Boratz Posted April 14 Read Aloud Posted April 14 VI. STEEL clashed with wood in a blur of motion as Donatello spun his bo-staff through the air. Striking two Foot Clan ninjas in rapid succession, the intelligent turtle glanced around to study his approaching enemies. Sparks flashed as another lunged at him with a blade, the weapon scraped against a hastily raised tech bracer on Donatello’s arm. Around him, the narrow alleyway pulsed with movement as shadows appeared as if they were leaping with bodies colliding and the constant rhythm of combat echoing against brick walls. Donatello’s grip on his bo-staff tightened while more of these ninjas emerged from the shadows. While Donnie was far more skilled than these ninjas, he could not allow himself to lose concentration. His mind had to remain balanced in the here and now, if he hoped to emerge victorious over these swarms of Foot soldiers. He continued to spin his staff while pivoting around to face off against the enemy forces. His eyes furrowed as he fought through the hordes of approaching ninjas. Nearby, Leonardo fought with disciplined precision as his twin katanas flashed in controlled arcs. Raphael moved like a storm, his twin sais tearing through defenses with raw aggression. And Michelangelo, somehow, managed to keep things light even as he flipped over an enemy with nunchakus cracking down with surprising force. Each of the brothers fought with hard-earned skills and abilities that they had mastered throughout their lives while training under Splinter. While each brother had their own distinct personality that ranged from pure aggression to well-disciplined lifestyles, they certainly shared a discipline for their respective crafts. Despite their superior skills over these Foot Ninjas, the enemy forces were not backing down. They continued to press on against the brothers as if their lives depended on it. Donatello pivoted again, but then something caused him to freeze. A sharp pulse ran through the gauntlet on his arm. Something was wrong with the device on his arm. “Not now…” He muttered to himself. The device continued to glitch violently as numbers scrambled into meaningless strings. A sharp sensation rippled across his arm. His grip faltered for half a second as he turned his attention from the approaching ninjas and toward the device strapped to his wrist. That was all it took and that is all that was needed for one of the enemy ninjas to exploit the opening. A Foot soldier swept his leg, and Donatello hit the ground hard. Before he could recover, another slammed into him while driving a knee into his plastron. His bo-staff rolled out of reach. His tech sputtered while sparks jumped from the edges of his gauntlet. His focus slipped only for a second and that is all that it took for his balance to faulter. A third ninja struck him across the shoulder, sending him sprawling further across the pavement. “Donnie!” Michelangelo shouted. Raphael was already moving toward the commotion. “Get off him!” He screamed while rushing toward the enemy forces that surrounded his brother. Raphael crashed into the attackers with reckless force, knocking one clear across the alley. Leonardo stepped in with precise strikes while disarming another in seconds. Michelangelo vaulted over Donatello, landing between him and the remaining Foot soldiers, nunchaku spinning defensively in his hands. Within moments, the tide turned. The remaining ninjas fell quickly under the coordinated assault. Silence soon settled over the alley, broken only by the fading hum of Donatello’s malfunctioning gear. Leonardo extended his hand. “You alright?” Donatello reached up for his brother’s hand and pulled himself up to his feet. Wincing slightly, he replied, “Yeah… I’m good. Just, something’s wrong.” Raphael crossed his arms, breathing heavily. “Yeah, no kidding. You just let them take you down.” “It wasn’t like that,” Donatello replied, checking his gauntlet. “My equipment…” “Your equipment didn’t fail you,” Raphael snapped. “You did!” “Raph!” Leonardo snapped. But Raphael shook his head. “No. We can’t keep doing this. Out here, one mistake; one distraction, and we’re done.” Michelangelo tilted his head. “On the bright side… nobody lost a slice of pizza tonight.” Raphael shot a piercing glared at Michelangelo. Michelangelo shrugged with a dumbfounded expression. “What? Too soon?” Leonardo exhaled slowly. “Let’s head home. We’ll regroup