What it Means to be a True Leader
It had been nearly three days since the incident with Metalhead and everyone was still recovering from the events of that battle. They spent a good amount their spare time looking for any evidence to 'the key' that the Kraang were searching for; so far they had yet to obtain any promising leads.
This night in particular Leo was leading the team in a regular patrol when they spotted a pair of thugs trying to break into a jewelry store and steal the jewels. Leo had the team split up and go in different directions. Raph and Mikey each hid behind a trash can, Miwa hid behind the wall, Leo watch from the rook of a nearby building, and Donnie went to the getaway car and started messing around with it.
As the crooks were focused on stealing the jewels, Leo called Raph on his cell phone and said, "Listen closely, Raph, I need you to stay hidden while Miwa goes in first. When the thugs come running out scared, that's when you and Mikey take them down. Don't start until you hear the thugs screaming."
"Hold on, Leo," said Raph, "I should go in first and Miwa should help Mikey with them out here."
"Raph, if you go in first they might hear you coming," said Leo, "Miwa's the stealthiest, so they won't know she's in there."
"If we wait too long, the thugs will get away with the jewels," said Raph, "I'm going in now."
"Raph, I'm the leader and you do as I say!" said Leo, "And I say stay hidden!"
"I'm hanging up now," said Raph, and then he pressed the hang-up button on his phone, ending his conversation with his brother.
Leo groaned after Raph hung up on him and could do little besides watch as Raph rushed inside the jewelry store right behind Miwa with Mikey following close behind Raph. Leo watched hopelessly as he heard Raph, Miwa, Mikey, and the thugs shouting at each other; he could swear he even heard them cursing. He also heard gunshots being fired and his siblings screaming. The next thing he saw was the thugs running in out of the store with two duffle bags, each filled with stolen jewels, in the hands heading right for their getaway car, which Donnie was still messing around with. Leo was about to tell Donnie to get out of there, but the thugs already saw him and pointed their guns at him.
"What the heck do you think you're doing, you brat?!" one of the thugs asked.
"Get away from there right now, unless you want a bullet in your back!" said the second one.
Hearing their voices plus the clicking sounds of their guns, Donnie gulped and turned around holding his hands up in surrender. He shook as he told them, "Don't shoot, please."
Leo climbed down from the roof just as Miwa, Raph, and Mikey came running out of the jewelry store after the thugs. The thugs saw them coming and took the chance to grab Donnie in a headlock. The whole team stopped in their tracks when they saw that the thug had their brother in a headlock with a gun to his head.
"Stay where you are, or this one gets his brains blown out," said the thug holding Donnie.
The team could do little more than cringe as they watched the one thug jump in the car to start it up while the other backed away towards the passenger's side with Donnie still in his grasp. It looked like they were going to get away when the driver tried to start the car, but nothing happened. He tried again, but the car still would not start. As the driver tried for the third time to start the car with the same results, his partner got really fed up with him.
"What's going on in there?!" he asked.
"Something's wrong with this car!" said the driver, "I can't get it to start! I think that kid did something to the darn thing!"
While they were fighting, Donnie decided that this was the best time to get away. So he elbowed his captor in the stomach and the kicked him away from him. After he was free, Donnie ran away from him and back to his siblings. Raph took advantage of his brother's freedom to give the driver a good punch to the face, knocking him out cold. Mikey took his chance to tie the thugs up with a rope he brought with him and Miwa left them where they could easily be found while Donnie made an anonymous report to the police. Just for fun, Mikey left a note on them saying 'Courtesy your friendly neighborhood ninjas' attached to one of the thugs. Once they were finished, the team regrouped and disappeared into the night.
Once the team returned home, they were greeted by their waiting parents. Said couple had kept already had dinner ready on the table for them so that the children could eat.
"Oh good, you're home," said Shen, "And you're safe."
"How was your patrol of the city?" Yoshi asked.
"No Kraang leads," said Raph, "But we did stop a jewelry store robbery."
"Barely," said Miwa, "My sneak attack was ruined by you rushing in close behind me."
"Hey, I could've handled it if somebody didn't shout his dumb catchphrase!" Raph snapped, looking at Mikey on 'somebody', "That's what blew our cover, not me."
"Hey!" Mikey snapped, "My catchphrase is not dumb! And we probably could've caught them outside if you two weren't arguing with each other! Thanks to that, they got out too fast and took Donnie hostage while he was messing with their getaway car!"
"What?!" Shen screamed.
