//------------------------------// // Alliance // Story: Equestria Ninja Girls and the Crimson Thief // by Wildcard25 //------------------------------// The Turtles, their allies, and the Rainbooms led team Carmen down to the ground and walked in front of an apartment. Zack looked up and smiled, "Well, nice place, guys. How're you even able to afford something like this." "We don't." Donnie replied, until they heard to sound of a lid opening. The team looked over and saw Mikey had opened a sewer lid, "You comin' or not, dudes?" The thieves looked in disbelief at where they were going, until Ivy spoke to the Rainbooms, "A sewer?" "What you were expecting the Hilton?" Rainbow asked rhetorically. "I think I'm gonna hurl." Zack gagged. "Trust me, you'll get used to it." April assured him, as they all headed down. Carmen motioned to Rocksteady, "And how're you getting down there?" "I take back door." Rocksteady answered, as he pulled a switch that opened another passage in the wall that led to the sewer. Soon they were all trekking through the sewer, as Zack spoke, "How come we never fall in with people who own condos?" "What's to complain about?" Carmen asked, "We spend most of our time in luxurious hotels anyway." "Yeah, like the Plaza. Why couldn't we go back there?" Zack asked. "Trust us, we're much safer down here." Sunset explained, as they reached the subway. Shadowsan looked around, "I am ever quite impressed at your lair location. Deep under the city where no one would think to look." "Well, several enemies have come close to finding where we lived." Mikey admitted. "But we always managed to find ways of leading them away before they got too close." Leo added. As Bebop walked by Carmen and Shadowsan, he kept taking glances at them which didn't go unnoticed to the two. "What?" Carmen asked. "Oh, nothing." he replied, as he walked on much to both their confusion. They finally reached the lair, "Welcome to our lair." Mikey welcomed their guests. The group entered and looked around, "Is this a ninja lair or a frat house?" Ivy asked. "What's the difference?" Mikey asked rhetorically. "Do you guys ever clean up?" Ivy asked the turtles. "Of course we do." Donnie replied. "All except Mikey." Raph added. "Hey, I... Ok you got me there." "So are we gonna exchange facts or what?" Ivy asked. "Before we do I think a real greeting is in order," Bebop replied, as he turned to Carmen, "So, long time no see, aye, ...Black Sheep." Carmen was taken aback by being called her original VILE name, "What?! How do you?" "What, don't you and ol Shadowsan, remember?" Bebop asked, as Shadowsan was just as confused, "Doctor B's favorite student? Or best dancer in the whole academy?" he did some of his spin and slide dance moves. Shadowsan raised a brow, as he started to think back, while Carmen answered, "Well, your moves are familiar, but I definitely don't remember there being a warthog in VILE." "As do I." Shadowsan added. "That's because I wasn't a warthog back then!" "Sorry. Still not ringing any bells." "Oh, those bells will start ringing soon enough. Hee heee!" Bebop laughed, and at that moment both Carmen and Shadowsan froze upon hearing that hoot. "Hee heee? No...! It can't be?!" Carmen gasped, as she got a good look at the mutant imagining someone else in his place, "Anton Zeck?!" "Mr. Zeck?" Shadowsan gasped. "That's right, but now I'm called Bebop. Ha ha ha!" he laughed. "Wait, Carmen, you know him?" Player asked from the laptop Carmen opened up for Player to see the lair. "Unfortunately, yes." Carmen sighed, as she flashed back to her old days at VILE Academy Island. On VILE, back when she know as Black Sheep, Carmen was walking to class when she was bumped out of the way by Bebop, back when he was still Anton Zeck, who was doing some of his dance moves. A passing Tigress saw what happened and laughed. Zeck scowled at the girls mockery, until he smirked. "Anton Zeck was Doctor Bellum's best student next to Crackle. And also the regular class clown." When Tigress took her seat in class, there was a loud farting noise. She reached down and pulled up a whoopie cushion. Zeck burst out laughing, as did several of the students. Including Carmen. "Tigress being his favorite victim." The flashback ended, "But, how did you end up like this?" "It's a very interesting story." Bebop replied. "Wait a minute," Applejack spoke up, "Bebop, you used to work for this VILE?" "Hey, where do you think I learned how to be the master thief I am today?" Shadowsan nodded, "Indeed. Zeck was a very promising student who excelled in several classes, but his top class was with Dr. Bellum. He was considered her trophy student." "But last I heard you actually escaped from the academy before I tried to. Why?" Carmen asked. "Yeah, why?" Raph wondered. "I'll admit it was fun learning the ways of VILE, especially after they recruited me because of my