The morning air in the farmhouse was cool and still, but inside, the turtles were already deep into their training session. Grunts echoed through the dusty barn-turned-dojo as Raph clashed against Leo, their weapons striking with rhythmic precision.

"So is Donnie coming down or what?" Raph asked between strikes.

Mikey, twirling his nunchucks lazily nearby, chimed in with a grin. "I couldn't wake him up, so I put some dirty underwear on his face."

Raph snorted. "Nice." Then, throwing another strike toward Leo's side, he added, "Looking good, Leo. You're really coming along."

A loud thwack echoed from the far corner, where Mari slammed her fist into the wooden training dummy again and again, silent but clearly irritated.

"She's been at it since before sunrise," Leo muttered under his breath.

"You think she ever sleeps?" Mikey asked. "Girl's gonna punch straight through the barn one day."

Near the stairs, Cat crouched by the window with her blanket wrapped tight around her shoulders.

Elliot entered the room shirtless and half-awake, his hair sticking up like he lost a fight with a hay bale. "Okay, I'm awake, I'm beautiful, and I'm still not joining your weird fight club," he muttered, grabbing a half-eaten muffin from the table.

From the kitchen, April's voice cut through the clatter of weapons. "Hey, guys? We're heading down to the store."

Casey followed her into view, car keys spinning on his finger. "Any requests?"

Mikey's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. "Ooh, ooh, ooh! I need some spicy gummy worms. Need!"

Casey rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he's not gonna have that."

April gave Mikey a look. "That store's tiny, Mikey. It's the kind of place that has peanut butter or jelly."

"I vote jelly," Elliot said around a mouthful of muffin. "Also, I'm coming with you guys."

April paused, raising a brow. "You sure?"

Elliot nodded. "Someone's gotta make sure you two don't kill each other over canned soup again."

"Lies," Casey muttered. "I won that argument."

"You tried to fight an old lady for the last can of beans," April snapped.

Elliot tossed his hoodie on and turned to Cat, offering a small wave. She didn't wave back, but she blinked once.

"Be back soon, Shortstack," he said quietly. Then to the rest of them, "Try not to burn the place down."

"Not making promises!" Mikey called.

As April, Casey, and Elliot headed out the door and into the van, Leo gave a small nod to his siblings. "Okay. Let's do this."

They started training in the barn, weapons slicing through the dusty air, the thud of practice strikes echoing off the rafters. Raph lunged at Leo with a low sweep, only for Leo to flip over him and land lightly—though he immediately winced and clutched his knee.

"I am," Leo muttered, brushing off the ache. "Barely."

Nearby, Cat was running through warm-up movements with Mikey, mimicking the stances he demonstrated. Her form wasn't perfect, but she was focused.

"Yeah! That's it, Cat!" Mikey encouraged, beaming. "Now pretend the punching bag just insulted your blanket."

Cat tilted her head... then delivered a solid roundhouse kick.

Mikey whooped. "Girl's got fire!"

Across the barn, Mari slammed a fist into a wooden training dummy. Again. And again. Her knuckles were already taped, but fresh spots of red were beginning to show.

Donnie approached cautiously. "Hey, Mari. We're running team drills. Want in?"

She didn't answer. Just threw another punch.

Leo winced as he straightened up. "C'mon, Mari. We could use your help. Balance the teams."

Still nothing.

"Seriously," Raph added, a little sharper. "Stop hitting stuff alone and come fight us instead."

Mari finally stopped, her shoulders stiff. She didn't turn around.

"I don't want to train with anyone," she muttered. "I'm fine on my own."

"Mari..." Leo tried again, but she was already walking away.

"I'll be back later."

She grabbed her tanto and walked away without another word.

Mikey sighed. "Great."

"Let her go," Donnie muttered.

Raph turned back to Leo. "Alright. Guess it's just us, then."

"C'mon, Leo," Raph grunted, circling. "Keep up."

They resumed training, but it wasn't long before Leo's knee buckled under him with a sharp crack. He cried out, collapsing to one side, clutching his leg.

Mikey rushed over immediately. "Leo, you were hurt bad, bro. You gotta give yourself time to heal."

Leo winced through the pain. "Yeah, but how long? This is taking forever. I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm just..." He took a shaky breath. "Just gonna take a minute."

He limped away from the training space, dragging his injured leg with each step.

"Good," Raph said, watching him go. "Some rest should help."

But rest didn't come easy.

Upstairs in the quiet farmhouse living room, Leo lay stiffly on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts raced, tangled with frustration. Every ache in his knee was like a reminder that he wasn't whole.

"Aah! Sleeping isn't gonna help," he muttered, sitting up with a groan. "Guys? I'm going for a walk."

"Rock on, bro!" Mikey called from across the room.

Leo limped outside. The crisp morning had turned strangely dark, shadows stretching in unfamiliar ways.

"Ah, taking forever," he mumbled. "I'm never gonna get better."

Suddenly, a blinding light burst through the treetops. A meteor blazed through the sky and crashed nearby, shaking the earth beneath him. Leo dove instinctively, shielding his face. When he looked up, a glowing rock pulsed in the grass before him.

