by 3 Ninja Tales (The Rise of Tiger Claw; The Casey Chronicles; Mutants in Space!) (retail) (epub)
And the battle was raging! The black hole generator’s timer was ticking down, and Splinter’s fighters still hadn’t reached the Heart of Darkness.
The Turtles couldn’t believe what they were seeing! April was fighting alongside Fishface and Rahzar! What kind of crazy alliance was this?
In the middle of the chaos, April slipped over to the force field bubbles where Casey, Slash, Rockwell, and Leatherhead were being held captive.
“April!” Slash called out, thrilled to see her.
“Red!” Casey shouted. “I knew you wouldn’t leave us behind!”
“I’ll get you guys out in no time!” April promised. She grabbed the small pyramid that was projecting Casey’s bubble-cage. Kneeling down, she slammed it into the ground again and again, trying to break it so the bubble would disappear. “Come on, come on,” she said, pounding it with as much force as she could muster.
Finally, the pyramid cracked and broke. The bubble popped, and Casey fell to the ground. He jumped up, free at last. “Yes! Thanks, April! You rule!”
They quickly hugged. Then April turned to the other three. “I’m getting the rest of you out!”
She picked up the pyramid projecting Doc Rockwell’s force field cage. More Triceratons approached. Rockwell held up his hands inside the bubble, saying, “No! There’s no time!”
A Triceraton fired his weapon at April, but Tiger Claw kicked his feet out from under him, sending his shot into the air. The assassin knocked the alien out and took cover. Then he turned to April and Casey. “Hurry, quickly! Run!”
April and Casey fled from the Triceratons’ laser fire. The timer ticked down. There were only seconds left until the Heart of Darkness generated its planet-destroying black hole!
Shredder threw himself at a group of Triceratons, punching and kicking, swinging his deadly blades through the air!
He knocked two down, but a third was about to shoot him from behind. Splinter ran to Shredder’s aid, tossing blinding powder into the soldier’s face. He staggered back, unable to see. Splinter dealt him several blows before another Triceraton rushed in, swinging his huge fists at the rat!
Splinter took on both guards at once, whirling and chopping, kicking and crunching the Triceratons until they had both hit the ground with a tremendous crash! One of the aliens fell right on top of Splinter. He crawled out and looked for Shredder.
“Hurry, Saki!” he called. “We have no time!”
He was right. The timer on the black hole generator had nearly counted down to zero!
Splinter rushed toward the device. Shredder was right behind him.
And then …
… long, sharp blades emerged from Splinter’s chest!
Splinter groaned. Shredder had betrayed him!
Shredder pulled his blades out of Splinter, who pitched forward onto the ground.
The Turtles stood there in shock for a moment, frozen and furious. Then they started running toward their sensei. Their father!
April grabbed her head, unable to bear the pain of her grief and anger. “AAAUUUGGH!” She screamed with fury, throwing her arms wide and sending out an uncontrollable psychic blast that slammed Shredder, sending him flying across the park.
And the timer on the Heart of Darkness was still ticking down… .
Splinter’s eyes slowly closed, and his heart stopped beating.
He was gone.
The timer ticked its last. The Heart of Darkness rose into the air, beginning to generate a black hole that sucked everything into it with an irresistible force.
Bebop looked up at the black device. “We’re all doomed, dude! We are doomed! WE ARE DOOMED!” he cried.
Shredder leaned against the base of the fountain and smiled. He’d pulled off his mask, revealing his scarred human face. “Finally, Hamato Yoshi is finished!” He looked up, still smiling his cold, insane smile. “Earth can be destroyed, for all I care. I have finally won!”
The Turtles, April, and Casey ran to Splinter. Leo cradled his master’s head in his lap. Mikey lay his head across Splinter’s still body. No one said anything. What was there to say?
Casey saw a bright light shining down from above. A spaceship hovered over them. A door opened. A walkway extended from the ship to the ground. An inner door opened and a small figure stood silhouetted in the bright light.
It extended its hand and welcomed the Turtles, Casey, and April aboard.
Higher up, the black hole was growing, blocking out the moon. People gasped, staring up at it. Then they were lifted off the ground. The same teddy bear that was dropped on the street suddenly floated into the air and was sucked up toward the gaping black hole. People, trucks, buildings—the Earth itself was being pulled up into the black hole!
A hundred thousand miles up, the Triceratons watched triumphantly from their mother ship. Captain Mozar, who had managed to survive the hole in the side of the ship—and ordered it repaired—smiled. “Long live the Triceraton Empire!” he shouted, raising his fist in salute.
“Long live the Triceraton Empire!” echoed all the Triceratons aboard the mother ship.
The entire Triceraton fleet cloaked itself in invisibility and transported away.
As the black hole loomed over Earth, the small mysterious spaceship rocketed away from its deadly pull. “Everyone, hold on!” ordered its pilot.
The Turtles, April, and Casey held on, staring at a large view screen revealing what was happening to their home planet.
The small spaceship hurtled away … but not before they saw Earth disappear into the black hole!
