posted
Will see if I can get this post to work as intended. I'm posting the first part of a crossover based on Legion of Super Heroes the TV version and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Hope to post the rest of the story here as I have time. If there are any problems reading the post, you can also find it and some of my other stories at http://www.distasis.com/distasis
This is an amateur publication and in no way intends to infringe upon the rights of any television, movie, written or other material. Legion of Super Heroes is copyrighted by Warner Bros. and DC. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is copyrighted by Eastman and Laird and Mirage Studios. All original material is copyrighted: (c) Copyright 2007 by L Michaels All Rights Reserved
Delimiters in the story have the following meaning: _ denotes underline
Lessons from the Past to the Future by L Michaels
"Okay, Cody. We just readjust the settings and...I have it." Donatello and Cody stared into the rectangular time doorway at the futuristic city that appeared before them. "I don't 'have it'."
"I wonder where that is?" Cody asked, amazed.
"It's not here in New York?"
Cody shook his head. "Doesn't look like any part of the city I've ever seen."
"Maybe it's showing a future New York City."
"Like a New New York?" Cody asked jokingly.
Michelangelo walked in and overheard part of the conversation. "Maybe you have something in backwards. You know, so you get the future instead of the past. Have you seen my Silver Sentry comic book?"
"This isn't an Y'Lntian crystal, Mikey. I can't just turn parts around."
"It's a good thing the time portal is for viewing only," Cody said. He watched as a battle came into range of the view.
"Cool. TV." Mikey forgot his comic book as he watched a battle between flying aliens wage on before him. It looked like a fight between superheroes and super villains, but Michelangelo didn't know any of the characters.
"It's not a TV, Michelangelo. That's happening live somewhere. I'd better shut it down. The last time...."
One of the flying humanoids came crashing through the time window and skidded to a stop across the floor of the room Cody and the two Ninja turtles were in.
"...Last time, we fell through the time window," Donatello finished.
"...But we had a TV remote. I didn't see them carrying any TV remotes," Michelangelo replied.
Mikey and Cody moved well away from the open time doorway, while Donatello was at the controls trying to figure out what had gone wrong again. Four more of what Mikey assumed were the heroes came flying through the portal, two at a time, after the first. Some of what Mikey had decided to call the bad guys were right on their tail.
"I'm shutting it down," Donatello announced.
"No wait." The voice came from what looked like a robot. It was one of the aliens who had flown through.
Donatello finished pushing controls and the cityscape in the time window disappeared, showing only the other part of the room in its place. Mikey went to peek through it from the other side and looked back at the five strange visitors. It gave the effect that they were peering through a TV set at each other, the rectangular doorway framing the view.
"Too late," Donatello said.
"Uh oh," Mikey said.
"Here we go again," Cody added.
"Someone want to tell me what's going on?" the first alien who'd crashed into the room asked.
"What is going on?" Leo reiterated as he, Raphael and Master Splinter joined the group.
"What was all that racket and who are these 'people'?" Raphael asked.
"Mikey are you inviting comic book heroes over again?" Leo asked.
"Not me. It was Donnie and Cody." Michelangelo pointed to his brother and the young human.
"We were trying to fix the time window so you could go home," Cody explained.
"It seems you've managed to strand us here instead," the green, robot-like creature replied.
"Join the club," Raphael said.
The female in the group stood up and dusted herself off. "I'm Saturn Girl," she introduced herself.
"Cool," Mikey said, staring at the female superhero.
"Mikey, where are your manners?" Donatello chided for the interruption.
"What?" Mikey asked innocently.
"I'm Donatello." The Ninja turtle indicated the three other turtles in the room. "These are my brothers, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo." He indicated the large rat in the kimono. "This is Master Splinter." Then he motioned toward the only human who had been in the room before the time accident. "...And this is our friend, Cody."
"These are my friends," Saturn Girl continued.
"You're superheroes, aren't you?" Mikey asked.
Donatello glared at Michelangelo for interrupting again.
"Yes, we're members of the Legion of Superheroes," the girl replied.
"I knew it. I could tell by the cape." He pointed to a guy in red and blue with an S emblem on his chest.
