#I'm forced to conclude he was just naturally a genius in that regard

[edennill]

One thing most this fandom is sleeping on is how great Tolkien is at writing children when he does write them.

Like, you can see he was a dad of four -- except the Lil Eärendil bits in the earliest Fall of Gondolin, some of the best examples of this (BB delighted that he has a lil mailshirt, doesn't notice city is under attack; BB refuses to be carried because 'he's a grown warrior now' (because said mailshirt!)) are from before that.

[bleachanimefan1]

Turtles Forever Part 68

Mission Of Gravity

A helicopter flew into a base. Hun, Stockman, Karai, and Saki stepped out of the copter and Dr. Chaplin walked over to them.

"Dr. Chaplin," Saki spoke. "I trust what you have to show me will justify the excursion from the city?"

"Believe me, Master," Chaplin answered. "You're gonna to dig it big time." They entered the base, walking inside of it. Inside, was a giant blimp.

"You brought us all the way out here for a blimp? What pea-brained half-wit authorized this project?" Stockman asked, in disbelief.

"I did," Saki answered, narrowing his eyes. Stockman turns to him, nervously.

"Oh! Well, I'm sure you have your reasons, oh wise and revered master," he replied.

"Indeed," Saki answered. He turned to Chaplin. "Excellent work, Dr. Chaplin."

"I installed that Triceraton force field override mechanism that you recovered, just as you requested, sir," Dr. Chaplin said as they began to walk. "This baby will breach the atmospheric shield around Beijing and retrieve desired cargo, no problem!" 

"And just what does this boy genius thinks he's retrieving?" Stockman questioned.

"A Triceraton anti-gravity generator," Saki answered, smirking.

"But Master," Stockman pointed out. "removing an antigrav generator from a city floating 20 miles above the Earth's surface is a virtual suicide mission!"

"Yes, that is why I have selected you for this operation," Saki answered.

"Me?" Stockman answered, nervously. Karai walked up to her father.

"But, master, what if the millions of innocents that will perish when Beijing comes crashing to Earth?" She questioned, wondering.

"They are of no concern to me," he said her.

"How dare you question the master?" Hun scolded Karai. "I am behind this plan 100 percent."

"Good,"  Sami replied. "You will have the honor of accompanying Dr. Stockman on this extremely dangerous mission."

Hun's mouth dropped in shock. Karai stared at the group, silence. She was internally debating herself on what to do. If she let her father's plan proceed, innocents will suffer. But, she couldn't go against her father's wishes. However, maybe there was several people who can...

The three brothers and four girls follow Raph as they jumped across the rooftops. Through the night vision goggles, that they were wearing, everyone saw some Foot collecting more alien tech.

"Here it is, just like told ya," Raph said. "another one of the Shredder's alien tech garbage picking goon squad."

"I wonder what he's collecting all this stuff for," Donnie murmured.

"Intergalactic hard sale?"Mikey joked. Raph smacked him on the back of the head with his hand. "Ow!"

Leo looked again with his night vision goggles. "Hm, no police security around this time around. Just be something really important buried down there if the Shredder doesn't want the authorities to knowing about it."

Suddenly, Donnie's shell cell ringed again. He answered it using his headset. "Hello?" Donnie groaned as he only heard static again.

"Oh, not that stupid fax call again," Raph groaned.

"Only this time, I came prepared with my palmtop to trace the signal," Donnie explained, pulling out his palmtop. As he did, a download message appeared on the screen. "Download in progress?" He asked, confused. "Impossible."

"Don, figure it out later," Leo told him. "we've got something much bigger moved here." Everyone looked and saw a giant Triceraton ship being lifted under the bridge.

"Whoa, a Triceraton supply ship?" Donnie asked.

"Let's take a closer look." Leo said.

Hun and Stockman were standing in the blimp's control room, complaining.

"All of our loyal service and this is the thanks we get?" Hun spats. "Pushed aside by the new blood."

"Perhaps, it's time we started pushing back," Stockman suggested. The two looked at the double doors as Chaplin came in.

