Chapter 7 : The Gauntlet
_
Since April didn't want to go with me to my fabric I decided to go by myself. I didn't really want to go alone but I have to learn not to be scared when I'm by myself. I guess just part of me thinks I'm going to get kidnapped again and I don't want that, but then again who want's to be kidnapped?
I turned down the alley way near the bank so I could make my way to the turtle's lair. A dark shadow flew past me causing me look around. I continue walk until the shadow flies past me again. I look up at the sky and I see a giant pigeon man on a roof near me.
It lets out a giant squawking sound and I take off running. It follows me into the streets and I quickly run into the bank for safety. Once I'm through the doors I look around outside for the giant pigeon man. When I don't see it I let out a sigh of relief and catch my breath. I see it's shadow again and it flies straight into the glass.
I walk out to it and it gets up. It looks at me before flying off. "My life has gotten really weird.." I say to myself, clinging on to my fabric.
After dropping my stuff off at my aunts I quickly run into the turtle's lair saying, "Guys, guys, you're never believe what just happened to me!"
I sit down and Donnie walks over to me saying, "Okay Star, calm down. Are you okay?"
He puts a hand on my lap and the other on my back in a comforting way. The rest of the guys walk over to me and I say, "I am being hunted..."
I grab Donnie and shake him a little bit finishing my sentence, "By a giant pigeon."
Raph starts to laugh but stops when he notices no one else is laughing and says, " I can't be the only one who finds that funny."
Donnie helps me and says, "It's not funny Raph, there's a creature out there trying to hurt my Star!"
A small blush forms on my checks and I see April staring at him. Does he like me? I'm getting mixed signals. Like the time on the roof when he said he was joking about me being beautiful. I don't know anymore.
He notices April staring says fixing it, "Our Star..."
"This is serious I better get Master Splinter." Mikey says throwing a smoke bomb and Splinter appears in his place
"Michelangelo said you wanted to see me?" Splinter says.
Mikey comes back and sit back down bringing my knees to my chest. April sits next to me and I say, " His talons were razor sharp. He would have torn me to pieces...if he hadn't slammed into the glass."
Raph laughs and then stops again asking, "Really, just me?"
Splinter hits him in the back of the head with his staff saying, "Raphael! Clearly Star is upset!"
"Yeah dude! That's so insensitive! Do you need a tissue?" He asks me.
"I think I'm okay." I reply.
"I'll get you a tissue." He says as he disappears into smoke only to reappear right next to me. "Sorry we're out of tissues can I make you some soup?"
"Stop it!" Donnie yells, taking the smoke bombs away from Mikey. "Don't worry, Star, we won't let anything happen to you."
"Donnie's right. We're going to set a trap for this pigeon man and make sure he never bothers you again." Leo says.
"I know what we can use for bait."
"Bread crumbs! Pigeons love bread crumbs." Mikey says in excitement.
"I meant Star." Donnie tells his little brother.
Mikey jumps in front of me saying, "You're going to let him eat Star?! I thought you liked her!"
"Yeah!" Me and April say in unison.
"Don't sweat it, we got you're back." Donnie says trying to reassure me.
"Alright Mighty Mutants, let's do this!" Leo yells.
" 'Mighty Mutants'? What, 'Dancing Dorks' was already taken?" Raph says.
We head to the entrance of the lair and Master Splinter stops us saying, "Wait! You do not know what you are facing. Perhaps you should study you're enemy before confronting him."
"With all do respect Sensi, it's a pigeon." Leo tells his father.
"What you know is dangerous to you're enemy but what you think you know is dangerous to you." Master Splinter replies tapping his staff on Leo's chest. "I fear you are all becoming over compensated."
"Sensi, in the past few months we've taken down Giant Spiders, Plant Creatures, Alien robots, and an army of ninjas. Maybe we're not over compensating, maybe we're just that good." And with that we head up to the surface.
"Here I am, walking around in the big city. All alone, I sure hope a giant pigeon man doesn't sneak up on me. That would be the last thing I'd want." I say overly dramatic.
Donnie pops out from behind a dumpster asking, "What are you doing?"
"You wanted me to be bait, so I'm bait." I say harshly back to him.
"That's not how bait talks."
"How do you know how bait talks?" I ask, a little annoyed.
"I know bait doesn't talk back." He replies.
The other turtles and my sister pop out from where they're hiding and start to do oohs. I was completely annoyed by this point. "Oh no you didn't." Mikey says, adding a little vibe to his voice.
"He he...Just act natural." He says scooting away to a different hiding place.
I let out a giant sigh before saying, "Here I am..Acting natural. Just totally defenseless against, um I don't know any hideous mutant pigeon guy who might happen to attack me."
