Author's Note: Greetings, everyone! I haven't updated for a bit, and I apologize for that. Writer's block hit me, and I got sidelined by work. But now I'm back and with another chapter to my story! Now, on the last chapter, I wanted to clarify something that I should've added, but forgot to. I'll be honest...I never shipped Leorai. Even before the revelation that Karai is Splinter's daughter, I never cared for Leorai. But that's just me. Does that mean Leo's going to be left out in the cold? Of course not! Why would I do that to him?

Anyway...this chapter introduces a few familiar characters, including one we've had to mourn recently. Can you guess who? But this chapter is just a taste of what's about to happen, and in the next couple of chapters, you might need some tissues. Anyway, read and review!

Chapter 34: The Heralds from Beyond

"Tonight on Grody to the Max: are the rumors of the Dino-Man in the sewers true? Sadly, no new information has surfaced over the prehistoric humanoid of the depths, but sewer workers have reported seeing what they described as a 'metal man' last seen where the Dino-Man of the sewers lurks! Who is this metallic oddity, and what does he have to do with the sightings in the sewers? Does it have any connection with reported monster sightings in New York? Or is it possible that New York is now harboring visitors from beyond the cosmos?"

When the infamous Joan Grody's drawling on over sewer oddities got too boring, Raphael casually switched the television off and leaned his head back. Everything felt too quiet lately; too calm for his own tastes. So far, Karai wasn't deemed well enough to step foot in the sewers yet, but she made quick progress. Of course, that meant more trips than usual to Cheyloe's apartment to check on the ex-Foot Princess…more trips than he could handle. He spotted Leo and Mikey over by the pinball machines, and Donnie probably holed himself in the dojo with Master Splinter again over that Healing Hands stuff. The Foot were too quiet, and he didn't like it. Now there was some metal man in the sewers and a dino-man, to boot.

"Is Donnie outta the dojo yet?" The temperamental turtle asked out-of-the-blue. "Why don't we go on patrol?"

"He's still training with Splinter." Leonardo answered matter-of-factly, not looking up from his game of pinball. "I'm guessing you've got that feeling, too?"

Raph sat up and cracked his knuckles. "Don't ya think it's weird that the Foot haven't captured one of us ta find Karai? Heck, I'm surprised they're not all over the streets trackin' 'er down, and ya know they blame us."

"Well, Cheyloe's keeping her hid pretty well." Michelangelo noted, looking over at his second-eldest brother. "And Karai's smart enough to know to keep a low profile. She'll get to come home soon, though, and I'm stoked! Our sister's finally coming home!"

"There's still one thing, Mikey…" Leo finally stopped his game when the ball fell down and declared a Game Over. "Maybe it's all just rumor, but I'm worried about those reports on the dino-man and the metal man. I hope I'm wrong, but it could be a sign that the Kraang are back."

"That can't be possible!"

The other turtles looked to see Donatello entering the main room, finally finished with his Healing Hands training for the day. He'd been at this for the past several days, almost a week, and he seemed to be coming along steadily. Unlike Leo, he struggled with it more due to the spiritual aspects of the technique, but his mind opened itself up to those aspects, even if it took some time. The genius turtle rubbed at his burning eyes and approached his brothers, clearly irate at the possibility of one of their long-time enemies making a return.

"Rockwell and I sent them back, so they should still be in Dimension X! There's no way they should be back!" Donnie argued.

"Donnie, even with that, they'd be back eventually…all of us know that." The lead turtle sighed, lowering his head. "It'll be a matter of time before they come back and try to terraform Earth again. But at least we have the advantage of retromutagen, and the Mutanimals and superhumans."

"If I can brew up enough of a batch to counteract them, Leo." Donnie reminded as he lifted his finger up. "I'm trying to get the right brew ready to use on Timothy and Karai right now, so all we can really do is bring down the Technodrome again or send them back like last time. We also have to worry about Shredder teaming up with Kraang Prime again, if they are back…"

As the brothers pondered more on the possibility of the Kraang returning, they stopped in their debate when their T-Phones simultaneously sounded off. Who in the world would be texting them right now? Maybe April and Casey saw the Kraang and wanted to warn them right now, or spotted Foot Bots scouting for Karai. They grabbed their phones and read the message received…and it wasn't from April or Casey. All received a simple request, followed by a strange symbol that resembled a bishop chess piece. What did it mean, exactly?

