SHELLSHOCKED! - PART 1

A Gargoyles/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story

by Stephen R. Sobotka Jr.

DISCLAIMER : This is a fan-fiction story, based on characters and situations from Disney's animated TV series "Gargoyles", and the 4-Kinds Entertainment series "Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles". This has been written solely for other fans of the show to enjoy, not to gain profit for the author. All characters, with exception of one's I created, are TM and Copyrighted by their respective licensees, and are used without their knowledge. The plot and original story are my own creation.

Please don't sue, since this was done as a tribute to the spirit of the original shows.

AUTHOR'S NOTE : Greetings all! Yes, I have returned to my former calling, and this is my first attempt at writing crossover fiction in several years... hope it goes over well.

"Shellshocked, Part 1"

oooOOOooo

The Main Library, Castle Wyvern,

Manhattan, NYC...

"Ah...CHOO!"

"Bless you," Elisa Maza said as she groped for a nearly-empty box of tissues on the end table nearby. "Here you go." Offering the box to the young gargoyle on the couch in front of her, she grimaced when Angela sneezed several more times in succession. "Bless you, again."

Snuffling, the young female plucked several pieces of tissue with her claws, and buried her swollen nose in the middle of them. "Dank'oo!" she muttered, just before she nearly blew the tissues apart with another sneeze.

Behind the couch, her father, Goliath, winced at the sound echoing throughout the castle library. "She sounds... worse, Elisa!"

Giving the larger male a reassuring look, the NYC detective said, "It only sounds bad... believe me, I've had plenty of head colds to know." She glanced over at the small, wheeled cart that had been brought in by Owen Burnett, before reaching for some medicinal tea he'd brewed for Angela.

"In my time, there has been diseases and plaques," Goliath said. "I have never heard of any gargoyle becoming ill by a... 'head cold', before." Goliath turned paler than his usual shade of purple, his face pinched with concern.

"From what we once read in the Grimorum Arcanorum, Gargoyles are thought to be usually immune to human diseases," Owen said, calmly observing as Elisa attended to Goliath's daughter.

Elisa said quickly, "No gargoyle ever caught the Common Cold before, but, I don't think it's terminal!" She started mixing some of the natural herbs at her disposal with some hot water and green tea.

"Are you certain this will help her?" Goliath asked.

"Using natural remedies might be the best thing to cure Angela," Owen stated. "We still have no knowledge of how modern human medicines will affect gargoyle physiology."

Finished with her mixing, Elisa carried a full cup of the steaming remedy back to Angela. "Here, drink this and stay put for a while." The young female gratefully accepted the cup, snuffling again as she sat up to sip it. "I just wish we didn't have to leave her here, inside the library."

"As it stands, she will be better off isolated from the others," Owen cautioned.

"Well, I don't think the boys would be happy to catch what she's got," Elisa said. She turned to adjust a heavy comforter over Angela, and make sure a new box of tissues was within reach. "Okay, just remember if you feel worse or need something, just call Owen. I'll be back after my shift is over to check up on you, before dawn."

"O'hay," Angela nodded. "Fadder... be dareful ou'dere!"

Goliath nodded, stepping close to pat her on her shoulder. "Rest, Angela. We won't patrol long tonight," he offered.

"I will be monitoring her while I see to my duties, Goliath." Owen said sagely. "We will notify you if her situation changes."

"Thank you... Mr. Burnett," Goliath said gratefully.

Elisa smiled, before tugging on his elbow. "C'mon, Goliath. We'd better go see to the others."

oooOOOooo

In the common area of the castle -- which had been dubbed as the Clan's 'wing' -- five heads turned when Elisa and Goliath appeared at the doorway.

"Goliath! Is Angela all right?" Broadway asked, concern heavy in the burly gargoyles voice.

"How is she, Elisa?" Brooklyn seconded, his own beaked face frowning as the detective and their leader joined them.

"She is fine... she's resting and being taken care of," Elisa stated.

"Angela will rest and recover soon, and she is under the best of care," Goliath said. "For now, we need concentrate on our patrols tonight."

"Shouldn't one of us stay here... I mean, to watch over Angela, that is?" Broadway asked.

"Owen has assured me he will look after her while we patrol." Seeing the crestfallen look on the husky warrior's face, Goliath added, "However, for Angela's sake, we'll only do a short run tonight."

That made Broadway's expression lift a bit. "Oh, okay!"

Goliath turned to face Hudson. "Old friend, I'm loathe to call you from the castle, but with Angela ill-."

"Say nae more, Lad," Hudson said good-naturedly. "I'll go out wi' ye, gladly. I've been a lil' cooped up as of late." He stretched his arms, making several joints pop and crackle, much to the aggravation of the Trio. "These ol' bones need tae get th' kinks worked out!"

"Boy, I'll say," muttered Lexington, which got him an elbow from Brooklyn.

"Then it's settled. Hudson will patrol with myself and Brooklyn. Lexington, you and Broadway will form a second patrol." Goliath frowned briefly, but he recovered himself, saying, "Be safe, and don't stray too far away from the castle. The plan should be to return to the castle well before midnight."

"Okay, Goliath!" Lex piped up.

"Sounds good to me," Brooklyn seconded.

Goliath turned to Elisa, who said, "I've got a short shift to do, so I'll be back in time to check on Angela before you get back."

With a smile, Goliath nodded. "We will be around if you need us."

"Hey, don't I always? Take care out there, guys!" With that Elisa turned to leave the common room, grabbing her jacket from the back of the couch. "Matt and I will be in touch!"

Goliath followed her out with his eyes, much to the amusement of his fellow clan members. "Ah... Goliath? 'tis time we got started, lad." Hudson said.

Blinking, Goliath broke out of his musing, his cheeks coloring slightly. "Ah, ahem, yes! Let us get going..."

"Well, we'd better be on our way too," Brooklyn said archly, sharing a private smile with the other two members of the Trio. "You coming Hudson?"

