The city was quiet, the hum of streetlights casting long shadows across the pavement as the Shellraiser rolled through the dimly lit streets. Inside, the tension was palpable.

"Take a right—no, left! Left!" Donnie's voice rang out, his eyes locked onto the glowing screen of his scanner.

Leo gripped the wheel, exhaling sharply. "Maybe you could tell me before we pass the street?"

Donnie's fingers danced across the buttons of his tracker, his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, Leo. There are still so many mutagen canisters out there, my scanner is having trouble zeroing in on a single reading. Oh—turn right!"

The Shellraiser lurched to the side as Leo followed Donnie's frantic directions.

Raph grunted as he slammed into the wall of the vehicle. "Whoa, I think I just got shell-lash!"

A sudden, ear-splitting scream filled the Shellraiser.

All heads snapped toward Mikey, who was clutching a comic book to his chest.

"Mikey!" Leo groaned. "Could you not do that?"

"Hey! This comic's in mint—" The Shellraiser hit a bump, and Mikey let out another yelp. "—Near mint condition! Don't mess it up!"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Great. Another horror story. Guess who's gonna be up all night again?"

"What? No!" Mikey scoffed. "I was up all night polishing my grappling hook."

Mari, sitting in the back with her arms crossed, smirked. "Right. Because you're the responsible one."

Mikey pointed at her. "Excuse you, Mari, but some of us take crime-fighting very seriously."

"Yeah, uh-huh," she drawled. "Just let me know when you're done wetting the bed after reading those creepy stories."

Mikey gasped, scandalized. "I do not—!"

Before he could finish, Donnie interrupted. "Got one! Stop here!"

Leo slammed the brakes, and the team piled out onto the empty street. Donnie adjusted his goggles, scanning the area.

"My ooze specs are picking up a mutagen trail. Come on."

The trail led them to a movie theater, its flickering marquee casting eerie shadows against the pavement. Half the letters were burnt out, leaving only an ominous jumble of words.

Cat hugged herself, glancing at the abandoned building warily. "This place looks so haunted."

Mari, walking beside her, smirked. "You should totally go in first, then."

Cat shot her a horrified look. "No way!"

"Scared?" Mari teased.

"No!" Cat huffed, glaring. Then, after a beat: "...Maybe."

"Remember," Leo cut in, voice firm, "this could be another trap. We need to be careful."

Raph scoffed. "Some ninja."

"Guys, over here." Donnie knelt near the entrance, holding up a cracked canister of mutagen. It had already spilled most of its contents onto the pavement.

Leo frowned. "Half empty. But at least that's one more recovered."

A sudden, bloodcurdling scream tore through the air.

Mikey held up his hands. "It wasn't me!"

The team exchanged glances before creeping toward the alley beside the theater. Peeking around the corner, they spotted a homeless man, his face pale and eyes wide with terror.

The source of his fear? A tiny, twitching squirrel.

Raph furrowed his brow. "Why's that dude freaking out over a tiny little squirrel?"

Before anyone could react, the squirrel turned toward them—its body convulsing, eyes glowing an unnatural shade of green.

Mari took a step back. "...Nope."

Cat barely had time to yelp before the squirrel lunged at the man, moving with inhuman speed.

And then—without warning—it jumped straight into his mouth.

The man gagged, his body going rigid before he collapsed to the ground.

A horrified silence stretched between them.

Then—

"Now can I scream?!" Cat shrieked.

Mikey grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. "YES! YES, YOU CAN SCREAM!"

Mari just stood there, stunned. "What the hell did we just watch?"

Leo groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "This mission just got a lot worse."

"Ya think?!" Cat snapped, still shaking.

Mari, who had recovered much faster, turned toward Donnie. "Okay, Science Guy. Explain that."

Donnie opened his mouth, but for once, no words came out.

Raph exhaled sharply, crossing his arms. "Oh yeah. This was definitely a bad idea."

Mikey clutched his comic book to his chest, eyes darting between the unconscious man and his siblings. "Dudes, this is a terrible idea. This is exactly how the alien got onto the ship in my comic book!"

Raph frowned, crossing his arms. "Maybe Mikey's right."

Mikey blinked. "Wait, what?"

