Golden Angel

Mizu and Kasai were snuggled in a sleeping Mitsukai’s warm fur, resting after their harsh sparring, as Chi just sat on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table as the five turtles went through katas.

The Sky Bison awoke, lifting her head sleepily, when the five turtles finally fell to the ground, too tired to get up…

“Okay…I can’t move…”

“Who WANTS ta move?”

“Wake me for breakfast…”

“Note to self: Buy Mikey some new deodorant…”

Artemis was on her shell, panting for breath.

“I say…We throw him into the sewer water…He’ll smell better…”

“HEY…” Mikey whined pitifully.

“Training has concluded for tonight. We will continue in the morning.”

Chi smirked, standing and helping Mikey up.

“Don’t worry, squirt. Ya don’t smell too bad.”

“Thanks, babe…”

Mizu sighed, helping Don up from his kneeled position.

“Hey, sweetie…Are you feeling alright?”

“I can’t MOVE…”

“AW, my poor baby…”

The blue-eyed girl smiled, giving him a kiss.

“Does that help?”

“Actually…yes. Can I have another one?”

“MAYBE…”

She giggled.

“If you can make it to the couch…”

He was POSITIVE she swayed her hips like that on PURPOSE…

“I’m coming!”

Scrambling to his feet, he managed to run after her…

“Love?”

“Yeah?”

“…I’m a turtle, and I can’t get up…”

Leo couldn’t help a chuckle at that, along with the pleading look on Artemis’s face.

“Alright…Give me a sec…”

Managing to stand, he lifted her up onto her feet, smiling a bit as she jumped in surprise from a squeeze on her rear.

“Time to beat the next stage of Battle Ravage!” Mikey cheered.

The gold-banded turtle turned her smoky eyes to the couch, but she lifted her tail invitingly before heading there herself.

‘Tease…’

Mikey was whining, since Raph and Don started playing his video games.

Mizu was still smiling, watching the screen, as Kasai slid down from Mitsukai’s side and joined them.

Artemis leaned on the back of the couch, tuning out Mikey’s whining with practiced ease.

Chi stretched her arms over her head, yawning softly as she put a hand on her hip.

“Yo, squirt…Can we just do somethin’ else?”

“But how’s a turtle supposed to rest and relax without something to do?!”

Artemis smiled, sharing a glance with Leo.

“Why don’t we hit the rooftops instead?”

“I’m game wit’ that.”

“Then let’s go!”

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Now, Artemis had flown before.

With Mitsukai, by Airbending, or even after being thrown, but THIS…

Flying with only the wind around you was so much BETTER…

Her wings, gold/silver and silky-soft, were large enough not only to support her, but someone else in the air.

Chi was the first test, and gripped Artemis’s shell tightly.

She didn’t like flying, or swimming, but she was the lightest of the group, and would put less strain on the massive wings.

The Earthbender would’ve pointed out how fragile the wings seemed if she hadn’t seen how HARD they could be.

As Mikey said, they could be as strong and sharp as animantium.

The feathers would bristle, harden, sharpen, and, if the she-turtle moved fast enough, she could cut through metal with the large appendages.

The others were below them, going through a construction site like it was an obstacle course.

When the two turtles stopped, Artemis swooped down and landed, Chi shakily getting off.

“I think I’m gonna be sick…”

Mikey helped her stand up straight, rubbing her back.

She really DID look ready to throw up, but no one could blame her.

“Hey, look at that.” Leo stated, and Artemis folded her wings behind her shell as she followed his gaze.

“Who’s that?”

Chi managed to fight back her nausea enough to ‘see’ whoever it was.

“Whoever it is, they’ve sure got a Batman vibe goin’ on…”

The cape billowed, and Mikey’s eyes widened at the sight of another superhero.

“WHOA…Cape, mask, dark brooding presence…GOTTA be a superhero!”

“We got that much…” Chi muttered.

“It’s pretty obvious…”

The figure jumped from the building across the street, and Leo’s eyes widened.

“Or some wacko! Come on!”

