The city was eerily quiet.

The usual hum of traffic and distant sirens had faded, leaving only the rhythmic sound of six pairs of feet moving through the empty streets. The autumn chill nipped at them, but none of the turtles paid it any mind. Their focus was on the task at hand.

A week had passed since the Kraang ship went down, and the aftermath was still unraveling. Mutagen canisters—ones they had lost—were scattered across the city, each one a disaster waiting to happen. Some had already created new mutants, others were still missing, and it was up to them to find them before things got even worse.

Donatello adjusted the settings on his ooze scanner, frowning as the device beeped sporadically. "We're close," he muttered, eyes locked on the screen. "The signal's fluctuating, but there's definitely a canister around here somewhere."

Raphael scoffed, arms crossed. "Yeah, just like the last three times your little gizmo went off for nothing."

Donnie shot him an irritated glare. "My 'little gizmo' is the only thing helping us track this stuff down. Maybe try being useful instead of running your mouth."

Leo sighed, stepping between them before the argument could escalate. "Enough. We need to focus. This mutagen came from our mistake. We have to find it before someone else does."

A heavy silence followed, the reminder settling over them like a weight.

"Well," Mari muttered, kicking a stray bottle across the pavement, "one person's mistake more than the rest of us."

Cat's stomach twisted, her steps faltering. She knew exactly who she meant.

Raph let out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah, if someone hadn't knocked a whole freakin' shipload of mutagen into the streets, we wouldn't be doing this." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he cast a glare in Cat's direction.

Cat flinched, her fingers tightening into fists. "I—I didn't mean to! It was—"

Raph scoffed. "Oh, yeah, 'cause that totally makes it better!" His voice rose, anger bubbling over. "You accidentally rained mutagen all over the city! You accidentally screwed us all over! And now we get to clean up your mess!"

Mikey, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly stepped forward. "Hold on, hold on!" His tone was sharp, cutting through the tension. "Why is Cat the only one getting blamed?!"

Raph turned on him. "Oh, don't even start, Mikey."

"No, I am gonna start!" Mikey snapped, surprising everyone. His usual carefree tone was nowhere to be found. "Y'know what I remember? That canister was already loose before she even touched it. You loosened it, Donnie loosened it, Mari loosened it! And I—I opened the hatch!" He jabbed a finger at his chest. "You wanna get mad? Get mad at all of us! 'Cause we all messed up!"

Donnie shifted uncomfortably, looking away, while Leo sighed, running a hand down his face.

"Yeah? But she's the one who knocked it over," Raph shot back. "She's the one who actually dropped it."

Mikey clenched his fists. "That's not fair, dude! That's like—like blaming the last domino for falling when everyone else lined them up!"

"Exactly!" Cat blurted out, clinging to Mikey's defense. "I wouldn't have knocked it over if—if it wasn't already loose!"

Mari rolled her eyes. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Cat."

Raph scoffed. "And now, thanks to you, the whole city's a mutant time bomb waiting to go off. But, hey, no big deal, right?" His words dripped with mockery.

Cat swallowed hard, fighting the sting behind her eyes. "I—I'm trying to help fix it—"

"Oh yeah?" Raph cut her off. "Then hurry up and find the next stupid canister so we can actually do something useful!"

Cat bit her lip, nodding quickly, her hands shaking slightly as she turned her attention back to the search. She didn't trust her voice not to crack.

Mikey let out a sharp breath, stepping beside her. He shot a glare at the others, shaking his head in frustration. "Y'know what? You guys suck."

No one responded.

Donnie sighed, staring back at his scanner. "The signal's strong. It's gotta be around here somewhere."

Mikey clenched his jaw, his mood officially ruined. "Great. Can't wait."

High above them, perched on the edge of a rooftop, a pair of sharp golden eyes watched their every move. Karai crouched in the shadows, her lips curving into a smirk as she observed the turtles' struggle.

"So," she murmured to herself, "the turtles are hunting for the missing mutagen supply. This makes the game so much easier."

The rooftops stretched endlessly beneath the darkened sky, illuminated only by the occasional flicker of neon lights. The city had always been their playground, their battlefield, their home. But tonight, it was also something else.

Mikey groaned dramatically, dragging his feet as he trailed behind the others. "We've been looking for mutagen for days now. This is so boring. I'm gonna scream."

