#even if the actual blades are more true to the Hamato clan

[turtleblogatlast]

[ cw: technical child endangerment / ]

Y’know every time I see the turtle tots playing with their original weapons I’m always flabbergasted that Splinter let Leo have a literal sword as a small child.

And then left him unsupervised with it.

Like, at least the others had blunt weapons (though still dangerous in their own right, especially Raph’s blunt tipped sais) but Leo’s katana are so easily lethal that it’s a miracle he seemed to be a natural with them. Because, if he wasn’t a natural then…oof.

It’s at least a good thing he only got one sword at first and not his usual two. Splinter would’ve needed to count his lucky days because OOF.

[misteria247]

Some Oroku siblings time but Leopril addition:

When April had first met the elusive Shadow of the Foot clan, she'd hadn't liked him very much. Anyone who was apart of the Foot clan was bad news in April's book, they were a threat to her second family and that alone made her uneasy with them. It didn't help that she couldn't get a good read on him. The ninja clothed in black was an enigma, completely unreadable and incredibly skilled with his twin blades. He rarely spoke, only quietly struck whenever Karai needed him to. And for awhile her dislike towards the ninja stuck with her.

Until the day Mikey had came to her looking unsure for the first time that she'd known him.

It was then that a bomb had been dropped on April.

That Mikey, Raph and Donnie had an older brother who had gone missing when they were incredibly young due to the Kraang. That Splinter not only had a daughter that he grieved over, but a son as well. A son and brother that they all believed to be dead.

A brother and son who was actually alive, and who was none other than the Shadow of the Foot clan. Karai's partner in crime, and one of Shredder's most skilled warriors. A brother and son who had been raised by none other than the Shredder himself, making him an Oroku.

Afterwards April's view on the other ninja had changed quite a bit after that knowledge was given to her. And it was then she'd began to notice little things about the other teenager without his knowledge. April learned that despite his supposed loyalty to the Shredder, his true loyalties were with his older sister, Karai. She had learned his name, Leonardo Oroku, had learned that beneath his icy, deadly exterior, laid a surprisingly kind yet sad boy who shielded himself from the world in order to protect himself and Karai. And then the incident happened.

Leo and Karai's treason against Shredder and Leo's near death experience that forced the two siblings to seek shelter and safety with the Hamato clan instead. For five months April watched over the comatose turtle, had spoken to the oldest Oroku sibling, and began to have the picture of why they were the way they were be much more clearer than it was. And once Leo woke up, April made it her mission to get to know the youngest Oroku. Or rather the eldest Hamato of the turtles. At first it was difficult. Leo was always on edge, always seemed to be waiting for something to go wrong and forcing him to act. He could barely relax unless Karai was nearby, and even then he barely interacted with anyone other than her. It also didn't help that Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Splinter and Casey were also trying to get to know Leo better which just seemed to overwhelm him in the long run. Before long April began to believe that she'd never get a chance to really talk to him, until one day it'd happened.

The lair had been surprisingly calm and pleasant that day. Raph was with Mikey playing on the pinball machine while Donnie and Casey were in the lab doing who knows what. Karai was with Splinter surprisingly enough, seeming to want to get to know the rat master somewhat. April on the other hand was in the living room, going through the VHS tapes to try and find something to watch. She'd ended up coming across Space Heroes, a show she hadn't seen in years and popped it in, settling herself down on the sofa to watch it. It had been during one of the major story arcs that April had realized that she wasn't alone in the room anymore. Leo had at some point came into the room, silent as a shadow and had seemed to pause in his walking, his gaze landing on the television screen. April glanced over at him, noting the spark of curiosity in his expression. The red head couldn't help speak up at that moment:

"Do you like Space Heroes, Leo?"

The question seemed to startle the black clad turtle, his dark blue eyes snapping towards her as he registered April's presence. Leo seemed to stiffen a bit, an unreadable look in his eyes as he silently looked at her. April began to feel like she'd made a mistake in putting him in the spotlight somewhat when a voice, cracking and raspy answered her:

"I.......I've never heard of Space Heroes."

April seemed to short circuit for a moment, shock filling her at his answer, before she felt a bit of sorrow hit her as it really hit her just how fast Leo had to grow up underneath Shredder's reign. Just how much was Leo deprived of growing up in the Oroku household? Just how much time did Leo have to just be a child instead of a fierce warrior? Had he even been allowed to have those kinds of moments when he had been with Shredder? Had his only close relation to being a normal person been with Karai? April didn't know but at that moment she had made a firm decision. Patting the cushion next to in an inviting way she spoke:

"Well that won't do. Come sit with me, and I'll show you what Space Heroes is."

After a bit of hesitation on Leo's part, April and Leo spent quite some time together. Watching the old cartoon show and enjoying what it displayed. Whenever Leo had a question, April would answer it to the best of her ability, and before they realized it a few hours had passed. They were on one of the more comedic type of episodes, and one of the characters had said a cheesy line, a pun like joke that made April groan internally. However that mental groan was pulled to a screeching halt when she heard the sounds of soft, gruff chuckling coming from the teen next to her. Steel blue hues snapped towards the turtle and what they saw made April's breath catch.

Leo was laughing.

A small smile was on his usually serious face, his dark blue hues filled with mirth and twinkling slightly as he tried to suppress his amusement at the silly, corny joke. Leo at that moment was a completely different person, instead of the silent, deadly weapon that was Shredder's son, was now a normal teenager who was smiling one of the most beautiful smiles April had ever seen, looking completely relaxed at that moment. Leo smiling and looking at ease, the red head noted looked so much better on him than his usual expression and aura. The older teen couldn't help but smile along with him, her cheeks slightly warm and her chest fuzzy and light at seeing and hearing Leo being happy. A single thought ran through her head at that moment:

'This is how it should be. Leo should always be smiling, I want to keep him like this for as long as I can.'

When April had looked back at this moment sometime in the future, when everything seemed to start going to hell with the invasion and so many other things. It would be then that April realized that, that moment was the moment she'd began to fall in love with Leo. Seeing his smile and hearing his laughter, seeing that glimpse of who he was, had at the time unbeknownst to April had caused her to lose her heart to him. It had been the beginning of her journey in falling in love with Leonardo Oroku.

[rad-squillz]

ROTTMNT Theory - The Original Hamato Family

Back when the Shredder first came to be, we all know of the woman who finally defeated him. 

But what if she didn't do it alone?

My theory is that all those 500 years ago when the Shredder was defeated, the lady we see defeat Shreddy was the head of the Hamato Clan. She had 4 children like Splinter, but not 4 sons (or daughters because that'd be too stereotypical). She had an two sons and twin daughters, living in a world alongside yokai in peace (I know the whole controversy with Leo and Don being twins is intense, but with this, it works). And if the episode synopsises stay true to form for E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Shreddy Or Not, we'll see these five in the past, training and maybe the original battle with the Shredder. Or, and this is one of my biggest hopes, connect and talk with the current Hamato-Jitsu family as spirits. It doesn't even have to be in battle, just in hanging out in the lair together and chatting. (However with the gif on Friday of the sewers being destroyed, that may not happen. 😢) But with the new gif of the boys with the glowing Hamato symbols on their plastrons (HUGE NINJA TRIBUNAL VIBES, THANK YOU), the "connecting with the spirits of their ancient family" part could still be plausible. 

Now onto the actual bios I have for the original Hamato family I have in my mind:

The head of the Hamato Clan, Miwa, is more of a serious sensei than Splinter when it comes to training, but she does have her moments of chill and playfulness as her teenage children and next generation Hamato ninjas. She never lets anything get in the way of her enjoying her tea, even the sometimes destructive antics of her children. Know how people compare Splinter to Uncle Iroh from Avatar the Last Airbender, minus the great love for tea? Well Miwa is like Uncle Iroh with the tea, and obviously a woman. 😂 

Next up is Shouta, the eldest child and son at 15. Strong and buff, but his heart is soft like a marshmallow, just like Raph. When he's not training or being total goofs with one of his sisters and his younger brother, he's often out in the nearby fields and woods. He's either being completely in-tune with nature or caring for any injured woodland creatures he may come across. There's rarely ever a day that goes by he doesn't try to bring home a bird or bunny to keep as a pet, only to either be denied no or fail to keep it a secret. While he's big and strong, he can be somewhat of a crybaby. He can't stand scary things or stories. But you lay one finger or hurt the feelings of anyone in his family or clan, be prepared to suffer his wrath in one good punch. His weapon of choice are steel tekkō, the medieval Japanese version of brass knuckles. 

