My name is Oroku Karai… or at least, that's the name I was given by the man I believed to be my father. In truth, I am Hamato Miwa, Daughter of the Late Hamato Yoshi. I was kidnapped as a baby, trained and indoctrinated into the Foot Clan as an act of vengeance by Oroku Saki. My entire life has been nothing but a lie, and now that I know the truth, I am now his prisoner. I've been locked up for weeks, maybe even months as he tries to convert me back to his side. That will never happen though. I will never be his daughter again, and one way or another, I will escape…
…
Karai sat in her cell, glaring up at the camera in the corner. She'd already explored every inch of her cell for anything useful, but had found it lacking. Her cot was bolted to the ground, not a single screw out of place. She didn't have a pillow or a blanket, meaning she couldn't make use of them in some way. Even worse, she'd been stripped of her armor long ago, leaving her in just the black underclothes.
The sound of cloven footsteps drew her attention. Karai turned towards the bars keeping her contained to see Bebop approaching with a bowl in hand. She rolled her eyes and sneered.
"Well, if it isn't the pork cutlets I ordered."
Bebop just snarled, sliding the bowl into her cell. She took a whiff, then gagged.
"Ugh, and whatever that is. Seriously, who's on cooking detail out there? The garbage mutant smells better than this."
"Hey, this ain't no bed and breakfast," Bebop replied. "Ya eat what ya get, and like it!"
"Fine, whatever," she snorted, then perked slightly. "I just hope there aren't any peanuts in this. That'd be bad. For the chef."
"Uh… why?"
"Because I'm allergic, Porky. I swell up like a balloon, choke, then die. And last time I checked, Shredder wanted me alive."
Bebop froze up for a second, silently reaching for the bowl.
"I'm just gonna borrow this, and-"
Karai shot forward, grabbing Bebop's outstretched hand and slamming him into the bars. She then snatched the key card off his belt, swiping it in the lock. The bars split open for her and Karai leapfrogged over Bebop, double kicking him into the cell. Before he landed, she slammed the door shut, locking him in.
"Thanks, Porky. I needed that."
She then made a break for the entrance to the cell block, using the key card to open the door. The second it opened, she ran through, only to collide hard with Slash's plastron. She fell back, grunting a bit as she looked up at the turtle mutant.
"Going somewhere, girl?" he asked, brandishing his claws.
"Yeah, out of this hellhole and back to people who actually care about me."
"You'll have to get through me, first!"
Karai sprang back to her feet and charged at Slash, leaping up and hoping to deliver a kick to the face. While the blow did land, it was practically ineffectual. Slash just grabbed her by the arm and slammed her against the wall. She rebounded hard and slumped, out cold. Slash reared his fist back, ready to deliver a finishing blow.
"I'm going to enjoy tearing up that pretty little face-"
"Stop!" Shredder yelled, walking up to him. "You will not harm her."
"Yes, Master," Slash relented, releasing Karai.
Karai dropped to the ground and Shredder looked at her for a moment, his expression softening briefly.
…
Some time later, Karai came to, having been returned to her cell. This time though, she now sported restraints on her wrists tethering her to the floor. She gave them a compulsory tug, but found them unyielding. She huffed, flopping onto her cot before realizing she wasn;t alone. With a cold glare, she turned to the door to see Shredder watching her.
"Karai… I wish you could understand…" Shredder told her, removing his helmet so they could talk face to face. "Everything I have done, everything I continue to do, it has all been for the honor of our clan."
Karai just turned away, curling up on the cot as best as her new chains would allow.
"I know you believe otherwise, but I have done my best to be a father to you in every way I can. All I ask… is that you be a daughter to me now."
Karai's face hardened, finally turning to face the Shredder.
"I am not. Your. DAUGHTER!"
…
Down in the turtles' lair, all four of them were gathered around the dinner table, where a large map of the city was laid out.
"Alright," Leo spoke up. "Let's go over what we know."
"I got the visual aids!" Mikey called out, holding up a cardboard box filled with an assortment of goodies.
"Must he?" Raph asked.
"Let him have this," Leo insisted. "Visual aids might actually be helpful here."
Mikey then dumped the box out on the table, grabbing a Two-Face funko pop.
"This little guy here is our old pal, Oroku Saki," Mikey introduced, grabbing a small helmet made from a paper cup and tin foil before placing it on the figurine's head. "However, despite how the city sees him, we all know him to be none other than The Shredder."
"Right," Donnie nodded, taking the figurine from Mikey. "He's using his good name to get premium access to leftover Triceraton technology. Unfortunately, we still don't know to what end."
Mikey began grabbing some plastic dinosaurs, arranging them across the map.
"What we do know is that he has complete control of all salvage operations, as marked here on the map."
"Mikey, you are aware that none of these dinosaurs are triceratops, right?" Raph questioned.
"It's all I could find, okay? Just be happy I'm using dinosaurs in general!"
"They work fine," Leo interrupted before getting back on topic. "From his dealings with Don Turtelli, it's clear Shredder wants control of all Triceraton tech by any means possible. The question is, to what end?"
"Our only real lead is Nakumo," Donnie voiced, suddenly getting a purple minions doll deposited into his hand. "We saw him fleeing from the wrecked Tri-Base, heading out towards the Hudson."
He placed the doll out on the waters of the map.
"Question is, what is out there?"
