FicWad

Chapter Thirty Two: Heroes In a Half Shell

In his room in the lair, Raph looked over his finished, completely rebuilt Shell Cycle. It took several months of hard work to get it back to the way that was when Hun had stole it and later trashed it but Raph nodded, finally feeling pleased about the final product. It was not easy, but Raph felt that fixing his bike back to the way it was before it had been trashed.

Unfortunately now that Raph was satisfied, he now sank back into the usually boredom of being stir crazy. A good fight was hard to come by these days, especially since they were branded fugitives by the news. The heat was dying down slightly, but Master Splinter had insisted that they take no chances until they were sure what the Shredder’s next move was. That confined Raph and the other three Turtles for that matter to the lair. Other than the battle with the Garbageman and their recent fight against Eskara and her vampire minions, action had been a little scarce. Raph hated being cooped in, he wanted to get out, stretch his legs, and bust some heads, not necessarily in that order.

Seconds later, the ground in Raph’s room began to rumble and he looked around in shock, before a bright glow illuminated from just outside of his room.

“We’ve seen that kind of energy before,” echoed Don’s voice from the other room and Raph made his way towards the door.

“Drako!” shouted Master Splinter from inside the main lair as Raph moved closer to the door, taking his Sais out, ready for a fight.

“And the Daimyo’s son,” added Leo. “This is what we’ve told you about Master Splinter.”

“Yes, somehow merged together,” Harry was saying as Raph made his way out of the room to see the magilinant figure of Ultimate Drako hovering above them, holding the time sceptre in his hand.

“All into one horrible package,” concluded Raph as he watched Ultimate Drako materialize before his eyes.

“We told you we would return, we told you we would have our revenge!” declared Ultimate Drako in unison, as they brandished Lord Simultaneous’s time sceptre, glaring down at the Turtles, Master Splinter, and Harry with utter contempt.

“Revenge, this you whacko!” yelled Raph as he leapt up but a blast of magical energy from the time sceptre sent Raph spiraling backwards and cracking against the wall, before he landed towards the ground with a thud.

“If you could simply fight us, we can control time and space with Lord Simultaneous’s time sceptre, we are unbeatable!” taunted Ultimate Drako.

“GET THE SCEPTRE, NOW!” shouted Harry as he leapt in the air along with Raph, Don, Mikey, Leo, and Master Splinter at the same time but Ultimate Drako stopped them with a jet of magical energy from the time sceptre. They were suspended in mid air, frozen in stasis, unaware that time passed around them.

“Now for our revenge!” exclaimed Ultimate Drako in unison, as they looked at their helpless enemies.

“Leonardo, destroy him first!” demanded the Ultimate Ninja, remembering very well his defeat his first time on earth.

“No!” shouted Drako angrily. “We agreed, the rat will perish first, then your father, the Daimyo.”

“And then Leonardo,” added the Ultimate Ninja in a persistent voice.

Ultimate Drako waved the time sceptre, as it glowed a bright blue color.

“Yes, all of them will pay, all of them will learn the meaning of suffering behind time and space!” chanted Ultimate Drako as the light engulfed all six of their enemies, before they disappeared from the lair.

Raph’s eyes flickered open and he sprang up, seconds later, ready to fight at a second’s notice. He looked around, careful not to make a sound to attract any unwanted attention before taking in his surroundings. As far as Raph could tell, he was in just an odd, run of the mill sewer tunnel but he did not recognize exactly where. So, Raph did the only thing that made sense, he decided to walk through the tunnel and looked around for the nearest manhole.

After a couple of minutes of walking, Raph had found what he was looking for. After he climbed up, Raph slid the lid off the manhole just enough to poke his eyes out and look from left to right, the streets above. A few vehicles moved down the street but seconds later, the coast was clear. In a flash, Raph slid the manhole out of the cover, sprang up, slid it back on, and leapt into the nearest alleyway in the blink of an eye. He watched as a semi-truck passed nearby. The streets were not as busy as they could have been and Raph stepped back slightly to gain some semblance of where he was. It was New York but it was not the New York City he remembered. It looked a bit more bright, vibrant, shiny, almost cartoonish in a way.

A loud scream brought Raph out of his thoughts and he narrowed his eyes, seeing a hood stagger an old man.

