Mikey bounced on his heels as he watched the steaming bowls of ramen land on the table. "Let's go, Leo, I'm starving!" He snatched his bowl, inhaling the scent with exaggerated delight. "Yeah, boy! Ramen!"

Mari rested her chin on her hand, unimpressed. "You act like we don't eat every day."

Cat, already sipping at her own bowl, giggled. "To be fair, Mikey always acts like it's his last meal."

Leo took his own bowl, shaking his head at Mikey's antics. As he settled in to eat, something small skittered across the table.

A cockroach.

Tiny, nearly unnoticeable—until it moved.

It scuttled toward Leo, then toward Mikey, then to Mari, seemingly exploring its surroundings. None of them paid it much mind.

Then it crawled onto Raph's side of the table.

Raph froze.

A split second later, his chair scraped against the floor as he flung himself backward. "AAHH! Roach! Roach!"

His sai were in his hands in an instant, slicing through the air as he tried to stomp on the tiny insect. The cockroach zig-zagged out of the way, scuttling wildly across the table.

"Roach?" Cat exclaimed worriedly.

Mari snorted. "This is incredible. Raph, mighty warrior, taken down by a bug."

Raph ignored her, too busy trying to stab the thing. But before he could land a hit, the cockroach took a sharp turn—

Right onto Cat's arm.

There was a beat of silence.

Then Cat let out a scream.

"AGH—NO—EW!" She flailed, slapping the cockroach away so violently that it went flying across the room.

Mikey lost it, doubling over in laughter. "DUDE, IT TOUCHED YOU—"

Cat nearly threw her bowl at him. "DON'T—TALK—ABOUT IT!"

Leo and Mari were in hysterics.

Before the cockroach could recover, Donnie came sprinting into the room, clutching his laptop. "Stop! Stop, you'll smash him!"

"That's the goal!" Raph snapped.

Donnie dove forward, cupping the cockroach carefully in his hands. "You can't smash this roach, okay? He's special." His voice softened with admiration. "Really speciaaaaal~"

Cat, still shaking off the horror, stared at him in disbelief. "You're special for thinking that."

Leo gave Donnie a blank stare. "I'm going to regret this, but why is it special?"

Donnie's face lit up as he turned the roach slightly, revealing a tiny helmet fitted snugly onto its head. "Because I outfitted him with a remote-controlled camera!"

Leo blinked. "Wow, that explains why you're special."

Undeterred, Donnie continued, enthusiasm unwavering. "We can send him into T.C.R.I. and spy on the Kraang! The camera allows us to see whatever the cockroach sees!" He turned his laptop around, revealing a live feed of the roach's perspective.

Mikey wheezed as the footage replayed Raph's and Cat's reactions. "Oh—oh man—this is gold. Big, tough Raph and sweet little Cat, terrified of a cockroach!"

Cat, still hunched over and rubbing her arm like the thing had cursed her, shot him a glare. "I will throw you in a dumpster."

Raph glowered. "I am not scared."

Mikey grinned, rewinding the footage with glee. "Oh, really? Let's go to the video!" He let it play again, pausing at the exact moment Raph and Cat flinched. "This is my favorite part—Donnie, can I get this on a t-shirt?"

Mari smirked, nudging Cat. "I so hope you can."

Cat groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I'm never recovering from this."

Raph's nostrils flared.

"Want to see my favorite part?" he growled.

Before Mikey could react, Raph grabbed him and hurled him across the table.

Mari whistled. "And there it is."

Donnie barely looked up from his screen, adjusting the feed. "We're going to spy on the Kraang with a cockroach!"

Cat groaned, slumping further into her seat. "As long as I never have to see it again."

Mari smirked, nudging her playfully. "Oh, don't worry, Kitty. I'm sure it loves you."

Cat shuddered.

Mikey wiped a tear from his eye. "Best day ever."

Inside the Shellraiser, the turtles huddled around Donnie as he stared at his monitor, controlling a tiny figure on the screen.

"Come on, roach number one," Donnie muttered, his fingers adjusting the controls. "Make Papa proud."

On the screen, the tiny cockroach, now outfitted with Donnie's miniature surveillance equipment, crawled along the cold metallic walls of T.C.R.I., maneuvering past security unnoticed. A minuscule saw blade emerged from its back, slicing through a vent to slip inside.

Mari leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "I still can't believe this is our plan."

Cat, sitting beside her, pulled her knees to her chest. "As long as I don't have to see that thing again, I'll take it."

The feed flickered to life, revealing the Kraang in the middle of an eerily mundane conversation.

