Adventures in Ninjaing
Disclaimer - I do not own TMNT or any of the characters therein. Some VERY rich dude does.
Rating - Mature teen audiences.
Story Warnings - Fighting, Dangerous situations, Supernatural mentions, Meanness in general (Don't like these topics? Do not read.)
Pairings - None, ninjas doing their thing (Don't like these topics? Do not read.)
Universe -2012 series. (Don't like these topics? Do not read.)
Ages - April, Casey, and the turtles are teens / Splinter is an adult
Summary - April goes on her first ninja mission, and it's a doozy! A continuation of Cowabunga Girl.
Adventures in Ninjaing
Normally, if April O'Neil found herself sitting on an airplane headed for Japan, she was in reality asleep. However this time, the scenario she was experiencing wasn't a dream. She was in fact on an airplane headed for Japan, and wide awake for every exciting second.
Visiting Japan was something April had longed to do ever since befriending the group of mutant ninjas living in the bowels of the New York City sewer system several years ago. The small clan made Japanese culture come alive for her in a way it never had before. They made it seem so real, and... noble.
And now, after a little help from the genius member of that clan, April's dream was coming true; she was going to Japan! But whether or not it was in fact a dream come true, or a nightmare made real, had yet to be determined.
A sputtering snort from the seat next to her jarred April from her reverie. She turned away from the darkened window beside her and snickered shaking her head at the sleeping passenger next to her.
"No way this can be a dream," she grumbled good naturedly. "No one on Earth could ever sleep through Casey Jones' snoring."
It sounded somewhat like a muffled buzz saw with a faulty exhaust.
Using enough force for Casey to feel it, but less force than she actually wanted, April elbowed her sleeping friend. Casey snorted again, whined a little in his sleep, but finally shifted around enough for the snoring to stop.
April breathed a sigh of relief her friend didn't wake up. She in no way wanted to entertain a bored Casey Jones for however many hours remained of their flight.
The red head turned back to the window. There wasn't really anything to see, except the inky blackness of nighttime at forty thousand feet, but April found it more enjoyable to look at than the inside of the cabin.
The night sky made everything feel... magical in some way.
Casey snickered in his sleep. April jumped, thinking the boy was waking up.
She glanced over, her eyebrow lifting as Casey curled in on himself until he resembled a long, lanky, no furred cat napping on a too small cushion more than a teenage boy.
April shook head in awed wonder. That guy could sleep anywhere in any conditions.
She envied him that.
Casey giggled some more before settling down into deep sleep once again.
April smiled, returning to her window watching.
Casey made just as much noise asleep as he did awake. Who'd have thought?
April knew she really should be sleeping too. Jet lag wasn't going to be fun on any level.
She had tried. Really, she had. She was simply too excited to settle.
This wasn't just some reward trip for her and Casey to go and have fun, it was April's first official mission as a fully recognized kunoichi of the Hamato clan.
And to think, it all started with nothing more than a simple training run.
Leonardo, the ever vigilant leader that he was, decided his team, along with Casey and April, needed to work on their hiding stealth. There had been way too many near sightings of late for the blue banded turtle's liking.
Donnie was almost spotted once. Raph, three times. And Mikey, more times than Leo cared to count within the last month. And it had taken all four turtles to save Casey from a group of Purple Dragons robbing a grocery store when their human friend had been spotted by a well hidden lookout.
Even Master Splinter had had a near miss with a group of maintenance workers down in the tunnels.
Something had to be done! They needed to up their game!
So Leonardo made plans.
On that fateful day, before dismissing everyone after morning practice, Leo made his announcement.
That evening there would be a training run.
He had been straight to the point. He had stood, arms crossed with a determined look on his face, leaving no room for debate. But anyone could see the leaf green turtle fully expecting a heated disagreement at best, or an out-and-out fight at worse with his red banded brother.
It was no secret Raph thought training runs to be a complete waste of time.
Leo didn't get the anticipated fight.
What he got could have easily been considered the ultimate shock of his teenage life.
Raphael not only agreed with training run, he also agreed with Leo's reasons behind it. To further add to his family's confusion, the hot headed brawler also calmly, and logically argued down Donatello's opposition.
Donnie's jaw wasn't the only one hanging open.
Leaving his genius brother completely flabbergasted, Raph next turned his newly found persuasive magic onto his older brother.
He pointed out Leo's training exercises wouldn't take all of their allotted time topside. If everyone focused and didn't goof around that is.
Tthe emerald brawler looked pointedly at Mikey, and Casey with that statement.
The remaining time, however much it was, would be used for a short patrol. Raph continued on, pointing out with the Shredder gone, they had been slacking off in that department quite a bit lately too.
Just because the Foot Clan was quiet didn't mean the other common lowlifes were being lazy, and even if the city's criminals were all on vacation, it was no reason for the team to turn into fat, fluffy marshmallows.
Master Splinter's jaw joined Donatello's in flapping in the wind.
Leo didn't know what to say.