"This is Lightning Lad." Saturn Girl indicated their first visitor. He still hadn't decided whether to get up or not and had an aching shoulder where he'd plowed to a stop against the floor. He compromised by bringing himself to a seated position. "This is Timberwolf." She indicated an agile male that looked almost like a werewolf. He was leaning against a wall, taking in the entire scene and gauging his new surroundings. "...And that's Brainiac 5." The robotic creature finished looking over the rectangular doorway and scanning it with a device that had temporarily replaced one of his hands. His new interest was Donatello's controls nearby. "...And Superman." Saturn Girl finished the introductions, indicating the humanoid in blue with the S shaped mark on his chest.
"Never heard of 'em," Mikey commented.
"I thought you knew all the superheroes," Raphael teased.
"I do!" Mikey insisted.
"Uh oh. This is worse than I thought," Donatello said.
"I concur," Brainiac 5 agreed. He began scanning the equipment Donatello had been using to control the doorway.
Donatello tried to ignore the intrusion and addressed his brothers, Master Splinter and Cody. "If Mikey doesn't know who they are, it can only mean one thing."
"I need more comic books?" Mikey asked, enthusiastic about the prospect.
"They're from another universe," Donatello explained.
"They could just be from the future," Cody replied.
"Are you doubting my superhero and comic book expertise?" Mikey was indignant. "I know every superhero that is, was or ever will be between the pages."
"My scanners confirm that this is indeed another universe," Brainiac 5 announced. "...And it will be very difficult to recalibrate this equipment to the exact settings used when we came through now that you've shut it down," he said to Donatello.
"It was better than letting a bunch of 'super-powered' aliens move their battle to New York City," Donatello replied.
"New York? Is that where we are?" Superman asked.
"That's right. New York City in the good old U.S. of A.," Raphael answered.
"At least the US part is right," Clark said.
"It is?" Lightning Lad asked, confused.
"Wasn't that New York in the time doorway?" Donatello asked.
"That was New Metropolis," Lightning Lad said. "We're from the United Planets, not the...U.S."
"I'm from Kansas," Superman added.
"At least we know where that is," Donatello replied.
"Excuse me," Brainiac 5 said to Donatello. He wanted better access to the controls and the turtle was in the way.
"That's very delicate equipment," Donnie replied, not wanting this stranger to cause more complications in getting these 'people' home.
"...Which is why I'd like more room to work," Brainiac 5 replied.
"You don't know what you're playing with."
"I'm sure a twelfth level intellect such as myself can figure it out."
"I don't know what a twelfth level intellect is exactly, but Cody built this and I helped him rebuild it..."
"That may be your problem right there."
"Whoa, you two," Superman interrupted. "It's their machine, Brainy. I'm sure they'll appreciate help fixing it, but it is their equipment."
"We can stand around and be stuck in this alternative reality or I can fix this machine and get us back home," Brainiac 5 replied. "While we're arguing, the others are facing the LSV alone."
"This could take some time," Donatello said. "We were short on parts before and we replaced some of...."
"Can't you just turn it back on and send us back through?" Lightning Lad asked.
"It's not that simple," Donatello replied.
"It never is," Lightning Lad said.
"Well, since nothing interesting is going on around here, I'm headed back to the virtual dojo for some real action, before we get into a battle of boring geek-speak between Donnie and the toy robot," Raphael said.
"I'm a Coluan," Brainiac 5 corrected, "not a 'toy robot'."
"Same difference," Raphael said. He turned to head back where he'd originally come from.
Timberwolf had quickly crossed the room and was behind Raphael almost before the turtle realized it. "Sounds like a good idea. May I join you?"
"Do you know Ninjitsu?" Raphael asked.
Timberwolf had a puzzled look on his face.
"He's a superhero, Raph. He knows how to kick shell," Mikey said.
"As long as it's not my shell," Raphael replied. "Come on," he said to Timberwolf.
"We might as well join you while they work this out." Lightning Lad indicated Brainiac 5, Donatello and Cody as the group needing to work things out.
"Cool!" Mikey replied. "Superheroes in action. Count me in. No superhero practice session is complete without..." Mikey struck a heroic pose, hands on hips. "Turtle Titan!"
"Just don't wear the costume," Raphael said.
Lightning Lad got up from his seated position on the floor and followed Timberwolf. "Coming?" he asked the others.
Saturn Girl shook her head.
Superman looked torn. "Brainy?"
"Go on," the Coluan replied. "There's nothing you can do here."
"You sure?" Superman obviously didn't like the rivalry going on between Brainiac 5 and Donatello.
