After the pizza party, it was time to say goodbye. “It was fun, touring New York with you all,” said Hiroki. He then made the mistake of sniffing the Lair’s air. He then gagged. “G-Gomen!” he apologized. “Not used to the…flavorful air here.”
“It ain’t that bad!” protested Raphael. He then took a sniff, then coughed.
“Okay, there must be something wrong with the air purifiers,” remarked Donatello. “‘Scuse me.” He headed off to his lab.
“It was an honor to fight alongside you, Hiroki-san,” said Leonardo as he bowed.
“The honor is all mine, Leonardo-san,” returned Hiroki as he bowed.
“Thank you all for the rescue,” said Order. “Now, I’d like to return home.”
“Same here,” agreed Jazz. Hiroki then pulled out his phone and called home.
“Beyond City, this is Team T-M-N-T,” he said. “Mission accomplished! Need a rift back home!” A rift then opened. “Sayonara!” Hiroki called out to the Turtles and their friends and family. He, his team, and Order then jumped into the rift.
“…Not…one…lousy…Source,” grunted Khan as Tormo reported his failure.
“No, Sir,” gulped Tormo.
“This sets us back, you understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“…Anything to say that may help your case?”
“…No, Sir.”
“…Smart in the long run.” Khan then heard a knock on his throne room door. “Come in.” Hiro then came in with a smile on his face. “Hiro. What can I do for you?”
“It’s more like what did I do for you!” replied Hiro. He then produced a dark blue crystal sphere. Khan’s eyes goggled.
“You got the Source of Death!” he cheered.
“And its guardians, Jason Ikamesh and Colleen Doyle!” reported Hiro.
“Hostages! Even better!” Khan turned to Tormo. “See if you can replicate Hiro’s success with the Source of Chaos.”
“Will do,” replied Tormo. He headed off to tell his team.
Hiroki and his team returned safely home. Xiomara was about ready to hug him. “Ah, mi-!” she said.
“YAME!” yelped Hiroki. “I…had to travel through New York City’s sewer system. I don’t think I smell all that good.” Xiomara took a whiff and gagged.
“Of all the times to be right!” she choked.
“So, should I be expecting Order to smell that bad too?” asked Death.
“Probably a safe assumption, Sister,” replied Order.
“Well, in any case, welcome back!” greeted Death.
“Thank you, Death,” returned Order.
After a shower and deassimilation operation, Hongo joined with Megumi, Batman, Gandalf, and Wyldstyle. “The five of us, together again,” he said.
“It’s been a long time, Hongo-san,” said Megumi.
“Too long,” said Gandalf. Hongo then noticed Batman brooding as usual.
“All right, what’s on your mind?” he asked. By now, everyone paid attention to him.
“There’s the Bat-Brooding,” chuckled Wyldstyle. “I used to date a version of Batman, so I should know.”
“We have the Sources of Flourishment,” remarked Batman, “who’s to say that Khan won’t try the same trick as Hiro did with the Sources of the Apocalypse?”
“That would be a worry,” remarked Megumi. “…IF the Horsemen didn’t think to counter that trick. After Academy is more heavily guarded now and anti-Lord procedures are being implemented should they come back with a greater force.”
“You have?” asked Wyldstyle. Megumi looked at the entire group.
“Come on, guys, give us some credit here. We haven’t been just sitting on our asses waiting for our teams to return. We needed to develop plans to counter any of the enemy’s plans. While one team was away, the others took time to develop plans for keeping the Sources safe. But any strategists’ help would be appreciated. THAT’S why I’ve been trying to call you, BRUCE!”
“…I was busy,” grunted Batman. “…But I’ll definitely be at the next strategy meeting. When is it?”
“Tonight at 8. And I’ll have Alfred remind you too.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“This looks like Blackarachnia’s old lair on Mobius,” muttered Optimus as his holo-form followed Arsha into Anansi’s cave.
“She weaves webs like this?” asked Arsha.
“Yeah. I got tripped up on one of her trap lines and was dangling for a bit.”
“So she’s more spider than car, hm?” asked Anansi as he came out.
“That’s part of her charm, sir.”
“Anansi, I know your role is a sort of story guardian,” said Arsha, “but is there a way to destroy the Tome?” Anansi flinched.
“…Not by any power we possess, sadly,” he admitted. “Not unless you’re willing to sacrifice your life like that. Even Megumi would have to die.”
“Immortals too?! Oh, Vector Sigma!” shuddered Optimus.
“None of us can make that sacrifice,” remarked Arsha. “What else can we do?”
“Well, I DID just come up with a safer idea,” said Anansi. He brought Optimus and Arsha into a huddle.
“All right. Thanks Alfred,” said Megumi. She hung up the house phone.
“So, Batman’s in on the strategy meeting?” asked Richard.
“Yep. And Alfred heard that Optimus and Arsha had a little planning session with Anansi,” replied Megumi. “So we’re gonna get that…erm, Richard, what is that on the counter?” She pointed to a piece of paper.
“Ah! That’s my description of the Spectacular for the auction tomorrow morning!”
“And it ain’t to a junkyard, Mom,” warned Kaitlyn. “It’s at that car auction Michael goes to so he can add to his vintage car collection.”
“Richard, no one is going to buy that piece of crap!” protested Megumi.
“Thank you SO much for the confidence!” retorted Richard. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I got some editing to do!” Richard took the description of the Spectacular and headed off to his office.
“…I swear to every god in the multiverse, Anansi as well, Richard is frittering away his money this way!” complained Megumi.
“…Mom, you’re not really one to talk,” remarked Kaitlyn.
“Come again?!”
“Need I remind you how much that barely used knock-off Batcave cost us? We had to be REALLY lean with our money.”
“Now hang on a minute-!”
“Was it or was it not that incident the impetus for me and Kaede learning how to budget?” Megumi opened her mouth to argue, then sighed.
“You win this round, kiddo,” she grumbled.