Chapter Text
Draxum walked alone through the silent city, the moon above shone brightly, its light unobstructed as it reached the streets below. While the surroundings were quiet, his mind was anything but—churning with random theories on how he and Michelangelo might return to their own dimension.
The goat yokai mulled over these theories as he walked, occasionally pausing to focus on a particularly intriguing idea. Each time, however, he would spot a flaw in the logic and resume his trek toward the shop he had raided the day before. This cycle repeated, yet he had yet to find a theory that offered a viable solution.
'Huh, perhaps the only way is to retrain that young turtle to better control his mystic abilities?' he mused. Given that those abilities were what brought them here, it stood to reason they might also be the key to getting back. Besides, this dimension seemed to lack a 'Power' system—a realization that helped narrow down Draxum's list of theories.
Draxum finally reached the shop and slipped back inside through the same window he had used the previous day. Wasting no time, he headed straight for the food and beverage section to load up the bag he had brought along.
'I hope I don't run into this dimension's turtles here again,' he thought as he packed the items. A first encounter might have been a coincidence, but a second? He wasn't so sure that would be mere chance.
Once he had gathered a substantial amount of food and drink—causing the bag to bulge noticeably—the yokai stopped and prepared to head back to the entry window. Leaping out from the sill, he retraced his steps through the streets, making his way back to the sewers.
As the yokai continued to mull over the various theories running through his mind, he suddenly sensed something watching him from atop a roof. He immediately summoned a vine and directed it toward the roof of the building to his left, however, the vine found nothing, piercing only empty air.
'Nothing there? I’m certain it wasn't the turtles from this dimension... this is... something else,' Draxum thought. He retracted the vine to his side and expanded his senses to detect the presence of any living beings nearby, yet nothing matched the sensation he had briefly felt moments ago.
'Did that creature leave so quickly? I can't find it in this area,' he thought. The Yokai clicked his tongue in annoyance and finally retracted his plant-like tendrils. 'What did that 'something' want by spying on me, anyway?' He glanced around warily, his brow furrowed in irritation and his gaze sharp as he scanned his surroundings.
'I’d better get back quickly,' he thought. Draxum then continued his journey back to the sewers. Occasionally, he cast his eyes over the surrounding area, just in case that 'something' returned to spy on him again.
Some distance away, Krang Z was speaking into a communication device connected to their headquarters. "Negative, that creature isn't the cause," the Krang muttered, glancing briefly in the direction Draxum had gone.
"But did you find anything this time?" asked a voice from the device. Krang Z adjusted his stance slightly before rolling his eyes in annoyance at Krang Y's question.
"Yes, I’m certain that creature has had contact with the very thing we’ve been looking for recently," Krang Z replied. He began walking back to their base to properly report his findings. "And it looks like I’ve found some ruins belonging to this dimension's Kraang—sites that still contain technology we can use," he added.
"Really? Then hurry back to base, I’m waiting for your report, Z," Krang Y said enthusiastically. Krang Z simply grunted in agreement, and the connection cut off. He immediately quickened his pace to return to the base where he and his partner were gathering.
A few days later, on the rooftops of a peaceful New York, the turtles had resumed their routine patrols, keeping a sharp lookout for signs of the Kraang. After all, there was always a chance they might cross paths and finally reach the climax of this whole situation.
However, what they had hoped for was certainly far removed from the reality they faced now. "Leo, we’re back to routine patrols, but we haven't run into a single one of 'these' Kraang since that fight LH and Slash had with them nine days ago," Mikey said. He lazily rested his head against the rooftop condenser unit where the turtles were currently stationed.
"I hate to say it, but Mikey’s got a point... Besides, haven't you picked up any traces or signals at all, Donnie?" Raph asked. The red-clad turtle looked quizzically at his purple-clad brother—who was still busy fiddling with the T-Phone in his hand.
"Absolutely nothing, Raph. They’re clean, I haven't picked up a whisper or a trace of activity from them—if they’ve even made a move at all," Donnie replied. He rubbed his head a little, feeling a headache coming on from all this Kraang business.
