To Death and Back...

[Ch.2]: The Sewers

~

Leo made a quick turn and rushed down the sewer cavern. As soon as he read Mikey's text, he had leaped up and stumbled out of his room for the training area and sliced his katanas over a large whetstone wheel they kept there to sharpen blades, tightened his mask and grabbed a cloak lying on a chair in the kitchen area before dashing to the entrance and tripping on his way out, in his manic rush. If Mikey was hurt, he could strip it for bandages.

He slid to a stop at the edge of the walkway, and looked at the runoff water. In this area, rainwater drained in and made its way to other sewer conduits, but there was always a large amount that stayed here. When it rained heavily, especially as Leo knew it had just recently, there was always a strong current running somewhere through the place, but the location where it was strongest would change. Most of the time, the current was running so that the old sewer spot was inaccessible, but at a certain time, you could get there - in through a little opening deep under the water, in the side of the wall. However, the current was the only way to get there, and he wouldn't be able to leave, once inside, for about an hour - and swimming against the force of the water put you in danger of drowning.

Thank goodness he had come at just the right time, Leo thought, and braced the cloak around him.

"Leo?" He suddenly heard.

"Mikey-?" He wondered aloud, looking around. Instead, he spotted Raph and Donnie hurrying down the cavern to where he was. He turned towards them.

"You guys? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing," Raph said, running up to Leo with Donnie.

"We got a text from Mikey saying hurry and come to the old sewer spot," Donnie said.

"He must have sent it to all of us, then." Leo looked at his Tphone. "I got it, too."

"What do you think his 'emergency' is?" Raph asked, suddenly doubtful.

"It doesn't matter," Leo turned. "If he needs us, we have to go help. Come on, let's go see."

Leaping in diver-style, Leo jumped right into the current in the water, sweeping him to the secret passageway. The other two followed after him.

They came up out of the water into the peacefully quiet, dimly-lit room, and swam to the wall. Climbing up a ladder, they went up to the round-about walkway encircling the room, and looked around. It was the same as it had always been - giant pipes stuck up out of the water in the middle of the room, all twisted around and intertwined, like a giant steel forest, and went up into their own little passageways way up in the walls. The one grate at the top of the room dripped water into the pool below. The guys used to love playing on the pipes, and occasionally, seeing where their passages lead to. On the far side of the room was the large platform that was almost at level with the water, where they used to jump off and explore the grates on the floor below.

But one thing was missing -

Mikey.

"Where is the little liar?" Raph asked, looking around.

"Mikey? Are you here?" Leo called, in case he was hiding somewhere in the pipes.

After a minute, Donnie said, "I don't think he's here. Why'd he get us all to come?"

"There must be some reason," Leo said, going along the walkway to the platform on the other side. "I get a feeling there is."

Looking around, Donnie and Raph started exploring the place, too - for signs of Mikey, and for old time's sake. They hadn't been here in a long time.