“All right pops, hand me over all your money and you won’t get hurt,” demanded the hood as he brandished a pocket knife.

“Help, help, police!” yelled the old man and Raph pulled out his Sais, he wasn’t going to stand by and let that punk get away with this.

“Let him guy or else,” said Raph.

“Oh, and I suppose some giant guy in a frog suit is going to stop me,” said the hood in a cocky voice as he brandished his knife, but Raph leapt at him, kicking the thief hard right in the chest, knocking him back.

The hoodlum attempted to make a break for it but Raph aimed his Sai carefully and tossed it right at the heel of his retreating attacker, before he could make a clean get away. Raph rushed over and picked up the hoodlum by the shirt, his pocket knife dropping to the ground.

“Hey, let me go you crazy lizard man, I have rights,” begged the hoodlum but Raph just held him up before placing him down slightly.

“Yeah like the right to remain silent,” responded Raph as he sank his fist into the chest of the hoodlum and another one aimed towards his face, before Raph threw him down to the ground. “And another thing I’d wish you hoodlums get it right, I’m a turtle, not a lizard, a frog, or a gecko, you’d think the large shell on my back would give you the hint!”

Raph leapt up and stomped down hard on the back of the head of the hoodlum. The face smashed hard into the pavement and Raph looked over, before he grabbed an electrical cord from the alleyway and picked up the hood. With the hood leaned against the light post, Raph wrapped the cord around the hoodlum, which prevented him from escaping until the police would have arrived.

“Help!” yelled the old man as a squad car made its way down the street. “Giant gecko man, help, police!”

Raph had already disappeared into the alleyway as the squad car had pulled up and the cops had exited it. He needed to get to the warehouse, as it would lead him home, because something about the city seemed rather off and Raph hoped to find out what it was before too long. As much as it seemed like a foreign concept, it would be a good idea for him to keep a cool head and maybe he could find where Harry, Don, Mikey, Leo, and Splinter all went off to.

Elsewhere in a place called Dimension X, several hundred thousand miles away from this alternate universe’s Earth, a large war machine the size of a major sports stadium rested on an asteroid, its wheels submerged slightly in the rock, unable to move. This war machine was dubbed the Technodrome, the fortress to two of the most notorious criminals in both this alternate universe’s Earth and Dimension X.

The first criminal was once one of the most feared warlords in Dimension X. He ruled over the citizens of Dimension X with an iron fist, with the help of his army of stone warriors. However, he was put on trial for his war crimes and stripped of his body, before he was exiled to earth, reduced to nothing but an evil brain. He was called Krang.

After several years on earth, Krang met up with this universe’s version of Oroku Saki who was a young brash human ninja who had lead Japan’s premier criminal organization, the Foot. Using Krang’s knowledge of Dimension X technology and Saki’s skill and control of the Foot, they forged a powerful partnership. Over time, Saki replaced his human ninja with mindless robots and took on a new identity, dubbing himself the Shredder. While he was not as skilled or dangerous as the Shredder known throughout the normal Earth, he was still a formidable threat to that universe’s version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and both sides had many battles on a weekly basis, normally with Shredder and Krang attempting to steal some sort of energy source for their Technodrome so they could rule the Earth once again.

Krang pressed in a few keys on his high tech Dimension X computer in the Technodrome. Since he had lost his original body, the best the evil alien brain could hope for was a large android body that resembled a large bald man wearing nothing but red underwear, with Krang resting in the stomach cavity. The look of the body really didn’t bother the former warlord turned evil alien brain, the power and strength of the body really suited someone like him.

A large blip appeared on the screen and Krang used his android body’s right hand to zero in on the frequency, getting a better look at it. Krang’s eyes widened, as a large glowing green light appeared on the screen.

“Shredder come over here!” demanded Krang and from across the main control center, the Shredder walked over, his bright purple cape whipped behind him.

“What is it now Krang?” asked the Shredder in a bored tone as he looked at the computer screen.

“My scanners have detected a high powered source of energy in the city, strong enough to re-power the Technodrome and bring it back to Earth,” explained Krang. “It appears to be on the move.”

“So then we must act quickly to gain the energy,” replied the Shredder with a calm nod of his head.