Leo did a double take. "Did you just agree with Mikey?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Not about the comic book thing—that's totally crazy. But I can think of a million other reasons why it's a bad idea to take this guy back to the lair, starting with Splinter."

Donnie adjusted his goggles, scanning the unconscious man with increasing concern. "Raph, that squirrel was clearly a mutant creature, which means this is our fault."

Leo sighed, already anticipating the argument. "And our responsibility to fix it." He squared his shoulders. "I'll deal with Splinter—"

"Yeah, have fun with that," Mari cut in, shifting her weight to one side. "Hope you're ready for a long lecture about how reckless and irresponsible this is."

Leo shot her a look. "Would it kill you to be supportive?"

Mari smirked. "Probably."

Raph gestured toward her. "See? Even Mari thinks this is dumb, and she loves reckless and irresponsible."

Mari rolled her eyes. "Okay, rude, but also not wrong."

Cat, standing slightly behind the others, hesitated before speaking. "I-I don't think we should take him either." She fidgeted with the ends of her mask. "What if he wakes up and freaks out? Or—or tries to eat us like the squirrel did?"

Mikey gasped dramatically. "Oh my gosh, what if the squirrel brainwashed him? What if he's, like, a sleeper agent and the second we're all asleep, boom, he turns into a mutant were-squirrel and—"

Mari pinched the bridge of her nose. "Mikey, shut up."

Raph gestured toward the man with a sharp nod. "Look, Leo, we dump him somewhere safe and keep moving. No one gets eaten. No one gets Splinter's lecture of doom. Everybody wins."

Leo exhaled, rubbing his temple. "No, Raph. He's coming with us. We need to figure out what's going on before this gets worse."

Mari let out a huff, clearly annoyed. "Fine. But when Splinter chews you out, I will be enjoying every second of it."

Cat shifted uneasily. "We're so getting in trouble for this."

Raph threw his hands up. "And I get to say 'I told you so' when this all goes sideways."

Leo shot him a flat look. "I know."

———

Later, back at the lair...

Leo stood stiffly in front of Master Splinter, his posture as rigid as his resolve. The old rat sat with his fingers steepled, his expression unreadable. The weight of his gaze made the air feel heavier.

"Master Splinter, let me explain," Leo started.

Splinter's voice was deceptively calm. "Indeed. Please explain the reason you have brought a complete stranger into our secret, hidden lair."

Leo hesitated. "Uh—"

Mikey stepped forward, beaming. "Oh, you're gonna love this one, Sensei."

Splinter's whiskers twitched.

Mikey nodded eagerly. "It's pretty good."

Mari, standing with her arms crossed, smirked. "Yeah, Leo, please explain. This is gonna be gold."

Cat, still keeping her distance from the unconscious man, muttered, "I don't think I've ever been this stressed in my entire life."

Raph snorted. "Better get comfortable, Cat. This is only the beginning."

———

As the unconscious man thudded onto the examination table, Donnie winced. "Careful with the specimen! I want to run some tests on him—take it easy, boys. Easy—D'oh!"

The moment they let go, the man slammed down with a loud thunk, sending tools scattering across the table. Donnie shot the others an exasperated glare, but Mikey was already too engrossed in his comic to notice.

"So, wanna guess the first thing the crew did when they brought the infected guy back on the spaceship?" Mikey asked, clutching his book dramatically.

Raph snatched the comic and tossed it over his shoulder. "Enough with the comic already! You're makin' me loopy!"

Mikey gasped as if Raph had personally offended him. "Great. It just went from 'near mint' to totally messed up!"

Mari leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold with mild amusement. "I mean, this does feel like the start of a horror movie."

Cat, standing near the doorway, shifted uneasily. "I don't want this to be a horror movie."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Okay, we're cool for now, but let's try to get this guy out of here before Master Splinter is done meditating. Where are we at, Donnie?"

Donnie adjusted his scanner, eyes narrowing. "Running an internal scan to see if—yep. Still in there."

The monitor flickered to life, displaying an X-ray of the man's chest cavity. The turtles, Mari, and Cat all leaned in.

Raph's brow furrowed. "Whoa."

Mikey tilted his head. "Wait. Does it have two heads?"

Before anyone could process that information, the man suddenly bolted upright.

"Pink eye, red eye! The ham went flying! Woot-woot!" he shrieked.

