Here it is - the last chapter. I'd like to take this final opportunity to thank everyone who has supported this story over the past year. It has been a pleasure sharing it with all of you. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Donatello could sense his brothers' confusion as they filed into the dojo for their pre-mission meeting. They were surprised to see him there, fully decked-out and prepared for battle. Donnie bowed in greeting and was promptly tackled to the ground and buried in a pile of turtles, each of which seemed insistent upon giving him a noogie.

Leo clapped his arm over Donnie's armored back. "What the shell, Don?!"

"Does this mean that you're back? Like, back back?" Mikey gasped.

"I knew it, Brainiac! I knew ya still had that fighting spirit!" Raph cheered.

They'd all practiced with him, worked out with him, helped him rehabilitate. While he had designed his new gear in secret, Donatello didn't think that this would be that much of a surprise. Perhaps it was finally seeing him in the mask again.

Donnie wriggled his way out of the pile. "Come on guys! No way I'm letting you take Pseudo-Shredder down without me!"

Donatello had been home for year. He and his family had spent most of that year researching, hacking and spying. Dozens of warehouses, storage facilities, and bases of operation had been mapped and inventoried. The turtles and their allies now knew everything there was to know about their enemies.

Thanks to April and Donnie's skill at breaking into email accounts and text message records, they even had comprehensive psychological profiles of each key member of Pseudo-Shredder's organization. They knew why their enemies had done what they did, and why Donatello had been so essential to their plans.

Pseudo-Shredder, otherwise known as Francis Kreager, had been born on a Hawaiian naval base forty-two years ago. His father was an American soldier and his mother was native to Japan. He spent his childhood moving from country to country, which explained his unusual accent.

After graduating at the top of his college class, he began his professional life as a hotshot corporate accountant. He was a rising star, and eventually he got greedy. Kreager used his position to exploit vulnerable companies, siphoning off a little bit of money here and there when he knew it wouldn't be missed. In time, he built up enough of a nest egg to start his own accounting firm, and that's when his empire really began to expand.

With money came power, and soon Kreager was able to recruit executives that worked for his larger clients to assist him in his embezzlement schemes. The more money and power he earned, the more he seemed to crave. It was only fitting that he ended up working for the Foot. His job was simply to hide their income and evade taxes. But when Oroku Saki was exiled off-planet, the temptation was too much to ignore. Kreager saw the strife and discord with in the Foot and knew there was a power vacuum that he could step into.

To do this, he had to make people believe that he was the one and true, rightful Shredder, not just some money-grubbing, power-hungry accountant. He faked his death so that he could resurrect himself and take on the persona of a demon that had run the Foot for centuries.

Kreager paid off Darren Xavier to steal artifacts from the Foot Tower vault, and he began stockpiling weapons that he would need to oust Karai. Kreager leaned heavily on Xavier to guide him in the ways of the Foot Clan, and to recruit new talent from within it. In time he learned that more than simply troops, weapons, and power would be necessary if he was to defeat Karai. She had many loyal soldiers and allies. Kreager had to eliminate as many of them as he could in one fell swoop. He believed that the best way to do that was to find a way to obtain or manufacture chemical weapons.

In his previous life as a simple accountant, Kreager would have been unable to purchase chemicals in bulk without appearing wildly suspicious, but the corrupt location manager of New York's branch of Auman Chemical was able to do just that.

Kreager's minion would siphon off a pallet of chemicals here, several jars of acid there, until a stockpile had been amassed. He also offered up the hidden level of his building. The sub-basement had been used for secret testing that Auman had conducted decades before, and it now sat abandoned. This hidden floor at Auman was a key meeting spot for Kreager's group, and eventually became home to Donatello's prison.

Kreager used his connections in other industries as well. After Peterman Transit went bankrupt, he kept tabs on his friends there, and they provided him with resources whenever they were able to, in exchange for his protection or other types of kickbacks.

Kreager was beginning to grow bold. Everything was going so well for him. But then, Xavier told him about the one thing that the Foot had never been able to get past - the turtles. They had been the downfall of numerous Shredders before him. And, now they were friendly with Karai. The mutants liked the way she had reformed the Foot Clan and restored its honor. These nuisance turtles were going to protect her. Kreager knew that he had to put a stop to it. According to Xavier, the turtles were seemingly impossible to defeat. Rather than bothering to try, Kreager decided to tear them apart from within.

Xavier had told his boss that losing a member of the family would break the turtles. And by then, Kreager knew that Donatello was the genius of the team. Kreager's group had been unable to manufacture the chemical weapons that they felt they needed to defeat Karai's loyalists and take hold of the Foot. It was clear that a scientific prodigy of Donatello's caliber would be able to do just that. So, Donnie was made the target.