Then there's the Leo of the group, one of the 14 year-old twin girls, Yuki. She's somewhat cocky, very talkative, and plays the occasional harmless prank. She finds the ability to make jokes while in battle with either cause her enemies to laugh themselves into letting their guard down, or underestimate her fighting abilities. It's usually the second theory because her jokes are more often than not only funny to her. Because while there are times she can't stop making snarky battle remarks, that doesn't mean she isn't a master-in-the-making with her twin katana. She never leaves home without her trusty navy blue scarf, even trains with it. It's the only way to tell her apart from her twin sister, other than how she wears her hair, in high twin ponytails. She's lightning quick with her blades and how her siblings wished it wasn't her mouth as well. 

Yuko, the genius and prodigy weapon smith, is the girl that Donnie would want to hang around with if they were alive at the same period of time. They're both incredibly book smart and create inventions, like armor or weapons. She wears her hair in a single high ponytail. While she loves and cares for her sister and would help out with a twin prank once or five times, she hates being compared to Yuki. They look alike, even sound alike. Yuko considers herself a cultured and poised individual, not like her usually-not-so serious twin, or even her brothers. But she would go to the ends of the universe before she let anything happen to her crazy siblings. She outfitted a chigiriki staff in metal instead of wood and made the chain longer with a lighter weighted end. She employs highly-thought out strategy in her fighting. Being a distance, she can calculate for variables that can be missed when fighting directly in the face with an enemy. Using the environment, figuring out any potential weaknesses, anything that can prove useful. She never lets anything go unchecked in anything in her life, in and outside of battle. 

Lastly is Minato. Nicknamed Mi-chan, this artistic ninja loves to paint scenery and sew. When he was younger, he would often be teased for things that usually girls did or learned, even wore his hair like how his sisters did sometimes. Not to mention be called Minako, a girl's name that sounded incredibly similar to his. But his family helped him ignore them and keep being who he liked to be. Don't let anyone put out your optimism like water to fire, keep burning bright how you want to. He may give off the vibe that he's too cheerful and carefree, but he's not unintelligent and his siblings will defend that honor against any bully who dares oppose it. He definitely doesn't skimp out on any of his training either. He's fast, flexible, and 13 just like Mikey and even has a similar weapon to his. He could easily sweep any enemy of their feet or disarm them of any weapons with his kusurigama. His favorite battle strategy is using the enemy's size and strength(s) against them. He loves to see the good in people first, but if you denounce that chance, say bye-bye. If he and Mikey ever met, he would happily exclaim, "Yay, we have another Mi-chan in the family!" 

Now this is where it gets angsty. This part won't happen for sure in the show if something even remotely like this theoretical family happens, too bloody and dark. Each of the teens got an injury from the Shredder when facing off against him. Shouta got slashed on his right eye and side of his face. Yuko got slashed on her back, to the point of near paralyzation. Mi-chan lost his left arm from the elbow down. And Yuki...had her throat slashed; she lived but she couldn't speak again. That is when her scarf became more relevant than ever. Each of them survived this battle, including Miwa, who received the most fatal injury...but it wasn't physical. That will be revealed later! When they all eventually died, their injuries were healed but became eternal scars on their spirits. Yuki, however, wasn't as lucky as Shouta regaining eyesight in his right eye, Mi-chan getting his left arm back, and Yuko walking properly again. She can't speak normally, only telepathically. You can tell when she's speaking her voice into someone's mind because her eyes glow when does, and stop glowing when she stops talking. 

Oh if only this could happen, or something similar to it with not all of these details, I would be the happiest fan. Maybe I'll draw them, if I have the motivation...and the talent. Hope you all enjoyed my theories and OCs!

[rottmntquotes]

What Did It

Worthless, Useless, Weak, Pathetic; that's what you are! Your family knows it, your enemies know it, YOU know it!

Heavy breathing resonated throughout the lair as Leo sparred against his eldest brother, focused looks on both of their faces as they performed basic techniques in front of their father. After being stuck in that Battle Nexus for God knows how long, Splinter had upped his sons' training tenfold, worried intensely for their safety within the world. Criminals were how they were viewed in some places, heroes in others; either way, they were still going to be forced to face enemies stronger than themselves.

"Don't let yourselves grow weak!" Splinter had told them. At first, none of his sons took the order seriously, but that changed as soon as their father ordered a day's worth of training to prove his sternness. "Change your form, Leonardo! Do not let yourself vulnerable to your opponent! Raphael! Pull your arm back more! Do not hesitate to put force into your attacks!"

"But what if I hurt Leo?" Raph asked, sympathy set in his eyes. Splinter sighed, eyes narrowing in frustration.

"Do you truly believe that your enemies will care if they end up hurting you?!" Splinter shouted, slamming his tail against the ground. "I am trying to teach you how to use your power to your advantage! You have great potential, Raphael!"

Ouch, that hurt.

When Raph stopped his movements, Leo took the chance to kick his brother to the ground, smiling triumphantly and looking at Splinter. "I guess brawn doesn't always make for a good win, right dad?"

"You are correct, Leonardo, but neither does letting your guard down without making sure your opponent is completely defeated." Splinter motioned for Raph to make a move, making silent notes as the battle restarted. "Use your weapon to your advantage, Leonardo! A swordsman is not a swordsman if he cannot use his own weapon!"

Alright, this is getting a little annoying now.

Leo unsheathed his Ōdachi, watching Raph bring out his Tonfas with a smirk. "Well, ya gonna make a move, Raphie boy, or am I going to have to end this myself?"

"It does you no good to stall, Leonardo. If you want this match to end, then end it!" Splinter ran a paw down his face. "Otherwise, I will allow Raphael to win the match automatically."

I'm sorry, what?!?!?

"You can't do that! That isn't even fair!" Leo dropped his guard completely, gesturing to Donnie and Mikey, whom had been silently watching the match and patiently awaiting their turn. "I bet you wouldn't do that to them!"

"Leo-"

"No, Donnie! This is absolutely ridiculous! Since when do you even care about how we fight?! If we get the job done, then why should our techniques matter?! I mean, you don't nag Donnie for using his tech, or Mikey for not always using his weapon, or Raph for hesitating in battle!" Leo's face slowly turned redder and redder as his ranting continued, his voice growing louder and louder as Splinter kept a straight face. "Why are you constantly bugging me for small mistakes when they make mistakes bigger than mine?!"

"Hey!"

"Rude!"

"Leo, what the hell?!"

"Would you rather me allow you to go out into battle with no technique whatsoever? Leaving you vulnerable to your own demise?" Splinter inquired calmly, making his way towards Leonardo. "Would you rather me give your brothers the upper hand by teaching them the ways of our Clan that has kept our family alive for generations?"

"Oh like I give a damn about our stupid Clan! What, are we in feudal Japan now?!" Leo subconsciously raised his sword, putting himself into a battle position.

And he isn't even flinching...

"Leonardo; Put. Your. Sword. Down. Now." Splinter spoke calmly, hands behind his back.

Even as Leo screamed and moved to impale his own father.

"LEO!"

"LEO, STOP IT!"

"YOU'RE GOING TO HURT FATHER!"

Before the tip of the blade could even pierce Splinter's robe, the small rat man stopped it mid-strike. Now, Leo's Ōdachi was held between two pairs of hands; one end held by a son who was fueled by a newfound anger, and the other held by a father who understood exactly what Leo was going through.

"Come to my room, my son. I want to speak with you privately." Splinter instructed, swiftly taking Leo's sword and walking away. Shocked breaths escaped from Leo, and tears filled his eyes as he looked at each of his brothers. With his head hung low, Leo began to back away, sobbing and whispering only three words.

"I'm so sorry."

-------------------------------------------------------

When Leo left his father's room later that night, his face harbored no emotion. The emotionless look held through, even as his brothers approached him, yelling at him for what he did, asking why he did it, forgiving him for acting out of his briefly uncontrollable anger, and asking what was to happen next.

He would have laughed if his answer wasn't so drastic.

