AN: First of all, I would like to comment on the death of Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball.

Although I am not a fan of that manga in general, his work served as inspiration for many manga authors of whom I am a fan.

The world has lost someone great and I hope he finds happiness in the afterlife while we continue our work to make him proud.

Night had fallen on Kumandra.

While the other kingdoms were quiet, things had become tense in Heart.

After learning that a cruel and ruthless man was after Sisu, Benja ordered the guards to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.

Security at the palace had increased quite a bit.

Raya stood at a window looking out at the night scenery unable to get what she and the others had discovered about Shredder out of her mind.

She couldn't believe that a man who had grown up with a happy family would become someone who was willing to kill anyone to get revenge on the one he considered his brother.

Now that man was after her friend, Sisu, to get her power and use it for his evil purposes.

She had already lost it when Namaari killed her and got it back when she was resurrected, but now things were different, as she wasn't sure what Shredder would do to her after he got what he wanted and also not sure if Sisu would survive.

"Can't sleep?"

Raya startled at the sound of someone else's voice and turned quickly to see Namaari approaching her.

"No. I couldn't stop…" began Raya.

"Thinking about Shredder? I know, I couldn't sleep a wink either after what we've been told about him." said Namaari.

"It's not just that. That… man is on a whole different level from anything we've faced. Even Leo and the others faced him and narrowly missed telling. And now he's after Sisu and her power. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect her." said Raya with her head down before she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Namaari with a small smile.

"I'm afraid I can't protect her too, but you're not alone in this. Our new friends know them well enough to help us be prepared. If we trust each other, we can pull off a miracle. That's something you taught me." said Namaari.

Raya smiled at her friend's words before hugging her, much to her surprise.

"Thank you, Namaari. I know I can count on you." said Raya.

"You're welcome." said Namaari returning the hug.

Both girls broke apart and looked at each other affectionately, as if nothing else was around.

"Am I interrupting something?" a voice spoke, causing them to look to the side to see Splinter at the end of the hallway.

Quickly, the two parted with a slight blush.

"M-Master Splinter. How long have you been there?" asked Raya.

"I just arrived, but I could hear your concern and I understand your fear of not being able to protect the people you care about. I have the same thing happen to me when my children leave the lair." said Splinter approaching them.

"Really?" asked Namaari.

"Well, what parent wouldn't worry about their children?" asked Splinter with a smile that the girls returned. "You both have courage and determination, and that's good. I know that if we work together, we can stop Shredder from getting Sisu." said Splinter.

Raya and Namaari smiled as they felt more encouraged by the mutant rat's words.

"Now I see why your children speak so highly of you." said Raya.

"You really are someone very wise." said Namaari.

"Thank you." said Splinter.

Meanwhile, the turtles gathered in a room.

"Nothing in the North zone." said Leo.

"West zone is clear." said Raph.

"South zone totally clear of enemies." said Mikey.

"I've checked the East zone thoroughly and haven't seen anything suspicious." said Donnie.

"Let's not let our guard down, brothers. We are dealing with the Foot. So we need to keep our eyes peeled." said Leo.

"Well said, Leo."

The four turtles looked aside to see Sisu clinging to the edge of a window from outside.

"Sisu, what are you doing here? We told you to stay locked in the room." said Raph.

"Oh, come on, Raph." began Sisu entering the room and standing next to the mutant turtles. "I'm not a little princess sitting in her tower waiting for someone to come rescue her. I am a dragon." said Sisu before taking her human form. "I have special powers." said Sisu before returning to her dragon form.

"You may have special powers, but this is Shredder we're talking about." said Donnie.

"I know, but I don't want to stay locked up in a room like an expensive vase while the rest of you put your lives on the line for me. I want to fight by your side and show that Shredder that I'm not exactly someone easy to take." said Sisu.

"You know? I think she's right. After all, didn't the same thing happen with April and Casey?" asked Mikey.

"Exactly. If I see any of those foot-bots or evil mutants, I'll give them the classic 'One, Two, Three'." said Sisu punching the air.

Leo had to admit that both she and Mikey were right.

When they first met April, they were trying to keep her away from their ninja missions, but then, she started to want to be by their side in the fight instead of staying in the rear and so she came to be trained by Splinter.

