Good afternoon, readers! It's been a while, hasn't it? I have been quite busy as of late, but I have broken past that and my writer's block to bring this to you today! I hope this chapter was worth the wait, so please enjoy!
Leo broke his bewildered stare upon Grayson as he heard quick footsteps approach behind him, glancing over his shoulder to see Casey shaking his head.
"We have… a serious problem." He said with exasperation.
"What kind of problem?" Raph curled his lip.
Before his question could be answered, high winds picked up as suddenly, a helicopter hovered up and over the roof, armed guards pointing guns at them from the openings of the aircraft. Grayson smirked as a rope ladder was let down.
"Release the man and put your hands up!" One of the agents shouted.
"Damn it, I'm sick of this guy getting away with murder!" Raph growled.
Leo tightened his lip, clenching his teeth. "Mikey, let him go."
Donnie hissed. "Leo, he's not going anywhere until we know where April is-"
"And we're not going to get shot down like sitting ducks, Donnie." He turned to Grayson. "This isn't over."
Grayson scoffed in response. "How cliché of you. You just don't know when to accept your position on things." He said as Mikey reluctantly let him go. He began his climb on the ladder, when suddenly, the entire helicopter lurched to the side, Grayson losing his balance and falling back into the pool below.
"Oh, shit-! Get back!" Casey shouted as the helicopter began to suddenly spin out of control. Staring in shock as the reason for the catastrophe remained unknown for the moment, they watched as the helicopter collided into several buildings until it finally broke apart in a fiery explosion. Screams of confusion and terror could be heard below, and Grayson even seemed shocked as he looked on. He furrowed a brow, not one of remorse or sympathy, but of puzzlement.
Suddenly, a gloved hand came up from over the side of the ledge, the Turtles and Casey taking another step back as they remained on guard. With the destruction behind it, in its wake, the sinister clown slowly rose onto the rooftop, Leo hissing out a breath.
"It's about bloody time you got here." Grayson tried to straighten himself out despite dripping with water, nodding behind him. "You've got your lovely group there, dispose of them as you wish."
Pennywise was silent, its grin slowly stretching across its face. It then lurched forward, hoisting Grayson up into the air as the others witnessed the unexpected event.
"The hell do you think you're doing?! Put me down, you animal!" Grayson shouted lividly.
"Wait a second, don't those two work together-" Raph was stopped by Leo, who held his arm out and shook his head.
"I don't know what's going on, but we need to be careful." Leo whispered.
"Leo, Grayson knows where April is, we can't let him-" Donnie gasped when Pennywise decided to dangle Grayson over the edge of the rooftop, the destroyed helicopter below as it lay in a fiery junk pile. When his angry shouting quickly transitioned to desperate cries, the arrogant, fearless man was suddenly reduced to a whimpering mess.
"What's the matter, buddy boy? I thought you liked long trips?" Pennywise asked.
"We forged a pact-! I'm not the one that threatens you, they are! Kill them!" Grayson pleaded.
"Oh, don't worry about that, pal. I'll have my turtle soup any day now. But before that, I have an election to foil. People like you now… so you're no fun anymore." Its voice deepened. "You wanted me to frame the reptile squad over there, didn't you? Well, I'm going to make this your biggest story yet, bucko. This city will be crawling with fear once you've kicked the bucket."
"N- No, please, a- anything but this, anything!" Grayson's voice cracked as he looked over his shoulder at the distance between him and the ground, his eyes widening. When he glanced up, his breath was caught in his throat when beside him, upon the ledge, was a very familiar face. "… Rose…?"
In the next moment, Leo had to hold Donnie back as Pennywise released its grip, Grayson disappearing from view. He clenched his teeth as he fell, his eyes on Rose as her apparition fell with him. However, when he finally hit the pavement many stories below, it was only him, motionless as blood pooled around his broken body.
The turtles were silent, glancing at one another as Casey looked on. Pennywise then turned swiftly and rigidly, its attention upon them now.
"This asshole wants a showdown, he's going to get one." Raph cracked his knuckles.
"No." Leo said, taking a step forward. "We're the only thing standing in between you and this city, aren't we?" He asked. "Well, you can have us."
"What?! Dude, no way!" Mikey exclaimed.
Leo looked back over at Pennywise after hushing his brother. "You can have us on one condition. You tell us where you are keeping April. She's our friend, and we're not going to stop looking for her until you stop us. So… we'll have our match there. Us, against you. If we lose, you reap the reward. If we do go down, though… we're going down together. And that includes April." As he spoke, Donnie silently glanced between him and Pennywise- he prayed that the sadistic monster would accept the bargain and tell them where it had her. After a few moments of tense silence, it finally spoke.