"I-"

"Your brother is going to go to Japan to meet with an ancient Sensei referred to as the Daimyo, who has trained every member of the Hamato Clan. He will be gone until the Daimyo sees fit, but will be able to keep in contact with us regularly." Splinter answered. Sadness was painted clearly on the old rat's face, making Splinter look his true age. "Leonardo is set to leave in two days."

"Two days?! But- That isn't- why-" Raph couldn't bring himself to form actual sentences, he only stuttered and shifted his eyes back and forth between Splinter and Leo.

"Father, what Leo did was an accident! He was just upset and-"

"Letting his frustration get the best of him." Splinter lifted a paw to silence his sons. "I understand that you are shocked and do not entirely agree with my decision, but this is how things must be. Leonardo will leave in two days, no exceptions."

The brothers shared saddened looks, not knowing what to say to try and change Splinter's mind. Instead of staying, Splinter announced that he was going to tell April and Draxum the news, so as to not throw them into a confused spiral the day of Leo's leave. The brothers all burst into tears, hugging each other close like their lives depended on it.

"What if we never see you again?" Mikey asked feebly, looking up at Leo. The Slider didn't answer, stuck in his own guilty thoughts.

At least you have a chance to prove your worth now.

[thecomicsnexus]

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #24-25 MAY 2011 - MARCH 2012 BY ANDREW MODEEN, GARY CARLSON, ROSS MAY, WILL TUPPER, ARSENIY DUBAKOV, FRANK FOSCO, DONNA G. OMO, DENNIS KENNEDY, A. C. FARLEY, DAN BERGER AND RED HERRING COLOR. WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO MARK PELLEGRINI (TMNT ENTITY)

SYNOPSIS (FROM TMNT ENTITY)

Flying the Triceraton aircar through the skies above New York, Don’s cyborg body suddenly goes on the fritz. Apologizing to Zog, Don crashes the aircar in the streets.

At the current HQ of the New York branch of the Foot, Cheng addresses the Lady Shredder. He informs her that his spiritual tether to Splinter via the Astral Plane has proven most beneficial and that the two “surprises” she ordered for the Turtles have been prepared. An Elite Guard orders Cheng to leave so that the Lady Shredder can psychologically prepare herself for the coming battle with the Turtles.

The Lady Shredder, actually Tang Amaya, remembers back thirty years, to her youth in Japan’s Chihaya village. There, she met a young Oroku Saki, who was training in the art of ninjutsu to slay the killer of his brother: Hamato Yoshi. Saki told Amaya that after killing his brother, Yoshi kidnapped her sister, Tang Shen, and fled to America. This shared tragedy bonded the two and together they gained entrance into the Foot Clan. They spent many years training together, and at age 18, Saki was elected to lead the New York branch of the Foot Clan while Amaya was selected to join him as a member of his Elite Guard.

Nineteen years ago. After learning the location of Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen, Saki (now going by the alias “the Shredder”) left to gain his vengeance, forbidding Amaya from accompanying him. Saki returned, having slain Yoshi, though he arrived too late to save Shen from a deadly beating at the hands of Yoshi. As a token, Saki gave Amaya the gauntlet he used to slay Yoshi.

For a time after that, Amaya took on the identity of “the Headhunter”, a mercenary taking contracts out on other underworld figures. This was all a ruse to help her weed out traitors within the Foot as well as enemies attempting to assassinate Saki. Impressed even more with her skill, Saki selected her to lead Goseico (a profitable business front for the Foot) following the death of Gosei Kenji.

Years later, Saki was killed by a freakish ninja clan trained by Hamato Yoshi. Swearing vengeance, Amaya donned the gauntlet Saki had given her and prepared herself to hunt down the “turtles”. However, her vengeance would be postponed once the Foot Mystic Mashima resurrected the Shredder as a blasphemous creature stitched together by worms. Amaya rejected the Worm-Shredder as merely an imposter of Saki even if he retained all of the original Saki’s memories. The Worm-Shredder then revealed that he knew that Amaya had secretly bore Saki’s child and had given the girl up years ago. Amaya refused to divulge any further information, not that it mattered, as shortly afterward, the Worm-Shredder was decapitated by Yoshi’s clan.

More years passed and Amaya (now going by "the Mistress") eventually had her first reckoning with the Turtles at the Goseico building. Though she lost Goseico in the battle, a sleeper agent within the company informed her that one of the Turtles was parading around in Saki’s armor. Enraged and ready to take her rightful place as leader of the New York Foot, Amaya used her contacts with the Oroku clan still among the Japanese branch of the Foot to solidify her leadership (though she feared such tactics might dishonor her in a manner similar to Karai). She then arranged for the duel between Raphael and Pimiko, two others claiming leadership of the New York Foot, as a means to draw her enemies out.

Back to the present.  Now going by the name Lady Shredder, Amaya dons her armor and prepares for her final assault on Yoshi’s clan.

At the mausoleum HQ in Westwood Cemetery, the Turtles and Pimiko spar and prepare themselves for their impending battle with the Foot as Splinter and Dr. X look on. All are unaware that the Foot gather just outside; Cheng’s spiritual bond to Splinter having led the ninja to the cemetery.

Down in the sewers, a badly malfunctioning Don has reached his secret lab and reactivates the imprisoned cyborg remains of Dr. Baxter Stockman. Don implores Stockman to help him, though Stockman has a price: he wants Don’s living nanite-infused metal. Don refuses, knowing Stockman will use it to resurrect himself, but the Turtle is running out of time.

On the Utrom Homeworld, Security Officer Yat escorts Leatherhead to the presence of Ambassadors Klag and Korobon. The Triceraton that had been teleported alongside Leatherhead has been dealt with and Leatherhead rescued. The Ambassadors thank Leatherhead for his previous service to the Utroms, defeating the Illuminated Utrom Alliance. Leatherhead, still suffering his mental conditions, remembers nothing of that adventure. The Utroms disregard his mental troubles and offer him a new challenge: to bring his friend, Dr. X, back to the Utrom Homeworld.

Back at the mausoleum, Mike tries over and over again to call Sara “Horridus” Hill, but there’s no answer. Suddenly, Splinter senses the presence of enemies. Outside, Lady Shredder orders the strike to begin and several rocket launcher-toting Foot Soldiers proceed to obliterate the mausoleum.

Down in the lab, Donatello finally concedes defeat and willfully gives up his living metal to Stockman. As Stockman begins to reform himself, he lets the helpless Don know that they’re about to have “a little bit of fun”.

In his secret lab, Donatello wakes to the sight of Baxter Stockman hovering above him, inserting cables and tubes into his body. As it happens, Don’s natural immune system is rejecting the cybernetic parts and if they remain, he will die. Stockman is using his own cyborg body as “life support” for Don while he siphons off the nanite-infused liquid metal. As it happens, though, as the nanites recede, Don’s own mutagen-enhanced healing factor is now able to progress unimpeded. His shell has already grown back and he’s gradually returning to normal.

At the mausoleum, Leo, Raph, Mikey, Splinter, Dr. X and Pimiko have survived the explosion set by the Lady Shredder, Cheng and the Foot. As they escape through the streets and into the sewers, a Shredder Elite sees them and alerts Lady Shredder. In the tunnels below, Leo sends Splinter to hide and protect Dr. X while he, his brothers and Pimiko stand their ground against the final assault.

At the Jones apartment, Casey is icing his head from the beating he took at the bank when his check bounced and he pitched a fit. April soothes him, assuring him that they’ll make ends meet and he’ll find another job. They’ll just have to save up a little bit longer for their wedding. Shadow awakens from bed and comes to see her parents, having had a bad dream about Uncle Mikey.

In the sewers, the battle begins. Hordes of Foot Soldiers fill the tunnels and overwhelm the Turtles. Leo orders everyone to retreat back to their original Lair. Meanwhile, Cheng unloads his “surprise” from the back of a van at the behest of the Lady Shredder.

Don comes to once again in his lab and finds that he is rid of nearly all traces of the liquid metal, which Baxter has absorbed and used to repair himself. Don resigns himself to the fact that Baxter will now be able to escape, but such isn’t the case. Only being a brain, there wasn’t enough organic matter for the liquid metal to bond with and Baxter crumbles back to his previously dismantled state. Baxter thanks Don for the fun, anyway, and asks that after he puts him back up on his shelf… he give April his regards. Don leaves with a suspicious look on his face as Baxter laughs maniacally.

