[Opening sequence and theme song.]
[Open on a city skyline and pan down to the Turtle Lair.]
Leonardo "Master Splinter, you have taught me much about the ways of the ninja, but I know that there is one combat maneuver you have yet to teach any of us."
Splinter "Very well, Leonardo. I will teach you the one technique for which there is no defense; the viper maneuver."
Leonardo "The, uh, viper maneuver?"
Splinter "To accomplish this move, you must first let your whole spine become flexible, like a snake's. This draws your opponent toward you. Then you must transform your spine into solid steel, striking like a cobra.
Now you try it."
[He demonstrates and takes Leonardo down.]
Now you try it."
Leonardo "Spine like serpent, then like steel, strike!
Ah, I guess I need a little practice.
Spine like serpent, then like steel, strike!"
[He leaps, but Splinter turns to the side and Leonardo hits the floor.]
Ah, I guess I need a little practice.
[He tries again.]
Spine like serpent, then like steel, strike!"
[He tries again, but Splinter ducks and Leonardo flies over his head.]
Splinter "I do not understand, Leonardo. You're my most gifted pupil, yet this maneuver seems beyond your ability."
Leonardo "Ah, maybe I'm just having a bad day."
Splinter "Perhaps you have some hidden fear which prevents you from accomplishing the maneuver."
Leonardo "What? That's not true, Master Splinter. I'm not afraid of anything."
Splinter "If you say so, my pupil, but you will not be able to accomplish the viper until you have faced your darkest fear and overcome it."
[Leonardo joins his brothers in the living area, where they are watching April O’Neil on television.]
Michelangelo "Leonardo, you're just in time to check this out."
April O'Neil "Perhaps the most baffling robbery in the city's history was committed yesterday. Police don't have a clue as to who the guilty party is, or why anyone in their right mind would commit such a robbery, yet as you can see, every one of the six hundred snakes in the city zoo's reptile house has been stolen."
Leonardo "Ah, snakes?"
Raphael "What kind of a nut case would steal six hundred snakes?"
Leonardo "Uh, now I'm not in the mood for television. Maybe I'll read a good book."
[He goes over to the bookcase and Donatello joins him.]
Donatello "Hey, that's a good idea, Leonardo. Maybe we'll find a clue about the robbery in my illustrated guide to snakes."
Leonardo "On the other hand, maybe I would rather watch TV."
[Raphael and Michelangelo head into the kitchen, where the sink is piled high with dirty dishes.]
Raphael "It's high time we did these dishes, Michelangelo."
[Michelangelo turns on the water, but it quickly overflows.]
Michelangelo "Aw, major gross-out. The sink is stopped up again. Yo, Donatello, where'd you put the snake?"
Leonardo "S-S-Snake? There's a snake in here?"
[Donatello takes the drain snake out from behind the couch.]
Donatello "Yeah, here it is."
Raphael "What's the matter with you, Leonardo, you're as jumpy as a cat lately."
Michelangelo "Yeah, dude, maybe you oughta switch to decaf."
[Later, the Turtles park the Turtle Van and proceed on foot to work the case.]
Donatello "Fellow Turtles, this baffling mystery deserves our undivided attention."
Raphael "That's right. Snake lovers everywhere are counting on us."
[Leonardo proceeds with an inner monologue.]
Leonardo "What am I going to do? I'm terrified of snakes, but the guys look to me for leadership."
Donatello "Now, the first thing we should do is check out the snake house for clues."
[Leonardo stops next to Vinnie’s Pizzeria.]
Leonardo "Hey, guys! Maybe we should stop for a slice of pizza."
Michelangelo "Not now, dude. We're hot on the snake case."
Leonardo "Uh, anyone for hopscotch?"
[The game is already outlined in chalk on the sidewalk.]
Raphael "What has gotten into you, Leonardo?"
Donatello "Yeah, we've got to get to the bottom of this baffling disappearing snake mystery."
