The warehouse was dimly lit, shadows stretching across the walls as the sound of metal clashing filled the air. The Kraang droids were relentless, firing their laser cannons with mechanical precision. The six turtles moved in unison, dodging, striking, and weaving between the onslaught.
"Keep moving!" Leo ordered, slicing through a Kraang droid with a clean arc of his katanas. "Don't let them surround you. Failure is not an option!"
"Technically, failure is always an option," Donnie pointed out as he jabbed his bo staff at a droid, only for the weapon to bounce off its metal plating.
"You know what else is an option?" Raph growled, gripping his sais tighter. "Slapping you!"
Donnie dodged a laser blast just as Raph lunged forward, stabbing a Kraang directly in its robotic skull. The alien pilot squirmed before ejecting itself from the damaged shell, scrambling away.
"Nice work, Don," Raph smirked. "When we're done here, there's a marching band that needs a majorette."
Mari rolled her eyes. "If anyone here should be in a marching band, it's you, Raph. Angry drumming and everything."
"Not the time, Mari!" Leo called as he vaulted over a droid, slicing it in half.
Meanwhile, Mikey was darting between Kraang, his nunchucks swinging wildly. "Mikey! On the right!" Leo warned.
"Your right or my right?!" Mikey yelped, narrowly dodging a blast.
Mari ducked under a Kraang's attack and retaliated with a hard kick to its chest. "It doesn't matter! Just—move!" she snapped.
Cat, smaller and faster than the others, weaved between the mechanical enemies, trying to avoid conflict as much as possible. She was more of a distraction than a fighter, hopping onto crates and kicking weapons out of enemy hands when she could.
One of the Kraang droids turned toward its robotic brethren. "Kraang, the present is being a positive time to be the testing of the energy cannon."
At that moment, a large cannon was wheeled out from the shadows, humming ominously as it powered up.
Leo's eyes widened. "Everyone, stand your ground!"
The cannon began glowing brighter.
"On second thought—run!" Leo shouted.
The turtles scrambled as the energy cannon fired a massive blast in their direction. They barely escaped the explosion, diving behind cover as debris rained down around them.
Donnie groaned as he lifted his staff—only to see the top of it had been incinerated. "Oh, come on!"
"Dude, your weapon just exploded!" Mikey said, eyes wide.
"How am I supposed to fight advanced alien technology with a stupid stick?!" Donnie snapped, throwing the charred remains of his weapon to the ground.
Mari chuckled, spinning her twin short swords in her hands. "I dunno, Don. Maybe by not throwing a tantrum?"
"Shut up, Mari," Donnie muttered.
Meanwhile, Leo had a plan. With a quick flick of his wrist, he launched a ninja star into a pipe above the cannon, hitting a release valve. A burst of steam shot out, activating a mechanism that sent the massive weapon careening forward—right into the Kraang droids.
The machine crashed into the group of aliens, pinning them beneath its weight. The Kraang creatures, now exposed, screeched and fled their robotic shells.
Raph folded his arms. "Dumb luck."
Leo smirked. "Wasn't luck, my friend. And dumb had nothing to do with it."
Donnie, meanwhile, was tugging at one of the fallen Kraang droids, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Hey. Give me a hand with this."
Leo turned to him, confused. "A hand with what?"
Later, the turtles found themselves dragging the lifeless robot through the sewers.
"And we're carrying this thing because... why?" Raph grumbled, clearly annoyed.
"Don't you want to understand how these things work?" Donnie asked, adjusting his grip.
"I know how they work," Raph said, kicking the droid for emphasis. "You hit 'em till the brainy toy surprise pops out."
Donnie sighed. "That's your problem, Raph. You never think things through."
Mari smirked. "And Donnie overthinks things. Maybe you two should balance each other out."
Raph shot her a glare before nodding toward the manhole ahead. "So, uh, was that supposed to fit?"
The Kraang droid was too big to fit through the sewer entrance.
Donnie frowned, then tried to kick it through. It didn't budge.
