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Leonardo looked out and down. Water rushed in from many points into the pool below. It looked kinda like the place he'd been with Raph that had had that alligator, except, this pool of water was way, way down there from him now. His fingers gripped the outer edge of the passageway he was in. He gulped.

Sensei climbed out of the passageway they'd crawled up through. He gabbed ahold of a thin bar that ran up past the passageway. Then he looked back to him. "We must continue on, Leonardo."

Leo pulled back into the passage. He leaned against an inner wall pressing his hand and then arm into it. He tried to think.

His father hadn't taken him out scavenging much lately. He'd replaced his time to do so with extra training to work on his balance. It was okay … Donnie and Splinter, or Splinter and Raph, always came back with more stuff than Splinter used to alone. When he went out with Mikey, he sometimes came back with more, and sometimes came back with less, but Mikey often brought back fun toys.

Leo had really wanted to prove today that he could help Splinter bring back cool stuff too. But he couldn't follow him now. He couldn't! "Y … you go on ahead, Master Splinter. I'll go around the long way."

"That could take hours, my son." Splinter kept moving up smoothly his eyes fixed on his goal. Sensei seemed not to notice his cracking voice or shaking limbs. Leo was relieved. Still, he needed to figure out a way around Master Splinter's point to get out of following him up there.

A sound of metal moving caught Leo's ears. Part of him knew Master Splinter had to know what he was doing. Another part of him, under the lower-center of his plastron, tightened at the sound.

Leo pressed his carapace harder into the passageway's wall. He tried to talk out its opening without "looking" out it. "That's okay. I could use the exercise!" It "was" the truth!

Splinter kept going as if he had not heard. Then there was another sound. This time it was of metal "breaking."

His father then made a sound Leo didn't usually hear from him: a cry of distress! The metal bar with his father clinging to it fell past him. Leo lurched away from the wall. He leaned slightly forward to watch out the opening. "Master Splinter!" Not only did the bar seem to have broken above where his master had been climbing it, it had folded now part way out to his master too.

His father was hanging from it by a corner of his kimono. He hung over churning water with broken pipes poking out from it like spears. How could Sensei have guessed wrong which pipe wouldn't break?!

He couldn't lose Master Splinter! He couldn't! But … but … it "was" Father not one of his brothers ... He "was" Master Splinter. Surely, he could take care of himself?

The part of Sensei's robe holding him to the bar began to tear. Shock jolted through Leo. His whole, leaning back form straightened at this revelation. "Oh no!"

He stood to his feet. Then he called out in a surprisingly calm voice, "Master Splinter!" He leapt up onto the pipe. He hoped he didn't dislodge it. But he "had" to help Master Splinter!

He grabbed it with both his hands. Then he swung himself up onto it to cling with all four limbs. He glanced down. "Big" mistake.

The churning water, broken pipes, and way the circular wall seemed to constrict as the distance increased … Leo snapped his gaze upward and shut his eyes. He began to scoot out to Master Splinter while saying, "Don't look down. Don't look down."

He broke the rule of his mantra somewhat to look forward and down slightly after pausing to see how much farther he had to go. Master Splinter wasn't far at all now. He looked to his father's profile. Master Splinter seemed to be looking down himself at where he would fall. Maybe he was afraid too?

Leo held his arm out straight. He opened his fingers to form a welcoming hand. Then he cried, "Grab on!"

Sensei seemed to spin to face him like a bead on the end of a string. He did reach up looking up at him now and not the water below. He gripped his wrist. Leo gripped his in return.

Elation washed throughout all of the small turtle. They were going to make it. He pulled.

Sensei was sitting on the pipe across from him. He met his gaze for a moment and took a breath of relief. Then he turned and began to climb back. They couldn't waste time! Splinter followed him. Then the pipe groaned and dipped.

Leo clung to it. He turned back to Splinter. His words nearly ran over each other. "We'll never make it back in time!"

The old rat looked back at him holding his head high. His gaze was as steady as his answering voice. "Then we must forge ahead, my son."

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes