The dojo echoed with the sharp clash of weapons, the rhythmic shuffle of feet against the wooden floor, and the occasional grunt of effort. Splinter stood at the front, his eyes sharp as he observed his students.
Raph circled Leo, twirling his sai with a smirk. "What? Are you fighting a guy in slow motion?"
Leo's stance remained firm, his grip steady on his katanas. "I suppose I could do it faster—if I ignored my form. Like you."
Mari scoffed from the side, stretching her wrists. "Yeah, because brute force totally makes up for sloppiness."
Raph turned to her, narrowing his eyes. "Like you got room to talk, Miss 'Charge First, Think Never.'"
Mari rolled her shoulders. "I think. I just don't overthink."
Leo exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. "Guys, can we focus?"
Mari shot him a dry look. "Oh, please, like you're not just as bad."
Leo tensed, about to fire back, but before any of them could escalate—
Splinter moved.
Three precise strikes to three pressure points.
Leo, Raph, and Mari barely had time to react before their bodies locked up, and in the next second— they collapsed into a tangled heap on the mat.
Splinter sighed as he looked down at them. "Competition is an excellent motivator," he said, his voice calm yet firm, "but not when it turns you against each other."
He finally released them, allowing them to move again. Mari groaned as she shoved Raph's arm off her face.
Leo sat up, rubbing his neck with a wince. "That was unnecessary."
Raph grumbled, cracking his knuckles. "Yeah, a warning woulda been nice."
Splinter ignored them. "You three have allowed your rivalry to cloud your judgment. You will spar again—but this time, together."
Leo blinked. "Wait, what?"
"You three will work as one." Splinter's gaze flicked to Donnie, Mikey, and Cat, who were already exchanging nervous glances. "And you will face them."
Mari arched a brow. "Oh, so now I have to team up with these two?"
Leo groaned. "Could you not sound so disgusted?"
Mari smirked. "I call it like I see it."
Raph cracked his knuckles. "Could be worse. We could've been stuck with Cat."
Cat, who had been adjusting her tessen in the corner, narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"
Leo sighed. "Wait, so you want Raph, Mari and I... against Donnie, Mikey and Cat? This seems a little unfair."
Donnie folded his arms. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Raph smirked, stretching his shoulders. "Uh, how can I put this gently? We're way better than you guys."
Mikey scoffed. "At fighting, maybe."
"Uh, yeah," Raph deadpanned. "That's what I meant."
Donnie and Mikey exchanged looks, their postures stiffening.
Mari smirked, rolling her shoulders. "You guys better bring your A-game."
Splinter didn't give them time to argue further. "Hajime!"
The match was over almost before it started.
Leo, Raph, and Mari moved like a brutal, unrelenting force. The second the match began, they overwhelmed the others with sheer speed and precision.
Mikey barely had time to react before Mari's blade locked against his nunchucks, twisting them out of his grip. He yelped, tumbling to the ground.
Donnie tried to counter— but Leo intercepted, knocking his staff aside and landing a clean strike to his plastron. Donnie grunted, staggering backward.
Cat scrambled to keep up, dodging Raph's brutal attacks, but he was too fast. A second later, she was yanked off her feet as Raph hooked her leg and sent her crashing to the floor.
"Yame!" Splinter called.
Panting, Donnie, Mikey, and Cat groaned in frustration.
Raph grinned, twirling a sai. "You were right, Sensei. Working together is fun."
The living room of the lair was filled with the warm glow of the TV, the usual hum of casual bickering mixing with the faint sound of Space Heroes playing in the background. Leo leaned against the couch, arms crossed, watching as Donnie, Mikey, and Cat exchanged irritated glances.
"Look, guys," Leo began, keeping his tone even. "Raph, Mari, and I may be better fighters, but you're still an important part of this team."
Donnie arched a brow, unimpressed. "As important as you three?"
Leo hesitated. "Uh... very important. We shouldn't compare ourselves. It's like apples and oranges."
Cat muttered under her breath, "Yeah, if apples were way better. Which they are."
Donnie snapped his head toward him. "So the truth comes out."
"You guys think of us as some kind of B-team," Mikey accused, crossing his arms.
Raph smirked, lounging on the armrest. "Good one, Dr. Name-enstein. We'll call you the B-team."
Mikey grinned. "Thanks! I mean—hey!"
Leo sighed, rubbing his temples. "There's no shame in it. Look, even the Space Heroes have a B-team."