"Well then... it'll be a grand spectacle then, won't it?"
Just then, the door to the rooftop burst open behind them, Rebecca making her way towards them with a small team of officers. Upon seeing the turtles and Casey, she commanded her team to halt.
"What the hell happened here?!" She exclaimed.
"A lot." Casey said flatly as he looked out upon the destruction. "Grayson's dead." She looked over at him in shock at this. "That thing killed him. So now, if it doesn't kill us, this city will when they pin his death on us."
Rebecca shook her head, her eyes wide. "What have we gotten ourselves into this time, Jones?"
"Something that hopefully we can get out of alive." Leo said as he approached them. "One thing is certain. It wants Casey. Somehow, he is the only one who can stop it."
Donnie whirled back around, grunting with frustration when he realized that Pennywise had used her sudden intrusion as a distraction to escape them.
"Damn it! Grayson's dead and we got nothing out of him, and now the circus freak is on the loose again and IT didn't tell us anything either! How the hell are we supposed to find April now?!" Raph exclaimed.
Donnie stopped for a moment, his brows furrowing in thought. "Pennywise... is known for scouring the sewers, isn't he?"
"Pfft, copycat." Mikey rolled his eyes.
"Well, technically we would be copying it, being it's been around for a lot longer than we have-"
"Donnie." Raph snapped.
"Anyhow... how did he word it- he said that our final showdown will be a... wait a second- wait a second-!" He whirled around. "Leo, Leo!" He exclaimed, shoving past Raph and Mikey. "Leo, listen to me, I-"
"Donnie, hang on one second, I'm updating Rebecca on what-"
"I know where she is, Leo!" Donnie's voice cracked. "I know where April is!"
At this, Leo, Rebecca and Casey exchanged shocked glances, looking back at Donnie for an explanation. "Jones." Rebecca turned. "Go with Sherlock and his Watsons here. I'll give you a head start. The press should be here any second. If they see any of you, you're done for." Casey nodded in response, he and the turtles about to depart. "And Jones?" He glanced over his shoulder at her call. "Get this done."
As the five made their way through the quiet, empty terminal, Donnie stopped to glance at his tracker.
"Donnie. Are you sure about this?" Leo asked.
"This has to be where they are, Leo." Donnie turned. "The last thing it said to us was 'it'll be a grand spectacle.' You remember what April researched. This thing slinks through drain pipes, sewers, underground spaces. It was giving us a hint; the Grand Central Terminal."
"What if this is some kind of trap, huh?" Raph asked. "Bringing us down here so it can take us out, one by one?"
"Why couldn't it have taken April to a pizza store...?" Mikey groaned. "At least I would know she was eating something tasty all this time." The others glanced at him with flat expressions. "What? Come on, there is nothing that can't be solved by pizza!"
"Will you be serious about this?!" Donnie exclaimed.
"Both of you, shut up for a second." Casey held a hand up, furrowing a brow as he took a step forward. "I heard something. Come on."
The group proceeded forth, eventually stopping in an area with several archways leading to a different portion of the abandoned terminal.
"Oh come on! It's going to take us forever to search this place!" Raph threw his hands up.
"Not if we each take an area." Casey said.
"No." Leo turned. "That's what it wants. Split us up, take us down one at a time, like Raph said." He glanced over at his brother, whose expression softened as he nodded.
Casey exhaled slowly. "I can try... to do that mind thing."
"Any downsides to that we should know about in advance?" Donnie asked.
"Only one way to find out." Casey replied, closing his eyes as he inhaled slowly. As he did this, Mikey tensed up when he thought he heard something skittering behind him, whirling around as he bit his lip. When he saw only rats scurrying about, he sighed with relief. Just then, he furrowed his brows.
"I smell something weird." He said aloud.
"Be quiet, Mikey." Donnie snapped.
Before he could reply, a ring of fire suddenly illuminated around Mikey, causing him to scream. Fire was one of his fears, crying for his brothers when he realized he was surrounded by the raging blaze.
"Mikey, hang on brother!" Raph shouted, running toward the flames, only for them to grow. "Leo, what do we do?" He shouted. "Mikey's in there!"
Just then, thick, black smoke began to rise, a pair of burning red eyes illuminating from within as a sinister smile stretched across the smog. Mikey was plucked from the ring of flame, the cloudy essence zipping past them and down a corridor, Mikey's cries echoing as he was taken against his will.
"Mikey!" Donnie shouted, sprinting down the corridor after him. He extended his bo, using it to swing around corners and increase his speed. He was barely able to keep his younger brother in sight, the others running after him until they all reached the main corridor.
