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Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids. |
Chaos begets chaos! As the contest for the world continues, players on all sides are quickly finding their game plans in absolute disarray! Unexpected participants and unforeseen pitfalls have combined to create havoc in three separate dimensions, and heroes and villains alike are forced to make countermoves to their countermoves. And all the while, the wily Rat King laughs in the shadows...
Appearing in #4[]
Major characters[]
- Cherubae
- Darkwater
- Impostor Turtles
- "Donatello"
- "Leonardo"
- "Michelangelo"
- "Raphael"
- Leonardo
- Noi Tai Dar
- Old Hob
- Oroku Saki
- Pantheon
- Raphael
Minor characters[]
- Alopex
- Baxter Stockman
- Cudley
- Four Winds:
- Azrael (debut)
- Glyph (debut)
- Snake-Eyes (debut)
- Yaguaro (debut)
- Herman
- Jennika
- Man Ray
- MetalKrang
- Mushroom
- Null
- Rat King
- Sally Pride
- Zanna
- Zink
Locations[]
- Dimension Z
- Hirobyl
- Noi Tai Dar's stronghold
- Hirobyl
- Earth
- Thin Place
Objects and Vehicles[]
Synopsis[]
Interlude. The Thin Places. Aka and Gothano have called together The Pantheon in order to apprise them of the Rat King’s newest gambit. They recall a past event where all played a game that ended with a great flood and nearly total destruction of Earth.
Gothano explains that the Rat King is convinced that worldwide cataclysm is a triumphant stratagem and has set his pawns, the Trio of Terror, to the task. Aka tells them that a victory by the Rat King will cause the world to fall into a primitive state and their family will do likewise.
Toad Baron reminds Aka of the rules; that direct intervention is inflexibly inhibited and that their pawn proxies must prevail. Jagwar says that they had all better hope the proxies do so, because if the time comes to break the rules, that none of them have ever been able to restrain Rat King’s chaos – and that the only one who has an inkling of how they might change that…
…Remains dead asleep. The interlude ends with the Pantheon standing over the sleeping Kitsune.
Cut to Dimension Z. Cudley has delivered Oroku Saki and Leonardo to the Planet Hirobyl and leaves. Cherubae floats above the pair and tells them that Cudley has spoken to her telepathically and explained why they are there and what they seek of her. She says that she will help them, but that they must understand that they can’t defeat Madame Null on Earth unless they first defeat her cousin Noi Tai Dar on this planet.
Further explanation will have to wait, since they must leave while it is still dark. Saki says that they will follow where Cherubae leads. Cherubae responds that they had best be prepared for a long hard climb and then a long hard fight.
Back on Earth, Raphael and Old Hob have arrived to find Mutant Town in an uproar. Raphael is about to jump into the fray when Old Hob stops him in order to listen to a live broadcast from Mutant Town’s City Hall.
The Imposter Turtles stand in front of cages holding both Man Ray and Sally. Imposter Raph says that they are there to release the first hero of the mutant uprising, May Ray. He calls for Mutant Town to join them and then he and the other imposters shout “Mutanimals Rule!”
At that moment, Jennika hurls herself into the midst of the imposters and yells that the whole thing is fake and calls the imposters “posers”. Hob tells Raph that it looks like his game has started, but Raph says it’s not his game. He tells Hob that the fake Turtles are about to find out the hard way that Jenny isn’t the only one who doesn’t like loser’s pretending to be them.
Unbeknownst to them, they are being spied upon by Darkwater’s Sergeant Winter, who is using binoculars to watch Mutant Town. He and Colonel Knight, who is inside a nearby vehicle, both recognize Old Hob and then express surprise at seeing Raphael. Winter says that Detective Lewis was right – that there is something wrong with this gig.
Old Hob, Raphael, Herman and the Weasels arrive at City Hall. Hob tells Herman to stay outside and watch their backs and that no one gets in but them. The Weasels are to go with Hob and Raphael, but they are to stay close.
Raphael promptly kicks in the door and they enter, just as the Imposter Turtles are retreating. They run through a door into the entry only to be confronted by Hob and Raphael, who asks where they think they’re going. Jenny appears, and then Alopex, which surprises Raph. Alopex though isn’t pleased that Raph first joined forces with Shredder and now Hob.
Watching from his cage, Man Ray says that this is an interesting turn of events, purposely annoying Sally by calling her “Ms. Mayor”. She tells him to shut up and he says okay – he won’t even mention that he knows exactly who the imposters are and so does she. Sally reacts with confusion.
Raph addresses the imposters, saying they weren’t expecting to run into other ninja Turtles. Jenny says they wish they were ninjas and then tells Raph that as much as she’d like to stay, Donnie is calling for help at the lair. Raph tells her to take off, that he and Hob will handle the wannabes. Hob turns to the Weasels and instructs them to find Man Ray and Sally and free them from their cages.
The Weasels leave and Raph and Hob turn to face their adversaries. Hob wonders why they don’t have weapons, but Imposter Donatello pulls his nunchaku and brags that he’s not empty-handed. Raph responds by leaping and kicking the imposter to the floor, telling him that the first rule of ninja-ing is to know when to show off and when to defend yourself.
The Imposters quickly fall back to the jail, using a smoke bomb to cover their departure. Hob begins firing his gun indiscriminately, until Raph ducks to avoid being hit and yells for him to stop. The pair enter the jail and find that the Imposters have armed themselves. Imposter Leonardo (Fist) charges at Raph and their sai clash together. Raph then informs him of the second rule of ninja-ing: Don’t bite off more than you can chew. He follows this advice by striking the imposter.