"Hey, I just wanted to say, no matter how bad the Shredder treats you, I'm still honored to be working with the legendary Baxter Stockman...even if you are a freakish brain in a jar of your former self," He praised. Stockman frowned. "The truth is, I can't seeing someone I admired reduced to such a pathetic existence. So I've decided to put an end to your suffering," Chaplin begins to inch towards Stockman, who backs away in shock. Chaplin picks up Stockman's jar.

"Wait, what are you-no! W-What are you doing?!" He pressed on button and the hologram shuts off. Hun watched as Chaplin took Stockman away.

Everyone hid behind a tractor, looking around for scouts or any Foot ninjas. But, they saw that there weren't any around.

"Hey, no foot goons," Mikey pointed out.

"Where did they all go?" Donnie asked.

"I don't like it," Leo said. "Keep your eyes open."

They stopped in front of a ship. "You think they're in the ship?" Raph questioned.

"Only one way to find out," Leo said as they all walked in. They were carrying flashlights to help see.

"Nothing in here of any value to the Shredder," Donnie replied. Suddenly, the doors closed behind them. Everyone ran to the doors and started pounding on it, except Mikey.

"Nothing except us turtles and girls!" he exclaimed, nervously.

 They tried to get the door to open, but it was closed shut. Then the lights suddenly turned on, a dark figure emerged from the shadows.

"Karai?" Leo questioned, taking off his goggles.

"We need to talk," She tells them.

"Talk to the sais, cause the ears ain't listening," Raph retorted, pulling out his sais.

"Raph, wait," Leo stops him. "Let's hear her out. She helped us last time remember?"

"And she tried to kill you the time before that, remember?" Yuuki reminded Leo.

"I apologize for the elaborate set up, but I knew of no other way to contact you," Karai explained. "I need your help."

Back on the blimp, Chaplin was still carrying Stockman as he walked up to a large robot body that was standing next to the elevator. Hun crossed his arms as he watched Chaplin took Stockman's brain from the jar, placing it into the robot. The hologram of Stockman turns back on.

 "Release me at once, you-!" He paused, looking at his new body. "What the?"

"What do you think of your new bod?" Chaplin asked.

"I have limbs," Stockman laughed. "powerful limbs!"

"I figure you'll need them to survive the big mission," Chaplin said, proudly.

"Ah, yes, the mission," Stockman turned to the young scientist. "Pity that you'll be miss out on the maiden voyage of this incredible vessel of this ship that you designed and built with your own two hands. Not to mention witness firsthand as an entire city crashes down from the stratosphere!" He slammed his hands on the panel.

"Man, that'd be so cool," Chaplin said in awe.

"Yes," Stockman smirked, evilly. "Of course, you could decide to go behind the Shredder's back and join us, but that would be wrong, wouldn't it?"

"Hey,...what the boss doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" The young scientist asked, hesitantly. Hun rubs his chin in thought.

"True, and naturally, I would assume full responsibility for your well-being throughout the entire mission. After all, we wouldn't want you to call victim to some...unfortunate accident." Stockman said to him.

"And so if they remove the antigrav generator, they will be sending millions to their doom. I need you to prevent this from happening," Karai said as she finished explaining.

"So does this finally mean that you come to your senses and turn your back on the Shredder?" Leo questioned.

"I am duty-bound to serve the Shredder, as always," Karai told him. "I just...do not wish to see millions suffer."

"Even if we agree to help you, what's to stop the Shredder from coming back for the antigrav generator the next time? It's not we can shut it down," Donnie pointed out.

"Actually, I might be able to provide some assistance regarding that particular technical conundrum," a familiar voice answered, from Donnie's bag.

"Whoa, am I hear things?" Mikey said. "That sounded like Professor Honeycutt!"

Donnie opened his bag and pulled out his palmtop, revealing the professor on the screen. "Hello?"

"It IS Professor Honeycutt!" Donnie exclaimed as everyone leaned in.

"Professor, you're alive! No way!" Raph exclaimed in shock.

"It can't be," Leo shook his head in surprise. "We saw you sacrifice yourself." He took the palmtop. "You saved the world."

