The warehouse was chaos. Red and blue lights flashed from every angle as the turtles and ferrets darted between towering crates and skidding Kraang droids. Their movements were sharp, calculated—Leo led with precision, the others following his direction with their own signature flair.

"Keep moving," Leo commanded, ducking under a laser blast and flipping forward. "Don't let them surround you. Failure is not an option."

"Technically, failure is always an option," Donatello muttered from behind a shipping container.

Raph growled, "You know what else is an option? Smacking you upside the head."

They both dove as a volley of energy blasts scorched the floor between them. Sparks flew.

"Mikey! On the right!" Donnie shouted.

"Your right or my right?!" Mikey yelped, springing into the air as a Kraang laser nearly clipped his foot. Donnie lunged, bo staff swinging at a droid's head—but the strike bounced off harmlessly.

"Are you kidding me? I hate this thing!" Donnie groaned.

The droid whirled toward him—only for a pair of sais to slam through its face. Raph stood behind it, smirking.

"Nice work," he said. "When we're done here, there's a marching band that needs a majorette."

Yuki darted past them without a word, twin tantos slicing through two more droids with surgical precision. She didn't break stride.

"Focus," she snapped. "They're adapting."

More lasers whizzed overhead. Leo took to the air again, blades flashing as he sliced into a Kraang unit. Raph sprinted along a pipe and dropped onto another droid, stabbing both sais into its shoulders. The robot crumpled, and its grotesque alien pilot oozed out and slithered away.

Ariel, perched atop a crate, swung her meteor hammer around her with surprising force. "Incoming!" she called, slamming the weighted end into a Kraang's faceplate. "I'm not usually this aggressive, but you guys are really rude!"

Then—

"Kraang, the present is being a positive time to be the testing of the energy cannon."

From behind a reinforced wall, a hulking cannon rolled into view, humming with unstable power.

Leo's eyes widened. "Everyone, stand your ground!"

The cannon pulsed ominously.

"On second thought—run!"

The cannon fired. A searing blast split the warehouse, and the turtles scattered. Donnie wasn't fast enough—his bo staff caught a direct hit, vaporized in an instant.

He stared at the smoldering stump in his hands. "Oh, come on!"

"Dude, your stick just exploded!" Mikey yelled.

"How am I supposed to fight alien tech with a piece of wood?!" Donnie shouted, chucking the broken staff aside.

The cannon whirred again.

"Kraang, destroy those who call themselves the turtles when that which is the signal is the signal that is given by me!" the cannon droned.

Thinking fast, Leo whipped a shuriken at an overhead pipe. It struck a lever, triggering a lift under the cannon. The platform jerked upward, smashing the machine into the ceiling and crushing several droids below.

Alien bodies flopped out like burst balloons.

"Go!" Leo ordered.

One by one, the team bolted through a shattered window.

Raph hit the ground first, hard. "Dumb luck."

Leo landed beside him, calm. "Wasn't luck. And dumb had nothing to do with it."

Yuki rolled out next, flipping smoothly onto her feet and glancing back once to make sure Ariel made it. The younger girl clambered out after her, muttering, "Ten out of ten would not recommend doing that again.."

Back inside, Donnie was still dragging a Kraang droid toward the window.

"Uh, guys? A little help?"

A few minutes later, the six of them were struggling to haul the droid down an alley, heading toward a manhole cover.

"Why are we carrying this thing again?" Raph grunted, adjusting his grip.

Donnie huffed. "So I can study it. Understand how it works."

"I already understand," Raph grunted. "You hit it until the brain jelly falls out."

"That's your whole philosophy in life," Yuki muttered, hoisting one end of the droid without complaint.

Ariel wrinkled her nose. "This thing smells like hot dog water and batteries."

They finally reached the manhole. Donnie attempted to wedge the droid in—only for it to jam halfway.

Yuki stared. "You really thought that was gonna fit?"

Back at the lair, Donatello crouched over a workbench, the disassembled body of a Kraang droid laid out in front of him like a treasure trove of secrets. His fingers worked quickly, almost reverently, as he examined its inner mechanisms.