Brainiac 5 nodded.
"He's in good hands," Leonardo said.
Raphael left for the virtual dojo, followed by Timberwolf, Michelangelo, Lightning Lad and Superman.
The rat watched them leave the room and then started to follow them.
"...And miss a good dojo practice?" He was gone before Leonardo could reply.
Leonardo looked after them wistfully.
"You want to go with them?" Saturn Girl asked Leonardo.
"I should stay here."
"It's okay, bro. I can handle myself and look after Cody," Donatello reassured him.
"That's all right. I'll just...."
"Miss the dojo practice of the century? Go on," Donatello encouraged.
"Can I go?" Cody asked, excited.
"Your help I still need," Donatello replied.
"Aw!" Cody looked at their two visitors who seemed very anxious to get home and very worried about what was going on with their friends where they'd come from. "I should stay. It was my invention that brought you here."
"Your invention?" Brainiac 5 asked, surprised. There was a difference between inventing the device and simply following instructions poorly to assemble it.
"Yes, it was supposed to be just a time window to view the past."
"Well not only is it 'viewing' the future, it's 'viewing' another _time_line as well."
"That was probably due to my modifications. I made a few upgrades," Donatello replied. "Although, it was doing a lot more than 'viewing' even in the original design."
"I don't suppose you kept a copy of the original design or the modifications you added?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"Oh, I have the blueprints for the original schematic on file. I can call it up, no problem," Cody said.
"...And I know exactly what modifications I made to it."
"Let's start with that. If this is recalibrated wrong, we could end up in any parallel universe which is why I didn't want the device shut off in the first place."
"I know just what I set it to. I'm sure I can recreate it," Donatello said.
"...But we haven't even been able to recreate the accident that brought you and your brothers here," Cody said to Donatello.
"We'd better start with the original blueprints." Brainiac 5 resigned himself to the idea of working with two other people. "This could take a while," he said to Saturn Girl.
"So what's a dojo?" Saturn Girl asked Leonardo.
"It's a place to practice martial arts."
"You need a place just to practice?"
"Beats messing up the living room," Leonardo explained. "Although we sometimes practice right here."
"Gives Serling a virtual heart attack," Cody teased.
"Who's Serling?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"He's my uh...he's a robot," Cody explained.
"Like you," Donatello added.
"I doubt he's anything like me."
Cody and Donatello snickered, thinking they had very similar attitudes.
"What?" Superman asked, confused by the 31st century slang phrase. Raphael landed a kick that sent him off balance while he was trying to figure out what Lightning Lad was saying.
"You're making us look bad!"
"I don't want to hurt them."
"Trust me, pal. You ain't gonna hurt us," Raphael replied.
"Perhaps what Superman needs is to work on his inner balance and focus," Master Splinter suggested.
"That would sure be useful in battle," Lightning Lad said sarcastically.
"...And we thought we were lucky Leo didn't join us," Mikey teased. "Master Splinter!" The last thing the turtles wanted to do was meditate while they had such interesting opponents to practice with.
"I'm sure you can manage one-on-one, while Superman and I work on some private instruction."
"I got dibs on the wolf," Raphael called.
"Guess that leaves just you and me," Lightning Lad said to Mikey. "Go on, Superman. Maybe you can work on your _outer_ balance too while you're at it."
Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
"You're making us turtles look bad," Donnie said as Saturn Girl took Leo by surprise.
"I think you've managed that quite well on your own," Brainiac 5 commented to Donatello.
"...And how's your knowledge of martial arts?" Donatello asked Brainiac 5.
"Actually," Leonardo tried to change the subject again. He and Saturn Girl seemed to be doing a lot of that. "I usually begin or end my practice with meditation. It helps...."
"You're talking meditation to a telepath," Brainiac 5 said. "It's rather redundant."
"What Brainy's trying to say is that I'm very familiar with various forms of meditation," Saturn Girl explained.
"Maybe we can compare techniques then?" Leo suggested.
"Too bad they can't join you," Cody added. He indicated Donatello and Brainiac 5. With Leonardo and Saturn Girl taking a break from martial arts practice, he began wishing even more that he could join the others in the virtual dojo.
"Maybe that's not a bad idea," Saturn Girl agreed.
"What?" Donatello asked, surprised.
"It might help you both to focus," she explained.
