One year later
Inside an empty warehouse near the pier, far from New York City. A van vehicle is parked close to an open garage door. Inside are three men carrying boxes as they walk to their van and load them on. The first man is tall and slender, with blonde hair and blue eyes. The second is relatively short, with black hair and green eyes. And the last is a vast and buffed, his hair is red and eyes in brown color, three wearing t-shirts in different shades of blue, green and red. The slender one has blue, the short one wore green, and the buff one was red. They even wear denim jeans and converse shoes. The slim look up at New York, taking in the view.
It had been a year, and the city had finally been restored to normal. The buildings have been rebuilt, the streets are redone, New Yorkers are back to normal and free from being possessed by the Krang, and Metro Tower is rebuilt again. Even middle and high schools have installed themselves with alarms and alerts in case of future threats, as ordered by EDF. So far, everyone is moving on.
The slender man slowly walks to the back of their van, pulling one of the boxes and opening it. He took out what looked like a crystal in a purple-red color. "We will make a fortune of these." He let out a chuckle.
"yeah. It's easy how you can locate a rare mythical crystal." The short one cackled, dusting his hands and jumping to the driver's side.
The slender one turned and faced their buffed friend. "Load them up, and let's hurry. Big Mama is waiting." He ordered him, who nodded with a grunt and finished loading them in the truck.
Once their deed was done and closing the van door, all three got in, and the short man started the van and stomped on the pedals. Then a swirl of magic surrounded them, and in their place were three hihi yokai's, all in their human size. The van begins to move, but not quite far.
Suddenly, the van stopped, tossed over, and landed on the van hood. The three braced on each other as they were sure they were okay enough to check. But what lay on sight caused these three to groan in annoyance.
Kneeling by the window is a very familiar turtle with a blue bandana, wielding two katanas; behind him are three turtles with red, orange, and purple bandanas. It's the Ninja Turtles, the heroes who have gotten the Krang and their technodrome back to their prison Dimension with the help of their excellent friend April O'Neil and Casey Jones, a young teen who came from the future to prevent the invasion from happening.
Leo smirked and tilted his head, staring at them. "Gentlemen, you got something we need."
"Oh great, it's those meddlesome turtles." The buffed Hihi groaned, rubbing his face to smooth his headache.
"Sorry kids, we need them or else no pay. Big Mama's orders." The slender Hihi stated that he removed his seat belt, and it ended him dropping from his feet and on the fallen roof. "So we aren't giving them to you." He crossed his arms.
"Come on, our good friend needs them, and this warehouse got the last source for this crystal," Mikey added. "And you got them."
Leo nodded. "Yeah, so it's best to give them, and we will go easily." He shrugged cocky.
The buffed Hihi unbuckled himself and landed on the roof like his Comrade. He let out a growl. "Fat chance, brats!!"
Raph shook his head; this isn't getting them anywhere. "Okay." He pulls out his sais. "If that's how you want it to go, bring it on!"
The buffed Hihi tear the hood apart and push it back, freeing them. They glared at them, and before anyone knew it, the two sides fought each other.
Leo and his brothers leap into the air, their weapons in hand and ready to attack. Before they can, the buffed Hihi punch them all out of his way while the two Hihi manage to open their van's rear door, grab all the boxes, and put them on an abandoned truck.
Raph active his mythical sai to project his hands and fight against the buffed hihi. The hihi growled and used his brute strength to block Raph's attack.
"Hurry!" The slender hihi shouted at his short friend.
"I'm working on it! Don't rush me!" The short hihi barked back, trying to get this truck starting by using the wires. Once he heard the car starting up, he pushed the pedal and drove off, leaving the turtles to dust.
"They're getting away!" Mikey yelled.
Leo let out an angry grunt. "No, they aren't." He growled. He faced Raph and Donnie. "Raph, Donnie! Take care of mister ape guy here! Mikey and I are going after the two." He let out an order with a stern voice.