"Kraang has been on a diet known as 'gluten-free,'" one of them droned. "Kraang has already lost thirteen Kraang units of weight."

Donnie raised an eyebrow. "That's... not the valuable intel I was hoping for."

Mari snorted. "Great, now we know the Kraang are watching their carb intake."

Leo leaned closer. "Wait, what are those guys talking about? Can you get the roach in closer?"

The camera feed panned to a new group of Kraang, standing before a giant mechanical device with an ominous red glow.

"That which is known as the next phase of the Kraang invasion to the planet known as Earth will soon begin," one Kraang announced.

Leo's stomach twisted. "Next phase? That doesn't sound good."

"Kraang will activate that which is the laser drill to drill a hole in the planet known as Earth," another Kraang continued. "That is a hole that is thirty miles deep in the Earth."

Donnie's fingers tensed around the controls. "Whoa, whoa. They're going to bore a hole straight into the Earth."

Cat's face paled. "Wait—like, a huge hole? That doesn't just sound bad, that sounds like end of the world bad!"

Leo frowned. "I'm guessing that's bad?"

"Unless you think the city needs a giant lava fountain," Donnie deadpanned.

Leo nodded. "Yep. That's bad."

Raph crossed his arms. "Goodbye, harsh winters—"

"Lava surfing rules!" Mikey grinned.

Leo shot him a look. "It definitely doesn't, Mikey. We have to stop this."

"Kraang requires that which is known as the diamond lens to complete the drilling of the laser drill."

Donnie's eyes widened. "They need a diamond lens to make their laser drill work."

Mari let out a low whistle. "Well, that's probably not good."

Raph frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Donnie said, his voice sharpening, "if they get their hands on that lens, their drill is operational. Now, shhh!"

"Kraang is already on the way to that which is called the laboratory that is having the lens that is needed by Kraang," one of the Kraang droids droned.

Raph straightened. "What?"

Donnie clenched his teeth. "One of them is going to a lab to get it!"

"Which lab?" Raph pressed.

"Maybe, if we listen, they'll tell us—"

His sentence was cut short as Raph accidentally nudged him, jostling his hands on the controls.

The camera feed spun.

And then—

The roach tumbled forward, slipping into a stray canister of ooze.

The feed cut out.

Donnie's entire body stiffened, his eye twitching as his voice darkened. "Thanks a lot, Raph. We lost the signal."

Beneath the murky green ooze, something began to shift.

The roach twitched, its body spasming as the mutagen seeped into its exoskeleton. It convulsed, sinking into the shadows. A moment later, a massive shape emerged—its body larger, limbs stronger. A metallic sheen covered its shell, remnants of the Kraang technology fused into its flesh.

Back in the Shellraiser, Donnie sighed. "Uh-huh. I think I found the diamond lab. It's a bit blurry, but maybe we can follow it to the laboratory."

"We don't have much time before the Kraang drill fires," Leo said. "Let's go."

Leo fired up the engine.

A loud thump reverberated through the van.

Donnie frowned. "Ka-thump! That's a really bad sound."

Mikey tilted his head. "Sounded more like a 'ba-dump.'"

Raph snorted. "I heard a 'fwap.'"

They climbed out to inspect the damage.

Lying crushed beneath the wheels was a grotesque, misshapen mass of insect legs and metal plating.

Leo wrinkled his nose. "What is that?"

Mikey recoiled. "Ugh. Smells like a butt sandwich."

Raph gagged and clamped a hand over his mouth.

Cat took one look and immediately recoiled behind Mari, gripping her arm. "Nope. Nope. Nope. I hate this!"

Mari rolled her eyes. "Oh, relax, drama Queen."

Donnie knelt beside the carcass, his fingers hovering over the grotesque form. He poked it lightly with a pencil, tilting his head. "Oh. Oh dear. Would you look at that? Hideous and beautiful. It's... blech!" He grimaced and wiped the slime off his hands.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "So? What is it, Donnie?"

Donnie pushed his glasses up, his voice eerily fascinated. "It's my spy roach."

Raph's eye twitched. "Your what?"

"My spy roach," Donnie repeated, oblivious to Raph's and Cat's rising horror. "It must have been exposed to some mutagen. You see how the nano-helmet merged with his exoskeleton? We've never seen organic and inorganic matter fused in such an ama—"

"That's great, Donnie," Raph interrupted, backing away. "We can discuss this some more when we're driving away at a thousand miles an hour."

Cat hurriedly nodded. "Let's GO!"

