Chapter 13

Donnie peered around the corner. Nobody came out of the building, but he knew there were still bad people inside it. Well, bad people as in the Foot and Dogpound at least. Raph and Leo were in there, and they weren't bad.

He gave himself a mental shake to get back on track. He was starting to think like Mikey. He had to think like Leo. Donnie didn't like having to act like the leader. He was the genius, the intellect. He was the one who knew everything about everything. Leo was the one who made the right decisions. Sure, when they had to choose the leader in the first place, it didn't seem like that bad of an idea when he argued to be the leader, but now... Now it felt awkward. He felt out of place. Not bad enough to have to pass the role on to April, and definitely not enough to have a panic attack and freeze up like Raph, but still, it felt strange.

So he put his mind to it. Think like Leo. Think about what he would do.

Donnie glanced around. Leo was resourceful, and he liked to use his surroundings to his advantage. Whatever he could use as a weapon or as a defense to assure their victory, he used it without a second thought. Like the beehive, and the water tower.

So use what you can. And what you can use...

Donnie suddenly gave a jolt as if he'd been struck. He turned to Mikey, a small smile growing on his face.

...is a little firepower. In a small, furry sort of sense.

"Mikey, let me see the box."

Mikey tipped his head but thankfully, for once, he didn't questions him and handed him the cardboard box. It shivered with a snarl and Donnie peeked through a slice in the side, probably made by Mittens himself.

The cat had grown quite a bit since the last time he had seen it. Instead of a furious kitten, it was now a fully-fledged vicious and savage tomcat with an anger issue. His fur was spiked along his back and his claws were long and sharp. Angry green eyes glared out at Donnie, and a glint of teeth shone out from beneath them. Donnie smiled and looked up at April and Mikey.

"Okay. I have a plan."

Before he could continue, Mikey fist pumped and gave a happy yell.

"Yeah! We actually have a plan for once! The Foot got nothin' on us now!"

April elbowed Mikey in the side to shut him up and looked back at Donnie. Donnie pointed to the box and then to the blacksmith shop.

"We need a distraction if we want to get through that door. The Foot won't fall for the special delivery thing, and if they see any of us, they'll attack. So..."

April caught on fast.

"So they won't be expecting the cat. They'll be expecting us, and they'll be expecting a sneak attack. Not an outright onslaught."

"Exactly."

Donnie nodded and crept forward, hugging the wall. He knelt next to the door, placing the box down. He knew this probably wasn't the best thing to do and he felt really guilty about it, but he gave the box a good hard shake, opened it and tossed it inside the door. Donnie threw two smoke bombs in after it to help the scene change from mass panic to absolute chaos. It sounded like a huge furry bomb went off, except instead of fire and explosions, there were snarls and yowling and screaming and cries of pain and confusion.

"AH! Where is it?! I don't see it!"

"It's on me! IT'S ON ME!"

"Ow! Get it off! AHHHHH!"

Donnie waved and shot inside, followed by the two others. He gasped and ducked to the side as a blur of clawing black and white fur shot over his head and went in for another round at the ninjas. Once the last Foot ninja had run off, screaming of a devil cat and how it was going to kill them all, Mittens turned and arched his back at Mikey, Donnie and April.

They froze. April leaned close to Donnie.

"Um... Maybe this wasn't the best idea."

Donnie was about to speak when the cat leaped at them. He ducked again and Mittens shot over his head, snarling bloody murder. If Raphael was a cat, he would have been this one. Mittens hit Mikey clean in the face and then jumped away and out the door. Mikey held a hand to the single swipe of scratches across his cheek and stared after him, eyes wide in utter shock. He closed his mouth and turned to Donnie, and gave a shrug.

April looked back at Mikey and smiled to ease the tension and the shock of the moment.

"You okay, Mikey?"

Mikey nodded.

"I don't think that cat likes faces... or Feet."

Donnie gave him a look and then tiptoed out of the room. A single hallway led into another room. The trio snuck down it, Mikey keeping an eye out behind for danger. April took out the fan as they neared the end of the hall. She looked calm and ready, but Donnie could see the slightest trace of nervousness in her eyes. He smiled encouragingly at her and then pressed up against the wall as they came to the corner of the hall. It would be her first proper fight, and he couldn't help but worry for her. But he had other things to focus on right now.

The three peered out into the room and Donnie grinned as he saw the metal box at the other end. Dogpound stood guard near it, along with a few ninjas. But the most encouraging factor was that the box suddenly shook with a furious stream of anger. The phrases were muffled and indistinct, but recognizable. Donnie looked behind at April and Mikey, pointing with his thumb to the box.

"Think that's them?"

A loud bang sounded and the box rocked slightly, and a loud angry swear followed. A sharp voice cut in and both voices calmed into a much quieter discussion. April raised an eyebrow.

"I'll bet on it, yeah."

Mikey gave a short giggle.

Dogpound's ear flicked and his head snapped around with a growl.

Mikey slapped his hands over his mouth and glanced over to the exasperated expressions of his brother and adopted sister. He winced down and smiled apologetically.

"Heh... My bad."

Donnie exchanged a glance with April.

"Would you like to do the honors this time?"

April shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

She turned to Mikey, stared him in the eye for a moment and then swatted him over the head. Mikey flinched back and rubbed his head, then the three of them turned back to the room, where Dogpound was slowly stalking towards the hallway. Donnie gulped.

"Oh, man. Why is it that the only time you need them, they're the ones who're caught?"

April shrugged, sharing the same expression.

"I don't know, but it's getting on my nerves too."

"Well, I hope you're ready for your first official fight."

"Donnie, I've been ready for weeks."

"Just saying."

"Would you shut up and focus, please?"