"A question, I believe I've answered," Mikey declared proudly. "In fact, I have three possible conclusions as to what Nakumo was going for."
"This oughta be good," Raph remarked dryly.
"Ok, theory one!" Mikey began, placing a small castle meant for a fish tank onto the map. "Nakumo discovered the lost, underwater kingdom of Atlantis and has been using it as a secret base."
There was a moment of silence, the other three turtles just staring at the small castle
"Of course Mikey," Donnie replied sarcastically. "The lost continent of Atlantis, something scholars and explorers have sought after for centuries, just happens to be located at the bottom of the Hudson River."
"Hey, our lives are crazy weird," Mikey defended. "It wouldn't surprise me."
Raph just swatted the aquarium castle off the table, where it shattered into pieces of brittle plastic. Mikey sighed, then reached into his box again.
"Okay fine. Theory two!" He slammed down a different castle, this one made from pieces of cardboard, tin foil, and other refuse hastily glued together. "The city of Atlantis, but created out of all the trash that's in the Hudson. I call it 'Junklantis'."
"You know, that actually makes sense," Raph commended.
"Really?"
"Yeah… if you had the brain of an avocado!"
"Mikey..." Leo groaned. "Please tell me your third theory doesn't involve Atlantis in some way."
"Nope!" Mikey answered, getting rid of the trash castle and replacing it with a baseball covered in tin foil with a googly eye taped to it. "Theory three, the Technodrome!"
"That… actually tracks," Donnie admitted. "It's still stuck at the bottom of the river after we took it down last year."
"And at last check, Shredder and the Kraang are all buddy buddy," Raph recalled.
"Don, with the Triceraton tech Shredder's been collecting, could he..." Leo paused, not liking the implications of his idea. "Could he repair the Technodrome?"
Donnie nodded nervously.
"All the while making it more powerful than before. And that's saying something."
"Looks like I know what we're gonna do tonight," Leo decided. "We've got to get down to the Technodrome and hold up their progress somehow. Maybe even learn some more of their plans."
"Well, as fate would have it-"
Just then, Donnie's phone started ringing, prompting him to answer it.
"Hello?"
Just like the last few times he'd answered it, he was met with a loud, ear piercing whine. He pulled the phone from his face, wincing.
"That fax again?" Raph questioned. "Seriously, who faxes anymore?"
"Not sure," Donnie replied, pressing a few buttons on his shell cell. "But this time, I should be able to track it."
Once the action was completed, the screen changed to read 'download in progress'.
"Download?" Donnie questioned. "What does that mean?"
"Not sure," Leo replied. "But for right now-"
"Leonardo," Splinter spoke up, gaining the turtle's attention. "May I speak with you a moment?"
"Uh… sure, Sensei."
Leo got up and followed Splinter into his room.
"Is...something wrong, Sensei?"
"It is your plan to breach the Technodrome."
"You don't think we should do it, do you?"
"No. I know you hope you find some trace of Karai down there, but a plan that will lead to confrontation with the Shredder is doomed to failure."
"We've done it before."
"When we've had no choice, and each time, Saki has found a way to gain the upper hand."
"I know there are risks, but even if we have to face Shredder… won't it be worth it to bring Karai home."
Splinter took a breath before turning to face Leo.
"Karai may be my master's daughter, but you four are my children. I will not risk your lives unnecessarily."
"But finding out what Shredder's planning could-"
"Venturing into the enemy's lair without certainty has the potential to stir the hornet's nest. This is my decision… now please respect it."
Leo paused before bowing his head in response.
"Hai, Sensei."
With that, Leo walked out of the room, rejoining the others.
"What was that all about?" Raph asked.
"Splinter thinks we should back off on the Technodrome assault. Personally, I disagree. Right now, Shredder holds all the cards and we've got nothing but questions that need answering. If we're going to stand even a semblance of a chance against him, we need to get on that ship."
"I don't know, Leo," Donnie replied. "Getting down there is one thing, but Kraang technology is still beyond me. Even if we got to the computer systems, I wouldn't even know where to start."
"Perhaps I can be of assistance," A familiar voice called out from Donnie's phone.
The turtles all straightened up in surprise.
"Dude," Mikey spoke up. "Is it just me, or does your shell cell sound like the Professor?"
"It is not you, my friend. It really is me, Professor Zayton Honeycutt."
Donnie pulled out his phone, seeing Fugitoid's robotic head on the screen.
"Professor Honeycutt?!" Donnie realized.
"No way!" Raph let out.
"How is this possible?" Leo questioned. "The last time we saw you, you were flying the Black Hole Generator into the main Tri-bBase! You… you saved us all."
"I did, didn't I? Well, I'm afraid I do not remember my heroic sacrifice, though considering I sent my processor data seconds before the explosion, that makes sense."
"So you're the one who's been contacting me," Donnie realized. "That 'fax' was just you downloading your data core into my shell cell!"
"Well, most of it. Your 'shell cell', while a surprising feat of engineering, lacks the necessary storage capacity for my entire processor. Thus, I had to purge some non-essential data. Nothing too major, just some old projects, early memories, and useless factoids."
"Like what?" Leo inquired.
"Who cares?!" Mikey let out, taking the shell cell. "I'm just glad you're back, Fugi-dude!"
"I'm sorry… who are you?"