Leo took a cautious step back. "I think that freaky squirrel made him a little... nutty."

Mikey perked up, pointing at himself. "Dudes, I got this. I can totally translate crazy." He cleared his throat, then dramatically repeated, "He's saying, 'The squirrel licked some ooze and transformed into a mutant! It's been chasing me for days now, but I'm totally okay!'"

Raph scoffed. "If by 'okay,' you mean completely unhinged."

Mari shook her head. "Yeah, I'm not dealing with this."

Cat nodded rapidly. "Me neither."

Leo exhaled. "Well, at least no one will believe a crazy guy if he talks about giant ninja turtles living in a sewer."

Before anyone could respond, the man let out a strangled gagging noise. His body convulsed violently.

And then—

He vomited up a squirrel.

Followed immediately by a second one.

A beat of absolute horror passed before the room erupted into chaos.

Donnie's hands flew to his head. "This... this is unprecedented! The squirrels replicate inside a host. They divided like a single-celled organism!"

Mikey gasped, his eyes lighting up. "That's exactly what happened in my comic!" Then, he frowned. "Well, not exactly. They kinda... exploded out of the dude's butt."

The man let out one final scream. "Agh! Leprechauns!" Then, without another word, he sprinted out of the lab.

Raph smirked. "I'll show our friend to the door!"

As Raph hurried after him, Leo and Donnie turned their attention back to the two mutant squirrels, who were now eating the spilled popcorn.

Mari raised a brow. "I feel like we should be way more concerned than we are."

Cat, already backing up, whispered, "Guys... they're looking at us."

Donnie adjusted his goggles. "We need to catch them. They're emitting dangerous amounts of energy."

Leo took a slow step forward. "Move very slowly. We don't want to startle them. Steady... steady..."

The squirrels' heads snapped up.

They hissed violently.

"AHHH! GET 'EM!"

The lab exploded into chaos.

Leo lunged, but the squirrels scattered in opposite directions, darting between overturned tools and machinery.

"Hey! Get back here!" Leo shouted, narrowly missing one.

Donnie fumbled to grab a containment device, but one of the creatures leapt onto his head. "Whoa! Watch my stuff!"

Mikey dived forward. "I got you, little freak!"

Mari was already moving, drawing her tanto. "We're not letting these things loose in the lair."

Raph reappeared in the doorway just in time to see the chaos. "Well, our friend's gone... but we still have plenty of crazy."

"There they go!" Mikey yelped, pointing as the creatures scampered out of the lab.

Leo spun toward the exit. "Quick! Help me seal off the lair! We can't let them escape!"

Raph snorted. "Well, I don't exactly want 'em in here with us!"

Mikey leapt onto his skateboard, using it to chase after the creatures—only to immediately trip over a pipe. "AHH—"

Donnie swung his bo staff, aiming for one of the creatures, but it climbed onto his face. Panicked, Donnie yanked it off and tossed it away—right onto Leo's head.

Leo let out an undignified shriek.

Mari whistled. "That was graceful."

Cat gasped as one of the squirrels scrambled toward the hallway. "Wait— NOT MY ROOM!"

Leo and Donnie whipped their heads toward the opposite direction.

One of the squirrels was sneaking into the dojo.

Donnie's breath hitched. "The dojo!"

Leo paled. "Sensei's in a deep trance."

Donnie swallowed hard. "Shh. Full ninja mode."

Leo and Donnie crept forward, every movement precise, their eyes locked onto the tiny creature that had stopped just inches from Splinter's still form.

The squirrel twitched, tilting its head.

Leo held his breath.

Mari, watching from a distance, muttered, "This is either gonna be really impressive... or really embarrassing."

Cat covered her mouth, whispering, "I'm scared to find out."

Cat's room was the exact opposite of Mikey's.

Where his was a chaotic explosion of mess, Cat's was neatly organized, filled with pastel-colored decor, stuffed animals, and twinkling fairy lights. Her bed was covered in a soft pink blanket, and the walls were lined with shiny trinkets, glittering objects, and a growing collection of stickers. It was childish, cozy, and oddly serene—at least, for now.

Mikey whistled as he stepped inside. "Wow, Buzzkitten. Didn't take you for the princess tea party type."

