At Galactic Enterprises, the remaining Council members were suspended in healing tanks, the mutagenic medicine doing what it could to heal their broken bodies. Mashimi's body was laid out on a small table, arranged respectfully with his sword resting on his chest. Murakami, Splinter, Miwa, and the rest of the Hamato siblings all stood around him as Mr. Mortu stepped forward.
"I am deeply sorry for your loss." he apologized. "I can have his body sent to Japan as soon as possible, so the proper funeral rites can be held on his native soil."
"Thank you." Murakami said quietly, gently placing a hand on his former pupil.
Mortu looked at them all solemnly, then turned and walked off to give them some space. Leo looked down at Mashimi's body, then up at the council. His fists clenched angrily as he marched out of the room. Splinter saw him go and quietly followed after him.
...
Splinter found his son up on the roof of Galactic Enterprises. The Blue turtle was looking out at the city, the stars twinkling in the night sky. He watched them with a mournful look, then he slammed his fists down on the railing around the edge of the building.
"My son?" Splinter called out, approaching Leonardo.
"This never should have happened!" Leo exclaimed. "We should have been out there trying to find him!"
Splinter walked over to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We can only do so much in life, Leonardo." Splinter tried to reassure. "What's done is done. To dwell on what should have been will only torture us."
"But you know I'm right Sensei!" Leo let out, turning to Splinter with tear-filled eyes. "We thought he was dead after the Wolf Hotel fight, but he wasn't. We thought he was dead after the boat explosion, but he wasn't! Twice we've let our arrogance cloud our judgement, and now someone has paid the ultimate price for our failure!"
Splinter considered what Leo had said, before letting out a sigh of admittance.
"You are right, my son." Splinter replied. "Tonight's events have made clear that the Shredder is a problem that can go unchecked no longer. We must end this."
Leo straightened up, a serious look on his face.
"Once and for all." He agreed.
...
Hisako broke away from the small funeral to meet up with Samson. He and Dr. Xeinos were leaving one of Galactic Enterprises large meeting rooms where the recently recovered mutants were being held. When Samson saw Hisako approaching, he gave her a warm smile.
"Hisako." he greeted.
"How are they?" Hisako asked, glancing towards the door.
"Still recovering I'm afraid." Dr. Xeinos lamented.
"Thanks for not locking them up in the cell block downstairs." Hisako told the doctor. "They're not bad guys… They're just..."
"Hostile and afraid." Samson concluded.
Hisako nodded silently.
"Can I… Can I see them?" she inquired.
Dr. Xeinos and Samson exchanged worried looks, but eventually relented.
"Just be careful." Samson practically begged.
Hisako nodded, then gently opened the door to the meeting room. The four mutants were all on the opposite end of the room, the table and chairs having been erected as some sort of makeshift barrier. They seemed to be huddled close together, as if afraid to be alone.
"Hey guys." Hisako called out, closing the door behind her. "Can I come closer?"
The mutants all turned to each other before turning back to Hisako and nodding. She approached slowly, climbing over the barrier before touching down on the other side. She didn't get any closer after that, choosing to sit down with her back to the barrier.
"I..." she began, truly at a loss for word. "I wish I knew what to say… Wish there were some magic words to make what we-... what you went through go away."
The mutants all just sighed, Tusks giving Hisako a look.
"Hey, it ain't your fault." he told her.
"We should have tried to find you guys after-... after." Hisako replied.
"That place was coming down anyway." Horns replied.
"Still, it's no excuse." Hisako argued. "I'm sorry… to all of you."
"There is..." Rahzar spoke up. "Only one to blame for this."
Armaggon gurgled menacingly, forming a claw with his webbed fingers. Though he couldn't speak, his message was clear.
"Shredder." Hisako muttered, her fists clenching. "Rahzar's right. It's his fault we're like this."
"Then I say we go do something about it!" Tusks declared.
"I agree." Leo's voice agreed.
The mutants and Hisako turned to see Leo standing in the doorway.
"Thought I might find you here, sis." Leo told her.
Rahzar growled defensively, but Armaggon put a hand on the coyote's chest, shaking his head. Tusks and Horns eyed the blue turtle, the latter cocking his head slightly as if giving Leo permission to join them.
"We want to stop Shredder as well." Leo told them as he approached. "And we're working on a plan to take him down. We could use your help, if you're willing to work with us. I know you've been misused by humans in the past, but the ones we call friends are nothing like the monsters you've dealt with before."
