-Inside the Technodrome-

"The attack on the dimension known as Turtle Prime is going successfully, Kraang."

The Kraang, crammed into the chest cavity of their robotic bodies, all let smiles - cold, proud smiles - spread across their faces. Ironically, the smiles emptied the room of any hope or happiness that was left. Shredder87 stared up with wide eyes at the monitor. He didn't know how to express what he was feeling as he saw the 1987 turtles smash their way through the army. The turtles were getting a little hurt, but the battle had barely started a minute ago. Shredder hung onto this - the fact that there was still time for the battle to go either way. It filled his emptiness, his acceptance that the Kraang would be the end of the world, and replaced it with hope.

"You won't win."

All the Kraang turned to him at once. Shredder87 had spoken to them before, told them they were fools, but now the Kraang were really listening to him. They were seeing him in a new light, waiting for him to continue. Shredder87 took a breath and spoke again. "What you're doing will destroy more than the turtles. The world will fall to pieces. And I won't let you do that. I'll go down fighting and that is the only way I'll go."

The Kraang exchanged glances, their eerie smiles growing, their green eyes lighting up. "Yes, the one known as Shredder will go down fighting. But for which side?"

"What?"

"You are all idiots! Blithering idiots!" shouted Krang suddenly, struggling against his bonds. "This Shredder is a wuss. He will be no help for you!" Krang chuckled. Was this all a joke to him?

One of the Kraang stepped over and grabbed the chains around Krang and pulled him to his feet. "Krang, the one who was once a proud general, will also be an asset to Kraang's defeat of those known as the turtles."

"As well as those pathetic lifeforms," said another Kraang, pointing its gun at Bebop and Rocksteady, who had been cowering quietly in their chains since they'd woken up.

- Turtle Prime -

"MICHELANGELO!" Raphael Prime charged for his brother. Michelangelo was staggering, falling over, but Raphael caught him just in time. The turtle glanced at the wound on his brother's shoulder, from a bullet that had barely grazed him. "Are you okay?" Raphael asked quickly.

"I'll be fine." With that, Raphael set Michelangelo to the side and looked up to the Kraang who'd shot his brother. He felt his blood began to boil, his eyes turn to fire. The Kraang, these monsters so similar to the Utroms, were attacking his city, his home. But now they'd hurt his brother, and this war had become personal.

Raphael lunged straight at the robot. Before the Kraang could even shoot, Raphael screamed and pulled the alien right out of its droid body. The squealing, wild-eyed monster couldn't escape the quickness of Raphael's sai.

Karai came up and helped injured Michelangelo Prime defend himself.

At that time, Leonardo Prime was surrounded by Kraang. He stabbed one in the head and stomped on the alien as it tried to escape its broken body, then took the gun and shot at the rest that were swarming him. He ran, ran like crazy, shouting at Donatello Prime - who was fighting hand-to-hand with an unarmed Kraang. Donatello broke away and came to his brother's side. "What'cha need, boss?"

Leonardo stopped about fifty feet before the Technodrome, rumbling through the streets. The city was filled with noise - the violent bangs and shouts of battle, the squeals of the fleeing citizens - but Donatello could hear his brother perfectly fine as Leonardo pointed up at the huge vehicle. "We need to take that down!"

As he spoke, the Technodrome sent out a missile that missed the turtles and crashed into a store. There was a scream as the place burst into fire. Donatello tuned it out, ashamed he hadn't done anything to stop it. "Definitely. The Technodrome is doing more damage than all the soldiers combined." He ran at the Technodrome and Leonardo followed close behind. They fought the wave of Kraang, pouring out of the portal in an unstoppable force.

- 1997 dimension -

"The final battle is soon to begin," said Donatello87. He stood before a few turtles, mostly the Donatellos who weren't caring for injured Splinter97 and the Raphaels, as the Leonardos had gone off to finish formulating their plan and the Michelangelos were practicing their skills so they'd be prepared next time they saw Shredder. The conversation between the Donatellos was peppered with energetic cries of "Cowabunga!" and "Booyahkasha!"

Raphael90 looked up at Donatello87. "Yeah, but how do we know when - "

Suddenly, several Michelangelos who had been sparring for practice dropped to the ground, clutching their shoulders. "Ow!"