"Michelangelo." There was a beep. "Mikey..." Another beep. "The Mickster?" A third beep. "Wait… you mean, I'm non-essential data?!"
"Oh, I'm just teasing, Michelangelo. I remember you."
"Oh…" Mikey let out, sighing in relief. "Man, had me going for a second."
"Nice to see your sense of humor wasn't non-essential," Raph remarked.
"I made sure to keep all aspects of my personality intact. Without it, I'd just be another mindless automaton."
"Professor… would any of those aspects include an understanding of Utrom technology?" Donnie inquired.
"I believe I have retained some of the basics. I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma and would be more than willing to lend a hand… so to speak.
"Then it looks like we have a way into the computer," Leo realized. "Now we just need a way into the ship."
"Now that, I can handle,"
…
Minutes later, the turtles were operating an old hand car to get to the warehouse where their vehicles were stored. Raph and Leo had been the ones who lost the ro-sham-bo game and were the ones operating the cart. The former was grumbling the entire time, glaring at his purple-banded brother.
"You'd think one of the smartest guys we know would be able to think of a transport system a little more automated to get to our new garage!" Raph griped.
"Hey, I've been a little busy as of late," Donnie pointed out. "Automated transport isn't exactly high on my to-do list."
"And what has been, exactly?"
"You'll see."
Finally, the four reached a ladder leading upwards, climbing up one at at time. Once they reached the top, they entered into a warehouse where the Battle Shell, Shell Cycle, and Party Wagon were kept. Off on the far wall was something covered under a tarp.
"Shredder isn't the only one who's been gathering Triceraton tech," Donnie explained. "I've been doing a little salvaging of my own, and have come up with some exciting results."
He grabbed the tarp and yanked, revealing a large submarine that was shaped like a massive sea turtle. Everyone gasped in shock and surprise.
"I give you, the Turtle Sub!"
"A submarine?!" Mikey gasped. "AWESOME!
"This is how we're gonna get down to the Technodrome."
"Nice work Don," Leo commended.
"You think this is impressive, just wait until you see what I have planned next?"
"Like what?" Raph asked.
"All in due time, Raphael. For now, I think it's time for the Turtle Sub's maiden voyage."
Donnie hit a button on the wall, opening up a patch of floor and revealing the water beneath. The sub then dropped down into the water, allowing the turtles to climb aboard.
"Oh, Britannia!" Mikey began singing as he slipped inside. "Britannia rules the waves! I don't know the words to this stinking song! All I know is, Brit-"
Donnie cut him off by smacking him upside the head.
"Thank you," Raph let out, sighing in relief.
"My pleasure," Donnie replied. "Initiating dive sequence."
He pulled a lever and the sub began lowering into the waters of the Hudson.
…
Meanwhile, Nakumo was going over some systems reports when Shredder entered the room.
"Nakumo, what is the status of our little project?"
"Everything is proceeding on schedule," Nakumo answered, pausing for a moment before clearing his throat. "How is she, Master?"
Shredder just sighed.
"How can one love and be infuriated by someone so fiercely?"
"I wish I could tell you."
"At any rate… I am needed elsewhere. The Mayor is awarding Oroku Saki the key to the city for his efforts in rebuilding the city. I am trusting the security of Karai to you."
"I will not fail you, Master. Her escape attempt will be her only one."
"It had better be… lest you be the one seeking escape… from me."
Nakumo flinched slightly, then swallowed hard.
"Yes, Master."
Shredder then turned to leave, allowing Nakumo to let out a nervous breath.
…
Miles away, the Turtle Sub was trekking through the water, all four turtles on high alert.
"According to radar, the Technodrome's close," Donnie reported.
"Let's just hope the thing's still dead in the water, or we're toast," Raph remarked.
"There's no way Shredder has that thing anywhere close to operable," Donnie insisted. "With the damage it sustained in our last battle, it'll be months before it'll be even remotely pilotable."
"Still, they could have security measures," Leo reasoned. "Up Periscope."
A periscope descended so he could see through it and Leo paused, staring at it.
"Seriously, Don?" Leo asked, noting the toilet seat on the periscope.
"Hey, I didn't exactly have a lot of alien tech to work with," Donnie reasoned. "I had to cut corners somewhere."
"So you used an old toilet? Seriously, there are so many other things you could have used."
"Like the rear fender of a garbage truck?"
"... fair enough."
Leo looked through the periscope and saw the Technodrome just up ahead. The lights were off and the thing was covered in mussels and small plants. He also noted something launching out of the Technodrome, heading in the opposite direction they were coming from.
"What's that?" Mikey asked.
"Looks like some kind of pod," Leo noted. "Probably how Shredder and his crew get to and from this place."
"Could mean that Shred-head's out for the day," Raph surmised.
"And when the sensei's away," Mikey realized. "The turtles can play."
Just then, something streaked past their ship, a strange, low moan echoing through the sub. All four turtles stiffened.
"Uh… Donnie…" Leo let out. "What are the odds that Shredder whipped up some kind of sea mutants as a security measure?"
"Oh, that's not a mutant," Donnie replied, noting the shape of the creature.
"Oh thank God..." Mikey sighed in relief.
"From the shape of the creature, I'd say it's a Dimension X denizen transported here probably before Kraang Prime was banished," Donnie continued.
"And how is that better?!" Mikey asked.
"It's not. I just like being accurate."
The three other turtles rolled their eyes.