Drawn to it, Leo approached. Blue light shimmered from the crater, washing over him. He reached out—and as soon as his fingers brushed the surface, it sparked. He was thrown back, landing hard.

But... it didn't hurt.

He blinked.

"My leg..." he murmured, twisting his knee. No pain. No stiffness. He stood. "It doesn't hurt. I feel fine. In fact..." He broke into a grin. "I feel great!"

With a whoop, Leo took off into the trees, leaping effortlessly from branch to branch, fast and free.

Meanwhile, miles away in the tiny town store, the fluorescent lights buzzed as April, Casey, and Elliot stepped inside.

Shelves lined with dust-covered goods stretched in uneven rows. A new owner—an older, slightly creepy man—smiled at them from behind the counter.

"Hey there! Name's Bernie," he said, adjusting a jar on the shelf. "Just bought this place."

Casey eyed the peeling paint. "On purpose?"

Bernie chuckled, arranging items that looked at least ten years expired. "Finding everything you need?"

April stepped forward. "You got any spicy gummy worms?"

Bernie looked puzzled. "Is that bait? You mean bait?"

April frowned. "It's candy."

"Oh-ho! I got candy!" he said enthusiastically, pulling a jar of suspicious-looking brown seeds from behind the counter.

Elliot leaned closer, squinting. "That looks like something you'd feed a squirrel from the 1800s."

Bernie just grinned.

As April gathered a few supplies, Casey wandered toward the register. A dusty leather-bound book lay there, half-hidden beneath some receipts. Its title was embossed in faded gold:

Obturaculum Somniorum.

"Ob... Obturaculum Somniorum?" Casey read aloud, reaching for it.

Before his fingers could touch the cover, Bernie's hand slammed down on it.

"Nobody touches that book. Understand?"

Casey raised both hands. "Got it. No book-touching."

Elliot raised a brow. "That's not ominous at all."

April returned with a small basket of goods. "Hey, I got what we need. Should last a few days."

Bernie leaned over the counter, eyeing the haul. "So... I thought nobody lived around here."

April shrugged. "Why would you buy a store where you thought nobody lives?"

"I like my alone time," Bernie said with a tight smile. Then, nodding to the basket, he added, "The amount of stuff you're buying must be for eight or nine people."

Casey jumped in. "Uh, just three. Us three. The three of us."

Elliot nodded seriously. "I eat for six."

Bernie studied them, then slowly nodded. "Uh-huh."

He tilted his head. "Tell me—been tired lately? Real tired?"

April stiffened. "Nope. We're fine."

Elliot glanced at her and Casey, then back at Bernie. "Super fine. Never been more awake in my life."

They made a quick exit, the store bell jingling behind them. But as the door closed, Bernie looked back at the strange book on the counter and muttered under his breath.

"Maybe it won't happen this time..."

Meanwhile, in the strange, shifting space of the dream world, Leonardo soared between the treetops with ease, exhilaration on his face.

"Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Check me out! I am a superhero!" he shouted, twisting midair and landing perfectly atop a high branch. The pain in his leg was gone—his whole body felt weightless, invincible.

But then a voice echoed through the trees, warped and teasing.

"What does every superhero need?"

Leo stiffened. "Who's there?"

A purple beaver emerged from the shadows, its body small but its presence anything but.

"Dire Beaver," it said, grinning, red eyes gleaming. "I'm everything you've ever feared in one convenient, horrifying package. And I'm gonna teach you something about pain!"

Before Leo could react, something slammed into him from behind. He hit the ground hard, groaning. Dire Beaver landed on top of him, pinning him down with manic laughter. His fur shimmered with static energy, and a red bomb symbol glowed on his belly like a warning.

Back in the real world, Michelangelo was crouched beside his sleeping brother Leo, a marker in hand.

"Man, he must've been tired," Raph muttered, arms crossed.

"He looks good though," Mikey replied with a grin. "Handsome."

Raph leaned in slightly. "Nice work."

Mikey capped the marker proudly. "Naps are nature's hugs."

From the doorway, Cat padded in silently, her blanket draped over her shoulders like a cape. She tilted her head at the sight of Leo's doodled face, then shifted her gaze to Mikey.

He flashed her a proud thumbs-up. "See? Subtle art."

Cat didn't smile, but she walked over and curled up beside the couch, resting her head against a pillow on the floor. Mikey gently placed the end of his blanket over her.

Raph yawned and rubbed his neck. "You know, I'm pretty tired myself. A little shut-eye wouldn't hurt anything, right?"

"Me too," Mikey said, stretching.

He turned with mischief in his eye and raised the marker toward Raph's face.

"Don't even think about it," Raph warned, not even opening his eyes.

Within minutes, Raph was out. Mikey, slouched in the chair nearby, nodded off soon after.

And nestled quietly by the couch, Cat's eyes slipped shut too, the steady rhythm of the room lulling her into sleep.

One by one, they all drifted off.

Unaware of what was waiting for them.

Deep in the woods, Mari struck the tree again. And again. Her fists, already raw and scabbed over, now left faint smears of blood on the bark. Each hit was more about control than pain—until control started slipping.

She barely noticed how heavy her arms had gotten. Or how the wind grew strangely still.

Just one more hit.

Just one more.

But her vision blurred.