And then he did.

A long, exaggerated wail echoed through the skyline, making his siblings cringe.

"Mikey!" they snapped in unison.

Leo shot him a glare. "Okay, okay, we get it. We'll take a little break and do something fun. Cool?"

The response was immediate.

"Sweet!" Mikey cheered.

"Finally," Raph muttered.

"Awesome," Donnie sighed in relief.

Mari crossed her arms. "Not gonna question it—just gonna enjoy it."

Cat, who had been sulking near the edge of the rooftop, perked up. "Really?!"

Leo smirked. "Yep. Training session."

The mood dropped instantly.

"Aww," the others groaned.

Mari groaned louder than anyone. "I knew there was a catch."

Leo ignored their complaints, straightening. "Guys, Sensei wants me to train you, and that's what I'm gonna do. You see Dragon Gate over there?"

The others followed his gaze to a large structure across the rooftop.

"Yeah," they muttered.

"I'm gonna defend it, like king of the mountain, okay? Now, the only way you can get past me is to use traditional close-quarters fighting. Got it?"

Raph scoffed. "Whatever you say, fearless leader. Let's just get it over with."

As they made their way over, Raph pulled Donnie, Mikey, and Mari aside, lowering his voice. "Guys, I got an idea."

They whispered quickly among themselves, throwing occasional glances at Leo.

Cat hesitated, noticing the hushed conversation but ultimately shrugged it off.

Leo positioned himself on the wires of the rooftop lights, carefully balancing. He was ready.

Mikey, on the other hand, was grinning mischievously.

With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out his music player and slipped on his headphones.

Leo frowned. "What are you doing, Mikey?"

Mikey just grinned and started moving to the beat. "What's up, ninja?"

Leo lunged at him, but Mikey twisted effortlessly out of the way, still dancing.

"Mikey, come on!" Leo snapped.

Mikey continued, flipping and weaving around Leo's attacks, each motion as smooth as if he'd planned it all along. Then, with one final leap, he landed on the other side.

"Made it!" he cheered. "Ha! Whoo!"

Leo narrowed his eyes. "Oh, that's not fair! That was not a real fight!"

Donnie went next.

Instead of rushing forward, he paused, calculating.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent a series of shuriken flying at Leo.

Leo deflected them, but one clipped his shoulder. "Ow! Are you kidding me, Donnie?!"

But Donnie was already on the other side, grinning. "King of the mountain, baby!"

Mikey pumped his fist. "That's my ninja!"

Leo sighed, exasperated, before looking at Raph. "So, what's your trick gonna be?"

Raph tilted his head. "Tricks? What are you guys talking about?"

Then, with a simple, direct motion, he hurled his sai.

Leo's instincts kicked in, and he blocked it immediately.

That was all the opening Raph needed.

With a sharp movement, he rushed past Leo before the older turtle could react, leaping across and landing with a smirk.

"See ya, fearless leader," Raph called.

Leo clenched his jaw, his frustration mounting. His gaze drifted down to his katana, where the words Lame-o Nardo had been scrawled onto the blade.

The others cheered, congratulating each other.

Then, it was Cat's turn.

Unlike the others, she hadn't been in on the plan, nor did she have an elaborate trick prepared. She hesitated for a second before sprinting forward, tessen in hand.

Leo, still irritated from the others' antics, braced himself.

Cat, however, wasn't built for brute force, and she knew it. Instead, she went for distraction. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she snapped her tessen open, catching the light with its metal frame.

Leo flinched instinctively, just for a split second—but it was enough.

Cat seized the moment and ducked low, slipping past his defenses. She nearly tripped over her own feet in the process but managed to scramble to the other side.

She turned, breathless. "I—I did it!"

Raph scoffed. "Barely."

Mari crossed her arms. "Yeah, that was a total fluke."

Cat's excitement faltered slightly, but Mikey clapped her on the back, grinning. "You still made it! That counts!"

Leo, rubbing his temple, turned his attention to Mari. "Alright, you're last."

Mari cracked her knuckles. "Cool. Try and keep up, fearless leader."

Leo barely had time to react before she was already moving.

Unlike the others, she didn't use a distraction, a weapon, or even a trick—she just went fast.