"My focus is just fine," Brainiac 5 replied.
"We really need to get this done if you want to get home," Donatello said.
"It wouldn't hurt for you both to try it," Saturn Girl said.
"I could use a five minute break to check out the dojo and see if the guys need anything," Cody added.
"No, you should join us too, Cody. You might learn something," Leonardo said.
"I could learn more at the dojo," Cody insisted.
"Why don't you all come and join us?" Saturn Girl encouraged. A few calming telepathic suggestions during meditation could only help the situation.
"You two take a break while I finish going over the schematics," Brainiac 5 said. "It might speed up the process."
"All of you, Brainy," Saturn Girl insisted.
"This should be fun," Cody said sarcastically, joining Leo and Saturn Girl who were sitting in the middle of the floor.
Leonardo and Saturn Girl waited patiently for Donatello and Brainiac 5 to join them.
"Come on, you guys. The faster we get this over with...," Cody said.
"The faster we can help them get home," Leonardo finished.
The two holdouts reluctantly walked over and joined them.
"This is totally illogical," Brainiac 5 started.
"I concur," Donatello added.
"See, we're making progress already," Saturn Girl said. "You both finally agreed on something." She smiled.
Leonardo laughed at the notion.
Saturn Girl began. "Now, I find the best way to concentrate...."
Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
"...Is to look within," Master Splinter explained to Superman. "When your inner self is in balance, you're outer self is in balance. Holding back causes conflicting chi, conflicting energies...."
"...But I don't want to accidentally hurt someone."
"By placing your whole intention, all of your chi behind it, you will find control. With control...there will be no...'accidents'. Let's try it again. Come at me, full force."
"...But I might."
Master Splinter held up a sharp-nailed index finger accusingly. "No conflicts."
Superman took a deep breath and did as he was told, hoping for the best.
Splinter nimbly somersaulted high in the air, out of the way of the assault. "Better. Try again."
Superman felt a little more confident this time. He didn't want to hurt anyone. As long as he didn't use any superspeed...just slow, steady, practiced movements like a martial artist repeating a daily routine or a turtle.... He smiled, thinking about his present company who were anything but slow. He was beginning to feel sure Master Splinter could stay out of harm's way. It would be nice to get in some training to see what he could _really_ do.
"I got it!" Donatello interrupted the meditation session.
"You're supposed to be meditating," Leonardo reminded.
"...But I got it! I know why the time window was pointing to the future instead of the past in the new modifications." Donatello got up and started scribbling on an electronic tablet regarding some of his redesign changes.
Brainiac 5 eagerly joined him. "That looks promising, but you need to factor in..." He started drawing on the tablet as well.
"So much for meditating," Leo said.
"I think in a sense they are meditating. ...In their own way of course." Her telepathic suggestions seemed to have calmed them both down a little and the meditation had helped Donatello gather his thoughts enough to come up with a new angle.
"Since we're not meditating anymore, now can I go check out the virtual dojo?" Cody asked.
Both Leonardo and Saturn Girl replied, "No."
"How about showing me that kick you used earlier," Saturn Girl asked Leonardo.
"I would be honored," Leo replied.
Raphael launched the kick high into the air aiming for the trajectory Timberwolf was most likely to take. At the last moment, Timberwolf went low and ducked into a shoulder roll. He came up behind Raphael and was quickly in position to strike from the rear. Raphael called on all his skills to avoid an assault and ended up deflecting most of it instead. He smiled. "Not like fighting a robot or a simulation. Now this is the real thing. ...And he doesn't talk his opponent to death like you, Mikey. You could take some pointers from this guy."
Mikey, busy with his own fight, overheard Raph's remarks. "...But talking's my best fighting tactic."
"I can see that," Lightning Lad replied. He sent a lightning bolt in Mikey's direction and the turtle deftly leapt out of the way.
"Raph's just sore because I beat him that way in the Battle Nexus Championship," Michelangelo explained.
"Mikey can talk anyone to death," Raphael said to Timberwolf. Unfortunately, Timberwolf wasn't easily distracted by talk and agilely leapt out of the way of Raph's latest head on assault.
"Battle Nexus?" Lightning Lad asked.
"Yeah, it's an interdimensional contest where all the best warriors from various worlds across all the known universes go to compete."
"How come we haven't heard of that?" Lightning Lad asked.