“Yes and for once those meddlesome mutants will not be a thorn in our sides, they are currently on vacation in Europe and thus out of the city,” said Krang. “By the time they figure out what has happened, the Technodrome will have already have been back to Earth and rolling over all who oppose us.”

“Yes, I do admit, attacking the city when the Turtles are out of town is so sneaky, so underhanded, so utterly cheap,” said Shredder. “That’s what makes it so great.”

“Yes, I’d figure it would appeal to someone as simple as you, Shredder,” responded Krang as he handed Shredder a portable tracking device. “This device will lead you right towards the energy source. Take those two dunderheaded mutants and as many foot soldiers as you feel necessary to take to complete the task.”

“Right, Bebop, Rocksteady, get in here!” yelled the Shredder and two figures entered the room. They were mutants, formally street thugs that were crossbred with a warthog and a rhino, to form Shredder’s dull brained mutant minions Bebop and Rocksteady.

“Uh, you rang boss?” inquired Bebop, the warthog looking at his employer dumbly.

“Yes, I did, you are to join me on a trip to earth,” said Shredder.

“Oh goody, I hope we run into dem stinkin’ toitles so we can lay a pounding on them,” said Rocksteady as Bebop nodded stupidly by his partner’s side.

“We’re going to the city so the Turtles will not be a problem as they are joining a leisurely holiday in Europe which will be cut short once the Technodrome comes back to earth,” said Shredder before he gave his clichéd super villain laugh and Bebop and Rocksteady looked a bit put out that they wouldn’t get a chance to tangle with the Turtles, because they wanted revenge from their last humiliating beating.

“The Dimensional Portal is open and don’t come back with that energy source, Shredder,” said Krang pointing to a large view screen with a swirling vortex of blue light leading to Earth.

“Don’t worry Krang, I won’t fail,” responded Shredder as he entered the portal, with Bebop, Rocksteady, and an army of foot soldiers following him.

“Yes, well I’ve heard that only every single week since we’ve met,” commented Krang dryly as he watched Shredder and his cronies leave through the Dimensional Portal.

Raph walked over to where the warehouse should have been.

“Damn where is it?” demanded Raph, his eyes bulging in anger as he looked at where the warehouse should have been but in its place was a bright looking flower shop. Raph did the only thing that made sense to him and that was kick the wall.

In an instant, Raph leapt back in surprise, his body had began to fade in and out, almost is if it was out of sync with reality. He was absolutely confused and Raph waved his arms as he felt something pull him away for a few seconds before he was pushed back into the real world and became solid once again.

Before Raph could figure out what could happen, a large vortex of blue light appeared, forming a doorway and in that instant, Shredder, Bebop, Rocksteady, and the foot soldiers exited the portal, with Shredder holding the tracking device.

“According to Krang’s tracker the energy source should be…right in front of us,” said Shredder before his eyes rose up to see Raph who stood there, his Sais out and ready for a fight. “What, one of the Turtles…impossible…those wretched reptiles are supposed to be halfway across the globe…”

“Uh boss, I don’t think that is one of the toitles we know,” supplied Bebop.

“Yeah, he looks different, a bit bigger,” added Rocksteady before he turned to Bebop. “Ah well, more to stomp.”

“Yeah, let’s get him,” said Bebop.

“No not yet you cretins, the tracker says the turtle has to have the energy source,” ordered Shredder before he turned to Raph. “Okay, mutant, I suggest you hand over whatever you hand or we’ll be forced to use brute force.”

Raph looked at his foes, wondering the man before him was serious.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if it’s a fight you want, I don’t have time, I need to find the others,” said Raph but at the same time, he brandished his Sais in front of him. “So leave before I make you leave.”

“Who are you to tell me what to do, mutant?” demanded Shredder before he turned to his robots. “Foot Soldiers, attack, subdue that turtle and take whatever device he his harboring.”

The robots made their way towards Raph but Raph dodged the clunky attack from the first one. It slowly turned around and got a Sai right to the chest, causing it to break into pieces. Raph somersaulted over another couple of robots and aimed a split kick at the robots. The foot soldiers flew backwards and cracked against the wall, crumbling into dust. Another two grabbed Raph but Raph expertly flipped over them before he rammed a Sai into each of their heads before he rammed them together. The two robots crumbled into dust and Shredder’s eyes widened slightly, the only part visible underneath his metal facemask and helmet.