On-screen, Captain Ryan stood at the helm of his ship, eyeing his crew. "We'll need backup. You two in the shirts, you're coming with us."
In a flash of light, two nameless crew members teleported to the planet's surface. Just as quickly, they were immediately struck by enemy fire and vaporized.
Crankshaw gasped. "Rodriguez and that other guy—they're gone!"
Ryan shrugged. "Well, that's why we bring them along."
Donnie's jaw tensed. He turned slowly toward Leo, eyes burning. "Thanks a lot."
Leo shrugged, casually grabbing a slice of pizza. "The point is, they had an important function."
Cat squinted at the screen. "Wait. What function? They just got vaporized."
Mari smirked, crossing her arms. "Yeah, sounds about right."
Before Donnie could launch into an argument, April stepped into the room. Her usual confident energy was noticeably absent, replaced with a frown and slumped shoulders.
Donnie immediately sat up, concerned. "April, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
She let out a breath, rubbing her arm. "I just got mugged by some Purple Dragons. They stole my phone."
Leo's expression hardened. "Don't worry. We'll kick their butts for you."
Raph cracked his knuckles, already standing. "Yeah, we'll teach those punks to mess with April O'Neil."
April waved them off. "Guys, it's just a phone. I'll get another one."
Donnie shook his head. "Come on, what's the point of being a ninja if you can't help your friends when they get robbed?"
From the other side of the room, Splinter's voice cut through the discussion, calm yet firm. "April is right. It is best to let this go."
Leo frowned. "What do you mean? Why shouldn't we get her phone back?"
Splinter stepped forward, his hands folded behind his back. "One cannot predict the consequences of battle. Every fight has the potential to stir a hornet's nest. A simple cell phone does not justify this risk."
Raph scoffed, rolling his eyes. "What risk? It's the Purple Dragons. Even Mikey, Donnie, and Cat could beat 'em."
"Hey!" Donnie, Mikey, and Cat protested in unison.
Mari let out a quiet snort.
Leo, ignoring them, turned back to Splinter. "Don't worry, Sensei. We'll be careful."
Without another word, all six turtles—Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Mari, and Cat—headed for the exit.
The Purple Dragons' hideout was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of sweat and cheap takeout. Tsoi stood near the back wall, casually flicking kunai at a makeshift target—a poster crudely drawn to resemble a turtle. The paper was already riddled with punctures.
"Right in the shell," Tsoi smirked, stepping back. "Let's see you beat that."
Sid, standing beside him, rolled his shoulders. "Watch and learn."
He took careful aim, flicked his wrist, and—
The kunai veered off course, embedding itself in the far corner of the wall, nowhere near the poster.
Tsoi burst out laughing. "Oh, that's it? No more bets, huh?"
Sid gritted his teeth. "Come on, your luck'll turn around."
Before Tsoi could retort, the shadows in the doorway shifted.
A solid boot collided with his gut, sending him stumbling backward.
Fong whirled around just in time to see the figures stepping into the dim light.
The turtles.
Raph smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Sup?"
The Purple Dragons barely had time to react before the fight exploded into motion.
"Get 'em!" Fong barked.
Tsoi lunged at Mikey, fists raised.
Mikey grinned, flipping out his nunchucks. "Bring it—"
Before he could even swing, Raph bulldozed past him, landing a brutal kick to Tsoi's chest.
Mikey blinked, lowering his weapon. "Hey, that was mine!"
A few feet away, Donnie squared off with Fong, staff at the ready.
Before he could make a move, Leo dashed in, planting a hard kick into Fong's ribs.
Donnie let out an irritated huff. "Seriously?!"
From across the room, Cat was locked in a one-on-one fight with Sid. Despite her hesitation, she managed to block a punch, spinning out of the way. A flash of determination flickered in her eyes—this was her chance to actually take someone down on her own.
She tightened her grip on her tessen and rushed forward.
Just as she was about to swing, a yellow blur shot past her.
Mari.
Cat barely had time to process it before Mari landed a swift, brutal strike to Sid's stomach, knocking him flat.
Cat stood frozen for a second, staring down at the unconscious thug. Her fingers twitched at her sides.
Mari flicked her tanto back into its sheath. "You're welcome."
"I had him!" Cat fumed, stomping her foot. "I was finally—"
Her words were cut off as a second Purple Dragon came charging toward them.
Mari didn't even flinch.
Without looking, she shoved Cat aside, stepped forward, and kicked the guy square in the face. He crumpled instantly.
Cat groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Are you kidding me?!"
Mari simply smirked, wiping her hands on her pants. "You snooze, you lose."
