Chapter 364: Toywar (X)
Chapter 364: Toywar (X)
In an era where the word "masterpiece" has been reduced to a buzzword, people seem to have forgotten its original meaning. Most of the time, we use it merely to praise a work we admire or to joke about some unexpected twist.
But decades ago, this term meant far more...
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles once came infinitely close to divinity.
It was born during a golden age.
Back then, hair dyeing was still fashionable, disco echoed through every street, Alien's special effects amazed audiences, and the video game console throne belonged to Xiao Baba...
Back then, Michael Jordan reigned supreme, Brother Horse's dual pistols hadn't cooled yet, Teresa Teng's voice lingered in the air, and Jackson was still Black...
Back then, there was no arrogant materialism, no Ancient South Korean Kingdom that claimed to create the universe, China's Men's Football Team was still Asia's elite, and Spring Festival Gala sketches dared to speak uncomfortable truths...
It was a nostalgic era, a purely innocent time.
When cars became widespread, cities lost their boundaries.
Today, the flood of electronic devices hasn't brought people closer together.
The days of families gathering around one television set are gone. Now, everyone stares at their own little screen. In this hyper-connected information age, we've only become more lost.
But in that golden age, things weren't so complicated. A work's appeal could be seen clearly in its ratings.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the kind of show that made children rush to their TV sets on schedule. With its novel concept, thrilling plot, witty dialogue, and just the right dose of violence, its success was inevitable.
Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello—the four distinctively-tempered mutant turtles upholding justice—captivated audiences for year after year. Their stories spread across comics, TV shows, big-screen films, and games. They even had their own rock band (actors wearing the Turtles' artifact suits lip-syncing on stage). In the early 1990s, when special effects technology was still primitive, they had already produced three live-action movies. Even in the 21st century, their 2003 animated reboot received widespread acclaim.
These invincible heroes naturally spawned countless toy lines. As a generation's classic memory, the Turtles were destined to appear in the Classic Faction.
"Hey! When did you guys get here?" Jazz shouted.
"Early enough..." Raphael responded in his signature deep voice.
Leonardo added, "Optimus Prime ordered us to secretly follow you for backup."
"Hmm..." Nightbeat mused, "No wonder Optimus Prime anticipated the possibility of a complete breakdown between Lego House and us. With you four as backup, even if we're trapped inside Lego House, we still have a strong chance of escaping."
"There's more to it..." Xiao Tan suddenly interrupted, "Don't you think... it's because Optimus Prime still doesn't fully trust Feng Bu Jue and me? That's why he sent you to secretly follow us and monitor any suspicious moves."
"The mission's details aren't important anymore." Leonardo's reply was essentially an admission of Xiao Tan's guess. Indeed, Optimus Prime had sent the Turtles mainly to watch the otherworld travelers. Unless absolutely necessary, the four wouldn't reveal themselves.
Their original plan was to intervene only when Jazz and Nightbeat faced genuine danger. But plans change. No one expected Sword Heart to detect their presence.
Leonardo turned his gaze to Sword Heart. "May I ask how you discovered us?"
This was indeed a puzzling question. As ninjas, the Turtles' stealth techniques were world-class. When necessary, they could even suppress their breathing for long periods to mask their presence.
"Actually, it wasn't me who discovered you", Sword Heart replied. "It was Mad Bu Jue Mr." He paused. "Perhaps... you were noticed the moment you started following us." He rubbed his chin in thought. "When Zoro unleashed Ichirryu during his test, that Crazy Mr. instantly discerned the technique's power, speed, and variations... That alone wasn't strange. But then, in the split second between lightning and sparks, he managed to glance sideways at your direction, checking if you'd react..." Sword Heart slowly turned to face the Turtles. "If I hadn't witnessed it myself, I'd never believe such a thing was possible. Whether someone fears death or seeks it, no one reacts this way when attacked—but he did..."
"You're pretty sharp yourself..." Leonardo responded, "Detecting our direction just from Mad Bu Jue's fleeting glance?"
"Hmph... Hard not to notice..." Sword Heart sighed. "Imagine this—if while a blade swung at your face, you raised your sword to block and stole a glance sideways. If you saw that scene, wouldn't you be intrigued?"
"That might not be the case." Feng Bu Jue's voice suddenly cut in.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
Zong Wu spoke first, sounding drained, "Ah~ Back quicker than expected. Guess you just took two turns to shake us off, huh..."
Feng Bu Jue ignored him, addressing Sword Heart instead, "If it were me, seeing someone with two or more scars clustered on one cheek, I'd guess... they must love looking around during combat."
