FicWad

Chapter Thirty One: Nightmares Recycled

Harry leaned against the wall, looking outside the window, with the news going on in the background. Truthfully, Harry was not exactly paying all that much attention on what was going on; he was just waiting for the moment that the Shredder was resurrected. His brothers were also on edge, as was everyone else. It was a waiting game, as sooner rather than later, the heralds would resurrect their master and then they would be in for the battle of their lives. Harry hoped they could find a way to finish their demonic opponent for good, because every minute he was not defeated, was another moment that Harry could not focus on defeating Voldemort. The Horcrux was still in Albania, awaiting Harry’s arrival, but Harry could not leave until the Shredder was finished off for good. Exactly how they were to go about that, it was a mystery, as the Tribunal had been destroyed before their training had been completed.

“Authorities are still baffled that at the whereabouts of the truck stolen this afternoon, containing several canisters of toxic waste that were to be disposed,” narrated the reporter on the news. “The driver has been found, bound and gagged in a garbage bag on the side of the road, still alive, but barely breathing and in a slight coma. Authorities have not been able to find any clues to point towards the hijackers.”

“Stealing toxic waste?” asked Hermione as she entered the room, surveying the television with a bit of confusion. “What kind of person would steal toxic waste?”

“An absolute nutter,” suggested Hailey mildly, who had also just entered the room, looking at the television.

“If I’ve learned nothing else living in this city for twelve years, there are some really interesting and rather insane characters,” remarked Harry as he turned his attention back to the television at the first time.

“Rumors of a Black Death spreading through Britain have been debunked by the Prime Minister,” said the news reporter. “The Prime Minister has said that nothing is wrong, despite several documented cases of several people being found in their homes, entire families wiped out, with a blank look in their eyes, their skin ice cold, and still alive.”

“Dementors,” muttered Hermione darkly and Harry nodded his head, Voldemort seemed to be given a free reign since he had left. He had hoped that this matter with the Shredder could be resolved so he can devote his full attention to Voldemort.

“Three hundred such deaths have been rumored, with several more unconfirmed throughout the country,” continued the news reporter. “Is this a new strain of flu or something worse? British leaders are isolating themselves from the rest of the world whenever possible, and other world leaders are trying to force investigation.”

“Voldemort’s not going to let anyone outside enter the country,” remarked Hailey.

“I know, that’s the problem, Muggles are noticing now, it might force Voldemort’s hand to extend his power outside of Britain,” inputted Hermione and Harry just sighed, the fact Voldemort was running things over there was more than enough. Harry actually wished the Shredder would have been resurrected by now, as he could see things were getting worse over there. Still, Harry reasoned that he could not reveal himself to be alive to Voldemort, until he could devote his full and total attention to the Dark Lord.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by footsteps approaching up the stairs from the basement. Walking forward, Harry opened the basement door to allow Don and Raph make their way up the stairs, with Don having a very anxious look on his face.

“Hey, guys, what’s up?” asked Harry, as he motioned for his two brothers to come and have a seat, which they did, before they looked up at Harry.

“Harry, you heard about those canisters toxic waste being stolen right,” remarked Raph and Harry nodded his head slowly, confirming that he had heard it. “Well, I don’t know how much you’ve been paying attention to the news, but something else has been stolen, same way as this toxic waste has in fact.”

“Yeah, an advanced propulsion unit has been taken, along with the truck it was on, the man found bound and gagged inside a garbage bag, with no sense of what happened,” added Don.

“And they look to be connected,” remarked Hermione and the two Turtles nodded. “Given the fact that both thefts were committed in a rather similar matter, I would have to agree as well.”

“The Garbageman,” said Harry, as it came to him, referring to a villain he had countered before in the past, that had an obsession for garbage. “He has to be behind this, I mean, who else would want to steal toxic wastes and…coincidentally, do you know anything about this propulsion unit that was stolen?”

“It was supposed to have the capacity to launch garbage into space,” explained Don. “Supposed to help limit the garbage problem by getting rid of it, and I suppose that something like that would catch the Garbageman’s attention.”