Who was this calm, logical, level-headed emerald skinned turtle that resembled his attack first and ask questions when everyone is unconscious brother? Had the Kraang somehow infiltrated their home, kidnapped Raph, and left a robot in his place? Was his brother possessed by some unknown force related to Donatello? Had the Shredder attacked in some new diabolical way?
This was just too weird to be real!
The blue banded leader did manage a slow, over exaggerated nod of agreement. He wasn't quite sure what it was exactly he was agreeing to, but it couldn't be all THAT bad with Raph being so logical and level-headed... Could it?
Raph was thrilled! Though he hid it well.
That had went way better than he had hoped! Those online advice columnists really knew what they were talking about! He didn't know whether to jump up and fist pump in victory, or kick himself in the tail for not pushing for a longer patrol.
Raph's eyeridge slowly crept up.
That advice columnist's psychobabble worked once, maybe it'd work again.
He shot Leo a sideways glance.
Big bro did look kind of out of it, like his brain was still trying to reboot or something. Sooo... Go for it! Why not!?
Besides, the longer the patrol, the less time he would need to destress once they got back to the lair from Leo's stupid training run.
Without a second thought, Raph threw his idea out there for consideration, and almost like a preview of things to come, his plan hit a massive snag.
Casey had an Algebra exam first thing Monday morning. Which was tomorrow.
An Algebra exam he desperately needed to pass if he wanted to avoid six weeks of after school classes in order to have the necessary credits to graduate on time.
April reminded him of that.
Donnie didn't hesitate.
He lent his support to April by insisting they make an early night of it so the hot-tempered hockey player could get plenty of rest. Otherwise there was no way Casey was going to pass that exam no matter how much he had studied.
April gave the genius a very appreciative look.
Casey, very much out of character, kept his mouth shut, but his scowl spoke volumes.
So did Raph's
Giving his emerald brother a smug look, Donnie moved over to stand beside April. He draped an arm across her shoulders his eyes dancing with glee. It was obvious he had an ulterior motive for lending his support.
One-on-one private time with his sweet chinchilla had been very limited for Donnie of late; there was her father she naturally wanted to spend time with, her private training sessions with Master Splinter, and of course April's own classwork that had to be done.
Plus, being human, the red head had a life outside the realm of the turtles.
Donnie didn't begrudge April any of that. He understood. He had obligations of his own, and a life outside their relationship.
That wasn't the issue.
No, the biggest hurdle Donnie had to overcome in spending time with April was time itself.
April's days usually began at six in the morning. Being more nocturnal, for obvious reasons, Donnie's day began around one in the afternoon. With their days offset by seven hours, there wasn't much time left over for socializing.
If Casey ended up having to attend extra classes after school, April would naturally feel obligated to help him out.
They were friends after all.
Donnie flashed April a beaming smile.
She was so wonderful about things like that, helping a friend in need.
Donnie glanced at Casey, his smile evaporating.
Even undeserving, gap mouthed, witless, vigilante friends.
If April spent more time tutoring Casey, Donnie would hardly see her at all, let alone have time for a proper courtship!
Donnie turned his scowl to his emerald skinned brother.
And that wasn't going to fly at all!
Raph's own scowl deepened in response to his brother's. After spending all their lives together, he could pretty well guess what Donnie was thinking.
And Raph didn't care one bit how much time Donnie had to spend making goo-goo eyes at April!
Who did Donnie think he was?! That egg-headed twerp didn't have any say in what Casey did, or did not do.
No one did!
Well, maybe Leo.
Raph turned his scowl on his older brother.
To a small degree.
A VERY small degree.
When they were on patrol.
Raph turned back to Donnie.
But that was beside the point!
If Casey wanted to catch some extra sleep for some dumb test, then they'd call it an early night, and he could sleep. BUT, if Casey wanted to bash heads, they bashed heads! It was Casey's decision, and no one else! This wasn't about how long patrol was going to be anymore, this was now about free will, and personal choice.
Raph wasn't about to let anyone make decisions for his best friend!
Still feeling the high from having earlier beaten his genius brother in verbal combat, which was now fueled by a healthy dose of pep talk indignation, Raph squared his shoulders fully intending to best his brother once again. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and immediately lost his train of thought.
The only thing Raph's brain would register was Mikey, dancing around in the background having apparently lost his mind.
That was the only reason the emerald turtle could come up with for his baby brother to be jumping around wearing a toilet seat around his neck holding a roll of toilet paper in one hand, and a tube of plastic wrap in the other waving them both like banners.
Mikey had achieved some pretty impressive levels of dorky-ness in the past, but he didn't usually do things this crazy unless -
Raph's eyes got unnaturally big.
- he had a reason.
Raph's heart began to race, sweat broke out along his upper lip. Slowly, oh so slowly, the emerald brawler turned to look, really look, at Donnie as the genius stood beside April.
Donnie caught Raph's glance, and his eyes narrowed just enough to be noticeable. The corner of his mouth lifted imperceptibly.
Raph knew that look. He went three shades lighter.
What April, and Casey didn't realize was that Donnie was just as competitive as either of his older brothers. If asked, one orange banded brother in particular would say Donatello was MORE competitive.
He simply went about winning in a quieter, more controlled manner.
Also known only to his brothers, Donnie had a rather vicious vindictive streak.
It had reared it's ugly head once or twice in the turtles' lifetime, when Donnie had been pushed just a little too far by his over competitive older brothers.
Or had lost in an underhanded way.
Donnie's revenge always made a lasting impression.
It was why Mikey always considered the possible consequences of his pranks before pulling one on his immediate older brother.
Donnie's nasty streak also came out when the genius felt his intelligence had been insulted.
Like now.
The emerald turtle took another look. Donnie didn't seem to be too upset as he stood basking in April's appreciation. He just had that smirk on his face... and that look in his eye.
Memories of the last time Raph had gotten on Donnie's bad side flooded the brawler's mind.
Donnie hadn't seemed angry then either.
It had taken six weeks for Raph's backside to stop looking like a psychedelic rainbow trapped inside a disco ball every time he got wet.
Leo made him wear a towel wrapped around his butt every time they went patrolling in the rain.
To this day Raph still checked under the toilet seat every time he went into the bathroom.
Raph decided it would be best to err on the side of caution.
He wasn't stupid. He knew when to stand up to his brilliant brother, and when to back down. A couple extra hours hunting down lowlifes was in no way worth waking up in the morning to find a thousand, half bare wires strung across his bedroom.
With current running through each and every one.
And him late for practice.
Or worse, needing to make a run to the bathroom.
It had happened before.
Leo still had problems turning on a light switch.
As turtle luck would have it, the evening didn't go quite as Raph, or Leo had planned.
The training run went off without a hitch.
Leo was quite pleased with everyone's performance, including Mikey's. It was rare for the family prankster to get the drop on his ninja master brother, but tonight not only did Mikey get Leo, he also got Donnie, and Raph.
Leo might be the master of the katana, but Michelangelo was the master of the water balloon!
After some well deserved praise, and a few celebratory pizza gyoza, Leo lead the group south of Mr. Murakami's shop into an area known for it's high level of criminal activity.
It was close, and a likely place to find Raph some legitimate heads to bust.
At first, things were quiet, or rather quiet for the high crime area they were in; a purse snatcher, couple of break-and-enters, and a badly botched car-jacking were all they encountered.
Raph's disappointment was beginning to show.
In an attempt to improve his brother's mood, and salvage the remainder of the evening, Leo called a halt on a rooftop across the street from an old, abandoned flower shop.
The shop was a well known front for Foot, and Purple Dragon activity.
The group quickly spotted several tattooed gang members milling about on the sidewalk in front of the abandoned shop. There was a suspicious looking black car parked next to the curb, and at least fifteen obvious Foot ninja lurking about on the surrounding rooftops.
Raph's mood greatly improved, and Leo instantly felt vindicated for all ribbing he had endured for having been wrong in the past.
Leo motioned for the team to fan out, and search the area; even if this turned out to be nothing more than the Purple Dragon version of a hen party, the amount of enemy hanging around made it worth at least a few minutes observation.
He gave it nine.
Just long time for Raph and Mikey to run the perimeter and report back a more accurate number of Foot soldiers hanging around.
Fifty-eight.
Raph and Mikey both came up with the same number.
Leo pulled both swords, his eyes going white. He motioned for his team to fall in.
With that many Foot soldiers hanging around, something major was going down.
A second nondescript black car pulled alongside the curb several car lengths behind the first.
Leo grinned at Raph, now things were getting interesting!
The second the arriving car came to a stop, an epitome-of-ordinary looking young man exited the passenger side.
The man was visibly nervous. He kept turning his head in all directions trying to keep an eye on everyone and everything as he walked determinedly towards for the car in front. He clutched a strange looking metal briefcase tightly to his chest.
Raph looked at Leo and nodded.
Anything requiring a late night exchange at an abandoned business owned by known criminals in a rundown section of New York City wasn't something the Foot, or Purple Dragons needed to have.
Leo gave the signal to attack.
Raph leapt the edge of the roof, his grin wide, and looking a bit deranged.
As far as fights went, this one was rather anticlimactic.
It lasted a grand total of fifteen minutes.
The courier didn't hesitate. He heard the turtles' battle cries, looked up, and made what was probably the best decision of his life.
He threw his briefcase up into the air, and ran as fast as he possibly could towards anywhere other than there.
Mikey watched as the guy disappeared from view. He kind of felt sorry for him, considering dude was heading right for one of the seedier sections of the borough, a section that was currently caught up in two ongoing gang wars.
Giving a half-hearted shrug, Mikey decided to just let him go.
He'd probably be okay. Dude could possibly turn another corner, and go in a different direction away from the feuding gangs, and if not, there wasn't too much threat after the first fifteen blocks or so anyway.
Besides, if dude did by chance end up in the middle of the gang war, it might do him some good. Maybe being chased by some pipe wielding lowlifes for a few blocks might make the guy reconsider his current line of work. He didn't really seem to be cut out for covert activities anyway. He was way too jumpy. Should probably switch to decaff.
The drivers were next to figure out what was going on.
