Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He stared up at the ceiling, the dim glow of the city outside casting shifting shadows across his room. His plastron still ached where she’d kicked him—just a dull reminder that she was the real deal.

His fingers tapped against his blanket absentmindedly. Who was she? And how had she managed to knock him off his feet like that? He was Raph. The tank of the team. The guy who took the hits so his brothers didn’t have to. But she—she’d sent him flying like he was nothing.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Yeah, she was cool.

Still, it bugged him. Strength like that didn’t come from nowhere. She wasn’t just some random Foot recruit—she had skill, precision. Trained for this.

Raph turned onto his side, frowning. He needed to know more.

Maybe he’d run into her again. Maybe sooner than he thought.

The next morning…

Raph still thinks about her.

It’s annoying, really. He should be focusing on training, on patrolling, on literally anything else—but his mind keeps circling back to her. The way she moved, fast and controlled. The way her kick had sent him stumbling, shocking him more than hurting him.

He grumbles under his breath as he yanks on his bandana, tightening the knot at the back of his head.

"Yo, Raph! You good?" Leo’s voice rings out from across the lair.

Raph jolts, snapping out of his thoughts. "Yeah, yeah, I’m fine," he says, a little too fast.

Leo narrows his eyes, clearly not buying it. "Uh-huh. You sure? ‘Cause you’ve been standing there for, like, five minutes just staring at the wall."

Raph scowls. Great. Now his brothers are noticing. "I said I’m fine!" He brushes past Leo, heading toward the training area. Maybe punching something will get her out of his head.

Doubtful.

Mikey narrowed his eyes at Raph’s retreating form, suspicion flickering across his face. He popped his neck with a quick tilt of his head, then, without a word, trailed after him.

Leo and Donnie exchanged a glance, completely unfazed.

"Dr Delicate Touch?" Leo said, crossing his arms and taking a sip of his creamy coffee.

"Without a doubt," Donnie said before he gobbled up an entire piece of pancake.

Leo looked at him judgmentally. "I know you're a soft shell and can swallow things whole; please don't do it in front of me."

"Then turn around," Donnie said nonchalantly before he swallowed another piece of pancake.

Mikey followed Raph into the training area, keeping his footsteps light. His big bro was acting weird, and if there was one thing Mikey excelled at—besides art, cooking, and extreme parkour—it was sniffing out drama.

Raph was already wailing on the punching bag, his strikes a little too aggressive for a morning workout.

Mikey squinted. "Sooooo… who is she?"

Raph froze mid-punch. "What?"

"You heard me." Mikey grinned, spinning a pair of nunchaku around lazily. "You’ve been acting all distracted since last night, and I know that look. That’s the look of a turtle with a crush."

Raph scoffed, resuming his punches. "Ain’t a crush."

Mikey gasped dramatically. "Ohhh, so it is a girl!" He bounced on his heels, eyes twinkling. "C'mon, spill! Is she pretty? Is she cool? Does she get your whole big scary teddy bear thing?"

Raph groaned, throwing one last hard punch before turning to Mikey with an exasperated glare. "She ain’t anything, okay? Just some Foot chick. She kicked me, I fell. That’s it."

Mikey froze this time, out of his Dr Delicate Touch immediately. "Yesterday, the one who kicked my shell on my first solo mission last night?"

Mikey blinked. Then blinked again.

Then—

"NO. WAY!" He practically vibrated with excitement, gripping Raph’s arm. "Dude! She was so cool! And crazy strong! And—wait, wait, wait—you're telling me she knocked you down?"

Raph yanked his arm back with a scowl. "Would ya stop yellin’?" He huffed, crossing his arms. "And yeah, she did. So what?"

Mikey gasped, clasping his hands together like he’d just uncovered the juiciest secret in the history of juicy secrets. "Ohhhh, bro, you so have a thing for her!"

"I do not!" Raph barked, his face heating up. "It ain't like that! I just—" He hesitated, grinding his teeth. "She’s just strong, okay? Like, real strong. Not many people can knock me on my shell, so—yeah, I was thinkin’ about it."

Mikey waggled his brows. "Suuuure. That’s all it is. Nothing else. Not even a teeny, tiny bit of ooh, she’s mysterious or ooh, she’s got a cool fighting style or ooh, she looked kinda awesome under the moonlight—"

Raph shoved him. "Shut up, Mikey!"

Mikey cackled, dodging the shove with ease. "Hey, I’m just sayin’—if she shows up again, I call dibs on talking to her first!"

"You already did. She fight while talk."

"Oh, yeah," Mikey said, also just remembered it, but then he gasped out of realization. "Oooh yeaah~ You look really close on her to know that."

"Mikey, it's a basic technique. Analysing your enemy."

Mikey smirked, rocking back on his heels. "Mhm, mhm. Sure, big guy. Totally just ‘analyzing your enemy.’ Nothing else at all."

Raph clenched his jaw, turning back to the punching bag and slamming his fist into it a little harder than necessary. "Drop it, Mikey."

But Mikey? Oh, Mikey never dropped anything remotely entertaining.

He tapped his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Y’know, you are the one who always says actions speak louder than words. And if she was fighting while talking, that’s gotta mean she’s got some confidence—maybe even a little charm?"

Raph exhaled sharply through his nose. "Mikey."

"Or maybe—" Mikey gasped dramatically, pointing at him. "She was flirting with you!"

Raph choked on his own breath. "She was not—!"

"Bro. BRO." Mikey grabbed Raph’s arms, eyes wide. "That’s, like, textbook flirty rival behavior! She lands a hit on you, you’re all whoa, she’s strong, and she’s all heh, not bad, turtle boy—"

"She didn't say that!"

"But she could’ve! And you’d be thinking about it all night, which—oh, wait. You totally did."

Raph groaned, pressing his hands to his face. "I hate you."

Mikey grinned, patting his shell. "Nah, you love me. Almost as much as you secretly love mysterious, cool, strong Foot Clan girls."

Raph growled and lunged, but Mikey was already somersaulting away, laughing the whole time.

"Don't worry, bro!" Mikey called, flipping onto the wall and sticking there. "If I see her again, I'll totally ask for her number for you!"

Raph hurled a punching mitt at him.

Mikey dodged. "Aww, you’re blushing!"

Raph grabbed another mitt.

Mikey ran.

Raph groaned and threw the mitt away before he continued to punch the bag.

Raph decided to go patrolling on his own again.

It wasn’t unusual for him to break off from his brothers, but tonight, he needed the space. Mikey had been on his case all day, and even though he’d thrown a couple of well-aimed mitts at him, it hadn’t been enough to shut him up.

So, here he was, leaping across rooftops, the cool night air cutting through his thoughts. His muscles still held that restless energy, the kind that wouldn’t go away until he did something. Busting up some Purple Dragons or stopping a robbery would do the trick.

That’s when he saw it.

The city’s history museum stood quiet below, too quiet. No security guards outside, no movement—except for one shadow slipping toward a side entrance.

Raph narrowed his eyes.

There she was.

The buzzcut girl. The same one who had kicked him off his feet last night. The Foot recruit who’d taken down Mikey on his first solo mission.

And right now? She was picking a lock and sneaking inside like she’d done it a hundred times before.

Raph smirked. Busted.

He dropped down, landing in a crouch before slipping through the entrance behind her. The museum was dimly lit, casting long shadows over glass cases filled with ancient artifacts. She moved quickly, her steps precise and controlled—she had a target.

His grip tightened on his tonfas. Not on my watch.

She finally stopped in front of a display case, eyes locked on a small, ornate dagger shimmering under the security lights.

That’s when Raph made his move.

"Y’know," he said, stepping out from behind a pillar, "if ya wanted a museum tour, you coulda just asked."

She froze. Slowly, she turned her head toward him, expression unreadable.

Then—

"You again," she muttered.

Raph grinned, rolling his shoulders as he tapped a tonfa against his palm. "Miss me?" His grin then dropped, and he got into a fighting stance. "I want a rematch."

Her eyes flickered with something—amusement, maybe? Annoyance? It was hard to tell.

She straightened up from where she had been crouched near the display case, tilting her head slightly. "A rematch?" she echoed, as if testing the word.

Raph tightened his grip on his tonfas. "Yeah. You got me last time. I ain't lettin’ that slide."

She exhaled through her nose, something like a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "And here I thought you were just here to stop me."

"Oh, I am," Raph shot back. "Just figured I’d knock you down while I’m at it."

She sighed, shaking her head. "You’re persistent, I’ll give you that." Then, in one fluid motion, she kicked the museum bench in front of her straight at him.

Raph barely had time to react before he was forced to dodge, rolling to the side as the bench crashed into the floor where he’d been standing.

He barely had time to get up before she was already on him.

Fast. Again.

Raph blocked her first strike with his tonfas, the impact rattling up his arms. She followed up with a spinning kick—he dodged, but barely, feeling the rush of air as it nearly clipped his jaw.

Yeah. This was exactly what he wanted.

"That all you got?" Raph taunted, pushing forward and swinging a tonfa at her midsection.

She dodged, twisting out of the way with ease. "Cocky," she muttered, before aiming a sharp jab at his side.

He blocked again, grinning despite himself. She was good. And this time, he was ready.

The fight was on.

Chapter Text

Raph groaned as they fought. She was as fast as Mikey—maybe even a little faster.

That was saying something.

Every time he thought he had an opening, she was already gone, twisting out of the way or redirecting his strikes with precise, calculated movements. It was frustrating. It was infuriating.

It was kinda fun.

Her fist shot forward, aiming for his ribs. Raph managed to deflect it with his tonfa, but the force still sent a dull ache through his arm. He countered with a wide swing—she ducked under it and swept her leg out, trying to take him down again.

Not this time.

Raph jumped back, just barely avoiding the sweep. He was not about to let her knock him on his shell again.

"Getting tired yet?" she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice as she steadied her stance.

Raph huffed, rolling his shoulders. "Tch. You wish."

She smirked. "Good."

Then she lunged at him again.

This time, Raph was ready. He met her strike head-on, pushing back harder, forcing her to adjust. She was fast, sure, but he had the advantage in raw power. If he could just—

She feinted left, then suddenly spun and nailed him with a sharp kick to the shoulder.

Raph staggered, his tonfa nearly slipping from his grip.

"Shell—!" He barely caught himself before he could hit the ground, rolling back to his feet.

She stopped a few feet away, arms crossed, watching him. She didn’t look tired. If anything, she looked bored.

"Still standing?" she mused.

Raph wiped at his mouth, grinning. "What, disappointed?"

Her expression didn’t change, but he swore there was something flickering behind her eyes.

"Not yet," she said. Then, without warning, she turned on her heel and sprinted toward the artifact case.

Raph's eyes widened. "Oh, heck no—!"

He bolted after her, knowing this fight was far from over.

She knocked the case off the artifact, the glass case shattered as she knocked it aside, and the museum alarm blared to life, red lights flashing across the exhibits.

Raph’s eyes widened. "Seriously?!"

But she wasn’t sticking around to chat. The second her hands wrapped around the artifact, she bolted.

"Hey—!" Raph lunged after her, pushing himself to full speed. She was fast—slipping through exhibits, leaping over benches, dodging around pillars like she’d mapped out the whole museum beforehand.

But Raph wasn’t letting her slip away again.

He clenched his jaw, tonfas ready as he surged forward, closing the gap between them. He just needed one good shot—

Then, without breaking stride, she jumped.

Raph barely had time to react as she kicked off a pillar, then sprang off a hanging display wire. With perfect precision, she grabbed the edge of the skylight, swung herself up, and disappeared onto the roof.

Raph skidded to a stop, staring.

"Oh, shell no—!"

Without thinking, he followed.

He slammed his tonfas into the floor, using them to boost himself up onto a display case, then jumped—grabbing onto the same pillar she used. He climbed fast, adrenaline pumping, before launching himself straight up through the skylight.

The cool night air hit him like a wave as he landed on the rooftop, scanning for her.

There—just ahead, already sprinting toward the next building.

Raph growled, rolling his shoulders.

"Alright, lady," he muttered, taking off after her. "Now it's personal." 

Raph’s breath came fast, his legs burning as he sprinted after her across the rooftops. She was still too fast—barely hesitating as she leaped over vents, fire escapes, and wide gaps between buildings.

Raph gritted his teeth. She is not getting away this time.

He pushed harder, his tonfas gripped tight as he closed the distance between them. She had speed, but Raph had power. If he could just get close enough—

"You run a lot, y’know that?" he called after her. "What, scared I’ll actually win this time?"

She glanced back at him, and—was that a grin?

"Win?" she echoed, her voice light despite the chase. "You’d have to catch me first."

Then she suddenly cut right, sprinting toward the rooftop’s edge.

Raph’s eyes widened. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me—"

She jumped.

And not just any jump—she dove straight for the narrow alley between buildings, flipping midair before kicking off the opposite wall, using the momentum to launch herself onto another rooftop.

Raph cursed under his breath. She’s good.

But Raph wasn’t about to let her show him up.

Without hesitation, he jumped, tucking into a roll as he landed and came up running. She was still ahead, but not by much. If he timed this right—

She suddenly skidded to a stop at the edge of a rooftop. Raph’s heart leapt, thinking she was trapped—until she spun around, tossing the artifact into the air—

And caught it again.

Before Raph could react, she lunged at him.

She moved fast—too fast. The next thing he knew, she ducked under his swing, twisted her body, and slammed her heel into his side.

Raph’s balance vanished.

The world tilted, and suddenly, he was falling.

"Shell—!"

He barely managed to twist mid-air, slamming his tonfas against the side of the building to slow his descent. Sparks flew as he scraped against the wall before he finally caught onto a fire escape, his grip straining as he barely avoided a hard drop to the alley below.

For a second, he just hung there, panting.

Then, above him—

He heard her voice.

"Cassandra."

Raph’s head snapped up. She was standing at the edge, silhouetted against the city skyline, the artifact still clutched tightly in her hand.

She smirked down at him, completely unfazed. "That’s my name. Since you’re so persistent, might as well remember it.*"

Raph scowled, still trying to catch his breath. "Yeah? Well, Cassandra—"

But before he could finish, she gave him a two-finger salute—

And then she was gone, disappearing into the night.

Raph clenched his jaw, watching as she vanished.

"…Oh, come on!"

For the past two days…

Raph had been training. Relentlessly.

Morning, afternoon, and deep into the night, he drilled himself harder than ever—striking the punching bag until his arms ached, running through sparring exercises until his muscles burned, and pushing himself past the point of exhaustion.

Mikey watched from the doorway of the dojo, arms crossed, brow furrowed. He had seen Raph push himself hard before, but this? This was something else.

The punching bag let out a strained creaaaak as Raph slammed his tonfas into it again.

Mikey sighed, walking over. "Alright, big guy, I think the punching bag’s had enough."

Raph didn’t even look at him. Another strike. Wham!

Mikey huffed, stepping in front of the bag with his hands on his hips. "Seriously, Raph, chill! You’ve been going non-stop for two days! Even Donnie takes breaks, and that dude once tried to outlast a machine!"

Raph gritted his teeth, rolling his shoulders. "Not done yet."

"Dude." Mikey gave him an exasperated look. "What is up with you? Why are you training like you’re about to fight the Shredder or somethin'?"

Raph finally stopped, his breathing heavy. His fingers flexed around his tonfas before he muttered, "Because she’s human."

Mikey blinked. "What?"

Raph exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. "Cassandra. She’s just a normal human. And she beat me." His grip tightened. "I lost to a normal human."

Mikey froze. The name didn’t register at first, but the frustration in Raph’s voice made something click.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

"Cassandra?" Mikey repeated slowly. "Wait a sec—hold up—are we talking about the same buzzcut girl from the other night?"

Raph stiffened.

Mikey’s eyes widened. "We ARE!"

Raph groaned, rubbing a hand down his face.

Mikey gasped, practically vibrating on the spot. "Oh my gosh, you got your shell handed to you and now you’re all obsessed! This is hilarious! I KNEW you were acting weird!"

"I ain’t obsessed!" Raph snapped.

"Bro, you just said her name all serious like you’re in a tragic anime backstory!"

Raph scowled, crossing his arms. "I have to get stronger. I can’t let some Foot ninja—"

"Some Foot ninja NAMED CASSANDRA~" Mikey sing-songed, wiggling his fingers dramatically.

Raph groaned again, shoving past him. "I ain’t doin’ this with you."

Mikey practically skipped after him, grinning ear to ear. "You like saying her name, don’tcha? Caaaassandrrraaa~"

"MIKEY!"

Mikey cackled, dodging the half-hearted swat Raph aimed at him. Oh yeah—this was way too fun.

"Ooop! Missed me!" Mikey said after he dodged Raph's aimed punch.

He flipped away and blew raspberry at Raph. "Oooh, Cassandra. Don't beat me." Mikey teased.

Raph groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Mikey—"

Mikey wasn’t letting up. He flipped onto a training dummy, balancing on one foot as he grinned down at his fuming big bro. "Ohhh nooo, Cassandra! Please don’t kick my shell again~!" he mocked, clasping his hands together dramatically. "I’ll train super hard so you don’t absolutely wreck me a third time—"

Raph lunged.

Mikey yelped, backflipping off the dummy just as Raph swung his tonfa at him. He landed lightly on the floor, still grinning. "Oop! Missed me again!"

Raph growled, jabbing a finger at him. "I swear to pizza supreme, I will—"

"Train harder so you can fight Cassandra again?" Mikey interrupted with an exaggerated gasp. "Bro, just say you wanna see her again and go."

"I DON’T—" Raph cut himself off, his face heating up in frustration. "She’s the enemy!"

Mikey wiggled his fingers. "Ooooh, so dramatic~"

Raph let out a loud UGH! and turned on his heel, storming out of the dojo. "I ain’t listenin’ to this!"

Mikey snickered, watching him go. "Whatever you say, big guy~!"

Yeah. He was definitely not letting this go anytime soon.

Raph stalked across the city rooftops, arms crossed, annoyance practically radiating off of him. The cool night air did little to cool his mood.

Mikey’s stupid voice still echoed in his head.

"Ooooh, Cassandra~ Don’t beat me~!"

Raph scowled, grinding his teeth. Why was Mikey like this?!

It wasn’t like he was obsessed or anything! He just… couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Not in a weird way! Just in a ‘how the heck did she knock me down so easily’ way.

A ‘how is a human that fast and strong’ way.

A ‘how do I make sure it doesn’t happen again’ way.

Raph groaned, rubbing his temples. The more he tried not to think about her, the more she popped back into his head. Her stupid smug smirk. The way she moved, all precise and confident. The way she—

Nope. Nope. Not thinking about this anymore.

He needed a distraction.

And then—

His eyes caught movement down below.

Jogging along the sidewalk, weaving through the late-night city crowd with ease—

Was her.

Cassandra.

Raph almost did a double take.

Gone was the Foot uniform, the mask, the gear. Instead, she was wearing a sport crop top, fitted but breathable, showing off her toned arms and core. A pair of black athletic shorts covered the top half of her form-fitting tights that stretched down to her calves.

Her hair—what little she had—was damp with sweat, likely from a long workout.

She was just jogging. No weapons. No sneaking. Just a normal person, going for a run.

Raph tensed.

He had been replaying their fight in his head over and over for two days—but right now? Right now, she looked… normal. Just another person in the city.

And yet, his fists still clenched at his sides.

Cassandra wasn’t just ‘some person.’ She was the first person to knock him flat on his shell.

And he still wasn’t over it.

Chapter Text

Cassandra kept a steady pace, her breaths controlled as she weaved through the city streets. Her footsteps were light, her movements efficient—no wasted energy. Even during something as simple as a jog, she was disciplined.

She had covered a few miles already, the rhythmic pounding of her feet against the pavement blending with the distant hum of traffic. Eventually, she slowed as she reached an empty park, the streetlights casting long shadows across the pavement.

Jogging in place for a moment, she rolled her shoulders before starting her stretches. First, she planted her feet apart, raising her arms overhead in a slow, deliberate stretch. Then, she bent forward, reaching down to touch her toes, holding the position as her muscles loosened.

The night was quiet. Peaceful.

But Cassandra’s mind wasn’t.

She exhaled slowly, shifting into a lunge stretch. Despite her relaxed demeanor, her thoughts flickered back to the real workout she had two nights ago.

The red-masked turtle.

Raph.

Her lips quirked slightly as she remembered how persistent he had been. He was strong—really strong. If he had been a little faster, a little more controlled, maybe their fight would have gone differently.

Maybe.

But that wasn’t her problem.

Cassandra switched legs, rolling her neck as she did. If he wanted a rematch, he’d have to earn it.

She wasn’t going to hold back.

From his spot in the shadows, Raph had been watching. Not in a creepy way! He just… happened to be there. That’s all.

Then, she stopped stretching.

For a moment, she stood still, hands on her hips, breathing steady. Then, her fingers snapped to her pocket in one sharp motion.

Raph barely had a second to react before a kunai came flying straight for his head.

His eyes widened. "WHAT THE—"

CLANG!

His tonfa snapped up just in time, deflecting the blade midair. The kunai ricocheted off, spinning before embedding itself in the pavement with a sharp thunk.

Cassandra cackled. "AHA! KNEW IT!"

Raph stepped out of the shadows, scowling. "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?!"

Cassandra threw her arms up, grinning like she just won the lottery. "For lurking, obviously!" she said, voice sharp with excitement. "What, you think I wouldn’t notice? I could feel your big dumb presence watching me! You gotta be quieter than that if you wanna spy on a future FOOT GENERAL!"