Mari crossed her arms. "Genius plan, Don."
Back at the lair, Donnie was completely absorbed in his work. The droid had been taken apart, wires and metal pieces scattered across the table. He held up a small chip with three circles on it, his eyes wide with fascination.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked excitedly.
April, who had been watching with mild interest, shook her head. "No."
"Neither do I! But I can't wait to find out!" Donnie said with a giddy grin.
Splinter entered the room, holding a new bo staff in his hands. "Donatello."
Raph smirked and nudged his pet turtle, Spike. "Look, Spike. Donnie got another stick to break."
Donnie rolled his eyes and took the staff with a sigh. "With all due respect, Sensei, I can't keep fighting alien technology with a six-foot staff. I was hoping to upgrade my weapon."
Splinter stroked his beard. "Mmm. A seven-foot staff. Interesting."
Donnie groaned. "No, I meant using modern technology."
"Aah, a solar-powered staff," Splinter mused.
"I'm serious, Sensei."
Splinter nodded sagely. "I know. And yes, you may upgrade your weapon."
Donnie froze. "Wait. Did you just say yes?"
"Ninjas have improved their arsenal for centuries," Splinter explained. "We are masters of adaptation."
A grin spread across Donnie's face. "That's totally unfair! You can't just—wait, I mean, thank you! With this technology, I will be invincible! What should I make? Electric sais? Multi-shot shuriken? Plasma swords!" He giggled, holding up his arm. "I just gave myself goosebumps! Wanna feel?"
April cringed. "Pass."
Mari rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Don, calm down. You sound like a kid in a candy store."
Splinter, however, narrowed his eyes. "Remember, technology is a means, not an end. It is you who must prevail in battle, not your weapon. Combat is not a video game."
Donnie paused. Then, suddenly, his face lit up. "That's it! I'll turn combat into a video game! Thanks, Sensei!"
Splinter sighed. "That is... not what I meant."
Ignoring him, Donnie grabbed the Kraang droid and dragged it into his lab.
Meanwhile, April sat down with the others, opening her laptop. "Hey guys! Check this out."
Raph and Leo were playing a fighting game, their expressions intense.
"Hang on, April," Raph muttered, jamming the buttons. "I just have to destroy Lame-o-nardo."
"You're gonna eat those words, Raph," Leo growled, but a second later, his character was KO'd.
Raph grinned. "Boom."
April rolled her eyes. "So anyway, I set up a message board to collect unusual sightings around New York. People send in pics, videos—stuff that might help us track the Kraang and find my dad."
Cat leaned in, intrigued. "Oooh."
April clicked on a video. "Check this out."
The screen showed what appeared to be a gas explosion. Smoke filled the air—until a familiar robotic figure emerged from the flames.
Leo tensed. "A Kraang droid."
Mikey, completely oblivious, leaned in. "Where?!" In his excitement, he promptly fell into the sewer water.
Leo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We'll check it out tonight."
April crossed her arms. "Why not now?"
Leo gestured toward the sewer entrance. "Because it's daytime. We can't let anyone see us."
April smirked. "Well, I can."
She stood up, heading for the exit.
"April, think about this," Leo called after her. "It could be dangerous."
She didn't even look back. "You know what else could be dangerous? Standing between me and my father."
Leo watched her go. "Okay, then."
Mari rolled her eyes, while Cat frowned.
The lair was quiet, save for the sounds of Leo's favorite show, Space Heroes, playing on the TV. He was sitting cross-legged on the couch, utterly engrossed in the episode.
On-screen, Captain Ryan and his crew were exploring a strange planet, tension building as Dr. Mindstrong studied their surroundings.
"What do you make of this, Dr. Mindstrong?" Captain Ryan asked, his voice full of authority.
"This is very disturbing, Captain. Sensors indicate—"
Suddenly, an alien creature lunged across the screen, latching onto Mindstrong's head.
"Everything is fine," Mindstrong droned, his voice suddenly monotone.
Leo's eyes widened.
"Great galaxies!" Captain Ryan exclaimed.
