By the time the cops and city authorities got there, everything was over. The fires were dying, the sky was clearing, and the air still crackling with tiny sparks of lightning. What they found was a wasteland of ash, blood, and the cracked remains of what used to be the Foot Clan's stronghold.
The Foot Clan was gone. Shredder was dead. Karai had vanished into the night. And the hope of getting a cure for Splinter's poison was also gone.
John stood before the turtles a few blocks from the subway area. "Sorry about that. I know I promised to capture Shredder alive, but you saw how things got heated up," he said. "Anyway, take me to your master. I'll try to heal him."
Leo looked at his brothers. None of them had another option. Without a cure, Splinter had hours left at best, so they agreed.
The group made their way through the quiet streets of Dakota City until they reached a rundown apartment building. It was plain, unremarkable—exactly the kind of place no one would look twice at. Inside, the living room was scattered with tech equipment, old furniture, and the smell of pizza.
A red-haired woman stood near the couch. She turned when they entered, eyes widening slightly at the sight of John.
Leo spoke first. "April, this is John. The invincible pizza guy. He's the one who helped us."
April nodded, hesitant but curious. "You're the lightning guy. I saw the sky light up from halfway across the city."
John gave a faint smile. "Yeah. That was me. Call me John." He then looked at Leo. "Where's your master?"
Leo led him to Splinter's room. The air was thick with incense and silence. Master Splinter sat on a thin mat in the center, eyes closed, his breathing shallow. The poison had turned the veins around his heart black. Even in meditation, he looked fragile.
John stepped closer. He could feel the darkness coiling inside Splinter's body, slow but relentless. It was demonic energy.
"Can you really do it?" Donnie asked quietly.
John cracked his knuckles. "Let's find out."
He rubbed his hands together. Sparks flickered between his palms, small at first, then bright enough to light the room. The air hummed. Static crawled along the walls. He pressed his hands over Splinter's chest. A low surge of energy pulsed through his palm, golden lightning flowing into the rat's body in controlled waves.
Splinter trembled. His breathing hitched. The black veins on his skin began to recede slowly, burned away by the divine current.
April covered her mouth. "It's working."
John kept his focus, controlling every flicker, making sure not to overload the fragile body before him. After several long minutes, the last traces of poison dissolved into smoke.
Splinter opened his eyes. They were clear again. He looked up at John, then at his sons.
"My sons," he said softly. "The storm has passed."
Leo dropped to his knees beside him. "Master… you're alive."
"Wow-Hoo!" Mikey jumped up once with his hands up in the air. "You saved Master."
Donnie gave a little bow to John, "Thank you for everything."
Ralf, standing near the door, looked at John and said, "I hate to admit it, but thanks. Without you, we'd be dead by now. You are really strong, John. Too strong."
Splinter smiled faintly, eyes moving to John. He looked into John's eyes. "And you who carry a power and pain beyond anything I've ever sensed. Thank you for saving my life and my sons."
John stood, shoulders relaxing. "Rest, old man. You'll be fine now."
April exhaled a shaky breath from the doorway.
"Alright, time for me to go. It's already too late and I got work to do in the morning," John said as he looked at the turtles. "As for you all, it was fun. Thanks to you, I got a good workout. Oh, by the way, if you are still in town, feel free to swing by the shop this Sunday night. Got a little birthday party planned for my girl. And it's hard to say, but we don't have many friends. It's just three of us. So, you all joining in the party would be great."
"Are you sure? We are not exactly normal," Donnie said.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Trust me, we aren't exactly normal either," John said with a little chuckle.
"Will there be pizza?" Mikey asked, excited plus a large grin.
"Yep! As much as you can eat," John replied with a thumbs up.
Mikey turned toward Spliner. "Can we? Can we? Can we? Please, master. We own him big time."
"Alright, we can go," Splinter said as he fixed his clothes.
After that, John left.
...
[J&H&M Pizza shop]
John turned back to his regular form on the way. When he reached the shop, he parked the bike in the garage and was about to go straight to bed. But then he remembered the pogo stick.
He stopped halfway up the stairs and looked toward his room. Quiet. The lights were off, and the sound of soft breathing came from inside. He peeked through the cracked door.
Maureen's room door was closed. And Harley was snoring, hugging her long pillow.
A childish grin crept across John's face.
