy said. "You look like hell. You okay?" "No," Zack said as he stared down at the ground. "It just seems like I can't do anything without screwing up. My life's basically ruined and I don't know why, and I don't know what to do." "Know what helps me clear my head so I can think?" the boy asked. "Skateboarding. You ever ride?" "I used to skateboard with my big brother, but he's... not around anymore." Zack told him as the boy held out a hand. "Come on, it's like riding a bike, you never forgot how. The name's Danny." "Zack," Zack said as Danny helped him up. "I should warn you, hanging out with me might get you killed." "Hey, I like to live dangerously," Danny told him as they headed for the skateboard park. "I'll take my chances." Meanwhile, Raphael followed close behind, using stealth so he wouldn't be seen. * "I don't get it, I've gone through Zack's computer with a fine-tooth comb and I haven't found anything. No hidden files, no encrypted data, nothing. Well, maybe some, uh, websites that aren't intended for the eyes of children, but that's it," Donatello told him. "This kid's good at scrubbing his browser clean, but he really shouldn't bookmark the links." "Never mind that, I haven't found anything in his room that connects to the purple dragons, not even so much as a flash drive or news clipping," Leonardo told him. "Maybe our hunch was wrong." "Or maybe we're just looking for the wrong thing," Donatello told him as he looked around. "It Walt was hiding evidence, he wouldn't keep it in an obvious place. Maybe Zack doesn't even realize what he has. If you were going to send a message to one of your brothers, how would do it?" "A coded message," Leonardo told him. "Maybe given in an object that has great sentimental value. The problem is, we don't know Zack well enough to know what object he cherishes the most." "Maybe we don't, but maybe April would, she seems to know the kid pretty well," Donatello told him. "Think she could help us figure this out?" "First we need to find out what she knows about us," Leonardo told him. "Let's go meet up with Michelangelo." * After about 45 minutes of getting Zack back into skateboarding and forgetting about his troubles for a little while, Zack found himself sitting on the edge of a skateboard pit as Danny walked up and tossed him a soda before sitting next to him. "You were good," Danny told him. "You should board more often. It'd be nice to have a friend to hang out with here." "I'd like to, but--," Zack said as he looked at his backpack by the bench. "I don't know if I'll be hanging around too much longer." "Running away?" Danny asked. "Looks like we're in the same boat." "You ran away, too?" "My Dad's always on my case, trying to make me be something I'm not," Danny said as he took a drink of his soda. "When he started threatening military school, I just... bailed. Grabbed a few things and left and I haven't looked back." "People are trying to kill me," Zack told him. "I don't know what I did to piss them off, but the Purple Dragons want me dead. So... I have to leave town. Before they try to kill my mom and my friends at the dojo. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me." "And you don't know why they're after you?" "No," Zack said, not realizing the black-pajama clad ninjas gathering behind him. "I guess it doesn't matter what I did, they already killed my brother." Zack noticed the sun was setting as he started to stand up. "Look, I gotta go, I'm catching the next bus out. It was good meeting y--" As Zack turned around, he saw a dozen ninjas facing him. Danny turned to see what was happening and was instantly confused as to why they were messing with his mission. "Guys, chill," Danny said with a smirk as he stepped forward. "Zack's cool, I can vouch for--" A loud smack echoed as the head ninja backhanded him. "You do not speak," the ninja told him. "The boy is to come with us." "I don't think so, pal." Raphael said as a blinding flash knocked him to the ground. Still wearing his trenchcoat and fedora, the mutant turtle pulled out his twin pair of sai and went into attack mode to take on the squad of ninja soldiers. "Are you-- are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Danny asked in disbelief as he rubbed his eyes. Getting ahold of himself, he grabbed Zack's arm. "Let's run while they're distracted!" "What's the point?" Zack asked as Danny took a deep breath. He grabbed Zack and lifted him around his shoulders as he started running while Hun watched from the shadows, silently following them now that Zack's protector had been distracted. Raphael grabbed two ninjas and slammed their heads together as they rushed at him from opposing sides. Another one attacked from behind as Raphael flung him over his shoulder, sending him rolling down the skateboard ramp. A spin-kick sent another one flying as the turtle clotheslined two more. After a few more well-timed hits, all twelve ninjas were out cold on the ground as Raphael looked around, seeing the two boys were gone. "Damn." * The other three Turtles united at the dojo as Michelangelo watched the building on the rooftop across the way. Leonardo and Donatello noticed the empty pizza boxes as they approached their brother. "Where did these pizzas come from?" Leonardo asked. "Hey, cut