“So, now that we’ve figured out who it is, I say the Garbageman’s face catches my fist,” said Raph but at that point, Hailey raised her hand.

“That would be a good idea, if for the face we don’t know exactly where our trash obsessed fiend is,” said Hailey and Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement, with Raph scowling at this logical explanation stopping his attempt to rough up the Garbageman.

“Let’s approach this logically, he’s going to be in some place where he has access to a lot of trash, so are there any new places that have popped up recently that might serve as a hideout for the Garbageman?” asked Harry and the group looked stumped for a few minutes, before Don brightened up, thinking of something straight away.

“About a week ago, I believe a new recycling center, called Recycle World, it’s right across the river and now that I think about it, it’s kind of suspicious it just opened up right before this crime wave started,” said Don. “If we go there, I suspect we’re find their answers.”

Don, Raph, Harry, Hailey, and Hermione wasted no time in making their way down to the basement, to take the access tunnel to the sewers below as a short cut towards this mysterious new recycling facility.

In Recycle World, several figures in yellow jump suits, wearing gas masks moved a large canister over, placing it on top of a wooden platform, set right over the top of a propulsion unit. They struggled, but placed it on the top, as several more moved over, carrying another canister before, placing it on another area of the platform. As this was happening, a rotund figure with spider legs moved over, surveying the scene around him through narrowed eyes, lifting his pudgy hands to direct his minions to place the canisters in the right spot.

“Careful with those things, I must have every drop of sweet, savory, toxic waste for my plan,” grunted the Garbageman, slobber splashing out of his disgusting mouth, as he looked forward, before he walked over, surveying the set up here. “This city will be my paradise, it just needs some modifications, and it will be fit for my rule. All the canisters must be directed as indicated, is that clear?”

“Yes, your Highness,” confirmed the junk troopers and the Garbageman turned to the city, towards the heartless people that shunned him because of a part of what he was, because he deviated above the norm of the standards set by society. Society was to blame but the Garbageman would remake society and the injustice that happened to him all those years ago would be rectified properly.

Outside the fence, Harry motioned for them to move around. They saw blinking lights from the area outside of Recycle World as there appeared to be something big going down in there. Hermione, Hailey, Don, and Raph followed, with Raph and Don carrying their regular weapons, as opposed to the weapons granted by the Tribunal. It was agreed, that the weapons caused too much destruction against regular opponents, so the Turtles vowed to save them for their inevitable confrontation with the resurrected demon Shredder.

“Junk Troopers,” breathed Raph as he spotted a group of them carrying a canister of the toxic wastes. They nodded, before Hailey, Hermione, and Harry held their wands, ready for an attack should it come. “We can take them, I mean, there’s only nine of them.”

Raph stepped forward, but a loud alarm from the building across the street had called off, causing Raph to spin around, along with the others. They saw the Purple Dragons moving forward, one of them attempting to pry the door open with a crowbar, as the man mountain known as Hun watched, arms folded, motioning for them to hurry it up, with the alarm being disabled.

“Purple Dragons, all kinds of fun out tonight,” said Raph as he held his Sais, before he looked from Recycle World to the building across the street, but Don just held his Bo Staff, before he nodded to the others. It appeared that the Garbageman could wait, as Hun was a bit higher up on the totem pull then him. Don, Raph, Harry, and Hailey rushed across the street, with Hermione standing slightly out of the way, ready to help if necessary, but since she could not fight without magic, she was not really in too much of a hurry to get involved. Raph aimed his Sai, before he threw it right towards the dragon with the crowbar. The dragon staggered, dropping to the ground, as the Purple Dragons turned their attention to the group, all four of them looking ready for a fight.