and we will figure this out.” Donatello glanced down at his sparking gauntlet again with concern etched across his face. Something wasn’t just broken with his gear, something was wrong. The sewer lair felt quieter than usual. The hum of Donatello’s equipment replaced the chaos of the battle as he sat surrounded by tools, screens, and disassembled tech. Wires sprawled across the workstation while components laid out in careful rows. Across the room, Raphael paced back and forth. “I’m just saying,” Raphael muttered, “we can’t have that happen again.” Leonardo leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “He knows that. We all know that.” “No, he needs to hear it!” Raphael grumbled. “I do hear it!” Donatello said without looking up. Michelangelo lounged nearby, flipping open an empty pizza box. He peered inside as if hoping something might magically appear. “Okay, serious issue, who ate the last slice?” No one answered. Michelangelo sighed. “This team is falling apart.” Despite all that had happened, Leonardo almost let out smile. Then his expression hardened again. He stepped towards Donatello. “We rely on you, Donnie, but we need to know that you won’t let us down again. You’ve got to stay sharp, with or without your tech. We need to trust you, and you need to trust in yourself.” Donatello nodded slowly. “I know. And I will. But this isn’t just a glitch. I’m seeing patterns; interference that doesn’t make sense.” From the shadows, Splinter stepped forward. “Then perhaps,” Splinter said calmly, “the problem is not within the machine… but beyond it.” Donatello looked up. “Sensei?” Splinter approached with his hands folded. “Walk with me.” In the quiet of the lair, away from the others, Splinter regarded Donatello not as a commander, but as a father. “You are troubled,” he said. Donatello exhaled. “My equipment; it’s reacting to something. Not from damage and not interference from anything local. It’s like… shockwaves. Distortions.” Splinter nodded. “And yet, in battle, you allowed this to take your focus.” “I know,” Donatello said with frustration creeping in. “I just—I’ve never seen anything like it before.” “Curiosity is your strength,” Splinter replied gently. “But it must not become your weakness.” Donatello lowered his gaze. “I’ll do better.” Splinter placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you will. Now—find the truth behind what you have seen.” Hours passed while Donatello worked in silence. Data streamed across his monitors in erratic spikes. Unusual readings and fluctuations that defied conventional explanation came across his screen. Then he found it. A repeating pattern that was expanding and growing. His eyes widened while he leaned back against his seat in disbelief. “These aren’t just signals…” he whispered. “They’re shockwaves.” He adjusted the display, mapping the distortions. “They’re moving across space…” he continued. “And—” He froze for a moment. “…time.” The realization settled heavily. Something vast was rippling through reality itself and somehow, it was getting stronger. In another universe, Far removed yet inexplicably connected, a man stood before a massive array of machinery. Dr. Mindbender smiled while looking over the machinery. Energy crackled through the chamber, contained within a complex network of coils and emitters. Monitors displayed chaotic data with cosmic anomalies, dimensional fluctuations, and readings that would drive lesser minds into confusion. “Fascinating…” Mindbender murmured to himself. Where others saw randomness, he saw an opportunity. This was not simply a collection of chaotic data of cosmic anomalies; it was the potential for something much more. “These ripples…” he continued to say to himself while adjusting a control panel. “They are not destructive. They are connective.” He activated another sequence which caused energy to surge. The room trembled around him. “I will not merely observe this power…” he said. “I will harness it.” Data converged and patterns aligned. Then a tear opened in the air itself. A swirling portal of unstable light. Mindbender’s grin widened as the light reflected off his eyes. “For Cobra Commander,” he said before stepping forward, “I will build an army unlike any other.” Without hesitation, he entered the portal. The transition was violent as colors twisted around him. Space folded as time seemed to stretch and compress all at once. Then everything went