"I WASN’T SPYIN’!" Raph barked, still gripping his tonfas. "I was just—" He stopped, fuming. "Y'know what? Doesn’t matter! You can’t just throw weapons at people!"

"I can if they’re sneaking around!" Cassandra shot back, jabbing a finger at him. "And you caught it this time! That’s progress! You’re finally learning!"

Raph clenched his jaw. Oh, she was so messing with him. And worse? It was working.

Cassandra smirked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Sooo? You here to fight, or you just gonna stand there sulking like a loser?"

Raph’s grip tightened. "Oh, I’m fightin’."

Cassandra grinned wildly, cracking her knuckles. "Good! Try to last longer this time!"

Raph growled, his grip tightening around his tonfas before he lunged off the branch. He aimed straight for Cassandra, his body tense and ready to strike.

She barely had a second to react before he was right on top of her, coming down fast. She twisted sharply to the side just in time, dodging as his tonfa crashed into the ground, sending a crack spiderwebbing through the pavement where she had just been standing.

Cassandra let out a sharp laugh, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she grinned at him. “Oh-ho! Someone’s mad! You finally gonna give me a real challenge, Big Red?”

Raph spun around without hesitation, already swinging. “Oh, I’m givin’ you more than that!”

Cassandra ducked under his first strike, flipping backward with ease as she avoided the second. The moment her feet hit the ground, she sprang forward, aiming a jab straight for his side. Raph barely managed to block in time, catching her wrist against his tonfa before she could land the hit.

“Not this time!” he said with a confident smirk.

Cassandra didn’t even falter. Instead, she shifted her weight and yanked him forward, throwing him off balance before driving her knee up toward his ribs. Raph grunted and twisted his body just in time to break free, stumbling back a step. But she was already coming at him again, relentless as ever.

She was fast. Too fast. Even after all his training, keeping up with her was like trying to fight the wind. Every time he thought he had an opening, she was already one step ahead.

Still, he wasn’t about to let her win again.

Digging his heels in, Raph charged forward, tonfas raised.

Cassandra, however, only looked more excited. She grinned, cracking her knuckles as she shifted into a ready stance.

“Come on, big guy! Let’s see if you’ve actually learned anything!”

Raph swung again, his muscles burning with the effort, but Cassandra was already one step ahead. She sidestepped his strike and, with a speed that made his head spin, grabbed him by the arm and twisted it behind his back, pulling him off balance. Before he could react, she used his own momentum against him, sweeping his legs out from under him with a well-timed kick.

Raph hit the ground hard with a grunt, the air knocked out of him. In a blur of movement, Cassandra was on top of him, straddling his chest to keep him pinned. Her knees pressed into his shoulders, and her weight kept him flat against the ground.

He gritted his teeth, his face flush with frustration. His arms were pinned at awkward angles, his tonfas nowhere near his hands. The position left him feeling vulnerable, and that infuriated him more than anything. He was bigger, stronger—he shouldn’t have lost.

But Cassandra?

She was grinning, her wild energy evident as she stared down at him, unbothered by the sheer size difference. “Well, well, well,” she said, her voice dripping with playful smugness. “Looks like someone’s finally learning his place.”

Raph glared up at her, his jaw clenched. “Get off me,” he growled.

“Oh, I will,” she teased, her grin widening. “Once you get a little better, Red.” She tilted her head, tapping a finger to her chin as if considering something. “I think I’ll volunteer to be your sparring partner from now on. You’re gonna need all the help you can get to even think about winning.”

Raph’s eyes narrowed, and he strained against her hold, but it was no use. She had him completely under control, despite their size difference. It didn’t make any sense. She was smaller, lighter, but somehow she had the speed and skill to take him down—again and again.

Cassandra leaned in a little closer, her grin never faltering. “Honestly, it’s pretty cute how you think you can beat me. But, spoiler alert: not gonna happen. Ever.”

Her words stung, but Raph couldn’t deny that she had a point. He was frustrated, irritated by the fact that this human had bested him—not once, but twice. The worst part was that she seemed so confident in her victory, so certain that he would never win.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, still struggling beneath her. “Just wait until next time.”

Cassandra leaned back a little, her posture relaxed as she lightly tapped his chest with her fist. “Next time? I’ll be waiting, Red. But, trust me, it’ll be just as easy.” She stood up, offering him a hand with a mock-sweet smile. “Good try, though. You’re getting there.”

Raph didn’t take her hand. Instead, he pushed himself up, glaring at her, still seething from the defeat. But inside, the seed of determination had been planted. If she wanted to keep taunting him, fine. He’d train harder, get faster, and prove her wrong—next time, or now.

Without warning, Raph swung a heavy punch toward Cassandra, his fist slicing through the air with all the force he could muster. He was determined to land a solid hit this time, to make her take him seriously. But before his fist could connect, Cassandra's hands shot out, grabbing his wrist with surprising speed.

She twisted his arm, using his own momentum against him. In one fluid motion, she ducked under his outstretched arm and, with a quick jerk, flipped him clean over her head.

Raph’s eyes widened as he flew through the air, completely unprepared for the move. His shell hit the ground with a sickening thud, the impact jarring his spine and knocking the wind out of him.

He groaned, struggling to right himself, but the weight of his body made it hard to get up. His vision was a bit blurry from the fall, and for a moment, he just lay there, dazed.

As he finally rolled over to get up, he looked up to see Cassandra standing above him, her figure now towering over him. He was upside down, still on his back, and her expression was one of smug satisfaction. She was grinning like she’d just scored a victory.

“You good?” she asked, her voice laced with playful mockery. “You looked like a ragdoll for a second there.”

Raph’s eyes narrowed, his face flushed with both embarrassment and frustration. She flipped me. She just flipped me.

He groaned again, pushing himself up to sit on his shell, shaking off the dizziness. “What the heck was that?” he growled, clearly pissed.

Cassandra chuckled, clearly enjoying herself. “It’s called a throw, Big Red. Didn’t you get the memo?” She placed her hands on her hips and bent down slightly, looking at him with a grin that could’ve lit up the whole park. “What’s the matter? You’re, like, hundreds of pounds heavier than me. Should’ve been an easy win, right?”

Raph growled, struggling to stand but still feeling the sting of the fall. “I don’t get it,” he muttered, frustration thick in his voice. “How the heck do you do that? You’re—you’re tiny!”

Cassandra’s grin only widened, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “I’m not tiny,” she said with a smirk. “I’m fast and smart and way stronger than I look. You should know by now not to underestimate me, Red.”

She extended a hand to help him up, but Raph just shot her a look before he slapped her hand away.

He was pissed, but a part of him couldn’t help but respect her. She was good. Real good.

“Don’t think this is over,” Raph muttered, pulling himself to his feet with a grunt. “I’ll get you next time.”

Cassandra winked at him, turning to walk away. “We’ll see, big guy. We’ll see.”

Chapter Text

Raph wasn’t sure when things started to change.

One minute, Cassandra was just another enemy—an infuriating, smug, incredibly strong enemy who had kicked his shell more times than he cared to admit. The next, they were meeting up regularly. At first, it was just by chance. She’d be out on some Foot Clan mission, and he’d be out on patrol, and they’d clash—both ready to prove they were the better fighter.

But then… something shifted.

Their fights got longer, but not because one of them was winning. It was because they’d start talking—insulting each other, bantering between swings. Raph had always fought with his brothers, sure, but this was different. Cassandra pushed him. She didn’t just challenge him physically—she got in his head, taunting him, making him second-guess himself, making him better.

And somehow, some way, that turned into… whatever this was.

Tonight was no different.

Raph found her first, perched on the edge of a rooftop, casually twirling a kunai between her fingers. She hadn’t even been sneaking around—just sitting there, waiting. Almost like she knew he’d show up.

“Y’know, if I didn’t know any better,” Raph said as he hopped onto the rooftop, rolling his shoulders, “I’d think you wanted me to find you.”

Cassandra smirked, flicking the kunai into the air before catching it effortlessly. “Please. Like I’d waste my time waiting for you, Red.”

Raph scoffed. “Yeah? Then what’re you doin’ up here?”

“Enjoying the view.” She gestured toward the cityscape with a dramatic flourish. “Also, I may have been assigned a mission, but don’t get too excited—I was gonna beat you up either way.”

Raph snorted. “You’re real confident for someone who’s only won by cheap tricks.”

Cassandra gasped, placing a hand over her heart in mock offense. “Cheap tricks? Raphie, I’m hurt.” She grinned. “I am the trick.”

Before he could even process that, she lunged.

Raph barely had time to dodge as she struck, her movements as quick and unpredictable as ever. He managed to block her first few hits with his tonfas, but she was relentless, slipping past his defenses with a well-aimed kick to his ribs.

He stumbled back, but unlike their first fights, he didn’t get mad.

Instead, he smirked.

“Oh, you are on tonight,” he said, shaking off the hit before charging back in.

They clashed again, their battle moving across the rooftop in a blur of strikes and counters. It wasn’t about stopping her mission anymore. It wasn’t even about winning. It was just them.

The way Cassandra fought was different now. Before, she’d fought with a goal—to beat him, to humiliate him, to prove herself to the Foot Clan.

Now?

Now, it felt more like she was just… having fun.

That realization hit Raph like a punch to the gut—not hard enough to knock the wind out of him, but enough to make him stop and actually think about what was happening.

Cassandra was still Foot. Still fiercely loyal. Still doing whatever shady stuff the Foot Clan told her to do.

But she wasn’t treating him like an enemy anymore.

That should’ve worried him. He should’ve been more focused on the fact that she was still on the wrong side, still working for people who definitely didn’t have good intentions.

But instead, all he could think about was how much he enjoyed fighting her.

Raph ducked under one of her kicks, twisting to the side and swinging his tonfa at her midsection. She blocked it with her forearm, grinning. “Not bad, Red.”

“Not bad? I almost got you that time.”

“Almost isn’t good enough.”

She shoved him back, but instead of following up with another attack, she hopped onto the ledge of the building and stretched her arms behind her head, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who had just been fighting.

Raph huffed, crossing his arms. “You givin’ up already?”

Cassandra laughed. “Nah, just giving you a break. You were startin’ to sweat.”

Raph scowled. “I am not—”

“—And if you were smart,” she cut in, wagging a finger at him, “you’d be thanking me. I am doing you a favour, after all.”

Raph raised a brow. “Oh yeah? How d’you figure?”

Cassandra leaned forward slightly, smirking. “Because let’s be real, Red—you need me. I’m the only one making you better.” She tapped her temple. “And deep down, you know I’m right.”

Raph wanted to argue. He really did.

But… she wasn’t wrong.

Training with his brothers was one thing, but fighting Cassandra? It was different. She wasn’t just another opponent—she was someone who kept him on his toes, someone who pushed him in ways no one else did.

And the fact that she knew that, too? It was annoying.

Raph scowled. “I ain’t thankin’ you for nothin’.”

Cassandra shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

There was a pause, the city lights flickering around them as the distant sounds of honking cars and chatter filled the night air.

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

Then, Cassandra suddenly hopped down from the ledge and turned toward him with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Y’know… I think we should make this a regular thing.”

Raph blinked. “What?”

“You heard me.” She folded her arms. “I like fighting you. And let’s be real—you’d be so lost without me kickin’ your shell on a weekly basis.”

Raph rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

“Yeah, right,” she mimicked, exaggerating his deep voice before jabbing a finger at him. “Face it, Red, you like fighting me too. You’re just too stubborn to admit it.”

Raph opened his mouth to argue, then immediately closed it.

Dammit.

She had him there.

Cassandra grinned triumphantly. “I knew it.”

Raph huffed. “Fine. But don’t think for a second that I’m gonna let you keep winnin’.”

Cassandra smirked, stepping back toward the ledge. “Oh, I know you won’t let me. That’s what makes this fun.”

Before Raph could respond, she pulled a smoke bomb from her pocket and threw it at the ground. A thick cloud of smoke exploded around them, and by the time it cleared—she was already gone.

Raph let out a long breath, shaking his head.

“Freakin’ showoff.”

But despite himself, he found that he was grinning.

Maybe she was right.

Maybe this should be a regular thing.

Even if she was still Foot, even if they were technically supposed to be on opposite sides…

He couldn’t deny it anymore.

Cassandra wasn’t just an enemy.

She was his rival.

His sparring partner.

And, maybe—just maybe—something close to a friend.

It was just another regular day in the lair—well, as regular as it ever got when you lived in an underground ninja hideout with three mutant brothers.

On the worn-out couch, Raph and Mikey were locked in an intense video game battle, their fingers flying across the buttons as their characters clashed on-screen. The stakes? Bragging rights and the last slice of leftover pizza.

Raph grinned, completely in the zone. “You ain’t gonna win, Michael!” he taunted, his character landing a brutal combo.

Mikey, however, wasn’t going down without a fight. “Pffft! Please! I am the comeback king!” He flicked the control stick, his tongue sticking out slightly in concentration. “And you are about to witness my ultimate—NOOOO!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Raph’s final attack landed, sending Mikey’s character flying off the stage in a dramatic, slow-motion explosion.

“BOOYAH!” Raph roared, pumping a fist in the air as the victory screen flashed across the TV. “Another win for me! Hand over that pizza slice, Mikey.”

Mikey flopped backward onto the couch, groaning. “Ughhh, I almost had you! Stupid game mechanics!” He peeked one eye open. “Best two outta three?”

Raph scoffed. “You mean best ten outta eleven? Face it, Mikey, you never win against me.”

Mikey gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “How dare you speak such slander?!” Then, his expression quickly shifted into something more mischievous. “Y’know, you’ve been real fired up lately. Like, extra fired up. More training, more determination.”

Raph froze for half a second, but Mikey kept going, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “Soooo... who is she?”

Raph blinked. “What?”

Mikey grinned, pointing at him. “Oh yeah. You heard me.”

Raph tensed, suddenly gripping his controller way too hard. “I—I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

Mikey gasped dramatically, sitting up straight. “Oh, you totally do!” He leaned in, studying Raph’s face like a detective solving a mystery. “Let’s see… You’ve been sneaking out more, you’re throwing yourself into training like your life depends on it… and that face right now? That’s guilt, big bro.”

Raph scowled, crossing his arms. “I ain’t guilty of nothin’.”

Mikey squinted at Raph, gears turning in his head. Then, suddenly, he shivered and disappeared in a blur of orange and white.

Raph barely had time to process it before—BAM!—Mikey was back, now dressed in a brownish-orange turtleneck tucked into white slacks and a pair of pristine dress shoes. Round glasses perched perfectly on his snout as he adjusted them with a knowing smirk.

Raph groaned, already feeling the headache coming. “Oh, no. I ain’t doin’ this. Not now. Not ever.”

Mikey clasped his hands together. “Ah, classic avoidance behavior,” he mused. “Denial, repression—textbook case, really.”

Before Raph could react, Mikey reached out, grabbed the tails of his mask, and yanked.

“WHAT THE—” Raph flailed as he was forcibly dragged forward. “Mike—I mean, Doctor Feelings! Let go!” He twisted, trying to pry Mikey’s grip off his mask, but Mikey, being in full therapist mode, had the determination of a man who charged $300 per hour.

“Oh, we’re gonna talk about this,” Mikey said, voice infuriatingly calm. “Come along, big guy. Time to unpack.”

“I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT HER!” Raph shouted, planting his feet in a desperate attempt to resist.

Mikey’s grin widened. “Ohoho~ ‘Her,’ huh?”

Raph cursed under his breath. He had walked right into that one.

Chapter Text

Raph stumbled forward as Mikey finally released his grip, rubbing the back of his head with a scowl. He spun around, already plotting his escape—only to hear the soft click of the door locking behind him.

He turned back slowly.

Mikey stood in front of two beanbags, meticulously adjusting them to his liking. His round glasses glinted under the soft glow of the fairy lights strung around the room, making him look way too official for Raph’s liking.

Then, in one smooth motion, Mikey pulled out a clipboard and a pen from… somewhere.

He plopped down onto one of the beanbags, crossing his legs elegantly before adjusting the clipboard on his lap.

“Have a seat, Raphael,” he said, his voice professional and calm.

Raph folded his arms. “No.”

Mikey scribbled something onto his clipboard without looking up. “Mmm. Resistance to therapy. Noted.”

Raph groaned. “I swear, Mikey—”

Mikey held up a hand. “Doctor Feelings.”

“I swear, Doctor Feelings, I ain’t doin’ this.”

Mikey hummed as he jotted something else down. “Fear of vulnerability. Also noted.”

Raph threw his hands in the air. “I AIN’T SCARED OF NOTHIN’!”

Mikey gave him a knowing look over the rim of his glasses. “Yet you’re still standing.”

Raph’s eye twitched.

He wanted out. But he knew Mikey—Doctor Feelings—wouldn’t let him go that easy.

With a defeated sigh, he stomped over and dropped onto the beanbag, arms still crossed tightly over his chest.

Mikey smiled, pleased. “Good. Now, let’s begin.” 

Raph scoffed as Mikey scribbled away on his clipboard, the scratch, scratch, scratch of the pen already grating on his nerves.

"Y'know, you ain't actually writin' anything real," Raph muttered, arms still crossed.

Mikey didn't even look up. "Mmm, deflection." Scratch, scratch. "Noted."

Raph rolled his eyes. "Not everything I say is some deep psychological whatever, Mikey."

"Doctor Feelings," Mikey corrected, finally glancing at him. "And I beg to differ. Everything we say—especially what we don't say—is a window into our inner struggles." He tapped the clipboard for emphasis. "For example, your body language right now? Arms crossed, jaw tight, shoulders stiff? Screaming emotional suppression and ego bruising."

Raph’s scowl deepened. "I ain't got no bruised ego."

Mikey gasped dramatically, scribbling even faster. "Denial!"

Raph groaned and dropped his head back against the beanbag. "This is so stupid."

Mikey smirked. "And yet, you're still here~"

Raph muttered something under his breath.

Mikey clicked his pen. "Alright, let's get to the root of the problem. Tell me, Raphael—who is she?"

Raph’s entire body tensed.

Mikey's smirk widened.

Oh yeah. He had him now.

Raph shifted uncomfortably in his beanbag, suddenly feeling like he was sinking into it. He grumbled, "She's Cassandra?" like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Mikey scoffed, tapping his pen against the clipboard. "Let me rephrase myself, big guy. What is she to YOU?"

Raph clenched his jaw. "An enemy."

Mikey raised an unimpressed brow. "Mhm. And you regularly go out of your way to spar with all your enemies, huh?"

Raph averted his gaze. "I just… I needed a challenge, alright? She kicked my shell once, and I ain't lettin’ that slide."

Mikey gasped, clutching his chest like he'd just heard the juiciest drama of his life. "Ohhh, so she kicked your shell, and you keep going back for more?* Interesting.*"

Raph gritted his teeth. "Not like that!"

Mikey grinned, leaning forward. "No, no, keep talking. I love watching people dig their own emotional graves."

Raph groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "She's just… annoyin’. All loud and in my face, thinkin’ she’s better than me."

Mikey tilted his head. "And yet, you still wanna be around her?"

Raph hesitated.

Mikey’s smirk stretched wider. "Ohhh, Raph. You like her."

Raph flinched. "NO, I DON'T!"

Mikey made an exaggerated tsk-tsk sound. "Classic case of ‘I'm lying to myself so hard, it's painful.’ Look, Raph, I get it. She's strong, she fights like a beast, she can probably suplex you if she tries hard enough—"

Raph didn't confirm or deny that last part, which only made Mikey’s grin worse.

"—and you think about her way too much for someone who claims she’s just an ‘enemy.’ So, tell me, Raphael…"

Mikey tapped his pen against the clipboard again, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Do you really wanna beat her... or do you just wanna impress her?"

Raph’s face heated up instantly. “I—I ain’t tryin’ to impress nobody!”

Mikey gasped, dramatically clutching his clipboard like it contained the secrets of the universe. “Oh my gosh, you totally are!” He scribbled something furiously. “Fascinating! Crushing on an enemy—rebellious subconscious attraction, seeking validation through combat—textbook, absolutely textbook!”

Raph groaned, shoving his face into his hands. “Mikey, I swear—”

“Doctor Feelings,” Mikey corrected smoothly. “And don’t worry, big guy, this is a safe space.” He tapped his clipboard again. “Now, let’s break this down. You say she’s annoying, yet you keep seeking her out. You say she’s an enemy, yet you’re clearly invested in what she thinks of you.”

Raph’s fingers curled into fists. “She’s Foot, Mikey! And she’s human!” He gestured wildly. “I shouldn’t have lost to her in the first place! I’m bigger, I’m stronger, I—”

“Ohhh, so that’s the real problem.” Mikey grinned, adjusting his glasses. “Your ego’s bruised because a human beat you, and you don’t know how to deal with it.”

Raph scowled but said nothing.

Mikey continued, voice softer now. “Listen, bro, I get it. You’re the biggest, strongest guy on the team. You pride yourself on that. But just ‘cause she’s human doesn’t mean she’s not a legit fighter. If anything, that makes her more impressive.”

Raph frowned, staring at the floor. He hated to admit it, but Mikey—Doctor Feelings—was right. Cassandra was fast, smart, and fought like she had something to prove. And honestly… Raph liked that about her.