Mikey rolled his eyes. "Come on, you big babies. What are you worried about? We creamed it with our van." He nudged the lifeless body with his foot. "It's not like it's gonna get up and come after us!"

A second of silence.

Then—

The roach's limbs twitched.

Mikey blinked.

Slowly, its massive head lifted.

The camera lens embedded in its forehead flickered back to life.

Then, with a horrifying screech, it lunged.

Donnie barely had time to react before a powerful, clawed limb wrapped around him and hoisted him into the air.

"Uh, guys?!" Donnie yelped. "WAAAHH!!"

Mikey's face paled. "Or maybe it would."

Raph let out an actual scream.

Cat screamed even louder.

The massive roach tossed Donnie aside and began advancing.

Leo unsheathed his katanas. "This thing's tough."

Donnie groaned from where he'd landed. "Naturally. Cockroaches are among the most resilient life forms on the planet."

Mikey shuddered. "And the grossest." He lunged with his nunchucks, only for the roach to bat him away effortlessly. Mikey crashed into a pile of crates. "Sensitive roach."

Leo sidestepped another attack. "Where's Cat and Raph?!"

A blur of red and pink shot past them.

Raph and Cat were already running full speed toward the Shellraiser.

Mari, still standing in place, burst out laughing. "No way—NO WAY, you two—"

The roach lunged at them again.

Cat and Raph made it into the shell raiser.

"Eat hot manhole cover!" Raph yelled.

From his position atop the Shellraiser, he activated the manhole launcher, sending a barrage of metal discs straight into the creature's chest.

The roach stumbled back.

Then twitched.

Then advanced again.

Raph gritted his teeth and fired again, this time hitting its legs. It spasmed, limbs crumpling beneath it before finally collapsing in a twitching heap.

Leo hesitated. "Whoa. Whoa. Ease up, Raph. I think you got him."

Raph swallowed, then nodded. "Okay. Okay."

He shot it one more time.

Mikey crossed his arms. "You just wanted to get away from that thing."

"Is that so wrong?" Raph shot back.

A beat of silence passed.

Then, Mikey's eyes widened.

"Uh, guys?" His voice wavered.

The roach was gone.

Raph's face went ghostly pale. "Oh, no."

Cat made a strangled noise and immediately grabbed Mari's arm. "Please tell me that thing is actually dead."

Mari smirked. "Oh, absolutely—except for the part where it definitely isn't."

Leo grabbed his swords. "We need to move—now."

Without another word, they bolted back to the Shellraiser, the shadows behind them shifting ominously.

Something was watching.

The Shellraiser skidded around a corner, tires screeching against the pavement.

"There's the van!" Donnie called from the passenger seat, eyes locked on the Kraang transport ahead. His screen flickered, confirming the location of the diamond lens. "They must have picked it up already!"

Raph cracked his knuckles. "Ram that sucker!"

Leo didn't hesitate. He slammed his foot against the gas pedal, and the Shellraiser shot forward. The impact sent the Kraang's van spiraling onto its side, crashing into the curb.

The turtles jumped out, weapons drawn.

Leo stepped forward, pointing a katana at the fallen Kraang. "Halt, Kraang!"

The droids twitched, struggling to right themselves. "The halting of Kraang is not a thing that the ones who are turtles will be doing to Kraang."

Leo narrowed his eyes. "Wrong. The halting of Kraang is exactly the thing that the ones who are—" He hesitated, then groaned. "Yeah, just halt!"

Donnie huffed. "Which do we save first? The world or the English language?"

Raph didn't wait. He yanked the van's door open and reached inside, fingers closing around the diamond lens. "I got it!"

Before he could celebrate, a low, mechanical screech filled the air.

A dark shape landed heavily on the Kraang van, its metallic plating gleaming under the dim streetlights.

Raph's stomach dropped.

The Spy Roach.

Cat immediately bolted behind Leo. "No. Nope. Nope! Not again!"

Mari crossed her arms, shaking her head. "I swear if you two run again—"

Raph didn't hear her. His hands trembled as he clutched the lens. "Why does this keep happening to me?!"

The Spy Roach twitched, its mechanical limbs adjusting with eerie precision.

Then, it lunged.

Mari yanked her tanto free and smirked. "Guess we're doing this the hard way."

The grotesque, mutated cockroach-turned-cybernetic nightmare flexed its claws, red optics locking onto Raph.

Raph screamed.

The Roach wasted no time, firing twin laser beams at the Kraang. The droids convulsed before collapsing into a sparking heap.

Then, it turned its sights on the turtles.

With a chittering screech, the monster leapt down from the van.