"Aye, Lad... just give me a moment tae settle Bronx," the old soldier replied.

oooOOOooo

A Secret Lair, Somewhere in the Sewers,

Underground Manhattan, NYC...

a devil waits...

A Devil? Where? Where does this... warning come from?

Seated in a lotus position, the Japanese rat named Splinter shook himself, taking a moment to resettle into a more comfortable position before he tried to reinforce his meditative state. Resting his knurled hands on his knees, he eased his breathing into a more soothing rythmn. Feeling his mind opening up once more, he tried to focus on the whispered words once more...

they look for one of the Hamato...

A stray memory flickered along his subconscious mind, causing him to frown deeper. He strained to listen further...

protect the tengu!

"Master?"

With a start, Splinter's eyes snapped open. Pulled back into the 'now' of the world around him, the old rat turned to face the entrance of his alcove, where a shadow sat in a respectful stance, framed by the curtain hanging there.

"Master? Are you all right?"

"Yes, my son... I... I am not unwell." Pulling back the curtain, Splinter smiled inwardly at the sight of Leonardo; the eldest of his four 'sons'. "What is wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, Master Splinter," Leonardo replied, ducking his bald, green head in deference. "I was just coming to tell you we've got dinner on the way. If you want some, I'll make sure the others don't eat it all. We ordered the veggie pizza for you this time, too."

Splinter nodded, reaching out to pat one of the young ninja's muscled shoulders. "Ah, good... I thank you for sparing some of tonight's meal from your ravenous brothers."

At that, Leonardo couldn't hide the smile on his face - knowing Splinter was acknowledging Raphael and Michelangelo.

"However... I am not hungry, just now." Splinter stated, frowning as he tried to reclaim the words whispered to his subconscious mind.

"Is something wrong, Master?" Leonardo stated.

"No," Splinter replied. "Though, I do feel the need for some air." With that, the old sensei uncoiled himself and rose up, reaching for his walking stick.

Backing away, Leonardo quickly offered, "Do you need any help?"

"Not tonight, my son," Splinter said soothingly. "Stay and join your brothers in their meal... I shall not be gone long." Stepping out of the alcove, he turned towards the stairs to head out of the Lair.

"As you wish, Master Splinter," Leonardo stated, bowing his head.

"That is good," Splinter smiled, watching as Leonardo moved away. When his student was well out of earshot, Splinter sighed and frowned once more. This warning... it is as urgent as it is puzzling. I must divine its meaning!

"Hey, dudes! Turtle comin' in for a landing!"

With a slight aggrieved-if-amused sigh, Splinter turned just as the source of this outburst slid down the banister -- on his modified skate board, no less! -- before landing at the foot of the access stairs that lead to the sewer ways outside.

"Whoops! 'Scuse me, Sensei!" Michelangelo said with a grin, before turning to kick the end of his 'board up so he could grasp it with his free hand. "Hey, come and get it," he said, holding out four, hot pizza boxes with his other hand as he moved towards the center of the lair's common room. "Our repast has arrived! Pizza, a-la du HUT!"

Across the way, Leonardo and another 'son' turned to face the new arrival. "Well, it's about time you got back!" the third turtle, Raphael groused. "Did you leave the pizza-guy a tip this time, Mikey?"

"Duh, what do you take me for?" Michelangelo scoffed, moving quickly to deposit the pizza boxes on the makeshift table near the couch.

"A moron, naturally... hey! Gimmie that!"

Heaving another sigh, Splinter observed his students cat-calling and squabbling in the main room. "Kids." he muttered. A slight ripple of humor invaded his mind, as he pondered the cosmic absurdity of it all... him, a rat sensei, with four teenaged mutant turtles as his pupils; learning the arts of ninjitsu!

"Make sure you save some for Splinter, okay?"

"Hey, I'm not the one hoggin' it all!"

"Oof! Aw, lay off, Raph! I've only had three slices!"

"Hey, Donny! Come get some before Mikey and Raph eat it all!"

"Hold on a minute! I gotta save this program!"

With a shrug, Splinter stepped down from his alcove and started to amble towards the exit stairs. His four 'sons' were suitably occupied, he mused... perfect time to try to find some space to focus on the import of these visions.

"Master? Aren't ya gonna eat now?" Raphael called out from the couch.

Pausing at the top step, Splinter turned and gave the resident brawler of his four students a head shake. "Not now, my son. I have some... business to attend to." With that, he turned and headed out of the Lair.

Non-plussed, Michelangelo piped up, "I though the bathroom was back that way?" He started to take another slice, when both Raph and Leo smacked the back of his head together. "OW! Hey!"

oooOOOooo

A Hidden Location, Elsewhere in the City...

Inside a vaulted warehouse near the waterfront, the air filled with the angry snarling of... someone not quite human!

Hurling an empty bottle against a wall, the azure gargoyle named Demona flared her wings as she screamed her frustrations at an object on a ramshackle table before her.

"Blast you! What will it take?" Bringing her fist down, she nearly caused the table to collapse and spill its contents onto the warehouse floor. Fortunately, the table held together, and the Oriental box remained intact as well.

"This is like trying to crack the mother of all stubborn, frustrating chestnuts!" Stalking away from the table, Demona ran her hands back through her red hair and hissed. "I've tried nearly every spell of command, opening, unsealing and summoning that I can think of... and yet, none of them work on this blasted piece of Chinese junk!"

Turning, she cast her eyes on the box, letting them fill with crimson light as she fumed. "It took me months of research to locate you, and even longer still to wait for you to be moved to a place where I could 'acquire' you without reprisal or being discovered by Goliath and his clan!" She moved over to where a collection of bottles, jars and other items lay on a segment of cluttered shelves. "I've come so close to gaining a possible weapon to use against my former mate and his human ally... I cannot believe all my knowledge of the arcane arts is useless to me now!

"There must be a way!" Demona let her eyes drift over the motley collection of spell components for a brief time... before she paused, and turned slowly to gaze once more at the box. "Wait a moment," she said. "If I cannot open you with my knowledge of magic... perhaps I can use it to find the one who can!"

