Golden Angel

Everyone’s eyes widened, and Leo jumped to the jade-skinned turtle’s side as an ear-splitting crack and a cry of something MORE than pain filled the air…

Feathers scattered, and Leo’s eyes widened as two massive, feathered wings broke through Artemis’s shell…

“Love…”

She flinched, and they saw the blood on some of the feathers…

“It hurts…”

Mizu moved forward, water glowing on her hands.

“Artemis…”

“Fascinating…”

With a growl of effort, Artemis used Leo as support to stand up.

“I’m okay…”

The wings fanned of their own accord, feathers trying to shake off the blood.

Chi took Bishop’s fascination as a chance to free Mikey.

Earth came up sharply, knocking the saw away, and she brought a shard down to cut the turtle free.

“You little-!”

Earth came to surround the red/gold-haired girl’s fists, and she took a stance.

“Bring it!”

Everyone charged for Bishop except Artemis and Kasai, the former still in pain and unbalanced by her strange angel’s wings.

She managed to fold them against her shell tightly, trying to keep them out of the way, and turned to Kasai.

“We need to help…”

“I-I couldn’t!”

Looking sympathetic, Artemis took the girl’s hand.

“…You’re a Firebender, aren’t you?”

A silence, and a timid nod…

“Then you’re one of us. As long as you’re with us, we won’t let you get hurt.”

“…I-I’m scared…”

“Just stick close.”

Artemis locked eyes with Mizu, and nodded.

Both brought up water, and moved it after the agent as he dodged the turtle’s weapons.

Bishop was resourceful, fast, and cunning, taking the others down one by one.

But the turtle’s pairs and Artemis’s partnerships with her two ‘teachers’ seemed to work rather well.

“You have no idea what you’re up against.” Bishop stated after he knocked the boys down.

Artemis got in his way, hands up in an Airbending stance.

“Neither do you.”

The government agent took Leo’s fallen katana, and the gold-banded turtle crouched down.

He swung for her, and she redirected the blade and brought her reinforced kick to his chest.

Stumbling back, she saw his shoulders straighten.

‘So he was playing…’

She smirked, basically giving the signal to bring it.

‘Let’s see what it’s like to fight him when he means business…’

Splinter blocked the blade, much to her surprise.

“I suggest you surrender!”

The two seemed an equal match, and Raph charged in to help.

Returning the katana to the ‘Fearless Leader’, they surrounded the agent again.

“You are outnumbered!”

“Perhaps…But never outclassed.”

Mizu and Chi shared a glance.

“Ready to prove him wrong?”

“I was hopin’ ya’d say that…”

Chunks of wall and a couple tables flew into the air, and tentacles of water lashed out with the precision of a cobras strike.

In an attempt to dodge, Bishop ended up in the deadly bear hug of Leatherhead…

“Let me go!”

The government agent managed to use a table to release the large crocodile’s hold.

“Bishop’s got a little quickness in him!” Mikey noted.

Chi ‘saw’ Bishop pick something up, putting it into his jacket, and head for the door.

“Until we meet again…And we will…Count on it.”

He left with that, and Kasai was helping up Leatherhead as Artemis tried to control her wings.

Mikey touched the feathers out of curiosity, and found they felt like silk.

But they bristled, and the individual feathers became hard as needles made of stainless steel.

Leo let his girlfriend lean on his shell, her own still torn open, and blood dripped down the strange grooves…

“Ya got angel wings…”

“I noticed, Raph…”

Splinter put a hand on her shoulder, feeling the pain emanating from her as Leo settled her fully on his shell.

“I suppose it is only fitting…You are a guardian angel…”

“Thank you, sensei…”

“Let’s go!”

Chi led the way through the hallways, trying to plot the best course to where she guessed the Fugitoid was.

The hallways were lined with screens, and they showed Honeycutt’s face.

“What the-?” Mizu started.

Kasai looked around, still clinging to Leatherhead’s arm.

“H-He’s in th-the system…”

“To all the people of the planet Earth, and the warring nations that orbit above, I need you to listen to what I have to say. I am Professor Honeycutt, and not long ago, I was trying to design an instantaneous transportation device known as the Teleportal. A device intended to bring people together. An invention used for peace. But instead, it has become the prize in an insane and never-ending war. Now I beg the Federation and Triceraton forces to hear me. The plans for the Teleportal are gone. It is because of me that this insane war has come to this planet, and so it is left to me to put things right. I have completely eradicated the specs for the Teleportal from my memory circuits.”

The group continued to move forward, still searching for the Professor, although his face was all around them.

Mizu took hold of Don’s hand, just in case she threatened to fall over.

It had been a rough couple of days for everyone, and even Chi’s pace was a bit slower than usual.

“It’s gonna take FOREVER to find the Professor…” Mikey complained.

“Maybe not…”

Don moved to a large control panel, and started typing.

“Now that he’s broadcasting, I can hack into their system and find his signal.”

After a few moments, beeping came to their ears and a panel showed a map.

“Got it!”

Nodding, the group continued on their way towards the Professor, Artemis’s wing tips sliding on the ground.

Leo stopped worriedly when the crimson-eyed turtle raised her head, looking behind them.

“Love?”

“Something…”

Her wings ruffled, spreading and looking ready to flap, like a startled birds.

She seemed to be concentrating, and even Chi looked back.

Both jumped.

“GET DOWN!”

Bristling her wings, Artemis shielded the closest people to her and Chi brought up a dome of earth.

Once the screens were done exploding around them, both relaxed.

“Okay, I’ve seen enough Bond movies to know that when the enemies base starts to blow, it’s time to go!!”

