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Some TMNT stuff was always meant for grownups. |
In the past, Michelangelo has mastered his first fighting form and has overcome his first gladiatorial challenge in Japan. With Master Splinter's journal in his hands-and a burning desire for vengeance in his heart-Michelangelo resumes his westward trek across Asia and Europe in order to test his skills against his next deadly opponent. If he's to have any chance of attaining victory in the final battle royal, Michelangelo will have to master an essential new martial skill-or die trying. Only then can he return to New York City to confront the Foot Clan. Thing is, he's not alone. His dead brothers have joined him on his quest... and they won't shut up! Meanwhile, in the present (a.k.a. our future!), Casey Marie Jones also follows the sage teachings found in Splinter's journal as she continues her own journey as master and sensei to the next generation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
Appearing in #2[]
Major characters[]
- April O'Neil
- Casey Marie Jones
- Death Worm's goons (flashback only)
- Mi-Reu (debut) (flashback only)
- Michelangelo (flashback only)
- Moja
- Odyn
- Uno
- Yi
- Yip (debut) (flashback only)
Minor characters[]
- Casey Jones I (flashback only)
- Donatello (flashback only)
- Foot Ninja (flashback only)
- Leonardo (flashback only)
- Nori (debut) (flashback only)
- Raphael (flashback only)
Synopsis[]
Then. Michelangelo is tackled through the window of "In the Between", a Korean eatery, by a bald minion of Death Worm
Now. Odyn drops a glass of water, shattering it. Yi chastizes him for drinking instead of mopping up, but he says that "sojenga" (sojido) makes him thirsty. Uno mocks his brother, telling him he can't do anything right. Casey watches the kids from behind some plants, as April approaches with some tea. Odyn asks Yi if she can help him clean up, but Yi says that she was told her only task is to wipe things down. He then tries to get Moja to do it, but she says Casey says they have to fix their own messes.
Casey and April emerge and Uno tattles on his brother. Odyn cries asking if she's mad at him, but she instead launches into a story about the first Turtles and her father.
One night, Splinter had sent them all out to stop the Foot Clan from theft. Casey Sr., however, noticed some punks stealing a woman's purse. The Turtles didn't want to abort their mission, but Casey leapt into action and they all followed suit anyway, even if it meant the Foot would potentially get away, because it was the "right" thing to do and was the most immediate threat to someone. Casey Marie likens this story to how she stayed and helped April keep the city from flooding instead of going out to fight the Foot with Mikey, because it was the most urgent thing that needed done at that moment, even if it wasn't what she wanted to do.
Then. Mike continues his fight against this bald punk, Mi-Reu, and chastises himself for blowing his cover and getting into a barroom brawl after weeks of just hiding out in plain sight, putting a spanner in his plans.
Mike thinks back to almost three years before, his first encounter with Death Worm's goons in Hokkaidō, and the dying old man who told him to run. At this moment, he began hallucinating his dead brothers, who would alternatively give him advice or mock his choices and actions. For years, Mike spent his time running from the Death Worm's thugs, travelling down the coast of Hokkaidō and eventually swimming to the Japanese mainland.
At the Monument of Remembrance in Akita, Mike's imaginary quarrel with his brothers comes to a head. Even though he calls out Raph for kick-starting the downfall of Hamato Clan by going gung-ho after Karai, they make him realize that that was just an escalation in a long war that started with Splinter's need for revenge against Oroku Saki and that the only way to ensure it's over is to end it with just himself and Saki's grandson Hiroto. Thus, he starts his journey back to New York City.
Mike catches a ferry from Sakaiminato, and spends his night on deck talking to his "brothers". Unfortunately, a couple of Death Worm's goons happen to be on board, and when they notice that the crazy old man they were going to just harass for talking to himself is the infamous "green freak" that their boss is looking for, they attack. Mike takes out the thugs and dives into the water, having already intended on jumping ship before they got to Korea anyway, so he might as well not delay the inevitable, just incase those weren't the only two of Death Worm's gang on board.
Mike washes up on the shore of Chiburijima, unconscious. There, he is found by an old man and his dog, Nori. The man takes him back to his guest house, and when Mike comes to, he tells him that he is Master Yip of the Hamato Clan. Mike points out that he is Chinese but is speaking Japanese in Japan and is part of the Hamato Clan, but Yip reminds him of the diversity of the Clan with the present company; he knows Michelangelo by name and his goals, as he's been in and out of consciousness for two days and mumbles things.
Yip begins instructing Michelangelo, beginning with having him clean his camp, calling it "sojido, the way of cleaning". Next, he moved onto actual form work with wing chun, and then with baat jaam do, the art of the dit ming dao - butterfly swords. Yip continued training Mike, with the old master flinging bad puns at him all the while.
Finally, Michelangelo was ready to continue on his journey, but before he could continue his quest, Yip asked him if he could honorable rush to face one enemy while he fearfully retreated from another. Thus, he swore an oath to Yip to meet Death Worm head-on before he could continue on his way to get revenge on Hiroto. Arriving in Donghae-si, of the semi-recently Unified Korean Republic, he traveled to Town 38, a lawless town on the former Korean Demilitarized Zone where he had Death Worm was last seen. He sold some of his weaponry, including his signature nunchaku, so that he could afford a meal. Heading to the restaurant known as "In the Between", he has something to eat, and spies a bald goon with a Death Worm tattoo. Mike reveals himself to the goons there as the "green freak", and picks a fight with them. He takes them all out, and threatens the bald one, Mi-Reu, with his own broken bottle, for Death Worm's location. Mi-Reu tells him that he's in Mongolia, and Mike lays him out before exiting with a smoke bomb for cover. Mike then steals a car and heads for his target.