Song: New Years Day - Black Veil Brides

The rooftop is windy and cold. My fingers freeze the moment I step out into the open. My breath puffs out of my mouth in wisps of fog, revealing to me how low the temperature really is. Despite the absence of snow flurries, the bitter wind is strong enough to kill.

   With ice covering it, the roof is a dangerous place to stand. If I wasn't so good at ice-skating, I might slip right off and plummet to my death. But luckily, it doesn't seem like I will have a problem with that. I can only hope the same can be said for my turtle companions.

   I expected a challenge, but not the kind that stands before me. Tiger Claw already has his claws out and a gun in his hand. On either side of him are Bebop and Rocksteady, who look as angry as non-threatening mutants can. Clearly, they fell out of the window too many times. For once, I find myself genuinely afraid.

   But I must be strong. For Charlotte.

   I whip out a baseball bat and my hockey stick. I narrow my eyes, puff my chest, and peer out of my mask at them. "It ends here, Tiger Ugly!" I challenge darkly.

   Michelangelo, Raphael, and April back me up as Tiger Claw moves a pace closer. They extend their weapons, ready to attack if the mutant puts one foot out of line. I'm not so afraid anymore.

   Tiger Claw curls his lip in a sneer as he looks me up and down. "Let's get this over with," he rumbles. Then he fires.

   I leap out of the way just in time as a laser beam shoots out. It hits the icy rooftop and evaporates a spot of it away, replacing it with a burn mark. Good thing that didn't hit me.

   But my thoughts are almost turned back towards me as Tiger Claw continues to fire away. I have to repeatedly kick my knees high in the air to avoid getting hit by a laser. While in mid-air, I manage to nail Tiger Claw's gun and send it soaring out of his paws. It skids across the icy rooftop and plunges straight into the street below.

   Tiger Claw growls and unsheathes a dagger from his pocket. "You will pay for that, hockey boy," he says angrily.

   Suddenly, he takes a quick swipe at me. I narrowly dodge it, but I don't have much time before he takes another stab. His blows come so fast that my head is spinning in circles. As my leg wound begins to act up again, I know I have no chance at beating Tiger Claw. He is just too strong.

   I back up so much that one of my heels slips off the roof. "Whoa!" I quickly regain my balance, panting as Tiger Claw towers over me threateningly. He hooks his claws through my shirt, scratching my chest in the process.

   I gasp as pain surges through me. Immediately, my other two wounds start to ache in response. Before I know it, I am dangling over the edge of the roof with my head swirling in agony. I can barely see straight, let alone think of a plan. The great Casey Jones is going to die.

   To make things worse, Bebop and Rocksteady have my companions in the same state. Raphael, April, and Michelangelo are in the air; the only thing stopping them from falling are hands on their chests. My previous assumption is wrong; we are going to die.

   I wiggle my feet around, but I only feel empty space below them. Moving around will only get me dropped more quickly, so my only option is to stay as still as possible.

   Suddenly, I see my life flash before my eyes. I watch glimpses of my mother, my father, and Charlotte. I remember meeting Raphael for the first time, and how much fun we had together. Nothing could replace those playfights and video game battles.

   Evelyn crosses my mind. She is expecting me to defeat the bad guys and return safely to her. That is all she asked from me, and I can't even fulfill that one request.

   I suddenly realize how much I don't want to die. Sure, my life isn't fit for a king. It's full of vicious mutants and horrible tragedies. However, it's also overflowing with loyal friends and good times of laughing with pizza pouring out of my mouth. I don't want to leave that behind. I am happy again because of Evelyn. Her closeness has helped me get over Charlotte. I no longer spend my days longing for company, or for someone who understands me. Evelyn is everything I didn't know I needed.

   Lucy is right. I do have feelings for Evelyn; I was just too blind to notice it before. Her smile lights up my heart and the big words she uses make my head spin just the right amount. Her eyes are the most beautiful sight I have ever seen, like gazing off the dock at the ocean. I can drown myself in her laugh and be content.

   And I will lose all of that.

   "I'm so sorry, Goldilocks," I whisper softly, closing my eyes tightly as tears well up in them.