"Where did that pain come from?" asked Donatello12, running to help Michelangelo12 to his feet. "Did one of you get hurt on the shoulder or did it come all of the sudden?" Perhaps this was a sign that the Turtle Primes - whom the Donatellos figured shared the pain too, due to the fact that some of the turtles had met the Turtle Primes last month - were already battling Shredder12.

Michelangelo97 shrugged, wincing from the agony of it. "That Mikey" - he gestured to Michelangelo90 - "hit me on the shoulder with his nunchucks a couple seconds ago. Maybe that's where the pain came from?"

"Okay..." Donatello12 said. He decided he'd let this slip, but he was skeptical, especially after Michelangelo12 told him the pain felt like he'd been shot in the arm. Not the feeling someone usually has when they get hit with nunchucks.

"Yes, the final battle is definitely looming," said Donnie C, paraphrasing what Donatello87 had said a few moments ago. "I'd like to be in Turtle Prime already, but first I'd like those turtles who went to their dimension to come back."

"Anything could happen, but do we have a plan for when go to Turtle Prime?" Raphael89 pushed himself to his feet and looked expectantly at the group of Leonardos.

"Definitely," replied Leo C. He smiled, for the first time any of the others could remember since they met him. His hard, serious demeanor eased up, for just that small, miraculous moment. In fact, all the Leonardos smiled - small Mona Lisa smiles. They turned to look at Leonardo12. "Actually, this guy thought of it."

Leonardo12 looked proud. Turns out the Leonardo they thought was too young, too small, too childish, had actually become so useful and irreplacable.

- Turtle Prime-

Shredder ran as fast as he could, fueled by anger, shoving fleeing citizens out of his way. What were they fleeing from? He was finally going to make Splinter pay for what he'd done to Tang Shen. Shredder could hardly ever believe he'd once been as close as a brother with Hamato, before he'd seen the evil that lurked inside him.

His thoughts were interrupted by a huge explosion, which should have been red but was black and white like everything in this dimension. Smoke billowed above the rooftops and blocked out the stars.

"What was that?" Shredder wondered aloud. He wondered if the Kraang would have an answer and so he turned on his earpiece. "Kraang?" There was only static, and never a hint of a reply. Shredder continued to run towards the smoke because the turtles were probably there, protecting citizens. As he got closer, the crowds on the streets thinned enormously and Shredder12 heard a new sound. Gunshots. But not normal ones. Alien but familar.

Shredder12's worst fears were confirmed when he rounded a street and saw the Technodrome in full force, trudging down the street. Buildings caved in on either side of it from its huge size.

Finally, there was a reply through the earpiece, which Shredder12 had left on. "Come to Kraang, one known as Shredder. Kraang will finally conquer the enemies of Kraang and be free to rule Earth!" The earpiece switched off soon after that, but not before Shredder12 heard a shout of "Cowabunga!" in the background.

"No!" Shredder12 shouted in disbelief. The Kraang had betrayed him! They'd led him hear to die! "NO!" He dropped to the ground, heaving in anger.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. If I will go down, then at least I'll take the turtles and Splinter with me. It was enough to make him pull himself back on his feet again and run, never looking back. This would be the final fight, the finale and entire meaning of Shredder's life. All other meaning had been taken away years ago in the form of Tang Shen.

-1997 dimension-

"Where are the turtles?" Donatello90 said, pacing nervously. "It's obvious Shredder is on his way to Turtle Prime, if he's not there already. This is the end of the world and they think they can make it come on their time!"

"They said they'd be quick. Just wait a few more minutes," said level-headed and patient Leonardo07. "Besides, we've still got plenty of preparing to do." He gestured around the Lair, at Donatello13 and several other Donatellos working on the final improvements of the Gravity Gauntlet, to the many who were practicing their ninjutsu, and some Donatellos helping with injuries. Leonardo12 had explained to everyone what the plan was several minutes ago, but he and a group of assorted turtles were still working out the kinks in it. Donatello12 was leaning against the wall in the corner of the Lair, figuring out the details of the shared pain on a notepad, thinking of someway to use it the turtles' advantage.

Then there was the huge problem of Splinter97, who was still unconscious and very injured. Venus de Milo had been silent for a good while, sitting silently next to him. She'd said something about talking to him in the dream world. Venus had felt so bad about being unable to save her brother Donatello97, that there was no way she'd let her master go as well.

