The dim sewer lights cast deep shadows on Hawk's sharply defined features.
"First," he said flatly, "you need a safe place to recover from your injuries. Second, we need to talk about what's in your camera, and… exactly what you saw." He turned his gaze to Leonardo and Donatello. "I believe these friends might also have some key information to share?"
April's gaze followed Hawk, landing again on the four silent, massive mutant turtles. In the sewer's quiet, only the distant sound of dripping water and Emily's nervous breathing could be heard.
April swallowed, scanning the group—a billionaire, a few mutant city protectors, and herself, a reporter dedicated to uncovering the truth and preserving justice and peace. Wait, she glanced behind Hawk—oh, and an ordinary cheerleader, Emily Chen. Clearly, a minor, dispensable female side character.
This lineup was exactly like the web novels she loved. April looked up at Hawk again. In the story, the billionaire secretly assists in obtaining evidence, provides cover for the reporter and the city guardians, and ultimately sends the criminals to prison. The novel concludes with the billionaire falling for her, the humble reporter, leading to a happy ending where she marries into the Lane family and becomes a rich socialite. Hmm… the Lane family… it'll have to do, I guess…
The thought made her giggle slightly. Hawk and the turtles exchanged puzzled looks at April's suddenly "unpredictable" expression. Sensing their strange stares, April quickly let out a dry cough to cover her embarrassment, then snapped back into professional mode, asking, "A safe place?"
April repeated the words unconsciously, her eyes scanning the bizarre space filled with graffiti, pipes, and… giant mutant turtles. "Isn't this… safe enough?"
"It is for the short term, not the long term," Hawk stated bluntly. "This environment is not suitable for a human to recover in for an extended period, and movement is difficult. More importantly, it's too big a target. We need a controllable fortress on the surface world."
He turned back to Donatello: "Donny, you mentioned her camera. Can we see the photos? We need to assess the threat level."
Donatello nodded, deftly operating the camera connected to his self-made computer screen. Several blurry yet intensely shocking photos were projected onto a relatively clean wall section. The photos, taken at the docks at night, were dimly lit but clear enough to make out.
The Foot Clan's distinctive triangular insignia was clearly visible on several shipping containers. A group of people wearing uniform black outfits, moving quickly, and clearly well-trained, were rapidly moving some heavy metal boxes.
The most crucial shot: one metal box was accidentally pried open during transport, revealing a viscous liquid inside that emitted a faint, eerie green fluorescence! On the container wall, a peculiar, disturbing bio-hazard symbol resembling a twisted tentacle was visible.
Even more chilling, the corner of the photo captured several figures: their bodies were abnormally massive, their movements slightly stiff, and their exposed skin had an inhuman, reptile-like texture in the dim light. Their eyes were vacant and vicious—they were bio-engineered super soldiers! They bore a striking resemblance to the Rhino and Warthog forms Hawk had seen in the movie from his past life, but they looked more powerful and smarter!
Everyone present drew a sharp breath.
"It's the 'Wild Can'!" Michelangelo blurted out, his voice carrying a rare seriousness; he forgot to twirl his nunchaku. "Shredder's still messing with that stuff?!"
"'Wild Can'?" Hawk frowned. He had heard rumors of that name—a dangerous bio-agent capable of inducing mutation or enhancement in living creatures.
"This stuff is even more unstable than what appeared last time," Donatello pointed to the twisted tentacle insignia on the photo, a hybrid of the Hand's symbol and the Foot Clan's triangle. "Look at this composite mark—the Foot Clan and The Hand are truly working together in depth. They're transporting this dangerous hybrid agent in massive quantities! April's got key evidence!"
"Did they complete the transaction?" Leonardo asked gravely, focusing on the tactical core.
April struggled to remember, her head pounding. "I… I don't know. I was discovered right after I took these. Their people appeared like ghosts… they were too fast! One of them… wearing a metal mask, nearly crushed my camera with just one hand… then I was hit…"
"Metal mask… one hand…" Raphael's voice dropped, filled with intense hatred. "Shredder! He was there personally?!" His knuckles were white from clenching his sais, and the air was thick with a volatile rage.
In that oppressive instant, Donatello's custom-made sensors installed throughout the base suddenly began to emit a shrill, continuous shriek. On the computer screen, dense red dots converged like a burst flood, approaching rapidly from multiple directions.
"Highest level alert! Massive enemy presence! The sewer system has been penetrated! Surface manholes breached! Objective: Annihilation!!" Donatello's voice was stressed like never before. "Numbers are over three times the estimate! And… readings show a dozen high-energy heat signatures! It's Shredder's bio-engineered Super Soldier Corps!!"
"Cowabunga! They're throwing a party without inviting us?! So rude!" Michelangelo yelled, jumping up, his nunchaku whipping into a blur.
"Protect the civilians! Prepare for engagement!" Leonardo's twin katanas instantly sprang from their sheaths, the blades flashing coldly in the dim light. "Raph, left flank! Mikey, right flank! Donnie, guard the rear! Hawk, get them both to cover!" His speech was rapid, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.
Before he finished speaking...
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!"
Multiple sections of the pipe wall above the base were violently blown open! Debris and sewage rained down! Through the smoke, dozens of black figures, moving with ghostly speed, sliced in. Their cold blades reflected the light—they were the fearless, elite Foot Clan Ninjas, working in flawless coordination, instantly blocking multiple escape routes.
At the same time, a deafening, crushing sound of impact echoed from the main entrance and several weak points of the base.
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