"Come to the meat processing plant." Donnie read aloud. "Further instructions shall be provided. It is urgent." He glanced at his brothers in concern before putting his T-Phone back in his belt. "I don't know who sent that, but I have a bad feeling about it."

"Should we go?" Mikey wondered. "I dunno why, but I feel like it's not a trap. We should go."

The temperamental turtle growled and looked towards the lair exit, a gut feeling settling in and warning him that something bad was in store for them. "Let's go find out who this joker is and get some answers."

The Shellraiser zoomed down the street, passing by several cars blowing their horns at them by irate drivers, en route to the meat processing plant. The last time the Turtles ever came here was their confrontation with Tiger Claw, which resulted in Karai being held prisoner in Foot Headquarters and Mikey receiving a loose shell. Tiger Claw proved to be bad enough, so what waited for them now? The possibilities were limitless: a mini-Kraang army, a horde of Foot Bots, the Purple Dragons, or even the rogue mutants lurking the city. But they couldn't be advanced enough to know their T-Phone signals, and none of them would address them with a bishop symbol…so who was it?

"Stop right here!" Donnie commanded, pointing at the monitor to the side of the curb.

The massive vehicle skidded to a stop, prompting the Turtles to stealthily get out and gather around the back entrance of the building to avoid being seen by civilians. As they readied themselves to enter the door and windows, the brothers suddenly halted when they saw two familiar faces already present.

"April? Casey?" Leo asked, bewildered. "What're you two doing here?"

"We both got some weird text telling us to come here." The redhead explained, flashing her phone and showing the very text they received earlier, bishop symbol included. "Don't tell me you guys got it, too. I tried seeing who sent it, but it's an unknown number."

"All right, what gives?" Casey griped. "Who's settin' us up? I was in th' middle of hockey practice when this guy sends that text!"

"We're about to find out." The genius turtle spoke. His hand immediately went to the door handle, and he found it to be unlocked; odd for when the plant had to be closed at this hour. That was the confirmation he needed that someone was inside waiting for them. "Come on, let's go in."

The group stepped inside the plant and wandered inside the cold storage unit. They ignored the frigid temperatures and the smell of freezer-burned meat permeating the air and kept as quiet as possible. They couldn't let their guard down for a second; this mystery person could have a trap ready for them and spring it at any second. Right then, April clutched her head and groaned, and that told the others that someone had to be nearby…and that someone quickly stepped out of the shadows to approach the group. The Turtles and humans stared at the stranger and stepped back at the sight…a Kraang Droid.

This one had the classic 'Norman' disguise, the dull-faced human shell, but there was a key difference: this one sported a pair of sunglasses and looked like one of the Men in Black. Strange…why wasn't this Kraang Droid armed with a blaster and shooting at them? Still, unarmed or not, this was a threat.

"It's a Kraang Droid!" Leo shouted, unsheathing his katanas. "Don't let it escape!"

The lead turtle went to attack the droid, but it quickly began dodging his movements. Casey jumped in and attempted to attack, but the automaton simply knocked him aside and sent him crashing into Raphael. The others drew their weapons and prepared for battle, but before they could lend a hand, the droid quickly grabbed the katana blades and held Leo back. Leo grunted and tried to bring his blades down on the robot, but to no avail.

"I do not wish to fight!" The droid spoke, its voice surprisingly clear and not butchered like normal Kraang speak. "I merely wish to speak with you all!"

Leonardo froze and loosened his grip on the blades. The Kraang Droid yanked them from the turtle's grasp, but didn't attack; it instead held them out for the leader in blue to take. Hesitating at first, Leo took the blades from the robot and sheathed them, eyeing the droid warily. "All right…start talking."

"You may call me by my Earth name…Bishop." The Kraang Droid spoke politely, placing his arms behind his back. "I can correctly assume that you all received my message? Do not fear…I am not part of the Kraang."

