Leo

I strapped my kneepads on in the pit of the common room. You'd think such a simple task wouldn't take more than a couple minutes, yet it felt like I had been sitting there for much longer. My stomach was churning like one of Mikey's pizza shakes in a blender. I swallowed in a gag just thinking about that horrid concoction; it wasn't helping my nausea. I only get this way when I feel something terrible is going to happen. Not the best way to start our night.

We were to ambush Tiger Claw at the docks and take this new weapon before it could end up in Shredder's possession, but something inside me was begging, screaming not to. How could I ignore a mission so critical? Any weapon Shredder obtained could be used against New York, or worse, my family. Why couldn't my gut accept that fact? I'd have to be extra cautious. Nothing could go wrong.

There was an abrupt hand on my shoulder, and Donatello sat next to me. "Having trouble there?" He indicated at my kneepads.

I replied with a half-hearted playful sneer, shaking away his comment as I finished my task.

"So, what's on your mind?" Donnie asked me.

I held back a surprised expression. It was no mystery that my second youngest brother was the most observant—he was a scientist, after all. I could tell he was theorizing my behavior at this moment, prepared to pick apart how I answered and conclude his own response because Lord knows I won't be truthful.

"Nothing, really," I finally sighed, "Just want to get this weapon somewhere safe."

"Yeah, and what else? Because we both know there's more," Donnie said.

I shook my head. "There's nothing more. Let's get Raph and Mike."

I barely made it halfway through the pit before Donnie had a grip on my shoulder again, stopping my pace cold. He was somewhat persistent tonight, and I wasn't in the mood for interrogation until we got this mission done and over with so I could finally breathe.

"Come on, Leo. We've all noticed that something's been plaguing you the past few days. I know you wouldn't let any of us get away with it, so why should you? We tell each other everything."

My body deflated, and I dropped my head. He was absolutely correct in saying I would be hounding him, Raph, and Mikey if I had an inkling one of them was holding something in. I strived for honesty in my team, and here my younger brother was flipping my methods against me.

Damn his perspicacion.

"I've had this feeling since I woke up yesterday. Remember when Sensei was lecturing us about trusting our gut, how a ninja should be prepared for anything?"

Donnie nodded, listening attentively to my every word.

"At first, I thought it had something to do with last night's recon, hence why I was tough on Mikey. But now… I believe it has something to do with this weapon. There's something wrong about all this, like something is destined to go wrong. Sounds ridiculous, right?"

Donnie shook his head. "No. Many documented cases prove that listening to a sense of foreboding can get you out of dangerous situations. Maybe in a different universe, this mission has proven failure."

"That doesn't ease my stress, Don," I muttered.

"Are you going to call off the mission?"

"We can't let a weapon end up in Shredder's hands. Whatever it is, it's safer with us. We'll just have to be extra cautious tonight."

Donnie nodded thoughtfully. "I trust you."

Oh, that made me feel even worse, but I didn't let my brother see. If something were to go wrong like I feared, that would be the last thing I heard in my head.

I trust you.

Instead, I conjured up my most easygoing grin toward Donnie, seizing my turn to clutch his shoulder and give it a comforting squeeze. "Come on. Let's find Mike and Raph."

We found the two in the kitchen grabbing something to eat before we headed out. I could smell the familiar scent of Mikey's pizza sandwiches (a toasted sandwich with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni with pizza dipping sauce) hanging in the air. Nausea crept back up, and I held back a grimace to spare my youngest brother's feelings when he offered to make me one. Donnie took the offer, and Mikey started making another.

After hearing the butter crackling on a pan and enthusiastic humming from Mikey, Donnie's meal was ready. I placed my hands on the table and stood to gain attention once my brothers were seated at the center island.

"Alright, guys. Let's talk about tonight's mission before we head out," I said.

"What's there to discuss? Aren't we just going to pound Tiger Claw and take that weapon?" Raphael asked.

I deflated again, just a little, but after meeting Donnie's encouraging gaze, I stiffened back into place. "Not anymore. We ambush, snatch the weapon, and retreat. No pounding unless absolutely necessary."

"Aw, why?" Raph griped.

As always, my brother in red had to make discussions like this tough. I didn't want to explain myself again how I felt like this was a bad idea in the first place.

"We don't even know what this weapon is. Tiger Claw could try to use it against us if we have to fight," Donnie added.

Thank you, Donatello.

"Yeah, I guess." Raph folded his burly arms over his plastron with a disappointed scowl.

My eyes shifted over to Mikey, who was in the process of finishing off his third pizza sandwich, licking his fingers with a satisfied hum. A flicker of irritation sparked in me, forcing my eye to twitch. Thinking back to the conversation he and I shared last night smothered my frustration quickly.

"I try to act and think like you guys, but my brain just doesn't let me."

I summoned all my patience and exhaled slowly like I would for meditation.

"Mikey. Have you been listening?" I asked tolerantly.

My baby brother's eyes expanded. He sat up straight, lacing his fingers atop the counter and smiling sweetly at me. "Of course, bro. But let's do a quick recap in case Donnie forgot already."

