TMNT: Trouble in the Tropics
 

Here is the turtles fanfic I talked about, set in the PD TMNT universe after Out of the Shadows. The jarring POV shifts in the narrative are a result of it supposed to be a novel Mikey is trying to write, with Leo's first person notes and commentary inserted in from time to time. And if you hate the Platinum Dunes film's, just think of this as set after season one of the Fred Wolf series, just with a bunch of other stuff happening. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

TMNT: Trouble in the Tropics

Prolouge

Mayan city of Taizumal, Central America, 500 years ago-

Oh, how he hated distractions.

He really despised them, all of the noises of the outside world that kept him from his sacred work. There were so many to disturb him; the sound of the various animals in the nearby jungle, the arrogant youth playing their game of Ulama in the sacred ball court outside. He usually avoided doing his work around this time of day, as those annoying Priests of Tlaloc would drag their victims up the side of the neighboring pyramid to sacrificed; and frankly, the sounds of the screaming as their beating hearts were ripped from their chests was such a bother when he was trying to complete a task.

But today.... was a special day.

Today was the day a special guest was coming, the day all of his life's work would finally come to bear fruit. This thought burned in his brain, as he ran hurriedly between his work table and his caudlron, pouring strange looking liquids into the mixture, causing it to hiss and boil. Opening one of his books, he carefully studied the glyphs he had written as notes, before turning to a nearby rodent sitting on a shelf.

"Pacal, could you bring me that green mixture, please?" The man asked, pointing his thumb back towards the workbench. ""It's the final ingredient I need for this batch."

The armored rat seemed to nod his head, and picked up a sealed beaker he scurried over and gave to the man. It amazed the citizens of Taizumal that he had been able to train this armored rat to obey his commands, and many considered it sorcery. But then, the work his did with alchemy might as well have been called sorcery, and it was giving his pet Pacal small doses of his experimental liquids that gave him control over the rodent.

It's true, most of his Subjects in the City of Taizumal feared Lord H'nataan, but that made little difference to the sorcerer-noble. He must have appeared as a fierce figure to his followers; A tall, muscular man covered in tattoos and ornamental piercings, he wore only a small colorful tunic and sandals. His fiery red hair was unusual for a Pipil Mayan such as himself. Little did most of them realize his odd hair color was the result of accidents with his experiments.

"My lord, Queen Sihuehuet is here to see you." A servant told him, standing nervously at the entrance to his apothecary. "She and her daughter wish to speak with you, at once."

"Ah, excellent!" Lord H'nataan smiled, motioning for the servant to bring them in. "Just the royal ladies I was hoping to see!"

Sihuehuet, the royal queen of the Cuzcatlan empire. Her legendary beauty was so great, that even H'nataan had trouble resisting her. By contrast, her young daughter Princess Jagwar was rather plain looking, but was supposed to be far more logical and level headed than her air-headed mother. Both women were dressed in colorful gowns, and decorated with jewelry of the finest Jade.

"Do you have the concoction?" The queen asked impatiently. "The magic that will make my daughter and as as beautiful as the moon goddess Awilix?"

"Mother, do you believe this is wise?" Princess Jagwar asked. "Drinking a strange potion that has not yet even been tried?"

"Quiet, you little fool!" Sihuehuet hissed back. "Have you not heard of the bearded demons whom have attacked our Aztec neighbors to the North?! H'nataan's magic will give us the strength and power to defeat these devils!"

Lord H'nataan was no position to argue with the queen; she was his strongest supporter, and the only other royal who believed his alchemy meant power. Sihuehuet have given him the city of Taizumal to rule after it's royal family had died out, and kept telling her husband, King Yeisun, that his work would mean only greatness for the empire.

"My queen, for years I have been experimenting with the primal ooze- the very essence of all creation that great god Itzamna used to first bring all living things into existance." H'nataan held up two small vials. "Within these containers I have mixed the ooze with the blood of powerful animals; one with the essence of the mighty Jaguar, the other with blood from the fierce beasts the Spanish conquerors ride... the monsters called horses." He handed the vials to the two women. "With the power within this magical ooze, you will be able to... No, wait!"

But it was too late, as both women each drank one of the vials. Both princess and queen stood there for a moment, before both suddenly doubled over in pain.

"Mother, what's happening?" Princerss Jagwar shrieked, as her body began to contort and twist. "ROAAARRRR!"

"Curse you, H'nataan, you promised us these mixtures would give us strength!" Sihuehuet screamed, her face growing longer. "Neeiiigggh!"

The two women each changed, one into a Jaugar woman, the other into a human horse. Horrified, the princess and her mother raced out of the temple that served as H'nataan's apothecary, and out into the jungles beyond Taizumal's vast fields of golden corn.

"Actually, I think it's an improvement for the two of you! I'm sure your husband will find your transformations most amusing, as well!" The alchemist-noble laughed. "I've given you the gift of being animals, no longer must either of you suffer in the disgusting forms of human beings!"

But surprisingly, King Yeisun didn't find the transformation of his wife and daughter amusing, at all. He ordered Lord H'nataan executed, then mummified and buried in Taizumal's largest temple. The very temple which had served as his apothecary, and which H'ntaan had ordered carved with images of his favorite animal, the rodent.

"Such is a fate befitting a foul rat like you, a creature so foul that no man can stand being in your presence!" Yeisun declared angrily. "Let us see you rule over rule over your fellow rats from the land of the dead!"

"Far better to rule rodents among the dead, that to be an emperor of filthy humans in the realm of the living!" H'nataan spat. "But if that's what you say I am, a Rat King I shall be!"

And so, Lord H'ntaan was executed and mummified, buried in his temple of the rats in a stone casket filled with the ooze his fellow Pipil Mayans believed to be evil magic. As to Queen Sihuehuet and Princess Jagwar, they were never found by the king's guards, and vanished into the myth and legends of the people of Central America.

As the ages past, The Cuzcatlan empire fell to the Spanish conquerors, and became the modern nation of El Salvador. Lord H'ntaan would rise only a few years after his death, foolishly released by greedy Spanish conquistadors who quickly met their ends. H'ntaan would then spend the centuries tormenting mankind, building an anthropomorphic army with his ooze, and making the world a better place for his loyal rodent subjects....

I see it's coming along nicely. Can't wait to read more. :)

Chapter one

New York City, 500 years later

This... is what we live for.

And so it begins. Eyes, locked. Stance, low. Four Brothers, Shinobi of the old tradition, racing across the skyline of the city. Leaping from building to building, unseen and undetected by the people on the streets below. While we are all focused on a common purpose, there are distractions that pull our attention away from our mutual goal.

"Aw, come on dudes! All this running around is making me hungry! Are you sure we can't stop for a pizza?"

"Mikey, if you don't shut that pizza pie hole of yours, I swear I'll shut it for you!"

"Knock off the tough guy act, Raph! Donnie, how long until we reach the warehouse?"

"About five hundred yards, straight ahead! There appears to be two limousines parked in front of the building. It seems all of the guests have arrived at the party."

Nodding, I motion for my three brothers to land on the warehouse's roof. Peering down through the open skylight, we see nearly fifty tough looking mobsters, all gathered for a meeting of two of the biggest bosses of the New York underworld. The four of us listen in carefully, as one of the mafosi begins to speak.

"Listen, Tony baby, this is the opportunity of a lifetime!" The tall, lanky one in the black fedora and coat stated. "With the Shredder and the foot clan gone, this city is ours for the taking."

"That bozo is Wolf Jackson, boss of the east side, runs most of the gambling dens and brothels." Donatello whispered, looking down and his portable computer. "Not a nice customer, any way you slice it."

"I don't know, Wolf. It sounds pretty risky." The fat mob boss with a mustache replied. "Why should I stick me and my boys necks out for a bigger piece of the pie, when we could just settle for our own little slice?"

"That monster is Tony "The butcher" Vivaldi. Boss of the North side, and one of the foulest murderers in the entire mob." Donatello's face turned... well, even greener, as he read his computer screen. "He's wanted for over a hundred counts of murder. Torture, disemboweling, cannibalism... this guy's done it all, Even the other mafiosi don't like him."

"Well, then, let's go in and make sure he can't hurt anyone else ever again!" I declare, drawing my katatas. "Let's get in there, and take em' out!"

We smash through the skylight, and descend on the mobsters like predators on prey. These gangsters are surprised to see us, but that doesn't stop them from fighting back.

"It's them turtle freaks!" Vivaldi screams. "Nail em'!"

We move in swiftly, striking our opponents with the deadly precision of a snake. Defecting the bullets one gangster shoots at me, I slice the barrel off of his gun, before I headbutt the loser, knocking him to the ground. Raphael brings his sai down upon another's wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon, then flipping the mobster over his back. Michelangelo runs in between two of the thugs, slamming one of his nunchaku into each of their skulls, causing them to go down. And Donatello spun his long bow staff around, knocking several mobsters off of their feet.

My brothers and I moved through the warehouse like a hurricane; knocking, stabbing, and kicking our way to victory. It is our duty to take criminals like these down, as we are ninja, raised and taught by master splinter to use our ninjitsu to protect the innocent people of New York City from harm. This city is our clan, and all of it's people are our daimyo that we must protect. We were four creatures born of a lab experiment, escaping as infants into a world where we had no purpose. Father's training has given our existence meaning, and so we protect a world that would hate us.

"These monsters, they're everywhere!" One of the more cowardly thugs declared, running away from the battle in fear. "Get them away from me, somebody help!"

We must appear terrifying to these mobsters, and not only because we're four man-sized talking turtles. Master splinter taught us a ninja illusion trick, the Maboroshi no Jutsu, which allows us to appear as bigger, bulkier, scary monsters- like something out of a Micheal Bay film. In truth, we are much smaller in size, and wear simple multicolored bandannas and elbow and knee wrappings. But both ally and enemy alike see us as giants cluttered with junk, due to this jutsu illusion we subconsciously project.

The fleeing gangster is about to get away, when he meets the hard end of a hockey stick.

"About time you showed up, Casey." Raph chuckled, roundhouse kicking another thug away. "I thought you weren't going to make it!"

"What, and miss all the fun?" the Sicilian-American in the hockey mask chuckled, as he cracked one of gangsters over the head with a baseball bat. "Let's show these lawbreakers who's boss!"

Arnold "Casey" Jones, a long haired ex-prison guard who lost his mind, and turned violent vigilante. He joins us in the battle, beating nearly a dozen of the mobsters to death with his sporting gear. I don't approve of his violent methods that make even Raph look civil, but he can be a useful ally in a fight.

The battle lasts for nearly ten minutes- cuts, slashes, blows, stabs, bullets and blood flying all over the place- before it's only us and Tony Vivaldi left standing. Pulling out a large butcher knife, he charges at me, a mad fury in his eyes.

"Stinking turtle! I'll tear you apart for screwing everything up!"

He stabs at me wildly, and I easily block his blows as katana strikes knife. After a few moments of deflecting his strikes, I chop his razor-sharp blade off at the handle, before striking him down with a blow to the chest.

It isn't long before we hear the wail of sirens, and within moments the warehouse is surrounded by police cars. the NYPD come swarming into the building, and they obviously aren't surprised to see us.

"Ore and begorah!" One of the officers declares, yelling in his thick Irish accent. "It be the teenage mutant ninja leprechauns!"

"Ha ha, very funny, O' Flannery!" Raph chuckles, as he goes over to the Irish cop. "Saint Patrick's day was last week. Now why don't ya help me get the cuffs on these creeps!"

Donnie makes his way over to Officer Irma Langstien, the NYPD'S forensics scientist, who was already cleaning up bullets and samples of blood.

"Gee Donnie, I really wish you and your brother's didn't make such a mess." Miss Langstien sighs, adjusting her coke bottle glasses. "It always makes my job so much harder!"

"Sorry about that Irma, you know how messy these fights can get." Donnie replies nervously. "Say, if you weren't busy tonight, I convinced Mikey to join me for a D20 game, and we need another player. If you'd like to join us, and we could use your apartment, that'd be great!"

I try to put that conversation out of my head, as well as pretend there's nothing going on between Donnie and Irma. At the the same time, I hear Mikey strike up a conversation with his officer friend.

"Yo, officer Leavitt! Wassup!" My most energetic brother exclaims. "Thanks for leaving that pizza for me and my bros, girl!"

"No problem, Michelangelo. And please, call me Kenya." She laughed. "So, how that hiphop album you and Raph are working on? And what about that novel you wanted to write?"

As they all start laughing and joking around, I can only shake my head. Sometimes I wonder if the alliance we struck up with the NYPD after Krang's attack on the city was a good idea. But at least is gives my brothers an outlet for their energies, and allowed them to make some new friends. As I contemplate these things, Lieutenant Jade comes up behind me, tapping me on the shoulder.

"You and your brothers did well here, tonight, Leonardo. Thanks to you, two of the city's top gangs will be behind bars." She frowned, looking over at Casey. "I just wish Jones had left enough of the mobsters alive for us to question."

"Yeah? Well, I'm happy to see you too, little miss by the book!" Casey yelled angrily, storming out of the warehouse. "Maybe if chief Vincent hadn't kicked me off the force, I wouldn't be such a pain in your behind!"