Leo's voice was sharp. "Mikey, Donnie—you take the Roach! Mari, you cover them! Raph, Cat—you're with me!"

Silence.

Leo frowned. "Raph? Cat?"

His head snapped around.

They were gone.

Mikey spotted them first—both Raph and Cat were peeking out from behind the Shellraiser, clutching each other like terrified children.

Leo exhaled through his nose. "Unbelievable."

Mari groaned. "Are you serious right now?" She turned, rolling her eyes. "Cowards."

Meanwhile, Mikey twirled his nunchucks. "Alright, Roachie. Time to meet your maker."

Donnie blinked. "Wait—wouldn't that be me?"

Mikey grinned. "Exactly. Go get him, tiger."

The Roach screeched in response, its cybernetic limbs unfolding with a metallic whir. Before Donnie could react, the creature lunged, grabbing him with clawed appendages and hoisting him into the air.

Simultaneously, the distant whine of jetpacks filled the air.

Winged Kraang droids descended from above, closing in on the fallen diamond lens.

Mikey's heart sank. "Oh, no. The Kraang's got the lens again!"

The Roach didn't let up, throwing Mikey aside before firing another round of lasers at Leo, who barely managed to deflect the blasts.

Leo turned toward the Shellraiser. "Raph, Cat, where are you?! Raph!? Cat!?"

No answer.

The Roach's optics scanned the area, zeroing in on two shivering figures crouched behind the vehicle.

Raph and Cat.

Both had their fingers dug into the pavement, absolutely frozen in fear.

"Why did it have to be a cockroach?" Raph whispered, voice strained.

"Why did it have to be a mutant cockroach?" Cat whimpered.

Mari groaned. "Oh my gosh, both of you?! Really?!"

Before the creature could pounce, Donnie swung his bo staff, landing a hit to its side.

"We're not done with you yet, Spy Roach!" Mikey shouted, shaking off his dizziness.

He reached into his belt and pulled out a canister.

Bug spray.

With a wicked grin, Mikey pressed down on the nozzle, sending a thick cloud of pesticide into the air.

The Roach let out a horrible shriek, twitching and staggering backward.

"YES!" Donnie whooped. "Nail him, Mikey!"

Mikey spun the can dramatically, about to unleash another round—

Click.

The can sputtered.

Mikey's smile vanished. "Uh-oh."

The Roach's head snapped up.

It lunged.

Before it could reach them, the deafening sound of an engine roared through the streets.

A truck.

Too late to react, the Roach was plowed over, vanishing beneath the massive vehicle's front grill.

Cat nearly collapsed with relief. "Oh, thank you random panicked driver!"

The driver screamed, panicked, and leapt from the moving truck. The vehicle veered off course and crashed into a warehouse, smoke billowing from the wreckage.

Mikey dusted himself off, grinning. "How's that grill taste, bug?"

Donnie pumped a fist in the air. "Alright! Now, where's the diamond?"

Leo turned to Raph and Cat, narrowing his eyes. "Raph lost it."

Raph crossed his arms. "I was busy."

Cat mimicked him, voice flat. "We were busy."

Leo didn't buy it. "Busy cowering in terror." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "We have to find that drill before the Kraang cracks open Manhattan like an egg."

Raph let out a shaky breath, guilt weighing heavy on his shoulders.

Mari smirked. "I cannot believe I'm saying this, but Leo's right. You two need to pull it together."

Behind them, unnoticed, the Roach stirred.

It rose from the flames.

Watching.

Waiting.

Back in the Shellraiser...

Leo's grip on the wheel was tense. "You blew it, guys. You've got to get your heads together."

Raph clenched his fists. "I know." His voice was unusually quiet. "This stupid phobia is going to end up getting the whole team killed."

Cat hunched her shoulders, her arms crossed tight. "I know, okay?" she muttered, her voice small. "You think I wanted to freak out like that?"

Leo wasn't buying it. "You ran. Both of you. While we were fighting for our lives!"

Cat bristled. "And what was I supposed to do, Leo? Hug ih?!"

Mari snorted. "Or fight with us."

Raph's jaw tightened. "I get it, alright?! I messed up! We both did! This is why we need to get over this."

Cat scoffed. "We? I don't need to—"

Leo sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "You two need to fix this. Fast."

Donnie, oblivious to the argument, was already typing away at his screen. "Okay, here's a map of known Kraang facilities, and here's the map of fault lines in New York City."

He tapped a specific location.

"If the Kraang are going to drill into the Earth's crust, then this is where they'll do it."

Leo exhaled sharply, forcing his focus back. "Alright then, guys. We've got a little more time before the Kraang start drilling."