And her knees gave out.

The last thing she saw was the tree swaying slightly—though the wind hadn't moved.

Then everything went dark.

"Yo, is that...?" Casey stopped mid-step, squinting ahead through the underbrush.

April looked up from the bag she was carrying. "What?"

"I think someone's—wait... Mari?"

Sure enough, there she was—Mari, slumped at the base of a tree, unmoving.

Elliot dropped the bottle of water he was sipping from and rushed forward, panic blooming in his chest. "Mari?!"

They knelt around her.

"She's out cold," Elliot muttered, hand hovering over her shoulder. "What the hell was she doing out here alone?"

Casey pressed two fingers to her neck. "Pulse is there, but weak."

April's eyes narrowed as she gently took Mari's hands—and saw the blood seeping through her wrappings. Her jaw clenched.

"Her knuckles are bleeding again?" she muttered sharply. "Of course."

Elliot flinched at the tone but didn't say anything. He brushed a few loose strands of hair from Mari's face and whispered, "Hey, c'mon. Wake up."

Mari didn't stir.

"She's burning out," April said. "Overtraining, not eating, barely sleeping... what did she think was gonna happen?"

"Do we get her back to the house?" Casey asked, already adjusting his grip to lift her.

"Yeah," April said tightly.

The woods were quiet.

Too quiet.

Mari stood in the middle of the trees, her bandaged hands loose at her sides. Everything around her was tinted gray—like the color had been drained from the world. The trees were still. The air was cold.

She wasn't bleeding anymore.

She wasn't tired.

But she didn't feel right, either.

Then came the voice.

"You always come out here when you want to disappear."

Mari turned sharply.

A beaver sat perched on a crooked log, sharpening a twig with what looked like a piece of bone. He wore a black hoodie and cargo pants, oversized sunglasses perched lazily on his nose.

Mari furrowed her brow. "...Who are you?"

"I'm your conscience, obviously," the beaver replied, completely deadpan. "Or your self-hatred. I haven't decided yet."

She blinked. "What?"

He grinned. "Dream logic. Go with it."

Mari didn't move. She didn't know why—but she didn't want to.

"...This is a dream?"

"Yup. Lucky you," the beaver said, tossing the bone away and hopping down. "No one yelling. No one blaming you. No annoying humans. No siblings to disappoint. Just peace and trees and nothing."

Mari's jaw clenched. "I don't want peace."

"Sure you do," he said casually. "That's why you keep coming out here. Pretending to train. Pretending to bleed on purpose. You think if you punish yourself long enough, it'll balance things out."

Mari stayed quiet.

The beaver crouched beside her.

"You miss when things were easy," he said, almost gently now. "When it was just you and the team and some stupid Kraang robots to fight. You'd give anything to go back to before."

"...That's not true," Mari muttered.

"Sure it is." He smiled. "You can say it here. No one's listening."

She looked at her hands. No bruises. No blood. Just clean skin.

Too clean.

Her voice cracked. "I shouldn't have trusted him. I shouldn't, I shouldn't have—"

The beaver raised a paw.

"Shh. Doesn't matter. Not here."

He stood, motioning to the quiet woods. "You can stay as long as you want."

Mari hesitated.

Then, slowly, she followed.

A short while later, April, Casey, and Elliot pushed through the front door, arms full of supplies—and Mari slumped between the two boys, unconscious.

"Make sure to set her down gently," April snapped at them.

Casey and Elliot looked at each other, but did so.

"She's still out cold," Elliot said, straightening up.

April crouched beside her, checking her vitals. "She's sweating. Weak pulse."

Casey looked around, then nodded toward the rest of the house. "What about the others? Anyone actually on guard duty?"

"Donnie, probably," April muttered, standing.

They walked through the house—and found Donatello snoring on the floor, underwear draped over his face, a faint whistling noise coming from his mouth.

April blinked. "Or not."

Casey barked a laugh. "Dude whistles in his sleep. That's actually hilarious."

Annoyed, April stormed over and ripped the underwear off Donnie's face. "Donnie!"

But he didn't budge.

Her expression twisted. "Wait—something's wrong."

She knelt beside him quickly, pressing her fingers to his neck, her smile gone. "His pulse is faint too."

Inside Donnie's dream, everything was black. Endless.

Then—movement.

A large, furry figure slithered into view, gleaming teeth stretched in a grin far too wide.

"Peekaboo," it whispered. "I see you."

Donnie stumbled back as the shadow lunged, revealing a monstrous, beaver-like creature with glowing yellow eyes.

"I'm Dark Beaver," it sang. "May I eat you? You look salty."

Donnie screamed and turned to run—but the corridor behind him stretched endlessly.

Doors opened. Claws reached through. Shadows chased him, laughter echoing.

"This has to be a dream," Donnie whispered, heart racing. "Just a dream... wake up, Donnie, wake—"

"Still here," Dark Beaver growled, nose twitching. "Still hungry. Still trapped."

Back in reality, Casey knelt beside Donnie, giving him a light slap on the cheek. "Yo, genius! Rise and shine!"

"That's not gonna work!" April snapped, her voice sharp with panic.

"I'm just saying!" Casey held up his hands. "It worked in cartoons!"