Donnie had thoroughly checked everything he could over the past nine days, yet he hadn't found a single trace then or since. With no clues as to what 'these' Kraang were up to, the purple-clad turtle was becoming easily stressed as he tried to figure out their exact plan.
"I think we should step up our patrols for now, because... well, who knows? We might just run into them..." Donnie said. He cast a cautious glance at Leo—standing to his right—who remained silent, gazing out at the city below.
Leo let out a sigh—his way of clearing the thoughts swirling in his mind—and looked at Donnie, then at his other two brothers. "Yeah. Looks like we'll be out on patrol a bit longer before heading back," he said.
"Do you think there's a chance 'these' Kraang are hiding out in one of the places 'our' Kraang used to occupy?" Mikey asked. He was now lying flat on his back on the roof, lazily staring up at the night sky.
The other three turtles fell silent for a moment, and Raph finally said, "Actually... that makes a lot of sense. Should we check it out?" He looked at Donnie and Leo. Donnie immediately glanced back at his T-Phone to check the data on the Kraang hideouts.
"There are actually two locations not far from here. Should we go, Leo?" Donnie asked. He looked at the team leader again, seeking his approval. Leo paused briefly before finally nodding in agreement with Donnie's suggestion.
"Alright, we'll check both locations, lead the way, Donnie" said Leo. The turtles left the rooftop where they had been standing and headed west to investigate the first of the old Kraang sites.
After a few minutes of travel, the turtles arrived at the first old Kraang location on their list. They searched the building from top to bottom, checking every room, yet there appeared to be no signs of a break-in or anything else amiss. Had the Kraang even been here before?
"Doesn't look like there's anything here, parts of this place were already empty because of us back when" Donnie said. The building was already relatively empty, as he had previously scavenged parts from it to build various pieces of technology. He remembered exactly how he had left the place, and nothing seemed to have changed since then.
"So, this place is safe?" Raph asked, looking at the purple-clad turtle. Donnie marked the location as 'visited' on his T-Phone before turning to his red-clad brother.
"I guess so," Donnie replied. He had to consider every possibility, of course, but it didn't look like the Kraang were here—or perhaps they hadn't even arrived yet?
Leo and Mikey returned from the floor above Raph and Donnie, and the group regrouped. "Nothing looks suspicious," Leo said. He glanced around, searching for any sign of activity, but found absolutely nothing.
"So, we're off to the next spot?" Mikey asked. Leo nodded at his youngest brother. Once again, they set off to check the second—and final—old Kraang building of the day.
As they entered through a top-floor window, they heard the rustling sounds of activity on the floor below. Instinctively realizing who was down there, the turtles silently split up to surround the creature. And sure enough, it was a Kraang there—though this one seemed different from the two they had encountered yesterday. Wait, was this another Kraang? An 'X' or a 'Y', based on their theories?
Leo drew a shuriken and struck at the Kraang, aiming for the brain-like organ in its midsection. However, the Kraang leaped to dodge the attack without even glancing at the shuriken's trajectory. It then stood tall in the center, staring straight at Leo.
"Wow, what is this? A sudden surprise for me?" the Kraang said. The other three turtles revealed themselves, surrounding the Kraang to cut off any escape route.
They were slightly taken aback by the Kraang's voice, it was different—was it... female? Had any Kraang ever spoken with such distinct intonation before? Aside from Kraang Prime itself, no other Kraang seemed to possess a voice that suggested a female identity.
"What are you doing here, Kraang-freak? Is this your base?" Raph demanded. He glared sharply at the Kraang, he didn't care about gender if someone posed a threat to him and his family—and besides, who cared about this weird Kraang?
"Hm? You could probably guess if you just looked around, surely you aren't 'that' dense, are you?" the Kraang asked. She gave a slight shrug and a dismissive, mocking smile. She didn't even look at Raph, her attention remained fixed on Leo.
Raph just growled in annoyance until Leo finally spoke up. "So, what exactly are you doing here?" he asked. He and his brothers gripped their weapons, ready to strike. The Kraang maintained her mocking smile and finally glanced around at the mutants surrounding her.