"Yeah, we know." Tusks informed him. "That Samson guy was cool with us."
"Besides, you're offering us a chance to get some much needed payback against the whack job that had us mutated and tortured."
Armaggon let out a low roar, getting to his feet. Rahzar did the same.
"I agree..." he snarled. "We're in..."
"Great." Hisako replied.
...
Later, the turtles, Splinter, Hisako, Miwa, April, Casey, Samson, Leatherhead, and the mutants were meeting in the lair, all of them gathered around the kitchen table. Leo stood at the head, taking a deep breath as he prepared to address the group.
"Alright everyone," He spoke. "This is it. Our most daring challenge yet. Shredder has hounded us for too long. It's time we take the fight to him."
"Well it's about time." Raph remarked, punching his palm.
"Except we have no idea where he is." Donny interjected.
"Yes, we do." Miwa spoke up.
She slapped a map of the wooded area of New York down on the table. April provided her with a marker, which she used to circle a small part on the map.
"The Shredder had a mansion built deep in the woods, overlooking a large cliffside." she explained. "To me, it was always his summer home, but considering what we've done to his empire, as well as his status with the Foot, I have no doubt that's where he's hiding out."
"Then that's where we go." Leo declared.
"Knowing Shredder, he's gonna be prepared for a frontal attack." Donny hypothesized. "Motorheads, elites, those invisible ninjas, not to mention whatever leftover mutants he may have."
"So going in guns blazing would be suicide." April surmised. "Noted."
Casey looked at the map, squinting at it as he began thinking.
"Miwa, can I see that marker?" he asked.
Miwa handed it over as Casey looked over the map.
"If I was Shredder, I'd probably have those Dogpound creatures guarding the woods surrounding the mansion with Motorheads to supervise." he mused. "They'd use the trees for cover, luring their victims towards the water."
Armaggon gurgled a bit, Rahzar nodding.
"The water… where the other… fish mutant… waits." Rahzar reported.
"Fishface?" Mikey questioned. "But I thought Leatherhead ate him."
"The new guy made another one." Tusks informed him.
"Of course he did." Raph muttered.
Samson looked at the map, rubbing his chin.
"I will lead the Guardians in a frontal assault, drawing the attention of these Dogpound soldiers and their Motorhead companions."
"Meanwhile, the guys can sneak in from the back, here." Casey continued, pointing to a back entrance on the map.
"What about Fishface?" Donny questioned. "To get to the back entrance, we'd still need to scale the cliff walls to avoid the forces."
"Leave that… to me..." Leatherhead snarled.
"All yours big guy." Mikey remarked. "Just wait till we're out of the water before you eat him."
LH nodded once.
"Shredder's forces will no doubt be flooding the mansion." Casey continued. "We'll have to be in sync and connected at all time."
"I can handle that." April promised. "I'll head back to Galactic Enterprises and hook up with Mortu. That way, we've got a bead on everyone's status and location."
"Then now is the time we prepare." Splinter declared. "For soon, we will be engaged in the fight of our lives."
...
The turtles shed their usually colorful garments, knowing that they couldn't risk giving themselves away. They clothed themselves in all black, smearing black face paint across their eyes in intimidating patterns. Hisako donned blackened clothes as well, tying her hair in a tight braid before applying black face paint as well. Miwa did the same, pulling a hood over her bright pink hair before drawing a simple line of paint over her eyes. Mikey placed black make up over his eyes and cheeks like an 80's action hero, Raph did dark lines across his face like claws, Leo did twin lined down his cheeks, while Donny stuck with a simple long line.
The mutants all shed their former hospital pants, donning some oversized clothes that Leatherhead had found for them. Horns got an old wife beater that had yellowed overtime and a pair of ripped camo pants. Tusks put an old jean jacket vest on over his pair chest, torn jeans covering his legs. Rahzar just took a pair of black pants, Armaggon taking ownership of a set of swim trunks.
Casey packed up his hockey bag full of sports equipment, including several metal bats, golf clubs, croquet mallets, and hockey sticks. He tucked parts of his football padding under an old paint-stained hoodie, sliding his hockey mask onto his face. Samson donned his usual trench coat and shades, sliding his sword into his coat. Splinter strapped a quiver of arrows over his shoulder and pulled out a special katana from his days in the Foot. He strapped it onto his side and got ready to join his family in what appeared to be their greatest battle yet.
...
