Love Never Lost

Panic in the Sewers: Part 3

Brooke's POV:

We stand crowded around one another in an alleyway across the street from Shredder's lair as the Purple Dragons walk up to the entrance.

Leo: "This is the place."

Raph turns to Donnie with an annoyed glare.

Raph: "Donnie, you're crowding me."

Donnie: "Sorry."

He accidentally backs into me as I fall back into a nearby trashcan, causing Mikey to jump in fear. Mikey smiles apologetically, his hands raised in relent.

Mikey: "Sorry. All that Splinter talk about how we're not ready has me thinking maybe we're in over our heads."

Raph hits Mikey over the head as he yelps in pain.

Raph: "You're always in over your head."

Mikey turns to Raph with an annoyed look.

Mikey: "I'm saying now we all are! And that scares me."

I offer Mikey a sympathetic smile as Leo speaks up from the front of the line.

Leo: "It's ok to be scared, Mikey."

Me: "Yeah, Raph is scared too."

Raph: "I am not scared."

I gently tap the back of his head, causing him to jump in fear. He covers his shriek with a cough, turning to me with a 'Really?' look while I give him a smug grin.

Me: "Told ya, Mikey."

My smile drops as we all turn to see Bradford approaching us with a menacing glare, eyes glowing red as he speaks in a low growl.

Bradford: "You should be."

Leo & I: "Bradford."

Mikey: "Rad-Brad!"

Bradford: *growls* "Look what I found, four soon-to-be-ex-turtles. And Master Shredder's new plaything."

I growl back at him as Raph extends his arm out before me.

Raph: "Not on my watch!"

Donnie & Mikey slowly back away from Bradford.

Mikey: "I'm sure glad it's ok to be scared."

Donnie: "You & me both."

Leo pulls out his katanas.

Leo: "This is no time to panic. Ok, maybe a little."

We all don our weapons as we get into a collective battle stance. Bradford drags his claws against the ground as he stalks closer & closer toward us.

Mikey: "He keeps getting taller."

Leo: "Then I'll cut him down to size."

Leo rushes at Bradford as he leaps to attack. Bradford dodges him as he pounds his fist to the ground. Leo falls back to stand beside us.

Leo: "Uh, let's stick together on this one."

Me: "You think?"

We each leap to attack him with our weapons. Raph lunges at Bradford with his sais, only to be pushed back by his paw. Donnie hits Bradford in the chin with his staff, causing Bradford to retaliate with a punch. Donnie dodges his fist as Mikey swings on a nearby pole towards Bradford with a battle cry, only to be hit in the face. I hit Bradford in the shoulder with my kamas, only for him to grab me by the wrist and throw me toward the others. Raph leaps to catch me midair, placing me back onto my feet as he lands.

Donnie: "This is hopeless."

Leo: "Keep your head in the game."

Donnie: "I just wanna keep my head on my body."

Raph: "Come on. What are we retreating for?"

Raph rushes at Bradford, leaping to push him twice before being punched into a nearby dumpster. Raph slouches over the side in defeat.

Raph: "That's a good reason."

I turn to Mikey with a determined look.

Me: "Mikey, smoke 'em."

Mikey pulls out a smoke bomb, only to drop it at his feet as it lands softly on the ground in a small puff of smoke. Raph steps up to him with an annoyed look, Mikey giving him a defensive look in response.

Raph: "What was that?"

Mikey: "I'm stressed! Excuse me if my aim's a little off!"

Me: "Relax, guys. Get behind me!"

Donnie & Leo leap to follow my orders as I successfully throw a smoke bomb to the ground.

{Time skip}

The guys all sulk around the living room as they sit in random spots on the couch. I rub Raph's shell in support from beside him before turning to face Splinter as he walks toward us.

Me: "We couldn't take him."

Mikey: "Dogpound was just too powerful."

Leo: "Dogpound?"

Mikey shrugs his shoulders.

Mikey: "What? 'Cause he's a dog, and he pounded us into the-"

Leo: "We get it. I don't see how we're gonna get close to that meeting now."

Donnie: "Well, maybe we just need to find a new place to hide."

Donnie turns the laptop in his lap to show us the screen.

Donnie: "I hear the sewers in Florida are nice this time of year."

April walks up to us with a determined look as she closes the laptop.

April: "No, I'm not letting you guys give up. I'll spy on the meeting."

We all stand to voice our objections.

Raph & I: "No way!"

Mikey: "Nuh-uh."

Donnie: "You can't."

Leo: "Forget it."

Splinter: "Absolutely not!"

April: "I can do this!"

April turns to Splinter.

April: "You've been training me to be a kunoichi."

Splinter: "For a few weeks."

April turns back to us.

April: "What choice do we have? Shredder's gonna attack your home, and we need to find out how, and I'm the only one who can do it."

I nod to April while the guys look at one another. We all know this is happening, no matter what we tell her.

TO BE CONTINUED