Sisu wasn't a girl who wanted to play heroes, she was a strong and powerful dragon who wanted to help her friends defeat a group of evildoers who were after her.

Besides, if she was by their side, it would be easier to make sure they didn't try to catch her by all being together.

"It's okay. You can fight, but don't get separated from any of us. Shredder is famous for his dirty tricks." said Leo.

"Understood, Captain Leonardo." said Sisu giving a military salute.

"Don't say that anymore or it will go to his head." said Raph, receiving a scowl from his brother.

In one part of the palace, there were a couple of guards keeping a watchful eye on the palace entrance which was locked.

"Can you believe how things have changed in a short time?" asked the first guard without looking away.

"I know. First we are attacked by metal beings with brain creatures inside, then we meet a group of beings known as mutants, and to top it off, we are attacked by metal warriors who were accompanied by monstrous mutants." said the second guard without looking away.

"In these cases, one wonders what will happen next, right?" asked the first guard without receiving an answer. "Aren't you going to say anything?" asked the first guard turning his head to look at his partner, only to find him unconscious. "What…?" asked the first guard before something hit him in the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground unconscious as something moved quickly out of everyone's sight.

April was walking through the halls, trying to use her powers to sense if there was an enemy lurking in the shadows, but so far, she hadn't found anything.

That's when she heard a loud yawn and turned to see Noi and the ongis walking around with tired faces.

"Hey Noi, what are you doing out of bed?" asked April kneeling down to her level.

Both Noi and the ongis pointed to her open mouth.

"Are you hungry?" asked April receiving a nod from them. "Well, a late-night snack never hurt anyone." began April grabbing the baby to pull her into her arms as the ongis climbed on her back. "Let's go to the kitchen then." said April before leaving with her passengers.

Once in the kitchen, April set Noi and the ongis down on a table as she set about going through the cupboards.

"Let's see, what could be good for a baby and three ongis in the middle of the night?" asked April looking at the various food items in the kitchen.

Noi and the ongis stood patiently waiting before suddenly something shoved them into a sack.

April immediately heard the baby's cries and turned around to see them stuffed into a sack that was shaking due to Noi and the ongis' internal struggle.

"But what…?" asked April before she felt a blow to her head and fell to the ground unconscious.

That's when something grabbed the sack and dragged April out of the scene.

In another hallway, there were Tong, Boun, Karai and Casey scanning the surroundings.

"Remember. Be on the lookout for anything. Shredder and his goons love foul play." said Karai.

"I expect them to show up now. I want to crush those guys for everything they've done." said Tong.

"You and all, dude." said Casey.

"Are they really that bad?" asked Boun.

"From what you have told me about the Druun, they suck the life out of you in less than a second. Shredder slowly kills you, both physically and mentally, until you end up wishing for death." said Karai making Boun swallow saliva from fear.

"Cut yourself some slack, dudette. Don't scare the kid anymore." said Casey.

"No. He needs to know what he's facing and decide if he wants to go on or not." said Tong.

"Thank you, Tong." said Karai.

"W-Well, I'm actually kind of scared of that deadly assassin thing with an army of mutants, but my friends need me and I'm not willing to run away." said Boun bravely.

"Well said, kiddo." said Casey with a smile.

Karai stopped suddenly as her 'animal senses' alerted her to something as the others stopped behind her.

"Is something wrong?" asked Tong.

"I feel something… weird." began Karai before raising her gaze to the ceiling. "It's like… Look out!" shouted Karai just as something fell on top of them.

A few moments earlier, the turtles and Sisu were walking through the halls of the palace.

"Hey guys, what do you say we grab a snack?" asked Mikey.

"This is no time to eat." said Raph.

"Actually, it might be good." said Leo.

"Yeah, we'll need energy in case they show up suddenly." said Donnie.

"And from nerves, I've worked up an appetite." said Sisu, to laughter from the others except Raph.

The five of them went into the kitchen, but soon after they did, they began to hear some mysterious knocking.

"What's that noise?" asked Donnie.

"I don't know, but I don't like it." said Leo before they all got into fighting stances.