Donatello12 stood in the corner of the Lair, staring at Donatello97's body from a distance, deep in thought with a notepad that was nearly empty. He sighed sadly. The turtles had planned to leave Donatello97 where he'd died until they returned from Turtle Prime (if they were successful in defeating Shredder12), and then return to have some sort of funeral. Donatello could hardly believe he'd died, or, at least, a version of himself. It had knocked him out of balance. He felt like a piece that didn't go in the puzzle it had been stuffed in.

April approached him slowly. "Hi, Donnie. How's it coming?" She had been sparring with the Raphaels but was tired and decided to save the rest of her energy for battle.

Donatello12's head snapped up. "Nothing, really," he said. He looked down at his notepad, which was nearly empty. He knew there was something left undiscovered about the shared pain but couldn't figure it out. He'd mostly been doodling and writing on his notepad for the sake of just filling up empty space. Slowly, he said,"April...do you think we can win?"

"Why not?"

Donatello12 looked down at his feet, unable to look up at her. "There are so many of us ready to fight Shredder, but why is that different now? We couldn't beat him before no matter how big the group was - "

"We have a plan now, Donnie. We aren't just attacking Shredder blindly this time." April could hardly believe Donatello12 was saying this. Usually he was so optimistic. The death of Donatello97 must have hurt him much more than he was letting on.

"And how much will that help? It all comes down to the first question: do you think we can win?"

April12 shrugged casually, but she answered strongly. "Anything can happen." She leaned down to be face-to-face with Donatello12. "...Even this."

Donatello12 wasn't at all expecting April to lean forward and give him a kiss. At first his heart fluttered wildly and he didn't know what to do but at last he felt his fears queal and he kissed her back. He got what April meant this time: the odds may be against them, but there was always hope. The kind of hope Donatello12 had had, hoping April loved him as much as he loved her. And that wish had come true.

When April broke away, she stood up serenely and just walked away, leaving Donatello12 to stare after her. Slowly, he felt his thoughts returning to him. But there was something new. He looked down at his notepad where he'd been figuring out how to use the shared pain to the turtles' advantage and all the sudden an idea popped into his mind so strongly it pushed all other thoughts away. Donatello12 leapt to his feet and proclaimed to the entire Lair,"I've got it!"

-1996 anime dimension-

Donatello96 was nervous. He ran to catch up with Leonardo96, who was practically marching forward. "We should be back with the other turtles now, Leo-san. I've got a feeling the battle will start any minute now."

Leonardo96 waved him off. "Hai, Donnie-san. I've got a feeling Shredder is in Turtle Prime right now, searching for the turtles. But we promised all the others we'd get the muyataishi. They could mean the difference between defeat and success."

Raphael96 interrupted. "Don't worry, Donnie-san. We'll know just when Shredder has reached the Turtle Primes - we'll feel this sudden, horrible pain!"

"That's not funny!" Donatello96 said.

"Didn't say it was. I trust the other turtles to hold Shredder off until we get there. Remember, we need these mutastones! We searched those ninja he knocked out in the field back there and we didn't find the golden plate. That could only mean Shredder got the plate and the special mutastones it holds. And you can only fight fire with fire."

"I thought you fought fire with water!" Michelangelo96 said, scratching his head.

- in the Technodrome -

"The ones known as the Turtle Primes are attacking what is the exterior of the Technodrome," said one Kraang.

"The attacking of the turtles on the Technodrome will end at time known as 'sooner' rather than the time known as 'later'," said another. The Kraang, watching the monitor in the room, smiled as the Turtle Primes Leonardo and Donatello climbing the Technodrome were pulled to the ground by a swarm of Kraang. The sky was a raging storm of pink bullets - too bad the Kraang were terrible shots.

"Another problem has arisen for Kraang. The one known as Shredder is nearing the scene of battle."

"Shredder will not be a large problem for the Kraang. The ones known as the turtles will likely not be far behind him, though. It is time to bring out what is known as the 'secret weapons'."

A few Kraang strode out of the room immediately. The rest turned to look at Shredder87 unblinkingly. He backed up nervously, until he hit the wall. "What? What do you want with me, freaks?"

"I think I know what," said Krang on the floor, as he watched helplessly as Shredder87 was dragged out of the room by the crowd. Krang was left alone with wimpering Bebop and Rocksteady to listen to the soundtrack of April87's cries that rang thoughout the Technodrome.