"Captain, what's happening?" Crankshaw, his second-in-command, asked, looking panicked.
"Dr. Mindstrong's been taken over by the Cortexicons," Ryan explained grimly.
"What'll we do? What'll we do?" Crankshaw wailed—only to be promptly smacked in the face.
Leo leaned forward, practically on the edge of his seat.
"There's only one thing we can do," Ryan declared solemnly. "Dr. Mindstrong must be destroyed."
A laser blast rang out.
Leo inhaled sharply. "What a hero," he muttered in admiration.
A sudden, thunderous clanking noise echoed through the lair, breaking his immersion. The sound of heavy metal feet stomping against the floor made all six turtles turn their heads.
Standing in front of them was a robotic android, roughly their size but bulkier, its body covered in plating resembling a turtle shell. Its glowing yellow eyes scanned the room as it took a step forward, whirring and clicking with each movement.
The robot lifted its metal arms stiffly. "Take me to your leader!"
Mikey grinned and nudged Leo. "Leo, it's for you."
Leo's brows knitted together as he slowly stood up. "What... is this thing?"
Donnie stepped forward, beaming with pride. "Gentlemen and ladies—and Raphael—this is the future of ninjutsu."
Raph crossed his arms, unimpressed. "I always thought the future of ninjutsu would be taller."
Mari eyed the robot with mild curiosity, flicking her short sword in her hand. "What's it do?" she asked.
Before Donnie could answer, Mikey squealed and knelt in front of the robot, tilting his head. "Aw, he's so cute!"
He reached out and scratched under the robot's chin like it was a pet.
The robot suddenly whirred to life. Panels on its shell clicked open, revealing an arsenal of hidden weapons. Arms extended, gears spun, and several cannons locked onto Mikey.
Mikey's face paled. "Oh, shell—"
The robot fired.
Mikey screamed and tumbled backward as missiles shot past him, ricocheting off the walls. The turtles all dove for cover, shouting in surprise. Mari yanked Cat behind a crate just as a stray shot blasted into the couch.
Donnie, meanwhile, stood off to the side, laughing.
"He doesn't like being tickled," he chuckled.
Donnie stood proudly beside his robotic creation, arms crossed as he beamed at his siblings. "Isn't it cool? I reverse-engineered it from the Kraangdroid."
Leo, still rubbing his temples from the robot's earlier attack, gave Donnie a flat look. "Okay. Why?"
"So the drone can handle the dangerous stuff while we stay out of harm's way," Donnie explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Raph scoffed, crossing his arms. "Oh, I get it. This is for wimps too afraid to fight."
Donnie bristled. "No, it's for wimps too smart to fight—I mean—" He stopped short, realizing what he had just admitted.
Mikey, oblivious to the tension, grinned and tapped on Metalhead's shell. "Ooh! Let's call him Metalhead. Why, you ask? Because it's got a head, and it's made of—"
"We get it," Leo cut him off before he could finish.
Raph snorted and shook his head. "I don't need a toaster to fight my battles for me."
Mari smirked. "A toaster would probably fight better than you, though."
Raph shot her a glare, but she just raised an eyebrow in challenge.
Leo sighed. "This is ridiculous, Donnie. It takes the whole point out of being a ninja."
Donnie waved him off. "It's exactly the point of being a ninja. We adapt. Now, watch this." He stepped back and held up the control pad. "Attack the drone. Give it all you've got."
Leo gave him a doubtful look. "You sure? I don't want to break your toy."
"I do," Raph said eagerly, already pulling out his sais.
Mari cracked her knuckles. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."
Donnie smirked. "Go for it."
Without hesitation, Raph charged at Metalhead, swinging his weapons. Before his attack could land, Metalhead's arms shot up with mechanical precision, blocking the strike. In a flash, the robot slammed Raph to the ground, then grabbed him by his shell and tossed him across the room like he weighed nothing.
Cat was wary. She's been behind the couch ever since Metalhead was introduced. "That thing is evil."