Kreager and his group had always known that Donatello would be difficult to control. This is why the other turtles were kept alive - as an insurance policy. If Kreager's subordinates couldn't find a way to make Donnie assist with their schemes, Kreager assumed that he could capture and torture one of the other mutants, then manipulate the genius turtle to do his bidding by offering to spare his loved one from any further pain. At one time, Kreager had even planned to capture more than one turtle on the same day that they apprehended Donatello, but Xavier had warned him that this was too risky. The turtles were known for their teamwork and devotion to one another, and Xavier feared that it would be impossible to contain more than one of them for long.

Knowing that Donatello would never agree to work for him willingly, Kreager began acquiring pharmaceuticals. He called upon a former client who owed him a favor. Different chemical formulations that were in development were declared a failure and written off, but really, they made their way into Kreager's stockpile. Those that seemed like promising mind-control agents then made their way into Donatello's veins.

After years of failure in controlling Donatello, and unable to fall back on his 'Plan B' of capturing another turtle, Kreager hatched his last, desperate scheme. He instructed his subordinates to 'break Don out,' to make him believe that his family was dead, and that he was in the hands of the FBI. Kreager had grown to hate Donatello's altruistic nature, but he hoped that there was still a way to use it to his advantage.

The plan was to convince Donnie that he was working for the good guys, and that he had no family to go home to. If he had nothing left, he would have little choice other than to stay with the 'FBI.' A mutant turtle wasn't safe on the streets, after all.

Being the good guy that he was, Donatello would want to help his new friends. He would invent and build for them. He might even develop new chemical weapons to protect the interests of his country. All those creations and weapons would then be given directly to Kreager for use against Karai.

But, Donatello had figured it out within 24-hours. He'd broken out of Auman, where Kreager's allies had hidden him. Kreager's men had been looking for him ever since. This was both terrifying and amusing to Donatello. It was amusing that they still wanted to capture him, given that they couldn't break him the first time. It was frightening because that meant that perhaps they simply wanted to kill him. Regardless, Kreager knew by now that he likely would never find a way to recapture and control Donatello, which is why he had spent months in Tokyo attempting to recruit a new scientist or engineer. Fortunately, he hadn't succeeded in this venture.

Now, Kreager was back in New York. He was meeting with his top men tonight. Or at least, he planned to. Little did he know, it would be all over for him by the morning. The Foot had moved in on Kreager's warehouses and his weapon and chemical stockpiles. They were waiting to raid the homes of each and every one of his team-members. The moment they received Karai's signal, the Foot would strike all targets at once.

It was Karai and the turtles' job to infiltrate the meeting place where Kreager and his top men would be gathering. The turtles had undertaken harder missions, but none of them seemed as personal as this one, and none were as fraught with emotion.

The meeting place was a simple brownstone in the outskirts of the city. There was a highly secured basement where Kreager's team would be gathering. The basement also contained a panic room, and that that's where Kreager would head as soon as the trouble went down. The turtles needed to defeat all the lower ranking fighters, then find a way to gain access to this panic room and extract Kreager and whomever else had holed up in there with him. Then, they would hand things over to Karai.

Leonardo finished his pre-battle briefing and led his team to the garage. Splinter followed behind, but he did not pass the threshold. He hadn't accompanied his sons on many missions lately, but this was a big one. The turtles had been unsure whether he would be making an exception.

"Are you coming, Sensei?" Leonardo asked.

"No," Splinter answered, solemnly. "Not tonight."

Raphael had been loading equipment, but now he turned to face his father. "Really? I'd have thought you'd have wanted to see this. After all, this guy hurt all of us just about as bad as you can hurt someone."

"True, but tonight is also about you boys becoming a team of four once again. I would only be a hindrance to that."

Splinter hugged each of his sons, offering the longest and strongest to Donatello. "I know that you will be victorious," the old rat firmly declared, eyes still closed.

Splinter folded his hands behind his back and addressed his students. "In some ways, a Sensei's job and a father's job are one in the same. I have taught you everything that I can. Now, it is time for me to stay behind, to watch as you spread your wings and fly. Take your lessons with you and know that I am so very proud of you all. I may be an old rat, too old for fighting perhaps, but I still have good years ahead of me. Go out into the world together now. But, know that I will always be here waiting when you come home."

Michelangelo offered his father a salute before hopping into the van. Raphael and Leonardo gave earnest nods as they climbed in behind him. Donatello was last, his eyes shining as he waved. "We'll be back," he promised in a barely audible whisper.