The Shellraiser drove down the streets of New York, a Galactic Enterprises Van right next to them. Nobody said a word, all of them anxious to get where they were going. Leo looked out at the city as it slowly faded into the distance, his eyes landing on the silhouette of Galactic Enterprises in the distance. He then turned back to the road ahead as they approached the woods.
"Tonight, we take Shredder down." he told his family, holding out one hand palm down.
"Together." Raph agreed, placing his hand on top of Leo's.
The rest of the family joined in, save for Casey who was driving.
"Cowabunga!" They all exclaimed in unison.
...
Later, they parked in a clearing a few miles from the mansion. They made their way on foot, all of them acting with every speck of grace and stealth they had.
"The Shredder's mansion is just up ahead." Leo reported. "Samson, are your forces in position?"
"We are ready, Leonardo." Samson reported over comms. "Just tell us when."
"Tusks, you and the rest of the mutants ready?" Hisako asked.
"Born ready." Tusks answered.
Hisako nodded at Leo, who nodded back.
"Let's do this." he declared.
With that, the mutants and guardians charged towards the mansion. As they ran forward, Motorheads emerged from the trees and leapt towards the guardians. Dogpound units howled into the night as they barreled out of the bushes. The mutants engaged the Dogpound brigade head on as the guardians clashed swords with the motorheads. Rahzar launched several claws at the mutant dogs, striking a good portion of them. Tusks and Horns tagged teamed on both Motorheads and Dogpounds alike, ramming them into trees, rocks, and anything hard they could find. Armaggon gurgled loudly, chomping down on anything and anyone who was foolish enough to get in range of his jaw.
Samson sliced one motorheads sword with his own before kicking him aside. He then blocked another motorhead's blade coming from behind before another guardian took him out.
"We have the forces busy here." Samson reported over comms. "Do what you have to."
"Right." Leo replied. "To the cliff everyone."
The Hamato family, plus Leatherhead and Casey, then ran through the carnage, dodging and weaving through various fights as they made their way towards the cliff. They didn't even bother to stop, running right over the edge and into the waters below. As they swam towards the mansion, a blurry figure darted underneath them. The Hamato family all looked down, just in time to see a new Fishface zooming towards them.
"Fishface at 9:00!" Donny reported.
"Go get him big guy." Hisako told him.
Leatherhead nodded, then dove under the water to face off against the mutant fish. The two locked hands, snarling at one another.
"I ate… the last one." Leatherhead warned, baring his teeth. "You think… you'll do better?"
Fishface just roared as the two continued to clash. Leatherhead then bit down hard on Fishface's shoulder, eliciting a cry from the fish. Up above the water's surface, the bubbles from their fight rose up.
"My children, we must continue our journey before Shredder has a chance to truly gather his forces." Splinter urged.
"And before this turns into a literal bloodbath." Mikey added.
With that, the group swam for the shore beneath Shredder's mansion. The cliffside rose up around them as the Hamato Family drew out sets of climbing claws.
"Man, I can't remember the last time we had to use these." Raph remarked.
"We can't risk using Hisako's telekinesis this early in the game." Donny informed him. "We need all of us at peak strength when we face Shredder."
"Donny's right." Leo announced. "Let's get to climbing."
...
Finally, the group was able to get to the top of the cliff and right in front of the mansion. They stowed their claws, looking up at the mansion with fear and trepidation. Miwa shivered slightly.
"Never thought I'd be back here." she muttered. "And certainly not as an attacker."
"Life tends to have a peculiar sense of humor." Leo remarked.
"You mean like how the girl you were secretly dating turned out to be your sister?" Mikey added.
"Now?" Leo asked. "You're doing this now?"
What?" Mikey asked. "Just trying to relieve tension."
"Enough." Splinter interrupted. "Let us press forward."
They approached the doors of the manor, Hisako stepping forward. She popped her neck, then her eyes began to glow as she summoned her power. The doors were surrounded in a halo of green light before they were ripped off the hinges and tossed aside.
"Knock-knock." she declared as the power died down.
"Now, where would Shredder be hiding out in this place?" Casey asked.
"The master bedroom is on the top floor." Miwa reported. "In between us and that is the dojo and a small lab."
"That's a whole lot of bad." Donny remarked.
"Then we better get moving." Raph replied, walking further into the mansion.
They slunk through the mansion, doing their best to keep as quiet as possible.
...
Slowly opening the door, Raph peered inside to see the lab Miwa was talking about. His nose wrinkled at the smell of antiseptics, his hands curling around his sai. The others soon entered, Hisako clinging to Splinter with a death grip on his robe.
