Hunting the Devil
part 3 final

"Leo!" Raph yelled at the top of his lungs. Leo!" He charged frantically from one end of the clearing to the other, looking for some sign of his brother.

Don searched along the perimeter, where the trees formed a barrier. He found where Leo and Hester had been standing and squatted there to study the ground.

"Raph, come look at this," Don said.

His brother jogged over to him and crouched to look at what Don was indicating. In the soil were scuff marks and the outlines left by a plastron pressed into the dirt.

"It's got him, it's got Leo too," Raph muttered angrily. "How did it take him without a fight? He would have seen it coming."

"He was trying to protect Hester," Don said. "That's the only explanation."

"Then where is she? Did it get them both?" Raph asked.

They stood up and at the same time looked back at the hut. Tyler waited just outside the door, watching them.

"That hill behind the hut is probably one and a half to two thousand feet high," Don mused. "There's most likely a way in from somewhere near the top."

"In where?" Raph demanded.

"A cavern," Don said. "Someplace the Jersey Devil could fly into and out of with ease. It's lair."

Raph's eyes narrowed. "How much ya' wanna wager there's a way to get to that lair from inside the hut? Ain't no creature builds a fire and puts a kettle on to boil. I'll bet someone's helping that thing."

"I'm not betting with you because I was thinking the same thing," Don said. "Those stairs inside go down beneath the hut and probably into the hill itself."

"Let's stop talking about it and go find out for sure," Raph said, marching towards the hut.

"What's going on? Where's Leo and Hester?" Tyler asked when they reached him.

"Our best guess? Somewhere inside that hill," Raph said. "We're going in and this time when I tell ya' to stay close, you'd better listen to me."

"Sorry," Tyler said. "Mom is the only family I have and I guess I'm kind of protective of her."

"Look kid, I get that," Raph said, his expression softening. "My dad made us promise him a long time ago that we'd always stick together as a family. Family is everything. But ya' ain't alone in this, ya' got friends. So no running off and making us worry about ya'. We've got enough to worry about."

"When we separate, that creature picks us off," Don said. "So let's try not to separate."

Raph took the lead as they descended the stairs. It was pitch black inside, the atmosphere weighted and oppressive. The air grew colder the farther down they went and the scent of wet earth became more distinct. Their footsteps and the creak of the staircase began to echo as though the space they were entering was quite large.

By Donatello's count they'd gone down sixty treads, about four stories, before their flashlights illuminated an earthen floor. Shining his light around, Don expected to see shelves holding canned goods, but there was nothing to indicate the place was used for storage.

If fact there was nothing at all other than the rocky walls of a cavern.

Donatello walked to the center of the space and looked up. Far above him he saw the faint light given off by the moon.

"There's an opening up there," Don said. "It's difficult to tell exactly how wide it is."

"I'd say it's wide enough," Raph said. He flung his hands out in exasperation. "There ain't nothing here."

"I wouldn't say that," Tyler called out softly. He was off to one side of the cavern and frantically waved them over once he'd gotten their attention.

In the wall was massive hole, easily twenty feet wide and just as high. It was the entrance to a tunnel, one so long that their flashlights couldn't penetrate to wherever it ended.

As Don played his light along the ground, he spotted hoof prints.

"We're going the right way," Don whispered, pointing out the marks.

"Then let's keep going," Raph said. "Quietly. Tyler, get behind Donny. Try and walk the way he does. It'll be your first lesson in how to be a ninja."

"Gotcha," Tyler said, sliding in behind Donatello, who waited for Raph to take the lead.

The tunnel walls were wet to the touch and had a musty, closed in aroma. The threesome kept to one side, avoiding the small stream of water that ran through the center of the tunnel. Moving silently, they soon saw light shining ahead of them and then the end of the tunnel.

Raph flicked off his flashlight and tucked it away, signaling the other two to do so as well. He crept slowly up to the mouth of the opening, hugging the wall, and Don took the opposite side with Tyler close behind him.

They had reached another cavern of sorts, this one not quite as high or wide, but with deep enough gouges in the walls to be categorized as chambers. There were several of them and it was from one that the light was emanating.

It was bright enough for the turtles to see that the ground ahead of them was strewn with bodies.

"Are they . . .?" Raph asked, looking across at Don.

"What do you see?" Tyler whispered, peering around Don. He gasped and Don flung out an arm to prevent him from darting into the space.

