"A giant cockroach?"
"Since when can cockroaches mutate into humans?"
The other three turtles exchanged bewildered looks, fully trusting Donatello words but still utterly shocked.
"No, you've got it wrong," Donatello clarified. "What I mean is, this guy true form is a giant cockroach, but he wearing human skin as a disguise."
"A cockroach in disguise… like a wolf in sheep clothing…"
Michelangelo suddenly understood.
At the same time, Leonardo and Raphael grasped the crucial detail.
"Wait a second, when did Earth start having creatures like this?"
"Did you guys forget? This mission is a request from the Men in Black. And the Men in Black deal exclusively with extraterrestrial affairs…"
"Aliens?"
"Alien cockroaches?"
After a brief exchange, the turtles froze, finally realizing their opponent true identity.
Another alien.
Boom!
Just as the thought crossed their minds, the man inside the truck seemed to sense their hostility.
His inhuman eyes flickered with a brutal glint.
"Weak humans… mere apes that have yet to evolve… and you dare stand against the great Insectoids?"
He muttered under his breath.
Bang!
He kicked open the truck driver-side door and leaped out, his movements stiff and unnatural as he advanced toward the turtles.
"Mike, Donnie, Leo, Raph…"
Suddenly, Anton voice rang out from the crowd.
The Men in Black had arrived.
"Take him down," Anton ordered sharply. "Don't hold back—this thing is extremely dangerous."
"Got it."
Hearing this, the turtles didn't hesitate any longer.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
All four launched themselves at the Insectoid near the truck.
But the alien had no intention of going down without a fight.
In its eyes, Earth was nothing more than a backwater planet.
What kind of real threats could come from such a place?
Turtles?
Had humans really become so weak that they now relied on turtles for protection?
The Insectoid pride surged. As the turtles closed in, it casually raised both hands to the back of its head—
—and violently ripped off its human disguise.
Squelch!
Thick, oily fluid splattered in all directions.
Standing there now was a grotesque monstrosity—an oversized cockroach with a massive, gaping maw. Its twitching antennae and menacing eyes locked onto the charging turtles with pure, predatory malice.
"Ugh!"
"What is this… saliva?"
"That disgusting!"
"A monster… a giant cockroach?!"
In the sealed-off street, the four turtles were the first to witness the Insectoid true form up close.
Their faces twisted in sheer disgust.
Even though they had grown up in the sewers and frequently moved through them, the filth in the sewers was nothing compared to the thick, slimy fluid this cockroach was spewing.
Besides, their home in the sewers had always been kept relatively clean, thanks to Splinter efforts.
And with all their time spent in New York more sanitized urban areas, plus the well-maintained precincts of the NYPD, they hadn't encountered anything this revolting in a long while.
As the saying goes, once you've lived in luxury, it hard to go back…
The turtles simply couldn't handle it.
And their colleagues—the NYPD officers present—weren't faring much better.
The moment they saw the grotesque transformation, they instinctively took a few steps back.
Not out of fear—
—but because this giant cockroach was an absolute eyesore.
It was hideous beyond words.
The distant onlookers watched the scene unfold, their jaws dropping in shock.
Their stomachs churned, nausea rising—
It was just too ugly!
This cockroach was disgustingly ugly!
As the crowd erupted in horrified gasps and frantic murmurs, the cockroach monster and the Ninja Turtles clashed in an explosive battle.
BOOM!!
The four turtles surrounded the Insectoid, launching fierce and relentless attacks.
The cockroach monster bared its enormous, toothy maw, its exoskeleton rock-solid, enduring their strikes head-on while whipping its long lower body around to counterattack.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Sparks flew as the turtles weapons struck the insect armored shell.
"Damn turtles!"
The cockroach monster screeched in pain, its burning red eyes flaring with rage.
Suddenly—
Its mouthparts split apart, revealing barbed, whip-like tendrils that lashed out in all directions!
BANG!
A streetlight was ripped from its foundation, sent flying into the air.
Parked cars were flung aside like toys, tumbling in midair before smashing down upside down onto the pavement.
"Whoa! Are all aliens this weird and gross?!"
Michelangelo dodged the writhing appendages, his face full of awe—
—but not an ounce of fear.
If anything—
He looked even more excited. The Ninja Turtles weren't cowards.
When faced with danger— They always fought head-on.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Despite the relentless onslaught, the cockroach monster held its ground.
With its brutal resilience, it matched the turtles blow for blow.
For now—
The turtles couldn't break through its armored shell, forced to weave and dodge around it instead.
Nearby
Anton stood still, watching.
He had no intention of stepping in.
Instead—
His sharp gaze flicked toward the Black Suit agents beside him.