Realizing what Mikey had just said, the others froze where they stood. Donnie decided that all he could do was tell them what happened.
"I was rigging the robbers getaway car to not work right," said Donnie, "While I was working, they came out and pointed a gun at me. When they saw Miwa, Raph, and Mikey, one of the grabbed me and held me hostage. Luckily he got distracted by his partner's frustration and I attacked him and escaped. After that, knocking them out and tying them up was easy."
"But the very idea that one of my babies was held at gunpoint!" Shen screamed; she like she was about to faint.
After hearing what had happened, Yoshi looked at his eldest son and asked, "Where were you during all of this, Leonardo?"
"I was on the roof of the next building giving them orders and making sure everything went smoothly," said Leo.
Yoshi pondered his son's explanation and then said, "I see. I think some form of punishment is in order."
"What?!" Raph asked.
"No way!" Mikey shouted, "That's bogus! We didn't do anything wrong!"
"No, Father is right" said Leo, "It's important for ninjas to learn the consequences of their actions."
"I am glad you agree, Leonardo," said Yoshi, "Because the one who is to be punished is you."
"Exactly," said Leo, and then he realized what his father had just said, "What?!"
"You are the one who was truly in the wrong in this situation, and so you are to be punished," said Yoshi.
"But why just me, father?" Leo asked, "Why not Raph and Mikey too? Better yet, why me at all?"
"The very fact that you do not understand the wrong you have done is reason enough to punish you," said Yoshi, "Leonardo, you are grounded for a week. And that means no Space Heroes."
"But, father-" Leo tried to protest.
"No 'buts'," said Yoshi, "That is my final word."
With that, Yoshi turned around and left to meditate in the dojo. Leo stood where he was, completely in shock; out of everyone, he was the only one being punished. But why? He had done nothing wrong as far as he knew, Raph and Mikey rushed in recklessly, so why were they not punished? Why?
The next day at school, the five siblings all arrived and prepared for their first classes. April saw them at their lockers and went over to greet them.
"Hey, guys!" said April, she then noticed Leo's sad expression and asked, "What's the matter with Leo?"
"Mother and Father grounded him," said Raph, slightly amused by the situation, "So he didn't get to watch Space Heroes last night."
"How come?" April asked.
"Because of Raph and Mikey," said Leo.
"Leo, you being grounded wasn't Raph's fault or Mikey's," said Miwa, closing her locker, "I don't think you understand why you're being punished."
"I understand completely," said Leo, grabbing his math book while thinking, 'Father thinks I'm incompetent as a leader because I can't control my followers. But it's not my fault that they're a hothead like Raph and a blockhead like Mikey.'
"Leo, Father didn't ground you because he thinks your an incompetent leader," said Donnie.
"What do you know, Donnie?" Leo asked as he slammed his locker door closed. He froze at what Donnie said and then turned to his brother and asked, "Wait a minute. How did you know that was what I thought?"
"Didn't you just say that?" Donnie asked, sounding like it should be obvious.
Everyone looked at Donnie in confusion and Leo said, "No."
"I know what I heard, Leo," said Donnie, "I clearly heard you blowing off about thinking that father thinks you're a bad leader because you can't control your followers and you also called Raph a hothead and Mikey a blockhead. You guys did hear that right?"
Everyone stared at Donnie in shock when he said that. Donnie had no idea why they were staring at him that way. Even Raph and Mikey were too shocked to react to Leo calling them the things Donnie had said.
April finally broke the silence and said, "Donnie... Leo didn't say any of that."
"Huh?" Donnie asked, "That's funny. I was sure that I heard him- AHH!"
Suddenly, Donnie clutched the sides of his head as he screamed and then fell to his knees. Miwa immediately rushed to his side and asked, "Donnie, what's wrong?!"
"My head!" Donnie screamed, "It hurts!"
Miwa and April helped Donnie to his feet and Raph said, "He needs to go to the nurse right away."
"No kidding," said Leo, "Let's move."
With a nod, everyone started hurrying to get Donnie to the nurse's office so that she could help him. As they walked Donnie to the nurse's office, Leo could not help but wonder how Donnie knew exactly what he was thinking right when he was thinking it. He also remembered a similar incident with the Kraang before it took over Metalhead; what was happening to his little brother?
At the nurse's office Donnie was resting on the cot while his siblings and April stayed beside him out of concern. April took Donnie's right hand and held as he moaned and held his head with his left. Donnie's glasses had been removed and placed on the table next to the cot.