Donnie tilted his head to the side. "If you're not part of the Kraang, then what exactly are you?"

"I am a part of the Utrom Tribe." Bishop replied firmly. "We are a small group that broke away from the Kraang Hive Mind centuries ago."

"Well, I always knew the Kraang functioned under a hive mind…" The genius turtle pondered before narrowing his eyes and scowling, "…A very STUPID hive mind!"

"Forgive my calling you this late…and while I would not do this, I have broken my Utrom vow never to interfere with Earth matters to bring you dire news." The droid narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses to finally confess, "The Triceratons are coming."

The Turtles and humans froze; what were Triceratons? Were their aliens that existed besides the Kraang and these Utroms or whatever? Another possibility surfaced: did this have anything to do with the rumored dino-man lurking the sewers? "What are Triceratons?" Mikey asked in a hushed voice.

"Reptilian aliens that rival the Kraang in terms of cunning and brutality. Some months ago, a scout for the Triceraton army arrived on this planet…to search for a fugitive android. This fugitive android in question has valuable information…on a weapon capable of destroying this entire planet. If they wanted to, they could even destroy this entire solar system. Nothing will stand in their way of retrieving this Fugitoid." Bishop warned. "The news gets even worse…the Kraang have repaired the Technodrome, and are planning to invade once again."

Raph threw his hands in the air before letting them flop to his sides. "Great…how can things get even worse? The Kraang are bad enough, now we gotta deal with a LOT of dino-men!"

"Bishop…I get the feeling that the Kraang and Triceratons are connected." April confessed. "Is there some sort of history between the two?"

"There is." The droid nodded. "For millennia, the Kraang and Triceratons waged war for control over Dimension X. While the Kraang used their intelligence and technology, the Triceratons relied on their cunning and brute strength. Just as it seemed the Triceratons would be victorious, the Kraang surprised them with the most powerful weapon in the universe: a black hole generator. The Kraang used it to destroy the Triceratons' homeworld…and only a single fleet survived. Thus, the Triceratons are consumed with vengeance, and will destroy any planet with even a minimal amount of Kraang…which is why they wish to find the Fugitoid. The Fugitoid has the means of locating the Black Hole Generator."

"Wait…that news report talked about a metal man lurking the sewers." Raph recalled, green eyes widening and voice panicked. "If that dino-man, or Triceraton, or whatever found him…"

Donnie instantly knew what his brother was getting at. "…Then that scout signaled to the rest of the fleet they found the right planet." He turned to Bishop and asked, "How do we stop them?"

Bishop took off his sunglasses and stared the genius turtle dead in the eyes; compared to the other Norman droids, his gaze actually had life in it. "Our first priority is to secure the Fugitoid and keep him hidden. Afterwards, the Technodrome must be destroyed before it can rise from the ocean…then we must stop the Triceratons from detonating an explosive in the middle of the city."

"They're puttin' a BOMB in th' middle of the city!?" Casey exclaimed. "Why're they doin' that!?"

April gulped. "…Blackmail. They're going to use it to draw this Fugitoid out and make him help them."

"Correct. Now, according to your news reports, the Fugitoid has been spotted in the sewer systems. Let us proceed there immediately, before more scouts are sent to find him."

When Bishop got a head start in leaving the building, the group glanced worriedly at each other in silence before following suit. Truthfully, they weren't for sure that they could trust this guy; though he wasn't part of the Kraang hive mind, there was still that possibility that he would betray them to the Kraang or Triceratons. But if that were the case, he wouldn't be so eager to help them. Whatever happened, they had to be sure that either group didn't destroy their home…no matter the cost.

"Bishop…how did you break away from Kraang Prime's rule?"

The group kept on trudging through the darker part of the sewers when April asked the million-dollar question. Bishop did state that he broke away from the hive mind, but he never specifically stated how he accomplished it. Maybe April asked the question also to break the tension of having to find this Fugitoid before the Triceratons got their hands on him. Whatever the case, everyone found themselves interested in Bishop offering some sort of explanation, especially Donatello.