Elliot had gone quiet, glancing between Mari and the others sprawled around the living room. His eyes narrowed.

"They're all asleep," he said slowly.

April nodded grimly. "They're not just sleeping. They're trapped."

"In their dreams," Elliot finished.

Raph's dream twisted into a nightmare quickly. He sat at the kitchen table, unease settling in as he noticed his brothers and sisters around him—blank-eyed, faces expressionless. One by one, their features shifted, morphed—clown, rock monster, slug.

Then, with a sudden slam, the pizza box on the table cracked open—and out climbed a monstrous orange beaver with a cracked skull symbol glowing on its belly.

"I am Dread Beaver!" it roared. "And your soul is mine!"

Rock music blared. White snakes erupted from the floor, slithering around Raph's legs. Nightmare versions of his siblings shredded guitars and banged drums, grinning with jagged teeth.

She was back in the city.

Bright lights, warm breeze, the distant rumble of traffic—all of it felt... normal. Familiar. But wrong.

Cat stood on a rooftop. Her brothers and sister laughed behind her, their voices full of life. Mikey tossed her a shiny charm bracelet, and she caught it with a grin.

Everything was perfect.

Too perfect.

She blinked—and suddenly, she was alone.

The sky darkened. The city twisted. The buildings began to melt like wax. A low growl echoed behind her.

She turned.

A long hallway stretched out where the edge of the roof should've been. It led to nowhere—and yet, it pulled her in.

She didn't want to go, but her feet moved anyway.

Her voice caught in her throat when she tried to call for help—no sound. Just silence.

Always silence.

Suddenly, something skittered across the wall. A flash of matted fur. Red eyes. Giggles, high and sharp, like claws scraping glass.

And then it dropped in front of her.

Wide teeth. Shaggy fur. A bone mask covering most of its face. Its tail twitched erratically.

"Hellooooo, silent little turtle," it purred. "I'm Whispering Beaver. Because I like the quiet. I like your quiet."

Cat stepped back, shaking her head, eyes wide.

"But your mind," the beaver cooed, circling her. "Oh, your mind isn't quiet at all, is it? It's loud. So loud. So full of guilt. You think it's your fault your brother got hurt, don't you?"

The hallway flickered—now flashing the moment Leo lost to shredder, while Cat was powerless to do anything.

"You think everyone would be better if you weren't around," Whispering Beaver whispered, drawing closer. "You don't speak, but you scream inside. I can hear it."

Cat collapsed to her knees, hands over her ears—but the beaver's voice kept seeping in.

"I'll take all that noise for you. All those thoughts. I'll eat them up. Then you can stay here in the quiet... forever."

It reached for her.

And Cat, eyes wide with fear, couldn't even scream.

Meanwhile, Mikey's dream was anything but terrifying.

He found himself in a pastel world of floating candy, marshmallow clouds, and cheerful giggles. A blue beaver with a heart symbol on its belly and big sparkly eyes waddled over.

"I'm Dave Beaver. I'm 'sposed ta scare you," he said kindly.

Mikey blinked. "Really? Then I guess you should've left your adorable buck teeth at home, Dave."

Dave's grin widened. "They are adorable, aren't they?"

"And check out your widdle paddle tail!" Mikey gushed. "You wanna play ping-pong?"

"I kinda do, yeah!"

"Sweet!"

And off they went, giggling and playing paddleball in a candy-colored wonderland.

Back in the real world, Mikey snoozed peacefully on the couch, smiling in his sleep.

Casey knelt beside Mikey's peaceful form, his expression oddly relaxed as he watched the sleeping turtle curled up on the couch. "Mikey actually kinda looks okay," he muttered.

April, on the other hand, hovered over him with visible concern. Her fingers pressed gently to Mikey's wrist, checking his pulse. Her brow furrowed.

"Yeah," she said, "but his pulse is getting weaker. They all are."

Elliot glanced up, startled. "So, they're sick?"

April shook her head. "None of them has a fever, but I can feel something... off. It's like something's draining the life out of them."

Casey's grip tightened on his hockey stick. "Can you get through to them somehow?"

"I can try."

But Elliot's mind had already moved elsewhere. He snapped his fingers, eyes lighting with realization. "Wait! That Bernie guy—he asked us if we'd been feeling tired."

April nodded slowly, her mind racing. "And that book he had... Somniorum. It's Latin. I think it means 'dreams.' Or 'of the dreams.'"

Casey didn't wait another second, grabbing Elliot by the arm. "We'll go see what's in that book. You do what you can here."

With that, they bolted out the door, determination written all over their faces

April, meanwhile, closed her eyes and reached out with her powers, letting her thoughts drift into the space between reality and dream.

In Donatello's dream, everything felt too real.

He appeared suddenly in the lair, panting heavily. Shadows clung to the corners of the room, thick and oppressive. Then—movement. A flash of red hair.

He spotted her.

"Wait. Is that—April?" he breathed, eyes widening.

Her voice pierced the fog of the dream, sharp and urgent. "Wake up!"

Before Donnie could react, the walls shook. The beavers roared behind him, their shrieks slicing through the lair like knives.

"Aah!"

In Leo's dream, it was chaos.