"Anyway, we're happy with the work you four have done." Jade continued, getting back on topic. "Since Karai decided to take the foot clan back to Japan, the street gangs and the mob bosses have been fighting over control of the city. With these two out of the picture, it only leaves Big Louie and Don Turtelli in the battle to control the New York underworld."

"But whichever one of them takes over, it'll still be bad for the people of New York." I sigh. "It seems like we are fighting a battle we can never truly win."

And it really does feel that hopeless. After my brothers and I stopped Krang's attempt to bring the Technodrome to New York, Shredder and Krang were left trapped in Dimension X. Rocksteady and Bebop managed to escape custody, and broke into the police evidence locker to get the teleportation device to free their master. But when the two idiots activated the machine, they accidentally caused it to explode, sending them on a one way trip to join Shredder and Krang in Dimension X. With the four villains trapped and the only way to open a portal from either side destroyed, we thought our war against evil in the city was over. But the problems with the criminal underworld have only worsened since then.

"Don't give up hope, Leonardo. You and your brothers are making a difference." Jade reassures me. "You can't defeat every criminal in the city in one day."

"No, and that's why my brothers and I need to get away." I reply, shaking my head. "For a long time, Mikey has been begging us to take a vacation, and maybe it's about time we just went ahead and did it."

Chapter 2

Chalchuapa, El Salvador, near the Taizumal ruins

Oh, how much this place reminded him of home.

It wasn't home, of course. For him, home was a world away, in the swamps of Southern Louisiana. But this place- the green foliage, the humid air and cool waters- it reminded him so much of his home on the bayou. It was a rare moment that a man like Jess Harley was sentimental, and it was only a moment before he was back hacking away at the undergrowth with his Bowie knife.

"Hey Stockman, you back there?" He growled, chopping his way through the underbrush. "You better be keepin' up with me, or I gonna turn you into swamp stew, you betcha!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Don't rush me, you overgrown Cajun Neanderthal!" The slightly overweight scientist whined, stumbling through the thick foiliage. "Honestly, I have no idea why you brought me to an overgrown Jungle, in the middle of a third world county with poor sanitation,in order to look at a crumbling set of ruins!"

"Not just any ruins, you stupid scientifique!" Harley hissed. "The city of Taizumal, home of the legendary H'nataan. An' I heard he was buried with a whole load a' gold and jewels, a treasure that gonna make us rich, by gumbo!"

"But Jess, Tazumial is a fully restored archeological site, in the middle of a park for tourists!" Stockman pointed out, as the trudged their way towards the edge of the forest growth. "Don't you think these ruins have already been picked clean?"

"Stupide! Don't you think they got everything? Ol' Harley, he know there still treasure here, and dat's why I brought you to help me find it, yeah?"

Stockman was about to disagree with the Cajun's assessment, but then he thought the better of it. Jess Harley was one of the most dangerous exotic animal poachers and criminals to ever come out of Bay St. Louis, Lousiana. Trained in Apache knife fighting by his mother, Jess had used his tracking and combat skills to steal and murder his way out poverty. he had been working an a mercenary for the foot when Stockman met him, and Harley had rescued the scientist from the foot Ninja after Shredder had betrayed him. the two were now on the run from the authorities in Central America, when Harley had picked up a rumor about some kind of treasure being here.

"Ah, there it is!" Harley smiled a crocodile grin, as they came out into a wide clearing. "We've found the ruins! And it's after closing for the park, so we won't have any unexpected guests while we work!"

The two made there way though the open ruins, past the remains of the sacred ball court and the temple of the columns. Looking over the series of structures with ancient carvings, Stockman could only shake his head in amazement.

"Can you believe how advanced these primitives were?" The scientist asked in awe. "To see what they accomplished, with such a low level of technology..."

"I be more concerned with what valuables they might have left behind." Harley replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Lost treasure that's gonna put you an' me on easy street, you betcha!"

Stockman just rolled his eyes, and continued to follow the Cajun.

On the far end of the ruins, they found the Templo de la rata, an obsidian pyramid that had just recently be excavated and restored from the deep earth. As they approached the structure, Stockman found an annoyance buzzing around his face.

"Argh, there are flies everywhere!" The scientist groaned, swatting the bugs away in annoyance. "I think I even swallowed a few!"

"Stop complainin' about the bugs, we have bigger mosquitoes down in de swamp!" The Cajun gestured up the steps of the obsidian temple. "C'mon, lets have a look inside here first, yeah?"

The two tore away the fencing that had been put up to keep trespassers out, then Harley turned on a flashlight as they entered the darkness of the temple.

"Sacre Bleu this place is plenty creepy, no?" Harley asked, flashing his light around, and looking and the ghostly carvings and paintings that decorated the walls. "Kinda reminds me of de show places out in da swamps where the houngans and mamabos work there voodoo, you betcha."

"Bah, I do not believe in such superstitions, Harley." Stockman scoffed, before walking face first into a carving of a jewel-eyed skull that came out of the darkness. "Of course, that doesn't mean this place isn't unsettling, though."

The two continued on into the darkness, when they suddenly heard a set of footsteps approaching from behind. Quickly spinning around, the pair of would be grave robbers saw a familiar, and yet entirely unexpected, face staring back at them.

"Hello, gentleman." A calm and even voice greeted them, looking back and forth between the two. "What brings you both to my humble home?"

"Eric? Eric Sachs? What you be doing here?" Harley asked in shock. "Last I hear, you be disappearin' after that whole mess in New York two years ago!"

"Eric, it's so good to see an old friend and colleague again!" Stockman smiled, greeting the fellow scientist who had worked with him on project Renaissance so long ago. "But how'd you get here? Karai seized and liquidated all the assets of Both TCRI and Sachs industries before she returned to Japan, reabsorbing all the money into the foot clan. We're both penniless!"

"You know, I so hate coming home to find uninvited guests." Sachs raised both of his arms, and the two intruders began to notice several rats running down the corridor around their feet. Those few rodents quickly turned into a swarm, which quickly engulf Stockman and Harley like a tidal wave. "You both really should have called before you came."

"Help! Somebody get them off of me!" Stockman pleaded, flailing helplessly under the rat swarm. "I can't move!"

"Get off a me, you filthy rodents!" Harley roared, swinging his Bowie knife around wildly. "Or I gonna make you into rat souffle!"

"The two of you came here seeking great wealth, but I shall offer you both great power instead." Sachs pulled out a canister of green glowing ooze, as his handsome features melted away to reveal the shriveled, bandaged form of a Mayan mummy instead. "Now, what do you both say we bring out your inner animal?"

The rats swarmed off of the two grave robbers, as the mummy began to pour the green ooze all of the Cajun and the Scientist. Both Harley and Stockman began to scream in agony, as their bodies started to shift and transform...

Chapter three

It seems my brothers very enthusiastic about my vacation idea.

"Dudes! We should so totally go to Hawaii!" Michelangelo tells the rest of us, playing away on his Atari 2600 Donnie had refurbished. "It's the most awesomest place to catch some primo surfin' waves!"

"Actually, I'd love to go to the Galapagos islands, myself." Donatello adds, sitting over on the other side of the lair, tinkering with some kind of gizmo. "I'd love to explore the island's rich biodiversity... especially in regards to sea turtles."

"Bah! I say we go to Hong Kong, bust up some triads, and catch a Kung-Fu flick or two!" Raphael added, slamming away on his punching bag. "Sounds way better than what these other two want to do!"

Listening to the three bicker over where we should go is most annoying, it makes it so I am unable to concentrate on my kata as I go through the move sets. When their argument finally increases in volume to full-on shouting I finally decide to step in, and put my foot down.

"Listen, we are all going to agree where to go on vacation, or we're not going at all!" I snap, turning away from my sword practice. "In fact, I think it would really be a good idea to seek advice from master Splinter where we should travel. Maybe he has a place he'd like to visit?"

All eyes in the lair turn to our sensei, the wise old sage rat who appears to be deep in meditation. He was obviously able to block out my brother's disagreement, as he is still in his deep contemplation of the mysteries of the universe.

"Master Splinter, we can't seem to agree on where we should go for our vacation." I ask him, walking over to the zen Buddhist shrine where sensei likes to meditate. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Sensei opens his eyes, but still fails to answer, as he stares blankly into space, as if someone or something far away was calling to him. After several moments of silence, I ask him again;

"Master Splinter?"

"Oh, Leonardo! Sorry, I did not see you there." Father replies with a chuckle, after breaking out of a trance. "What were you asking me, again?"

"Where should we go on our vacation?" I ask him again. "I left the decision to my brothers, but they can't seem to make up their minds."

"El Salvador." He looks up in the air for several seconds, as if he were listening to somebody speaking far away. "We must go to the place called Taizumal in El Salvador. That is where we will have our vacation."

"Central America? Sweet!" Mikey exclaims, bouncing around like a hyperactive toddler. "It would be AWESOME to catch some rays on El Libertad beach!"

"Hmmm, I could study the biodiversity of EL Impossible national park." Donatello mused. "I'd love to see their volcano, too."

"Eh, bustin' up Latino drug gangs is just as much fun as busting up triads. El Salvador works for me." Raph looks over at Michelangelo. "Though Mikey has to leave that stupid flying skateboard behind!"

And I am interested in seeing the ancient pyramids of the Maya, myself- the ancient past of the many nations and cultures of this world fascinates me. It may surprise some that a ninja has interest in history, but as a practitioner of Bushido, it is my duty to cultivate my knowledge in some field of study. In my case, I chose history. And although I personally prefer the history of southeast Asia and the swordsman and martial artists of Japan, I also enjoy learning of other cultures, as well.

"So, we'll be heading to El Salvador, then." I reply with a nod. "All right, I'll make the necessary preparations."

But as my three brothers are celebrating, I look back over at master Splinter sitting in front of the shrine. Glancing down in front of him, I notice a newspaper clipping with a photograph of a Japanese man. Curious, I read the name below the picture.

"Master, who is that man?" I ask him curiously. "Who is Hamato Yoshi?"

"What? Oh, pay no attention to that, Leonardo." Our surprised sensei replies, quickly slipping the picture away. "You and your brothers need to get ready for the long journey ahead of us."

...

"You have got to be kidding me!" Raph groans in disgust. "THAT'S what we're going to be traveling in!?"

His disbelief is understandable; I too cannot believe what we are going to be flying inside.

I had told the NYPD that we would be taking a vacation, and chief Vincent had promised to handle the transportation issues for us (as a way to thank us for all we had done for the city). But when we get to JFK international airport, we find the most unorthodox aircraft we could have possibly imagined.

"A... blimp." Donnie adds in disbelief. "It's a giant, green blimp with turtle patterns and colors all over it... that says turtles right on the side."

"It's a blimp formerly owned by the national wildlife federation, that they fly at parades to draw awareness to endangered sea turtle species. We'll be traveling under the cover of an environmental goodwill tour to Latin America" I explain. "Chief Vincent believes it'll be like hiding in plain sight. Besides, the gondola has enough space for living quarters for each of us, and enough room to bring the turtle van along, as well."

"Yeah, too bad it doesn't have enough room for the Tartaruga brothers truck." Mikey sighs. "I'd loved to have tried driving that thing on the mean streets of San Salvador."

"Hmm, I should be able to pilot this thing." Donnie muses. "All I might actually be able to get us to Central America without crashing."

"You will do fine, my son." Splinter reassures him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I believe you can do anything you put your mind to."

"Well, then I guess we'll be traveling in the 'turtle blimp'." Raph growls sarcastically. "I just hope if this thing crashes, our 'turtle trooper parachutes' will work."

As we all start to board the blimp, our friend Casey is there to see us off. He's not very good with words, but the crazed vigilante lifts his mask, and tries his best.

"Don't worry, you're leaving the city in good hands with me. And I'll take good care of the lair while you're gone." He tells us. "By the time you guys get back, I'll have put Big Louie and Turtelli in their graves." He looked away in anger. "I'll protect this city for you, and for April..."

Both of us fall silent at that, trying not to remember how a dear friend who had decided to leave us so recently. April had had enough of the craziness we had brought into her life, and had decided to leave New York for good. She wanted to put us all behind her forever, she told us, and didn't want us looking for her or coming after her. Poor Casey didn't take her departure very well, and it only aided his downward spiral into a crazy vigilante. Mikey hopes April will return one day, but Master Splinter told me he sensed the truth; April O' Neal is never coming back.

Trying to break the tense moment, I put a hand on our human friend's shoulder.

"Good luck, Casey." I tell him with a smile. "Be sure not to burn NYC down while we're gone."

And with that, we depart into the night sky, and were off towards our destination.

Chapter Four

The Salvadorian village of Bien Esperanza was normally a quaint, tranquil little place. Like something out of one of those folk paintings in a museum, it would almost seem to any visitor that one has stepped back in time. Small houses with straw roofs gathered all clustered together in a large group, with an old colonial Spanish church (Now a Pentecostal church, thanks to American missionaries) standing at the very center. An old crumbling Pipl pyramid, covered in grass and tree growth, stood at the edge of the village, while endless fields of corn stretched out on every direction, covering the land like a golden sea.

At the village taberna, two old men watched the children in the village play, as they slowly sipped at their drinks, talking about the same topics they usually did.

