Golden Angel

The two Elite raised their weapons in an attack pose, and the two bender’s shared a glance.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

They slid into matching stances, and brought water in through the broken windows the ninja had made.

They made tentacles of water around them, and lashed out with the whip-like appendages.

Artemis managed to catch an Elite’s ankle, and flung him through the air like a rag doll.

“Leo, when ya promised me an ocean voyage, this is NOT what I had in mind!”

“It looked so much nicer in the brochure!”

“Don’t trust brochures, love!”

The two girls broke apart, fighting independently now, but Artemis was confused when two Elite dropped their stances.

“What’s wrong? Learn to take your beating like Hun?”

Knuckles cracked…

“…He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”

Whirling around, she brought up water to defend herself, but he punched straight through.

Instead of actually HITTING her, he shoved her to the ground on her shell.

She had a stunned look on her face, then it turned irritated.

“…You just PUSHED me…”

Raph looked there way, and there was one thing on his mind…

‘He is SO screwed…’

Artemis stood up, glaring now.

“You PUSHED me!”

Her hands and lower arms burst into flame, but it obviously didn’t hurt her…

“Maybe I should return the favor…”

Pouncing on the mountain of a man, she growled more in pain then anything.

She couldn’t control that FIRE inside her gut, and it was escaping through her skin more violently than before.

The Elite ganged up on her, forcing her back, but she managed to keep them at bay with fireballs.

Mizu ran up to help, and her water not only put out the furious fire, but knocked away the two ninja.

“We’ve gotta get this puppy out to sea! Donnie, what’s the 411?”

Artemis brought air to her hands, reinforcing her punches.

“Leo, can we pick up the pace?”

Splinter managed to jam the ‘lets move forward’ lever as the others held off the attacking ninja.

Suddenly, the ship bucked, as if something was still holding it.

“OW…Can nothing be easy?”

Artemis back-flipped away from a sharp weapon…

“Obviously not…”

“Mikey, the ship’s still moored to the dock! What’s happening?”

“Sorry, Leo. But we kind of ran into some old friends!”

“Cast off, and then you and Zog meet us up here in the bridge!”

The fighting was becoming more intense, air and water and weapons flying through the air and attacking the Foot ninja.

“Leo, we’re in trouble!”

“Guys, there’s a problem! As in a major NINJA problem!”

The three turtles and the black-haired Waterbender looked up to see Hun holding a tied-up Master Splinter.

“…Oi vey…”

“Tell me about it…”

Artemis brought up her hands, eyes hard.

“Hun, if ya harm one hair on Master Splinter’s body, I’ll make ya wish ya were ne’er born…”

“I’ll be glad to make sure he does a good job…”

“That’s such big talk for such a puny reptile.”

“DID YOU JUST CALL ME PUNY!?!”

“Now put down your weapons before the rat gets exterminated!”

“Don’t ignore me!!!”

“No, my children! Do not give up your weapons!”

Water wrapped around the jade-skinned turtle’s hands and knuckles, crystallizing into spikes.

“I’m not planning on it…”

“Master Splinter…I’m sorry…”

Crimson eyes turned to the blue-banded turtle.

“Leo…”

“Artemis…do it…”

Sai and katana clattered to the floor, and the two Waterbender’s shared a glance before hesitantly dropping the water to the floor with a splash.

The Elite came to tie them up, and Mizu looked at her ‘sister’ worriedly.

“PLEASE tell me you’ve got a back-up plan…”

With a secretive smile, the gold-banded turtle winked.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s time you all met my new little weapon…”

“What is it? A rocket launcher? A bomb? …A fart?”

A door opened, and a girl stepped in, chewing on some gum.

“What is it now?” She snapped, looking peeved.

She was hardly four feet tall, with tanned skin and a petite figure.

Short, spiky gold/red hair seemed to almost cover her eyes, which were a glazed, unemotional black.

Putting a hand on her hip, she seemed to look at them.

“…They’re tied up…”

“Exactly. Now finish them.”

The young girl, who was probably the turtle’s age, quirked an eyebrow.

“Well, that’s no fun.”

“That’s not what matters. Just get rid of them!”

“…Nah.”

The girl walked over to them though.

“I don’t feel like it…”

Artemis looked up at the girl, and felt something nagging at her brain.

A familiar voice she hadn’t heard since they’d last dealt with the Triceratons…

‘She knows who you are…She’s a friend…’

‘But…’

‘Trust her…’

“Artemis, I presume?” The girl asked.

“Yeah.”

Even Mizu had expected a jab of some sort, and everyone was surprised when none came.