They were silent until they heard a couple more thumps.

"Looks like it's coming from over there." said Sisu pointing to a closet.

"Maybe it's a mouse." said Mikey.

"If it is, it must be a big one." said Raph.

The group cautiously approached the closet where the banging noises were coming from.

Leo reached out for the doorknob and when he grabbed it, he quickly opened the door a second before they all pointed their weapons at whatever was inside.

However, they were all shocked when they saw that in the closet was April bound and gagged with a sack that wouldn't stop shaking.

"April?!" asked Donnie quickly untying her.

Sisu opened the sack and as soon as she did, Noi and ongis jumped out before striking fighting poses as they looked around with scowls on their faces and Noi letting out baby squeals.

"How did you end up like that?" asked Donnie as she removed her gag.

"Guys, there's someone in the palace!" said April.

"What?!" asked the others at the same time.

"Tell us what exactly happened." said Leo.

"Noi, the ongis and I came here for a drink, but before I knew it, someone put Noi and the ongis in a sack and I was knocked out. By the time I woke up I was tied up and locked in the closet." said April.

"If there is someone in the palace, then we need to meet up with the others right away." said Raph.

POOM

Suddenly, there was the sound of something very heavy hitting the floor.

"What was that?" asked Sisu.

"Let's go see it!" said Leo.

The noise was also heard by the two girls and the mutant rat.

"What was that?" asked Namaari.

"We'd better go check it out." said Splinter.

"The sound came from over there, come on." said Raya leading the other two.

When they all gathered in the same hallway, they were shocked when they saw a smashed locker on the floor and Karai and the others lying on the floor to the side.

"Karai!" began Leo as he and the others ran to the others' side to help them up. "Are you all okay?"

"Yeah, no injuries." said Karai.

"What the hell happened here?" asked Raph.

"We were patrolling quietly when someone decided it was going to rain lockers off the roof." said Casey.

"Lucky Karai spotted it and pulled us away in time or we would have ended up mashed to a pulp." said Boun.

"Yeah, you saved our lives." said Tong patting the kunoichi's back who wobbled a little due to the force of the man.

"Y-You're welcome." said Karai nervously, as she was not used to praise.

"Where would that locker have come from?" asked Mikey.

"One thing's for sure. It couldn't have appeared out of nowhere." said Splinter.

"Maybe it was put there by whoever locked Noi, the ongis and me in the closet." said April.

"What?" asked Namaari in surprise.

"We think someone has infiltrated the palace." said Sisu.

"That can't be. The guards would have seen him and would have tipped us off." said Raya.

"Unless… they didn't see him." said Karai.

"Smart girl, huh? Hehe." said a strange voice.

Everyone became nervous as they looked around in search of the voice source.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" said Raya.

"I will, but you'll have to find me first. Hehe." said the voice.

"Oh, no. Not him." said Donnie groaned, as he recognized the owner of the voice.

"We should have suspected it would be him of all people." said Casey.

"Do you know who he is?" asked Sisu.

"We'll tell you as soon as we've found him." said April.

"That is if you can do it." said the voice.

Everyone was silent as they tried to find the person responsible, but saw nothing.

Suddenly, Raya screamed as she felt someone tap her on the shoulder before trying to hit him, only to punch the air.

Namaari felt someone push her from behind and quickly turned around to try to hit him with her swords, only to find the void.

Then Raph felt someone hit him in the head and tried to attack something with his sais, but nothing happened.

Mikey felt a blow to his chest and started screaming like crazy while swinging his nunchucks madly with the intention of hitting something.

For a while, everyone was feeling punches all over their body, except for Splinter and Sisu, and every time they tried to hit something, the person in charge moved away in time.

"Argh. How are we going to hit something we can't see?" asked Boun in frustration at being hit without being able to respond to it.

Fed up with it all, Raya closed her eyes and concentrated for a while.

"Hehe." said the voice.

At that instant, Raya opened her eyes, transformed her sword into a whip and lashed out at a particular area, actually hitting something.

"Ouch!" shouted someone out from the pain before the person responsible for everything was finally revealed to be a mutant boar. "Hey, that hurts!"

"Bebop!" said the NY group in unison.

