[10 minutes later]
It was close to midnight. Everyone back at the shop was asleep. John slipped out of the building quietly after Donnie called him. He pulled the tarp off the sports bike, kicked the ignition, and let the engine growl low before rolling it onto the empty road.
The streets were empty since it was midnight. So, he drove as fast as possible.
Within 10 minutes, he reached the rendezvous point. In the shadows of an alley, the Turtles waited. Leo stepped out first.
"You are...?!" Leo was confused because he hadn't seen John in his base form.
"Oh, this is my regular form," John said.
"You got the message," Leo said. His voice carried the weight of command, but his eyes betrayed how badly he wanted this done. "The compound is crawling with Foot. Shredder's inside. They're preparing mutagen and explosives strong enough to take out blocks of this city. We need to move soon. But listen, we need to do this with control. No killing if possible."
Raph scoffed, arms crossed. "You're too soft, Leo. You've seen what these psychos are planning. They're gonna blow half the city sky high. We should be ready to put them in the ground before they do the same to us."
John leaned on the bike and replied casually. "Why not? I'll leave them alive. But make no mistake… they'll be eating through a tube for the rest of their lives." His tone was flat, almost like a promise, not a threat.
The air hung heavy. Mikey's grin faded. Donnie adjusted his goggles but said nothing.
John pushed himself off the bike. "Stay here. I'll be back soon. Not saying you can't help a little, but my power is destructive and not so easy to use when allies are around. One wrong move and I might kill one of you by mistake. So stay as far as possible." His eyes swept over them one by one. "If you decide to intervene anyway, I won't be responsible for what happens. Injuries or Death. That's on you."
Leo opened his mouth to argue but shut it. He exhaled slowly, hands tightening on his swords. "Fine. We'll wait. We don't have another choice. But if you are in danger, we'll jump in." His gaze hardened as he added, "But can you… leave Karai alive. The ninja girl with Shredder."
John nodded once, already turning toward the compound. "Alright. I won't hurt her, and I'll deliver Shredder to you, just like I promised."
...[3 minutes later]...
The Turtles crouched on the roof where they had been watching the compound earlier. Their silhouettes blended into the shadows. Every eye was locked on John as he walked toward the fortified gate like a man out for an evening stroll.
Raph muttered under his breath, "Guy's insane. Walkin' right up the front door like he owns the place."
Mikey smirked nervously. "Or like he's delivering a pizza. 'Hi, Foot Clan, here's your order of butt-kicking, extra crispy.'"
Leo couldn't deny the unease in his gut. "He said his power was destructive. Let's see just how destructive."
Donnie activated his drones and began recording mode. "Time to collect some data."
John stopped before the compound's gate. The massive iron doors loomed above him, flanked by towers where shadowy figures shifted. Instead of forcing his way in, he lifted a hand and knocked. Three polite raps echoed through the night.
"Hello! Anyone there? I'm looking for Shredder. Is he home?" John yelled.
Nothing happened at first. Then the gates creaked, and from the shadows poured a swarm of Foot Clan ninjas, blades gleaming in the floodlight. They surrounded him instantly, steel tips pressing close enough to brush his jacket.
Up on the rooftop, Donnie swallowed hard. "That's at least forty in the first wave. Maybe fifty. All armed. Coordinated."
"More like soon-to-be sushi," Mikey muttered, eyes glued to the scene.
John looked around at the ring of swords. His mouth curved into a grin. "Really? I was being polite."
He raised his voice, sharp and commanding, as if the heavens themselves answered to him. "SHAZAM!"
The sky cracked open. A blinding bolt of lightning ripped downward and struck him, exploding outward in a storm of raw energy. The shockwave vaporized every ninja within reach, their bodies reduced to ash in less than a heartbeat. The ground trembled. Smoke rose from scorched earth where warriors once stood.
