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Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids. |
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[What now seems like ages ago...] April O'Neil "Time to get back to work. See you guys soon." Michelangelo "Okay. So what's next?" Leonardo "Hold on a second." Leo "April! Wait up." April "What's up?" April "What do you think it means?" Leo "Maybe it's nothing. But it feels like... Something's about to go down, like maybe there is a reason the scroll ended up in our hands, you know?" |
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(Leo) "Maybe this is something finding us." [Now.] SQUEAK SQUEAK Rat King "Watch your step." April "Where are we?" Rat King "You are in between worlds, what your academic colleagues would describe as a liminal space." CRACK! Rat King "Excuse the mess." Rat King "Difficult to keep the dimension between worlds... Tidy." Casey Jones "Is this real?" |
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Rat King "Real? Interesting question." Rat King "What do you think?" Old Man (Rat King) "Not made of the same stuff as your friends. Are you?" April "Who are you?" Rat King "Who am I?" Rat King "How cordial of you to inquire." |
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Rat King "I am the Rat King." Rat King "Maker of kings." Rat King "...And chaos." Rat King "I would suggest it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but I believe you and I both know it's far more complicated than that, yes?" Red "Brother..." |
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Red "I thought you were retrieving our guests." Rat King "But of course! Behold..." Rat King "...The young lovers!" Red "Come then." Red "I have been expecting you." |
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Rat King "I'll just make myself at home." Red "I promise. No harm will come to you here." Rat King "Not a promise you hear often from our family." Red "I imagine you are hungry." Red "And I am sure you have questions." Casey "Uh. Could you, uh, just give us a moment?" |
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Casey "I don't like this." April "I know. I don't trust him. But..." April "I think we can trust her." Casey "How can you trust someone who hasn't really said anything yet?" Casey "If I say that I think we should split, are you just going to get mad?" April "No." April "Casey..." April "Look. I know this trip..." Casey "We can talk about it later." Casey "My gut tells me we got to get outta here." April "My gut says... This woman is why we're here." April "I know you're worried it's not safe but... So far, we're still okay. If they wanted to kill us..." Casey "Okay. We stay." Rat King "Whenever you're ready." |
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Red "It's a Joshua tree pizza pie." Red "Minus the kale." Red "I hope you will be pleased." April "Thank you." April "So..." Red "So..." April "You seem to know who we are." Red "Yes. It would seem so." April "We have this. My friends and I acquired it." April "I guess, this is who you are." April "Although, obviously, we're not exactly sure what that means." Red "Ah, yes. A small piece of our family tree." Red "Perhaps it is best to start nearer the beginning." Aka (Red) "I am Aka..." Aka "...And we..." |
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"As you multiplied and migrated across the Earth's surface, our grasp of power... Loosened." "Many of us disappeared, went into hiding, emerging every decade or so..." "...To scratch the surface of your history." Casey "And recent... Scratches we should know about?" Rat King "Hmmmmm." Rat King "Such vigor." Rat King "<If we broke this one in half we'd find a burning flame.>" Aka "<Breaking in half is not fitting treatment for guests.>" Aka "Nor is speaking in another language. My apologies." Rat King "Tell me, how are your fellow warriors?" Rat King "One is... A shell of his former self?" Casey "You wanna talk about my friends? Talk with respect." |
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Rat King "Boy." Rat King "You must never forget your place..." Rat King "...As a mere amusement." April "Stop!" Aka "April." |
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April "What's happening? Where did they go?" Aka "They are, unchanged. It is we who have stopped moving forward, who have settled into this space of a second." April "I can't leave him with that monster!" Aka "My brother is a trickster." Aka "But like me he is ruled by curiosity, not malice." Aka "The boy will be safe. Please." Aka "April O'Neil." Aka "Come." Aka "I must speak to you." Aka "My sisters and brothers immortal, most of them, seek power. I seek... Understanding." Aka "Of human history. And of change." |
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Aka "Change unfolds in many different ways." Aka "It can be extraordinary." Aka "Or as quiet as a reflection in still waters." Aka "Change is war, struggle, conflict, but also metamorphosis, photosynthesis." April "Science." Aka "Yes." Aka "Every new human... Is change. Some humans more than others." Aka "Do you know why I brought you here?" April "Me? No." Aka "Change is coming." |
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Aka "My family is gathering. It is a new beginning. A revolution." Aka "A time..." "...For a new war." Casey "April?!" Rat King "Such a disappointment." Rat King "I will admit I was curious." Rat King "After my encounter with your friends." Rat King "But now I see." Rat King "When the time comes, your weakness will be your end." |
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Rat King "And your end will be the fall of those who would give their lives to save you." Casey "No." Rat King "Yours is a story already written, boy." Rat King "And not even in rhyme." Casey "You're wrong." |
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Rat King "Every battle is one step forward." Rat King "A step towards your undoing." Casey "I think that's enough rat therapy for today." Rat King "I believe that's time, sister." |
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April "War." Aka "When it comes, I will leave this place." Aka "But know this, April O'Neil." Aka "You are part of this change." Aka "You are a beginning." RING Casey "Hey!" April >Hey!< Casey "Did all that just happen?" Casey "Or was that just the weirdest dream anyone ever had?" April "Yeah. Unless a dream is a thing you can share." "I'm pretty sure we just met some gods." |
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Casey "I was thinking about what you said. About couples working together." Casey "It's hard because I want you to be... You know... Not dead." April "Yeah." Casey "What are you thinking about?" April "The woman, Aka, talking about change." Casey "What changes?" RING Casey >Dude!< Leo "We've been trying to call you! What's happening?" Casey >Hold on. I'm pulling over.< Casey "Leo! It is good to hear your voice." Casey "Yeah. A lot to say, man. I don't know if the scroll helped but..." Casey "We basically just met, I don't know... Immortals?" Leo "What kind of immortals?" Casey "The rat and bird kind." |
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April " "Red." " Casey "April?" Casey "You okay?" April "I think so. Just. Brain heavy." Casey "Well, you are the brains of the operation." Casey "That's not going to change." |
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Casey "Leo says hi. I figure we can talk to him once we find a hotel." April "I think I know what to do next." Casey "Cool. So we're not totally lost then?" >Storms ahead so a warning to all motorists.< April "I hope not." >"...As you walk on by..."< |