The Brutal Sword of Leonardo is the second story in Black, White & Green #1.
Appearing in The Brutal Sword of Leonardo[]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
- Anthropomorphic animals
- Donatello
- Michelangelo
- Raphael
- Demon water serpent (debut)
Species[]
- Anthropomorphic animals
- Anthropomorphic dinosaurs
- Mutant turtles
Locations[]
Objects & vehicles[]
- Bō
- Crystal Shard of K'azz
- Double bladed broadsword
- Nunchaku
- Sai
Synopsis[]
Holding a double-bladed broadsword, Leonardo does battle against an anthropomorphic dinosaur. Legend tells of a warrior from another-time, a fearless leader who would instantly be known by his weapon, a lethal blade known as… The Brutal Sword of Leonardo.
Open in the lair in Donatello’s lab. Leonardo asks his brother what he’s working on and Donatello explains that it’s a new science project. He wants to test a theory about interdimensional travel. After pressing a few buttons, Don slides a lever forward and a wormhole immediately opens in the room, with the unfortunate side-effect of sucking Leo right into it. Don’s first worry is that Splinter is going to kill him.
Leo falls for a distance and then lands in a strange world. He begins his quest and there is a jump in time, showing that he has earned the title of Warrior King. The battle from the first page is now continued, with the anthropomorphic dinosaur managing to use his tail to knock Leo down. The dino immediately dashes up the stairs of a nearby shrine, shouting that Leo’s people will no longer feed off the energy of the Crystal Shard of K'azz. He will use the large crystal, shown at the center of the shrine, to power his citadel.
The dino grabs the shard and a portal opens. After telling Leo, who is approaching, that his people will now know hunger, the dino leaps into the portal and it closes. With a curse, Leo realizes that he would have to travel the wastes, across the Swamps of Madness, and test all of his skills in order to protect his newfound family in the Kingdom of Bane-Sh'arr.
Leo soon addresses the anthropomorphic animals who make up his kingdom. He tells them that he is seeking a few brave compatriots to travel with him across the barren lands to reclaim the Crystal Shard. Leo asks for volunteers and four of the animals agree to travel with him. They begin their journey and eventually reach the great Demon Water. Leo tells them to follow his lead and not to touch the water. He begins skipping from stone to stone and each of the mutants follow. However, an anthro pig becomes distracted by a butterfly and slips off a rock, falling into the water. Leo quickly plucks him from the water, fussing at him for not following orders.
A huge Demon water serpent rises from the water, which explains why Leo didn’t want the water disturbed. Leo turns an anthro fox and tells him that it’s just like target practice. The fox steadies his bow and unleashes an arrow, but it misses. Leo then leaps forward, deciding to handle it himself, and beheads the serpent. He then turns on the fox and tells him that when they return to the Citadel, the fox will give him fifty bull’s-eyes each morning for a week.
Leonardo and his cohorts eventually reach the keep of Castle Death. The castle is surrounded by high walls, with the only entrance a long flight of stairs out in the open. Leo informs his followers that the only way inside is the hard way, and throws a grappling hook attached to a long rope up to a window in the tallest spire. The group begins their climb, finally reaching the window, which belongs to a child’s playroom. Leo touches his finger to his mouth to indicate the dino children stay quiet, but one immediately shouts “invaders.” Guards rush into the room and Leo battles his way through them, followed by his cohorts.
Fighting their way upstairs, Leo leads the group to a room where he thinks to find the Crystal Shard. Unfortunately, the room is filled with anthro dino people, and their leader is standing atop a podium with the Crystal Shard. A portal opens behind him and he shouts for his brethren to protect the Crystal Shard with their lives. Leo fights and leaps past many combatants, racing up to the top of the podium where he strikes the leader with a hard blow and then grabs the Crystal Shard.
The portal widens and Leo is accused by the dinos of using the Crystal Shard for his own nefarious needs. Leo protests that he did nothing other than to touch it. Suddenly, Don, Raph, and Mikey step through the portal, to Leo’s delight. Together, the Turtles do battle with the dinos, aided by the four mutants from Leo’s kingdom.
Soon, the entire group is back at Leo's kingdom. He tells his brothers that it was good to see them, but that he’s going to stay here. He says that he’s found a place that truly needs him. Mikey asks if they even have pizza, while Don studies the Crystal Shard. Leo explains that the people are defenseless without him and that it is his strength, order and supervision keeping them alive. Raph tells him that all might be true, but they need him back in New York because he doesn’t know what’s been happening there since he’s been gone.
Leo counters that New York is fine and always has been. Without his vision, the people of the kingdom would be lost. Don asks if he even hears himself, that he’s supposed to protect people, not rule them with an iron fist. Leo contemplates this, flashing back to the various adventures he’s had in this world and then agrees that Don is right. In the day-to-day struggle he’s lost a piece of himself. He’s pushed things too far and maybe he’s not meant to be a warrior king. As he enters the portal, Mikey tells him that it’s okay, they know he’s still a goody two-shoes deep down. While traveling through the wormhole, Mikey tells Leo he’s going to buy them an extra-large anchovy sicilian-style as soon as they’re home. They step into the lair and Leo asks if Mikey thinks the pizza guy will take a jade fertility statue as payment. Mikey says in New York, anything is possible.