“Purple Dragons, to the attack!” bellowed Hun and the Purple Dragons rushed forward, but Don spun around on his Bo Staff. The dragon turned around, confused and got both of Don’s feet right in his face, causing him to smash down to the ground. A pair of dragons rushed Harry, but Harry gracefully vaulted over them. When the Dragons turned around, they instinctively punched each other, knocking them to the ground, allowing Harry to move forward, ducking a chain swung at him. A kick took his enemy off balance, allowing Raph to deliver a knock out blow, dropping the dragon to the ground. A pair of Purple Dragons moved towards Hailey, but she quickly leapt into the air and landed firmly on their feet with a somersault. The goon turned around, in time to get grabbed by the arms and flipped to the ground by the Potter girl. Hermione stepped in from the side, shooting cords from her wand, wrapping them around the Purple Dragons. As Don knocked another Dragon out, Harry did the same, trapping the goon, taking him out of the fight, as Hun began to run off, as he saw Harry turn his attention towards him, remembering what had occurred the last time the two fought.

“We’ve got a runner!” called Hailey, as she helped Hermione secure the remaining Purple Dragons, ensuring they were gift wrapped and ready for the police.

“Just take care of two birds with one stone,” grunted Raph as he followed Hun forward into Recycle World, the others bringing up the rear, as Hun entered inside, where he found several bazookas on him, courtesy of the junk troopers.

“Ah crud,” grumbled Hun, before one of the Junk Trooper activated the bazooka. A loud bang echoed and Hun was completely wrapped up in a garbage bag. It was a tight fit and Hun struggled the entire way, as Raph entered Recycle World, before he moved forward and jammed his Sais right into the bazooka. One of the junk troopers attempted to blast Raph and the garbage bag flew out, but Raph dodged, causing the bag to come down onto the floor. In an instant, Raph grabbed the goon, and pulled him forward right into a fist, before he pulled him over into another goon. Don, Hailey, Harry, and Hermione all moved in, before the Junk Troopers could resume their attack on Raph.

Obvious that they were overmatched, one of the Junk Troopers pulled a red lever, activating a crane mechanism, which quickly shot over their adversaries, dropping a net onto them. Before they could cut themselves loose, the Junk Troopers reached forward, shock sticks in and jabbed them inside the net. The electrical shock blasted throughout the net, putting out Hailey, Hermione, Harry, Don, and Raph, as the Garbageman moved over, his thin spider legs barely holding up his rotund figure, nodding as disgusting drool dropped to the ground from his mouth.

Harry’s eyes flickered open, as he found himself wrapped in a garbage bag, which was wrapped in chains, hanging upside down. The blood was rushing right through his head, as he saw Hailey, Hermione, Raph, Don, and much to his surprise, Hun, were all hanging right beside him. It took a few seconds for Harry to piece together that they were elevated on the platform containing the canisters of toxic waste, which in turn was elevated right on top of the propulsion unit.

“Great, I have to be stuck up here, with you freaks,” grumbled Hun.

“Well, we ain’t exactly all that thrilled about this arrangement either, Hun!” shot back Raph, as he attempted to pull himself free, but the click of metallic spider legs signaled the arrival of the Garbageman, who looked up at them, with a malignant expression etched on his eyes.

“I’ve been awaiting this moment for a long time, but I was hoping for all four Turtles to be among the first to die,” said the Garbageman, as he looked up towards the group, as Harry screwed his eyes shut. It would take a bit for him to figure out a way to get them out of their magically and safely down there, without getting any serious injures, as the Garbageman gave a loud laugh at their predicament, sending slobber in every which direction. “Once I propel this toxic waste into the city, all unfit life will be wiped out, all the evils of society buried, the trash that should have been disposed of a long time ago dealt with, before I remake the city into my own image.”

“And what a lovely image that would be,” muttered Hailey in a sarcastic voice, but the Garbageman choose to pay her little attention, instead focusing his full attention to Hun, who obviously was still rather annoyed with his predicament.

“And it was an interesting surprise to find you of all people here,” remarked the Garbageman focusing on Hun, who looked utterly baffled at what the Garbageman was talking about. “I might have waited my entire life for this, but to see you among the first of the unworthy to be buried before my new empire is reborn, will be delicious.”

“What are you talking about, I’ve never seen you anywhere in my life, you disgusting slob,” grunted Hun but the Garbageman just gave a chuckle, before he looked at Hun with amusement, his sickly yellow eyes looking at Hun with amusement, drool hanging from his chin.