“Bebop, Rocksteady, grab that turtle!” shouted Shredder.

“With pleasure, boss,” said Rocksteady happily as the two mutants charged Raph and Raph raised his eyebrow, those two goons were more hotheaded then he was.

Casually, Raph side stepped the attacks and the two mutants crashed headfirst into the brick walls behind them, disorienting both Bebop and Rocksteady.

“Up, you idiots, get him!” yelled Shredder angrily. Seconds later, Bebop and Rocksteady removed their stun lasers and pointed them at Raph. “No, you fools, with your hands, you’ll damage the energy source.”

“Right boss,” grunted Rocksteady but Raph tossed his Sais, knocking the weapons at the hands of Bebop and Rocksteady, before he leapt up over them and wiped out Bebop with a leaping kick. Rocksteady swung his fist at Raph but Raph dodged before he grabbed Rocksteady and threw the mutant rhino into his partner. The two goons clashed together and Raph wiped them out with a kick which caused them to topple to the ground, moaning in agony.

“Morons, if you can’t do something right, do it yourself,” said Shredder and he leapt forward, before he knocked Raph backwards with a palm blow right to the face. Raph ducked a swing from Shredder, and kicked the villain right in the chest before he picked his Sais up and used them to block the Shredder’s gauntlets. Shredder managed to shove Raph backwards but Raph dodged an attack before he leapt over Shredder and grabbed his flowing purple cape.

Shredder spun and knocked Raph backwards with a back handed slap. Another punch rocked Raph and Shredder stepped back for a second.

“Give me whatever you have you wretched reptile or I’ll finish you off!” demanded Shredder but Raph sprang up and aimed his Sais right at his opponent’s chest which Shredder expertly blocked with his gauntlets before he forced Raph back but the hot tempered terrapin remained on the attack. “Surrender reptile, no one can match the Shredder grip of steel.”

Raph forced Shredder’s attack back, before he managed to use Shredder’s cape to fling him right to the ground.

“Okay, I know the Shredder and you’re not him, especially in that ridiculous cape!” responded Raph as Shredder sprang up angrily and attempted to gut Raph with his gauntlet, but Raph blocked it. “Did your mother make that cape?”

“As a matter of fact she did but you will not distract me, the power will be mine,” countered Shredder as he forced Raph backwards but Raph dodged Shredder’s attack “Stay still mutant, all will bend to the Shredder’s powerful might.”

Shredder and Raph continued their brawl, with each pushing the other backwards for a few seconds and Shredder planted his feet right into the chest of Raph and caused the turtle to fly backwards. Calmly, Shredder walked over and picked up Raph but Raph grabbed his cape and pulled it over Shredder’s face. With his opponent’s vision obscured, Raph kicked Shredder right in the face and knocked the nasty ninja backwards to the ground.

Shredder got up and turned to Bebop and Rocksteady.

“Retreat, we need to think of another plan!” demanded Shredder as he looked at Raph who stood in a fighting stance, glaring nastily at the three criminals.

“Don’t have to tell me twice boss, let’s get out of here!” yelled Rocksteady as he followed his boss down a sidewalk area.

“Momma!” screamed Bebop as the three made their way down the street with Raph following closely behind, as he needed to find out if these three were connected with Ultimate Drako or not. If they were, Raph would make them tell him where his family had been sent.

Raph looked, he saw the door of an abandoned warehouse was half a jar and he could have sworn he heard footsteps moving away from the warehouse doors. Quietly, Raph slipped inside, weapons at the ready and looked around, his back to the wall and stuck to the shadows, careful not to make any noise.

Raph looked above on the catwalk, he saw three shadows slightly above. Spotting a stairway, Raph leapt over, careful not to step into the light before he made his way up the stairs and climbed onto the catwalk.

In a second, bright lights shined into Raph’s eyes. Instinctively, he placed his arm up and he heard footsteps.

“So, we meet again, reptile,” said Shredder as he hoisted a wooden crate over his head and the tracking device in the other hand. “The tracker does not lie, you have whatever has this high amount of power, so give it to me or I will crush you.”