"This isn't That Place, He cannot hurt me." she muttered to herself. "This isn't That Place, He cannot hurt me."
"Maybe we should have let her wait outside." Mikey suggested.
"No time." Leo replied. "Besides, we need all hands on deck for this one."
"I couldn't agree more, Leonardo!" Dr. Chaplain's voice called out from the darkness.
Everyone turned to see Chaplain emerging from the shadows, the light gleaming off his glasses ominously as he smirked at the turtles.
"You!" Mikey declared before pausing for a moment. "Who are you?"
"I suppose I don't have the same reputation as my predecessor." Chaplin admitted. "My name is Dr. Chaplain, Master Shredder's new scientific officer."
"Well now we know who's responsible for the new mutants Shred head sicced on the Council." Raph remarked.
"And not just them." Chaplin added.
Just then, several Foot Tech Ninjas materialized in front of Chaplain. All of the Hamato family froze at the sight of them.
"Ah great, not these guys again." Miwa groaned.
"My greatest creation, even if you freaks got lucky last time." Chaplain informed them. "But don't worry, I've given them a few upgrades."
The Foot Tech Ninjas then turned invisible again.
"And this time, there isn't any fire extinguisher to save you this time!" He concluded.
"Aw shoot." Mikey let out, spinning his Nunchucks.
The group just braced themselves, waiting for the ninjas to attack. Suddenly, group was bombarded by a series of unseen strikes.
"Dammit, I did not want to get tossed around by invisible ninjas again!" Raph exclaimed as something grabbed his hair, pulling him back.
"Focus, my son." Splinter insisted, drawing his bow back and firing an arrow at Raph's assailant. "You have faced this situation before, and yet you came out victorious."
The arrow connected, embedding itself into the invisible figure. It released Raph, allowing the red turtle to stumble forward.
"Yeah, but then we could kinda see them." Mikey gulped.
"And I doubt it will work this time!" Donny added. "Look."
The Hamato family all looked over just in time to watch as the arrow shimmered, disappearing from sight. They all gulped, returning to the fight.
"Hisako, please tell me you can help us out." Leo begged, crossing his swords to hold off an attack.
"No dice on my end either." Hisako remarked, slashing blindly with her tessen. "Still nothing but white noise on the mental spectrum."
Chaplain laughed.
"And to think, you freaks brought down my predecessor." he declared. "How pathetic, brought down low by an enemy you can't see."
Miwa perked.
"Can't see..." she muttered. "Donny, find the light switch and cut the power!"
"How is that gonna help?" Donny asked.
"Trust me!" she shouted.
Donny just shrugged as he looked around the room for a light switch. Finally eying one, he activated the piston attachment on his Bo staff and vaulted across the room, landing right in front of it. He flipped the switch, killing the lights and plunging the room into darkness. Despite this, Chaplain kept laughing.
"Fools." he declared. "Did you seriously think I wouldn't be prepared for such an eventuality? My Foot Tech Ninjas are equipped with state of the art Night Vision goggles."
"Sure likes to talk a lot, doesn't he?" Leo asked.
"That he does." Miwa agreed. "Donny, do it."
Donny flipped the lights again, and this time, the room was filled with screaming. Almost immediately, the ninjas came into view as they yanked their masks off, trying to escape the blinding light. Chaplain gasped in horror.
"No!" he shrieked.
"Now!" Miwa commanded.
Splinter fired arrow after arrow, nailing the Foot Tech Ninjas in the shoulder. Raph ran up to one and kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Hisako threw her tessen at a third, slicing through his suit before catching her fans and kicking the unfortunate ninja in the chest. Donny swung his staff at one ninja's head before sweeping the feet out from another, taking them both out. Leo faced down the final one, going old school with just an old fashion knuckle sandwich to the face. The ninja fell hard, leaving only Chaplain standing. He gulped hard, nervously backing away. He turned around meaning to escape, only to run right into Mikey, spinning a nunchaku.
"Lights out." Mikey quipped, striking him in the face.
The doctor fell hard, his nose now broken and bleeding. Mikey stood over him triumphantly before turning to his siblings.
"Nice one Mikey." Hisako congratulated.
"No time for accolades now." Leo interjected. Let's keep moving.
The others nodded, turning to Miwa.
"Lead the way, sis." Raph told her.
She nodded, taking them out of the lab.