"Shit, I don't hear him!" Raph shouted, the group moving through the corridor as they desperately searched for the youngest turtle.
"Mikey, give us a sign that you're alright!" Leo shouted. Just then, a clatter was heard behind them, Casey the first to see Mikey's nunchukus.
A chunk of one seemed to have been bitten off, teeth marks gouged into the smooth wood.
Donnie ran his hands down the sides of his head as he shook it. "Oh no. Nononono this cannot be happening-"
"Woah..." Mikey came out from around one of the pillars, picking up the weapon from off the ground. "Heh. This must have been tasty, huh?"
Leo sighed with relief. "Mikey... you're alright. Look, we don't have time for joking around. We have people to save."
"And clown asses to beat." Raph cracked his knuckles.
Mikey shrugged. "Better make this quick, then." Donnie reeled back as Mikey's smile began to stretch frighteningly wide, sharp teeth extending as he was about to devour the rest of the wooden weapon.
"You son of a bitch, what did you do with my brother?!" Raph shouted, charging forward.
"Raph, wait!" Donnie shouted, about to intercept his enraged brother when he was shoved harshly to the side, skidding on his shell until his head collided with one of the old, tiled walls. His vision was blurred, groaning as he struggled to sit up. The sounds of his brothers fighting against the creature were muffled, in a daze as he finally managed to rest his shell against the wall. His vision wandered, finally settling and focusing on something. When it began to clear, his breath became caught in his throat as he realized that he was staring at someone levitating in midair a short distance from him. "Oh my- April? April?!" Donnie's voice cracked as he scrambled to his feet, running over to her.
Meanwhile, Leo gasped when he caught sight of something himself. "Mikey!" He rushed over to one of the pillars, skidding to a stop and kneeling down. "Are you alright, are you hurt?" He asked.
"It took my only weapon, Leo..." Mikey whimpered, shaking his head. "What am I supposed to do...?"
Leo tightened his lips, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Listen to me. Remember what sensei taught us. Your true weapon is in here." He motioned to his chest. "The one in our hand is just an extension of that. I believe in you, Mikey, I believe in all my brothers. We can do this."
Mikey nodded, taking his brother's hand. "Let's help Raph beat the final boss level!" He nodded. Leo rolled his eyes with a smirk before they charged into battle.
Casey clenched his teeth, shaking his head as he found difficulty focusing. As Pennywise swiped a clawed hand at Rafael, Leo slashed at it with one of his swords, making the creature hiss as it reeled back a bit.
"See... you thought you could break us apart." He shook his head. "We're not just brothers... we are always there for one another. And it's not just us, either. We will never stop until you are no longer a threat to us, our friends, and this city. So you can try all you want... but with my brothers by my side, I will never be afraid of what comes at me."
Just then, Pennywise slowly smirked. "Did you forget how to count, buddy boy?"
Leo tilted his head, glancing behind him as he narrowed his eyes a bit. "Donnie. Where is Donnie?"
"Casey!" Mikey suddenly shouted, causing Leo to whirl back around. Upon doing so, he swore under his breath when they saw Pennywise had moved rather quickly, holding Casey hostage.
"You know... you all think you're pretty smart for overgrown lizards, don't you? Well, your last hope is nothing but a juvenile delinquent, isn't he? Won't be so pretty anymore when I'm through with him- sorry, ladies!" Pennywise cackled.
"Let him go!" Mikey cried.
"Mikey, he's not going to listen to you." Raph narrowed his eyes.
"Oh, I can almost taste the turtle soup now... you know, that big stupid turtle in space thought he was all high and mighty too. The more, the merrier my feast will be... you know what's as good as fear? Despair... a nice sauce with my seasoning. Sucking the hope out of your puny little heads is like sucking the fat out of a big, juicy steak..." Pennywise hissed. "So, Jonesy boy... you have enough words in your vocabulary to say anything before your good looks go down the drain?"
Casey grimaced, his brows furrowing deeply as his eyes darted to the turtles. "Sorry, you guys." He choked out. "Whatever you do... save April." He shook his head. "She's stronger than me. She always has been."
Donnie grunted as he extended his bo, poking it through one of the belt loops of her jeans as he pulled her down from midair. Once she was close enough, he grabbed her, his bo clattering to the ground as she became limp in his arms. "April, April, open your eyes." He patted her face several times before fumbling for one of his devices in an attempt to take her vitals. "I'm here now." He muttered as he held her face up with one of his large hands. His breathing deepened when she remained unresponsive. "I promised to be there... to not let anything happen to you... and I wasn't, but I am now. You saved us, saved me... please let me save you, April." He began to rock back and forth lightly. "You are a paradox, April." A lump formed in his throat. "How could you be my greatest strength and my greatest weakness at the same time?" He asked as his large fingers pet her hair. As the moments passed, he knew the percentage of her waking up again was decreasing exponentially.