Cat puffed up instantly. "I am not a princess tea party type!" She gestured around dramatically. "This is peak ninja elegance."

Raph raised a brow. "Yeah, uh-huh. Super intimidating."

Mikey grinned. " I just had an awesome idea!" He grabbed a bag of candy from Cat's bedside table, shaking it with excitement. "Boom! We use this as bait."

Cat gasped, snatching it away. "That is my emergency candy stash! Pick something else!"

Mikey frowned, looking around. "Fine, fine..." His eyes landed on a tray of leftover cookies on Cat's desk. "Ooooh, sweet! Even better." He grabbed a cookie, nodding approvingly. "Man, I impress myself."

Raph watched him with disgust. "You're gonna use that as bait? What are you trying to do—bribe them?"

Mikey ignored him, holding up the cookie. "Here, squirrely, squirrely, squirrely. Come get it!"

Raph groaned, looking around. "Ugh. No wonder this room feels weird. Where is that little sucker?"

———

Meanwhile, back in the dojo...

Leo balanced on Donnie's shoulders, carefully reaching for the mutant squirrel as it clung to a tree branch just above Splinter's still-meditating form.

"Almost... got it..."

Mari stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching the absurdity unfold. "If you drop it and it lands on Sensei, I will mock you forever."

Leo shot her a glare, then refocused on the task. Just as his fingers grazed its fur, the squirrel hissed violently.

Leo lost his balance. "Whoa—!"

He flipped mid-air, barely managing to land on his feet, the squirrel clenched in his left hand.

Splinter's eyes snapped open.

The old rat exhaled sharply, his gaze shifting between his startled son and the hissing mutant.

Leo winced. "Uh... Sensei! Hey. You're awake."

Splinter's eyes narrowed. "What is going on in here?" His voice was laced with irritation. "I was in a deep meditative trance, trying to block out your constant noise, and now—" His whiskers twitched. "Is that a chipmunk?"

Mari leaned against the doorframe, deadpan. "It's a mutant squirrel, Sensei. One that reproduces inside stomachs."

Splinter closed his eyes briefly, as if contemplating every life decision that led to this moment. "I should have been in a deeper trance."

Leo carefully held up the mutant. "So, um... what do we do with it?"

Splinter studied the small creature. Then, to everyone's surprise, his expression softened. "You will be safe here for a short time, my distant cousin, until we can find out more about you."

Mari blinked. "Sensei, please tell me you're not bonding with it."

Back in Cat's room...

"I swear, if that thing touches any of my stuff—"

Cat froze as the tiny mutant squirrel skittered across her dresser, knocking over a sparkly snow globe.

"NO!" she shrieked, diving forward.

The squirrel chittered and bolted toward the other side of the room, narrowly avoiding her grasp.

"Oh, it's on now," Cat growled.

Mikey, meanwhile, was sitting on her bed, completely ignoring the chaos in favor of eating a four-day-old cookie he had swiped from her desk.

"Man, this is the best," he mumbled through a mouthful.

Raph turned to him, utterly disgusted. "Four-day-old peanut butter, jelly bean, and marshmallow cookie?! What is wrong with you?!"

Mikey waved a hand. "Eh. It grows on you."

Cat whipped around, eyes blazing. "You're eating my cookies?!"

Mikey swallowed. "Technically it was abandoned, so—"

"Focus!" Raph barked. "What were we supposed to be doing again?"

Before anyone could answer, something rustled near Cat's vanity.

All three froze.

Raph's head snapped up. "The squirrel! There you are!"

The tiny creature perched atop Cat's jewelry box, its beady green eyes glinting.

Cat gasped. "Not my jewelry!"

The squirrel leapt down, scattering necklaces and bracelets across the floor.

Raph lunged.

Mikey gasped in horror. "RAPH! That was Cat's limited-edition mermaid locket!"

"Yeah?" Raph grunted, shoving aside a pile of plushies. "Well, she's about to have a limited-edition mutant squirrel in her guts if we don't—"

Before he could finish, the squirrel launched itself at his face.

Raph screamed.

Then—it dove straight into his mouth.

Mikey's eyes bulged. "RAAAAAAPH!!"

Cat let out a horrified squeak. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh—!"

Raph flailed wildly, muffled curses spilling from his occupied mouth as he staggered backward.