potential," Bebop explained, "But after so long I started feeling as if I was too good to be working for them. And that I should instead work for myself. So using all my stealth and sneak skills I slipped pass all securities and made my way out and off the island." "But not before taking an experimental tech suit Dr. Bellum was working on," Shadowsan cut in while laying a hand on the former student's shoulder, "A suit she made specially for you." "And she did a fine job. I just finished it for her," Bebop replied, before turning to Carmen, "So why'd you decide to go AWOL, sheepy? Felt too good for it yourself?" "Not exactly," Carmen answered, "I-" Sunset spoke up, "I'll tell you why. When Carmen was failed her final exam courtesy of Shadowsan here cheating her with an empty coat pocket she decided to follow her class secretly. But when she saw her former classmate Crackle was about to take someone's life while the others tried to steal the goods, she stopped him and realized this was not the life she wanted. So she snuck away after stealing a VILE hardrive containing all their information, as well as her coat and hat from VILE's bookkeeper." Carmen, Zack, and Ivy looked surprised and blinked. "How does she know that?" Zack asked in shock. "No one knows about any that! Except maybe us." Ivy added. "It's thanks to this," Sunset motioned to her geode, "This geode much like my friends contain magic powers that grants us special abilities. For example I am able to look into others memories upon contact. It's how I was able to learn Carmen's name." "Magic?" Ivy asked in disbelief. "Come on! You're pulling our leg!" Zack laughed. Spike spoke up, "Nope. They're actually serious." Suddenly Carmen and the Boston sibs looked down at the dog in shock, "That dog just talked!" Zack gasped Spike gave them an annoyed look, "Really? There are four, giant, talking, turtles in front of you, and you're more surprised by the talking dog?! What is up with that?" Carmen spoke to her team, "He does have a point. So your abilities are magic and you're not 'superheroes'?" "Oh, we're superheroes in our own sense." Rainbow boasted. "Might I suggest you explain your origin since you're already aware of us?" Shadowsan insisted. "Of course, sir," Leo began, as he explained, "My brothers and I used to be ordinary turtles, until we were adopted by a human man. But on that day we were exposed to the mutagen you pilfered. My brothers and I became walking talking turtles, and the human who we'd recognize as our sensei and father turned into a rat." Raph continued, "We were raised and trained in this very lair in the art of the ninja, until we reached fifteen we were finally allowed to go up to the surface, but remain in the shadows. Turns out humans aren't accustomed to seeing others like us." "Obviously." Carmen replied. "What started out as a simple first night in the city led to a chain reaction that would change our lives since then." Donnie said. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and take a guess this had something to do with those aliens called the Kraang?" Carmen guessed. "You got it dudette." Mikey confirmed. "The Kraang were aliens from another dimension who came to our world wanting to terraform it using the mutagen they created to make it habitable for them. But back then the mutagen wasn't perfected yet so they started capturing scientists to help them modify it." Donnie explained. "My dad was one of the captives," April explained, "That's actually how I first met the guys." "I met them later on after the first invasion of the Kraang." Casey added. "But our biggest enemy was the Shredder." Leo said. "The Shredder?" Shadowsan gasped. "Wasn't he that Foot Clan leader you told us about?" Ivy asked the ninja. Leo replied, "He's correct. The Shredder or Oroku Saki was our greatest enemy ever. Until we eventually put him to rest." "With our help included." Rainbow boasted. "You guys killed the Shredder? Why?" Carmen asked. "To avenge the death of our father and sensei, Master Splinter, Hamato Yoshi." Leo replied. After hearing that, Shadowsan walked away and leaned on a table, much to everyone's confusion, "Shadowsan? Are you okay?" "Forgive me, it's just... I knew Hamato Yoshi. He was a dear friend of mine." the former faculty member confessed. "What?" the ninjas gasped. "You knew our sensei?" Raph asked. Shadowsan answered, "Yes. When I was younger I knew Yoshi who was trained in his family clan, the Hamato." "Then if you knew our father, did you also happen to know..." Mikey trailed off. "Yes. I also knew of Tang Shen, Yoshi's wife. And also, Oroku Saki, the man who would become the Shredder." "Did you also know Yoshi and Shen had..." Karai began. "Yes, a child. Little Miwa. I was told she along with Tang Shen perished in a fire that Yoshi survived." "You may wanna get your facts checked." Shini replied. "Hm?" Shadowsan