The Shellraiser rumbled forward.

Then—

A sudden, sharp thud from beneath the vehicle.

A low, mechanical buzzing.

Raph tensed. "What's that sound?"

Cat's face drained of color. "No way."

Donnie checked the monitors. "I don't see anything outside."

Another thud—this time, accompanied by the unmistakable whine of a saw blade.

Donnie's stomach dropped. "Uh-oh."

Raph's eyes widened. "He's back?!"

Panic flooded his voice. "WHERE?! WHERE THE HECK COULD IT BE?!"

Cat's entire body locked up. "Nope. Nope, nope, nope—"

Leo's face darkened. "He's underneath the van."

The realization hit all at once.

Then—

A loud screech.

Sparks flew as the Shellraiser jerked violently, the back wheels locking up.

Raph's voice was borderline hysterical. "He cut the drive shaft?!"

Cat latched onto his arm, voice an octave too high. "HE CAN DO THAT?!"

Mari, as always, was unimpressed. "Apparently."

Leo barely had time to react. "How does he keep finding us?!"

Donnie bit his lip. "...He might be using the homing signal I set up so Spy Roach could find his way back to the van."

Leo's head snapped around. "THERE'S A HOMING SIGNAL?!"

Even Mikey looked horrified. "Dude, even I would've turned that off."

Donnie put his hands up defensively. "Excuse me for being a little distracted!"

Leo groaned. "Can you tap into the signal? See what he's seeing?"

Donnie's fingers flew over the keyboard. "Already on it."

The screen flickered to life.

The feed was grainy, but the footage was clear enough.

Raph.

Swinging a weapon.

Attacking.

Then—another image.

Cat.

Slapping something off her arm.

The camera zoomed in, highlighting both of their faces in red.

Donnie sucked in a breath. "Oh, crud."

Cat's stomach dropped. "Why am I on there?!"

Raph's voice was tight. "What? What's it looking at?"

Donnie turned to them. "I don't think he's just mad at Raph—I think he's mad at both of you."

Silence.

Mikey blinked. "Wow, that stinks for two people afraid of roaches."

Raph and Cat spoke at the same time. "WE ALREADY GOT IT, THANKS!"

Then—

The screen glitched.

A new image flickered in.

A spinning saw blade.

Cat froze. "HE HAS A WHAT?!"

Raph paled. "So... are there any more surprises?"

As if in answer, the Shellraiser's floor ripped open, a serrated claw tearing through the metal.

Cat screamed.

Raph's voice cracked. "HE HAS A SAW?!"

Leo unsheathed his sword. "Not anymore."

With one clean swing, he severed the limb.

Cat immediately shoved herself behind Raph, using him as a shield. "I hate this. I hate this so much."

Mari smirked. "You two are pathetic."

"You can fight it, then!" Cat snapped.

Mari shrugged. "Nah, I'll let you two bond over your crippling fear."

Raph's voice wobbled. "Mari, I swear to—"

Another screech echoed through the van.

Leo turned to Donnie. "The rest of us will keep the Roach busy."

Raph and Cat gulped. "We will?"

Leo's grip tightened. "Yes! You've got to fix the Shellraiser—fast. Like, yesterday fast."

The van rocked.

The streets of New York were eerily quiet, save for the distant hum of the Kraang's drilling operation and the occasional flickering of faulty streetlights. Leo, Mikey, Mari, Raph, and Cat stood outside the Shellraiser, the latter two visibly uncomfortable as they scanned their surroundings.

Leo took a step forward, raising his voice. "Hey, Spy Roach! Raph and Cat are out here! Come and get them!"

Raph's head snapped toward him. "Really?! You're using us as bait?!"

"Yep," Leo said simply.

Cat grabbed his arm. "Leo, why are you like this?!"

Before either of them could protest, a loud screech echoed from the shadows. A moment later, the Roach emerged from the darkness, its grotesque, cybernetic body glinting under the dim streetlights.

The team bolted.

Leo, Mikey, and Mari worked quickly, maneuvering a large trash can, waiting for the perfect moment. As the Roach lunged, they slammed the lid shut over it.

For a second, it seemed like they had won.

Then the can exploded outward.

Leo, Mikey, and Mari were flung across the pavement, rolling to a stop near the Shellraiser.

Raph and Cat ran.

"I'm not afraid! Not afraid. Not afraid..." Raph panted, his voice cracking. "Scratch that! Fully afraid!" His breath came in short, panicked gasps. "I'm sorry I tried to smash you, okay?!"