Scooping up several containers, in seconds Demona had all the elements assembled for performing a scrying spell. Returning to the table, she muttered under her breath as she started forming a circle around the box with chalk and other ingredients.

When all was ready, she rubbed her hands together and said, "Now... shall we see what we shall see, then?" At once, she began chanting gluterally in Latin.

Slowly, the ring around the box started to glow; an amber light that stretched up from the tabletop to form a hollow tube around it. As Demona continued to chant, a image began forming inside the glowing tube; faint at first, but sliding into focus by marked degrees, before finally becoming fully formed as Demona ended her incantation.

Drawing a breath in through her teeth, Demona's eyes widened. "Incredible," she said, her voice filled with awe and not a little disgust. "If this is the one I seek... I will need another spell!" Turning away, she quickly rummaged through the pile of books on the floor nearby, before pulling out a small, dog-eared book with yellowed pages.

"Ah," she murmured, leafing through the book until she ended up on a particular page. "Perfect!" Turning back to face the floating image in the light, she thrust one hand before her as she read a new spell:

"Wisps of light, form and merge,

To this task before you now I urge.

Aid my eyes, be they strong or weak

And lead me to this ONE I seek!"

With that, a slow-moving nimbus of light started to form before her hand. Before long, it quickly swirled together to form a small, faintly glowing ball of light. Before Demona's eyes, it flashed twice, before revealing it had captured the image from the ring of light around the box.

"Excellent!" Demona reached out, closing her talons around the ball of light. "With this locator wisp guiding me, I'll find this one that can open the box." With a short wave of her other hand at the box, the ring of light died away. "I must hurry," she said, a not of urgency in her voice. "I must find this... one, before sunrise. It would be better if I faced them as my true self!"

oooOOOooo

Somewhere near Central Park, Manhattan, NYC...

"RAAAGH!"

A moment later, Hudson stepped aside to allow the body of an unfortunate mugger sail past himself, to impact against the brown bricks of the building behind him. With a groan of pain, the man slid down into an unconscious heap.

"Nicely done, lad," Hudson said.

Brooklyn grinned at the old warrior. "It's all in the wrist, Hudson!" A split second after he'd spoke, another body landed in a crumpled pile next to the first. "Of course, Goliath gets points for execution, not style!"

"Ha-ha, yer a right funny lad," Hudson said with a sigh. "This is th' fourth bunch t'night... an' ye said we were goin' t' take it easy, Goliath."

Coming up next to them, Goliath merely sighed. "These criminals are overly active tonight, old friend."

"Not as much as they had been in the past," Brooklyn observed. "I mean, we used to pull in nearly four times as many thugs over six months ago."

Crossing his arms, Goliath nodded. "I do remember Elisa saying that there used to be a high-rate of... gang activity in this part of the city."

"Ye think all of yer work curtailin' them has decreased their numbers?" Hudson asked.

"Five gargoyles verses nearly dozens of scores of gangland punks?" Brooklyn shook his head. "We're good, but we can't be that good... right Goliath?"

"Even without Hudson and Bronx, such a decrease in crime can't be contributed to us and us alone." Goliath shook his head. "Something else must be at work here."

"Ach, ye won't catch me complainin', lad." Hudson paused to groan as he stretched out his limbs. "As much as I've been needin' it, I'm glad I don't do this every single night!"

Both Goliath and Brooklyn looked at each other and shared a private smile. "Not to worry, old friend," Goliath said. "After we leave these thugs for the police to find, we'll go find Lexington and Broadway and return to the castle. As much as I'd like to keep patrolling, we should look in on Angela."

Nodding, Brooklyn said, "If they haven't already beaten us back there, that is." The beaked warrior chuckled. "I don't think Broadway liked the idea of leaving Angela alone in the castle tonight."

"Aye, but he shouldn't worry so much," Hudson said. "Th' lass is in good hands, an' Elisa said she'd be there after her work is ended. Our friend is always lookin' out fer us, eh?" He shot a knowing look at Goliath.

Goliath cleared his throat. "Ah... come then, let us deal with these two, and be on our way."

oooOOOooo

Not far away, in fact just a dozen city blocks away, someone else emerged into the Manhattan night air.

Deep inside an alleyway between two brownstone buildings, one of NYC's large, metal manhole covers shifted... turned... then finally lifted clear to clank softly against the surrounding concrete.

"Sheesh! Not to complain... but, sometimes I wish Splinter would take the storm drains to exit the underground!"

With a grunt, Leonardo lifted himself clear of the opening, coming to a crouch next to the cover as he blinked in the glare of a nearby street lamp. "I'd appreciate it more if he'd also find a spot to take in the night air that was closer to the Lair!"

Looking around, the ninja turtle quickly located a fire escape on one of the buildings; one that showed it had been recently used, with its lower ladder extended to the ground.

"Well, guess Splinter took the high road," Leo said, a smile spread over his face. "Looks like a good opportunity to get some legwork in!"

With that, he crouched down, bunching up his legs as he picked out three spots on the alley walls above him. Focused, he uncoiled with a silent leap, sailing high into the night air before touching one of the walls, nearly two stories up! Even as his feet made contact with the brick work, his body twisted around as he pushed off this wall, soaring across the narrow alley and upward. Again, he hit the wall and sprang away at full force, the power behind his last leap carrying him high over the top of the building behind him.

Curling into a tumbling somersault, Leonardo timed it so his last rotation positioned himself neatly on his feet, landing without a single crunch of stone or a whisper of air. Moving smoothly into a crouch as he landed, he felt a rush of satisfaction that his tactic had placed himself directly in front of Master Splinter; seated on the rooftop, posed in a serene state of meditation.

Swell! he told himself. I just pulled off a flawless ascent, and Master isn't even aware that I did it!

"Enjoying the night, my son?"

Startled, Leo blinked. "Umm... Master Splinter?"