"I know you will, my sons," Splinter answered as he watched the van drive off.

The ride to Kreager's location was somber and serious. Leo went over last-minute plans and instructions over the phone with Karai while Raph drove and Mikey checked equipment. Donnie simply watched the world roll by through the window.

It was early springtime again, and a chill hung in the air. The streets were barren, late-night fog rising from the manholes. The deciduous trees that lined the sidewalks were still dormant. But within the seemingly lifeless branches, within each flower box and planter, within even fertile cracks of dirt on the sidewalk, life was just waiting for its chance to spring forth. Donatello could feel it all around him, almost intoxicating in its beauty.

When they arrived at their destination, the turtles grabbed their gear. Donnie was just about to get out of the Battle Shell when he felt a gentle tug at his wrist.

"Don," Leo whispered. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Of course, I am," Donatello reassured.

Leonardo's eyes were still dark and troubled, almost pleading. "All it would take is one bullet, one blade or projectile getting past our defenses," he whispered.

Donatello knew that the burden of leadership was as heavy on Leonardo now as it had ever been. He put a hand on Leo's shoulder and squeezed. "Hey, that's always been true - for all of us, not just me. Heck, it's true for every living creature, but we take our chances, right?"

Leonardo frowned. He couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone again, but he knew that couldn't hide from life, either. Kreager was a menace - a threat to the turtles and the city itself. He needed to be dealt with, however risky that may be.

Uneasy in the silence, Donnie leaned in to give Leo a hug. "Don't worry," he whispered before pulling away. "It'll be fine."

"Remember, you may be the leader, but we walk beside you, not behind you." Mikey reminded.

Raphael rolled his eyes. He wanted to make fun of Mikey for being so cheesy, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he put his hand out. "We're in this together until the bitter end," Raph declared.

Donatello put his hand on top of Raphael's. "And whatever lies beyond," Donnie added, feeling uncharacteristically spiritual as he reflected upon his pleasant dream about death, back when he was imprisoned. Even if the worst should happen, he knew that his family would always find each other in the afterlife.

As if sensing Donatello's thoughts, or perhaps remembering that shared dream himself, Leonardo broke into a smile. Leo silently put his hand over Don's, then Michelangelo pressed his own hand over Leo's. The four exchanged heartfelt looks before breaking apart, unsaid 'I love yous' hanging in the air between them.

The turtles met up with Karai. Only the five of them were going into the brownstone. The rest of the Foot would be busy securing Kreager's other assets and locations, each of Karai's generals heading up their own simultaneous missions. Truthfully, the turtles had wanted it like this - a small, intimate battle rather than a melee.

Karai sent out the signal that would start her troops' advancement at dozens of different locations. She and the turtles then marched resolutely towards Kreager's bunker.

Opening the door was Raphael's job. The main doorway was equipped with a highly sophisticated lock and an extremely expensive security system. Those things didn't matter though. This wasn't a stealth mission; it was a show of force. With one swift movement, Raphael kicked the heavy door down as though it was made of mere particle board.

At this point, alarms should have begun to blare, but Donatello had managed to disable the security system remotely prior to the raid. The last thing anyone needed was the police paying them a visit. Nevertheless, Kreager's cronies would have heard the door being kicked down. In fact, Leo had wanted the arrival to be heard by the brownstone's occupants. He hoped that Kreager's men would split into two or more groups when the threat became clear.

"Honey, I'm home!" Mikey yelled, just in case Raph hadn't been noisy enough.

Karai and the turtles knew that Kreager would be locking himself into the basement's panic room as soon as he heard them arrive. From pre-battle reconnaissance, the turtles knew that a dozen lower-ranking men were in the building along with Xavier and Kreager. Just as Leo had hoped, only six men rushed the building's entryway. The others had undoubtedly fallen back to protect the panic room and call for backup. That backup would never arrive, thanks to diligent preparation and the efforts of Karai's army.

The first of Kreager's troops appeared in the entryway, each of them brandishing a gun. The leading man's eyes widened at the sight before him - four mutant turtles and the rightful leader of the Foot Clan. Leo pulled his katanas out of their sheaths. He leveled one directly in front of him and raised the other behind him, crouching low like a tiger as he uttered a warning. "Allow us to pass or face the consequences. Our fight is with your boss, not you."

In response, the man cocked his gun. It took Michelangelo only a split second to send a shuriken sailing straight through the barrel. Taking the cue, Raphael hopscotched over Leo's shoulders and landed on top of the assailant. The two began to wrestle. Three more of Kreager's men sprang forward, skillfully avoiding the two opponents rolling around near the top of the stairs.