me some slack, surveillance makes me hungry." "Eating makes you hungry," Donatello told him. "Is everything clear?" "Nah, the binoculars are a little blurry, really should have brought paper towels to clean them with." Michelangelo said as Leonardo grabbed them from him. "I meant is the dojo clear?" Donatello asked as Leonardo wiped the lenses and looked through them. "It looks calm," Leonardo said. "We'll let Raphael stay on Zack. The rest of us will go in." * "I can't believe I lost the kid," Raphael said as he rushed through the park. "Leonardo's going to have my shell for this. I just hope those masked freaks haven't caught up to him." * Danny got as far as he could before he was too tired to carry Zack anymore, putting him down as he tried to catch his breath. The two had ended up at the top of a steep hill overlooking the park. "You should have just left me there," Zack told me. "They're not going to stop until I'm dead. Why'd you save me?" "Because I like you," Danny said between pants. "You're the first person I've met that actually seems to... get me. I couldn't stand by while you got hurt. Why don't you fight back?" "Because... I can't," Zack said. "I've been going to the Tang Shen Dojo for years and I can't even do a jump kick without falling on my butt." "That place?" Danny asked. "I wanted to go there but my Dad said that the last thing I needed to learn was violence." "It's not about violence, it's about finding self-confidence to not use violence," Zack told him. "I just kind of suck at it. Computers are more my thing." "Zack, you need to know something and you're probably going to hate me for it," Danny told him as he stood at the edge of the hill to see the sun setting. "I'm not the person you think I am. In fact, the whole reason I ran into you today was--" The ground under Danny's feet gave way as he started tumbling down the large hill, hitting his head on a rock along the way, knocking him out. He continued rolling towards the bottom as Zack watched helplessly. "Danny!" TO BE CONTINUED... New York City
Zack Paulson was leaving the Tang Shen dojo late one night, long after the other students had already left for the day. Zack was only fourteen with sandy blonde hair that was constantly falling into his eyes, but he was the longest attending student at the dojo currently. And even though his skills as a martial artist were slowly improving, he was the most trusted student to the dojo's owner and lead instructor. He even had his own key to come and go as he pleased. Zack's skills didn't lay with the martial arts so much as computer skills . It was Zack that kept the computers up and running, and even helping out when tax time came around. At first Zack wanted to quit the dojo, but then something happened to change his mind, which is a story for later. It was starting to rain as Zack started to walk home. It was far too late to catch a bus, and he didn't have the money for a cab. But the computer system needed to have a virus removed that some clown had accidentally unleashed. It took most of the day to do it, but luckily the head instructor had a pizza delivered to get him through on the promise that he locked up when he left. It wasn't long before Zack was completely drenched, which was when he ran into more trouble. A muscular young man in his early 20's wearing a black and purple jacket appeared in front of him. On the back of the jacket an emblazoned dragon breathing smoke and preparing to shoot a flame. He was soon joined by three others young men wearing the same jacket. "What do we have here?" Hun asked with a vicious smirk. "Looks like a late dinner to me." "I don't want any trouble, Hun." Zack said as the Purple Dragon members started laughing. "Trouble? Oh, we're not here to give you trouble, we're here to tell you once again about our generous offer for the final time. Join the Purple Dragons, kid. There is no second or third option. We've run out of bones to break on you, Zack. Well, except your neck." Hun said as they slowly approached. "No," Zack said, trying to sound brave. "I won't join you." "Your big brother wasn't scared," Hun told him. "At least until he turned chicken and tried to leave us. Then he screamed like a little girl when we caught up with him and taught him a lesson. Join the Purple Dragons or die." It was hard to see Zack's tears through the rain, but they were there. The boy quickly turned to run through the alley, but being blinded by the rain he didn't see the brick wall at the end. He ran into it, falling backward. "Make it look like an accident, but get his house keys, we'll make our little raid after," Hun told the others, not noticing four shadowy figures silently dropping down behind them. "And make it quick before someone else shows up." As Hun turned around, a garbage can lid being used as a shield slammed into him, sending him flying back. As one of the gang members reached for a gun, a sai flew from out of nowhere, pinning his wrist to the wall behind him, while a bo staff tripped up the guy standing next to him. The shadows moved fast and silently, taking out the Purple Dragons before they could even catch a glimpse of their attackers. Hun decided to make a run for it, just as a katana sailed through the air, slicing his