The car parked in front hit the gas and pulled a tight U-turn, heading back the way it had come in from. The second car went straight with the driver pulling off some pretty impressive driving skills to avoid the first car's fishtailing back end.
How they managed to get away without smashing into each other in the middle of the highway was anyone's guess.
Donnie made a mental note to sit down and work out the mathematical computations, geometric angles, speed parameters, and ratio probabilities at a later date and time when he had a spare moment with nothing better to do.
The genius brought his bo up cracking a knife wielding Purple Dragon upside the head.
Probably some night in the near future when April was helping Casey figure out the square root of pi-
Donnie brought his weapon around smashing the fallen gang-banger in the groin.
- or how to find "x"!
But right now the purple banded genius had another set of calculations to figure out, and turned his attention to the current situation at hand.
More than happy to let his overly aggressive, and more energetic brothers deal with the remaining enemy, Donnie kept his focus on the metal security case sailing through the air. Moving up the buildings by leaping from side to side across the alley, the bo master extended his staff, catching the case by the handle. He then leapt up one more level before flipping his bo back over his shoulder sending the case towards the two humans still waiting on the rooftop of the building across the street.
The case fell right into April's waiting hands.
Trusting the two humans to take the briefcase, and whatever information was locked inside to safety, Donnie rejoined his brothers in mopping up whatever remained of the ninjas and Purple Dragons.
Knowing what was expected of her, April wasted no time.
With Casey hot on her heels, the kunoichi took off across the rooftop heading for the nearest manhole. With a little luck, she could be safely in the sewers before the turtles finished mopping up the riff-raff.
The edge of the rooftop pulled her up short.
Carrying an unwieldy briefcase, April knew she wouldn't be able to descend the fire escape as quickly as she normally did.
And right now every second counted.
She glanced over her shoulder, estimating how much time she had before the pursuit she knew was following caught up to her.
It wasn't long. A confrontation just became a very real possibility.
Casey had it covered.
Shooting April his trademark grin, the raven haired vigilante pulled a Raph and leapt over the edge of the roof.
With a shout, April darted forward in hopes of grabbing some part of her friend to keep him from certain death.
She needn't have bothered.
Using his hockey stick to catch the balcony railings as he passed, Casey swung, and flipped his way down the side of the building to land safely on the ground below. He gave a flourished bow, holding his arms out to his side, then motioned for April to toss the case to him so she could climb down unencumbered by it's weight.
April secretly hoped the case would hit the infuriating show-off in the head as she threw it down with a bit more force than was necessary.
Once on the ground, April quickly realized they weren't out of the woods just yet. The sewer entrance she had been heading for was blocked by a delivery truck with a flat tire, and, after a quick search, no keys.
Giving a frustrated growl, April took a few seconds to mentally locate the next closest sewer entrance. She turned to head for the main street only to be stopped by the roar of the truck's engine coming to life.
Looking back, she saw a grinning Casey Jones blow across his knuckles before rubbing them against his chest.
April was highly thankful for her resourceful friend, and his ofttimes questionable skills, but she would be lying if she said she didn't wish she'd thrown that briefcase with just a bit more force than she had.
The second Casey cut the engine after moving the truck, four turtle shaped shadows dropped from the rooftop down to the street. Raph silently removed the steel plate from the now accessible manhole, waving the others inside as Leo and Mikey kept watch.
Once underground, the group hurried for the safety of the lair as fast as they dared. The Shredder often sent groups of Purple Dragons into the sewers in search of the turtles and their hidden home, and everyone knew after what had happening tonight, intruders in the sewers were a high possibility.
April suppressed a shiver as she shifted to a more comfortable position in her seat. The passing flight attendant stopped to ask if she needed anything, a pillow, something to drink, earplugs maybe? April chuckled shaking her head then turned back to the darkened window once the stewardess had moved on.
It was a good thing Leo had opted to wait and open the briefcase in the lair.
April suppressed another shiver at the memory.
If he hadn't, things could have gone very much differently, and not to anyone's benefit.
The object inside the briefcase made April's skin crawl when she saw it. It also sent Master Splinter into a shouting, screaming flurry of activity the likes of which no one, turtle, or human thought the dignified ninja master capable of.
It was such an innocent looking object too. A simple wooden pendant strung on a worn, stained leather thong.
It hadn't been the necklace itself per se that set Splinter off, but rather the emblem and inscription carved onto it. Apparently, it was an ancient inscription, and summoning symbol to call forth the most powerful demon from beyond the astral plain; a creature from the Realm of Chaos itself.
Such creatures were quite common in Japanese folklore. In ancient times, summoning one of these beings was rather common. Almost anyone could do it. Just set the pendant on unhallowed ground, recite the inscription, drip a few drops of blood on it, and "POOF", instant denizen of evil to do your bidding!
As time went on, Master Splinter explained once wards, protection spells, and tea had been put in place around the lair and the again closed briefcase, fewer and fewer of these creatures could be summoned; mainly because there was a limited number of summonings per pendent.
The stronger the demon, the more summonings one could make, the weaker, the less.