"This thing have any flares?" Leo asked.
"Actually, yeah, it does. There's a switch labeled flairs near the radar."
Leo looked and saw the aforementioned switch.
"Ah. handy."
Leo flipped the switch and shot out a flare from the sub, prompting the creature to chase after it.
"Well, that's one problem dealt with. Now here's another, getting inside.
"Duh, look for the garbage hatch," Mikey reasoned.
"Mikey, this is an alien war machine," Donie told him. "They're not gonna have a-"
There was a loud buzzer, then a pair of large doors slowly opened, ejecting several pounds of refuse into the water. Everyone stared, then Mikey broke out into a massive grin.
"Oh… what do you know?" Donnie realized.
"And the first Booyakasha under water," Mikey announced. "A Booya. kasha."
"Alright, hang on boys!" Leo let out, hitting the controls. "This is gonna be tight!"
The sub then rocketed forward as the garbage hatch doors began to close. Donnie visibly flinched when they doors scraped against the top and bottom of the sub with a horrible screech, but other than that, they made it in without a hitch. The water began to drain the turtles opened the hatch to exit.
"Well, that wasn't so bad," Leo nodded.
"Speak for yourself," Donnie replied, noting the scratches on the sub.
"Yeah, the first scratch is always the hardest," Raph remarked.
"Yeah, and what about the second?" Donnie asked.
"Just as bad," Raph replied, pulling out a sai and scratching it against the sub's wall, much to Donnie's horror. "But by the third, you've kinda grown numb to it."
Donnie just let out a high pitched, warbled cry as he just stared at his sub. Leo rolled his eyes, then grabbed the tails of both Raph and Donnie's masks, pulling them along.
"Come on," Leo insisted. "Right now, we have bigger fish to fry."
"I don't think we're gonna find a bigger fish than the one outside," Mikey replied, motioning to the creature outside.
"Mikey..." all three turtles growled.
"What? That was good. You gotta give me that."
"Do you wanna get smacked?" Raph snapped. "Because that's how you get smacked."
"Can we get moving?" Leo insisted. "Please? Preferably before a Foot patrol finds us."
All of them got serious and silently followed after Leo.
…
The turtles silently made their way through the corridors of the Technodrome, being careful to stay out of sight of foot patrols and passing mutants. Finally, they made their way to a massive command center, being entirely automated by Kraang droids.
"Kraang is trying the diet that is known as gluten free," one Kraang said to another. "Kraang believes it is that which is known as slimming."
"Kraang agrees with the assessment of Kraang. Perhaps Kraang should also be trying the diet that is known as gluten free."
"Kraang would recommend Kraang to try the diet that is known as gluten free. Kraang would find it beneficial to Kraang's health."
Just then, a smoke bomb was tossed into the middle of the room, engulfing everything in smoke. Before any of the bots had a chance to take stock of what was happening, the turtles entered and quickly decimated every last one of them.
"Aw," Raph let out. "They're all broken."
"Raph, if you keep breaking your toys, we're not gonna buy you new ones," Leo jeered.
The turtles then grabbed all the Kraang and stuffed them into a nearby closet. Once everything was cleared, Donnie approached the terminal and pulled out his shell cell.
"Alright professor, work your magic."
"With pleasure. I will be downloading the data to your personal computer back at the lair."
As the two got to work, Leo surveyed the area, looking for anything that might have been out of place or remotely useful. Instead, he saw what appeared to be a yellow sticky note attached to one of the security monitors. He pulled it off, seeing that the handwriting was basically chicken scratch, but readable.
"KARAI NOT ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS"
"Karai…" Leo whispered. "She's here…"
"What was that?" Donnie inquired.
"Professor, can you check for any prisoners on board the Technodrome?" Leo asked.
"One moment…"
The monitors shifted through various security feeds before finally stopping on one. It showed a familiar setting, Karai in a cell, laying on a cot. The only difference from the footage Shredder had shown them during the invasion was a trail of chain leading from her to the center of the cell.
"Where is this?" Leo all but demanded.
"Detention level. One floor up, cell block 12, cell 15."
"Then let's go get her!" Mikey declared.
"Raph and I will go get Karai," Leo decided. "Donnie, you stay here and keep downloading as much as you can. Mikey, watch Donnie's back."
"Consider it watched," Mikey reassured, spinning his nunchaku in response.
"Be careful guys," Donnie cautioned.
Leo and Raph nodded before heading off.
…
Down one of the corridors, Tokka and Rahzar were walking side by side, talking to one another.
"Jeffrey is doing better in his new school," Tokka remarked. "I like seeing him happy. Do you, Rahzar?"
"Of course I do, Tokka. Carol even said he's trying out for the soccer team next month."
"I wonder if we'll be able to watch him play."
"Carol will send us videos, like she always does."
"Still, it would be nice to actually see him play."
"I know, but-"
Rahzar stopped for a second, sniffing the air. Tokka stopped as well, eying his friend.
"What's wrong, Rahzar?"
"I smell something. It smells like… turtles."
…
Meanwhile, Raph and Leo quickly reached the detention level, allowing them to begin their search for the cell block.
"Look for maximum security," Leo insisted. "Shredder trained her well, and he knows it."
"How can ya tell high security from the norm in a place like this?" Raph wondered.
"Not sure. Just keep an eye out for extra security. Probably Slash or some of the mutants. Maybe even the Elite."