"Hey Pedro, you think we got a good harvest in this year?" The first asked in Spanish, scratching his nose under his mustache.

"Si' Gonzales. There gonna be a lotta good food at this years fiesta." Pedro replied, lowering his hat over his eyes. "Though mi daughter, she not gonna let me eat too much and get sick again this year, I think."

His old friend chuckled at the other's comment, until they both began to hear a strange noise filling the air. It came out of the forest beyond the cornfields, starting as a low humming sound, then gradually getting louder and louder.

"Wht is day noise, senior?" Pedro asked, listening to the approaching sounds. "Maybe it some new el coche the village kids picked up in Santa Ana, and decided to drive back here."

"No, man, it no car." Gonzales assured him. "It sound more like... the croaking of frogs..."

Those were the last words out of The poor old man's mouth, as an arrow went straight though the side of his neck, killing him instantly.

"GONZALES!" The older old man cried out. Pedro turned to look, and saw to his horror a whole army of humanoid frogs swarming out of the forest, and hoping into the village "Madre di Dios!"

The invaders swept over the whole town, cutting down the villagers with arrows, and then raiding the houses and barns for whatever food and supplies they could find. Pedro saw a terrified man trying to escape into the woods, when another frog hopped into his path, chopping the young man's head of with the swing of an ax.

"Oh no! I gotta get outta here!" The old man cried, making a run for the forest beyond the village. But a large bullfrog saw Pedro, and launched his long tongue at the fleeing human.

"No! It can't end like this!" Pedro called out in terror, as the frog's sticky tongue caught and reeled him back in. "Somebody, help me-!"

"GULP!"

The bullfrog swallowed him, and Pedro was gone.

The frogs finished looting all the houses, and set fire to the entire village. As they gathered up all the bodies and loot, they vanished back into the forest, from which they had originally come.
----

"Sacre Bleu!" Leatherhead exclaimed, as the punk frogs left their tribute in front of the gator man's throne. "You frogs made quite de haul you brought back from tonight's raid, you betcha!"

"Not only that, they totally wiped the village of San Esperanza off thew map!" Buzzkill added gleefully, the giant fly man zipping around the pyramid where Leatherhead's throne sat. "Now, all of the other villages will know to fear us, and will gladly pay tribute to save their own skin!"

"Yeah, but the frogs would have done much better if Genghis and his rebellious little brigade had joined in de attack!" Leatherhead grumbled. "That punk frog and his conscience are a becoming a real annoyance!"

"Yes, such good combat skills, wasted on a frog with an honor code." Buzkill noted. "He's not useful for much else besides guard duty."

"Well, we don't have time to worry about dat right now." Leatherhead got up from his throne, and began to march out of the Pyramid with Buzzkill in tow. "The rat King has summoned us to his temple, and it's high time we went to make a report."

"OH, no! I really don't like going to see him, Leatherhead!" The whiny fly buzzed, flapping nervously around the much larger gator man. "Do we really have to come there?"

"Quiet yourself down, Buzzkill! There's no way outta this unpleasant task!" Letherhead snapped back, as they crossed the ruins of Taziumal. "You know we need his help to make more of the magic voodoo water, so we gotta come when he calls, you betcha!"

The two mutants proceeded to cross the ruined plaza, and approached the dark obsidian form of the templo de La Rata. Buzzkill and Leatherhead slowly ascended the long row of stairs, as the frighted insect warily averted his eyes from the carved skulls and rats that decorated the sides of the Pyramid.

"Why cant' he live someplace less creepy?" Buzzkill whined. "Every second I'm afraid something's going to jump out of the shadows and eat me!"

"Quiet you pesky bug." Leatrherhead hissed, as the pair entered the temple on top of the Pyramid. Raising his voice, the gator man called out. "Oh, mighty Rat King, we have come to answer your summons! Speak, that we may carry out your commands!"

Several rats and mice of every kind came swarming out of the darkness, and the two mutants kneeled as a pair of glowing eyes appeared before them.

"Welcome, my friends! I have a little task for you." A raspy voice whispered from the darkness. "I have five friends coming down here to the jungle... four turtle ninjas, and their rat master. Greet them warmly, and bring them before me."

"Que? Four... turtle ninjas?" Leatherhead asked in surprise. "These tortue must be mutants like us, no?"

Buzzkill seemed to react with anger at the mention of the four turtles, as if he knew what the Rat King was talking about. But he said nothing.

"Do not underestimate them, Leatherhead." The Rat King hissed. "These creatures are the ones who ruined my plans in New York. I spent years in the guise of Eric Sachs, manipulating Shredder and his foot clan into poisoning the city's water supply. And those four freaks ruined my plans." The glowing eyes narrowed. "I can't believe I provided the mutagen that allowed them to be transformed in the first place."

"So, you want us to capture these mutants for you?" The fly man buzzed. "It will be a pleasure to terminate those annoying pests!"

"Do what you wish with the turtles, but the rat is mine." The voice hissed. "He shall make a fine addition to my loyal subjects."

"Hmm, I could have them fight in the arena of fire... I have the perfect four frogs who been questioning my orders, who would make the perfect opponents. It would be an entertaining way to get rid of all of them." Leatherhead gave a crocodile grin. "But... if we are going to carry out your orders, tres bien, I will need some more frog soldiers for my army..."

"So, you desire more mutagen, do you? Hm, very well." A canister of the green ooze came bouncing out of the darkness, and Buzzkill picked it up. "Have your little fly scientist there synthesize this ooze, to make the substance you need."

"Making mutants is so difficult, I need to mix up the ooze, add the animal DNA... it's not like that nonsense I told shredder about 'animal ancestor genes' was true." The fly complained. "If only Leatherhead didn't didn't go through punk frog soldiers so fast!"

"Hey, it's not my fault the villagers in the towns we raid have become better shots." Leatherhead protested. "My army's strength is in numbers, I guarantee."

"Quit your whining, the both of you!" The voice yelled at the two of them. "If it weren't for my mutagen, you imbeciles would still be the useless animal poacher and worthless scientist you were when you tried to rob my temple!" The two glowing eyes disappeared back into the shadows. "Now go, and carry out my commands without delay!"

"Four turtles and a rat..." The two left the Pyramid with Leatherhead shaking his head in frustration. "Why do I have to waste my frog troops on hunting them down?"

"You may not have to, Leatherhead." Buzzkill reached into his tattered lab coat, and pulled out a two legged metal monstrosity with a big jaw. "Check out this mechanic marvel! A completely clockwork gear device, based on Pipil Mayan technology I found in the Pyramid!" He wound up a key on the metal creature's back, and set it on the ground. The Little metal terror began to hop forward, chomping at the air. "No computer parts on chips in it whatsoever, and it's intelligence is provided by The rat king's mutagen I incorporated into it's body."

"So this little wind up terror will seek out the rat and the turtles for us, hm?" Leatherhead mused, looking down at the metal creature. "How many of these little creatures can you send out, tres bien?"

"I have about three dozen, ready to wind up, and go seek out those annoying pests!" The fly man rubbed his mandibles together."And since these things are hunting a rat, I decided to call them mousers."

Chapter 5

The blimp glides silently over the gulf of Mexico, the five of us gazing down into the clear blue waters. My brothers and I had, of course, flown farther south during their mission to the Brazilian rain forest to stop Bebop and Rocksteady. But there was a major difference between a flight on a cargo plane, and a slow glide where they could take their time to look at all of the scenery.

"Dudes, scope out all of those cool-looking fish down there!" Michelangelo tells us, peering out one of the windows on the gondola. "It's like going to an Aquarium the size of NYC!"

"I hate to say this, but you're right, Mikey." Raphael sighs, gazing out over the tranquil waters of the gulf. "Out here, a guy could almost forget to be angry, and just relax himself."

"That, coming from you, Raph?" Mikey asks in surprise, as he gazes down and the schools of tropical fish. "Dude, I didn't think there was a moment you were alive, that you weren't, like, angry at something."

"Yeah? Well, I'm getting pretty angry at you right now, you surfing beach bum!" Raphael growled, his anger flaring up for a brief moment. "Now shut up and watch the fish!"

As my two brothers look out the window on the left, Master Splinter and I are sitting at the windows on the right. Looking up from time to time as I polish my kanji-covered katana, I couldn't help but admire the sheer beauty of the endless blue. Turning to master Splinter, I ask him;

"Sensei, do you ever wonder how something this tranquil can exist, in a world so filled with violence and anger?" I ask, not turning my gaze away from the amazing view. "Out here, all of our fighting and battles in New York seem a world away."

"Such is the mystery of the world, my son." Master Splinter replies, stroking his beard. "Darkness and light coexist with each other, and the two sides balance each other out. This intermingling of chaos and order gives the world it's zen, and allows all things to continue in balance."

Nodding my head at his sage but esoteric advice, I continue to clean my blade, as the world goes by beneath us. Meanwhile, Donnie was at the blimp's controls, guiding the zeppelin towards the approaching Central American coast.

"Hey, guys? We're coming up on the central American coast now." Our nerdy brother calls back to us. "If you guys want to see something amazing, you should come up and take a look out the front view port, right now."

The four of us enter the front cabin... and are were awestruck by what we see. The endless sea of blue gave way to the endless sea of green. The green canopy of the tropical rain forest formed an impenetrable roof beneath us, making the ground below completely hidden from view. It wasn't long, however, before the jungle gave way to cleared lands. It was inhabited land; filled with villages, farms, and fields. Several hours later, we are approaching a medium sized city, filled with red-tiled roofs and old colonial buildings. Donnie looks back at us with a wide grin.

"My brothers, welcome to the city of Santa Ana."

We touch down in a dingy old airport on the edge of the city, and dock the blimp in a dingy old hanger. Stepping off of the gondola, we close the giant hangar door, before unloading the turtle van. After we have gotten everything unpacked and settled, Mikey is eager to get this show on the road.

"So dudes, you guys ready for a night on the town?" He asks enthusiastically. "Man, I can't wait to get out there, and meet all those pretty senoritas!"

"Now hold on a minute, Romeo!" Raph puts a hand on his shoulder. "You know we can't go out there and show our faces! Those people will be freaking out the moment they spot us!"

"Not necessarily, Raph." I tell him, handing each of my brothers a trench coat and fedora. "You guys know how the Maboroshi no Jutsu allows us to appear bigger and scarier? Well, I thought maybe we could use the jutsu to blend in with humans in a crowded area."

Putting on my hat and coat, I lower my head, and concentrate. My shape vaguely blurs, and suddenly I look like a human (well, if you don't look too closely). All of my brothers gasp in shock.

"Duuuude! That is sooo awesome!" Mikey yells excitedly. "Now we can go around in public!"

"This is incredible!" Donnie exclaims, walking around and examining me. "Unless somebody is paying close attention, you would just blend into a crowd."

"So, you played around with the disguise jutsu a bit, and came up with a human illusion, huh?" Rpah asks. "Good Job, Leo. Kinda makes up for you being a jerk that time we wanted look human on the outside."

"Guys, remember... our human appearance is just an illusion." I tell them, as the others put on their trench coats and fedoras and perform the jutsu to change. "If you interact with people for too long or draw a lot of people's attention to yourself, they'll see through it. So let's be careful out there." I then turn to master Splinter, offering him a coat and hat. "You coming with us, sensei?"

"No, you and your brothers go ahead, Leonardo." Master Splinter replies, sitting on the floor in a cross-legged position, and closing his eyes. "I shall remain here, and meditate for awhile."

I can tell something is bothering out father, but my brothers and I are eager to get out and see the city. Making sure we're well disguised, we walk out of the hangar door, and head out for a day on the town.

-----


There are no words to describe how amazing it is, to be able to go out during the daytime, and just blend into the crowd. Santa Ana is incredible, a much different place that our own beloved New York. I want to see the Museo regional history museum, while Donnie is excited to stop at the Escuela de la Artes, the art museum. Raph finds a few moments of peace in his angry existence at the Santa Ana cathedral, while Mikey goes crazy going through the stores of the Metrocentro de Santa Ana mall. Everyone got a little of what they wanted out of the trip, making it one of the most fun times we four brothers have ever had together.

"Dude, this mall is so totally AWSEOME!" Mikey calls out, when we're sure everyone else is out of earshot. "I love this vacation!"

And some of the things we got to try! For lunch we get to eat this really delicious tortilla called the Pupusa- it kind of reminds me of a gordita, but tastes even better! We ordered about thirty of the things, stuffed with pepperoni, cheese, and pizza sauce, and they barely lasted ten minutes. Mikey managed to pick up a recipe book, and I know we'll be having Pupusa pizza for awhile when we get back home.

Raph wants to prove how macho he was, so he uses his ninja skills to climb up a tall tree, and knock some kind of cashew fruit that the locals seem to love. I tried some of the - Marañones, I think it's called? I think the fruit tastes too sweet, but my three brothers seem to like it well enough. Raph's feat did draw some unwanted attention from the locals, so we had to get out of there, quick.

Now, I think it's really great to be able to go around the city like that in the daytime, but we're all sad we aren't able to interact with anyone in the city, do to the disguise nature of the jutsu. True, Donnie is the only one of us who speaks Spanish fluently, but it felt like we were still isolated from the rest of the world, not being able to interact with anybody else for too long.