"This technology is light-years ahead of anything I've ever seen," he said, eyes gleaming. He held up a small circular chip, its three glowing nodes blinking faintly. "Do you know what this is?"

April stood nearby, arms crossed, watching the process with mild amusement. "No."

Donnie grinned. "Neither do I! But I can't wait to find out!"

Behind him, the dojo doors slid open. Splinter stepped into the room holding a new bo staff.

Raph nudged the turtle tank beside him. "Look, Spike. Donnie got another stick to break."

Donnie took the staff from his sensei, but there was a flicker of frustration in his eyes. "With all due respect, Sensei, I can't keep fighting alien technology with a six-foot staff. I was hoping to upgrade my weapon."

Splinter stroked his beard thoughtfully. "A seven-foot staff. Interesting."

"No," Donnie corrected with a groan. "I meant using modern technology."

"Ah. A solar-powered staff," Splinter said with a small nod.

Donnie dropped his hands. "I'm serious, Sensei."

"I know," Splinter said calmly. "And yes, you may upgrade your weapon."

Donnie froze. "That's totally unfair! You can't just—wait. Did you say yes?"

Splinter nodded. "Ninjas have improved their arsenal for centuries. We are masters of adaptation."

Donnie's eyes lit up. "That's great! With this technology, I'll be invincible! What should I make first? Electric sais? Multi-shot shuriken? Plasma swords?" He shivered with excitement. "I just gave myself goosebumps. You wanna feel?" He held out his arm.

April backed away. "Pass."

Splinter's voice was calm but firm. "Remember, Donatello—technology is a means, not an end. It is you who must prevail in battle, not your weapon. Combat is not a video game."

Donatello's face lit up again. "That's it! I'll turn combat into a video game! Thanks, Sensei!"

He scooped up the Kraang droid parts and hurried into his lab, already buzzing with ideas.

Later that day, the mutants were lounging in the common area, video game controllers in hand and a familiar chaotic energy in the air. Raph was locked into a fierce match with Leo on the big screen, grinning smugly as he closed in on victory. Mikey hung upside down from the couch, holding a half-eaten slice of pizza. Donnie sat with his notes sprawled in his lap, making casual observations about game mechanics no one asked for.

Ariel was curled up next to Mikey, doodling tiny Kraang being stomped by turtles in her sketchbook. Yuki sat on a far cushion, arms crossed, legs pulled to her chest, half-watching the game with disinterest while sharpening her tanto with deliberate precision.

The lair door hissed open and April strode in, holding up her phone. "Hey guys! Check out this post I got."

"Hang on," Raph muttered, completely focused. "I just gotta destroy Lame-o-nardo."

On the screen, Leo's character was knocked out with a dramatic burst of digital sparks. Raph tossed the controller aside, triumphant. "And that's how it's done."

Leo rolled his eyes. "You know you only win because you button mash."

April sat beside them, scrolling on her phone. "I've been collecting weird sightings around New York—pics, videos, rumors. Some of it might help us track the Kraang... or even find my dad."

She tapped a video and held it up. Onscreen, smoke billowed from a gas explosion. Through the haze, a hulking Kraang droid emerged, its glowing eyes cutting through the dust.

Leo stood immediately, eyes narrowing. "That's a Kraang droid."

"Where?!" Mikey gasped, leaping off the couch—and immediately tripping over Ariel, who yelped as they both fell to the floor.

"Watch it, dummy!" Ariel groaned, shoving him off her.

Leo turned toward April. "We'll check it out tonight."

"Why not now?" April asked, her tone sharp.

"Because it's daytime," Leo said. "We can't risk being seen."

"I can be seen," April snapped, already heading for the door.

Yuki looked up sharply from her sharpening. "Don't be stupid. You don't even know what's out there."

April paused but didn't turn around. "You don't know what it's like not knowing if your dad's alive."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't give you the right to be reckless," Yuki snapped.

"I'm going," she said firmly, disappearing through the tunnel.

A long silence settled.

Leo sighed. "Okay then."

"Should we follow her?" Donnie asked.

