Don, Mike, and Raph stood in a line, staring up at the monstrous building before them. The rest of the asteroid – actually, it was more like a small moon -- was desolate. There was air, though it was thin; there was light, though it was faint. Don pulled a gadget out of his belt and scanned the building.
“What is that?” Mike queried.
“Turtle-corder.” Don answered. “Looks like there are three ways into this place – one through the basement, another through a front door and another. . .” Don pointed skyward.
Mike reached back and grabbed something from next to his chucks on his belt. He threw the grappling hook up into the gloom. It caught on something, and Mike pulled on it to test his hold. “See you guys inside!” he yelled over his shoulder.
“It would appear we’re splitting up again,” Raph growled.
“You want to stick with me?” Don asked with concern in his voice. Raph shrugged.
“Nah, you’d just cramp my style. I’ll take the underground. You go in the front.”
“Check. As Mike said, see ya inside.”
“Not if I see you first.” Raph walked away.
*********************************
Don started towards the main door. It was enormous, but unlocked. It slid open easily on its hinges. He stepped over the threshold, into redly lit hall. He had only taken a few steps down it when he heard the sound of shuffling feet coming towards him. He flattened himself against the wall, hugging the shadows as best he was able. The shuffling grew louder, and suddenly into view burst many figures cloaked in purple and grey, each with a red symbol stamped in its forehead.
“Foot soldiers!” Don breathed. “What the. . .” The soldiers turned at the sound of his voice, and advanced on him. “All right. . .” Don said to himself. “Lets rock!”
Don whipped off his robe and grabbed his extending bo from his belt. He leveled it in front of himself and pushed the button. The bo extended to its full length with a “SHICK.”
“Darth Maul eat your heart out.”
The foot began running at him, the first couple reaching him in just a few seconds. He spun his bo around, catching the first along the “spine,” and the second in the “stomach.” At impact the made the old satisfying “klang” he remembered so well. He started heating up the taser on the end of the bo, preparing to take more soldiers out, when he saw the first on hit the wall. Instead of breaking with is circuits spilling out like intestines, or even exploding like foot soldiers were so prone to do, it hit the wall and disappeared. Don stared at the spot it had been for a moment, then started blasting the rest of the foot.
“Intriguing,” he said.
******************************
Raph started his way into the mouth of the cave. It wasn’t that far away from where Don went it, but it was considerably father down. He hoped this was the entrance that Don was talking about; otherwise he’d be wandering around in caves for who knows how long, while the other guys were taking all the risk of getting Leo back.
He went along slowly for a while, for it was very dark in the cave. The thought he could make out a little bit of light ahead, but he couldn’t be sure. The walls changed their texture from rocky to smooth. . . it felt like glass to Raph. The light seemed to be getting closer, and Raph thought he could make out a turn up ahead. As he drew closer, he saw another figure approaching him from the other side of what he thought was the turn. He quickly flattened himself against the wall, hoping that the other figure hadn’t seen him. He glanced down the hall again, only to catch a glimpse of the other darting into hiding. He decided to slowly sneak closer. He stayed as close to the wall as he could, and he could not see where the other figure had gone. Quite near where he judged the midpoint between himself and the figure would be, he paused, and prepared to leap out into battle. A few deep breaths, and Raph leapt into the center of the tunnel, screaming his best bezerker scream. The other figure leapt out at exactly the same time, and when Raph saw it, his scream died in his throat, and a chuckle burbled up from his chest. He saluted to the other figure, who saluted back. Of course, it was himself, in a distortion mirror.
Nice trick, Null, he thought. Then he paused. What was that sound? He heard it again, a kind of faint scraping, and a light whirring. There was something here that wasn’t him.
He turned down the brightly lit corridor of mirrors (it had been a turn after all), sais drawn, ready for an attack. The corridor branched several times, and Raph turned to face every opening, but the source of the sounds was no where to be seen. Raph came to another turn in the hall when the sounds grew louder. . . and came from behind him. He whirled, and saw Krang’s old android body walk out of one of the side tunnels and turn towards him. Krang himself was apparently no better for the wear; the evil brain from Dimension X was even more crazed looking than last he had seen him.