Sword Heart didn't respond to Feng Bu Jue's joke, his expression cold. "Since Zoro Mr. is gone, and you have the advantage in numbers, it's time I..." He gripped his sword hilt.
Instantly, the four Ninja Turtles leapt apart in unison, scattering to the four directions.
Around Sword Heart, an invisible circle seemed to bloom—a realm of extreme danger. Only those with sufficient strength could sense its presence.
"Team, leave him to me." Leonardo, as the leader, naturally took the most dangerous task. "Raphael, Donatello—handle Zong Wu. Michelangelo, go help Jazz's group suppress Gouri."
"Hmph... Finally something to smash!" Raphael exclaimed, eager.
"Be careful, bro. That kid's no pushover." Donatello warned as he leapt forward.
"Ha ha! Here we go!" Michelangelo always seemed cheerful. Twirling his nunchaku, he jumped into the fray beside Xiao Tan.
Suddenly, the power balance shifted. With Feng Bu Jue returning, he suddenly seemed surplus to requirements.
...
One minute earlier, on a balcony of a building within Lego House.
The "balcony" itself was made of Lego bricks. In this Lego House, few items other than illumination devices were non-Lego products.
Currently, two figures stood at the balcony's edge, watching the distant combat through the glass wall of the Display Area.
They were Lego Batman and Lego Iron Man.
These "Lego-fied" superheroes naturally had chibi proportions. Their limbs and torsos were rectangular blocks, with two-head-height proportions. They were shorter than most standard humanoid toys, looking like children.
"Do you think we should intervene?" Tony (Iron Man) said, his voice carrying a layered, electronic tone—the kind filtered through a real Iron Man suit.
Batman kept his face rigid. "I suggest we don't interfere."
"This is our territory, after all", Tony argued. "It's not good to keep ignoring what's happening."
"We've already been standing here pretending not to notice for quite some time", Bruce replied. "A little longer, and they'll probably finish fighting."
"Didn't I hear this exact conversation somewhere before..." Tony scratched his helmet (since it was a Lego custom toy, he couldn't remove the mask). "Oh right! When Hulk and Bane were wrestling on Children's Day Eve!" He paused. "Remember how we almost couldn't finish reconstruction that night?"
"That was different—indoors. This is outside." Bruce hesitated a moment. "These are sensitive times. We must avoid drawing fire whenever possible."
"Except this fire came straight to us", Tony countered. "I knew it—the stolen bricks incident was connected to Novel. They've already deployed Lego weapons in battle... Jazz and the others are here for answers."
"So you're saying we should mobilize now, wipe out Novel's forces, and clear our name?" Bruce asked.
"It's a matter of choice..." A third voice joined.
Bruce and Tony turned to see Joker approaching from the balcony's edge, his steps wobbling like a tightrope walker.
"Novel deploying Lego weapons seems like boosting their forces", Joker grinned, "But think deeper—they have another motive... Hehehe..."
Bruce nodded. "Trying to drag Lego into this?"
"Exactly", Tony continued. "If Classic fails to investigate properly and blames us for supplying Novel, they might declare war—or strike without warning. Either way, both sides would lose strength and gain lasting enmity."
"Mm... By then, even if we knew we were tricked, we'd have no choice but to ally with them." Bruce said.
"Ha! I said it—choice." Joker extended a finger. "Option one—we defect to Novel now. Negotiate terms while we still can." He raised a second finger. "Option two—we side with Classic, using Operation to prove Lego never willingly supplied Novel."
As Joker spoke, he reached the Lego railing by the two. Lightly hopping down, he stood before them, pointing to a fake flower pinned on his collar. "Hey! Wanna smell this, Bruce?"
Bruce glanced at the flower, snorting. "That trick only fools Thor."
"This is the choice, Bruce—smell or not smell?" Joker grinned, his terrifying smile somehow sincere.
"I'll go with option three." Bruce said, reaching out. He tilted the flower's stigma ninety degrees upward, aiming it directly at Joker's face. "We prove our innocence to Classic and give Novel a warning. Then maintain neutrality." Pressing the flower's switch, he activated it.
But instead of spraying water, the flower quickly melted into a pinkish paste, sticking to his hand.
"Hahaha! Sometimes, you just have to give in, don't you?" Laughing maniacally, Joker leapt back onto the balcony.
Tony turned away, stifling giggles with a shrug.
Bruce looked at Tony, then down at his hand, grumbling. "Hmph..." Then, with a scheming smirk, he shoved Joker hard.
The paste glued both their hands together. The two Lego-constructed idiots screamed in unison as they tumbled off the balcony.
Tony peeked over the edge, sighing. "Poor non-flying duo—still jumping from heights every day..."
(End of Chapter)
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