Chapter 6: Stark Tower
Doctor Doom was unhappy by the set of temporary setbacks that had currently fallen his way. For starters, Magneto had informed them that his space station was unsafe for visitation, and had requested the sole assistance of Red Skull and the Hydra forces. And now M.O.D.O.K., the leader of A.I.M., was reporting to them that the Kraang power cell was unsuitable for use as a power source for their portal.
Doom stood in Shredder's throne room, and both were staring at a screen displaying M.O.D.O.K.'s immense, bloated head. Doom tried not to grimace-you'd think that with all of A.I.M. at his disposal, M.O.D.O.K. could find some way of making himself look a little better. Due to his immense size, M.O.D.O.K. was incapable of unassisted physical movement, and was forced to bide his time sitting in a technological device he called his "Doomsday Chair."
"So what are you saying, M.O.D.O.K.?" asked Doom. "Is the power cell completely unusable?"
"Yes," M.O.D.O.K. answered. "My A.I.M. scientists have attempted dozens of times, but the power cell is simply not compatible with our portal technology."
Shredder glared at Doom from behind his mask. "You promised me a conquered world, Victor. But I have yet to see fruit to this plan."
Doom ignored the comment, and continued, "What do you propose we use as a substitute?"
M.O.D.O.K.'s enormous face grinned nastily. "I have set my eyes on a quite well-known power source, one that has been attempted to be replicated many times. I speak . . . of Tony Stark's arc reactor!"
The Arc Reactor was a type of fusion power which derived from the repulsor technology of the Iron Man suit created by Tony Stark. It could be used as a source for clean energy as well as a powerful bomb.
Doom stroked his metal mask thoughtfully. "Indeed, the arc reactor seems like a suitable source of power. However, you forget one thing, M.O.D.O.K. The Arc Reactor is located deep inside Stark Tower. And the tower is comprised of some of the most advanced technology in the world and is built with the nigh indestructible materials. Every wall both interior and exterior is made of vibranium-reinforced concrete, and the windows too are virtually indestructible."
"Given time, we will find a way inside," M.O.D.O.K. said dismissively. "I assure you, I have calculated every possible situation and this is the most logical one. I would be willing to offer up A.I.M. resources for the project, and even lead the attack myself."
"The Foot Clan will also donate soldiers, and you will also have the aid of my right hand, Tigerclaw," added Shredder.
"Then it's settled." Doom grinned behind his metal mask. "Prepare our forces to march on Stark Tower!"
Donatello was in the den watching TV with his brothers. Channel 6 News was doing a report on the billionaire Tony Stark, who was Donatello's personal hero. The man had everything: a cool tower, sweet robotic suits, and even a talking computer program that did everything in the tower and even struck up conversation.
The presenter, Joan Grody, was speaking. "Resident New Yorker Tony Stark has announced a new contest that will be released to gain popularity among fans. Inventors around the globe will get a chance to participate, showing off their best creations to Stark. One lucky winner will get an afternoon in the tower, spent with Tony Stark himself! Email your stories, or mail them directly, to Stark Tower. Coming up, local firemen had their hands full when an entire pet store of cats got loose and climbed trees in Central Park. This after the break, on Grody: To the Max."
Leo, Raph and Mikey looked over at Donnie. He had a starry look in his eyes, and drool dripped from his mouth. Before anyone could say anything, the purple turtle had raced into his lab and booted up the computer. He logged into his email, under the username duzmachines84 , and entered Tony Stark's email address.
"I can't believe it!" he said to himself. "I finally have a chance at meeting the great and powerful Tony Stark! I just need to give him the specifics on one of my inventions. Hmm, which one? The Shellraiser? No, I brag about that enough already. The T-Phone! Mmm, no. Or what about the Turtle Mech? Ehh . . ."
At that moment Donatello happened to glance over at his lab shelf and caught the glance of the cold metallic head of his old creation, Metalhead. Donatello had built Metalhead out of garbage, and the robot had proved a valuable ally. Donnie wiped a tear from his eye as he remembered how Metalhead had sacrificed himself to save them and dozens of other mutants.