Michelangelo whipped around Raphael, batting another gun away with his nunchuck. The orange-banded turtle then had his legs knocked out from under him by Raph's foe, who was attempting to grab hold of the gun that his friend had dropped. Raphael managed to hold him back while Michelangelo regained his footing. A shot rang out from nearby.

Michelangelo looked up in shock, only to find that Donatello was holding a self-designed taser against the ribs of another of Kreager's troops. The man had convulsively clamped down on the trigger that he had been about to pull when the electricity from Don's taser began coursing through him. Donatello had foreseen this and used his bo staff to lift the man's arm so that the bullet sailed high over everyone's heads. Donnie caught Mikey staring, and gave him a quick wink.

"Watch your back!" Karai yelled. She and Leo had headed to the top of the stairs to fend off the two men who had lagged behind. They had already taken one down when the shot had gone off. Leonardo had turned to see what was happening, momentarily distracted by fear for his brothers. He could see that they were safe, so Karai's warning must have been meant for Leo himself. He swiveled around in time to see that one of Kreager's bodyguards was aiming a gun at him.

Leonardo launched himself into the air. He sliced the gun in two while on the upswing, then flipped at the height of his jump. As he came back down, he kicked his opponent in the back, sending him in Michelangelo's direction. One of Michelangelo's nunchucks met with the man's temple and he fell to the floor unconscious.

Karai stepped in front of Leo to do battle with another combatant. Leo scanned the entryway, only to find that Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo had things well in hand. Donnie was snapping electronic handcuffs around the wrists of the fighter that Raphael had just subdued. Once Donnie had them in place, he lifted the fallen soldier to his feet and marched him towards the stairs. Raphael then grabbed the handcuffed enemy below the shoulders and heaved him at Karai's current opponent. Kreager's two men landed in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the basement stairs.

"Raph," Donatello hissed. "You promised that you would try not to hurt them." Donnie then ducked as Michelangelo tossed another unconscious body into the pile.

"I know what we said, but I want to keep these guys in our sights," Raph explained as he threw another protesting villain down the stairs.

Donatello flung out his bo and effortlessly tripped a knife-wielding guard that had been charging Mikey. He twirled his staff in the air, and brought it low again, sending the knife skittering across the floor. Leo swooped in and clapped handcuffs around the disarmed fighter.

Donnie had crossed the room and was helping one of his enemies to his feet. "Better walk down the stairs before my brothers toss you down them," he advised in an apologetic tone. Leo followed Donnie's lead, and forced his own fallen foe into the basement.

All six defeated fighters now wore handcuffs. Once they were all huddled together at the base of the stairs, Donatello flipped a switch on a small device he had been carrying in his belt. The handcuffs buzzed with electricity, effectively paralyzing their wearers. Once the men fell still, the buzzing stopped.

"Now," Don said with an almost sympathetic look. "I know it's hard but try not to struggle. I designed those handcuffs you are all wearing to detect motion. If you just sit still, you'll be fine. But, if you move too much, they'll shock you again."

Raphael didn't quite approve of Donatello's empathetic leanings in this particular scenario, particularly given that this very group had never hesitated to run voltage through Donnie when he was in their grasps. Raph leaned in, menacingly. "You'd better be good little psychopaths, because if I hear any noise out here I'm going to find a much less merciful way to keep you quiet."

Leonardo, Michelangelo and Karai had ventured deeper into the basement. They were now standing in front of a locked door. They knew that the meeting room was behind it, and the panic room as well. Not counting the ones that were already subdued, there were six men left plus Xavier and Kreager.

Leo didn't want anyone to knock this door down. He assumed that whomever did would immediately be faced with at least six guns. Instead, Donatello electronically picked the lock. Donnie recognized it as the same model that had been used to lock his cage, so it gave him a certain air of satisfaction when it popped open. Donatello stepped aside to huddle behind the wall with his brothers and used his bo to swing open the door.

Leonardo nodded, and the team of five jumped into the meeting room together. They knew that this fight would be harder than the first, as the most skilled combatants would have stayed back to protect their boss. Donnie immediately recognized several of his former guards. He had no time to relay this information to the others, as he was immediately busy dodging bullets.

It was a funny thing that happened. While Donatello knew that he should have been scared, he felt steadier on his feet then he ever had before. It was as though the years of physical and mental oppression had somehow resulted in a store of energy that he was now able to call upon.