...
The group pressed onward, traversing the numerous hallways as they made their way up to the second floor. Eventually, they reached a large set of ornate double doors.
"This is it." Miwa declared. "Shredder's dojo."
"What do you think is waiting for us in there?" Raph asked.
"Traps, foot soldiers..." Leo listed off.
"Hun." Hisako added.
"Trouble." Splinter concluded. "Be on your guard."
They pushed the doors open, entering a spacious room. The lights were off, but through the moonlight streaming through the windows, the Hamato family could make out what looked like giant spiked balls suspended from the ceiling, training posts in various corners, and a familiar silhouette waiting for them on the opposite end of the room.
"Well, well, well." Hun let out. "Look who decided to come and play."
The lights turned on, revealing Hun in all his Gamaron glory. He sneered at the group, showing his sharpened teeth menacingly.
"Never thought you freaks would have the guts to come here, but you're gonna wish you'd stayed in whatever hole you call home." he threatened.
"Y'know, I'm starting to wish the guys hasn't busted your human look." Casey remarked. "You are giving all turtles a bad name with your freakish look."
"Preach it, Case!" Mikey declared.
"You punks aren't gonna look so well yourselves after we're done with you." Hun remarked.
"Oh yeah?" Mikey retorted. "You and what-"
"Don't say it!" the others sans Splinter interrupted.
Hun chuckled darkly, then snapped his fingers. All of a sudden, a large plume of smoke appeared along the edge of the dojo, and the five elites emerged from it. Mikey gulped as everyone glared at him.
"Right… sorry..." he muttered.
"And that's not all." Hun informed them. "You see, Master Shredder had this state of the art dojo installed to put him to the ultimate test. At full power, it should be more than enough to destroy you freaks."
He opened up one of the training posts, revealing an electronic console. Once he powered it on, the floor beneath the Hamato clan opened up beneath them, revealing a bamboo floor covered in secret panels. These panels opened up, revealing hidden weapons and cannons.
"Well no one said it was gonna be easy." Raph remarked.
All of a sudden, the cannons started firing at them, causing them to scatter. Donny dug into his coat, pulling out several shuriken and throwing them at the cannons. He managed to hit a few, shorting them out.
"Goongala!" Casey exclaimed, jumping in the air and bringing one of his metal bats down on a gun.
Leo leapt around the dojo, dodging the blasts and deflecting a few with his sword as the spear elite ran up to him. Leo ducked under the elite swinging his weapon at him.
"Guess we better crank this up to eleven." Hun mused, flipping a few switches on the control panel.
The guns disappeared, then the bamboo floor split, dropping all but Leo, Raph, and Splinter into a deep pit.
"Guys!" Raph called down.
"We're okay!" Hisako called back.
As she said this, buzz saw blades shot out of the walls, forcing the occupants of the pit to dodge them.
"Less okay!" Hisako amended.
"Get us out of here!" Donny exclaimed, vaulting over a buzz saw blade.
"Working on it!" Leo called back, blocking the elite's spear with his sword.
Raph saw Hun with the controls and ran towards him. Unfortunately, the katana and Kama elites barred his way. The two swung their weapons at him, and he quickly blocked them. Splinter jumped over them both, vaulting towards Hun. Hun braced himself as Splinter charged at him, drawing his sword. Hun used his claws to block Splinter's initial attacks before the rat master leapt into the air and kicked him in the face. Hun stumbled back as he recovered, snarling.
"You think you're so tough, rat?" he sneered.
"Come and find out, creature." Splinter challenged.
Hun then charged toward him, his claws at the ready.
Down below, everyone has so far been successful in avoiding getting sliced at. Unfortunately, the buzz saws were not the only things down in the pit. The back wall opened up, revealing a long, spiked roller slowly powering up. It came out of the darkness of its alcove, revealing to be one of many attached to a large apparatus. The group took off running, trying to avoid the spinning rolls of death.
"Guys!" Mikey exclaimed.
"Someone turn off this thing before we're mincemeat!" Miwa shouted.
"I'm kinda busy right now!" Raph called back, barely holding off the two elites.
He managed to get into a good position to kick one into the other, running towards the control console and throwing it open. He looked at the machinery, perplexed for a moment. Then, he just let out a yell and stabbed it with his sai over and over until the death traps stopped working. Mikey let out a sigh of relief as he slumped against the wall.
"Way to cut it close, Raph." Casey called out.
