Chapter 3: 24 hours

Leonardo led his brothers and Ninjara to the city. The situation was really chaotic. People were really scared when they looked at the towers of World Trade Center. The police tried to keep the friends and relatives of the prisoners calm but that was really difficult because they were really hysteric. Leonardo felt sorry for them and wanted to get all the hostages saved. However, he knew that it would be really difficult. He stopped.

"Hey, why did you stop, Leo?" Donatello asked.

"Yeah! Are we going to save the innocent people or go to Finland?" Raphael growled.

"I was just thinking..." Leonardo murmured.

"Of pizza?" Michelangelo suggested.

"April. She seemed so terrified, and I don't see her here. Maybe she's one of the hostages too!" Leonardo said.

"Hmm, that would be possible", Donatello admitted.

"Are we going to waste time with this wondering or finish the Shredder!" Raphael sounded impatient.

"Calm down, Raph. We have to be patient now. One of our friends may be there, and the Shredder may have plans for her!" Leonardo said.

"Well, what's the plan, Leo?" Michelangelo asked.

"We have to find out what Shredder is planning, and the only way to do that is to obey him. Let's go to him and do whatever he says. It's the only way find out if he has April there and how many paople we have rescue!" Leonardo said.

"Good idea," Donatello said.

"Let's go then!" Raphael shouted.

"Yeah! Prepare to meet Michelangelo, Shredder!" Michelangelo added.

"Believe me, nobody wants to meet Michelangelo- he causes a terrible headache and lots of nightmares!" Raphael whispered to Ninjara who giggled.

Leonardo led them to World Trade Center, and they entered it.

"Is this the right building? It would a bad thing if we were in the wrong building!" Raphael growled.

"Yeah! That would be an embarrassing mistake!" Michelangelo added.

"My holographic radar says that the Shredder is in this building", Donatello answered.

"So we are in the right building. I'd kill someone if we had done something wrong", Raphael murmured.

"Do you mean me, Raph?" Leonardo asked.

"Why do you think that you are always the center of everything?" Raphael asked.

"I'm the leader. I led us here with my instincts", Leonardo answered.

"Oh yeah. That's true! So you would be the only one to blame if something went wrong. Thanks for reminding me!" Raphael said.

"No problemo, amigo!" Leonardo said.

"He even sounds like me!" Michelangelo whispered to Raphael.

"Shut up, Mike!" Raphael growled.

They entered the room where the Shredder was. He was surrounded by a huge number of the Foot Soldiers. There were no hostages in that room. The Shredder looked really powerful there, in the light of a few candles. Leonardo looked at him with an angry expression on his face.

"OK, Shredder, what do you want from us!" he growled.

"Calm down, Leonardo. We have to talk about many things", Shredder said calmly. Leonardo had a terrible feeling. Something was going on, but he didn't know what it was, and that terrified him. He got his courage back and asked:

"Where's April O'Neil?"

"Oh, you want your friend back. Don't worry, everything is OK with her", Shredder said.

"Do you want me to repeat the question?" Leonardo shouted.

"I have a mission for you. If you want your friend back, you have to give Donatello to me!" Shredder said.

"ME?" Donatello screamed.

"Why him?" Leonardo asked.

"To save the hostages and your friend. If you don't do that, I'll kill my hostages, including Miss O'Neil", Shredder answered.

"Do you have any particular reason to take Donatello?" Raphael asked angrily.

"I need his knowledge to create a bomb that destroys the whole world!" Shredder replied.

"I will NEVER surrender to you!" Donatello shouted.

"Well, what is your answer, Leonardo?" Shredder asked.

"Let me think of this, Shredder. This decision came too fast to me. I want to discuss this with Master Splinter", Leonardo replied.

"You have 24 hours time to decide what you will do- save the hostages or let them die!" Shredder said. Then he and the Foot Soldiers disappeared. Leonardo's heart beat in his chest like a wild drum.

"What a decision to make! Either the hostages or Don... What will we do?" Ninjara asked.

"Let's go home. We have amny things to think of", Leonardo growled.

"I don't want to help the Shredder to destroy Earth!" Donatello screamed.

"I know- and you won't do that, I promise that", Leonardo said.

"OK", Donatello said. They went home to tell Splinter everything.