With a slight nod, he signaled them to join the fight.
In the Men in Black universe, the Insectoids were a serious threat.
But in the Marvel Universe?
They were nothing.
In terms of danger to humanity, even the Skrulls posed a bigger problem than these bugs.
Even this particular cockroach monster—
On this Earth?
In this New York, full of superheroes?
It wasn't even a real threat.
If one average alien bug caused a massive crisis, it'd be an insult—
To the Men in Black.
To the superheroes.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT!
The agents moved in, guns blazing.
K—leading the strike team—directed the agents to fire in coordinated bursts, drawing the monster attention.
Just then—
"The mouth."
Leonardo voice cut through the chaos.
In his hands—
His katana gleamed in the sunlight, its razor edge catching the light like a blade of pure fire.
"His shell is tough, but his mouth is wide open..."
Leonardo glanced at Raphael. "Raph, use your sai—hold his mouth open!"
"Got it."
Taking advantage of the Men in Black agents drawing attention away, Raphael leaped forward, closing the distance in an instant.
With a sharp flick of his wrists—
He hurled his twin sai straight into the cockroach monster gaping maw.
SPLURCH!
The sais pierced deep, perfectly wedged inside its massive, toothy mouth.
"Fire!"
K shouted, signaling the agents.
ZZZT! ZZZT! ZZZT!
Their energy weapons erupted, sending searing beams of plasma blasting through the monster exposed mouth.
The beams pierced straight through—
Tearing through the insectoid body.
CRACK! CRACK!
Its hard exoskeleton began to fracture.
"NOW!"
Leonardo commanded, though his brothers didn't need to be told twice.
They saw the opening—and rushed in.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The four turtles lunged, weapons poised—
The cockroach monster massive mouth oozed a disgusting mix of saliva and blackened blood.
BOOM!!
Its shell finally shattered.
With a sound like an explosion, the creature body disintegrated, chunks of its carapace bursting apart.
Thick, slimy liquid rained down everywhere.
The turtles—
Got completely drenched.
"UGH! This is beyond disgusting!"
"Shower! I need a shower—NOW!"
"Seriously though... that was an alien?"
The mission was over.
The Men in Black agents exchanged glances, nodding in silent understanding.
They moved in to secure the scene, prepping the alien carcass for study—
A sample for further research on extraterrestrial insectoid species.
The Streets of New York
The citizens cheered.
To them—
This wasn't even a real threat.
They'd seen far worse.
New Yorkers, after all, had lived through too much.
Anton Eyes Narrowed
His gaze swept across the battlefield—
Until it landed on a certain bald-headed man.
The guy was holding an orange tabby cat.
Expressionless.
Eyes strangely empty.
Movements just a little... off.
At first glance—
He seemed normal.
But Anton knew better.
He already had the answer in mind—Which meant all he had to do was work backward.
And find the right question.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
Footsteps echoed.
He thought for a moment, sensing the eyes locked onto him. Instead of stepping forward himself, he casually gestured toward K, who was standing on guard nearby.
"Sir, any orders?"
K jogged over, his expression serious.
"See that guy holding the orange cat?"
Anton motioned subtly. "Bring him over. Tell him he needs to cooperate with our investigation."
"Understood."
K nodded and was about to turn away when Anton added—
"Be careful."
Anton warned, "Be polite to both the guy... and his pet. If that cat happens to be a Flerken, things could get messy."
K froze mid-step. His face stiffened.
"Flerken?"
His gut told him he'd just heard about another horrifying alien species.
Turning back, he asked cautiously, "What the hell is a Flerken?"
Anton waved a hand. "A terrifying creature. More dangerous than the bugs we just fought."
He smirked. "Just be nice to him. That guy... might be useful to us."
K exhaled and walked over, this time much more respectful in his approach.
The man holding the orange cat had a stoic, expressionless face. But after a brief exchange, he glanced at Anton, then wordlessly agreed to follow.
They walked toward one of the MIB vehicles parked nearby.
Anton stepped into the car and finally got a good look at the man.
His face remained unreadable.
Anton eyes narrowed. "Achillion?"
"Oh?"
For the first time, the man showed a flicker of surprise.
"So you really do know who I am."
The surprise faded just as fast, replaced with curiosity.
"When did I give myself away?"
Anton leaned back. "The moment I saw a Zerg on Earth, I knew it wasn't here for the sightseeing."
His eyes flicked to the cat. "I'm guessing that thing was after your 'Galaxy.'"
That—
Hit a nerve.
The man face remained blank, but his tone shifted ever so slightly—
It no longer matched his emotionless expression.
His voice was sharp. "Where exactly did you learn all of this?"