pants as Hun fell forward into a mud puddle. "Aw, don't leave the party now, dude." A teenage voice said as Hun was dragged back into the alley, where the sound of punching was heard. Seconds later, the Purple Dragons were in a pile in the middle of the alley with Hun laying on top. Zack was unconscious on the ground as a green hand wearing a purple cloth on his wrist reached down to check his pulse. "Is the little dude okay?" "He'll live, but we'd better get him out of the rain before he catches pneumonia." "He's one of the kids from the dojo. We'll take him back there where he'll be safe for the night." "What about those creeps? I say we go find more of them if they're still hanging around the neighborhood." Zack was barely conscious as his eyes half-opened, looking up to see four... somethings standing over him. "The kid is hurt, we need to help him first, then if there's time we'll come back and sweep the neighborhood." "But--" "Heh heh, 'butt'." "We don't go looking for fights, Raphael. We only got involved here because someone needed us. We get the kid somewhere safe, then we make sure that no one else is in danger. That's all we were told to do." "Yeah, well, maybe we should start taking the fight to the Purple Dragons. They're expanding, Leonardo, we need to take them down before it's too late." "This isn't the time to discuss this. This kid is hurt, let's get him out of the rain and we'll talk about this with Father." The last thing Zack saw before he lost consciousness again was two green hands with blue wrist cloths on them. Each hand only had three fingers on them. Then came darkness once again. * Hours later, Zack shot up with a gasp, finding himself on a cot in the dojo's rec room. He had several blankets over him as he looked around the room, recognizing where he was. As he looked around, he found his now dry clothes neatly folded on the table, next to his shoes. Planting his bare feet on the floor while wrapping one of the blankets around his waist, Zack stumbled to the table before he caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror on the wall, where he had a nasty bruise on his forehead from slamming into the brick wall. "What the hell happened to me?" Zack whispered to himself as he brushed his hair back to get a better glance at the bruise. * Deep within the sewer system there was a large lair with all the comforts of home. The furniture had all been found through garbage dumps and stuff left on the sidewalk that people were just throwing out; there was a small kitchen with appliances that had been built from other appliances to make them grander; a large training dojo with many weapons hanging off of the wall, both hand-forged and found in the afore-mentioned dump; and a living room with a large t.v. and a couch that had somehow survived the 1970's. On the couch sat a 4 foot tall rat dressed in a red kimono. Beside him was a tray of sushi, a cup of herbal tea and a remote control, with the current program on the t.v. being an old kung-fu movie. The rat was diligently watching, studying the moves he saw in the hopes of incorporating them into a future lesson plan for his students/sons, who were due home any minute. Soon the voices of four teenagers was heard from outside of the sewer lair, all talking incoherently over each other like regular teenagers. Only these weren't regular teenagers, as evidenced by them walking through the entrance of the lair. They were four 5-foot tall turtles. The leader, Leonardo, was blue-green in tone, with a blue bandana mask covering his eyes. He was the largest of the four brothers. The next through the door was Donatello, wearing purple and was brownish-green in skin tone. Donatello was lankier than the others from spending his free time in front of a computer rather than in the dojo training. Then came Raphael, wearing red with a dark green tone. While he wasn't as large as Leonardo, he was more muscular. And finally the orange clad Michelangelo, whose tone was forest-green. The fourth turtle was the smallest of the group and a half-foot shorter than the others. All of them had brown belts, with Leonardo and Donatello having shoulder straps that allowed for holsters for their Katanas and bo staff respectively. "So you're seriously going to stand there and tell me that Superman could beat down Batman? Are you freakin' kiddin' me?" Raphael asked. "Batman would curbstomp Superman into a gross paste." "But Superman's got all of those cool powers!" Michelangelo shouted. "He's got superstrength and flight and heat vision and--" "He ain't got none of those once Batman pulls out the kryptonite," Raphael told him. "Hell, Batman probably wears kryptonite underwear just to be safe." As the two younger turtles argued, Leonardo saw Splinter on the couch and immediately bowed, with the other Turtles quickly following suit, at least once Raphael smacked Michelangelo's arm. "I'm sorry we're home late, Father," Leonardo said. "Someone was in trouble." "The Purple Dragons," Splinter told them. His voice was old and worn, but was still able to command respect from his four sons with just a single glance. "I saw the news report of police taking some of them in for questioning earlier tonight. Tell me what happened." "Another one of the dojo students