Dire Beaver was relentless, each punch sending Leo flying higher, further. The last blow knocked him straight into the clouds. He plummeted, groaning—only to be caught mid-air by a strange sound.

BZZZ—BZZZ

His T-phone.

Still falling, Leo blinked and pulled it from his belt.

"Really?" he muttered, answering with a grunt. "Hello?"

"Leo!" April's voice rang through the device. "You have to wake up. Wake up!"

"I am awake," Leo protested, exasperated. "I got superpowers from a meteor, and now I'm fighting a giant beaver. And... wait—am I dreaming you?"

Dire Beaver floated nearby, watching with narrowed eyes. "Not a chance!"

And with a final shout, he uppercut Leo straight into the sun.

Elsewhere, in the depths of Raph's nightmare, the world twisted under the weight of screaming guitars and demonic energy. Nightmare versions of his brothers were consumed by a massive white snake. Raph backed away as the creature reared up, fangs gleaming.

"Raph!" April's voice broke through. "You have to wake up! Now!"

He blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

The snake cleared its throat politely.

"Pardon me," it said.

In a much more pleasant dreamscape, Mikey was slouched over a ping-pong table made of cotton candy. His paddle dangled from his hand, his eyelids heavy.

"Man," he sighed, "this ping-pong is really wearing me out."

Across from him, Dave Beaver beamed.

"That's because I'm draining your life force! Hee hee hah hah hah!"

"Oh, right," Mikey said with a nod, almost impressed.

Then, a giant lollipop waddled up beside him, its googly eyes blinking.

"Psst. Hey, Mikey!" it whispered. "April says you should wake up."

Mikey frowned, skeptical. "Please. I know better than to listen to a giant talking lollipop."

He crossed his arms. "I learned that one the hard way."

Before he could elaborate, the ping-pong ball smacked him square in the face again.

The world was muffled and gray. Cat stood in the middle of an endless hallway lined with mirrors, each one cracked, fogged, or twisted. Her reflection stared back with hollow eyes.

"You're better like this," a soft voice cooed behind her.

Whispering Beaver slithered into view, long claws clicking on the glass floor. "Quiet. Small. Easy to forget."

Cat turned away, hugging her arms tightly.

The mirrors around her rippled—distorted versions of her family turning their backs. She didn't try to stop them.

"You can stay here," the beaver hummed. "No need to speak. No one listens anyway."

A voice echoed faintly through the fog—barely more than a breath.

"Cat... come back..."

She blinked. Her lips parted.

Whispering Beaver's smile widened. "Shh."

The voice faded. Gone.

The woods were on fire.

Mari stood alone, surrounded by smoke and shadows. Charred silhouettes of her siblings fell around her, one by one.

"Why'd you let this happen?" Raph's voice.

"You ruined everything," Donnie's.

"You never listen," Leo's.

She turned toward the smoke, gripping her blade tighter.

"It's all your fault," whispered a familiar voice. Jackson's voice.

Mari didn't run. She stood her ground, chest rising and falling, hands shaking as ash clung to her skin.

April's voice—faint, nearly drowned out—cut through the crackling flames.

"Mari... please..."

Mari turned slightly. Her eyes flickered.

Then the dream warped.

Red Beaver emerged from the inferno, huge and grinning.

"Nice try," it snarled. "She's ours now."

Mari's eyes went blank. She didn't move.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Elliot muttered. "Breaking into creepy dude's store while everyone else is passed out?"

"Relax," Casey whispered back. "I just wanna look at the book."

"You mean the cursed one behind the counter that literally glowed like it eats souls?" Elliot deadpanned.

Casey ignored him, moving quickly toward the counter where the strange book lay. He slipped the key he'd swiped earlier from his pocket and knelt down.

"Cover me," he said.

"Sure. I'll just stand here," Elliot muttered, inching toward the front door.

Casey slid the key into the lock and began to turn it—

A roar of a chainsaw shattered the silence.

"They sent you, didn't they?!" Bernie's voice boomed from the shadows behind the counter.

Casey jumped back, eyes wide. "Who?!"

Bernie stepped forward, wild-eyed, revving a rusty chainsaw. "Them! The Dream Beavers!"

Elliot blinked. "I KNEW this place gave horror movie energy. I KNEW it."

"I told you nobody touches the book!" Bernie bellowed—and lunged.

Casey dove aside, the chainsaw cleaving through the wood where he'd just been.

"Whoa!" Casey shouted, scrambling behind a shelf. "Dude, are you insane?!"

Elliot grabbed a nearby jar of pickled eggs and chucked it at Bernie. "Hey, Norman Bates! Ever heard of therapy?"

Bernie dodged the jar and revved the chainsaw again, wild eyes glowing in the flickering light. "That book is the only thing standing between this world and total destruction!"

"Then maybe lock it better!" Elliot shouted.

Casey crouched behind a shelf, panting. "This guy is one cracked lightbulb away from full-on slasher villain."

"You dirty beatniks!" Bernie shrieked, swinging the chainsaw overhead.

Meanwhile, deep in the dream world, Donatello stumbled through the dark, his eyes searching for the monstrous form of Dark Beaver. The shadows shifted around him—and then he was slammed against a wall with a force that knocked the wind from his lungs.