Chi groaned as she clutched Artemis’s shell, and the jade-skinned turtle flew into the air like a dart.

The black-clad superhero seemed to be chasing a truck, and Artemis weaved through alleys and fire escapes to keep hidden.

CHI, however, would have preferred a straight line…

“Why do ya gotta do this?”

“SH! We’re being SNEAKY.”

Chi glared at the back of the she-turtle’s head, ‘seeing’ the smirk on the other’s face…

“…I hate ya sometimes, ya know that?”

“I try…”

Mikey was saying something below, and she swooped down lower to hear.

“Remind you of anyone? A dark avenger on a quest for justice, perhaps?”

“No.”

Bullets were fired at the superhero, and Artemis darted into the more-covered flying space to be safe.

“SURE he doesn’t remind you of anyone?”

“No.”

“Concealed identity? Casting his heroic shadow over the city he has sworn to protect? Relentless in his single-minded pursuit of dangerous villains?”

“…No.”

“The Turtle Titan!”

…

“I thought it was so obvious…”

Artemis swooped up into the air, and Chi seemed confused.

“Turtle Titan?”

“Mikey’s ‘superhero’ name…Don’t ask.”

“I REALLY don’t wanna…”

Crimson eyes spotted her brothers going into an alley, and the truck going in through the other end.

‘NO!’

Hurriedly dropping Chi roughly on the roof of a building, she swooped down to get them to safety, wings bristling and hardening.

Bullets were being fired, and the truck only sped up, so she landed in front of them, shell to the vehicle as her wings spread, deflecting the deadly projectiles.

She wrapped them around the two, shielding them, though Leo fought it.

He couldn’t let her get hit by a truck!

Especially defending him!

Artemis, however, was surprised when something warm and hard grabbed her under her wings, pulling her out of the trucks path and onto the roof she’d left Chi on.

She relaxed her wings, releasing Mikey and Leo, and looked at the hero in surprise.

“You saved us…?”

But the hero seemed in pain, and she was immediately worried, and water glowed on her hands as she checked his side.

“You’re hurt…You didn’t have to.”

“Why’d you risk your life for us?”

Chi joined them, feeling Mikey over to be sure he wasn’t hurt.

“It’s not your fight.”

It seemed the pain was gone, the wounds mended, as the superhero stood up.

“And that truck?” Leo asked again.

“I need to know where it’s going.”

“Is it that important?” Chi questioned.

“Right now, following that truck means everything to me.”

He ran to the edge of the building, ready to go.

“You should really call in some back-up!” Mikey shouted after him.

“I can’t. This one’s personal…”

He seemed to have disappeared, and Chi quirked an eyebrow.

“Okay, MAYBE, just MAYBE, this guy is KINDA cool…” Leo admitted.

“I say we follow him.” Artemis stated, wings bristling slightly in preparation for flight.

“…Let’s go.”

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Taking down the two goons was easy enough, but Artemis tried not to acknowledge Mikey’s ridiculousness as Chi snickered.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the assist, but what are you four doing here?”

“Personally? I didn’t want ya ta get in o’er yer ‘ead.” Chi admitted, arms folded.

“We have our own…TALENTS…that could make this MUCH easier for you.” Artemis reasoned, wings spreading slightly.

“Hey, I bet roaming the city at night, you’ve heard of another superhero!”

“MIKEY…” Leo and Artemis groaned.

“He’s REALLY good! Great, actually! Goes by the name of TURTLE TITAN!”

“…No, sorry.”

Chi snickered louder behind her hand.

“I can’t see, but I bet ‘e looks like a dork right now…”

“And you’d be right.”

The black-clad superhero went back to the window, and it perked Artemis’s curiosity as she joined him.

“Mikey, take that stuff off.”

“But he gets to wear HIS outfit!” Mikey whined to his older brother.

“MICHELANGELO.”

“…Alright…Party-pooper…”

“Can you handle this trouble or not?”

Hun’s muffled voice reached them, and Chi’s eyes narrowed at the sound as Mikey and Leo joined Artemis.