was attacked," Raphael said. "We actually managed to be there to save one this time." "Something was different, though," Leonardo told his master. "They were going to kill this one. The others they just beat up and sent to the hospital, but this kid was different to them." "If they are willing to murder, perhaps this student needs to be watched over," Splinter told them as he stared at his sons. "For some time, the Purple Dragon's hold over the city has been tightening. I have wanted you to stay out of this affair for fear of exposing us to a world which would fear and reject us. But perhaps the time is quickly approaching to where we must start fighting back against this tide of evil. My sons, I have raised you to resist fighting if there is no need. Your skills were only meant to defend yourselves and those weaker than you. Now those skills will be put to the ultimate test. I have listened to your stories about the Purple Dragon's fighting abilities and the way they move like ninja. It is my fear that whoever is training the Purple Dragons is from the same clan as my master, Hamato Yoshi!" "The Foot Clan? In New York?" Donatello asked. "You've always said those guys are bad news, Father. Weren't they centralized solely in Japan, though?" "They were in New York once, many years ago," Splinter said. "It appears as though they are returning. We can not take this threat lightly, for if they are here, the entire city may in grave danger." "That would explain why they're targeting kids at the dojo," Leonardo realized. "It's the last remaining good thing about the Foot Clan, back when Hamato Yoshi was in charge. But that still doesn't explain why they wanted that kid dead." "Then we gotta find out," Raphael told him. "We need to follow him and see what he knows." "Tomorrow is better than tonight," Leonardo said. "In the meantime, we practice. Donatello, Raphael, Michaelang-- Where's Michelangelo?" The youngest turtle poked his head out of the kitchenette. "Can't train on an empty stomach. I was making a pizza or twelve." "One of these days, that appetite of yours is gonna get us killed!" Raphael shouted. "At least we'll die on a full stomach!" Michelangelo shouted as Raphael threw a pillow at him. "Hey!" * After being released from police custody, from which there was nothing to hold them on at the time, the Purple Dragons returned to their warehouse headquarters in the bad part of town. While the outside looked worn down, the inside of the condemned building looked like a teenager's paradise. Arcade cabinets, pool tables, a snack bar, soda machines, everything a kid could want. Deeper within the building was a dojo where the teens were trained to fight in ninjitsu. Security cameras were hidden all over the place so that one man could monitor the activities of his children. The man, who had been expelled from the Foot Clan many years ago, now had a much grander dream than just lording over a group of ninjas. Now he was going to lord over an entire city once his army was trained and willing to do his bidding. In the bottom monitor, Hun and his group stormed through the door as the man got up and headed for the main rec room. As he walked, he glanced at his assistant standing by the door to follow. "Hey, Hun, we heard you got your ass handed to you by a kid!" one of the teens shouted, followed by more taunts and laughter. "Shut-up, it wasn't him! There was someone else there!" Hun shouted as the laughter continued. It was only when a gong sounded that the sounds of laughter stopped and the room fell dead silent. At the top of a walkway, a bald Japanese man in a black kimono stared menacingly down at the crowd. The entire room started to bow down in respect as the ninja master Tatsu descended down the stairs, quickly approaching Hun. "Master Tatsu, I--" Hun started to say before the sound of a mighty slap echoed through the warehouse. "You have embarrassed this family," Tatsu said angrily, yet in a calm tone. "You, my best warrior, were bested by an infant!" "Master, please, I--" "Silence!" Tatsu shouted. "It was you who informed me that this boy had information that could destroy what we had built. It was you who convinced me to let you handle this by either bringing this boy to join our family or removing him altogether. And you have failed." Tatsu turned and looked at the crowd of teenagers before looking at his assistant on the walkway above them.She was short with brown hair and glasses, holding a clipboard in her hand. He barely nodded at her before yelling in Japanese. "I have brought all of you together for a purpose!" the assistant shouted as she translated. "The outside world has shunned you! Made you feel unwelcome! I give you the chance to prove them wrong by turning you from not more than tossed away rubbish into something that people will have no choice but to bow down to and respect! You are all brothers here, and I am your father! And I will not tolerate disobedience or failure! The city will bow before us, but only if we act as one unit, working towards one singular goal! There is a child out there who threatens our very existence, and he must be eliminated!" "Please, master, give me one more chance," Hun begged. "I'll bring Zack to you and make him tell you what he knows." "I'll