Raph re-emerged within minutes. "Donny says it's under control. So, how do we want to do this?"

Leonardo had drawn one of his katanas and was scratching designs on the floor while he thought. "How about we shrink the remaining two aliens and bring them with us. When we get there, we split up – somebody draws off the usual guards, while the rest of us sneak into the portal room and-"

"No way, Leo," Raphael interrupted. "The army from Dimension X will all be there. Not that we can't take them, but..."

"Why don't we divide into three groups then, not two," Shredder suggested. "That way, one can draw off the Foot soldiers, and the second group can resurface somewhere in the Technodrome. Arrange to be seen. When Krang realizes there are turtles already inside, he'll panic. He'll deploy whatever he's brought from Dimension X, leaving the portal room practically unguarded. The third group will then proceed to the portal room and destroy everything."

Raphael considered it, then unexpectedly deferred to his brother. "Leo?"

"I don't trust you, Shredder," Leonardo said bluntly. "The plan's fine, but the last thing we want is you in any position to betray us. I don't want you in the portal room at any point."

Shredder didn't mind. "I'll need to be part of the second decoy group anyway," he explained, "Because it will make Krang so angry to realize I've betrayed him, that he'll definitely send his whole army to wipe us out."

"Donatello will have to be one of the ones in the portal room," Leonardo said slowly. "He ought to have backup. If I go with him…"

"I'll go with Shredder. But that will leave Michelangelo to distract the foot soldiers alone," Raphael realized.

"No," Splinter spoke up. "I think this is one mission I had better come along for. I will partner Michelangelo."

Michelangelo was currently waist-deep in pizza boxes, going through the garbage looking for a crust he knew someone had left behind the other day. "Sounds radical," he said without much interest, "But I'm like so hungry. Can we eat first?"

Shredder glanced down at the rat. "You're comfortable with having him watch your back, sensei?" he asked doubtfully.

"I have full confidence in all of my sons." Splinter was totally serene.

"That makes one of us." Shredder dismissed the problem with a wave of his hand. "No matter. I have a competent partner, which is all that counts. That, and Donatello's ability to shut the portal down." He turned and addressed himself to Raphael. "How long did he say the controller will take?"

But Raphael was still too busy glowing from the compliment to pay any attention.

Making distractions was a job right up Michelangelo's alley. Still, Splinter proved pretty adaptable too, and it wasn't long before they had most of Krang's Foot soldiers chasing them in circles around the Technodrome, convinced that the facility was under attack by a large pack of mutant animals and rocks that had come alive.

Shredder and Raphael had a little bit harder of a time. Raphael insisted on scaling the Technodrome from the outside, even though Shredder knew the combinations that would open the doors. Then, when they finally got inside, Shredder suddenly remembered that he had been the one in charge of hiding all the security cameras. If they stepped in front of one now, it would be obvious that he was doing it on purpose, and Krang wouldn't be fooled. Krang had to think that he'd caught them – not that he was being set up.

He explained the problem to Raphael, who thought of a plan B within seconds. "So why don't we just head for the portal room ourselves? Either Krang will catch on and send the guys after us – which is the original plan – or he won't, in which case we bust in there and break some heads to ease the way for Donny and Leo."

Because he couldn't think of anything better, Shredder agreed. He led Raphael through the corridors of booby traps silently, until they reached a hallway bisected at random times and places by laser beams that issued from the walls. Raphael watched the beams for a few minutes until he figured out the pattern, then performed a complicated series of acrobatics to flip up, over, under, and around all the lasers. When he finally finished bouncing off the walls and reached the other side, he looked back with a smug smile on his face. There was no way Shredder could-

Raphael's jaw dropped. Shredder was lying calmly on the ground against the left wall. He dragged himself forwards on his belly, keeping his head down, knowing that he had about three inches between the top of his helmet and the lowest laser beams. A turtle shell, of course, would never fit through this loophole. The corridor was of Shredder's own design, and he was proud of it. When he reached the other side and stood up, Raphael rolled his eyes. "Cheater."

Instantly, bright spotlights flipped on and laser beams started to shoot crazily from every corner. Shredder hissed furiously and dragged Raphael to the single safe spot on the floor, which was two feet from the right wall and six from the far door. Shredder explained (loudly, so Raphael could hear him over the lasers that whizzed all around them) that this second part of the trap was voice-activated. Noise set it off, and noise also alerted-

"Krang." Shredder greeted his boss coldly as one of the walls slid back to reveal a large screen, which fuzzed with static.

The static cleared and the brain glared at him. "So!" he began. Shredder shut him right up.

"Don't bother – you can't scare me. We're safe in here – I designed this room myself and there are no gas valves in the ceiling and your people can't come in because if they do, the lasers will dice them."

Krang smiled. "My Dimension X warriors are immune to laser beams!" he declared. "Why don't I send them after you so you can see?" The transmission grayed out.

"Good," Shredder whispered to Raphael. "That will clear out the portal room for your brothers."

"Sure," Raphael whispered back. "But in case you're forgetting, we're supposed to escape and meet them back at the lair. And we're currently trapped by your stupid laser beams."

"Leave that to me," Shredder answered. "As long as Leonardo and Donatello don't accidentally lock down the emergency escapes while they're toying with the Technodrome's controls, we'll be fine."

Raphael didn't quite believe him, but he radio-d his brothers the OK signal anyway.

TBC. More cheesy action scenes soon to come! Review this! Cmon please?