She darted toward him, every movement calculated, sharp, and relentless. Leo barely managed to block the first strike before she spun mid-air, narrowly missing his head as she flipped over him.

By the time he turned around, she was already at the other side, landing in a crouch with a satisfied smirk.

Leo let out a frustrated sigh. "Really?"

Mari shrugged. "I win. What else is new?"

The others laughed, congratulating each other—none of them noticing Leo lingering behind, gripping his sword tightly.

The Shellraiser rumbled through the streets, its tires screeching slightly as it turned a corner. The tension inside was thick enough to cut.

Mikey, ever the peacemaker, leaned forward, holding out a worn comic book with a hopeful grin. "You're not mad at us, are you, Leo?" He wiggled the book enticingly. "I'll give you Mutant Pus Monsters #23 if you're not mad."

Leo barely spared him a glance, arms crossed. "I'm not mad," he said evenly. "I just think you guys need to be a little better at following my orders."

Raph scoffed, gripping the wheel. "Aw, it's too bad I can't play my violin while I drive."

Leo turned sharply, his frustration finally bubbling over. "What's your problem lately, Raph? You still jealous you're not leading the team?"

Raph's knuckles tightened around the wheel, but before he could fire back, Donnie straightened abruptly, eyes glued to the scanner. "Stop the Shellraiser!" he ordered, ignoring their argument. "Scanner's picking up another mutagen canister. We're close, guys. Signal's coming from the basement."

Leo's frustration melted into focus. "Okay, let's not make any sudden moves before I give the—"

He turned back—and they were gone.

Leo inhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Unbelievable."

The warehouse was dimly lit, dust swirling in the stale air. Mari moved ahead cautiously, her tanto drawn, while Mikey sprinted forward, eyes locked on the glimmering canister nestled in the dust.

"Oh yeah! Found it!" Mikey cheered, grabbing it with a victory dance. "Go, ninja, go, ninja, go!"

"Don't—!" Leo started.

Too late.

The second Mikey's fingers wrapped around it, the warehouse doors slammed shut with a resounding clang.

The room darkened, shadows stretching over the walls as metallic clicks echoed from above.

Karai's voice rang out from the darkness. "Easier than I thought."

Leo's stomach sank. "Karai."

She stepped forward, arms crossed, a smirk playing on her lips. "Long time, huh, Leo?"

From the rafters, a swarm of Footbots descended, landing with synchronized precision, their glowing red eyes flickering menacingly.

Donnie tensed, gripping his bo staff. "Your lady friend is getting really good at setting ambushes."

Mari rolled her shoulders, unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just scrap these tin cans already."

Raph cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Pfft. They're just Foot soldiers. Won't even break a sweat."

Mari was the first to strike, lunging with her tanto. She aimed for the gaps between their armor, but her blade barely scratched them before a Footbot retaliated with a heavy punch. She twisted out of the way, barely avoiding it.

"What the hell?" she hissed.

Raph slammed his fists into another—only to recoil when the usual give of human muscle was replaced with solid, unyielding metal.

Before he could react, the Footbot grabbed his arm and threw him hard into Donnie.

"They armored up or something?!" Mikey yelped, barely dodging a metallic fist.

Leo was already in motion, katana slicing. But instead of the usual clean cut, the blade snapped in half.

Leo's breath caught as he stared at the broken weapon in his hands.

Cat, who had darted into the fray, froze at the sight. "Oh, that's really bad."

A Footbot lunged at her. She barely had time to react before twisting away, snapping her tessen open. The metal fan flashed as she slashed at the Footbot's head, causing it to reel back.

"Yeah, how do you like that?" she taunted—only to yelp as another Footbot came from behind, swinging a metal arm straight at her.

Mikey rushed to her side, using his nunchucks to deflect the blow. "Whoa! Hands off my bestie, you oversized toaster!"

"Focus!" Leo barked, snapping out of his shock. "Everybody, fall back!"

Donnie hesitated. "What?"

"We're running away?!" Raph snapped in disbelief.

"It's not running! It's a tactical retreat! MOVE!"

But Raph wasn't having it. "I don't run from the Foot!"

With a furious growl, he lunged back into the fight.

The next moment, he was sent flying across the warehouse floor.

Mari sighed. "Nice job, dumbass."

Leo cursed under his breath. "This way!"