He felt as though he were everywhere at once, as though he could see the room from above, from below, and from each corner within it. Each of his senses fed him a steady stream of information. Sounds both faraway and nearby, microorganisms beneath his feet, dust particles swirling in the air - he sensed all of it. He felt and heard and saw all of it, as though 100 different versions of him were there with him in that moment, whispering in his ear. He felt invulnerable, like his skin was far thicker than it really was, as though he was stronger, faster, and smarter than he ever had been, or could ever hope to be. Somehow, he knew exactly where each bullet was headed, and exactly where he needed to go.

"Leo!" Don yelled. The leader had charged to the center of the room, purposefully drawing the majority of gunfire toward himself. He was swinging his swords at lightning speed, deflecting everything and everyone that had come his way so far, while Raphael, Karai, and Michelangelo had begun attempting to systematically take down opponents. As skilled as Leonardo was, he wouldn't last for very long at the center of a hail of bullets.

Donatello used his bo like a pole-vault, leaping over the head of one of his enemies. Somersaulting at the top of his jump, he managed to bat his adversary away with a quick swipe to the stomach. Donnie's opponent was sent flying into the man next to him.

Donatello landed his jump in the center of the circle beside Leonardo, who now had a streak of blood on his shoulder from where a bullet had grazed him. Donnie grabbed his brother and ducked low, feeling a projectile bounce off his armored shell - a bullet that Donnie was certain would have penetrated Leo's chest if he hadn't intervened.

Donnie and Leo locked eyes for a moment. "Thanks," Leo huffed, before backflipping into the gap that Donatello had just opened. One of the fallen combatants was just about to regain his feet. Leo kicked him over again, and the man swiftly drew a blade from a sheath. Donnie turned away, knowing that Leo had things under control again. Instead Donnie flung himself in the direction that the shot had been fired from. Disabling all the guns was the primary goal right now.

Quickly surveying the scene, Donatello saw only one opponent who still possessed a gun and was not otherwise engaged in battle. It appeared that this foe, who Donnie recognized as one of his former guards, was about to take aim at the back of Karai's head. Donatello issued a Michelangelo-worthy war cry to gain the man's attention, then he executed a series of backflips, feeling bullets whiz uselessly past him. All Karai's senses tingled, and she spun to look behind her.

The former guard pistol-whipped Karai across the cheek just as Donnie closed in on them. She stepped back to blunt the blow, then landed a lotus kick against his ribs in retaliation. "All yours," she said to Donnie as she sidestepped away to assist Raphael, who was currently locked in a losing two-on-one battle.

Donatello landed his final backflip and quickly flashed Karai a smile of thanks before he spun himself in a graceful circle. He brought his bo forward and smacked it against his enemy's wrist. The gun sailed into the air, landing near Michelangelo. Mikey used one hand to keep his own opponent at bay. He simultaneously twisted himself around and drove a dagger into the gun's firing mechanism, rendering it completely useless. Distracted by tracking the fate of the gun, Donatello let his own defenses momentarily slip. His opponent landed a hammer kick to his bad knee. Rather than whimpering, Donnie locked eyes with his enemy and smiled impishly.

"Oh Hikaru, this feels just like old times, doesn't it?" Donnie teased, using the name that he had randomly assigned this particular guard during his imprisonment.

Undeterred, 'Hikaru' grabbed Donatello by the throat. Before Hikaru could get a good grip, Donnie brought a knee up between them and kicked his opponent away. Hikaru stumbled backwards and attempted to swipe Donnie's bad leg out from under him.

Donatello planted the leg firmly, allowing a hidden steel rod within the brace to lock itself into place. "Again with that?" he panted. He then used the powerful muscles in his good leg to spring forward, while extending his bad leg in front of him and connecting it with Hikaru's chest. Donatello's foot hit with the strength of a battering ram, knocking the wind out of his former guard, and likely breaking a few ribs as well.

Donatello slapped handcuffs around Hikaru's wrists, then flung the defeated warrior over his shoulders and carried him to the corner. "You guys wanted me for my smarts, remember? Did you really think that I would have left my leg vulnerable, rather than turning it into a weapon?" Donnie asked as he unceremoniously dumped his fallen foe onto the floor. He activated the electricity and Hikaru was rendered mute before he could answer.

"I see that we're starting a new pile," Raphael commented as he dumped someone on top of Hikaru.

"Well, you know how Leo is about housekeeping," Michelangelo snarked as he appeared to toss a third man over the other two.