Mikey tilted his head, studying Raph carefully. Then, he grinned. “Lemme guess—you’re not just mad that she beat you. You’re mad because she doesn’t see you as a big scary unbeatable force, huh?”

Raph tensed.

Mikey snapped his fingers. “Boom. Nailed it.”

Raph groaned again, dragging both hands down his face. “This is so dumb…”

Mikey smirked. “What’s dumb is you sittin’ here acting like you don’t respect her.” He leaned back in his beanbag. “Face it, Raph. You don’t just wanna fight Cassandra—you wanna earn her respect.”

Raph exhaled sharply through his nose, his brain at war with itself. He wanted to argue. He wanted to deny it.

But he couldn’t.

Because, deep down, he knew Mikey was right.

Mikey’s grin stretched so wide it could’ve split his face in half. Finally. The moment he had been waiting for.

Raph’s cheeks tinged pink, the red of his skin doing a poor job of hiding it.

“Ohhh, there it is,” Mikey cooed, practically vibrating with excitement. “The infamous blush!” He flipped a page on his clipboard and scribbled something down with way too much enthusiasm.

Raph immediately scowled and turned away, rubbing the back of his neck like that would somehow hide the heat crawling up his face. “Shut up.”

Mikey gasped, smacking his pen against the clipboard. “Oh no no no, you don’t get to shut up now, big guy!” He leaned forward, absolutely thriving in Raph’s suffering. “We are in breakthrough territory.”

Raph groaned. “This ain’t a breakthrough, this is you bein’ annoying!”

Mikey just giggled. “Okay, Raph. Let’s take a step back. Why are you blushing?”

“I ain’t blushin’,” Raph mumbled.

Mikey pushed up his glasses. “Mmm, denial,” he muttered as he wrote that down. “Raph, buddy, pal, hermano—you like her.”

Raph threw his arms in the air. “I do not like her! She’s just—”

“Cool?” Mikey prompted, smirking.

Raph froze.

Mikey wiggled his eyebrows. “Strong?”

Raph twitched.

Mikey leaned in. “Fun to fight?”

Raph exhaled sharply through his nose.

Mikey’s smirk widened. “A challenge?”

Raph clenched his jaw.

Mikey gasped dramatically. “A worthy opponent?”

Raph growled.

Mikey’s voice dropped to a whisper, eyes glinting with mischief.

“...Attractive?”

“MIKEY!!!” Raph roared, face completely red now.

Mikey threw his head back laughing. “HA! I KNEW IT!” He started writing at lightning speed. “We are entering crush confirmed territory, ladies and gentlemen!”

Raph groaned, grabbing a pillow and shoving it over his face. “This is the worst day of my life.”

Mikey patted his shoulder. “Nah, big guy. This is the start of something beautiful.”

Raph sighed and peeked out of the pillow. "As a therapist, you promise you didn't tell anyone about this."

Mikey gasped, placing a hand over his chest like he was offended by the mere suggestion. “Raph! Doctor-Patient confidentiality!”

Raph narrowed his eyes. “You ain’t a real doctor.”

Mikey adjusted his glasses and smirked. “And yet, here we are.”

Raph groaned and sat up, rubbing his face. “Seriously, though. You promise you won’t tell Leo or Donnie?”

Mikey crossed his heart. “On my honor as Doctor Feelings, your secret is safe with me.”

Raph studied him for a second, then sighed. “Good.” He flopped back against the beanbag. “I don’t need those two breathin’ down my neck about it.”

Mikey giggled. “Oh, I so wish I could, though. Imagine Donnie’s scientific breakdown of your symptoms? ‘Oh, Raphael, you appear to be experiencing an elevated heart rate and excessive facial heating whenever you mention this human girl—fascinating!’”

Raph groaned louder, shoving the pillow over his face again. “Stop talking.”

Mikey cackled but held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Lips are sealed.” He mimed zipping his mouth shut, then tossing the key over his shoulder.

For a few moments, the room was quiet, except for the occasional scribbling on Mikey’s clipboard.

Then, in a much softer voice, Mikey asked, “So… what are you gonna do about it?”

Raph peeked out again, frowning. “Do about what?”

Mikey tilted his head. “About Cassandra.”

Raph stiffened.

Mikey tapped his pen against the board. “You can’t just spar with her forever, y’know.” He gave Raph a knowing look. “Eventually, you’re gonna have to figure out what you really want from this whole thing.”

Raph sighed heavily. “I don’t know what I want, okay?” He rubbed his face again. “She’s still Foot, Mikey. And I’m still a mutant. There's no way she gonna like me more than an enemy... or friend."

"Well, April has been with us for years, and since when I mentioned more than 'anything. '" Mikey grinned.

Raph blinked. "What?"

Mikey smirked, spinning his pen between his fingers. "You said, ‘more than an enemy… or friend.’ That’s very interesting wording, Raphie."

Raph's face turned red again. "That ain't what I—!"

Mikey held up a hand. "No, no, I heard what you said." He tapped his clipboard dramatically. "And I quote, you don’t think she’ll like you ‘more than an enemy… or friend.’ Meaning, deep down, you want to be more than that."

Raph sputtered, completely flustered now. "I didn’t—! That ain't—! I didn’t mean—!"

Mikey giggled, absolutely delighted. "Ohhh, this is gold!" He jotted something down. "Admitting romantic curiosity—check!"

Raph groaned and ran a hand down his face. "I hate you."

"That’s just your embarrassment talking," Mikey said cheerfully. "Anyway, back to the topic—April’s been with us for years, and she’s human. So why do you think Cassandra would see you any differently?"

Raph hesitated, shifting uncomfortably. "April’s… different. She chose us. The Foot ain’t like that. They hate us."

Mikey tilted his head. "Do they hate you, or does Cassandra just not know any better yet?"

That made Raph pause.

Mikey leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Think about it. You’re the only one she keeps coming back to fight. The only one she actually acknowledges as a challenge." He wiggled his brows. "Maybe she doesn’t know what she wants, either."

Raph frowned, processing that. Cassandra had plenty of enemies in this city, plenty of people to fight. But somehow, it was always him she ended up facing. Always him she called out in battle. Always him she pushed to get stronger.

Mikey tapped his pen against his clipboard. "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

Raph looked down at his hands, gripping his knee tightly. "...I don’t know."

Mikey hummed, scribbling one last note before snapping his clipboard shut. "Well, you better figure it out soon, big guy." He leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head. "That concludes our session."

In an instant, his entire posture shifted, and with a blink, his usual mischievous grin returned. He pushed his round glasses up onto his forehead and looked around like he had just woken up.

"He didn’t go overboard, right?" Mikey asked, referring to his alternate.

Raph huffed with a simple smile. "Nah. He's fine."

Chapter Text

Raph landed silently on a rooftop, adjusting the strap of the bag slung over his shoulder. Inside, two energy drinks rattled against each other—one for him and one for her.

He told the others he’d be out patrolling, which wasn’t exactly a lie. He was out in the city, technically keeping an eye on things. But if he was being honest with himself, his real goal was finding her.

Cassandra.

His grip tightened around the bag strap as he scanned the streets below. He wasn’t even sure if she’d be out tonight, but something told him she would be. She was always moving, always training, always pushing herself. It was one of the things he—

Admired? Liked?

Raph shook his head. Nope. Not goin’ there.

Instead, he focused on keeping his steps light as he leaped to the next building, eyes peeled for any sign of her. He wasn’t sure when exactly this had started—when their fights had turned into something… else.

It wasn’t friendly, not exactly. She was still with the Foot, still loyal to them in a way he couldn’t understand. But their battles had shifted. The way she grinned at him mid-fight, the way she always seemed to know when he was out in the city, the way she never actually tried to take him out permanently—it was different.

And he liked it.

There.

A flicker of movement caught his eye near an old construction site. A shadow darted across the ground, fast and controlled. Raph smirked. Found ya.

He adjusted his grip on the bag and dropped down onto a lower rooftop, moving closer. Cassandra was in the middle of a workout, throwing precise kicks and punches at an abandoned shipping crate like it had personally insulted her.

Raph grinned and took a sip of his drink before calling out, "Y’know, most people just hit the gym."

Cassandra didn’t even flinch. Instead, she delivered one last kick before straightening up, rolling her shoulders. She turned to him, eyes sharp, lips twitching into a smirk. "Most people ain’t me."

Raph chuckled and hopped down, landing a few feet away from her. He reached into the bag and pulled out the second energy drink, tossing it her way. "Figured you’d be out here. Thought you could use this."

Cassandra caught it without looking and eyed the label. "Huh. Not bad." She popped it open and took a sip, then gave him an appraising look. "So. You here to fight or just watch?"

Raph scoffed. "Please. You wish I was here to watch." He cracked his knuckles. "Nah, I’m here to see if you’ve actually improved."

Cassandra grinned, setting her drink down on a crate. "Oh, you’re on, big guy."

Raph barely had time to brace before she lunged.

And just like that, their game began again.

Raph smirked as he caught Cassandra’s leg mid-kick, his grip firm as he twisted, using her own momentum against her. With a swift motion, he swept her other leg out from under her and pinned her to the ground, one tonfa pressed lightly against her shoulder to keep her down.

“Gotcha this time,” he said, grinning down at her.

But Cassandra didn’t look the least bit concerned. In fact, she smirked.

“Do you?” she challenged.

Before Raph could react, she hooked her free leg around his arm and shifted her weight, twisting her body like a coiled spring. Using his own strength against him, she yanked him forward and flipped him over, sending his massive form crashing onto his shell.

Raph let out a grunt as he hit the ground, blinking up at the sky in shock. How the heck did she—

Before he could even process what had happened, Cassandra was already on top of him, pinning his arm to the ground with her leg while keeping just enough distance to avoid any counterattacks.

She smirked down at him, her face inches from his. "You're strong, big guy," she admitted, tilting her head. "But you still ain't beat me yet."

Raph scowled but couldn’t help the small flicker of admiration in his chest. She was good. Annoyingly good.

Cassandra let him go and hopped back onto her feet, stretching out her arms like that entire exchange was just a warm-up. “Let’s go again,” she said, cracking her knuckles. “Unless you’re tired already?”

Raph groaned as he pushed himself up. “Oh, you are so goin’ down this time.”

Cassandra just grinned. “We’ll see.”

And just like that, they were at it again.

Raph rolled his shoulders, shaking off the soreness from being thrown—again. "Y'know, for someone half my size, you sure know how to throw your weight around."

Cassandra smirked, arms crossed as she rocked back on her heels. "That’s ‘cause you rely too much on your size. Strength alone ain’t gonna win you every fight, big guy."

Raph scoffed, stepping forward. "Yeah? Well, maybe next time you can fight me without all that fancy flipping around."

"Oh, sure," she said sarcastically, putting a hand on her hip. "Maybe next time you can fight me without your tonfas."

Raph opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, Cassandra’s expression shifted. Her wrist communicator beeped, and she immediately turned away from him, pressing a button on the side.

"This is Cassandra," she answered sharply.

Raph watched as her posture straightened, her usual cocky grin fading into something more serious. He could only hear one side of the conversation, but from the way her brows furrowed slightly, he knew it wasn’t just some casual call.

"Understood," Cassandra said after a beat, nodding to herself. "I’ll handle it."

She ended the call and turned back to Raph, her smirk returning but a little more distant this time. "Duty calls," she said, already taking a step back. "Try not to miss me too much, yeah?"

Raph crossed his arms, trying to play it cool despite the weird feeling settling in his gut. "Pfft. As if."

Cassandra gave him a mock salute before sprinting toward the nearest rooftop edge. "Later, big guy!" she called before vaulting over and disappearing into the night.

Raph exhaled, shaking his head with a small chuckle. "Man, she’s somethin’ else…"

He turned to leave, already thinking about heading back to the lair and maybe snagging one of Donnie’s protein shakes—until it hit him.

Cassandra is a Foot recruit. She just got a mission.

Raph’s eyes widened. "Oh, shell."

A mission meant trouble. And Cassandra running off without hesitation meant she was already on her way to it.

Raph groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Why do I do this to myself?"

But despite his complaints, his feet were already moving. He wasn’t about to let her go off on some shady Foot mission without keeping an eye on her.

With a quick shake of his head, he took off across the rooftops, following the direction she had gone.

Raph pushed himself harder, leaping across the rooftops as Cassandra’s motorcycle roared beneath him. The city lights reflected off her sleek black and red bike, the tires screeching as she took sharp turns with effortless precision.

She was fast. Too fast. Raph gritted his teeth and pushed forward, using every shortcut he could find—vaulting over vents, rolling over ledges, barely managing to keep up.

Then, just as he was about to lose sight of her, she skidded to a stop in front of a towering, high-security warehouse. Raph quickly ducked behind an old billboard, watching as she kicked the stand down and hopped off.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the place—tall metal walls, security cameras, reinforced doors, and worst of all… laser grids. Great, he thought. Just another casual night of crime, huh?

Cassandra, however, looked completely unfazed. In one smooth motion, she reached under her collar and pulled up the red ninja mask. Without hesitation, she pulled it over the lower half of her face, her eyes glinting with determination.

Raph recognized that look. It was the same one she had when she kicked him down..

Whatever she was after, Raph quickly connect some dots, figured that Cassandra need to steal something whatever she was ordered to.

As she crept toward the warehouse, sticking to the shadows, Raph clenched his fists.

She’s about to do somethin’ real stupid, isn’t she?

And, like always, he was gonna have to stop her.

Raph exhaled sharply through his nose, gripping his tonfas as he watched her from his perch. The way she moved—silent, calculated, weaving through the darkness like she belonged in it—sent a frustrated shiver down his shell.

Why does she gotta be so good at this?

Cassandra reached the edge of the warehouse’s perimeter, pressing herself flat against the wall. She peeked around the corner, eyes scanning for any movement, then slipped inside a maintenance door with the ease of someone who had done this a hundred times before.

Raph swore under his breath and dropped down from the rooftop, rolling to soften the landing. He didn’t have a fancy ninja mask or a plan, but he did have instincts—and right now, his gut was screaming that letting her go in alone was a bad idea.

He crouched by a stack of crates, watching as Cassandra effortlessly avoided the security cameras, ducking and weaving through their blind spots.

Raph shook his head. Of course she knows how to do that.

Still, he wasn’t about to let her get away with whatever she was planning.

With a deep breath, he moved.

If she thought she was the only one sneaking into that warehouse tonight, she was dead wrong.

Chapter Text

Cassandra’s fingers were just inches away from the chest plate when a firm grip clamped down on her forearm.

She tensed instantly, spinning her head to the side—only to find Raph standing right beside her, his hold unyielding. His green eyes burned with equal parts determination and frustration.

“Really?” he muttered, voice low but sharp. “We’re doin’ this again?”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes, her muscles coiling in preparation. “You’re the one who followed me, again.”

Raph’s grip tightened slightly. “Yeah, because you’re about to do somethin’ reckless—again.”

She huffed through her mask, shifting her stance. “This isn’t reckless. This is a mission.”

“A mission where ya steal somethin’ for a bunch of creeps who don’t even care about ya,” Raph shot back.

Cassandra bristled. “That’s not true.”

Raph scoffed, then gestured at the heavily secured chest plate in front of them. “Oh, yeah? Then why’re they sendin’ you in alone for somethin’ this big?”

For a second, just a second, something flickered in Cassandra’s expression. But just as quickly, she masked it, wrenching her arm from Raph’s grip with a sharp twist of her wrist.

“Not your business, mutant,” she said, reaching for the artifact again.

Raph growled, stepping between her and the chest plate. “Like shell it isn’t.”

Their eyes locked, both unyielding.

Then, almost lazily, Cassandra smirked behind her mask. “You really think you can stop me?”

Raph grinned, cracking his knuckles. “I know I can.”

The challenge was set.

And neither of them planned on backing down.

Without hesitation, Raph pressed the distress signal on his wrist comm, ensuring backup was on the way before Cassandra could notice.

Then he lunged.

Cassandra was ready. She sidestepped at the last second, using his momentum against him as she hooked her foot around his ankle and nearly sent him crashing into the display case.

But Raph had been expecting that. He caught himself mid-fall, rolling back onto his feet and swinging a tonfa at her midsection.

Cassandra blocked it with her forearm, the impact echoing through the dimly lit room. “You just don’t quit, huh?” she taunted, shoving him back with a powerful push.

Raph smirked. “And you just don’t listen.”

She responded with a spinning kick aimed at his ribs. He barely dodged, feeling the rush of air as her foot passed dangerously close. She was fast, no doubt about it, but he was stronger.

He charged again, this time grabbing hold of her wrist before she could strike. With a sharp pivot, he twisted her arm behind her back and pinned her against the glass case.

“Alright,” Raph said, slightly out of breath. “Fun’s over.”

Cassandra, still pressed against the display, exhaled sharply through her nose. Then, without warning, she lifted her legs and walked up the glass case, flipping over Raph’s head and breaking free in one smooth motion.

She landed on the ground in a crouch, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Now we’re talkin’,” she said with a grin, before launching herself at him again.

Raph growled and lunged at her, his tonfas swinging with force.

Cassandra ducked under his first strike, her movements swift and calculated. She twisted around him, aiming a sharp jab at his side, but he blocked it just in time. With a grunt, he shoved her back, forcing some distance between them.

She skidded across the floor but barely looked fazed, rolling her shoulders with that signature smirk tugging at her lips. “Gotta say, big guy, you’re gettin’ faster.”

Raph smirked back, despite himself. “And you’re still a pain in my shell.”

They clashed again, exchanging blows in a blur of motion. Raph swung low at her legs, trying to throw her off balance, but Cassandra leapt over him, flipping mid-air to land behind him. Before he could turn, she hooked her arms around his shoulders and jumped, trying to use her weight to bring him down.

Raph’s heart did a weird little flip at the sudden closeness—but he shoved that feeling aside. Focus, Raph!

This time, he was ready. He planted his feet and refused to move, grabbing her wrist and yanking her forward instead. She gasped as he flung her over his shoulder, but—of course—she recovered mid-air, twisting her body and landing on her feet with perfect agility.

He didn’t give her time to recover. He surged forward and managed to grab the front of her uniform, pinning her against the cold, reinforced wall.

“Enough,” he huffed, his face inches from hers.

Cassandra's eyes gleamed with something unreadable—excitement? Amusement? She was smirking beneath that mask, he knew it.

“Not bad, Red,” she murmured, her voice almost teasing. “But you do know this is just a distraction, right?”

Raph’s eyes widened. “Wait, wha—”

Before he could finish, an explosion rocked the warehouse from the far side.

Cassandra took full advantage of his split-second distraction, slipping free from his grip with a graceful spin and dashing toward the artifact.

Raph cursed under his breath, spinning to chase after her.

Why does she have to be so ridiculously good at this?

And—maybe worse—why was he starting to like it?

Raph sprinted after her, his muscles burning with determination. He wasn't letting her get away this time.

Just as she reached for the artifact, he caught her foot mid-stride and yanked her back.

Cassandra let out a sharp gasp as she lost balance, crashing onto the warehouse floor. Before she could recover, Raph was already on her, looping his arm around her neck and locking her in place.

"Enough," Raph huffed, tightening his grip. "You really wanna do this? For them?"

Cassandra struggled, but his strength kept her firmly in place. "Obviously," she spat, her voice muffled against his hold.

Raph took a breath, trying to push down the frustration—and the stupid part of his brain that kept reminding him how close she was.

"You don’t gotta do this, Cass," he said, his voice softer this time. "They don’t care about you—just what you can do for ‘em. You deserve better than the Foot."

Cassandra let out a dry laugh. "You don’t get to decide that, turtle boy."

Raph clenched his jaw. "I ain't decidin’ for you. I’m just tellin’ you the truth."

For a moment, she hesitated. He felt it—the way her body stopped struggling just slightly, the way her breath hitched.

Maybe… maybe he was getting through to her.

Then, she shifted in his grip, tilting her head slightly.

"Alright," she muttered. "Guess I do gotta do this the hard way."

Raph barely had time to react before—

WHAM.

A white-hot pain shot through his body as her knee slammed into his crotch.

"AGH—!" Raph instantly let go, stumbling back as he clutched his "family jewels," groaning in agony. His knees wobbled, the warehouse spinning for a moment.

Cassandra, now completely free, rolled her shoulders and dusted herself off. "See? Dirty fighting gets the job done."

She spun on her heel, snatching the artifact from its stand. With a wink, she looked over her shoulder. "Better luck next time, Raphie."

And with that, she bolted.

Raph, still hunched over in pain, growled under his breath as she disappeared into the night. "That girl is gonna be the death of me."

Raph still have his hands over his jewel and face planted into the water when he hear his brothers came through Leo's portal. "Took you guys long enough. Long enough to be late." Raph breath out, still in pain.

Raph lay sprawled out on the cold warehouse floor, hands still cradling his aching "family jewels," groaning through clenched teeth.

The familiar sound of Leo’s portal slicing through the air barely registered in his brain before his brothers’ footsteps came rushing toward him.

"RAPH!" Leo’s voice rang out. "What the heck happened here?"

Raph groaned, still face-down. "Took you guys long enough," he muttered, his voice muffled against the floor. "Long enough to be late."

Donnie adjusted his battle shell, scanning the area with narrowed eyes. "Late for what, exactly? Because from what I’m seeing, the only crime committed here was against your dignity."

Leo crouched beside him. "Yeah, seriously. What hit you? And where’s the thief?"