"Allow me to start from the beginning." Bishop began, holding up a light for the others to see into the tunnels. "Millions of years ago, the Utroms lived peacefully in Dimension X, and there certainly was no threat of harm against the Earth or other planets. However, that all changed, thanks to an Utrom scientist named Kraang."

"Wait, the Kraang started out as a single Utrom scientist?" Donnie gaped before clearing his throat when he realized he interrupted. "Please, continue…"

The droid gave a simple nod and went on, "Kraang discovered the mutagen secreted by the Kraathatrogons, and began experimenting with its properties. He used it on himself, developing powerful psychic abilities, and thus renamed himself Kraang Prime. He used his psychic powers to bring most of the Utroms under his control, and renamed them after himself. Only a small number of us, myself included, were able to resist his brainwashing…and we have been plotting how to stop him ever since."

Donnie bit on his lips, and a thought came to him. Once they could get to work, he knew they would have to request help to stop both the Kraang and Triceratons, and some of that help would have to come from three certain ladies. "Bishop…how exactly did superhumans come about? Well, I mean, the Kraang call them 'Anomalies', but why?"

"I suppose you are concerned of the three superhuman women you have befriended." The Utrom suspected, his tone somewhat amused. "They are considered mutation accidents…born from the residual radiation of the mutagen when it was first used on Earth; it is a reason they are called 'pseudo-mutants'. They used their abilities to do battle against Kraang Prime…he feared them. However, normal humans also feared them, hunting them down until their numbers dwindled. The Kraang did not have to do much to lower their population; the humans did that for them."

It was just like what Kurtzman told him months before, only he didn't know that the Kraang were actually afraid of them. If that were the case, the Kraang had to be at least a little fearful of mutants like them as well, since they did stop them multiple times. Still, it hurt just the same to hear that they were all but eliminated because of human ignorance, and they would probably deliver the same results to mutants if they were discovered. It was time to get back to the task at hand, and time was short now. As the group went further down, approaching a room with a pool of water drained from the main pipes, Mikey stopped when he caught a glance of something around the corner.

"Guys, what was that!?"

Everyone turned to see a shadow dart behind the opposite entryway, prompting them to give chase. Once they entered into the opposite tunnel, they stopped when something else caught their gaze…something that looked like the burnt remains of a giant creature. It looked bigger than Leatherhead and Slash, so what did it used to be?

"Show yourself now!" Leo commanded. "Who are you!?"

Out from the tunnel, the Turtles and their allies heard the sound of approaching footsteps…metallic footsteps. Donnie squinted his eyes and tried to pierce through the darkness, which allowed him to see a humanoid shape cautiously approaching them. Once the shape stepped into Bishop's light, it revealed itself to be an automaton sporting golden glowing eyes, an oval-shaped head, and tube-like limbs. The automaton scanned them all for a moment before looking towards Bishop.

"…Bishop, my old friend!" The robot beamed, beeping and stepping forward to greet the Utrom. "Long time, no see!"

"Wait, you two know each other!?" Raph gaped.

Bishop turned to the Turtles and humans and held his hand in the direction of the robot next to him. "Allow me to introduce you to Professor Zayton Honeycutt…the Fugitoid."

The group stared at the robot, or Fugitoid, before staring at the charred remains nearby. They didn't want to consider the possibility, but did that harmless-looking robot actually kill whatever the creature was? Leo was the first to investigate that matter. "Fugitoid…what is that over there?"

The robot turned his head to the deceased creature and his eyes changed to form the closest to a saddened expression. "That…was a Triceraton scout named Zog. The brute didn't realize that the oxygen on Earth did damaged to his nitrogen-starved lungs; broke into delusions. He was coherent enough to activate the beacon notifying the Triceratons of my location. However…" He turned his head away and let out a low beep. "I tried to reason with him and beg him to leave this planet alone, but he proceeded to charge and…I had no choice."

That proved enough to confirm their suspicions, though they found it unbelievable. Mikey piped up and questioned, "Y-You did that, Fugidude? You burnt 'im to a crisp?"

