Leatherhead, part 3/Transcript

YOU'RE NOT ON
NICKTOONS
ANYMORE!

Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids.

IDW Chronology
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Page 1[]

Kleve "Guilty of war crimes?!"

Kleve "On whose account?"

Donatello "Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm only telling you what Professor Honeycutt told me before we brought the rest of you out of stasis."

Ma'riell "Honeycutt? The robot?"

Donnie "Yes."

Kleve "What right does a machine have to pass judgment on an Utrominon war hero?!"

Montuoro "No right, sir! No right at all!"

Donnie "Um... Can I talk to you privately for a moment, Ma'riell? I might be able to clear a few things up without all the shouting."

Ma'riell "Very well."

Ma'riell "Lieutenant Kleve—please remain with my brother while I speak further with Donatello about this matter."

Donnie "Thank you."

Kleve "It appears, Corporal Montuoro, that civilians remain the same in any dimension—bleeding-hearted weaklings. Colonel Ch'rell a war criminal?"

Kleve "Preposterous!"

Montuoro "Sir, yes, sir."

Page 2[]

Donnie "Look—there's something important you should know, and I was hoping I could share it with you in a rational fashion, scientist to scientist. No offense, but your soldier friends are a little..."

Ma'riell "Over-exuberant?"

Donnie "I was gonna say "too loud," but, yeah, they're probably too worked up right now for what I have to tell you."

Ma'riell "I am listening."

Donnie "Okay... The reason you and your friends are able to live and breathe right now is because, not too long ago, General Krang tried to terraform Earth in order to create a New Utrominon."

Donnie "My brothers and I—with Professor Honeycutt's help—were able to stop him before he committed global genocide..."

Donnie "...But not before he transformed this island into an environment only survivable to Utroms."

Ma'riell "And General Krang?"

Donnie "In prison in Dimension X."

Donnie "He was already wanted for war crimes on Planet Neutrino, so the professor thought it best he stand trial there, which was fine with us—we just wanted him as far away as possible."

Donnie "It wasn't until we were bringing the rest of you out of stasis that the professor told us your brother was guilty of war crimes, too."

Donnie "Thing is, he didn't tell us what they were—just that he wanted to talk to you and the others about it first."

Donnie "And... Well, you know the rest."

Ma'riell "Genocide?"

Ma'riell "Ah, Krang... So very like your father after all."

Ma'riell "Yes, well... Whereas Kleve and Montuoro tend to be boisterous in their soldierly devotion, Ch'rell is the epitome of a true zealot, loyal to a fault."

Ma'riell "I have no doubt he would have reacted to extreme displeasure at the news his beloved leader had been imprisoned."

Ma'riell "As sad as it is for me to admit, your robot friend was wise to be cautious with my brother."

Ma'riell "This is most definitely a situation I must discuss with my fellow Utroms..."

Page 3[]

"...As soon as Technician Leeshawn and your brother return them to us."

Leeshawn "Oh... Poor Councilor Lorqa."

Michelangelo "Don't look at it, dude."

Mikey "That kinda stuff can give you all kinds of nightmares, trust me."

SHNNK

Yoom "<Finally! Between Churk's snoring and that slab of a bed, I thought I was going to go crazy in there.>"

Churk "<Look out, Yoom!>"

Churk "<It's one of the warrior lizards from the past!>"

Churk "Rahh!"

Leeshawn "No, Churk! Michelangelo is helping us!"

Churk "Who's Michelangelo?"

Mikey "Me, you slimy jerk!"

Churk "It's Churk! And last time we saw you warrior lizards, you weren't exactly the helping kind."

Yoom "Churk's right. And why are we speaking Earth English? What's going on, Leeshawn?"

Leeshawn "Quite a lot, actually."

Mikey "Last time you saw us...?"

Mikey "Waitasec! You were there when we went to prehistoric times with Renet, weren't you?!"

[*SEE TMNT: TURTLES IN TIME - B.C.]

Leatherhead "So our alien friends have made your acquaintance before—"

Page 4[]

Leatherhead "—How wonderfully serendipitous."

Mikey "Leatherhead!"

Leeshawn "This warrior lizard is bigger."

Churk "I'll happily let someone else jump on that one's face."

Yoom "Wise decision, Churk. Wise decision."

Mikey "Dude... What happened?"

Leatherhead "It's rather embarrassing, really. I was searching with your brothers and seemed to have bloodied myself in the dark."

Leatherhead "So ridiculously clumsy of me—I know those tunnels intimately, after all."

Leatherhead "Anyway, I decided to return in order to clean up after myself. Your brothers are waiting for you to join them in the tunnels, in the meantime."

Mikey "Me? Why?"

Leatherhead "Safety in numbers, I suppose. I told them I would take charge of watching over the Utroms while you were away."

Mikey "But... How am I supposed to find them?"

Leatherhead "The blood trail I left behind should guide your way just fine."

Mikey "Uh, yeah... That's not too nasty."

Leatherhead "If you only knew, my friend."

Page 5[]

Mikey "Hey, Donnie!"