In the sewers, Cheng’s surprises reveal themselves: the two surviving mutant Shredder clones the Turtles thought they killed years ago. The clawed Shredder clone and the midget Shredder clone, fully healed, attack. Cheng is pleased with his work, certain that by perfecting Mashima’s mystic worms, he’ll be able to create whole armies of the creatures. There’s another surprise on the way, though, as King Komodo returns amidst the chaos to finish Leo off. King Komodo kills the clawed Shredder clone so that he can have an unobstructed match with his one-handed foe.

Cheng and the Lady Shredder finally enter the fray, with Cheng leading a pair of Foot Mystics in mystically enhancing their army’s strength. Lady Shredder prepares to take Raph off guard when Pimiko intervenes. Raph confronts Cheng as Leo continues his battle with King Komodo and Mikey takes on the midget Shredder clone. With all the extra Foot Soldiers around, things look bad until Don returns to lend a hand. Grabbing a staff from one of the Foot, he offers to give explanations later and proceeds to fight by his brothers’ side. In the battle, King Komodo bites off Leo’s prosthetic stub-blade, revealing a re-grown hand beneath. Komodo is perplexed and Leo uses the distraction to decapitate the monster. Taking a cue from his brother, Mikey wraps his nunchaku chain around the midget Shredder clone’s neck and squeezes until the creature’s head pops off. Meanwhile, Raph kills the two Foot Mystics with shuriken and stabs Cheng with his sai. Raph believes that by killing Cheng, his astral tether to Splinter is now severed. While that is true, Cheng assures the Turtle that he has already dealt their father a fatal spiritual blow. Angered, Raph kicks Cheng’s corpse.

Lady Shredder and Pimiko continue their duel and it becomes apparent to Lady Shredder that Pimiko is her daughter. Pimiko won’t believe it and, protecting Raph from the Lady Shredder’s gauntlet, impales her through the stomach with her katana. In the skirmish, the Lady Shredder delivers a decisive strike to Pimiko as well, piercing her stomach with her gauntlet. As they both lay dying, they remove their masks and the truth is revealed. Lady Shredder, Tang Amaya, tells Pimiko that she left her with Warlord Komodo in the hopes of sparing her the life of an assassin and is truly saddened to see that her daughter could not escape her fate. Even sadder, she regrets that she was unable to avenge her sister, Tang Shen, or her beloved, Oroku Saki. Hearing this, Splinter exits from the Lair and places his hand on Tang Amaya’s head. He shows her the death of Tang Shen as he saw it through his own eyes (as a normal rat) and Amaya finally knows what really happened. With her final breath, she curses Oroku Saki and tells Pimiko she loves her. Pimiko attempts to tell Raph something important, but her life gives out and she dies, too. Removing his bandana, Raph cries through both now-healed eyes.

Their leader dead, the surviving Foot Soldiers retreat into the darkness. Only the last surviving Shredder Elite remains. He approaches the Turtles and, cursing them, pulls out his katana and commits seppuku. With the circle of blood that has plagued them and the Oroku family finally complete, Splinter tells them that the feud that has lasted their whole lives is over.

The next day, Karai arrives in New York via helicopter. As it happens, her whole “disgrace” was nothing but a ruse to weed out the last remaining Shredder-loyalist dissenters amongst the New York branch of the Foot. She addresses the two shamed heads of the branch and the surviving Foot Soldiers: The need for a “Shredder” is over, the Council of Five from the Japanese branch has her back and she is now in complete control.

In New York harbor, Leo and Raph cremate Pimiko’s body on a funeral pyre as they did her father many years ago, though they wish her peace in the afterlife. Confidentially, Raph tells Leo that he sort of had a thing for Pimiko; a real thing, not like the “romance” Leo and the others chided him about having with his friend Lucindra. Leo understands and, also confidentially, tells Raph that he and Radical have been seeing each other, lately. On that romantic note, April and Casey deliver Mikey the good news: his novel “A Rose Amongst Thorns” has gone for a third printing and is a best seller. Mikey’s muse, Horridus, stops by to visit and Mikey can’t wait to share it with her. Horridus, though, reveals that she’s developed a thing for Dragon and that she’s staying with him, now. Heartbroken, Mikey throws his typewriter across the room in a fit of rage.

Later, the Turtles, Splinter and Dr. X reconvene at the Lair, where Don finishes picking the last of the liquid metal from his skin. Suddenly, Leatherhead arrives through the transmat to complete his task; sending Dr. X back to the Utrom Homeworld for a debriefing. Dr. X is surprised that her assessment of the transmat’s functionality was incorrect (while Leatherhead is surprised to learn that Dr. X is actually female) and bids her friends a fond farewell (Leatherhead opts to stay on Earth).

At Puzorelli’s apartment, the mob boss finds the severed head of his nephew, Joey, on his bed along with a terrible message on his answering machine: the Foot Clan has rallied and are aggressively taking the city back from the mob. Even worse, the assassin Razorback is rumored to be back in town. Puzorelli pours a drink and considers that, in the end, it is better off that Shadow is with a family that can keep her away from the mob violence that has consumed his life and murdered his family. Right on cue, several Foot Soldiers invade his apartment and assassinate him.

With all the insanity of the past year finally behind them, the Turtles and Splinter take a much-needed retreat to the farm in Northampton.

On the Utrom Homeworld, Ambassadors Korobon and Klag debrief Dr. X on her extended mission to Earth. Dr. X reveals that she believes the Earthlings to be ready for “first contact”, though a few more years are necessary before they can make their move.

At the Halls of Lost Legends, Merlin talks with his pet owl, Archimedes, who wonders if the Turtles are ready to join them in the Hall. Merlin discards the notion, as the Turtles won’t be ready for quite some time.

REVIEW

Volume 3 is not canon. That was Peter Laird’s decision when he started TMNT volume 4. So if you were a fan of this volume and you wanted to know the end of the story... well, too bad.

Years later, it was finally possible to offer fans some sort of closure. But in a way that you could say, puts everything back into Mirage continuity. So in a way, these two indie comics, that are not published by Mirage or IDW, closed all the plots and even managed to connect the series to volume 4. Which is impressive, and made possible by many stories from Tales of the TMNT vol. 2.

Now, is it good? At certain points you feel like a deviation was needed to throw backstory at you. At other points you feel like certain developments are too convenient (like Puzzorelli’s fate, or the reptile healing factor). But for the most part it feels right.

Having said that... because IDW is adding three new issues to volume 3, through “Urban Legends”, this ending is not canon... for the non-canon volume.

Nevertheless, I feel the effort makes this a worthy read and it’s free.

The art deserves a special mention. The style doesn’t match the style from volume 3, which you would think is a bad thing. But it does remind you of the original TMNT issues and a bit to the next volume, so in a way, you could think of these issues a transition, even in the art.

I am glad this exists. Let’s see what Gary Carlson does with “Urban Legends” in 2020.

I give the story a score of 7.

[renaroo]

Day 17 Smile: An Endangered Species

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and related properties are owned by IDW/Viacom/Mirage Studios. Warnings: Canon-typical violence Rating: K+ Pairings: AprilxKarai Synopsis: Only with some teamwork are the girls of the Hamato Clan really able to bring an end to an unexpected sewer intruder. But even under those circumstances, April couldn’t have predicted the rare sight she found with Karai that day. KaraixApril. Sapphic September: Smile

A/N: Another hand on 2k12 TMNT and AprilxKarai~

Karai had very particular habits. The kind that could easily work on the nerves of jumpier, less well prepared ninja. And what would certainly frighten the kind of unexpected kunoichi who played with fans instead of swords.

Among those habits included sticking to the shadows and crawling around the edges of the periphery when it was obvious that someone wanted to travel alone — or at the very least was working to travel without Karai specifically.

These sorts of habits were precisely what Karai had come to rely upon during her tumultuous stay with the Hamato Clan, the family she never knew and the brothers and father that she had never desired before. Keeping to the shadows, keeping hidden, helped Karai stray away from conversations and questions she was not ready to have. With bonds she was not ready to nurture. And with people she had spent a not insignificant amount of time attempting to murder.

But among those complications, none seemed stranger and more aggravating to Karai’s sensibilities than April O’Neil, or the fellow teen’s absolute refusal to give Karai that second chance that Master Splinter — Hamato Yoshi — was so adamant that Karai be allowed to have.

