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Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids. |
The Bait is issue #33 of Tales of the TMNT volume 2, published on April 2007 by Mirage Studios. It contains a backup story, Credo.
Appearing in "The Bait"[]
Major characters[]
- Casey Jones
- Foot Ninja
- Hamato Splinter
- Mashima (death)
- Oroku Saki/The Shredder (death)
- Shadow Jones
Synopsis[]
Splinter is suddenly disturbed by a presence while meditating and astral-projects to find the source of the disturbance. He locates it in the depths of the ocean, but is suddenly snapped back to the physical realm when he senses someone approaching him in the Lair. A panicked Casey rushes in, saying that the Foot Clan have kidnapped Shadow. Splinter says he will help Casey since the Turtles are out on a spiritual pilgrimage. He has Casey put on a necklace, much to his chagrin, and the two head out, with Splinter asking him to tell him what happened. Casey says that he was taking Shadow out for a stroll in Central Park, when suddenly they were ambushed by Foot Ninja. One of them absconded with Shadow's stroller, and by the time Casey caught up with with him, the stroller was empty.
As they exit into the park, they spot her stroller and toys out on the ice. Casey freaks out even more, and Splinter whaps him on the head in an attempt to allow him to regain his composure. Splinter then smacks the ice with his cane, breaking it, and capsizing the stroller. Only Shadow's rabbit plush remains, and Splinter leaps over to the remaining floe of ice to retrieve it and return it to Casey. Casey says before they continue, they have to stop by his place to pick something up.
Casey emerges from his apartment with full battle gear, and Splinter leads them toward the direction of the Foot Ninja's footprints in the snow. Casey points out that they could have been made to throw them off, or even lead straight to a trap, but Splinter already assumes that it's a trap based on the Foot's actions; they took Shadow but left Casey alive, and the trail leads to a past battle site between the Turtles and the Foot. Sure enough, the Foot are present when they arrive. Splinter and Casey beat the ninja, with Casey attempting to extract information from one of them, who refuses. Another one comes up behind Casey, and thanks to Splinter's warning, he is able to put his guard up quick enough, but the axe the ninja had flung strikes into a panel that sets off an explosion.
Water begins rushing into the building in an unnatural way, and soon a giant shark begins eating anything in its path - including Foot Ninja. The shark finally rises from the water, with a monstrous humanoid appearance - it is the mutated worm colony clone of The Shredder! He angrily demands to know where the Turtles are. Splinter also senses another presence within The Shredder - the consciousness of Mashima, the Foot Mystic who resurrected Oroku Saki in this hideous form in the first place.
Mashima finds Saki's tactic of kidnapping and intending to harm/kill the young Shadow dishonorable, and so, in addition to the harrowing existence of being trapped within The Shredder, he is ready to help Splinter take Shredder out. While the two psychicly assault Saki, Casey rescues Shadow. Splinter then tells him that there must be a physical component to ending The Shredder -which Jones understands all too well. He beats The Shredder until he is weakened enough on both fronts for Mashima to gain control of the monster, but by interrupting Saki's control of the beast, he has doomed them both - a sacrifice Mashima is all too happy to make. As Saki is put to rest one final time, Mashima also dies, and he asks for Splinter's forgiveness for his actions, to which Splinter provides.
With that mess behind them, Shadow is now saved and the three of them stand on a rooftop. Shadow pulls on Splinter's whiskers and he hands her back to Casey, only for Casey to announce the existence of another mess... in Shadow's diaper.
Website blurb[]
Shadow is kidnapped by the Foot, leading Casey Jones and Master Splinter into the maws of a monstrous trap!