"Oh dear, I'm a afraid I don't remember that," the Fugitoid replied. "Thing last thing I was that I was on the rooftop with Donatello, broadcast a signal to make me invisible to the Triceratons. What I didn't tell you was that I also uploaded a back-up of my memory code into the satellite communications network, set to contact you in the event of my destruction. Which I'm assuming must have happened."

"So you were the one making those calls to my shell cell," Donnie concluded. "And the download, that was you sending your memory core into my palmtop." 

"Well, most of it," the Fugitoid answered. "your hard drive was lacking capacity, so I had to forego some non-essential information."

Mikey the palmtop from Donnie's hand. "Who cares, professor? I'm just so happy to see you!"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" the Fugitoid questioned, confused.

"Michelangelo," the palmtop beeps. "Mikey," the orange masked turtle received no response. "The Mikester," He still received no response. "Wait, so I'm non-essential information?"

"Anyway, I couldn't help overhearing you dilemma, Miss?" Mikey turned the professor to Karai.

"Karai," she bowed to him.

"With my knowledge of Triceraton technology, I should be able to assume control of the antigrav generator gently lowering the city of Beijing back to Earth," the Fugitoid explained. "In theory."

"Saving millions of lives in the process!" Leo exclaimed, taking the palmtop from Mikey. "That's brilliant, professor!"

"So are we to assume we have a deal?" Karai pondered.

"Deal," Leo answered. "Okay, now how do we get into Beijing?"

"Leave that to me."

As everyone began to leave, Yuuki turned back, looking at Karai. Leo noticed.

"You coming?" He asked.

"I will in a minute," Yuuki answered. "I need to have a little chat with our companion."Leo stared for a moment then followed after his brothers. Yuuki approached Karai as she was making a phone call.

"You got a minute?" She asked. Karai glanced over at her then hanged up. 

"Yes, sure. What is it?" Karai asked.

"I just wanted to say one thing: If you put one foot out of line, do anything, and I mean anything, to hurt Leo or my family then you will have to answer to me," Yuuki threatened as she glared darkly. "It will be the last mistake that you will ever make, permanently." Karai stared at her in shock as she stepped back. 

Yuuki silently walked away leaving the stunned woman in standing where she was.

The blimp was preparing to leave as cargo was being carried inside by a forklift. Karai stopped the driver as she instructed them to lower a large crate.

"What's in the crate, Karai?" Hun asked, curious. "And why are you suddenly joining this mission?"

 "That is none of your concern," Karai told him. Hun growled as she walked away.

Chaplin and Stockman watched as several strange machines was being loaded onto the blimp. "What exactly is all of this?" Stockman demanded.

"Uh, uh, uh, that'd spoil the surprise," Chaplin answered, placing his hands on one of the strange cargo. The sun was starting to rise as the blimp took off.

"Hey, attention all hands, welcome to China," Chaplin announced on the speaker. "The floating city of Beijing is dead ahead. Pretty cool, huh?"

Karai sneaked quietly to the Cargo Bay, looking around until she saw the same box that she was keeping a close eye on. She tapped on it. "Stand by, we are approaching Beijing," she whispered. The four brothers and girls were inside, with hang gliders strapped to their backs.

"About time," Mikey said. "I really gotta go to the little turtle's room."

As the blimp advanced closer towards Beijing, Chaplin was steering it towards the sheild. "Activating force field override," He pressed a button and the blimp went right through the shield. Back in the Cargo Back, Hun had stalked Karai, realizing that she was up to something and saw her next to the box, talking to it.

"I knew you were up to something," He backs away and pressed a button on the wall with his elbow. "Oops. Happy landing, Karai." The floor suddenly opens underneath of Karai, along with the box, falling towards Beijing.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted Karai!" Raph shouted.

"We can argue later!" Leo said. "Everybody brace!" Leo kicked the crate open and everyone fell out. They pulled the lever on their hang gliders opening them. Donnie looks down and saw that Leo hadn't opened his glider yet.

"Leo!" Donnie called out. "What are you waiting for? Deploy!"

Leo catches Karai before she hit the ground. "Gotcha!" He opens his glider right before the two was about to hit the top of a building.

"We made it," Leo said in relief.