Mikey, standing over Raph with his hands on his hips, took one look at the way his big bro was curled up and immediately winced. "Ooooh, bro. Did they go for the family jewels?"

Raph just groaned louder, rolling onto his back with a wince.

Leo snorted. "So, what, you got wrecked by some random thief?"

Donnie hummed, adjusting his goggles as he examined the scene. "Considering the state of Raph, I'd say it wasn't just some random thief. Whoever they were, they were good."

Mikey bit his lip, eyes flicking toward Raph. Oh, he knew exactly who did this. But he wasn’t about to rat Raph out just yet.

Instead, he squatted beside his brother with an innocent grin. "Sooo… was she at least pretty?"

Raph groaned again and thudded his head against the floor. "Shut up, Mikey."

"This could work," Leo said, handing Raph an ice pack.

Raph snatched it without a word, grumbling under his breath as he carefully pressed it against his aching jewels. He hissed at the cold but didn’t dare complain—he needed the relief. With a quick glance at his brothers, he yanked his blanket over his lap to hide the ice pack, slumping back against the couch.

"This feels so embarrassing," he muttered, staring at the ceiling.

Leo smirked, crossing his arms. "I mean, yeah. You got your butt handed to you and got decked in the family fortune. Not exactly a proud moment."

Donnie, who had been casually scrolling on his tech-brace, chimed in without looking up. "If it makes you feel any better, there’s an exact pressure point that, when struck, can incapacitate even the most trained fighter." He paused and smirked. "And it’s located right where you got hit."

Raph grumbled something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like a curse.

Mikey, lounging on the beanbag, tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Sooo, this mystery ninja totally outmaneuvered you, huh?" His eyes sparkled with mischief. "Bet she was fast. And strong. And ruthless."

Raph glared at him. "Mikey."

Mikey grinned wider. "Ooooh, and I bet she had, like, killer moves." He wiggled his eyebrows. "You sure you weren’t, like… distracted?"

Raph's face burned. "SHUT. UP."

Leo raised a brow. "Wait… she?" He looked between them. "Mikey, do you know something we don’t?"

Mikey threw his hands up with a playful grin. "Hey, I’m just guessing here!"

Raph groaned, dragging his blanket up over his face. "I hate all of you."

A week later...

"You had to hit me in the nuts!" Raph shouted as he stormed into the park, spotting Cassandra mid-stretch near a set of training bars.

Cassandra, unfazed, barely glanced at him as she straightened up, rolling her shoulders. "Oh, please," she scoffed, shaking out her arms. "You were holding me in a headlock. What else was I supposed to do? Politely ask you to let me go?"

Raph scowled, crossing his arms. "You could've—I dunno—not gone for my family jewels!"

Cassandra finally turned to face him, an amused smirk tugging at her lips. "A fight’s a fight, big guy. You left an opening, I took it. That’s on you." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "You should be thanking me for teaching you a valuable lesson."

Raph let out an incredulous laugh. "Thanking you?! I couldn’t walk right for two days!"

Cassandra grinned. "Then maybe next time, you’ll block better."

Raph groaned, dragging a hand down his face. He should be mad—really mad—but the way she stood there, smug and self-assured, made it annoyingly difficult to stay pissed.

He exhaled sharply, glaring at her. "You know, I actually came here to yell at you, but somehow, I feel like I’m losin’ this argument."

Cassandra tilted her head, mock-thoughtful. "That’s because you are."

Raph huffed, crossing his arms. "Tch. You’re impossible."

She smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "And yet, you still came looking for me."

Raph didn't notice, but he started to blush. 

Cassandra raised an eyebrow as she caught the faint dusting of red creeping up Raph’s face. "You good there, big guy?" she teased, tilting her head.

Raph blinked, snapping out of whatever weird haze he had fallen into. "What? Yeah! I—I’m fine!" He cleared his throat, looking away and crossing his arms tighter, as if that would somehow make the heat in his face disappear.

Cassandra’s smirk widened. "Huh. You sure? ‘Cause you’re looking a little... flustered."

Raph scoffed, stubbornly keeping his gaze anywhere but on her. "I ain't flustered! Just... still mad!"

"Uh-huh." Cassandra took a step closer, peering up at him. "And your face is red because...?"

"Because I always look like this!" Raph shot back, his voice cracking just slightly.

Cassandra snorted, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Alright, alright, whatever you say, hothead." She gave him a playful jab to the arm before stepping back. "So, you track me down just to yell at me, or you actually got something important to say?"

Raph exhaled through his nose, finally looking at her again. "Yeah, I do," he said, more serious this time. "You really don’t gotta do all this Foot Clan stuff, y’know. It ain’t worth it."

Cassandra’s smirk faltered for just a moment, but she quickly covered it up with an eye roll. "We've been over this, Raph. This is my path. My destiny."

"Destiny ain't got nothin’ to do with it!" Raph countered. "You got a choice! You don’t have to be wrapped up in all this Foot Clan mess!"

Cassandra tensed, but the stubborn glint in her eye remained. "I want this," she said firmly. "I need this."

Raph clenched his jaw, feeling frustration bubble up inside him. He wanted to get through to her, but she was just as thick-headed as he was.

Cassandra, however, just gave him one last look before shaking her head. "Look, Raph. I really appreciate the concern, really. But I know what I’m doing." She turned on her heel, already walking away.

Raph grumbled and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Ruining people's lives and supporting the terroristic activities? Yeah, you love doing all that, isn't it?"

Cassandra yanked her arm free, eyes narrowing as her playful smirk disappeared. "You don’t know anything about what I do."

"I know enough," Raph shot back, stepping closer. "The Foot Clan ain't some noble warrior group, Cass! They steal, they hurt people, and you're just—just helping ‘em!"

Cassandra scoffed. "You think it’s that simple? That black and white?" She crossed her arms, tilting her head. "What, you think you're some kinda hero, big guy? Gonna swoop in and ‘save’ me from my horrible, misguided choices?"

Raph clenched his fists. "I ain't tryna save you," he muttered. "I just—You ain't gotta be this."

Cassandra’s jaw tightened for a second before she exhaled sharply. "I choose this. The Foot is my family."

Raph flinched slightly at that word—family. His stomach twisted.

Cassandra noticed, her eyes flickering with something unreadable. "They took me in. Trained me. Made me stronger," she continued. "They trust me. And I trust them."

Raph exhaled slowly through his nose, trying to keep his cool. "Yeah? And what happens when they don’t need you anymore?"

Cassandra stiffened. It was quick—barely noticeable—but Raph caught it.

"You ever think about that?" he pushed, stepping forward again. "What happens when you're not useful to ‘em? When they throw you away ‘cause you ain't got nothin’ left to give?"

Cassandra’s fingers twitched slightly at her sides. Then, just as quickly, she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You’re so dramatic."

Raph huffed. "Yeah? Well, maybe you ain't dramatic enough."

Cassandra turned away. "You’re wasting your breath, Raph. My mind’s made up."

Raph’s shoulders tensed as he watched her go. He wanted to shake some sense into her, to make her see what he saw—but she was just as stubborn as he was.

Just before she got too far, she glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. "Nice try, though," she teased, then gave him a lazy salute before vanishing into the city.

Raph stood there, grinding his teeth. His fists tightened at his sides as frustration bubbled in his chest.

"Dang it," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face.

She was slipping further into the Foot’s grip.

And no matter how much he wanted to pull her out of it...

He wasn’t sure if she’d ever let him.

Chapter Text

Raph barely noticed how much time he was spending on patrols.

At first, it was just a couple of extra rounds—telling himself he was just being thorough. Keeping an eye out for any Foot activity. But somewhere along the way, his patrols started stretching longer and longer.

And he still hadn’t seen her.

Cassandra’s appearances were getting fewer and farther between.

The first few days, he told himself it was just a coincidence. Maybe she was busy. Maybe she was laying low. But then a week passed. Then another. And every time he went out, every time he scanned the rooftops, the alleys, the places he knew she liked to frequent—there was nothing.

No cocky smirk. No taunts. No smug “Miss me?” before trying to kick his face in.

Nothing.

And it was really starting to bother him.

So, he kept going out. Longer nights. Earlier starts. He pushed himself harder than usual, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, scanning the streets below. He told himself he was just making sure she wasn’t up to anything dangerous.

But deep down, a part of him knew the truth.

He just wanted to see her.

He wanted to know she was okay.

And, of course, it didn’t take long for someone to notice.

One night, after another completely useless patrol, Raph landed back in the lair with a frustrated grunt.

He barely took two steps toward his room before he heard a hmmmmm.

A very pointed, very knowing hum.

Raph froze. Then turned.

Mikey stood there, arms crossed, grinning.

Raph scowled. “What?”

Mikey tapped his chin. “Y’know, Raph, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you take this many patrols before. Almost like you’re lookin’ for someone.”

Raph tensed. “I’m just doin’ my job.”

Mikey’s grin widened. “Riiiiiight. Just doin’ your job. Definitely not going out every night, hoping to catch a glimpse of a certain Foot recruit.”

Raph glared. “I ain’t—That’s not—!” He huffed and crossed his arms. “Mind your business, Mikey.”

Mikey gasped dramatically. “Ohhhh, but it is my business, big guy. ‘Cause you? You’re stressin’ me out with all this brooding.”

Raph rolled his eyes. “I ain’t brooding.”

Mikey smirked. “Then why’s your face doin’ that?” He mimicked Raph’s usual scowl, crossing his arms all dramatically.

Raph groaned and turned away. “I hate you.”

Mikey cackled, hopping onto the couch. “No, you don’t.” Then, more seriously, he tilted his head. “But for real, Raph… You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”

Raph hesitated.

Mikey’s smile softened. “You wouldn’t be running yourself ragged like this if you weren’t.”

Raph exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “…I dunno, man. It’s just weird, y’know? She used to be everywhere, and now she’s just… gone.”

Mikey nodded. “Yeah, that is weird. Did you do or say something to her that made her hide from you better?"

Raph flinched.

Mikey gasped, leaning in with a teasing grin. “Oooh~ You did say or do something! What is it?”

Raph scowled and looked away. “Nothin’.”

Mikey’s grin only grew. “Raph, Raph, Raph… You know you can’t lie to me.” He tapped his temple. “I got big brother instincts, dude.”

Raph huffed, arms crossing over his chest. “It ain’t a big deal.”

Mikey gasped dramatically, hands on his cheeks. “Oh no, it totally is! You never get this flustered unless you majorly messed up.” He wiggled his fingers at Raph. “Spill! What did you do?”

Raph groaned and ran a hand down his face. “Okay, fine! Maybe I did somethin’.”

Mikey’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Go on.”

Raph grumbled. “I… may have tried talkin’ her outta the Foot.”

Mikey blinked. “Huh.” He tilted his head. “That’s it?”

Raph exhaled sharply, rubbing his neck. “I—I told her it wasn’t worth it. That she was better than this. That she didn’t gotta follow those guys just ‘cause they told her to.”

Mikey’s expression softened. “And how’d she take it?”

Raph scoffed. “She kicked me in the jewels and ran off with the armor piece.”

Mikey wheezed. “Oh dude—”

“Don’t laugh.”

“I’m sorry,” Mikey cackled. “It’s just—ow.” He winced, crossing his legs on instinct. “That hurts, man.”

Raph sighed and slumped against the couch. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”

Mikey wiped away a tear from laughing. “But real talk, Raph… If she’s been avoiding you ever since, maybe you did get through to her.”

Raph looked at him. “What?”

Mikey shrugged. “I mean, think about it. If she didn’t care about what you said, she’d still be actin’ the same, right? She wouldn’t be avoiding you at all.”

Raph hesitated.

Mikey tapped his chin. “Maybe she’s tryin’ to figure things out.”

Raph sighed. “Or maybe she just don’t wanna deal with me.”

Mikey rolled his eyes. “Oh please. You think if she really hated you, she wouldn’t have just fought you again?”

Raph frowned.

Mikey leaned forward. “Raph. C’mon, man. She likes messin’ with you. If she’s avoiding you, it’s not ‘cause she’s mad—it’s ‘cause she doesn’t know how to deal with whatever she’s feeling.”

Raph’s grip tightened on his knee. “So… what am I supposed to do?”

Mikey grinned. “Go find her, duh.”

Raph hesitated, then sighed. “…Yeah.” He stood up. “Guess I better get movin’.”

Mikey leaned back on the couch with a smug look. “Give her a smooch for me!”

“Shut up!” Raph barked, storming off.

Mikey just giggled, watching him leave. Then, after a moment, he stretched and flopped back onto the cushions.

A blink.

Then he sat up, looked around, and frowned.

“…Wait. He didn’t go overboard, right?”

His voice was no longer smooth and professional—it was his.

Regular Mikey was back.

And he had no idea what just happened.

Chapter Text

(After the Shredder was captured in Many Unhappy Returns)

Raph saw Cassandra sitting on the ledge of a rooftop. She's wearing a loose shirt over her upper body, which is covered with gauze. He leapt to that rooftop and sat beside her. "How's your injury? His whole weight is literally on your back and pins you to the ground."

Cassandra sighed and turned away from him. "Don't worry about it.

Raph scoffed. “Kinda hard not to worry when you looked like you got run over by a truck.”

Cassandra huffed, rolling her eyes. “It’s nothing. I’ve had worse.”

Raph leaned back on his hands, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. “Uh-huh. And I bet you walked it off too, huh?”

Cassandra smirked. “Damn right I did.”

Raph shook his head with a small grin. “You’re somethin’ else, y’know that?”

Cassandra didn’t respond right away. Instead, she exhaled slowly, watching the city below.

For once, she wasn’t throwing a punch, making a snarky remark, or flashing that cocky grin. She just… sat there. Quiet.

Finally, Cassandra breaks the silence. "I hate that you were right."

Raph blinked, caught off guard. He turned his head to look at her. "Wait... what?"

Cassandra scowled, gripping the edge of the rooftop like she was trying to squeeze the frustration out of her fingers. "I hate that you were right," she repeated, voice tight.

Raph sat up a little straighter. "About what?"

Cassandra exhaled sharply, tilting her head back toward the sky. “About them. About the Foot.”

Raph felt his chest tighten. He didn’t say anything, just let her talk.

She let out a humorless chuckle. “Loyalty, dedication, proving myself… I thought all of it meant something.” Her fingers curled into fists on her lap. “But I was just another pawn. Disposable.”

Raph swallowed, choosing his words carefully. “What happened?”

Cassandra hesitated, then finally turned to look at him. Her eyes were sharp, but not with their usual playful glint. This was something else. Something raw.

“They left me behind,” she muttered, her jaw clenched. "After that mystic lady captured Shredder, they cut me off and mostly blame me for Shredder being savage like that. Well, who else can they blame? I found ninety-five percent of the armour. They didn't even pay for my medical treatment." She said, looking disappointed.

Raph whistled and swinging his legs a bit. "Bad timing, but I think this is a good time for me to say—" Raph dramatically take a deep breath and then lets it out. "I told you so."

Cassandra shot him a glare so sharp it could’ve sliced through steel.

Raph held up his hands, grinning. “Hey, hey—just sayin’! Y’know, since you did kick me in the—”

“Finish that sentence, and I will throw you off this rooftop,” Cassandra deadpanned.

Raph smirked but wisely shut his mouth.

For a while, the two just sat there, the city buzzing beneath them.

Then, softer, Raph said, “So… what now?”

Cassandra exhaled through her nose, rubbing her arm. “Dunno.” Her voice lacked its usual confidence. “I spent years tryin’ to prove I belong in the Foot, and now…” She clenched her jaw. “Now I’ve got nothing.”

Raph frowned, watching her carefully. He hated seeing her like this—so lost, so unlike herself.

“You don’t got nothing,” he muttered, bumping her shoulder with his fist.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh? And what do I got, turtle?”

Raph rolled his eyes. “Well, for starters, you’re not dead, so that’s a win.”

Cassandra snorted. “Barely.”

“And,” Raph continued, “you got me.”

That made her pause.

Raph rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling awkward. “I mean, yeah, we fight all the time, and yeah, you get on my nerves a lot, but…” He exhaled. “You’re not alone, Cass.”

Cassandra stared at him for a long moment. Then, slowly, a small smirk tugged at her lips.

“Cass, huh?” she teased.

Raph’s face immediately burned. “I—no, that’s—shut up.”

Cassandra chuckled, nudging him with her elbow. “Not bad, Red. Not bad.”

Raph huffed, trying to ignore the way his heart picked up a little.

They sat in silence again, but this time, it was more comfortable.

Cassandra stretched her arms over her head and sighed. “Welp. Guess I’m officially unemployed.”

Raph grinned. “Yeah, and whose fault is that?”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Still yours, obviously.”

Raph laughed, shaking his head. “You’re impossible.”

Cassandra smirked. “You love it.”

Raph blinked and turned away so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. “Shut. Up.”

Cassandra just cackled.

They comfortably sat beside each other in silence. Raph sighed. "Well, I wanna say I'm sorry too. I'm being too harsh on ya'."

Cassandra glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “You? Apologizing? Now that’s a rare sight.”

Raph rolled his eyes but didn’t take the bait. “I mean it,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was mad ‘cause… I didn’t want ya to get hurt. But I didn’t say it in the right way.”

Cassandra hummed, tilting her head. “Yeah, well… you were right, so I guess I can’t be too mad about it.”

Raph looked at her, a little surprised. “That sounded dangerously close to you admitting I won an argument.”

Cassandra smirked. “Don’t push your luck, turtle.”

Raph chuckled, shaking his head. “Noted.”

They sat in comfortable silence again, watching the city lights flicker in the distance.

Finally, Cassandra let out a long breath. “So, uh… what now?”

Raph looked at her, then shrugged. “Dunno. But whatever it is… you don’t gotta figure it out alone.”

Cassandra studied him for a moment before smirking. “You really are a big softie under all that muscle, huh?”

Raph groaned. “Why do I even try?”

Cassandra laughed, leaning back on her hands. “You love it.”

Raph huffed but didn’t deny it. "So, you said you want to be something?"

"Yeah."

"Do you like desserts?"

"Why you ask?"

"Just answer me."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious. “Yeah, I like desserts. What of it?”

Raph grinned. “Then maybe you should work at a bakery or somethin’.”

Cassandra blinked, then burst out laughing. “A bakery? You serious?”

Raph shrugged. “Hey, why not? You like sweets, you’re fast with your hands, and you got a lot of energy. Seems like a good fit.”

Cassandra wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling. “Can you really imagine me in a little apron, frosting cupcakes or whatever?”

Raph smirked. “Oh yeah. I’m picturing it right now. Cute lil’ apron, flour on your face, maybe a goofy hat—”

Cassandra lightly smacked his arm. “You’re messin’ with me.”

Raph grinned wider. “A little, yeah.”

She shook her head, but there was a small smile on her face. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you need a job,” Raph shot back. “So unless you got a better idea…”

Cassandra crossed her arms, thinking. “I dunno… but I guess it would be nice to do something that doesn’t involve, y’know… stealing ancient artifacts and nearly getting crushed by a giant, mindless Shredder.”

Raph nodded. “That does sound like a major upgrade.”

She exhaled, rolling her shoulders. “I’ll think about it.”

Raph smirked. “Good. ‘Cause I’m expectin’ some free samples.”

Cassandra snorted. “You wish.”

2 months later...

Raph had his hoodie pulled low over his face, hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweatpants as he wandered through the park. The late evening air was crisp, and for once, he was glad to have a moment away from the chaos of the lair. Leo and Donnie had been extra lately—bickering over ridiculous things, messing with their gadgets, and generally making the lair a noisy warzone.

He sighed, enjoying the rare moment of peace, when he noticed a small group of Girl Scouts packing up their booth near the park’s walkway. Their table was covered in empty trays and scattered crumbs, but off to the side sat two unopened containers of brownies.

One of the girls, a short one with curly hair and bright green sneakers, groaned dramatically. “Grandma CJ is gonna be mad we didn’t sell all the brownies.” She crossed her arms and frowned at the container.

Another scout, taller with glasses, adjusted her sash. “We tried, but I guess today just wasn’t a brownie kind of day.”

A third girl, packing up their signs, sighed. “We can take ‘em home, but there’s a lot left.”

The first girl huffed. “Ugh, I hate wasting food.”

Raph, who had been listening in, glanced at the brownies again. His stomach grumbled.

He wasn’t much of a sweets guy, but he did know someone who would probably appreciate them.

After a brief internal debate, he stepped forward, keeping his hoodie low. “How much for the brownies?”

The girls froze for a moment, then turned to look at him. The one with curly hair squinted up at him suspiciously.

“You want the brownies?” she asked, like she wasn’t sure if he was joking.

Raph shrugged, trying to keep his voice casual. “Yeah. How much?”

The tall girl with glasses adjusted her sash again, looking between her friends. “Well, technically, we were selling them for five dollars a box, but since it’s the last one…” She trailed off, unsure.

The first girl, however, smirked. “How ‘bout ten?”

The girl with glasses elbowed her. “Maya!”

“What? He looks like he’s got money.” Maya grinned up at Raph. “You got ten bucks, hoodie guy?”

Raph rolled his eyes but pulled out his wallet. He usually didn’t carry much cash, but thankfully, he had a ten tucked away. He handed it over, and Maya gleefully exchanged it for the container of brownies.

“Pleasure doing business with ya,” she said, stuffing the bill into the cash box before her friends could argue.

Raph huffed. “Yeah, yeah.” He grabbed the brownies and turned to leave.