In the main room of the Technodrome, the 2009 turtles who had broken in were all huddled around the monitor control panel. The monitor was blank, turned off. But as Donatello09, squatting underneath the controls with a panel opened, figitted with the wires the monitor turned on. When sounds suddenly burst into the previously dead silent room (excluding screaming April87), Donatello09's head snapped up in surprise and hit the controls. "Ow!"

"It's so loud! Where's the volume button?" Raphael09 hissed. He smashed a few buttons before he found it. "Aha!" He turned the volume down as quick as possible. He didn't realize the buttons he'd hit before the volume had sent even more missiles and bullets reigning down on the battle field.

Once the trouble was gone, the turtles all looked up at the monitor and the full horror it displayed. There was a street sprawling forward, filled with Kraang and a few odd-looking turtles desperately fighting them. Nearly every building was demolished or on fire.

"Dude, the Kraang are jerks!"

"We've got to stop this!" Leonardo09 said. "Look at those turtles. It's a miracle they aren't dead!"

"SPLINTER!" April87 suddenly cried.

"Hey lady, would you mind being quiet?" Donatello09 flipped around to glare at her. But his mouth dropped open when he saw Splinter87. The rat had broken through the glass that had entrapped him. He was breathing hard from the effort and looked to be in pain. Silently, he gestured at the machine behind him that had been protected by the glass shield.

"I figured out what this device does," he said. "I suppose it would be good to enhance our element of surprise in battle."

"What battle?" said Raphael09. "This was a stealth mission. We followed Shredder around for so long just for a chance to finish him off when he wasn't ready. That was it. If you think we're going into the madness, you've got another thing coming!"

"Ah, but if those turtles die, so do you."

Raphael09 felt the fight go out of him. "Well, that changes things."

Leonardo09 stepped in front of Raphael09. "So, what actions do you propose we take in this battle, Splinter?"

-Turtle Prime-

One Kraang came charging at Michelangelo Prime. The turtle swiftly dodged. The Kraang flipped around and with the chainsaw some Kraang had on the bottom of their guns, it swung at him. Michelangelo fought back as best he could, but with his injured arm he was slower than usual. Just as the Kraang was about to slice his head off, Karai came flying out of nowhere and grabbed the Kraang around the neck. She used her momentum to fling the Kraang away. Heaving, she turned and looked at Michelangelo Prime, who was stunned.

"Come on, your brothers need help." She wiped some sweat off her forehead and pointed at Donatello and Leonardo cornered against the Technodrome and being swarmed by Kraang. As she ran, she didn't know that her father was charging down the street toward the huge fight.

"AAAH!"

The scream, wild with agony, sliced through the chaotic battle like a knife. "That was Leonardo!" Michelangelo Prime shouted to Karai. He charged as fast as he could for the crowd of Kraang, pushing them away to find his brother. "Leo!"

-1997 dimension-

Donatello03 strode over to look at Venus de Milo, who was meditating silently next to the severely injured Splinter97. He couldn't help noticing the tears running down her face.

"It will be all right, Venus. I promise. We're doing everything we can to save him."

Her eyes snapped open and she turned to look at Donatello03. "I've been talking with his spirit in the dream realm. It is very weak - I think we're losing him. I don't know if he can be saved. His spirit is more injured than his body."

Donatello03 didn't know what to say to that. It really struck him, and reminded him of his master back in the 2003 dimension, also wounded but being helped by Casey and April03. He felt emotions rising up inside himself. But before he could ponder the situation further, there was a scream that broke the tense silence of the Lair. It seemed to come from everywhere and one place at the same time. Donatello03 saw Leonardo03 crumple to the ground in the corner of his eye. "No...This can't be happening!" He ran to his brother, and by the time he reached him all the Leonardos had fallen.

Leonardo03 was groaning in pain with his fists balled tight but was able to stand when Donatello03 pulled him to his feet. Leonardo12 stumbled over, followed by several others.

"The final battle has begun," said Leo C, serious. He grit his teeth against the severe pain. "Time to go."

"But what about those turtles who went to their dimension to get something?" asked Michelangelo07.

"They can get to Turtle Prime themselves. They have the Portal Stick," said Leonardo12. He turned and grabbed the Portable Portal out of Donatello89's hands. It flew into the air, floating, and a pink portal opened and expanded. The turtles began to pile through it. They all knew the plan that Leonardo12 had conjured, Donatello12 had figured out a way to work with the shared pain - now it was time for the final fight.