Ah, well. Perhaps things we'll be better later tonight, when we all split up and go our separate ways to enjoy ourselves for the evening. I just hope everything goes well for my brothers; I've learned to trust them, but I'm still afraid they'll get themselves into some trouble....

Chapter six

(Punk frog's dialogue for this chapter translated from Spanish)

The sound of metal clanking filled the jungle, as about three hundred or so mousers ran along the forest floor, chomping away on whatever undergrowth or small animals got in their path. Overhead, nearly two dozen mutant punk frogs hopped along after them, trailing the mechanical monsters through the El Salvadorian Rain forest. But

"I cannot believe it, Genghis! This is an utter disgrace!" Rasputin croaked angrily, the brownish grey spikethumb frog hopping along after his commander. "The most skilled unit of Punk frogs in Leatherhead's army, reduced to working as backup for a bunch of mechanical monsters on a mission!"

"Calm yourself, Rasp. we're not errand boys here." Genghis replied, the Morelet's tree frog leading the others on their expedition. "We follow the mousers to their targets, then deal with the turtles while they deal with the rat."

"Seems like a waste of our talents, to be going after a bunch of slow shellbacks." The proud Rasputin scoffed, puffing his chest out like a toad. "Buzzkill's little pets should be left to handle this work."

"Genghis would never have frogs waste their time, Genghis good leader!" Napoleon Bonafrog growled, the large, overly strong bullfrog showing his usual blind loyalty to his commander. "If he say it important mission, Napoleon believe him!"

"Thank you for that vote of confidence Napoleon." Genghis nodded toward his group's strongman. "Hmmm, it looks like the mousers are heading towards the city. Remember, if we encounter humans when we engage the turtles, do not allow any harm to befall them."

"Why do you always insist we protect the humans, Genghis?" Attila hissed, the El Salvadoran stream frog leaping into the water, and along until he could jump back to a tree closer to Genghis. "Your compassion for the primates is why our platoon are not allowed to go on raids, and are always stuck on guard duties."

"Have you forgotten that we were once humans, Attila?" Their leader asked, trying to keep his temper in check. "Our that we are still part human now, with warm blood still flowing through our veins, as it does with all mutants?"

"Yes, we were human once. We were all poor homeless trash living on the streets of San Salvador, San Miguel, and Opico. Our homes were ramshackle huts cobbled together out of wooden planks and discarded trash, and we drank contaminated water and ate scraps out of the garbage." Attila spat angrily. "We wore rags to cover our bodies, and the upper classes didn't care if we lived or died."

"Until Leatherhead came to each of us with an offer of power, promising we would never be poor again." Rasputin continued. "He transformed us into frogs with his mutagen, and now we are like gods instead of men. We even changed our names to reflect conquerors and kings." He looked over to Genghis. "Why should we show consideration to a species that treated us so poorly?"

Genghis was about to answer, when he noticed some movement far off in the distance to their left. The punk frog leader's enhanced hearing picked up the sound of someone following them, shadowing their every move through the jungle.

"Genghis, we're being followed." Attila told him. "I hear the sounds of a Macuahuitl chopping away at the undergrowth, and cat claws scraping on the bark of trees."

"I know, Attila, I hear it." Genghis looked off towards the deep jungle. "I think it's her again, she's following us."

"You think it's the princess?" Rasputin asked, actually sounding concerned. "We'd better pick up our pace, then, I have no desire to be torn limb from limb."

"Bah! Napoleon can take stupid cat girl!" Bonafrog roared. "Punk Frogs destroy her!"

"We might be able to take her down, but she's slay three quarters of us before we could kill her." Attila added, thinking tactically. "My advice is to avoid conflict altogether."

"Don't worry, she knows my unit will never attack innocents, so she'll just watch us from a distance." Genghis replied, motioning to the sides. "Still, have the female frog archers flank either side for defense. I'm not going to take any chances with frogs under my command."

And as they continued on towards the City, Genghis looked back to see a glowing pair of Jaguar eyes following them slowly through the darkness...

Chapter seven

And so that evening, the four of us each went our separate ways to take some personal time on our vacation. Mikey decides to head to the beach, to try and get in some surf and sun...

"Dude, this is what I've always dreamed of." The turtle with the orange bandanna muttered under his breath, nearly dropping his board in shock. "It's like a surfer's dream come true!"

Mikey had good reason to be in awe, with the amazing sight that stretched out before him. And endless beach that seemed to roll on forever, with mighty waves that came rolling in from the ocean, only to turn into the gentle tide when the reached the shore. The laid back beach turtle, who had only ever been able to surf in the sewer or on his rocket skateboard, now saw his greatest dream staring him in the face.

"I-I can't believe it!" He sniffed, tears in his eyes. "It's all so beautiful!"

"Yes, it's a very pretty sight, isn't it amigo?" A young woman asked, walking up beside Mikey. "I always like to come here, when I wanted to get away for for awhile."

"Whoa, Dudette! I didn't like, hear you coming up behind me." Mikey jumped back in surprise, surprised his ninja reflexes didn't detect the dark-skinned woman in the one-piece bathing suit approaching him. "Wait, who are you? And why aren't you, like, freaking out at the sight of me?"

"Relax senior Michelangelo, I expected you to be here." The woman replied with a laugh. "My name is Angela Puente, and the NYPD told me you were going to be here. Chief Vincent, she wanted me to to show you around... and also to keep an eye on you."

"Wow, that's totally cool!" He replied, giving her a handshake, while noticing she was carrying a surfboard. "Whoa, you're a surfer too, huh? That's so awesome!"

"Si, I've been riding a board since I was a little chicha." Angela patted her board. "And when I radioed the hanger you and your brothers are staying, Senior Donatello told me you had come to dis beach to surf. Would you like a few pointers, por favor?"

"Nah! Thanks but I totally got this!" Mikey declared, running out towards the water.

Riding his board out into the ocean, the excited turtle tried to catch a wave... and immediately wiped out. Getting back up on his board, Mikey tired again... only to crash into another wave again. After three more attempts to catch a wave, the humiliated Michelangelo went paddling back to where Angela stood on the beach, laughing at him hysterically.

"Ummm, guess I'm not as good as I thought." Mikey told Miss Puente sheepishly. "Care to give me a few pointers?"

Angela nodded. "Here, you wait here and watch me, then do what I do."

The El Salvadorian surfer girl paddled out into the water, and waited for a big wave to come rolling in, Catching the wave as it came rolling in, Angela rode it like a master, performing tricks on her surfboard as she road it back into shore.

"Now, you try it, Mikey." Angela encouraged him, taking the orange bandana- wearing turtle back out onto the water, and turning him loose. "Catch the wave as it comes in, and ride it like you're a part of it!"

Michelangelo did as he was told... and immediately ended up crashing on the beach again. Angela continued to teach him and guide him, giving him pointers that lessened each failure a little bit.

"Bien!, Michealangelo! You're getting better!" She called out, encouraged him. "Keep your stance flexible, and try to ride with the wave!"

Finally, after several hours of trial and error, Michelangelo was able to stay on the wave, riding it back intothe shore as he performed a hang ten.

"Cowabunga dudes!" The excited turtle called out, as he rode another wave on his surfboard. "This is awesome!"

"Excelente , Michelangelo! You are a very good student!" Angela called back, before climbing on her surf board again. "Come on, let's go catch us a big wave!"

The two new friends continued to surf for the rest of the after noon, until the sun finally began to set.

"Hey, I don't know about you, but I'm really starting to get hambre" Angela pointed back towards the jeep she left parked on the beach. "I just happened to have some pizzas back in my car, care to join me, amigo?"

"Dudette, did you say... pizza?" Before she even got all the way out of the water, Mikey was already halfway to her car, a hungry look in his eye...

Chapter eight

Raphael, meanwhile, decides to take in the night life in the dangerous part of Santa Ana, and as usual, he gets himself into trouble...

The El Diablo Garra was a bar on the wrong side of town, and few self-respecting El Salvadorians would be caught dead in there. The place was a seedy dive with broken bar stools, cracked windows, and a Jukebox from the 1970's that still had records from the band Menudo inside of it. Most of the patrons were clearly punks, who belonged to some gang or another. All except for the muscular dark-skinned woman sitting over in the corner by herself.

Everybody turned to look when the stranger in the trench coat and fedora came walking in, and everyone really paid attention when he ordered his drink in English. One of the gang members sauntered up to the newcomer, and spoke in a heavy accent.

"Yo, Gringo, what you doin' in a place like this, huh?" The tall man wearing sunglasses asked him. "Do you have so little value for your life that you'd come into our bar an' order a drink?"

The stranger barely looked out from under his hat, to see a gang member in a dirty tank top and ripped jeans glaring at him. Like the other thugs who were now gathering around them, this jerk and purple, serpent like tattoos going up and down his body.

"I don't see your name on it, punk!" The stranger replied, in a thick Brooklyn accent. "So if you know what's good for you, you and your little buddies here will let me enjoy my drink in peace."

"I don't think so, chico." The gang leader replied, pulling out a switchblade. "See, this bar here, it be the territory of the purple dragons. And if you don't give me your wallet, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to rough yous up, good!"

"I was hoping you would say that." The stranger smiled, before downing the last of his drink. Then, standing up, hew promptly smashed the glass into the thug's face,

"Agrraghhh!" The gang leader cried out, his face covered in blood. "How dare you- GET HIM!"

The gang members quickly piled on the newcomer, who fought off their attacks just as ferociously. One threw an uppercut the stranger dodged, then promptly had a green fist smashed into his face. Another dove at the stranger with a knife, and had his arm broken by a shoulder attack for his troubles. The skirmish finally knocked the newcomer's hat off.... and revealed him to be a big, green turtle.

"The gringo is some kinda monster!" One of the Purple dragons called out in shock, don't just stand there, KILL HIM!"

But as the other Purple Dragons closed in again, the tall muscular woman suddenly got up, and smashed a chair over one of the thug's head. When another one of the Dragons tried to jump her, the muscular woman roundhouse kicked him to the floor, knocking him out.

"Thanks a lot, dame." The large turtle replied, dumbfounded at the save. "But who are-"

"Name's Lucindra, and we'll save the chat for later, senior." She replied, punching another dragon out. "Right now, we gotta beat some sense into these Purple Dragons."

Raph nodded, and the two continued to bash, smash, and fight their way through the bar. Thugs were tossed out through windows, and had their heads smashed through tables. By the time it was all said and done, Lucindra and the giant turtle found themselves in an empty bar, filled with unconscious gang members, and a scared bartender hiding behind the counter.

"Nice fighting there, Lucinda. You got a mean set of fists." The turtle complimented her. "The name's Raphael, and I'm here on vacation with my brothers."

"Well Raphael, you are a muy bueno fighter yourself, but I knew you would need help." Lucindra replied, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Ever since those Purple Dragons spread here from the states, they been nothing but trouble."

"Heh, this is nothing compared to back home." Raph chuckled, before realizing something. "Say, aren't you a little freaked out by the fact I'm a giant, talking turtle?"

"Eh, I seen worse, growing up here in El Salvador." Lucindra shrugged, sitting back down to the bar. "Life can be really tough on these streets, for a little chica growing up by herself."

"Here, let me buy you a drink." Raph offered her, putting his fedora and trench coat back on. "Least I could do for helping with these punks."

"Nah, I'll do the buying, senior Raph." She grinned, pulling out a few pesos. "After that brawl, you look like you need a drink even more than me."

And so, the two new friends sat down, and decided to enjoy a drink together...

Chapter Nine

While Raph and Mikey are busy with their own little crazy adventures, Donnie is personally dealing with a case of highway contemplation...

He always did love the open road.

There was a certain freedom on the El Salvador Comalapa Highway. It had far less traffic than there was on the crowded streets of New York, and far less noise and distractions. There were actually far fewer cars out here, letting him actually enjoy driving along this endless strip of road. For Donatello, this journey was a very relaxing experience, indeed.

Wow, I can't believe how clear of traffic the roads are. The brainy turtle thought to himself, as he drove the turtle van along the Salvadorian coastline. I never really thought I'd have this much fun driving on the highway.

It was an unusual experience, driving on a highway in another country. The different road rules, the different tone and feel to the driving. But it was nice having a quiet drive time, without the congested wall-to-wall traffic jam, and without three annoying brothers making noise, complaining, and distracting Donnie from keeping his eyes on the road.

But those distractions also keep me from letting my mind from mind wander. They keep me from always thinking when I shouldn't be. He shook his head. And I'm always thinking, no matter what's going on.

It was also weird, driving the turtle van again after so long. His brothers always wanted to use the Party Wagon; that trash truck with so many more gadgets, and so much more interior space than the van. It felt nice to be driving a smaller vehicle again; no giant spinning nunchuck arms, no manhole cover shooter. In truth, he was glad to be giving the older of his two creations some love. Something his siblings never, ever seem to do.

They always jump to the newest toy, quickly forgetting any previous invention. Donnie looked into his mirror, getting ready to change lanes. Don't they understand how I feel about that?

