Shunshi felt a little worthless as he leaned against the back seat of the Avalanche, watching Marcus Sloan start a blood transfusion for the purple-masked turtle. Donatello was sprawled in the open backend, and he hadn't said a word since Sayuri returned to the basement to help with transporting the rest of the turtles.
It was an odd feeling for the fourteen-year-old to see one of his mentors in such a position. Being injured was unfortunately nothing unusual, but the teen was used to seeing the aftermath of such events, not catching everything from the beginning. He was grateful that the turtle didn't seem to be in a lot pain, but Shunshi had a hunch Donatello wouldn't admit the extent he was suffering willingly. Not with his brothers still on their way out of the building, and likely hurt much worse than he.
The Asian boy gave his sister a sidelong glance. She was perched rearward on the seat like him, gazing at the scene in the backend. It was very easy to see Hisui's nerves; but then, he was always able to tell how the young woman was feeling. She might be able to mask things for the sake of other people, but never for me.
"Marc," Donny rasped. "I'm really thirsty. Throat is on fire."
Marcus shook his head. "I'm sorry – you know the best I can do is oxygen for now. We have to be on the safe side where shock is concerned. I can't risk your temperature fluctuating any further when you've already got the adrenaline in your system."
"It's okay," the turtle murmured. "I can wait."
April winced and squeezed the turtle's wrist. The red-haired woman was propped up by Donatello's right side, leaving clear space for Marcus to access him from the left and the back. "Are you sure we can't do anything, Marc?"
The man shook his head. "I would if I could."
"It's okay, April," Don repeated. "I'll be all right."
"Always have to be a tough guy," she told him.
"If I thought begging would change his mind, I might try," he replied.
"What if I begged for you?" she offered impishly.
Marcus made a disapproving sound. "Talking isn't going to do your throat any favors, Donny."
Shunshi thought he saw a smile almost appear underneath the turtle's Oxi.
"Age has made you tougher, Marc. What happened to my pushover?" Donny wondered.
"He's on vacation; you're stuck with me tonight."
Hisui chuckled softly. "He will be no harder on you than necessary, Donatello-san."
Don's eyes roved backward, searching out the young woman's location. He turned his head slightly and managed to fix on both Shunshi and Hisui behind him. "Hey, guys. I barely knew you were there."
"We're here to help," Hisui told him.
The turtle laid his head back down. "We have the best friends…"
"That's what we think, Donny-san," Shunshi replied pointedly. He started to grin, but was startled by the sight of Marcus nearly hitting the roof.
"Wait a second – what? How did they…" The dark-haired man trailed off, gripping a hand over the earpiece for his radio. The sudden panic that entered Marc's features wasn't reassuring. "No, they're still inside the building, and the rest of us are out here!"
April jerked upright, staring at Marcus intensely. "What's wrong? What's happening?"
The man held up a hand to stall her, and appeared to be listening closely to whatever someone was saying. "We don't need guns. We have the Battleshell! If they're here for more trouble, that's exactly what they'll get!"
Marcus yanked his earpiece so hard that it went flying. "A couple of vehicles got through the police barricade, and Kelley says they're heading this way!"
"Wait, hold on!" Donny's voice soared slightly while he tried to rise with the use of his good arm. "What are you doing?"
"They're not coming to surrender nicely, Don," Marcus said bluntly. "Don't you dare move another inch. I know what I'm doing."
"Maybe we should brush up on the weapons—"
"Not needed, and we don't have time!" the man shot back. "After what happened at Indian Point, I read the manual!"
"You too?"
"I have to go! April, close these doors behind me, and make sure everything is locked tight! Kelley said the vehicles split up, but they're definitely working together! He's chasing a van down the block as we speak, and I have to be ready to meet them!"
"Marc!" the turtle cried. "Take them out!"
Marcus Sloan returned with the darkest look Shunshi had ever seen from the mild-mannered doctor. "I intend to."
"Be careful!" April commanded.
"I'll be right back," he said softer. "Shut these doors."