Across the room, Karai and Leonardo fought Kreager's three remaining bodyguards, each of which had been relieved of their firearms by now. Raphael went to join them and even-out the numbers. Michelangelo busied himself collecting weapons that had been scattered around the room. Donatello handcuffed the newest additions to the pile, giving them the same lecture about suppressing the urge to struggle.

"Got another one for you," Leo panted, dropping a body before running back into battle. Donnie rubbed between his eyes. "I'm not going over this a third time," he said as he clicked yet another set of handcuffs into place. "Your friends here can fill you in."

Donatello crossed the room, ducking to avoid an errant shuriken. He knocked on the panic room door. "Hello in there. You guys coming out, or will we have the pleasure of dragging you out?" he asked in a mocking tone.

An expletive could be heard over the room's intercom.

"Such language!" Michelangelo hissed. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Okay, then," Donatello sighed. "We'll do this the hard way."

Donatello got to work on breaking into the room while his companions finished off the remaining two fighters. Donnie's task took far longer - almost an hour of creative re-wiring. It would've taken anyone else days to complete the job, but Donnie had spent weeks studying the room's schematics, and knew exactly what needed to be done. The others passed the time by patching up various cuts and scratches.

Finally, Donatello almost had it. He looked to Karai. "Are we ready for this?" he asked.

"Ready whenever you are," Karai promised, coming to stand next to Donatello. By previous agreement, Karai and Donnie were the only ones who would enter the panic room at first. They had certainly earned that right.

Donatello caught his friend's eye and nodded. He crossed two wires and the door hissed open.

Xavier was fast, but Karai was faster. A hail of bullets streamed out of the doorway. Karai raised a shield that deflected the first volley. She extended her index finger and connected it with a yellow button. Whips of electric current burst from the front of the shield. Xavier was thrown backwards, and the little power that Donnie had left running to the panic room cut out.

Karai lunged forward and grabbed the barrel of Xavier's gun, wresting it from his hand. "Dishonorable fool!" she hissed.

Xavier regained control of his limbs enough to back further into the room. Karai advanced with the shield that Donatello had specially-designed for this mission pressed to her traitorous former general's ribs. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable. She backed him almost into a corner, then reactivated the shield's electric whips. Xavier dodged them, then fled from the panic room. Karai chased Xavier straight into Leonardo's waiting arms.

Donatello saw that Xavier had been trapped in a headlock. The moment for Donnie to act was now. He had been wearing safety glasses while rewiring the panic room. Rather than taking them off, he flipped a switch, causing the lenses to go opaque. He then tossed a smoke bomb into the darkened room and watched it fill with purple mist.

Donatello's brothers looked on as he stoically stepped into the room, tentacles of mist drifting out of the open doorway. When Donnie came back out, he was dragging a struggling Kreager along with him. Donnie ripped his glasses off so that he could look Kreager in the eyes. Kreager was dressed in simple street clothes. Without the fake Shredder armor, he looked smaller than the demon who had been haunting Donnie's nightmares.

Donatello didn't have a speech prepared. It was a good thing too, because he found himself almost muted by the anger that flowed through him at the sight of his tormentor. "You," Donnie growled, tightening his grasp around Kreager's collar.

All the turtles were watching this as though it were a spectator sport, waiting to see how things played out. Raphael examined Donatello and found that Donnie's face betrayed nothing. Donnie turned and looked Raphael in the eye. Raph saw a hardness there that looked foreign on Donatello but was also comforting somehow. There was no sign that Donnie would break down. He was composed, firm, and cold as ice.

Donatello shook his head, as if attempting to dismiss this rage that felt so foreign in his veins. He let go of Kreager, pushing him back and away. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Don asked in a low, menacing tone. "You're done now," he continued. "We've beaten you. Your whole empire, all of it, has fallen tonight." Don stepped closer again. Kreager stepped back, bumping into Raphael, who clamped his arms around the devil like a vice.

"Tell me, was it worth it?" Donatello continued. "You destroyed yourself, and who knows how many other people! You almost destroyed me!"

Kreager still didn't speak.

"Was it worth it?!" Donatello roared.

Kreager wriggled in Raphael's grasp, then he finally spoke. "Some men are satisfied with simple things - simple lives, simple pursuits. Some of us strive for more - for greatness. I've never been satisfied with simple. So, if you're asking me if I regret reaching for more, then my answer is no."

Donatello didn't shout this time. His voice remained slightly lower than normal. "Funny. All I've ever wanted was a simple life." Donnie closed his eyes and shook his head, when he spoke again, his voice almost broke. "I pity you."

At that, Kreager finally showed a little of the violent aggression that Donatello had become so familiar with. He spat at the genius, though Donnie managed to dodge it. "Don't you pity me, freak!" Kreager hollered.