A soft chuckle came from the old rat's lips. "Leonardo, you're technique is flawless... but, you are still not up to being able to match my skills of detection."

Rising slowly, Leonardo smiled wanly. "Ah, well... I was hoping to impress you, Sensei."

Getting to his feet, Splinter nodded as he gazed fondly at his student. "You and your brothers are improving with every day, my son. But, you need not try to impress me... I am well aware of your level of skills, and you all make me proud!"

Leo nodded, ducking his head a little. "It's good... to know that, Master."

Walking up to Leo, Splinter patted him on his shoulder. "Never make the mistake of unwarranted pride, Leonardo... relish your accomplishments, but always temper yourself with the knowledge that, no matter how skilled a warrior is..." Suddenly, he reached out and whipped one leg through Leo's own, sending the turtle crashing to the rooftop in an ungainly sprawl.

"Woah-OW!" Leo shook his head, partially stunned by the sudden maneuver.

"There is always room for improvement!" Splinter chuckled.

"Ah-heh... good joke, Sensei." Leo had to chuckle as well. He started to rise from his prone position, to join Splinter, who was now laughing very heartily at his own joke-!

"WHOOOSH!"

The rush of air over something fair-sized made the young ninja react on instinct: Throwing himself to the side, Leonardo avoided collision with the... whatever it was, sailing through the air just where he'd been about to stand up!

Coming to his feet, Leonardo had just enough time to glimpse at a speeding, winged shape as it sped across the rooftop... with Master Splinter being dragged through the air along with it!

"SPLINTER!" Leo darted forward, hoping to reach his Master... but the airborne creature had moved too quick. It was already beyond the edge of the rooftop, and well out of Leo's range for a flying leap.

"Lee-o-nardooooooo!" Splinter's cry echoed over the roof tops, quickly fading as the creature that had snagged him made themselves rocket skyward into the night sky.

Skidding to a halt, the young turtle could only stare as his Master was carried off. "Oh shell! What... who... I've got to-!" Cutting himself off, he reached down and pulled out one of the turtle-shell communicators Donatello had built for them. Snapping it open with a flick of his wrist. "Guys! Guys! Get out here quick! Something's happened!"

A second later, the voice of Donatello came in through the Shell-Cel's speaker. "Donny here, Leo... what's wrong?"

"It's Master Splinter!" Leo looked grimly into the direction of the fast-disappearing creature. "He's been taken by... something! Hurry!"

oooOOOooo

Curbside, In Front of the 23rd Precinct,

Manhattan, NYC...

"Coffee, Bluestone?"

Looking up from where he was perched on the fender of Elisa's old car, Det. Matt Bluestone smiled and gratefully accepted the paper cup Elisa handed him. "Thanks, partner!"

"Just the way you like it," Elisa replied, pausing to take a sip of her own cup. Outside on the sidewalk facing the police building, the two of them reflexively looked up into the Manhattan skyline. "Nope, they're not out there yet," she mused, brushing her raven hair out of her face.

"Gotten used to knowing they're around, eh?" Matt quipped.

"More or less," Elisa said. "It's good to have them along. Best form of backup a girl could have."

Matt arched one eyebrow. "Hey, are you saying I'm not?"

Laughing, Elisa said, "No way, Matt! Out of anyone on the force, you're the best partner I've had in a long time."

"You're just saying that because I know your deepest secret," Matt said with a smile.

Elisa just rolled her eyes. Fortunately, she was saved from replying further by a squawk from the radio transmitter in her car. Leaning over, she reached inside and snagged the hand-microphone. "Maza here, go ahead!"

"Detective, this is Unit-17," came the reply. "Got a report of some roughnecks busting up a shop on 124th Street... requesting assistance!"

Elisa shot a loot to Matt, who replied, "Three guesses, and the first two are taken!" He turned to get into the passenger seat.

"My partner and I are on the way," Elisa stated. "Any and all units nearby, join up there. Just don't start the party without us!" Elisa cautioned, tossing her coffee aside as she turned to head for the driver's side door of her car. "Ready, Bluestone?"

Matt sighed and tossed his half-finished cup into a nearby trash can. "So much for a quiet night on the beat!"

oooOOOooo

Back on the rooftop, Leo was still staring out into the night sky when his three brothers emerged onto the rooftop.

Leading the way, Raphael was the first to reach his side. "Leo! what's goin' on here?"

Leonardo muttered, "Some... someone just kidnapped Splinter. They took off in that direction!"

Standing next to them, Donatello squinted as he peered off into the distance. "Have they gotten far?"

"Afraid so... whatever it was, it was flying too fast for me to stop it!"

"Flyin'? Great! We're dealin' with some freakin' super-man wannabe?" Raphael snarled.

"It had wings, like a bat," Leo said.

"Wings? That jerk Screwloose is back?" Mikey gasped.

"No, it wasn't that mutant... I'm sure of that," Leo replied firmly.

"Well, if it wasn't that jerk, could it have been one of Raptarr's Avian enemies?" Mikey asked.

Taking a deep breath, Leo explained, "No, It was... something else! It looked definitely female, with blue skin and... it had a tail," Leo replied.

"Could be a flying smurf," Mikey quipped, just before he got slapped against the back of his head. "Ow!"

"You come with a Brightness knob?" Raph glared at his sibling.

Donny cupped his chin, thinking for a moment. "Blue skin... wings... and a tail? Hey! Hey, Fellas! I think I've got it!"

"Well, spill it, Brainiac!" Raph said.

"Well, I've been hearing some stuff on the local news lately... from this guy named Travis Marshal. He's done a few reports on some critters called gargoyles."

"Gargoyles, huh!" Raph sneered. "I thought those were just old statues on the city churches?"

Shaking his head, Donny went on to explain. "According to some accounts, these gargoyles are stopping muggings and other crimes around Central Park,"

"Hey, that's musclin' in on our jobs!" Michelangelo stated with mock-indignation, grinning at Raphael.

