The Chimera shrieks and hops around on the outside of the cave exit. The five teens watch from the bottom, their eyes flickering between the monster and the bubbling water below.

"Well, looks like it doesn't wanna climb down," Casey says with a light smile. "I think we're safe."

"Safe?! Dude, we're trapped inside a giant hole!" Donatello exclaims.

Something rumbles and everyone perks up. Destiny's ears twitch and swivel around as she chews her lip, tail swishing.

"Um, did you feel something move a little?" Michelangelo asks.

The rock beneath him and Donatello crumbles and the two go plummeting down to a lower ledge, screaming. Raphael, Casey, and Destiny move to the edge of the cracked spot, looking down at the two terrapins.

"You guys okay down there?" Raphael calls, lowering his grappling hook down to them.

"We're cool," Donatello calls, rubbing his head as one eye screws shut.

He looks down at the bubbling water right near his oversized feet. One of the rock fragments from their fall bubbles and sinks into the swirling waters, making the purple-masked turtle grimaces a little.

Michelangelo, on the other hand, reacts very differently. "Hot tub time! Alright!" he whoops.

"Not alright!" Donatello insists. "That water's boiling at around two hundred degrees Fahrenheit. It's under intense pressure." He grabs the grappling hook that Raphael had lowered, starting to climb. "I think we're stuck in some sort of geyser. It must erupt all the time. That's why the walls are so smooth." He pats the rock to solidify his point.

"How long do we got?" Raphael asks as him, Casey, and Destiny pull the grappling hook up. "An hour?"

"Less," Donatello says gravely as he reaches their ledge again. "Then we're turtle soup."

"So how do we get out?" Casey asks, giving the rope a solid tug.

"No problem. We'll tie all our grappling hooks together," Raphael decides.

Destiny helps Michelangelo up onto the ledge. He groans a little as she helps him to his feet, patting his shell as he takes cleansing breaths.

"Okay, one problem," the orange-masked turtle says, holding up a finger. His shoulders slump and he looks sheepish. "I forgot my grappling hook."

"Yeah, me too," Donatello admits, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks away from his hotheaded older brother.

"Some ninjas," Raphael grumbles, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

He looks at Casey as the boy nods, trying to look disappointed and stuck up. Raphael narrows his eyes and the teen cracks like an egg over a frying pan.

"Oh! What...what were the odds we'd be kidnapped by a giant mutant?" he exclaims.

"Have you met us? What are the odds we wouldn't be kidnapped by a giant mutant?!" Raphael retorts, his fists clenching. "You need to be prepared for anything!"

"Why is it always on me?" Donatello demands.

"You're the scientist!" Raphael snaps.

"Let's make a giant balloon," Michelangelo suggests.

"What, and Destiny just gets off scot-free for not having her grappling hook?" Casey demands.

"I don't have a grappling hook, doofus!" she reminds him, annoyed. "I can hardly use my sword, I don't get cool ninja stuff yet!"

"You're supposed to be responsible!"

"What, and you want me to pull a grappling hook out of my freaking fur?!" She winces and grabs her waist again. She decides not to comment on how she feels like the least responsible person—ahem, mutant—on the planet.

"Dudette, that would be awesome!" Michelangelo gasps.

"Shut up!" Raphael shouts.

"Calm down!" Donatello demands.

"Listen to Casey Jones!" Casey screams for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

The Chimera shrieks and watches them, growing more and more hungry as the moments pass.

----------

"Things are getting worse," April tells Leonardo as they keep walking. "And..." She frowns as she notices them all fighting, plus Destiny gripping her ribs. "Uh oh...Destiny's hurt."

"What?!" Leonardo demands. Diaval's eyes widen and he slows down so that he can try and walk next to them. "How badly?"

"I don't know, she's holding her ribs and wincing," April admits.

"Could'a mentioned that sooner," Diaval mumbles.

"The Chimera wasn't looking at her before!" she retorts. She pouts. "Either way, we've gotta hurry!"

"I'm trying—" Leonardo grunts. "—my best."