Timberwolf shrugged, not being at all familiar with it either.
"_I_ am _the_ Battle Nexus Champion from the last time the competition was held in our time," Michelangelo bragged loudly.
Lightning Lad realized he wasn't going to have much luck connecting to the turtle with his fist, so he switched to a fast barrage of low-powered lightning bolts. Mikey ducked and rolled and somehow managed to clear every one successfully.
"I was in the Intergalactic Games more than once, but I've never heard tell of the Battle Nexus competition there or anywhere else. Is it open to anyone?"
"Only the finest warriors throughout all the worlds," Mikey said. "Out of all those warriors, I became...."
"Yeah, we know," Raphael interrupted.
"...The Battle Nexus Champion," Michelangelo continued. Raphael said the words concurrently in an annoyed tone, having heard them enough times.
"See why I like a quiet opponent?" Raphael added.
Lightning Lad smiled. "Then they shouldn't mind letting some of the Legion compete, right?" He got close enough to fake a punch which Mikey easily avoided and with his other hand, zapped Mikey with a low voltage to the turtle's toe.
"Ow!"
Raphael smiled, but had to jump quickly as the distraction nearly got him kicked by a frontal assault from Timberwolf.
Leo caught Saturn Girl's leg as she kicked the way he'd instructed. "You certainly have the basics down on that move...."
"...But it's not quite right," Saturn Girl replied. Obviously not, since Leonardo had managed to intercept her strike in mid air.
"It takes more than well practiced moves. Sometimes it takes the element of surprise."
"So mix it up a little?" she asked Leo as she lightly hit him with a punch to the midsection after faking the start of another kick during their interchange.
Brainy smiled and then returned his attention to the drawing tablet.
"Exactly," Leonardo replied.
Donatello watched Brainiac 5's reaction. "So, I guess uh...what'd you say you were?"
"Coluan," Brainiac 5 repeated impatiently, sounding it out as if instructing a child.
"I guess Coluan's don't have martial arts, huh?"
"As a matter-of-fact, we do not have an equivalent to martial arts on Colu," Brainiac 5 replied. "It's more of a 'human' thing."
"Well I wouldn't say that. Many species have some form of martial arts."
"On Earth?" Brainiac 5 clarified.
"Well uh.... You know, if we get this fixed some time in this century, we could go a few rounds in the dojo ourselves. I think we're the only ones not practicing." Donatello looked over at Cody who was more thrilled by the suggestion because he wanted to see the others practice than he was at the idea of Donatello showing Brainiac 5 what martial arts was all about first-hand.
"I don't have time to play. Our friends are in serious danger back in New Metropolis. They need our assistance."
"Well we could always set the time window to right after you fell through. No one would even miss you."
"We'll be lucky if we pinpoint the correct universe again let alone set it within an exact time specification." Brainiac 5 finished a makeshift alteration to one of the time window's parts that didn't look like it would have held up much longer without repair. He forcefully turned a piece with a replicated wrench that had appeared from his hand. "...And I don't believe in violence for violence's sake." It looked like he was taking some of his frustration out on the component while turning it.
"I almost think those two would do better with a round in the dojo than any of the rest of us would," Leo said to Saturn Girl. "They could use it."
"We could always meditate again," Saturn Girl suggested.
"No, please," Cody said.
The 'No' was strenuously echoed by Donatello and Brainiac 5.
Donatello looked over another piece of the unit and made some minor realignment modifications. "It'd probably be a waste for Brainiac 5 and me to go head-to-head in the virtual dojo. There'd be no question who'd win," Donatello said.
"Exactly," Brainiac 5 replied.
"See, you two can get along," Leo added.
"Let's not push our luck," Saturn Girl warned Leo at a low volume meant for his ear.
Leo took the hint and studiously paid attention to his and Saturn Girl's training.
"When did we go from practice session to all out war?" Mikey was hopping up and down on one foot and holding the other, still numb from more than one electric zap.
Timberwolf connected with his shoulder to Raphael's chest and sent them both to the ground. He jumped off and put space between the two, avoiding a counter attack almost as deftly as a Ninja turtle.
"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', Mikey?"
"Does it have something to do with not getting electrical shocks?"
"You bet."
"I don't suppose you want to just switch opponents?" Mikey asked.
"If you'd prefer an aching shell?" Raph offered.
"No, I think not. So what are you thinking?"