At one time not long ago, he would have done anything for her to love him.
Now, he was willing to do anything for her to live.
Donnie slowly took off his glasses, hugging April to him as he choked out a sob. He muffled his cries with one hand, holding her with the other. He drew back after a few moments, gently placing a kiss on her forehead. He then placed a lingering kiss upon her lips, shutting his eyes tightly as he rested his forehead against hers.
When the sound of an intake of breath was heard, Donnie felt his heart skip a beat. Believing it was his imagination, he fumbled for his glasses, placing them back on as he looked upon her to confirm if it was indeed in his mind.
When he determined that it wasn't...
"Donnie...?" April groaned, her eyelids fluttering as she shifted a bit in his arms. "... How did you find me...?" She mumbled.
Donnie choked out a laugh, tucking some hair behind her ear tenderly as his face became moist with fresh tears. "Through wit, logic, and sheer willpower, April." He managed to say. "I can't begin to describe what I'm feeling right now, April."
"I can describe how I feel..." She sat up, wincing. "And it's not great." She blinked when she felt his arms hug her close to him, slowly becoming more alert. "Uh... Donnie?"
"I love you, April." He said with conviction, drawing back as she stared at him in surprise. "I don't care if you love me back or not. I will never stop trying to protect you." He held her face as she furrowed her brows. "When you've lost your way, I will always find you in the dark."
Her lips parted slightly, about to say something when they heard commotion not far from them. "Donnie!" Leo was heard shouting.
April glanced over at him. "Pennywise..." She muttered as everything came back to her. "Donnie... we can't leave this terminal without taking that thing down." Donnie shot his arms out to help her as she began to get to her feet. "It used me to bait you here- please tell me Casey isn't with you." She stopped when Donnie hesitated, groaning. "Oh, this is not good."
Meanwhile, Raph hissed as Pennywise began to extend its jaw, Casey wincing as he braced for the worst. "Leo, let me go find him-"
"No, we're going to have to handle this ourselves!" Leo exclaimed.
Raph cried out, unsheathing one of his daggers and tossing it at Pennywise. The weapon embedded itself in its forehead, the creature shrieking before sinking its teeth into Casey's shoulder.
"We're coming for you, dude!" Mikey shouted, about to charge at them when Pennywise was yanked from behind, dragged back so that Casey was released. Donnie grunted as he used his bo as a restraint, allowing Casey to collect himself. Pennywise growled, taking hold of the bo and flipping Donnie over his head. He landed on his back, trying to keep a hold on his weapon as Pennywise hissed and snapped at him, its face warping to imitate April.
"Come on baby, give me a kiss!" It shouted in dual voices, cackling as drooled onto his face.
"Sick!" Mikey winced.
"Come on, we've got to help him!" Leo shouted.
"PENNYWISE!" A voice sounded from behind them, causing the creature to whip its head over its shoulder. Donnie used its distraction to his advantage, whirling around on his shell and kicking the creature, knocking it down. When he did, he hopped to his feet, glaring upon it darkly.
"Eat this, funny guy." He said before flipping a switch on his bo, jabbing it at the creature's back as electrical currents surged through the weapon. Pennywise emitted a shrill scream, the violet hue reflecting in Donnie's eyes before he staggered back. Pennywise slowly lifted its head as smoke rose from it, April standing before him as she inhaled slowly.
"Casey." She called his name, her eyes flickering up to look at him. "We have to do this, now."
The young man straightened up, shaking his head. "April, I tried. I can't do it."
"We weren't able to save our families, but we can do this now, Casey." She extended her hand. "We have to leave this place behind now."
As Casey exhaled slowly, nodding and making his way to her, Raph took a step forward, Leo holding an arm out to stop him.
"No." He spoke lowly, his gaze meeting his brother's. "They have to do this. It's up to them now." As he said this, Donnie took a step back, the four brothers standing side by side as Casey joined April's, taking her hand and holding it.
Pennywise slowly rose, their gazes meeting as they were about to begin a battle none of them had ever experienced.
This battle of the minds would spell the difference between their salvation or their doom.
And the intensity continues! So, what did you think? Did Grayson have it coming? Can April and Casey overcome Pennywise in a battle of the minds? Stay tuned for future chapters to find out! Thank you so much for your patience and for reading. Leave a review of your thoughts, and I'll see you next time!