Oh boy…after watching the new episode of Back to the Sewer, I couldn't help myself. Enjoy :D
Disclaimer: This story is purely self-indulgence…all characters, etc, belong to their respective owners.
As the T-Rex's massive jaws snapped shut over the flying form of his blue clad brother, Don felt his heart plummet to somewhere near his toes. Beside him, Mike stared with his mouth agape, his eyes wide with horror.
Don stared at the dash, his emotions reeling, guilt being foremost. It had been Leo's order…but he had pushed the button. And now, Leo was….
Outside the truck, Raph stared, just as horrified as the rest of them, but unlike Don and Mike, he managed to articulate. "That thing just ate Leo!"
Don opened his mouth to reply—what he intended to say he couldn't fathom in his horror-fogged mind—but he was interrupted as the dinosaur-like monster suddenly reared back, emitting a strangled sound of pain. "I think he's got some serious indigestion," Don said grimly. It was a small joke…but it seemed to break the paralysis that held his limbs. He pointed. "Look!"
The dinosaur's entire head shuddered, and suddenly its clamped jaws popped apart, and Don watched in astonishment as Leo, teeth gritted, the sinewy muscles of his arms seeming ready to burst, slowly pushed the jaws open from around him. Don could see his brother's double bladed swords, one in each hand, their sharp points embedded in the fleshy center of the creature's upper and lower jaw.
The creature roared in pain again, and Leo pushed harder. It snarled and opened its maw wide to relieve the pressure—and Leonardo leaped, rolling sideways in the air and out of the dinosaur's mouth. Don was about to let out an exclamation of relief, but even as Leo fell, the creature's head suddenly shot out, catching his blue clad brother by the sheaths strapped across his shell.
Leo cried out in surprise as the clamping jaws abruptly stopped his descent—then immediately rammed his elbow into the fleshy lip behind him. It was something akin to a fly swatting a human. The dinosaur didn't even flinch, and Leo was helpless to stop himself as it turned and plunged into the crater in the ground, taking their Fearless Leader with it.
"Ouick, after 'em!" Raph yelled, running back and leaping onto the side of the truck as Donatello's foot came down hard on the gas. The vehicle shot forward, plunging into the hole, and hit the ground rolling with a thud that jarred Don's teeth in his head. Raph swore as he almost lost his grip, but they didn't have time to stop. The dinosaur was already a rapidly dwindling form ahead. Don floored the pedal the rest of the way and slowly they began to gain some ground.
Too slowly. Running gracefully, the large reptilian predator glanced back at them and sped up. Immediately, Don flipped several switches on the dash. "Activating rocket launchers," he explained unnecessarily. All four of them were thoroughly versed in all the functions of their armored garbage truck.
Raph put his head in the open window. "You ain't worried 'bout hittin' Leo?"
Don shook his head. "Leo's got the reflexes of a ninja. That T-Rex doesn't." He hoped his voice sounded more confident than he felt. After all, he had launched his eldest brother straight into the creature's jaws a moment ago…if he blew him to smithereens now…
He squashed the thought. Leo would know how to react. He always did.
His finger came down on the launch button. With a burst of orange flame, eight rocket propelled explosives shot from the front of the truck. Don watched their progress for only a moment, turning his eyes to seek out Leo's form, still clenched in the creature's jaws.
Apprehension and relief warred in him as he saw Leo's head come around, noting the incoming danger. His blue-clad brother immediately dropped his tri-fingered hands to the buckle that harnessed his sheaths to his body, endeavoring to release it. Fear rose in the pit of Donatello's stomach as it seemed, for one heart-stopping moment, that Leo wouldn't be able to free himself. Then, the buckle came loose and Leo dropped out of the harness, catching a hold of the end of it as he fell, keeping him from plummeting to an ugly death trampled by running giant feet.
With one graceful movement, Leo altered his falling momentum and flipped his body upward, over the sprinting dino's head and pivoted in mid air, angling his body so he approached the incoming missiles feet first. Then, as lightly as a dancer across a stage, he jumped from missile to missile, altering their trajectories slightly so they impacted the dinosaur lower than Don had initially intended. It didn't matter, though…as soon as the first one hit the creature, it exploded in a shower of nasty green goo. The other missiles slammed into the tunnel wall, and all vision was obscured for several seconds as a cloud of dust rolled over them.
Don couldn't see Leo—he could barely see ten feet in front of him—so he slowed the truck to a crawl. Mike gripped the dash, leaning forward so his nose almost touched the glass, searching the dusty tunnel ahead of them. Raph was swearing softly, and Don's own fingers were white on the wheel. Leo had put on quite a performance, but if he'd still been too close when the explosives detonated…
He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and brought the truck to a slow stop. The lights illuminated Leo's form, crouched down and shaking slightly as he coughed to clear the dust from his lungs.
"Leo!" Raph yelled, jumping down from the side of the garbage truck. Don paused only long enough to put the vehicle in park before leaping out and running to Leonardo's side, Mike and Raph only a few steps ahead of him.
"Are you alright?" he asked breathlessly. Fear and relief, and dust, prevented him from saying more, but he raked his eyes over Leo's form, checking for injuries.
Leo coughed again and slowly stood on his own, relieving Don's fear of serious injury. "I think so. But...where are we?"
The ominous sound of thudding, large, footsteps answered him. Mikey swallowed noisily.
"Uh," the youngest turtle stammered. "Up to our shells in trouble!"
As usual, Don thought dismally as several large, claw-wielding, teeth filled dinosaurs stalked towards them. The situation did not look good. Leo was unarmed and still coughing up dust and the rest of them were still recovering their rattled nerves.
But, also as usual, Leo didn't hesitate. He dropped into a fighting stance. Raph and Mike instantly followed suit, and Don did the same, his fear melting. As usual, they were in trouble. And as usual…
The four of them would come out of it together.