Before Raph could retort, an elite roundhouse kicked him away from the control panel.
"Fool!" the elite declared. "Enjoy your moment of respite before the back-up power kicks in."
"Backup power?" Hisako repeated.
Just then, the rollers began spinning again and moving towards them.
"Oh come on!" Mikey let out.
"Hisako, think you can get me up there?" Donny asked. "I may be able to do something about this."
"At this point, it's be suicide not to try." she answered.
She surrounded Donny in a field of energy, rocketing him up out of the pit. He narrowly avoided the spinning rolls, and the large spiked balls that were now dropping down from the ceiling. He grabbed onto one of the balls and swung off, landing at the console near Raph.
"Keep Hun's cronies off me!" Donny told him. "It's gonna take me a while to figure this out."
"I got your back bro!" Raph reassured, spinning his sai.
"We both do!" Leo declared running towards them.
Leo kicked away one elite as the kusarigama elite threw his chain at them. Raph quickly grabbed the chain and pulled him in close, allowing Leo to kick him in the face, taking him out.
Back with Splinter, he and Hun were grappling with one another, Splinter barely able to hold the large Gamaron back. Hun them picked Splinter up and slammed him against the wall. Splinter grunted in pain as Hun grinned maliciously.
"The Master is going to be pleased when I bring him your head."
"I would have thought by now, he'd be used to disappointment." Splinter remarked before jabbing Hun's arm.
His arm suddenly went limp, causing him to drop Splinter. He then quickly jabbed the other arm before jabbing at a point on Hun's neck. The Gamaron's eyes rolled back in his head before he flopped down hard on the ground, unconscious and immobile.
"Donny!" Miwa screamed, the rolling spikes forcing her against a wall.
"Hurry!" Casey added, the spikes leaving grooves in his mask with how close they were getting.
"Almost… there…" He let out, working at the controls. "Got it!"
Finally, the rollers stopped, inches away from digging into Casey's mask. He sagged against the ground, the rest of the group doing the same. Donny hit a few buttons and the traps retracted, the floor rising up and bringing the rest of the family up with it. After a few more buttons, the guns came out, aiming right at the elites.
"If I were you, I'd run." Donny warned.
The elites all exchanged looked, then turned and bolted for the door. Donny grinned, hitting the on button as he and the rest of the group watched them run.
"Well… that was fun." Raph remarked.
"We must press onward." Splinter told them.
Miwa then lead them towards the door out of there.
...
Shredder sat in the middle of the large bedroom on the top floor of the mansion. He had his armor on, save for his helmet, which rested on the ground in front of him. He seemed to be in a meditative state, one he did not break even as the Hamato Clan entered the room.
"So, you decided to come after me." Shredder noted, not even looking up. "I'm honestly glad you did. You saved me the trouble of hunting you down."
"It's over, Shredder." Leo declared. "Your forces are decimated, your top lieutenant is down, and you're all alone."
"I do not require armies to destroy you." Shredder replied, taking his helmet and putting it on. "I will do that myself."
Shredder then stood up and readied his claws, taking a fighting stance. The others did the same, all of them ready to do what was necessary. Raph charged in first, spinning his sai as he did so. Shredder tried bringing his claws down on him, causing him to clash with his sai. Shredder then shoved him off as the two exchanged blows again. While Shredder was engaged with Raph, Miwa came up and tried bringing her sword down on him. Shredder quickly pulled one claw away and blocked the blade with it.
"It's not too late, Karai." He told her. "Join me, and we can destroy these pests together."
"I thought I made it clear back on the boat." Miwa snarled. "I am not. Your! DAUGHTER!"
Enraged, Shredder shoved both of them off. Before he could react though, Donny leapt towards him and kicked him in the chest. Shredder collided with the bed hard as Donny ran towards him. As Donny swung his staff at him, Shredder grabbed it and kicked Donny aside. Leo ran up and clashed blades with Shredder. Shredder slashed at Leo relentlessly as Leo tried to keep up with his sword. Shredder tried sweeping his legs, but Leo just leapt over the attack and tried bringing his swords down on him. Shredder blocked it and shoved him off, causing him to fall to the ground.
"My son!" Splinter exclaimed, running forward.
Hisako, Mikey, and Casey were quick to follow behind as they charged at Shredder. Shredder watched them come, grinning under his mask. He easily blocked one of Casey's bats before kicking him hard in the gut. Casey went flying through a window, plummeting over the cliffside and into the water below.
"Casey!" Mikey screamed.