"Splinter!" shouted Venus de Milo. She didn't budge from her master's side. "We can't leave him!"

Michelangelo90, Donatello87, Raphael97, and April12 were about to be the last to go through the portal. But they turned and looked at Venus, crying over her fading master. "She's right. We can't leave him," said Donatello87,"But no one can stay here, either. We are all necessary."

"Only thing we can do is take him with us. Venus will be capable of protecting him from harm," said April12. She ran to Venus and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry - we won't leave him." The three turtles and April each took hold of Splinter97 and gently carried him through the portal.

-Turtle Prime-

Raphael Prime ran at the Kraang, shouting like crazy. He stabbed one in a flash and before it even fell to the ground, he had taken out eight more. He was forcing his way through the crowd, dodging the rain of purple bullets. For every robot he brought down, two more poured out of the huge portal to replace it. The Technodrome was stalled for some reason.

Raphael pulled one Kraang's robotic head straight off. He was fueled by his uncontrollable anger. A bullet had grazed Michelangelo's shoulder, and just a moment ago Leonardo's scream had risen above all other noise like magic. It was all Raphael could do to try to find him. Michelangelo was following close behind him, taking care of the Kraang who were going after Raphael.

Finally, Raphael shoved one Kraang against the Technodrome and found his brother Leonardo Prime slumped against the immobile wheel. The Kraang had pulled him from the Technodrome he'd been climbing and he'd fallen so far. Donatello Prime and Karai smiled when they saw Michelangelo and Raphael join them - the two had been furiously protecting unconscious Leonardo. Donatello knelt down and pulled Leonardo over his shoulders and ran. The Kraang shot at him, but Raphael jumped up and lodged ninja stars into their heads from a good distance away.

"What are we going to do?" asked Michelangelo. "Leonardo's down, and we haven't even made a dent in this army!" He hastily ducked a bullet going towards his head.

"I'll think of something!" Donatello Prime shouted, gritted his teeth. What would they do? He continued to run, but he knew that was no way to escape the problem.

"Donatello, look out!"

Out of nowhere, a man materialized in front of Donatello. The turtle ran into him and fell down. Raphael ran and jumped over Donatello and landed on the man. He punched and kicked, but was knocked off after only a few seconds. Donatello looked up and saw a shiny silver mask and extensive armor lit up by the growing moonlight. "Shredder? What?" He gulped when he saw the spikes on the Shredder's wrists, so long they barely missed touching the ground.

"Correct, turtle." In the blink of an eye, Shredder grabbed Leonardo, who had slid off of Donatello's back when he'd fallen. Michelangelo tried to grab Leonardo away, but Shredder shoved him to the ground hard. Next, the villain looked up and shouted,"KRAANG! You betrayed me!"

One of the hundreds of identical droids said loudly,"If the one known as Shredder expected anything else, the one called Shredder is deluded."

"What?"

"The Shredder has become superflous towards the plan of Kraang. The one known as Karai became the next tool for the Kraang and the one known as Karai can do nothing to stop Kraang now."

Shredder roared in anger, and just as the Kraang was just about to pull the trigger on its gun, Shredder chucked a shuriken straight into the barrel of the alien gun and it blew up.

Shredder12 flipped around and saw Karai. "YOU! You did this!"

Karai looked to be on the verge of tears. "I was just trying to make you proud! I made a deal with the Kraang to protect you, because I thought you couldn't it make it here alive, father!"

"I am NOT YOUR FATHER!" He kicked her in the chest and knocked her down. Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello took their chance to jump back in and fight Shredder. But the villain withstood them like their attacks were nothing and planted his foot on Karai's chest. He began to press. Karai gasped for air.

"Please...Shredder..."

She may not have really been his daughter, but Shredder had loved and cared for her in a way that was impossible for him to do for anything else, for nearly sixteen years. The villain began to doubt if he could really kill her. Would he regret it?

And that was the moment a new portal opened. An army of ninja turtles and their allies streamed from it. Some of them split up to attack the Kraang in the street-turned-battleground, and the next half, with direction from white-eyed and angry Leonardo12, charged at Shredder12.

Probably only a couple more chapters! This story has been super fun to write, so let me know what you think of it with reviews.