Chapter Text
Big Mama leered over her territory watching with a bemused look from the parapets of her VIP box. The last round in her Battle Nexus was concluding, and despite two unexpected turns, the same, dull script was played to predictable perfection.
“It’s so hard to find such entertaining brutes who don’t play like whippity school children.” The spider yokai taps her slender fingers against the counter.
“I do so wish, at times like these, I could snatch up those turtley-boos and their scrumptillious Lou and have one more fantasmaglorious battle…Don’t you agree? You did get to witness the first time they toppled onto my playfield, and Oh you should have seen the mayhem when I brought the Battle Nexus topside...” Big Mama gestures with a turn of her head before quickly swinging her head back.
In the corner of the VIP box, a lone figure watched while bathed in darkness. She made the slightest bow with her cloaked head to acknowledge Big Mama’s comment, but remained silent. Big Mama often broadcasted her musings, knowing her faithful assistant would only respond when prompted. In the past she would certainly answer. However, whenever the turtles were brought up in subject she found it beneficial to keep her comments quiet.The Assistant tapped her golden talons along her biceps in repose.
“Hmm? Nothing to add today Meesey? You haven’t spoken in the last hour?” The spider croons mockingly. Her assistant stands at will, only turning their head slightly as they watch the spider lady fully spin to face them. “Good, I did say you were most effective with your actions.” She giggles. “These last two years have really cemented your ability to affect physically rather than speak.” She walks toward the door “Come now, I have one more task for you today.”
The assistant waits until Big Mama is in the doorway before making a half turn to follow. There was a hesitation in the first step that was quickly silenced with the second. It seemed this additional task was outside the usual routine, and the assistant had a few ideas what this should entail.
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Topside at present, was very different from the effects of Big Mama’s attempt to move her Battle Nexus to NYC. Even with six months passing since the Kraang attempted to assimilate the city into their base of operations, the signs of their presence still lingered.
Toppled buildings still zoned out for demolition or restoration, Scaffolding still present along skyscrapers, they might as well be the new fung shui. The worst of it, however was the oversaturation of shelters and hospitals. People who still struggled to find permanent housing, humans still infected with bits of Kraang. Cadavers that still have yet to be buried. And to top the post apocalyptic cake, there was a new occurrence: Every corner of NYC had at least one well dressed suit, with sunglasses and strange futuristic equipment. They would scan, grab people at random for interviews, and otherwise just, exist.
April shivered as she managed to dodge another ‘interview’ reminding herself to keep her gait natural as she made it to her dormitory. Thankfully her college had not been affected…much…the dorms were relatively untouched, the campus was another thing entirely. Initially students were sent home in the aftermath, but when space became overwhelmingly sparse, the university began letting students return for housing and even offered some housing in the spare rooms while the campus was being reconstructed. There were even some opportunities for students to get ‘on the job’ training and April was more than willing to make some fluff articles about the university getting together to rebuild their school and their city.
However April was not in the writing mood as she moseyed around the now crowded hallways. She finally made it to her room and locked the door behind her. Her new roommates were chatting and cleaning up from dinner when one calls out to her.
“Sorry guys” April replies hand-waving away the request. “I got some pencils to push and I’m going to be listening to my jams with my noise canceling headphones, so unless the building is on fire…I’m dead t’ y’all!”
Her roommates boo toward her and she flips the bird in response as she vanishes into her bedroom.
As soon as she secures the door and her privacy, she walks around her tiny sanctuary picking up a few things: a basketball, a pillow, her headphones, some clothes and assembles it on her chair. “Can’t hurt to have a little insurance” She gloated quietly as she pulled out her phone and sent a text.
A few moments later a blue portal generated on her floor. April excitedly jumped in without hesitation, soon after landing on concrete in an exaggerated pose. “Annnnd stuck the landing!”
“April! You made it!” A boisterous voice chirps as April is embraced from the side.
“Obviously!” April retorts giving an extra squeeze to Mikey before standing proudly.
“I’m in ‘before curfew’ have several witnesses to tighten my alibi and I’m ready to GO!”
“It was all thanks to me, you’re welcome” Leo gloated as he sheathed his katanas.
“It actually worked out pretty good” Raph added, then looked to April with slight worry. “You sure no one caught on to you? You said more of those, Earth Protection Force guys were at your campus than usual.”
“To be precise the overall amount has increased by 12% in the last 36 hours. There was a reported mutant sighting…” Donnie looked up from his gauntlet. “I looked into the camera feeds from the location in the report. It wasn't us…it may not even be a mutant, just some kid looking for internet clout.”
“And you couldn’t tell us about that sooner, because?” Mikey questioned with a cock of his head.
“Because it wasn’t us, I just said I confirmed it.”
Raph lets out a sigh “I guess that is one thing I wasn’t expectin’ from…this whole situation…” while gesturing to everyone.
“I’d say we’re fine. Sure, maybe there were a few fuzzy pics of us that circulated the internet, but jury is still out on whether they want to believe we are real.”
“Leo’s right, our flawless disguises still work in a pinch, and worse case, maybe they’re a fan”
“Exactly, my point, Miguel.”
“Just to remind you, I did manage to scrub the source of those pictures and I coded a malware to target any future uploads that will target the photo file. It wouldn’t be permanent, however”
“Yeah, yeah, nothing is ever gone from the internet, but thanks Dee just the same.”
April finally butts in “I know you’d love to keep talkin’ about this, but we have some evening plans to get acquainted with.”
“Oh, yeah, baby!” Mikey gleams “To the Hidden City!”
“Just try not to get banned from another location this time? Mmkay Don, April…especially Don.”
“Scoff. Speak for yourself Nardo. You aren’t the only turtle with a lifetime ban. Doth the word ‘Hirsuté’ ring the metaphorical bell?”
Leo gives a deadpanned look as he rolls his eyes and opens a portal. “Whereever did you hear about that noise, brother.”