raised a brow, as Karai spoke up. "My real name is Hamato Miwa." "Huh?" Zack and Ivy asked. "You live?" Shadowsan asked. "Yes. What you may not have heard was Oroku Saki saved me from the fire and took me under his wing. He renamed me Karai, and led me to believe Splinter was the one who killed my mother, and that Oroku Saki was my birth father." "This is so mind blowin'." Zack gasped. "For years I was trained in the art of the Foot clan for the day we would both have our revenge on Splinter and anyone associated with him," Karai motioned to the turtles and the Rainbooms, "Though through several events I learned the truth about my past and everything." "Now she fights for good." Fugitoid said. "So what about you girls?" Ivy asked the Rainbooms. "I'll start. There's a lot to cover." Sunset began, as she explained everything to team Carmen from her time in Equestria before coming to the human world, and everything. Needless to say when she finished, the team of thieves were flabbergasted, "You're tellin' us you're actually a pony from a land called Equestria?" Zack asked. "That's right." "Now I've heard everything." Ivy said feeling just as shocked. "The way you say you used to be makes me think you would've fit right in at VILE Academy." Carmen told her, "No offense." "None taken. I actually moved on from it long ago." Sunset admitted. "And that's how Spike here can talk?" Ivy asked, while petting the dog. "Yeah. I got caught in a stream of magic from Fluttershy that enabled me to speak." Spike answered. Carmen turned to Bebop and Rocksteady, "And you two used to be henchmen of the Shredder?" "I was once arms dealer for Shredder until he turned me into mutant." Rocksteady explained. "And Rock here hired me to steal Shredder's helmet, but that ended badly." Bebop chuckled sheepishly, as Rocksteady squinted at him. "An arms dealer, you say?" Shadowsan asked, as he walked up to Rocksteady, "You wouldn't happen to be Ivan Steranko, would you?" "So you guessed it, didn't you, Shadowsan?" Rocksteady asked. "Your speech pattern and your eye gave it away." "You know this guy too, Shadowsan?" Carmen asked. "Yes. Ivan Steranko supplied VILE with several top of the line weaponry many years back." "Da, best money I ever earned." Rocksteady admitted. Player spoke while focusing on Fugitoid, "So, Fugitoid, how does a cyborg end up falling into a crowd like these guys?" "I'm glad you asked, Player," Fugitoid began, "You see many nextons ago, I was once a humanoid. I lived on D'Hoonib. A planet of scientists obsessed with penetrating the highest truths of the universe. One day I was working on a new form of psionic technology when the alien race called the Triceratons came looking for me. They came to me to force me to build them weapons. When I refused, they attacked and destroyed everything in sight, leaving me hanging by a whim. My robot assistant placed my own brain in its own body. A man merged with machine, and I was reborn as a cyborg!" "Sweet." Player admitted. "When the Triceratons wiped out the planet I rescued the Turtles and their friends and eventually the Rainbooms in my old space craft. Then by going back in time we were able to prevent the Triceratons from destroying the planet." "At the last minute." Applejack noted. "And the professor sacrificed himself to take out the Triceraton empire," Sunset explained still remembering how painful it was to watch." "I spent many months after that floating amongst the debris despite being reactivated. Until finally I fell back to earth landing so conveniently close to the Rainbooms. After Sunset found me, she and Twilight were able to build me a new body and now I work as a Science teacher at their high school." "They let robots teach?" Zack asked the girls who shrugged. "So what about you, Shini?" Ivy asked Shinigami. "I was an old friend of Karai's back in Japan. When she told me the truth about Oroku Saki and the Foot she recruited me to help her in beginning a new Foot clan with honor and hear that the Shredder tainted for so many years." "And here I thought my team and I were a bunch of misfits looking to do good." Carmen motioned to her team. "Welcome to the club." Sunset replied, as they all felt more comfortable with each other. Soon Leo, Sunset, and Twilight showed Shadowsan and Carmen into the dojo, where Shadowsan looked around feeling right at home. The man walked over and saw the old picture of Splinter as a human with his wife and daughter, "Yoshi." he said. "If it wasn't for our father I wouldn't be who I am today," Leo explained, "In fact none of us would be who we are today if not for his teachings." he motioned to Twilight and Sunset wh nodded in confirmation. "Though Yoshi was a dear friend of mine, he knew not of the life I led with VILE. I wonder how things would be if he did know." he looked down. "I'm sure Master Splinter would understand," Sunset