Every single invention Donatello ever created, he put a piece of himself into it. For Donnie, creating a new invention wasn't just about creating another useful tool. No, inventing was an art form to him; his way of expressing himself through his creativity.

But everyone else simply looked upon his work as a means to an end; a gizmo to track the villain, or another vehicle to take them from point A to point B. They never saw how passionate he was, never saw the tender love and care he put into each and every creation and gizmo. And that fact always left him feelings discouraged.

Even my own brothers don't understand me sometimes. Donnie sighed to himself, as he put down the sun visor to block the glare. Outside of Irma, I really don't think anybody does.

Irma Langstien... the police forensics specialist was a godsend, a kindred spirit who was an outsider liked Donnie, that nobody else seemed to understand. They met at the ceremony on liberty island when the NYPD honored the turtles, and Irma came up to talk to him when she noticed all the gear he was wearing. The two would often break away from everyone else, and compare notes about what Mikey would call 'science-y stuff'. He really missed the police woman right now, and he truly wished his friend right about now.

At least Irma understands me. Having somebody like her around, it gives me somebody to talk to. Donnie considered. But I guess my brothers aren't all that bad, either. At least they try and understand how I feel... well, at least sometimes.

"Hey, you estupido gringo! Get out of the way!" The driver behind the turtle van yelled angrily, honking his horn. "I gotta get to work! Get that damn piece of junk outta off the road!"

Annoyed, Donatello looked back in the mirror, and saw an angry driver in a small Toyota. Tiring of the angry yelling and honking, he hit a button on the dashboard console.

KABOOM! The vehicle loudly exploded, as flames came shooting out of the exhaust pipe. The van blasted down the road like a rocket, racing along so fast, that it actually created a sonic boom! The shocked diver in the car behind him nearly soiled himself, sitting there in shock as the offending van rocketed away.

"Madre Di Dios, I am NEVER drinking in the morning before work again." The rude driver muttered to himself, as he skittered on down the highway.

And far ahead of him, a satisfied Donnie sped on down the highway, feeling more free than he ever before.

Chapter Ten

The ruins of Cara Sucia.... a once-beautiful Mayan city, located near the Salvadorian border. I can only marvel at it's massive crumbling Pyramids, and dirt covered stone walls. Even in ruins, this place is still a wonder to behold, a reminder that there were great civilizations that came before ours, and their are great civilizations that will rise after we are long gone. As I study the detailed art along the stonework, I heard the light tread of a human woman's footsteps coming up behind me.

"Excuse me,senior Leonardo?" I turn to find a native woman, dressed in a pair of green khaki shorts and button up shirt. "My name is Cuervo Sombra-Alma, and I work for the Direccion del Patrimonio Cultural, I'm one of the excavators here on the site."

"Ah, so you must be the archeologist the NYPD sent here to guide me around this place." I reply, shaking her hand. "It really is a pleasure to meet you, miss Cuervo. I'm really looking forward to what you can tell me about this site."

"Please, call me Radical; it's a nickname one of the American college interns gave me while he was here, and it kind of stuck with all English speakers on the site." Radical tilted her head curiously. "Still, I was muy sorprendido to hear you were interested in touring the city. Cara Sucia is usually off limits to tourists and visitors."

"I know, it's just...well... I've always been fascinated by ancient ruins such as these." I try to explain, looking over the ruins again. "The way the ancients lived, the kind of lives they led. It's all so very fascinating to me. I just can't stop thinking about the past." I look back at her. "And let's face it, I can't exactly visit any of the ruins with swarms of tourists everywhere; being a giant talking turtle, and all."

"I understand completely, mi amigo." Radical replies with a laugh. "Come, I will show you around the ruins."

She begins to give me a tour, sharing all of the wonders of this city; large pictograph murals, crumbling staircases that went nowhere, and half-buried temples at the very tops of pyramids. I keep asking more and more questions about what I see all around me, which she is more than happy to answer.

There are, however, some things that bother me.

"I admire all that these people accomplished, but all of this talk about human sacrifice..." I shake my head, as we climb another set of stairs. "Does every human civilization have to take part in some cruel activity or another?"

"And how is human sacrifice any different than how modern criminals being executed, or how a ninja cuts down his enemy?" Radical asks sarcastically, looking back over her shoulder at me. "Don't judge anther's culture so lightly, Leonardo, unless you wish them to judge yours."

I fall I silent at her chiding, until I come across a large mural with a Jaguar and a horse facing a rodent in battle.

"Hey, Radical?" I ask her, stopping my tour guide in her tracks. "Isn't this a horse on this ancient painting? You said these ruins are from the pre-classic period, but horses didn't come to the Americas until the Spanish conquest."

"Aha! You have a keen eye, senior! Yes, this is some graffiti inscribed here just after the conquest, probably by a Mayan scribe passing through the ruins of the city." Radical explains, coming back to read the mural. "This is the story of Queen Sihuehuet. It is a legend known to most Maya in Central America in many different forms, but I shall relay it as it is written here."

A faraway look comes over her face, as she begins to tell the tale.

"According to Mayan Legend, Sihuehuet was the last empress of the kingdom of Cuzcatlan, the mighty Mayan nation that ruled this entire region. She and her daughter, the princess, feared the coming of the Conquistadors. And so they came to trust a powerful sorcerer, known as the rat king."

"The rat king? Like in European folklore? The creature that is a swarm of rats tied together by their tails?" I ask in fascination. "I've heard of him being mentioned in other cultures."

"Yes, his existence is mentioned in other cultures." Radical agrees. "Anyway, the rat king betrayed Sihuehuet and her daughter, and used his magic to transform the queen into a horse maiden, and her daughter into a Jaguar."

"The horse woman... the legend of the Sihuanaba. I heard about it from some of the villagers during our vacation here" I reply, my blood running cold. "Radical, is it possible Sihuanaba was a mutant?"

"Before I met you, senior Leo, I would have said no. But now..." Radical shakes her head. "If the queen was indeed a mutant like you and your brothers, she would have to be five hundred years old. Sihuanaba sightings continued throughout Central America until the 1960's, when some villagers in Costa Rica claimed they shot her down, and burned the body to ash."

"But what about her daughter?" I ask curiously. "Whatever happened to the princess?"

"Well, my people say she still wanders the forests of Salvador, protecting the ruins of all the different Mayan cities in ruins from looters." Radical answers. "The Pipl Maya still look to Princess Jagwar as a protector, a defender who will save them from evil."

"Wait, your people?" I ask in surprise. "You're Pipil, as well?"

"Si, all the people of El Salvador are descended from the citizens of Cuzcatlan, mixed in with conquistador blood." Radical replies proudly. "But I come from a family that still speaks Nawat. We are true pipil, free of conquistador culture."

"Is that why you work here? To feel close to your ancestors?" I shake my head knowingly. "I can understand that. There's a power in these ruins."

"Yes, even with my scientific training from the university, I still hold to the mystical views of my ancestors." Radical tell me. "Do you not use ninja magic yourself, senior Leonardo?"

"We ninjas don't use magic, we have mystical ninja tricks called jutsu." I explain, putting two fingers in front of my face. "We concentrate our chi, in order to produce a specific effect. Master Splinter taught us these simple tricks, as early as we learned the martial arts."

I concentrate for a moment, before vanishing from the top of the pyramid in a puff smoke, then reappearing at the base of the great staircase.

"Hm, pretty neat trick." She compliments me, applauding. "I'll have to have mi abuela show you some Pipil shamanism sometime."

The two of us laugh at that, as we continue our tour of the Cara Sucia ruins...

Chapter eleven

Meditation... in all the chaos and distractions in his day to day life, it was the one activity that could calm his mind, and ease his spirit. Meditation was the one time Splinter could look inward, reflecting upon all that had happened in his life. And how the suffering and turmoil he and his unlikely family had faced, were all for the greater good.

I sense a stone has been thrown into the cosmic pond of tranquility. Splinter thought to himself, as he tried to concentrate. I fear for both my sons and I.

But even though he contemplated these things, Master Splinter's mind was still troubled. Something was not right, he was certain of that. He felt the zen of universe was out of balance, and he felt certain that something terrible was going to happen. Opening his eyes to light a candle, he tried to focus his thoughts, and try to grasp a glimpse of the danger to come.

My sons and I should not have come down here, of this I am now certain. Splinter thought to himself. Then why did I tell my sons to come down here? There is some dark, unseen force at work down here, I am certain.

As he meditated, Splinter felt another will behind his own, nudging the old rodent along a path without the ninja master knowing or realizing it. Something deep in this land's jungle's called out to him, drawing the old sensei deeper and deeper into it's control. Splinter did not know what the mysterious force that drew him here, like a moth to a flame. But the longer it called to him, the harder and harder he found it to resist it's power.

CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK

Splinter heard the loud metallic sound, coming closer and closer to the hangar he and the turtles were staying in. Suddenly, the walls began to crack, as and army of strange metallic creatures gnawed their way through the plaster and masonry.

"What in the name of the Buddha?" Splinter asked in horror, taking a fighting stance as the clockwork monsters raced towards him. "Creatures of steel, you shall not have this rat!"

The mousers were on him in an instant, swarming all over the sensei with their iron jaws of death. Splinter Fought back against the creatures; chopping, kicking, biting, and smashing them with his powerful tail. Leaping over and grabbing his walking stick from the wall, he used the humble weapon of wood to smash away at the iron rat catchers.

"These metal terrors, there are too many of them!" Splinter yelled aloud, swinging his walking stick like a bat, and smashing two more of the mousers. "I must get to my sons, at once!"

The wise old rat fought valiantly, but the mousers had strength in numbers. For every two he smashed, three more jumped forward to bite at his soft flesh with their steel teeth.

CHOMP! On his left arm.

CHOMP! On his right leg.

CHOMP! Down on his tail.

CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP!

Bones cracked, and blood oozed out of open wounds, as the brave rat suffered blow after blow.

"AGGRAHHHHHH!" Master Splinter cried out, as he continued to trash mouser after mouser. Finally, after destroying nearly over half of the mechanical monsters, the gravely wounded rodent finally collapsed before the mechanical swarm. The mousers were about to drag the unconscious sensei off, when they detected the sound of the turtle van driving up and parking. As the sounds of the turtles voices approached the hanger, all of the remaining mousers turned towards the door.

"Thanks for picking us up, Donnie. It would have taken forever to walk back here to the city."

"Can you dudes believe we made so many friends down here? Salvadorians are so totally awesome!"

"Huh, the new friend I made would kick all of you guy's behinds, trust me!"

"Well, I didn't make any friends yet, but I sure had a lot of fun on the open road!"

The four turtles were laughing and joking when they walked in the door, and saw the horrific sight of their father half-chewed to death, and surrounded by mousers.

"MASTER SPLINTER!" Leo screamed

"Dude, what the hell are those things?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know what they are, but they're about to become scrap metal!" Raphael roared, jumping at the mousers in a red wrath.

The four turtles charged at the remaining mousers, driven by the rage of seeing their sensei attacked. Leo sliced their heads off, while Donnie smashed away at them with his Bo Staff. Mikey's whirling nunchucks plowed though the metal mousers like buzz saws, and Raph impaled them on his sais like shish kabobs. The four turtles tore through the remaining Mousers like a rainstorm though the jungle. Within minutes, there was nothing left but a large pile of scrap left over from the destruction of three hundred mousers.

"Well, that's the last of em'." Raph gasped, worn out from his little rage fit. "Is master Splinter all right?"

Before any of them had time to get over to him, several punk frogs leaped through the open hole, and hopped right between Splinter and his sons.

"Dude, I don't believe this... mutant frogs?" Mikey asked, his jaw dropping. "First Rocksteady and Bebop, and now these guys... bro, we are so totally not unique as mutants anymore!"

"If you frogs wish to continue breathing, I suggest you get out from between us and our father." Leo warned them.

"Afraid not, el tartarugas ninjas." Genghis smiled, twirling his small axe around in his left hand. "See, the mousers, they were the warm up. Now, we rufián rana, we are the main event."

Both sides readied their weapons, preparing for round two of this fight to save Master Splinter.

Good stuff! The story's getting right to the good stuff. Been enjoying the characterization, but now's the perfect time for some conflict. :D

Chapter twelve

"Everybody, try to get to master Splinter!" Leo ordered his brothers. "Watch the frogs movements, we don't know what their capable of!"

"Oh, we'll be happy show you, senior!" Rasputin called out. Launching his long frog tongue from his mouth, wrapping it around Mikey's leg, and pulling him to the ground. The frog leaped onto the surprised turtle, and began to wail on him with his fists.

"Hey, get off me, man!" Mikey yelled, kicking his attacker off. "That tongue of yours is gross!"

Rasputin open his mouth, attacking the surfer turtle again. But this time Michelangelo grabbed the tongue, pulling the surprised Rasputin in, and punched the frog in the face.

Raph and Napoleon plowed into each other, grappling with each other like wrestlers in a bout. The two mutants shoved back and forth against each other, until the big burly bullfrog caught Raphael in a bear hug.

"Graaaahhh!" The brute growled, starting to crack the turtle's shell. "Napoleon crush little tortuga now!"

"Ungh! Not today, punk!" Raph balled up his fists, punching either side of the frog's head several times, forcing Napoleon to drop him. The large turtle tackled the dazed bullfrog to the ground, and punched Napoleon so hard in the jaw, that his bones cracked.

