Song: Runnin'- Adam Lambert

   I smirk at the two love-birds. Their lips are locked together firmly, while Leonardo's fingers twist through Elizabetta's hair.

My brother finally found the guts to chase what his heart wants. I am proud of him. It's about time he does something selfish for once.

Leonardo and Elizabetta separate. Their fingers are intertwined and their gazes cling to each other. Identical grins shine on their faces.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while now," Leonardo admits after a mesmerized silence.

Elizabetta's cheeks turn a light shade of red and she renders herself speechless.

It was cute at first, but now it's starting to get a little gross. Bleh. Love.

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" I tease Leonardo lightly.

The blue-clad turtle just grins at me and scratches the back of his head. The moment is interrupted by a loud voice.

"You think it's over? It's only just begun."

It's Shredder. He is lowering the platform he stowed himself away on. He lands on the floor with his henchmen and Casey fanning out around him. They hold weapons in each of their fists and wear poisonous expressions on their faces.

Stockman stomps a foot on the ground in frustration. "You zzz-sabotaged my prototypes-zzz! You'll pay for this-zzz, you mi-zzz-serable, unintellectual-"

"Silence, Stockman," Dr. Jersey snaps. "You'll invent more soldiers from the new information you have, provided by Elizabetta." He makes sure to give the teenage girl a dark look at the mention of her name.

She takes a step back, fear lighting up her face, though it's obvious she is trying to conceal it.

"Y-yes, boss-zzz," Stockman responds obediently.

Dr. Jersey's eyes glitter menacingly. "Before then, however, let us finish off the incompetent fools who created this mess. Come down here," he orders us.

Michelangelo backs away from the edge of the track. "No thanks, dude. I think I'm much safer up here," he says with a quivering voice.

The Shredder narrows his eyes. He lifts his hand up, as if making a command signal.

Just then, Lizzy's mutant mother appears.  She shoves all of us off the edge and lets us plummet towards the floor.

"Lizzy!" Leonardo yells as he grabs onto Elizabetta. Her eyes glow with her familiar fear of heights.  He throws his arms around her to shield her from the impact of the ground.

I glance at Michelangelo. He gives me a tiny smile and we soar through the air. I protectively latch onto my youngest brother, protecting him from the hard floor with my own shell.

I grunt as I collide with the ground. A hint of pain shoots up my back, and I hear a clicking sound. I look to see that a small piece of my shell cracked off. It simply adds to my collection of battle scars.

Michelangelo helps me to my feet. "Thanks, bro!" he says happily.

"Don't mention it," I grumble, shaking the minor pain away. I unsheathe my sais and face Shredder's henchmen. Shredder and Dr. Jersey are barricaded inside of their mutant army, completely untouchable.

"Coward!" I shout at him. If he hears me, he gives no sign of it.

Fishface steps forward. His yellow eyes are slits and his venomous teeth are exposed. I have to push away the memory of when I was bitten by them.

I straighten my back, silently wishing I wasn't so short. I curl my lip threateningly as I stand my ground.

Fishface chuckles darkly. "How many times must we face each other for you to give up? You know you do not stand a chance against me."

"I'm still standing, aren't I?" I reply with a growl. I motion with my finger for him to come at me.

Fishface charges. He throws a robotic leg at me, and I block it. I roll underneath him and dive at him from behind.

He's fast, however. He punches me and turns around, managing to catch me on the side of the head with his foot. I stumble sideways, seeing stars. Another kick on my other temple, and I fall to the ground.

Fishface leans over me, his crooked teeth twisted into a wicked grin. "You are no longer standing."

As swift as a cheetah, I curl my legs around his and bring him down. He crashes to the floor and I smirk at him. "Neither are you."

We both jump back to our feet, teeth gritted and eyes studying each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something large approaching. I get out of the way just before Rocksteady comes rolling by with Michelangelo running on top of him like a barrel.

"They see me rollin'! They hatin'!" Michelangelo sings as he cruises by.

After they're gone, I tense my arms and return to glaring at Fishface. When I look around, though, I see that he has been flattened like a piece of paper. I start laughing triumphantly.

An angrily shout interrupts my celebration. I spine around to see Casey and Donatello standing off. Their heads  are pressed together and they seem to be arguing.

"You hurt April and your best friend!" Donatello is saying, his russet eyes full of fire.

"They hurt me!" Casey snarls back, his hockey stick pressed against his opponent's bo-staff.

"You're being ridiculous over this entire situation! Joining our enemies isn't the answer!" Donatello snaps.

"It is if it gets you to realize what you've done!"

I literally have to tear them away from each other. I hold them both arm's length away from me, and I fix my stare on Casey.

"Look, Jones," I say. "Your face-paint fumes must have gone to your head or something. If you think that doing the Shredder's dirty work is going to make us respect you, then you're wrong."

"I'm not doing it for that," Casey shoots back furiously. "I'm doing it for revenge! Teaming up with your biggest enemy is the perfect way to get back at you."

"And what about the rest of us?!" I struggle to keep pushing against his chest. "You're supposed to be my best friend! You're taking all of this way too far."

"We aren't best friends," Casey spits angrily.

"Yes, we are, you idiot!" I snarl, focusing on him rather than Donatello now. "I may call you names. And you may get on my nerves. And you certainly don't bathe as much as you should. And maybe you're not the sharpest crayon in the box. But we're still best friends! You know we are!"

For a minute, I feel like I get through to him. He loosens his hold on me and takes a step back, his anger fading from his brown eyes.

Then suddenly, Casey flips his mask back up to reveal his face.  "Forget this.  I'm outta here."  Leaving me in pure shock, he turns and leaves the building.

Donatello turns his sympathetic gaze on me and I try not to cringe.  I hate sympathy. It makes me feel weak and helpless.

"It isn't your fault," he says in a gentle voice much different from his usual self. "Casey is just jealous, that's all."

He touches my shoulder, but I brush it off.  I'm not sure what to believe now. All this time, my best friend has assumed I abandoned him. He thinks I don't want to be around him anymore, that I'd prefer to leave him out of missions. He thinks I don't care.

Maybe the Shredder and Elizabetta's dad aren't the monsters here.

Maybe it's me.