"No," Yuki said, sitting back down. "Let her go. If she's smart, she'll come back before she gets herself killed."

"I give her ten minutes," Ariel muttered, still upside-down on the floor next to Mikey. "Twelve if the Kraang are slow today."

In the lair, Leonardo sat cross-legged in front of the TV, completely absorbed in an old episode of Space Heroes. Onscreen, Captain Ryan Crankshaw and Dr. Mindstrong trekked across a craggy alien planet.

"What do you make of this, Dr. Mindstrong?" Captain Ryan asked, his tone grave.

"This is very disturbing, Captain. Sensors indicate—" Dr. Mindstrong paused, just before an alien creature zipped through the air and latched onto his head.

"Everything is fine," he said flatly, voice suddenly emotionless.

"Great galaxies!" Ryan gasped.

Crankshaw turned. "Captain, what's happening?"

"Dr. Mindstrong's been taken over by the Cortexicons," Ryan answered grimly.

"What'll we do? What'll we do?!" Crankshaw panicked, only to get smacked in the head.

"There's only one thing we can do," Ryan declared. "Dr. Mindstrong must be destroyed."

A laser blast fired. Leo's eyes widened in admiration.

"What a hero," he murmured.

Suddenly, heavy clanking and mechanical whirs echoed through the lair.

The siblings turned, startled, as a bulky robotic figure stomped into view.

"Take me to your leader," it said in a cold, mechanical voice.

Mikey nudged Leo with a big grin. "Leo, it's for you."

Leo stood, arms crossed, already suspicious. "What is this thing?"

Donatello stepped forward, eyes gleaming. "Everyone... meet the future of ninjutsu."

Yuki narrowed her eyes. "It looks like it should be the future of malfunctioning."

Raph raised a brow. "I always thought the future of ninjutsu would be taller."

"Aw, he's adorable!" Ariel gushed, crouching beside the bot. "Do you think he likes sparkly stuff?"

She reached to touch it, but the moment her fingers grazed the armor, Metalhead's weapons sprang open—blades, cannons, and saws unfolded with a loud clank-clank-clank. Ariel screamed and dove behind Mikey.

"He doesn't like being touched," Donnie said with a sheepish grin.

Leo stared. "You built this?"

"I reverse-engineered it from a Kraangdroid," Donnie said proudly. "It can take on danger while we stay out of harm's way."

"So it's a crutch," Yuki muttered.

"No—it's smart strategy."

"It's dumb," Raph countered. "I don't need a microwave on legs fighting for me."

"Let's call him Metalhead!" Mikey piped in. "Why, you ask? Because it's got a head—and it's made of metal."

"We get it, Mikey," Leo said, rubbing his temples.

Donnie tapped a few buttons on his remote. "Go ahead. Attack him. Give it all you've got."

"You sure?" Leo asked. "I don't want to break your toy."

"I do," Raph said, charging first.

Metalhead came to life instantly. In a blur, it caught Raph's sai mid-strike, flipped him over, and threw him across the lair.

"Woah!" Ariel gasped.

"My turn," Yuki muttered, launching herself forward.

She slashed fast and clean with her tantos, but Metalhead blocked every hit with terrifying speed. It shoved her back with a hard jolt that made her stumble.

"He learns fast," Yuki growled, getting to her feet.

"Let me try!" Ariel shouted.

Ariel leapt in with her meteor hammer, swinging wildly. She bounced off Metalhead's chest with a clang and landed in a dizzy heap beside Raph.

"Did anyone get the license plate on that trash can?" she moaned.

Leo and Mikey jumped in next, but Metalhead easily grabbed their weapons, spun them around, and knocked them to the floor like bowling pins. It stepped back and stood tall as the others groaned in a pile.

Donnie raised the remote, triumphant. "I kicked all your shells! And I didn't even have to use the laser cannon!"

"Face it, I'm invincible!"

"Oh yeah?" Raph growled, dragging himself up. He stormed over and smacked the remote out of Donnie's hands.

Donnie quickly scooped it back up—just in time for Splinter to appear at the top of the steps, arms folded.