Since most summonings were for trivial things; farmers wanting to ruin their neighbors' crops, women wanting to make a rival less beautiful, lords wanting to win wars, most pendants had simply lost their magic, becoming nothing more than bits of wood hung on a string.
Splinter knew of only three in existence with their magic still intact.
One was buried at the exact center of a mountain, Mount Fuji to be exact. One was lost to the sea sitting at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. And the last was kept in the most secure treasure vault of the Lotus Clan located atop Mount Ontake in the Chūbu region of Japan.
Simple deduction told the turtles which one they were now in possession of although Donatello adamantly disagreed.
Mount Ontake was not only the fourteenth highest mountain in Japan, it was also the second highest volcano.
An ACTIVE volcano.
There was absolutely NO way a clan of humans, warrior or otherwise, could live, let alone thrive in such a hostile environment. The very air itself would be too poisonous for humans simply from the gases alone.
When faced with his genius son's scientific facts, Splinter quietly replied, "Ancient clans have ways that would confound modern science."
The knowing smile his father gave was in no way reassuring to the purple banded genius.
Splinter went on to say there was no other recourse but to return the pendant to it's proper guardians.
Leo started making travel plans.
Mikey suggested firing off a quick text message telling the Lotus clan where their evil necklace was, and for them to come get it.
Donnie seconded his baby brother's idea with Casey readily agreeing as well.
All three were understandably disappointed when Splinter said not only did the clan not have any means of modern communication, but also most likely didn't even know the pendant was missing.
Leo couldn't help looking smug as he went about issuing orders. He was fully in his element of pending disaster needing to be diverted.
Donnie was to run checks on their phones, pack a full medical kit along with any and all necessary surveillance equipment they may need, and check the status on the volcano. When the genius finished that, he was to make travel plans for the group.
Raph was to ready a full weapons pack for each team member, pack their spare gear and replacement weapons, and ready their current gear and weapons for extended use.
Mikey was to pack a full survival kit for each team member, complete with food rations and water.
A list of any items needed to complete their tasks was to be given to Leo before nightfall, at which time the leader would obtain said items, and return to help finish final preparations.
Having set his team in motion, Leonardo turned to his father, and stated in no uncertain terms they would be on their way in less than two days time.
Splinter had then proceeded to pop Leo's bubble as surely as if he had taken a pin to it himself.
"The Lotus clan does not associate with males at any time for any reason," he said, sipping at his tea. "Miss O'Neil is the only one the Lotus clan warriors will accept as an equal. and talk to. She must therefore accompany you to Japan."
Leonardo had visibly deflated.
Four ninja turtles getting themselves to Japan was easy. Check outgoing flights for the soonest one. Sneak on board. Sleep until you land. Sneak off. Simple, easy, not a problem in sight.
Four ninja turtles getting a human female to Japan with them, not so much.
Then April herself came up with the perfect solution.
After taking a second to pull Casey's blanket back up so he wouldn't get cold, April silently made her way to the washroom at the back of the aircraft to stretch her legs. When she got back to her seat, Casey was snoring again, earning the sleeping teen another elbow jab to the ribs.
Once again in her seat, and a return to relative quiet, April turned back to the window. She propped her elbow up on the armrest, using her fist to help muffle her snickers as she remembered the look on Leo's face when she took charge of the mission planning.
This was April's, and Casey's senior year.
And being the studious person that she was, April had fulfilled most of her graduation requirements her first three years of high school, even with all the excitement that came with having five mutant ninjas for friends. She figured this year would be a literal breeze.
Then the school district decided to throw a monkey wrench into the works, not just for April, but for every student graduating that year.
International Cultural Studies.
A new graduation requirement added three weeks before the school year started.
It wasn't April's most favorite class by any means, but it also wasn't her least, and with it being a graduation requirement, the teen tackled it with the same dedication she did her other classes.
Now with graduation only two months away, April was passing the class with flying colors.
Casey on the other hand was failing it with equally flying colors.
The only thing that could possibly save Casey from having to repeat his senior year was the final, end-of-the-year project required by the class.
To help her friend, April offered to be his partner.
Casey had jumped on it like a mutant turtle on a pizza.
They chose Japanese culture as the topic of their project. They did after all have some first hand knowledge of the subject with a couple on hand sources of information in the form of Mr. Murakami, and Master Splinter.
The only problem was six other groups had chosen the same topic for their projects as well.
When told to narrow down their topic, the two teens had naturally went with Japanese ninja culture.
The teacher had been somewhat skeptical. She was well aware of Casey Jones and his love of all things anime, and was concerned their presentation would end up being nothing more than a video of whatever Japanese animation ninja series was currently popular.
April insisted that would not be the case.
She proceeded to point out samurai warriors were featured in animation almost as often as ninja, yet the teacher had no issue with the group who had taken Japanese samurai culture as their topic. Why was she and Casey being singled out? Yes, Casey could be a bit of a slacker, but she most certainly was not!
Also there was just as much authentic information out there about ninjas as there was about samurai if one was willing to sift through all the fairy tale garbage to find it. Which of course April was more than capable of doing.
