From The Shadows || TMNT 2012 FanFiction (BOOK 1)

Chapter 17. The Garden

     The turtles' routine remained relatively the same over the next couple of days. April and Carrie would train with Master Splinter, making incredible progress, and when their session was finished they'd make a habit of going out. They were only able to go out if it was still daylight. Some days of training took longer. On the days where they could complete their lessons quickly, they'd be gone until nightfall. The turtles wondered where they ran off to mostly every day but they never asked- mostly because they didn't have time -and Carrie and April never talked about it.

     In their free time, the turtles discussed plans to proceed in sabotaging Shredder's plans. They had no leads and no idea what to do about it. Noah was in Japan, in Foot custody, Carrie had no clue about her powers or how to use them, and the only clue in Noah's house was that box. The whole situation was certainly frustrating.

     Training had just ended for everyone, including Carrie and April. It was already late, so Carrie and April couldn't head out like they usually did. The two friends ate their dinner in the kitchen while the brothers ate in Donatello's lab to continue drafting a plan. Carrie and April wanted to visit their garden in the evening since they got everything set up. They agreed to ask the turtles if they could go tonight. Perhaps all of them could go. The girls both agreed it was in the turtles' best interest to relax and take a break.

     "Oh, I have an idea!" Mikey says, raising his hand. "Why don't we just go straight to Shredder's creepy little lab area where Baxter Stockboy works? All sneaky-like."

     Donnie taps his chin. "That actually isn't a bad idea. Certainly, any intel Shredder gets from Noah or other sources would be transmitted to his lab so that Dexter Flyboy can analyze it."

     "That's a very big if though," Leo points out.

     Raph shrugs. "So what? If there's nothing there, we leave and beat up Baxtor Bughead on the way out. Then we know Shredder is just as stuck as we are and doesn't have any info."

     "Unless he's keeping it somewhere else," Leo says. "Shredder's lab is deep in his lair. It seems too risky to run a mission down there when we may not have to."

     "Well we can't wait around hoping to find something that'll perfectly lay out all of Shredder's plans," Donnie says. "We're going to have to make some risky moves. We got lucky eavesdropping on the video call Shredder had with Noah and finding the box in Noah's office."

     "I thought you didn't believe in luck, D?" Mikey questions.

     "I don't!" Donnie exclaims. "We aren't getting anywhere just casually hanging around the Foot's lair. We have to take some risks and go on an actual mission."

     "I know, I know," Leo says. "I just don't know if this is how we should go about it."

     Raph rolls his eyes. "What happened to our fearless leader, huh? What happened to you wanting to do anything it took to figure this little mystery out and help Carrie out?"

     Leo sighs. "That was before we had any idea of the kind of power Carrie has. If we mess up, it could seriously ruin everything for her. If we fail, it could put her in even more danger."

     "So then we don't fail. Simple as that," Raph says.

     "Take this seriously, Raph. Do you not unders-"

     "I have the solution," Donnie says. He leans back in his chair, grinning. He always had solutions and he took pride in that. "If I can get to Baxter Stockman's supercomputer in Shredder's lab, I can hack into their system. That way we can see if there were any transmissions from Japan and we'll have access to any future transmissions."