Karai stepped in, and the girl hardly twitched.

“Hey, Karai.”

“Chi. What are you doing here?”

‘Chi…It means ‘earth’…’

Crimson eyes widened.

‘She’s my Earthbending teacher…’

Then came the next thought, burning on her tongue…

‘Karai…’

“So, it looks like you made it in time to tell us of your betrayal.” The jade-skinned turtle snapped.

Chi smirked a bit.

“I like ‘er…She’s got spunk…”

Hun came at the girl from behind, probably angry she disobeyed him, and she moved her foot sharply behind her.

A column of rock came up, smacking the giant of a man under the chin.

Karai unsheathed her katana, and the Earthbender brought up sharp rocks to cut the turtles, Splinter, and Mizu free.

Jumping to her feet, Artemis brought up water to stop an attacking Elite.

Leo got caught up in a fight with Karai, and Mizu was trying to keep a step ahead of an angry Elite.

Hun was cornering Chi, who seemed content with side-stepping and dodging his blows, when Artemis tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hello.”

She punched him in the face hard enough to knock him down.

“Goodnight.”

The two bender’s shared a smile before the mountain of a man stood up with a roar of anger.

“…Shell…”

“Any other bright ideas?”

“I’ve got one…”

Whistling sharply, the she-turtle just crossed her arms over her chest, at ease.

“What did you do? Call your little mutt?”

He expected that to rile her up, and was surprised at the mischievous smile that crossed her face instead.

“SOMETHING like that…”

Glass shattered, and a loud roar filled the large room.

“Meet my Sky Bison, Hogosha Mitsukai.”

Zog busted in through a door with Mikey, the Triceraton punching Hun straight in the face.

“There’s no need to fear! Michelangelo is here!”

Don jumped in through a broken window, taking a Foot Elite by surprise.

“Donnie!”

Mizu gave the purple-banded turtle a surprise hug, and a sound kiss that nearly knocked him off his feet.

Mitsukai roared, rearing and frightening the shell out of the Foot Elite.

“You’re mad, aren’t you baby?”

Artemis grinned, patting the Sky Bison’s head.

“Go get them…”

Zog was getting beaten up pretty bad by Hun, and the horned bison charged, knocking Hun into the air and through a wall.

Chi quirked an eyebrow, bringing up a boulder and smashing it into an Elite.

“That was nice…”

“She’s the best pet EVER…”

Karai did not attack once the opposition was dealt with, and lowered her katana.

“…I have failed my master…”

“It is alright. You could not do your duty, because it went against your honor.”

Artemis still wasn’t all too happy with it, but Mizu and Chi didn’t seem to have a problem, along with the others.

“Uh, guys? We’ve got about five minutes before this ship gets a one-way ticket to the bottom of the ocean!”

“I say it’s time to go!” Mizu agreed.

“Zog, we’re moving out!” Mikey ordered.

They ran out the door, Mitsukai flying after them at a safe distance.

Chi led the way, knowing the ship better, though everyone noticed how she never really LOOKED where she was going.

She never tripped, never once lost her way, but it was more like her eyes were looking somewhere else entirely.

She stopped after turning a corner, and raised her hands in a defensive position as the others stopped behind her.

Artemis felt the air whirl around her fists on instinct, and was comforted when Mitsukai landed above them, out of sight.

“Shredder.”

“It’s been far too long, Artemis…”

She clenched her fingers into fists, but the others concentrated more on the six robots behind him.

“I guess we should’ve known we’d meet again.” Leo stated coldly, taking hold of her wrist comfortingly.

“Yes, but this will be the last time for you.”

One robot stepped forward, and blasted at them.

Chi brought up a some steel to protect them from the brunt of the force, and punched it at the robot.

Everyone ran into battle, water and earth rising to combat the robots.

The robots were pretty tough, considering most of them were incomplete…

Even when Zog skewered one with a punch, it kept fighting back.

Mikey was fighting one that electrocuted him, and was surprised when the considerably-smaller Chi cut the robot clean in half with a column of earth.

“WHOA…COOL…”

“No prob.”

Zog’s foot got a nasty blowing-up experience when half of a human-like robot exploded.

“RAPH, WATCH OUT!” Mikey shouted as the robot’s blasts got dangerously close to fuel.

“Uh oh…”

That was NOT what ANYONE wanted to hear…

There was an explosion, and Artemis cried out as the floor came out from under her.

“MITSUKAI!”

The Sky Bison flew down, and the jade-skinned turtle grabbed the leather strap around her horns.

The sudden jerk, the stop, made her bite her lip in pain.