At the same time, Attila jumped at Donatello with his spear, trying to impale the shellback. The brainy turtle blocked the blow with his bo staff, and the two began stick fighting with their long quarterstaff-like weapons.

"Don't you turtles see the futility of this struggle against us?" Attila told his opponent calmly, thrusting and blocking Donnie's blows. "Statistically speaking, you and your brothers don't stand a chance against us."

"Maybe not, but we can't just back down when our sensei's life on the line!" Donatello protested, blocking two more of the frog's blows. Dodging two more thrusts of Attila's spear, he brought down his Bo staff straight down on top of the frog's head, knocking him down.

Leo and Genghis had noticed that each of them was the one giving orders to their respective teams, and each realized the other was the leader of the opposing side. The two commanders gave each other a nod of respect, before they began to duel with their weapons.

"Why are there only four of you attacking us at once?" Leo asked curiously, as he blocked a blow from Genghis's ax. "Your team appears quite skilled in combat, and you have the numerical advantage."

"You and your turtles are quite worthy adversaries, as well. A pity we must be foes with such honorable fighters." Genghis replied, as Leo's katana clanged against his ax blade. "And perhaps our goal is not to overwhelm you four with numbers."

Leo's eyes went wide at Genghis's words, and he turned to see the other frogs dragging Splinter's wounded form out through the hole the mousers made.

"Guys, this attack is a distraction!" Leo called out. "They're trying to get away with master splinter!"

The four turtles immediately abandoned their fights they were involved in, and they all went rushing after the fleeing frogs. But as soon as the ninja exited the hangar building, they found a whole swarm of the frogs, waiting in ambush.

"Oh, great." Raph grumbled, pulling out his sais. "It's a friggin' trap."

"Move in, my Brethren!" Rasputin called out above the sound of battle. "Show them what true frogs are made of! Do not let the shellbacks get away!"

"Guys, stay ahead of them!" Leonardo called back. "Don't let their arrows hit anything but your shells!"

The four turtles dodged the next volley of arrows, jumping and spinning out of the way to avoid the deadly shots. Leo sliced several of the bolts in half, while Donnie and Mikey spun their weapons to deflect several arrows.

"Don't let the arrow heads pierce your skin!" Donnie shouted back, knocking a frog down with his bo staff. "They're tipped with poison from the frog's own bodies."

"Thanks for letting us know, genius!" Raph snapped, jumping forward and stabbing a large bullfrog with his sais, and causing him to drop. "Now tell us how to stop them!"

"Dudes, there's too many of them!" Mikey exclaimed, slamming his nunchaku into a frog's head, and making him tumble over. "We gotta get out of here!"

Another volley of arrows came flying towards the four ninja launched a wall of shuriken to counter and defect them. A few arrows did manage to get through, however, grazing and nicking the turtle's shells.

"They have the numerical advantage!" Leo called out, blocking a frog's ax before slicing him down. "We need to get to the frogs who have sensei! It's our only chance!"

The turtles continued to fight, cutting down dozens of the amphibian foes, and trying to make their way back towards their abducted sensei. But for every frog and toad they stuck, two or three more would rise to replace them. The four brothers were only able to hold back the army of Punk frogs for so long, before fatigue began to set in.

"We have them now, my comrades!" Attila yelled, motioning the other frogs forward. "Move in for the kill!"

A sea of green rushed forward, engulfing the turtles in a tidal wave of croaking.

Chapter thirteen

"Genghis, we have managed to subdue the tartugas, though they put up a great deal of resistance." Attila reported to his commander. "It's is my opinion that our soldiers be given time to descansar, as this is probably the most draining battle they have ever faced."

"Muy Mal, just when our forces are already running thin." Genghis growled, as they dragged the now unconscious turtles over to where the wounded splinter lay. "I'm actually getting tired of wasting my warriors on Leatherhead's foolish missions. I don't know how much longer it would be in our best interests to follow him."

"El Jefe, what do you want us to do with our captives?" Rasputin asked, pointing at the unconscious mutants. "We'd better do something before the wake up, I don't think we have any bonds that could hold these ninjas."

"Take the rodent to the rat king's temple, Lord H'ntaan will be expecting him." Genghis turned away. "Take the turtles to Leatherhead's palace, and then our mission will be complete."

The rest of the frogs saluted, before dragging their captives away.

----

Splinter awoke to the darkness. As his eyes opened and quickly adjusted, he found himself in a very foul place. Sniffing at the air, the man-sized rodent caught the stench of long decayed flesh and garbage all around him. And his ears picked up the slow dripping of water nearby, piercing the eerie silence all around him.

Trying to pull himself to his feet, Master Splinter felt a sharp pain in his rib cage causing him to slump back to the ground once more. Suddenly, it all came back to him in a flash- the metal creatures, his vision- those mechanical monsters must have dumped him into a pit to die. Realizing that his sons must still be in danger, Splinter crawled across the floor, desperately trying to find a way out.

“Is there anybody there?” His raspy voice called out, hiding the pain he felt from broken bones and bruised muscles. “Leonardo. Donatello. Are any of you there? Can anyone hear me?” Only the darkness and silence answered.

As Splinter crawled his way over to a nearby wall and slumped against it, pulling himself upright with great difficulty. Every breath was strained as his lungs felt like they were on fire. The old rat coughed silently, a few drops of blood coming out of his mouth. Splinter knew only darkness and silence for many hours before the nearby sound of squeaking filled his ears.

“What. What is that?” Splinter asked in surprise. “Is somebody there?”

The old sensei noticed a rat sitting on a rock nearby staring at him. Then, looking around the room he saw several dozen other rats all gazing at him from the darkness. Their eyes blazing like torches. They looked at the unusual sight of one of their own grown to giant size.

“If you little fellows are looking for a meal, you’re going to have to wait a little longer.” Splinter hissed, clawing at the ground menacingly. “I may be weak right now, but I can still defend these old bones.”

“Oh, they are not going to attack you. My brother.” A voice called out from the darkness. “My loyal subjects are merely concerned for your welfare. Just as your king is concerned for you.”

“Who are you?” Splinter demanded, gazing into the shadows. “Show yourself.”

From the darkness behind the old rodent, emerged a hideous sight. The form of a shriveled man, sickly and famished looking all wrapped in bandages like some kind of ancient mummy. His face looked almost rat-like with slightly pointed ears and razor sharp teeth. The best way Splinter could describe it was that character from Mikey’s favorite monster film, Nosferatu; though this diseased figures was far more terrifying than Count Orlok in the flesh.

“Greetings, my rodent brother. I am the Rat King.” The hideous creature that looked like a black plague victim hissed. “This is my temple, my sancuary, and yo uare a most honored guest, my faithful rodent follower.”

“The Rat King? That is certainly an appropriate name.” Splinter noted as the rats swarmed all over the stranger’s body, crawling up and down his arms and legs. “But I get the sense that we have met before. Would your name happen to be Eric Sacks?”

The Rat King pondered for a moment before breaking into a razor toothed grin.
“Sacks? I may have used that name once before. I’ve used many names over the centuries.” He picked up one of the rats off the ground and swallowed it in one gulp. “The Mayans called me Lord H’aantan. In Germany, I was called the Pied Piper when I led the children of Hamlin to a watery grave. I have served as advisor to kings and evil ninja warlords who wanted to poison New York. My goal to lead humans into more warfare and suffering which creates more corpses. More corpses that are food for my children to feed upon.” He looked away, his yellow-toothed grin growing even wider. “Besides, causing humans to suffer and die is just plain fun.”

“Bah, you are no rat king. You are merely a vision, conjured up by my loss of blood and empty stomach.” Splinter snapped back, trying to pull himself to his feet again, before collapsing back to the ground. “I need to find some food around here before I starve to death." He coughed again from his dry throat. "I need some water as well.”

“It is food and drink, you desire?” The rat king asked, gesturing for several of his followers to go right up to him. “Here is food before you. Take and eat of their flesh and drink of their blood, and you will live.”

“No, I will not eat of rodent flesh.” Splinter replied, horrified. “That would be like cannibalism in a way

“Why do you cling to these lofty human morals that hold you back? Your spiritual martial arts training, your discipline, they all betray your true nature as an animal.” The Rat King stared down at him with glowing eyes. “Besides, it’s not the first time you’ve done something like that. Is it… Hamato Yoshi?”

“What? How did you know that name?” A horrified Splinter asked. “How did you know?”

“Oh please, I know all things when it comes to my loyal rat subjects.” He leaned down, and stared the old sensei right in the face. “So, tell me, how long have you hidden the truth from your four sons? From that naïve little reporter girl who saved her four pet turtles and rat from the fire that killed her father?”

“No, please…” Splinter pleaded. “I don’t want to think about the past....”

“You’ve always told them you were that old rat mutated into human form.” The Rat King replied. “But you never told them that you were actually once a human man named Hamato Yoshi, a martial arts master in Japan, who opened a dojo to revive the dying art of Ninjitsu. But Oroku Saki, your brightest Student, decided to use the ninja skills you taught him to attain wealth and power." The rat king softly stroked a rodent sitting on his right shoulder. "Your own student betrayed you, and he would go on to become the Shredder, and create the criminal organization known as the Foot Clan .”

“No, it’s not true.” Splinter protested. “I refuse to remember.”

“Oh… but you’ve always remembered." Rat King continued. "You didn’t agree with Shredder using the martial arts skills you taught him to create a criminal empire, and so he killed the woman you loved, and forced you to flee to America.” The Rat King looked up at the darkened ceiling. “But you were forced into hiding, and left penniless. Hungry and desperate, you, Hamato Yoshi, wandered through New York’s sewers as a homeless man until you came upon four baby turtles and a confused rat. In desperate need of food, you scooped the rat up into your hands and…”

“NO!!” Splinter pleaded. “Please stop...”

“But you didn’t know that the rat had been pumped full of mutagen, did you?” The bandaged mummy finished. “You took on the aspects of a rat yourself, and lied to your children as you brought them up as tools of revenge against the Shredder.” The Rat King laughed. “Learning to be a ninja from a book? You really made them believe that? How would your precious Leonardo, who dreams of being as honorable as a samurai, take the news that he and his three brothers were raised as living shinobi weapons?" He hissed gleefully. "You raised them to carry out your personal crusade of revenge?”

“No, that’s not true. I love my sons.” Splinter raised his hand and turned his head away. “Be gone, vision. I will hear no more of your lies.”

“Very well, I will leave you for now.” The Rat King replied, before turning back and vanishing into the darkness. “But you cannot escape your true nature or your past, if you wish to survive you must abandon what is left of your humanity and become my slave.”

With that, the rat once called Hamato Yoshi found himself alone in the darkness once more.

Chapter fourteen

"Master, we have brought the turtles here, as you requested." The mutant frog told his superior, bowing low before him. "They put up quite a fight, but we finally managed to subdue them."

"Trey Bien, Rasputin! You have done well!" The large gator growled, rising from his makeshift throne he has set up in the temple's great hall. "You bring them in here toute suite, yeah?"

The four chained turtles were filed into the throne room, and were forced to kneel before the giant gator seated upon it looking up to the sight of a giant crocodile -like creature. The beast was dressed in a tattered red stetson, blue trousers, and a fur vest made from some unknown animal.

"You've got to be friggn' kidding me!" Raphael growled, struggling against his bonds. "These freaky frogs are lead by a damn giant crocodile!?"

"Actually, Raph, I believe this creature appears to be a member of the species Alligator mississippiensis, the American Alligator." Donatello corrected him. "You can tell by the snout."

"Dude, I don't care what you call him." Michelangelo replied. "As long as you don't call us his lunch."

"You don't have to worry about that none, old Leatherhead don't really care none for turtle meat, you betcha." The gator chuckled, rising from his throne. "But them villagers you saw down de river, they a-lookin plenty tasty, tres deliceux!"

"Dude, you eat humans?!" Michelangelo stuck out his tongue. "Dude, that is totally gross!"

"My question is, what is a mutant American alligator doing in the jungles of Central America?" Donatello asked curiously. "And leading an army of Punk frogs?"

"Oh, I wasn't always de gator man, no way. I used to be de Cajun gator hunter from ole Louisiana." The gator man explained, sitting back down on his throne. "I came down here to escape the American authorities, and was poking around in one of these old Mayan Pyramid, looking for valuables."

Leatherhead reached into his vest, and pulled out several vials of green ooze. "I found this here stuff in the tomb of a Mayan alchemist ,and when I spilled this stuff on myself, I ended up becoming the gator meat I been eating all these years, you betcha."

"But where did these frogs come from?" Donatello asked fascinated. "Did you make them? Do you have access to mutagen ooze?"

"Oui, m'sieur, the local criminals and rouges, they subsist on meals of frog, so you can see where my army came from." The Cajun gator laughed. "It's amazing what they'll do for a few pesos and a meal, I guarantee."

"I don't care who you are, or where you came from!" Leo snarled. "What have you done with Master Splinter?"

"De rat? Oh, don't be worryin' about him, turtles." Leatherhead smiled. "The Rat King been entertaining' your sensei real good." The gator narrowed his eyes. "But he gonna be all right, it's your own lives I'd be worried about, you betcha."