"Let me try!" Mikey lunged in next, spinning his nunchucks, but Metalhead snatched them mid-swing and yanked him forward, flinging him onto the ground. Leo followed up with a spinning kick, but Metalhead countered with a swift punch, knocking him backward onto Raph.
Mikey groaned. "Oh man, my whole life just flashed before my eyes. There were so many pizzas I never got to eat."
Mari's grin widened. "My turn." She flipped over Metalhead, aiming a strike at the back of its head, but the robot reacted fast. It grabbed her mid-air and slammed her onto the couch like she was nothing.
"Okay, ow," Mari muttered, rubbing her back.
Cat had been watching from behind the couch, eyes wide. "I told you guys it was evil!"
Donnie grinned triumphantly, stepping forward. "I kicked your shells! And I didn't even have to use the laser cannon! Face it, guys, with this thing, I'm invincible!"
"Oh yeah?" Raph grumbled, shaking off the hit. "You know what I think?"
He suddenly swung his fist—not at Metalhead, but at Donnie's hand, knocking the controller out of his grip.
"Hey!" Donnie yelped, scrambling to pick it up.
Cat crossed her arms. "If that thing starts talking in a creepy voice and says it wants to 'eliminate all organic life,' I'm running."
Before anyone else could argue, Splinter entered the room, his presence instantly silencing the chaos.
"Sensei," Donnie said quickly, clutching the controls. "I was wondering if I could take Metalhead for a spin tonight."
"You may," Splinter said calmly.
Donnie blinked. "That's totally unfair! You can't just—wait, what?"
Splinter folded his hands behind his back. "You have created this new weapon. We must see how well it works."
Donnie straightened, a huge grin spreading across his face. "That's great! Thank you, Sensei!"
"But it is a test only," Splinter added, eyes narrowing slightly. "Do not take it into combat."
"No problem, Sensei," Donnie promised quickly.
Raph smirked, leaning toward him. "You're taking it into combat, aren't you?"
Donnie giggled. "Totally."
Mari groaned, rubbing her temples. "Oh great, this is gonna end so well."
That night, the turtles were patrolling the city, moving silently across the rooftops. Metalhead clanked along behind them, each step loud and metallic.
"Should we double back?" Leo muttered. "I think there's a car alarm he didn't set off."
"I kinda like it," Raph said dryly. "Goes nicely with all the sirens and cries for help."
Mari sighed. "It's like bringing a marching band to a stealth mission."
Back in the lair, Donnie sat comfortably in a chair, feet propped up as he held the controls in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other. "Oh, come on. You guys are just jealous because you're out there in the cold, and I'm here eating Mikey's last slice of pizza."
From the rooftop, Mikey gasped. "Hey!" He swung a fist at Metalhead in frustration but ended up hurting himself instead. "Ow!"
A voice crackled through Metalhead's speaker. "Hello?"
Leo held up a hand. "Guys, quiet. Somebody's coming."
They crouched low as Metalhead clumsily lowered itself into position.
April emerged from the shadows. "Guys! It's me."
The turtles relaxed and jumped down to meet her.
"April?" Leo asked.
April looked at them, then at the clunky metal robot beside them. "Guys, what the heck is that?"
Leo sighed. "It's Donnie's latest brilliant creation."
Mikey grinned. "Catchy name, huh? My idea."
Suddenly, a loud, screeching voice echoed from Metalhead, making everyone wince.
"Oh, sorry, April," Donnie's voice crackled over the speakers. "Still getting used to the controls. Whoops. Megaphone button got stuck."
Mari scowled. "Don, if that thing gets us spotted, I'm throwing it into the river."
April shook her head, refocusing. "Guys, we gotta do something. The Kraang are gonna poison the city's water supply with mutagen!"
Leo's face darkened. "The whole city will become a disaster area."
"There'll be mutants everywhere!" Donnie added through Metalhead's speaker.
Mikey's eyes lit up. "Wow. Think of all the friends we can make."
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What?" Mikey hugged Metalhead. "Excuse me for being a glass-half-full kinda guy."
