Stupid Turtle Luck, Part 4

By the time Leo's phone rang again, his teeth were chattering uncontrollably. The water was still ice cold, and he was pretty sure that his body temperature was dropping to match.

"H-Hello?"

This time it was Mikey's voice over the line. "Hey, bro. I've got you on speakerphone. Don and Raph are running right beside me."

"Hey, g-guys. How's it going over t-there?"

"Oh, ya know...just runnin' till my legs fall off," came Raph's tone, sarcastic as ever. But there was still a hint of softness to his words. "How ya holdin' up, Fearless?"

"B-Been better," Leo admitted, shivering involuntarily.

"We're about ten minutes away," Donnie said. "Can you hold on that long?"

"Yeah, I t-think so."

"How cold are you right now?"

"I'd s-say somewhere between n-numb and freezing my s-shell off," the leader rasped. "Also, I c-can't feel my l-legs anymore."

"Are you still treading water?"

"For n-now."

"Cut the pessimistic crap, Leo. Yer gonna make it. Ya have ta make it."

"N-Not so s-sure about that t-this time, R-Raph. I-"

Suddenly, Leo's hand cramped. Badly. He yelped in pain and his fingers released the phone... which plummeted into the cold water.

"No!"

Without thinking, the leader dove after the device. It was dark under the water. All he could see was the feeble light his phone gave off as it sank to the bottom of the shaft.

Grim determination filled Leo's veins as he swam downwards. He had to get that phone. It was his only connection to his brothers. He was within arm's length of it when the screen flickered and went dark, plunging him into blackness.

And before he could grab the waterlogged phone, the floor started rumbling again.

There was no sound in the sewer tunnel except for panting... and cursing. "I can't get him," Donnie said grimly. "He won't answer."

"Don't matter," Raph huffed. "We're close now."

They were within three minutes of the shaft when they felt it. The floor vibrated under their feet, sending Donnie stumbling into Raph. The brawler easily caught him and set him back on his feet.

"Easy, Don. We don't need another turtle gettin' hurt."

Mikey's eyes widened as the floor continued shaking. "Man! What the shell is that?"

Donnie's brain flew through calculations and he bit his lip as the only possible conclusion presented itself to him. "The shaft is getting ready to fill up with water again."

His brothers stiffened. Raph glanced sidelong at him. "Leo's got enough room, right?"

"I... I don't know. The shaft should've been pretty deep, considering how far he fell, but with his injuries and the numbness, I don't know how much longer he can hold out."

"Then no more talking," The youngest butted in. "We have to get to Leo. Now."

His lungs spasmed and he winced, finally reaching the phone and shoving it into his belt. Then it was a battle to get up to the surface again, because - surprise! - his legs weren't working. Leo propelled himself as hard as he could with only one arm. He was inches away from the top of the water when his ears caught the familiar squeaking of a rusted drain flap.

No. Not now. Please not now.

But fate was against him. The water poured down from the ceiling in a frigid, deadly arc. Leo punched through the surface and grabbed one lungful of precious oxygen right before the new water swept him under.

Down he went, right back down to the bottom of the shaft... which was now at least fifteen feet under. His body gave sharp protests of pain as he was flung into the sides of his stone-walled prison. And then he wasn't floating around anymore.

Because his left foot had gotten lodged in between the bars of the grate.

A/N: Man, Leo's Turtle Luck is pretty terrible... There'll probably be one more chapter (maybe two).

Please review.