"I can't tell from here," Don said in answer to Raph's question.

"Guard up, be ready for anything," Raph warned as he tiptoed into the room. He almost chuckled out loud when he realized that his words sounded exactly like something Leo would say.

Upon reaching the first of the people lying on the ground, Don bent down to touch the man's pulse point. There was faint movement under his finger and he saw the slight rise and fall of his chest.

"Alive," Don said. He glanced at Tyler. "Another of the people off the missing list?"

"They all are," Tyler said. "What happened to them?"

His question was in regards to the various stages of desiccation displayed by each victim. Some were nearly as shriveled as the two they'd encountered at the house, others showed only small signs of the wrinkling effect.

"I think something is draining them," Don said.

"My mom's not here." Tyler looked over at Raph, who had proceeded farther into the space.

"Neither are Mikey or Leo," Raph said. He pointed at the brightly lit chamber. "We're going in there."

The words had barely left his mouth when the sound of rushing wings echoed through the tunnel behind them.

"Get down!" Raph hissed, dropping quickly to the ground next to one of the unconscious people.

Don and Tyler followed suit, using separate victims to shield themselves from whatever was approaching.

In seconds the sound of wings ceased only to be followed by the clip-clop of hooves against the hard earthen floor. Unable to restrain his curiosity, Raph peered over the body he was lying next to, careful to make no sudden moves.

Out of the darkness walked a huge, misshapen creature. It was entirely coal black, other than its eyes, which burned with a yellowish-orange light.

It walked upright on two thin legs ending in thick hooves. Its head was shaped like that of a horse, with long pointed ears that could easily be mistaken for horns. Long arms ended in a three-fingered hand, the tips of each carrying claws that looked to be razor sharp.

The wings were held close to its body as it walked, but Raph could see that there were veins running throughout the leathery skin. It also had a long tail with a feather like barbed point.

This was the Jersey Devil of folklore. As Raphael watched it walk between the fallen bodies, he wished that the thing really had been a myth.

Raph held his breath as it clomped towards his hiding place. As it was going by the spot where Don and Tyler had concealed themselves, it suddenly stopped.

Ears swiveling, it turned its head to look in their direction and then its nostrils flared.

Frantic to redirect its attention, Raph slid his hand around on the ground nearest him. When his fingers touched a rock, he wrapped his hand around it and threw it several yards ahead of him. The rock bounced off of one of the unconscious men, who groaned and flopped over onto his back.

The Jersey Devil's head snapped back around and it darted forward, moving faster than Raph would have expected. When it reached the man, it scooped him up as though he was weightless and quickly carried him into the lighted chamber.

Raph immediately leaped to his feet and dashed after it. He heard Don say something, the tone one he used when urging caution, but Raph was moving too fast to heed his warning.

It was the sudden change in the air around him that stopped Raph's headlong rush into the unknown. A feeling like electrical static hit him, his body tingling as the very atmosphere became supercharged.

The sight that met his eyes stopped him in the entrance. He felt a shift in the space near him and knew Donatello was there as well.

Standing in the center of the chamber was the Jersey Devil, its wings wrapped tightly around the man it had just grabbed. A brilliant glow suffused its wings while pulsing ribbons of energy sped along the veins and into its body.

When the glow faded the Jersey Devil opened its wings. The man fell to the ground, more shrunken than before.

Then he began to crawl towards a pair of figures at the far end of the chamber. It was the two kidnapped turtles

Leonardo lay strapped to a table, unconscious but breathing evenly. Standing motionless beside him was Michelangelo. His cheeks were sunken in, eyes blank and devoid of sentience.

On another nearby table lay Tyler's mother.

"Mom!" Tyler shouted, bolting around Donatello.

Don quickly grabbed his arm, yanking Tyler to a stop. Raph drew his sai, his expression dissolving into savage snarl.

Glaring at the Jersey Devil, Raph growled, "I'm gonna ram this down your throat!"

The creature opened its mouth and shrieked.

Both Don and Tyler clapped their hands over their ears, bending over in pain. Raph lifted an arm to press a bicep against one ear but continued forward, intent on driving a sai into the beast's heart.

"Save me! Help! Help!"

Hester came out from behind Mrs. Jaffey's table and started running towards Raph. At the sound of her voice, Leo's eyes opened and he groaned.

