The pizza was finished and everyone had adjourned to the living room to watch the evening news. The collapse of the building was the top story, along with the bodies of the mercenaries found in the rubble. Witnesses had seen a fight going on, atop the building but no one knew who had been fighting or why. Now the army had been called in and the metal foot was wading into the troops, and tanks with insane glee, using a giant tank as a batter ram to smash anything in sight.. all the while declaring himself a god.
"Man that guy has seriously lost it." Mike sighed from his position sitting cross legged in front of the TV.
"He does seem a lot less stable than before. I wonder if that suit has anything to do with it." Leo said critically from beside Mike.
"Maybe if he leaves it on long enough it'll fry his stupid brain out." Raph groused. He was sitting on the arm of the couch just beside Don.
"Yeah if we have to wait that long there won't be a city left." Mike snorted.
"It looks like we're going to have to get our strength together and go out after him again." Leo said with a heavy sigh.
"Are you nuts Leo? This is the second time we've gotten our butts kicked by that guy, and we ain't in no condition to go out there now. Why do we have to be the ones ta get our shells waxed all the time anyway."
"Because there is no one else Raph. Didn't you notice that most or all of the city's super heroes aren't super heroes anymore? We need a plan."
"Plan or no this guy's too tough, we gotta figure out some kinda weakness before we even think of goin back out there. If we just try and hit his armor it don't do no good. He got hit point blank by a rocket launcher and he didn't even blink!"
April was moving around behind them wiping Don's face with a washcloth. " From what you guys have told me it could be that the suit could be made of something that absorbs and feeds off of kinetic energy, so every time you hit it you only make the metal stronger. You say those mercenaries were armed with electric guns.. electricity might have an adverse effect on the suit's systems." She mused looking up at her friends.
"Uh, yeah, that." Raph said looking puzzled.
"Don knew what the suit's weakness was and I'm sure he had a plan..I just wish we knew what it was." Leo sighed.
There was a groan from the couch and April let out a gasp. "Donnie!"
Raph looked down to find Don's eyes open and blinking rapidly.
"April go get Sensei." Leo told her kneeling beside his brother.
"Right Leo." She nodded and quickly stood, running to the other room where Splinter was meditating.
Raph and Mike knelt next to Leo all three staring at their brother with amazement.
Don sat up on an elbow and put a hand to his head and then to their total amazment..spoke not in the dark growling tones of the Dark Turtle but in the perfectly normal tone of the perfectly normal Donatello. " Uh..where am I..I…" he turned his head to see his brothers smiling at him. "Oh, right."
Leo, Raph and Mike looked at one another. They gave a chorus of happy exclamations. Splinter hurried into the room, April and Casey following.
" Donnie is it really you...you?" Mike asked hopefully.
Don looked at everyone around and grinned apologetically. "Yeah Mikey, it's me."
Mike grabbed him and pulled him into a hug that almost squeezed the breath out of him.
"Oh Donnie we're so glad it's you and not that other guy.." he said in a jumble of ecstatic words.
" Uh, Mikey, buddy..can't breathe.." Don gasped out.
"Oh, right sorry Donnie." Mike grinned letting his brother go and looking a bit sheepish.
"Are you okay my son?" Splinter asked softly.
Don nodded. " Yeah, unless you can die from embarrassment, in which case I'm on the critical list."
"Don..do you..were you..?" Leo asked hesitantly not sure how to put his question.
Don moved to sit upright in the couch. "I..was here Leo..I don't remember a lot of it but I do remember being here in my mind while..that other personality took over."
He looked up at them his eyes wide. " I don't know where he came from, I..I'm not like that I don't think like that.."
Splinter put a hand on his son's shoulder. "We know my son."
"It was like me, who I am was sort of pushed to the back of my mind, I could see and hear what went on but I couldn't do anything. I know you guys must have hated me.." Don looked down sadly.
" Nah Donnie, we didn't hate you." Raph said softly putting a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. " We're just glad you're okay now."
"What about that other guy..is he gone?" Casey asked.
" I..uh..I don't know. I can't feel him but I do have his memories.." Don sat upright as if just remembering something. " Oh no, that metal foot!" He went to stand but Splinter forced him back down.