He turned back to Shredder angry, swinging his Nunchucks at him. Shredder easily dodged every attack before ducking under another strike and upper cutting him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Just then, Hisako's tessen zoomed by, clocking him in the face.
"Ha!" she declared, bringing them around for a second attack.
This time, he ducked under one tessen and batted the second aside as Splinter ran up. The two old rivals clashed blades, with Splinter ducking under Shredder's claws before jabbing his sword at him, which his claws quickly intercepted.
"Something's different about you, Yoshi." Shredder mused. "I see a fire in your eyes, a burning hatred."
Splinter just let out a rat-like hiss, snapping his jaw. He shoved Shredder off and, getting on his hands, kicked Shredder into a wall before sprinting towards him. Shredder took out several throwing stars and tried throwing them at Splinter, but he weaved around all of them as he approached Shredder.
"This ends tonight, Saki!" he hissed, jumping at Shredder.
Shredder quickly grabbed her and tossed him aside, causing him to tumble onto the ground.
"On that, we agree!" Shredder yelled.
Splinter ran at him again and after leaping into the air, kicked Shredder so hard, he went flying out a window. Before he could go flying like Casey had, he dug his claws into the wall, stopping his descend. He then vaulted upward.
"He's headed to the roof!" Donnie realized.
"C'mon guys!" Miwa declared. "The roof access is this way!"
...
On the roof, Shredder pulled himself over the ledge. The faceplate of his helmet was badly dented from Splinter's kick, forcing him to ditch it so he could see properly. The helmet hit the ground as the roof access door was kicked in.
"Your time is up, Shredder." Leo declared.
"You are persistent, I will give you that." Shredder commended.
"Give up, Saki." Splinter demanded. "There is nowhere for you to go."
"Then we will finish this here." Shredder declared. "Once and for all!"
With that, the group all leapt towards him as Shredder readied his claws, prepared for the final battle. Leo scratched his armor with his swords before being knocked aside. Donny tried bringing his staff down on him but Shredder easily blocked it before kicking him in the chest. Mikey combined his Nunchucks into a three piece, spinning it in his hands as he charged.
"Cowabunga!" he exclaimed.
Shredder blocked and dodged the continuous strikes before elbowing Mikey in the face, taking him out. Raph came up next and went ballistic with his sai strikes, barely giving Shredder a chance to respond. Shredder then spun around, close lining Raph and knocking him to the ground. As he readied to stab him, Miwa's foot connected with his face, sending him stumbling back. As he regained his balance, Miwa charged at him again, her blade at the ready. He brought his gauntlet up to block the attack, disarming her.
"I thought I taught you better than this." Shredder remarked.
"It's called a distraction, Shredder!" Miwa exclaimed. "Guys, hold him!"
Shredder spun around to see the turtles leaping towards him, tackling him to the ground. Shredder struggled to break free as Hisako approached. She looked down at him, then over at Splinter.
"It's your call Sensei." she told him. "What should I do?"
Splinter looked at the man he once called friend, the now raving mad animal struggling in the grip of his children. He looked away, a single tear in his eyes.
"Despite all he has done… all the lives he has taken… I cannot..."
Shredder chuckled in response.
"Just when I thought you had grown a spine," He mocked. "Yet you're as weak as ever."
Hisako growled at him, then stuck her hands in his head.
"Go to sleep." she ordered.
Shredder's eyes screwed shut as he tried to fight against her. However, she proved to be somewhat stronger this time, and eventually, he passed out. The turtles all looked down at Shredder as Hisako removed her hand, all of them slowly letting him go.
"Did we just..." Mikey began. "Did we win?"
"I… think we did…" Leo realized. "We won!"
"Cowabunga!" the entire Hamato family cheered.
...
Later on, the last of the Dogpound units had been destroyed. The motorheads had fled to the hills, as had the elites. This left only Hun, Dr. Chaplain, and of course, Shredder. The turtles dragged the three out of the mansion, reconvening with the rest of the group. Leatherhead and the mutants joined as well, the former carrying a soaking wet Casey over his shoulder.
"Casey!" Raph let out, running over.
"He fell… into the water." LH explained. "Hit his head… but he… will live."
"And Fishface?" Mikey asked.
LH just burped, a scale flying out of his mouth.
"Ew…" Mikey let out. "I will never love sushi again."