The compound gates hung half-melted. John rolled his shoulders as if he had just stretched after a nap. "Haaa… Bunch of retards. A lone guy knocking on your doors and asking for Shredder... He's either prepared to kill everyone or..." He wanted to say 'Mad' but what kind of mad person knows Shredder? So, he went with: "Yeah, kill everyone."
On the rooftop, Mikey's jaw dropped. "Duuude. Did you see that? That was like… like someone dropped a nuke dressed up as a thunderbolt!"
"Focus," Leo said sharply, though his voice carried the faintest edge of awe.
Raph spat over the side. "Show-off."
John didn't wait. He stepped over the charred remains, casually brushing dust from his sleeve, and walked right through the half-destroyed gates. The alarms blared instantly. Lights flashed across the base, and within seconds, dozens more ninjas swarmed from every direction. They hurled shuriken, kusarigama, and smoke bombs. A rain of arrows whistled down from the rooftops. Several charged in with spears tipped in green-glowing toxin.
John didn't slow his pace. He strolled straight down the main path like he was walking through a park at night. Every arrow that reached him splintered harmlessly against his skin. Poison mist closed in, only to vanish when the air cracked with static and burned it away. Chains wrapped around his arms, pulled taut by a dozen ninja at once. He glanced down at the links, then flexed his muscles. The chains snapped like paper.
"Pathetic," he muttered, barely above a whisper.
The ground shook as three massive foot soldiers emerged, each wielding a warhammer that could crush a car. They swung in unison, the hammers slamming into him with bone-rattling force. Dust and sparks shot into the air. When it cleared, John still stood, untouched. He didn't even blink. A slow grin spread across his face.
He flicked his hand, and lightning surged. The three giants convulsed, their weapons melting in their hands before they crumpled to the dirt, smoke curling from their armor.
Up on the rooftop, Donnie's voice was hushed. "His bio-energy output is… I don't even have the words. It's like a living reactor."
"Translation," Mikey said, eyes wide. "Dude's a walking storm god."
Raph growled low. "Doesn't matter how tough he is. If he thinks he's taking down Shredder alone, he's outta his mind."
Inside the compound, more waves surged forward. They tried everything. One hurled a jar of venom at his face, but he simply inhaled, and the liquid evaporated mid-air. A squad leapt from the rooftops, blades first, only to be sent flying back when John released a casual burst of lightning that turned the courtyard into a storm. Others tried ninjutsu illusions, wrapping shadows around his form, but he laughed as the illusions shattered the second his aura flared.
"C'mon. Stop embarrassing yourselves," John said flatly as he walked past them. His boots crunched on scorched pavement.
Dozens of ninjas lay scattered in his wake, groaning, smoking, or too broken to move. And still he didn't stop.
The Turtles watched every step from above.
"This is insane," Mikey whispered. "It's like he doesn't even see them. Like… like they're ants."
"That's exactly how he sees them," Leo said quietly, his jaw tight. "He doesn't respect them. In his eyes they are too weak."
"I'm glad that we didn't rush in with him," Donnie said while moving his drone a little further away.
John reached the central courtyard, where a massive steel door barred the path deeper into the subway tunnels. A final squad of elite Foot warriors lined up in front of it, their armor heavier, their blades poisoned and burning green. They moved with precise coordination, surrounding him in a perfect circle.
Their leader barked a command, and all at once, they struck. Swords aimed for joints. Spears aimed for his eyes. Explosives flung at his feet.
John let them close in. For a moment, the air was filled with flashing steel and explosions. Then the courtyard lit up like day as he threw another blast of lightning.
The strike ripped the ground apart. The steel door twisted and crumpled under the force. The elite squad didn't even scream before they were gone, reduced to ashes. The earth smoked where they had stood.
John stepped through the wreckage, completely untouched. His eyes glowed faintly with power as he muttered to himself, "Are they lacking common sense? I don't ever get why these useless extras keep attacking like a bunch of retards even after all the flex."
Up on the rooftop, the Turtles were silent.
Finally, Mikey broke it with a low whistle. "Note to self. Never, ever, ever mess with pizza guy."
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