“I don’t think so!” shouted Raph as he kicked the crate right into Shredder’s face. The crate shattered and Shredder fell to the ground, as jagged pieces of wood flew in every which direction.

“Hey, you can’t touch the boss,” reprimanded Bebop.

“Let’s teach this stinkin’ toitle a lesson, Bebop,” continued Rocksteady and both of the mutants aimed their stun lasers before they blasted a heavy jet of laser fire at Raph who stepped side from side dodging the attacks, but with each shot, the wood he was standing on had weakened.

“Stop firing you cretins!” yelled Shredder angrily but it was too late as the wood had given way, snapping and Raph began to plummet to the hard ground nearly fifty feet below.

Raph braced himself for the worst but at that instant, he began to phase out as Shredder’s tracking device began to hum wildly, lighting up like a Christmas tree.

“Wait, that new turtle was the power source and you idiots caused him to plummet to his doom!” yelled Shredder as Bebop and Rocksteady cowered in fear at their boss’s anger. Shredder stepped forward but the beeping sound of his communicator caused him to stop yelling. With a flash of movement, Shredder pressed the button activating his communicator. “Yes, Krang, what do you want?”

“I’m wondering what the delay with getting your hands on what you came for, Shredder,” responded Krang.

“Listen here Krang, I’ve been going out of my skull attempting to get my hands on your little power source, something I’m certain you haven’t felt the sensation of for a long time, eh, Krang,” said Shredder.

“Oh very funny Shredder,” replied Krang sarcastically

“I thought it was hilarious,” retorted Shredder smugly.

“Never mind that Shredder, get on that power source, I’d like to conquer the earth before my stories are on,” said Krang.

“Uh boss, maybe you should tell him that we kind of broke the power source by blasting it off the catwalk,” muttered Rocksteady in an undertone.

“Shut up, you moronic mutant,” hissed Shredder.

“You did what, I knew I couldn’t trust you with anything Shredder!” shouted Krang.

“Well maybe if you wasn’t sitting their in the Technodrome on your cozy little asteroid and did it yourself, maybe this wouldn’t have happened!” argued Shredder his eyes glaring with anger.

Raph pulled himself up from below, during most of his trip downwards he was phasing and thus not technically submerged in reality, so he was only shaken up slightly. He looked up, he still had to get some answers and he pulled himself up the stairs again.

Raph reached the top in moments, ready to confront his three adversaries.

“You ain’t going to put me down that easy,” said Raph as he stood in a battle stance as Bebop and Rocksteady backed off in absolute surprise but Shredder stood before them, unblinking. “Now, what did you do with them?”

“What are you babbling on about mutant?” demanded Shredder.

“You know, you’re working with that Ultimate Drako clown, now where are my brothers and my father,” responded Raph.

“Why should I tell you anything?” challenged Shredder and Raph gritted his teeth, before he leapt over the gaping hole and knocked Shredder back with a vicious punch. Shredder wobbled and Raph connected with another uppercut, before he grabbed Shredder. Shredder pushed Raph back and swung his gauntlet but Raph blocked it with his weapon and forced him backwards. Another clang and Shredder lost his balance, with Raph grabbing Shredder by the throat and he hung him over the catwalk to the floor.

“That’s why, now talk before my grip slips!” yelled Raph, his eyes bulging with anger underneath his face mask as he forcefully pulled Shredder up slightly from the cape.

“Fine, I don’t know anything, I don’t even know where you came from, it’s just my tracker lead me to you,” said Shredder before he turned his head slightly. “Bebop, Rocksteady, don’t just stand there, get that turtle. What am I paying you for, anyway?”

“Uh, boss, you really ain’t payin’ us at all,” responded Bebop with a snort.

“JUST GET THAT WRETCHED REPTILE!” yelled Shredder.

“Right boss,” replied the mutants in unison as they rushed over to enrage Raph into battle. Raph dropped Shredder and Shredder just managed to grab onto the ledge, to prevent himself from plummeting to his utter doom.

“Okay, toitle, this is it, we’re going to punch your lights out!” cried Rocksteady as he aimed a fist at Raph but Raph blocked it before he threw Rocksteady’s arm backwards and caused him to stagger backwards before Raph sprang up and kicked Rocksteady hard in the gut.