At that time, a large aircraft appeared over the horizon. For a moment, everyone was panicked, until it was revealed to be an Utrom craft. It touched down on the shores, a gangplank lowering so its occupants could come down. No one was surprised when Mortu descended, but they were shocked to see the four surviving members of the Foot High Council. All of them were practically mummified in bandages, and they were wearing hospital garments rather than traditional robes, but they were awake and alive.
"Nice to see you out and about." Leo told them.
"I tried to get them to stay in their pods, but once they received word of your plan, they insisted on coming."
"Luckily, I was able to stall them long enough for you guys to finish the fight." April reported as she slid down the gangplank towards her friends. "You guys okay?"
"Never better." Mikey replied.
Chikara looked down at Shredder, who had been divested of both his armor and his metal right arm. She sniffed in disdain, turning to Mortu.
"I do not want this piece of filth anywhere on this planet." she informed him. "The council will accept your offer."
"Whoa there, offer?" Leo questioned.
"Oroku Saki is a wanted felon not just on this planet, but my own." Mortu explained. "After all, he has been aiding and abetting Tokka, an escaped convict from Gamara."
Mikey snorted, looking down at Hun.
"His name is Tokka?" he asked, snorting again. "That sounds like a girl's name."
"So how did 'Tokka' end up as a lackey for Shredder?" Leo asked.
"We do not know." Mortu admitted. "We'll find out once we get him and his two companions shipped off to Mor Gal Tal penitentiary."
"Good riddance." Raph remarked.
Several guardians grabbed Hun, Dr. Chaplain, then finally Shredder, dragging them onto the ship. Mortu prepared to follow them, but paused, turning to the mutants.
"You four." he called out to them. "Would you like to join us?"
"Us?" Horns asked.
"You were merely victims of Shredders cruelty." Mortu told them. "After the aid you provided, we would gladly find you asylum somewhere, perhaps set you up with proper identities. You can live in peace, without fear of prejudice because of your outward appearance."
"That be great." Tusks replied. "You know, Chaplin always liked to play music when he worked. Made the days a little more tolerable. Maybe we could do something like that for the cosmos?"
"Space DJ's, huh?" Mikey mused. "I like it! But if you're gonna do that, you're gonna need cooler names than Tusks and Horns."
"What did you have in mind?" Horns asked.
"How about…" Mikey pondered before snapping his fingers. "Bebop and Rocksteady!"
Tusks and Horns looked at each other, then they grinned.
"Dibs on Bebop!" Tusks declared.
"Ditto on Rocksteady!" Horns announced.
Rahzar chuckled a bit, shaking his head.
"Those two..." he let out.
"You should try living with my brothers some time." Hisako replied.
"Yo, Rahzar, Armaggon, let's go!" The newly christened Bebop called out. "The final frontier awaits!"
The two piled into the ship as the doors closed behind them. The ship then started its engines as it slowly lifted off the ground. Finally the ship rocketed towards the stars, taking with it some old enemies, and some new friends.
"It's over..." Miwa let out. "It's finally over..."
"What will you do now?" Splinter asked of the council.
"We will begin work rebuilding the New York Foot." Chikara told him. "Shredder's deceit will take time to erase."
"During this time, we will have to remain here in New York, weeding out the last of Shredder's forces." Kon agreed.
"We will need someone to aid us in Japan, someone who knows of Shredder's plans and exploits." Hisomi added.
"Someone who has more than earned a chance to prove their worth." Juto concluded.
"I thank you, Grand Council." Splinter began. "But I-"
"Apologies, Yoshi." Chikara interjected. "We were not speaking of you."
The council all turned to Miwa, who lowered her hood in shock.
"Me?" she asked.
"You were closer to Saki than anyone." Kon elaborated. "And your expertise would be invaluable in eradicating the last of his forces."
"What do you say?" Juto asked.
Miwa looked completely stunned, unable to form a complete sentence. She turned towards Splinter, silently asking for help. The old rat looked at her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"The choice is yours alone to make." He told her. "Whatever you decide, I am extremely proud of you, my daughter."
Miwa's eyes teared up, then she threw her arms around Splinter's waist, holding him tightly. He returned the hug in kind, then Miwa glanced behind her.
"Get in here, you guys." she insisted, cocking her head.
The turtles and Hisako got in there, joining in on the hug. They held each other for a full minute, then released one another. Miwa straightened up, facing the council.
"I accept your offer." she told them.
Chikara gave Miwa a small smile, nodding in appreciation.
"C'mon everyone." Leo announced. "Let's go home."