The team scrambled toward the elevator shaft, the Footbots hot on their heels.

"Go, go, go!" Donnie yelled.

Mikey was the last to climb, the mechanical grips of a Footbot snatching his shell.

"OFF OF ME, YOU BUG-EYED CREEP!" Mikey screeched, kicking wildly.

Without hesitation, Leo dropped down, katana flashing. His broken blade struck true, slicing through the Footbot's circuitry. It collapsed into a pile of metal scraps.

Donnie blinked. "They're robots?!"

Leo yanked Mikey up by the strap of his shell. "MOVE, Donnie! Go!"

The team scrambled upward, hands grasping for the fraying rope.

The Footbots were relentless.

A metallic hand clamped onto Leo's ankle, dragging him downward.

"Hurry, Leo!" Raph yelled, reaching for him.

Leo stretched, fingers brushing Raph's own—but it wasn't enough.

The rope snapped.

Leo's weight vanished.

"LEO!" Raph bellowed, lunging forward.

Mari and Donnie barely caught him before he could throw himself down after him.

Cat's hands were over her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.

Mikey's entire body trembled. "No... no, no, no, no—"

Donnie scrambled to grab what remained of the rope, his hands shaking as he held the torn end.

Silence stretched, thick and suffocating.

Raph stood frozen, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Cat's breathing was uneven, her chest tightening. "H-he's fine, right? He's fine... right?"

No one answered.

"He's gone," Raph rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. "And it's all my fault."

Back at the lair, the atmosphere was thick with guilt.

Donnie sat hunched over his workbench, hands gripping his head, his mind racing through every possible way to track Leo down. Mikey paced the floor, his energy frantic, his fingers anxiously fidgeting with the hem of his mask.

Raph stood near the wall, arms crossed, his face dark with frustration, the tension rolling off him in waves. Mari leaned against the far side of the room, arms folded, her expression unreadable but her grip on her elbows unusually tight.

Cat sat on the couch, curled into herself, staring at nothing. She had been eerily quiet since they got back—too quiet.

Donnie exhaled shakily. "We didn't follow his lead." His voice was low, but the weight of his guilt hung in the air.

Mikey paused in his pacing, turning toward him. "How are we gonna explain this to Master Splinter?" His voice was unusually small, uncertain—afraid.

Before anyone could answer, a familiar, calm voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"Explain what to me, Michelangelo?"

They all froze.

Splinter stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable, his gaze sharp as it moved across each of them.

Raph inhaled sharply before exhaling, his voice stiff as he admitted, "It's Leo, Sensei. Karai captured him."

Splinter closed his eyes briefly, as if he had been expecting this. "Hmm. I knew it would come to this eventually."

Donnie lifted his head, confused. "Come to what, Sensei?"

Splinter's gaze was heavy, his expression grim. "Karai seeks revenge. She believes that I took one of her loved ones away from her."

Mikey took a hesitant step forward, his voice soft. "But... it's not true, right?"

Mari narrowed her eyes slightly, watching Splinter carefully. "Yeah, I mean, she's full of it—right?"

Splinter's eyes darkened slightly, his voice quiet but firm. "It is very much... the opposite of what she thinks."

Silence settled over them, thick and suffocating.

Cat, who had barely spoken, swallowed hard. "So... what does that mean?"

Splinter did not answer immediately. Instead, he took a slow, measured breath. "Find Leonardo. That is what is important right now. Rescue your brother."

In Donnie's lab, the air was thick with tension. Donatello furiously typed away, hacking into security feeds, his eyes scanning the multiple screens in front of him. Mari and Cat stood behind him, watching intently, their expressions unreadable.

"Okay," Donnie muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I managed to tap into some surveillance footage. There—" he pointed at one of the screens. Karai's van.

Mikey leaned in, his eyes widening. "That's it! That's where they took Leo!"

Raph folded his arms, his jaw tightening. "Yeah, and look where it's heading—Bradford's old dojo."

Mari scoffed, arms crossed. "How original. They couldn't at least be creative with the location?"

Cat shifted uneasily beside her. "Doesn't matter where it is. We just need to get him out of there."

Mikey pumped a fist. "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go bust in and save our boy!"

Donnie, still typing, frowned. "Hold on. We need to be smart about this."