Then, as if piecing something together, his expression shifted again.
"Wait… Don't tell me—you're the 'help' Carol Danvers mentioned?"
"Huh?"
Now Anton was the one caught off guard.
He stared at the man in genuine surprise.
"Carol Danvers? You know her?"
Achillians.
A highly advanced civilization from Men in Black, wielding terrifying proton weaponry capable of easily obliterating planets, including Earth.
But despite their technological prowess, Achillians themselves are physically weak.
Specifically, they are tiny—roughly the size of half a human hand.
In Men in Black, Achillians typically operate on Earth by hiding inside humanoid robotic bodies, controlling them through precision mechanics.
The first MIB movie revolved around a conflict between the Zerg (a cockroach-like alien species) and the Achillians.
The Zerg arrived on Earth to steal a valuable artifact—the Galaxy, which was in the possession of an Achillian hiding on Earth.
That exactly why Anton could piece things together so quickly.
Since this was Men in Black world, the Zerg presence couldn't be random.
The Achillian and his Galaxy had to be the key.
Anton eyebrows arched slightly as he narrowed his eyes.
"You know Carol Danvers..."
His voice carried a hint of intrigue.
"So that why you thought Earth was safe. You came here to escape the Zerg, didn't you?"
"..."
The Achillian silence spoke volumes.
Anton smirked.
"Hmph."
He wasn't surprised.
Now that the Achillian had been exposed, there was no point in pretending.
Anton tone turned casual but firm—
"If you don't start talking, I'll have you expelled from Earth."
His fingers tapped lightly on the car door.
"And when the Zerg come knocking again, I won't lift a finger to help."
The thinly veiled threat worked.
The Achillian let out a resigned sigh.
"Yes."
His voice was flat, but there was a trace of helplessness in it.
"Carol saved me. She told me Earth was safe… that I should hide here from the Zerg."
Anton eyes glinted.
"And what else did she say?"
He leaned in slightly.
"You just called me her 'ally.' Why?"
The Achillian hesitated for half a second before replying.
"That was a misunderstanding."
His expression remained neutral, but his voice carried a subtle defensiveness.
"I just assumed she had allies on Earth… and you just happened to rescue me."
Anton frowned slightly.
Something about that answer felt off.
But he didn't press.
Instead—
"Meow—"
He snatched the orange cat from the Achillian arms.
"Wait."
The Achillian expression finally cracked.
His voice was sharp. "What are you doing?!"
Anton shrugged, adjusting his grip on the cat.
"Isn't it obvious?"
His lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"I want to see what the 'Galaxy' actually is."
"You can't!"
The Achillian panicked.
"The Galaxy is dangerous! You can't just play with it like it some toy!"
But Anton didn't care.
The Achillian true form was small and weak, and the humanoid robotic body he controlled didn't seem to possess any combat capabilities either.
In other words—
This Achillian posed zero threat to Anton.
Click!
Anton adjusted his grip on the orange cat, inspecting it closely.
It didn't seem like a Flerken after all.
So, without hesitation, he snatched the tiny, glass-like orb from the cat collar.
The orb looked like a miniature galaxy, its depths swirling with a breathtaking cosmos.
Anton wasn't just guessing—he had seen this before.
From the original story, he knew that the Galaxy was the ultimate energy source in the Men in Black universe.
It contained dimensional sub-energy, a terrifying power source.
If the Zerg ever got their hands on it, they could easily wipe out the Achillians.
Of course—
That wasn't what intrigued Anton.
The real reason he wanted to inspect the Galaxy was because of something he remembered from the movie ending—
A fleeting glimpse of something hidden inside the orb.
A universe.
Click—
The moment Anton removed the orb from the cat collar, something changed.
The Achillian face stiffened.
His already expressionless demeanor somehow became even more rigid.
Even his voice—when he finally spoke—was barely audible.
Something was wrong.
Anton frowned, puzzled.
And then—
A calm voice spoke directly into his ear.
"If I were you, I wouldn't play around with that orb so carelessly."
The voice was gentle, measured.
Anton head snapped around toward the speaker.
And when he saw who it was—
His entire body tensed.
The newcomer stood there, wearing flowing robes, a subtle glow radiating from their bald head.
A serene smile rested on their lips.
Their aura was both calm and immeasurably deep—as if they held the secrets of the universe itself.
Anton was stunned.
He knew this figure all too well.
His breath hitched.
"The Ancient One… It you."
A slow, deliberate inhale—then, his expression shifted into a mix of shock and wariness.
His voice lowered, steady but sharp.
"Just what exactly is the Galaxy?"
"For it to draw the attention of someone like you… it must be far more than what the stories say."