The two continued down the hallway, eying the cell block number Fugitoid mentioned. Leo silently motioned to Raph, who nodded as the two made their way in.
"I can't believe you let her dupe ya like that!" Rocksteady's voice critiqued, signaling the two turtles to approach with caution.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know she wasn't allergic to peanuts?! I didn't want to get killed because I accidentally poisoned the Shredder's kid!"
"I'm not his kid!" Karai's voice rang out.
"We ain't talkin to you!" Bebop yelled back.
Leo had almost completely blown his cover upon hearing Karai's voice. Only a timely grab from Raph kept him in place.
"Hold it, Romeo," Raph whispered. "Not yet."
Leo took a moment to calm down, relaxing a bit. Raph slowly let him go. Just as they were about to make their move, a loud growl reached their ears.
"Great," Rocksteady grumbled. "All this talk of food's got me hungry."
"Come on, let's get some grub," Bebop decided. "Hey, Foot bots! Take over for us."
Two Foot-Mechs came up and assumed guard positions while Bebop and Rocksteady departed.
"You can always count on the stupidity of morons," Raph remarked once the two mutants were gone.
"Indeed. Shredder really dropped the ball with those two."
Raph then tossed his sai and one of the Mechs, nailing it in the head and causing it to collapse. Before the other Mech could respond, Leo ran up and sliced it in half with his sword. When the bots fell, Karai heard the noise and was instantly on her feet.
"Hello? Who's out there? Show yourself!"
"Karai, it's us," Leo replied.
He approached the cell and Karai gasped, a look of utter disbelief on her face.
"Leo..." she let out before giving him a relieved smile. "Took you long enough."
"Well, we got tired of waiting for you to escape on your own," Leo remarked goodnaturedly, leaning on the door of her cell.
"Not that I'm not happy for you two," Raph spoke up, "but we're on kind of a time crunch here."
"Right."
Leo quickly got to work, picking the lock of Karai's cell. Once the door was open he grabbed his sword and sliced through her chains. The second she was free, she threw her arms around Leo, burying her face in his neck. He pulled her close, revelling in her presence.
"I've got you," he told her. "And this time, we're not leaving you behind."
"Again, time crunch!" Raph exclaimed.
The two pulled apart, but remained hand in hand.
"C'mon, let's meet back with the others," Leo declared.
"I don't think so."
The three turned to see Slash approaching them, claws at the ready.
"Aw crud," Raph let out.
"Slash," Leo snarled."I don't suppose you're just gonna let us by."
"Not a chance," Slash replied. "I'm gonna crack open your shells and deliver your bodies as trophies to the Shredder."
"Bring it on!" Karai challenged.
The three stared down the massive turtle, with Leo pulling out his second sword and passing it to Karai.
"Figure you could use something to fight with."
Karai grinned, taking the blade. With that, the three of them charged at Slash. Raph struck first, leaping up and trying to bring his sai down on him, Slash grabbed him with both hands and tossed him aside. Leo ran up next, slashing at him across the chest. Slash grunted in pain before bringing his elbow down on Leo hard, knocking him to the ground. Karai took her turn, sliding under Slash's legs and striking her sword alongside one of them. Slash knelt down in pain, allowing Karai to leap up onto his shell and try to bring her sword down. Slash quickly caught the bladed and tossed her off, causing her to land on the ground hard. She quickly picked herself up, staring down the evil turtle with malice.
…
Meanwhile, Donnie and the Professor continued downloading the Technodrome's database, with Mikey spinning his nunchaku in anticipation for any movement.
"Man, how long is that gonna take?" Mikey asked.
"The Technodrome has a massive central data unit," Donnie explained. "It's gonna take some time, especially since the Professor has to remotely transfer the files to my computer since he's taking up all my phone storage."
"Maybe you should delete some of those photos of April. That would make room."
"Hey! I didn't take photos of April!"
Mikey just gave him a sly look.
"Well… not that many. But they were all taken with her permission!"
"All 124 of them?" the Professor asked. "The quality on some denotes them to be 'candid shots'."
Mikey let out a whistle.
"You so need to get a life."
Donnie just facepalmed in embarrassment. Just then, a drop of water seemed to hit his head, much to his confusion.
"What the…"
He looked up to see Rahzar clinging to the ceiling, drool spilling from his mouth. Donnie gulped in response.
"Mikey, we've got company."
Mikey looked up just as Rahzar dropped down, causing the two to backflip out of the way.
"You're lookin good, Rahzar," Mikey conversed as he readied his weapon. "You lost some weight?"
Rahzar just snarled as he eyed the two turtles.
"What's he waiting for?" Mikey asked.
"His partner," Donnie surmised.
Thinking fast, Donnie spun around and pulled out his staff, just in time for Tokka to grab it by the teeth, whipping him back.
"Keep working the computer!" Mikey called out. "I got these guys!"
"You sure?" Donnie asked.
Mikey nodded, prompting Donnie to give him a thumbs up in response. Donnie quickly leapt over Rahzar to return to the computer. Just as Rahzar tried to turn, Mikey shot out his chain, wrapping it around his mouth. Mukey pulled hard, trying to keep the dog mutant at bay.
"Down boy! Heel! Heel!"