Raphael couldn't take the physical contact with this psychopath anymore. He threw Kreager to the ground. "Don't you ever spit at my brother!" he yelled. He grasped a sai and plunged it into the floor right next to Kreager's temple. "He's a hundred times better than you!" Raph screamed. "All of us freaks are! And, Don may be the merciful type, but I'm not. I'm gonna kill ya for what you've done to us!"

Raphael readied his other sai, looking for all the world like he was going to murder Kreager right in front of them. "No!" Leonardo hollered. "Don't stoop to his level, Raph!"

Kreager saw the red-banded turtle hesitate, doubt clearly flickering in his eyes. He took the split-second opportunity to roll away, grabbing Raph's discarded weapon in the process. Brandishing the sai in front of him, Kreager rose to his feet. He stabbed wildly as he backed himself towards the spot where Karai and Leo were holding Xavier.

Donatello stepped forward and swung his bo like a baseball bat, an action that was more rage-based than ninja-like. Despite its questionable nature, the move was effective. The bo-staff caught the wannabe across the chest and knocked him off his feet. Wasting no time, Donnie stepped forward and placed a foot on Kreager's chest, pinning him down. Simultaneously, he twirled the bo in his hand and brought the end down to rest lightly against his enemy's Adam's apple. "Don't you try anything like that again," Donnie threatened.

Raphael yanked his sai back out of Kreager's trembling hand. Michelangelo then applied a strip of duct tape over Kreager's mouth. "I think we've heard enough out of you, Frannie," Michelangelo announced. He gave a finishing slap to the tape on Kreager's lips. "And, spitting is a nasty habit. That's gross. Keep in mind that this is coming from a guy that lives in the sewer. You're gross, Frannie."

The rest of the turtles chuckled. Michelangelo's ability to lighten the mood in the heaviest of moments was very much appreciated.

"And what do you have to say?" Karai asked Xavier after silence fell in the room once more. "I forgave your sins against me. I let you walk free, and this is how you repay me? By plotting my downfall with some… some… accountant? Someone who knows nothing about the code of the Foot Clan?" Karai turned to address Kreager as well. "Do neither of you have any honor?"

"Think we all know the answer to that question," Raph jeered.

"Honor," Xavier sneered through curled lips. "So important to you, this vague sense of honor. But what of loyalty? You say I have no honor, but I would have laid my life down for your father. Any of the Foot would have done that. We never questioned him. But then you come in, changing everything, expecting us to just bend to your will. You've changed us so much that we don't even recognize ourselves."

"Us?" Karai laughed. "There is no us, Xavier. Make no mistake of that. You are not fit to call yourself a member of the Foot Clan - my Foot Clan."

"You think you're so much better than me," Xavier scoffed. "But you show no loyalty to your father. You do not honor him."

"And you should be very thankful of that," Karai replied. "For my father would have demanded that I slit your throat by now."

Karai had heard enough. She motioned for Michelangelo to tape Xavier's mouth as well. He did so with gusto.

Karai approached Kreager, who Raph and Leo had forced into a kneeling position. The two stood on either side of him, each with a hand pressing forcefully down on his shoulder. "And, what to do with you?" Karai asked her would-be successor.

She reached to Kreager's neck and pulled out an object on a chain - her father's pendant. "Thief!" she hissed. "A mere imposter striving to be the Shredder, striving to steal my throne. But, when you finally meet me face-to-face, there is no fight in you at all. You didn't land a single blow tonight. You hid behind your men, behind the walls of your panic room." She leaned to within inches of his face. "Pathetic."

Karai knelt in front of her vanquished foe. From her belt, she pulled a gun. Unknown to the others, she had grabbed it from the stack of discards that Michelangelo had collected. The turtles were shocked. Karai hated guns as much as them. Still, they trusted her enough to see where this was going.

Karai caressed the gun against Kreager's cheek. "An honorless weapon for an honorless man," she declared. "Skilled martial artists such as those that surround you take a lifetime developing their talents. Yet, lazy cowards looking for shortcuts can take us down in an instant with the mere pull of a trigger. It's despicable. Xavier should have told you that. But, I suppose he doesn't care, and I suppose you wouldn't have bothered to listen. Men like you never do."

Karai cocked the gun. Leo and Raph shuddered, but they only clenched Kreager's shoulders tighter as he began to struggle more, making desperate noises that weren't discernible through the tape.