He tiptoed back down, careful not to make a sound. The pogo stick leaned against the counter. He grabbed it, slipped out the back door, and stepped into the cool night air.
John climbed onto the pogo stick and started jumping. At first clumsy, then steady, and soon higher, grinning like a kid who'd just found the best toy in the world. The spring squeaked.
He mumbled while jumping. "Man, this thing's still fun. Haha."
He twisted mid-bounce, getting a little air, almost laughing to himself. That's when he saw her.
Harley stood by the back door, arms crossed, with her usual mischievous smirk. The security light above her flickered once, like even it knew he'd been caught.
John froze mid-bounce. The pogo stick tilted. He steadied himself, feet hitting the ground.
"Ah, crap," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You saw?"
Harley raised an eyebrow and leaned on the doorframe. "Yeah, I saw. Big bad lightning boy out here hoppin' around like a five-year-old on Christmas morning."
John sighed. "It's not what it looks like."
She tilted her head. "Oh really? 'Cause what it looks like is my pogo stick—y'know, the one you said was dangerous—getting its workout while you giggle in the moonlight."
"I wasn't giggling," John said flatly.
"Oh, you so were." She started walking closer, slow, hands behind her back. "You even did a little spin. Real graceful. I almost clapped."
John glanced at the pogo stick, then back at her. "I was… testing the spring."
"Uh-huh." Harley narrowed her eyes. "You testing it by trying to break the sound barrier?"
"It needed a stability check," he said, keeping his tone serious. "Could've been dangerous."
She squinted. "You mean like when I said that before you called me dramatic?"
John looked away. "Yeah. Like that."
She grinned, wide and victorious. "So you admit it's fun."
"I admit nothing."
She laughed. "You're such a liar. Look at that face. You were having the time of your life."
John rubbed his temple. "I just saved the city, fought a demon dragon, and healed a giant talking rat. I deserve a little peace."
Harley raised an eyebrow, her grin fading into mock seriousness. "A dragon? You fought a dragon?"
"Yeah, a demonic dragon," he said. "Breathes fire, flies, spawns ghosts and zombies, and completely out for blood."
"Without me?" she asked, her tone half joking, half mock offense. "You just went and saved the city without your favorite partner in crime?"
John gave a small nod, serious. "Yeah. It was dangerous. Too many things could've gone wrong. I couldn't risk it. You could have gotten hurt or worse."
"So you care about me?" Harley asked, letting her arms slip around his neck, holding him close.
John froze for a moment, the world narrowing to just the feel of her arms and the warmth of her gaze. Then he looked directly into her eyes, steady and unwavering. He knew this was it... It's time to tell her what he feels about her.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I care about you, Harley. More than I should probably admit."
Her smirk softened into something warmer, almost mischievously triumphant. She leaned her forehead against his chest, breathing him in. "And how much?" she asked, her voice dropping into a whisper that made his pulse thrum faster. She looked up.
John reached up slowly, letting his fingers brush against her cheek. He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, his touch gentle. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss was slow, careful at first, almost testing the waters. Harley responded immediately, tilting her head to deepen it, arms tightening around him as if she could keep him close forever. It was soft at first, sweet, but then it grew into something stronger, a release of feelings neither of them had fully acknowledged until now.
John's hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, fingers threading through her hair as he returned her kiss with equal intensity. It was a moment of firsts for both of them. The first kiss that meant everything, the first time he let himself feel this fully, and the first time she knew without a doubt that he felt the same way.
Harley pulled back slightly, just enough to rest her forehead against his again, breathing heavily, smiling like the Cheshire cat she sometimes could be. "Finally," she said, voice soft but triumphant. "About time, big guy. I thought I'd have to wait another couple of years just to get your attention."
John chuckled, brushing his nose against hers, feeling the warmth of her laugh vibrate against him. "You had my attention a long time ago," he said quietly. "I just… didn't know how to say it."
"Ya don't have to say it. Just..." She kissed him once again. He kissed her back. It was a small moment. "...Kiss me."
John kissed her again...
---[POWERSTONES & REVIEWS ARE WELCOME]---
If you like my work, you can support me on>: www.patr eon.com/XcaliburXc
[Read 15 advance chapters]
---
AN: Got a little writer's block. So, slow updates. Or I might take a break and be back next month with a mass release.