"Hang on, Leo!" Raph called out. "Hester, stay where you are, I'm coming to you! Don, free Leo!"

He changed direction, wanting to pull the little girl out of harm's way. The Jersey Devil suddenly stopped shrieking.

"Raph, wait!" Leo yelled. "That's not a little girl!"

Confused, Raph halted, but Hester kept coming at him. Don dashed up to stand at Raph's side and drew his staff, swinging it around to block Hester off.

Hester stopped to stare at the turtles, the helpless aspect dropping from her features. Seeing that they were now too suspicious to let her get near them, she began to cackle.

The sound was ugly; a throaty, rasping noise full of terrible resolve. A shimmer formed around her small body, stripping away the disguise and leaving behind her true form.

"Protector, bodyguard, defender of innocence," Hester spat out, the amusement in her yellow eyes belying the animosity of her tone. "Useless here."

She backed away from the turtles. As she neared the Jersey Devil, she reached up to stroke its snout. It moved to fully face the two brothers when she was past it, placing itself between its mistress and the pair of ninjas.

Hester walked around to stand behind Leo's table and set her gnarled hands on his shoulders.

"Get your hands off of him!" Raph barked.

"Soon he will not care about you, any of you," Hester told him. She glanced at Leo's left wrist, around which was a cocoon of glowing energy. Inside that energy field was a long, silver spike floating just above the back of Leo's hand.

"Is that what I think it is?" Don asked, a slight tremor in his voice.

"It can't . . . ." Raph stopped to clear his throat. "Can't be. We destroyed it."

"I have searched long for a suitable host," Hester said, stroking one finger along Leo's cheek. He jerked his head to the side. "Tell me about this one, this Leonardo. He is your leader, yes? His body is perfect; so strong and fit. He is special. Has he shown mystic abilities?"

"Host for what?" Raph demanded.

"For my Master, Oroku Saki," Hester said. "The Shredder."

Stunned, the turtles could only stare at her. Then Donatello found his voice. "The Shredder has been destroyed. We saw to that."

Hester's eyes blazed. "As long as one small piece containing his original dark magic exists, the Shredder will never be destroyed. I sensed that the spike from his gauntlet had survived the last battle and sent the Devil out to retrieve it. Shredder's magic once made me extremely powerful. With it I was able to create my Devil." She gestured towards the Jersey Devil.

Don blinked as sudden understanding came to him. "You were the witch said to have attended the Leeds birth. The one who was part of Mrs. Leeds's coven."

"She was a part of my coven!" Hester snapped. "A pawn. A pitiful excuse of a woman whose mind was easily manipulated. Her only purpose was to beget my masterpiece."

"Why? The Tengu Shredder was banished long before you created the Jersey Devil," Don said.

"I knew the day would come when my Master was resurrected," Hester answered. "My powers had been depleted by his defeat, and I required a conduit that was able to drain the life force of others so that I could remain alive."

"What are you doing to my mom?" Tyler asked. "Why is she on that table?"

"This one is your mother?" Hester's smile showed her cracked, blackened teeth. "She is my new body. I require one every hundred years."

"No!" Tyler started forward again, only to be stopped by Raph.

"That spike ain't got enough magic in it to bring anything back," Raph said. "I'm gonna smash it and I'm gonna smash you."

"Impetuous buffoon!" Hester's eyes narrowed as she calmed down. "You know so little. Every life force the Devil drains feeds the magic. Let me show you."

No words passed from her to the Jersey Devil, but he turned his head in her direction. Its eyes blazed and it opened its mouth, but instead of sound, a bolt of energy shot out and struck the cocoon around Leo's wrist.

There was a brilliant flash and the spike lengthened, one end beginning to flatten out.

"All those kidnapped people," Don said in a hushed tone. "Their energy is helping to rebuild the gauntlet. Then it turns them into mindless slaves."

"Ya' did that to Mikey, ya' bitch!" Raph shouted.

"The Devil likes this one," Hester said, trailing a finger down the length of Mikey's arm. "So few in its lifetime has the Devil deemed as being worthy. You two will also belong to him. The boy's innocence and youthful energy will be enough to complete the gauntlet. Leonardo's body will host my Master, and all that will be needed is a few more lives in order to forge the Master's helmet. With the assembly of the magic triad, the Tengu Shredder will rise once more. And I will serve as his right hand!"