   I inhale deeply and prepare to hit the pavement below. Even though I'm ready, it still takes my breath away as my collar is released. Beside me, I hear Raphael and Michelangelo cry out in terror as they fall as well. April's high-pitched screaming pierces my ear drums.

   I join in on the noise, knowing it's the last thing I will ever do.

   However, the fall stops just as abruptly as it began. I feel something grasp onto my wrist and tug me upwards. With my heart pounding out of my chest, I stare at my savior in astonishment. It's Donatello!

   Glancing down, I notice that Michelangelo is clinging onto my free hand. Raphael hangs off of Michelangelo's feet, panting from his sudden scare. Still, April is at the bottom with both of her hands gripping Raphael's ankle so hard that her knuckles are white. They look just as frazzled as I feel.

   Donatello smirks down at us, the gap between his teeth showing itself off. "Hey, guys. What's up?" He asks casually, his muscular arm somehow staying steady under our weight.

   "Oh, you know, just hanging around," Michelangelo replies with a panicky grin, his breathless words somehow losing some of their cheekiness.

   Donatello looks dejected. "Don't make me drop you," the purple-clad turtle responds before reeling us back in.

   We stand on the penthouse floor again. My body is rushing with renewed adrenaline to take out Tiger Claw, but my wobbly legs hinder me long enough to speak to the newcomers.

   "It's about time you dudes showed up!" I remark as I cover my wound with a hand and wince. "We were taking a real beating for you."

   Leonardo seems amused, but he changes the subject. "All the bombs have been taken out. Now we just need to get rid of the ones who caused this," the authoritative turtle reports. He seems to have recovered from his earlier scare, though faint despair still lingers in the depths of his blue gaze.

   "Tiger Claw is up on the rooftop with Bebop and Rocksteady," Raphael announces, his voice hoarse with pain. He has a bloody arm and one of his eyes is almost swollen shut. He is not in a good condition to fight, but I know nothing is going to stop him from helping.

   "Mikey!" Donatello suddenly exclaims. He darts over to the turtle with his face a sickly-green color. "You're hurt!"

   Michelangelo's foot is gushing blood. Obviously, the turtle is having trouble putting weight on it. But his face is so calm you couldn't guess that he's harmed at all.

   "Note to self: Don't kick a rhino's horn," Michelangelo informs us. He cringes as Donatello carefully touches his injury. "Don't worry about it, dude. I'll be alright." The way he speaks through gritted teeth makes his confidence questionable.

   Leonardo's eyes reflect the gears turning in his head. He gently puts his hand on his youngest brother's shoulder, searching his face. "You know I wouldn't ask this unless it was absolutely necessary, but can you still fight?"

   I can see how hard it was for Leonardo to make such a decision. If Michelangelo is bleeding, it's best if he sits on the sidelines to preserve his life. But when it comes to Tiger Claw, we are going to need all the help we can get. This is no small fight; this is our chance to destroy Shredder's legacy once and for all.

   Michelangelo gives a determined nod. His eyes are so dangerous that it's almost un-Mikeyish. "I'll be with you dudes until the end," he promises, glancing back at the rest of us as well.

   I smile a little bit. Michelangelo isn't the sharpest pencil in the box, but he certainly has a huge heart. No matter what happens, I know we will go out like warriors.

   April seems the least injured of the six of us. Her red hair is messy, and she has a concrete burn on her left cheek. Her blue eyes betray her depleting energy. Other than that, she seems rearing to go. "What are we waiting for?" she demands impatiently.

   Leonardo acknowledges her with a nod. "Move out, team," he orders, before spinning around and heading up the ladder. We all follow him as one body ready to defend our city, our rights, and our loved ones.

   The moment we reach the roof, our three enemies turn to look at us with narrowed eyes. Tiger Claw is officially irritated. Evidently, repeatedly surviving his deadly attempts isn't allowed.

   We fan out as if it's a silent order given to us. We encircle the three mutants with weapons in hand and our muscles rippling challengingly. Leonardo stands with his chin high, while Donatello calculates the situation. Raphael is ridged with rage, and Michelangelo appears to be a vicious kitten. April has her lip drawn into a small snarl. And me? Well, I am like I always am: ready to whip some tail.