"Sensei!" Donnie said quickly. "I was wondering if I could... take Metalhead for a spin tonight?"

Splinter regarded the sparking, weaponized robot, then nodded. "You may."

Donnie blinked. "Wait—what? Really?"

"You created a weapon. We must see how well it works."

Donnie lit up. "Thank you, Sensei!"

"But it is only a test," Splinter added. "Do not take it into combat."

"Totally!" Donnie said... and as soon as Splinter turned, he giggled to himself, "I'm totally taking it into combat."

"We know," Yuki said flatly.

"Let me know when the toaster turns on us," Ariel added, still dizzy on the floor.

High above the city, the mutants crouched on a rooftop, cloaked in shadows. Leo, Raph, Mikey, Yuki, and Ariel moved with varying degrees of stealth.The sixth figure with them clanked with every movement, metal limbs whirring softly.

"Should we double back?" Leo murmured, scanning the streets below. "I think there's a car alarm he didn't set off."

Raph smirked. "I kinda like it. Goes nicely with the sirens and cries for help."

Ariel, who had been bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, added cheerfully, "I dunno, I think he's kinda fun. Like a big clunky Roomba with lasers!"

Yuki shot her a look. "Focus. We're not here to make friends with the kitchen appliances."

Back at the lair, Donatello sat comfortably with a control console in his lap, monitoring the feed from Metalhead. He leaned back smugly, chewing on a slice of pizza—Mikey's last slice.

"Oh, come on," he said into the headset. "You guys are just jealous. You're out there in the cold, and I'm here eating Mikey's pizza."

"Hey!" Mikey shouted, instantly recognizing the betrayal through Metalhead's speaker. He lunged at the robot and tried to punch it—only to wince in pain.

"OW! I forgot you're made of metal!"

"Clearly," Yuki muttered, unimpressed.

A soft voice cut through the rooftop quiet. "Hello?"

Leo stiffened. "Hey, guys—quiet. Someone's coming."

The team crouched lower, Metalhead slowly lowering beside them with an audible whirrr. From the edge of the rooftop, a familiar figure emerged.

"Guys! It's me," April called softly.

"April!" Leo said, stepping forward.

They dropped down to greet her—just as Metalhead miscalculated and rolled right into a dumpster with a loud clang.

Leo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Raph grinned. "Still stealthier than the real Donatello."

April blinked. "What the heck is that?"

Leo sighed. "Donnie's latest 'brilliant' invention. Meet Metalhead."

"Catchy name, huh?" Mikey said proudly. "My idea."

A screech of static shrieked from the robot as Donatello's voice came booming through the speaker.

"Sorry, April!" he said. "Still getting used to the controls. Whoops. Megaphone button got stuck."

Everyone—including Metalhead—winced. Even Yuki had to resist rolling her eyes.

April steadied herself. "Guys, we've got a serious problem. The Kraang—they're planning to dump mutagen into the city's water supply."

Leo's eyes sharpened. "The whole city would become a disaster zone."

"There'd be mutants everywhere," Donnie added grimly through the comms.

Ariel lit up. "Wait, does that mean... we could meet more mutants like us?!" Everyone turned and stared at her. "What? That'd be kind of cool."

"Yeah, think of our all the friends we could make!" Mikey says.

Leo shook his head. "Let's move."

"I'm with you," Donnie said over the comms. "The Kraang don't stand a chance!"

But Leo hesitated, glancing at Metalhead. "Donnie... I need you to hang back."

"What? Why?"

"Metalhead's too clumsy. He'll get in our way."

"Clumsy?" Donnie repeated—just as Metalhead flailed dramatically and knocked over an entire row of trash cans.

Ariel jumped and shrieked. "My ears!"

Yuki folded her arms. "I think Leo's point was just proven."

Donnie groaned. "Okay, that one's on me. I did it for emphasis."

"You're not coming," Leo said firmly. Then he turned and leapt across the rooftop, the others following behind one by one.

Ariel paused, glancing back at Metalhead. "Don't take it personally. You're cool in a, like... terrifying vacuum cleaner way."

She disappeared after her siblings.

