A Turtle That Was Hidden (TMNT Book 2)

Pete the Pigeon

Donnie picked a spot for April to be the bait and for us all to watch without being seen. We waited not that long either. It would've been longer if April hadn't started talking. 

"Oh, look at me." April began. "Just walking around being bait." 

"What are you doing?" Donnie finally asked, emerging from his hidden post behind the dumpster closest to April. 

"Acting like bait." she answered. 

"Bait doesn't talk like that." 

"How do you know how bait talks?" 

"I know bait doesn't talk back." Donnie finished. 

That hit the mark for everyone and we each became seen and went, "Ooooooo." but Mikey continued it by saying, "Oh, no you didn't." then we each poofed back into hiding. 

Donnie looked at the place where Mikey was hiding then turned to April, "Just act natural." then he went back into hiding again. 

April sighed and turned around in a full circle, "Look at me, just acting natural." then began down the alley. 

We all heard a screech and came out of our hiding spots as a giant pigeon came hurtling toward April from the sky. Leo jumped first, causing the large bird to unbalance its flight pattern, then the rest of us jumped on the bring it down to the ground and keep it down. 

The bird began tapping out, "Ow, ow! Okay, I give!" 

"Why were you attacking April, pigeon man?" Leo asked, getting up. 

"I have a name!" the bird said. 

"Yeah, we just don't care what it is." Raph said. 

"It's Pete." the bird introduced itself anyway. 

"Hi, Pete." I smiled happily, waving to him. 

He smiled the best he could with his beak. "But I didn't mean to scare April, I just have a message for her from her father." 

April gasped, "Let him up." 

We let Pete up, Sophie helping him up more than anybody. "We were held together by the Kraang and they poured ooze onto me, turning me into this." 

"That must've been horrible mutating into a... pigeon." April said, trying to be kind. 

"I was already a pigeon." Pete explained. 

"Told ya the bread crumbs would've worked." Mikey said. 

"Bread crumbs?" Pete asked, picking Mikey up and looking around him like he had some. I tried to grab Mikey down. 

"Pete," April interrupted. "The message?" 

"Oh." Pete put Mikey down and I had him back up a little bit as Pete gave April a phone. I head her a man speaking on the phone Pete gave her. 

When the message was done, April hugged the phone close and muttered, "Dad." 

Donnie came up to her and put his hand on the back of her shoulder. "We'll save him." 

"Pete," Leo said. "Where is the Kraang facility?" 

"I'd tell you." Pete teased. "But it'll cost ya a lost of bread." 

"A lot, huh?" Naomi finally came in. 

Pete nodded, "Yep, sour dough." 

We all look at each other. "We can pull that off, right?" Sophie asked. 

"Well, yeah." Naomi answered. "We have Moracami." 

"We can't just take from him," Leo said. "I mean, we pretty much just devoured his stock of Gyoza." 

"That was a half a week ago." Sophie sighed. 

"So? We could have April get some..." 

Donnie pricked up, "What about April?" 

"Donnie, have April get some sour dough from the store or something." Leo ordered. 

This time April heard our conversation. "Why not just ask Moracami-san for some?" 

"And you guys think I'm some kind of machine." Naomi rolled her eyes. 

I chuckled nervously and Donnie looked at me with a "bad, Mikito" expression. I glared at him. 

Leo turned to Pete and the bird-man's head tilted on it's side. "Alright, Pete, we'll give you the bread, but after we invade the Kraang facility." 

Pete thought about this and then nodded his head, "Done deal." 

"Right." Raph said happily. "Which way?" 

With flap, Pete was in the air on his wings that seemed only arms with only a few feathers on each wing. We followed on the roofs, April keeping up on ground. Mikey and I got bored followed the mutated bird, so we decided to do a flipping competition on the way. 

When we arrived at the Kraang hideout, Pete flew off and landed somewhere close. Donnie had the cover open and looking in. We were ready to bust April's father out and repay Pete for what he did.