He scowled, "Whatevah! Look, if these 'goyles are for real, then why would one of them kidnap Splinter?"

Leo rubbed his chin. "Whatever the case is, we need to find out... and the one place to start is where they've been seen the most."

"That old cathedral on St. Daimen's?" Mikey quipped, getting a smack from Raph. "Ow!"

"No, I mean the place Donny just mentioned," Leo said with a frown. "C'mon guys! We're off to take a walk in Central Park!"

oooOOOooo

The Battleshell, Parked near Central Park,

Upper Manhattan, NYC...

"Ahem... your dinner is served, Miss O'Neil!"

Sitting in the open side door of the heavily-modified battle-van, April O'Neil smiled at her companion for the evening. "Why, thank you garcon," she said, taking the white Styrofoam container from his hands, before opening it to sniff appreciatively at the toothsome aroma wafting up with the steam from inside. "Hmm, smells good!"

"Should be good," Casey Jones said with a grin. "Ol' Chang makes th' best Chinese take-out in all of New York!" Leaning against the side of the vehicle, he opened his own container and smiled widely. "Ahh... dragon and phoenix! Nothin' bettah!"

Digging in with her own chopsticks, April shook her head. "When you said you knew the best place to get a late dinner, I didn't expect all of this, Casey," she said.

Slurping up a sizable steamed shrimp, the dark-haired Casey swallowed thickly before saying, "Ah, well... I, ah, just figured you'd want somethin', well... edible, rather than some fancy-pants place t' sit down at?"

April gave him an arched look, before she smiled. "It's okay, I was just teasing, Mr. Jones... this is, quite edible, and tasty, too."

With a soft sigh of relief, Casey said, "Ah... good!"

For a few moments, the only sounds they made were the slurp of lo mien, the click of chopsticks and the satisfied sounds people usually make when they've had their fill of good food. Finishing up, Casey took the remains and containers to go pitch them into a nearby trash can.

"We've got some time t'kill, April... you wanna, head back to the shop?"

"Actually, we'd better get the Battleshell back to the boys," she said. Giving Casey an arched look, she added, "I can't believe you convinced them to let you take it out from the Lair's garage!"

"Hey, Donny and the guys may have a killer, subterranean workshop," Casey said, "but, somet'ings ya just gotta handle in a full autoshop, ya know?" Brushing his hands off, he said, "C'mon then, let's take this puppy back an' put her t'bed."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Moving quickly, she clambered into the vehicle, taking a moment to toss her purse on the passenger seat...where a small, shell-shaped object tumbled out to lay on the seat cushion, it's single green 'Active' light blinking rapidly.

Frowning, April mused aloud, "Huh... wonder what the boys are doing at this time of night?" Reaching down, she picked up the Shell-Cel Donatello had given her, snapping it open with her thumb. All at once, the air was filled with the harsh sounds of young male voices, whispering.

"...told you, this was a waste of time!"

"Knock it off, Raph! This is the best place to look!"

"Dude, if they were to come out this way, there's some premo pizza shack on the corner!"

"Mikey, quit goofing around and get with the program!"

Intrigued, April flicked the talk switch, adding her voice to the mix. "Yo, Turtles, this is April. What's going on?"

"April?" Leonardo's voice sounded surprised.

"April! Yo, girlfriend," came Mikey's voice. "How's it hangin'?"

"Mikey, knock it off! WHAP!"

"OW!"

"Ah, sorry but... we can't talk now, April!" Leo said at length.

Casey looked at the Shell-Cel. "Wha'dhe say?"

Puzzled, April shot back, "What are you guys doing? Is something wrong?"

"Not now, April!" This came from Raphael. "We're busy! Hey, wings over Central Park! Let's go!" With that, the comlink went dead.

"Guys? Guys?" She glared at the shell-com, which was now only receiving dead air.

"Oh, swell," Casey muttered. "What's got their collective shells up in a twist, eh?"

Reaching for the keys to the Battleshell, April started to maneuver herself towards the driver's seat. "Get in, Casey!" She quickly jammed them into the starter and twisted, bringing the vehicle to life.

"Woah, April!" Casey reached back to slam the side door shut, and he barely got his backside into the passenger seat as April gunned the engine and sent them speeding off down the street. "What's goin' on here?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is -- if it's got Raph riled up -- we better check it out!"

oooOOOooo

The Sky over Central Park,

Manhattan, NYC, Moments Later...

"I don't think it's out here, Broadway!"

"It's gotta be here, Lex!" Soaring on a low thermal, the pair of young gargoyles moved slowly across the wide vista of New York's famous landmark; heading towards the sound end of the park, as Broadway scanned the ground intently.

"I... don't think so, big guy," Lex said. "I mean, he's got to have moved on, don't you think?"

"Not Geseppi! He never leaves the part if business is doing good!" Lifting up as they neared a copse of trees, the burly warrior shaded his eyes a bit, before he suddenly pointed down towards a small crosswalk intersecting the green sward below. "Hey, there it is now!" Leaning into a stoop, he shot towards the ground.

"Slow down!" Lex called after him, following in his wake.

Together, the two landed near a vendor's cart near a fountain, that rested near the sidewalk. "Ahhh!" Broadway rubbed his hands together. "I just knew he'd be here still!" Stepping up next to the cart, Broadway leaned down to inspect the lock on the top of the cart. Even with that in place, it nevertheless provided no trouble for Broadway, as he used his talon to crack it before he opened the top.

"You know, if Goliath ever finds out about your late night 'snacks'," Lex cautioned, watching as his rookery brother.

"Hey, this isn't just for me," Broadway said, grinning as he sniffed the aroma of warm dough and flavorful seasonings inside the cart. Reaching in, he fished out several giant-sized pretzels. "These are for Angela! Besides, it's not like I'm stealing them."

"Oh, is that your excuse?" Lex shook his head, laughing. "Come on, lets just get this over with and get going."