"For once, Donnie's right," Mari said. "Karai doesn't make mistakes. If she wanted Leo, she's using him for something."

Raph turned to them, brow raising. "Wait, so you guys think you're leading this rescue?"

Donnie puffed out his chest. "Well, I am the smartest, so—"

"And I have the best instincts," Mari added.

Raph groaned, rolling his eyes. "Not this again."

"Guys!" Cat's voice was sharper than usual, cutting through the argument before it could escalate. "Leo is in danger. We don't have time to fight about this!"

The room fell into silence for a beat.

Raph rolled his shoulders, exhaling sharply. "She's right. Let's not waste time arguing about who's in charge." He cracked his knuckles, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Leo needs us. And this time? We fight his way. The way he'd want us to."

For once, Donnie, Mari, and Mikey didn't argue.

Even Cat, though still tense, nodded firmly.

They all knew what was at stake.

Inside the dimly lit warehouse, Leo sat tied to a chair, a gag covering his mouth.

He had been here before—captured, restrained, forced to listen to Karai's taunts—but this time was different.

This time, Karai wasn't just testing him.

She was waiting for someone else.

She stood in front of him, arms crossed, her smirk sharp and taunting. "You know, Leonardo, I could make this much easier on you. All you have to do is sit tight, and eventually, your sensei will come running."

Leo glared at her, letting out a muffled grunt against the gag.

Karai sighed dramatically. "Oh, what's that? You have opinions? Too bad, I don't care." She smirked. "You see, I'm done wasting time fighting you and your siblings. I realized something."

She crouched slightly, tilting her head.

"It's Splinter I want."

Leo's heart pounded.

Karai's smirk grew. "Your sensei will eventually track you here," she continued, standing tall again. "And when he does... he'll finally know what it feels like to suffer."

Leo's eyes widened. He thrashed in his restraints, his muffled protests growing more urgent.

Karai just chuckled. "Aww, don't worry. You won't be completely useless. You're just the bait."

The window above suddenly creaked open.

Karai turned sharply—just in time to see five shadows drop silently from the ceiling beams.

Leo let out another muffled noise—his siblings were here.

Raph landed first, crouching low before standing to his full height. "You got two choices, sweetheart," he said, voice low and threatening. "Let us go, or walk away from this in a sandwich bag."

Karai raised an unimpressed brow. "Really? That's your big threat?" She smirked. "I was hoping for something a little more creative."

"Give us a minute," Mari deadpanned, twirling her tanto between her fingers. "We can brainstorm better threats after we kick your ass."

Donnie ignored the exchange, rushing forward and yanking the gag from Leo's mouth.

Leo barely had time to gasp out, "It's a trap!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the dojo was flooded with red light.

The Foot Bots activated.

Cat immediately dropped into a fighting stance, unfolding her tessen with a sharp snap. "You guys hearing dramatic boss music, or is that just me?"

Mikey blinked. "Oh, dude. That's just not fair."

Karai smirked. "Restrain them."

The Foot Bots rushed in.

Mari was the first to strike. She ducked under a Foot Bot's arm and drove her tanto into its midsection, twisting as sparks flew. The bot spasmed before crumpling. She was already moving to the next one.

Raph caught a bot's wrist mid-swing and yanked hard, flipping it over his shoulder. He slammed his sai into its core, kicking the wreckage aside before launching at another.

Donnie spun his bo staff, deflecting a blade and striking the bot's head hard enough to dent it. It staggered back, and he knocked its legs out from under it with a quick sweep.

Leo, finally freed, met the next attack head-on, slashing clean through a bot's arm with his katana.

Mikey leapt onto a bot's shoulders, using its own weight against it to bring it down, before flipping off and landing next to Cat.

"Showtime, Buzzkitten!" he grinned.

Cat didn't need to be told twice.

As a bot lunged, she ducked, her tessen flashing as she sliced through a joint in its armor. She moved quickly, twisting her body and delivering a sharp kick to its head, sending it flying.

Another bot came at her. She sidestepped, snapping her fan closed and striking upward into its neck. The moment it staggered, she unfurled the tessen again, using the sharp edges to slice clean through its circuits.

The Foot Bots were learning.

They dodged faster. Adjusted their attacks. Read their movements.

Leo's jaw clenched as he parried a strike, realization sinking in.