Before Cat could explode any further, Leo shoved Fong up against the wall with a firm grip. "You punks stole a phone from a friend of ours," he said coldly. "We want it back."
Fong scoffed, wincing slightly. "Whatever. We steal a lot of phones."
Leo leaned in, voice dangerously low. "Then let's see 'em. Now."
Reluctantly, the Dragons dumped their stolen goods onto the ground—a pile of wallets, watches, and more phones than any of them cared to count.
Donnie's sharp gaze locked onto one in particular. "Hey, that looks like it."
Before he could grab it, the ground beneath them trembled.
A low rumble echoed through the warehouse.
Mikey stiffened. "Uh... anyone else feel that?"
Sid's eyes darted around the room. "What's going on—?"
A sudden crash split the air as the floor erupted.
Small, metallic creatures spilled out from the shadows, their single red eyes glowing eerily in the dim light. Their legs clicked against the concrete, and their tiny metal jaws clamped open and shut with an eerie, chattering noise.
Leo's expression hardened. "What the heck?"
The creatures let out a sound—a strange, mechanical snarl, almost like a cat's growl—before scuttling forward.
Sid gaped. "Hey! Those things are stealing the stuff we stole!"
Sure enough, the creatures swarmed over the pile of loot, scooping up watches, wallets, and anything metal.
Leo's eyes scanned the chaos. "Wait—where's—"
Fong.
He was already halfway out the door, April's phone clutched tightly in his hand.
Leo's expression darkened. "He's got the phone. B-team, get him! We'll handle the metal."
Donnie bristled. "Hey, we are not—"
"Just go!" Leo barked.
Raph smirked, folding his arms. "If you guys can't handle it, don't be ashamed to call for help."
Mikey scowled. "Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you should call us for help! Or—don't call us! We'll call you!" He faltered. "Wait, I mean—"
Donnie grabbed him by the arm, already moving. "I think they got it."
Mari let out a breath, shaking her head. "Unbelievable."
Cat, still glaring at her, crossed her arms. "I had that guy."
Mari smirked. "Sure you did."
Before Cat could explode again, Donnie grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward the exit. "Less arguing, more running!"
Mikey blew a loud raspberry at Raph before disappearing into the alley, with Donnie, Mari, and a very grumpy Cat right behind him.
Leo, Mari and Raph didn't waste any time. As the robotic creatures started retreating toward a massive hole in the ground—dragging their stolen goods with them—the three exchanged a quick nod.
"Come on," Leo muttered, gripping his swords. "Let's see where these things are coming from."
Without hesitation, Leo, Raph, and Mari dove into the hole after them.
Back at the warehouse entrance, Sid and Tsoi watched the scene unfold, exchanging a nervous glance.
Then, without a word, they followed them in.
Above, peering through a grimy skylight, Mikey, Donnie, and Cat crouched low, their breaths hushed as they observed the scene below.
The warehouse was dimly lit, shadows stretching long across the cracked concrete floor. In the center stood Dogpound, his massive form looming over a group of jittery Purple Dragons. In his clawed hand, April's phone gleamed under the dull overhead light.
Mikey swallowed hard. Big. Mutant. Dog. Holding the thing we need.
He turned to Donnie, whispering, "Aww, man. We can't take Dogpound on our own. Maybe we should wait for Leo, Raph, and Mari."
Cat nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm good with waiting."
Donnie shot them both a glare. "And tell them we chickened out? Then they'll never stop calling us the B-team."
Mikey grimaced at the thought. Cat fidgeted beside him, wringing her hands. "Okay, but... what if we get caught?"
Donnie pressed his fingers to his temple, thinking. "We'll use stealth. With the right plan, we can grab the phone without Dogpound ever seeing us. Okay?"
Meanwhile, across the city—inside Stockman's lair—mechanical whirrs filled the air.
A group of small, metallic creatures skittered across the floor, their glowing red eyes flickering in unison. Their clawed feet scraped against the concrete as they neatly deposited stolen wallets, watches, and various electronics into a pile.
At the center of the chaos stood Baxter Stockman, arms stretched wide in triumph.
"Well done, my pretties!" he cackled, adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses.
His celebration was cut short by the sound of approaching footsteps.
From the darkness, three figures stepped forward.
Leo, Raph, and Mari.
Raph twirled his sai, smirking. "Dexter Spackman."
Stockman stiffened, his nose wrinkling in irritation. "It's Baxter Stockman!"