As he walked away, he heard one of the other girls whisper, “That guy was huge.”

“Right? He’s built like a wrestler.”

Maya snickered. “And he just bought brownies like a little grandma.”

Raph resisted the urge to groan and picked up his pace, heading toward the other end of the park.

Mikey beamed at him. “Aww, look at you, being all soft and considerate.”

Raph grumbled, stuffing half a brownie into his mouth. “Ain’t a big deal.”

Donnie, who had finally decided the brownies were worth investigating, picked one up and inspected it like it held the secrets of the universe. “Hm. I must admit, I’m impressed. The texture is quite refined for a mere scout-produced confection.” He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. “…Hmph. Acceptable.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “That’s Donnie for ‘these are amazing.’”

Mikey was already reaching for another. “Man, you should buy brownies more often! Or, y’know, we could make some. I bet I could convince April to have a baking day with me.”

“Yeah, yeah, you do that,” Raph muttered, finishing his piece.

The others got lost in a discussion about different brownie recipes, but Raph barely heard them. His thoughts had already wandered elsewhere.

Because the truth was, he hadn’t gotten the brownies just for them.

There was another container, tucked safely away in his hoodie pocket.

And he had somewhere else to be tonight.

Chapter Text

Raph moved swiftly across the city skyline, the cool night air brushing against his skin. He had done this route so many times by now that it was second nature—rooftop to rooftop, always landing light on his feet despite his size. The bag slung over his shoulder bounced slightly with every landing, but he kept a firm grip on it. Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.

As he neared his destination, he slowed his pace, scanning the streets below. It had taken some time, but he had figured out Cassandra’s usual haunts. The rooftops she liked. The quiet spots she used to rest.

And sure enough, there she was.

Cassandra sat on the edge of a building, her legs dangling over the side as she looked out over the city. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and the slight slump of her shoulders told him she was deep in thought.

Raph took a breath before making his approach. He wasn’t really sure why he felt nervous. It wasn’t like this was the first time he’d sought her out. Maybe it was just the idea that, for once, he wasn’t here to argue or lecture her.

He landed a few feet behind her, making just enough noise so she’d notice. Sure enough, her head snapped around, eyes sharp and alert—until she saw it was him.

“Ugh, you again?” Cassandra groaned, though there wasn’t as much bite in her voice as before.

Raph smirked and walked closer. “Yeah, yeah. I get it, you’re real sick of me by now.”

She snorted. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.”

Cassandra glanced over as Raph plopped down beside her, setting a bag between them. She raised an eyebrow, already looking suspicious. “What’s with the bag?”

Raph smirked and pulled out the container of brownies and two energy drinks. “Brought ya somethin’.”

The moment Cassandra’s eyes landed on the container, she blinked in surprise. Then, to Raph’s confusion, she actually looked a little impressed.

“Oh! You bought my brownies?” she asked, grabbing the container like she wasn’t sure if she believed it.

Raph frowned. “Your brownies?”

Cassandra tapped the side of the container with a smirk. “Yeah. The Girl Scouts? That’s my troop.” She opened it up and inspected the contents. “Huh. Didn’t think you were the type to support local businesses.”

Raph rolled his eyes. “I ain’t. I just saw the girls packin’ up, lookin’ all disappointed ‘cause they had leftovers. One of ‘em even said somethin’ about their boss gettin’ mad.”

Cassandra snorted. “Pfft. ‘Grandma CJ’ is me, genius.”

Raph blinked. “Wait—you’re Grandma CJ?”

She grinned proudly. “Short for Cassandra Jones. The scouts came up with it.”

Raph gave her a look. “You let a bunch of kids call you ‘Grandma’?”

Cassandra shrugged. “They respect me.”

Raph shook his head with a chuckle. “Yeah, whatever. You gonna eat one or what?”

She eyed the brownies again, then grabbed one and took a bite. Immediately, her expression softened just a little, like she hadn’t expected them to actually taste good.

Raph smirked. “Yeah, thought so.”

Cassandra chewed thoughtfully, then narrowed her eyes at him. “So what’s the deal? You trying to butter me up?”

Raph leaned back, cracking open one of the energy drinks. “Nah. Just figured you could use somethin’ decent after all the crap you’ve been dealin’ with.”

She studied him for a long moment before huffing. “…Weird mutant.”

Raph took a swig of his drink. “Annoying human.”

They sat there, eating and drinking, the city buzzing around them.

Then, after a long pause, Cassandra muttered, “…Thanks.”

Raph turned his head slightly, catching the way she was looking down at the brownie in her hands.

A small smile tugged at his lips. “Anytime.”

The comfortable silence stretched between them, the sounds of the city filling the air instead. Cassandra wasn’t one for sitting still, not really, but right now, for whatever reason, she didn’t feel the need to move. Not when he was sitting beside her.

She stole a glance at Raph. He had his hood pulled up, one hand idly gripping the energy drink as he stared out over the city. His shoulders, broad and strong, rose and fell with slow, steady breaths. His legs dangled off the edge, relaxed but ready—like even now, in a quiet moment, he was prepared to jump into action at a second’s notice.

He was persistent. That much was obvious. It didn’t matter how many times she shut him down, how many times she told him she wasn’t his problem. He still showed up. Still fought her. Still talked to her. Like he just had to prove she was more than what the Foot saw her as. It was infuriating. But also…

Cassandra frowned slightly, tearing off another piece of brownie.

It was also kind of impressive.

She had met plenty of fighters—skilled ones, tough ones, ones who could hold their own. But Raph? He was different.

Stronger than he looked. And he already looked strong.

He fought like a wrecking ball, but he wasn’t just brute force. He had endurance. He could take a hit and keep going, could get knocked down and still drag himself back up. Even when he should’ve stayed down.

Even when she was the one knocking him down.

She chewed her brownie a little slower, eyes drifting downward.

And he was… kind.

Not just in the way he acted, but in how he felt. There was a warmth about him, something steady and unshakable. She had seen it before—in the way he treated his brothers, in the way he never hesitated to throw himself in front of them. In the way he carried burdens too heavy for one person, but never once complained.

Even with her, even when they were fighting, he never really hated her. He should have. She gave him every reason to. But he never did.

And that…

Cassandra clicked her tongue, suddenly irritated.

What was she even thinking about? Why did any of this matter?

She shook her head, stuffing the last of the brownie into her mouth.

But even as she did, she was hyper-aware of the presence next to her.

Of him.

And, for some reason, the thought of getting up and leaving didn’t sit right with her.

…Maybe just a little longer.

A month later…

Cassandra hunched over her notebook, furiously scribbling notes as the Lou Jitsu training video played on her laptop. Her eyes darted between the screen and the paper, her handwriting sharp and hurried. She absorbed every word like her life depended on it.

LOU JITSU: “There is no one path to success, other than the one you make. If a popular punch isn’t working, approach your problem with FLAMING GORILLA ARMBAR!”

Cassandra’s eyes gleamed with inspiration. She jabbed her pen toward the screen like she was making a vow. "Yes! Teach me how to armbar my way to world domination!"

She was so locked in, so completely focused on every movement in the video, that she barely noticed when the room temperature dropped.

A strange slithering sound echoed against the walls. The air felt heavy. Wrong.

Her grip on the pen tightened, but before she could react, something dark and shifting crept into the room.

Her recruits—tough as they were—froze, their training forgotten as the inky shadow slithered across the floor.

Cassandra turned just in time to see it lunge.

Her notebook was ripped from her grip, pages fluttering wildly through the air.

Then, before she could even let out a shout—

The shadow engulfed her.

And then she was gone.

Chapter Text

Something felt off.

Raph couldn’t shake the feeling. It had been weeks now, and the city was… quiet. Too quiet. No Foot Clan activity, no mutant attacks, no trouble lurking in the shadows. It was the kind of peace that felt wrong.

And what made it worse?

Cassandra was gone.

He hadn’t seen her anywhere—not at the park, not at her usual haunts, not even from a distance while on patrol. At first, he figured she was just laying low, maybe busy with some new scheme. But after a month? Yeah, nah. Something wasn’t right.

And that itch at the back of his mind wasn’t going away.

So, Raph did something he never thought he’d do—he went looking for Girl Scouts.

They were easy to find, setting up their usual booth at the park. But instead of selling brownies, they were huddled together, their expressions tight with concern. When Raph landed nearby, they barely reacted, too caught up in taping something to the side of their table.

Raph squinted. Missing posters.

His stomach twisted.

“Hey,” he called out, making a few of them jump. “Uh, you guys seen Cassandra?”

The moment he said her name, the girls turned to him, eyes wide with recognition—and worry.

“You know CJ?” one of them asked, looking hopeful.

Raph blinked. “CJ?”

“Grandma CJ,” another clarified, holding up one of the posters.

His gut dropped. Because staring back at him from the paper—

Was Cassandra.

MISSING.

Raph took a slow breath. His fingers clenched at his sides.

“Oh, shell.”

The girl frowned, gripping the missing poster tighter. "She wouldn't just disappear like this."

"Yeah!" another chimed in. "She said she’d always be around to help! She wouldn’t just leave without saying anything!"

Raph felt a pit forming in his stomach. Yeah. That didn’t sound like Cassandra at all. She was too loud, too stubborn, too determined to just up and vanish.

Something happened.

Something bad.

His fists clenched.

“Do you know anything?” one of the girls asked again, a little more desperate this time.

Raph exhaled through his nose, trying to keep his own worry in check. "No. I'm as confused as you guys."

It was the truth, and that only made it worse.

The girls exchanged glances, their worry deepening. "If you do hear anything…" The girl hesitated, then held out a missing poster to him. “Please let us know.”

Raph took it carefully, his eyes scanning over Cassandra’s picture.

"I will," he promised.

And for the first time in weeks, he had a real mission.

Find Cassandra.

Well, of course, he wouldn't tell his brothers that. He will only tell them that this is a group patrol.

The same day at night...

Raph wasn’t in the mood for this.

He’d called for patrol because something didn’t sit right with him.

The city was too quiet. Their enemies had gone too silent. And Cassandra? Gone.

The Girl Scouts were putting up missing posters for their grandma, of all people, and no one had seen Cassandra in weeks. Raph wasn’t about to sit around and wait for another enemy to show up on their doorstep.

So he pulled his brothers out for a patrol. To clear his head. To do something.

And then, halfway home, he overheard this.

Leo was whispering to Donnie, something hushed and smug, until Donnie smirked—smirked—and Leo gasped, clamping his hands over his mouth like he’d just witnessed history in the making.

Raph frowned. That’s suspicious.

“Ohhh, but I did,” Leo shot back, crossing his arms smugly. “All those little nudges, the teasing, the very well-placed suggestions to get you two alone and then kiss kiss kiss—you’re welcome, by the way.”

Donnie rolled his eyes. “Yes, because what truly convinced Kendra to reconsider her entire stance on me was your insufferable meddling.”

Leo waved him off. “Pfft, details. The point is—”

Raph froze mid-step.

“…Who kissed who now?”

Silence.

Both twins slowly turned toward him, eyes wide like deer caught in headlights.

Raph stood a few feet away, arms crossed, one brow raised. Beside him, Mikey blinked in confusion. “Wait… what?”

Donnie clenched his jaw. Leo visibly gulped.

Uh-oh.

“Guys,” Raph said, tone firm as he crossed his arms. “Explain.”

Leo didn’t hesitate—he immediately pointed at Donnie. “It was him!”

Donnie’s head snapped toward his twin, eyes burning with betrayal. “You traitor!”

Raph took a slow, deliberate step forward, fixing Donnie with a sharp glare. “So let me get this straight… You got involved with Kendra—leader of the Purple Dragons—our enemy—and Leo knew about it?”

Mikey gasped dramatically, gripping Raph’s arm. “WHAT?! Donnie, are you dating Kendra!?”

“No!” Donnie shot back, then hesitated. “…Not exactly.”

Raph’s eye twitched. “Not exactly?”

Leo cleared his throat. “Technically, they’re in a complicated situation, relationship-wise. No official labels. No battle lines redrawn yet.”

Raph turned his glare to Leo. “And you knew and didn’t say anything?”

Leo held up his hands in defense. “Okay, in my defense, Donnie made it very clear that if I said anything too soon, he’d personally rewire my swords to electrocute me every time I used them.”

Mikey’s eyes darted between them, looking way too entertained. “So wait, who kissed who first?”

Donnie exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his snout. “That is not the primary concern here.”

Leo smirked. “She kissed him.”

Mikey gasped again, clutching his chest. “No way! Was it, like, a real kiss or just a little—”

“Mikey, focus!” Raph snapped, rubbing his temples like this entire conversation was physically painful. He turned back to Donnie, eyes narrowing. “Tell me you at least understand how bad this could get.”

Donnie met his gaze, arms crossing. “I do. But…” His expression softened, hesitation flickering across his face. “She’s thinking it through, Raph. And Kendra doesn’t take things lightly. If—when—she makes her choice, I trust it’ll be the right one.”

Raph studied him, searching his face for any uncertainty.

Finally, he exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. “I really don’t like this.”

Donnie smirked. “Duly noted.”

Raph groaned. “Just… don’t let it bite you in the shell, Don.”

Leo clapped his hands together. “Sooo, does this mean we officially support Donnie’s ‘it’s complicated’ romance?”

Raph shot him a deadpan look. “Leo, shut up.”

But before the conversation could die, Mikey suddenly nudged Raph, a knowing grin spreading across his face.

“Hey, Raph… don’t you think you’re being kinda hypocritical right now?”

The twins' heads whipped toward him so fast it was a miracle they didn’t get whiplash.

Raph stiffened. “…I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” He looked away, cheeks steadily turning as red as his mask.

Mikey’s grin widened. “Aww. Don’t you care about… Cassandra?”

“MIKEY.”

“CASSANDRA!?”

“I’ve been helping him out, like you helping Donnie,” Mikey smirked, pointing right at Leo.

Leo’s jaw dropped. “You’ve been helping Raph!?”

Donnie’s brows shot up. “Wait—you and Cassandra!?”

Raph groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Mikey, I swear—”

“Ohhh, this is rich!” Leo practically cackled, slapping Donnie’s shoulder. “And you thought I was the meddler? Look at this! Our big, scary leader, all soft for his special someone!”

Donnie shook his head in disbelief. “I expected this kind of behavior from Leo, but you, Mikey?”

Mikey grinned proudly. “What can I say? Love is love, and I support my big bros finding happiness.”

Raph shot him a glare. “You are so lucky I don’t chuck you in the nearest sewer drain.”

Leo smirked, arms crossing. “Sooo… does April know?”

Raph flinched. “We are not talking about this.”

Donnie smirked. “Interesting. Because that’s exactly what you wanted to do with me.”

Raph groaned, turning on his heel. “Nope. I’m done. We’re going home.”

As he stormed ahead, Leo leaned toward Mikey. “Sooo… is Cassandra just as flustered about this as Raph is?”

Mikey snickered. “Oh, way worse.”

Donnie adjusted his battleshell and sighed. “You know, I was worried about my situation, but this has been incredibly enlightening.”

Leo grinned. “See? Love really does bring families closer together!”

Raph’s voice boomed from ahead, “I WILL THROW YOU ALL IN THE EAST RIVER!”

The three brothers exchanged looks—before bursting into laughter, following him home.

Chapter Text

April decided to get everyone on a family trip, along with Splinter and Draxum, for a city-wide photo scavenger hunt. The sky began to darken as an object floated in the air. Red thunder flashes as the sky suddenly turns red. Tentacles started to sprout from the darkness and lunged at the humans. The elevator doors opened as the group stepped outside.

Raph is about to address everyone about what location to go to next, but he only finds himself and his brothers. 

The city was very abandoned. There are no humans, and all of the objects are laid there.

Leo asked Donnie first if he have something to do with this since he had mention to him that Donnie want an empty place to set up a date for him and Kendra. Then, a familiar woman's laughter echoed as a screen showed up.

Big Mama.

Big Mama then revealed that she wanted to make it into Battle Nexus New York and that all humans are in the mystic orb.

Both Raph and Donnie gritted their teeth as they realized that their humans were in that orb.

Big Mama then announces that they have to fight to win back the city.

The challenge was set. The brothers had no choice but to play.

Before any of them could react, blue vortexes erupted around them. Wind roared in their ears as the ground disappeared beneath their feet. They reached for each other—too late.

RAPH

Chains clanked as he stirred, his wrist shackled to someone beside him. Ghostbear. The restraint glowed faintly, pulsing with energy that refused to be broken.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the streets. The ground trembled. A massive troll loomed ahead, beady eyes locked onto them. It hefted a colossal club, smashing it into the pavement, sending cracks sprawling outward.

Beside him, Ghostbear activated his phasing ability—only to be met with a surge of electricity coursing through his body. He doubled over, gasping in pain. The chains pulsed again, sealing them to their fate.

There would be no escaping this. Only victory… or defeat.

MIKEY

The salty breeze hit first. Sand shifted underfoot as Mikey adjusted to his new surroundings. Water lapped at the shore in rhythmic waves, but he wasn’t alone.

A groan of frustration sounded beside him. Meat Sweats.

A heavy, sinuous hiss drew their attention. An enormous two-headed snake slithered through the shallows, forked tongues flicking the air as its beady eyes locked onto its prey.

The chains between them refused to yield. The task was clear. The serpent would not be satisfied until its hunger was met.

And if it wasn’t fed… they would be.

LEO

The wind howled around the island, carrying the scent of salt and steel. The Statue of Liberty loomed overhead, its green patina reflecting the eerie red hue of the sky.

A familiar presence shifted beside him. Carl.

A flickering light caught Leo’s attention. A tiny, fiery sprite hovered before them, its energy crackling in the air. It was small—barely larger than a mouse—hardly the imposing champion one would expect.

Then it moved.

The sprite shot toward the Statue of Liberty’s crown. A tremor ran through the metal. With a deep groan, the statue’s massive head turned. Its hollow eyes flickered to life with molten fire, the copper seams glowing as heat radiated outward.

The island shook beneath their feet.

The sprite had found its host.

The colossus had awakened.

For this one, Leo and Carl have to make the champion laugh or they'll be dead.

DONNIE

Damp earth and the scent of moss filled the air. Central Park.

Beside him, a figure stood rigid with displeasure. Hypno.

Ahead, something moved beneath the surface of the lake. A ripple spread across the water, slow and deliberate. A mass of shifting tentacles emerged, twisting and curling as its enormous form surfaced. The Kraken Yokai loomed over them, intelligent eyes gleaming as it observed its newest challengers.

The chains binding them remained firm. No tricks, no shortcuts. The only way out was through the chess game in front of the duo. Donnie was confident at first but then he was magically become the pieces, leaving Hypno to finish the game himself.

Above them, a sea of unseen spectators roared in anticipation. The game had begun.

And they were the entertainment.

Meanwhile, in the Orb…

Kendra bolted through the halls of the ship, her footsteps muffled against the luxurious carpet. The grand chandeliers above cast a warm, golden glow, and the faint sound of laughter and clinking glasses drifted from the decks below. Everything seemed normal. Peaceful.

And yet, something was wrong.

She burst into the cruise ship’s control room—empty. No captain. No crew. The blinking lights on the control panels indicated the ship was functioning, but no one was steering it.

Frowning, she turned toward the windows and stared at the horizon. The ocean stretched infinitely in every direction, the sky above a brilliant shade of blue. The sun beamed down from its highest peak.

And she felt… nothing. No warmth. No sting.

Her stomach twisted. This wasn’t real.

A few hours ago—at least, she thought it was hours—she had been in her room, studying for an exam. A pile of notes had been scattered across her desk, her laptop open, the dull hum of a podcast playing in the background.

Then, in an instant, she was here.

And she wasn’t even wearing the same clothes.

Gone were her t-shirt and shorts. Instead, a flowing sundress with delicate grape patterns draped over her frame, paired with an elegant sun hat. The soft fabric moved with the breeze as if it belonged to her, as if she had always worn it.

She stepped back, shaking her head. This definitely wasn’t normal.

Forcing herself to focus, she left the control room and moved toward the main deck. People milled about, laughing, lounging by the pool, sipping colorful drinks, completely unaware of the situation they were trapped in.

Kendra scanned every face. She needed to find someone—anyone—she recognized.

April.

If anyone could help her figure out what was going on, it was April.

With a determined breath, she set off into the crowd, her heart pounding against her ribs.

The Illusion Unravels

The sun shone brilliantly over the cruise ship, reflecting off the shimmering pool water. April lounged back in a chair, arms crossed behind her head, letting out a contented sigh.

"I could sit by this pool forever and not ask a single question about how I got here."

Nearby, Draxum tilted his head back, letting the sunlight warm his face. His brow furrowed. Something felt… off. He reached up, adjusting the sunglasses perched on his nose.

"These rays… Where does one procure a pendulous cranial shield?" he muttered, admiring the hat shading a passerby.

A shadow loomed beside him.

"Howdy, stranger."

Draxum flinched, his muscles tensing as he turned—only to be greeted by Todd, who held out a tall glass of lemonade with a friendly grin.

"Would you like some lemonade? I always make enough for new friends."

Draxum hesitated but took the drink, eyeing the familiar-looking yokai. The moment the liquid touched his tongue, his mind flashed back—Todd. Lemonade. The League of Mutants.

His eyes widened.

He spat the drink out, nearly doubling over.

"This lemon liquid… You’re Todd! I remember you! Wait—this mind-pacifying magic—" His gaze darted around as realization struck. "Big Mama is behind this!"