"Fat chance!" Raph lifted his twin sai and spun them. "The Devil and ya' are both going back to hell tonight!"

"Say the word, Raph," Don said, his bō at the ready.

"Foolish beings, you cannot fight me," Hester said. "I have the advantage."

She gestured at Mikey, who turned to face the Devil.

"Leave him alone!" Don yelled.

The Jersey Devil spread its wings wide, its eyes flaring once more. A beam of light shot from them directly into Michelangelo's face.

From his carapace sprouted two wings.

"What wonderful creatures you all are," Hester gloated. "You will serve the Master well. He will reward me handsomely."

"Not if I gut your pet first!" Raph was moving as he spoke, diving straight at the Jersey Devil.

It swung at him and Raph ducked beneath a clawed hand, catching the other between the wings on his sai. Mikey pulled his nunchucks and rushed at Donatello.

The witch's cackling laughter filled the room. From the floor rose the withered man who shuffled jerkily towards the battling turtles.

"We've got company!" Donatello exclaimed.

Through the tunnel marched the people from the connecting cavern. Their movements were disjointed and slow, but purposeful. Against their sheer numbers the turtles had little chance.

"Cut me loose, Raph!" Leo yelled, fighting against his restraints.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" Raph slammed a shoulder into the Jersey Devil's side and spun towards his brother. Its tail whipped around Raph's ankles and tripped him.

When the fighting began, Tyler ran to his mother. She was unconscious but unhurt, and he used his pocket knife to cut her restraints. Tucking his hands beneath her arms, he pulled her off the table and squatted down to lean her against a wall.

Don's shout caught Tyler's attention and he saw the zombie-like people begin to enter the room. Leaping up, he grasped the edge of the table and shoved it towards the tunnel.

The table plowed into two of the zombies before Tyler reached the entrance. With all the strength he could muster, Tyler overturned the heavy table, blocking the zombies' path.

Turning, he saw Donatello battling against his younger brother and Raphael grappling with the beast. The witch still stood near Leo, her attention locked on the fighting. She appeared to ignore Leo's struggles, no doubt certain he could not escape.

The zombie people were piling up against the table. There was no telling how long it would be before they managed to circumvent the makeshift barricade and overrun the two turtles.

"A little help here!" Leo called again, wanting nothing more than to join the fight.

"I'm kinda busy!" Raph bellowed, twisting away from the Jersey Devil's claws. One of them caught his carapace and sliced a narrow trench into it.

"I'll get him loose!" Knife in hand, Tyler ran across the room, dodging the zombies who had gotten in.

He swiftly slashed the bindings on Leo's ankles and then the one on his right arm. Hester swiped at him with her hand, but Tyler dove under the table to come up on the other side.

As he lifted the knife, he saw that there were no ropes on Leo's left arm.

Leo was pulling against the cocoon, grimacing with the effort to free himself. He tugged on his arm and then pushed against the energy shield, but neither would budge.

"Raph, I can't get this thing off my arm!" Leo shouted.

"Hold on!" Raph responded, punching the Jersey Devil in its snout.

"I can get it off of you," Tyler announced, reaching for the spike.

"Tyler, no!" Raph yelled in warning.

He was too late. When Tyler's hand made contact with the cocoon, it sparked with a sudden burst of electricity and zapped him. Tyler was blown off his feet and immediately knocked unconscious.

"Silly boy," Hester chortled. "No human can touch that shield."

"Good thing I ain't human!" Raph crowed, delivering a front snap kick into the Devil's chest and causing it to stumble backwards.

He rushed to Leo, slicing at the witch when she reached for him. Hester jerked back and Raph plunged the tip of his sai into the cocoon.

Sparks danced across the metal and the cocoon split in two. Grabbing the spike, Raph wrenched it off of Leo's arm.

"Behind you!" Leo yelled.

Whirling around, Raph barreled into the oncoming Jersey Devil. Its teeth snapped down on his shoulder, catching against the upper edge of his carapace.

Infuriated, Raph pushed against the Devil, muscle and pure will driving it backwards despite its heavier mass. It slammed against the wall, wings unfurling upon impact.

Leo started to rise from the table but the witch jumped for him, her hands glowing red as she held them above him. Some power seemed to press against his body, holding him in place.