"And I'm sorry I slapped you!" Cat wailed, running at full speed.

The Roach hissed, creeping closer.

Raph backed up against a wall, desperate for an escape. "I'm sorry! I learned a very important lesson! I'll never be cruel again! Just leave me alone!"

Cat pressed against him, trembling. "I'LL NEVER SLAP A BUG AGAIN, I SWEAR!"

A voice called out from behind them. "On one condition."

"Anything!" Raph blurted.

Cat nodded aggressively. "Yes! Anything!"

Mikey tilted his head. "Be good to Michelangelo."

Raph blinked. "What?"

Mikey smirked. "Let me read your comics once in a while."

Raph's expression darkened. "MIKEY!"

Cat whimpered. "Mikey, now is NOT the time!"

Before either of them could lunge at him, the Roach took another step forward.

Mari, standing off to the side, completely unbothered, crossed her arms. "You two are embarrassing."

Raph gawked. "Mari, shut up!"

"You're about to get eaten by a roach," she pointed out, unimpressed.

Cat shuddered violently. "DON'T SAY THAT!"

Mikey snickered—until Raph smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!" Mikey yelped, rubbing his arm. "So much for learning your lesson."

Leo groaned. "Nice job, Raph."

"What are you talking about?" Raph huffed. "Where's the bug?"

The group turned—and froze.

The Roach was eerily still, completely unmoving.

Raph's lips curled into a smirk. "Ha! Stuck, huh? Not so tough now, are you, Roachie? You're just a hollow shell. What the—?!"

Before their eyes, the Roach's exoskeleton cracked and crumbled.

Leo's jaw tightened. "He must have molted."

Cat's soul left her body. "They WHAT?!"

Raph's stomach twisted. "They molt?!"

Leo swallowed hard. "Yeah... roaches shed their skins when they... get... bigger."

The air stilled.

Then—

The new Spy Roach emerged.

It was bigger.

It was faster.

And it was angrier.

Cat grabbed Raph's arm, her entire body shaking. "I wanna go home."

"Me too," Raph muttered.

Mari smirked. "Too bad."

Mikey let out a low whistle. "Dude, you're not kidding."

The remains of the shell collapsed, revealing the new form of the Spy Roach.

Its once-brown exoskeleton was now a sickly, bone-white. Two bulbous, black eyes glowed ominously, and a pair of jagged, digital-blue wings flexed behind it. Its mouth, now lined with razor-sharp mandibles, twitched as it let out a guttural, insectoid screech.

Raph turned pale.

"A cockroach..." His voice cracked. "Why did it have to be a cockroach?"

The creature spread its wings.

Beside him, Cat trembled, gripping the edges of her mask like she was trying to hide in it. "Why did it have to be a cockroach that FLIES?!"

Leo's eyes widened. "RUN!"

The turtles bolted—but Cat froze in place, her entire body stiff with terror.

"MOVE!" Mari shoved her forward, snapping her out of it. "Unless you want to be bug food!"

The Roach took flight, its wings slicing through the air with a high-pitched buzz.

Raph sprinted down the alleyway, only to feel something grab him from behind.

The Roach's long, slimy tongue dragged across his cheek.

A choked scream left his throat.

Cat watched in horror, barely breathing. "Nope. Nope. Nope—"

Raph snarled, stabbing his sai deep into its side. The creature let out a horrible screech and released him. Raph fell backward into an open dumpster, flailing to climb out.

"START THE ENGINE!" he bellowed, voice raw with panic. "START THE ENGINE!!"

Cat didn't need to be told twice—she shoved Mikey out of the way and scrambled inside the Shellraiser, still shaking.

Mikey and Leo wasted no time, retreating as Donnie frantically worked the controls.

Donnie barely looked up. "You guys back already?! We've got bigger problems! You need to stop that drill!"

Raph barely heard him. He turned, yanking the trash cannon into position and launching a round at the Roach.

It barely flinched.

"What the—?" Raph growled.

Before he could try again, Mikey launched himself forward, drop-kicking the Roach mid-air. "Take that!"

The engine roared to life.

Raph exhaled heavily, leaning against the doorframe. "I had my chance... and I couldn't face it. I just— I couldn't do it."

Cat, sitting curled up in a seat, buried her face in her hands. "Same."

Mari raised a brow. "Yeah, I noticed."

Mikey clapped Raph on the shoulder. "Look on the bright side! In fifteen minutes, we could all melt in a fountain of lava!"

He paused, then frowned. "Okay, that sounded brighter in my head."

Donnie interrupted. "The laser drill is just past the front gate. Kraang droids everywhere. Hope you've got a good plan."