"I actually vaporized Zog with my fusion core…but I insist that I did it as a last resort. If he hadn't attacked, I would've gladly supplied him with nitrogen and convinced him to preserve this planet! But…alas, that wasn't the case." Fugitoid insisted, twiddling his metallic fingers. "But it's too late…the Triceratons will do harm to this planet because of me."

"No, they won't." April declared, cerulean eyes narrowed and fists tightened. "As long as we're around, they or the Kraang won't destroy our home. One way or another Fugitoid, we're going to stop them."

The Turtles, Casey, Bishop, and Fugitoid stared at the redhead, surprised at her confidence, before they offered nods of acceptance. They already suffered from two Kraang invasions, and they wouldn't suffer from a third invasion; the Triceratons wouldn't invade, either. Renet did say that they saved the world many times…maybe this would be one of those times.

"We definitely need a plan." Donnie spoke firmly. "But…we're also going to need help."

"Another invasion is going to happen!?"

Splinter didn't even have to exclaim anything for the Turtles to know how shell-shocked he appeared. After leaving the sewer tunnels, they brought Bishop and the Fugitoid to the lair before giving the rundown of the situation to their father…and he reacted just as they expected. Of course, why wouldn't he be panicked and worried right now? They were dealing with yet another invasion, only they were dealing with aliens bigger and stronger than the Kraang. They knew what they were up against…question was, HOW were they going to deal with it? That was what they had to discuss with Splinter.

"Sensei, calm down!" Donatello begged, hands up. "We've stopped the Kraang before, so we can do it again AND stop the Triceratons from destroying the Earth! We just have to figure out how. First, though, we need to contact the Mutanimals and have them lend us a hand."

"No offense Donnie, but in case you forgot, Bishop resembles the run-of-the-mill Kraang Droid." Raph countered, arms crossed and expression unreadable. "And if Leatherhead even got a glance of 'im…"

"Leave that to me, bros. I'll keep Leatherhead calmed down." Mikey interjected, a sly expression on his face before it quickly grew serious. "But will the Mutanimals even be enough? Maybe we need even more backup than them."

Leo instantly knew what his baby brother was getting at. "…You're saying we need to take a chance and have Karai join us in battle."

"Not just them, dude…we need to use superhuman backup, too!"

Splinter furrowed his brow. "Miwa is still recovering…I will not allow it. Invasion or not, she needs to fully recover; I will not risk having her collapse on the battlefield when it can be avoided!" He lowered his head and drooped his ears, walking over towards the rolling chalkboard in Donatello's lab, seeing the simple drawings of the invasion battle plan ideas. "I will not lose her again…or any of you."

The Turtles cast their eyes down at the rat's somber admission. He'd lost Karai-Miwa-for all her life, having her snatched away time and time again by the Shredder over a feud the latter wanted to keep going for petty reasons. He'd lost them during the invasion, going insane as a result of the months of separation. Now, with a double invasion, he risked losing them again. Being a father proved to be both a gift and a curse…for Splinter, Kirby O'Neil, Arnold Jones, Sr., heck even the superhumans' fathers must've worried about them like crazy. Would they be like this if some miracle happened that they became fathers? They didn't know, and a part of them didn't want to suffer through the pain of worrying for their children's lives. However, pain aside, they carried the responsibility of protecting the world the day they first came to the surface…and they intended to keep living up to that responsibility, no matter the cost.

"Sensei, we intend to bring in Karai as a last resort; we want her to recover, too." Leo implored, a hand to his upper plastron to emphasize his desperation. "But we're still going to stop them, no matter what it takes. We don't intend to let the Kraang or Triceratons have their way…we don't want to risk losing our home or losing you. We can do this, Sensei…just believe in us."

Bishop and Fugitoid waited quietly in the background, both listening to the Turtles make their case along with Casey and April trying to contact Kurtzman and the Mutanimals. No matter what the rat decided, saving this planet was top priority, even if it meant sacrifices had to be made. Finally, Splinter sighed and raised his head, eyes open and radiating a begrudging understanding of the gravity of the situation. Whether he liked it or not…Leonardo was right.

"Very well, my sons. But do not think I am letting you accomplish this mission alone…I am going with you." Splinter concluded firmly, much to the surprise of his sons. "I will not allow these otherworldly visitors to destroy anything on this planet, or anyone."