Rahzar pulled hard on the chain, yanking Mikey towards him. Thinking fast, Mikey landed on Rahzar's snout before bouncing off, landing on the ground and yanking down hard, causing Rahzar to collide with the floor. Tokka then charged at Mikey, jaws snapping as he tried to take a bite out of the orange-banded turtle. Mikey quickly leapt out of the way, just as Tokka took a swipe at him and scratched him on the arm. Mikey yelped in pain, grabbing his injured arm. The cut was deep and he could feel his arm going numb.
"Let's see how well you fight with one arm," Tokka snarled.
"Bring it!" Mikey challenged, holding his nunchaku in his good arm.
Tokka then started snapping at him, prompting Mikey to whip his nunchaku at the attacks, trying to hold him back. Finally, Tokka managed to catch the weapon in his mouth, prompting him to yank Mikey off his feet. He whipped Mikey from side to side, trying to throw him off, Mikey thought fast, letting go of the weapon so he could said towards a wall. He then bounced off it, shooting towards Tokka so he could deliver a kick to the head. Tokka hit the ground hard, leaving Mikey to stand victorious.
"Aw yeah!" Mikey cheered. "And that was with just one arm!"
Donnie quickly ran over, checking the damage done to Mikey's arm.
"Doesn't look too bad," Donnie noted. "I'll need to patch it up once we get back to the lair."
"Are you lying because you don't want me to panic? Because my arm is numb."
"That's just shock, Mikey. I promise, you're okay."
Mikey smiled in response. As the two brothers conversed, Rahzar slowly pulled himself up, slumping over to the control console and hitting a button.
…
Back with the others, Raph leapt onto Slash's back, doing his best to keep from being thrown off. Slash then walked backwards, slamming Raph into a wall repeatedly. Just then, Leo ran up with his sword at the ready, only for Slash to block it with his claws. While he was distracted, Raph managed to get his bearings, seeing that the wall he had been slammed into was dented, and exposed some wires. He grabbed a handful, yanking them out of the wall before jamming them into Slash's neck.
Slash screamed in pain as the lights flickered, electricity traveling all the way through him. When Raph finally pulled the wires away, the turtle was smoking as he dropped to his knees. Raph threw the wires aside and hopped off Slash, allowing Karai to strike him in the face and knock him to the ground.
"Been waiting to do that for weeks," she remarked.
"I'm starting to see why you fell for her," Raph noted.
Just then, an alarm started sounding, much to their horror.
"Either we're the worst ninjas in history, or that ain't for us."
"Don and Mikey must've run into some trouble," Leo realized.
"Then we need to get moving," Karai insisted. "I've already tried to escape once, so Nakumo will be sending everyone here to check on me."
"Good to know," Leo replied. "Come on!"
The three then took off, hoping to reach the others in time.
…
With Donnie and Mikey, they heard the alarms going off as well, both turning to see Rahzar slumping on the ground right in front of the button.
"Sewer apples," Donnie cursed as he grabbed his phone. "Professor, we need to go, now!"
"Wait! You need to properly disconnect me or you risk corrupting my-"
Donnie yanked the wires out of the console and the Professor's voice glitched out.
"Sorry Professor," Donnie replied as he and Mikey took off.
…
A short time later, the two group rendezvoused with each other in front of a massive glass window.
"Guys!" Leo let out. "What happened?"
"Let's just say we ran into some old friends," Donnie replied as Raph went over to Mikey.
"Mikey, you ok bro?" Raph asked, noting his arm.
"I'm good, dude," Mikey reassured. "It's not my water balloon throwing arm."
Raph let out a small laugh, then Karai came into view. Mikey immediately brightened.
"Hey! You found her! Awesome!"
"Nice to see you too, Mikey," Karai replied. "Tell me you guys have an escape plan."
"Luckily, we do," Donnie said with a proud smirk. "Our sub is waiting for us in the garbage hatch."
Karai went pale.
"The garbage hatch? Leo, how long has it been since you four came here?"
"Uh… a little under 30 minutes maybe. Why?"
Before Karai could explain, the doors both groups arrived through opened, allowing several Foot-Mechs and Kraang droids to pour in and surround them. The five of them all readied their weapons as Nakumo came walking in, blade in hand.
"End of the line, turtles," Nakumo declared. "And I'm afraid this is as far as you go, Karai."
Karai narrowed her eyes in response.
"Dispose of the mutants," Nakumo ordered. "And lock her up so tight, she won't be able to flinch."
"Wait!" Mikey cried out.
The Foot-Mechs and Kraang Droids froze in response.
"If you come near us, we'll fight back. And if one stray sword of blaster shot misses us, it'll hit that window, and let in all that water. Now you don't want that now, do you?"
Everyone's eyes darted to the window, and the turtles quickly caught on. Karai took the biggest breath she could, then threw her sword right at it.
"Everybody MOVE!" Nakumo ordered as the sword broke the glass.
Leo grabbed Karai as water flooded the hallway, the turtles rushing through the window and into the open water. They swam towards another window, where Raph started using his sai to break through the glass. Unfortunately, it was slower than any of them would have liked, and Karai was beginning to struggle for air. Leo took note of this and thought fast, pulling Karai into a kiss to share some of his air.
Finally, Raph managed to break through, allowing enough water to pour inside so that the window shattered and they could ride the tide inside. Once they made it in, emergency protocols activated and sealed the window, the water draining away. Karai coughed and gasped, hunched over as air was forced back into her starved lungs.