Getting some money out from a hidden pouch in his loincloth, Broadway said, "Okay, okay! I never hear you complaining when I get us a little bit between meals!" He put the money on top of the cart under the lock, before he turned and offered a pretzel to Lex. "Want one? A little snack never hurt ya."

"No, but it sure shows up on you!" Lex gave his rookery brother a poke in the middle.

"So, I'll work it off later, when we have our sparing match." Sniffing appreciatively, Broadway lifted one of the pretzels to his lips... just as something sailed past his head, snatching the treat from between his talons! "Huh?"

"What in the world-?" Blinking, both Lex and Broadway turned in surprise, just in time to see a pointed, metal object imbed itself in a nearly tree, amid the remains of his treat splattered there.

Lex got a creeping feeling up and down his neck. "Where'd that come from?"

"Over here!"

Turning quickly, Lex spied a pair of eyes, glittering in the shadows. "Great! Of all the nights, now we get caught!"

You took the words outta my mouth, you little fungus!" Before he or Broadway could react, the owner of the eyes emerged, revealing themselves as a creature neither gargoyle had seen before; a bipedal, walking, talking... turtle?

"Who are you?" Broadway asked in shock.

"What are you?" Lexington followed, blinking at the creature standing before them.

"Your worst nightmare," Raphael snarled, glaring at the two young warriors. "Unless you give Splinter back, right now!"

"Splinter?" Broadway looked at Lex, puzzled. "Why would he want a splinter?"

Lex said archly, "I think that's someone's name, Broadway!"

Scowling, the ninja turtle took a step forwards. "Splinter IS someone, you freak! You ought to know, since your kind took him from us!"

Lex and Broadway blinked, stepping back from him, even more confused. "'Our kind'? What do you mean by that?" Lex asked.

"He means," another voice spoke up, this time from behind the two gargoyles, "either return our sensei, or face the consequences." Stepping out from the shadows near a park bench, Leonardo emerged into the light from a street lamp, his swords drawn at the ready.

"Man, we've got more company!" Broadway rumbled.

"Actually, Dude," a third voice echoed from overhead, "two's just company!"

"But FOUR's an even team," another voice chimed in, just as Donatello and Michelangelo dropped down from the branched of a tree.

Both warriors looked from one turtle to the rest. "Broadway, this doesn't look good!"

"It's gonna look a lot worse, unless you tell us where Splinter is," Raphael growled. "Now, tell us!"

Just then, the sound of air whooshing overhead made everyone duck in reflex, just as three shapes dropped out of the night sky next to Lex and Broadway. The turtles scampered back a few paces, taken by momentary surprise by the sight of Goliath, Hudson and Brooklyn.

"Goliath!" Lex crowed.

"Are we glad to see you guys!" Broadway added.

"We came looking to re-join you before we headed back home," Goliath explained, keeping his eyes on the four teen turtles. "What manner of... strangeness is this?"

"This is New York," Brooklyn quipped, glaring at the weapons in the foursome's hands. "You don't get any stranger than this!"

At that, Raph stiffened and snarled, "You talkin' about us!"

"Raph, be careful! There's more of them than us, now!" Donny cautioned.

"Yeah, and are they ug-lee!" Mike snorted.

Raphael snarled and whipped out his other sai. "You guys can crunch numbers... me, I'm crunchin' some SKULLS!" With that, Raphael launched himself towards the gargoyles, swinging out his sai towards Goliath.

"Look out!" Brooklyn shouted, shoving Goliath out of the line of the ninja's attack as he threw a vicious punch to counter Raph's charge. The blow connected with a CRACK of knuckles against flesh, and Raph sailed backwards to land heavily on his back.

Leo slapped his face. "Rapha-EL!" he groaned. Recovering, he turned to face the gargoyles. "Come on! We'll have to pull his backside out of the fire again!"

"Just remember to leave one of them conscious," Donny reminded him. "We still have to learn where Master Splinter is." Together, they moved to help Raph up, flanking him as the gargoyles took up a defensive stance.

"I vote for the skinny, green dude!" Mike offered.

Lex overheard the comment, and sighed. "Why does everyone always want to pick on me?"

"Well, you are the smallest, Lex," Broadway offered.

"Quiet down, lads," Hudson cautioned sharply, "'cause here they come again!"

In a heartbeat, the four teens were caught in the millrace of sailing bodies, limbs and wings. Moving with amazing speed, the gargoyles quickly split the foursome apart, forcing Raph against Brooklyn, Leo against Hudson, and Donny and Mike to fight Goliath, Broadway and Lex.

"I'll take the one on the left," Donny told his brother. "Get the ugly one!"

"Which one's the ugly one?" Mike snorted, ducking just as Lexington made a leaping charge at his head. "Whoa! That little dude's quick!"

Facing Hudson, Leo squared off with one of his swords, quickly analyzing the old soldier's technique as they circled one another. "That sword," he said, eying the blade in Hudson's fist. "It's got to be an antique!"

"Funny thing aboot us old relics-!" Hudson growled, slashing out with deceptive speed and skill, which Leo met with a series of lightning-fast parries. For several moments, they wove steel amid a gamellan chorus of singing blows... until Hudson worked under Leo's guard and wrenched his katana away with a flick of his wrist.

Awestruck, Leo watched as the sword sailed off into the night.

"We may look old," Hudson quipped, "but, we still carry an edge!"

Leo recovered quickly, drawing his second katana. "I'm impressed... but, I also carry a spare!"

Hudson nodded, motioning towards the young turtle. "Come ahead, then..."

Elsewhere, jockeying for position, both Brooklyn and Raphael eyed one another, ignoring the rest of the fight going on around them. "Oh, I am gonna love kickin' yer butt, beak-freak!" Raph snarled, bringing his sais up in an attack pose.

"Oh really?" Brooklyn growled, his eyes flaring white. "Why don't you show me how to use the power of those FORKS, Obi-wan!"