Mikey grabbed Cat's arm. "This is just like my comic—"

"MIKEY, NOW IS NOT THE TIME!!" Cat shrieked.

Raph let out a final, garbled noise—then abruptly collapsed.

———

Later, in Donnie's Lab...

Raph sat chained to a chair, his muscles tense, eye twitching. "It's in my guts! I can feel it in there, munching on that popcorn I ate! It's freakin' me out, man!"

Cat stood a few feet away, her hands pressed against the sides of her head, looking like she was about to pass out. "Oh my gosh, this is so disgusting! This is the grossest thing I've ever seen!"

"Oh, come on, Cat," Mari deadpanned from where she stood with her arms crossed. "You've definitely seen worse."

"Okay, yeah," Cat admitted, shifting on her feet, "but that doesn't mean I want to think about a mutant squirrel crawling around in my brother's stomach!" She shuddered violently. "I'm literally never eating popcorn again."

"Oh, I can tell you exactly what's happening in there!" Mikey said brightly, flipping through his comic book. "Right now, the mutant squirrel is probably secreting a mucus into your stomach lining so that when it multiplies—"

"MIKEY!" Donnie snapped, cutting him off. "Not helping!"

Mikey merely shrugged. "Probably 98% accurate, though."

Cat visibly gagged. "Please stop."

Raph thrashed against the restraints, his voice bordering on hysterical. "GET 'EM OUT, GET 'EM OUT, GET 'EM OUT!!"

Donnie dramatically pulled down his goggles. "Just as I thought. We need to perform surgery." He turned to Mikey. "Nurse?"

Mikey grinned and pulled out a rusty saw.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Raph howled, struggling like his life depended on it.

Cat's eyes bugged out of her head. "WHAT KIND OF SURGERY IS THAT?!"

Mari scoffed. "Obviously the fake kind." She gestured lazily at Raph. "He's not even strapped in properly. If he wanted, he could just stand up."

Raph froze. Then, his eyes narrowed at Donnie. "Are you serious right now?!"

Donnie smirked. "Fooled you!"

"Why you—!" Raph's fury was cut off as his stomach suddenly lurched.

Donnie's expression dropped. "Raph... are you—?"

Mikey, glancing at his comic, grimaced. "Bros, brace for grossness."

And he was right.

Raph vomited up the squirrels.

The lights flickered.

"Oh, that's so disgusting!" Cat whined, covering her face.

Mari barely flinched. "Eh. I've seen worse."

"Donnie!" Leo grimaced, taking a step back. "Some sciencey stuff would be a big help right now!"

The squirrels screeched—and suddenly, their bodies began to glow.

Mikey's jaw dropped. "*Glowing. Glowing is bad. Glowing is real bad!"

"WHY ARE THEY GLOWING?!" Cat shrieked, nearly jumping onto the table.

Splinter appeared in the doorway, his calm presence not matching the sheer chaos happening in the lab. "I see it is happening here as well."

Mari rolled her eyes. "*Yeah, no kidding. What are they doing?"

Donnie's scanner beeped wildly. "These things are putting out a crazy energy signature. It's messing with my analyzer!"

The squirrels scampered toward the exit.

Mikey clutched his chest. "We're doomed. Doomed, I tell you!"

Splinter's voice boomed. "Split up and search each room."

Mikey paled. "SPLIT UP?! Sensei, I don't think you read comics, because splitting up is the—*"

Splinter narrowed his eyes. "Silence."

Mikey froze.

Splinter continued, "You are trained warriors. We will find these creatures. Now."

Raph grumbled as they spread out. "Split up to search in the dark for multiplying mutants. Could we pick a more cliché way to get eaten?"

Donnie nodded. "One of us could twist our ankle, or our T-phones could die, or—"

"MOVE."

The lair became eerily quiet as they crept through the halls, weapons drawn, senses sharp.

Cat refused to leave Mikey's side, her tessen gripped so tightly that her fingers ached. "This is a terrible plan."

Meanwhile, Mari moved swiftly alongside Leo and Donnie, her eyes flickering between the shadows. "Sensei should've just let me stab them when they were small," she muttered under her breath.

Leo shot her a look. "Not helpful."

Mari merely shrugged. "You're just mad I'm right."

Then—

A low hiss.