"Of course," Karai replied. "Now land, Leonardo. We have much work to do."

"Just about to touch Tiananmen Square," Chaplin reported. "Where's Karai?"

"She got bumped from the mission," Hun explained as he walked into the control room. "apparently, she had a little falling out with the organization."

An old man was driving a bike, that was attached to a wagon. He runs away as he sees Leo, along with the others as they land behind him.

"Hey, what was with the instant skydiving lesson?" Mikey demanded.

"It was an unforeseen event," Karai said, flipping her hair. "But, I have my suspicion as to who is responsible."

"You know what your problem is, lady?" Raph growled. "You can't decided whether you want to help us or kill us. Make up your mind already!" He pulls out his sais.

"Ditto!" Yuuki agreed, pulling out her fan. Leo stops them.

"Not now, guys. We're miles off target and we need to get to Tiananmen Square!" He tells them.

"Hey guys," Donnie called out, climbing into the wagon. "How about this? Low tech, but effective."

"Hop on, Karai," Leo suggested, only to find that she had vanished. "Karai?"

In Tiananmen square, there were Beijing soldiers guarding the antigrav generator. They spotted the blimp above them. 

"Great, nobody warned us we'd be having an welcoming committee to contend with," Stockman commented.

"No sweat, doc," Chaplin said. "Time to unleash my surprise." He pressed a button and the strange cargo began to fall into the city of Beijing. The troops ran away as the strange contraptions began to open up revealing to be mousers, only bigger and more upgraded.

"Mousers version 2.0," Chaplin explained. One of the guards fired a laser, however, the mouser was not affected by it. "I took your basic concept and gave them a little upgrade. Cool, huh?"

Stockman scoffed. "Upgrade? More like a side grade,"

One of the mousers destroyed a search light. Another guard gasped and ran away as another search light was destroyed. Eventually, the mousers overran the guards sending them running. The robots chewed through the fence and the blimp stopped right above the generator. The crane locks on, with Chaplin on it. He jumps down and climbed down the ladder.

Mikey wheezed as he peddled the bike. "Integra...generator dead ahead,"

"Ready to work your magic, professor?" Donnie asked from his palmtop. Stockman sees the group from the blimp.

"What! How on Earth did those meddlesome freaks get here?!" he demanded.

"I got this one, Doctor Stockman," Chaplin offered. He turns on the voice control. "Mousers, attack!"

"Funny, Karai never mentioned anything about overgrown mousers!" Mikey exclaimed. Everyone jumped down from the wagon, bracing themselves.

"Nothing fancy, guys," Leo called out. "Just clear a path for Don and the professor!"

Leo jumps up, landing on a mouser's head before cutting it off. Donnie leaps and smacks a mouser with his staff. The mousers soon began to surround everyone. Chaplin looks down at them from above and starts to head back to the control panel. "Commencing shut down sequence. Get ready to haul me up when this baby rips free from the pavement."

Donnie jumps onto a mouser and managed to leap towards the generator. Chaplin chuckles at him. "You're too late, green guy," The generator starts to shake, to his surprise, then a blue light begins to emit from it.

"What the shell?!" Raph asked.

"That's not supposed to happen!" Chaplin panicked. The city was dropping at an fast rate, plummeting towards the Earth. Everyone screamed as they were lifted up, as well as the citizens, due to the gravity. The blimp shakes as Chaplin managed to get to the rope.

"Pull me up. We're gonna have to ditch it!"

"Oh, that's not all we're going to ditch, my boy," Stockman answered. He released the rope from the blimp and Chaplin fell back onto the tower. Stockman took the blimp, driving it away from the city. Everyone tried to steady themselves, with difficulty.

"Way too much free fall for one day," Mikey commented. Donnie hanged onto the generator opening his bag.

"Showtime, professor," the palmtop drifted up towards him. Donnie catches it and aims the palmtop at the control panel.

"Now, carefully regulated circuitry of the gravity flux capacitor should gradually decrease the decent at a rate of 12.6 phraxos per trigon," the city begins to float safely down and everybody lands on the ground.

"Yes!" Mikey cheered as he kisses the ground. "Back on solid ground."