"Why?" Raph asked, suspicious about what Leatherhead was implying. "What are you planning to do with us?"

"Ol Leatherhead, he gonna be makin' an example outta you, to what happens to Mutants who cross de Rat King." The gator man glared over at the nearby frogs. "We gonna hold a public execution of you four, an' nobody question ol' Leatherhead's orders again!"

The frogs led the manacled turtles out into the open courtyard, where they saw a crazy-looking insect- man in a white lab coat come flapping up to where they stood. Buzzkill flapped around them in a circle, looking the prisoners over with his compound eyes.

"Hey, what're you looking at, bug eyes?" Mikey snapped at the bug man. "Don't you have some cheap 1950's b-flick to star in?"

"It's a pleasure to see you again, turtles." The insectoid scientist replied. "Though I look quite a bit different than the last time we crossed in person."

"Do we... know you?" Leonardo asked, confused. "You seem to imply we've met somewhere before."

"You four have never met me in person before, but your friend April O' Neal did." Buzzkill's mandibles seemed to smile. "She manged to come right up to me in a restaurant, hack my computer without me knowing... clever little girl."

Donatello looked the bug man in the lab coat over, and his eyes suddenly went wide in realization.

"Baxter Stockman, you sick slime puppy!" Donatello lunged forward. "You built those little mechanical monsters that attacked us, didn't you?!"

"Magnificent little creations, weren't they?" Buzzkill replied, flapping in front of them. "I didn't actually think they'd manage to defeat your sensei, but the mousers performed above and beyond expectations."

"I don't know how you got down here, or how you ended up as a fly." Donnie warned. "But I swear the moment I get free, I'll rip those smug little wings right off your back!"

"Ha, like you'll ever get the chance!" Buzzkill laughed, waving the punk frog guards off as he flapped away towards his lab. "Boys, take them away!"

As the guards and their turtle prisoners were crossing the courtyard, a pair of of cat-like eyes watched them from the shadows. As the frogs rounded the corner of the smaller Pyramid, a large feline jumped out from behind one of the crumbling stone walls at them.

"ROARRRR!" The large cat went right for the throat of one of the female frogs, breaking her neck instantly, and killing her. Another frog swung his ax, which the cat dodged, before slashing the amphibian across the chest, spilling it's innards all over the courtyard. As the feline jumped to engage the other frogs, the turtles finally got a good look at her.

"Holy guacamole!" Mikey exclaimed. "It's a cat girl, just like in an anime!"

"I can't believe it." Donnie added in disbelief. "It a jaguar mutant... and she's actually HELPING us!"

"Not just any mutant." Leo said in awe, remembering the story Radical had told him. "It's Princess Jagwar."

"Don't just stand there yapping, we gotta help her!" Raph pulled on his chains. "Donnie, get these cuffs off of us, now!"

Three more frogs hopped at the Jagwar girl in the short Mayan dress, and she pulled out a wooden club with obsidian teeth. Jagwar slashed straight forward at the first frog, lopping it's head clan off. The second frog tossed a spear at the feline, who deflected the weapon with her club, before chopping the amphibian's legs right out from under him. The third frog wrapped his tongue around her wrist, but when he pulled the angry feline in, Jagwar stabbed straight though his mouth with her spiked club, and came out the back of the amphibian's head, ending the punk frog's life.

"Hey you turtles, Tenemos que ir !" Jagwar turned, calling out to them. "Follow me, and I'll lead you to freedom!"

"You ain't leading anybody nowhere, pussycat!"

Nobody had heard Leatherheard leave his palace and enter the courtyard, but there he was, standing behind the surprised princess. Before she even had a chance to react, he smacked her face first the ground with his gigantic tail, then proceeded to pummel the feline with his massive scaly fists. The princess tried to claw at him, but the gator's scaly armored hide was to think to even scratch. Grabbing the princess by the tail, the gator proceeded throw her around like a rag doll, before slamming the feline's face back into the cold, hard dirt.

"Come in and free my prisoners, will you?!" Leatherhead snarled, picking Jagwar up by the throat, and choking her. "I'm gonna smash you into jambalaya!"

"RWORRRRRRRRR!" The princess howled in pain, as she struggled against the Cajun's grip.

It was at that moment the turtles got free, and it all happened in a flash; Donnie retrieved their weapons from the dead guard who had them, Leo and Raph tackled Leatherhead and knocked him off balance, and Mikey grabbed Jagwar by the wrist and raced away.

In the instant it took Leatherhead to regain his balance, the four ninjas and the princess were gone.

Chapter fifteen

"Thank you for your help back there, miss." Donatello tells Jagwar, as we race through the jungle in the recovered turtle van. "We would have been goners if it hadn't been for your timely assist."

"De Nada, my turtle friend. Any enemy of the rat King, is a friend of mine. Besides, you four saved me from the monster alligator back there." The princess replies. sitting in the back of the van with Donnie and Raph. "And with your assistance, we can destroy that tyrant, and rescue your master!"

"Aw yeah, we'd be happy to help ya, girl!" Mikey replies with a smile, trying to hit on our illustrious guest. "You're the first girl mutant we've ever met up close, and you are one fine kitty!"

Jagwar simply smiled at Mikey, patting him on the head. "You are an amusing one, little turtle. But this is not the place, or the time."

"Thank you for your aid, Princess Jagwar. We could not have escaped without your assistance." I look back over the front seat nodding my head respectfully. "But now, we must go somewhere to regain our strength, and prepare to rescue our master from this 'rat king'."

"I know the perfect place to go, far beyond the Rat King's reach." The princess replies. "It belonged to my family in a bygone age, and we can stay there while we rest, and form a strategy."

Jagwar leads my brothers and I back to the Cara Sucia ruins, where I had been touring with radical earlier. There, we lick our wounds, and tried to formulate a plan. But, not all of us take this respite we have been granted so well.

"Why are we just sitting around here on our shells?!" Raph asks, upset at the current turn of events. "We just left master Splinter back there, and ran with our tails between our legs!"

"Dude, we don't have tails anymore. We lost em when we mutated." Mikey shivers. "We also got that warm blood stuff that humans got when we mutated, freaky."

"Master Splinter could be hurt, or dying!" Raph yells at us, kicking at the dirt angrily. "And you're all happy just sitting around a campfire, chatting with this fuzzball? What the hell is wrong with all of youse?!"

"Raphael, calm down! We can't do anything for Master Splinter without a plan!" I shout back, turning to look at Jagwar. "Okay princess, what can you tell us about the Rat King?"

"Aye Caramba! What can't I tell you? That monster not only destroyed my family, but my entire world!" Jagwar snarled, her sharp pointed fangs showing. "Centuries, is was the royal alchemist to my mother, the queen. He studied the very forces of creation in the universe, and discovered a way to extract the primal ooze from living creatures."

"Primal Ooze?" Donatello asked, curious. "You mean the cosmic soup left over from after the big bang? Is that where mutagen come from?"

"Si, it has been called many names, in many cultures- chi, mana, penuma, prana, manitou... The Rat King discovered a way to extract it in liquid form, and discovered it's transfomative properties." The princess explains. "He even used it in the mutation of your brothers and your sensei."

"Wait, what do ya mean the rat king mutated us?" Raph asked in disbelief. "We were mutated in a lab, by Dr. O' Neal and Eric Sachs."

"Eric Sachs is the Rat King, senior. " Jagwar explains. "Over twenty years ago, he killed the real Eric Sachs, and replaced him. He provided the foot clan with the mutagen for the experiments that created you, and Convinced Oroku Saki of the plan to spread a plague through New York and cure it with the ooze."

"Whoa, Eric Sachs was really the Rat King?!" Michelangelo replies in shock. "Okay, my mind is officially blown!"

"Wait a second, if Rat King can make his own mutagen, why did he have the Shredder wait fifteen years to extract the mutagen from our blood?" Donnie inquires. "He could have gone ahead with the plan without us!"

"He didn't want to blow his cover with the foot clan." Jagwar replies with a shrug. "He was waiting fifteen years to make it look like it was hard to replicate the ooze. You and your brothers just happened to show up alive at the right time."

"But, why was Rat King manipulating Shredder?" I ask. "And what happened after we thwarted his plans?"

"After you defeated the Shredder, Rat King abandoned him and the foot, and came back down here." The princess continues. "Rat King has taken many identities over the years, and has many different schemes going all at once."

"Poor Shredder; first manipulated by an ancient mummy disguised as his adopted son, then manipulated by an alien brain we trapped him in dimension X with for all eternity." I shake my head. "If he weren't our greatest enemy, I'd almost feel sorry for him."

"But what is the Rat king trying to achieve?" Donnie Asks. "What is his end goal?"

"The Rat King seeks to destroy all human civilization, and replace it with a world ruled by animals, particularly by his beloved rats." Jagwar adds. "He plans to unleash the mutagen upon the world, and turn this planet into a world of rodent-men."

"But why did he take Splinter?" I then query. "And how did he know we would be down here?"

"He lured you down here, using his control over rats to control over your sensei, and convince you all to come to El Salvador, so he could attack you directly." Jagwar shakes her head. "And the reason was very simple; you defeated his carefully laid plans, and taking your sensei to become his first mutant rat slave would be the perfect act of vengeance against you."

"There's only one thing that doesn't make any sense." Raph demands, pointing a finger in her face. "How the hell do you know all this? How do you know so much about this jerk, or about us?"

"Are you kidding me?! I've been fighting that walking corpse my whole life!" The princess roars. "I've thwarted his schemes all over the globe, spied on him and kept us on his plans for centuries!" She narrowed her eyes. "But now, with you here, I finally have a chance to take my revenge, for all the hurt he gave me and my family and my people!"

"I'm sorry for all of our loss, princess. And for all of the pain you've had to suffer." I apologize to her, bowing my head. "And I give you my word, that when we go to rescue our father, we will help you to finally bring an end to this ancient monster."

We continue to talk for several hours, before everyone falls off to sleep one by one. I am soon the only of my brothers still awake, sitting away from the fire, and looking up at the stars. Jagwar cones over to talk to me, a look of concern on her face.

"You seem to be having some trouble sleeping." She puts a hand on my shoulder. "Are you scared you will not be able to rescue your father?"

"Master Splinter has been hurt and in danger before, and we managed to save him." I reply, quietly gazing into the heavens. "But we have never faced a foe like this before, and I don't know if we are even going to survive, let alone bringing his home safe this time."

The princess sit down beside me for several minutes, merely staring at the stars, before replying;

"I remember my mother, Sihuehuet; a brave ans strong woman, who looked after me, my half brother prince Cipitio, and all of her royal subjects. After she and I were mutated, the two of us hid from our people in the forest, and every night she cradled me as I wept myself to sleep, even though I was an adult." Jagwar looked over at me. "In order to feed the both of us, she would go out and scare farmers and travelers along the road- giving rise to all those La Siguanaba legends you've heard- and steal their food and supplies. It hurt me so much when those scared farmers shot her down. I don't blame them though, it's the rat king's fault. Btu it doesn't take away any of the loss I feel."

"I'm so sorry." I tell her again, a look of sympathy in my eyes. "Do you still miss her?"

"Every day of my life, mi amgio. Though I still feel her spirit here with me." She places a hand against her chest. "I know she'll be there with me at the end, when I end that monster's life, once and for all."

"Is that why you wish to do battle with the rat king?" I ask, standing up. "To seek vengeance for your mother?"

"No, senior Leonardo. Revenge is an empty experience, that leaves you feeling nothing empty inside." She gets up, and looks down at me. "I seek to slay the rat king... to make sure what happened to me, never happens to anyone else, ever again."

Jagwar walks back over to the fire, leaving me alone with a great deal to think about...

Chapter sixteen

It was chaos in the courtyard, after the turtles and Jagwar had fled. But it was this moment that Letherhead's minions decided to finally make their move.

"Leatherhead!" Genghis demanded, as he and the twenty or so remaining punk frogs came up behind the gator man. "We would have words with you."

"Something wrong, boys?" The Cajun looked around in anger, and saw the punk frog's troops were surrounding him. "Besides the fact you frogs let those turtles get away?"

"We're tired of you throwing our lives away on worthless missions that get us nowhere!" Rasputin continued, pulling out his bola whip. "The fight with that Jaguar, and the constant battles with human villagers, have left us with only a handful of our number."

"We're getting out of here, while the getting is good." Attila finished. "You, Buzzkill, and Rat King can carry out your own evil schemes!"

"It's no use skedaddling, frogs, you gonna be my slaves for life." Leatherhead smiled a crocodile grin. "And gators live for hundreds of years, yeah."

"Napoleon turn gator into suitcase!" The angry bullfrog yelled, slamming his fists into the ground. "Then crush buzzy bug and king mouse!"

Leatherhead attacked the frogs, swinging his tail at the ones closest to him. But they jumped out of the way, and the other hurled over a dozen spears at him, which pierced his arms and legs. Rasputin and Attila threw a net over the gator man, which Napoleon pulled tight to secure Leatherhead.

"There, that ought to hold him." Genghis croaked smugly, as the other frogs secured the net.