Mizu managed to catch hold of Mitsukai’s ‘hand’, and Chi caught herself on a pile of sand she’d made.

Mikey landed on top of her, and she couldn’t help a slight groan of discomfort.

“OW…do ya mind?”

Her rough voice was accompanied by a shove as the Sky Bison landed inside the ship’s belly.

Don was caught under a beam after he fell, and Mizu jumped to his aid, ignoring the shock it gave her legs.

Zog attacked Shredder before he finished off Splinter, and continued with a rage.

Fire raged around everyone as they tried to stand or fought on against some of the still-working robots.

Zog hit the Shredder into what looked like a fiery pit, seemingly defeating him.

Mizu was helping Don lift a beam off of his body, pulling up with all her strength, until he was free.

“Guys, we’ve got two and a half minutes before this place is about a thousand feet underwater!”

“You small-brained terrapin!”

Both turned at the familiar voice, and saw a brain in a long cylindrical jar, along with an eye and what looked like some spinal column.

“Look what you’ve done to my lab!”

“Stockman? Is that you? Man, you really let yourself go…”

The brain hit the side of the jar, and Mizu jumped behind Don.

“EW!”

There were only two robots left, and Artemis jumped at one, determined to take the annoying machine down.

Air escaped her hands and feet like blades, and she cut off it’s large gun.

Zog skewered it with a punch before the robot could try to punch her lights out.

“Whoa…Thanks, soldier.”

“Mission…destroy Federation stronghold at all costs…”

“I like the way ya think. Let’s do it!”

Mikey was being pulled towards a robot with circular saws in it’s stomach…

“AH!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!”

Chi pounced on the robot from behind, and ripped the metal machine apart.

“…NICE…”

“It’s what I do best…”

“Oh no…We’ve got less than a minute to get out of here!” Don informed as they all grouped up.

As they ran for the exit, the Shredder himself jumped into their path, metal steaming from the heat of the fire as he laughed.

“This is the end, turtles. You will never get off this ship alive!”

“This Federation worm is mine!”

The two charged at each other, but it seemed Zog wasn’t as skilled a warrior, nor as fast.

But once he grabbed a metal beam and smacked the Shredder around a bit, Artemis started enjoying the show…

“Victory!”

“Zog, NO!” Mikey shouted, but the Shredder’s gauntlet still found it’s home in the Triceraton’s back.

“ZOG!”

The Triceraton fell forward, seemingly defeated, and even Mitsukai roared in rage.

“Triceraton fool! Whoever oppose me are fated to perish! You mutant scum should know that better than anyone! I have tolerated you turtles for far too long-!”

Zog grabbed the man of metal from behind, lifting him off his feet.

“Sirs…tell them Zog fought bravely…”

The Triceraton headed for what looked like a pit of flames…

“For his comrades…For the republic! For VICTORY!”

He jumped in, and Mizu had to turn away at the thought of him burning to death…

“My children, he has given us our lives. We must not dishonor his brave sacrifice!” Splinter stated.

Even Chi felt a bit bad, but the shaking building stopped that…

Everyone ran out of the enclosed space and out into the night air, and Mitsukai hovered over the edge.

“Come on! On the Sky Bison!” Artemis ordered.

Everyone jumped on, but the Earthbender hesitated.

“I’m not so sure ‘bout this-!”

Mikey grabbed hold of her, pulling her onto the shaggy back as Artemis steered the mammoth creature away from the freighter at the fastest speed the bison could manage.

It blew up behind them, and the extra scare gave Mitsukai a burst of speed.

Chi was gripping the long fur tight, eyes closed.

“What’s wrong, dudette? Airsick?”

“I…I can’t see very well…”

Mikey looked confused.

“What do you mean? It’s clear as day up here.”

“I don’t see wit’ my eyes, smartie…” She explained, opening them.

He noticed it now, the grey, almost smoky film over her onyx eyes that meant she couldn’t see.

“But…how did you-?”

“I ‘see’ wit’ Earthbending…I don’t like flyin’ ‘cause ‘a that…”

“…Oops?”

“Yeah, ya’d better be sorry…”

Once they were safe at the docks, they watched the smoke that seemed miles away…

“You know…It was a real honor to have Zog as one of us…” Leo stated.

“He was a great warrior…”

“Every cloud has a silver lining, my children. We may have lost a comrade, but have gained another.”

Chi tried to wave it off.

“Nah, I ain’t that special…”

“But you are, because now you’re one of us.” Artemis stated, smiling.

Chi seemed to nod, following them as they headed home…

‘Maybe this won’t be so bad…’