Donnie "Cripes, Mike!"

Donnie "You about gave me a coronary."

Ma'riell "Where are the others?"

Mikey "They're with Leatherhead."

Mikey "He got hurt and came back and now I gotta go find Leo and Raph with his blood."

Donnie "His blood? What are you talk—"

Mikey "No time—gotta bolt! Just wanted to keep you in the loop, bro."

Donnie "Wait, Mike, I—"

Donnie "Did he say Leatherhead was hurt?"

Zayton Honeycutt "Leatherhead... Hurt..."

Donnie "Professor! It's Donnie! Can you hear me?"

Honeycutt "Don... Nee... Listen care... Fully. It was... Leatherhead..."

Honeycutt "...Hurt me."

Page 6 & 7[]

Mikey "Holey moley—Leatherhead must be the biggest klutz ever."

Mikey "Look at all this..."

Mikey "...Blood."

Tragg "Nnngg..."

Mikey "Oh... Man."

Raphael "Mikey... That you?"

Raph "Didn't happen to bring some aspirin, didja?"

Mikey "Guys! What happened?!"

Raph "Got our green butts handed to us, that's what."

Leonardo "What are you doing here, Mikey? You're supposed to be guarding the Utroms."

Mikey "No worries, bro. Leatherhead's handling that—"

Mikey "—He's the one who told me where to find you guys."

Leo "What about Donnie, Mike?"

Mikey "Still working with Ma'riell. Why?"

Leo "Dammit."

Granitor "You turtles {koff}... Got yourself into some serious trouble."

Raph "Shut it, chump. You were tryin' to waste us first, so you ain't got not room to talk."

Granitor "Maybe. But {koff} we were just trying to... Survive."

Granitor "We only wanted {koff}... Your air."

Granitor "That big lizard wants... Revenge."

Page 8[]

Mikey "Dudes... I'm so confused right now."

Raph "Leatherhead, Mikey—he's the one that attacked us. Smacked us around pretty good before we could react then took off all of a sudden."

Leo "And I wanna know why—but not here. We gotta get back to Donnie, fast."

Leo "Mike... Raph... Grab Tragg. I'll help Granitor."

Raph "What for? These rock dorks'll just slow us down."

Leo "Because we don't leave anyone to die if we can help it, Raph. Ever."

Mikey "Man, this guy... Erf... Weights a ton."

Raph "Tell me... Nng... 'Bout it."

Leo "So why's Leatherhead want revenge?"

Granitor "Why? General Krang {koff}... That's why."

Granitor "Goes way back. I don't know all the details, but enough to know {koff}... This is bad."

"Started when a bunch of pirates dumped a load of Krang's mutagen and ooze into one of Burnow's inlets. Enough to {koff}... Change our alligator friend."

"The general eventually went lookin' for his lost goods... And ended up {koff}... Snaggin' himself a new pet instead."

Page 9[]

"Krang kept the beast locked up in one of his labs. Let the scientists run all sort of tests on it, not all of 'em {koff}... Nice ones, either."

"The big lizard hated it, being trapped like that. Even got out a few times, but it never lasted long. He wasn't going anywhere."

"Nah—the general had big {koff}... Plans for him."

"Turns out the general wanted to take over Earth with an army of smart mutants, and ol' Leatherhead was his first {koff}... Recruit."

"Got a lot of special attention for a long time as a result. And if things were going good for Krang, things went good for the mutant, too."

"And when things were bad, well... The general had his pet to take it out on."

"Eventually the general gave up on {koff}... The mutant army and started focusing on the Technodrome. Left Leatherhead to rot in his cell... Wishing for payback all that time, I'll bet."

Granitor "He must've escaped when the Foot attacked the island, and I figure killing one Utrom's just as good as another for him at {koff}... this point."

Leo "So Leatherhead's story was all a lie."

Leo "He was really being tortured all that time."

Mikey "Another mutant gettin' hurt for no good reason—just Old Hob said."

Raph "Yeah, and if there's one thing I can't stand more than Hob..."

Page 10[]

"...It's when that stinkin' fleabag is right."

Leatherhead "Disconcerting, isn't it?"

Leatherhead "One moment you're sublimely oblivious to the harsh realities of this world—asleep, as it were—"

Leatherhead "—And the next, those same realities are thrust into your existence without warning... Without choice."

Leatherhead "You suddenly find yourself an alien on an alien world."

Leatherhead "I know that feeling all too well... Of not belonging. Of being an outsider."

Leatherhead "An abomination."

Leatherhead "I am fully aware a thing like me should not exist. I have no place on this Earth—not as I am now."

Leatherhead "And neither do you. Though, unlike me, your kind has purposefully made yourselves strangers in a strange land, deliberately upsetting a natural balance that must be reestablished."

Leeshawn "Um, yes... Well, perhaps we can start making ourselves more welcome by helping you with your wounds, hm?"

Leatherhead "Oh... This?"

Leatherhead "I never said it was my blood."

Donnie "Stop, Leatherhead!"