When the black hole swallowed Earth, a huge amount of energy was released, sending a giant shock wave across space! It rocked the small spaceship, sending everyone inside flying! “YAAHH!” they screamed.
Then, as quickly as it began, the shock wave passed over them and ended. Everything was eerily still.
The Turtles, Casey, and April looked up from the various spots around the spaceship where they had landed on the floor. April’s eyes were huge. “Did … that … just happen?”
“Earth … Splinter … everything … ,” Leo said.
“Gone,” Donnie said. “Lost forever in an infinite gravitational singularity.”
“Holy pepperoni,” Mikey said in a small voice.
The spaceship’s pilot stepped forward. He seemed to be a robot or android of some sort. Speaking in a distinguished British accent, he said, “Watching your entire world vanish into the quantum singularity of a black hole is rather distressing. Bloop bleep. Can I offer you some hot cocoa?”
“Mm,” Mikey said, accepting a cup and licking his lips. But then he looked up at the round-headed robot. “Dude. Who are you?”
“My name is Professor Zayton Honeycutt,” the robot answered cheerfully. “And you, my friends, are about to embark on a wondrous adventure!”
The small spaceship rocketed off through the galaxy as the black hole devoured the rest of the solar system.
The only Turtle who hadn’t spoken yet was Raph. But now he spoke. And he was mad. Very mad.
“Is that it?” Raph grabbed the robot by the neck and shoulder. “Is Earth … gone? This has gotta be some kind of sick joke! Right? Right?”
WHAP! Professor Zayton Honeycutt slapped Raph away. Then he grabbed his own head, as though Raph’s anger had given him a headache. “Calm down, Raphael! First things first! I have a job to do!” He walked back to his control center and sat down.
Casey leaned in close to the robot’s face, squinting, trying to peer into his small, round eyes. “How do you know our names, robot dude?”
Honeycutt pushed Casey back. “I know all about you, Casey Jones. Now, please. I’ve got a ship to fly while you all stand about gawking.”
He busied himself with his controls, considering the conversation to be over.
But April got in the robot’s face. “That’s not good enough! Where are you taking us?” Who was this guy? If he knew so much, why didn’t he care that these refugees had just lost th
eir home, their planet, and the greatest mutant ever, Master Splinter?
“All questions will be answered in time.” Honeycutt punched a button, and the ship began to vibrate violently. “Hold on to something!”
But the shaking was already too violent, and reality itself seemed to be coming apart! The Turtles and the humans started to scream!
“Oops—too late! Hold on!” Honeycutt said calmly. “Apologies! Beep!”
Mikey felt as though he were breaking up. “NOT … COOL … BRAAAAAH!”
But then they realized that the spaceship, and everything in it, was not shattering.
Something very strange was happening: it was going back in time!
The planets of the solar system spun past them backward! The black hole spat out Earth and disappeared! Earth whizzed through space backward through its orbit and then slowly settled into its normal rotation.
And then, things were peaceful.
“What … what just happened?” Raphael asked, kneeling on the floor. He touched his face and looked at his hands. “We’re actually alive?”
Donnie stood up and stared out the huge view screen at Earth. “I think we … we went back in time. About six months, based on where Earth is in its revolution around the sun.”
Professor Honeycutt walked up. “Impressive, Donatello! You are quite the astronomer!”
Leo looked amazed. “Six months? Then that means … everyone’s back? Including Master Splinter?” He grinned to think that his sensei was alive again.
The robot nodded. “Yes, Leonardo. But only for six months. And then Earth is doomed once more.” He clasped his hands and hung his head. “Apologies.”
April’s face lighted up. “I get it! We stop the Triceratons before they ever get a chance to use the black hole on Earth!”
Raph nodded to Mikey, grinning. Now, this was more like it!
“Indeed,” Professor Honeycutt said. “The Triceratons are spending this time searching the universe for the three fragments of the black hole weapon.” He aimed his hand at the screen and said, “Bleep!” A light shone from his hand, and images appeared on the screen.
“Many years ago,” he continued as an image of the black hole generator appeared, “the Utroms broke the black hole generator into three pieces.”
The hoop on the screen broke into three arcs.
“They hid the three fragments in the safest parts of the galaxy they could find.”
The screen showed the shining disk of the galaxy. The three arcs swooped into the galaxy, revealing the nebula and star systems where they’d been hidden by the Utroms.
“We must find them before the Triceratons find the fragments and reassemble them,” the robot concluded.
Mikey chimed in. “And if we mess up, we just travel back again, right?”
Honeycutt shook his head. “No. A black hole prevents repeated localized time travel. Because even time is subject to its attraction! If we fail, Earth is lost forever!”
The Turtles looked at each other. “No pressure,” Mikey said.
Casey still had a question for the robot. “So why do you care, alien robot dude? Why are you helping us?”
“I am a friend to the Utroms,” Honeycutt answered. “It was Bishop who sent me. And I’ve always wanted to see Earth. Have I mentioned that I’m a scientist and a c-c-cyborg? Observe!”
His metal skull opened up, revealing a human-like brain pulsing inside. The brain floated above Honeycutt’s head.