April blinked, lifting her own drink. "Wow, Todd, this is the best lemonade ever."

Draxum snarled. "You must stop consuming this citrus paradise and wake up! This is an illusion!"

Splinter, seated comfortably with a drink in hand, raised a brow. "I don’t know, Todd’s lemonade tastes pretty real to me."

"And magical as promised," Cassandra added as she slid into view, sipping from her own cup with a satisfied smirk.

Draxum’s patience snapped. "No! We are trapped inside Big Mama’s mystic orb! Look at where we are, who we’re with. How did we get here? Where are the turtles? And, more importantly, who even likes Foot Recruit?!"

Kendra had been pacing nearby, hands clenched into fists, already trying to piece things together. At Draxum’s words, she stopped cold, her heart pounding.

"Wait—Big Mama?" she murmured.

April frowned, her relaxed posture shifting. "Well, I guess now that you mention it… it is a little odd."

"Stop trying to ruin a good thing, Draxum," Splinter groaned, stretching out. "I am a parent of four teenage boys. I need this."

Draxum exhaled sharply. There was no time for this.

"Then let us cheer to fun in the sun. Observe!"

He raised his glass dramatically before slamming it down, mystic energy crackling from his fingertips. The air shimmered like a heatwave, and suddenly, an image appeared before them—

New York.

The streets were abandoned. The buildings loomed eerily silent. And at the center of it all, the turtles.

Each of them was chained to an enemy, forced into battles of Big Mama’s making.

April shot up from her chair. "My friends!"

Splinter’s ears flattened. "My sons!"

Todd gasped. "My BFFs!"

Cassandra's eyes widened. Raph.

Kendra felt her stomach drop. Donnie.

They were fighting for their lives.

Panic set in as the illusion around them began to crack. The warmth of the sun, the scent of saltwater, the gentle hum of the ship—all fake.

Draxum crossed his arms smugly. "Told ya."

Chapter Text

Big Mama’s voice echoed through the air, smooth and triumphant.

"Ohhh, we finally have our first victim. Raph and Ghostbear aren’t just eliminated… they’re destroyed."

Leo, Donnie, and Mikey stood frozen, their hearts collectively dropping. Their older brother—gone. Just like that.

Leo’s breath hitched. "No."

Mikey’s hands flew to his mouth. "Ohmigosh..."

All three of them broke into a desperate, unified cry.

"RAPH!"

The announcement reverberated beyond the battlefield, piercing through the fabricated peace of the mystic orb.

Splinter’s glass slipped from his grip, shattering on the deck. His hands trembled as he clutched his chest. "Oh my gosh! My son lost… and is gone forever."

April was already turning to Draxum, eyes blazing with urgency. "Barry, whatever you gotta do to get us out of this mystic trap, now is the time. We’ve got butts to kick."

Draxum pressed his fingers together in deep thought. "This ship is surrounded by a powerful mystic membrane. I cannot unlock an exit from here." He frowned, scanning their surroundings. "But perhaps… if we reach the bottom—"

A sharp yell cut him off.

"LEAP OF FAITH!"

Cassandra had snapped. Rage and grief collided as she charged forward, her entire body vibrating with frustration. Without a second thought, she threw herself off the boat—only to faceplant against an invisible, glowing blue surface instead of plunging into the ocean.

A dull thud rang out.

Flat on the ground, Cassandra groaned into the cool surface beneath her. "Are you kidding me?!"

Draxum peered over the edge, unimpressed. "Oh, look. A ladder."

Kendra barely heard them. She was shaking, her eyes locked onto the image of New York frozen in the air before them.

Donnie was still out there. Fighting.

But Raph wasn't.

Kendra’s fists clenched. Big Mama had gone too far.

They had to get out of here.

Now.

The battered and bruised brothers found themselves standing before Big Mama’s grand hotel, the last battleground in her twisted game. Their chains had finally been removed, yet the weight of what had transpired clung to them like an invisible shackle.

Hypno dusted himself off, glancing up at the imposing structure. "Oh look."

Mikey and Leo stumbled forward, relief washing over them as they saw Donnie standing free.

Mikey grinned wide. "Donnie! You made it!"

The two tackled Donnie in an embrace, Leo joining in. It had been too long since they’d last felt like a team.

Leo exhaled. "It’s good to see you, brothers."

Hypno wiped away a nonexistent tear. "Brotherly love. Yeah, that's what I've been talking about."

Carl groaned. "Put that away. You're embarrassing yourself, Hypno."

Before they could properly revel in their reunion, the massive hotel doors creaked open, and the air grew tense. A shadow moved within before stepping into the light.

Big Mama.

Mikey’s stomach dropped. "Oh no."

The yokai queen smiled, her voice smooth and confident. "Hello, victorious finkle beasts."

Her words carried an ominous weight, her posture relaxed yet menacing.

Mikey stiffened. "Raph’s hibernator move..."

Donnie crossed his arms. "We played your dumb-dumb game. Now give us your dum-dum orb so we can go back to our dum-dum lives." He blinked, then frowned. "Wait, that last part wasn’t right. Sorry, from the top—"

He didn’t get the chance to finish.

Big Mama’s grin widened before she spat a thick glob of webbing directly into Donnie’s mouth, silencing him instantly.

The others recoiled in disgust.

Donnie gagged, desperately clawing at his face.

In a blink, Big Mama shifted, her elegant form twisting into the grotesque eight-legged horror that was her spider yokai form.

Her voice dropped into a chilling growl. "Silence! The thing is, my dearies, I don’t like how clever you’ve all been. So I’m altering the terms at the last second."

The brothers stiffened.

"I only visited your home to play my little game, but I rather like this place. And I think I’ll be keeping it. New York City will be my new Battle Nexus arena, and its people—my expendable contestants."

Leo scoffed, rolling his shoulders back. "Think again, Big Mama. New York is our house, and we got you outnumbered six to one."

There was an awkward silence.

The brothers looked around, expecting their so-called "allies."

They were gone.

Carl gave a lazy wave from a safe distance. "So long, jerks!"

Leo let out a breathy chuckle, rubbing his temples. "Villains, am I right? You get it."

Big Mama laughed. "Pity. You three alone could never defeat me. But you’ll be easy-weasley."

Mikey cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, the thing about that is us four work together even when we’re apart."

Leo smirked. "See, for as long as I can remember, we’ve endured Raph’s obsession with pro wrestling. So we know that his all-time favorite special move is a classic fake out where he pretends to lose and just when the opponent’s distracted, he swoops in like a boss with his..."

They waited.

Big Mama tilted her head.

Leo cleared his throat.

"Hibernator!"

No response.

The brothers exchanged nervous glances.

Leo tried again, forcing enthusiasm.

"Hibernator!"

Still nothing.

Leo groaned. "Come on, Raph! You're making us look bad in front of Big Mama!"

Big Mama chuckled mockingly. "Awkward..."

Then, with a burst of red light, massive energy arms erupted from behind Big Mama, grabbing her under the arms.

A familiar voice roared.

"HIBERNATOR!"

Big Mama was launched backward, the mystic orb slipping from her grasp.

Her eyes widened in horror. "My orb!"

Raph landed with a thud, his fists glowing. "We’re not done yet! Get the orb!"

Big Mama snarled. "The red one survived? NO! I will have this city! SHADOW FIEND!"

From the darkness, a monstrous, clawed yokai emerged, knocking Raph aside with devastating force, his aura flickering out. The creature lunged for the orb, its razor-sharp talons piercing its surface.

At the same time, within the mystic orb, the trapped New Yorkers saw a thin crack form across their sky.

Draxum’s eyes narrowed. "A weak spot. That’s our exit. Stand back!"

With a surge of power, he summoned thick, glowing purple vines, wrapping them around the crack and tearing it open.

The orb trembled violently.

Raph groaned, pushing himself up. "Raph was expecting more of a fight. So after I faked losing at the bridge, Ghostbear ditched me. I swam to land and grabbed your stuff."

With a swift motion, he tossed Leo’s odachi, Donnie’s tech bo staff, and Mikey’s kusari-fundo to them.

Raph cracked his knuckles. "Now let’s show Big Mama why you don’t mess with New York City."

Big Mama sneered. "You’ll never take the orb from my champion. But I’ll enjoy watching you try."

The orb began to shake violently until a massive purple vine exploded from it.

From within the orb, Splinter felt the change. His ears perked up.

"We’re free!"

The fabric of the mystic prison tore open, and figures fell from the rip, landing on the battlefield.

Raph’s eyes widened.

"Cass?"

Mikey gasped.

"April?"

Donnie breathed in relief.

"Kendra!"

Leo grinned.

"Dads?"

Splinter wasted no time. With a mighty kick, he sent Shadow Fiend flying, knocking it away from the orb.

"The people of New York are still in there!" he declared.

The Shadow Fiend let out a bloodcurdling roar.

Leo’s eyes flickered to his odachi, and an idea sparked. He grinned.

Portal fists.

With a flick of his blade, he summoned a rift—Raph’s phantom energy fists emerged from it, slamming into the Shadow Fiend repeatedly. Mikey joined in, wrapping his kusari-fundo around a bus and swinging it into the creature.

Mikey shouted over the chaos. "Guys, what’s our plan?"

Draxum ran forward, still clutching the orb. "Retrieve me the orb, and I can free your people!"

Big Mama snarled. "I don’t think so!"

She launched webbing at the orb, trying to reclaim it.

Cassandra dived forward. "Intercepting!"

Leo hurled his sword, slicing through the webbing before it could make contact.

April leapt into action. "I got it! Barry, heads up!"

She threw the orb toward Draxum.

Draxum caught it, cradling it in his arms as he bolted. "Buy me some time!"

Splinter nodded. "We’ll cover you!"

As explosions erupted around them, Raph charged the Shadow Fiend, fists flying. Donnie hurled his staff, striking it between the eyes. Mikey swung his whip, ensnaring its leg and yanking it off balance.

Draxum’s grip tightened on the orb.

"Come on, come on, come on..."

They just had to hold out a little longer.

Explosions erupted around them, shaking the very foundation of Big Mama’s hotel. The turtles dodged the falling debris, their movements sharp and precise. Raph took the lead, slamming his glowing fists into the Shadow Fiend’s monstrous form. Draxum, still clutching the orb, sprinted toward the elevator.

Donnie smirked. "Cowabunga!"

With a sharp flick of his wrist, he spun his staff, charging it with energy before launching April’s mystic bat. It hurtled through the air, crackling with power.

April caught it with ease, winding up before hurling it at the Shadow Fiend. The bat struck the yokai in the face, sending it staggering back. Before it could recover, Mikey lashed out with his whip, wrapping it around the creature’s leg and yanking hard.

Leo appeared next, his sword slicing through the air, creating a portal. A second portal opened behind the Shadow Fiend, and his blade struck again from an unexpected angle.

Cassandra jumped high into the air, ready to strike. But as she prepared to bring her weapon down, her breath hitched.

A flicker of something familiar—something haunting—passed over the Shadow Fiend’s face.

A face she hadn’t seen in months.

Her master.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and her body froze.

Cassandra barely had time to process before the Shadow Fiend’s fist collided with her, sending her crashing into the pavement. She groaned, dazed, just as the demon slammed its fists into the ground. A shockwave blasted through the area, throwing everyone into the air.

Draxum, struggling to keep his grip on the orb, tumbled into the elevator.

Big Mama’s voice rang out, commanding and full of venom. "Ignore the turtles. Follow the warrior alchemist!"

Kendra, who had been trying to analyze the situation from the sidelines, gritted her teeth. "That can’t be good..."

Cassandra pushed herself up, shaking off the impact. Her gaze darted to Big Mama, and then—she saw it.

The ring.

A simple but ornate band wrapped around Big Mama’s finger, glinting under the harsh lights of the battlefield.

Cassandra’s eyes widened. "So that’s how..."

Draxum skidded to a stop, looking up in horror as the Shadow Fiend loomed over him.

"No!" he roared, summoning thick vines to bind the creature’s arm.

The Shadow Fiend snarled, then swung with terrifying force. The impact sent Draxum flying straight up, crashing through the building’s upper levels until he landed, battered and bruised, on the rooftop.

Big Mama wasted no time, scuttling toward Draxum, firing webbing in an attempt to reclaim her orb.

Draxum dodged, using his vines to propel himself away. With a sudden, powerful strike, he sent a shockwave through the floor, knocking Big Mama back.

Something small and metallic slipped off her hand.

The ring.

It clinked against the tiles, rolling toward the edge of the rooftop.

Meanwhile, down below, a swirling blue portal opened.

Leo’s voice rang out. "Raph! Now!"

From the rift emerged Raph’s mystic fists, glowing bright red, along with the rest of the turtles and their allies.

Raph cracked his knuckles. "Hey, Shadow Fiend! You messed with the wrong family."

They all braced themselves.

"This is Hot Soup Hibernator!" they shouted in unison.

Their combined power struck the Shadow Fiend head-on. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, shattering windows and breaking the very walls of the hotel.

As the dust settled, Big Mama groaned, pushing rubble off herself.

"You stubborn-buglies think you’ve won, don’t you?" she hissed.

Raph rolled his shoulders. "I thought that was obvious."

But as the others celebrated their momentary victory, Cassandra wasn’t paying attention.

Her gaze remained locked on the ring.

She glanced at Raph, then back at the ring.

She hesitated.

Then, making her decision, she slipped away, unnoticed.

Kendra caught a glimpse of Cassandra’s retreating figure. Her brows furrowed in thought, but she kept silent. Something was up—but for now, they had bigger problems to deal with.

Chapter Text

Cassandra held the ring between her fingers, turning it over carefully. This was it. This was her chance. After everything that had happened—after all the chaos, the betrayals, the losses—she could finally return to the Foot.

She could finally bring back her master.

Raph stood a few feet away, catching his breath after the battle. His eyes widened as he saw what she was about to do.

"Cassandra, wait! Don’t—"

She barely spared him a glance before slipping the ring onto her finger.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air.

The Shadow Fiend's form began to shift, its body crackling with dark energy. The monstrous cloak it wore tore apart, revealing the towering, armored form of the Shredder.

Cassandra took a step back, staring in awe. "The Shredder..."

The battlefield fell into stunned silence.

April, Kendra, and the turtles stood frozen in horror.

"The Shredder?!" Donnie gasped, grabbing Kendra's arm and instinctively pulling her closer.

Cassandra’s gaze hardened. She turned toward her master, lifting her chin. "Master Shredder, destroy your enemies."

A sinister green glow filled the demon’s eyes.

"Blue, quickly, make a portal!"

Leo snapped out of his daze and swung his sword in a sharp arc. A glowing blue portal opened behind them just as Shredder lunged forward.

With one devastating swipe, he shattered Raph’s mystic aura. The red glow flickered and died, and the impact sent Raph crashing onto the floor.

Shredder planted his massive foot onto Raph’s shell, pinning him down.

Leo’s heart pounded. "Dad!"

Splinter grabbed Leo’s odachi from the ground. "My sons!"

The old rat swung the blade in a quick, precise motion, forming a protective circle around the group. The portal expanded, its energy pulling them in.

"Come with us, Big Mama!" Splinter shouted, reaching a hand toward her. "There is still good in you!"

Big Mama’s face twisted in anguish. "My cuddlelumpogous!"

Desperate, she fired a web string toward Splinter. He caught it just as he tumbled through the portal, dragging her closer.

But just before she could reach the portal’s threshold, Shredder stepped down hard on her outstretched hand.

The portal slammed shut.

Big Mama let out a strangled gasp of pain as she lay beneath Shredder’s massive foot.

Cassandra exhaled, then turned her sharp gaze toward Big Mama.

"The turtles are of no concern to us, but you..." She stepped closer, eyes cold. "You enslaved my master. Now, you will lose everything."

Big Mama’s face twisted in fury, but before she could say anything, the Nexus Hotel began to tremble.

Explosions erupted from its foundation, flames bursting through the floors and walls. The entire structure was collapsing.

The hotel was consumed by flames was Cassandra—clad in black and red, soaring through the air beside the Shredder.

Her voice echoed in the chaos.

"Foot Clan!"

The burning wreckage of the Nexus Hotel faded from view as the portal swallowed them whole, spitting them out onto the floor of their lair.

Donnie barely registered the rough landing. His first instinct was to check on Kendra.

"Kendra!" He scrambled to his feet, reaching for her. "Are you okay?"

She groaned and rubbed her head. "Yeah, I think so... that was—"

Before she could finish, Donnie pulled her into a tight hug. He held onto her like she might disappear again.

Mikey flopped onto his shell, groaning. "Okay, I feel like I just got drop-kicked by a semi-truck."

April rubbed her sore arms. "We all did, buddy."

Raph sat on the floor, unmoving. His expression was unreadable, his eyes still locked on the fading glow of the closed portal. He looked... lost.

Draxum dusted himself off and looked around the sewer with mild disgust. "Clever plan. No one would ever look for us in this disgusting sewer hovel."

Mikey sat up and grinned. "Home, sweet home, baby!"

Splinter sighed as he stood, rubbing his temples. "I was a fool to trust Big Mama to dispose of the Shredder. Now he is back and threatens all of humanity."

April stepped forward, trying to find a silver lining. "Hey, at least the people of New York are still safe inside the Mystic Orb."

Mikey perked up. "Yeah! Why don’t we let them out?"

Splinter shook his head. "No. Not with Shredder out there."

Leo nodded. "Dad's right. We don’t want them to get shredded. Instead, we should—" He turned to Raph expectantly. "Insert Raph’s plan here."

Raph barely reacted. His usual confidence, his usual fire—it was gone.

He took a shaky breath and looked up at his family.

"Honestly... I don’t know." His voice was quiet, almost hollow. "We already hit him with everything we got, so..."

He looked at Splinter.

"Insert Dad’s plan here."

Silence.

Splinter sighed. "I got nothing."

Donnie, ever the problem-solver, immediately whipped out a stethoscope and placed the chestpiece on Splinter’s forehead.

"But Papa, you were trained from birth to protect the world from Shredder."

Splinter swatted Donnie’s hand away with his tail. "Unfortunately, I filled my mind with a lot of other stuff, too. Why did I not listen to Grandpa Sho’s painfully boring lessons on the secret of defeating Shredder?"

Draxum crossed his arms. "If you were there when he spoke, then the answer is buried somewhere in your memories."

Splinter’s eyes widened. "Yes. But that would mean sending my sons to the most horrifying, hideous place they have ever been."

The brothers collectively gasped.

Leo’s face scrunched up. "Jersey? Call back."

Splinter shook his head. "No. My memories."

The brothers all let out a horrified groan.

Draxum set the Sands of Time Hourglass within the ritual circle, drawing intricate symbols around it. Splinter sat at the center, his sons and Kendra forming a protective ring around him. April hovered nearby, tense. Draxum warned them of the dangers—memories did not take kindly to intruders and could fight back.

As he activated the spell, blue energy pulsed outward, engulfing the group. Their eyes glowed white before they vanished.

They found themselves on the bright, bustling set of an old Lou Jitsu film. Stage lights flickered on, cameras rolled, and the air was thick with shouted commands from directors. It took them a moment to realize where they were. Then, Sho strode past them, banging on the door of a trailer. The crew stopped to watch as he pleaded with a younger, cocky Lou Jitsu—Splinter’s past self—who refused to listen, obsessed with his rising stardom. Sho left, defeated.

The memory wavered. Shadows pooled around them, shifting, rising. A dark figure emerged—an imposing, twisted version of Lou Jitsu, its expression void of warmth. Without warning, it struck, sending Leo tumbling across the stage. The memory itself was rejecting them.

In the lair, April and Draxum watched as Splinter and the others flinched, their real bodies reacting to the pain within the dreamscape. Draxum gritted his teeth—if they didn’t shift memories soon, the subconscious would tear them apart.

Back inside the memory, they were forced into retreat, plunging deeper into Splinter’s past. This time, they landed in a small, dimly lit apartment where a teenage Yoshi lounged, headphones on, eyes closed. Sho stood before him, frustration evident as he presented an ancient scroll. He urged Yoshi to listen—to understand the duty he carried. But Yoshi scoffed, declaring his future lay in fame, not in the shadows of the past. He stormed out, leaving Sho behind.

Raph clenched his fists. He saw it now—the pattern. Every opportunity, Splinter had turned away from his lineage, from his role as a protector. And yet, deep down, he had known the truth all along.

Then the memories attacked again. The film set around them morphed, paper-thin images peeling away to reveal an army of shadowy Lou Jitsu figures, all sneering, all advancing.

Kendra stuck close to Donnie, wielding one of his modified gadgets. They fought side by side, barely holding their ground as the shadowy figures lunged. The brothers tried to push forward, tried to find Sho, but the illusions closed in, dragging them deeper into the memory’s grasp.

Then, a shift. They landed in a park, in a simpler, quieter moment. A child—Yoshi—sat on a bench between his mother and grandfather, grasping a wooden toy in his tiny hands. Sho unfurled the same scroll, this time with patience, telling the boy of their ancestors. Yoshi listened, wide-eyed, until his mother turned to him, her voice thick with emotion.

She had to leave.

Yoshi clung to her, crying, begging. But she only smiled through her tears, whispering a final promise before vanishing into a swirl of petals.

The real Splinter, even in his unconscious state, wept.

The brothers were stunned. Kendra, watching from the sidelines, felt her own heart ache. The weight of responsibility, of sacrifice, had shaped Splinter long before he had ever met them.