"They're adapting!"

Mikey backflipped away from a bot's attack, landing beside Donnie. "Dude! They're only, like, a thousand times better than regular Foot!"

Karai smirked from above. "My Foot Bots know every move. Every skill. Every attack."

Mari clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tch. Hate cheaters."

Leo's eyes darted to the exits. They were running out of space.

"We need to retreat!"

Raph hesitated. "You serious?"

Leo shot him a sharp look. "If I order you to run, will you listen this time?"

Mikey raised a hand. "HECK YEAH. And we can still call it a tactical retreat, if you want."

Leo didn't wait for another argument. "Then MOVE!"

Mari took down another bot before glancing at Cat. "Go, now!"

Cat didn't argue. She folded her tessen in a swift motion, slipping into the escape route.

The team bolted for the rooftop.

Karai narrowed her eyes. "Foot Bots! Don't let them escape!"

The team ran, the city flying past them in a blur of neon and flickering shadows.

The Foot Bots followed.

"They're too fast!" Donnie shouted.

"They know everything we do!" Raph growled.

Mari glanced over her shoulder, scowling. "Tch. This is getting annoying."

Leo's eyes widened. Wait.

His mind flashed back—training. The Dragon Gate.

The only time they beat him was when they were unpredictable.

Leo grinned. "Guys—remember King of the Mountain?"

Raph blinked. "Uh, yeah?"

Donnie narrowed his eyes. "What about it?"

Leo's grin widened. "Be unpredictable."

They didn't hesitate.

Mikey spun on one foot, kicking a bot mid-dance move.

Donnie threw a shuriken off a street sign, ricocheting it into a bot's face.

Raph leapt from a fire escape, slamming a bot's head into the concrete below.

Mari vaulted over a bot, flipping mid-air and striking down with her tanto, piercing its exposed wiring. She twisted, using her momentum to kick another bot off the rooftop.

Cat, instead of running, abruptly slid beneath a bot's legs, slicing through its joints with her tessen before popping up behind it. As the bot fell, she grabbed a loose brick and hurled it into another's optics.

The Foot Bots—they couldn't predict the chaos.

Leo smirked. "They didn't see that coming."

The team fought back with everything they had.

Raph slammed his sai into a bot's circuits, ripping them out.

Donnie used the environment, knocking them off ledges, breaking their mechanics.

Mikey flipped and literally breakdanced his way through the fight.

Mari kicked off a vent, using her smaller frame to weave through the bots' attacks before cutting them down with precise, sharp movements.

Cat darted between her siblings, her tessen snapping open and closed as she struck. A bot lunged at her, but she sidestepped just in time, making it crash into a fire escape.

Even Leo was laughing. "I've never had so much fun giving orders."

Raph grinned. "And I've never had so much fun following them."

Then—Karai dropped in, her blade flashing.

"You might as well give up, Leo," she said smoothly, her smirk sharp. "The more you fight those Foot Bots, the more they adapt."

Leo met her strike for strike, each movement fluid and precise.

Mari, blocking a Foot Bot's attack, glanced toward them, her expression darkening.

Leo's gaze hardened. "Your bots may know my moves," he countered, disarming her in one swift motion, "but you don't."

Karai's eyes widened. He threw her own blade back at her.

She caught it—but it was too late.

Leo knocked her off balance, sending her crashing onto the rooftop lights.

She groaned, struggling to rise.

Mari approached, standing beside Leo, her tanto twirling in her grip. "We could end this right now, you know."

Leo shot her a look. "That's not what we're here for."

Mari rolled her eyes but stepped back.

Leo turned his attention to Karai again, standing over her, breathing hard. "Shredder is lying to you." His voice was firm. "Splinter would never hurt an innocent."

Karai's expression flickered—uncertainty.

Leo's voice softened, but his words carried undeniable weight. "Your grudge is with me. Stay away from my brothers and sisters. Stay away from my sensei."

A heavy silence followed.

Then, without another word, Leo turned away.

"Come on, guys. We're done here."

Mari shot Karai one last look before following.

Cat hesitated, something unreadable flashing across her face, but quickly hurried after the others.

The team vanished into the night.

The lair was quiet. The kind of quiet that felt heavy, like the air itself was holding its breath. The others had long since settled down for the night, but Leo couldn't rest.