Leo rolled his eyes. "Let's go."
Donnie pumped his fist. "Yeah! The Kraang don't stand a chance!"
But Leo hesitated, then turned back to him. "Donnie, I need you to hang back."
Donnie blinked. "What?"
"Metalhead is just too clumsy. It'll get in our way."
Donnie frowned. "Clumsy?"
Right on cue, Metalhead turned abruptly, knocking over a row of garbage cans with a loud crash.
Mari groaned. "Unbelievable."
Donnie let out a nervous laugh. "I did that on purpose... to emphasize my point."
Leo sighed. "You're not coming, Donnie."
Mari and Raph didn't even argue, while Cat gave Metalhead a cautious glance before following after her siblings.
The city lights flickered in the distance as Leo, Raph, Mikey, Mari, and Cat crouched on the rooftop, peering down at the warehouse below. The Kraang were busy transporting barrels of mutagen, their stiff, mechanical movements eerily synchronized.
"Looks like a Kraang picnic down there," Leo muttered, gripping his katanas.
"Ready to bash some bots?" Raph grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"Destroy some droids?" Leo corrected.
"Clean some closets?" Mikey chimed in. "Uh, I meant to say crush some Kraang?"
Mari rolled her eyes, nudging him. "Maybe let's workshop that one later."
Leo didn't waste any more time. He leaped down, slashing through a Kraang droid with expert precision. Raph followed, stabbing another Kraang in the chest and kicking it away.
"Booyakasha!" Mikey whooped as he flipped into the fray, nunchucks swinging wildly.
Mari joined the fight next, her tanto striking against an approaching droid's arm. She ducked as a Kraang swung at her, then swept its legs out from under it. "They're bringing a lot of heat," she muttered, blocking an incoming hit.
Cat, however, hesitated before jumping in. She had no problem fighting, but the Kraang creeped her out. Their weird, slimy voices, the way they scuttled out of their metal suits—it made her stomach turn.
"Hey, you gonna join or just stand there looking cute?" Mari quipped, elbowing her before taking down another droid.
Cat scowled. "I do look cute, don't I?" she muttered before launching herself into action.
She slid under a Kraang's legs, slicing at its joints with her claws before jumping back up and landing beside Mari. "That one's mine," she declared.
Mari huffed. "We'll see who takes down more."
Meanwhile, on the rooftop, April stood beside Metalhead, watching the fight unfold. Metalhead tilted his head toward her.
"So... you like heavy metal?" Donnie's voice crackled through the speaker.
April crossed her arms. "You do know that's not muted, right?"
Donnie let out a strangled yelp and promptly fell over in his chair back at the lair.
Back in the warehouse, the Kraang grew more aggressive. One droid collapsed, motioning to its allies. The moment the others noticed, a volley of lasers erupted in the turtles' direction.
"Take cover!" Leo called as they dove behind a stack of crates.
"Leo, we're running out of room," Raph warned.
"We're trapped," Leo muttered.
Mikey, ever the optimist, peeked over the crate. "Or maybe they're the ones who are trapped! Hmm? No, it's us."
Before anyone could react, a loud crash echoed through the warehouse. Everyone turned just in time to see Metalhead come barreling through the ceiling, landing hard in the middle of the Kraang forces.
"Why?" Cat whined.
Leo gawked. "What are you doing? What's wrong with your arms?!"
Back at the lair, Donnie frowned at the monitor. "Wait, my hands aren't on my hips?"
"No!" Leo snapped.
"Oops. Forgot to press B."
Mari groaned. "For the love of—can't you test these things before we're in the middle of battle?!"
The Kraang surrounded Metalhead, unloading blaster fire at him, but it didn't even leave a scratch.
Donnie smirked. "Now it's my turn! Eat hot laser!"
Metalhead's arm cannons activated, unleashing a rapid-fire assault. Kraang droids exploded in all directions.
Donnie laughed gleefully. "Whoo! You want some of this? Yeah, baby!" He kept mashing buttons, Metalhead responding with more and more aggressive attacks.