Raph nodded. "Got it!" He focuses on Donnie, who is next to him. "let's go, D!"
"Right back at you, bro!" Donnie grinned, gripping his Bo staff.
Leo swings his katana, opening up a portal for him and Mikey to jump in. The doorway leads them to a rooftop, where no human can see them as they chase the van, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Raph blocked every punch from the huge hihi, with only his mythical powers creating a hand shield. Each force only causes Raph to be pushed back till one strong punch breaks his mythical shield and flies into a pile of boxes. Donnie rushes quickly to his older brother in concern. "Raph!" He cried out.
Raph got himself up, brushing the dust off his shoulder. "I'm fine, D! Don't worry about me!" He called back.
Donnie turns his body around, ready to fight the colossal yokai. But as soon as he raised his huge fist, Donnie suddenly froze, and his face went pale. Images flashed before him a year ago, facing the Krang who was about to send him and Mikey off with a single punch that broke through his mythical Barrier and sent them flying away. His grip on his Bo staff loosen.
Out of nowhere, Raph emerged in an enormous projector of himself and punched the hihi out of the way and causing him to land on a rooftop of the warehouse. Raph faced him, his bother. "Donnie, are you alright?" He asked, concerned.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay." Donnie nodded till he looked behind Raph and spotted the hihi marching at them. "Look out!" He gasped, pointing at the yokai. He raised his fist to punch them.
Back to Leo and Mikey, they still chase the van driving past New Yorkers at a fast speed. They got to stop them before more citizens start getting hurt by them. Leo turns to his little brother.
"Ready for it, Mikey?" He asks him.
Mikey just grinned and pulled out one of his nunchucks. "Ready as I'll ever be!" He gave him a ready nod.
Leo threw his katana up in the air; Mikey leaped up while the katana created a portal, teleporting him right over the moving truck. Mikey extended his nunchuck chains with his mythical energy and wrapped them around the car. "Whip'O Rama!" Mikey let out his catchphrase. With his strength, he pulls the truck up in the air.
The two Hihi released a scream as they held on to each other. But the boxes fell out of the truck and flew in the air.
"Oh, No!" Leo cried out. He throws his katana in the air, teleporting himself and catching all the boxes. Once he was sure he got all the boxes, he landed on a building rooftop. Then the truck landed by him; the impact almost caused him to lose his balance, but he regained it.
Mikey land by him, holding his nunchucks. "Sorry about that, Leo." He apologized to his brother while rubbing the back of his neck.
"No big deal." Leo gave him a forgiving smile. "At least the packages are unharmed."
The two spot the hihi getting out of the truck through the window, almost pushing each other. Before they can escape and run away, Mikey swings his nunchucks, and they wrap the two around, trapping them.
"Told you it was a bad idea!" The short hihi glared at his tall hihi comrade.
"Oh, shut up!" He yelled back.
Back with Donnie and Raph, the huge hihi tried to pound them. But each time, the two brothers would dodge him like houseflies avoiding a swapper. He let out a loud growl; hitting the ground caused it to shake and rumble.
"Hold still!" He roared, pounding like mad. The ground begins cracking.
"This guy is all brawn!" Raph trembled.
"Then it's time to go all brain!" Donnie acknowledged. He spots an abandoned shoe factory by the end of the pier. He smirked. "I have an idea!"
He keeps pounding like a mindless animal, not seeing his opponents have already left him. A whistle has reached his ears; he looks up and sees Donnie standing on the warehouse rooftop, making faces at him.
"Hey, big and ugly! Come and get me!" He yelled, then he jumped off and ran to the factory.
The yokai roared and chased him down. Donnie ran as fast as he could, dodging and jumping over abandoned cars and boxes, reaching his Destination. He took a look behind, the yokai still chasing him. He stepped up and fast and slid inside the open factory; only his way was blocked by barrels of shoe glue. The yokai break through the wall and let out a loud roar that echoes the building.