Left alone on the rooftop, April stood beside the robot, arms crossed. Metalhead slowly turned its head toward her.

There was a pause.

Then Donnie's voice came over the speaker, awkward but hopeful: "So... you like heavy metal?"

April groaned.

Inside the dark expanse of the warehouse, the mutants crouched along the metal rafters, shadows stretching over their shells. Mutagen canisters gleamed below, carried and stacked by the eerie, synchronized movements of dozens of Kraang droids.

"Looks like a Kraang picnic down there," Leo muttered, blades unsheathed and eyes sharp.

"Ready to bash some bots?" Raph asked, cracking his knuckles eagerly.

"Destroy some droids?" Leo replied, smirking slightly.

"Clean some closets?" Mikey chimed in, then blinked. "Wait—no. Crush some Kraang!"

Yuki rolled her eyes from where she crouched beside them. "Let's try using our brains before we start swinging this time."

"I brought my brains!" Ariel whispered, holding up her tessen with both hands. "And these!"

"Wonderful," Yuki muttered. "This'll go great."

Leo dropped down first, blades glinting in the dim light. He struck fast and clean, slicing a Kraang blaster in half before it could fire. Raph followed immediately after, tackling a droid head-on and slamming it through a crate.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey cried, flipping into the fray and throwing wild punches—until one of the Kraang calmly grabbed him by the bandana and dragged him across the floor.

"Uh, little help?" he called, legs flailing.

Ariel leapt down with a cheerful shout, twirling her tessen. "Yaaah! Get your slimy mitts off my brother!"

She struck the Kraang in the face with a surprising burst of speed. It dropped Mikey instantly.

Mikey blinked. "You're awesome."

"I know!" she grinned.

From above, Yuki waited a beat before jumping down silently, landing behind two distracted droids. Her twin tantos flashed once—precise, clean. Both collapsed.

She didn't say a word.

Donnie ducked behind a shipping container, scanning the fight. "Guys, we've got a problem! They're loading the mutagen into a cart—fast."

"They're organizing a transport team," Yuki confirmed, appearing at his side.

One of the Kraang droids slipped, letting out a high-pitched garble. In a flash, the rest of the machines turned toward the disturbance. Red eyes locked on their location.

Blasters powered up.

Meanwhile, back on the rooftop, Metalhead stood stiffly next to April as Donatello guided him from the lair via remote control. Donnie watched the scene unfold through Metalhead's visor—though his eyes kept drifting.

"Look at her," he sighed. "She's so beautiful. On this monitor, she can't even tell I'm staring."

April blinked. "You do know that's not muted, right?"

Donnie let out a scream and fell off his chair.

"Nervous joke!" he said quickly. "If it was muted, you wouldn't have heard me joking. Man, I hope she bought that."

April covered her ears. "That's the megaphone."

"I know!" Donnie insisted, quickly turning it off. "So... how do you think the fight's going?"

As if on cue, a laser blast struck the edge of the roof, causing both April and Metalhead to stumble.

"Aaah! They're everywhere! Run!" Mikey's voice echoed from below.

April winced. "Not great."

Down in the warehouse, the mutants ducked behind a stack of crates as a barrage of blaster fire exploded around them.

"Leo, we're running out of—room!" Raph shouted as more shots flew past their heads.

They all dropped into cover.

"We're trapped," Leo muttered, trying to catch his breath.

"Or maybe," Mikey said dramatically, pointing toward the Kraang, "they're the ones who are trapped! Hmm? No, wait—it's us."

Yuki pressed her back to the crates beside Leo, tanto at the ready. "We need to find a way to outflank them, not banter like idiots."

"I thought it was inspiring," Ariel whispered from beside Mikey, clutching her tessen tightly. "Even if it was kinda dumb."

Before anyone could reply, a massive crash echoed from above.

BOOM!

Metalhead dropped through the ceiling like a wrecking ball, slamming into the center of the Kraang formation. Sparks flew as the ground trembled under the impact.

His limbs flailed awkwardly in different directions.

"What are you doing?!" Leo shouted. "What is wrong with your arms?!"