Finally, the teacher relented. She really couldn't deny April's studiousness, and dedication even though her partner was somewhat lacking. She allowed the pair their topic of choice, but one piece of non-factual, undocumented information, she gave Casey an icy stare, they both would fail.
April reassured her all information would be well documented, and easily confirmed.
When presented, April's and Casey's project had been so well put together, and informative, their teacher not only gave them both passing grades, she also decided to enter it in a district wide competition to be held that upcoming weekend.
April and Casey won.
The two teens were ecstatic!
April because her hard work, and dedication was being recognized, and Casey because not only was he going to pass the class and graduate, but he had also proven the teacher wrong.
Their project then went on to the state level.
They didn't walk away with the Grand Champion title from the state competition, but their project did tie for top honors.
Now, it was off to national competition in Washington DC!
The previous competitions came with nothing overly spectacular attached to winning; a certificate from the high school, a gift card to a local restaurant from the district, a scholarship check to any in-state college from the state.
All nice, but not anything to get overly excited about.
The nationals win came with a four day, all expense paid trip to a preselected, volunteer country.
The country just so happened to be Japan.
The judging was in three days with April and Casey leaving Monday, tomorrow, after school and Casey's Algebra test.
Things were starting to look up. What could possibly go wrong? It was in the bag!
At least in Raph's opinion.
The emerald turtle took his genius brother by the shoulders, and proceeded to march him into the genius' lab, demanding Donnie work his electronic magic, and make stuff happen.
A bo staff, a katana sword, and a walking stick across the doorway brought a quick, and indisputable end to that idea.
If they couldn't win fair and square, April, and surprisingly Casey as well, didn't want to win at all.
For the next three days, Master Splinter constantly reset his protective wards and charms around the pendant, and the lair. Raph, Mikey, and Donatello readied themselves for their mission to Japan. And Leo nervously chewed his nails to nubs.
Then they got the call.
April and Casey had won! And in an elaborate ceremonial presentation in Washington DC that aired on public access television, were awarded with two tickets for of all places, Nagoya Japan.
It had been a simple matter for Donnie to passports, medical records, and whatever other documentation was needed for the two teens to take their trip as soon as they returned to New York City.
April leaned back in her seat, a small, contemplative smile on her face.
Who would have thought a simple class project, along with a little help from her friends, would have given her the opportunity to experience not one, but two of her dreams? Visiting Japan, and going on a real ninja mission.
April jerked awake with a start. She gasped, feeling a bit disoriented, then remembered where she was when her head bounced against the side of the airplane. She grimaced slightly, sitting up to rub the stiffness from her neck.
She didn't remember falling asleep, but figured she hadn't slept long, few, if any, of the other passengers were awake. Nothing looked out of place, still, April wondered what had startled her awake.
An uncomfortable tingling in her foot distracted April's attention from the sleeping passengers. She seriously considered taking another stroll to the restroom when the annoying tingling turned into the shooting pain of pins-and-needles.
Casey was curled up pretty tight in his seat still sleeping, and snoring, so she figured she could get by without waking him easily enough. She changed her mind feeling more turbulence jostle the plane.
With her luck, the plane would pitch, she'd lose her balance, and fall right on top of him.
"This must be the storm Donnie mentioned," she muttered, shifting in her seat to take a quick peek out the window. There was only inky darkness, but in the distance April was certain she saw a flash of lightening.
Finally finding a fairly comfortable position, April settled back to get some more sleep. No sooner than she'd closed her eyes, they snapped back open.
Something had hit her on the cheek.
"What..." she muttered, looking around on the floor.
Something hit her again.
April looked over at Casey. Was he really asleep, or pretending?
Something dropped from the ceiling. It bounced off the brim of Casey's hat, and landed in April's lap.
April picked it up. "A peanut?"
Another dropped into her palm, landing beside the first.
April looked across the aisle. And up.
The overhead storage compartment directly across from her's and Casey's seats was open, just enough for a sea green finger and thumb to poke out and flip another peanut in her direction.
April almost asked Mikey what he thought he was doing, but stopped herself just in time.
Mikey pulled his hand back in and pushed the overhead bin open a fraction of an inch more. He stuck his entire hand out, giving April a thumb's up.
Then he started pointing down the aisle in the direction of the restrooms.
Still not sure what was going on, April leaned over Casey for a better view further down.
Halfway down, a leaf green hand was sticking out of another overhead bin, motioning towards the restrooms.
Now she got it!
April unbuckled her seatbelt. She stepped one foot out into the aisle only to stop when a quiet hiss sounded directly above her head. This time an emerald finger pointed down at Casey then back towards the restrooms.
After a bit of a struggle, April manged to wake Casey enough to drag the teen with her down to the restrooms.
"What's up, red?" Casey mumbled, leaning against the wall, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, but aren't we a little old to be needing bathroom buddies?"
April gave him a look.
Intent on trying to intimidate Casey, April gave a startled squeak when a soft knock sounded on the inside of the restroom.
"Think we outta answer it?" Casey snickered.