"It's Ninja time."
"Really? Cause I was gonna say 'Cowabunga'!" Mikey charged Lightning Lad who easily moved out of his way. The turtle ended up on the mat with a short, humiliating electric zap hitting him from behind on the way down.
Raph smiled. He hated when Mikey said that word. "Serves you right. How many times have I told you not to say...?"
"All right, now I'm thinkin' what your thinkin', bro. Ew, scary thought."
"You sure?" Raphael asked.
Mikey made a series of showy jumps, aerial somersaults and cartwheels until he was in range of the other turtle. He raised his hand to do a high three with his brother. "Turtles fight with honor."
The turtles somersaulted in opposite directions, surrounding their two opponents.
"Nice moves, but they won't do much against a solid attack," Timberwolf commented. He readied to punch Raphael in the jaw.
Before he could connect or Lightning Lad could reach Mikey with his own assault. The two turtles jumped into the air above their opponents, one somersaulting just below the other. They landed back to back, standing not far from where there opponents had just been. Lightning Lad turned to face Raphael as Timberwolf did a flip of his own and now faced Mikey. The two turtles locked arms and swung each other around, kicking their original opponents. Lightning Lad and Timberwolf ended up on their backs on the mat.
"Now that's turtle power!" Mikey announced loudly.
Master Splinter looked up from his work with Superman. The young man had been distracted by the turtles high-flying moves anyway and had stopped to watch carefully as the latest turn in the battle unfolded in front of them.
Master Splinter addressed his sons. "I'm glad to see you two are finally learning something today." He turned his attention back to Superman. "That is teamwork. Perhaps you and your two companions should practice it now." Master Splinter continued his instruction, but with the whole group.
"Leo, we don't need team-building exercises and we don't need more meditation. We need quiet. Genius at work here."
Brainiac 5 didn't bother to nod, but he had to agree with the sentiment.
"We're not the ones creating the disturbance," Saturn Girl reminded.
"The faster we figure this out, the faster they can go home," Cody added.
"I'm all for that," Donatello agreed. "Just let me think." The little robot ignored him and continued working methodically, which annoyed Donnie even more, since he wasn't sure the little guy had the right approach. Donatello took a deep, calming breath, then set back to work himself, eager to get them out of New York as soon as possible.
After about 5 minutes, the Coluan stopped and looked at Donatello. Donatello looked back at him, unconfidently. "Okay. That just about does it." Donatello had set all the controls just the way he had remembered it. "Just flip the switch and.... It's not working."
"That's obvious," Brainiac 5 agreed.
"Maybe we should have used my original...," Cody began to suggest.
"I _knew_ we should have modified...," Brainiac 5 interrupted.
"No, my original modifications were...," Donatello disagreed.
They all argued at once, hardly listening to each other.
"We should have...," Brainiac 5 continued.
"No, we...," Donatello replied.
"Let's face it. It's just not working," Cody said, upset. "I can't get the turtles home and now I...."
"Don't give up yet, Cody. We'll think of something," Donatello said reassuringly.
"There's a lot of things we can things of. Maybe that's the problem," Brainiac 5 analyzed the situation.
"We're over-complicating it!" The idea hit Donatello like a brainstorm as he agreed with Brainiac 5. "...But how do we...?"
They were all finally silent as the three of them each thought about the dilemma. Everyone, including Leonardo and Saturn Girl, had believed if they stopped arguing it would be peaceful, but the entire atmosphere seemed somehow worse as they contemplated the situation. They could all tangibly feel the uneasiness, anxiety and disappointment. It didn't take a telepath to sense it.
After several more minutes, Donatello decided to ease some of the tension with a joke. It usually worked with his brothers, but this was a much tougher crowd. At least, it might help him relax a little. "If we want to simplify, we could always try doing what Mikey would do."
"What's that?" Cody asked seriously.
"Flip the time circuit."
Cody looked hopeful.
"It'll probably just make the thing go backwards in time instead of forwards." Donatello didn't want to get Cody too excited about the idea. He'd meant it as a joke.
"Actually, it would in all probability burn out the unit," Brainiac 5 corrected.
"Wouldn't Mikey be more likely to just...." Cody kicked the control system in frustration. He'd seen Mikey do that with a few video games. The unit came to life and another universe appeared in the time window.
Brainiac 5 meticulously scanned the connection.