But there was something more.

Raph’s eyes landed on the scroll. It wasn’t just a warning—it held the key to defeating the Shredder. A weapon, lost in the Twilight Realm.

Draxum, sensing the shift in the lair, pulled them out before the memory could collapse on them. They gasped awake, reeling from the intensity of what they had witnessed.

Raph knew what had to be done.

With Draxum’s help, they located the portal to the Twilight Realm. As the vortex swirled open, the team prepared, linking together in a human chain. Splinter dove in first, reaching for the glowing sword embedded in an ominous, chained orb.

Just as his fingers closed around the hilt, the realm trembled. He yanked the weapon free, and the portal pulled them back to reality.

As they landed in the lair, the sword pulsed with energy before transforming into a figure—a woman, her form glowing with mystic energy. She staggered, her voice filled with anguish. Something had gone terribly wrong.

Meanwhile, far across the city, the Foot Shack trembled. The Shredder, shackles now broken, let out a triumphant roar. His laughter echoed through the night.

He was free.

Chapter Text

The Shredder stood before his kneeling minions, his glowing eyes filled with fury. His voice cut through the silence like a blade. The time had come. He would destroy the only one who had ever defeated him—Karai.

Back at the lair, Karai sat weakly as Splinter reassured her that she was safe in the home of Hamato Yoshi. She finally introduced herself—Hamato Karai, an ancestor from five centuries ago. The Turtles and Kendra listened in stunned silence as she revealed the truth: she was the weapon they had been searching for.

She told them of her past. The Foot Clan had once been noble under the rule of her father, Oroku Saki. But when their clan was threatened, Saki made a deal with a terrible oni, donning the Dark Armor. It twisted him into the Shredder, leading the Foot into darkness and nearly destroying Japan. Karai led the Hamato Clan against him, sacrificing herself to seal both of them away. But now that she was free, so was he—and he would stop at nothing to hunt down the last of the Hamato Clan to regain his full power.

As the weight of her words sank in, April and Draxum noticed something alarming—the Mystic Orb was cracking. More beings from the Twilight Realm threatened to break free. They rushed off to contain it while Karai promised to teach them the Hamato Ninpō, a long-lost technique that could help them fight Shredder. But first, she needed to rest.

While Karai recovered, the Turtles did everything they could to make her feel welcome. Mikey proudly presented her with a drawing, Raph and Leo fought over who got to sit closest to her, and Splinter tried (and failed) to get them to leave her alone.

Amid the chaos, Donnie gently nudged Kendra forward. “This is Kendra,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “My girlfriend.”

Kendra felt a bit awkward under Karai’s sharp gaze. But then, the warrior’s face softened, and she smiled.

“Then you are family.”

Kendra, caught off guard, blinked. “Oh—uh, thank you,” she said, feeling warmth spread through her chest.

Karai gestured for her to sit. “Tell me, Kendra, what is it you do?”

Kendra hesitated, glancing at Donnie, before answering, “I’m an engineer. I build things—technology, mostly.”

Karai nodded, intrigued. “The Hamato Clan has always valued intelligence. Strength is not only in the body but in the mind.” She paused, tilting her head. “And how did my descendant win your heart?”

Donnie nearly choked on his tea. Kendra smirked. “He’s a genius,” she admitted. “A stubborn one, but brilliant. Also, he’s funny when he doesn’t try to be.”

Karai laughed, and Donnie, still flustered, mumbled something about needing to check on S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. Kendra, emboldened, took Karai’s hand. “You’ll teach them this technique, right? Hamato Ninpō?”

Karai squeezed her hand gently. “I will. And when I do, they will need your mind just as much as my teachings.”

Raph sat across from them, watching the exchange with a strange tightness in his chest. Seeing Donnie introduce Kendra to Karai made something ache inside him. He wished it had been him bringing Cassandra forward, showing her off, seeing Karai accept her as part of the family.

But Cass wasn’t here. She had gone back to the Shredder.

Raph clenched his fists. If things had gone differently, maybe she could have been sitting beside him, hearing Karai call her family too. Maybe she wouldn’t have been lost to the darkness.

But there was no time to dwell on what-ifs.

Karai sighed. “Now, let’s see about this Ninpō.” She raised her hand, summoning a glowing spectral blade at her fingertips. “As long as the Hamato Clan lives, there is always hope.”

Before training could begin, Karai’s body went rigid.

“He’s here.”

The lair shook as Shredder tore through it, and the battle began. Weapons broke. Fire spread. The Mystic Orb trembled. April and Draxum barely managed to stabilize it before fleeing.

In the chaos, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. fused with Donnie’s Techno Shell to protect Karai, but Shredder was too powerful. The AI was destroyed.

Karai, furious, used her Ninpō to strike at Shredder’s armor, revealing a glimpse of the soul trapped inside—her father, Oroku Saki.

For one brief second, her anger wavered. She reached for him.

And in that moment, Shredder struck.

She crashed to the ground, unmoving.

Leo ran forward, but Raph grabbed him, his voice heavy with grief. “The Hamato Clan has to live.”

Karai, her breath weak, echoed words from long ago. “Anata wa hitori ja nai.” You are not alone.

Raph turned, looking at Kendra, whose hands trembled as she clutched Donnie’s arm. He was relieved she was here, safe with them. But all he could think about was how he had failed Cassandra.

There was no time to grieve. The lair was collapsing. They had no choice but to flee.

Shredder emerged from the flames, ready to end them all.

They barely escaped. But as long as the Hamato Clan lived, there was still hope.

Todd drove the Turtle Tank away from the ruins of their home, heading toward his Cuddle Cakes Puppy Rescue. The lair was gone. Their weapons were gone. Karai was gone. And worst of all—Splinter and Draxum had been left behind to face Shredder alone.

Leo couldn't take it anymore. "How could you do that? How could you just let Todd drive away and leave them there?" His voice was raw with frustration, his hands clenched into fists.

Raph turned on him, voice just as heated. "It's what Dad told us to do! If we’d stayed, we would’ve been crushed. As long as there are Hamato, there’s a chance!"

"A chance to do what?!" Leo shot back. "Sit around while Shreddy takes over everything?!"

"I don’t know!" Raph groaned and slumped down. "Don't worry. I'm the big brother. The biggest. It’s on me to figure out how to stop the Shredder."

"But how?!" Donnie stood up, about to walk toward Raph when Kendra grabbed his arm, grounding him. His frustration didn’t ease. "We’ve got no weapons, no lair, no sensei—"

"And no Gram-Gram..." Mikey’s voice was small, his usual brightness replaced with a broken whisper. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears. The words hit hard, making even Leo look away and swallow back emotion. Kendra, still gripping Donnie’s arm, rubbed her thumb along his wrist in silent comfort.

Even Donnie, who wasn’t prone to dramatics over loss, looked shaken.

Todd, overhearing everything, tried to lift the mood. "I know what’ll turn those frowns upside down. Lemon—"

"Do. Not. Say. Lemonade," Leo muttered, his voice thick.

"Okay," Todd said, putting the tank into a slow stop. "Welcome to the puppiest place on Earth."

Inside the Cuddle Cakes Puppy Rescue, the team sat around in exhausted silence. Raph sat at the edge of the room, hunched over with his elbows on his knees, deep in thought.

Mikey nudged Kendra and whispered, “Raph’s thinking really hard. I’m worried he’s gonna hurt himself.”

Raph didn’t even look up. "I can hear you."

Leo, ignoring them both, ran a hand down his face. "Maybe we should try what Gram-Gram did. Unlock our... what did she call it?"

"The Hamato Ninpō!" Raph shot up, eyes lighting up with realization. "That’s it! Our family's ancient ninja art—crazy mystic energy!"

Donnie folded his arms. "But we need weapons for that," he said matter-of-factly.

Kendra, still next to him, nodded. "He's not wrong."

Everyone sighed.

"WEAPONS!" Raph exclaimed. "Let's make some!"

Todd perked up. "I can make you some in my forge!"

Chapter Text

Todd worked tirelessly, shaping metal, hammering away with surprising skill. Kendra watched from a corner, arms crossed, occasionally exchanging a look with Donnie.

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a capybara blacksmith before," she muttered.

"To be fair, you also hadn’t seen a talking mutant turtle before me," Donnie replied dryly.

"Point taken."

Todd grinned as he finished the last piece, then dramatically threw his arms open. "All done!"

Todd unveiled their new weapons with pride.

Raph stepped forward, eyes gleaming. "This is exactly what we need."

Donnie adjusted his goggles. "Whoa."

Mikey bounced excitedly. "Omigosh! Omigosh!"

Todd gestured grandly to the weapons. Two hand cultivators, a wire saw, a hoe, and two trowels.

Silence.

Mikey blinked. "...Todd, these are gardening tools."

Todd beamed. "Exactly! Historically speaking, the ninjas of ancient Japan used gardening tools as their first weapons. But of course, you guys knew that, right? You’re ninjas."

Raph groaned and slammed his forehead onto the table.

Kendra slowly turned to Donnie. "You have to admit, that tracks."

Donnie let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples. "I hate that it does."

Raph gritted his teeth and forced a strained smile. "Great idea, Raph. These are great. Great weapons. Let’s see what these babies can do."

Despite their skepticism, the team tested their "weapons" the only way they could—by gardening.

Raph threw his hand cultivators into the soil, only for them to ricochet right back into his face. "Nothing I’m doing is working!" he groaned, rubbing his snout.

Frustration bubbling over, he turned and punched the nearest scarecrow. The poor thing's head flew clean off.

Everyone froze.

"...Okay," Mikey muttered to Kendra. "Now I am worried he's gonna hurt himself."

"Yeah, me too," Kendra sighed.

Before anyone could say anything else—

"Guys! Guys, guys, guys, guys, GUYS!"

April came racing toward them on her bike.

"April?" Raph straightened up, blinking in surprise.

Her bicycle suddenly hit a patch of rocks, launching her forward.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA!"

For a split second, her eyes flashed green before she twisted midair, flipping over Donnie, Leo, Mikey, Raph, and Kendra. She landed on the other side in a perfect stance.

"Whoa," Kendra muttered. "That was kinda sick."

April, completely ignoring how awesome she just was, gestured wildly. "Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE what happened! I went to the lair—which is totally destroyed, by the way—and I found Karai! And then she turned into light! And now I hear her voice inside my head!"

Everyone stared.

Donnie blinked. "Wanna say that one more time?"

April took a deep breath. "Karai. She did a Hamato glowy light thing and now I think she lives inside me?"

Leo’s eyes widened. "Gram-Gram's alive?"

Before April could respond, Mikey ran up and shouted directly into her ear. "GRAM-GRAM, IT'S MIKEY! I MISS YOU!"

April winced. "Gram-Gram would like you to let go and never do that again."

Mikey quickly released her. "Noted!"

Raph clapped his hands together. "Okay! New plan. Gram-Gram tells April to tell us what to do. Please instruct us, April-Gram-Gram-Sensei."

He, along with Leo, Mikey, Donnie, and even Kendra, bowed dramatically.

April smirked. "Alright. First lesson—Karai wants me to teach you guys the art of pinpo."

Donnie frowned. "Ninpō."

"Right! Ninpō."

Leo perked up. "Hey, April, cool if you don’t, but uh… do you still have that orb with all the people of New York in it?"

April pulled out the Mystic Orb. "Safe and sound."

The orb immediately slipped from her fingers.

"WHOA."

She barely caught it in time, holding it tightly against her chest.

"...Safe and sound!"

April slid the Mystic Orb back into her backpack and turned to Kendra, holding it out.

"You don’t mind staying here with the puppies while I take these guys to train their Ninpō, right?"

Kendra blinked. "Wait, what?" She instinctively grabbed the backpack as April shoved it into her arms.

"You’ll be fine," April said breezily, already turning toward the others. "The orb’s safer with you here, and Todd can back you up."

Todd, currently hugging a fluffy puppy, gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, Kendra! If anything happens, we can puppy pile the bad guys!"

Kendra gave him a flat look. "Fantastic."

Donnie hesitated, glancing between April and Kendra. "Wait, hold on—"

Kendra quickly waved him off. "I’ll be okay, Don-Tron. Go do your Hamato glowy light thing." She kissed him on the cheek. "Okay? Besides, Todd's here to keep me safe."

Donnie frowned, clearly reluctant to leave her behind. "Are you sure? I mean, historically speaking, keeping an entire city’s population in a backpack seems like a high-risk situation."

Kendra adjusted the straps, giving him a reassuring smirk. "And historically speaking, I’m the only one here without a ninja bloodline. So I’ll just be in the way, right?"

Donnie opened his mouth, about to argue, but she cut him off with another quick kiss. "You got this, babe. Go unlock your inner Hamato magic or whatever."

Mikey gasped dramatically. "Aww, look at you two being all adorable!—"

Leo grabbed his battleshell and yanked him away. "No time for that. Ninpō training, now."

Raph watched Donnie finally, albeit reluctantly, nod and follow the others. As Kendra adjusted the bag again, he exhaled through his nose, crossing his arms.

He knew it was stupid, but watching Donnie introduce Kendra to Karai hurt.

Cassandra should've been there.

He should've gotten to introduce her, too. Karai would have said something wise, something about how their strength wasn’t just bloodlines but those they let into their hearts. She would’ve welcomed Casey—Cassandra—into the family just like she did Kendra.

But she wasn’t here.

Because Cassandra had chosen the Shredder.

Because she had gone back to him.

Kendra gave him a curious glance. "You good, big guy?"

Raph quickly shook off his thoughts, forcing a small smile. "Yeah. Just… keep that orb safe, alright?"

Kendra gave a mock salute. "You got it, fearless leader."

With that, she turned back to Todd, who was attempting to put tiny helmets on the puppies. Raph hesitated for a second longer before finally turning away, jogging after his brothers and April.

He couldn't change the past.

But maybe, just maybe, he could still save the future.

The wind rustled through the treetops as April, Donnie, Leo, and Raph perched on wooden planks high above the ground. Kendra stood below, watching with her arms crossed, the Mystic Orb secured tightly in her backpack.

"Karai says to access your inner power, you have to stay calm and feel connected to one another," April instructed.

The brothers wobbled dangerously on their planks.

"Not feeling too calm up here!" Leo yelped, arms flailing.

"How am I supposed to feel ‘connected’ when there’s no Wi-Fi?" Donnie complained.

Mikey, ever the optimist, grabbed Donnie’s hand. "Should we hold hands?"

Donnie immediately smacked it away. "Ouch," Mikey pouted.

"No, you know, like connected in here," April tried to explain, tapping her chest. "When you first open it, it'll feel like waahh! And then it'll feel like oooh! You know?"

Donnie groaned. "No, I don’t know! That makes zero sense! Explain it differently."

Kendra, still observing from below, smirked. "She’s trying, babe."

Donnie shot her an unimpressed look. "Not helping, Kendra."

Meanwhile, Mikey was staring down a bird that had perched on his plank. "This bird’s looking at me weird."

As April and Donnie continued to bicker, Raph remained silent, lost in thought. The scene before him faded as memories took over—Splinter’s desperate order to retreat, Karai falling in battle, the Shredder’s overwhelming strength. His fists clenched, his shoulders trembling.

April and Donnie’s arguing was cut short when Raph suddenly snapped.

"Will you guys knock it off?! We’re running out of time! Everyone’s depending on me!"

Silence. April, Donnie, Leo, and Mikey turned to look at him, startled. Raph’s breath was shaky, his usual bravado cracking.

His voice wavered. "Why can’t I do this? I’m failing you."

April moved closer, her expression softening. "Relax, big guy. What’s going on?"

Raph swallowed hard, his eyes darting between them. "It’s on me to get the team ready to save Dad and fight the Shredder, but I—I don’t know how."

Down below, Kendra’s expression shifted. Her arms, previously crossed, dropped to her sides. She knew that look—she’d seen it on Donnie before. The weight of leadership, of responsibility, crushing down on someone too young to carry it.

April placed a hand over Raph’s. At the same moment, Karai’s ghostly form appeared behind her, mirroring the gesture.

"Anata wa hitori ja nai."

Raph inhaled sharply. His lips parted in disbelief. "Gram-Gram?"

Karai’s ghost smiled warmly, embracing him.

"Oh," Raph whispered, the tightness in his chest loosening just a little. "That phrase you just said… I heard Splinter’s mom say that to him in one of his memories. What does it mean?"

Karai pulled back slightly, still holding onto his hands. "It means, ‘You are not alone.’"

Behind her, spectral figures began to emerge—countless Hamato ancestors, watching over him.

Karai’s voice was gentle but firm. "Hamato Ninpō does not come from you alone, Raphael. It comes from all who came before you."

April squeezed his hand. "It’s not all on you, Raph. We’re here for each other. Trust that."

Raph exhaled. "I do trust my family."

April gave him a knowing look. "No. Trust us the way we trust you."

Raph’s mind flashed back to that fateful night on the Grand Nexus Hotel roof—the moment he’d unlocked his power, catching Leo before he could hit the ground.

"I caught Leo when he fell," he murmured.

April nodded. "Trust us."

Mikey beamed. "Raph, it’s gonna be okay. You’ll figure this out."

Raph closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. "I know." When he opened them again, his shoulders had straightened, the burden no longer crushing him. "Because I’m not alone. None of us are. We’re here for each other. Always."

Donnie, watching the change in his older brother, hesitated. "Raph?"

Without warning, Raph took a step backward—off the plank.

Kendra gasped. "RAPH!"

Leo, Donnie, and Mikey shouted in unison, eyes widening as their brother plummeted.

"Anata wa hitori ja nai."

Then—light.

A pulse of energy rippled outward, glowing in the darkness. The Hamato Clan emblem flashed before their chests, their body markings illuminating, their attire shifting mystically.

For the first time, they were connected. Truly connected.

With a surge of power, their combined mystic energy formed a massive, glowing arm.

Raph reached out—

And they caught him.

As they landed safely at the bottom of the cliff, Kendra released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

April grinned, punching the air. "Uh-huh! We did it! Doing the Ninpō!"

As the light of their Hamato Ninpō faded, the brothers took a moment to look at their new mystic attire. Raph flexed his fingers, feeling the energy still coursing through him. Leo adjusted his sleeves with a smirk, Mikey admired his glowing tattoos, and Donnie… well, Donnie was busy checking out his own reflection in a puddle.

Kendra, standing nearby, felt her face heat up. It was a small change—his usual purple accents had darkened, mixing with deeper shades, and it suited him way too well.

Leo, always one to notice, smoothly slid beside Donnie and nudged him with his elbow. "Look who's staring~" he sing-songed under his breath.

Kendra immediately snapped out of it, crossing her arms with an exaggerated scoff. "I am not staring."

Donnie barely glanced up, adjusting his gloves. "Well, you are facing me, statistically increasing the probability of eye contact by—"

Leo cut him off with a groan. "Oh my gosh, just take the compliment, dude."

Donnie finally turned to Kendra, raising an amused brow. "So… you like it?"

Kendra huffed, looking away. "I guess black looks good on you. Not that I was looking."

Mikey gasped dramatically. "Ohhh, she was staring!"

Kendra picked up a loose twig and lightly smacked Mikey on the head with it. "Drop it."

Leo and Mikey snickered, while Donnie just smirked, standing a little taller. "Duly noted."

Chapter Text

Kendra stood at the entrance of Cuddle Cakes Puppy Rescue, watching as Donnie and the others prepared to leave. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting an orange glow over the small sanctuary. The puppies yipped and bounced around Todd’s feet, completely unaware of the battle that lay ahead.

She sighed, stepping forward and grabbing Donnie’s hand before he could board the Turtle Tank. “Be careful, okay?” she said softly, squeezing his fingers.

Donnie turned to her, his usual cocky demeanor briefly replaced by something softer. “You know me,” he said, smirking.

“That’s exactly why I’m telling you to be careful,” Kendra shot back.

He huffed a small laugh, then leaned down to press a quick kiss to her lips. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her small smile. “You better be.”

As the Turtle Tank roared to life and drove off into the night, she stood watching until the taillights disappeared. Then, with a sigh, she turned back to Todd and the puppies.

"Guess it's just us now," she muttered.

Todd beamed, holding up a particularly fluffy puppy. "Puppy cuddle time?"

Kendra groaned, rubbing her temples. "Fantastic."

Shredder stood tall and imposing, his monstrous form casting long shadows across the ruined lab. His eyes burned with eerie red light as he turned to Draxum. "Fetch me the Empyrean," he commanded, his voice dripping with malice. "It's time to harness the Hamato’s energy."

Draxum hesitated only for a moment before stepping toward the console, his expression unreadable. With a push of a button, the lab's ancient machinery roared to life, illuminating the space in a sickly green glow.

Splinter, bound in mystic vines, struggled against his restraints. "Draxum, don’t do this," he pleaded.

Draxum didn't meet his gaze. "Quiet. You remember this place, don’t you?" His voice was laced with bitterness. "It’s where I turned you into what you are today—a lowly lab rat. Where I tried to create an army to protect the Yōkai." His fists clenched. "But now I realize the true threat to my people mentioned in the prophecy was you."

He turned sharply and hurled three activator cells toward the Foot Clan. In an instant, a massive golem rose from the swirling magic, its form twisting and crackling with energy.

The Shredder snarled in irritation and, with a single swipe, tore through the creature, reducing it to nothing. The ceiling trembled from the force of the attack. Large chunks of stone and metal collapsed, crashing down around them.