replied, "I mean you swore to protect Carmen since she was just a baby." "And despite the way you made yourself out to be around her during her training days you still protected her from the shadows covering for her." Twilight added. "You really are a good person, Shadowsan." Leo finished, making the former faculty member smile. Zack popped in, "Hey, guys. Mikey just brought in some pizzas. Get it while it's hot!" "Yum." Sunset said feeling hungry. "Come on, before Mikey eats it all." Leo told Carmen and Shadowsan. "Trust us, he will." Twilight confirmed. So the two followed their new friends out of the dojo. In the kitchen, the entire group was enjoying their pizza party, "Oh, man, New York pizza is so good." Zack salivated, as he ate a slice. "You got that right." Mikey agreed. Rarity spoke to Carmen, "I have to say, Carmen, I do love your choice in wardrobe. This coat and that hat are to die for. And it's Carmen brand, isn't it?" "That's right, Rarity. You sure know your clothes." "Indeed I do, darling." "Then you'll also know this brand went out of business." Carmen noted. Rarity sighed, "Yes, such a shame." Zack got up to get something from the freezer, but upon opening it he looked inside and screamed before slamming it shut. "Bro, what's up?" Ivy asked in concern, as was Carmen. "Guys, there's something in there!" Zack began panicking, "I don't know what it is, but it looks like a cat!" "Oh, that's just Ice Cream Kitty." Mikey replied, as he opened the freezer to reveal the mutant cat. "Meow!" Carmen and her crew were surprised, as the crimson thief spoke, "What exactly are we looking at here?" "Is that a cat made out of ice cream?" Ivy asked in surprise. "That's exactly what our student Sandbar said," Mikey answered, "But, nope. She's a mutant cat made out of ice cream." he put her in a bowl and brought her onto the table. "And she's very affectionate." Fluttershy said, as Ice Cream Kitty nuzzled the girl who giggled. "O...kay." Carmen replied. "Trust me, this is nothing compared to other stuff." April assured her. Raph came into the kitchen carrying Chompy, "Hey there, Chompy!" Rainbow pat the alien's head. Ivy looked at the creature and got closer, "Aww, who's this little guy?" "This is Chompy Picasso. He's a baby alien turtle, that I'm looking after." Raph explained. "And I'm his surrogate mother." Rainbow added. "Well, he's a cute little guy, that's what he is!" Ivy tickled Chompy's chin, until he belched out fire, "Whoa!" she almost fell out of her chair. "Uh, yeah, watch out for the fire burps." Rainbow said sheepishly. "I said it before and I'll say it again, New York has everything!" Zack cheered. Later on, the group was brought into Donnie's lab, "Welcome to my lab." "Interesting set up, Donnie," Carmen said, before continuing, "I can call you that, right?" "By all means." They heard clunking, and saw Metalhead approach, "Hello, Rainbooms. Good to see you again." "Nice to see you too, Metalhead." Fluttershy greeted. Metalhead saw team Carmen, "I see we have some new guests here." "Yeah. This is Carmen, Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan. And the kid on the screen is Player." Donie introduced them. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Metalhead." "Another robot that looks like a turtle?" Ivy asked Donnie. "I built him myself." he boasted. "Very impressive." Carmen admitted, until they heard Zack cry with joy. "Zack! Carmen and Ivy gasped, as they followed the sound to a garage. "Bro, what is it?" Ivy asked in worry. "Ivy, take a look at this!" Zack marveled at the Shellraiser. "Whoa!" Ivy gasped. "You like that, huh?" Donnie asked, "I call it the Shellraiser." "I hate to say this, but I think Lydia met her match." Zack said in guilt. "Lydia?" Casey asked. "It was the name of our race car." Ivy answered. "Race car?" Mikey asked. "You guys are racers?" Rainbow asked. "Yeah we're a team," Zack explained, "I'm the driver." "And I'm the mechanic." Ivy finished. "So why work as thieves?" Raph asked. "Well, we kinda got our start with driving through a loan from a mobster named Sharkhead Eddie. We were supposed to pay him back with the money we won from the championship, but instead we tried to get our money through a doughnut joint which was actually where we first met Carmen." Zack explained. "We had no idea the money was actually being secured by VILE and not the mob." Ivy added. "The both of them despite partly getting in my way proved to be great allies." Carmen admitted with a smile. "We decided the best thing to do was get out of town to avoid Eddie, so we tagged along with Carmen." Zack told the ninjas. "Sounds like you all make quite the team." Rarity smiled. "We have each others backs." Carmen replied. "Now we should speak of the matter at hand." Shadowsan said before placing the canister of mutagen Carmen stole from the shipment onto the