"That was highly unscientific," Donatello said.
Brainiac 5 slid a panel in his arm to type in and reconfirm some calculations. "...But it appears to have worked."
"I won't tell if you won't tell," Donatello said.
Leonardo and Saturn Girl laughed in relief at the latest turn of events.
The sound reminded Donatello they weren't quite as alone as they thought they were after the three had been lost in their thoughts in concentration over the apparatus.
"Yeah, we'd better not tell Mikey. He'd get a swelled head," Leonardo agreed.
"He already has a swelled head," Donatello replied.
Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
A call to the virtual dojo had interrupted the practice moves and Mikey's latest round of bragging. Lightning Lad, Timberwolf and Superman were abruptly reminded of the seriousness of their friends' situation in New Metropolis. They headed back to the room where the time window waited, but their minds were also still on the practice.
"Remember when Mikey and Raph double-teamed us?" Lightning Lad asked, considering battle strategy for the upcoming rematch. "Now if the three of us could...."
They reached the room and were dismayed to see an ever-worsening battle going on before them, clearly visible in the rectangular window.
"I've confirmed the coordinates and it's the correct universe, but we need to go now," Brainiac 5 said.
"They can't go," Mikey complained. "I haven't heard all about the Legion's adventures yet. It would make a great comic book. I haven't even finished telling Lightning Lad about my exploits as Turtle Titan."
"Their friends in their universe have greater need of them," Master Splinter reminded.
"You can bring them back again, can't you, Donnie?" Michelangelo pleaded. "...Maybe some time next week for another session."
"Yeah, that would rock. These guys beat practice bots any day," Raph said.
"And you gotta practice too, right?" Mikey asked the Legion members. "...And Leo, you could see what you missed in the dojo."
"Hey, I could finally catch you guys too," Cody said enthusiastically. "Donatello, there's gotta be a way we could bring them back later."
"That's out of the question," Brainiac 5 said. "This equipment is too unstable. We could end up trapped here permanently or cause microfissures in the space-time continuum."
Donatello took Brainiac 5's dislike of the dojo practice idea as further evidence the little guy wouldn't want to fight him. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't want to go a few rounds with me, Brainiac 5. It might be embarrassing."
"I hope you're better suited to this Ninjitsu than you are to scientific inquiries. A real scientist would realize that the risks far outway any personal gain from..."
"...Excuse me. A real scientist? And that would be...you? Ninjitsu takes precise calculations and technical skill. Just because your planet doesn't have martial arts...."
"...Does not mean we haven't adapted to defend ourselves." The Coluan smiled, his red eyes glowing eerily in the light. "You haven't seen my battle mode." His tone as he spoke the words was quiet, emotionless, methodical but still rather ominous. To his friends, Brainiac 5 urged, "We need to leave now." He was worried about the other Legion members in their world.
"Battle mode?" Donatello asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Brainiac 5's right," Superman said. "Our friends need us."
"Remember your inner balance," Splinter strongly reminded.
"I will, Sensei," Superman replied. To all of their hosts, he said, "Thank you for your hospitality."
"...And thank you for the training practice," Raph replied to the guests.
The turtles knew it had to have been good for Raphael to say thanks.
"You guys missed the absolute best dojo practice ever," Mikey said to Leo and Saturn Girl.
"Aw!" Cody complained when he heard that.
Saturn Girl got up from the floor where she'd been meditating with Leonardo.
"I can't believe you guys were up here meditating the whole time," Raphael said.
"We weren't exactly meditating the _whole_ time." Leo got up as well. "Thank you for the lesson," Leo said to Saturn Girl.
Saturn Girl bowed to Leo in a traditional martial arts style and said, "Domo Arrigato."
Leo formally returned the bow.
It left Raph, Mikey and the others wondering if they hadn't missed out on something interesting elsewhere while they'd been so busy with their practice after all.
"With a few modifications, could you bring them back safely some time?" Leo asked Donatello as Saturn Girl joined Brainiac 5 near the time window.
"Brainiac 5's right. It would just be too dangerous. They could end up trapped here like us or we might accidentally bring something like that through." He pointed to the battle.
"So you two are in agreement?" Saturn Girl asked Brainiac 5.
He nodded. "I concur."
Lightning Lad, Timberwolf and Superman continued going over last minute tactics strategies as they viewed the events through the time window.