Splinter reacted instinctively, tackling Cassandra out of the way as debris rained down, but Foot Brute and Foot Lieutenant weren’t so lucky. They disappeared beneath the rubble.

Draxum wasted no time. He extended a thick vine, pulling Splinter toward him.

"I'm sorry I doubted you," Splinter murmured, his voice strained.

"You better be," Draxum replied. "Now run!"

But before they could move, the Shredder blocked their path. His massive hands shot forward, seizing both Draxum and Splinter in his crushing grip.

Draxum thrashed, choking against the pressure. "Fine," he spat. "I'll take you to the Empyrean."

The Shredder tightened his hold before tossing Cassandra a dark glare. She stood frozen, staring at the pile of rubble that had buried her comrades.

"Leave them," the Shredder ordered.

Cassandra’s fingers twitched at her sides, her jaw clenched. But after a beat, she obeyed, turning away from the fallen Foot Brute and Lieutenant as she followed her master into the dark.

The atmosphere was tense. The lair was in shambles, its walls cracked and scorched from their battle with the Shredder. The weight of their losses hung heavy in the air.

"Looks like Shredder took Pops and Draxum to the Hidden City," Raph muttered, his voice low and strained. "But how do we find them?"

Donnie pushed up his battle goggles, already deep in thought. "There’s only one person I can think of who can pull this off. Someone super intelligent, someone who knows everything about the Hidden City, someone who would do anything for Papa."

He paused for dramatic effect before declaring, "Me—"

But before he could finish, April, Leo, Mikey, and Raph all spoke at once.

"Big Mama."

Donnie deflated instantly. "Big Mama?!" He gawked at them in disbelief. "Come on!"

Leo clapped a hand on Donnie’s shoulder. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, you were totally our second choice."

Donnie groaned, rubbing his temples. "So comforting, thank you."

The ruins of the Grand Nexus Hotel were eerily silent, save for the faint sound of medical machines beeping steadily. Big Mama, wrapped in silken bandages, reclined against a hospital bed made from her own webbing. Her usual poise was dampened by the injuries she had sustained from the Shredder, but her sharp golden eyes remained as alert as ever.

Something stirred nearby.

She tensed, prepared to defend herself, but before she could react, the ceiling above shimmered as a webbed surface caught the dim light. A group of familiar figures suddenly landed atop her webbing.

Raph offered an awkward wave. "Hey, Big Mama. No need to get up."

Big Mama scowled. "Oh, it's you..."

"Relax," Raph assured her. "We’re not here to fight. We need your help."

Leo folded his arms. "Even though literally every time we talk to you, you double-cross us, kidnap us, or threaten to destroy everything we love!"

Donnie huffed. "Maybe we are here for a fight."

"Guys!" Raph groaned, before turning back to Big Mama, his expression pleading. "Please. Shredder’s got Dad."

Big Mama's expression flickered—something between curiosity and concern. "Lou?" Her voice softened just a fraction. "How can I help?"

April stepped forward. "We need to find them."

A soft glow emerged from April's chest, and within seconds, Karai’s spectral form stepped forward.

"Shredder seeks to extract Hamato Yoshi's essence, just as he tried with me," Karai explained, her voice echoing with mystic energy.

Big Mama's expression darkened. "Extracting a life force?" She tapped a claw against her lips before realization dawned on her face. "To do that, he would need to harness the very source of Yōkai power—Empyrean."

Raph’s fists clenched. "Then that’s where they’re headed. Where do we find this Empyrean stuff?"

Big Mama leaned back, her many limbs adjusting herself carefully as she spoke. "You can only find that in the most sacred place in all of the Hidden City: the Crying Titan."

A harsh wind howled through the desolate remains of the Crying Titan, a massive stone colossus long since reduced to ruin. Its severed hand lay stretched out like a fallen monument, and it was upon this palm that the Shredder landed, his massive form shaking the ground beneath him.

Draxum, Cassandra, and Splinter crashed onto the stone moments later, coughing from the impact.

The Shredder turned to Cassandra, his voice an unrelenting growl. "General, prepare the ritual. Now."

Without waiting for her response, he lunged forward, his monstrous arm shifting into a jagged drill. With a brutal thrust, he drove it into the Crying Titan’s palm, piercing the mystic shield that had protected the titan’s remains for centuries. The air shimmered with ancient energy, the very foundations of the Hidden City trembling as Empyrean bled from the titan’s wounds.

Cassandra hesitated, staring at the chalk in her hand. She knelt by Splinter, the ritual circle nearly complete.

Splinter’s eyes flickered toward her, sensing her uncertainty. "Having doubts, young one?"

Cassandra stiffened, gripping the chalk tighter. "I am having zero doubts! I am a general now. It's everything I have ever wanted, and it’s perfect."

Splinter watched as she continued drawing, but there was a crack in her voice—a hesitation she couldn't quite mask.

"Really?" he murmured. "Because sometimes, we make choices that take us in the wrong direction. I was once on a different path. Sure, you get fame, wealth, and your photo on the cover of Belt Buckle Magazine, but then you think of the people you left behind." His gaze softened. "Luckily, it is never too late to change your path."

Cassandra froze.

Suddenly, her thoughts flooded with memories—

The girl scouts who had looked up to her, training under her with admiration in their eyes. The unexpected joy she had found in running a brownie business with them, something so normal in the chaos of her life. The laughter they had shared, the sense of belonging that came with it.

And then—Raph.

Their first encounter as enemies. Their reluctant alliance. Their friendship, built on rivalry, trust, and something else, something deeper.

Something that made her chest tighten.

Raph…

The chalk snapped in her hands.

Above them, the Shredder breached the Crying Titan’s hollowed-out eye socket. Within the void lay something ancient—a decayed Krang skeleton, its grotesque remains still entwined with the wreckage of its fallen spaceship. But more than that, within its bones, the essence of Empyrean swirled, a powerful force waiting to be seized.

The Shredder let out a victorious roar. "Yes! The Empyrean is mine!"

He leapt down, his entire arm now coated in the shimmering energy. Landing on the palm once more, he turned toward Splinter, his eyes alight with dark purpose.

"With this," he declared, "I will extract the Hamato’s essence, and then no one will ever defeat me again!"

He slammed his Empyrean-coated palm onto the ritual circle, triggering an explosion of mystic energy. Green and pink light crackled around them, sending a violent gust of power through the air. The ground trembled. Stones levitated.

Splinter gasped as a searing pain shot through him. His body convulsed, his eyes glowing an unnatural green as the ritual tore into his essence, attempting to rip it free from his very being.

Chains burst from the ground, latching onto Splinter’s spectral form—his Hamato essence—binding him to the Shredder’s will.

Draxum staggered forward, his voice desperate. "Stop this!"

The Shredder barely glanced at him before seizing Draxum by the head and lifting him off the ground.

"Your usefulness has come to an end."

Draxum struggled, his claws grasping at the iron grip around his skull, but the Shredder’s strength was overwhelming.

And Cassandra—Cassandra could only stand there, the chalk dust slipping through her fingers, her thoughts racing.

Her entire life, she had chased this—power, purpose, a place in the Foot Clan.

But as she looked at Splinter, writhing in pain—at Draxum, about to be crushed in the Shredder’s grasp—she couldn't help but wonder...

Had she been fighting for the wrong side all along?

The Shredder’s claws tightened around Draxum’s skull. His other arm raised, poised to strike the final blow—

THWACK!

A metal object slammed into the side of the Shredder’s head, causing a sharp clang to echo through the ancient ruins. His grip on Draxum faltered, and the former warlord collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The Shredder snarled and whirled around to face the interruption.

Standing a short distance away, hand outstretched, was Raphael. His hand cultivator twirled through the air before snapping back into his grasp.

"Hey, Shredhead!"

Raph strode forward, confidence radiating from him. His brothers flanked him, their presence turning the battlefield into a confrontation of fate.

"We heard you were looking for some Hamato energy," Raph continued. "Guys?"

Leo stepped up beside him, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh, I think I got some for him."

He flicked his wrist, spinning his rusty old trowel. As it twirled, a blue glow erupted around it, engulfing the tool in mystic energy. In an instant, it transformed—sleek, gleaming, and deadly—into a pair of katana.

April cracked her knuckles. "That’s right, it’s us, and we’ve had a bit of an upgrade."

Mikey flourished his wire saw, the tool pulsing with orange energy. A surge of power coursed through it, reshaping it into a gleaming set of nunchaku.

"Big time!" Mikey chimed in.

Donnie twirled his hoe, eyes narrowed in determination. The weapon glowed with a brilliant purple light, morphing seamlessly into a formidable bō staff. He smirked as he completed his flourish.

"And this time around…"

Raph raised both of his hand cultivators, striking them against each other. Red energy crackled along their length before they expanded, transforming into a pair of glowing sai. A rush of power surged through him, and behind them, the earth trembled. With a rumble, a massive drill erupted from the ground, towering behind April, Donnie, Leo, Mikey, and Raph—a testament to their newfound strength.

Raph lowered his weapons. "We won’t lose."

Donnie dramatically gestured toward the drill. "My drill is out of beta!"

Raph blinked. "Donnie, nice! Now put it into action!"

Donnie scoffed. "I did. It’s just for hero poses."

Leo nodded in approval. "Respect."

Across the battlefield, the Shredder’s glowing red eyes locked onto Cassandra.

"Guard the Hamato," he commanded, his voice as cold as steel. "No one stops the ritual."

Cassandra swallowed hard. Her fingers clenched around the hilt of a naginata protruding from the Crying Titan’s palm. Her heart pounded as she forced herself to focus, pushing away the turmoil of doubt swirling inside her.

The Shredder then turned back toward the turtles, his voice a growl of contempt.

"Fools. Your clan is doomed."

Donnie smirked. "You haven’t met Hamato 2.0."

Raph stepped forward. "Stronger."

Mikey flipped his nunchaku into a ready stance. "Faster."

Leo spun one of his katana with a cocky grin. "Turtlier."

April cracked her neck, gripping her mystic baseball bat. "Let’s get it, boys."

And with that, the final battle began.

Chapter Text

The battlefield trembled beneath their feet as Donnie executed his final strike of the battle’s first phase. His bō connected with his drill, turning it into a deadly, whirling weapon. With a calculated swing, Donnie sent the drill flying straight into the Shredder’s chest.

A thunderous explosion followed. Smoke billowed into the air. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing across the Crying Titan’s surface.

The team gathered around Donnie, catching their breath.

Mikey gasped, his expression a mix of awe and disbelief. “We beat the Shredder! Wait, we—we did, right?”

A painful scream shattered the moment of victory.

Splinter.

His body convulsed as the last remnants of his Hamato essence were forcibly torn from him. His form flickered, eyes dulling, before he collapsed.

Raph lurched forward. “Dad!”

Before they could reach him, the Shredder rose from the rubble, his armor cracked but his rage undeterred. His glowing eyes locked onto the weakened rat.

“Enough.”

With a monstrous roar, he exhaled a wave of searing fire, forcing the Mad Dogs off the Crying Titan’s palm and into the waters below. The Shredder turned back to Splinter’s lifeless form, his twisted grin stretching beneath his mask.

“With this power, the world will kneel before me.”

He extended his arm, shifting it into a siphon, and drove it straight into the forehead of Splinter’s Hamato essence. Energy crackled violently. Splinter’s body began to disintegrate.

Watching from the sidelines, Cassandra’s grip on her naginata trembled. She could hear them—her scouts, the little girls who looked up to her. She could see Raph—fierce, determined, and kind. She thought of what they had built together.

And then—she moved.

With a sharp battle cry, Cassandra drove her naginata into the groove of the Shredder’s siphoning arm. The blade struck true.

The Shredder howled in pain, retracting his arm. His retaliation was swift—a vicious backhand sent Cassandra hurtling through the air. She twisted mid-fall, catching her weapon just as it bent from impact.

The Shredder loomed over her.

“You dare defy me, General?”

Cassandra’s chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. But she didn’t waver. Instead, she kicked her naginata into the air, caught it with ease, and planted her feet firmly.

“The name’s Cassandra,” she said, her voice steady. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. “Cassandra Jones.”

With a swift maneuver, she kicked a loose rock into the air, spun on her heel, and struck—sending the projectile hurtling toward the ritual circle.

The impact shattered one of the chains binding Splinter’s essence.

A chain broke. The ritual faltered. And in that moment—

Splinter’s body restored itself.

His eyes fluttered open, confusion quickly turning into realization. He turned to Cassandra, gratitude shining in his gaze.

“My family…” His voice was raw, but steady. “Thank you, Cassandra.”

She smirked. “You can call me Cass.”

For a moment, she and Raph locked eyes. Something unspoken passed between them—a silent understanding. They smiled.

Then, the Shredder roared in fury.

From the depths below, massive blades shot up, aiming to cleave the Crying Titan’s palm in two. With little time to react, Draxum and Splinter leaped high into the air, joined by April, Cassandra, and the Mad Dogs.

Splinter’s voice rang out.

“Come together! If we don’t stop him now, he will destroy humanity!”

They did. In the air, they gathered, forming a united front. Their mystic energy surged, intertwining and radiating outward.

The Shredder, now fully transformed, lunged upward, meeting their combined might with his own. Their energies clashed—a struggle of will, strength, and legacy.

Leo gritted his teeth. “It’s eight-on-one! How is this not working?!”

Splinter’s hands clenched. “Must… protect my family!”

A pulse of energy burst forth. His form glowed, his attire mystically shifting into the robes of a true Hamato warrior. His eyes gleamed with power.

Leo’s breath caught. “Check out Dad!”

Mikey’s grin stretched wide. “Omigosh!”

Raph’s chest swelled with pride. “Pops unlocked his Ninpō!”

One by one, their spirits manifested in grand, energetic forms. Lou Jitsu. April. Raph. Donnie. Mikey. Leo. Their ancestral power, now fully realized.

Splinter’s voice carried through the air.

“Join your mystic powers!”

The Mad Dogs complied. Their weapons hummed with energy, fusing into a single, radiant spear. Cassandra, Draxum, Karai’s ghost, and Splinter joined them, gripping the weapon together.

The spear burned—green flames licking at its edges, growing wilder as they funneled every ounce of their strength into it.

They hurled it forward.

The Shredder retaliated, transforming his limbs into drills, spinning furiously against their attack. He pushed back, unrelenting.

Raph grunted. “Mad Dogs, give it all you got!”

The Shredder sneered. “Pathetic.”

Their grip faltered. The spear wavered.

Splinter’s hands trembled. “No… it is not enough. I… I have failed.”

Leo’s gaze snapped to him. “No, Dad! We can do this!”

Mikey’s voice rang out. “You may not have taught us everything—”

Donnie continued, “—but you did teach us the most important thing.”

Raph’s eyes shone. “Be there for each other.”

Splinter’s vision blurred. Tears welled in his eyes.

A warm hand settled over his.

He gasped.

“Atsuko…?”

His mother stood beside him, her ghostly form glowing softly.

Her eyes were gentle. “I have always been here.”

Behind her, generations of Hamato ancestors emerged from the ether.

Raph’s grin widened. “Looks like we got backup!”

The collective Hamato power surged, forming a colossal, ethereal warrior. The figure took hold of the spear, reinforcing their attack.

The Shredder’s form twisted. His defenses crumbled.

“No…!”

Atsuko turned to Splinter, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Hot—”

Splinter’s heart swelled. A smile broke through his tears.

“Soup!”

The final push sent the spear plunging into the Shredder’s core. Green energy erupted. A blinding beam shot through the Hidden City, piercing the very fabric of reality.

From the Cuddle Cakes Puppy Rescue, Kendra and Todd could only stare in awe at the glowing beacon stretching into the sky.

The dust settled. The Shredder lay defeated, his armor crumbling, the Kuroi Yoroi flaking away.

A gentle light flickered above him.

Saki’s ghost emerged.

Karai’s ghost reached for him. They embraced.

Saki turned to the warriors before him. “My daughter…”

Karai’s gaze softened as she looked at the team.

“Thank you, my young Hamatos. We will always be with you.”

As their spirits faded, Raph placed a steady hand on Splinter’s shoulder.

“We did it, Pops.”

Splinter exhaled, his heart full. “Yes, we did.”

He turned to his sons, his family—whole, alive, together.

“Let us go home.”

As the dust settled and the air crackled with the last remnants of mystic energy, the victorious moment was punctuated by an all-too-familiar buzzing.

Donnie’s wrist-mounted phone vibrated violently before the screen exploded with notifications. A chorus of BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! filled the silence.

Raph smirked, arms crossed. “Someone’s worried.”

Donnie huffed, swiping at the device. “Oh, please. It could be anyone—”

The name flashing repeatedly on the screen shut him up.

Kendra.

Over. And over. And over.

Leo peeked over his shoulder. “Wow. That’s a lot of calls, dude.”

Mikey grinned. “She either thinks that was a good beacon and you’re alive…”

April nudged him. “Or a bad beacon and you’re super dead.”

Donnie gulped.

“Okay, okay, I get it! I should answer before she assumes the worst and starts preparing my eulogy.” He quickly tapped the screen, bringing the device to his ear.

The moment the call connected, Kendra’s voice exploded through the speaker.

“DONATELLO HAMATO, YOU BETTER BE ALIVE, OR SO HELP ME—”

Donnie winced, holding the phone away from his ear.

Raph snickered. “Yeah. She’s definitely worried.”

Donnie frantically turned away from his snickering family, pressing the phone closer to his ear.

“Kendra! Sweetheart! Love of my life! Future Nobel Prize winner in robotics and the most radiant light of my existence—”

“DONNIE.”

He straightened. “Yes, dearest?”

“WHAT. THE. HELL. WAS. THAT?!”

Donnie winced. “Ah. So you did see the massive, earth-shattering, sky-splitting, could-probably-be-seen-from-space explosion of mystic energy?”

“Of course I did!” Kendra’s voice was a mix of relief and fury. “Todd and I just stood there like, ‘Oh, that’s definitely something Hamato-related!’ And then I start thinking, ‘What if that’s Donnie dying? What if he got vaporized? What if—’”

“Nope, no vaporization! Still alive! Very much intact!” He smacked his own arm for emphasis. “See? Perfectly—ow—fine.”

“I swear if you died on me, I would’ve resurrected you just to kill you again.”

“Charming. I love you, too.”

Meanwhile, Cass quietly tugged Raph’s arm, pulling him a few steps away from the group.

Raph blinked, confused. “Huh? What’s up?”

Cass hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck. “I, uh… I just… wanted to say I’m sorry.”

Raph tilted his head. “For what?”

Cass frowned, looking down at her boots. “For everything. For… switching sides. For turning my back on you guys. I really thought I was doing the right thing, but I was just being used.” She clenched her fists. “I was so focused on proving myself, I didn’t stop to think about what I was really fighting for.”

Raph softened. “Cass…”

She let out a small, bitter laugh. “Your dad talked me out of it, y’know. While I was drawing that ritual circle, he made me think about the Girl Scouts. About the kids who looked up to me, the ones I trained. About how I actually liked running the brownie business with them.” She scoffed, shaking her head. “I mean, I’m supposed to be a ruthless Foot soldier, right? But instead, I was out there… selling baked goods and organizing team-building exercises.”

She sighed.

“And then I thought about you.”

Raph stiffened.

Cass crossed her arms, staring at the ground. “I mean, I’ve always thought you were cool. Even when we were enemies. And then we became friends, and it was like—” She paused, struggling to find the words. “—I dunno, something just clicked. I didn’t wanna fight you. I didn’t wanna lose you.”

She huffed out a nervous laugh.

“And somewhere in the middle of all that mess, I, uh… kinda fell for you.”

Raph’s brain short-circuited.

He gawked at her, mouth slightly open, blinking rapidly as if his brain was still trying to process the words that just left her mouth. His face burned red, and he barely managed to stammer out—

“Y-You what?”

Cass winced, groaning. “Ugh, I knew I should’ve eased into that—”

“No! No, I—” Raph flailed his arms for a second, trying to get his words in order. “I like you too!”

Cass blinked. “...Wait. You do?”

Raph rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Yeah… ever since we first met, honestly.” He chuckled, a little shy. “I just, uh… didn’t think you’d feel the same way.”

Cass grinned, nudging his arm. “Well, guess we’re both idiots, huh?”

Raph let out a breathless laugh. “Yeah. I guess so.”

They stood there for a second, just looking at each other, before Cass suddenly grabbed at the top of his platron and yanked him down.

Raph instinctively bent his knees, bringing himself closer to her level—only realizing what was happening when Cass closed the distance and kissed him.

It was short. Simple. But warm.

And then—

“AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!”

The moment shattered as the group exploded with obnoxiously loud reactions.

Raph and Cass jerked away from each other, whipping their heads toward the others.

Mikey was literally vibrating with excitement. April and Leo had matching smirks. Donnie—who had miraculously ended his call with Kendra—looked smug. Even Splinter and Draxum were watching with knowing expressions.

Raph groaned, covering his face. “Oh my gosh, guys!”

Cass rolled her eyes, though her face was red. “You just had to ruin the moment, huh?”

Leo grinned. “Are you kidding? That was prime rom-com material. We had to react.”

Mikey sniffled. “Our big brother got his first kiss! I’m so proud!”

Raph groaned louder, while Cass just smirked.

“Yeah, yeah, soak it up, hero,” she teased. “You still owe me a second one.”

Raph choked.