Then the lightbulb went on, and Donnie began typing on the keyboard. "I've got it! I'll tell Tony all about Metalhead! It's the least I can do, seeing as how he gave himself up for me."
"F.R.I.D.A.Y., check the suit over and let me know what needs repaired," Tony requested as he walked into the penthouse from the disassembling platform of Stark Tower. It had been an easy battle, but he had gotten into the habit of having the suit checked out after every use. He never wanted to get caught flat-footed like he had been in Monaco.
"On it, boss," F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied. F.R.I.D.A.Y. was Stark Tower's computing system, taking care of everything to do with the tower, from heating and cooling systems to engine analysis of Stark's hot rod in the garage. F.R.I.D.A.Y. had also been adapted to be downloaded into the Stark's second generation Iron Man armor, and has been present in subsequent models, as a control program to manage the armor's sub-systems.
Tony slipped behind his bar and poured himself a shot of tequila while the Mark VII suit disappeared into the bowels of his lab. He knocked back the shot and then flipped the glass over to rest it on the granite bar top. He pushed off the bar and turned his steps toward the elevator only to be stopped when he bumped into the solid mass of his girlfriend.
"You need to let F.R.I.D.A.Y. check you out and then get some rest," Virginia Potts quietly said steadying Tony with a hand on his shoulder.
"Drop the mother hen act, Pepper," Tony grumbled, disgusted with himself for not being more aware of his surroundings. He hadn't heard the elevator or Stark Industries's CEO entering the penthouse, which just proved how out of it he truly was.
"Only when you stop being a stubborn mule," Pepper retorted. She could feel the slight tremor run through Tony's body as he fought to stay on his feet since he had been on a full science binge before he had gotten called out.
Tony snorted and shook his head, pushing the fatigue aside.
"Tony?"
"Come find me in a couple of hours, okay?"
"Okay," Pepper said relenting. She knew Tony needed time alone to decompress even after the easy battles. She pulled Tony close and gave him a brief kiss. "Love you."
"Ditto, sweet cheeks."
Pepper rolled her eyes. She let Tony pull away and head down to his lab.
Tony quickly entered the passcode and headed over to the back of the lab.
" F.R.I.D.A.Y., cue up 'Modern Day Cowboy,'" Tony said, absently patting DUM-E on the claw when the bot trundled up to greet him. You and Butterfingers were on their chargers, but chirped their greetings to the billionaire.
"DUM-E, fetch the drinks," he ordered. The robot promptly brought over a tray of Yuengling Traditional Lager accompanied with a crystal glass.
Tony smiled as he picked up the glass and took a drink of it. "Now, let's see our next patient, shall we?"
The nearly complete Iron Man Armor Model XXI rose up in front of him as Tesla's Modern Day Cowboy boomed over the speakers.
"What will it be for this one, boss?" asked F.R.I.D.A.Y.
Tony sat back, drink in hand. "I think we should modify the repulsors. Add a mild version for crowd control, to protect me from my throngs of loyal fans. Improvements are required, also. I'd like to be able to use them underwater and in space. And I want a final smash ability, which happens when I fire both the repulsors and the uni-beam." He pounded a fist into his palm for effect.
F.R.I.D.A.Y. made a note of this as Tony continued his laundry list. "Improve the sonic weapons. Give it a deflector pulse that can push objects away from the armor. As for defense, improve the EMP shielding. The basic forcefield uses wave algorithms to randomly change its frequency, correct?"
"That's right, boss."
"Nice. I think a second smaller energy shield is in order. Have it come out from the gauntlets. Armor breaches are always a problem, especially when fighting the Hulk. Add backup forcefields to cover armor breaches. Liquid oxygen cells should provide the air supply when the suit is underwater and in space. By the way, I think I just read in the news that air pollution is higher than ever before. Put a respirator in the suit. to take in and purify outside air."