With a firm nod, Donnie went up to the chalkboard and pointed to a drawing of the ocean. "Our first priority should be the Technodrome. We have to prevent it from rising from the ocean…but if something happens that it does, then we make it sink for the last time. Then, we can use the stealth ships onboard to launch an aerial attack on the Triceratons once they arrive. In both cases, we need all the help we can get. Mutanimals, Cheyloe and the others, Karai…whomever we can get. We don't know what to expect from the Triceratons…so we have to be ready."

"Guys!" April called from the main area. "The Mutanimals are coming to help! They're on their way right now!"

"Good." The lead turtle spoke in relief. "All right, let's get the Turtle Sub ready, and go from there."

"I appreciate your dedication to work, Cheyloe, but you don't need to run yourself so ragged all the time. I've seen you sneak energy drinks into the break room."

Cheyloe scratched the back of her head and smiled nervously at the Asian woman walking next to her. "You got me, Dr. Yeoh. I can't help but be a workaholic; someone's got to make up for the lazy nurses' slack, and that someone is me!"

Dr. Margaret Yeoh quietly chuckled before waving hi to a long-time patient being wheeled to his room, turning back to the brunette and continuing, "Surely you have friends you hang out with and ease the pressure. What about your roommates you talk about so much? They're not workaholics as well, are they?"

"They just take extra shifts for extra cash; I'm at the apartment by myself most of the time." Chey admitted, fiddling with the papers in her hand before giving them to Dr. Yeoh. "But…I do have a group of friends I hang out with…one in particular. He's very intelligent, and very sweet, too! You could say…he's been helping me with a rough patch in my life."

The two women kept talking as they made their way to the nurse's station, checking over records and saying hello to familiar patients and their families. Right when they passed a small family waiting room, they stopped when the panicked yelps of patient family members hit their ears. The people were huddled in their seats, pointing frantically at the television screen mounted on the upper wall, prompting Cheyloe's immediate interest. It was a live news broadcast at the docks…but it wasn't the location that caught her interest.

"After several reports coming in from submarines and cargo ships, we're here investigating claims of a mysterious underwater structure reminiscent of the craft-wait, what is this!?" The reporter swiftly turned around and saw the water bubbling and parting…revealing a large, metallic dome with magenta lights flashing from it. "O-Oh my God, are you getting this!? Wait, wait…I've just received reports of military jets coming upon a large structure in the atmosphere as well! It's…it's shaped like a giant landmass with several domes! Viewers, we are witnessing another alien invasion!"

While the waiting room occupants panicked and spoke in hushed voices, Cheyloe dropped the papers she didn't give to Dr. Yeoh and felt her jaw fall open. This was reminiscent of the tale Donatello told her of the first attempted Kraang invasion, the one that happened before she moved to New York. Now she could see the latest one with her own eyes on the plasma television nearby. But that, coupled with some other sort of alien entity making its way to Earth, made her heart race and her breathing quick. Where there was an alien invasion…the Turtles would be there to fight back…and possibly get hurt or killed. As a nurse, she had to perform her duty to heal the sick and wounded, even if it meant she had to end her shift early.

"Dr. Yeoh, I need to leave work early."

Dr. Yeoh looked at Cheyloe in shock; she was never the type to want to leave work early. "Why is that?"

"Something bad's about to go down, and I have to make sure my friends survive."

Before the woman could ask for more details, the brunette already took off down the hall and for the elevator, almost knocking over a few interns and patient IV racks. Cheyloe knew she couldn't put up much of a fight wearing scrubs and slip-proof shoes. She would stop by the apartment, dress in the appropriate 'battle attire', get her pistol loaded, and go help the Turtles. For a moment, as she finally found herself in the slow-moving elevator, she thought of Donnie's insistent wish for her not to put herself in danger anymore. As much as she wanted to promise him she would…she couldn't.

She wouldn't let any of them end up like Embry.

She found herself so busy rushing to the apartment that she ignored her phone vibrating in her pocket before going to voicemail. On the screen, the info showed one missed call from Donatello…

"I have to go out there! I have to help my brothers stop them!"