Raphael rumbled deep in his throat. "That's it!" With a yell, he launched a savage kick at Brooklyn's head, twisting in mid-air when the crimson warrior turned aside at the last second. Unable to get clear in time, Brooklyn fell backwards as Raph stuck him two hard blows across his face.

"Boo-yah!" Raph drew back to strike again, only to find himself upended when Brooklyn lashed out with his tail, smacking the red lash against his legs.

"Goliath! These joker's mean business!" Brooklyn called out.

Warding off Donny's bo staff, Goliath rumbled, "We will not be taken down so easily!"

"Neither will we!" Donny launched himself into a spinning attack...

oooOOOooo

Entrance to Central Park, That Same Moment...

Brakes screeching, Elisa's car nearly did a nose dive over the curb as she brought it to a halt. Without killing the engine, she and Matt were scrambling out, pausing only long enough to hear the faint sounds of a fight in the park beyond the open iron gates before them.

"Sounds like some punks couldn't stay in bed tonight!" Matt said.

Elisa reached back down into the car, pulling out the hand-mic. "Maza here! Responding to a possible disturbance in South Central Park," she said. "Send back-up and a meat-wagon, at once!" She tossed the mic back inside. "You got your vest on, Matt?"

"Never leave home with out it!" Both detectives stepped away from the vehicle. Matt was nearly at the park entrance... when a flash of headlights suddenly washed over them. preceding the arrival of a speeding... van?

"What in-? Matt! Watch out!" Elisa's warning came just in time; allowing Matt to avoid the van, which nearly jumped the curb as it screeched to a halt.

Moving to Matt's side, Elisa asked, "You all right?"

"Just lost about five-years growth," Matt replied. "Who in Sam's Hill just tried to-?"

He was cut off when a pair of figures boiled out of the strange van -- a slim redhead and a tall, dark-haired guy -- and came to a stop at the curb. "April, are ya nuts? Ya nearly pancaked that guy!"

"He's fine, but the boys won't be!" April said, barely giving either Matt or Elisa a glance. "Come on! The tracker says they're in there!"

As Elisa and Matt watched in surprise, they both started at a run towards the park entrance. "Hold it!" Elisa shouted, regaining her wits. "NYPD! Stop right there!"

The woman froze in mid-stride, turning to stare as both detectives moved to block her path. "Oh! Um... Hi there, ah-!"

"I believe the correct term is 'Officer'," Matt interjected, flipping his overcoat open to show his badge. "Detectives Bluestone and Maza, Twenty-Third Precinct. Care to identify yourselves?"

Both April and Casey looked at each other, clearly nervous before the two detectives. "Well, ah... I'm April O'Neil, and this is Casey-."

"Jones," Casey said, giving both detectives a hard stare. "Casey Jones."

"Just what are you and your friend doing here, Miss O'Neil?" Elisa asked.

"That's kinda our business," Casey said. "We're not breakin' any laws here!"

"Casey! Don't agrivate the officers, okay?" April faced both Matt and Elisa. "Sorry, but we really do have to take care of something... so, if you'll just excuse us-!"

She started to step around the two detectives, but Elisa blocked her again. "Sorry, Miss O'Neil, but I can't allow you to go any further," she said firmly. "Official Police business."

April looked past them, worry coloring her face. "Well, ah... that's good to see New York's Finest are, well, still on the job!" She looked over her shoulder at Casey.

"Y'know, Officers," he said. "I thought I saw some, err, rather suspicious looking guys back that way! Just six blocks back! They might be th' guys you're looking for!"

Just then, the sound of something heavy crashing through something else echoed over the wall behind them.

April nudged Casey, muttering softly, "We don't have time for this!"

Matt looked over towards that direction, then nodded to Elisa, who got the hint. "Thank you, Mr. Jones. I'll have Dispatch send another unit to check it out. Right now, you need to clear out of here. This place isn't safe for anyone!" she said.

April looked obviously nervous, but seemed resolved about staying when she said, "You can't tell us we can't go into Central Park!"

Casey piped up, "Yeah, we're both citizens! We've got rights t'visit it, whene'vah we see fit!"

"You'll be seeing a lot more than that," Matt said absently, before adding in with, "Folks, but we have a dangerous situation here. Your life could be threatened!"

"Hey, I've been in here dozens of times," April shot back. "What could be so bad about Central Park?"

Before Elisa or Matt could answer, the sound of something HUGE bellowing cut through the air like a cannon shot. A split second later, something passed between April and the two detectives like a green blur, before slamming into the side of the Battleshell!

As one, the three turned towards her vehicle... while April and Casey were only mildly shocked, Elisa and Batt were dumbfounded at what they saw: a human-sized, human-looking TURTLE, laying in the large dent its shell had made in the hood of April's car.

"Mikey!" April gasped, moving to help her friend. She only got two steps, when she heard the sound of two guns being cocked.

"Freeze!" both detectives said, unsure what to make of this new arrival. "Miss O'Neil, get back, now!"

"Oooh, man... make a note: the big guy doesn't like to be called 'lardo'," the turtle groaned, raising up from the site of impact. Shaking his head, Michelangelo blinked before looking at his two friends. "Huh? April? Casey? Didn't Leo tell you to butt out?"

Matt arched one eyebrow, but he never lowered his guard. "O-kay...giant, talking, turtles! That's a new one, even for me!"

"Whoever you are... well, whatever you are, get your hands up," Elisa ordered.

Mikey just then noticed the two detectives, and their weapons. "Whoa, the Fuzz!" Getting up, he held out his hands to wave them off. "Dudes, you might wanna check yer aim! There's something else in the park that needs to be cuffed, other than me!"

"Oh? Such as what?" Matt asked.

The bellow of an enraged gargoyle, following the solid crunch of metal and glass behind them all, put it better than anything Mike could have said at the moment: Raphael and Brooklyn had careened over the wall, landing together on top of Elisa's car, driving it into the pavement when their weight burst all four tires!

When the detectives turned to stare in complete shock at the carnage, Both April and Casey were just as flabbergasted.