Donnie flinched but recovered quickly. "Oh please, my dad's faces are uglier than yours!" He turns around and shakes his tail shell while he taunts him.
"You little-!" He growled in annoyance. He punches Donnie, only to go through him and hit the barrels, releasing the thick glue and trapping him in. He then glares at Donnie, who is laughing, then fazed. It was a holograph made by him.
The real Donnie was standing behind him as he laughed some more. "You've got Donnie'd!" He laughed.
The yokai struggled to get off, but the glue was too strong. He growled and roared, moving too much. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder; he turned around and saw Raph with a massive grin on his face. He activated his mythical powers to create his project fist and punched him right in the face, causing him To blackout.
Inside an apartment, a massive man with dark pink skin and long red hair dressed in a blouse, pants, and glasses on him as he pours small rocks into a tube and writes them down in his notebook. Baron Draxum was the greatest threat to humankind and created the oozequitos to mutate humanity, believing they would enslave the yokai. But he has always been outbeated by the turtles and April. But he has turned into a new leaf and has joined the turtles' group and become their ally.
Then out of nowhere, the boxes are dropped on his desk. He looks up and sees the turtles.
"Here you go!" Leo announced.
Draxum opens one and lets out an approving nod. "Fire Lazuli, perfect." He pulls out the crystal and looks them over. With these, they can be the perfect source for fire protection." He faced them and took his glasses off. "Thank you, boys."
"You have no idea how hard finding them is; good thing Donnie managed to track them down through the radio tracker," Leo remarked.
Mikey looks at the crystals, a curious look in his eyes. "So, what are you gonna do with them?" He asked Draxum.
Draxum put the boxes on the floor near his desk. "Planning to use the lazuli to make a protective cloak against any kind of fire, all but one." Draxum turns to them. "The Phoenix's Flame."
"The what flame?" Raph repeated, not understanding.
"The Phoenix's Flame." He answered. He set his glasses down on his desk, reciting. "Many years ago, before the yokai's were forced to relocate. Four great warriors hold these powerful mythical arts of the elements. The Kraken's Wave, The Gryphon's Wind, The Phoenix's Flame, and The Minotaurs' Earth. They were used for the greater food to protect both humans and yokai's." Draxum continued. "Till the humans turn against the yokai's, believing they were the reason the threats won't leave. The four warriors did their best to try to reason with them, but their effects would not move them, and it resulted in them being killed. Legends said that the four mythical arts are waiting until they find four souls with the strongest wishes." He finished.
The turtles are all in awe of this tale. Four warriors have the mythical powers of the elements.
"Wow.." Mikey whisper.
"Do you believe that Draxum?" Raph questioned him.
"Seeing is believing, Raphael." Draxum put back on his glasses. "I will when I see it with my own eyes." He turns to look at the crystals, seeing through a Magnified glass.
Soon the room has gotten an awkward feeling of silence. Then Leo clears his throat to break the silence. "Right..well, as much we like to stay and chat more, we got to go." He proclaimed.
Draxum looks up at them. "How's April?" He asked.
"She's doing great, learning so much and all." Mikey answered him.
"Good." He let out a small smile. "I'm looking forward to her time to visit."
"We'll tell her you said hi." Raph added.
Soon the turtles are about to make their leave, ready to go back home after a hard night's work.
"Donatello?" Donnie was only just behind them when Draxum called out his name. He turned around and faced him. "Something on your mind?" He asked him.
Donnie shook his head. "No, why, sir?"
"You look like you didn't get a good night's sleep." Draxum looks at his face, taking a close look. "Nightmares?"
Donnie waves his hand at him, trying to him of something. "It's nothing, really." Donnie tried to disclose this conversation. "I better go; take care, Draxum."
"You too, Donatello." He nodded. "And remember, I'm always here when you need to talk." He watches Donnie leave his apartment, leaving him alone. So he turns back to experimenting on the crystals.
