"It smells horrible," Carrie complains.
"Well we are walking through the sewers," April says.
Carrie frowns. "What are we doing down here?"
"Hiding."
"We could just go back and barricade my apartment."
"Maybe we could have done that if you hadn't followed me."
Carrie stops. "Oh, this is my fault? You shouldn't have sneaked out-"
"Sneaked?"
"I'm tired. The point is: you were gone. I'm liable for you."
April squints her eyes and shakes her head. "I don't think that's how that works. I'm liable for myself."
"Sure it is." Carrie shrugs. "So, why'd you leave?"
"I can't tell you that."
"You have to. We were literally chased by robots. You got me into this mess, you have to get me out."
"I'm not blaming you... but you were the one who followed me."
"You were the one who left."
"And that wasn't my fault either."
Carrie narrows her eyes. "You are impossibly stubborn. Nothing is ever your fault is it?"
"Woah. No need to be passive-aggressive. Trust me."
"Oh forgive me. I don't think you understand the kind of situation we are in. We are hiding from robot aliens and are currently walking through dirty sewer water," Carrie complains.
April decides to give her friend the benefit of the doubt. While this scenario was nothing new to her, Carrie had been thrown into the violence so quickly. "Trust me."
Carrie groans, rolling her head back and continues to follow April down the dark tunnels of the sewers. It was much too late for this. The more Carrie thought about it, the more she realized it didn't matter how late or early, there's never a time to deal with this. Carrie just couldn't wait to go back home. Maybe she was dreaming and that she'd wake up in the morning, having been kicked off the couch by April.
The two girls came to an opening at the end of one of the tunnels. April hopped down a small ledge and Carrie promptly followed. Carrie noticed the train tracks that ran along the ground. The area was open, which Carrie preferred, but she worried they were going to get run over.
"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"
April laughs and shakes her head. "No one has used these tracks in years. We'll be fine."
"Knowing my luck, tonight will be the night they start using this route again."
April continued to lead the way, walking freely across the train tracks. Carrie trudges along the side of the tracks, as much as space would permit her.
They come across an intersection. The tracks continue onward, but another opening into another larger room appears. April runs to the opening of the room. Carrie tries to follow close behind, but her paranoia of a train coming keeps her looking forward and behind for any sign of a train's headlights.
"You guys are still awake?!" April yells, jumping over the turnstiles.
Carrie, confused and annoyed, steps up onto the platform. She pushes through the turnstiles instead of jumping over them.
"That's a stupid question," someone grumbles.
Carrie comes up behind April. She moves to the side, hoping to meet whoever April is talking to but she is met with four mutant turtles instead. Her heart drops, not only becoming terrified of their physical appearance but of the weapons they carry.
With her advanced knowledge of common sense (that she so graciously demonstrated when she ran after April), Carrie screams, turns, and runs. April grabs her wrist before she can get far and pulls her back to the train station.
"What are you doing?!" Carrie shrieks.
"Calm down."
"You brought your friend here?!" One of the turtles questions, raising his voice throughout the sentence. Carrie notices the swords strapped to his back and a blue mask tied around his eyes.
"Where else was I supposed to go?!"
The turtle, a shocking expression crossing his face, shakes his head in disbelief. "Anywhere but here!"
April smiles at Carrie. "I told you I'm not blaming you. I'm blaming him."
Carrie, heart still panicking, stomps her foot, not wanting to be stuck in an argument with them. The mutants before her couldn't possibly be real. Robot aliens? Sure. For some reason, that seemed more likely than mutant turtles.
The mutant shakes his head once again. "I-"
"I remember!" Another mutant shouts, raising his hand. "You told April that a kunoichi in training shouldn't take a break."
"And that's the truth." The blue-masked turtle holds his chin high. "It was still entirely April's choice."
April crosses her arms. "You shouldn't have used my training against me."
"You should have been more careful."
"I was plenty careful."