Casey leaned in for a closer look. “Dude! I wish I was a robot with a human brain!”
But Mikey had an ever better idea. “Ooh! What if we had robot brains?”
Mikey imagined himself flying through the air with a propeller-beanie on his head. Casey imagined himself as a tough, invulnerable robot with a huge blaster and a cool visor hiding his eyes.
Now firmly in the land of make-believe, both Mikey and Casey started doing stiff “robot” moves. “Beetybeetybeety boop!” Mikey said in his best robotic voice.
Raph smacked his forehead. “I just wish you guys had normal brains!”
Honeycutt sat in his cockpit chair. Metallic sides rose up around him, closing him in. “Everyone, hold on to something.” This time, they all did. Mikey grabbed on to Casey.
“Actually,” Honeycutt said, correcting himself, “you don’t have to, because you won’t feel any acceleration at this speed. We’ll be converted into sentient plasma! Yes!”
Hanging on to each other, Mikey and Casey screamed, anticipating another painful journey. But when they looked out the spaceship’s windows, all they saw was spectacular intergalactic beauty!
“Wow!” Leo said. “It’s so incredible!”
“Look at that!” April said, pointing. “Are those comets?”
“So awesome … ,” Mikey said.
Honeycutt joined them at the window. “Wondrous, is it not? Titanic gas giants, neutron stars on the verge of collapse, swirling cloud nebulas where baby stars are being born …”
“Aww,” Mikey cooed. “Baby stars are so cute!”
As they marveled at the wonders of the galaxy, they were dealt a glancing blow by a small asteroid. A display popped up, indicating a minor leak.
“Aw, beep! Wonderful,” Honeycutt sighed. “Could you assist me on damage assessment, my friends? I have plenty of space suits to wear!”
Mikey’s eyes got stars in them! “Space suits? Dudes, I think we just hit a level-nine booyakasha!”
Honeycutt pressed a button, and the door to an airlock chamber slid open. The lights powered on.
The Turtles just stood there with their mouths hanging open.
“No way,” Raph said. The chamber was full of space suits, gadgets, equipment, and even a few weapons!
The Turtles ran into the room.
“Amazing!” Donnie said, loading his arms up with gear. “This is like a full-on geek explosion!”
Smiling, Honeycutt made a sweeping gesture with his arm. “Astrosuits equipped with oxygen converters, grav boosters, and even alien language converters! Beep! And they glow in your appropriate colors because I sometimes have problems telling you apart. Heh heh heh.”
As he spoke, the Turtles eagerly suited up, pulling on gloves, pants, jackets, boots, and helmets and striking heroic poses in their space suits.
“Mr. Crankshaw, set phasers to destruction!” Leo commanded in his best Space Hero voice.
Short wings flipped out of Mikey’s tunic, startling him and setting him off balance. Windmilling his arms, he fell over. WHOMP!
Casey found an old-fashioned helmet. “Whoa, this old helmet is dope, yo!” When he picked it up, disk-shaped energy bombs fell on the floor. “Ooh, photon pucks! They must play hockey in space! Wicked!”
April zipped up a yellow jumpsuit and aimed a blaster.
“Wow … ,” Donnie murmured.
“Looking good, Red!” Casey said enthusiastically.
April frowned. “Okay, you guys are creeping me out.”
Professor Honeycutt stepped in front of the door leading to the outside. “Everybody ready?”
April put on her helmet. They were ready. Honeycutt pressed a button and the door slid open. Beyond the open door … space.
“Do not stray too far from the ship,” he continued. “Seriously. This is my stern face. See it?” He pointed to his face.
They stood there for a moment. Then Mikey cried out, “I call first!”
“No way! I’m first!” Raph argued. They struggled to get past each other. Mikey broke free and ran for the door. He leaped out into space, followed by the others. “COWABUNGA!”
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were in SPACE!
LEATHERHEAD
This powerful Mutanimal was originally a normal pet alligator, but he was captured by the Kraang. Before he could escape, they conducted mutagen experiments on him, making him massive, strong … and angry.
SLASH
When Raphael’s pet turtle, Spike, was accidentally splattered with mutagen, he became
the super-powerful ninja named Slash. At first, he was violent and unpredictable, but eventually he gained self-control and joined the ranks of the Mutanimals.
BIOTROID
These gorilla-like robots are actually mechanical suits piloted by the Kraang. Massively strong, they are outfitted with saw blades that extend from their chests and explosive cannons in their butts.
MUTANTS IN SPACE!
ROCKSTEADY
He started life as a Russian arms dealer named Ivan Steranko, but Fishface and Rahzar captured him and threw him in a vat of mutagen. He was infused with the DNA of a white rhino and became Rocksteady. His parter in crime is Bebop.
BEBOP
Rocksteady’s partner, Bebop, was originally a thief named Anton Zeck. He was captured while trying to steal Shredder’s helmet and turned into a mutant warthog.
TIGER CLAW
This bounty hunter from Japan is a tiger/human hybrid. He began life as a circus performer, but after being mutated, he became one of Shredder’s most dreaded henchmen.