Everyone froze.

Cat tightened her grip on Mikey's arm. "Oh no. No, no, no—"

Mikey's comic book trembled in his hands. "Dudes. There was a sound just like that in my comic when the baby aliens transformed."

Raph's grip on his sai tightened. "Wait. You read it in a comic. How can it sound the same?*"

A shadow shifted.

A pair of glowing green eyes flickered in the darkness.

Then—

The Squirrelanoid emerged.

It was huge. Its body was grotesque, its limbs stretched in unnatural ways. The eerie green glow of its eyes illuminated the dark hallways.

Its mouth curled open.

It SCREECHED.

"Oh, shell no—" Mari barely had time to move before—

Mikey, Raph, and Cat SCREAMED.

Leo and Donnie's heads snapped up.

Donnie paled. "Oh, no."

Leo gripped his katana. "They're here."

The Squirrelanoid lunged.

Mikey, Raph, and Cat BOLTED like their shells were on fire.

"IT'S GONNA BRAIN-SUCK US!" Mikey shrieked.

"WHY IS IT SO FAST?!" Cat screeched, practically sprinting ahead of them.

The creature's grotesque tongue lashed out, narrowly missing them.

Leo, Mari and Donnie burst into the hallway just in time to see three terrified turtles barreling toward them—followed by the giant nightmare-mutant.

"WHOA!" Donnie yelped, barely dodging as Raph shoved past him.

"We need to take it down before it gets out!" Leo ordered.

The Squirrelanoid hissed violently, glowing eyes darting between them as it crouched low, preparing to pounce.

Then—

A sudden blur of movement.

Splinter emerged from the shadows, moving with graceful, deadly precision. His staff struck hard, sending the mutant reeling.

The Squirrelanoid shrieked.

Splinter's eyes were calm but dangerous. "The sewers lead to the surface. If those things escape—"

Leo nodded sharply. "Then we stop them. Now."

Splinter tightened his grip on his staff. "Go quickly. I will stay and defend the lair in case the beasts double back."

Mikey blanched. "Wait, wait, wait—so that means we have to go after them—alone? In the dark sewer? Without you?"

Cat visibly paled. "That's a horrible plan!"

Splinter raised a brow. "Who among you wishes to prove you are the bravest? The strongest of will? The worthiest of ninjas?"

The answer was none of them.

The dimly lit sewers stretched out ahead, damp and suffocating. Every footstep echoed, the tension thick between the team as they moved deeper underground, their weapons drawn, senses on high alert.

Donnie controlled Metalhead remotely, his siblings watching behind him, his fingers flying across his wrist console as the robot's camera feed flickered in the shadows.

"Master Splinter," Donnie muttered, adjusting the controls, "I'd say there's some kind of lesson here—like, I don't know, 'brains over bravery' or something?"

Splinter barely raised a brow. "I'd say the 'something' part is most accurate."

Mikey hugged himself, his eyes darting between the tunnels. "Not gonna say this happened in my comic, but this happened in my comic."

A sudden, bone-chilling screech echoed through the tunnels.

Raph's grip tightened on his sai. "What was that?"

Leo's eyes sharpened. "There's one."

Before anyone could react, something lunged.

The Squirrelanoid attacked, its grotesque body bursting through the darkness.

Metalhead barely had time to react.

The mutant ripped through him, its claws tearing the camera away, snapping circuits.

Donnie gasped. "Metalhead!"

The robot collapsed, headless, sparks flying.

Mikey stared, jaw slack. "Page 33. Oh man!"

Donnie clenched his fists. "Don't worry, little pal. I'll make you all better."

Splinter stroked his beard, his expression unreadable. "I do not wish to say I was right... but I was right."

The sewers stretched out in two directions, water trickling through the tunnels, the smell of damp stone thick in the air.

Donnie's scanner beeped wildly. "I'm picking up strong readings from both tunnels!"

Leo glanced at him, eyes narrowing. "Then we split up."

Mikey froze. "AGAIN?! Didn't you guys get—"

Leo cut him off. "But this time, in teams. Okay?"

Mikey groaned, slapping his forehead. "It's still splitting up. We're toast! Game over, man! Game over!"

Leo ignored him, motioning to the left. "Mari, Donnie—you're with me."