"You left the window open," Carrie whispers, avoiding all eye contact with anyone.
"I was in a hurry," April says. "When I went to go change, I heard you wake up and got scared so I left as fast as I could. I didn't have time to close the stupid window. Besides, I had to text them and tell 'em not to show."
"I'm with April on this one," the tallest, purple-masked turtle says. "You should've just given April the night off, Leo."
The mutant, rolling his shoulders back, restrains himself from making any comments (although he wanted to call out the tallest mutant for agreeing with the redhead, for reasons they would rather not go into).
"I gave April a choice," the mutant, presumably Leo, says.
"You were passive-aggressive," April says.
"I-"
"What is going on here?" Another mutant enters the room, its voice progressively becoming louder.
The situation, which has already stimulated fear and panic, only got worse. Carrie shook her head in disbelief as she witnessed the giant rat mutant walk into the room.
"I can't be here," Carrie whispers, pulling away from April. "I can't be here!"
April holds tightly onto Carrie's wrist, keeping her from fully breaking away. "Calm down."
"What is the meaning of this?" The rat questions. "How could you bring a stranger here?"
"Carrie's my friend, Master Splinter," April responds. "She followed me."
The rat narrows his eyes, turning from the group and entered the room he had come from. April sighs. "Here we go..."
"Here we not go. I'm going home," Carrie says.
"Please," April says.
"How do I know they didn't brainwash you?"
"If they had..." April taps her chin. "Well, I'm not sure. Just please come talk to Master Splinter with us?"
The turtles follow the rat shortly after he turned back into the room. They eye Carrie as they leave, with curiosity and suspicion.
"This is insane. We can't be here," Carrie lowers her voice.
"We've been friends for how long? I met these guys a while ago. If they were dangerous, I'd be long gone," April explains. "Please."
Carrie frowns. "I'll be at the ready to jump up and book it. I'm making no promises."
"Fine."
April led Carrie past the living room, or, what Carrie could only imagine they'd call the living room at least. They walked past a pinball machine, a punching bag, and a very old television set. It was not classy living down here, Carrie concluded.
The room April led her friend into was undoubtedly cleaner and much more beautiful. As they entered, April shut the shoji behind them. The flooring was made up of tatami mats. Most impressively, a tree stood in the center, tall and brilliant. Carrie, stunned by the tree, stood watching it, mouth slightly open in awe. It couldn't possibly be possible. A tree growing healthily in an abandoned subway station? There could be no way.
Carrie notices the turtles kneeling before the rat, who sits in front of the tree, eyes closed peacefully. April kneels next to the orange-masked turtle and pats the empty space next to her. Carrie cautiously sits next to her friend.
"Why did you bring her here, April?" The rat questions, who Carrie had figured to be Master Splinter.
"We had nowhere else to go, Sensei. The Kraang were chasing us."
"Had you not been careful?"
"I was."
The rat shakes his head. "You weren't careful enough."
"Leo did kind of pressure her into patrolling tonight with us..." the orange-masked turtle whispers.
"Nice going, Leo," the red-masked turtle remarks.
Leo, the turtle wearing the blue and threatening swords, lowers his head. "I gave April the choice."
"Come on. You know how badly she wants to be a Kunoichi. You knew she'd agree. You used it against her," the purple-masked turtle says.
"I-"
"Enough," Splinter says, raising his voice. He turns to April. "She was also seen?"
"Yes."
The rat strokes his beard. "Then it would be in her best interest to stay with us until the five of you can guarantee her safety."
Carrie stands, shakes her head, and backs away. "No way. I'm going home."
"Please just listen," April says.
"I told you I made no promises." Carrie glances at the turtles and the rat. "Don't worry about me telling anyone. I'm going crazy anyway."
The orange-masked turtle stands and approaches Carrie, who slowly begins to back away out of fear.
"There's no need to be scared, dude! We're chill." The turtle smiles.
"Please just let me leave," Carrie whispers.