Not with her words still echoing in his head.

"Your master took my mother away from me."

Karai had been so certain. So angry.

Leo had told himself she was wrong. That Splinter would never do something like that.

But the doubt wouldn't go away.

So he found himself standing in the dojo, watching as Splinter sat in meditation, the soft glow of candles flickering against the aged lines of his face.

"Master Splinter?"

Splinter didn't open his eyes. "It is late, Leonardo."

"I know," Leo said, stepping forward. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Splinter finally looked at him. "Speak, my son."

Leo hesitated, then took a steadying breath. "It's about Karai."

Splinter's expression remained unreadable, but something in his eyes flickered.

Leo clenched his fists. "She said... she said you took her mother away from her." His voice wavered slightly, but he forced himself to keep going. "That's not true, right?"

For a long moment, Splinter was silent.

Then—

"No," he said softly. "It is not true."

Leo exhaled, relief washing over him.

Until—

"But the truth... is almost as difficult."

Leo's stomach tightened. "What do you mean?"

Splinter closed his eyes again, as if the weight of the past was pressing down on him. When he spoke, his voice was steady—but filled with something heavy.

"Karai... is my daughter."

The world seemed to stop.

Leo's breath caught in his throat. "What?"

Splinter did not repeat himself. He simply held Leo's gaze, waiting as the realization sank in.

Leo's mind reeled. Karai. His enemy. His rival. The one who had tried to kill him and his brothers more than once.

She was Miwa.

Splinter's daughter.

Leo swallowed hard, struggling to comprehend the weight of it all. "Does she... does she know?"

Splinter's expression darkened slightly. "No. She has been told lies her entire life."

Leo felt sick.

Shredder had taken everything from Splinter. His family. His daughter.

Leo's mind was spinning, but Splinter wasn't finished.

He exhaled, his gaze drifting slightly. "There is something else you must know."

Leo tensed, bracing himself.

"The tessen I gave to Caterina..." Splinter's voice was quiet. "...was originally crafted for Miwa."

Leo blinked, his breath hitching. "You—what?"

Splinter nodded. "It was meant for her, once." His gaze softened. "But it belongs to Caterina now."

What Leo didn't realize—what neither of them realized—was that just beyond the doorway, hidden in the dim glow of a flickering candle—Cat stood frozen.

She hadn't meant to eavesdrop.

She hadn't wanted to hear this.

But she had.

And now she couldn't move.

Couldn't breathe.

The tessen.

Her tessen.

The one she had carried for years. The one Splinter had given her personally. The one she had trained with, fought with, poured her heart into.

It had been meant for someone else.

Splinter continued speaking, oblivious to the devastated girl just outside.

"I did not give it to her out of pity." His voice was gentle, yet firm. "I gave it to her because she is its rightful wielder."

Leo looked at him, unsure. "But... if it was meant for Miwa—"

"The weapon was crafted for Miwa," Splinter corrected. "But it was always meant to belong to Caterina."

Leo frowned, confused.

Splinter sighed. "The tessen is unassuming. Soft in appearance. Gentle. One would not expect it to be dangerous." He closed his eyes. "Much like Caterina."

Leo's expression softened slightly.

Splinter continued. "But beneath its delicate surface, the tessen is powerful. Unyielding. It bends, but it does not break. It is a weapon that requires precision, skill, and deep understanding to wield properly. And Caterina... she possesses all of these things."

Leo absorbed his words, nodding slowly.

But Cat—

Cat felt something inside her shatter.

She had always known she wasn't strong like Mari, or fierce like Raph. She didn't have Donnie's intelligence, Mikey's energy, or Leo's discipline.

But she had her own strength.

And Splinter had given her the tessen, not because she was the best fighter, but because it was hers.

Or at least... she thought it was.

Now, all she could hear was the truth.

It wasn't made for her.

It had been meant for someone better. Someone Splinter had loved first. Someone she could never compare to.

Her hands trembled, fingers curling against her arms.

She shouldn't be upset. Splinter had said he didn't regret giving it to her. That it belonged to her now.

But the pain still burned in her chest.

Like she was borrowing something that was never supposed to be hers.

Like she was second choice.

Her breath hitched.

She had to go.

Before she could stop herself, before she could let them see her break—

She turned and ran.