Meanwhile, Old Hob is firing a pair of guns, emptying both clips. He tosses the guns aside and draws his blade. Before the imposters can attack, they realize the cages are empty and turn just as Man Ray attacks. A shot from Man Ray’s stingers hits Imposter Don's (Waster) cybernetic implant mutation device, puncturing it and causing the mutagen to spray out.
Compromised, with Waster returning to his human form, Imposter Leo throws a grenade and the Imposters flee. Raph, Old Hob and Man Ray duck as the grenade explodes. Watching from outside, Winter and Knight see both the explosion, and the Imposter’s exit from the building.
Sally and the Weasel rush into the jail to see if the others are hurt and are assured that they are fine. Raph then says that maybe he’s gone crazy, but he could swear the Donnie poser turned human after Ray shot him. Man Ray assures him he is not crazy, that all of the imposters are actually human, and that he and Sally have run into them before. Sally says that they are called the Gang of Four.
Back on Hirobyl, Cherubae flies up alongside Oroku Saki and Leonardo as they climb the steep mountain on whose peak Noi Tai Dar’s stronghold sits. Cherubae explains that she is the chosen caretaker for the Star of Omphalos, heaven center to the pristine Eden worlds, which in turn are the homes of the four source entities, also called the Four Winds. She tells them that they are the mystical brethren they seek to liberate.
The Four Winds are known as Azrael, Eagle spirit of East Eden, Glyph, Dragon spirit of North Eden, Yaguaro, Jaguar spirit of West Eden, and Snake-Eyes, Serpent spirit of South Eden. Cherubae then holds up the Turnstone, a mysterious artifact of unknown origin. It is capable of turning wrong into right, dark into light – but only if all Four Winds are peacefully situated in their individual Eden homes to create the necessary balance to empower it. Cherubae, the Turnstone’s chosen conduit, alone possesses the ability to wield the stone once that balance is established.
Leonardo comments that it sounds like the Kuji-kiri. Cherubae tells them that despite the inherent dangers of the Turnstone, Madame Null still covets it, believing that she can somehow twist it to her wicked machinations. A panel shows the Four Winds, held as Noi Tai Dar’s captives, being tortured. Cherubae says that the maniacal cousins seek to harness the Turnstone’s power through coercion, brainwashing, and torture, and that she fears it is only a matter of time before her brethren, or even herself, succumb to the agony inflicted upon them.
They reach the mountaintop and as Saki and Leonardo stop to rest, Cherubae apologizes for their difficult ascent, explaining that if she had her full powers she could have carried them both. Leo notes that Saki didn’t have to make that climb with his new powers either, and Saki acknowledges that. He tells Leo this is a war that they fight together – in all ways. He then says that with regards to the upcoming fight with Noi Tai Dar, he has a plan.
Saki says that because Cherubae shamed Noi Tar Dar in front of his cousin the last time they faced off, that his pride is wounded and he won’t avoid directly confronting her. This will in turn draw the full attention of his soldiers. Once they are all distracted, Saki and Leonardo will sneak in through the drainage tunnels and quickly move to the chamber where the Four Winds are being held prisoner.
Cherubae flies towards the stronghold and calls out Noi Tai Dar. He takes the bait, coming outside along with his soldiers, to fight. Saki and Leonardo make their entry and find the security position, which is reinforced by a guard contingent. Saki tells Leonardo that stealth is no longer an option and that it is time to embrace the dark. Leonardo evokes the Kuji-kiri, transforming into his dark, Foot Clan form. The pair then strike, with Saki telling Leonardo to show no mercy to the undead abominations that serve as guards, while Saki makes his way to the control consoles.
Outside, Cherubae battles Noi Tai Dar, forcing him to lose his axe. He grabs another weapon and turns back to face her. Saki reaches the controls and opens the cells holding the Four Winds. Once they are free, Saki tells them to move quickly and follow he and Leonardo.
Noi Tai Dar manages to get his hands on Cherubae and gloats that she should have known better than to face him alone. She laughs and asks what makes him think that she’s alone? At that moment, Oroku Saki, accompanied by Leonardo and the Four Winds, tells Noi Tai Dar to turn around and meet his true master.
Cut to New York City and the Earth Protection Force Command Facility. Inside, Baxter Stockman loudly berates the Gang of Four, who are all back to their human forms. Madame Null, the Rat King, and MetalKrang look on. When Stockman turns on Null, she tells him she doesn’t appreciate his tone, and he counters that he doesn’t appreciate having his entire operation exposed, especially since he’s convinced Director Braunze that the time has come for the E.P.F. to initiate preparations for martial law in Mutant Town. Fist angrily tells Stockman that it’s easy to complain when he’s not the one out there trying to fight with potstickers and sticks, not to mention dodging trigger-happy snipers.
Stockman turns on him and says that the Darkwater snipers were always under his control and that even if they’d shot one of the four, he doubts they have any brains to blow out. Waster has to be held back by the Rat King, who says that despite these troubles, Null’s Gang of Four successfully performed their false flags, swaying public sentiment in Stockman’s favor. Rat King says that when the mutant terror seeps beyond Mutant Town’s walls, the nation will turn to the valiant Mayor-Knight to defend them as well.
He then says that he sees no reason for the soldier men-cum-mutant turtles not to expand their arsenal moving forward. Rat King turns to MetalKrang, who he refers to as his Rook, and states that it’s his move next. Krang snarls that it’s about time and blasts off for his vaunted Technodrome.
See also[]