Mikey grinned. "Hey, Raph, how's it feel to get shown up by a toaster?"
"Burn!" Cat added, giggling.
Donnie nodded proudly. "Yeah, I thought that was a good one."
"No! Burn!" Mikey yelped as Metalhead accidentally activated his flamethrower.
"Oh. Right."
As flames erupted, a Kraang droid staggered backward. "That thing which does violence at Kraang used to do violence for Kraang!"
The aliens scrambled to retreat, but Metalhead wasn't done. Lasers fired in all directions, forcing the turtles to duck for cover.
"Dude! Friendly fire!" Mikey yelped.
"Donnie, chill!" Mari shouted, shielding Cat as another beam whizzed past.
"Here's some for you! And some for you! And, oh, yeah, I saved a little for you too! How'd that taste?" Donnie was still in full gamer mode, grinning wildly at his success.
Until, of course, he wasn't.
A stray blast hit a stack of bottles, triggering a chain reaction of explosions. The force knocked Metalhead backward into a pillar, sending a shockwave through the building.
Back at the lair, Donnie's triumphant expression melted into sheer panic.
"No! I lost the control signal! What's that Kraang doing?"
The Kraang, now realizing the opportunity before them, scuttled toward the fallen Metalhead. One alien latched onto its control panel, inserting its tendrils into the system.
Metalhead's eyes flickered from yellow to pink.
Donnie's heart sank. "Uh-oh. Guys, if you can hear me, you might wanna run."
Metalhead stood up stiffly, its limbs jerking unnaturally. Then, in a deep, mechanized voice, it declared:
"The ones that which are called turtles will now be called turtles that are destroyed!"
The turtles froze.
Mari tensed. "I hate it when Donnie's inventions go rogue."
Mikey blinked. "Whew! I was really afraid at the beginning of the sentence, but then I sort of just lost interest towards—" His sentence cut off as Metalhead raised its laser arm toward him.
Mikey gulped. "Okay. I'm afraid again."
Cat whimpered. "So, uh... plan?"
"Run," Leo ordered.
A laser blast exploded behind them as they scattered in all directions.
Back at the lair, Donnie frantically typed at his console. "Come on, come on! Maybe if I override—"
"Donatello," Splinter's voice cut through the panic.
Donnie looked up to see his sensei standing there, arms folded, expression unreadable.
"The time for games is over," Splinter said firmly.
Donnie's eyes widened, realization sinking in. He exhaled sharply, then tossed the broken controller aside.
"You're right." His jaw tightened. "My family needs me."
Splinter nodded approvingly before reaching behind him and tossing Donnie his bo staff.
Donnie caught it, gripping it tightly.
This time, he wouldn't rely on machines.
This time, he'd fight with his own hands.
The warehouse echoed with the sounds of clashing metal and battle cries as the turtles struggled against Kraang-controlled Metalhead. The rogue robot moved with mechanical precision, its pink-lit eyes scanning its former allies with cold detachment.
"Give him everything you've got!" Leo ordered, leading the charge.
The team sprang into action, weapons swinging. Mari aimed a precise strike at Metalhead's joints, while Cat clawed at its legs, trying to find a weak spot. Leo and Raph attacked from opposite sides, hoping to overwhelm it.
"He's gotta have a weak spot!" Leo shouted as he ducked under one of Metalhead's metal fists.
"This always works!" Mikey declared confidently, leaping up to deliver a spinning kick.
The moment his foot connected, a loud clang rang out.
"OW! Well... usually," he muttered, wincing as he clutched his throbbing foot.
Before anyone could react, Metalhead swung its massive arm, knocking Mikey to the ground. In one swift motion, it sent Raph and Leo flying into a pile of debris.
Mari barely rolled out of the way before getting slammed by the robot's foot. She cursed under her breath, gripping her tonfas. "Oh, Donnie, when we get back, I swear I'm gonna—"
Kraang Metalhead's voice crackled ominously. "Now Kraang will destroy you. Which one wants to be first to be destroyed by Kraang?"