give you one final chance since I'm feeling generous this day," Tatsu said as he lifted Hun up by his collar. "If you fail, I kill the boy myself. Then it will be your turn to die as punishment." Tatsu threw Hun across the floor before ascending the walkway once again. Once both Tatsu and the assistant had closed the door, the boys started their party up again, just as a few new recruits wandered in, having just missed everything. * It was Saturday morning at the Tang Shen Dojo as Zack was heading up the path to the school. His hair was combed down to cover his bruise and he was wearing dark sunglasses over his eyes as he saw his best friend waiting for him. Kirby Jackson was a year older than Zack, with red hair and freckles. "Are you okay?" Kirby asked. "You look like you were in a fight." "I was... I think," Zack told him. "The Purple Dragons showed up on the way home.I don't know what happened, I just know I hit a wall and passed out. Then when I woke up, I was back at the dojo with a bruise on my forehead. I just know that I dreamed that I saw... something big and muscular before I passed out. It seemed... friendly." "Well, at least you're alive," Kirby said as he put an arm around Zack's shoulder. "Let's go before we're late to class." "Like it'd matter, I'm the worst student here," Zack reminded him. "If I wasn't so good with computers, I'd have probably been kicked to the curb by now." "Sensei would never do that to you," Kirby told him. "Even if you suck at ninjitsu, and let's face it, you totally do, but everyone here really likes you. You're my best buddy, I wouldn't hang out here if you weren't around." "Says the guy who's due for his orange belt any day now." "Blue, actually. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want you feel bad that I'm getting better and better. Sensei thinks I could be an instructor here in a few years after I graduate." Kirby told him. "That's cool," Zack said as his head hung low as the two entered the school. "Congratulations." Meanwhile, the Purple Dragons, led by Hun, were standing across the street. And on top a building not too far away, Raphael was watching the Purple Dragons. * "Nofairnofairnofair!" Michelangelo shouted as he found himself bodyslammed onto the ground by Leonardo. "Life isn't fair, little brother," Leonardo told him. "Any enemies we encounter will go far worse on you. You need to focus harder on not letting them get that close to you." "You're twice as big as me," Michelangelo said as Leonardo helped him up. "How am I supposed to take down someone the size of a tank?" "It is not the size, it is the spirit," Splinter told him as he watched them spar from the sidelines. "Let your body and your mind join forces, working as one to conquer your opponent." "Alright," Michelangelo said as he got up and started jogging in place while getting pumped. "You can do this, Mikey. You can do this. Alright, Leonardo, you're going do--" As soon as the youngest turtle got into striking range, Michelangelo found himself flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "Hey, that water stain looks like Elvis!" "Alright, Donatello, it's your turn." Leonardo said as Donatello was playing around with a wristmounted phone. "I'd love to, but this is delicate equipment," Donatello said. "I don't think you're humiliated Raphael lately." "Oh, yeah, hey Raph-- Where is Raphael?" "He took off earlier, said something about watching over that kid," Michelangelo said while still on his back and reading a comic. Leonardo just let out a sigh. "Gear up, we'd better go after him." "Before he gets himself killed?" Donatello asked. "Before he gets that kid killed." * Zack and Kirby were sitting among their classmates in the training area. The students were dressed in their red and black karate gi's. "You sure you're up for class today?" Kirby asked. "You still look like hell." "I'll be okay," Zack told him. Having had to take his sunglasses off, Kirby could tell how sleep deprived his best friend was. "Let's just get my daily ass-kicking over with." "Hey, Zack, the computers are offline, Sensei wants you to take a look at them." a girl named Caitlin said as she walked into the room and taking a seat with the others. "I'll be right back," Zack sighed as he stood up and walked out of the room, heading to the computer lab where he sat down at one of the monitors. "Someone's turned the server off. This shouldn't take too long to fix." Hun put his hand around Zack's mouth and pulled him out of his seat. "You have something we want," Hun told Zack, keeping his hand over his mouth. "So either tell us what we want to know or you die. I mean, you're going to die anyway, but how quickly it happens depends on you." "Excuse me," a voice said as Hun's head turned. At the door stood a woman wearing a red and black karate gi. Her brown hair was up in a bun as she held a bo staff. "What are you doing with my student?" "Who the hell are you?" Hun asked. "I'm the owner of this school and that boy is under my protection. Now let my student go or I'm going to have to get rough." April O'Neil said as she twirled her bo staff. TO BE CONTINUED... |
Tobias ChristopherAuthor, pubescent ninjitsu master Archives
February 2019
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