That's What I Call The Talant - Blog Posts
Back when “Repairin’ the Baron” first aired, I was like “I’m worried about Mikey being alone with Draxum and this “giant reptilian monster” imagery, Draxum’s going to play them all for fools by faking his redemption and then he’ll mutate Mikey as part of a scheme or just out of spite.”
But now I have an idea that’s so much worse. :)
Let’s say Draxum truly does grow fond of Mikey and begins to feel parental towards him. After all, who doesn’t love Mikey? He’s such a sweetheart, so small and cute and helpful and naive…
And Draxum gets worried. This beautiful idiot child is going to get himself killed, trying to befriend every villain he comes across! He called Foot Recruit “frenemy” even after she tried to smash his shell into powder! He’s approached a cannibalistic mutant multiple times because he wanted to learn how to make pork risotto! He got an apartment for the guy who nearly wiped out humanity!
If only Mikey was better able to defend himself… if only he wasn’t quite so friendly, or so small… if only he was a bit faster, stronger, tougher…
So Draxum stages a little “accident” with an oozesquito, not out of malice, but out of a misguided attempt to keep Mikey safe.
The scene is staged so we think we’ll get a repeat of the monster!Don situation from 2k3, but… it actually works! Mikey gets an upgrade, and he’s still himself!
He’s a little taller than Leo, Donnie, and April now, and has a grand old time teasing them about it. His family doesn’t baby him when they spar anymore! It’s a lot easier to thrash villains now!
It is so much easier to thrash villains now…
Mikey’s “Doctor Delicate Touch” moments start to get more frequent, and more severe. He’s full of restless energy at all hours of the day and night. The flames of his kusari-fundo burn brighter and hotter, it’s laugh sounds more sinister. Sometimes it screams with rage, instead.
And then he goes too far. Maybe he gets pissy that Donnie insists on running more tests even though he’s fine, he feels great, Donnie’s just mad because he doesn’t like his little brother being stronger than him, FUCK OFF-
Donnie gets burned. Mikey runs to Draxum. Maybe he figured out the oozesquito accident wasn’t really an accident, maybe he didn’t, but right now he desperately needs someone else to blame. Scared and ashamed, the tears and snot sizzling right off his face, he grabs Draxum by the shoulders and shakes him, screaming “I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE FIX ME.”
This would be the worst possible time for the Hidden City police to track Draxum down, so of course they choose right then to kick in the door and attack.
Mikey retaliates. It doesn’t matter that they’ve brought a small army this time, or that they’re the yokai equivalent of a SWAT team, or that they’ve got every possible exit surrounded. There’s nothing they can do against him. Mikey is a blur of flame and fury, mowing them down and leaving ash in his wake. The room, and then the building, and then the block lights up and New York starts to burn around him as he laughs and laughs and laughs.
Draxum can only stare at his perfect, ultimate creation. It took centuries of research and experimentation and setbacks, but he finally did it! He made a soldier capable of tearing through foes like the cheap paper those Foot idiots use! An agile, graceful killing machine, whirling and dancing like the devil against a backdrop of hellfire.
And he is sickened with himself, because how could he do that to his son?
Draxum sighs and grits his teeth. This is going to hurt, but it has to be done. Summoning every tendril he has, he wraps them around Mikey’s limbs and mouth and pulls him away from the fight. They smoke and shrivel as they touch Mikey’s glowing body, wiring hot agony back into Draxum’s nervous system. But Draxum does not cry out. He can’t risk the Hidden City’s remaining forces hearing him.
Just for a moment, Mikey is too surprised to fight back. And that’s all Draxum needs to pull him into the sewers. Steam billows up before Mikey even hits the water, choking and blinding them. But it cools him down enough to realize what he’s done, and he doesn’t protest when Draxum hoists him onto his back and starts trekking towards the lair.
Donnie is a genius, nobody doubts that, but he’s a programmer and engineer, not a biologist. His lab just doesn’t have the equipment Draxum needs to start working on a retromutagen. The only place in the world that does is Draxum’s lab, which was confiscated by the Hidden City police.
Draxum doesn’t hesitate. He appears before the Council of Heads to strike a deal. Give him access to his lab long enough to remedy the wrong he has done, and he will surrender. The Council agrees.
Some days later, Mayhem appears in the lair with a little pink vial tied around his neck, as well as a handwritten note. It simply says:
Here is the cure. Don’t forgive me. -Draxum