"It's alright Donnie," said April, "We're all here for you."
"Yeah, D," said Mikey, trying hard not to cry, "You're gonna be okay."
The nurse then came over with a bottle of aspirin and a cup of water and told Donnie's siblings and April, and said, "Of course he'll be okay. It's just a bad headache, all he needs is some aspirin and a little rest."
"Are you sure that's all it is?" Miwa asked skeptically, "That didn't seem like just a headache to me."
"Trust me, that's all it is," said the nurse as she gave Donnie two aspirin and the water, which he took, "Things like this tend to look more serious than they really are. You all shouldn't worry so much."
"It's just that this isn't the first time that something like this has happened," said Raph.
"It's actually the second time," said Leo.
"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it," said the nurse, "Donatello here just needs to rest and I'm sure he'll be all better by his next class. So the rest of you can just get to your classes."
The others looked conflicted at first, until Donnie told them, "Go ahead, guys, I'll be okay."
"You sure?" Raph asked.
Donnie and said, "Yeah, just bring me my work from my first class so I don't fall behind."
Raph laughed at Donnie and said, "You falling behind? Yeah, that'll be the day."
Donnie looked annoyed at Raph and first and then smiled when he realized that the statement was more complimentary than insulting.
"But, sure, we'll bring your school work so you can do it later," said Raph, "No worries."
And with that, the others all left for their first classes, leaving Donnie with the nurse. Sure enough, after some rest in the nurse's office, Donnie's headache was gone and he was ready to get to class. As the day went on, the others could not ignore the headache Donnie had; the fact that he had one during the battle against Metalhead and another at school, during both times he seemed to know exactly what someone was thinking, was too to be a coincidence. At the same time, Leo still had no idea what he did wrong that Yoshi decided to punish only him and nobody else.
After school, the others prepared to head home to gear up for their next nightly mission while Donnie prepared to head to Rockwell's lab for his job. The others were concerned at first, but Donnie assured them that he was all better and was perfectly capable of going to his job and working. After saying their goodbyes, everyone split up to go their separate ways. However, upon arrival home, the children prepared to drop off their bags and head to the lair until Yoshi made an announcement.
"You can't be serious!" Leo snapped.
"I am, Leonardo," said Yoshi, "You are to stay here during the time you are grounded. Meaning, no missions for the week."
"But the team needs me!" said Leo, "If I'm not there, who's gonna lead them?"
"I can lead!" said Mikey.
"I think I should lead," said Raph, "I'm the best fighter and clearly a better choice."
"Guys, being leader isn't a game," said Miwa, "It's a big responsibility."
"I will meditate," said Yoshi. He then closed his eyes for a second and then opened them and said, "I have made my decision. Your replacement leader will be... Miwa."
Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Miwa were all surprised at their father's choice; Miwa was honored, but still surprised that he chose.
"Why her, father?" Raph asked.
"She's the only one among the four of you who understands what being a leader truly means," said Yoshi.
"Don't you mean three?" Leo asked.
"No, Leonardo, I said the correct number," said Yoshi, "You also do not seem to understand what it means to be a leader."
"What?" Leo asked.
"Miwa, can I count on you to lead your brothers into battle and bring them back alive?" Yoshi asked.
"Yes, father," said Miwa, "You can count on me."
"Good," said Yoshi, "Now, get ready for your mission. Leonardo, after you complete your homework, you will be training in the dojo."
With that, Miwa, Raph, and Mikey left to gear up in the dojo while Leo sat on the couch, stunned by the situation. What could his father mean when he said he did not understand what it meant to be a leader?
While Miwa was being assigned leadership over the team, Donnie was hard at work filing papers away in the cabinet in Rockwell's office when said boss came in to check his progress. Dr. Rockwell was around his late thirties with black hair, a mustaches, and brown eyes.
"How are you doing, Donatello?" Rockwell asked.
"Almost done, Dr," said Donnie, "I just have a few more to go."
"Excellent," said Rockwell, "When you're done, I have something you can help me with."
"Okay," said Donnie, "I won't be much longer."
With that, Dr. Rockwell left Donnie alone to finish up filing away the papers. Once he was finished, Donnie closed the cabinet, locked it, and then turned to leave the room. Just as he was about to, he bumped into a man around the same age as Dr. Rockwell with black and grey hair and blue eyes. The man had a to-go cup in his hand.