"Getting back to the issue of underwater, boss," F.R.I.D.A.Y. said. "How do you expect to get around? Should I add a set of flippers?"
"No thanks," Tony said, wrinkling his face. "You know, for having an Irish accent, sarcasm's not your strong suit."
"Sorry boss," F.R.I.D.A.Y. retorted. "I'm too busy drinking, eating potatoes, and playing your Irish mammy to hone up on my clapback skills."
Tony chuckled. "See? You're learning. As for propulsion, I'm thinking a carbon dioxide mix." He stood up, to walk around the model. "It's pretty dark underwater. A searchlight for the helmet for underwater missions would be nice."
"Being able to see is always a plus."
But Tony wasn't finished. "Utility tools in the left gauntlet, for repairs, bomb disposal, whatever. Upgrade the software, particularly in the sensor array and diagnostics. In case I get lost, add some GPS technology. And a spray, that I can use to mark objects.
"That would require an ionic mist spray, boss."
"Excellent, excellent," said Tony, taking a sip of his drink.
Pepper hurried down the steps to Tony's lab. She quickly entered his passcode, surprised not to be assailed by Tony's loud music. She was about to ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. where Tony was holed up in the large room when she heard a loud snore come from the back of the room.
Pepper found Tony curled up on the old couch with a ratty blanket tucked in under his chin. She crouched next to him and softly said, "Hey, sleepy head. Time to get up," as she gently shook the engineer's shoulder.
Tony woke with a snort and tried to bury himself deeper into the couch grumbling, "Five more minutes."
"No can do, Tony," Pepper retorted. She grabbed the blanket and began to pull it off of Tony.
"Please!" Tony whined and tightened his hold on the blanket.
"It's dinner time."
"Man, Pepper," Tony sighed as he threw back the blanket. "I was having a really good dream."
"I'm sorry," Pepper apologized. "But it's time for dinner."
"Food sounds good," Tony quipped as his stomach voiced its disapproval of being empty.
Pepper stood up and held out his hand. Tony caught hold of it and let Pepper pull him to his feet.
"So your dream?"
Tony hesitated. He couldn't tell Pepper his dream; he didn't know how she'd react. It was scary. It had scared him. The two of them had gotten married, and they'd had a little girl.
"I can't remember, but it was a good one," Tony said, rubbing the back of his head. "Now, I think you mentioned it's dinner time."
Pepper softly laughed and pulled Tony from the lab.
Over Chinese food, Pepper went over some of the entries in response to Tony's contest. "Here's an interesting one," she said, pulling out a notepad on which she had taken a synopsis of several of the entries. "A hotel in Japan has an entirely robotic staff. They can do everything from cleaning to checking guests in."
Tony slurped down a mouthful of chow mein. "Sorry, no. That's just creepy. Besides, that sounds a lot like the tower. What are they going to do next, arm their robots with rockets and ion blasters and have them go out to save the world?"
Pepper glanced down at her pad. "Former Apple engineers have invented a computer that can cook."
"So have I," Tony said.
"Oh, so I can cook now," said F.R.I.D.A.Y. "That's news to me, boss. You don't eat a thing I make you. Think of all the poor starving children in the world who haven't a bite and you with a big plate in front of you! And I am hardly considered a 'computer,' by any definition of the word."
Tony thought he detected a hint of resentment in the AI's voice. "Sorry, F.R.I.D.A.Y.," he apologized. "Don't take it personally."
"No offense taken, boss," F.R.I.D.A.Y. chuckled. "Eat up now."
Pepper flipped through her notes. "Here's something. "Some guy emailed you about a robot he invented from scratch."
"Sounds like it's been done before," Tony said.
"No," Pepper replied, "actually, this one's unique. The guy's surname is duzmachines84, and he built his robot from reverse-engineered alien tech. The robot's name was 'Metalhead.' He has an upgraded artificial intelligence, even to the point of listening to commands, and was programmed with numerous fighting styles. He also has the ability to simulate almost all fighting styles he encounters. Here." She passed Tony the iPad.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y., add that bit about simulating fighting styles to the new armor," Tony requested.