"You okay?" Leo asked.
Karai's breathing evened out and she nodded.
"That… was way too close. Thanks Leo."
"You bet. Now, let's get you out of here."
"We need to hurry. The garbage compactor goes off every thirty minutes. It's the only way I've been able to tell time down here.
"The sub'll be crushed!" Donnie let out in a panic.
"Now those scratches don't seem too bad," Raph remarked as they took off down the hall.
…
Back with Nakumo, the room was sealed and drained of water, allowing him to stand up and spit out some excess water. Seething with rage, he reached for a nearby comms system and activated it.
"This is Nakumo! Activate all garbage mashers on the detention level! Repeat, activate all garbage mashers on the detention level!"
…
Meanwhile, the turtles and Karai managed to reach the sub, just as the walls began to close in.
They all quickly boarded, Donnie rushing to the controls.
"We need to open the doors and get some water in here!" Raph exclaimed. "Otherwise, we're all gonna be a whole lot thinner!"
"Professor, we need an exit! Now!" Donnie requested, plugging him into the sub.
"Working on it, but I'm afraid that I'm still attempting a soft reboot after you so rudely unplugged me.
"Wel can you reboot faster?!" Mikey requested. "We're about to be squashed like a flat crust pizza!"
"Reboot at 94% completion."
"Come on…" Leo let out as the walls got closer. "Come on…"
"Reboot complete. Accessing garbage hatch."
Finally, the doors opened up, allowing water to flood in and the sub to begin floating. Donnie jammed the sub into reverse, allowing it to pull out just in time. All five of them sagged in relief, Donnie wiping his brow.
"Cutting it a little close, but we made it."
"Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh Karai?" Leo remarked,
"I've had worse…" she let out.
"Well at least now, it's smooth sail-" Donnie started to speak before something suddenly collided hard with the sub.
The group rattled around in response as they looked out the window, seeing the sea creature from before circling around.
"Are you kidding me?!"
Leo tried flipping the flare switch again, but nothing happened.
"Donnie, the flairs!"
"You launched them the last time!"
"You only had one flair?!"
"I had other things to worry about!"
"Well, tell me this thing at least has turbo boosters or something!"
"Second switch on the right!"
"Let's hope this thing is fast."
Leo flipped the switch and began powering up the thrusters. Unfortunately as they began to activate, the bolting gave way and the thrusters shot off, leaving the sub dead in the water.
"Well, it's certainly fast," Mikey remarked.
"Well that's just great," Raph let out.
"So, now what?" Karai questioned. "We swim for it?"
"No," Donnie replied. "I'm switching us to auxiliary power."
He flipped a second switch, and a set of three bikes came up from the ground. They appeared to be connected to generators.
"Bike power?" Leo questioned. "You're joking, right?"
The sea creature then let out a loud moan, causing them to freeze up for a moment.
"JUST PEDDLE!"
The three turtles hopped onto the bikes and began pedaling as fast as they could. Unfortunately, this didn't stop the creature from swimming up behind it and catching it. Everything shook and the pedaling turtles were thrown off.
"That's it," Donnie realized. "It's got us. We're gonna die!"
The five passengers braced themselves for what was to befall them, but nothing happened. Instead, the monster just let out another low moan and rubbed against the sub.
"It's… not crushing us…?" Donnie realized.
"No…" Leo replied, looking out the window. "It's doing something worse."
The other four passengers all froze, then began letting out cries of anguish and disgust.
"Oh God..." Karai gagged.
"Hey!" Mikey called out indignantly. "We're not that kind of sub!"
"Donnie, the torpedoes… please..." Leo all but begged.
"On it."
The sub then ejected some flour bags, which were rigged to explode upon release. This caused the creature to release the sub, allowing the turtles to make their getaway. Once they were safely out of the grip of the creature, all five of them shuddered.
"We're never speaking of this," Raph declared. "Ever."
"Agreed," everyone replied.
…
The sub broke the surface of the water just in time for sunrise. The hatch opened and everyone climbed out, shielding their eyes from the sun's rays. Karai looked up at the open sky, letting out a happy sigh.
"I never thought I'd see another sunrise, not as a free woman at least."
"Glad we could finally save you," Leo told her.
Karai smiled at him, then it faltered slightly.
"I believe you now."
"You do?"
"I confronted Shredder on it, and he pretty much confessed. Hamato Yoshi was my father… you were right this whole time, and I spurned you… I'm so sorry."
"What's important is you know the truth now. I'd say that's enough for us. Right guys?"
The other turtles nodded in agreement, and Karai's smile returned.
"Come on, guys," Raph declared. "Let's go home."
…
Sometime later, Shredder finally returned to the Technodrome, only to enter the ship and find it in shambles. Water damage was everywhere, shorted out Foot-Mech's, Kraang scurry about on their tentacles, and Tokka and Rahzar nursing various bumps and bruises. Fury rose in him as he stormed over to Nakumo, who looked very much like a drowned rat.
"What… happened?!" Shredder demanded.
"The… the turtles, Master…" Nakumo explained hesitantly. "They… found a way to infiltrate the Technodrome."
Shredder's fists clenched.
"What did they take?"
"They… seemed to have made off with a section of our database… before escaping…" Nakumo tensed, turning away and speaking as fast as he could, "with Karai."
Shredder went wide eyed for a second before scowling once more.