"Oh, hi, Dr. Falco," said Donnie, "I didn't know you were coming today."
"I just had something I wanted Tyler's insight on," said Falco, "When I heard you were working today, I figured I'd bring you a hot chocolate."
"Thanks, sir," said Donnie, taking the offered cup, "I'll have it later. Dr. Rockwell needs my help right now."
"You sure?" Falco asked, "You look like you could use a break."
"I'm fine," said Donnie as he put the cup on the table, "Thanks again, Dr. Falco."
As Donnie was preparing to leave the room, he and Falco felt the room shake and heard an explosion. They both look confused at what happened. Dr. Rockwell then came rushing in with a shocked look on his face.
"Are you alright, Donatello?" Rockwell asked, and then noticed Falco and asked, "When did you get here, Victor?"
"I'm okay," said Donnie.
"I'm fine too, Tyler, thanks for asking," said Falco, sarcastically, "And as for your other question, I just got here about two minutes ago."
"What was that anyway?" Donnie asked.
"I'm not sure," said Rockwell, and then he started walking out the door and added, "You two wait here while I take a look."
"I'm going with you," said Donnie, and he got ready to follow close behind Rockwell.
He felt someone grab his arm and heard Falco say, "It's too dangerous; you should listen to Tyler and stay here where it's safe."
"But-" Donnie began, but Rockwell interrupted him.
"Victor's right, Donatello," he said, "It's best if you stay here and stay safe. Victor, if something goes wrong, I want you to get yourself and him out of here as fast as you can."
"Understood, Tyler," said Falco, and then Rockwell left the room to investigate the noise.
Donnie was paying so much attention to Rockwell leaving and Rockwell himself was focusing on his task, so neither of them noticed the sinister look that Falco was giving Donnie. After Rockwell left, however Donnie could swear he heard Falco say something.
'Tyler, you're such a reckless fool,' Falco thought.
"What'd you say that for?" Donnie asked as he looked back at Falco.
"Say what?" said Falco, "I didn't say anything."
"I could swear you called Dr. Rockwell reckless just now," said Donnie.
"I did not say that," said Faclo. His eyes widened in realization when he rethought what Donnie said. It was as if he knew something that he was not telling Donnie. He grabbed the cup from the table and said, "You probably just imagined; must be nerves or something. Here, drink this, it'll help."
"Okay," said Donnie, taking the cup from Falco. Donnie sipped the contents of the cup, unaware of the sinister look on Falco's face. After he swallowed his sip, Donnie let out a contented noise, and then looked at Falco and said, "Thanks, Dr. Falco."
"You're very welcome," said Falco.
"Do you think Dr. Rockwell's okay?" asked Donnie, who was suddenly starting to feel sleepy.
"Are you alright?" Falco asked.
"I don't know," said Donnie trying hard not to fall, "Suddenly... I feel really tired... I don't understand... What's wrong with me?"
"Probably the excitement," said Falco, catching Donnie before he fell to the floor, "Let me get you to a chair so you can rest."
"Okay," Donnie said, barely able to stay awake.
Falco led Donnie over a chair and sat him down in it. As Donnie was falling asleep, he saw Falco's sinister face and could swear he heard 'Looks like the serum is almost complete. A dose of the latest version should do the trick.' As strange as it was that he heard Falco say such a thing, what was stranger was that Falco's mouth was not moving. He pondered the thought as he fell asleep in the chair.
After Donnie fell asleep, Falco pulled a syringe filled with a strangely colored substance out from his pocket. He smiled as he stuck the syringe in Donnie's neck and injected the substance into his bloodstream. Suddenly, the door flew open and Dr. Rockwell came in with a panicked look on his face, panting heavily.
"Victor, we have to get out of here now! There's a strange creature in here!" Rockwell practically screamed. He then noticed the unconscious teen and asked, "What happened to Donatello?!"
"Passed out from the excitement," said Falco, "Now, what's this about a dangerous creature?"
Rockwell had some doubts about what happened, however he brushed that aside and told Falco, "Some type of creature I've never seen before broke into the lab and is on a rampage."
"What kind of creature?" Falco asked.
Rockwell rushed over to Donnie and said, "I don't have time to explain right now. We have to move before it finds us. And in Donatello's current state, I don't think he'll be able to move on his own."
Rockwell picked Donnie up and turned in the direction of the door to carry him out when Falco said, "I'll take care of him."