"That is none of your—" the Kraang muttered, trailing off as it glanced at Mikey. It stared a moment longer, seemingly surprised, before breaking into a pleased smile. "Aw, the target has come right to me? How easy," she said.
"What do you mean—" Donnie began, but he was cut off as the Kraang suddenly lunged forward, attempting to strike Mikey on the head.
Caught off guard, Mikey shouted in surprise and tried to duck to avoid the Kraang's robotic hand, though he felt he was a split second too slow. Just then, Raph—having sprinted from the other side of the room—suddenly appeared in front of the orange-masked turtle and blocked the Kraang's attack. Raph attempted a counter-strike with his sais, but the Kraang managed to parry the blow and leapt backward to put some distance between them.
"What the heck was that?!" Mikey exclaimed in shock. He thought he was a goner right then and there—had he just seen his life flash before his eyes? But it seemed the Great Pizza in the Sky was still smiling down on him.
"Ow, that’s a shame," the Kraang muttered. She crouched slightly, preparing to strike again, before spinning around to block an attack from Leo and Donnie, who were closing in from behind. She lashed out with a kick at the two turtles, but both managed to dodge it.
Leo and Donnie quickly regrouped with Raph and Mikey, it seemed their pincer maneuver had failed. Besides, what exactly did the Kraang mean by 'target'?
"What do you mean, 'target'?" Leo asked, gripping his Katanas tightly. Did this mean the Kraang were targeting Mikey? But why? Whatever the reason, he and his brothers certainly weren't going to let this Kraang get anywhere near Mikey if that was their goal.
"Oh, you're so tense," the Kraang chuckled at Leo’s rigid posture—he was braced for any move the enemy might make. "Yeah, you heard right, the mutant turtle with the orange mask is coming with me now," the Kraang said, pointing at Mikey, who was standing at the back of the group.
"He’s not going anywhere with you, you Kraang-freak!" Raph shot back. The red-masked turtle sounded angry and annoyed—but was there a hint of worry in his voice, too? He gripped his Sai tightly, his emotions were clearly visible on his face as he stepped in front of Mikey, shielding the turtle with his own body.
Donnie furrowed his brow in confusion and concern—what exactly did this Kraang want with his younger brother? He was certain that nothing good ever came of dealings with the Kraang.
In the back, Mikey looked genuinely shocked. "What? What do you want from me?" he demanded immediately. He was panicking, what was this Kraang getting at? Was he their target? How, when, and why had this happened?
"I am not entirely certain, the order was simply that our target is the mutant turtle with the orange mask, and to execute a capture operation," the Kraang said, shrugging her robotic shoulders nonchalantly.
"Whatever you're planning, I won't let it happen," Leo declared, pointing the sharp edge of his Katana at the Kraang.
"I don't need your approval, you know. I will ensure this succeeds by myself" the Kraang replied. She narrowed its brow, took a fighting stance, and turned serious.
A fight broke out once more between the turtles and the Kraang—though this Kraang was different from the ones they had encountered when they first discovered the Kraang had returned to Earth. Raph and Leo attacked at close range, attempting to immobilize the enemy, Donnie struck whenever gaps opened up due to Leo and Raph’s movements, and Mikey stayed back, knowing his brothers wanted him to provide support from a distance—which was exactly what he was doing now.
The Kraang found itself somewhat cornered as the turtles coordination defied its predictions. She backed away slightly before touching a control on the right wrist of its robotic suit. She punched the air between herself and the turtles, suddenly, the force of the compressed blast shoved them backward, knocking them off their feet.
The wall behind them didn't escape the blast's impact either, it shattered, and a section of it appeared to have collapsed onto the street below, leaving a gaping hole in its place.
"I didn't expect you lot to be such a nuisance," the Kraang said. She deactivated the device on her wrist and took a step toward the turtles. The three eldest turtles immediately moved in front of Mikey, shielding their youngest brother from the Kraang. "Let's get serious, then" the Kraang muttered.
The robot's hand opened a mid-sized compartment in its chest and withdrew twin Daggers gripping one in each hand, Kraang once again assumed a combat stance. "You know, I wasn't given the rank of 'X' for nothing," she muttered under her breath before rapidly advancing toward the turtles.