"What?" Donnie snapped, gritting his teeth at Mikey.

Mikey gestured to him. "See? Wasn't even paying attention."

I glowered at Mikey, knowing darn well that he hadn't been listening. His eyes drooped, and he tilted his head down as if awaiting a hurtful scolding from me.

"It's okay, Mikey. I'll repeat myself just this once, so pay better attention," I said.

Mikey raised his eye ridges in surprise. Raph and Donnie blinked at me. I didn't address their reactions, but why was it so shocking to see me being patient toward my little brother? Had I been that mean lately? I pushed that thought down and restated the plan slowly for Mikey.

"What do we do with the weapon when we have it?" Mikey asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. All that matters is that it stays out of Shredder's reach." I glanced at the clock. 11:00 at night. "We need to move if we want to beat Tiger Claw to the docks.

We were up and moving after that. My churning stomach was relentless as we exited the lair with weapons and smoke bombs in tow, but there was no turning back; I'd made up my mind. This mysterious weapon was as good as ours.

Mikey

It was 11:58. My brothers and I sat crouched on top of some shipping crates, getting an excellent lookout at the shadowy ocean ahead. I could hardly see past the lights on the docks, but Donnie reassured me that Tiger Claw's boat should have a light so we'd know he was near. I waited and waited for a light to blink on the horizon, but nothing appeared.

I released a sigh of boredom, looking over to Raph on my left. He was getting antsy; I could tell by the way he twirled one of his sais with a brooding look stitched to his face.

"If you sigh one more time, I'll turn your shell inside out," he threatened without sparing me a glance.

Had I been sighing a lot? Oh well.

"I'm bored," I whined.

"Well, don't be."

I rested my head in my hand, visibly pouting for any of my brothers to see, but their gazes were sewn to the ocean. The longer we sat there waiting for that overgrown kitty to show up, the more I wondered about what this weapon could be. A giant, glowy, Kraang-like gun appeared in my imagination. Then I pictured the Shredder holding it, and it seemed unreasonable. I think Donnie said it was coming from Japan, so could it be some kind of ninja weapon? Like a kamayari or a tetsubo? I kept in a gasp. What if it was a shuriken that could explode?

"Donnie, are you sure we're at the correct docks?" Leo asked, letting down his binoculars.

"Yes. He'll show," Donnie confirmed.

"What if his trip got delayed, and I could have been smashing some Purple Dragon's heads in with Casey this whole time?" Raph asked, pounding his fist into his hand.

"Then we'll camp here until he shows. We have to get that weapon," Leo claimed, placing his binoculars back and surveying the waters.

My shell to his, I looked back up, squinting my eyes at something in the distance. Holy chalupa! I saw a light!

"Yo, dudes! I see something," I called, pointing to the faint light on the horizon.

Leo perked, standing up and pointing his binoculars in that direction. "It's too far to tell if it's him, but it's a small boat for sure."

Just then, the sound of tires burning on the tarmac suddenly alerted my brothers and me. We snapped our heads to the right to spot a large van pulling into the docks. A familiar zombie wolf and walking fish exited the vehicle. Rahzar's big, glowing eyes scrutinized the area, and before I could think to meld into the darkness, someone had tugged me behind a crate roughly, nearly giving me shell-lash.

"Mikey," Leo hissed in my ear in a hushed tone. "I said to vanish."

I blinked. "You did?"

My brother in red poked behind the crate, turning back to us with a confused look. "What are they doing here? Donnie, did they say they would be coming?"

"No," Donnie replied nervously with a vigorous head shake.

"It makes sense. We shouldn't have expected Tiger Claw to just walk to Shredder's lair," Leo said.

"Well, fearless, is the plan still on?" Raph asked, his hands inching toward his sais.

"I'm thinking," Leo said.

I peered my head from behind our hiding spot. Tiger Claw's boat had already docked, and his buddies were tying the boat down while the kitty rummaged through his things. He stood straight, showing the bad guys what looked like a six-foot-long case, long and skinny enough to hold Donnie's bow. That couldn't be the weapon, could it? Once my gaze rested on the case, I felt a harsh pang in my head, like a bunch of Raphs were beating me down. I shook away the weird pain, looking back to my bros, who were still brewing a plan.

"Bros, TC's got the weapon," I said.

They stopped their arguing cold, peering from behind me to look for themselves.

"That can't be it," Raph denied.

"I don't see him carrying anything else," Donnie said.

Shredder's henchman started walking to the van, and I felt a sense of panic rising in my chest. My eyes wouldn't leave the case, forcing that strange beating in my head to return. Not only that, but there was a faint, rhythmic vibration in my ears, like drums in a parade. The farther they walked away from us, the more it faded. What kind of weapon makes a sound like that?

"They're leaving!" I gasped.

"Mikey, smoke bomb," Leo ordered.