"Sure, boss," said F.R.I.D.A.Y.
Tony read on, about how the robot had gotten duzmachines84 and his brothers out of numerous scrapes, and eventually been destroyed with only its head intact. This duzmachines84 character sounded like a really neat guy. And who didn't like a robot that was built from scratch, programmed with independence and given multiple fighting styles? He sounded a lot like Tony. At any rate, a robot built from scratch was certainly better than a computer that could cook.
The next day, Donnie woke up with a yawn. He had spent the night in his lab, working on an experiment. He raised his head and looked at the computer screen. A message flashed across it: "1 New Email."
Donnie's fatigue left him in a heartbeat. He clicked Open and read the sender's address. It was from pottsv . Excitedly, he opened it.
"Dear Contributor: Thank you for entering Tony Stark's NextGen contest! I am pleased to inform you that you have won the NextGen contest. On behalf of the faculty and staff at Stark Industries, congratulations."
"I won!" Donnie whooped, his joyous cry echoing through the lair. He kept reading, barely being able to contain his excitement. It was a lot of mumbo jumbo about where to send their address, and the pickup date, and all of that. Apparently Tony had also requested that Donnie bring Metalhead's remains, as he was very interested in his work. The email was signed by the CEO of Stark Industries herself, Virginia Potts.
"I won, guys!" Donnie shouted as he burst out of his room into the main room of the lair. His brothers groaned and moaned about it being early and them needing sleep, but he hardly noticed. Tony Stark was interested in his work! Holy Toledo, this was awesome!
Donnie glanced at his computer clock. It read 8:45. Only fifteen minutes! He typed down the address for Antonio's Pizza-Rama and quickly logged off. His brothers and sensei were still asleep, so he wrote a note and left it on the kitchen table. He slipped on a fedora and trenchcoat, and as an afterthought grabbed the long-cold head of Metalhead before heading topside.
The next week, Donnie stood in front of Antonio's Pizzeria dressed in a trenchcoat and wearing a fedora to try and conceal his appearance. He clutched the long-cold head of Metalhead under his arm as he waited anxiously. Hearing the revving of an engine, he looked down the street and saw Tony Stark's personal sportscar pulling up to the curb next to him, just after dropping Pepper off at the airport for a business meeting. The man of his dreams turned and tilted his sunglasses, making his eyes visible. "Duzmachines84?" he asked.
"I can't believe this," Donnie murmured. "I'm actually talking to TONY STARK! You are my hero, Mr. Stark!"
"Well, thanks for the compliment," said Tony, "though you're not the first one to say that. Come on, hop in! You've got a playdate with destiny."
Donnie climbed in the passenger seat, and they sped off towards Stark Tower. "So what's your name?" Tony asked.
"It's Donatello," Donnie said. "It's Italian. You can call me Donnie. At least, if you want to, Mr. Stark. I don't care what you call me. You can call me Binkster Dorkman if you want to!"
Donnie followed Tony downstairs to the labs in Stark Tower. It didn't look like Tony suspected anything . . .yet.
"Sure you don't want to take off your hat and coat?" he asked. "DUM-E, come get Donnie's coat."
A small robot on treads with a robotic claw wheeled up to Donnie. He grabbed protectively onto his hat, keeping it firmly on his head. "Uh, thanks but no thanks, Mr. Stark," he said.
"Whatever floats your boat," Stark said. " So what do you drink, Donnie? Bourbon? Whiskey?"
"No thank you, Mr. Stark," Donnie said. "Water's fine."
"Please," interrupted Tony. "It's Tony. Mr. Stark is my dad. I'm not as old as I look. At least, I don't think."
"Okay, Tony," corrected Donnie.
"So, tell me a little about your invention," Tony said, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.
Donnie plopped Metalhead's head onto the lab table, being careful not to disturb the other items on the table. "There he is," the turtle sighed. "Not very much left, is he?"