I continue walking and I hear the same noise the pigeon man made when he went to attack me earlier. I see it's claws coming at me and I let out a giant scream.
I fall to the ground as the pigeon man gets electrocuted. Raph, Leo, and Mikey pin him to the ground.
"Okay! Okay!" The pigeon screams out.
I get up and say to Donnie, "And you said I wasn't good bait."
"Okay start talking Pigeon Man." Demands Leo.
"I have a name." The Pigeon man says.
"Yeah, we just don't care what it is." Raph says.
"It's Pete." It says angrily to Raph.
"Why were you trying to hurt Star?"
"I didn't want to hurt her. I was just bringing her a message from her father." Pigeon Pete says.
"Let him up." April says walking over to me.
"We were both guests of the Kraang. They poured some ooze on me and turned me into this." Pigeon Pete say.
"That must have been horrible, getting turned into a pigeon."
"Actually I started out as a pigeon." Pete tells us.
"Told you the bread crumbs would've worked." Mikey says crossing his arms.
"You've got bread crumbs? Where?" Pigeon Pete asks Mikey as he picks him up and starts to shake him.
"Um our father?" Me and April ask in unison.
"Oh yeah.." He says handing us a phone with a video on it.
April taps the play button and we hear, "Something terrible is going to happen. I don't know what but it's extremely important that you two get out of the city as soon as you can. Save your selves. Remember I love you to."
"I love you too daddy." We both say, I blink away the tears that threaten to fall.
"Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" Leo asks.
" I don't know, I'm just the messenger." Pete replies.
"We have to get you two out of the city." Donnie says.
"We are not going anywhere with out our dad." April and I reply in unison.
"But you two heard him, something bad is going to happen."
"Then we better hurry." April replies.
"Can you tell us where the Kraang are holding him?" Leo asks Pete.
"I can but it's going to cost you a lot of bread." He tells the blue masked turtle.
"We're talking about actual bread, right?"
"Yup, sour dough." The pigeon replies.
Donnie takes the lid off a pipe and says, "Alrighty, I got it."
"Alright, let's do this." Me and April say.
Leo stops us saying, "We need you two to stay here."
"Are you crazy? Our dad is in there!"
"Along with who knows how many Kraang. The requires stealth and mobility. Leave it to the pro's." Leo tells us.
"We can't just sit here and do nothing." I say.
"You won't be doing nothing, we need you two to lower this rope when we give you the signal." Leo says handing April some rope.
I let out a sigh before we both say in defeat, "Fine."
We wait for a while before we hear the signal. April looks down the hole and says, "Dad!"
She quickly grabs the rope and throws it down the hole. We watch as he picks up a gun and starts to shoot at the Kraang.
"Save my daughters. Save the city." We hear him say.
"Dad, no!" We both yell as he runs straight into the Kraang.
The turtles climb up the rope and we watch as the Kraang take our dad away. We both get down and I put a hand over my mouth to try and stop from crying but it doesn't work. I wrap my arms around Donnie and he hugs me.
After a few minutes we pull away and he puts his hands on my shoulders saying, "Don't worry Star, we'll get him back. I promise."
"We have to go." Leo says ruining the moment.
We head off the side of the building and head back to the lair. The turtles gear up for their next mission. Stopping the mutagen bomb from mutating half of New York.
I was really upset we didn't get our dad back. We were so close to..
Tears started to stream down my face. I quickly wiped them not wanting April or Master Splinter to see them.
Master Splinter walks over to me and says, "It is not a weakness to cry in front of others. It just shows that you've been strong for too long."
I look up at him and smile. "Thanks Master Splinter."
"You are welcome." He replies before walking into the kitchen to get a cheesical.
A Few Hours Later...
The turtles come back bruised and beaten to a pulp. They don't even say anything, they just mope around. Raph's pretty ticked off they lost, he shoved the arcade machine.
Master Splinter comes up behind Leo and says to the turtles, "You were all very lucky."
"Well I think we define that word differently Sensi." Raph says.
"Many hardly ever face the Shredder and survive." Splinter tells his sons.
"He was just so fast." Mikey says sadly.
"It's like he was everywhere at once." Donnie puts in.
"You were right about us being over confident Sensi.." Leo says looking down. "There are just somethings we're not ready for."
"Perhaps but that no longer matters. It is clear now that the Shredder is a problem that will not go away. So prepare yourselves, my sons. Because as of this moment, We Are At War." Master Splinter tells all of us.
A/N
The Shredder attacked... Turtles got their butts kicked... And April and Stars dad is still with Kraang...
These are dark times...
Next Episode : Panic in the Sewers
Stay Awesome.
Keep Calm and Read On.