[Metro Tower looms over a destroyed New York City. Pink covers old lines surrounding it and almost all the windows have been shattered. Some buildings surrounding it are still standing if a bit destroyed. Atop one of the rooftops, Casey stands, observing the tower. She is wearing her skull mask, eyes glowing green. Behind her, Donnie is typing away furiously at his tech brace.]
Casey: [Voice distorted by the mask:] Purple: status.
Donnie: Everyone’s in position, awaiting your command. Got a speech, boss?
Casey: This is our greatest stand. While we are no Foot Clan, you are all more than capable warriors. I am proud to call myself your general and grateful that you’ve trusted me to lead us to victory… I love you guys.
Donnie: [Speaking while typing:] … And send. Don’t reply all.
[Casey stares up at Metro Tower, her hands curled tight around her kusarigama. Eventually, she sees something that makes her nod. She turns and faces Donnie, walking towards him. He doesn’t look up as if he knows she knows he isn’t the one she’s looking for.]
Casey: And what say you, little warrior?
[Casey waits for a response from the air in front of her. A moment passes before she gasps, her knees giving out on her. She whips around but falls back like she’s being held down. Above her, Junior materializes. He is wearing a long cloak with the hood pulled up. He gives his mother a stern look to which she grins.]
Casey: Let’s take back New York City.
[Casey leads the infiltration. She jumps from the building’s rooftop ledge followed by Donnie and presumably an invisible Junior. They land on another roof, running across it to launch themselves at Metro Tower. They make it through a broken window, tucking and rolling to land inside a stairwell.
They rush up the stairs. There’s a soft ting! every so often which is the only indication they have that Junior is still with them. Casey reaches the door to the highest floor in the tower, bracing herself against the push bar. She shares a look with Donnie. He nods.
Casey kicks the door open and Donnie flies past her, tech at the ready. Casey starts attacking the kraangified people. She looks past her opponents and sees Junior crouched on the ground, visible and using his modified hockey stick as a crutch. She turns to call out for Donnie’s aid but sees Donnie clutching at his mouth. He has a desperate expression on his face. It’s then that Casey realizes the thick, green air surrounding them.]
Casey: [Over comms:] Ground team: the high ground is compromised! I repeat–
[A shrill scream fills the room. It halts Casey mid-sentence. She turns around and sees an armored Kraang holding Junior by his hair. He’s desperately grasping at it in an attempt to break free but the Kraang simply laughs at his futile efforts.]
Kraang 1: It seems we have an infiltrator in our midsts.
Kraang 2: Oh, let me kill it. It’s been so long since these creatures have been foolish enough to show themselves to us.
Kraang 1: Patience, dear sister. I think I would like to have their technology studied. It is quite curious. Perhaps our armor can be improved.
[The Kraang laugh together as Junior cries out. Casey watches in abject horror as her son is swung around by the Kraang like he’s a toy. Her expression becomes steely, gaze hardening.]
Casey: Purple–
[Donnie looks at Casey, hand still covering his mouth. He nods. Together, Casey and Donnie rush the Kraang. Casey uses Donnie to launch herself at the Kraang holding her son, using her blade to cut Junior’s hair. He falls from the Kraang’s grip into Donnie’s arms.
Donnie covers Junior’s mouth, making signs at him to hold his breath. Junior nods shakily, using his comparatively smaller hands to replace Donnie’s over his mouth. Casey drops down next to them.]
Casey: We need to retreat.
Kraang 2: No!
[Casey crosses her arms as the second Kraang pounces at her. She’s knocked onto her back, a sickening crack sounding louder than it should to Junior who watches in terror as he flickers in and out of visibility.
Donnie is fighting the other Kraang with his mystic tech. He looks out of his peripheral to see Casey on the ground. His brow sets into a firm line. He manages to knock back the first Kraang with a flashbang. The first Kraang squeals in pain, covering his eyes. Donnie attacks the other Kraang, knocking her off of Casey.
With everyone else in the room otherwise occupied, Junior runs to his mother’s side. The shirt around her midsection is warm and wet when he reaches for her hand. He looks like he wants to say something but he can’t open his mouth. Tears well up in his eyes.
Casey meets his gaze and slowly raises her hand to her mask. It disengages and she pulls it away. She lifts it to Junior’s face, letting go of his hand to fumble with the strap around his head. With the mask on, Junior can breathe. He takes in a gasping breath and hunches over Casey.]
Junior: [Near tears:] Mom?
[Casey shooshes Junior with a finger to where his mouth should be. She gives him the biggest smile she can manage but it’s wavering, weak compared to her signature grin.]
Casey: [Out of breath] Anata wa hitori janai.
Junior: I– I don’t know what you’re saying. Please, mom, let’s leave. Mom?
[Donnie stumbles where he’s holding off the two Kraang. He looks back at Junior and sees Casey is still down. His eyes widen. Behind him, the Kraang laugh viciously. He shakes his head and pulls up his tech brace. He presses a button that causes a siren to sound, knocking back the Kraang from the frequency.
Junior falls onto Casey. She doesn’t react. Junior scrambles to get off of her. Her gaze is distant and blank. He cups her cheek in his hand, gasping to hold back his tears.]
Junior: No. No, no, no!
[At Junior’s final shout, electricity zaps from the walls to the center of the room. It causes the walls to crumble as if the circuity inside the walls is exploding. Donnie looks around, calculating. He runs to Junior and tries to pull him away from Casey. Junior kicks at Donnie, screaming and sobbing loudly.
Rubble moving makes Donnie turn to where he left the Kraang. They’re slowly getting up, shaking off the shock. Donnie looks at Casey, still, then at Junior wearing his mother’s mask. Donnie grasps at his battle shell, missing what he’s reaching for several times until something rectangular pops off into his hand. He takes the box with the turtle symbol on it and slaps it onto Junior’s chest. Straps extend around Junior as something akin to a sarcophagus builds itself around him. He bangs at the window, shouting something Donnie can’t hear.
Donnie watches the pod fly away from the building. The other pods pop off of his shell and zoom out and down to his family on the ground. The Kraang scream in anger. They advance on Donnie. He holds his sides, finally sucking in a breath of the noxious air. He presses another button on his tech brace.
Cut to Junior. From the window in his pod, he can see explosions start at the top of Metro Tower. The top crumbles into the bottom part of the building, the whole thing imploding. He clutches at his breastplate, fist pressed against the window.
Scene change. Junior’s pod arrives in a sewer, spewing him onto the floor. He stays kneeling as pods appear around him. Even as Leo, Mikey, and April fall out of their pods, Junior doesn’t move.]
April: Where are we? What happened?
Mikey: The old lair? I thought it collapsed in the invasion.
Leo: You heard Casey. She called a retreat. I’m sure these pod things were Donald’s doing and–
Mikey: Casey?
[Mikey floats toward Junior on the ground and puts his hand on Junior’s shoulder. Junior pulls away from the touch and stands. He turns toward the others and disengages the mask so it falls in his hands. His face is covered in streaks of tears. Mikey covers his mouth in surprise. Leo steps forward.]
Leo: Hey. Easy there. We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.
[Leo pulls Junior into a hug, pressing his head onto his shoulder. It seems to break Junior. He tucks his face into Leo’s neck, holding onto Leo with a painfully tight grip.]
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