April couldn’t believe her eyes.

Down below, Shredder stood on a walkway over a floor-wide moat. Swimming inside it was the slimy, fish-faced Xever Mutant, a six-foot-long monstrosity that was now trapped in captivity like a pet.

April hugged the wall, trying to stay as quiet as possible while Shredder addressed his followers: the Foot Clan, the Purple Dragons, and his new mutant guard dog, Dogpound.

She carefully took out her T-Phone and dialed so Leo could listen in.

“Five of you will hijack a tanker truck coming down Houston Street in approximately fifteen minutes,” Shredder announced. “It’s filled with an extremely rare chemical, so you will not get another chance.”

Across the street, the Turtles listened closely.

“Chemical? What chemical?” Raph asked.

“How about we listen and find out?” Donnie argued.

“How about I break my shell on your knee?” Raph threatened.

Leo glowered at his brothers. “How about you two shut it for a minute while we try to hear the evil plan?!”

That got them to quiet down, but it was too late. They only caught the tail end of the plan.

“. . . which will destroy them once and for all. Now go!” they heard the voice on the phone say.

“We missed it! Nice going, guys,” Leo scolded them.

Donnie was more concerned about April at the moment.

“We’ve got to get her out,” he said.

“No,” Leo said firmly. “If we rush in there, we put her at risk. We wait.”

On the street, Dogpound led the group of Foot Soldiers and Purple Dragons to a van waiting by the curb. They didn’t notice April quietly slip out after them, then duck behind a Dumpster in the alley.

“I’m gonna hitch a ride,” she whispered to the Turtles over the phone. “See where they go.”

“No. You’ve done enough!” Leo replied. “Now get out of there!”

April slid into the shadows, unaware that Dogpound was scanning the darkness, his ears pricked up at the sound of their voices. His heightened senses were detected her breathing . . . her scent.

April sat, waiting for her chance to follow the van. Just when she thought the coast was clear, she looked up. The snarling mutant was looming over her, baring his razor-sharp fangs.

It was so quick, she didn’t even have time to scream.

The Turtles saw it all from their perch.

“No!” Donnie yelled.

The Turtles hopped from the rooftop, their sights set on the van. Every passing second meant life or death for April.

They hit the street and sprinted full speed. Down the block, they could see Dogpound strapping April into the van’s passenger seat.

The Turtles ran harder.

Donnie watched in horror as Dogpound’s van disappeared into the night.

“We’re too late!” he cried.