“Ah, is that anyway to talk to family, Hun?” demanded the Garbageman, as Harry, Hailey, Hermione, Raph, and Don all looked at Hun, who obviously was confused as they were by this sudden revelation from the Garbageman. “Or would be prefer Leroy?”

“Hun’s real name is Leroy!” exclaimed Harry, as Raph, Don, Hermione, and Hailey all looked very amused, as Hun just gritted his teeth and grumbled at this revelation.

“Yes, but how did this thing know?” grunted Hun, looking at the Garbageman suspiciously.

“Tell me, your parents were aristocrats, of the highest caliber, looking down at anyone lower then them, were they not?” asked the Garbageman and Hun just nodded stiffly.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but they died years ago and good riddance to them, they never even left me one dime of their fortune, preferring to donate it all to charity. I never could do anything to please them when they were alive, so of course they would screw me over in death,” grumbled Hun, as this was an uncomfortable trip down memory lane. “I fail to see what that has to do to you.”

“I suspect that your parents never told you that you had a twin, that they thought had perished in an operation,” said Garbageman and Hun obviously had no clue what the Garbageman was talking about. Harry welcomed the need for elaboration, it would give him time to figure a way out of here. “I thought they would have swept that under rug, after all, the circumstances of your birth were far from normal and the way they fixed the abnormality was also rather unconventional, not something you would expect the parasites of higher society to dirty their hands in, but they were desperate to remain in the good graces of their friends.”

“Are you trying to say that your this supposed twin?” grunted Hun and the Garbageman gave a twisted grin, showing every one of his blackened, moldy teeth towards Hun. “I refuse to believe it.”

“It doesn’t matter what you choose to believe,” responded the Garbageman. “The fact that we share DNA is something that can’t erase, perhaps you are more like our parents than you would like to believe.”

Hun just looked down at this thing that was attempting to pass himself off of his twin brother, with disgust, more so once he had been compared to his hated parents.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what this abnormality was,” continued the Garbageman, as he watched Hun’s form from high above twist, but his attempts to free himself were futile. “Well, I guess you could say were rather attached when we were first born, something that our parents turned their nose up at. I suppose the best place would to start would be at the beginning, so you take the knowledge of what you inadvertently created to your toxic waste influenced grave.”

A woman with long brown hair and a permanently snobby expression laid on a bed, having just given birth to twins. Her husband, a well dressed, educated man, with an equally snobbish attitude and demeanor, looked out in the hallway, where he saw several doctors moving.

“Imagine having to work for a living, absolutely common,” remarked the man as he surveyed the doctors, as if they were a lower form of life, akin to amoebas, as his wife, weakened from the birth, flicked her eyes towards the door, as footsteps were heard. The couple attempted to act like they were not superior to those around them, as a nurse entered the room, with an apprehensive look on her face, as she held the bundle.

“/Well, let us see our heirs,” ordered the man. /

“Oh of course, but there is something that you should know, your two new sons are…different than others, perhaps you have heard of the term, Conjoined Twins?” asked the nurse and the couple exchanged looks, trying to hide the horror of this disgusting defect.

“We heard,” said the man. “We’ll take care of them as we should, don’t you worry?”

The nurse handed the bundle over to the woman, who bent her face down to hide the disdain of this unnaturalness of the children. Quickly, the nurse departed, causing the woman to let out a hiss once everyone was out of sight.

“Children are disgusting enough as is, but these two being born like this, it’s just an insult, what will everyone say if they see this?” asked the woman, as the Conjoined Twins began to cry, but the woman paid their noise little mind, trying to touch these children as little as possible, they disgusted both her and her husband to the core.

“We shall have to do something about this, before word cycles through our circles that you have given birth, no heirs of ours will be unnatural,” said the man firmly. “I suspect the hospital will frown upon fixing this, but there are other ways to fix such problems.”

“Disgusting, they thought us to be trash,” narrated the Garbageman, as he looked up at Hun. “They worried more about their precious status than what would happen to two innocent infants. Obviously, the hospital would have never agreed, so they went towards less acceptable means. A back alley surgeon that no doubt was paid a handsome amount to keep his mouth shut and due what our filthy parents thought was necessary.”