The end of Mikey's nunchuck grazed Don's chin as he pulled his head back. When the other nunchuck swung in, Don brought his bō up into its path. The chain wrapped around the wooden staff and Don yanked the weapon out of Mikey's hands.

Sweeping down with the tip, Don caught the back of Mikey's ankles and dropped his brother. Mikey flipped quickly to his feet, spreading his wings and taking to the air.

"Oh shell," Don swore as Mikey swooped towards him. "Sorry about this, Mikey!"

Holding tightly to his staff, Don jammed the end into Mikey's stomach.

Mikey's wings buckled and he plummeted to the floor. Hitting hard, he lay there and shuddered once before his eyes closed. Then his entire body went limp.

The sound of the table scraping the ground brought Don's attention to the zombies in the tunnel. Don raced over and threw his weight against the table, forcing it back into place. The zombies began to claw at him and he crouched to avoid their grasping hands.

Something pulled on his backpack and Don realized he was under attack by the two zombies who'd gotten in. He shrugged out of the backpack and the zombie fell back, the weighty bundle hitting it in the chest. Swinging his staff, Don struck the other zombie on the side of its head and knocked it out.

Raph yelped as the Jersey Devil's hoof came down atop his foot, but he didn't relinquish his hold. The Devil's wings began to glow as they started to close around the turtle.

"Oh no ya' don't!" Raph growled, ramming his sai through one wing and pinning it to the rock wall.

The Jersey Devil released Raph's shoulder, throwing its head back to shriek in agony. Sharp pain sliced through Raph's head, his eardrums feeling as though they were about to burst. Teeth clenched, he slammed his forearm into the Devil's throat, cutting off the sound.

A hard force crashed into his carapace from behind, nearly buckling Raph's knees. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw that the witch was using her magic to hold Leo down with one hand. The fingers of her other hand moved in a circular motion to form a ball of energy, which she flung at Raph.

He braced himself as it hit. The energy burned as it struck his skin but Raph couldn't release the Devil to deal with the witch.

Then he saw Tyler stir and sit up. Rubbing the back of his head, Tyler looked up at Raph, eyes wide as another fireball hit his shell.

"Remember what I said about your slingshot?" Raph asked between gritted teeth.

The boy leaped to his feet and yanked the weapon from his waistband. He fumbled with the pouch, dropping a few ball bearings before managing to load one into the slingshot's ammo pocket.

His hands were shaking as he brought the slingshot up and pulled back on the cord. Drawing in a deep breath, he took aim and fired.

The ball bearing hurtled through the air and struck Hester directly between her eyes, punching a hole into her head. Brain matter splattered the rocks behind her as the ball bearing came out the other side.

Hester blinked twice, astonishment etching her face, and then her body began to melt.

The Jersey Devil clawed at Raph's shell, struggling to pull free. Using his fists, he punched it underneath its arms and felt something dig into the palm of his hand.

He still had the Shredder's spike clenched in one fist.

Just in time he moved his head aside as the Devil snapped at his face. Then it opened its mouth, flicking its long tongue at his eyes. Demon magic began to glow inside the mouth, building in intensity as it fought.

"Screw that!" Raph yelled and crammed the spike down the Devil's throat.

It made a single gurgling noise and then exploded.

The force threw Raph back and sent his sai hurtling across the chamber where it stuck in the opposite wall. Strings of bright white light shot in all directions, whizzing through the air before individual lights began to rush into each of the 'zombies'.

As their life forces reentered their bodies, the men and women sank to the floor. Don stood up and backed away from the table, watching as the shriveled forms began to plump up again.

Tyler helped Raph to his feet and together they walked to where Leo lay on the table.

"Ya' okay, bro?" Raph asked, grasping Leo's hand and pulling him into a seated position.

"Other than feeling like I was just run over, I'm fine," Leo said. "Mikey?"

Don squatted next to the youngest turtle, happy to see that the wings had disappeared and he was back to normal. Mikey woke with a long groan, holding his head as Don assisted him in standing up.

"What happened? Where's the Jersey Devil?" Mikey asked.

"Raph blew it up," Don said.

Mikey's hand came down fast. "Wait, where's the witch? There was a witch telling that thing what to do."

Tyler nudged the pile of rags with the toe of his shoe. "This is all that's left. I shot her between the eyes."

"You should have thrown water on her," Mikey joked. "'Dorothy, I'm melting!'"

"Yep, you're back to normal," Leo said, hopping off the table.