“TURLTE!!” Krang screamed out when he saw Raphael. “Ninja Turtle!”
Krang raised his arm and shot a laser blast toward Raph, who immediately ducked down the side tunnel. The blast ricocheted wildly off the mirrors, until finally it struck a non reflective surface, where it fizzled.
Raph ran down the hall, trying to think of a way out of this situation. “Crap crap crap,” he muttered as he ran along. Krang’s voice trailed after him. “Ninja turtles must be exterminated! EXTERMINATE!!!”
Raph took another turn, and suddenly stopped. He was at a dead end. There were mirrors on three sides of him, and he could hear Krang lumbering closer. “OK, time to use your head, old man,” Raph said to himself. Then he looked around at the mirrors and smiled. Now, that just might work, he thought to himself. Provided that Krang hasn’t gotten any more agile with age. . .
Krang rounded the last corner, and Raph stood waiting for him. “Come on, you big tin can! You can’t hit me from there! Krang aimed at Raphael, but the blast missed him and again ricocheted around the chamber. Raph waved Krang further into the chamber. Krang obliged and took another few steps before leveling his weapon at Raph once again.
“Perfect, sucker.” Said Raph as he dove between Krang’s legs, and as Krang fired another volley. Raph scrabbled back around the corner, as Krang’s shots ricocheted. A bolt of energy struck the bloated brain, and a thick, gooey purple ooze came out as he let out a ear-piercing scream. Raph watched as the android started to sink to the floor; but suddenly, it disappeared.
Raph started back, startled. Then he stepped back into the three sided room to investigate, but there was no sign of Krang or his android body. The only evidence of the entire battle was a gaping hole in the wall where a mirror had been shattered by Krang’s flailing.
“Okay, then,” Raph said as he stepped through the wall and into darkness.
*************************************
Mike was taking a long time getting in. The climb took longer than he had imagined, and then it took him a while to find the door. But now that he found it, he wasn’t sure how he was going to get in it.
Mike gazed toward the door from behind the gargoyle. In front of it, clad in black, save for his crome-plated armor, stood the nemesis of all the turtles; the Shredder. His gaze swept from right to left, left to right, slowly and methodically. A hunter searching for prey, Mike thought. He didn’t want to be that prey.
So, he thought to himself, if you’re not the prey, then you’re the hunter. With this thought in mind, he waited until the Shredder’s gaze was the farthest from him, then flung a pair of his chucks straight into his unarmored side. There was a gasp from the Shredder, but he was too good of a combatant to go down. His swords flashed in the direction that the throw had come from, but Mike was already on to of him, ducking the swords and delivering more blows to the Shredder’s body. As Mike picked up the chucks he had thrown, Shredder’s swords flashed down and connected with his carapace. The blow was only glancing, though, and only made a nick in Mikes shell, where a direct, powerful hit from the super sharp swords would have killed him. The Shredder was fast, though, and brought the hilt of his right hand sword down atop of Mike’s head. Dazed, Mike stumbled back, but not before Shredder had kicked him in the plastron. Mike fell to hi hands and knees, breathing hard. I’m loosing, he thought. He forced his head up, to look at the Shredder. At that point he noticed something; the door behind the Shredder was open.
If you can’t beat ‘em, he thought. . .
Mike feigned a fall, sprawling full length on the ground. The Shredder came closer, and held his sword high to deliver the death blow to Michaelangelo. Just as the blade began on it’s downward course, Mike rolled directly into Shredder’s legs with all his might. Shredder went sprawling, and Mike scrambled though the door, shutting it behind him. He was relieved to find a bolt, which he threw. He then sank to the ground, weary with effort, but pleased he had foiled Shredder. Only then did it occur to him that Shredder had been dead for almost 50 years.
Outside, the figure of Shredder stood up, stared at the door, and vanished.