Tony began to closely examine Metalhead. "So what happened to him?" he asked.
Donnie was hesitant to tell Tony the truth. "An explosion," he finally said. This was the truth; Metalhead had been caught in the explosion that decimated the Kraang's secret mutant prison.
Tony peered closely inside Metalhead's skull, examining the menagerie of wires. "Doesn't look too bad," he said at last. "You've kept him in good condition."
"Thanks," said Donnie.
An idea was forming in Tony's head. As DUM-E brought Donatello his glass of water, he asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. a question. "Hey F.R.I.D.A.Y."
"Yeah, boss?"
"Examine Metalhead's technology and give me the specs."
A blue light appeared and ran over Metalhead's head on the lab table. After a moment, F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied, "The little guy's technology comes from the Kraang, a race of brain-shaped aliens from another dimension that pilot robotic bodies. The technology has actually been reverse-engineered to give the robot independence from the Kraang."
Tony's eyes widened. "Wow." He turned to Donnie. "So you reverse-engineered alien tech? How did you manage it?"
"Oh . . . it's a gift," Donnie answered sheepishly.
"Color me impressed." Tony took a sip of his drink. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., is the technology compatible with StarkTech?"
"The technology in its original state was not; however, the reverse-engineering reversed the capacitators of the machine, rendering it compatible with our own technology."
Tony's idea would work. He grinned. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., bring up the Mark XXXVI."
The Iron Man Armor Mark XXXVI rose from the table. "The Mark XXXVI is a model that's controlled by me using an NES headband," Tony explained to Donnie. "Telepresence Neural Net transmits mental commands from my headset via sub-space. This system gives the wearer realistic feeling without lag time, but also makes him vulnerable to feedback. The fact that I don't have to be in the armor makes more room for weapons and power sources."
Tony went over to the computer and brought up a holographic simulation of the Mark XXXVI. He swiped his fingers through the air, removing the helmet of the armor. Then he tapped twice, creating a holographic image of Metalhead's head, and dragged it over to sit on top of the Mark XXXVI. He then tapped again, and the new armor, with Metalhead's head, spun 360 degrees in the air.
"Congratulations, boss," said F.R.I.D.A.Y. "The prototype of the Mark XLVI is now complete."
Donnie could barely contain himself. "Wow!" he shouted. "I can't believe this!"
"Let's build this, F.R.I.D.A.Y.," said Tony. "Hit the mix tape."
About an hour later, M.O.D.O.K. was in an airship flying over Stark Tower. In the troop bay with him were three squads of A.I.M. agents, dressed in their classic yellow hazmat-like suits, and a score of Footbot soldiers. Sitting next to him was Tigerclaw, brandishing an energy rifle.
"Remember," said M.O.D.O.K., "head for the laboratory. That's where the arc reactor is."
A voice sounded over the loudspeakers. "Go in three . . . two . . . one . . . hit it."
The airship let loose with dozens of heat-seeking missiles. They crashed into the tower's windows, cracking the glass. This served as a distraction, as the airship lowered itself over the Stark Tower helipad. Hovering close enough to the ground, the A.I.M. agents, accompanied by Footbots, jumped out onto the helipad with M.O.D.O.K. in the lead.
Tony and Donnie fought to stay on their feet against the earthquake-like rumblings that shook the lab. "Unwelcome company, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" asked Tony.
"Security cameras indicate a presence of agents of Advanced Idea Mechanics, as well as the mercenary known as Tigerclaw," reported the AI.
Tony headed for the hall of armor. "Okay, Donnie, hold them off. F.R.I.D.A.Y., get the Mark XLVI ready," he said.
"With pleasure," said Donnie, drawing his bo staff menacingly.
The Footbots led the way inside. Donatello was crouched down behind the bar, waiting for the Footbots to pass him. When they were past, he jumped out and whacked a Footbot in the head with his staff. The Footbot crumpled as three others turned and attacked. The turtle used his ninjistu skills to dodge the strikes and struck out with his staff. The rest of the Footbot fell quickly.