" No my son, you must rest."
" But Sensei, he, I..we..I had a plan! This guy's going to keep getting stronger until nobody can beat him." Don objected.
" None of you are in any condition to fight another battle with the metal foot."
Don looked up at his brothers and finally noticed their injuries. " What happened to you guys..did something happen after I..uh..he got knocked out?"
"The uh, the roof collapsed underneath us." Leo said looking pained.
"Are you okay?" Don asked looking in alarm at Raph's arm, Mike's head and Splinter's bandaged leg.
" Just peachy Donnie. You were the one we were worried about." Raph said making a face.
" You should have left me behind and gotten out of there when my other personality told you to." Don said fiercely. " You could have been killed."
"If you think we'da done that, then you're really bonkers Donnie." Raph said tapping Don's forehead.
Don sighed.
" Look he had a plan and I remember what that plan was. It's simple and none of you have to get near that foot again, I'm the one that's going to be taking the risks."
"Do you think we're going to let you go out and face that guy alone? We just got you back Don we are not going to loose you again." Leo said sternly.
"I'm not as important as what's going to happen if that foot isn't stopped. Don't you understand he's growing in power. That shock wave attack of his was just the tip of the iceberg, soon he'll be so powerful that nothing will be able to stop him…not even electricity."
"So tell us the plan and we'll all do it." Raph shrugged.
"No, this requires intellect and stealth. Brute force won't work." Don shook his head. " But I do need someone to act as a distraction. I have to get behind the foot without him knowing that I'm there."
"Look Don you're not going out there alone and that's final. I know the foot has to be stopped, but Raph, Mike and Sensei are in no condition to fight." Leo said sternly.
Don started to protest again but Leo held up a hand. " I'll come with you. I didn't get hurt when the roof collapsed and I've been able to get enough rest to get my energy back."
"Are you sure Leonardo?" Splinter asked worriedly.
" I'm sure Sensei, I can't let Donnie go out there alone."
" But Don you're not in much of a condition to fight that Foot guy yourself." April objected frowning.
" I'm fine April, really. Besides I'm not going to be fighting him, I'm just going to sneak up behind him.." Don looked around puzzled. " Where did you guys put that goofy Dark Turtle suit?"
"Yep, he hates the suit now we know he's back to normal." Mike grinned.
" Stuck it in the closet." Casey jerked his head towards April's living room closet.
Don stood and went to the closet opening it up and searching through the suit that lay on the closet floor. He unattached the utility belt from around the suit's torso and stood turning back towards his brothers. From one of the pockets he took out a palm sized device and held it up with a triumphant grin.
"My other personality may have been a royal jerk but he was a genious..and he came up with this device to take out that robot foot." He walked forward towards his brothers, April, Casey and Splinter holding it out for them to see closely.
"This little device generates an extremely high electrical shock that's adjusted to the suit's wavelength. It needs to be attached to the suit's weakest point which he believed to be at the back of the neck." Don pointed to the back of his own neck.
"Believe to be?" Leo asked.
"With almost 96 percent certainty." Don shrugged. " The problem is getting to the neck area, and that's why I need a distraction so I can sneak up from behind."
Casey grinned. "Distraction, Leo and I can handle that."
Leo looked concerned. "Are you sure Casey, this guy is stronger than Hun and you won't be able to hurt him by hitting him."
"So we just gotta piss him off and then stay out of his way. I'm up to that." Casey shrugged.
"Specially the pissin' people off part, yer good at that Case." Raph grinned.
"Casey..I don't know.." April said with a lot of uneasiness.
"Don't worry babe. Leo's got my back." Casey said giving Leo a nudge.
"Yeah but who's got Leo's?" Mike asked sarcastically.
"Hey!" Casey said giving Mike an offended look.
"Nobody needs to have anyone's back, you just have to distract him. That's all." Don said shaking his head. " I don't want you two to fight him directly."
"Just do what you have to do Don. Casey and I will take care of the rest." Leo said crossing his arms across his plastron.
Casey took out his hockey stick and slapped it into an open palm. " This is gonna be a piece of cake." He grinned.