Leo's grip on the wheel tightened. "I'm going to ram through the gate, and we'll go from there."

Donnie hesitated. "Works for me."

The Shellraiser sped toward the Kraang facility. But before they could reach their target—

A low thump rattled the roof.

Raph's heart jumped. "What was that?! Where is it?!"

"I don't wanna know!" Cat shrieked.

Mikey barely had time to answer before a shadow passed overhead.

The Roach swooped down, grabbing Mikey by the shell and yanking him into the air.

"Mikey!" Leo shouted, his hands tightening around the wheel.

Donnie's voice was urgent. "It's got Mikey!"

Leo's gaze flickered to Raph. "We've got to do something!"

Raph's fists clenched. "I'll stop him."

Leo's expression softened. "You don't have to do this just to prove you're not afraid."

Raph shook his head. "I am afraid. And that's why I have to do this."

Beside him, Cat took a deep, shaky breath. "...Me too."

Mari crossed her arms. "You two are a mess," she muttered, but the usual mocking tone was missing.

Raph's eyes locked onto the Roach, still struggling with Mikey high above the ground.

"I'm coming, Mikey!" Raph shouted, bolting toward his kart. "No six-foot-tall cockroach is going to eat my brother!"

Cat shuddered, but squared her shoulders and raced after him. ""Got that right!"

Raph peeled out, the kart roaring down the road, Cat clinging to the backseat for dear life.

The Roach hovered overhead.

Raph revved the engine. "HEY!" he bellowed. "YOU, UP THERE! LOOKING FOR ME?!"

The Roach's head snapped toward him.

It hurled Mikey back toward the Shellraiser.

"Agh!" Mikey hit the roof with a thud, groaning.

The Roach, however, locked onto Raph and Cat.

Raph sped ahead, forcing the creature to chase him. The night air whistled past as the Roach let out an enraged screech, pulling small, glowing canisters from its chest.

Mutagen bombs.

"Oh, come on!" Cat yelled, gripping the back of the kart so tightly her fingers ached.

"It's got bombs now?!" Raph snapped, swerving as the Roach hurled them.

The explosions sent shockwaves through the street, cracks forming in the asphalt as Raph barely dodged the impact.

"Okay—that's new," Raph muttered.

"Understatement of the year!" Cat squeaked, ducking as another bomb whizzed past her head.

The Roach prepared another attack, but before it could throw another bomb, Raph twisted the wheel, activating his kart's cloaking device.

The Roach hesitated, confused.

For a brief moment, it lost them.

"Yeah. That's what I thought," Raph smirked.

Then—

CLANG!

Raph's kart slammed into a pile of trash cans.

"Oh, shell," he muttered.

"RAPH!" Cat shrieked as she tumbled forward, barely catching herself before she faceplanted.

The Roach roared.

More mutagen bombs rained from the sky.

"Ohhhh no—" Cat scrambled, her hands gripping Raph's arm. "Fix it, fix it, fix it!"

Raph gritted his teeth. "I got this!"

Without thinking, he grabbed one of the bombs mid-air and hurled it straight at the Roach.

The explosion was instant.

The creature screeched, spiraling out of control as it crashed into a nearby building.

"HA!" Cat gasped, her heart pounding. "Did we—did we get it?!"

Raph panted, his grip still tight on the wheel.

"I dunno," he muttered. "But I ain't sticking around to find out."

Meanwhile, inside the Kraang facility, an alarm blared.

Kraang voices droned from the speakers.

"The laser drill has passed the 500-meter mark."

"Those known as the turtles are approaching."

Leo's grip tightened on the wheel. "Alright, guys. Get ready."

He slammed the accelerator.

The Shellraiser crashed through the gate.

Except—

It didn't make it through.

They were stuck.

Leo groaned. "Raph, Cat, we're stuck! It's up to you!"

Raph grinned. "I'm on it."

Cat's head snapped toward him. "What do you mean 'we'?! Oh no. No, no, no—"

She cut herself off as Raph turned—and found the Roach standing in their way.

Its glowing red eyes locked onto them both.

Cat froze.

Raph narrowed his eyes. "This is either gonna be really cool... or really painful."

Cat's voice cracked. "Raph, I swear, if we die—"

He gunned the engine.

And rammed the Roach at full speed.

The impact sent all three of them flying.

They crashed hard on the other side of the Kraang base, tumbling across the pavement.

Raph groaned. "Okay... it was both."

Cat wheeze-laughed in shock, sprawled out beside him. "Never—doing—that—again."