Falco reached out to take Donnie off of Rockwell's hands, but Rockwell held Donnie away from Falco and said, "I appreciate the offer, Victor, but I've got this."
As Rockwell went ahead of with Donnie in his arms, Falco mentally cursed his colleague before following close behind; if the monster was that dangerous, he had planned on leaving Rockwell with it while he escaped with his life and his test subject, however, it seems as though he will have to get creative now. The two scientists and unconscious teen snuck around the hallway looking for the emergency exit and were just about to make their way there when something crashed through the wall and blocked their path. It growled and bared it's teeth at them as they backed away slowly.
Back at home, Leo was making progress on his math homework when Shen came in and noticed. She could tell that her oldest son was pondering something other than his math problems.
"Is something on your mind, Leonardo?" she asked.
Leo looked up at his mother and said, "I can't stop thinking about what father said. He said I don't understand what it means to be a true leader, but I don't know what he means."
"Well, think about your most recent mission," said Shen, "That might help you figure it out."
"What do you mean?" Leo asked.
"Think about what had happened and really think about the details," said Shen, "Think about where everyone was and what they were doing. And when I say that I mean every single one of the team, including the leader. You must also remember what the most important role of the leader is."
"I guess that helps," said Leo, starting to understand what she meant.
"Just some stuff to think about," said Shen, and then she grabbed her keys and said, "Well, I have to go. It's nearly close to time to bring Donatello home."
"Okay, see you later," said Leo.
"I won't be too long, my son," said Shen opening the door to leave, "No Space Heroes."
After Shen left, Leo rolled his eyes at the idea that his mother assumed that he would try to sneak a viewing of Space Heroes; as much as he wanted to, he did not want to make his punishment worse by disobeying his father. He looked over at the table and noticed the police scanner that Donnie had built the week before too keep tabs on crime in the city. Figuring that listening to the police reports in progress did not count as entertainment, Leo saw no harm in listening to it. So he turned the police scanner on and started listening to reports of car chases, laughing occasionally at the reckless or drunk drivers and the cops arguing and cursing.
"Leonardo," a deep voice said. Leo turned around and saw his father standing in the doorway, "I thought I told you that you were grounded."
"Father, it's just the police scanner," said Leo, "I was only listening to car chases. Besides, you only said no Space Heroes."
"Did you at least finish your homework?" Yoshi asked.
"Almost," said Leo.
"Well, then you're not finished, so urn that scanner off," said Yoshi, "Or at least turn it down; it's really loud."
"Okay," said Leo, turning what he thought was the volume dial.
"That's not the volume," said Yoshi, he then heard something and said, "Wait! Go back!"
Leo turned back to the channel he was on one second ago and listened to the report. According the the officer, a strange creature was on the lose all over the city. It latest attacking area was an address they knew all too well.
"Oh my god! That's where Dr. Rockwell's lab is!" Leo declared, "Donnie's there right now! We have to warn him!"
"We must warn your other siblings as well," said Yoshi, "I will contact Donatello, you contact Miwa."
Leo grabbed his cell phone and dialed his sister while his father called Donnie's cell phone from the kitchen phone. Leo waited impatiently for his sister to answer. When he finally heard her voice on the other end, Leo wasted no time in telling her.
"Listen, sis, I was listening to the police scanner and I heard that some kind of monster is loose in the city and is heading for the street where Rockwell's lab is," said Leo, "If we can't contact Donnie, you may have to get him and the doctor out."
"Are you serious?!" Miwa asked.
"Yes, I am," said Leo, "Please, go there now. Donnie needs you."
"Alright, Leo," said Miwa, "We'll go there now."
"Thank you," said Leo, and then he hung up his cell phone.
Yoshi turned to Leo with a paled expression and told him, "Donatello is not answering his phone."
Leo's eyes widened in shock as he said, " He must be in trouble. I have to help him."
Leo prepared to make a run for the door when Yoshi stopped him and said, "Miwa, Raphael, and Michelangelo will save Donatello. You will stay here."
Leo removed his father's hand from his shoulder and said, "I don't care that I'm grounded! Donnie's in danger! He needs my help! I can't just abandon him!"
It was in that moment that Leo realized what his father had been trying to tell him the whole time. Yoshi punished him because he himself did nothing while his team risked their safety. He could have been helping Miwa or watching Donnie's back, but he did neither.
"It seems as though you are starting to understand what a true leader is meant to do," said Yoshi.
"Yes," said Leo, "I wasn't thinking about helping the others, I was only thinking about telling them what to do."