I pulled a little egg from my belt at my older bro's command, throwing it at the three bad guys from below. The rest of us instantly knew his plan. Once the purple smoke shrouded our enemies, Leo jumped down with the grace of a cat and disappeared with them. Amid hysterical coughing and confusion, my oldest bro reappeared with the case in tow, flipping, and landing before us. That vibration I felt before was much more powerful. I winced, wondering how the shell Leo was holding it without at least a grimace.

"Go!" he shouted.

We each aimed our grappling hooks, made purchase with a nearby building and flew off.

"Spider-Turtle, Spider-Turtle, does whatever a spider can," I sang as we launched toward the next building.

"Spider-Dork is more like it," Raph joked.

My brothers and I landed on a rooftop, and I punched Raph's shoulder, who laughed. As my bros raised their grappling hooks and aimed at the next building, I felt the need to look behind me, and what I saw made me shriek. Tiger Claw flew straight for us with his jetpack, and his claws were targeted at Leo!

"Look out!" I screeched, pulling back my oldest brother just as Tiger Claw soared by fast as a rocket ship.

Leo gritted his teeth at the cat, unsheathing one of his katanas with another hand secured around the case. The rest of us followed his lead, brandishing our weapons and waiting for his order.

"Pesky turtles!" Tiger Claw bellowed, descending slowly to the roof. "I don't know how you got wind of our plans, but you will not succeed. Give me back the case, and I'll ensure to end you swiftly."

"Forget it, Tiger Claw," Leo said.

The overgrown cat growled and launched at us with an angry roar. I felt my heart leap into my throat as I dodged with my brothers out of the way. I was somewhat relieved that we were only fighting Tiger Claw, we could have been fighting him along with Razar and Fish Face, but they were too far away to stop us.

Our enemy circled back around, flying straight for Leo with his paws extended for the case. Leo looked to the closest brother to him—Raph—and threw the case at him. Raph tucked and rolled, recovering and catching the item with care. When the tiger collided with Leo, he had already unsheathed his second katana and crossed the blades to block his face, smacking the ground with a grunt.

Tiger Claw drew his guns and fired as Donnie and I charged. We ducked and dodged, dispersing to throw off the cat's aim. Donnie dove behind a wall, and I behind a satellite. We listened for the sound of Tiger Claw having to reload. When it came, we rushed again, raining down blows on him as much as we could just before he swatted downward, catching Donnie and slamming him to the ground. My heart thrashed in my chest when I saw Tiger Claw aim a gun at Donnie's head while he was down. I flung my kusarigama chain and slapped the gun from his hold, belting my battle cry. The hulking tiger snarled at me and turned, reaching for his machete.

"Jeez, TC, who spat in your catnip?" I teased with a smirk.

I'll admit, it wasn't the brightest idea to antagonize him while he was going for his blade, but my comment bought Donnie time to crawl away from him.

"Your smart mouth won't save you, cub," Tiger Claw growled, ready to advance on me with his machete. Leo and Raph flanked him just before he could, dropping down their blades with the fierceness of a roaring fire. Raph's sai plunged into Tiger Claw's jetpack and made it sparkle like when I accidentally microwaved my pizza in tin foil. The kitty roared with fury, shaking my oldest brothers off him.

Raph landed on his shell, dropping the case with a grunt. I gasped, realizing it was my turn to grab the thing. I zoomed over and snatched it before our enemy could, putting as much distance as I could from him.

The case trembled in my hold, and I felt a sense of uneasiness. The pulsation I felt before thrashed my eardrums so severely that I couldn't hear my environs. I clenched my teeth through the pain, turning to see my brothers holding back the tiger from pursuing me. Leo was spouting an order at me, but I couldn't comprehend it. He made eye contact with me, obviously pleading something. I tried to read his lips in a last, futile attempt to understand.

"Get the cat to the pound?" I shouted over the tremor.

"Get to high ground!" Leo screamed as Tiger Claw ripped my brothers off him, locking his yellow eyes on me.

I aimed my grappling hook at a higher building as I could just feel Tiger Claw reaching out to stop me. My body jerked upward, and I looked back as I soared, seeing his claws missed me by mere inches. He jumped up to stop me, his jetpack sputtering and ultimately dying. I still couldn't hear very well, but I could tell he was roaring furiously, watching my bros and me flying away.

We stopped to rest when we knew Tiger Claw was long gone so Donnie could patch up a scratch he had received when he was slammed down. I watched him with a frown, remembering the fear that crept inside me when our enemy went to finish him off. I shook it off because, unfortunately, the vibration in my ears distracted me from all my thoughts. The case was in Leo's grasp yet again, and it was still bothering me. Finally, I clasped my hands over my ears.

"Ugh! Why would Shred-Head want that thing anyway? It's too loud."

My outburst startled my brothers. Once they understood what I had said, they casted weird glares at one another.

"Mikey, what do you mean it's too loud?" Leo asked.

I blinked at them. "Do you dudes not hear the vibrations?"

Panic rose in me as I watched their faces melt from bewilderment to concern. They looked at each other again before reacquainting my anxious gaze.

"No," they said in unison.


I hope the fight with Tiger Claw was good enough. I'm hoping to get better with fight scenes! Let me know what you think, and as always, I hope you have a great day!