"April..." he gasped. "She's... she's trying to tell me something..."

A gust of wind caught a newspaper and slapped it squarely onto his face.

He peeled it off and froze.

April's voice was there. Clear. Urgent. "You have to wake up! Wake up!"

Donnie's eyes went wide. "This is a... dream!"

He turned just in time as Dark Beaver lunged. Donnie swung his bo staff and cracked the monster across the jaw, knocking him back with a satisfying whack.

Dark Beaver hissed, recovering. "So, you figured it out, eh? Very clever. Clever, salty boy!"

Donnie didn't get the chance to respond.

A burst of light erupted through the dreamspace—and suddenly, Leo, Raph, Mikey, Mari, and Cat all appeared beside him, landing with various groans and confused looks.

"Whoa," Leo muttered, straightening up and glancing around. "What's going on?"

Donnie blinked. "I'm having the weirdest dream."

Leo frowned. "You can't be dreaming. I'm here."

Donnie raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm dreaming you."

Leo crossed his arms. "I may be dreaming you, but you're not dreaming me."

Mari stared at them. "What the hell are you two even talking about?"

"Can we focus?" Raph snapped, already tense. "What is this place?"

Mikey groaned. "Man... where'd all the candy go?"

Cat stood close to Mari, silent but wide-eyed, clutching her arms. She glanced around, her head twitching toward the shadows forming around them.

Raph's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute... guys—I think we're all in the same dream."

Leo scoffed, even as the air thickened around them. "That's impossible."

A chilling chuckle echoed through the void.

"Nothing is impossible for the Dream Beavers!" came a voice—gleeful and sharp.

The group turned just as the shadows peeled back to reveal a hulking, jagged figure: Dark Beaver, eyes glowing with malice.

Donnie squinted. "Did you say... Dream Beavers?"

"Olly-olly-oxen-free!" Dark Beaver howled gleefully.

The world around them began to ripple and melt like candle wax. Gravity flipped, stars swirled, and suddenly three more monstrous figures dropped in beside Dark Beaver: Dire, Whispering, Dread, Red and the slightly deranged Dave.

"You think you dream alone," Dire growled, "but we've been feasting in this realm for centuries—on human fears, nightmares..."

"But we're not human!" Mikey shouted.

Dread Beaver stepped forward, his cracked skull glowing. "Exactly. Mutants are a rare treat."

"I like candy canes!" Dave Beaver added unhelpfully.

"SHUT UP, DAVE!" the others barked in unison.

Then—with a sudden SNAP—the dreamworld shattered.

The floor beneath them crumbled into stardust.

The turtles screamed as they plummeted through the void, the Dream Beavers' laughter chasing them down.

Casey ducked as the chainsaw roared past his head, narrowly missing him by inches. Bernie was relentless, wild-eyed and ranting as he swung the blade through the air like a lunatic.

"Would you—knock it off?!" Casey shouted, dodging again. "We're just trying to help our—AAGH!—friends!"

From behind an overturned shelf, Elliot shouted, "This is so not what I signed up for!"

"What?!" Bernie yelled over the roar. "I can't hear you over the chainsaw!"

"Yeah, we got that part!" Elliot yelled back, flinging a canned good like a grenade. It bounced harmlessly off Bernie's shoulder.

Suddenly, the chainsaw sputtered... then stopped.

There was a pause.

Bernie stared at the silent machine and muttered, "Give me a minute, here."

Casey pounced, taking the opportunity to swing his bat and smack the chainsaw clean out of Bernie's hands.

CLANG!

"OW!" Bernie yelped, stumbling back and clutching his fingers.

Casey advanced, scowling. "What is wrong with you?!"

Bernie slumped. "Ah... I'm sorry. I'm a little high-strung. I haven't slept in forty years."

Elliot climbed out from behind the shelf, brushing off his hoodie. "That explains so much."

Casey stared. "What?"

"Because of the Dream Beavers," Bernie added solemnly.

Elliot and Casey exchanged a look.

"I'm sorry, did he just say Dream Beavers?" Elliot asked.

"They're beings of pure evil from another dimension," Bernie said, like it was common knowledge. "It all began forty years ago..."

"No one asked, dude," Casey muttered.

But Bernie steamrolled ahead.

The dusty shop seemed to fade into a flashback as Bernie launched into his explanation. Images flickered across Casey and Elliot's minds: a younger Bernie in a lab coat, fiddling with an unstable portal projector. Then—sparks. An explosion. The portal glowed with eerie light as Bernie collapsed.

"I was a physicist," Bernie said, "trying to prove that dreams are a dimensional plane of their own. But a defective projector short-circuited. Knocked me out cold."

"And that's when the dream demons showed up?" Elliot deadpanned.

"They entered my mind," Bernie said. "The Dream Beavers. They nearly broke into our world. But when I woke up, they got trapped—in the dream dimension. The only thing keeping them there..."

He turned and pulled out the dusty book from earlier.

"...is this."

Casey blinked. "It's a book."

Bernie opened it to reveal a bizarre mechanical core embedded inside—pulsing with faint, alien light.

"It's not just a book. It's a containment device. A Dream Plug. Obturaculum Somniorum. It's the only reason they haven't broken through."