Mari crossed her arms. "Yeah, no one gives a fuck."
Stockman straightened his lab coat, his expression twisting into a smug grin. "So. You're here to stop me again. How quaint." He gestured dramatically to the robotic creatures at his feet. "But you don't stand a chance against my M.O.U.S.E.R.S."
One of the bots snapped its metal jaws in emphasis.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "M.O.U.S.E.R.S?"
Stockman puffed out his chest. "Mobile Offensive Underground Search, Excavation, and Retrieval Sentries!"
Mari side-eyed Leo. "Kinda seems... forced, don't you think?"
Raph nodded. "Yeah, definitely forced."
Stockman scowled. "You peasants wouldn't know genius if it bit you! Since my test robbery was a smashing success, it's time to move on to bigger targets." He gestured to his creations proudly. "These little wonders are about to make me very, very rich."
Mari scoffed, flipping her tanto in her hand. "Yeah, not if we wreck them first."
Stockman's smug grin returned. "Ah, but you'll never get the chance!"
Before either turtle could move, Stockman suddenly whipped out a canister and pressed the nozzle. A thick red mist sprayed out, engulfing Leo, Raph, and Mari instantly.
Leo coughed, eyes watering. "Acid! Protect your eyes!"
The three instinctively threw up their arms, bracing for the worst—
Then, after a moment, they stopped coughing.
Leo blinked. "Wait... we're fine."
Mari wrinkled her nose. "Huh. Smells like... cinnamon?"
Stockman's smug expression faltered slightly. "Oh. I, uh... might've grabbed the wrong formula..."
Raph smirked, twirling a sai. "Great. Now we can kick your butt."
Stockman's face paled. "GET THEM!"
At his command, the M.O.U.S.E.R.S sprang into action, metal feet skittering as they lunged forward.
Leo, Raph, and Mari met them head-on, slicing through the first wave with ease. Sparks flew as metal limbs clattered to the ground, the robotic creatures reduced to nothing more than scrap.
Raph wiped his hands. "Well, that was—"
A loud BEEP cut through the air.
The ground trembled.
Stockman grinned, pressing a button on his remote. "Good thing I made extra."
A loud hiss echoed from the walls as a massive panel slid open.
From the darkness, hundreds of M.O.U.S.E.R.S poured out.
Mari tensed, gripping her blade. "Oh, you have got to be kidding."
Leo took one look at the incoming wave and straightened. "I'm calling it. Time to go."
Raph exhaled sharply. "Yeah. I'll allow it."
Without hesitation, the three turned and bolted, the robotic horde swarming after them.
Stockman cackled behind them, raising his arms triumphantly. "You can't run forever, fools! The M.O.U.S.E.R.S will crush your bones in their jaws! Such is the fate of anyone foolish enough to trifle with Baxter Stock—"
He was cut off by a sudden CRASH!
Sid and Tsoi barreled into the room, completely ignoring Stockman as they sprinted straight past him.
Before Stockman could react, one of them collided into him.
With a yelp, the scientist toppled over, glasses flying off his face as he hit the floor with an undignified thud.
The room descended into absolute chaos.
Donnie crouched behind a stack of crates, his brain firing at full speed. The warehouse floor below was swarming with Foot Soldiers, and Dogpound still had April's phone clutched in his massive clawed grip. They needed to grab it—without getting caught.
He tapped his chin. "We need a diversion. Something to get their attention away from the phone long enough for us to snatch it." His eyes lit up. "How about this? We make them think the police are here. We'll need a bullhorn, some flashing lights, and a siren."
Mikey gasped dramatically. "Operation: Cop Out!"
Cat, crouched beside him, perked up. "Ooh, I like that one."
Donnie ignored them. "Or... we make them think the place is on fire. We'll need a smoke machine, an orange light, and some firefighter jackets."
Mikey's grin widened. "Operation: Burn Out!"
Cat grinned. "Okay, I like that one even better."
Donnie snapped his fingers. "Or—we could find the breaker box and just shut off the power." He gave a smug smile. "We'll need, um... nothing."
Mikey blinked. His mouth fell open in exaggerated awe. "Operation: Blackout! No, wait. Lights Out! No—wait, Power Out!" He clutched his head dramatically. "This one's too good! I can't handle it!"
Leo, Raph, and Mari sprinted across the city skyline, their feet pounding against the rooftops. Their breaths came in short, sharp bursts, but none of them stopped.
Finally, they skidded to a halt behind a rooftop air vent, chests heaving.
Leo glanced over his shoulder. "You think we lost them yet?"