still. Mindbender stepped out into a darkened alleyway. He adjusted his gloves before scanning his surroundings with a handheld device. “Incredible…” He whispered. While the readings were different here, they were also familiar. It was a parallel world. A new hunting ground. He moved through the city, gathering information. He listened and observed all that was around him. It did not take long before whispers reached him. There were stories and rumors of creatures in the shadows. “Mutant turtles…” He repeated with an intrigued tone. Enhanced physiology with combat proficiency and intelligence. His smile returned. “Perfect.” Days passed as Mindbender tracked them. Carefully, patiently, and until finally; he found it. The entrance to their lair. It was hidden but not hidden well enough. Back below the city, Donatello worked alone while his brothers were out. Leonardo, Raphel, and Michelangelo tracking renewed Foot Clan activity while Donatello stayed behind. The lair was quiet save for the hum of machinery. Splinter had also left the lair behind in search of information that would provide answers to the Foot Clan’s recent activity in the city. Donatello adjusted his scanners again, trying to pinpoint the origin of the shockwaves. “They’re getting closer…” He said under his breath. A sudden spike hit the monitors. Stronger than anything before. When tracking the spike of energy, he saw that it was tight on top of him. “What?” A sound echoed through the lair. It was not mechanical or natural. It was as if something was tearing through the lair. Donatello turned and saw it, a portal forming in the middle of the room. Energy spiraled outward, distorting everything around it. From within, a figure stepped through. The figure was tall, bald, and controlled. It was Dr. Mindbender. Donatello grabbed his bo-staff instantly before dropping into a defensive stance. “You’re not from around here.” Mindbender observed him with open fascination. “Extraordinary. The rumors did not do you justice.” “Yeah? Well, here’s a tip,” Donatello replied. “Breaking into someone’s home? Not a great first impression.” Mindbender ignored the remark, circling slightly. “Your physiology… your intellect… the possibilities are endless.” Donatello’s grip tightened. “Not interested.” “I am not asking…” Mindbender said calmly before a wicked grin formed across his cheeks. The air shifted and the tension snapped tight between them. Donatello gazed over his new enemy and studied him before his grip tightened on his bo-staff. “Okay… so you’re not just some random mad scientist!” Donatello shouted as his eyes continued to stare down the new enemy. Mindbender smiled before confidently declaring, “On the contrary, I am THE scientist.” He activated another device. Energy surged and the battle between the Ninja Turtle and the Scientist began. Donatello lunged forward, adapting, analyzing, and compensating for the strange energy readings still flickering across his equipment. Mindbender countered with calculated precision, every movement backed by data and every strike designed to subdue, not kill. This was a battle between two minds and two worlds in one inevitable clash. As the shockwaves continued to ripple through reality itself, the battle between genius and genius had only just begun. Quote
Callisto Posted April 14 Read Aloud Posted April 14 Learn More About Donatello (1987) Read more about Donatello (1987) at Wikipedia Official Site: Nickelodeon Links: Wikipedia Dr. Mindbender Read more about Dr. Mindbender at Wikipedia Official Site: Hasbro Links: Wikipedia GI Joe Wiki Yo Joe Quote
JohnnyChany Posted April 18 Read Aloud Posted April 18 Great pairing of 80s cartoon science icons. Wonderful setup, I particularly enjoyed the Donatello/Splinter conversation. Disappointed in 87 "cool but rude" version of Raphael still falling victim to his worse instincts lol. Going with Mindbender. Narratively to me it would make sense for Donatello to fall here, have some doubts, then come up with some brilliant plan/device later to save his brothers from a Cobra ambush. 1 Quote
Callisto Posted April 19 Read Aloud Posted April 19 Match Final Results Member Ratings:5.00 - Venom 2009 5.00 - JohnnyChany 4.50 - SSJRuss FPA Calculation:3 Total Votes cast 14.50 Total Combined Score 14.50 / 3 = 4.83 Final Rating on the match MATCH SCORE Donatello (1987): 3Dr. Mindbender: 3 Quote
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