The woman shuddered as she obeyed, and then threw a look over her shoulder. "Guys, make sure the rest of the doors are locked! We'll batten down for now until we hear anything else. Isn't there another radio up front?"
Shunshi climbed over the seat to check the rest of the doors, and scooped up a radio from the dashboard. "It has no earpiece, April-san, but I imagine it will still work!"
The woman accepted the device from him and flicked the power button. "Tim! Tim, do you read me?"
"I've got you, April, and I heard Kelley's mayday!" the man crackled in response. "Is Marcus on the move?"
"He's going to take the Battleshell, and the rest of us are locked up in the Avalanche!"
"Good – stay put. We're still working on getting two of the guys through the trap door! It's not easy going, but we'll make it. I'll let you know when we're on the way out, and you tell me if anything changes on your side!"
"Will do, Tim," she replied tightly and lowered the radio. April's transformed the moment she gazed at Donatello. "It's going to be okay. You heard Tim…they're close to getting out." She tucked a thin blanket tighter around his plastron.
"I should have gone…" he wavered.
April shook her head firmly. "You're in no condition to fight or drive. Even if you'd trie—"
The sound of nearby gun fire made April cut off and bend closer to the turtle, as if she needed to protect him from the imminent threat.
"It's all right, April," Donny assured her this time. "Marc has the bigger guns. He's used them before, and he'll use them again. I know it."
The woman stretched out beside him on the carpet once more, and looked up at Shunshi and Hisui. "You two should stay down, just in case. I doubt Marc or Director Kelley would let them get this close without a fight, but let's not take any chances."
Shunshi turned to obey, but was then transfixed by a sudden flash of light. Slowly he rose from the seat, and moved back up front to investigate.
"Shun, what are you doing?" his sister asked.
"I thought I saw headlights," he returned. "Maybe it was just…" When he saw twin beams this time, there was no mistaking it. "Someone is here!"
"Maybe it's Director Kelley!" April suggested.
"Perhaps you should call him, April-san," Hisui requested.
The red-haired woman picked up the radio and tried to hail the Director. She repeated his name over the frequency a couple of times, but there was no reply. "I'm not getting anything from him!"
"Shun, come away from the windshield!" Donatello called as loudly as he could. "Get down and stay out of sight!"
The teenager obeyed, dropping instantly to the floor between the front seats and the first bench. "What are we doing?"
"Wait!" April instructed. "Nobody do anything."
Silence fell over the Avalanche, and for the first few seconds, they didn't hear a single sound. Gunfire repeated around the block, and it was followed by a louder blast that made Shunshi want to cover his ears. In that moment, he was glad that neither his sister nor April or Donatello could see the way he cringed underneath the seat. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm going to be a ninja. I can't act like a scared little kid.
There was a second blast, but this one sounded farther away. The boy took a deep breath as silence settled once more, and hoped that the worst was over. That was when he heard the slam of two car doors in succession. Shunshi found himself holding his breath again.
"I heard a car," he mentioned.
"Don't move yet," the woman responded.
Time temporaily suspened while they waited for something else to happen. The unmistakable sound of glass shattering nearby made Shunshi's fingernails dig into the carpet. He lay still on the floor, not stirring even when he saw a small beam of light travel through the windshield. The rest of the windows in the Avalanche were tinted so darkly, no one would be able to see what was inside the car. "Someone is outside," he said more quietly.
"Shhh!" Hisui warned him, reaching for his arm under the seat. "Stay calm."
He rolled over, and could just make out his sister on the floor. "Okay," he whispered.
Shunshi could hear a muffled voice talking outside the vehicle, and the individual seemed to be lingering.
"Do we have any weapons?" Donny's voice was faint.
"I have the tire-iron," April volunteered.
"I have my mace," Hisui added.
"I have my training," Shunshi finished.
The turtle's breathing sounded incredibly shaky. "Don't engage. Not unless the car is breached."
The shadow outside the Avalanche was moving, making a circle around the vehicle. The stranger stopped by the passenger side door, and Shunshi heard something rap against the glass. He clenched his fists nervously when the object slammed the window harder.