In a way, Karai felt this made April by far the most intelligent of the subterranean family. She hadn’t done enough to deserve the level of trust they tried so desperately to hand over to her.

In another way, Karai wanted to just strangle the perfect little starchild for being a nut Karai simply did not have the power to crack.

So instead, she settled for following. Creepily. Stalkerishly. In the shadows, like a complete villain despite reformation.

With a deep sigh, Karai realized that perhaps old habits were not ideal to slip back into and was prepared to step out of the shadows and reveal herself when April tensed up and spun around toward Karai. The redhead’s tessens extended and her stance rigidly set for battle.

It was enough to make the more trained ninja roll her eyes before stepping forward. “Drop the theatrics,” Karai advised.

“Karai,” April sniffed before straightening up and crossing her arms. Her chin raised slightly as she looked down her nose at Karai. “I should have guessed it was you. I could hear you from a mile away.”

“You heard me from four feet away, Red,” Karai corrected her, stopping short and putting a hand on her hip. “And that was only because I breathed heavily on purpose. I was getting bored of testing your skills. You failed.”

“Maybe I was testing your stealth and was aware ever since we left the lair that you were following me and only turned around because you finally proved to be so loud that I couldn’t take it anymore!” April countered, pursing her lips defiantly.

Raising her brow, Karai waited for April’s facade to break first.

To her surprise, the freckled girl maintained stubbornly. Even with the most boldfaced and ridiculous lie.”

Rolling her eyes, Karai stepped forward toward April again, disarming the girl with surprise. “Whatever, you don’t want to admit you’re failing ninjitsu training it’s between you and my… between you and Master Splinter. I’m just here for the actually interesting bits.”

“I’m not failing ninjitsu—“ April began to argue impatiently just before Karai snatched the tracker that April had firmly stuck to her belt loop. “Hey! Karai! Give that back!”

“Ninja drop out,” Karai taunted, opening the tracker and looking at the red alarm silently going off on the map. “What’s this all about?”

Through some small miracle, April managed to swipe the tracker back and give Karai a look of complete ire before glancing down to the tracker. “It’s the alarm system signal I was going to check on. Donatello and I spent weeks placing alarm systems in the mile radius around the lair so that we’d have a good chance of catching any intruders.”

“Sounds nerdy,” Karai joked. “And boring. It took you weeks?”

“It covers a lot of sewer,” April admitted. “Too much, honestly. Because that that’s what got us alarms constantly going off for regular sewer rats and roaches all the time. They were too sensitive and just too far out.” She stopped and squinted as a shiver went down her body. “Then there was this whole mold problem when the lights on the alarms kept going off that taught me things about Mikey’s diet I will never be able to unlearn now.”

“So why didn’t you take them all down if it’s such a hassle?” Karai asked. “Obviously it did nothing to stop myself and the Foot… back when I was with the Foot and not a member of the Hamato clan. Obviously.”

It was April’s turn to raise a suspicious eyebrow. “Mhmm,” she hummed in return. “Yeah, well, Don and I did go around and pick up most of the alarms, starting with the faulty ones that went off all the time, then the less active ones. I thought we’d gotten all of them, but this sensor just started going off a little while ago so I figured I’d go ahead and snag it myself while the boys were all out.” She then looked expectantly at Karai. “I can do that, because I’m not a ninja drop out and can take care of myself.”

“Well, that’s not true. Because I failed you. Which is obviously why I’m joining you now,” Karai said, snatching the device again and leading the walk down the sewer tunnel. “That and the lair is excruciatingly dull at the moment. I don’t know if I can handle one more soap opera for the sake of my…. Master Splinter.”

When Karai glanced to her side, she found April looking at her with a fairly unfamiliar look. It was unnerving in its lack of snark.

“What?” she demanded in irritation.

“You can call Master Splinter father, you know,” April answered softly. “He’s a father to all of us in a lot of ways but… I mean for you… it’s a different level.”

“Yeah,” Karai gritted out before glaring April’s way. “Know what else it is? Complicated. I’m calling him Master Splinter. That’s an improvement enough for now.”

April looked unconvinced but she allowed silence to lapse between them.

After a few moments, Karai stopped at the sight of a flashing, silent light on the left wall of the tunnel. Then she glanced over to April. “That it?”

“Yeah,” April answered, stepping forward to begin her nerd thing to deactivate the alarm. “Weird, though. I wonder what set it off — usually the culprit leaves at least a trace.”

“Does it matter?” Karai asked. “One annoyance or another, it’s just a distraction at the end of the day.”

With an aggravated groan, April turned enough to look at Karai over her shoulder. “You know, not everything between us has to be complete sass—“ Her green eyes widened to the size of saucers and she let out a shaky gasp as she looked over Karai’s head. “Karai! Behind you!”

Karai furrowed her brows before turning around, hand on the hilt of her katana to be drawn, when she froze in place. Her jaw dropped and eyes widened as she found herself staring at a large, black, scaly mutant snake with bright red eyes and a thick red hood that extended just behind its head to reveal the tattoos of the Foot emblem.

But despite herself, what Karai saw was a pristine look back into a mirror she had long since convinced herself she shattered.

“No,” Karai shuddered.

The hissing serpent mutant began to launch forward toward her, and Karai was still without even a drawn sword.

But the same teeth which sought purchase in Karai’s skin were stopped with a metallic CHING as April stood between them, her tessens each entrapping the snake’s fangs.

“April,” Karai gasped.

“I used to watch Animal Planet all the time,” April gritted out as she fought the snake, circling with its fangs still stuck in her war fans. “The experts always said… if you control a snake’s head, you control everything else!”

Sure enough, the snake followed each jerk of April’s hands, hissing and snarling as it tried to pull back. But before it could, April quickly used her own momentum to flip herself over, and with that, flipped the Foot assassin with her, slamming its back against the sewer brick.

Finally able to gather her wits, Karai quickly unsheathed her katana and raced forward, leaping onto the exposed belly of the assassin and holding her blades against its throat. The snake looked at her wide eyed.

“Slither back to your master and tell him that no mind games will work on me again, I am free of him, and I am free of what he made me,” Karai ordered. For additional motivation, she pressed her blades against his scales even more. “And do it very quickly. For you wore our patience thin.”

With that, Karai jumped to the side and April released her grip on the snake’s fangs to stand beside her. The mutant hesitated, as if considering to attempt to complete its mission anyway, but then quickly thought better, slithering away at an alarming speed and slipping into the darkness.

The two women of the Hamato Clan watched, on guard, until they were both certain that there was nothing else lurking for them.

“Looks like you failed ninjitsu,” April spoke up first.

Karai, confused, looked at April sternly. “What?”

“Obviously this was a practical test for your skills and you didn’t notice the giant snake monster in the shadows following us,” April continued, sliding her fans closed as she rotated her wrists. “So you flunked ninjitsu. Sorry.”

Silence fell between them as April finally looked back at Karai, reading her face for an expression. Karai was so befuddled she could hardly offer one before she could no longer help herself.

She burst out laughing, gut busting laughter as she doubled over her stomach, a face splitting grin on her face as she couldn’t contain it.

“Hey,” April laughed with her. “You’re laughing! And smiling! At me! And here I thought Karai Smiles were on the endangered species list. Never knew all I had to do for one was be a little twerp.”

“Not a twerp,” Karai laughed, wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her hand. “Just… just you. I just need to be… liked by you.”

April seemed caught off guard for a moment but then a satisfied smile crossed her face and she reached toward Karai with an open hand. “Well, I have to say that you’re well on your way.”

“That’s enough for now,” Karai agreed, accepting her hand and gripping it tightly. “More than enough. Thank you… April.”

Once April helped Karai stand back up, they put away their respective weapons and began to return home without the sensor.

It seemed to have been well placed after all.

[thatcrazyfanfictionwriter]

Secret of the Sewers: Showdown

Rows of Foot soldiers knelt in one of the large open floors of Saki Corporations. The elites were there too, all five of them kneeling in the front row of the assembly. Even Hun was there, though none of them knew why Saki had summoned them all so abruptly. Just then, Saki, decked out in his Shredder armor, walked out he made it to the center of a platform overlooking the troops.

"Warriors of the Foot," Shredder addressed. "Tonight, we finally eliminate an enemy that has plagued us for the past four years."