Mikey sighed, "Geez... sure hope they've paid their premiums!"

Oblivious to their audience, both Raph and Brooklyn slowly got to their feet. "Ha... huh, ha-had enough, loser?" Raphael snarled.

"Oh, I... I've only BEGUN to... to fight," the beaked warrior growled, though his voice was colored with exhaustion.

"Brooklyn!" Elisa snapped, getting a bit peeved with all the sudden twists this night was taking.

Whipping his head around, Brooklyn spied his two friends and groaned, "Oh boy... this is getting better and better!"

Raph crouched down, his eyes locked on Brooklyn's exposed neck. "The best is yet to come, chum!" With that, he surged forward, drawing back one fist to smash it against the red gargoyles' back...

CLACK!

Only to skid to a halt, as the barrel of Matt's service pistol loomed large in between his eyes.

"Not so fast... chum!" Matt said with conviction. "Either back off, or else!"

Raph growled, glaring at the copper-haired detective. "If you think that peashooter's gonna stop me-!"

"Raph, cool it, man!" Casey and April both moved to keep the hotheaded teen from causing further trouble. "Even you're no match for a speeding bullet!"

"Calm down, Raphael! Where are the others?" April asked.

Brooklyn gaped at the young woman. "Elisa... who're these people? Are they in with these shell backs?"

Elisa moved to Brooklyn's side. "Look, until we figure this out, don't start anything further, okay?"

"Don't worry about startin' nothin'," Raph rumbled, "'cause I'm gonna finish it, unless the Beak Freak an' his buddies start talkin'!"

"Acutally," a deep voice growled from above. "Talking is JUST what we'd like to hear." From over the wall, Goliath and Hudson appeared, followed by Lex and Broadway. Both Leo and Donny were being carried between them; their arms trapped by two lengths of steel fencing, wrapped around them like twisty-ties.

"Ah, crud!" Raph groaned.

"Duuuude... we're whupped!" Mike seconded, letting some of the fight go out of him.

Matt had his pistol still trained on Raph, but he looked at the new arrivals and shook his head. "Swell, two more turtles... we looking at an invasion here?"

Both Elisa and Brooklyn turned to face the others. "Goliath! You got the other two!" Brooklyn grinned.

"They were a tough pair, no doobt aboot it," Hudson nodded, holding up Leo's swords and Donny's staff. "But, we got them wi' sheer numbers."

April looked livid. Before anyone could stop her, she marched straight towards Goliath and pointed a finger at him threateningly. "I don't know what... who you are, but you let my friends go!"

Broadway blinked. "Where'd she come from?"

"Looks like she's with them!" Lex prompted.

Goliath stared down at the short redhead, before he growled. "If these... creatures are you're friends-."

"They're not creatures, they're turtles!" April nearly reached back to throw a punch at the big gargoyle, only to be restrained by Casey.

"Hey, now's not th' time t'go off half-cocked, sweetheart!" The Brooklyn-born street tough glared at Goliath. "Besides, if these bozos don't let our friends go an' give with some answers, THEN we can start crackin' some skulls!"

"Why wait?" Raph snarled. "Let's just get on with it!"

"Everyone just settle, down, now!" Elisa shouted. Turning, she looked to Goliath. "What's going on?"

Goliath wasn't one to back down, even in the face threats by the Turtles' friends, but he said, "These... turtles, sought to attack us in the park, without provocation."

"We were only gonna ask these wingnuts a few questions," Mikey said.

"Oh, fine way to ask a question," Broadway grumped. "At the point of a sword!" He and Lex shoved Leo and Don towards the other two, while the entire clan moved to surround them.

As April and Casey moved to help Raph and Mikey try to free their brothers, Donny said sourly, "Considering what had happened, we felt it was the best way to get you to listen to reason."

"Did ye ever think tae try just askin' us, wi'out pullin' steel, lad?" Hudson said.

"Considering what's at stake for us, we didn't feel we had any other choice," Leo admitted.

Elisa -- who'd been trying to follow this verbal volley -- threw up her hands and said, "Okay, that's enough! Look, I don't know what's going on, but we're taking this back inside the park to sort it all out.

Matt nodded, "Especially before someone comes along and puts us all on the Six-O'Clock news!"

Mikey just had to pipe up, "Stranger things have made the headlines, dude!"

WHAP!

"Ouch! Hey!"

oooOOOooo

An Unknown Location, At the Same Time,

Somewhere in NYC...

Coming to his senses, the first thought that came to Splinter's mind was What... has happened? He moaned softly and tried to roll to his feet. but he couldn't move his hands or his legs!

Somewhere behind him, the sound of footsteps preceded a low voice -- feminine, yet very sinister-sounding! -- that said, "So, you are finally awake? Good. I was afraid I had hit you too hard to keep you... complacent."

Grunting, Splinter struggled against the bonds on his limbs, but he found his strength could not budge them. "Ohhh, what madness is this?" Splinter opened his eyes... and at once wished he hadn't!

All around him were old packing crates, rotting pallets and piles of old litter. Light filtered in through several broken and shot-out windows, revealing the grungy floor and aged walls. But what made him worried was the sight of a blue-skinned, three toed foot before his face... and the rest of the creature that was attached to it!

"Who... are you?"

Demona said, "It matters not to you who I am, old rat! To humor you, though... the humans call me Demona, and I am a gargoyle."

Splinter gasped. "Wh-what... do you want with me?"

She fixed him with a frank, calculating stare. "Though, I will admit I am surprised to find out the one I seek is... an apparent aberration of nature. In the end, I guess it does not matter." She crouched down and grabbed the collar of Splinter's kimono. "What matter's is... what I have in store for you."

Splinter grimaced. "What do you mean?"

Rising, Demona dragged Splinter bodily into the air. "You will see... soon enough, descendant of the Hamato Clan."

As Splinter's eyes widened in shock, Demona just chuckled briefly, before carrying the old warrior away from the light, into the shadows with her.

oooOOOooo

TO BE CONTINUED...