“Not without the Fugitoid!” Artemis and Don stated in unison.

“We’ve got to hurry.” Mizu agreed, getting to her feet.

They found the door soon enough, and Chi cracked her knuckles.

“This should be easy…”

“Allow me to assist you.” Leatherhead offered, putting Kasai down.

“Be my guest…”

Between the two, the door went down like crumpled paper.

Everyone jumped in around them, weapons drawn.

“Professor?!” Don called.

Artemis fanned her wings, causing the soldiers to back up at the immense size of the gold-tinted appendages.

“Donatello…Help me…”

“Cover me, guys.”

Everyone nodded, jumping into action.

Mizu was at his back, waves of water to the sides knocking any soldiers away.

The purple-banded turtle was ready to pull the wires from the Fugitoid’s body, but the robot stopped him.

“Don’t worry about me. Turn the power back on. Stop them from blocking my virus!”

“Professor, it’s too dangerous!”

Mizu redirected the lasers easily enough, water moving smoothly with her hands.

“Let’s get you out of here!”

“No…Donatello, I know the risks, but it’s the only way to stop this insane war once and for all…Please…Please help me…”

With a sigh, Don locked eyes with Mizu, and she put a hand over his.

“…It’s the only way, isn’t it?”

He nodded slightly.

“…Good luck.”

She gave him a swift kiss, and he went to some controls in order to turn the power on.

Mizu protected him from soldiers as she stood near the Professor, making sure no soldiers attempted to pull the wires from his chest.

“Stop them! They’re trying to allow the virus to infect the fleet!”

Earth shattered under the enemies feet, and Chi smirked.

“Well, we ain’t ‘bout ta let ya stop us…”

Kasai ducked the butt of a blaster, and kicked the soldier in the stomach, pushing off to do a back-flip.

She was flexible, more like a gymnast than anything, and her hits were meant to keep the soldiers away rather than keep them down.

The power turned on, and she ducked a soldier’s body as he was thrown over her head.

Looking back, she saw another aiming his blaster at her back, but the weapon was skewered by a sai.

Grateful for the save, she still crouched lower when more screens and such began to explode.

The Federation soldiers ran out as smoke and fire filled the air, though General Blanq stayed behind.

The virus spread to Federation and Triceraton ships alike, shutting them down and leaving them unable to attack each other.

Once everything settled, the group came out to stand around the Fugitoid in order to face General Blanq.

“Keep away from me! My troops will be here any minute! You’ll all be destroyed!”

Chi grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him down to her level.

“Save it fer someone who gives a damn.”

Once the screens changed back to normal, Don smiled in relief.

“Professor, your virus has run it’s course! You did it!”

He moved to the Fugitoid’s side, grinning.

“The Federation and Triceraton fleets are completely…”

The happy look fell, and the Waterbender took hold of her hand.

“Professor? Professor?!”

“Hello, I am Sal. How may I be of service?”

The purely robotic voice seemed to shake the turtle’s deeply, and Artemis’s feathers ruffled as the large wings drooped to the floor.

Even the strange feather-like tail that the wings came with drooped, the strange bells attached rattling forlornly.

It took a few moments for the robot to shut down, and the gold-banded turtle couldn’t help the tears as she turned and buried her face in Leo’s neck.

“Professor…NO.”

The blue-eyed girl wrapped her arms around him, trying to give the purple-banded turtle comfort.

Kasai and Leatherhead felt the despair, and stayed silent as the others mourned quietly.

“I…I warned him…His robotic body was never meant to channel that kind of power…”

Mizu nodded, rubbing his plastron soothingly.

“I think he knew, honey…but he did it anyway…”

“He was a true hero…” Chi admitted, trying to keep back her sadness.

Mikey was leaning on her now, and she rubbed his shell comfortingly, if awkwardly.

“It’ll be a’right, Mike…It’ll be a’right…”

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Walking into the Triceraton Throne Room, they were joined by Traximus and Mozar, who gave the former a blaster.

“Let this be a signal of things to come…From this day forward, no one shall sit upon the throne of the Triceratons!”

The whole throne was shot to rubble, and smoke filled the air.

“The Senate shall be reinstated and the Republic reborn. For too long, this war has cost us our honor and the lives of our finest warriors. Let a new age begin!”

“Traximus, the rescue efforts have been completed. The Federation soldiers are being brought onto the Home World as we speak.” Mozar informed.

“We will treat them as allies, and our guests. Until we deliver them safely to the Federation as our gesture of peace.”

“It will be done.”

“There are but two prisoners that I must keep under lock and key. Perhaps they will also find a way to make peace…”

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Looking down at the strange casket, everyone was silent.

Honeycutt was in there, a good friend to the end, and he was gone…

Artemis had promised herself she wouldn’t cry again…

Leo and her friends tried to comfort her, though Mizu was busy with comforting Don as well.

Kasai watched sympathetically, wringing her hands as Leatherhead held her in the crook of his arm.

Since his imprisonment by Bishop, he’d become very close to the timid fourteen year old that had taken care of him.

“I guess we ought to say something…” Leo stated.

“I don’t know what to say…” Don admitted, stepping forward.

“Professor, I…Mainly I just want to say thanks. You were a good friend.”

The casket was fired into space, and Mikey gripped Chi tighter, and she blushed as she realized his arms were around her waist.

“Not only will you live on in our hearts, but your noble sacrifice will endure forever…In the lasting gift of peace.”

Artemis nodded, looking out at the darkness…

Her wings relaxed, and slowly pulled themselves back into her shell, and a gold/white glow healed the holes that had been there.

She didn’t notice, but she did pull the whole group into a large hug…

‘I won’t let them go…I can’t…’