"I'm guessing unplugging it would be bad?" Elliot asked.

"Try apocalyptic," Bernie said.

Casey's fists clenched. "Well, bad news, Bernie—they're feeding off our friends right now. You're gonna help us stop it!"

Without waiting, he grabbed Bernie by the arm.

"Hey!" Bernie protested.

"Less chainsaw, more saving people," Elliot said, opening the door. "Move it, Doc."

White filled the dream world—then melted away.

The turtles blinked as the world shifted around them, becoming stylized, strange. Their eyes glowed white, their voices accompanied by massive comic-book-style speech bubbles.

"What? Where are we?" Raph demanded.

Mikey exhaled in relief. "Whew. Back in the real world at last."

Donnie looked around warily. "This looks real to you?"

Mikey shrugged. "More or less. Except for those guys."

He pointed upward.

Atop the buildings around them, the Dream Beavers loomed—cackling with malicious glee.

"I spy with my little eye... something green," Dave Beaver giggled.

"SHUT UP, DAVE!" the others barked in unison.

"This is so annoying," Mari mumbled.

Perched on a broken billboard above them sat a new beaver—Red Beaver—with glowing crimson eyes and a wicked grin stretched across her muzzle.

"Aw, poor Mari," she purred, voice laced with mock sympathy. "Still trying to fight your way out of guilt?"

Mari's jaw clenched. "Get out of my head."

From behind Cat, a soft, whispery giggle echoed unnaturally.

"You don't belong here," cooed Whispering Beaver, floating just behind her shoulder, almost like a shadow. "Not with them. They'll leave you again... and again... and again..."

Cat shook her head frantically, hands over her ears, trembling—but the whispering only grew louder, like it was slithering into her mind.

"Enough of this!" Dire Beaver howled. "Destroy them all!"

The Beavers lunged as one.

The world shifted again—city transforming to sewer—and the siblings were sent tumbling into tunnels.

They landed hard but sprang to their feet, weapons drawn. Cat stuck close to Mari, gripping a broken pipe like a club.

Leo leapt onto a pipe, meeting Dire head-on.

"Now you see me... now you don't!" Dire sneered.

He vanished—then slammed into Leo from behind, sending him flying.

"This isn't working!" Leo grunted as he landed.

Donnie crashed beside him. Raph, trying to fight off Dread, was swatted like a bug by Dark Beaver's massive claw.

"Hold still, Dave!" Mikey shouted, wrestling with the oddly cheerful beaver. "I gotta chuck ya!"

But Dave was already multiplying—dozens of smiling, fluffy versions of himself forming a wall.

Mari slashed through the shadows, but Red Beaver appeared in a flash, grabbing her by the wrists.

"You act strong, but you're just tired. Weak. Guilt-ridden," Red Beaver sneered. "You're still bleeding, Mari."

Mari growled and kicked her off—but the insult stuck. She looked down. Her knuckles were bleeding again.

Meanwhile, Cat staggered back, shaking her head violently as Whispering Beaver circled like a ghost.

Suddenly, the floor gave way.

Water surged from a broken pipe, sweeping them all into a swirling torrent. They tumbled through yet another dimensional shift—only to find themselves on a conveyor belt.

A pizza oven loomed ahead.

The turtles screamed as they were carried toward it—helpless, exhausted, and very nearly beaver food.

April sat beside Mari, her palms pressed to her cheeks, trying not to panic.

"Come on, Mari," she whispered, her voice wavering. "Wake up. Please—wake up!"

Nothing. Mari's brow was furrowed, her breathing shallow, knuckles faintly stained with dried blood. April glanced down and gently took one of her hands, flinching at the rawness of the fresh splits.

Elliot burst in through the door with Casey, both winded from the sprint back. Bernie stumbled after them, wide-eyed and disoriented.

April didn't even look up. "They're all still out."

April slapped Mari, causing Casey to blink.

"I thought you said that wouldn't work," Casey said.

"I don't know what else to do!" April's voice cracked as she looked back down at Mari, gripping her tighter. "Their pulses are fading. If we can't wake them up... they're not gonna make it!"

Bernie's eyes widened as he scanned the scene—shells, masks, bandanas. "Oh my gosh!" he gasped. "Is that TV set an Astroview?!"

April blinked. "Seriously? Not 'Oh my gosh, mutant turtles?'"

Bernie blinked again. "Wait... you see them too?"

Casey grabbed him by the front of the jacket. "Focus, old man! The Dream Beavers are draining them. How do we wake them up?!"

"You can't!" Bernie said, panicking. "The Obturaculum keeps them locked in the dream realm! As long as it's active, the Beavers keep feeding! That's why I don't sleep! I've had four heart attacks!"

"Got any coffee?" Elliot muttered bitterly, still staring at Cat.

April's hands shook as she pressed them to Mari's chest again. "She's not breathing right... she's barely breathing—"

Casey's grip tightened around the book. His face went cold.

"So this book—this is what's doing it?"

Bernie hesitated. "Yes—but wait! Don't—"

CRACK!

Casey brought his bat down hard on the book.

The Obturaculum shattered.

And the dream world cracked with it.

Inside the dream world, the sky split open.