Raph wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'd say no."
Below them, the streets were filled with glowing red eyes. The M.O.U.S.E.R.S were still in pursuit, moving like a wave of metal and snapping jaws, skittering up walls and leaping across fire escapes with terrifying speed.
Mari gritted her teeth, adjusting her grip on her tanto. "This is getting real old, real fast."
Leo's mind raced. "How are those things tracking us?"
Raph's expression darkened. "It's gotta be that stuff Stockman sprayed us with."
Leo's eyes flickered to a massive water tower on the next rooftop. "Maybe we won't have to worry about them for much longer."
With a swift slash of his katana, he sliced open the base of the tower.
A powerful gush of icy water exploded from the structure, soaking all three of them instantly.
Raph sputtered, shivering. "AHH! Cold!"
Mari groaned, flicking her soaked bangs out of her face. "Seriously, Leo!?"
Leo wiped his face, shaking off the water. "That ought to do it."
For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of dripping water.
Then—
A low, mechanical growl echoed through the night.
Leo, Raph, and Mari turned.
The M.O.U.S.E.R.S stood at the edge of the rooftop, glowing red eyes locked onto them.
Mari exhaled sharply, gripping her blades tighter. "Well. That was a waste of perfectly good water."
Raph forced a smirk. "Of course, we could call Donnie... just to say hi."
Donnie sat cross-legged, hunched over his T-Phone, deep in thought. His fingers flew across the screen as he worked on yet another ridiculously complicated plan.
"I've got it!" he announced, his eyes lighting up. "I'll use my T-Phone to hack the CIA's computer system, then reroute a satellite over the building and focus its beams to give them all splitting headaches!"
Mikey gasped, nodding enthusiastically. "Operation: Spaced Out!"
Cat, sitting beside him with her tessen in her lap, raised a hand. "Uh, question—won't that get us, like, arrested?"
Donnie waved her off. "Details, details." He was already on a roll. "That's when you go in, wearing a tinfoil hat to protect yourself—"
His phone rang.
Donnie barely looked up. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."
Mikey leaned over, excited. "Is that Leo? Tell him my operation names!"
Donnie sighed and answered. "What's the matter? Oh, don't tell me the A-Team needs our help."
Leo, Raph, and Mari stood completely drenched atop a collapsing water tower, staring down at the Mouser swarm below. The iron creaked ominously beneath them.
Leo forced a casual tone. "Uh, no. No, of course not. No, we're great. I—I'm just, you know, checking to see if you guys need any help."
Back on the rooftop, Donnie smirked, exchanging a knowing glance with Mikey.
"We got this," Donnie said confidently. "We followed Fong to the defunct futon factory on Fifth."
Mikey snorted. "Say that five times fast!"
Cat giggled.
Donnie ignored both of them. "Anyway, we've got an awesome plan to get the phone back. How are you guys doing?"
Back on the teetering water tower, Leo hesitated. "Uh, you know. Good-ish."
Behind him, the Mousers snarled, their sharp metallic jaws grinding against the weakening iron structure.
Leo swallowed.
"Whoops, call waiting! Gotta go!" He hung up in a flash and turned to Raph and Mari. "Okay, you were right. We gotta beat these things on our own, if it kills us."
Mari, dripping wet, flicked her tanto toward the swarm. "Bad choice of words, Captain."
Raph snorted, "Yeah, especially 'cause—"
Before he could finish, the water tower gave way with a deafening CRACK!
Gravity did the rest.
Donnie rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles as he eyed the warehouse below.
"Okay," he said. "Let's do this."
Mikey pumped his fists. "B-Team is go!"
Cat, standing beside him, hesitated. "Wait, we're really calling ourselves that?"
Donnie shot Mikey a glare. "We are not calling ourselves that."
Leo twirled his katanas before thrusting them forward, impaling two Mouser bots in a single smooth motion. He smirked.
"Look, Raph—Mouser-kebabs."
Raph, not to be outdone, grabbed two of the robots by their legs and flung them off the rooftop. They crashed into the pavement below, sparks flying.
"These things are a cakewalk," he scoffed.
Beside them, Mari let out a sharp exhale, slicing clean through a Mouser with her tanto before flipping over another, slashing it apart mid-air. She landed gracefully, already shifting into a new stance.
"You guys are seriously having fun with this?" she muttered.
Leo and Raph shared a look before jumping down from the rooftop, landing gracefully as more Mousers scuttled toward them. Acting quickly, they grabbed one and shoved it into a trash can, slamming the lid shut.