Bebop picked up a pipe and swung it at Raph but Raph blocked it with his Sais, before he viciously stabbed at the pipe, causing it to break. Bebop raised his arms and attempted to smash Raph’s head in but Raph ducked and dodged to the side. Turning around, the mutant warthog ate both feet to the face and staggered to the ground, with a thud.

Rocksteady put his head down and charged at Raph but Raph leapt over Rocksteady’s head before he was gored by the rhino’s horn. The mutated dimwitted rhino spun around, with a confused look on his face and looked around wildly to see where Raph had went.

Seconds later, Raph’s feet smashed right into the top of Rocksteady’s head, toppling the rhino down to the ground. Raph turned around and stood face to face with Shredder, who had charged Raph and grabbed the reptile by the throat, in an attempt to strangle Raph.

“The Shredder falls to no turtle!” declared Shredder in a wicked voice as his fingers squeezed around Raph’s throat but Raph managed to lift his Sai up before he stabbed Shredder right in the arm with it. Shredder dropped to his knees and recoiled in pain, before Raph aimed his foot and splattered Shredder right across the face with a soccer kick.

Shredder would not be denied and he grabbed Raph, and attempted to throw him down the stairway from the catwalk to the warehouse below. Raph avoided the plunge by ramming his elbows right in Shredder’s face. Shredder staggered and Raph leapt up before he aimed a leaping kick right to Shredder’s chest. Shredder staggered backwards before he fell and slid down the stairway all the way to his doom. Raph leapt up and both of his feet cracked right across the downed Shredder’s chest, before he pulled up his opponent and viciously threw him halfway across the room.

“You’re finished,” said Raph but Shredder pulled a silver ball from his pocket and threw it on the floor, causing a smoke screen to fill across the room.

Raph staggered backwards, coughing in agony as Shredder aimed a punch to Raph. Another punch knocked Raph down and Shredder aimed his gauntlet at Raph’s throat but his tracking device caused him to pause. The signal became fainter by the second until it was just a barely visiable light. Quickly, Shredder took his communicator back out and spoke into it.

“Krang, this source of power is growing fainter by the second,” informed Shredder.

“Shredder, you idiot, thanks to your bungling, you did something to damage it, the same thing is happening on my scanners!” yelled Krang. “One of these days Shredder…”

“Never mind Krang, I can still eliminate this meddlesome fool of a mutant,” said Shredder as he raised his gauntlet but Raph blocked the attack and pushed Shredder back. Leaping up, Raph grabbed Shredder and flipped him right onto the ground. Another leapt, with the pointed ends of his Sais extended outwards, Raph dove down but Shredder moved out of the way, just seconds away from getting impaled by Raph’s trademark weapons.

Raph stepped forward but Bebop and Rocksteady stepped in front of him, cracking their knuckles in a menacing manner.

“Not so fast you stinkin’ shellback, you’re going to have to get past us first,” responded Rocksteady, as Bebop nodded calmly by his side.

“No problem,” answered Raph in a defiant voice as he leapt over the attempted laser fire before he grabbed Bebop and threw him hard to the ground. A jab from his Sai caused Rocksteady’s laser weapon to malfunction. Raph grabbed Rocksteady and punched him viciously, before he tossed the genetically altered rhino halfway across the room.

The two mutant minions made their way to their feet and Raph leapt up and kicked them backwards, causing them to topple over, just as Shredder got up to his feet, looking a bit shaken, but at the same time attempting to maintain his cool.

“Let’s get out of here!” whined Bebop.

“Yeah, dat crazy toitle is going to end up hurting us real bad,” added Rocksteady.

“Yes, yes, I know,” said Shredder as he watched Raph move towards them before he whipped his communicator out at the speed of light. “Krang, portal, now!”

“Of course, leave to me to bail out your worthless hides,” responded Krang dully but the Dimensional Portal was opened and Bebop, Rocksteady, and Shredder ran towards the Portal before they disappeared through it, back to the Technodrome, preparing for the next week’s scheme.

Raph, in typical Raph-fashion, gave chase, weapons at the ready but he was frozen in his tracks when he realized he was beginning to phase out again. His body began to get fainter and fainter with each passing second. As it turned out, Raph did not have all that much time to contemplate why this was happening as he disappeared in a blink of an eye from the alternative universe.