Leonardo tightened the straps on his gear, his mind already focused on the mission ahead. The last encounter with the strange beacon still lingered in his thoughts. Something about it felt… wrong. Like they had stumbled onto something bigger than they could handle. And now, with the signals growing stronger, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking straight into something dangerous.
As he adjusted his katana, he glanced over at his brothers. Raph was crackin' his knuckles, the tension in his shoulders evident. He was always eager for a fight, but Leo knew him well enough to see the apprehension beneath his bravado. Donnie, on the other hand, was lost in his thoughts, starin' intently at his scanner. He was probably runnin' a hundred different calculations in his head, tryin' to make sense of it all. And then there was Mikey, balancin' on one foot as he adjusted his nunchaku. He seemed the most relaxed, but Leo knew better. Mikey was just as aware of the stakes as the rest of them.
Raphael exhaled sharply. "Alright, let's get this over with. The soonah we find out what's causin' this freaky signal, the soonah we shut it down."
"We don't even know what 'it' is yet," Donatello muttered. "Which is why we need to be cautious."
Leo nodded. "Agreed. Let's keep our guard up and move in as a unit. No one runs off."
Mikey grinned. "C'mon, bro, do Ieverrun off?"
All three of them turned to look at him.
"Okay, fair point," Mikey said, holdin' up his hands. "But I promise, I'll stay close."
The industrial district was even more eerie than before. The air felt heavier, charged with an unseen force. As they approached the entrance to the old subway tunnels, Donatello's scanner began to beep erratically.
"Whoa," Donnie murmured, eyes narrowin' at the screen. "The radiation levels just spiked. Whatever's down there… it's strongah than before."
Leo tightened his grip on his swords. "Then let's not waste time."
They descended into the tunnels cautiously, their footsteps echoing against the cracked concrete. The deepah they went, the more oppressive the air became. The glow from Donnie's scanner painted eerie patterns on the walls, illuminatin' strange symbols carved into the stone. Leftovahs from the cult, Leo realized.
"Guys, this place is givin' me major horror movie vibes," Mikey whispered. "Like, 'don't go into the basement' kind of vibes."
"Then stay sharp," Leo replied. "If something's down here, we need to be ready."
Then they saw her.
A girl, lyin' motionless on the cold ground.
She looked to be in her early twenties, her dark hair fanned out around her head. Her t-shirt, wrinkled and slightly torn, had bold white letters that read: 'Genetics: Because Murder is Illegal.' The phrase stood out starkly against the dim lighting, an oddly humorous yet unsettling contrast to the eerie surroundings.
Raph scoffed, crossing his arms. "Gee, what a dork. Ain't exactly the best outfit choice for gettin' lost in a creepy-ass subway tunnel."
Mikey tilted his head. "Or… is it the best choice? Maybe she's got, like, dark humor. That's kinda cool."
"Yeah, real funny," Raph muttered. "Nothin' says 'I might be up to somethin' shady' like a murder joke on your chest."
Her skin had an unnatural pallor, and the dim light from Donatello's scanner reflected off a small pendant resting against her chest.
"What the hell?" Raphael muttered, steppin' forward before Leo caught his arm.
"Wait," Leo said, his voice low. "We don't know who she is."
"She's unconscious, Leo," Donnie pointed out, already kneelin' beside her. "She's not a threat."
Raph scoffed. "Yet. For all we know, she's part of whatevah's goin' on down here. Or worse—she's the one causin' it."
"And what if she's not?" Donnie shot back. "What if she's just caught up in this like we are?"
Leo studied the girl, his instincts warin' with his logic. She didn'tlookdangerous, but that didn't mean anythin'. "We don't take risks with unknown variables. We should secure her first."
"Secure her?" Raph said incredulously. "You meancaptureher?"
Leo sighed, rubbin' his temples. "That's not what I—"
"Youalwaysdo this!" Raph growled. "Jump straight to the 'soldier mode' like everyone's the enemy!"
"Because that's what keeps us alive!" Leo shot back. "You think we can just trust her blindly? We don't knowanythingabout her!"
"And we won't know anything if we don't stop arguin' and actually help her!" Donnie cut in, his frustration clear.
"Guys—" Mikey tried to say, but the argument continued.
"I'm just sayin' we need to be careful," Leo insisted.
"And I'm sayin' maybe you need to stop seein' enemies in everyone!" Raph snapped.
"GUYS!" Mikey finally yelled, throwin' his hands up. "She's GONE!"
The three turned sharply toward where the girl had been. The empty space sent a shock through them.
"Oh,come on!" Raph groaned.
"How—how did she—?" Donnie sputtered, quickly scannin' the area. "I was right next to her!"
Leo's jaw had been so caught up in arguin' that she had slipped away right undah their noses.
"Great job, guys," Mikey muttered. "Real smooth."
Leo took a steadyin' breath. "We find her. Now."
He didn't know who she was, but he was sure of one thing—this girl was connected to the beacon. And if she knew more than they did… they needed to find her before someone else did.