Another Mouser lunged. Mari moved to intercept—but Leo and Raph caught it first, stuffing it into the can as well.
Mari huffed. "I had that."
Leo's grin widened. "Now!"
Together, they kicked the trash can forward, sending it barreling into the approaching swarm. The impact sent the small robots scattering like bowling pins.
Leo sheathed his swords, stretching. "I could do this all day."
Raph cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Same here."
Mari wiped her blade clean, glancing at them. "Then why are we still here? We need to move."
A blur of motion caught Leo's eye. "Move now!"
Raph barely jumped out of the way as a van sped into the alley, slamming into the remaining Mousers. The crunch of metal filled the air as the last of the robots were flattened beneath its wheels.
Stockman adjusted his glasses, fingers flying over the keyboard as lines of code streamed down the screen. He rubbed his hands together. "There. My decryption program is ready."
Before he could hit 'enter,' the lights went out.
A sharp growl came from behind him.
Dogpound tensed. "What's going on?"
The warehouse was swallowed in darkness, but the soft shuffle of movement gave away the intruders.
A hand shot out from the shadows.
April's phone—snatched right off the table.
Dogpound whirled, catching a glimpse of three dark figures retreating into the blackness.
His lips curled into a snarl. "The phone!"
Before Mikey, Donnie, and Cat could escape, Dogpound lunged.
With his heightened senses, the darkness meant nothing to him.
Mikey barely had time to yelp before a massive clawed hand slammed him to the ground.
Donnie swung his bo staff in an attempt to free him.
Dogpound caught the weapon mid-swing.
SNAP!
The bo shattered in his grip.
Mikey groaned. "Well... that plan didn't work."
Dogpound turned toward Cat.
His glowing red eyes locked onto her.
She hesitated.
That was all he needed.
In an instant, Dogpound lunged toward her.
Cat gasped and scrambled backward, panic flashing across her face. She tried to react, tried to throw her tessen—but she was too slow.
His massive claws closed around her arm, yanking her off her feet.
Cat let out a startled cry as Dogpound slammed her against the crates, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.
Dogpound's grin widened. "That was too easy."
Donnie struggled against his grip, eyes wide. "Cat!"
Mikey flailed under Dogpound's hold. "Let her go, you overgrown chew toy!"
Dogpound ignored them, glancing toward the Foot soldiers.
"Get the chains."
Donnie and Mikey dangled from the wall, their wrists bound tightly in chains. The cold metal bit into their skin as they struggled against their restraints.
A few feet away, Cat sat on the ground, her arms bound behind her. She wasn't chained to the wall like they were, but her situation wasn't any better. Her tessen had been tossed aside, just out of reach.
Stockman loomed over a nearby table, fingers dancing across the keyboard as he worked on decrypting April's phone.
"We'll have access to the phone in about ten minutes," he announced smugly.
Donnie's jaw tightened. "You're wasting your time. There's nothing on it."
Stockman didn't even glance up. "Oh, but it's got a GPS log, doesn't it?"
Donnie inhaled sharply. His stomach dropped.
Stockman smirked at his reaction. "Once I unlock this phone, we'll see every place it's ever been."
Mikey gasped. "The Museum of Natural History!"
Donnie turned to him, exasperated. "Or the lair!"
Mikey's eyes widened in horror. "That's even worse!"
Dogpound, who had been watching with crossed arms, finally stepped forward. His deep voice rumbled with amusement.
"If that phone tells me where Splinter is," he growled, flexing his claws, "I'll have no reason to keep you alive."
Donnie gulped.
Dogpound's gaze shifted toward Cat.
She stiffened under his piercing red eyes.
"And if it doesn't tell me," Dogpound continued, taking a slow, menacing step toward her, "I'll get the answers out of you."
The streets were filled with the screeching and whirring of the robotic creatures, their glowing red eyes locked onto Leo, Raph, and Mari.
The three turtles sprinted down the alley, their breathing ragged.
Leo wiped sweat from his brow. "Okay, this is crazy. Maybe we should call—"
"We can do this," Mari interrupted, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. "I got an idea."
The Mouser swarm rounded the corner, their metallic feet clanking against the pavement.
Leo and Raph jumped onto a nearby lamp post, balancing as the robots surrounded them.
"Up here, metal mouth!" Leo taunted.
He leaped down, slicing through several Mouser units in one fluid motion. One of the remaining robots lunged, but Leo sidestepped, letting it bite into a fire hydrant instead.