The couple walked in, towards a filthy looking lab. The woman had the conjoined twins in her arms, not looking at them, before the surgeon, a greasy looking man with long black hair, stepped out of the shadows, with a buzz saw in his hand.

“It’s a very simple process, to separate the two infants this is all I need,” said the surgeon, as he administered a sedative with a rusty looking syringe, putting them out. The infants drifted off before the surgeon turned to their parents. “Now, if you could please leave, so I can do this.”

“Do what you must,” remarked the man in an indifference voice, as his wife nodded, sticking her nose up into the air, before they walked into the next room, as the surgeon looked at the two, sedated infants, before he held up his saw. He stepped forward, activating the motor, an indifferent look etched in his eyes, as he lowered the saw down towards the center of the conjoined twins. The saw began to cut into the skin of the twins. The surgeon’s hand began to shake, when it appeared that his sedative was not strong enough to keep them out, as the left side began to bawl. The hand slipped, causing blood to splatter everywhere, as the left twin was removed from the right twin.

“The surgeon had botched the operation,” commented the Garbageman. “The fact remained that we were separated and the only price was that my legs were mutilated beyond repair. Naturally, a small price to pay for our charming parents, as their high society friends only knew of the trash that I sadly call my mother being pregnant, not that she had twins.

“Well?” asked the man snidely, turning to the surgeon, who just nodded as he held up the blood soaked saw, before placing it down.

“We were able to save the right one, a bit of plastic surgery should hide the evidence, but the left one is beyond repair, it will bleed to death within moments,” said the surgeon lightly, and the woman stepped back, with a disgusted shriek, as she looked at the legless infant, as more blood flowed from it, as it seemed to be just hanging onto life.

“Get rid of that filthy thing anyway you can, just make sure no one knows we’ve been here,” screeched the woman, as she roughly grabbed the right side, looking around as if her well connected friends would burst through the door at any moment.

“Yes, do dispose of that wretched thing, it’s brought the value of this place down,” reported the man, turning his nose up, refusing to acknowledge the mutilated dying infant. “We have the heir we need, that one is just damaged goods. Good day to you.”

The couple walked out, as the surgeon just turned to the infant, who gave a scream. Somehow, the surgeon could not bare to see the mutilated left half to spend the remaining moments of its life suffering, so he scooped up a beaker of acid. Popping the top, the surgeon tipped the acid over. The acid splashed on the infants face and the surgeon just calmly brushed the mutilated infant into the garbage bin, with several other empty beakers filled with a few drips of remaining chemicals. The surgeon did a double take, it was almost as if the infant was looking at him with glowing yellow eyes, so he wasted little time in sealing the bin, before he pushed it out to the curb to dispose of it.

“He thought he was done with me and by all rights, he should have been, he disposed of me like garbage and I was off to the dump, but the key lied within the chemicals that laid in the garbage can with me throughout the night,” explained the Garbageman. “They mutated my cells, giving me new life, accelerating my intelligence far beyond any normal capacity. Despite losing my legs, I remained alive, at only the price that I needed a steady amount of garbage to sustain myself, as I lived off the filth and was repulsed by clean, weakened by its very essence. In time, I managed to fasten myself robotic legs, so I gained mobility.”

The Garbageman took a deep breath, as he turned to Hun.

“I watched year after year, as more was thrown away that I made use of,” concluded the Garbageman. “Others, among the wastes of society, joined me, to form my empire, to prove once and for all that garbage is power. I awaited until one day, I could gain revenge on society that shunned me, by turning the city into my own personal paradise, covering it with toxic waste. With the city more acceptable for habitation, I’ll be invincible.”

“Habitation, as if anyone can live in such conditions,” grumbled Hun.

“Oh but I can, Leroy,” responded the Garbageman with a twisted grin, showing his rotted, moldy teeth. “Once this propulsion unit is fired up, the platform will be launched, sending the canisters of toxic waste into the city had strategic locations, where the city will be flooded, it will be paradise. And the fact that I’ll gain direct revenge against you along with two of the Turtles and these others meddlesome fools will be delicious irony.”