Behind them the kidnapped people began to stir. "Tyler? Is that you? What happened?"

Rushing to his mom's side, Tyler knelt down and said, "You're safe now, mom. I'll tell you everything later. Rest here for a minute, okay?"

Nodding, the woman closed her eyes and started to rub her forehead. "Give me a few minutes. I've got a massive headache."

The turtles gathered together in a shadowed corner of the chamber as the people woke. Don ran a critical eye over Raph and then reached into his backpack for a gauze pad.

"Hold this against the wounds on your shoulder," Don instructed. "You're still bleeding. I'll have to see to disinfecting those bites as soon as possible."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Raph said and then signaled for Tyler to join them.

"Look, these people don't need to see us," Raph told him. "They ain't in any shape for a long hike either."

"The state police will take forever to find this place," Leo said, looking at Tyler. "Do you think you could lead them back to the Shroud's House? We'll be right there with you, just out of sight."

"Sure," Tyler said. "It'll be light soon and I'll go slowly."

"Then gather them together and let's get moving," Leo said. "We don't need them to get curious and start exploring this cavern."

It turned out that he had little to worry about in that regard. The people were confused and though tired, all were anxious to return to civilization.

Keeping an arm around his mom, Tyler led the way out of the two chambers and into the cavern. Climbing the stairs was the most difficult part and it took nearly an hour to get them all to the hut. The stragglers were too exhausted to realize that those who were helping them weren't human.

After a short rest, Tyler urged everyone to their feet and started them through the woods. It was just coming on dawn, but still dark enough for flashlights. Tyler took the lead with his light showing the way. The turtles marched to either side of the people, using their flashlights to keep them in a straight line.

When he reached the area where the Shroud's House was located, Tyler gasped and came to a quick stop. The turtles ran up to see what had drawn his attention.

The neat little house was gone, replaced by a ramshackle dwelling that was barely standing. Part of its roof had fallen in, the door was missing, as were many of the outer boards.

There was no garden, only weeds and overgrown bushes.

"What happened?" Tyler asked.

"I think what we experienced was something called a 'glamour'," Don said. "It's what the witch used to make herself appear to be a little girl. With her magic vanquished, everything has gone back to normal."

"The house must have been window dressing," Leo said. "A lure for unsuspecting people who were probably drawn here looking for the house in the legend."

"Tyler, honey, these people can't go much farther," Mrs. Jaffey called out, helping a woman to sit down. "Your friends should go for help."

"Let me check the house," Don said. "If it's stable enough, they can wait inside for the police. I'll radio Elliott to send the state police here."

He and Leo made their way to the house, with Leo using his blades to clear a path. After determining that the house was still fairly sturdy, Don used the ham radio to reach Elliott and then gave him the information to pass along to the police.

Before they left the house, Don and Leo dragged the remains of the two dead people around to the backyard. Then the turtles moved out of sight as Tyler guided the people inside. Once there they all dropped to the floor, too tired to remain standing.

"Mom, you need to stay here with these people until the police come," Tyler said. "My friends and I will hike back to Elliott's and make sure the police know exactly where to go."

"Tyler, I don't . . . ." Mrs. Jaffey began.

"Please, mom," Tyler said, cutting her off. "You're too tired to keep going and these people need your help. Besides, when will you get a better chance to interview them?"

"My boy," Mrs. Jaffey said, cupping her son's cheek. "Quite the grownup. Thank you for finding me. Please be careful."

"I'll always find you, mom. Be back soon," Tyler promised before leaving.

He found the turtles waiting a few yards from the house. Leo had retrieved their backpacks from inside and handed Tyler his.

"I hope the police arrive soon," Don said. "I don't know how long these people have been without food and water."

"We need to be gone before the police do show up," Leo said. "Once we're on the road, we can phone in an anonymous tip about the two deceased people in the yard. You guys up for a jog?"

"Always," Raph said.

Don took the lead to keep them on course. He stuck to a steady pace, matching his speed to what he knew Tyler could manage.

"So what did I miss while I was taking a siesta?" Mikey asked.

"Only the most epic battle ever," Tyler told him with enthusiasm. "You should have seen Raph! He was going toe to toe against the Jersey Devil. He kicked its butt!"

"I could have done that," Mikey said. "He snuck up on me."

"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that, Mikey," Raph said with a grin.