“That voice sounds familiar…” Leo muttered.

“I’m not going to tolerate any more delays. You’d better get it together, Ruffington.”

“Ruffington? What is he, a bag of chips?” Artemis stated sarcastically under her breath.

“Don’t get your biceps in a bunch.”

“Oh, THAT’S clever…”

“The other shipments will be arriving soon.”

“You have until dawn to finish loading our barge. Do NOT disappoint us.”

The large mountain of a man stepped into his car, though Chi wondered why he would park the damn thing there, and drove off.

“If Hun’s involved…”

“Then that means the Shredder is, too.”

Artemis’s wings bristled at the thought, and Leo stroked the hardening feathers soothingly to relax her.

“The Shredder?”

“Oroku Saki. The current ‘savior’ of New York.” Leo answered.

“Yeah, and who’s the dweeb in the vest?” Mikey questioned.

“…His name’s Ruffington. He and I go way back…Back when I used to be a New York City detective…Burying me in the department wasn’t enough…Ruffington had to destroy my life, my reputation…and my honor.”

That reminded Artemis of somebody…

“I intend to get it all back.”

“Count us in.” Leo stated.

They managed to get inside, Artemis folding her large wings tight in order to make herself smaller.

Chi followed them carefully through the rafters, though shakily, and held onto one of Artemis’s wings in case she fell.

The Earthbender was BEYOND happy to be back on the ground, but turned her head as her eyes narrowed.

“All these crates…”

The caped superhero opened one, pulling out a strange weapon.

“What the heck is this thing?”

“A Triceraton cannon.” Leo answered, looking a bit surprised.

“But it looks like Ruffington’s made a few modifications…”

“They’re selling these things on the street? How difficult is it to operate?”

“Easy. Just-.”

Mikey pressed a button…

Why’d Mikey press a button?

Because he’s Mikey…

The resulting blast disintegrated a whole wall, and Artemis smacked her forehead.

“MIKEY…”

BONK!!!

“OW!!! BABE…”

“Don’t TOUCH anythin’!”

“Take them out!”

Bullets were fired, and Chi brought up a wall of earth to protect them from the shower of fast-moving metal.

Still, the boys jumped to a new hiding place as Artemis and her used the wall to stop the live fire permanently.

The cannon was fired again, and the jade-skinned turtle had to hold some earth up as it threatened to crush them.

Some goons came up behind Chi, as if suspecting she wouldn’t see them coming…

How wrong they were, thinking her blindness made her ignorant…

They were struck by flying boulders, and the Earthbender’s eyes narrowed as if challenging them to stand back up.

“Nice move, babe!” Mikey congratulated.

“It was nothin’…”

However, a stray blast hit the Triceraton Cannon, making it blow.

“Did you see where he went?” Artemis asked as the four teens made their way outside.

Her wings spread, bristling at the wind, when she spotted two strange figures.

“Who are they? Tweedle-dee and Tweetle-dumb?”

“Actually, they’re Touch an’ Go.” Chi answered, sliding into a solid stance.

“Really?”

Crimson eyes narrowed, glaring at the two white-eyed men.

“So YOU two idiots beat up on my little bro and my dad? WELL…I hope you know what I’m going to do to you…”

She cracked her knuckles, wings spread full and looking imposing.

“And what are you going to do, little girl?” Mr. Go teased.

“Slap us around?”

She quirked an eye-ridge, a tell-tale smirk on her face.

“I’m not a sissy little girl that slaps people, boys. When I hit people, I hit them hard.”

“Aren’t they even UGLIER in person?”

“I’d have to agree…Even Casey looks better in comparison.”

“OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH! BURN!!!” Mikey cheered, high-threeing his sister.

“I’ve GOT to tell Casey that one!”

“Not April…That’ll be unpleasant…”

“Aw, Michelangelo. It is good to see you again. I SO missed your subtle wit. Though it seems your lovely sister has perfected the art.”

