Mike sat in his room, applying ointment to his almost healed wounds. A shiny scar now ran from his left elbow, down his carapace, to his calf. He grimaced at himself theatrically in the mirror, then smiled.
“It coulda been alot worse, ol, boy. At least it didn’t damage that winnin’ mug of yours,” Mike joked to his image. The door opened then and Raph stepped in. “Come on, pretty boy. You’ve admired yourself in the mirror long enough. Time for ‘The Calling of the Cowlick!’”
Mike stood up and walked toward Raph. “I was just putting some stuff on my scars. Not that Cudley won’t slurp it right off again. . .”
Raph shuddured. “I don’t even want to think about it. I hate that cow’s mouth.”
“Aww, it’s not so bad. All warm and squishy. . .”
“That is truly disgusting.”
*********************
Mike and Raph emerged onto the rooftop of Turtleco, where Don waited for them. There was a substantial amount of gear next to him, which Raph indicated with a finger.
“What’s all that?”
“Some tracking stuff, communications equipment, and explosives,” Don answered. Then he looked at the pile again. “I may have overpacked a tad.”
“You can say that again,” Raph growled.
“Oh well, no big deal. We’ll sort it all out when we get there.” Don turned to Mike. “If you would?”
Mike did a low bow, then stood with his hands to his mouth.
“CUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!”
Mike hadn’t even finished with his “EYYYYYY!!!” when there was a soft pop, and a giant disembodied cow head floated before them. “You called?”
“Hiya Cudley!” Mike said enthusiactically. “Hows it goin’? How are Stump and Sling doing these days?”
“Oh they’re fine. Wrestling’s more popular than ever, of course. . . we’ve got a new wrestler, the Stone, and he’s hotter than a warm day on a supernova. He does this move, the Peoples’ Kneecap. . . really cool stuff. You guys should come back for a match with him sometime.”
“Ah, well, that’s great Cudley. . . but I’m afraid we’re in a bit of a hurry,” Don interuppted. “There’s this asteroid. . .”
“Oh, you guys didn’t know about that?” Cudley looked suprised. “We found out a while ago that it was headed your way, but we thought you guys would take care of it, just like that other one.”
Raph snorted. “This ain’t like the other one. This time its not just an asteriod, it’s a smart bomb with that whack job Null at the wheel. He wants to wipe everybody on earth out.”
“Oh,” Cudly replied. “Oh dear. That is a problem. Well, what can I do to help?”
Don responded. “He must have launched that asteroid from somewhere. That place is probably where the guidance system for the asteroid is. Question is, can you take us there Cudley?”
“Sure thing. Just go get that other brother of yours and we’ll be on our way.”
“That’s the other problem, Cudster,” Mike said sadly. “Null’s got him, too.”
*****************************
“Did I mention I really hate being in here?”
“Only every minute for the last half hour.”
“Well, I just thought I’d reitterate.” Raph squirmed about in the cavernous interior of Cudley’s mouth.
“I could let you off right here, if you’d like,” came Cudley’s voice.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Raph grumbled. “What’s taking so long, anyway?”
“Cudley has to find the place for us, Raph. Even if he is an interdimentional cowlick, that takes a little time,” Don said patiently.
“Still takin’ too bloody long,” Raph mumbled.
“Alright boys, this is it,” intoned Cudley. “Large asteroid, in and ecentric orbit just beyond the Van Allen belt. With a rather mysterious looking complex on it. Definetly it.”
“Alright then Cudley. Drop us off, but don’t go too far. We’re going to need your help to get off this rock.”
“Righty-o. All ashore who’s goin ashore.”
“Here we go again. . .” Raph braced himself.
PH-TOOOEY!!!
******************************
It was dark in the room. Mostly. A glow eminated from a monitor near the back of the room, dull and flickering, casting vague highlights on the shadow that seemed to ooze from every crack in the place. Null looked away from the moniter and stole a look around the room. He smiled, then, for he knew what the darkness hid; a decorating style all his own. Even H.R. Geiger would have found the place obscenely inhuman. Shapes twisted sensously around themselves, twisting the observers eye sockets as well; every depraved debauchery of man was represented in abstract along the chamber walls. Null carressed the arm of the throne in which he sat; it was a fine perversion of the female form. And the best thing, Null chuckled to himself, is that it was real female. He snuggled deeper into the warm embrace, feeling the slight pulsation of twisted life all around him.
Null looked away from the moniter to the corner of the chamber where another perversion crouched in seeming sulleness. It was as black as the pit in which it sat, but null saw its cold eyes gleaming in its darkness. A slime had dribbled down the thing’s chin and onto its chest and forearms, outlining its muscularity and the hard shell of its chest. It cluched swords in its three fingered hands, leaned on them as if it couldn’t let them go.
And by now it probably can’t, Null thought to himself. That was the way of things possessed; they seldom stayed the same as the were before the posession. And this one cared about those stupid swords so much. . . Null cackled. They were becoming part of him. Before long he probably wouldn’t even have hands, just two blades sticking out of raw flesh. . .
The moniter flickered again and caught his attention. He sighed as the three figures crossed the screen. He had expected they’d come here, but it was still a nuiscence. Of course, he’d thrown down the gauntlet when he’d signed that asteroid, but then, he never could pass up a chance for bravado. He turned back to the thing in the corner.
“Leonardo, your brothers are here.”
The thing in the corner smiled coldly, slime dripping from its maw. Yes, its brothers were here. And he wouldn’t leave a single one alive.