Mari twirled her tanto, smirking. "Guess that means I'm stuck babysitting the nerds."

Donnie huffed. "*Uh, excuse me?"

"She means you, Leo," Donnie added, quickly dodging when Leo swatted at him.

Leo shot Mari a look. "Let's move."

The three disappeared down the left tunnel.

Raph let out a heavy sigh, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, that leaves me, Mikey, and—"

"Me!" Cat piped up, flipping her tessen open. "Dibs on not going last in the group order!"

Raph stared at her. "You called dibs on what?"

"Being in the middle!" she declared proudly, already moving ahead of Mikey. "Middle is safe. Middle is great."

Mikey snickered, nudging Raph. "Guess that means you're in the back, tough guy."

Raph glared. "I hate both of you."

"Love you too," Cat chirped, gripping her tessen tighter as they moved into the shadows.

The further they walked, the more the tunnel narrowed, the damp walls pressing in around them.

Cat shuddered. "Ugh, this is a terrible place to die."

"Relax, KitKat," Mikey whispered, grinning. "I'll protect you."

Cat scoffed. "That doesn't make me feel better."

Raph exhaled through his nose. "I hate to ask, but... how did they beat the aliens in your comic?"

Mikey's grin returned instantly. "Oh, so NOW you wanna know?" He cleared his throat. "Well, first, the aliens picked off the crew in the dark, one by one, sucking their faces off until only one survivor was left—"

"STOP TALKING!" Cat hissed, nearly smacking him with her tessen. "What part of that was helpful?"

"Sorry!" Mikey laughed sheepishly. "I panic-ramble!"

Then—

A low hiss.

All three froze.

Cat grabbed Mikey's arm. "Oh no. No, no, no—"

A shadow shifted above them.

A pair of glowing green eyes flickered in the darkness.

Then—

The Squirrelanoid emerged.

It was huge. Its grotesque, elongated limbs bent unnaturally, sharp claws scraping the tunnel walls. Its glowing eyes flickered over them, and its mouth—its unnatural, stretched-out mouth—curled open.

And then—

It SCREECHED.

Cat shoved Mikey forward. "RUN."

Mikey and Raph screamed.

Across the tunnels, Leo and Mari snapped toward the sound of chaos, their weapons already raised.

Donnie's face drained of color. "Oh no. Leo... they're here."

Before they could react—

A Squirrelanoid lunged from the ceiling.

Leo barely yanked Donnie out of the way as the mutant's claws sliced through the air.

"Heads or tails?" Leo gritted out, already moving.

Donnie, panicked, blurted, "Heads!"

Leo shoved him forward. "Then GO!"

Donnie *leaped—*but the Squirrelanoid's tail slammed into him mid-air, sending him crashing into the ground.

Mari dodged to the side, her tanto flashing as she sliced at its tail. "Oh, that is disgusting."

The creature shrieking, recoiling.

More mutants emerged from the shadows.

Leo cursed. "Donnie, MOVE!"

They ran.

But the Squirrelanoids were faster.

They rounded a corner—

And slammed straight into Raph, Mikey, and Cat.

The team collapsed in a pile of limbs.

Mari, skidding to a stop, gritted her teeth. "Are you serious?"

A low snarl made them all freeze.

The Squirrelanoids were closing in.

Cat tensed, inching closer to Mikey. "Oh, this is really, REALLY bad—"

Mikey paled. "They'll crack our shells like nuts!"

Raph gritted his teeth. "Then we go down in a blaze of glory!"

"HAAA!"

They charged.

Leo sliced through a rusted pipe, blocking an attack.

Raph tackled a Squirrelanoid to the ground, pinning its arms.

Donnie held off another, using his bo staff to block its thrashing tail.

Mikey dodged a strike, spinning wildly.

Mari was all sharp, aggressive strikes, her tanto darting between the mutants' joints. "Why do they have to be so fast?!"

Cat, moving more defensively, tried to stay out of reach, snapping her tessen open to deflect attacks.

But—

The mutants overpowered them.

Leo was knocked back.

Raph's arms shook against the creature's strength.

Donnie's grip slipped.

Mari barely dodged a claw swipe, her breath ragged.

Cat, tripping slightly, caught herself last second. "Too many—"

The Squirrelanoids closed in.

