A/N: See, I promised to update, didn't I?

Thanks to BubblyShell22 and TheRavenFeatheredPen for the reviews! (see, if you review you get a shout-out. DO EET)

Chapter One: Down That Road

"Casey! Your girlfriend wants you!"

Casey Jones stiffened immediately. Seconds ago, he had been completely relaxed, lounging on the ratty old sofa, sharing a beer with Raph and watching some TiVo'd sports game, and now he was practically shaking in his boots. He quickly checked his watch and groaned. It was a little past two o'clock in the morning. April was going to murder him.

"Hey, babe. What's the problem?"

"Casey Jones, where have you been?"

He winced. Oh yeah, he was definitely in trouble. "Aw, sorry, April. I was out with the guys and—"

"You could have at least called!" She sounded furious. "I've been going crazy!" Up shit creek without a paddle.

But why was she this mad? He'd been living with her for, like, ever. It wasn't like staying out late was something he never did. Man, she was like a crazy, overbearing mom scolding a teenager. Thanks but no thanks; he had enough of that growing up.

"Jeez, April, you don't have to sound like such a—"

"HAAAAAA!"

Raph tackled him from behind, knocking the cell out of his hand—and saving his ass. The word he'd almost called April wouldn't have landed him in her good books. He tussled with Raph on the floor as Don picked up the phone.

"April?" Don paused, letting her answer. "Just kicking some Purple Dragon butt! But don't worry, we'll send Casey home—as long as Raph doesn't kill him first."

At Don's words, Raph immediately stopped wrestling with Casey. The turtle got to his feet and helped his friend up.

"You're welcome, April. Now get to bed, it's pretty late … Goodnight, April." Don hung up, and turned to face Casey. "You, my friend, are in serious trouble."

"Yeah, yeah." Casey waved off his comment. "Like I don't already know. I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Raph smacked his back roughly. "Take it from me, Case. You don't wanna go out tomorrow night."

Casey sighed as he jogged out of the lair. The turtles' laughter echoed all around him. April was going to throttle him as soon as he stepped inside her apartment. He really needed to find a new place to live before she drove him completely bonkers. Or killed him.

He grumbled under his breath. The ironic thing was that he'd been so stoked on living with the babe. Sure, they'd never really gotten on that well in the past, but maybe after a few months …

What? You were going to win her over with all your charm? As if.

He came to the ladder that would lead him out of the sewers, and started climbing. It was going to be interesting trying to find a new place. He didn't have a job, so to speak, or at least one that produced a steady paycheque. The only reason he'd been able to stay so long in that last place was because the landlord was an old friend of his dad's.

Casey pushed the manhole cover up and to the side. It took him a few seconds to get out, owing to the fact that these things weren't designed for burly men with sacks full of sporting goods to manoeuvre in. When he finally did escape the small opening, he was even more pissed off. This night had started out great, and in the span of about seven minutes, it had gone to shit.

He got to his feet and began trudging back to April's. A shadow loomed over him. Instinctively, he went for the handle of his baseball bat, but before he could turn around something smashed into the back of his head.

A split second of searing pain—and nothing.

Is he just trying to spite me now?

April paced around her bedroom, glancing at the clock for what had to be the hundredth time. Forty minutes. It did not take forty minutes to get from the turtles' lair to her apartment. This was ridiculous.

He had to be trying to piss her off. Either that, or he decided to stick around with the guys, in which case he had to be the biggest idiot in the world. But that couldn't be right. Donnie wouldn't let him stay, not without at least calling first. Donnie was considerate.

The millisecond Casey set foot in here she was going to deck him, so hard he wouldn't be able to move for a week. She smirked to herself for a second, before a crash from the living room sent her spiralling back into panic mode. As she bolted into the den, all sorts of horrible images were flashing through her mind. The last crash in her apartment had been caused by Leo being thrown through the window. After a few seconds of scanning, April found the source of the noise.

A broken window. Great. It looked like some stupid kids had been playing down on the street and sent something flying into the glass. She was turning around, ready to grab a broom and sweep up the broken glass, when she spotted something on the floor: a small rock, with what looked like paper wrapped around it.

Dread crept back into April's stomach as she bent down and picked up the stone. She carefully unwrapped the paper, and unfolded it. Somehow, before she even looked at the writing, she knew. Her whole body went numb as she read the words that had been hastily scrawled on the paper.

"I have Jones. Come to the warehouse on Columbus and 8th Ave. Alone. Bring the Turtles, and he's dead before you step inside."