"That's what you think, you idiotic amphibian!" A high-pitched voice buzzed. "Hang on Leatherhead, I'm on my way!"

Suddenly, the frogs heard a loud buzzing overhead. They looked up to see Buzzkill, who shot out a ball of acid spit that burned right though the net.

"It outta hold me, but it won't!" Leatherhead laughed, tearing the burned net off. "Thank ya kindly, Buzzkill. Now, time to teach these frogs a lesson!"

Opening his jaws wide, Leatherhead lunged at one of the frogs. Hit bit down on the amphibian, swallowing him whole. The gator man dodged an axe swing from another frog behind him, before grabbing her head and crushing her skull.

"That does it, I've had enough of this bad jambalaya!" The gator man looked back up at the human fly. "Buzzkill, bring me old Luluabelle, tout suite!"

"You can't do anything without my assistance, can you, gator man?" The human fly asked, zipping around to carry out Leatherhead's orders. "If I hadn't been around to help you, you'd be a suitcase by now!"

Buzzkill dodged two more arrows from a pair of frog archers, before spitting acid in their faces. As the frogs wriggled and writhed in agony, the human fly buzzed into the temple, and brought a heavily modified double-barrled shotgun back to Leatherhead.

"Good ol' Luluabelle, she been in my family since my great gran pappy served stonewall Jackson in the war between the states." Holding the loaded gun up to his eye, Leatherhead took aim. "Here, frogs. Let me show you what ol' Lulabelle is capable of."

click-click, BANG! click-click, BANG! click-click, BANG! click-click, BANG!

Leatherhead fired several shots, blowing the heads off several of the frogs, and letting their smoking corpses fall to the ground. When the smoke had cleared, only Genghis, Rasputin, Napoleon, and Attila remained standing. As Leatherhead took aim once more, all four raised their arms in surrender.

"Boys, I accept your resignations. The punk frogs have outlived their usefulness, anyhow." Leatherhead motioned with his gun. "Buzzkill, help me take these four to the dungeon beneath the great pyramid. The Rat King will soon have the first of our new army, all brainwashed and ready for battle."

"OH well, maybe we can make mutant bugs for our next band of troops." Buzzkill mused, as they took the four surviving punk frogs below. "It would be nice to have a few fellow insects to boss around!"

.....

Inside the templo de la ratta, Master Splinter lay on the floor writing around in agony, a battle of wills going on in his rodent mind.

I understand your pain, Hamato Yoshi. I was a human being who had a family once. The rat King's voice echoed in his head. Before I was the Rat King, I was H'nataan, a young Pipil boy of the Mayan people. My father was an official in the court of king Yeisun, and he loved and cared for me very much. But when I was ten years of age, there were whispers at court that my father lusted after the queen behind Yeisun's back. The king rewarded all those years of my father's loyal service, by having him sacrificed upon the altar of the god Tezlopoca.

I grew up at court as a phantom, ignored by all, except for my only playmates, the armored rats of the jungle. They were the only creatures who cared about me, and they made me realize that animals, especially the rodents, are the true inheritors of the earth. It was man who is a blight upon the land, and it is man who must be exterminated from this planet if the world is going to be a paradise once more. I turned Yeisun's wife and daughter into blessed animals, and after my death I rose as a mummy, and aided the Spanish conquistadors in overthrowing Yeisun's empire. Now, I call upon you to assist me in destroying the modern world of man,so that we rats may live in tranquility with the other animals!

"Bah, I care nothing for your hatred for humanity, I have seen good as well as bad among them!" Splinter replied aloud. "And why does all of humanity need to perish, for what a few monsters did to you in ancient times?"

You need to ask me that, when you can see the state the world is now in? The rat king scoffed. Rain forests are now decimated, the skies filled with polluted filth! True, there may be a few humans who care for the earth and it's creatures, but most who live here treat the planet and it's animals like disposable garbage! This is the reason I used a modified version of the mutagen on myself, to both allow me to return in undeath, as well as give me complete control over the rats. Now, I ask you to join me on my holy mission, so we may eliminate these despoilers and defilers they way their exterminators hunt and eliminate our brothers and sisters throughout the world!

"Even if I wanted to help you, what about my sons?" Splinter pleaded, his will growing weaker in the full force of the rat king's power. "They mean more to me than your insane quest of genocide!"

Your sons? Pah! Four turtles given the gift of being animals from birth, yet they strive so desperately to be like the humans. Their leader plays pretend at being a swordsman, while the smart one buries his head in his machines so he doesn't have to interact with his friends and family. The mentally deficient simpleton emulates beach movies from the sixties and uses surfer catchphrases because he has no real personality of his own. And the strong one? The rat king seemed to laugh. He's so angry he cannot even see what's going on in the world around him. No, Hamato Yoshi, forget about them. They are part of the problem, and we are the solution. Their lives will be a worthy sacrifice, for the kind of world we are to create; a ratocracy, free of the influence of man. This is a chance to make up for the mistakes of your past! Hamato Yoshi! Join me! join me! JOIN ME!

Seeing that Splinter would not join him willingly, the rat king exerted full force in controlling the sensei's mind. Master Splinter's eyes glowed an eerie yellow, as the rat king took full command of his new subject.

"Now Hamato Yoshi, you are completely mine." The rat king declared, emerging from the shadows, as Splinter stood back up. "Together, we shall first destroy those annoying turtles, then finally bring order to this world so filled with chaos!"

"Yes, my king." Splinter replied, a hollow and soulless tone ringing in his voice. "It shall be exactly as you say."

.....

Outside of the temple, Leatherhead and Buzkill made the final preparations for the battle they knew was to come. Neither one was looking forward to facing the turtles and Jagwar, but both were confident they could defeat them.

"Do you think they actually come, Buzzkill?" Leatherhead asked. "Does some scruffy old rat mean that much to them?"

"Oh, they'll be after him, all right. He raised them, and they think of him as a father." Baxter explained. "They won't leave Splinter under the rat King's control. And that's when the four of us will finally get those turtles!"

For Baxter. this was a personal hatred. Those stupid turtles had practically ruined his life! But then, Baxter Stockman had never had an easy life. He had grown up as a poor boy in Harlem, watching his mother waste away from a disease, while his father was cold and aloof. His naturally high intelligence had earned him a scholarship, and in college his breakthroughs in science had drawn him to the attention of Shredder and his foot clan. Working his way up through the ranks, Stockman had participated in the fiasco that was project Renaissance.

Afterward, Stockman had been made head of TCRI, one of the foot clan's two dummy corporations that Shredder made his legit money through. (The other being Sacks industries). But the turtles' constant interference led to the shredder betraying him, which led the human fly to where he was now. Shredder had already paid for his betrayal, being trapped forever in Dimension X with that Krang creature. Now, only the turtles remained to be punished.

Buzzkill's thoughts were pulled back to the present, as the Rat King and Splinter emerged from the temple. Seeing the blank look on the rat sensei's face, both Leatherhead and Buzzkill realized the rat was under the Rat King's control.

"It is done, my friends! The turtle's mentor is ours to command!" The bandaged mummy told his two partners. "Together, we shall destroy those annoying reptiles when they return!"

Chapter Seventeen

The turtle van was tearing it's way through the jungle, racing towards the city of Taizumal at top speed. Aboard were the four turtles and Jagwar, all determined to rescue master splinter, and end the threat of the rat king once and for all.

"Everybody hang on." Leonardo warned, tightening his grip on the seat belt that he was strapped into. "It's going to be a bumpy ride!"

As they approached the undergrowth, Donatello hit a switch that caused two buzz saw blades to pop out from under the van. The spinning blades cut them a path through the rain forest, mowing down all the scrubs and shrubs in their way.

....

Far off on the temple wall, Leatherhead watched their approach through a pair of binoculars. He growled angrily as he caught sight of the approaching van.

"Grrrr, them shell backs are on there way, you betcha." He told Buzzkill. "You got anything to slow them down. fly boy?"

"Indeed I do, my corcodillian companion." The insect man buzzed. "I made some modifications to they twenty or so remaining mousers; took off their jaws, and added a single wheel, and a laser."

"You think those things can stop them?" Leatherhead asked. "Those mousers are really small, by gumbo."

"Don't worry, I've made some other improvements to my creations, that will really roast those reptiles." Buzzkill rubbed his second set of insect arms together. "And I've decided to name the little monsters after my beloved childhood pet; Roadkill Rodney."

....

As the turtle van drew closer to the temple, they saw several small shapes wheeling and circling around the van. As the objects were moving so fast, none of the occupants of the vehicle could identify what they actually were.

"Hey, guys? Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Donnie asked, as one of the objects whirled around in front of the van. "I think these things might be some kind of mechanical construct."

Two more of the strange shapes zipped past, And the turtles and Jagwar saw a slightly rounded machine on a single wheel. The strange devices produced lasers out of thier bodies, and opened fire on the turtle van.

"Dude! Those things are shooting at us!" Mikey exclaimed, as the van hit a bump. "What gives?"

"Those evil machines must be in the rat king's service." Jagwar concluded as two more came up behind the moving van. "We must destroy them, if we are to reach our goal!"

The six roadkill Rodneys kept pace with the turtle van, and several of their shots grazed the vehicle. As the van hit a bump, one of the shots finally shattered the windows.

"Okay, that does it!" Raph jumped up in anger. "C'mon, Mikey! Let's teach these rolling junk piles a lesson!"

The two turtles manned the cannons on either on the van, sliding the cargo area doors open, and blasting away at the Rodney. Several shot hit the little machines, sending them spinning out of control and exploding into nearby trees.

"Good shootin, Mikey!" Raph called out, laughing triumphantly. "I got three of em'!"

"Dude, you weren't bad, yourself!" Mikey yelled back. "And I got three, too!"

Two more of the wheeled machines came up alongside the van, and each shot out a magnetic cable that attached itself to the vehicle. Both Rodneys sent a powerful electrical current through their cables, that began to fry the turtle van's electrical systems.

"Guys, you gotta stop those things!" Donnie pleaded. "They're gonna destroy my baby!"

Jagwar looked out the window, and tossed a pair of bolas at the Roadkill Rodney on her side. The cord got tangled in it's wheel, causing the machine to spiral away and explode.

"Ole! That's one of them down!" The princess roared excitedly. "Leo, can you get the one on your side, por favor?"

Leo looked out the passenger window, and saw the other Rodney turn it's singular eye towards him.

"Okay, buddy!" It warned the turtle, in it's high-pitched voice. "Just pull over, and nobody gets hurt!"

"Awww, would you look at that!" Leonardo teased. "That thing can talk, how cute!"

The turtle tossed a kunai out the window, nailing the Rodney straight the eye, causing it to explode.

"Oh well, I suppose he didn't have anything else to say." Leo joked, turning back to face the other turtles. "I guess he needs better conversation skills."

Up ahead, several more Rodneys wheeled their way in the path of the van, forming a barricade the vehicle could not pass through without damage.

"Oh no you don't I just gave this thing a new paint job!" Donnie challenged. "Time to send these scrap heaps, back to the junk yard!"

Donatello hit a button, which activated the bazooka on the van's roof. It fired a single rocket, blowing all of the Roadkill Rodney's ahead to kingdom come.

"All right Donnie!" Raph cheered. "Whoohoo!"

"You did it, dude!" Mikey congratulated him. "The turtle van is safe!"

"Good job, senior Donnie!" Jagwar congratulated him, giving the turtle a peck on the cheek. "You cleared de road to de temple!"

"Ummm, yeah." Donnie replied, his face turning a bright red. as he smiled with a goofy grin. "No problem."

Finally, the van reached the site of the ruins, and Donnie pulled it to a stop right in the middle of the central plaza. As the four turtles and Jagwar exited the vehicle, they noticed how eerily quiet the place was.

"This is really weird." Raph growled, looking around. "Where is that pesky insect? Where are the punk frogs?"

"I dunno, dude." Mikey shrugged. "Maybe they all went on vacation?"

"Haw haw haw! Your little friend dere is really funny!" Leatherhead declared, coming down the steps of the great pyramid. "Maybe we keep him around, after we turn the rest of you into turtle gumbo, eh?"

"Leatherhead! What's going on here?" Leonardo demanded. "What have you done with Master Splinter?"

"Oh, your Sensei, he be plenty fine. He be waiting for you over in the governor's palace." The gator man replied, pointing a thumb towards the palace ruins. "And brainy boy. buzzkill's just a waitin' ta meet you in his lab. An' I'm sure the little lady is just dyin' ta see the rat king again!"

"Donatello, you head off and deal with that pesky fly. That'll at least keep him out of the fight." Leo commanded, giving orders to his team. "Mikey, go with Jagwar. If the Rat King is as powerful as she says he is, she'll need your help." Leo started off towards the governor's palace. "I'll go and rescue our master. Good luck, everyone."

As each of the heroes raced off towards their destination, Leatherhead turned to glare at Raphael, a hungry look in his eye.

"Hm, you seem to be the strong one in this group, by gumbo." The gator man growled, cracking his knuckles. "Wanna mix it up, boy?"

"I'd be glad to, ya oversized handbag." Raph grinned a bloodthirsty smile, pulling out his pair of sais. "Bring it on."

The two battle-hungry animals began to circle each other, each waiting for the other to strike first...