Donatello's blood ran cold. All that he could think of was what this devil had done to him. Despite everything that Donnie had gone through, even when things were at their absolute worst, he'd clung to those pieces of himself that he had deemed the most valuable, those things that made him much more that the freak that they accused him of being - his loving heart, his brilliant mind, his empathy, his mercy.

"Mercy!" Donatello cried. The anger he'd been grappling with since he pulled Kreager from the panic room flowed out of him all at once and was replaced with desperation. He didn't want blood on his hands. He didn't want any deaths on his account – not even that of his worst enemy. "Mercy! Show him mercy! Show him the mercy that he never showed me," Donnie begged.

Karai lowered the gun to the floor and pulled the trigger. The pendant exploded into a million pieces. Karai lifted her gaze to glare at Kreager. "My father used that trinket to hide himself from the world, to hide his thoughts even from me. You used it to hide my brilliant friend from his family. Yet after everything that you did to him, he still begs for your worthless life."

Karai swung to glare at Xavier. "That is honor."

The turtles left Karai to clean up the mess. None of them bothered to ask what she planned to do with Kreager, Xavier, or the other vile scum they had recruited to their team. She promised that she had ways of ensuring that they would never threaten anyone again. The turtles trusted her implicitly and knew that they'd be happier not knowing the specifics.

It was a beautiful night, and before heading home, they decided to take a little detour. They sent a message to Splinter, April and Casey to let them know of the victory, then they stole a few well-deserved moments for themselves. They parked the Battle Shell near the bank of a river and found a spot that was concealed by the reeds, but just big enough for the four of them. Giddy with victory, they laid on their backs and took some time to savor the night air and do a little stargazing.

Donnie thought about his first night of freedom - how he had done something similar in the junkyard. Back then he was all alone, unsure of what the future held, and doubtful that he could ever fully heal. He had come so far since then.

"How's it feel?" Raphael asked.

"It feels pretty darned good," Donnie confirmed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, wanting to remember everything about this moment. "How do you guys feel?"

"Free," was Leo's simple reply.

"Like justice was finally served," Raph answered.

"Hungry," Mikey said, mischievously.

Donnie looked up at the stars and thought about some plans that he'd been making but hadn't discussed with anyone. "You know," he sighed. "I had been thinking that it would be nice to take a journey with each of you, to sort of get to know each other again. Leo, I was thinking we could go visit Usagi. I know you stayed close to home while I was gone. And Raph, I thought that you and I could build our own Planet Racer from scratch. And Mikey, I was going to take you up on the bro-trip to New Jersey, but maybe in the future, where we could walk freely again."

"I did promise to swallow my pride and take you to Jersey," Mikey recalled.

"I do miss Usagi, but honestly, all of that sounds nice," Leo said.

"I agree," Donnie conceded. "And what's the point of getting reacquainted one-on-one when the truth is, everything is so much better when all four of us are together? I'm nothing without you guys...all of you guys. Recovery is an inherently selfish process, but I do realize that the chains that were binding me were holding all of you back as well. Those chains are broken now. We can go anywhere, do anything."

Several weeks later, after the last of everyone's bumps and bruises had healed, the turtles held a small party with their closest friends. It was a combination of a victory party, and a very belated welcome home party for Donatello. It also served as a vacation planning session.

Michelangelo had drawn pictures of each potential adventure that awaited and stuck them on a bulletin board. All three of Donnie's proposed trips with his brothers were included, as well as some that they had all thought up together. The highlight of the evening was when Donnie turned his purple mask around for use as a blindfold. He was handed the dart that would determine some small but important part of his long future.

Someone spun him around unnecessarily. Given the joyful whooping noise that accompanied the motion, it had to be Michelangelo. Someone else clapped him hard on the shell to hold him steady and set him straight, that had to be Raphael.

"Let her fly, Donnie," Leonardo commanded, his rich, authoritarian voice conveying the smile that undoubtedly lit up his face.

Donnie briefly stopped to cherish the moment. While the blindfold had rendered him temporarily sightless, it made his other senses stronger. He was struck by the sound of laughter, the feeling of a hand on his back, the smell of good food, and the warmth of the love that surrounded him.

Life sometimes has a funny way of evening itself out. After all, one cannot truly appreciate anything sweet until they've tasted the bitter as well. Donnie knew that he was capable of stretching this moment out forever. He could keep it for the rest of his days, calling upon it in times of greatest need.

Donatello reared back and gave the dart a good heave, strength flowing through his body just as much as when he was younger. The dart left his fingers and made a graceful arc, and while Donnie couldn't see which way it was headed, he was certain that it didn't make any difference where it ultimately landed. His future was with his family, and that was the only thing that mattered. He'd finally made his way back home.