Before: A TMNT Fan-Fiction (Part One- Edited Edition)

Chapter Eleven

Mikey hadn't been kidding when he said he was a pro at hide-and-seek.

The first round lasted for nearly two whole hours. Finding Donnie and Raph hadn't been hard, the first turtle hiding in the rafters and the second covering himself in a black garbage bag and hiding in the shadows just off the exit to the garage. But finding Echo and Mikey was near impossible.

"How are they so good at this? How is Echo so good at this? She hasn't even been in the lair that long!" Leo exclaimed in frustration as he walked about the living room. Donnie and Raph were seated at opposite ends of the pit, the brainiac occupied with his laptop and the muscle pretending to be interested in another Batman comic.

"This is just embarrassing, Leo," Raphael taunted from behind the pages of his entertainment. "I mean, she has absolutely no training in stealth and she's still kicking your shell." Though the blue-masked turtle was up to his neck in confusion, Raph was enjoying the show.

Every minute or two he'd glance over at the kitchen to see if there had been any change in Echo's position. How she managed to hide in such a cramped spot for this long, he had no idea. She didn't even have her phone with her to keep her company. When it came to dedication, Echo definitely had that going for her. Either that or she'd fallen asleep.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that the muffled sound of a sneeze came from the pots and pans within the cabinets.

"Ha! Found you!" The leader exclaimed in victory, like an explorer plagued with insanity due to years of looking suddenly discovering El Dorado. Echo rubbed the itch in her nose with the back of her hand and smiled.

"Nice work. Can you help me out of here now? I think my vertabrae fused together about an hour ago."

The only reason Mikey came out of hiding was when Donnie announced that they needed to prep for the mission, and that they'd all be in the lair so no one would be watching him emerge from whatever crazy place he'd squirreled himself into. (Though Echo had to drag Raph by the red straps of his mask away from the door so he wouldn't peek.)

After about an hour of testing their new supplies and rehashing the plan, the group was ready for their first real mission outside the sewers. As much as Echo wanted to tag along, it was obvious even to her that she'd only be in the way; she'd almost passed out just from sprinting through the sewer. The only way her new friends would have the best odds of rescuing April and Kirby is if Echo sat this one out.

"You guys be careful, okay?" She said to the four as they all started hopping into the van. Although the plan was to use it as a distraction, the signal Donnie managed to pick up from April's phone was far off on the outskirts of the city; there was no way the four would've made it there by rooftop-hopping. "It would really suck for me to be staying in New York with no one to hang out with."

"Don't worry, we've got this in the bag," Donnie patted her shoulder assuredly. He folded his arms over his plastron and leaned back against the driver's door. It had been a heated debate, but they ended up deciding that the smartest of the bunch would be the best at the wheel for this mission. Especially since he knew which wires to cut to keep the van moving forward even if no one was in the driver's seat. "In a few hours, we'll be back with April and her father."

"Thank you," She spoke sincerely. "I owe you guys, really. I can't express how much I appreciate this." Donnie smiled and nodded in return before opening the door and sliding into the seat.

"I'd hold on to that 'thank you'." Echo turned to see Raph behind her, just about to step into the backseat. "I mean, at least until we get back." She didn't know what it was about him, this strange young mutant that came thundering into her life in a flurry of blades and punches, but Echo had a good feeling when it came to Raphael Hamato. She had a good feeling when it came to all the turtles, but the hot-headed one especially had somehow managed to fall into her good graces.