   Leonardo's blue eyes blaze. "You're outnumbered, Tiger Claw," the turtle observes boldly.

   Tiger Claw simply smirks. He is brave for a cornered cat. Even so, his response still concerns me.

   "It does not matter." The mutant tiger holds up the remote control that I saw him fiddling around with earlier. The antenna glows as if the device is watching for a command.

   "Do you see this?" Tiger Claw waves the remote around. "This remote will destroy all of New York. It will burst into flames and take all of you down with it. All I have to do is press this button." He hovers his fluffy index finger over a big red button on the controller.

   I feel a stone drop into my stomach as he hits the button. I shut my eyes, but nothing happens. I reopen them and look at Tiger Claw with hope flaring up in my chest. Tiger Claw looks puzzled. He narrows his eyes and presses the button again. Still nothing.

   He starts unceremoniously tapping the button with his whole paw, but only silence follows. He is trying to set off the explosives; the same ones that we disabled!

   The turtles and I burst into laughter.

   "Kind of hard to blow up a city without bombs, isn't it?" Donatello chokes out. Beside him, Michelangelo is slapping his knee in hysterics.

   "That is impossible!" Tiger Claw snaps, looking the device over. "I just ordered the bombs to be planted less than an hour ago!"

   "We disabled them, Fluffy Pants," I tell him, unable to stifle my laughing fit.

   Leonardo joins in with equal amusement. "We got rid of them all. Donnie and I even destroyed the bomb inside this building while you were distracted," he says triumphantly.

   Tiger Claw whips out a dagger and swiftly holds it against Leonardo's throat. "Then I'll finish you fools myself," he hisses.

   The fighting breaks out once more. Raphael and April take on Bebop, while Donatello and Michelangelo face Rocksteady. I start to venture over to aid Raphael, but a cry of agony from Leonardo distracts me.

   Leonardo reaches for his katana, but he isn't fast enough. Tiger Claw has twisted his weapon right into the turtle's shoulder, and blood is mercilessly rolling out of it. Tiger Claw removes his weapon and rears back to take a stab at his thigh.

   "I don't think so!" I leap in the way to shield the turtle from the horrible fate. I flick my hockey stick up to deflect the blow and slip my taser out in the process. I jab Tiger Claw in the stomach with it, shooting a bolt of electricity through him.

   "We're gonna have fried cat tonight!" I shout mockingly.

   Unfortunately, my glory doesn't last for long. Tiger Claw is strong enough to resist the shock and flick my weapon away from him. He unsheathes his claws and thrusts them at me, but I block it with my weapon.

   We stand at a stalemate, our bodies quivering as we stare into each other's eyes. My breath is coming it short gasps as I try to refrain from giving up. I have to stay strong. I can't let Tiger Claw take over the city- I just can't! And the moment I let him go, he isn't going to stop until he gets what he wants. He needs to be finished off for the sake of a thousand innocent lives.

   Suddenly, a bloodcurdling yelp makes me nearly jump out of my skin. Out of my peripheral, I watch as Michelangelo slowly falls to the ground. Blood leaks out of his skin in too many areas to count, and lights in his eyes are fading. He twitches, and then he moves no more.

   "Mikey!" Raphael shouts in grief. He starts breathing heavy, and his green gaze turn to the most dangerous expression I have ever seen. He grips his sais tighter and narrows his eyes at Bebop. "You'll pay for your idiot companion hurting my brother!" he snarls as he viciously attacks the warthog mutant.

   I watch with wide eyes as Raphael gets in blow after blow. Bebop's blood spews out of his mouth and various wounds on his chest. He only feebly moves as Raphael drops his weapons and just starts using his fists. He is being brutal!

   But I can't stop him. In my moment of distraction, Tiger Claw lifts up my mask and scratches me across the face. He misses my eyes, but he still gets a hold of my bottom lip and rips it.

   "Agh!" I groan as I stumble backwards. The pain in my older leg wound begins to radiate once more, and the burn on my stomach stings. I have officially run out of strength to fight.

   "Casey!" Leonardo leaps in to back me up, but it's a mistake. Tiger Claw turns the attack he had prepared for me over to Leonardo in a split second. Leonardo tries to deflect it with his katana, but his arm is too weak to hold it off. Tiger Claw overpowers him and cuts him right across the chest.