"Who's that?" asked Boun.

"Bebop, formerly known as Anton Zek. He was a great thief until Shredder 'hired' him and mutated him into what he is now." said Karai.

"That's right and I was sent here to steal that dragoness." said Bebop pointing at Sisu.

"Oh yeah? Come here and see if you dare." said Sisu defiantly.

"Wait, Sisu." said Raya stopping her friend.

"Don't underestimate him. Invisibility isn't his only talent." said Leo.

"Oh, thank you for saying that, dear friend. Now, we can do this the easy way and you can let me take the dragon or we can do it the hard way and I can take her off your hands." said Bebop.

"Heh. You and how many others, you bacon with legs? In case those glasses don't let you see, you're outnumbered." said Raph.

"I don't think he came alone, Raphael." said Splinter.

"He's right, because wherever Bebop is, there's always…" began Mikey.

Suddenly, the wall on their side was suddenly shattered by something coming from the other side.

By the time the smoke cleared, they all saw…

"Wherever Bebop is, there's always Rocksteady." said Rocksteady.

"That's what I was going to say." said Mikey.

"And who is that?" asked Tong.

"Rocksteady. An arms dealer who tried to make a deal with Shredder and that was his price." said Karai.

"Da. We are here to fix the mistake of the other two comrades and capture the dragon." said Rocksteady.

"If you want Sisu, you'll have to go through us." said Leo.

"Gladly."

Everyone looked up to see Stockman flying through the air.

Needless to say, those in Kumandra's group were shocked to see him.

Noi grimaced as the ongis covered their mouths to keep from vomiting.

"Baxter Stockman!" said those in the NY group in unison.

"It'zzzz Baxter ZZZZtockman!" exclaimed Stockman.

"Uh… We actually said it right this time." said April.

"Oh, zzzzorry. It'zzzz habit." said Stockman.

"What's that?" asked Namaari in surprise.

"Baxter Stockman. Shredder's chief scientist." replied Karai.

"You've come for me too?" asked Sisu.

"That'zzzz right and azzzz zzzzoon azzzz we get the power of the gem you will create for uzzzz, we will be unzzzztoppable." said Stockman.

"Well, just so you know, I'm not going to give you a gem, not even willingly." said Sisu earnestly.

"We weren't asking you to." said Bebop.

"Da. We're going to force you to give it to us even if we have to break that horn on your head." said Rocksteady.

That made Raya very angry as soon as they said how far they would go to get the Dragon Gem.

"I won't let you do anything to her!" said Raya.

"Neither will I! We won't let you near her!" said Namaari.

"You'd better leave right now." said Splinter.

"Let me think about it. No." said Stockman just as several foot-bots appeared.

"Ha. You think that's going to intimidate us? We've taken down several of those before." said Boun.

"You're still at a disadvantage, you idiots." said Casey.

Suddenly, they heard noises from outside.

"What now?" asked Raph.

"Did you really think it would be juzzzzt uzzzz? Thankzzzz to my great intellect, I have created the ultimate weapon to wipe you out." said Stockman.

"Ultimate weapon?" asked Donnie nervously.

At that moment, a clawed hand grabbed the edge of the window and from an impulse, something jumped out and landed behind them.

That revealed itself to be some sort of large yellow-furred ape, like a giant ongi.

It was different, however, for it had the legs, paws and tail of a feline. Its back, arms and legs were covered with a series of armadillo-like plates and its head had the jaw of an ape, but the ears of a feline.

The chimera let out a roar that filled the whole place.

"Holy chalupa! WHAT IS THAT?" asked Mikey in shock.

"That'zzzz the rezzzzult of mixing DNA from variouzzzz beazzzztzzzz of thizzzz world together with a bit of mutagen." said Stockman.

Now the situation had become complicated for the group, for, on the one hand, they had three Foot mutants and several foot-bots, and, on the other hand, they had the chimera focusing its gaze on them.

"We're not going down that easy." said Leo earnestly.

"That's right, I've said it before. I'm no wimpy dragon." said Sisu.

Noi shrieked in response along with the ongis.

"Azzzz you will. Attack!" said Stockman as both sides launched into battle.