This was met with some surprised glances. Only a handful had known that the turtles were still alive, and those that didn’t know were shocked to learn it.

"For too long these turtles have ruined our plans and made fools of our forces." Shredder continued. "Well no more. Tonight marks the beginning of the end! Tonight, at long last, the turtles die!"

Now, the Foot soldiers let out a loud cheer at the call, eager for the deaths of their enemies.

…

Down in the sewers, everyone was in the middle of preparing for all-out war. Leo sharpened his swords, checking them to ensure that they were pristine. Donny was gathering up various tools and supplies that he may need during this confrontation, stuffing them in a duffle bag hanging from his shoulder. Raph was in his room, sitting on the floor with a weight set, working out his arms so he'd be in top shape. Mikey was testing out his three piece staff, getting in some practice on Raph's bag to ensure he could use it properly if needed.

Miwa and Hisako were also making preparations, but of a more personal nature. Miwa did not want to face the Shredder in the sweats Hisako had lent her, and her new sister had agreed. After a few failed outfits, Hisako came out of her room with a smile.

"Guys, I'd like to introduce you to someone." she declared.

The turtles all stopped what they were doing and gathered around Hisako's door. She smiled and pulled it open.

"May I present, Hamato Miwa." She declared.

Miwa stepped out of Hisako's room, a smile on her face. She was wearing a plain black t-shirt under a dark green hoodie, a pair of jeans and a proper pair of boots. She had a sword attached to her back and her hair was tied up in a ponytail.

"What do you think?" she asked.

All the turtles smiled.

"Nice." Leo complimented.

"Looking good, sis." Mikey agreed.

"Looks good on you." Donny added.

Miwa smiled, then looked over at Raph.

"You like it?" she questioned nervously.

Everyone looked at Raph, waiting for him to answer. Hisako watched him with no small amount of apprehension. Though he was becoming more open to the idea that Miwa was their sister now, he was still having the hardest time getting over everything she'd done as Karai. Still, he knew she was trying, and he knew he needed to 'turtle up'.

"It's alright." Raph finally replied.

Miwa smiled.

"Thanks."

About that time, Splinter emerged from his room, having been meditating this whole time. When he saw his children all prepared, as well as Miwa's new look, he felt a mixture of pride and fear. He had just gotten his daughter back, and he knew that there was a chance of losing her, Hisako, and his sons. And yet, seeing them all willing to lay everything on the line for one another filled his heart with great joy.

"My children." he called out.

All six of them turned towards him. He gestured for them to come forward and they did, taking up sitting positions in front of him.

"My children, I have no illusions that the battle we are about to commence will be easy. It will be a most trying challenge you, but I have faith that all of you will persevere. You are all ninja, and you are all honorable warriors, and I have never been prouder to call you my children."

He locked eyes with Miwa and smiled warmly.

"All of you."

The six all got to their feet, Donny glancing at the clock.

"It's almost time." he announced.

"Then let's not keep Shred-head waiting." Hisako declared. "Time to show him that when you mess with green, it's gonna get mean."

…

The Hamato clan waited on the roof of the Wolf Hotel, an old building that had been long abandoned and was currently for lease. There was a small water tower on the roof, one that the six were all leaning against in preparation for Shredder's appearance. Splinter sat in front of them in a meditative stance, his ears twitching at every sound the wind brought. Donny looked at a watch around his wrist, eying the minute hand as it reached midnight. The second it did, the Motorheads emerged from the shadows, swarming the rooftop like a colony of ants. They surrounded the tower and those gathered around it. They left a large enough space for a large puff of smoke to accumulate, allowing the five Elites to emerge, weapons at the ready. From the rooftop entrance, Hun came bursting through the door, leaving it dangling from a single hinge, dented beyond recognition.

"I see the pawns, the knights, and the rook," Hisako commented, pointing to the Foot, the Elites, and Hun respectively, "But where's the king?"

Just then, a blur zoomed up from the ground. Suddenly, Shredder landed in front of his forces, striking a dramatic pose.

"Hamato Yoshi." He snarled, his mask distorting his voice so it sounded as demonic as his mask made him appear.

"Oroku Saki." Splinter replied, not even opening his eyes. "I was surprised to learn you survived."

"As was I when I learned you were the rat who trained these thorns in my side." Shredder retorted. "How ironic that the street rat the council allowed into the ranks of the Foot all those years ago transformed into a true rat."

Splinter just stood up, taking hold of his walking stick.

"I long ago learned to embrace this form, and have accepted my life as Splinter." he explained.

"Bah." Shredder spat. "You've always been nothing more than a thieving pest, taking everything that should have rightfully been mine! It was bad enough that you stole Tang Shen from me, but now you take my daughter!"

"I am not your daughter, Shredder!" Miwa snapped before Leo placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

Shredder's gaze visibly softened when he laid eyes on her. He slid his helmet off, looking at her with a hurt expression.

"I raised you, trained you, and taught you everything you know about ninjutsu." He told her. "I gave you anything you ever wanted, and this is how you repay me?"

"You also lied to me my whole life!" Miwa retorted. "You used me like I was just another one of your precious Motorheads!"

Mikey smirked at her use of the unofficial nickname for the Foot ninja.

"I've never been anything more than an instrument of your revenge." Miwa snarled, drawing her sword. "Well no more."

Shredder's fist clenched and his gaze hardened.

"So be it." He declared, his voice low.

He slid his helmet back on, then pointed towards the group.

"Foot Ninja, attack!"

"Let the butt kickin begin." Raph commented.

The Foot ninja converged on the group like buzzards on roadkill as the turtles met them all head on, blades, staffs and other weapons colliding. Leo's swords clashed with several of the Foot ninja, the ringing of the swords echoing through the night. Donny's staff managed to block several attacks from a few more swords, the metal successfully holding up against the sharp blades. Mikey swung his Nunchucks left, right and all over the place, hitting anyone who dare get in reach of his deadly Nunchucks of Fury.

"Hey Raph!" Mikey exclaimed. "You got an Elite on your tail!"

Raph quickly rabbit punched the incoming Elite, knocking the poor sap to the ground where he was instantly met with a hard kick.

"That felt good." Raph remarked.

That's when a punch from Hun came from seemingly out of nowhere, connecting with his chest. Raph went flying back, colliding into the supports of the water tower. As he regained his composure, Hun walked over to him, cracking his knuckles.

"I know how you feel." Hun replied walking over to the fallen turtle.

Miwa then leapt off of the water tower, landing right on Hun's shoulders and wrapping her legs around his meaty neck.

"Stay away from my brother!" she shouted.

Hun attempted to pull Miwa off of him, but she continually moved out of the way, narrowly avoiding his large hands. Using the hilt of her sword, she continually bashed Hun in the forehead, attempting to knock the behemoth out cold. Unknown to her, a Motorhead came up behind her and tried to slice at her with his sword. Fortunately, it was blocked by Leo.

"Careful Miwa." He joked. "It's not like you to get distracted."

"I'm not used to fighting with people I actually care about." She retorted, leaping off of Hun and sending him stumbling into the rooftop entrance.

"Gotta admit. It's nice fighting alongside you for a change." Leo shared, kicking the Motorhead away.

Miwa smirked, then approached Raph, holding out a hand.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Just dandy." Raph remarked, batting her hand away before leapfrogging over her.

He engaged with the hook swords Elite, clashing a bit before the two locked weapons. After struggling for a bit, Raph snapped the swords with his sai. He then leapt into the air and hit the elite in the face with the blunt end of his sai, knocking him out.

…

Meanwhile, Hisako had her hands full with a group of Motorheads and the Kama elite. She was moving about a mile a minute, trying to keep ahead of the multiple enemies closing in on her. Just then, Donny vaulted over her and landed behind her knocking away every Motorhead standing in his way.

"Isn't that usually the other way around, Don?" Hisako quipped, her fans slicing through the chain of an oncoming kusarigama.

"What?" Donny asked, activating the double blades in his staff. "A turtle's not allowed to rescue his little sister?"

The two then jumped up in the air, performing nearly identical split kicks on some of the Foot Ninja before landing back to back.

"Never said that 'big brother'." Hisako joked.

…

Leo was facing down a few Motorheads himself. He did a split kick, taking two of them out.