Raph's jaw clenched. "Mikey! Any ideas? Now would be GOOD!"

Mikey, breathing hard, suddenly lit up.

"OH! The sole survivor—he baited the alien into an airlock, and then he—"

He gasped.

Then—

He took off running.

Mari blinked. "Are you serious?!"

Leo wiped his mouth, eyes flickering. "No. I think he's got a plan."

They kept fighting, holding off the mutants as best they could—

Then—

The Squirrelanoids froze.

Their glowing eyes locked onto something else.

Mikey.

Holding...

A bag of popcorn.

Mikey grinned. "Yoo-hoo, glow heads! Want some?"

The Squirrelanoids screeched—

And lunged at him.

Raph's eyes widened. "MIKEY HAS A PLAN!"

Mikey dashed to the sewer edge, leaping across a gap. "Come and get it!"

The creatures gave chase.

Mikey hurled the bag into the water.

As the Squirrelanoids dove after it—

Mikey turned a valve.

A powerful rush of water exploded from the pipes.

The force slammed into the mutants, sweeping them away.

They were flushed into the tunnels, spiraling out of sight.

Mikey pumped a fist. "NINJA WHIRLPOOL OF DOOM!"

Then—

Something yanked him backward.

Mikey's eyes widened in horror.

A tongue wrapped around his ankle.

"DUUUUUUDES!"

He was dragged into the water.

His siblings lunged.

Raph caught his hand, straining against the pull. "I GOTCHA!"

Leo grabbed Raph's arm. "We ALL do!"

Mari, gritting her teeth, grabbed onto Leo. "Ugh, why do we always have to do dramatic rescue chains?!"

Cat, wincing, held onto Mari. "Not the time, Mari!"

With one final yank, they ripped Mikey free.

The last Squirrelanoid lunged—

Raph whipped out his ninja stars, hurling them forward.

They sliced into the mutant, sending it plummeting into the darkness below.

Silence.

Then—

Leo exhaled. "The septic tanks should hold them..."

Donnie, panting, wiped his forehead. "At least until I can figure out a retro-mutagen."

Raph grinned at Mikey. "Glad you didn't get flushed, little brother."

Mikey grinned back. "You and me both, bro."

Mari sighed, hands on her hips. "If we're done saving Mikey, can we get out of here? I'm officially done with mutant rodents for the week."

Cat shuddered. "Can't argue with that."

The lair was finally calm. The adrenaline of the night had worn off, leaving the team sprawled across the couches and chairs, exhaustion settling deep in their bones. The mission had been messy, terrifying, and more than a little disgusting— but somehow, they had won.

Raph stretched his arms behind his head, smirking slightly. "I hate to admit it, but..." He shot a glance at Mikey, who grinned like he'd won the lottery. "Looks like all of Mikey's comic book reading actually paid off."

Mikey puffed out his chest. "See? I told you guys! Comics aren't just for fun—they're, like, a totally legit survival guide."

Leo, leaning against the couch's armrest, nodded. "And that was pretty clever—realizing the Squirrelanoids were attracted to the scent of food."

Mari, sitting on the floor, scoffed. "Wouldn't call it clever."

Cat, curled up with a blanket, peeked out. "I would. I mean, the whole popcorn thing worked. And we didn't die. So... yay?"

Donnie sighed, rubbing his temple. "Actually, that was pretty obvious." He shook his head. "I can't believe I didn't think of it first."

Mikey grinned wide and slung an arm over Donnie's shoulders. "Hey, not everyone can be the brains of the outfit, bro."

"Yeah, Mikey," Mari drawled, raising a brow. "And what part of your 'outfit' is the brains, exactly?"

Mikey wiggled his eyebrows. "The part that won this fight."

Splinter, who had been watching them from the doorway, finally stepped forward. His voice, as always, was calm—but the weight of his words cut through the lighthearted mood in an instant.

"And have any of you considered," Splinter said, his tone measured, "what if one of those creatures manages to escape?"

A beat of silence fell over the room.

Raph frowned. "No worries, Sensei. Those giant nut-loving freaks are gone for good."

Mikey, still flipping through his tattered comic book, suddenly perked up.

"Um, actually..." He tapped the pages, a slow grin spreading across his face. "A bunch of sequel comics came out."