"And if I permit you to go now, will you help them?" Yoshi asked.
"I'm going to help my team, my siblings, regardless of whether you say yes or no," said Leo.
Yoshi smiled at his oldest son and said, "That is just the kind of thing that I was hoping you would say. You may go."
Leo bowed and said, "Thank you, Sensei, father."
Leo then left the house to gear up before leaving to catch up with his siblings.
Miwa, Raph, and Mikey were nearing the street where Rockwell's lab was when a shadowy figure jumped in front of them. At first they assumed it was an enemy but when he stood up to face them, they saw that it was there brother Leo.
"Leo?" Mikey asked, "What're you doing here? You're grounded."
"Some things are just more important," said Leo, "Like rescuing our brother."
Miwa smiled and said, "You seem to have learned your lesson, little brother. And I think it would be fitting to allow you to be leader again."
"Are you sure?" Leo asked, "I mean, you wanted to be leader."
"That's true," said Miwa, "But I have a feeling that it would be best to let you try your hand at leading."
"And maybe do it right this time," Raph added.
"I plan to. Let's move!" said Leo, and then he looked at Miwa and said, "Oh and, Miwa, stop calling me your little brother; we're twins."
"Yeah, but I was born a few minutes earlier," said Miwa, preparing to move out, "So, that makes me older than you."
Leo groaned, having no argument, and rushed to head for the lab. He figured he could save whatever argument they had for after they stop the monster and save Donnie and Rockwell.
At the lab, it was quite a scene. Police were just outside the building trying to keep civilians out and trying to get inside to help those trapped inside. Among the panicking civilians was an understandably worried Shen trying to push her way through; she had just gone to pick Donnie up when she heard about the monster attack.
"Everyone, you need to stay back," said an officer through a megaphone, "The situation is very dangerous."
"Stay back?!" Shen yelled, "My son is in there!"
"I'm sorry ma'am," said the officer, "But I can't let you in, it's too dangerous. Believe me, I understand how you feel. I'm a parent myself."
Shen wanted to scream in frustration she caught a glimpse of her other four children sneaking in with their ninja stealth. Once she saw them, Shen prayed for her children's safety in the fight.
Inside the lab, Rockwell, Donnie, and Falco were still trying their hardest to evade the monster's attacks. The creature had their backs against the wall at one point, which caused Donnie to wake up and freak out. However, thinking quickly, Rockwell managed to create a smoke screen by mixing random chemicals together so that they could escape. They ran down the hallway until Rockwell found a room for them to hide in.
"Boy that was close," said Falco, "Nice thinking with the chemicals, Tyler."
"Thank you, Victor," said Rockwell. He looked down at Donnie and asked, "How did you sleep through most of that?"
"I don't know," Donnie confessed, "All I remember is drinking hot chocolate and then feeling tired before passing out."
Rockwell looked over at Falco and was about to ask him a question when suddenly, they all heard growling outside of their hiding place. They backed away from the door hoping that the creature would not notice them or pick up on their scents. Rockwell did not want Donnie to get hurt, so he grabbed him by his wrist and pushed him behind him.
"Stay behind me," said Rockwell.
Donnie was about to protest when the creature finally broke through the door. It had the head of a tiger, horns of a rhino, the torso of a bear, the lower legs of a bull, and instead of a tail, a viper. The creature growled and snarled as it approached the scientists and teenage boy. Rockwell was trying to look for a way to save himself, Falco, and Donnie, while Falco was looking for a way to ditch Rockwell to the monster and runaway with Donnie. The monster growled and then made a jump for the trio. They all closed their eyes waiting for the attack to come, but nothing happened.
They opened their eyes and saw the the monster had been punched in the face by a person dressed in black clothes and a red mask. Donnie knew right away that it was Raph, but Rockwell and Falco had no idea who he was. The monster fell to the ground with a thud and Raph stood proudly. Donnie looked carefully at Raph's knuckles and saw that he was wearing shuko spikes; that explained the impact of the punch.
"No monsters attack innocent people, especially kids, and get away with it," said Raph, and then he looked over at the trio and asked, "You guys okay?"
"Yeah," said Donnie, "Thanks to you."
"Not just me," said Raph.
As if on cue, Leo, Miwa, and Mikey came in. Donnie was pretty surprised to see Leo with them since he had been grounded, but he chose not to question them about that at the moment; he was just happy to see his family. Rockwell and Falco on the hand were confused as to why a bunch of kids were getting ready to fight a giant monster.