"Hey guys!" Leo called out. "I finally perfected my split kick!"

Raph knocked a Motorhead out of the way, looking at his brother with a smirk.

"Sorry, I missed it!" he called.

"Do it again!" Miwa insisted, a Motorhead locked in a hold in her arms.

Two more Foot ninja attempted to attack Leo, only to join the first to on the ground as victims of his split kick.

"One more time!" Miwa and Raph called in unison.

He performed it once more, leaving an almost perfect ring of unconscious Motorheads around him. Miwa successfully knocked out the one she had in a headlock before giving Leo a grin.

"Saw that one!" She called. "And I give it a ten!"

She held up ten fingers as Raph held up all six of his, earning a chuckle from Leo.

"What, only a six?" He joked.

"Hey, it's all I got." Raph defended, blocking a punch from another Motorhead.

Mikey meanwhile, was bashing away at every Motorhead in sight. As the numbers began increasing, Mikey locked his Nunchucks together into a three piece. He then continued his assault with a grin.

"Betcha didn't see that coming now didja?" He gloated.

…

While the four turtles and their human sisters dealt with all of the underlings, Shredder marched through the battle undeterred, locking eyes with Splinter. The rat had not moved from his meditative position since the battle had begun, though his eyes watched Shredder with a steel-like gaze.

"I have looked forward to this for some time." Shredder told him. "I had thought that fate had robbed me of my vengeance, yet here you stand."

Splinter rose to his feet, his claws grasping tightly to his walking stick.

"I too believed you dead Saki." He commented. "Though in a way, I was right. The aniki I fought alongside died long ago. Now all that is left is the monster Shredder."

Shredder just growled at the words being thrown at him.

"Look closely at this 'monster' Yoshi," Shredder spoke. "For it is the last thing you will ever see!"

Shredder then raised his claw and brought them down on Splinter. However, seconds before they landed, Splinter brought his walking stick up to block the blow. His tail then wrapped around Shredder's left leg, yanking him off balance and onto the ground.

"As I said before, I have come to accept this form." Splinter jested, his tail unraveling and coming up like a weapon. "And all the benefits it grants me."

Shredder slowly got back up to his feet, growling as he did. Shredder then sprinted towards Splinter and tried delivering a series of blows to him. Splinter blocked the attacks with his stick.

…

Miwa and Leo were surrounded on all sides by the three elites that were still conscious, as well as about a half dozen normal foot soldiers.

"You know, as far as dates go, this is one of my better ones." Miwa joked.

"Have you been talking with Mikey again?" Leo asked annoyed.

One of the Elites attempted a swing at Miwa, forcing her duck. She used his forward momentum to launch him into the air, where she joined him, spin kicking him into Hun. The behemoth had just begun to regain consciousness before the flying Elite sent him back into dreamland.

"Hey, I just think it's funny that we were 'dating' all that time and it turns out we were siblings." She remarked.

"Yeah well I'm still kinda weirded out that I had a crush on my sister." Leo replied doing a jump kick to one Motorhead.

"Don't forget the fact that before that, we were her pets." Raph added, barreling through a group of motorheads like a wild bull. "She technically owned us."

Miwa shivered at that.

"Okay, now it just got even more awkward."

"We are not having this conversation right now!" Leo yelled.

"Well we can't exactly go to a family counselor Leo." Raph argued. "Six o'clock."

Both Miwa and Leo did a 180, punching the Elite coming at them at the same time.

"Look can we just talk about this later?" Leo asked.

"Whatever you say Leonardo." Miwa told him, ruffling his hair playfully. "Now come on, I think Hisako and Donatello could use a hand."

…

Back with Splinter, he kept on the defensive as Shredder delivered blow after blow. Though he had yet to receive any wound more grievous than a few minor cuts, he had been unable to get a blow in offense wise. Shredder was even being mindful of the tail and had nearly cut it off twice already. Shredder then tried kicking Splinter, but the rat master ducked under it and struck Shredder in the head with his stick. Shredder's helmet rang like a gong, disorienting him for a second. That was all Splinter needed. He quickly kicked Shredder in the stomach sending him flying. He hit the support of the water tower, denting it slightly. Growling, Shredder straightened up and jumped right back at Splinter.

…

Donny planted his staff into the ground, using it as an anchor to perform one of his favorite movie stunts.

"I've always wanted to try this!" He cheered as his foot connected with several Foot ninja at once.

"Nice one Don!" Hisako cheered.

"Thanks!" Donny replied landing on the ground.

Unfortunately for Hisako, cheering for her brother left her open for attack, something the Kama elite took advantage of. The Kama caught her across the back, the blade slicing right through her shell backpack and narrowly missing his skin. Her eyes went wide as she turned on the guy, stuffing falling from the large gash.

"Did you just break my shell?" she asked, her voice quiet and hard.

The Kama Elite didn't even have time to blink before Hisako's foot connected with his gut.

"This shell was a gift from my friends, and you destroyed it!" she screamed, upper cutting the poor guy. "Nobody destroys my turtle shell!"

Her next kick connected right in between the guy's legs, forcing him to fall to the ground in a high-pitched puddle of agony.

"Ouch." Mikey let out. "Think that might have been a bit excessive?"

"Not a chance." Raph remarked.

Hisako let out a snort of anger as she slid her backpack off, looking at it sadly. Miwa placed a hand on her shoulder in sympathy.

"We'll get you a new one after we kick their butts." she promised.

Hisako smirked, then she quickly tossed the remains of her backpack at the spear wielding Elite, catching him in a rain of white fluffiness. Temporarily blinded, he didn't see the two girls coming at him until they kicked him. Miwa's kick got him in the stomach while Hisako's connected with his face. The two landed, then exchanged high fives with one another.

"Glad you're on our side now." Hisako told her.

"You kidding, I'm glad you're on my side now!" Miwa exclaimed.

"You can braid each other's hair later!" Mikey called out, swinging his three piece staff around. "We've got butts to kick!"

"Right!" The two girls said in unison.

…

Back with Splinter, he finally seemed to be gaining ground in his fight against Shredder. His tail was darting towards him, attempting to find weak points in the armor while his staff kept the deadly claws at bay.

"Your forces are dwindling by the minute." Splinter noted, hoping to goad Shredder into making a mistake. "You are losing this battle, Shredder."

"Well then," Shredder replied. "It looks like after I am done with you, I'll have to take care of them myself."

"You could never beat me when we were younger, Saki." Splinter reminded him. "What makes you think that has changed?"

Shredder growled at that remark and tried pressing the attack. Splinter continued blocking the attacks until he back flipped near the edge of the roof. He then motioned Shredder to come towards him, and Shredder did so sprinting. Splinter waited until Shredder was right in front of him before ducking under his attack and tripping him up with his tail, sending him over the edge.

"As the old saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Splinter remarked, turning his back on where Shredder had fallen.

Miwa looked back at Splinter, smiling a bit as he emerged victorious. However, that smile quickly turned to a look of horror as she screamed.

"Father! Look out!"

Splinter turned around, only to be impaled through the stomach by Shredder's claw. The sound of metal entering flesh caused all of the Hamato children to freeze, turning towards their sensei and father.

"Dad, no!" Miwa screamed.

"Sensei!" The turtles exclaimed.

"Splinter!" Hisako shrieked.

Splinter coughed blood as Shredder raised him up, still impaled upon his gauntlet.

"This has been a moment long overdue." Shredder declared. "The final death of Hamato Yoshi!"

With that, Shredder tossed Splinter off the roof, sending him falling to his doom. In that moment, it was as if the entire world was moving in slow motion. Hisako dropped her fans, running at full speed towards the edge Splinter had been tossed off of. Any Foot ninja or Elite that attempted to stop her was immediately intercepted by a turtle, all of them working together with one goal in mind, keep Splinter from hitting the ground.

Hisako dove over the edge, catching Splinter around the waist as she attempted to catch the fire escape of the adjacent building. The sheer force of her momentum combined with Splinter's added weight nearly wrenched her arm out of socket, but she didn't dare let go. Mustering every ounce of strength she could, Hisako pulled Splinter onto the fire escape, laying him down against the wall.

"Sensei!" she exclaimed, yanking off her vest and using it to try and staunch the bleeding. "Sensei, stay with me!"

She put pressure on the wound as tears filled her eyes.

"Sensei!"