table. "Thanks. Glad ya didn't open it." Donnie said in relief. "This mutagen, what is it?" Player inquired. "It's the stuff that made us who we are." Leo explained. "Where did it come from?" Ivy asked. "According to Player this stuff came from the company TCRI." Zack noted. "Well, you got it half right." Donnie admitted. Fugitoid explained, and began using his eyes to project visuals, "The mutagen comes from a dimension known as Dimension X. It was discovered when an Utrom scientist named Kraang discovered it from a Krathatragon worm. Harnessing it's power he gained psychic powers and becoming deranged in the process. Kraang Prime was born, and he used his horrible psychic powers to overcome millions of Utrom, turning them into slave-copies of himself! And so, the Kraang were born." "Whoa." Carmen gasped. "That's freaky." Zack said in shock. "Kraang Prime wanted to use their mutagen to terraform other dimensions to become inhabitable for their kind." Fugitoid continued. "When they brought the mutagen to our world, it ended up creating several mutants that ended up becoming either our enemies or allies." Donnie added. "After we defeated the Kraang, TCRI fell under the control of the Utroms along with the Earth Protection Force. That building has a lot of Utrom and Kraang tech along with mutagen as well." Leo explained. "And that's where Stockman got his supply from." Carmen said. "But what would VILE want with it?" April wondered. "That's what we're wondering ourselves." Carmen replied. Leo walked up to her, "We may come from different teams. But we have the same goals. To keep people safe and stop villains and anything that may threaten the city or the world. Will you accept our help in stopping VILE and whatever plans they may be concocting with the mutagen?" Carmen looked at Leo and the Rainbooms, before looking at her team and Shadowsan who looked like they were on board. Carmen looked back at Leo and smiled, "I accept, Leo." she shook Leo's hand. "Yes! Team up!" Pinkie cheered, as she jumped around in excitement. "We'll head back to our hotel and talk tomorrow." Carmen said. "We'll meet up with you there." Sunset offered. "Thanks." Carmen thanked her, and soon Team Carmen was escorted back to the surface. Meanwhile Stockman was at his own hideout at meeting with the VILE faculty via four way computer screen. "You want me to steal more mutagen?!" Stockman asked in outrage, "I barely managed to steal that first shipment! What happened?" Maelstrom sighed, "I regret to inform you, Doctor. The shipment was compromised! One of our agents had a confrontation with a girl, who, along with Carmen Sandiego, were able to steal the supply of mutagen." "Our agent also claimed that the girl had exploding sprinkles. Ridiculous, I am sure." Countess Cleo said. "Exploding sprinkles?" Stockman asked, before squinting, "On the contrary, Countess, I can confirm her claim!" Coach Brunt was taken aback, "Wait, you saying that girl really had exploding sprinkles?" "Precisely, Coach. Her name's Pinkie Pie, and she's part of two teams of self proclaimed heroes. The Turtles and the Rainbooms!" "Turtles and Rainbooms?" The Countess asked. "With names like that, they don't sound like much of a threat." Coach Brunt passed it off. "Do not underestimate them," Stockman warned the Faculty, "They've been a thorn in my side for years, foiling every one of my schemes! And they showed up at the same time when Carmen Sandiego tried to steal the mutagen shipment the other night before! And if Carmen was helping Pinkie, then she must have teamed up with them!" "I see," Maelstrom pondered, "Never the less, can you supply us with another shipment of mutagen?" "Well, I do have a few secret stashes of mutagen hidden all over the city. But only two of them are enough to replace the first shipment. And the Turtles and Rainbooms might find out and try to stop me! But the good news is that they won't ignore trouble when it hits. So if you want that mutagen, then we need a distraction to keep them busy while I get the mutagen." Countess Cleo stood up, "Though I still doubt these Turtles and Rainbooms are as threatening as you claim, perhaps I can provide a distraction. It just so happens that I have an upcoming fashion show in New York, as well as a planned art heist." Coach Brunt stood up too, "And I'll go along to provide some extra security. And we'll just see how well these Turtles and Rainbooms hold up." "Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you." Stockman ended the transmission. Maelstrom turned to his associates, "I think it would be wise to have a contingency plan, don't you?" "Agreed," Dr. Bellum confirmed, "I'll send Agents Tigress, Le Chevre, and El Topo to steal the mutagen from TCRI." "Excellent," Maelstrom said, "If any luck VILE may have found potential recruits among these ninjas, with some persuasion of course." he snickered.