Dire Beaver paused mid-swing. "What's this?"

Dark Beaver's red eyes flashed. "The barrier—it's broken!"

Dread Beaver bellowed with joy. "We are free! Free!"

Back in the real world, the turtles stirred.

Leo groaned first. Then Mikey. Raph's hand twitched. Donnie inhaled sharply, his eyes flying open.

Mari's fingers twitched as her eyes fluttered open. She blinked in confusion, then groaned and rolled halfway onto her side.

Cat stirred next. Her hands clenched against the blanket she'd been wrapped in. Her eyes opened slowly, dazed and glossy.

April gasped from where she knelt at Mari's side. "You're okay! You're all okay!"

Elliot was already kneeling beside Cat, gently supporting her shoulders. "Hey. Hey, there you are."

She looked at him—then launched forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle.

"Whoa—okay," he muttered, caught off guard, but he hugged her back just as tightly. "You're good. You're safe."

Bernie, however, was pale and horrified. "The Obturaculum is broken! The beavers are free! Free to destroy our world! All is lost! ALL IS—AAGH!"

The book burst open.

And out spilled the Dream Beavers.

Dire. Dark. Whispering. Dread. Red. Dave.

They were... tiny.

Maybe a foot tall. Fluffy. Wide-eyed. Plushy.

The group stared in silence.

Dire blinked. "Wait a second..."

Mikey raised a hand from where he was sprawled on the rug. "Hi, Dave!"

Dave Beaver beamed. "Hi, Mikey!"

"SHUT UP, DAVE!" the others roared in unison.

Bernie pointed, trembling. "This is it? This is what I've been protecting Earth from for forty years? Plush toys?!"

Casey crossed his arms. "If I were you guys, I'd be—"

"Leaving," Dire interrupted. "My thoughts exactly. Come, beavers! Let us leave this world for one that is— Oh, all right, we're going. Big bully."

In a puff of blue mist, the Dream Beavers vanished.

Bernie stared at the spot where they had disappeared, eyes wide with disbelief. Then he turned to April, Casey, and the turtles.

"I've been awake for forty years," he muttered, "for no good reason."

He yawned. Once. Twice.

And then, like a puppet whose strings were cut, Bernie dropped straight to the floor and slept.

For the first time in four decades.

The others watched, speechless.

Casey scratched the back of his neck. "So... who wants to help me carry him back?"

Donnie sighed, stepped forward, and together he and Casey gently lifted Bernie off the floor and carried him out of the room.

Leo, still sitting on the couch, looked down at his leg. He rotated his ankle. Flexed his knee.

"I know that was terrifying," he muttered, "and we nearly died and everything, but... my leg really does feel a lot better."

Raph dropped beside him with a smirk. "See? Told you some rest would help."

From the other side of the room, Mari grumbled hoarsely. "That was the worst nap I've ever taken."

Cat gave a sleepy thumbs-up without lifting her head from Elliot's lap.

Mikey flopped over dramatically. "And that's why I hate bedtime."

April sighed, falling back against the arm of the couch. "Can we all agree to never sleep again?"

Elliot gently shifted Cat's weight so she could rest easier. "Too late. I'm gonna sleep for like... a week."

Mari raised an eyebrow. "You were the only one who didn't pass out."

"I said what I said."

Cat giggled and sat up, then she cuddled up to Elliot, who patted her head. Never once did Elliot think he'd be best friends with a mutant turtle, especially not this close, but he wasn't complaining.

Across the room, Raph's brow twitched.

Leo's eyes narrowed.

Their gazes locked.

Then slowly... both turned their heads toward Cat and Elliot.

"...Is he touching her?" Raph muttered.

Leo's jaw clenched. "His arm is around her."

Raph stepped forward. "Why is his arm around her."

"Yeah." Leo nodded. "Is this a thing? Or just a friendly thing? I mean, we let them be besties but—besties don't cuddle, right?"

Raph was already moving. "I'll remove the arm."

Mikey was suddenly intrigued. "Do it."

, from the couch, sighed. "You're not serious."

"I am absolutely serious," Raph growled, standing right in front of them now. "Hey, pretty boy."

Elliot looked up sleepily. "Huh?"

"That your hand?" Raph pointed.

Elliot blinked down at where Cat was nestled into him. "...Possibly."

Leo appeared beside Raph, arms folded like a disappointed dad. "You wanna explain?"

"She was cold," Elliot offered.

"She's a mutant turtle. She's not cold," Leo said flatly.

Cat just stared, tilting her head.

Raph glared. "You move that hand, or I move it for you."

Elliot sighed dramatically. "You guys do know she's the one who grabbed me first, right?"

"Doesn't matter," Leo snapped. "Aren't you just friends?"

"Yeah. That's all," Elliot said, trying not to laugh.

Before things could escalate further, Mari—still sprawled on a throw pillow—lifted a hand weakly and mumbled, "Can you two fight quieter? Some of us just would like five minutes of peace."

Elliot smiled smugly. "See? Mari's on my side."

Mari rolled over. "Mari is on Mari's side. Shut up."

Leo and Raph grumbled something under their breath, shooting Elliot one last warning look before finally backing off.

Elliot chuckled.