   "Leo!" I shout, my voice cracking. Are we going to lose everybody?

   But Leonardo isn't finished. He stands back up on shaky legs and forms his katanas into an 'X'. "I will not give up," he croaks, his eyes squinting from the agony in his arm. "Master Splinter fought to the death, and so will I."

   Tiger Claw yowls and lunges at Leonardo. They begin to fight properly, each matching blow for blow. Though neither of them is at an advantage, it is refreshing to see that Tiger Claw isn't winning.

   Inspired by Leonardo's determination, I slowly pull myself to my feet. Every muscle screams at me to just lie back down, but I can't. This is why I'm here on this earth. It is my duty to protect the citizens of New York, even if it takes my last breath.

   I limp up behind Tiger Claw. He is too caught up in his battle to sniff me out, so I take the advantage. Once I am close enough, I leap up and hook my arm around the tiger mutant's neck. I twist it and throw him down to the ground with as much force as I can muster.

   Tiger Claw lays stunned as Leonardo and I tower over him. I hold my taser out while Leonardo puts his katanas to the tiger's neck.

   "Any last words, Tiger Ugly?" I sneer at him, though my voice is too weak to sound even remotely threatening.

   Suddenly, a loud roaring sound above us makes everyone stop what they're doing. My hair is buffeted back as a helicopter hovers over us. A ladder hangs out of it, dangling just off to the side of the rooftop.

   Squinting my eyes, I make out Rahzar and Fishface as the pilots. They have grim expressions on as they hold their aircraft steady over the skyscraper.

   April looks more shocked than all of us. "How did they get a helicopter?!" she exclaims in awe.

   Out of nowhere, Tiger Claw shoves Leonardo and I both back. Caught off-guard, we both land on our rumps as the tiger mutant flees towards the helicopter.

   I scramble to my feet, but the pain from my wounds takes me over again. "Don't let him get on that helicopter!" I call.

   Raphael, Donatello, and April take off after him, but Rocksteady is faster. He pushes them out of the way as if they are rag dolls, and he jumps onto the ladder himself. Tiger Claw and Bebop follow suit, and the helicopter soars away into the night sky.

   "So long, suckers!" Bebop's squeal echoes back to us.

   "Get back here, you cowards!" I shout angrily, but they don't respond. Panting, I pull myself back into my feet with Leonardo's help. The turtle carefully places a hand on my shoulder.

   "It's over," he says. His gaze flickers to Michelangelo and lights up with relief.

   Michelangelo sits up and rubs his head. "Ow. I feel like I got hit with a giant rock... Steady," he croaks jokingly.

   Raphael and Donatello eagerly help the little turtle to his feet. Michelangelo holds onto them for support as he looks at the city.

   Fireworks start to to explode in the starry night sky, cuing that the New Year has begun. Red, blue, and green lights blaze through the atmosphere and leave behind puffs of smoke. We all stand in silence as we admire the peaceful view. People are in the streets partying with streamers and lights. All their worries have dissipated with the prospect of a new beginning.

   We saved New York, but for how long? Surely Tiger Claw is going to get started on yet another plan to take it over. We will be facing another life-or-death situation before we know it.

   But looking around at all my friends, I am alright with that.

   "I wish Lizzy and Karai were here," Leonardo mumbles. It might be my imagination, but there seem to be small tears in his eyes.

   I rest my hand on his shoulder. "We'll get 'em back. Don't worry. We ain't done here yet."

   Leonardo smiles a little.

   April appears beside me. The firework colors flash pink on her face as she tilts her head up at me. "Good work, Jones."

   "Right back at ya, Red," I return with a smirk.

   After the fireworks fade and the people below begin to break apart, Michelangelo glances at us. "Can we go home?" he asks softly, as if the peacefulness is to be cherished.

   Leonardo laughs softly. "Yes, Mikey. We can go home."

   Remembering Evelyn, my heart flutters a bit. I am alive! I kept my promise. I can see her again. Suddenly, I just want to leap off the rooftop and race into her arms. The only thing that stops me is remembering what I went through earlier. Heights are not my favorite right now.