Michelangelo was still complaining about how his brothers never listened to his warnings when they reached Elliott's house. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and it cast a golden glow over the fallen leaves in his yard.

The porch light was still on and when they entered the house all of the interior lights were ablaze as well.

"Guess he didn't want us stumbling around in the dark," Mikey said as they shed their backpacks.

"Elliott, we're back," Tyler called out as he went towards the kitchen. "We found my mom and she's okay."

"I'm glad to hear that, my boy," Elliott said, coming around the corner from the hallway. He reached out to ruffle Tyler's hair.

Mikey lifted his head to sniff the air. "What's that smell? Is somebody cooking? I could eat."

Leo nudged him in the side. "Forgive my brother. His stomach tends to do a lot of his thinking."

"Hey!" Mikey protested.

"I'm making a nice, big stew," Elliott said. "I also put a kettle on. Would you all like some tea?"

Tyler made a funny noise at the back of his throat and Raph looked at him. The boy was staring up at Elliott, a strange expression on his face.

"Tyler, ya' okay?" Raph asked.

"That's not Elliott!" Tyler shouted.

"What the . . . .?" Raph started forward but Elliott grabbed Tyler and pulled the boy against his chest.

"If you make any sudden moves, I'll snap his neck," Elliott said. "I can escape this body before you ever get to me."

"Hester!" Leo exclaimed.

"Not exactly the body I wanted, but other than the eyes, it's healthy enough," Hester said. "Fortunately my magic allows me sight even through the eyes of the blind. And this one is wealthy! A rich man can get away with so many things."

"You have to know that whatever you're planning is doomed to failure," Leo said. "We'll be able to track you no matter what body you jump into. We can find a way to destroy you."

"Because of your mystic abilities, correct Leonardo?" Hester asked. She glanced at Raph. "I underestimated you. I thought you all brawn but you have a fire inside of you. No one had ever defeated the Jersey Devil before now."

Raph snorted derisively. "Our enemies have a bad habit of underestimating us. You're doing it right now. Just where the hell do ya' think you're gonna go? We're at a stalemate."

Hester began pulling Tyler towards the door, one arm tightly held against his throat. "As much as it pains me, I will have to abandon this nice house for a time while I make certain preparations. Once I am done, I will be too strong for the four of you."

She yanked open the door and fled through it with Tyler in tow.

"I can track Tyler," Don said. "Raph dropped a homing device on him earlier."

"To hell with that," Raph snarled. "She ain't getting that far."

He bounded for the door. "Raph, wait!" Leo called out.

"I saved him before, I'm not losing him now!" Raph shouted.

Leo raced after him. Mikey grabbed Don's arm. "Wait. I have an idea."

"What idea? There's no time for your games," Don said.

Mikey ran into the kitchen and began pulling open cabinets as though searching for something. "Ah ha! This will do nicely."

He held up a large bucket and took it to the sink. As he began filling it, Don asked, "What is that for?"

"Fairy tales, the original versions, were pretty dark right? But that was 'cause there were lessons in them," Mikey said. "Throwing water on a witch is like purifying them, at least that's what it says in the stories I read. I think that's where they got the idea for the Wizard of Oz."

"Mikey, that's all pure fiction," Don said.

"So what can it hurt?" Mikey countered. "At the least it'll be a distraction."

He started out of the kitchen with the pot, but Don stopped him. "If we're going that route, then let's put something in the water that might actually hurt."

Grabbing the dishwashing liquid, he dumped the entire contents of the bottle into the water. Then he and Mikey went in pursuit of the others.

Up ahead they saw that Hester was dragging a struggling Tyler towards the woods. Hearing the crunch of leaves, she spun around to see the turtles racing after her.

They skid to a halt when she placed both hands on either side of Tyler's jawline.

Leo held up a hand, his gesture placating. "Look, we just want the boy. Let him go and we won't come after you."

Hester shook her head. "Not a good trade."

"If you want to bargain, we can bargain," Don said. "What do you want?"

A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips. "I will trade the boy for Leonardo," Hester said. "There is still dark magic in the city; it clings to an imposter. With that magic I will place the Master's essence into Leonardo's body. Then we will hunt down you other three turtles so that you can become the Shredder's minions."

"Don't do it!" Tyler screamed.

While her focus was on Leo, Don inched up behind Raph and whispered in his ear. With a slight nod, he began walking off the one side of Leo and Don went to his other side.