Donnie's voice crackled over Metalhead's speaker. "My hands aren't on my hips?"

"No," Leo deadpanned.

"Oops. Forgot to press B."

Raph buried his face in his hand. "This is what happens when Donnie plays video games instead of sleeping."

The Kraang regrouped, surrounding the robot and firing their weapons all at once—but the lasers glanced harmlessly off the armor.

Back in the lair, Donnie leaned over his console, grinning. "Now it's my turn. Eat hot laser!"

Metalhead's arms lit up, rapid-fire beams blasting through the droids. Kraang units flew backward with each hit.

"Whoo! Yeah, baby!" Donnie shouted, hammering the controls like it was an arcade game. "You want some of this?!"

He launched Metalhead's fists across the warehouse like guided missiles, knocking Kraang droids into walls and scattering them like bowling pins.

"Hey, Raph," Donnie teased through the speaker, "how's it feel getting shown up by a toaster?"

"Burn!" Mikey added.

"I know, right?" Donnie chuckled.

"No—burn!" Mikey yelled, pointing.

Everyone turned just in time to see a flamethrower erupt from Metalhead's arm, torching several droids in a wall of fire.

"That thing which does violence at Kraang used to do violence for Kraang!" one droid screeched before collapsing.

The alien inside tumbled out of its metal shell, smoking.

But then Metalhead swiveled—straight toward the turtles—and fired a laser.

"DUDE!" Mikey shouted, diving behind a crate.

"Oops," Donnie's voice said sheepishly. "Sorry, Mikey."

"Donnie," Leo growled, "watch the friendly fire!"

Donnie didn't stop. "Here's some for you! And some for you! And oh yeah—I saved a little for you too! How'd that taste?!"

"Like burning," Yuki muttered, narrowly dodging a stray blast as she grabbed Ariel and yanked her to safety.

"Sorry!" Ariel squeaked. "That was almost my face!"

Suddenly, one of the lasers struck a stack of mutagen canisters in the back of the warehouse.

BOOM!

The explosion was massive. Metalhead flew backward into a pillar, crashing hard. In the process, his antenna snapped off.

Back in the lair, Donnie's screen went fuzzy.

"No! I lost the control signal!" he gasped.

On the warehouse floor, a Kraang alien squirmed atop the fallen robot, pried open its chest panel, and jammed its tentacles into the circuitry.

Metalhead jerked violently—then stood.

His eyes lit up bright pink.

"Uh-oh," Donnie breathed. "Guys, if you can hear me... you might wanna run."

The possessed robot turned its head, speakers crackling.

"The ones that which are called turtles and ferrets will now be called turtles and ferrets that are destroyed."

"Whew," Mikey said. "I was really afraid at the beginning of that sentence, but then I sort of lost interest toward the—"

Metalhead aimed a glowing laser cannon at him.

Mikey's eyes bulged. "Okay, I'm afraid again!"

Back in the lair, Donatello frantically worked the broken console, sweat beading on his brow.

"Come on!" he muttered, fingers flying. "Maybe if I can override the main—"

"Donatello," Splinter said calmly from behind, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "The time for games is over."

Donnie froze, then sighed and tossed the controller aside.

"You're right," he said. "My siblings need me."

Splinter nodded, then reached behind him and tossed Donatello his bo staff. Donnie caught it with practiced ease, eyes narrowing with renewed focus.

At the warehouse, chaos reigned.

"Give him everything you've got!" Leo shouted as the team launched into action.

Leo and Yuki moved as a unit—Leo striking high with twin blades while Yuki darted low, her twin tantos flashing in a blur of silver. Raph came in from the side with brute force, slamming both sais into Metalhead's arm, while Mikey flew through the air with a wild cry, aiming a spinning kick.

Ariel, staying nimble, launched herself from a crate and swung her meteor hammer around, attempting to trip the droid's legs.

It didn't work.

Metalhead's steel limbs moved with uncanny precision. One backhanded swipe knocked Mikey clean out of the air. He yelped, flipping and landing hard.

"This usually works!" he groaned. "Ow! Well... usually."