“Harry,” whispered Hailey anxiously from high above, as the Garbageman was still talking to Hun.

“Almost got it,” muttered Harry, as he managed loosen the chain from the bag that contained him, as it was ripping.

“Well work a little bit quicker, because sludge brains here might be firing these things on the city any second,” remarked Raph from the side, as he looked towards Hun and the Garbageman, who continued to banter back and forth.

“And you did well enough for yourself, while I was forced to linger like an old, decaying piece of trash, a high standing member of the Foot and now you lead one of the top mob organizations in the city, but I’d expect nothing else from a pampered rich kid like yourself, Leroy,” taunted the Garbageman.

“Listen to me, I was just as miserable as you were, you filth,” responded Hun. “I had to live to their standards, the day they both died in that mugging was the happiest of my life, even though I got nothing.”

“Enough family reunion, it’s time for you to die,” grunted the Garbageman but at that exact moment, Harry burst from above, impacting his feet right into the feet of the Garbageman, causing the rotund trash obsessed fiend to stagger backwards, before Harry flicked his wand, causing the garbage bags to loosen, allowing Hailey, Hermione, Raph, and Don to gently be lowered to the ground, as Hun fell to the ground, before he landed with a thud.

The Garbageman motioned his pudgy hand, and the Junk Troopers moved out, rushing forward to recapture the ground. Don sprung up, using his Bo Staff. This one attack dropped a number of goons, as Raph blocked the shock stick with his Sais, causing sparks to fly everywhere, before Hailey took him out with a stunning spell. Harry moved over to try and disable the propulsion unit, but The Garbageman rushed over, before he knocked Harry onto his back. In the background, a pair of the junk troopers jabbed Hun in the back with their shock sticks, dropping him to the ground. Harry sprung up and threw the shuriken at the legs of the Garbageman, but it merely deflected back, before the Garbageman used his robotic leg, jabbing it towards Harry. Harry blocked it with his blade, before he somersaulted behind the Garbageman, as Hermione wrapped together a pair of Junk Troopers in the background.

“SCOURGIFY!” yelled Hailey suddenly and the spell struck the Garbageman’s skin. The Garbageman yelled out in agony, almost as if his skin was on fire, when the spell struck it. It blistered beyond belief, it seemed to be sensitive to cleaning of any kind, as Harry threw a Junk Trooper into Raph, allowing Raph to put him to the ground, as Hun angrily grabbed one of the goons, before he swung him against a destroyed car. “Harry, Hermione, scouring charms and any other cleaning spells for that matter, his skin can’t take it.”

Several bursts of light struck the Garbageman at once, causing the titan of trash to back off, his skin becoming very raw, as it was cleaned. He rushed over, in an attempt to savior some of his precious trash, but Harry placed an invisible wall against him. The Garbageman struck the wall and with a flick of his wrist, the wall was transfigured into the water. The water splashed down onto the Garbageman’s form, causing him to dig his own fingernails into his skin, as he was struck with another spell. In a vague attempt, he attempted to activate the drill function of his robotic bottom, to escape in a matter similar than he had done last time, but Harry had anticipated this and with a quick movement of his wrist, the propulsion unit was switched with the robotic legs. The Garbageman pressed the button, but he realized what he had done, as the top half of him blasted high into the sky. A loud scream echoed throughout as the Garbageman disappeared into the distance, as Hailey, Hermione, Harry, Raph, and Don watched him leave.

“Dare I ask where that is going to send him?” asked Raph.

“Into the outer reaches of space, until it runs out of fuel, I suspect he’ll die from being in space before then anyway,” theorized Don before he looked around, at the secured Junk Troopers, but realized that Hun had escaped while they were concerned with the Garbageman’s goons. “All we need to go is phone a tip to the police to pick these guys up with the stole toxic waste.”

“I think we should go, it’s getting really late,” yawned Hermione, as it was very late.

“Yeah, good luck sleeping, I know I won’t after that story that the Garbageman told,” shuddered Hailey, and the others nodded in agreement, as they left Recycle World, the twisted tale of the past of both Hun and the Garbageman still fresh in their minds.