“Brown-nosing won’t get you anywhere, pal. It’ll just cause my fist to hit you harder.”

“Mr. Touch, how about a special greeting for our witty friends?”

“Certainly, Mr. Go. How’s this?”

A ROWBOAT…

The basturd threw a ROWBOAT…

A gust of air shattered it, and she glared as the wooden debris flew past her.

“Nice try, but a rowboat isn’t exactly a DISCREET projectile…”

Chi brought up her hands, earth shifting ever so slightly under her…

“Splendid, Mr. Touch. But I’m not sure they got the point…”

At least three at once, and she tried to spin enough to make a hurricane.

It knocked two off-course, but the third found its mark on her plastron.

With a cry of stunned pain, she hit a wall, and it crumbled under her weight.

More rowboats joined the pile of debris, and Leo’s eyes widened.

“ARTEMIS!”

Chi tried to defend the distracted turtle from Mr. Go, and succeeded only in being kicked back into a wall.

“So, little turtle-man. Where is your sharp tongue now?”

Something shifted, and Artemis rose from the debris, wings shaking off splinters as a cut bled from her shoulder.

Her eyes were fiery, angry, and she panted as she lifted her hands, encased in fire.

“I’m right here…”

A ball of fire kept the man back, and he saw the great blunder he’d made.

She was practically on FIRE with fury, seething at the attack, not only on herself, but her brothers and friends as well.

She was fast, Airbending pushing her beyond human limits to keep up with him, and her blows were much stronger, either enforced with Firebending or Earthbending.

Both Mr. Touch and Mr. Go were knocked back, and stared at the large-winged she-turtle.

“Now, you two are going to see what happens when you mess with my family…” She snarled, earth encasing her fists and burning like magma.

“I may not know why our employer is asking us to take you alive, but I suppose we can’t disappoint…”

A large hand encased her wrist, and her wings flapped like a startled bird’s before she lashed out with her other fist at Mr. Touch.

He seemed to be running on empty as she fought for her freedom…

“I believe it’s time for a boost of energy, Mr. Go…”

“My dear Mr. Touch, once again, you have read my mind…”

Chi made a wall of earth between the two enemies, smirking.

“I don’t think so, boys…”

As the two got around her earth-made structure, the two turtle brothers shared a glance and got between them.

“You’re dedication to teamwork is a real inspiration!” Mikey teased.

“In fact, we’ve been working on a little teamwork of our own!”

Artemis kicked herself free, rolling backwards on her shell and coming up on her feet.

“Ready, Leo?”

“I’m on it, Mikey.”

“Shuto! Back-fist strike! Front snap kick! Upper rising block! Double-kick counter! Again!”

The two men fell into the water, and Mikey grinned.

“And finish! Splendid work indeed, Mr. Leonardo!”

SMACK!!!

BONK!!!

“OW!!!!!! ARTIE…BABE…”

Both just smiled at him in amusement, still shaking their heads at his lousy accent…

However, Artemis noticed a helicopter heading straight for them…

“GET DOWN!”

Covering them all with her wings, she jumped behind some crates before fire and debris flew around them.

“Are you guys okay?” She panted.

“Yeah…Wait.”

Leo looked around, worried.

“NOBODY?!”

But he was alright, so they hid as the firefighters and police came, and left through the sewers.

Chi was happy enough not to fly, and yawned sleepily as she rubbed her eye.

Mikey picked her up, chuckling as she started to doze and cuddle against him.

But they got home soon enough, and everyone was ready to go to sleep…

BUT…

Splinter stepped out of his room, looking surprised at seeing them all up.

“Oh, good. You are up. Now that you are rested, lets resume our workout.”

Blank looks…

“I’m goin’ ta bed…”

Mizu and Kasai stepped out, looking fully rested, and saw the twitch in Artemis’s eye…

“Oh, no…”

“THAT’S IT! WHERE’S THE DAMN SUGAR!?!”

“NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Let’s just say ARTEMIS and SUGAR HIGH are NOT two words you want to use in the same sentence…

TRUST ME…