"Oh... hush," April huffed, opening the closest restroom door.
A green arm hung down from the ceiling vent motioning the two teens inside.
"I don't think we're both going to fit. What about you, red?" Casey grinned.
April wished Casey was either, one, still asleep, or, two, hadn't slept so long.
Casey went to step inside, the green hand motioned for him to stop then pointed to the other restroom.
Casey just shrugged, considering everything he'd seen since meeting the turtles this really wasn't all that strange. He stepping around April into the opposite restroom, flipping the door lock from unoccupied to occupied.
Several loud finger snaps got April's attention. She looked over to see Donnie's hand motioning wildly for her to enter the unoccupied restroom.
"April, are you okay?" Donnie asked dropping down from the ceiling to perch, perfectly balanced on top of the toilet. "You seemed a little out of it just then," he said sounding concerned.
"I think the lack of sleep is catching up to me," April said running a hand through her hair. "What's going on, Donnie?"
Mikey's head dropped down through the opening the turtles made in the ceiling, making April jump. "It's time to disembark," he said cheerfully.
"Disembark?" Lack of sleep had nothing to do with April's confusion now.
"Mikey, show a little consideration," Donnie scolded. "April's been up for a long time, she's tired."
"Yeah, well, she's gonna be wide awake here real soon," Raph growled from above. "Hand her up, D. We gotta get dis show onna road, or Leo's gonna have a cow."
"Hee-yy!" Leo huffed indignantly.
Before April knew what was happening, Donnie had her around the waist lifting her up to Raphael tucked up in the overhead crawl space.
"Watch yer head, April. It's kinda cramped in here," the emerald brawler warned as he moved April to one side, making room for Donnie to come up.
April still had no idea what was going on, but decided for right now, it would be best just to go with it.
As soon as Donnie was out of the way, and before Raph could replace the ceiling tiles they had removed, Mikey dropped head first back down into the restroom. His feet hooked over the side supports kept the sea green turtle from falling on through.
No more than three seconds later, he popped back up grinning widely.
"Mikey, get outta the way! We don't have time to be goofing around," Raph growled putting the ceiling tiles quickly and silently back into place. "Whatcha do in there anyway?"
"Unlocking the door," Mikey replied nonchalantly, moving down the crawlspace towards the back of the plane.
"Unlocking the door?" Donnie asked, glancing at April and his emerald brother.
"Yeah," Mikey called over his shoulder. "People gotta go, man!"
April and Casey followed the turtles through the bowels of the plane. They inched their way along the ceiling crawlspace, climbed down a curved ladder, crawled over stored baggage, and slipped through numerous maintenance hatches until they reached the landing gear bay.
Curious, April leaned over, touching the metal floor with her bare hand. She hissed in shock, yanking her hand back, and shaking the burning pain from her fingers. "That's freezing!"
"This is the outer skin of the plane," Donnie explained, taking the screws from a maintenance hatch near the landing gear. "There's no heat, and no insulation between us, and the outside cold."
"Outside cold?" Casey asked, giving the genius a worried look. "If this is the only thing between us and the outside, shouldn't you maybe leave that hatch alone? And what about air!? The plane'll decompress! You're turtles! You can hold your breath for like half an hour! We," he waved a hand between himself and April. "Can't! We need air, man! We'll suffocate! Humans suffocate!"
Casey was starting to sound a tad bit panicked.
"Umm, no, I don't think so," Donnie said, pocketing the screws he was removing. "You're in more danger of hyperventilating than you are suffocating."
Raph dropped an oxygen mask over Casey's face, snapping the elastic in place around the back of his head. "Calm down, Case. Donnie planned for this." The emerald turtle forcefully sat Casey down on the metal floor then helped his older brother in getting the teen to calm down.
As soon as April was reassured Casey was going to be alright, she turned to Donnie again asking Casey's original question.
"Donnie, just why are you opening the hatch?"
"Given the construction and design of the plane, this is the safest place for us to exit with minimal threat to the passengers remaining onboard," he replied nonchalantly.
April nodded, that made sense.
"Why can't we land at the airport, and exit the plane like everyone else?" she asked.
"Yeah! What she said!" Casey mumbled around his oxygen mask, nodding enthusiastically.
"If we wait and land at the airport, we'll lose several hours backtracking to the mountain," Leo explained. "If we jump now, we'll not only save ourselves the backtrack time, but greatly reduce the risk of being seen at a crowded airport."
That made sense too, though Casey didn't look too convinced.
"But Donnie, won't the plane decompress like Casey said when you remove that plate?" she asked.
"Normally, yes. But THIS plane has several safety features to keep that from happening." Donnie held up his hand to stop the obvious question. "We have thirty seconds from the time the plate is removed before those measures kick in and reseal the breach. That is more than enough time for each team to drop through."
"Drop through to where?!" Casey asked, slowly scooting on his rear back towards the far end of the bay.
Mikey dropped down behind Casey, draping his arms around the teen's shoulders. "Into the wild blue yonder, dude," Mikey moved a hand through the air emphasizing his point. "Into the wild blue yonder."