"You guys should get out of here," said Leo, "We'll handle this monster."
"Out of the question!" Rockwell snapped, "It's too dangerous for children!"
"I think these kids have the right idea, Tyler," said Falco, "I mean, that kid in the red mask took it down with one punch."
"They're still children, Victor!" Rockwell practically shouted, "I'm not about to leave them here where they're in danger!"
"I appreciate your concern for us, Doctor," said Miwa, "But believe me when I tell you that we've got this."
"Yeah, we've beaten plenty of crazy characters before," said Mikey, "This one's no different."
Rockwell was about to protest when Donnie grabbed his arm and said, "It's the truth, Doc. We have to get out of here while we still can."
Rockwell wanted to protest, but gave up and sighed as he said, "Alright, let's go."
Without hesitation, Falco rushed out the door to escape with Rockwell following close behind. Donnie told his siblings to be careful while he ran to catch up to the scientists. After Donnie and the scientists were at a safe distance, the other four ninjas got into fighting stances to face the monster. The monster itself had regained its' composure and was now staring at them and growling.
"Looks like someone could use some obedience training," said Leo.
The others groaned at Leo's pun and Miwa said, "Leo, there's a time and a place for everything!"
"Yeah, why do you hate just yelling get him?" Mikey asked.
"Come on, that was cool," Leo whined.
"It was not," said Raph. Suddenly, the monster raised its' giant paw and attempted to strike them down. Luckily they all jumped out of the way in time. "Maybe now's not the best time to talk about it."
"Right," said Leo, "Get him! Karai, help me distract it! Naoto, tie it down with your chain! Kurogane, you're gonna take it down!"
Everyone nodded at the plan and leaped into action. Leo and Miwa ran around the monster and kept its' attention on them. While it was distracted by the twins, it did not notice Mikey swinging his chain and wrapping it around it's body. Leo and Miwa helped Mikey hold the monster long enough for Raph to punch it repeatedly. Unfortunately, the forgot about the snake tail, which tried to strike at them. This caused the trio to let go of the chain and allow it to get free and knock Raph into the wall.
Mikey looked at the monster and said, "Boy, the Carnotaur is really tough and scary!"
the others raised eye brows and Miwa asked, "Carnotaur?"
"Yeah," said Mikey, "The attitude kinda reminds me of the Carnotaurs from Dinosaur, so I thought it fit."
"Okay, that's fine," said Miwa, "But we should come up with another plan."
"How are we supposed to fight against a monster with teeth in both ends of it's body?!" Raph asked.
"We distract both ends at the same time," said Leo, "Karai, you take the head, Naoto, the tail, Kurogane, you and I will finish it off."
"You sure this will work?" Raph asked.
"Not entirely," said Leo, "But it's all we've got."
"Alright, I'm gonna trust you here," said Raph, "You are our leader after all."
Leo smiled at his brothers' words and then looked back at the Carnotaur. Next he signaled for Miwa and Mikey to go to their places of attack. Miwa and Mikey attack the head and tail as they were instructed, with difficulty, while Leo and Raph prepared to strike. Once Leo and Raph were sure that the Carnotaur had it's attention on Miwa and Mikey, Leo and Raph jumped out from hiding and struck it several times with the blades. Once the Carnotaur was finally down for the count, Leo led the team outside before the cops came in.
After the police came into the building, they found no sign of the ninja teens, only an unconscious strange creature. They shut the door and locked it in the room while one officer called animal control.
After the defeat of the Carnotaur, the siblings retreated into the shadows and went home to their father. After changing out of their ninja gear, Yoshi took the others to Rockwell's lab where they all met up with Shen and Donnie after the police had finished questioning Donnie, Rockwell, and Falco about what happened. Yoshi was relieved to see his son safe and sound; even though he was already told by his other children that he was safe.
"Thank goodness you are safe," said Yoshi, "I was so worried."
"Me too," said Shen, and then she turned to the scientists and said, "Dr. Rockwell, Dr. Falco, I can't thank you two enough for protecting my son."
"No need to thank us," said Rockwell.
"Oh I don't know, Tyler," said Falco, "We did save his life after all. I mean really, I still can't believe he slept through part of that attack."
Mikey looked surprised at his older twin and asked, "You slept through part of that monster attack?!"
Donnie's face turned red as he said, "Yes."
This statement got Rockwell's attention and he asked, "Oh, right, I almost forgot about that. How did you manage to sleep through part of the attack?"