CRACK!
Water exploded from the hydrant, drenching the ground below.
Raph smirked. "My turn."
He hopped off the pole, shoving it with all his strength. The lamp post toppled over, wires sparking as it crashed into the flooded pavement.
The Mousers sparked violently. Their metallic bodies sizzled, short-circuiting instantly.
Mari grinned, but her focus was sharp as more Mousers appeared—two, then five, then a whole swarm.
Leo groaned. "Oh, come on."
Mari kicked off from the ground and dashed forward. "Don't worry, I've got this!" She pulled out a handful of smoke bombs and tossed them toward the advancing robots. The smoke filled the air, disorienting the Mousers momentarily.
Leo and Raph took the opportunity to backtrack into the nearest warehouse, with Mari right on their heels. They slammed the doors shut behind them.
Raph leaned against the door, catching his breath. "Okay, I admit it. I wish Donnie were here. Bet he could find a way to get these things off our tail. Make the call!"
Before Leo could dial, the doors burst open with a violent crash, sending them all sprawling across the floor.
Mari quickly recovered, springing to her feet with a determined look in her eyes. "Looks like we're not done yet," she said, ready to face whatever was about to come through that door.
Dogpound's ears twitched at the sound of a ringing phone. His eyes flicked to the two T-Phones strapped to Donnie and Mikey's belts. With a smirk, he strode toward them and snatched the devices, examining them as though they were some sort of trinket.
"We'll check these next," he muttered, holding them up to inspect.
Donnie's eyes darted quickly to Mikey, a silent communication passing between them. Mikey, still bound beside Donnie, gave a slight nod. They had to act fast.
"T-Phones... self-destruct," Donnie ordered, his voice calm but with urgency behind it.
The phones erupted in a loud BOOM, sending Dogpound stumbling back, the force of the explosion knocking him off balance. He growled in frustration, shaking the pain out of his claws.
Stockman, coughing through the smoke, waved his hand in the air in a futile attempt to clear it. "Hey! Watch the lab equipment!" he shouted, clearly upset about the mess in his precious lab.
Dogpound glared down at Donnie, his patience running thin. "Real funny, nerd," he snarled, rage boiling behind his red eyes.
Donnie offered a weak grin, trying to mask his nerves. "Yeah, I thought so too," he replied, though his heart raced with the realization that this moment of reprieve wouldn't last long.
In the corner, Cat, still bound on the floor, let out a groan, as her own T phone exploded.
Stockman cracked his knuckles, staring intently at the screen. The decryption bar ticked up—
98%...
99%...
100%.
Stockman's eyes gleamed. "Yes! Finally! Processing... processing... Come on!"
The screen flickered, then displayed the words:
DECRYPTION COMPLETE
Stockman's lips curled into a grin. "And... finished."
CRASH!
Leo, Mari and Raph burst through the window, shards of glass raining down as they landed in battle stances.
Dogpound snarled. "The turtles!"
Leo's gaze swept the room before locking onto the large mutant. "Not so fast, Dogpound."
His eyes flicked to the scientist. "And Dexter Spackman?"
Stockman's eye twitched. "BAXTER STOCKMAN!"
"NO ONE CARES!" Mari says again, her eyes then going to her captured signings, causing her to facepalm. "Nice going, B team.
"Hey!" Cat complained.
Before Stockman could even process what was happening, Leo sprinted forward, twisting mid-air to snatch April's phone off the table.
Dogpound roared and swung a massive claw at Leo, but Leo vaulted over him, landing smoothly.
Stockman gawked. "How did you escape my M.O.U.S.E.R.S?"
Leo smirked. "We didn't."
Behind him, the distant sound of metallic screeching filled the air.
Stockman's expression dropped.
A metallic crash echoed through the warehouse as hundreds of Mousers swarmed Dogpound and Stockman. The small robotic creatures snapped and clawed, dragging the two down in a flurry of metal limbs.
Leo didn't hesitate. He spun around, swords flashing, slicing through the chains binding Donnie and Mikey, while Mari freed Cat.
Raph crossed his arms, smirking. "We're here to save the day. As usual."
Donnie rubbed his sore wrists and shot him an unimpressed look. "Oh yeah. Looked like you guys were doing great."
Raph scowled. "You try fighting off two thousand robots!"
Meanwhile, Fong and the remaining Purple Dragons took one look at the chaos and turned on their heels.
"Let's beat it!" Fong yelled, leading the gang in a frantic retreat.
The Mousers whirred and clicked, their glowing eyes shifting toward the turtles next.