"For two people who don't get along well, seems you both agree quite a lot," Saturn Girl said to Brainiac 5. "Don't you think so, Leonardo?"
"Oh, I concur," Leonardo replied teasingly. He moved towards his brothers and away from the time window as their new friends stood in front of the device ready to depart.
All of a sudden, Mikey stepped forward. "...But they can't leave! Lightning Lad hasn't finished telling me how they beat the Fatal Five."
"That's all right, Mikey. I'll be back next week to hear about those instructions to join the Battle Nexus Tournament."
"...And how do you plan to do that?" Brainiac 5 asked, annoyance in his tone.
"I know you've been working in your spare time on that cross-universe portal in your lab ever since our last encounter with that type of technology." Before Brainiac 5 could protest, Lightning Lad turned to Timberwolf and Superman. "On five, just the way we planned it." Then he flew through the time window, followed by his two teammates.
Saturn Girl smiled at their new friends, then followed the others.
"Donatello, once I'm through, _then_ you can turn off the machine," Brainiac 5 instructed.
"I know. I know. Don't want to risk another incident."
Brainiac 5 didn't bother to acknowledge the fact and simply headed into the time window after the four Legion members.
Donatello prepared to turn the device off again.
"No wait," Mikey said.
"But...."
"We want to make sure they're okay," Leo added.
"What if someone else falls through?" Donatello asked.
"Be ready to use some of your Ninjitsu skills to turn it off before that happens," Master Splinter instructed.
Donatello waited and watched. If Master Splinter felt it was okay....
The group saw Lightning Lad, Timberwolf and Superman perform some of the moves they'd been practicing together in the virtual dojo. Splinter was pleased to note Superman did not hold back this time and his moves appeared more deliberate and methodical, far less clumsy than when he constrained his chi to avoid accidents. Their enemies had been expecting separate one-on-one attacks and the close teamwork between the three Legion members confused them long enough to give the heroes an edge.
"Yeah, that's how you do it!" Raph shouted, after they completed a move he and Mikey had shown them.
"They can't hear you," Donatello said.
"They learn quickly," Splinter observed.
"They learned that from us," Raphael said proudly.
"Let's hope their teachers are equally good students. Next practice I want to see what you learned from them."
"Well at least I get to see some of what I missed," Cody said.
"...And some of what we missed," Mikey added. They watched Saturn Girl use some of her new kicks on two female opponents.
Brainiac 5 took on the attack drones the LSV brought along to even the odds and give them an added edge. The machines hadn't noticed his reappearance through the time window. Their sensors were tuned in on the remaining members of the Legion. Brainiac 5 was finally able to get close enough to one to short-circuit it. Quickly examining it, he was able to come up with a frequency that would disrupt the drones' operations and shut all of them down simultaneously, rendering them useless. The machines were many, but they were small and easily overcome. However, the large, flesh and blood opponent, that towered over him once he disabled the drones, didn't look so easy for the little Coluan to deal with. Brainiac 5 quickly changed, transforming himself into a formidable machine much larger than his adversary and with many more firearms aimed and at the ready. It didn't take much to overwhelm the attacker.
"That must be battle mode?" Donatello said in an unsure tone. "He sure is tall for a little guy."
"Aren't you so glad we already have dibs on our practice partners," Mikey said to Raph."
"Oh yeah."
With the element of surprise now on the Legion's side instead of their opponents, the fight soon ended. The Science Police arrived just after the battle died down to take control of the situation.
"Hey what'd'ya know," Raph said. "They do that in our universe too." The law enforcement had a habit of arriving after all the fun was over, just in time to clean up and take the credit.
"I'm shutting it down," Donatello said. He flipped the switch and the view disappeared, leaving the opposite of the room clearly visible again. "I've learned my lesson. Before I fire up any more time windows, I'm making sure they're pointed to the past."
"Like dinosaur time?" Mikey teased.
"...Or closing it after a quick peek," Donatello suggested.
"Like after someone tosses a weapon through at us?" Raph teased.
"...Or I could...?" Donatello was running out of ideas.
"Don't give Donnie such a hard time, guys, or we'll never get home," Leo said.
"Hey, that Brainy guy could come back here next week with Lightning Lad if you need some help, Donnie," Raph continued to tease.
"Anything but that," Donatello replied, smiling at the thought despite himself.
Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic | Subscribe To Topic