Donnie twirled his bo staff. "Yeah, well, that's what happens when you're a genius." But then he heard the activation of high-powered weapons and looked up. A large group of A.I.M. agents were in the doorway, with their guns trained on him.
"Aw, sewer apples!" said Donnie.
But then from behind him a voice said, "You know, it's really just rude to come barging in without asking." He turned around and saw Iron Man, decked out in the Mark VIII. "If you'd let me know ahead of time, I would have left the door open."
The A.I.M. agents opened fire, and Donnie dove away for cover. Iron Man fired his energy repulsors, taking down several of the agents. He then used his rocket boosters to soar over the heads of the agents, landing behind one. He grabbed the luckless agent and tossed him out the door, blasting him with his repulsors in the process. The agent flew into the open troop bay of the A.I.M. airship and landed with a thud.
"Enjoy the fall!" Iron Man said. Donnie and Iron Man formed a tag team, both of them taking down the rest of the agents. But more came, as did Footbots. Bit by bit, they were forced towards the laboratory downstairs. Then, from behind the agents, an energy bolt struck Donnie's hand. The mutant cried out and dropped his staff.
Tigerclaw, in the airship, chuckled as he aimed through the scope of his energy rifle at Donnie. Then he took to the air in his jetpack, firing his twin energy blasters. A freeze gun shot covered Iron Man's unibeam launcher, rendering it useless.
"Hey, I just finished cleaning that," groaned Tony. "Nice eyepatch, by the way. But pretty sure Fury has that market cornered." He noticed Tigerclaw's stub tail. "What happened to the little kitty's tail?" he asked mockingly.
He soon wished he'd bitten his tongue, as a hail of blaster bolts flew in his direction from the enraged feline's guns.
Next came M.O.D.O.K. himself. He fired several sonic beams into the doorway. "I am M.O.D.O.K. I am the ultimate in human-machine interface. I am designed only for conquest!" he roared.
"Wow," Donatello breathed. "That is a very big head."
"You insult me?" shrieked M.O.D.O.K. "My mental bolts will tear your mind apart. A mere human mind is no match for M.O.D.O.K."
"Yeah, well, the moon is no match for your head," retorted Stark. He fired off a burst of energy from his repulsor gloves.
M.O.D.O.K. screamed in pain as more A.I.M. agents poured into the area, forcing the heroes back even further. At a nod from Iron Man, they jumped backwards into the lab. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., shut the doors!" shouted Iron Man.
F.R.I.D.A.Y. obeyed, and the metal doors to the laboratory slammed shut and locked. M.O.D.O.K. screamed, "Idiots! Get this door open now!"
Grateful for reprieve, Donnie pulled out his T-Phone and left Leo a message. "Hey, Leo, I'm at Stark Tower. The Foot is here, and Tigerclaw. Please get here now."
"Hey, F.R.I.D.A.Y.," said Iron Man, "the Mark XLVI ready yet?"
"Boss," began F.R.I.D.A.Y., "there are still terabytes of calculations left before-"
"It's ready," said Tony.
Outside the labs, Tigerclaw turned to some Footbots. "Prepare to rush the door when it opens." He glared at the A.I.M. agents who were attempting to hack into the door lock. "Work faster!"
Suddenly the lab doors shook. Instantly the villains were on alert, unsure of what to expect. The doors were pounded from the inside, creating large dents. From inside the lab, Iron Man ordered, "Start the music, F.R.I.D.A.Y.!" as Donnie slipped on the Telepresence Neural Net headset used to control the armor.
The lab doors blew open with a crash, knocking down a handful of Footbots. The remaining Footbots and A.I.M. agents stared frozen at the robot that stepped through the smoke coming out of the lab. It was the Iron Man Armor Mark XVIII, a dark steel gray color from head to toe. Dandelion-yellow stripes made their way up the suit's legs, and around the oversized chest RT from which glowed a blue arc reactor in the center. The suit's eyes glowed blue as well, after an eternity of being powered off.