"I'm not sure," said Donnie, "I just got a headache and then drank some hot chocolate that Dr. Falco offered. He said it would help."
Rockwell got a curious look on his face and glanced suspiciously at Falco. Falco himself told the family that he had no idea how that possibly could have happened after drinking hot chocolate. By this point, Rockwell had gotten a suspicious feeling about Falco, so he suggested that he and Falco head home for the night, leaving the Hamato family to talk amongst themselves.
After the scientists were gone, Leo told his family, "I'm sorry that I forgot what being a leader is about."
"That is alright, Leonardo," said Shen, "What's important is that you remembered in time to save your brother from harm."
"Yeah, but try not to forget again in the future," said Raph, "Miwa's way too bossy."
"Hey!" Miwa snapped.
"Did I miss something?" Leo asked.
"While Miwa was leader, she bossed us around non stop!" Mikey whined, "It was a nightmare!"
Leo looked amused at his sister and said, "Guess I'm not the only one who needs a lesson in leadership."
Miwa punched Leo in the arm and said, "Shut up."
"There's still a couple of things I don't get," said Raph, "Where did that monster-"
"Carnotaur, bro, Carnotaur," Mikey corrected.
"Right," said Raph, in annoyance, "Where did the Carnotaur, come from? And what was it doing here?"
Everyone pondered the question for a bit until Donnie said, "I think it was a Kraang experiment. And it probably escaped from them and wound up here by chance."
"That sounds plausible," said Leo, "But is it gone for good?"
"That I'm not sure of," said Donnie.
"Personally, I hope so," said Miwa.
"True," said Raph, "But if it ever shows up again, we'll be ready to take it down."
"Awe yeah!" Mikey cheered, "Ninja power!"
Leo slapped his hand on Mikey's mouth and said, "Careful what you shout in public. We never know who could be listening."
"Oops," said Mikey, "Sorry."
"Now that all of this excitement is over, I would like to head home," said Shen.
"Yes, I think that would be best," said Yoshi, "Oh, and Leonardo, you are no longer grounded."
"Yes!" Leo cheered.
"But you still have homework to finish when you get home," said Yoshi, making Leo frown, "But that can wait until after we have dinner. And given the circumstances, I think it might be easier to just get some pizza."
The children cheered and then went to the car with their parents, after Donnie called to Rockwell that they were leaving of course.
As the Hamato family headed home with pizza, an animal control van drove through the city with the Carnotaur inside. They had just turned a corner when another van pulled up in front of them so fast that they had to screech to a halt. A group of identical men in black suits emerged from the van and walked towards theirs. One of the men grabbed the car door and ripped it off of its hinges and then pointed a strange looking gun at the driver and passenger.
"Leave the vehicle at once or Kraang will be forced to do what is known as shoot," said the man, a Kraang.
The driver and passenger screamed and ran for their lives at the threat. The Kraang in turn went to the back of the van and forced it open. They found the Carnotaur in chains and unconscious, obviously under heavy tranquilizers. They proceeded to drag the creature out of the van and towards their own. Two of the Kraang stood by to talk two each while the rest saw to the creature.
"How did the creature that was an experiment of Kraang escape the place where Kraang held it?" the first Kraang asked the second.
"The creature proved to be too powerful for Kraang to keep contained," the second explained, "Thus the creature overpowered the ones known as the guards and escaped into the city. This led to the creature attacking the city."
"So this experiment has proven to be that which is known as a failure," said the first Kraang.
"Not necessarily," said a third Kraang, "The sheer power of the creature could prove useful in the invasion."
"Kraang, the creature is too dangerous," said the first Kraang, "It could prove to be a danger to Kraang as well as the enemies of Kraang."
"Kraang is correct, Kraang," said the second Kraang, "Keeping the creature alive could endanger our kind more than help them."
"A device can be made to keep the creature under control," said the third, "Then Kraang can use the creature against enemies of Kraang."
The first two Kraang thought about what the third and said and figured it might be worth a try. So the first kraang said, "Very well, we will keep the creature alive. But if you prove to be wrong, the creature will be put down."
"Understood," said the third Kraang.
The three joined the others in the van and the van drove away into the night.
A report made its way to the morning news the very next day about the animal control men being attacked by strange men in another van. The ninja teens, their parents, and April all realized right away that it was the work of the Kraang. Knowing that they have the Carnotaur made them worry about the future