Metalhead turned and swung again, sending Leo skidding across the concrete and smashing Raph into a stack of crates.

Yuki leapt in, blade aimed for the neck joint—but Metalhead grabbed her midair and hurled her across the room. She hit the wall hard but gritted her teeth and rolled back up.

"Now Kraang will destroy you," the robot intoned, eyes glowing pink. "Which one wants to be first to be destroyed by Kraang?"

A voice rang out, sharp and defiant.

"Me!"

The team turned just as Donnie landed in a crouch, gripping his bo staff tight.

"Donnie!" Mikey called. "Bangin' entrance, dude!"

"You guys handle the droids," Donnie said, locking eyes with Metalhead. "I've got this bucket of bolts."

Without hesitation, he charged.

Metalhead paused. "It is the maker of the tech... which was the tech... that was of the Kraang."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the nerd who built you. Now let's dance."

Before he could finish his sentence, Metalhead launched a rocket fist at him. Donnie ducked just in time, the arm spiraling past and smacking the robot's own head.

Donnie rolled to his feet, staff raised. But another laser blast fired—shattering his weapon in half.

"Not again," he muttered.

Ariel yelped as a stray blast zoomed over her head. "This is why I don't like robot things!"

Donnie's eyes scanned the room—then locked on a cracked support beam.

"That might work."

He sprinted, dodging more blasts. "Hey, Kraang! The one you call your mother? She wears combat boots!"

"Statement shows ignorance of Kraang!" Metalhead shouted, charging after him.

Donnie vaulted over a cluster of crates, landed behind the beam, and stabbed the broken end of his staff deep into its base.

The beam groaned—then came crashing down.

Metalhead didn't stand a chance. The pillar smashed into its chest, slamming it to the ground with a violent crash. Sparks flew. For a moment, silence.

Donnie lay on the ground, chest heaving, then raised one hand.

"Booyakasha."

"Sounds weird when he says it," Mikey muttered from the floor.

"Sounds weird when you say it," Raph snapped.

The Kraang inside Metalhead hissed, squirming from the wreckage, then scurried away into the shadows.

Leo jogged over to Donnie, offering a hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Donnie said, smiling faintly. "No more robot ninjas for a while."

"Nice job, bro!" Mikey gave him a thumbs up from the ground.

"Impressive," Yuki said simply, brushing dust off her armor.

"I am never getting near another robot again," Ariel whimpered, dragging herself upright. "That thing almost fried my tail!"

"Way to go, Donnie," Leo says, nudging him with a fist.

"Yeah, not bad," Raph added. "Except for that part where you built the thing in the first place. And the part where it broke. And the part where it tried to kill us. And the part—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Donnie muttered.

Back at the lair, Leo sat cross-legged in front of the TV, gripping his controller like it was a lifeline.

"Oh, so close to my high score," he muttered. "Come on—oh!"

The screen blinked out. Game over.

Meanwhile, across the room, Donatello sat in quiet reflection, his broken staff laid out beside him. His thoughts were heavy, his shoulders hunched. Splinter approached, folding his arms behind his back.

"What troubles you, Donatello?" the old rat asked gently.

Donnie sighed. "This was all my fault, Sensei."

Splinter didn't flinch. "You are responsible, yes."

Donnie winced. "Yeah..."

"But," Splinter continued, stepping closer, "you are also responsible for destroying the mutagen. For saving the people of this city. For defeating advanced technology... using only ingenuity, bravery—" he glanced at the broken staff, "—and a stick."

Donnie blinked, the weight on his chest lifting just a little. "Thanks, Sensei. Maybe you're right."

"I am," Splinter said with serene certainty.

Donnie chuckled. "I guess with proper training, there's nothing better than a wooden stick."

He paused, then added thoughtfully, "Except maybe a laser-guided, missile-launching wooden stick."

As if on cue, the staff in his hands beeped—and suddenly began to hum and glow.

The other mutants turned toward him, eyes wide.

"Donnie..." Leo started.

Donatello's smile dropped. "It's not supposed to do that!"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Run!" Yuki shouted.

Missiles popped out of the staff's side as the lair filled with panicked yelling.