"If you have to make a move, do it quickly," Donny strained. "Catch them off guard, and you'll do more damage."
"Aneki, "Shunshi hissed. "Can you reach the door handle from where you are?"
Hisui shifted, crawling to the door. "From here, yes, but why—"
"You've got to unlatch it quickly if I tell you." He scooted closer to the passenger side door and got his legs into position.
"Shunshi, what are you doing?" April pressed.
"Preparing, just in case."
The words had barely escaped his mouth when a third strike leveled against the window, shattering tempered glass in all directions.
Shock registered briefly before he bellowed at his sister. "Hisui – now!"
He waited while the young woman rapidly unlocked the side and lifted the handle, and then plowed both feet into the door as hard as he could. Shunshi heard a satisfying connection as the door crashed into someone on the other side, but didn't take time to celebrate. He leaped through the opening to the startled curse of a figure scrambling to get off the ground.
Shunshi spied a large gun on the ground, and he kicked it toward the stairs that led to the basement. The weapon clattered against the side of the building, but didn't go down the steps as he'd intended.
The formerly downed man charged at him with a growl. There was no time for the teenager to think – only to react. He rapidly whipped his body around to create momentum for a spinning back kick, and struck the heel of his left foot into his attacker's rib cage. As the winded figure fought for air, Shunshi lunged for the gun, and sent it flying the rest of the way down the stairs.
The irate face of the stranger was waiting as he jerked back around. "C'mere, you little punk!"
Shunshi fought to control his breathing, taking the correct stance that'd been drilled into him. He saw the man's blow coming and intentionally blocked his arm at an angle to create a wider opening for a counterstrike. He threw a cross-punch, twisting his fist at the last instant to maximize the speed and magnify the force against the same spot he'd already kicked.
The pained cry of someone else drew his attention briefly, and the sight of a second man writhing on the ground indicated that Hisui had dealt him a healthy dose of her mace. He had time to watch April raise the tire iron over the stranger before his own attacker sufficiently recovered.
Shunshi grinned when the hook punch came toward him this time, easily weaving underneath it. He lashed his right arm across his body, landing an elbow strike to the taller man's jaw. When his opponent staggered, he landed an identical blow to the other side of his face with his left arm. The stranger slumped backwards to the ground. He was preparing yet another attack if was needed, when he was distracted by his sister's shout.
"Shun!"
Over his shoulder he saw two more people coming, and the shadows didn't hide the gun one of them was waving. Shunshi braced himself for the conflict, but the shriek of tires at the opening of the alley prevented him from moving. Another smile came over his face at the familiar broad form of Director Kelley.
Matthew stepped forward carefully, gun held high at the advancing men. "You're outnumbered and outgunned!" he warned them. "If you don't believe me, come see the smoldering wreckage that used to be your buddies!"
Shunshi let out a soft breath, his shoulders relaxing as the armed attacker lowered his gun. Upon closer inspection, he had a hard time believing the shrinking bespectacled man would have been able to use the weapon.
Shunshi heard the scrape of gravel behind him and started to turn his head right before a long knife blade whipped around his neck. He started to struggle, only for the blade to press stronger against his throat.
"Not another step!" his opponent directed Kelley. The man shot Shunshi a cruel smile. "What made you want to come out and play with the big boys, kid?"
"You tried to kill my friends!" Shunshi said indignantly, angry with the man and himself for being caught.
"Correction: I'm going to kill your friends, and whoever else is inside that building!"
"Jackson, you're outnumbered," Kelley said reasonably. "What do you think you're gonna do with that knife, really?"
The man laughed. "Carlson, you established a signal, right?"
The other man besides the glasses-wearer nodded his head, but his entire body shook.
Jackson jerked Shunshi closer to his side, nicking the knife under his chin. "Move, and you're dead." His other hand plunged into his jacket pocket and came out with a small box. "Every plan needs a fail-safe – and you're looking at mine."