"What are you doing? Stay where you are!" Hester ordered, pulling Tyler farther into the woods.

"We ain't working for the Shredder and ya' ain't bringing him back," Raph said. "We've all been willing to die for that cause and that hasn't changed."

"Then you will die and I will use Leonardo's dead body to resurrect my Master," Hester said. "Either way, I win. You do not have the power to defeat me."

With her attention on his brothers, Mikey snuck into the woods and silently crept close to the witch.

"Maybe not, but today is not your day," Leo said. "You don't get to leave here with the boy or with me."

"What are you going to do, attack?" Hester scoffed. "The man Elliott is still in here with me. Harm this body and you harm him."

Tyler's gaze was on Raph, his fright palpable. From the corner of his eye, Raph saw Mikey draw close to the witch, bucket in hand.

Without making a sound, Raph mouthed "Tyler" and then closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw Tyler mouth back "Okay" and then the boy shut his eyes.

"Hey, witch!" Mikey yelled.

When she spun towards him, Mikey threw the entire bucket of water into her face.

Hester's hands came up in reflex and Tyler bolted, running directly to Raph. Dropping the bucket, Mikey pulled his nunchucks.

"Ahh! Ahh! It burns!" Hester screeched, pawing at her eyes. She began to flail, dropping to her knees as she jabbered incoherently.

Raph pushed Tyler back and moved towards the witch. Leo and Don came forward as well, each prepared to subdue her until they could find a way to force her out of Elliott's body.

It proved unnecessary.

"You horrid turtles! I am done!" Hester howled, lifting her face to the sky. From Elliott's mouth, ears, and eyes flowed a blackish goo and then he collapsed.

"Is she . . . is he . . .?" Mikey started to ask.

Don knelt down and felt for a pulse. "He's alive."

Tyler joined them just as Elliott began to rouse. Reaching for him, Tyler helped Elliott to sit up.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked.

"Tyler? Are we outside? How . . . how did I get here?" Elliott asked.

"What's the last thing you remember, sir?" Don asked.

Elliott frowned. "Waiting by the ham radio to learn if you had located Michelangelo."

"So you don't remember my call asking that you reach the state police?" Don asked.

"You did? I have no memory of that," Elliott said.

"Donny, you must have been talking to the witch," Leo said.

"Witch? This sounds as if it's going to be quite the story," Elliott said, standing with Tyler's assistance. "One that won't be believed."

"Doesn't mean ya' can't still tell it," Raph said. He clapped Tyler on the shoulder. "Maybe the two of ya' could co-author a book about it."

"Now that sounds like a fine idea," Elliott said.

They walked back to the house. When they were inside, Leo said, "The state police still need to be called. The kidnapped people are back at the Shroud's House. Two of them didn't make it and their bodies are behind the house."

"I'll make that report," Elliott said. "I'm guessing that you four don't plan to be here when the police arrive? I might not be able to see, but I know when someone has a reason to remain anonymous."

"Tyler will be here with ya'," Raph said. "The two of ya' have enough imagination between ya' to come up with some sort of story."

The boy walked the brothers out to their van. Raph turned before climbing into the driver's seat and Tyler threw himself into the turtle's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Raphael," Tyler said. "You saved my mom. Again."

"I'll be there for ya' kid, anytime ya' need me," Raph said. When Tyler disengaged, Raph took a small piece of paper from his belt and with the stub of a pencil wrote something on it. Handing it to Tyler, he told the boy, "My number. I hope ya' don't need it for anything other than calling to tell me you're making straight A's."

"You've got a deal," Tyler said.

He stood back as Raph maneuvered the van around and then saluted when the turtles drove off.

Once they were off of the bumpy backroad and on the highway again, Mikey came forward with a matching pair of trench coats and hats.

"The sun is out my brothers," Mikey said, handing all but one of the hats to Don. That hat he stuck on Raph's head. "Dude, you should see your shell! It's all scratched up."

"Yeah? Well at least mine ain't sprouting wings," Raph retorted.

"Wings? What wings?" Mikey twisted his body, trying to see his own carapace.

Leo and Don began laughing. "Oh Mikey, we have so much to tell you," Don said.

"Start talking," Mikey said. "And next time, I'm not warning anybody about anything. You can just learn the hard way."

"Don't we always?" Raph asked.

The End