The Casey Chronicles by Nickelodeon Publishing Read Free Book Online

Casey’s hockey stick, then quickly disappeared into the shadows.
    â€œWhat the—?!” Casey gasped, realizing his hands were empty. He looked around but couldn’t see anyone else. So he reached for his backup weapon: a baseball bat. “Who’s back there? Show yourself!”
    The Turtles didn’t like to reveal themselves to humans, but Raph knew there was no other way. So he took a breath and emerged from the darkness.
    â€œAnother mutant?”
    â€œGot a problem with that?” Raph said, and gnashed his teeth.
    â€œWait. What are you? Like some kinda …
turtle ninja?
” Casey busted out laughing.
    Raph fought to keep calm, but this masked maniac was really steaming his shell!
    Casey kept chuckling, and the Purple Dragons saw their opportunity to sneak away. They took off running.
    â€œHey, you filthy scum, I’m not done with you!” Casey yelled, about to pursue them—when he felt the turtle’s hand holding him back.
    â€œLet me handle this,” Raph said.
    Casey shoved him. “Outta my way!”
    Raph was incensed. There was no reasoning with this hockey hothead. All he seemed to understand was pure rage. Now Raph knew how his brothers must have felt when they had to deal with his temper tantrums.
    â€œYou know, anger is a dangerous ally,” Raph said, quoting Master Splinter. Funny—when Splinter said it, it sounded so calm. But Raph was irked. And coming from him, it sounded less like friendly advice and more like a threat.
    â€œSo why don’t you cool off for a while?” he added, shoving Casey back. Hard.
    â€œThat’s it, lizard. I’m done with you.” Casey roared. He charged at Raph, belting out his signature war cry: “GOONGALAAAA!!!”
    He slashed at the turtle in a fury of spinning thrusts and wild haymaker punches. But Raph was too quick for him.
    Raph caught Casey’s stick with his
sais
, artfully throwing him off balance. “I told you, back off!”
    And just when Casey was about to retaliate, Raph delivered a spin kick to his chest. It sent Casey hurtling backward into a Dumpster, the wind knocked out of his lungs. Casey Jones didn’t know the meaning of the word
quit.
    Time for round two.
    Casey shook off the garbage and climbed out of the Dumpster. “You let those muggers go,” he said, breathing heavily. “You’re gonna pay for that,
freak.
”
    Casey lowered his shoulder and barreled into Raph, pinning his shell against a wall. He grabbed the handle of his best slugger.
    Raph lunged forward, ducking the bat, which connected with the brick wall instead of his face! He somersaulted over Casey Jones, flinging ninja stars along the way.
    Casey smiled at the steely ninja stars sticking out of his hockey pads. He’d only seen those in old kung fu movies! He paused. “Gotta admit, throwing stars are cool.”
    â€œThen let me show you my
sais
!” Raph said.
    Raph unleashed a
kata
combo of savage
sai
strikes and power kicks. And yet somehow, Casey held him off—with nothing but his store-bought baseball bat and an old hockey stick. He fought with heart. Amid the chaos of battle, even Raph could acknowledge the kid’s fearlessness.
    They continued trading lunges until—
    THWACK!
    Raphael booted Casey in the jaw in a flawless aerial move before landing gracefully.
    The hockey punk was seeing stars.
    Raph relaxed for a second.
    Casey looked up at him with anger and admiration. This wasn’t over. He collected his hockey stick and rose to his feet.
    This Turtle had some secret weapons, but so did he.
    With a click, Casey released his spiked skates. Custom in-line wheels appeared from his soles. Razor-sharp blades glistened at the toes.
    Let’s see the lizard keep up with me now
, Casey thought. He skated out of the alleyway, luring Raph into the street.
    Raph was fuming. Once he got his hands on Casey, he’d rip him limb from limb … if he