Before anyone could answer, a new voice cut through the chaos.
"Me!"
The team turned to see Donnie standing at the entrance, his bo staff gripped tightly in his hands. His expression was determined, his stance unwavering.
"Donnie!" Cat cried.
From the floor, Mikey grinned from the floor. "Bangin' entrance, dude!"
Donnie smirked. "You guys deal with the droids. I'll handle Metalhead."
The others wasted no time diving back into the fight, taking on the remaining Kraang droids while Donnie squared off against his malfunctioning creation.
Kraang Metalhead tilted its head. "It is the maker of the tech which was the tech that was of the Kraang."
Donnie rolled his shoulders. "Come on, gimme your best—GAH!"
Before he could finish, Metalhead's rocket fist shot straight at him. With quick reflexes, Donnie twisted his staff, deflecting the attack. The metal limb boomeranged back and slammed into Metalhead's own chest, sending sparks flying.
Metalhead staggered but quickly retaliated, firing a laser barrage in Donnie's direction. He dodged frantically, his bo staff taking a hit in the process—again, snapping in two.
"Not again," Donnie groaned, tossing the broken pieces aside.
Metalhead raised its arms for another strike, but Donnie's eyes darted around the warehouse, searching for a solution. Then he spotted it—the massive support pillar behind Metalhead.
"That might work..." he murmured, formulating a plan.
He straightened up and shouted, "Hey, Kraang! The one who is called your mother wears the boots that are made for combat!"
Kraang Metalhead froze. "The comment that is made by you shows ignorance of Kraang! The ones known by you as mothers—"
"Just come get me!" Donnie interrupted, sprinting toward the pillar.
The robot turned sharply, lasers blasting in Donnie's direction. He dodged every shot, weaving between the beams before leaping over a pile of crates. With perfect timing, he spun around and struck the base of the pillar with all his strength.
The metal groaned, cracked—then collapsed.
Donnie dove out of the way as the entire structure came crashing down onto Metalhead.
When the dust cleared, Metalhead lay motionless, Donnie's broken bo staff embedded in its chest.
The Kraang inside twitched, letting out one final garbled threat. "That which is the revenge will be had on those who are called the turtles..."
Then the machine powered down, its pink glow fading.
A beat of silence passed before Mikey pumped his fist in the air. "Nice job, bro!"
Leo clapped Donnie on the back. "Way to go, Donnie."
Raph crossed his arms, smirking. "Yeah, not bad. Except for the part where you built the thing in the first place. And the part where it broke. And the part where it tried to kill us. And the part—"
"Okay, I get it," Donnie sighed.
Mari rolled her eyes, nudging Donnie with her elbow. "I'll admit it, nerd—you pulled through."
Cat, however, still glared at the defeated Metalhead. "I never trusted this thing."
Leo sat cross-legged on the couch, intensely focused on his Space Heroes game. "Oh, so close to my high score—OH, COME ON!"
Splinter watched from the side, then turned his attention to Donnie, who sat nearby, staring at the floor.
"What troubles you, Donatello?"
Donnie sighed. "This was all my fault, sensei."
Splinter nodded thoughtfully. "You are responsible, yes."
Donnie winced. "Yeah..."
Splinter placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Responsible for destroying the mutagen. Responsible for saving the people of this city. Responsible for defeating advanced technology using only ingenuity, bravery, and a stick."
Donnie blinked. "Huh. When you put it that way..."
Splinter gave a rare smile. "You have grown, my son. With proper training, there is nothing better than a wooden stick."
Donnie smirked, his confidence returning. "Well, except for a laser-guided, missile-launching wooden stick."
His staff beeped ominously.
A small hatch opened, revealing a hidden missile launcher.
"Oh no," Donnie muttered. "It's not supposed to do that! RUN!"
The lair filled with screams as the missile fired, sending everyone diving for cover.
And with that, another night in the Hamato household ended in complete chaos.