The turtle tilts his head, grabbing her wrist gently. Carrie tries to pull away, but even with his gentle grasp, she can't free herself. "Let me go."
"I think you need a hug."
"Stop."
The mutant pulls Carrie towards himself and embraces her. Carrie's body tenses, her face turning red. All of her emotions turned at once turned to nothing but fear and anger.
"Stop!"
"Come on, dude! We're chill!"
The mutant is pulled back by the tails of his mask by the blue-masked mutant Leo. Carrie stumbles backward, falling to the floor.
"Personal space, Mikey," Leo says, his voice low and cold.
He looks down at Carrie and stretches his hand out to her. "We are not going to hurt you."
Carrie, shaken, avoids looking at him as much as possible. She stands by her own accord, not needing or wanting the mutant's helping hand. "I just want to go home."
The mutant sighs. "I'm Leonardo. Leo."
"I'm Michelangelo but you can call me Mikey, or MC, or MC Mikey, or-"
"Raphael," the red-masked turtle mumbles, crossing his arms.
"You can call him Raph, though." The purple-masked turtle adds. "I'm Donatello. Donnie for short."
"Okay..." Carrie frowns. She didn't really care too much what they called themselves. They were being too friendly. Suspiciously friendly. "I'm going home."
"April will lead us to your house," Leonardo says. "We'll scope it out. If it's safe, you can leave."
"There's a chance it's not safe?!" Carrie shouts. "Why wouldn't it be?! My dad could be home by now!"
"Calm down. We'll-"
The young girl had already spun around and taken off sprinting out of the lair. The turtle brothers and April began chasing after her. It wasn't difficult to catch up to Carrie. When they did, they simply followed her until she found a manhole cover above them. She had backtracked to the same one April took her down. The same one next to Carrie's apartment building.
Carrie struggles to push the manhole cover. "I can't open it," Carrie admits, groaning in defeat.
Raphael climbed the ladder, climbing past Carrie, who quickly stepped down, not wanting to cause any trouble. He pushes the manhole cover up and pushes it to the side with ease. Raph steps up quickly, allowing for the others to follow. Mikey follows, then Donnie, then Leo. April urges Carrie to go in front of her, to which she does, not wanting to be left behind in the dark sewer tunnels.
Carrie lifted her head above the ground and saw the turtles waiting patiently for their new acquaintance. Leonardo once again stretches his hand out to Carrie to help her up. She stares at it, for only a moment. But she notices how strange they all are. Mutant turtles? With ninja masks and ninja weapons? Three fingers? It was all weird.
But she takes his hand anyway, instinctually, forgetting for the moment what they were and that they could murder her in that exact moment. Whenever she got in her head, she made stupid, contradictory decisions.
Leo proceeds to help April up and out of the sewers, pushing the manhole cover back into position.
"Which one is it?" Leo asks.
"That one," April says, pointing to the open window on the thirteenth floor.
The turtles jump up onto the fire escape, pushing the ladder down so that Carrie and April can join them. They allow Carrie to lead the way, even though they know where they are supposed to be headed.
The apartment is dark, only casting small shadows of furniture. Carrie squints, feeling around the edge of the wall, trying to find a light.
"Wait. Don't-"
Carrie finds the switch anyway and turns it on. The turtles cover their eyes from the bright light, hoping their cover had not just been blown.
But as their eyes adjust, they witness the trashed apartment. The furniture had been torn up, the TV glitched, cabinets containing priceless China were shattered, claw marks lined the walls. Papers were scattered throughout the apartment. Carrie recognizes them to be her father's research.
"Dad?!" Carrie shouts, running around the apartment, checking every room. They were all trashed.
"What's going on?!" Carrie cries, approaching the turtles. "What's happening?!"
"We have to go," Leonardo whispers.
"What about my dad?!"
"It's obvious he isn't here." The mutant lowers his eyes and turns from her. "We'll find him."