Chapter three: Confrontations
***
"Man, after all the activity last week, this one seems slow."
"I hear ya Donnie. The Dragon Lord seems to be in hiding, and whoever was attacking him hasn't made a move."
The five teenage mutant turtles sat around their TV set, bored out of their minds. Though none of them wanted to say anything because…
"If you have nothing to do, you might as well get some practice in."
The turtles groaned at Splinter's request, which they knew from experience was more like a command. Leonardo got to his feet first, like a good student. "Of course." The others glared at him, and he responded, "We have nothing else to do." The others reluctantly agreed. Mikey moved to turn the TV off.
"And tonight is the opening night of this exhibit. The main attraction is the Dracontias Stone, a one of a kind gem that top geologists from around the world have been unable to classify."
"Michaelangelo, stop!" Venus said.
"What?" Mike asked, his hand inches from the TV.
"That stone, I recognize it from my texts. It's a powerful jewel that's said to grant great power to whomever possesses it."
"So you think the Dragon Lord will go after it?" Donnie asked, studying the perfect red gem on the screen before the shot went back to the reporter's face.
"It is said to come from the forehead of a dragon," Venus told them.
"It looks like things just got a lot less boring," Raph smiled, drawing his sai.
"And just when I was beginning to enjoy it," Mikey moaned.
***
Just as Venus predicted, the Rank appeared at the museum.
"Must you Turtles always interfere with my plans!" Dragon Lord yelled.
"It's our job," Mike replied.
The Rank leapt into combat with the Turtles. That week of rest had brought them up to full strength, but there were only five here tonight. At one point the Dragon Lord slipped into the museum. Leonardo caught the retreat and motioned for Venus.
The Dragon Lord was unfamiliar with the layout of the museum and it took him several moments before he found his prize.
"Ah, a dracontias. With this, I will finally have the power to destroy the turtles."
"You'll be so powerful," said Wick. "That you won't need to eat the turtles."
Dragon Lord smiled. "That doesn't mean I won't anyway." He reached for the stone. But before he could grab it, a ninja star knocked the stone away.
"No!"
Venus and Leonardo stepped forward. "You're not leaving with that stone."
"Wrong, turtle!" The Dragon Lord's eyes burned red and he let out a fiery blast at the turtles. Leonardo jumped to the left and Venus to the right, towards the dracontias. She and Wick both dove for it. Venus unceremoniously knocked him away with the back of her hand and grabbed the stone.
"Huh?" She looked at the small red stone in her hand. She felt no energy from it. No magic. "It's a fake!" she announced.
"What?" Leo and the Dragon Lord said at the same time. They stopped and stared at Venus.
"That's impossible," Dragon Lord exclaimed.
"Here!" Venus threw the stone to the dragon. It sat lifelessly in his hand.
"No! It must have been removed after death. It does me no good!" He tossed the stone away. "I may not have the power of the dracontias, but I can still beat the both of you."
"How 'bout five?"
The other turtles surrounded them, weapons drawn and ready.
"Give up," Raphael yelled.
"Never!" The Dragon Lord got ready to let loose another fireball when a net landed on Mike, Leo, and Don. Simon Bonesteel stepped into the room, looking as insane as usual, pulling a covered cart behind him.
"Well, ain't this a cozy picture?" he said, his crossbow sweeping across the room.
"We're busy, Bonehead," Raphael growled. "We'll beat up on you later."
Bonesteel laughed and turned to the Dragon Lord. "I've got a deal for you, dragon."
"I'm not interested, human."
"Oh, I think you will be." He wheeled his cart out to the center of the room. "I'll help you catch these overgrown pests, and I get two, including the female."
"You dare insult me like this! I can take care of those meddlesome turtles on my own."
Mike made a face. "You know it's very rude to talk about a person as if they weren't there."
"Ah, but I also have this," Bonesteel continued. He grabbed the cloth and pulled it off in what was supposed to be a dramatic movement, revealing his cargo.
"That's her!" Wick cried. "The She-dragon who captured your soldiers."
"So it is," the Dragon Lord nodded. She was unconscious on the cart. The only part of her that was not covered by black clothing was her head. Her skin was yellow where the light hit, deepening to green in the shadows. Metallic gold plates curved delicately down her forehead and over her cheekbones.
"It took quite a bit of sedative to take this girl down, but I did it," Bonesteel gloated. He rubbed his arm. "Though she did get a chunk of my shoulder. Do we have a deal?"
"Two turtles, for your assistance, and the she-dragon?" the Dragon Lord repeated the terms.
Bonesteel nodded his head furiously. Dragon Lord looked over the female dragon in interest. The black clothes blended her into the shadows of the dimly lit room, but he could make out well-built curves.
"Agreed!"
Meanwhile, Venus and Raphael had freed the other turtles and they were taking the opportunity to escape. Don figured that since they heard no alarm, it must be silent, and the police would be there any minute.
"After them, hunter!" Dragon Lord commanded. As Bonesteel followed his prey, the Dragon Lord knelt beside the unconscious female. Wick looked over his shoulder.
"I told, didn't I? Didn't I?"
The Dragon Lord was too interested in the female to be annoyed at Wick at the moment. He gently tilted her face and she began to stir.
Her eyes opened, revealing an intense green. She jumped up and positioned herself so that the cart was between her and the Dragon Lord.
"No need to fear," the Dragon Lord chuckled.
"I don't fear you," she spat. "I want you dead. I assume you wish the same fate on me."
"On the contrary, my dear. I want to keep you very much alive. Tell me, what are you called?"
"Aura." Her eyes turned red as she sent a wall of fire over the cart.
***
Michaelangelo dusted off his hands. "That takes care of that." He stood over Bonesteel, tied up with one of his own nets, sitting on another trap that had failed to catch the turtles.
"Give it up," Raphael said. "You're never gonna catch us."
"Oh, I will," Bonesteel promised. "I gave up the pretty dragon lady for you. So, whether I get you, or the dragons do, I still get you." He began laughing until Leo hit him over the head with the hilt of his sword.
Mikey laughed. "Speaking of which, did you get a load of her? What a babe! We gotta go back and save her from the Dragon Lord."
Raph rolled his eyes. "Geez Mike."
Leo shook his head. "The police are there by now, and the dragons gone. We did manage to keep the gem from him, even though it was a fake."
Venus nodded. "Do you really think the female dragon was the same one who kidnapped the Rank?"
"Sounded like that's what Wick said," Don replied. "She looked way out of it. He must have put a lot of tranquilizer in her. I doubt she'd be able to stand, much less escape from the Dragon Lord."
Mikey stuck his lower lip out in a pout. "I hope not. I'll never get a chance with her!"
***