Leo immediately stepped forward to meet Kraang X's dagger assault with his twin Katanas. With a sharp click of his tongue and a surge of strength, he shoved Kraang X backward.
Donnie quickly moved in, striking Kraang X's robotic arm in an attempt to knock the daggers loose. However, Kraang X had anticipated the purple-clad turtle's move, she tossed the daggers into the air and used the very arm Donnie had struck to block the attack.
Kraang X aimed a dagger from her other hand at Donnie's head, but Donnie reflexively ducked, narrowly avoiding the direct strike. Kraang X performed a backflip, snatching her daggers out of the air before turning to parry an attack from Raph, who was coming in from the left.
"Why don't you just hand him over, huh?" Kraang X asked. Raph glared at the Kraang before him with annoyance and irritation. "Are you stupid? He's my brother—there's no way I'm letting you lay a finger on him," Raph retorted.
"Brother?" Kraang X murmured. Leo surged forward again, clashing weapons with Kraang X once more. Mikey stood behind the fray, bewildered, should he jump in and attack the Kraang now? Ugh—he had never felt this confused before.
Suddenly, Mikey heard a strange sound coming from behind him—near the hole in the wall. He whipped around to see what the noise was and where it was coming from, only to find another Kraang there. It was flying, propelled by something resembling rockets attached to its feet. What the heck was that?! Before Mikey could warn his three brothers, the Kraang behind him seemed to jab a needle into him. The fluid from the needle rapidly entered his bloodstream, Mikey’s vision quickly darkened until he lost consciousness, collapsing hard onto the floor—a sound that made all his brothers turn toward him.
"MIKEY!!"
The other three turtles try to get there soon toward the unconscious orange-clad turtle, but the Kraang—still standing at the hole in the wall—raised its arm again and fired the same type of needle at each of them. Raph and Donnie quickly lost consciousness and hit the floor, though Leo’s experience was slightly different, while he also fell, he managed to hold onto consciousness a little longer.
"No... Don't..." Leo murmured. He watched as the new Kraang flew in through the hole in the wall and hoisted Mikey onto its robotic shoulder.
Leo saw the two Kraang exchange words, though he couldn't make out what they were saying, his ears were filled with a painful static. He shifted his gaze to the unconscious Mikey on the Kraang's shoulder before his own vision finally faded to black.
"You took quite a while," said the new Krang. Krang X stowed her daggers back into the compartments in her chest and stepped over the three other turtles before reaching his partner.
"Yeah, there were a few flies here," Krang X said, glancing irritably at the turtles on the floor. The new Krang followed Krang X's gaze and saw the other turtles. The new Kraang then turned his gaze to the mutant turtle on his own shoulder.
"Is he really the target we're looking for? I thought only Z and W were supposed to deal with the target," the new Krang asked. The two were now moving out, leaving the three other turtles behind as they headed to the rendezvous point before returning to base.
"Beats me, the description matched, so I just grabbed him while I was at it. Besides, they were the ones who brazenly approached me—even tried to surround me—in the first place," Krang X said. The new Krang merely gave his partner a bored look, they finally stopped talking and broke into a run toward the meeting spot.
A few minutes earlier, Krang X had been carrying out a different mission, scouting the Kraang's old facility in this dimension to look for any technology they might have left behind.
"Based on information from Z, the mutant turtle with the orange mask is our target. Begin the capture operation, notify me if you secure the target" a voice said over the comms. Krang X was walking lazily down the corridor of the building, checking the state of the technology left behind by this dimension's Kraang.
"Huh, we have started to catch the target? I thought it would take longer," Krang X muttered. Aside from checking the abandoned technology, she was also examining any records or blueprints found there—just in case they proved useful. That would be an advantage for them, right?
'By the way, should I join the search for that mutant? Y did tell me what our target looks like yesterday, after all,' the Krang thought, her hands and eyes still busy examining some files. 'Hm, whatever, if I run into the target, I'll just capture them right then and there,' thought Krang X. Her activity was eventually interrupted when several mutant turtles decided to try and surround her.
'This is going to be fun,' she thought.