"H… His… Hisako…" Splinter tried to say.

Hisako let out a huge sigh of relief as she cradled Splinter's face.

"Sensei, I'm here." she told him. "It's gonna be okay. Donny can get you fixed up no problem."

"You must…. Return to the battle." he told her. "Help… your brothers… help…. Miwa."

"I can't just leave you here, Sensei." Hisako insisted. "I can't! I just-"

Splinter placed one of his hands on hers, giving her a reassuring look.

"I will… be fine… go…"

Hisako's breath hitched, then she closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down and straightened up. Her hands, covered in the blood of her sensei, clenched tightly into fists as she looked up at the rooftop where her family was still fighting.

…

After Hisako had jumped over the side, both Mikey and Donny charged at Shredder, double kicking him in the stomach. He went flying backwards, skidding across the roof and causing some sparks to ignite as he did. He flipped onto his feet as Raph delivered a kicked to his head and Leo aimed for the knees. Shredder easily ducked out of the way of Leo's attack and then jumped to avoid Raph's.

"Still as weak and pathetic as the last time we fought." Shredder sneered. "Just like the rat you call father!"

Raph saw red at that comment and blindly attacked Shredder with his sai. Shredder caught Raph's downward attack, twisting the turtle's wrists and forcing him to drop his weapons. Leo's eyes went wide as he gripped his swords.

"Get off of him!"

The blue turtle ran at Shredder, jumping into the air and bringing his swords down in an arc. Shredder was forced to release Raph so he could bring his arms up in defense. While Leo kept his claws busy, Mikey jumped on his back, wrapping his three piece around Shredder's neck, hoping to incapacitate him. However, Leo was soon kicked into an approaching Donatello, then Mikey was flipped off Shredder's back and onto the semi-conscious Raph.

"Shredder!" Miwa shouted.

Shredder looked up, just in time to see Miwa coming at him with all her might. Her sword came down on his arms, then she began a barrage of blows at nearly impossible speeds. Shredder blocked each one of them, glaring at her.

"Have you forgotten that I am the one who trained you?" He questioned. "You hold no surprises for me, Karai."

"It's Miwa!" She screamed.

She attempted another blow, but this time, Shredder caught the blade. Her eyes went wide as her weapon was wrenched from her grasp and Shredder's hand came out, grabbing her by the throat. He then threw her aside, where she rolled and coughed, trying to regain her senses and breath. With her out of the way, Shredder glared down at the turtles with burning rage.

"I have tolerated you creatures for far too long." He snarled, lifting his bladed gauntlet. "It's time to end this!"

"SHREDDER!"

The entire building shook as a shockwave of power broke through the night. The turtles all went wide eyed, as did Miwa.

"Uh-oh, now you've done it." Mikey warned. "You've unleashed the beast."

Shredder turned to where the wave had originated as the turtles and Miwa all scrambled for cover. From the street below, surrounded in a halo of green light, Hisako came rising up, floating in the air. Shredder gasped at the sight, this being the first time he had truly witnessed Hisako's "Dark Phoenix mode".

"Nani-?" Shredder tried to ask.

Hisako thrusted her hand forward, her finger splayed. The resulting power sent Shredder flying across the roof and into the water tower, which by now way beginning to lean slightly from all the damage to its supports.

"This is for my brothers!"

Throwing her arm to the side, she sent Shredder, as well as the few Motorheads that hadn't been taken out already, into the roof access structure.

"This is for Miwa!"

She brought her hand up, then shoved it down hard, bringing Shredder and his cronies down on the roof hard enough to leave impressions in the concrete.

"This is for Master Splinter!"

She did it a second time, then slowly lifted Shredder up and straightened him. By now he was groaning in pain and it was clear that he was clinging to consciousness by a thread. Hisako forced him to look her in the eye as she spoke one last time.

"And this… is for ten years… of HELL!"

With one hard shove, Hisako sent Shredder flying off of the roof. She then released her power, allowing him to plummet to the ground with no one to catch him. However, she still wasn't done with him. She turned her sights on the water tower, squinting at it as she shoved both her hands towards it. When the turtles saw that familiar halo of light surround the tower, all of them went wide-eyed.

"Can she do that Don?" Leo asked nervously.

"In theory, it's possible." Don replied, eyes glued to the scene. "But the mental strain..."

That's when they heard the sound of metal tearing free of the concrete. Hisako moved over where Shredder had fallen, gazing down on him with a cold, merciless expression. Down below, he was attempting to crawl away, only to freeze when the shadow fell over him.

"Oops."

Hisako's power cut off and the tower dropped, shattering upon impact and flooding the entire street with hundreds upon hundreds of gallons of water. The turtles and Miwa all came to the edge so see the flooded wreckage, all of them shocked at everything that had just happened. Then Donny looked over at Hisako to see blood running down her nose like a waterfall.

"Hisako!" He shrieked.

The power Hisako had manifested faded away as her eyes rolled back in her head. She would have fallen, but Raph caught her before she did.

"Good job, sis." he told her. "Good job."

That's when the turtles heard the ever familiar sound of cracking stone as the building began to shake.

"Um, I think she broke the building again." Mikey commented with no small amount of fear.

"Then let's get out of here now." Leo declared.

"But what about dad?" Miwa asked. "Where'd Hisako leave him?"

Donny did some quick calculations as they got off the crumbling building.

"Best guess, the adjacent building that way." he hypothesized, pointing. "Probably on a fire escape."

"Then let's go get him!" Raph practically screamed.

…

They made it to the other building just a few seconds before the other came crumbling down. They braced themselves for a few second until the debris field passed. Once it passed, they got on the fire escape, only to find a distinct lack of their sensei.

"Don, I think your calculations were off." Mikey commented.

Before Donny could retort, his foot met something hard and wooden. He looked down to see Splinter's walking stick, resting on Hisako's blood covered vest. He bent down and picked them both up, a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Guys, look."

Everyone gathered around, all of them silent for a minute.

"Splinter was here." Donny realized. "But he's not anymore."

"You don't think someone took him, do you?" Mikey asked.

"One of the foot maybe?" Miwa suggested.

The idea made all of them all shiver in fear. About that time, a large group of sirens was beginning to approach their position, alerting them to the possible dangers.

"We need to disappear." Leo insisted.

"But Splinter-" Raph began.

"We'll find him Raph, but we're no use to him if we get caught, and we still have Hisako to take care off."

Raph looked at Hisako, whom he'd draped over his shell to make her easier to carry. He sighed then jumped off the fire escape towards a nearby sewer grate. Donny followed soon after, still holding the walking stick and the vest. Mikey came third, then Leo prepared to jump. Before he did, he placed a hand on Miwa's shoulder to comfort her.

"Splinter's tough." he told her. "He'll be fine, and we'll find him."

Miwa gave a small nod, then straightened up. Together, the two jumped off the fire escape and joined their siblings in the sewers.

…

A ways across town, the guardian Samson walked towards a large office building, passing a large sign that read 'Galactic Enterprises'. The doors opened automatically for him as a man with light purple hair greeted him. The man then gasped when he saw that Samson had someone with him.

"Samson, what is this?"

"I had no choice." Samson replied in a hurry. "He needs help now."

The man looked at Samson, then whistled. Two guards came and relieved Samson of the intended patient, running off with them as the man stared down Samson.

"You know that you are taking a large risk by doing this."

"I know." Samson replied. "But whatever comes of my actions, I will take full responsibility."

The man sighed, patting Samson on the shoulder as the two walked deeper into the building.

…

Emergency crews were sifting through the remains of the water tower, sighing as they did.

"Seems half the buildings in the city are falling down these days." One remarked.

"I hear ya." a second replied.

While they exchanged pleasantries, some of the rubble from the building shifted, allowing for Hun to pull himself free. The two crew members hadn't noticed him, and he used that to his advantage. He grabbed them both, smashing their heads together so the fell unconscious.

"Master." He called as he pushed large sections of the broken tower aside. "Master!"

He finally managed to locate the Shredder amidst the rubble. He pulled him free, yanking the helmet off his head. Though he was obviously in a lot of pain, and no doubt had many broken bones, he was still alive. Hun breathed a sigh of relief as he cradled his Master.

"Fear not, Master." Hun assured him. "This fight is far from over."

With that, he disappeared into the night, taking the Shredder with him.