"So what you're telling me, is that the turtles manage to infiltrate our facility, steal who knows how much data, and escape with my daughter?!"
"Yes… but I assure you we are-"
Nakumo was cut off when one of Shredder's claws popped out, causing him and the other mutants to flinch in horror.
"This is gonna hurt," Rahzar dreaded.
"Just watch the goggles, kay?" Bebop requested. "They're kinda my thing."
Shredder's breathing started to get heavier as the other claw shot out. Finally, Shredder let out a scream of fury before leaping at his subordinates. The halls of the Technodrome were then filled with their panicked screams and the Shredder's cries of fury.
…
Back at the turtles' lair, Mikey just plopped on the couch as Donnie came over to patch him up.
"I hope this means you'll stay," Leo insisted to Karai. "I mean, in a way, you are family."
"Shredder's probably gonna be hunting for me after all this," Karai lamented. "I don't really have much of a choice. But, if I had to be stuck somewhere, I'm glad it's with you guys."
"We'll find you some real clothes, get you your own room, and soon you'll be a proper sewer dweller like the rest of us," Mikey grinned.
"Shockingly, that actually sounds nice."
"Right? This calls for a group hug!"
He tried bringing his arms up, but his bad arm flared up in pain, causing him to drop it.
"Ow."
"Michelangelo," Splinter spoke up, entering the room. "What happened?"
"It's just a scratch Sensei. You should see the other guy."
"What have you boys done? I thought I told you-"
He froze upon seeing Karai standing among them. She looked sheepishly at the ground, all of her actions towards the turtles coming back to her.
"Karai…" Splinter let out.
"Chung L-... Splinter-san..."
After a moment, she slowly got to her knees, bowing before him.
"I offer you my humblest of apologies for all that I have done in the name of the Shredder. My actions were cruel and unwarranted, and I have no excuse. All I can do is beg for your forgiveness, and offer myself for retribution."
Splinter just looked down at her before offering her a hand up.
"Come with me, child."
Karai looked at him in surprise, then took the offered hand. He helped her up before they walked towards his room. Once inside, Splinter walked to a shelf on the wall, removing a picture.
"I retain very little from my former life," He explained, handing her the photo. "But the time I spent with my master, your father, I will never let go."
She took the picture, seeing that it was of Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen. Karai placed her hand on the photo, tracing them across her mother's face.
"I… I always wondered why there were no photos of Shredder with my mother. Now I know why…" A tear came to her eye and she wiped it away before turning to Splinter. "What was he really like? My real father?"
"He was one of the best men I ever knew. He was wise, compassionate, protective of those he loved. And often had a peculiar sense of humor."
Karai chuckled a little in response.
"I wish I could have met him. All I know of him are Shredder's stories, and I know they were all lies."
Splinter then perked up.
"Then perhaps it is time you met the true Hamato Yoshi."
Karai raised an eyebrow as Splinter went over to a cabinet. He opened it, revealing the orb he received from the Utroms. He picked it up, holding it out. Karai looked at it in confusion.
"A crystal ball?"
"A gift from the Utroms, whom Master Yoshi served under for quite some time. This orb contains his collective consciousness, which has allowed me to communicate with him many times."
Karai looked shocked, then very slowly reached for it. Once she had it in her hands, it began to glow, swallowing her in bright light.
…
Karai then found herself in some kind of dojo, making it seem like she was back in Japan. She looked around and saw someone practicing some kata's, causing her to freeze up instantly. Standing before her was none other than Hamato Yoshi himself. He turned towards her, genuinely surprised to see her standing before him.
"Miwa…?" he let out.
"...Father?"
The two stood still for a moment before Yoshi moved forward, embracing her. Karai was shocked by this, then slowly returned the hug.
"Is… is this real?"
"In a sense."
"Then… how can you accept me? After all I've done? I've cursed your name, hurt your family. I don't deserve-"
"You are my family," Yoshi explained, pulling back so he could face her. "That is reason enough. Love and forgiveness aren't things that can be earned. They are given freely, and I love you, and forgive you."
Tears started building up in Karai's eyes, prompting her to hug him again, which he happily returned.
…
The session ended as Karai found herself back in Splinter's room still holding the orb. She gave it back before wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Thank you… Thank you so much..."
"Of course. You are welcome to use it whenever you wish."
"Thank you."
Her stomach suddenly made a very loud growl, much to her embarrassment.
"Oh man… I forgot I gave up my daily meal in an attempt to escape. I haven't eaten since yesterday… or the day before yesterday."
"We can fix that!" Mikey called out, holding up a pizza box with his good arm. "Pizza on us!"
"Alright!" Karai declared, running towards him.
She leapt over him, snagging the box out of his hand before landing on the ground.
"Hey!"
"Give me a break," Karai replied, starting to eat a slice. "I haven't eaten in days."
"That doesn't mean you can have the entire box!"
Karai grinned, closing the box and vaulting across the living room.
"Then come get it, turtle boy!"
Leo chuckled as he walked over to Splinter.
"Sensei… I know we disobeyed you, but-"
"You took a major risk going there," Splinter cut off before softening. "But it seems some things are worth the risk."
Leo looked up in surprise before smiling.
"Hey!" Leo called out, running up to them. "Save a slice for me!"
Splinter just smiled warmly as Karai fought with the turtles over the pizza, feeling for the first time in a long time, at home.