Page 11[]

Donnie "Kleve... Montuoro... Get your people out of here."

Donnie "I'll take care of the rest!"

SHPP

WHOMP

Page 12[]

Kleve "Quickly, you three!"

Montuoro "Go!"

Donnie "I know you're the killer, Leatherhead."

Donnie "Stay down—I mean it."

Leatherhead "Of course I'll stay down."

Leatherhead "I'm a monster..."

Leatherhead "...Down is all I've ever known!"

Donnie "Oh..."

Donnie "Craaapp!"

Leeshawn "Look out!"

Churk "Move! Move!"

FWAMM

Leatherhead "I simply intend to pull the rest of you monsters down with me."

Page 13[]

ZXXXZZT

Leatherhead "Gyaah!"

Leo "Stop, Leatherhead. We know what Krang did to you. This doesn't have to get ugly."

Mikey "Yeah, dude&mdashjust chill. We don't wanna hurt you."

Raph "So don't make us."

Leatherhead "Ugly?"

Leatherhead "This turned ugly centuries ago!"

Leatherhead "But now it appears it's time to put the ugliness behind me a bit earlier than expected."

Leatherhead "And I'll need your help for that... Scientist."

Donnie "Wha—gah!"

Leo "He's heading to the teleporter!"

Raph "Crap!"

Mikey "We gotta save Donnie!"

Page 14[]

Raph "There he is!"

Leatherhead "Yes, here I am."

Donnie "Let... Hrnf... Go!"

Leatherhead "But not for long!"

WHAM

Mikey "Gah!"

Leatherhead "Now, please, start the machine. I won't ask twice."

Leatherhead "It's a pity we couldn't be friends, turtles—you seem like fine people."

Leatherhead "But then again, we aren't people, are we? We shouldn't even exist."

Leatherhead "Perhaps friendship is not meant for us."

Leo "Raahh!"

Page 15[]

ZXXYZT

Leatherhead "Of course, attacking me with my jail master's little torture sticks certainly doesn't help matters."

Leatherhead "I can't imagine that's how successful friendships are built."

Leatherhead "I guess we'll never know."

SNAPP

Mikey "Hiyah!"

Leatherhead "Uff!"

Leatherhead "This is truly unnecessary."

CRNCH

Mikey "Whoulf."

Leatherhead "I had only intended to kill those aliens today—it's why I tried to divert you all away from the carnage I'd planned."

Leatherhead "I never wanted to hurt any of you, either."

Raph "Well, guess what..."

Page 16[]

KXZZKKT

Leatherhead "Grahh!"

Raph "...I changed my mind."

Leatherhead "Yes. I'm suddenly having a change of heart myself."

FWIK

Mikey "No!"

Mikey "Time to stop, dude. This is stupid."

Mikey "I'll give this back soon as you promise to chillax."

Mikey "Yah!"

Leatherhead "Two can play that game."

Mikey "{Gasp}"

Page 17[]

Raph "Mikey!"

Mikey "Guys {koff}... Can't breathe..."

Leatherhead "Stay {koff} back... Or I'll crush him before he has a chance to {koff} suffocate."

Leo "What do you want?"

Leatherhead "You already {koff}... Know. A new home. Away from this cursed {koff}... Prison. You... You four owe me that much."

Raph "Hell no!"

Donnie "Yes!"

Donnie "Go now, guys—back to New York. Whatever Leatherhead's done, he's right—we owe him. I owe him."

Donnie "He saved my life."

Donnie "Now go with him so we can save Mikey's."

Mikey "Hrrnnn... Hrnnn..."

Leo "But you..."

Donnie "Somebody's gotta operate the teleporter from this end. I'll be fine..."

Donnie "...Harold will help get me home when you guys are clear."

Donnie "Now, quick..."

CLIK

Page 18[]

"...Before it's too late."

FOOM

Mikey "Hrrfff...!"

Leatherhead "Oh.."

Raph "Okay, we're here."

Leo "What now, Leatherhead?"

Leatherhead "I... I don't know."

Leatherhead "So many smells..."

Leatherhead "So many sounds..."

Page 19[]

Leatherhead "Too much... Too much. Need to be alone. To think... To plan."

Leatherhead "We are not done, turtles."

Leatherhead "I swear it."

SPLSSH

Raph "Unff!"

Raph "Welcome to the big city."

Page 20[]

[Later.]

Leo "I feel bad letting you go back to the lair alone, Mikey. I wish you'd come inside with us after everything that happened."

Mikey "Thanks, Leo, but I'm good. 'Sides, took me hours to get that place cleaned up—don't want all that hard work to go to waste, you know?"

Raph "Yeah, don't sweat it, Leo. Kid just needs some space these days—he'll be fine. And so will Donnie. He loves doin' that egghead teleportin' stuff with Harold."

Raph "Leatherhead, on the other hand—who knows where that beast'll show up next, am I right?"

Leo "Guys—look."

Raph "Yo, where's the guards?"

Leo "I don't know. More importantly, where's..."

Leo "...Father?"