Leo's expression hardened. "Mikey! Keep away!"
Mikey barely had time to react before Dogpound lunged for the stolen phone in his grip. Eyes wide, he let out a panicked yelp and bolted up the second floor, keeping the device just out of reach.
While Mikey scrambled above, Donnie crouched beside one of the fallen Mousers, pulling apart its mechanical plating. His eyes widened as he found a small device embedded within.
"A gamma camera," he muttered, realization dawning. "It detects radioisotopes. That must be what Stockman tagged you two with!"
Raph stiffened. "Oh. How do we get it off?"
Donnie grimaced. "You can't. It wears off gradually."
Leo scowled. "Great."
"Fabulous," Mari muttered.
Cat let out a giggle, causing Raph to smack her.
Donnie tapped his chin. "But—if someone else got sprayed, they'd give off a stronger signal."
Before anyone could question him further, a loud crash echoed from above—
Mikey fell.
The impact sent April's phone flying from his grasp, skidding across the warehouse floor.
"No, no, no!" Mikey groaned, scrambling after it.
Dogpound lunged once more, but Donnie whacked him upside the head with his staff before he could grab it.
"We gotta get Stockman's spray!" Donnie shouted. "It controls the M.O.U.S.E.R.S.!"
Cat's eyes darted around. "You mean that thing?"
Stockman smirked, raising the small spray can in his grasp. "I'll handle this, dog man. One spritz, and they're Mouser chow."
Before he could act, Raph moved first—
SHING!
Raph's shurikens sliced through the canister, bursting it open mid-air.
A cloud of glowing red gas spilled out, coating Dogpound and Stockman in an intense radioactive signal.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Every single Mouser in the warehouse turned at once, their glowing eyes locking onto the two.
Stockman's confident smirk vanished. "Oh no."
Dogpound snarled. "You idiot!"
Chaos erupted.
The Mousers swarmed, snapping and lunging at Dogpound. He roared in frustration, swiping them away like gnats. But there were too many.
"RUN!" Stockman shrieked, scrambling away—
Dogpound grabbed him by the back of his shirt like a misbehaving puppy and barreled through the wall, the Mousers chasing them out into the night.
In the chaos, Dogpound snagged the phone—
SHING!
A kunai sailed through the air—and pierced the phone, destroying it instantly.
Dogpound froze, staring at the smoking remains of the device in his claws.
Donnie spun his bo staff smugly. "Hang it up, Dogpound." He smirked. "Your call just got dropped."
Dogpound let out a furious growl before disappearing into the shadows, still dragging a panicked Stockman along with him.
The warehouse fell silent, save for the last few dying sparks of fallen Mousers.
Leo exhaled sharply. "Nice job, guys."
Raph sighed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, from here on out..." He paused, like the words physically pained him. "You're the 'A-' team."
"YAY!" Cat said, forcing a hug on Raph, who smacked her again.
The dojo was quiet, the air thick with the weight of their recent battle. The team stood before Splinter, their muscles aching, their pride still stinging from the chaos they had barely managed to contain.
Splinter's gaze swept over them, unreadable yet sharp. "I hope you all see," he said evenly, "that by choosing your battles poorly, you created your own crisis."
Donnie let out a breath, crossing his arms. "Yeah, there's definitely some irony there."
Leo sighed, stepping forward. "Okay, it got a little out of control, but we learned our lesson. And at least we got April's phone back."
"Wait, you did?" April perked up, her expression brightening. "Sweet!"
Before Leo could hand it to her, the device gave a pitiful sputter—then crumbled in his hands, the screen shattering as the internal wiring sparked weakly.
April's smile froze.
Leo winced. "Uh... the important thing is it didn't end up in the wrong hands."
April's gaze flicked between him and the destroyed phone, her shoulders slumping. "Gee. Thanks, guys."
Donnie, ever the problem-solver, jumped in. "Don't worry, April! You can have one of my custom-built T-Phones."
Her brow lifted in interest. "Ooh, cool." She took the device from him, flipping it over in her hands.
Mikey, who had been watching from the sidelines, grinned. "Just don't say, 'T-Phone, self-destruct.'"
April barely had time to process the words before the device let out a sudden beep—then burst into a puff of smoke in her hands.
She yelped, nearly dropping it as the remaining fragments fizzled and popped.
The lair fell into silence.
Mikey blinked innocently. "Or else that happens."
"Idiot!" Mari smacks the back of Mikey's head, causing Cat to wince in sympathy.