They stop moving as April's stomach growls. She inhales deeply, her head swivelling towards Leonardo as she begins sniffing.

"Leo," she says, voice low and almost sultry. Diaval's spine tingles and he narrows his eyes, staring at the redhead. "You...you smell...really..." She sniffs again and Leonardo backs away from her, creeped out. She grins, her eyes growing wide. "Good!"

"Don't get any ideas," Leonardo warns as he limps backwards.

"April, you're..." Diaval frowns. Her desire goes haywire and he can't pinpoint on any one thing; the Chimera's influence and April's actual want.

"I'm hungry. So hungry!" April moans. She inhales, folding her arms into chicken wings as she starts bouncing up and down. "Caw, caw! Caw, caw! Caw!"

She lunges forwards, chomping at Leonardo in a desperate attempt to eat him. He grimaces and avoids her, holding her back with two strong hands on her shoulders, his shell against a tree trunk. Diaval stands, dumbstruck at the scene.

"April! Snap out of it," the turtle begs. When she keeps chomping, he adjusts his grip on her shoulders and shakes her repeatedly. "April!"

She blinks, returning to normal. She cringes. "Oh man, Leo." She takes a stumbling step back. "I am so embarrassed right now."

"It's okay." He holds his hands up and grins awkwardly. "Just, uh, please stop trying to bite me."

April swallows another shudder and lifts a hand to her pounding head. "We have to hurry. The link is getting stronger," she says.

"So let's..." Leonardo stops as his attention locks on his crutch, laying on the forest floor uselessly. "Oh man! I can't believe it!" He again shakes April's shoulders, but this time out of excitement. "I'm standing. I'm standing!"

He laughs and jumps in place, placing his hands in fists on his hips. His proud grin doesn't fall.

She smiles. "Then come on. Let's save our friends."

She holds her hand out to him and he nods, looking to Talbot Peak. His eyes narrow in determination.

Diaval blinks a few times and turns to look at the peak as well. He retrieves his bow and hooks it on his good arm as he reaches back and gets an arrow.

"If you can walk," he says, turning towards the ecstatic turtle and April. "Maybe..."

He places the nock of the arrow between his teeth before adjusting his grip on the bow. With careful precision that Leonardo can safely say he's never witnessed in Diaval's actions before, the archer gets an arrow loaded.

"Okay, that's cool and all, but I don't think you can shoot it," Leonardo says.

April turns towards him blindly with a questioning look on her freckled face. "What's Diaval doing?"

Diaval gives the turtle a quick glare and a grunt, his mouth occupied as he turns his back to them. He lifts the bow, teeth still clamped on the nock, and he aims. He drags the arrow back, pride bubbling in his chest.

He releases. The arrow goes flying, but the drawstring snaps back and slaps Diaval across the face as a pain rips through his mouth. Leonardo flinches and his lips form an "o" shape. April stares blankly ahead.

Diaval makes a tiny whimpering sound and hooks the bow back over his head, his left eye squinted shut. He grimaces and spits into the dirt, smacking his tongue against his lips.

April tries to find Leonardo as the turtle smacks his hand firmly against his forehead.

"What happened?" she asks.

Leonardo exhales. "He...uh...decided that his problem could also be solved, so he...shot an arrow with his mouth."

Diaval shuffles closer to them, refraining from confirming or denying the truth of Leonardo's statement in lieu of massaging his jaw. As he nears, Leonardo finally notices that there is a stinging red mark almost exactly over the spot where Diaval already has a scar over his eye.

"Diaval—" Leonardo starts.

The white-haired boy reaches into his mouth and when his fingers come back out, they're clutching a tooth. "Ow..."

"Diaval, how...did you get that scar?" Leonardo asks, motioning over his own eye for reference.

Diaval blinks. "Uh...learning to shoot. Messed up."

April bites back a giggle and blindly fumbles for Leonardo's arm. The turtle seriously wonders whether he wants to groan or laugh.

"Hey, uh, don't we have a mission?" April wonders.

"Right!" Leonardo gasps. "Thank you, April, we needed to get back on track."

Diaval sighs and drops his tooth into the dirt. "Mhm."