Shortly after, the turtles are up on top of the Manhattan Bridge while eating pizzas. After a long work of chasing and fighting the hihi yokai and delivering Draxum the crystals, they treat themselves to dinner from their favorite pizza joint. The turtles watch the New Yorkers going on their daily lives, ensuring no danger is coming back soon.
Leo chuckled. "Well, guys! I say we aced our errand run!" He held his pizza up for a toast. "Way a go, team!"All cheered, toasting to themselves and going back to eating while watching.
"Phew! Those hihi sure mean monkey business." Raph huffed out. "That huge guy almost cracked my shell, not literally. Next time Draxum asks us to do a pick-up, please let it be something that isn't on Big Mama's list."
"Got it, bro." Leo nodded, taking a bite of his pizzas. Below, Leo spots two couples walking on the sidewalk of the bridge, taking a picture. Tourists, he can guess, then he spots them kissing each other. "Gross. How can anyone stand watching them suck each other faces?" He sneered in disgust.
Raph only rolled his eyes. "Oh, grow up, Leo." He glared at him. "You wouldn't know love if it punched you in the face."
"And I never will in a million years." He glared back.
"Aw, come on, Leo." Mikey pouted at him. "Have you ever wondered if there is a special someone out there?" He implied. "A lovely lady or a charming guy? Think about it; we saved New York twice; we deserve a special mate."
"And who on earth would want that?" He questioned him. And to his answer, Raph and Mikey look away, taking a bite of their pizzas. It seems that they would want to have a mate; they're close to the age they are allowed to date, but who would ever go out with a mutant turtle? "Are you serious!?" He groaned, then turned to Donnie by his side, who was looking at his phone. "Don, help me out!"
Donnie looks away from his phone. "Oh, please. I don't have time for romance; the hormone is caused it in your brain, and love goes bad. So I agreed with Leo; romance is not on the card." He explained, turning back to his device.
Happy with the answer. "See?! We are better off with no mate! No love and no lovey-dovey crap!" Leo exclaimed. "We got each other!"
The two groaned in disappointment. Donnie can only roll his eyes at this. He was never a believer in love; as a man of science he called himself, his work and family came first before being with some stranger he had never met. April is like an older sister to him, and he appreciates it very much. So he stays focused on just that, never have the time to find a particular mate, and never finds himself with anyone. He looks down, seeing the couple, only to scoff it off.
Leo stands up and yawns as he stretches. "better get back home. Quite a long day." He yawned.
Mikey let out a yawn too. "Agreed."
Leo opens a portal for the four, and all jump in and is back in the lair.
Donnie was running up the stairs of the Metro Subway, almost like he was being chased by his panting. He looks behind him and sees the Krang chasing after him. He put up his pace and kept running, he almost tripped on the stair from going too fast, but he kept going till he reached the top.
He Grabs his Bo staff, but his mythical powers are gone, meaning he has no defense against the Krang. They walked close to him, and to his horror, he saw his brothers, his father, April, and Casey, all possessed by the Krang. He backed away, Fearing they could possess him too. "Mikey! Leo! Raph!" He cried out. "Brothers, you have to fight this!" Yet his words are silent to them as they get close to him. With no other choice, he runs again.
Donnie's way was leading him to a door on the far end. It opened to him, and he jumped in. His breath stopped; he was back in the control room of the Technodrome. And overhead is the Krang Leader in his body suit. Donnie backed away from him, but tentacles emerged from the platform and trapped him. They ripped his battle shell off, and he silently screamed. He struggled to break free, but the ooze on the tentacles was trapping him.
Heavy footsteps were heard, and he turned to the source. It was Raph, but back in his possessed form. Donnie felt sweats coming down his brow, and his heart was beating so fast out of fear. He wanted to get his staff and get free, but his legs couldn't obey his commands. So all he can do is watch his elder brother march toward him. Raph raises his hand, the Krang's arm reaches to his face. "Raph! Raph, don't do this!" Donnie begged him. Before he knew it, the tentacles wrapped him around and took over his body. He let out a loud scream.