"Unfortunately, so are they!" Raph exclaimed, pointing at the mousers as they land. Everyone began to fight with them as Chaplin lands safely in front of the tower.

"I'm alive!" he cheered. "I'm alive!" A mouser hits him on the back of the head and he falls to the ground, unconscious, groaning.

"How are we holding up?" Donnie asked.

"I'm afraid I'll have to divert power from the atmospheric shield," the Fugitoid explained. "Although, the wind resistance may work in our favor."

The wind starts to pick up as the turtles and girls fight the mousers. "As if we don't have enough problems," Leo groaned, as the mousers started to advance towards them. Suddenly, Karai flips, landing in front of them, fighting off two mousers.

"About time you showed up," Raph commented.

"I could not afford to be seen coming to your aid earlier," Karai started as she kicked a mouser. "If the Shredder were to find out..."

"Enough talk!" Leo shouted. "Let's do it!"

He jumps up and faced against to mousers. Mikey jumps up and climbs on one. "Yeeha!" he shouted. "Get along, little mousers!" he uses his nunchucks to steer the robot. A mouser was climbing up towards Donnie. He turns around getting ready to attack, but, Venus jumps up onto the generator and kicks the mouser off. 

"Hurry up!" She called out. Donnie turned back to the control panel. 

"The city's almost back on Terra firma," he said. Mikey looses control of the mouser he was riding and it throws him off into the fence. Two mousers began to advance towards him. Alopex notices and jumps in between them trying to fend the robots off, struggling. Two mousers, Leo was fighting against, slammed into him with their heads, knocking him to the ground. Raph tackles one and another robot grabs him and throws Raph to the ground. Mona and Yuuki both get knocked down as the robots pinned them down. Karai gets tackled by one as it pinned her to the ground.

"I hope you know what you're doing, professor!" Donnie exclaimed. The antigrav generator turns back on, frying the mousers. The city of Beijing began to slowly drift back down into place.

"That electromagnetic pulse should have burned out this device, while simultaneously nullifying those awful metal ruffians," the Fugitoid explained. Leo looked around, seeing the destroyed mousers.

"Then it is over," Karai said, starting to leave.

"Not until you walk away from the Shredder, Karai," Leo called out.

"You know I cannot do that," she told him. Leo places a hand on her shoulder turning her around.

"This is the perfect opportunity. They think you are dead. You can disappear. We can help you start a new life," Leo explained. Karai looks away, pondering for a minute before looking back at Leo.

"Could you so easily turn your back on your father?" she responded. "Even if you knew the things he did were wrong?" Leo frowned, looking at his brothers.  Donnie had a strange look on his face, like something was bothering him.

"Is something wrong?" Venus asked.

"What are you looking at?" Raph questioned.

"Isn't the Forbidden City supposed to be north of here?" Donnie asked.

"And isn't the sun supposed to rise in the East?" Mikey pondered, as the sun began to rise on the left of the generator.

"Oh dear," the Fugitoid said. "Did I set the city down facing in the wrong direction?"

In the Shredder's lair, Hun and Stockman were walking onto the base then into the elevator, heading towards the lab.

"The master will be disappointed that we came back empty handed," Hun pointed.

"Not to mention, the unfortunate demise of Karai and young doctor Chaplin," Stockman answered as the doors open, entering the room. "We'll blame it all on them, just follow my lead." They stop in front of Saki, who was looking at them, with a dark look in his eyes.

"Master, we have unfortunate news," Stockman started. "Karai and Doctor Chaplin are-"

"Wait," Saki interrupted, walking over to a control panel. Hun and Stockman, looked in confusion. "Perhaps, you would like to share your news," He turns on the video cam, revealing Karai and Chaplin on the other end. "with Karai and Dr. Chaplin."

"Hi, Dr. Stockman!" Chaplin greeted. "Everything's okay, we made it!"

The two hesitantly glanced over at Saki, who crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes at them.

"B-B-But, sir, we can explain-" Stockman protested, nervously as the two backed away. Saki began to advance slowly towards them.

"Noo!" the two shouted as their screams echoed throughout the city.