Karai tried to raise off the sofa, but found herself pushed back down by Anna. She opened her mouth to keep on with her rant, but the older woman cut her off quickly. "Absolutely not! You still haven't finished your antibiotic regiment, and you're still weak from exposure! Going out there is an immediate death sentence!"

The kunoichi sneered and narrowed her brown eyes. "Then why don't YOU go out there and do something about it instead of babysitting ME!? Someone has to make sure the Turtles don't get killed!"

The ponytailed brunette frowned, the lack of makeup on her face making her seem much sterner than normally shown. Her glares always seemed to put Cheyloe and Kaitlyn in their places, so why wouldn't they work on Karai? "If I let you out there, you father will have our HEADS. The last thing he needs after being without you for eighteen years is to have you taken away AGAIN!" A snort came out of her nose and she grouchily added, "Besides, if I left, you'd just sneak out."

Karai huffed and sat back down; why did she have to be under the watch of a telepath? Sure, Princess O'Neil apparently had psychic powers too, but she wasn't as annoying with them as Anna was. The woman had a point, though; if she went out there half-cocked and still recovering from exposure, she'd expect to have a greater risk of being killed. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Anna, Cheyloe, and Kaitlyn just had the best intentions for her. But she hated being confined here; it reminded her too much of how confined she felt under Shredder's fist. It still left a sour taste in her mouth that she called him 'Father' for almost all her life…the man who claimed to be her father was the same man who slaughtered her mother. All because Tang Shen rejected him.

The kunoichi suddenly noticed the signal going out on the flat-screen television, prompting her to narrow her eyes again. "What's wrong with the TV?"

As the two focused on the television, a televised broadcast appeared over what was some cheesy reality show. This wasn't an ordinary broadcast, however…because instead of some random person, what appeared looked like a humanoid Triceratops with a metal plate on its beak.

"Greetings, Earthlings…I am Commander Mozar." The reptilian creature spoke, its voice remaining monotonous. "For years, hideous aliens known as the Kraang have plagued your planet, attempting time and time again to terraform it for their own selfish desires. They have also created multitudes of monsters preying upon you with their horrific experiments, making none of you safe. We Triceratons offer our services to eradicate this alien infestation, and we ask for nothing in return." Karai and Anna watched the Triceraton's eyes suddenly narrow, and they immediately had a dark feeling about this. "Unfortunately, this eradication will come at the cost of your planet. While we do not have the means of destroying this infested planet YET, we shall have it soon. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Once the sinister message ended and the regular program came back on, Karai and Anna paled once they absorbed the impact of the words. Seconds later came a frantic text message from Kaitlyn asking, in her words, what the hell was going on. If Kaitlyn saw it, then Cheyloe saw it as well, and there was no denying the gravity of the situation. Now remembering that she voiced protest to Karai going on the battlefield, Anna rethought her stance for a brief moment before looking at the kunoichi.

"…I've changed my mind." The ponytailed brunette murmured. "I don't care if your father gets mad…we're going out there to fight those walking fossils."

Karai sat surprised, but soon found herself smirking at the woman's change of heart. "…Sounds like a plan."

It took a few moments, but Karai armored herself up and quickly left the apartment with Anna, but not before Cheyloe came to gather her supplies and change clothes. In another section of the city, Dr. Rockwell and Pigeon Pete raced alongside Casey, April, and Splinter on the rooftops, intent on taking down any Kraang or Triceratons that made contact with land. As for the Turtles, Slash, and Leatherhead, they successfully embarked from the Turtle Sub and into enemy territory before it fully rose from the ocean…the Technodrome. All groups would end up finding themselves converging onto the same, dire scene appearing in front of them.

The hovering landmass that was the Triceraton mothership.

Hope this wasn't too all over the place, but I wanted some build-up for the arrival of the Triceratons. Now, what's going to happen will be quite different from what happened in "Annihilation: Earth", but I won't say how. And like I stated earlier, the next couple of chapters, you might want to reach for some Kleenexes. Welp, stay tuned for the next chapter!