Donnie jointed awake from his bed, panting heavily and body covered in sweat. It was just a nightmare, a horrible nightmare. He looked around, he was in his room, not in the Metro Tower, not in the Technodrome, and no possessed brothers. His hands were shaking. He pulls the covers off and climbs out of bed while heading to the nearest bathroom.
The water runs on the sink; he cups his hands to scoop the water and bring it to his face, washing the sweat of his fear. He faced himself in the mirror, looking worse. His eyes have bags due to lack of sleep and from the nightmares. It has been going on like this for a year, and it has always been the same, running away from his brothers who are taken over by the Krang, Raph back to his possessed form while he is trapped and opens his shell and being taken over. He leans his forehead against the sink and lets out a shaken breath. He touches the back of his shell, not wearing his battle shell, and lets out a shiver of disgust. He doesn't think he will ever be getting any sleep tonight. He pulled himself up and left the bathroom.
The following day, in Eastlaird Univerity. The students and teachers are dressed warmly, meaning that the fall season is coming. Everyone is heading inside, ready to start their new Semester. The students are chatting with each other while some are on their phones.
While outside, April, dressed in a green sweater and holding a hot latte she bought from a cafe, was heading to a bench under a tree. She sat, set her cup down, and pulled out a laptop. She typed on the keyboard while taking careful sips from her latte. A single leaf, in brown color, fell on her laptop, and she felt a presence by herself. She turned to her side and almost jumped, careful not to flip her laptop and spill her drink. "Donnie! Don't sneak up on a girl like that!" She scolded Donnie, who was sitting by her.
Donnie rubs the back of his neck. "sorry, April, just need to get away from the lair." He apologized to her.
April set her stuff to the side, giving her focus on him. "Is everything okay with you?" She asked in concern. Donnie looks away from her, staying silent for a while. April frowned. "It's the nightmares again, is it?" It caught him to nod. He has told April of his nightmares only cause she is the only person he can talk to in his time of need. "oh, Donnie...I know what happened a year ago was bad, but you guys are alive." She reassured him. "Why didn't you tell your brothers of them?"
He then turned his head around and faced her. "I can't. They are dealing with their own trauma, and I didn't want them to be worried more." He sighed. "They need to heal first."
April then placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort. But her hand is close to his shell, making him shiver at the touch of it. April noticed it. "You need healing too. You still flinch whenever anyone is close to your shell, even when you are still wearing your battle shell."
Donnie only frowned; he didn't want to think of it.
"You need something to get your mind off it." She grabs her bag and pulls out what looks to be a flyer. She then hands it to Donnie. "Check this out."
Donnie looks over the flyer, showing a large building that is so high it can reach the clouds. The sign on the building said 'TCRI' and some information was on the bottom, reading it. "A field trip?" Donnie questions her.
"You heard about the new company, TCRI?" April asked him.
Donnie nodded. "Yeah, they just opened about three months ago."
"My old high school class is taking a field trip to TCRI tomorrow, and I volunteered to do a report for the Eastlaird Daily News." She explained. "And I could use some backup if things get out of hand. So I thought maybe you guys like to come along. Maybe for good old time sake."
"Wait, really?" Donnie looks Intrigued. "You sure about this?"
"I know; I told you guys many times I got to do everything on my own now." April shrugged. "But maybe it could help you take your mind off those nightmares." She faced him. "What do you say?"
Donnie looks at the flyer. He has heard a lot about TCRI, a Laboratory company for top-grade scientists, biologists and chemists, and even mechanists who can make amazing machines to support human life. It's like a dream place for him. The problem is trying to get his brothers to come with them; they aren't interested in science like he is. Then an idea pops in his head. It might raise Suspicious, but it might work. Here's hoping he might get to see the inside of TCRI.