Michelangelo "Uh, dudes, speaking of baffling mysteries."
[He points to the Atlan-Tec building, where machines can be seen moving behind the glass doors.]
Donatello "Uh, do you see what I see?"
Leonardo "Come on!"
[Donatello tries the doors.]
Donatello "Locked."
Leonardo "We can get in through that air vent."
[Michelangelo uses his Turtle Line and hooks onto the vent. Soon the Turtles are inside the building.]
Donatello "Let's check out that console."
[Michelangelo and Raphael walk over to the console, which is rocking back and forth. They lift one end and discover there are numerous snakes underneath.]
Donatello "Snakes."
[One of them slithers towards Leonardo.]
Leonardo "Yow!"
[He jumps high into the air.]
Raphael "Don't let that one get away."
[Michelangelo leaps on the snake.]
Michelangelo "Gotcha!"
Raphael "Don't tell me snakes stole all this stuff."
Donatello "Well, it would explain why that piece of equipment seemed to be moving under its own power. What do you think, Leonardo? Uh, Leonardo?"
[They look up and see Leonardo hanging from an overhead pipe.]
Leonardo "Did you ever notice what intricate craftsmanship these old buildings have?"
Raphael "Craftsmanship? Will you get down from there? We've got work to do!"
Leonardo "Uh, I'd really rather not."
Donatello "Oh, come on, quit clowning around.
This must be one of the snakes that was stolen from the zoo."
[Leonardo drops back to the ground.]
This must be one of the snakes that was stolen from the zoo."
Raphael "Stolen snake stealing electronic equipment? Makes sense to me."
Michelangelo "But what would snakes want with all these high-tech gizmos?"
Donatello "Well, obviously they aren't doing it for themselves. Someone must be using some form of snake mind control.
What's the matter, Leonardo?"
[Michelangelo is still holding the snake he caught and Leonardo starts gagging.]
What's the matter, Leonardo?"
Leonardo "Oh, nothing, just a slight headache."
Michelangelo "Whoa, this scaly, little dude sure wants to go home."
Donatello "It must be under a thought control command to return with the others. If we can slip on this homing device, we can follow it back to its base of operations, and catch the mastermind behind all of this."
Raphael "Leave it to Donatello to have a homing device that fits a snake."
Donatello "Okay, uh, Raphael, you help out.
There! Now let him go.
Okay, let's follow it."
[Raphael helps with the snake while Donatello places the homing device around its body.]
There! Now let him go.
[The snake slithers out of the building.]
Okay, let's follow it."
Leonardo "[sighs] Oh, this is gonna be a long night."
[Shift to the Channel 6 newsvan, with April at the wheel.]
Vernon Fenwick "April? It's late. I'm tired, and I want to go home."
April "Come on, Vernon. Where's your journalistic spirit? We've got to pin down this missing snake story.
What was that?
Somebody's breaking into that sporting goods store."
[They hear the sound of smashing glass.]
What was that?
[She pulls up alongside a sporting goods store with a broken front window.]
Somebody's breaking into that sporting goods store."
Vernon "Oh, I hope they don't see us."
April "I just hope we can see them."
[Inside the store are Pinky McFingers and his gang.]
Pinky McFingers "Okay, boys, you know what the orders are. We gotta swipe some diving gear."
Thug 1 "Right, Pinky."
[They grab a bunch of stuff and leave through the broken window.]
Pinky "Leave us get out of here before the cops arrive."
April "It's Pinky McFingers. This is great!"
Vernon "Oh, yeah, swell. I have to go now."
April "Stay put, Vernon. This is news.
Hmm. Since when are those hoodlums into aquatic sports?
He's up to something, and we're going to find out what it is."
[The gang enter their limousine and drive off.]
Hmm. Since when are those hoodlums into aquatic sports?
[She and Vernon hop into the news van.]
He's up to something, and we're going to find out what it is."
Vernon "Must we?"