But April wasn't losing her mind, for hurrying through the sewers of the city of New York were four creatures, the very ones who had saved April from the thugs in the car park. They were turtles, but they weren't just turtles. They were mutant, they were ninja-

"Hey, we were awesome, bros! Awesome!"

"Most excellent!"

"Outrageous!"

"Totally!"

-and they were teenagers. They called themselves Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Leonardo led the way through the dark tunnels of the sewer. He wore a blue mask and carried katana - ninja fighting swords. In the heat of battle, Leo, as his brothers called him, was cool under fire. He was a natural leader, careful and disciplined.

Leo was followed by Michelangelo, Mike to his brothers, who wore an orange mask and was armed with lethal nunchakus, a ninja weapon consisting of two thick sticks joined by a chain. Mike was as easygoing and wisecracking as his weapon was fierce. When he swung the sticks in battle, it seemed that nothing could stop him.

Donatello, known as Don, followed Mike through the sewer. Don was quiet and thoughtful. He had mechanical ability, too, and could fix almost anything. With his bo, a four-foot-long staff that had pointed ends, he could fix most of his enemies. Don's mask was purple.

Finally, trailing well behind his celebrating brothers, was Raphael. He grumbled to himself. There was a frightening intensity to his anger. He sloshed through the muddy sewer, staring at the one sai that he had now. His other sai, or fighting dagger, was in April O'Neil's purse. He vowed to get it back.

Ahead, the door to the Turtles' home, their den, opened, spilling bright light into the dank sewer. Raph sighed at his single sai, half of a pair, and followed his brothers into their den.

The Turtles and their ninja master, an elderly human-sized rat named Splinter, lived in an abandoned sewer maintenance room. The place was furnished with odds and ends they'd found outside their door. Thanks to Don's mechanical abilities, it was quite well equipped. They had a telephone, a television, electricity, and even heat. What was most important about it, though, was that it was home.

Splinter watched as his students came through the door. Like the Turtles, he was much larger than others of his breed. He was about four feet tall. Age had withered him some. His fur was greying. His back was bent with the pain of old age. Half of his right ear was missing, a battle scar from many years ago. His eyes watched with love and wisdom.

"We have had our first battle, Master Splinter," Leo said. He was so excited, it was almost hard for him to talk. "There were many, but we kicked-" he stopped himself. There was something about Splinter that made him want to talk more formally than he usually did. "-I mean, we fought well."

"Were you seen?" Splinter asked. Leo shook his head. He knew, and so did his brothers, that they would always have to keep their existence a secret. They were trained to help people in trouble, but even people in trouble would have a hard time understanding mutant ninja turtles, to say nothing of teenage. Secrecy was one of their most powerful weapons.

"You must always strike hard and fade away without a trace," Splinter reminded the Turtles.

Don flashed a look at Raph. He'd come pretty close to breaking that rule when he'd tried to grab his sai from the lady in the car park. It didn't take a dirty look from Don to upset Raph. He was already angry and disappointed in himself.

"I lost a sai!" he burst out.

"Then it is gone," Splinter said calmly.

"But I can get it back, I can-"

"Raphael, let it go," Splinter counselled. Raph stopped talking, holding in his thoughts and his worries.

Mike, in the meantime, was having a hard time holding in his appetite. He was already on the phone. "OK, the one with the pepperoni, mushrooms, onion, sausage, green pepper. No anchovies. Not one, you understand? And we want the crust thick and chewy, not soggy..." He continued with his very specific cooking instructions while Splinter addressed all four of the Turtles.

"Your ninja skills are reaching their peak," he said. "Only one truly important lesson remains, but must wait. I know it is hard for you here, underground. Your teenage minds are broad, eager, but you must never stop practising the art of ninja - the art of invisibility, and - Michelangelo!"

Mike had just got to the part about extra cheese when Splinter called his name, reminding him that his first job was to listen to Splinter. Pizza could come later. But, Mike hoped, not too much later. He got off the phone and listened to Splinter.

"You are still young, but one day I will be gone. Use my teachings wisely."

Splinter, gone? The Turtles could barely think of the idea. Sure, he was old, but-

"I suggest we all meditate now, on the events of this evening."

The old rat closed his eyes.

Splinter was terrific, there was no doubt about it and the Turtles agreed on it, but sometimes the ninja stuff went just a little bit too far for their teenage hearts. This was a time for celebration, not meditation.

Don slipped the tape into the player and Mike pushed the button. It was time to rock and roll!

"Do-doop dooby dooby wa wah!" Mike and Don began to dance to the music. Leo looked on nervously. He didn't think Splinter would like it. He was right.

Splinter was glaring at Mike and Don. "Well, uh, it's sort of like meditating, you know?" Splinter didn't seem to agree. Mike and Don turned off the music and sat down for meditation.

Raph, still upset about the loss of his sai, wasn't in a meditating or celebrating mood - at least not with his brothers. He slipped into his upper-world disguise, a trench coat and a felt hat. He told his brothers he was going to the cinema. Before anybody could object, he was out the door.

Raph was like that sometimes. The others just left him to his own ways. Besides, the pizza would be there soon. Mike looked at his watch. Twenty-three minutes, he thought. If the delivery man isn't late again.