The limo was being fixed as the Orokus talked with Tormo and his Terrorcon friends. \u201cA shame,\u201d sighed Tormo. \u201cI had just figured out the market value of those\u2026Corinthian leather seats, I believe they are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d grunted Oroku Saki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI sense we\u2019re kindred spirits, you and I,\u201d replied Tormo. \u201cOh, there are differences, like how we accomplish our goals, but we\u2019re both entrepreneurs at heart. We see an opportunity and we grab it, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd what opportunity, pray tell,\u201d said Oroku Kumiko, \u201cdo your senny-senses tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, let me give you a bit of backstory first,\u201d answered Tormo. \u201cIn the past few days, my association has been running into a string of bad luck. Autobots and Decepticons working together, the races of my home, \u2026and karate bug-men that use belts to summon their armor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKamen Riders?\u201d asked Saki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s them! Thanks to this particular group of Kamen Riders, all our operations have been shut down!\u201d Tormo snarled in annoyance\u2026then calmed down. \u201cBut you have a quartet of four half-shelled juvenile delinquents, right? Which brings me to my little\u2026proposition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cContinue,\u201d directed Saki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSurrender Order to me and me and my guys will give you ninja weapons specifically designed to slay the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.\u201d Saki laughed at Tormo\u2019s proposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just too rich,\u201d he said. \u201cOne, Order is in my possession for a reason until I find Tengu no Ken. Two, what makes you think you can take on the turtles when you can\u2019t even defeat mere children\u2019s television superheroes from my homeland?\u201d Tormo stood up quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing childish about THESE particular \u2018superheroes\u2019!\u201d he snapped. \u201cBesides, like I said, I have ninja weapons specifically designed to target their\u2026weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat \u2018pizza\u2019 nonsense they have an obsession for?\u201d scoffed Saki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot that, something more\u2026biological. Big Mama Joro, is there someone I can demonstrate this on? Someone that stumbled into mutagen like the Turtles?\u201d Tormo pulled out a kunai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Well, there IS one,\u201d replied Kumiko. She used her natural mystic arts to open a portal and pull a humanoid cockroach through. \u201cThis one hasn\u2019t paid me in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cB-B-B-BIG MAMA JORO!\u201d squeaked the cockroach. \u201cLook, Big Mama! I swear! I got the money! I just need to pay off-!\u201d Tormo stabbed the guy in the heart. As he fell dying, the cockroach man lost many of his insectoid features until he was now a normal red-headed man\u2026as normal as a corpse can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe weapons are capable of deploying retromutagen into the body,\u201d explained Tormo. \u201cDead or alive, makes no difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Perhaps\u2026we can use them for a further purpose,\u201d said Saki. \u201cIf you want Order, I need a specific sword. Tengu no Ken, it\u2019s called. The Sword of Tengu. Built with Y\u014dkai mysticism, Utrom technology, and human ingenuity. My first ancestor, Oroku Sansho, was known to wield it on top of wearing the armor I wear as the Shredder. Using these weapons to make sure I\u2019ll dine on turtle soup will be a bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOoh! That DOES sound more promising!\u201d replied Tormo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut you must understand this,\u201d continued Saki, \u201cyou are dealing with the Shredder and Big Mama Joro. Oroku Saki and Oroku Kumiko cannot be involved in this in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, trust me! The Orokus will be Mr. and Mrs. Clean!\u201d assured Tormo. \u201cDeal?\u201d He held his hand out for a handshake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Deal,\u201d replied Saki as he shook Tormo\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leonardo, Donatello, and Michaelangelo led Hiroki and his team to a part of New York\u2019s sewer system that was once a subway station. \u201cSo you dudes are trying to save all the universes by stopping a guy that has some magic book that makes what he writes come true?\u201d asked Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the general gist of it, Michaelangelo,\u201d replied Hiroki. \u201cWe need to find a woman that calls herself Order.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cErm, this Order woman,\u201d interjected Donatello, \u201cis she green and usually carries a crystal sphere?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the one!\u201d confirmed Jazz. \u201cDude, where is she?\u201d The Turtles winced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the hands of Oroku Saki and Oroku Kumiko,\u201d replied Leonardo. \u201cThe Shredder and Big Mama Joro.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay, I have to ask, since Y\u014dkai are a thing in this universe,\u201d said Nightbird, \u201cis Big Mama Joro a Jor\u014dgumo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d said Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust to make sure I got my Japanese mythology right,\u201d said Shockwave, \u201cJor\u014dgumo is a shape-shifter that can turn from a beautiful woman to a giant spider that targets men that have no control over their lust, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBingo!\u201d said Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Well,\u201d muttered Shockwave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow, I have a question for you boys,\u201d said Hiroki, \u201cwhere are you taking us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo our home,\u201d replied Leonardo. \u201cWe need Master Splinter\u2019s insight into all this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you sure that\u2019s a wise idea? Introducing Splinter to all of us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not introducing all of you,\u201d replied Donatello, \u201cjust you, Hishikawa-san.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Fair point,\u201d conceded Hiroki. They entered the Lair and Leo pointed out a set of Japanese sliding doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s the dojo,\u201d he said. \u201cMaster Splinter\u2019s usually in there either practicing or meditating.\u201d Hiroki nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A man-sized rat in Japanese clothes was kneeling in front of a makeshift altar with a photo of a young Japanese couple in traditional clothing and holding a baby in cloth. Incense was burning and the rat\u2019s eyes were closed as he breathed slowly. His ears twitched as he heard a foot on the bamboo flooring. \u201c\u2026You hesitate to disturb me,\u201d said the rat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis\u2026seems too important,\u201d replied Hiroki\u2019s voice. \u201cI am Hishikawa Hiroki. I presume you are Master Splinter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is what my sons have nicknamed me, yes,\u201d replied the rat. \u201cThough, if you wish for my original name\u2026I am Hamato Yoshi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA pleasure, Hamato-san,\u201d said Hiroki as he bowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease, Hishikawa-san, sit,\u201d directed Splinter. Hiroki knelt next to Splinter. \u201cI sense there\u2019s another issue?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019m afraid of rats, but a talking rat manages to calm down my fear,\u201d admitted Hiroki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot that,\u201d said Splinter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Yes, I\u2019m dodging the question here. I came from another universe.\u201d Splinter sighed as his ears flattened in annoyance and his eyes opened to reveal brown, human eyes instead of a rat\u2019s usual black orbs. \u201cI can understand your frustrations, given what your sons told me and my team about the renegade Utroms under Ch\u2019Rell\u2019s command, but this goes beyond what the \u2018Demon\u2019 Shredder had planned. A person is using a book called the Tome-.\u201d Splinter gave Hiroki his full attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTHE Tome?\u201d he asked. \u201cHow did he get that? The Utrom Queen assured me and my family that such a task was impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis person tricked the guardians of the Tome into serving him and now he\u2019s collecting the Sources of the Apocalypse and Flourishment as well as three powerful first-place prizes from a tournament known as the 3V2R. He plans on combining them with the Tome to literally rewrite reality into his image. We have the Apocalypse and four of the five Flourishment Sources secured and we came here to retrieve the last one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOrder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly, Hamato-san,\u201d said Hiroki. \u201cYour sons said that Order is in the tender mercies of the Shredder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe is, sadly,\u201d replied Splinter. \u201cI will do what I can to assist you and your team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Just like that?\u201d asked Hiroki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSurprised?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA little, yeah. I thought you\u2019d want to test me or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven if I did, you have already passed it. See, I overheard my sons talking outside the Lair and they intended to introduce me to yourself and your team slowly. I doubt you have anything devious on your mind. If you crept in here, I\u2019d have been in a better position to do something about it.\u201d Splinter could hear the gulp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team met in the garage, given the size of the Transformers. As they planned, Tom seemed distracted by something. \u201cTOM!\u201d called Hiroki. Tom snapped out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, Hiroki?!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was asking what you thought of the plan to get Order out of the Shredder\u2019s private palace,\u201d said Hiroki, \u201cbut you seem distracted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Sorry, Hiroki,\u201d sighed Tom. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026in most universes centered around the Turtles, they\u2019re supposed to number four. \u2026Where\u2019s Raphael?\u201d The Turtles winced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDudes\u2026you probably wanna stay sitting,\u201d said Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt started like this\u2026\u201d began Leonardo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The limo was being fixed as the Orokus talked with Tormo and his Terrorcon friends. \u201cA shame,\u201d sighed Tormo. \u201cI had just figured out the market value of those\u2026Corinthian leather seats, I believe they are.\u201d \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d grunted Oroku Saki. \u201cI sense we\u2019re kindred spirits, you and I,\u201d replied Tormo. \u201cOh, there are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[754,880],"tags":[482,9,146,337],"class_list":["post-6710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journey-through-wonder","category-story-journey-through-wonder","tag-fantasy","tag-kamen-rider","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6710"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6712,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710\/revisions\/6712"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}