“TALES OF THE TMNT” STORY PROPOSAL
“MY ENEMY’S ENEMY”
Please note: I've had a tonne of requests that these be resurrected from my old blog (don't go looking for it, it's now some kind of marketing spamware site). I will not be going back to these stories if I ever get the opportunity to return to the Turtles. I may keep ideas I like every now and then, but that would be it. Consider these to be stories along the lines of the true conclusion to the Image run, or the rewritten #8 of TMNT volume 1.
This issue is a bit twisty, and the pitch itself may seem dense, but the story, while keeping in line with the “done-in-one” style of Tales, involves a number of elements from past issues. We’ve got Tang Amaya from Ross May’s #22, along with elements from #36, #56, #59, #64 and the other stories I have pitched this time around (provided they make it through of course). The essential focus of the story revolves around the legacy of the Shredder, and we will see how different groups, both good and evil, are affected by it. At the end of #64, we meet the cabal of underworld figures looking to eradicate the remnants of the Foot Clan and destroy the shadow of the Shredder. Now the first stage of their collective plan is about to go into motion…
Based on intelligence gathered, the cabal takes a closer look at Tang Amaya, the mysterious kunoichi who wears the Shredder’s glove. Lin, the supposed ex-Foot ninja who freed Hun and led the assault on Precinct 5 in Tales #36, tells them basically who Tang Amaya is. She was a contingency plan, a sick game started by the Shredder -- Tang Amaya is Tang Shen’s sister, who Saki had brainwashed into believing that Hamato Yoshi was responsible for Tang’s death. She was a toy of the Shredder’s and one of her best assassins while he was alive, but now that Saki is dead, she claims to be the rightful heir to his mantle and persists in hunting down the Turtles for their link to Yoshi. Lin reveals the existence of Splinter to the other cabal members at this point too.
One of the other cabal members points out that Amaya’s group was last reported in an area currently held by an African-American gang. Photos are then passed around of an ancient Japanese symbol written in a specific Foot code that has been appearing throughout New York in various places, like graffiti. Lin tells them it’s a challenge code, Amaya’s trying to draw the Turtles out. From this they figure out where she will be and when. The Turtles haven’t been responding because simply because Amaya has been targeting the wrong areas (now that the Turtles have split up).
We crossfade this to a scene across town, where Leo, Donatello and Mike are all gathered. Miller is discussing the same thing with the Turtles (the challenge symbol). Miller can’t make heads or tails of it, and hasn’t been able to take it down the usual areas because of the corruption in the police force, so he thought he’d bring it straight to the Turtles hoping they might. Mike suggests they take a photo of it using a camera-phone and send it to April (who is at the farmhouse with Casey, Shadow and Splinter) to ask Splinter about it. He replies, telling them what Lin told the cabal.
Miller is in a bind, he has to be careful about who he tells about this, but Mike knows. Lauren Stanton (the female journalist from #59). They get in touch with her to send feelers out to figure out where she might be hiding. Stanton tells them to give her a couple of days.
We cut to later, where Lin and her group of Shredder loyalists confront Amaya and deliver an ultimatum. She can either join the rest of the loyalists or perish. Amaya laughs at them, but Lin just smiles and commands her group to leave, knowing full well what is coming to the naïve girl. Zooming out, we find that Stanton herself is up in a nearby building using surveillance equipment, spying on the meeting, but there is another person there, in the shadows, smoking a cigarette. This is the man from WAY back in Volume 1, #4 who was spying on the Turtles in April’s apartment. Stanton slips the man some money and heads out to warn the Turtles of what is coming. However, as she leaves, the shadow man also calls an associate… King Cobra!
We cut to King Cobra’s club, where he and Hun are planning their next move. Cobra tells Hun that his informant has found Amaya (but neglected to tell him about Lin being at the meeting). Here in the club we also get our fist glimpse at Touch and Go (as this story would be set just before the Touch & Go story). The criminals gather up their men and head out. The time has come, this is the beginning of the eradication of the Foot Clan (or so they think).
We cut back to the Turtles, who are also planning how they will confront Amaya. When they last fought, Amaya threatened the Turtles that Hamato Yoshi would pay for his crimes. They are determined to find out what she is talking about, but must tread lightly. They are also determined to find out what they can about Lin, and her involvement (or potential animosity). They agree that they will wait until the next challenge is issued and move from there.
Cut to later. Leo pounces on one of Amaya’s ninjas, and tells the lackey that they will meet her that night.
Later, we see the Turtles arriving at the meeting place where Amaya waits. They agree to split up and scope the place out before doing anything. Leo and Don meet up and discuss their options. They contact Raph but can’t get through to Mike. The time comes and Leo and Don go (Raph will keep lookout) in to meet with Amaya. Here we learn of Amaya’s brainwashing by the Shredder. How she is really Shen’s sister, and how the Shredder made her believe that Hamato Yoshi was responsible for her sister’s death. Leo tries to reason with her, but a fight breaks out. During the fight Raph tells Don that someone is coming, and before anyone realizes what is going on, Mike (unconscious) is thrown through the doors to the warehouse. The Purple Dragons, King Cobra’s gang AND Lin’s Shredder Loyalists (in civilian gear, making their true allegiances inconspicuous) storm in, Hun laughing at what a pathetic fight Mikey put up.
It’s chaos, Leo and Don don’t know what to do or who to fight, but Raph drops in and goes for Hun. Hun throws the Turtle off and commands his men to kill the Foot Clansmen. All of Amaya’s men and Amaya herself rush into the fray. Don goes to help Mikey, and Raph fights anyone he can.
Leo finds himself fighting alongside Amaya as he continues to try and reason with her. He manages to slowly convince her, but just as it looks like she’s about to realize Hun grabs her and tears off her arm bearing the Shredder’s gauntlet. The fight suddenly comes to an end. Amaya falls to the ground, and Leo comes to her aide. Don has Mikey and Raph has been badly wounded by King Cobra. Hun throws the gauntlet to the ground and laughs at them before leaving. King Cobra tells his men to kill the Turtles and the remaining Foot Ninjas, but the Turtles manage to escape with Amaya.
We end with the villains victorious (for once), but the Turtles are more determined than ever to take down these vicious gangs and the secretive Shredder Loyalists. And it looks as though they may have just earned a new ally, providing Amaya pulls through. On the final page, Lin returns to the warehouse alone, and retrieves the Shredder’s gauntlet.