Kraang voices droned in the background, their eerie monotone filling the air.

"The laser drill is at 400 meters from the Earth's core."

Raph gritted his teeth. Not for long!

He scaled the machinery, boots scraping against the metal as he reached the top. Cat was right behind him, her tessen clutched tightly in her hands.

"I swear," she huffed, trying not to panic, "if we live through this, I am never going near a bug again."

"If?" Raph shot her a look. "Come on, don't jinx us."

The city lights flickered in the distance, but their focus was locked on the massive drilling device before them. Below, Kraang droids scurried around, oblivious to the impending destruction the two turtles were about to unleash.

Then—

A shadow shifted.

Raph's stomach dropped.

Cat froze.

"You have GOT to be kidding me."

The Spy Roach loomed over them, larger than ever, its face now sporting an unmistakable tire track from where Raph had run it over earlier. Its wings unfurled, an eerie glow pulsing from its reinforced exoskeleton.

It tilted its head, mandibles clicking, almost like it was laughing at them.

Cat visibly shuddered. "I hate that it does that."

Raph exhaled sharply. "Alright, insect. You think I'm scared of you? I aced your butt twice already! You wanna go for number three, huh? Do you? Come and get me!"

Before Cat could stop him, he hurled his helmet straight at the Roach's face.

The creature screeched—and lunged.

Cat flipped backward, barely dodging as the Roach's claws slashed at the metal where she had just been standing. Raph met it head-on, grappling with its mechanized limbs as they rolled across the platform.

The Roach's mandibles snapped toward Raph's face—

SHING!

Cat's tessen slashed across its eye, forcing it back.

"You wanna fight? Fine!" she shouted. "But I'm not going down easy!"

The Spy Roach shrieked, spinning wildly, its wings slamming into her and sending her skidding backward.

"The laser drill is at 300 meters."

Raph pounced, slamming his sai into its abdomen, twisting the blade. The Roach twitched, its movements jerky.

"200 meters."

Cat dashed forward, using the distraction to scale the control panel. Her fingers danced across the buttons, eyes scanning frantically.

"Come on, come on... There!"

She yanked a lever—

Nothing happened.

"100 meters."

Cat's stomach twisted. "Raph, it's still running!"

"Then we do it the old-fashioned way!"

He grabbed the massive drill, muscles straining as he wrenched the control orb from its place.

The Roach lunged again, wings buzzing—

Cat threw her tessen, slicing into its leg. The Roach stumbled, its head snapping toward her.

Her breath hitched.

It was mad.

It charged straight at her—

But Raph was faster.

He grabbed a metal pipe, swung it like a bat, and slammed it across the Roach's head, sending it flying.

"Drill this."

With one final swing, he smashed the laser control system.

The machinery shuddered.

Then—

BOOM.

The entire platform exploded in a burst of sparks and molten metal.

The Roach let out a final screech as it was engulfed in the blast, its body dissolving into goo.

The drill sparked violently—before collapsing in on itself, sending flaming debris raining down.

Cat stumbled back, coughing. "Did... did we do it?"

Raph caught his breath. "Yeah. We did it."

His helmet whizzed through the air—

And he caught it mid-spin.

He turned to Cat, grinning despite the chaos. "Told you we had this."

Cat, still shaking, scowled. "Shut up and drive."

The Shellraiser rumbled down the road, the city skyline glowing in the distance. Inside, the team sat in silence, catching their breath after the night's chaos.

Leo smirked. "Well, guys, you faced your fear and saved the city. Not bad for a Wednesday."

Raph leaned back, arms crossed. "Faced my fear? I conquered my fear! I looked my fear in the eye, and I zapped it to a blimp!"

Cat sighed. "Yeah. Conquered."

Mikey grinned. "Wooooow. So you're not afraid of cockroaches anymore, huh?"

Raph scoffed. "Nope. Not even a little."

Mikey's grin widened. "Good, good... then you won't mind the one I just slipped into your shell."

Raph's face froze.

Cat's eyes went wide. "MIKEY, WHY?!"

For a single, silent second—

Then—

Raph let out an ear-splitting scream, ripping his shell open, spinning wildly as he frantically tried to shake the nonexistent roach out. He bolted across the Shellraiser, arms flailing.

"AAAAAAHHHHH! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!!!"

Cat jumped onto the seat, checking her own shell just in case. "NOPE! NOPE! WHERE IS IT?!"

The others howled with laughter.

Mikey wiped a tear from his eye, leaning back. "Ahh... never gets old."

Raph shot him a glare, still frantically patting his shell. "You are so dead."