Two More Turtles (TMNT Book 1)

Busted... Ouch...

Mikey was crawling away and I was just about to jump over him playfully, hopefully not making any noise if I landed. Donnie was heading to his area and Leo the kitchen or games. Naomi was behind Raph and I saw Raph’s hand inching toward hers before he moved it away with a glance from me.

“Ah! Sensei!” Leo exclaimed.

“And where have you been?” Splinter asked.

“No where?” Raph said.

“How did you get so hurt?” Splinter asked, pointing at all of us.

“Oh, that!” Leo said, hiding his broken swords behind his back. “Well, we were, uh…”

“Hit--” Raph said, putting a hand on his eye.

“By a--” Donnie continued.

“Bus?” Mikey finished.

Splinter rose a white eyebrow. Mikey tries to smile innocently. Splinter’s eyebrow goes farther up as Donnie turns to Mikey.

Donnie looks at Mikey, “Hit by a bus?”

“Well what was I supposed to say?” Mikey asked, looking at Leo then back at Donnie. “Meteor, cow, flying building?”

Donnie and Mikey glared at each other. Then Splinter slammed the bottom of his walking stick on the ground and we all straightened up. “Enough! Tell me what happened.”

The four guys were on their way and Naomi and I started to sneak back out when someone came up and grabbed us by the shells.

“Gyah!” I cried, trying to get away.

“And where are you going?” Mii-wa asked us, looking at each of us.

Naomi looked at her a little disappointedly. “Why change Splinter’s words into your own?”

“Because I can.” Mii-wa said. “Now, Naomi, you should be doing that favor of mine. You shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“I was going to before you caught me!” Naomi snapped as Mii-wa dropped her. Naomi caught her footing and rolled away, dusting herself off as she looked at me before heading off.

“Maybe you shouldn’t take the surface way.” Mii-wa advised Naomi.

“I knew that!” Naomi sighed, turning the other way.

As Naomi left, Mii-wa put me down. “Now you are going with those four for now.”

“Why can’t I just go with Naomi?” I asked. “I mean, it won’t hurt will it?”

“Sometimes it’s to soon to know too many things.” Mii-wa said. “So, I advise you to learn about where Naomi is going without following her.”

I blinked as Mii-wa walked off for me to think. Without much thought, I began heading to the dojo as Mikey was finishing his story about the Stockman Pod. “and then I threw hot cheese in his face and ran away.”

“Very resourceful, Michelangelo.” Splinter praised. “But I’m still highly disappointed in you all.”

I tried to back out, but Mii-wa was right there behind me and I bumped into her. She looked at me and then looked at Splinter before motioning me inside.

“We should clean up our mess.” Leo concluded with Splinter’s question about a fitting punishment.

“Yes.” Splinter agreed. “You must stop this Stockman Pod.”

“But, Sensei,” Donnie said, “That guy’s already kicked our shells, and now he’s even more powerful. How are we supposed to stop him?”

Raph hit his fast into his palm, “I know, I’ll hit him, really hard!” How does Naomi like him? He’s so single minded about things and brute force is all he really thinks about, except maybe Naomi herself.

“Brute force is not the answer.” Splinter said. “You will need to rely on your ninja training.”

“Excuse me, Sensei.” Mikey called out, “but ninjas never have to go up against guys in armor.”

I flickered my attention to Splinter’s sliding doors that led to his room as he sorta glared at Mikey. Mikey turned his attention to it as well, “Oh, I mean, ninjas always have to up against guys in armor.”

“Nice save.” I breathed out.

“Sensei, what was their secret?” Leo questioned.

Splinter turned to the last of the scene on his sliding doors. “They learned not to fight the armor, but the man inside.”

I nodded and turned to learn to leave, but Mii-wa stopped me again until the four of the guys followed me out. Is Sensei really wanting to make sure I don’t know what Naomi is up to?

Donnie looked at me suspiciously as I thought. We headed up and I could tell that I needed to talk with the one who can practically speak with machines.