Jumping to his feet Casey quickly decided this was NOT one of his better days.
Mikey sprang up from his spot on the floor, holding a bundle of grey colored cloth out to Casey. "But first, might I suggest putting on your polar suit. Gonna be cold out there, dude! Cold, and windy!"
That was it! Casey had had enough! These turtles were crazy, jumping out of planes in the middle of the night in a foreign country!
He spun around, fully intending to run every step of the way back to his seat, and go back to sleep.
What he got, was a face full of Raph's plastron when he ran into the emerald turtle.
"You heard Mikey," Raph growled. "Put on yer polar suit."
Leaving Mikey, and Raph to wrestle Casey into his suit, April took the bundle Leo held out to her. "Donnie?" she asked, surprised at how calm her voice sounded. "Just how are we going to get down?"
"The turtlegliders," the genius answered, putting on his own suit.
April nodded, fastening the legs of her suit over the insulated boots. "You do realize Casey and I don't know how to hang glide, right?"
"Oh, yes, of course," Donnie leaned over to check on the wrestling match going on in the background.
Casey was flat on his stomach with Raph sitting on his back while Leo and Mikey duct tapped the legs of his suit closed.
Casey didn't look scared anymore. He looked pissed.
"That's why we'll be jumping in tandem." Donnie reached over making a small adjustment to April's suit. "Leo and Mikey will go together. Raph will be taking Casey, and I'll be taking you," he smiled.
"What's going to happen when the plane lands, and Casey and I don't get off?"
Donnie took the glove April had been struggling with and slipped it over her hand. "I remotely activated a worm program when the plane took off erasing any evidence you and Casey every got on the plane. As far as anyone is concerned, you guys have a mild case of food poisoning from your trip to nationals, and are at home worshiping the porcelain god."
Donnie's joke got no reaction whatsoever from the red head.
"What's wrong, April?" Donnie asked, worry evident in his voice. "This isn't like you. And don't lie to me, and tell me you're tired."
April took a deep breath, struggling to meet Donnie's concerned gaze. "I... I guess I didn't fully realize what all this mission would entail," she sighed. "I feel way in over my head, and I'm worried I might fail... let everyone down."
Donnie smiled, nodding his head. He'd figured it was something like that.
"Well, April, let me be the first to put some of those worries to rest."
April turned around to see Leo walking over, leading Mikey and Raph carrying a suited up, ready to go, and gagged Casey Jones.
"First of all, YOUR mission is to return the pendant to the Lotus clan." Leo held up a hand stopping April from protesting. "Getting you there is our mission," Leo motioned to himself and his brothers.
"Thanks, Leo," April said, giving the sword master a quick hug. "That helps, a lot."
"Hey, bro!" Mikey walked over, leaving Casey in Raph's tender care, swinging one of the connecting straps for his polar suit. "If it's April's job to return the pendant, and our job to get her there, what's Casey's job?"
"Ta learn ta throw a decent punch," Raph growled, clicking the last buckle of his suit into place. "He hits like a six-year-old. We doing this or not, guys?"
Donnie did a quick, but through check of Raph and Casey connectors, then Mikey's and Leo's. Once he deemed them good to go, the genius knelt beside the hatch, giving his last minute instructions.
"Once you jump, count to ten to give yourselves plenty of clearance then pull the rip cord for the glider. As soon as the glider is fully opened, steer it like normal. As soon as April and I are clear of the plane, I'll drop a flare for you to follow on in. Questions?"
"I have one," Mikey said, raising his hand. "Who goes first?"
"You do!" Donnie grinned, pulling the panel aside, opening the hatch.
Donnie and Raph were still laughing after Mikey's screams were cut off by Donnie replacing the hatch.
"Maybe Leo shoulda gagged him too?" Raph chuckled.
Donnie waited one minute before reopening the hatch for Raph and Casey. He closed it again quickly then moved in behind April.
"Ready?" Donnie asked, snapping the suit connectors into place.
"Yep!" April's excitement came through in her voice. "But what about the hatch? Are we just going to leave it open?"
"Oh no," Donnie grinned. "That would be highly unsafe." He held up several screws with long pieces of wire connected to them. "That's where you come in." Donnie knelt down sliding the wires through the holes on the panel. "When we jump, you hold the wires. As we fall, the wires will tighten and pull the panel somewhat into place. It'll pull a little when we jump, so hold on tight, but not too tight. There is a chance of injury if you do."
April nodded nervously. No matter how unsafe something seemed, if Donnie said she'd be okay, she'd be okay.
"Ready?" he asked, moving his foot into position to slide the hatch open.
April took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the wires, and nodded.
"Here we go!" Donnie slid open the hatch, and jumped.
April felt a rush of exhilaration as she fell from the plane. The wires jerked once, pulling free of her hand. She hoped the hatch had closed enough to keep plane and passengers safe.
She couldn't keep from screaming when Donnie opened the glider and it took the air, but whether it was from fear or excitement was anyone's guess.
Either way, it didn't really matter. April was a ninja, and THIS was what ninjas lived for.
To be continued.
Thanks for reading.