"Oh, sweet!" Donnie yelped. "This is so awesome!" Using the TNN headeset, he was able to see through Metalhead's eyes, watching as the robot's internal battle computer tracked all A.I.M. and Foot in the room. "Alright, buddy, let's see if you still got it," he murmured, a grin spreading across his face.
Metalhead's shoulder-mounted rotary cannon lifted off his back and fired. Energy bolts spattered into the Footbots like grapeshot, who were standing in the front. As their bodies collapsed in a shower of sparks, the A.I.M. agents fought to get back up the stairs and to cover while returning fire.
"No, fools!" screeched M.O.D.O.K. "Come back and fight!" He turned to face Metalhead. "You will soon be shown the power of the mind!"
But Metalhead had other ideas. He powered up his weapons systems unibeam and blasted M.O.D.O.K. away. The villain forcefully flew up the stairs and landed on his back, knocked clean out of his Doomsday chair. He kicked his shrunken feet in the air helplessly. "Get me into my chair, imbeciles!" he shrieked.
Before anyone could help him, Metalhead flew over and landed on top of the villain, knocking him out with a swift cuff to the head.
Tigerclaw fired several bursts from his energy pistols at Metalhead, but the robot merely used its absorption grid to absorb the energy attack and convert it to needs for the armor system. Metalhead raised his arm and fired his micro-rocket launcher into the A.I.M. airship bay doors, causing the craft to explode.
With their exit cut off, the A.I.M. agents quickly lost motivation. Metalhead alternatively fired his repulsors and flamethrower, pressing the agents back. He launched his fiber wire grappler, tying them up. Tigerclaw attempted a backstabbing attack from behind, but Metalhead whirled and activated the taser in his right gauntlet, stopping the big cat in his tracks.
Donnie and Iron Man came running out of the lab towards their new creation. "Woohoo!" Donnie shouted. "That totally rocked!"
"Yeah!" Iron Man removed his face mask to smile and laugh. "Those A.I.M. thugs didn't stand a chance!"
They high-fived and chest-bumped each other, and even Metalhead joined in. Then the roaring of a jet engine was heard, as the T-Rawket landed on the helipad outside. Moments later, Leo, Raph, and Mikey ran in.
"Donnie!" said Leo. "We came as soon as we-" They stopped in their tracks and Metalhead rocketed over and landed in front of them, raising each of his individual weapons threateningly.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Donnie shouted. "Back off! They're friendlies!" He used the TNN headset to cancel Metalhead's attack before the robot could do any damage to his brothers. Donnie stepped proudly in front of his creation. "I give you . . . the new and improved Metalhead!" he said.
Metalhead's weapons retracted into the suit as he gave the turtles his signature thumbs-up.
"Dude," breathed Mikey. "You finally brought back Metalhead!"
"Told you I would one day," said Donnie.
Tony Stark could not believe it. He stared at the four strange figures in his penthouse. "So . . ." he said at last to Donnie. "These are your brothers that you were talking about? I mean, I thought you just had some sort of condition you didn't want to talk about. But, no, you're all actually talking turtle humanoid mutants."
Leo was furious. "You told him about us?!"
"Calm down, Leo," Donnie retorted. "He's cool, and I trust him. Besides, if I recall, you spilled the beans about us to more than a few people. Including Karai . . . ?"
Mikey snorted. "Burn," he whispered.
"No, I get it," Stark said. "It's confidential. Believe me, you guys are not the weirdest things I've seen. I mean, come on. I've seen guys that make you four look like the poster children for normal."
"Pity you didn't leave anybody for us to smash, Donnie," said Raph.
"Yeah, we'd better hustle these guys off to the Helicarrier," Tony said. He moved over to the motionless Tigerclaw and picked him up.
Mikey caught sight of M.O.D.O.K. "Whoa, dudes," he said. "That's one giant head! Let's call him Headster. No, wait! The Headmaster! Oh! Even better! Head Supremo!"
"Mikey . . ."