I seriously have no idea what to say. It's been a long time, and I'm soooooo sorry! My life went through a few changes that sucked at first but ended up putting me in a nice place, so I'm really grateful. I also lost motivation for a while, but I'm back again! The next chapter is the last! Love you guys!

Chapter 30: Liftoff

No matter how hard she tried, Noelle couldn't relax herself enough to ease into sleep. She'd tossed and turned on her bed, closed her eyes, and flipped the pillow so her cheek nuzzled against the cooler side, only to huff in frustration and kick the comforter off. She sat up and yawned, body exhausted but mind too active for any real rest. She decided to walk into the kitchen and make herself a cup of tea with extra honey, thankful that Master Splinter always had some stocked in the cupboard. While waiting for the water to heat up, she opened the freezer and smiled as Ice Cream Kitty yawned sleepily but greeted her enthusiastically nonetheless.

"Sorry for waking you up," Noelle whispered as she gently rubbed the dairy cat on her head, receiving a purr in response. "I can't sleep, and it's been a while since I visited you. I hope you're doing okay." The frigid feline rubbed her head against Noelle's hand, and for a few moments it was just the two of them in silence. When the kettle went off, Noelle bid the cat goodnight and proceeded to make her tea. Once she was satisfied with the result, she quietly made her way into the den and sat on the couch. She grabbed a nearby blanket and draped it over her legs, the torrid cup nestled snugly between her fingers and steam swirling prettily out of the tea. She focused on her reflection in the liquid, eyes full of thought as she considered their mission for tomorrow. It was unbelievable; she could possibly see her mom again in less than 24 hours, and the whole idea was just beyond surreal.

The lair was unusually quiet. The TV was almost always on, Raph and either Leo or Mikey would be bickering, the video games would be going, and Master Splinter would often peek out of the dojo to lecture his sons on being more quiet so he could meditate. She'd gotten used to all the noise, and to suddenly be sitting in a silent atmosphere was rather unnerving. She clutched the blanket tighter to her and took a slow sip of her drink.

"Are you okay?"

Grateful that she'd already swallowed the liquid before coughing on it surprise, Noelle swiveled her head around and saw Mikey standing behind her, looking concerned. She offered him a small smile and turned back to her tea, eyes cast downward at her hands. "Yes, I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

The orange-banded turtle sat down next to her and pulled his knees up to his plastron, head tilted quizzically to the side. "Like what?"

Noelle contemplated her wording carefully before she spoke. "What if we fail tomorrow? What if I let the team down and we end up not rescuing mom?"

Mikey reached out and squeezed her arm. "We're totally going to kick butt tomorrow! We're also going to find your mom and bring her home. I bet she misses you a lot."

"How are you so sure though?"

"Because we're awesome, and you've worked your butt off to get better. Dude, you could totally take on any one of us now. That's crazy cool!" His voice rose in excitement until he realized everybody else was still sleeping, and then it lowered into an ecstatic whisper. "You're amazing Noelle. We'll do it."

Noelle set her cup down on the floor carefully before she rested her smaller hands on Mikey's larger ones, her cheeks tinted pink. "Thank you Mikey. I don't know what I would do without you."

Pleased with the compliment, Mikey grinned and jumped off the couch, his hands flying up and palms displayed towards her. "Wait! I've got an idea!" Confused, Noelle watched as he bounded up towards his room. She patiently waited until he returned with what appeared to be a comforter and two pillows, his eyes lit up in excitement. "Slumber party!"

Noelle felt her heart speed up. "Slumber party?"

"Well yeah! It'll be fun, and it'll probably help you fall asleep, right? Come on, let's do it!" Before Noelle could even answer him, Mikey had laid the pillows and blankets on the floor in front of the couch. Noelle grabbed the teacup so it wasn't in his way, excitement bubbling in her chest. The feeling she had was different than when her and April had spent the night together; this felt more personal and as she watched him set the pillows up right next to each other on the ground with the blankets laying on the floor beneath them, she felt the very tips of her ears heat up.

"Ta-dah! All done!" Proud of his work, the young terrapin settled on top of one of the blankets and patted the spot next to him for Noelle to join, a wide smile spread across his face. Not wanting to disappoint him, Noelle set her cup on the cushion and settled on the ground next to him, unsure of what to do. It was different to have a slumber party with two girls, but a guy and girl sleepover was new to her. What would the others think if her and Mikey were found sleeping on the floor in the morning? She bit her lower lip in uncertainty, but when she felt Mikey's arm drape around her shoulders and pull her close, all embarrassing thoughts fled from her mind.

They sat in silence for a little bit before Mikey laid his head on top of Noelle's. Noelle wasn't entirely sure what to say, but she was content with being next to him and feeling his warmth coating her shoulders.

"Did I ever tell you that I'm glad you're my girl?" Mikey asked without turning his head, his eyes focused on the blank television before him.

Noelle felt tears in her eyes at the kind words and how genuine they sounded, her exhausted body making her emotional. She never thought anybody would even want her, and now she had somebody as wonderful as Mikey in her life, thanking her just for wanting him. Noelle lifted her head up and placed a hand on Mikey's chin. She tilted his head towards her before she placed her lips on his, face burning as she did so. He leaned into the kiss, fingers trailing up her arm until they landed on her shoulder. Her hands traveled to the back of his head, where they untied the knot in his bandanna before she pulled the material off.

Nolle gently pulled away, her lips parting into a smile as she looked upon his mask-less face."You're beautiful, Michelangelo," she whispered. "You really are."

For the first time in a long time, Mikey found himself unable to speak. He just focused on Noelle's beautiful jade eyes before he leaned towards her and pressed his forehead against hers, a soft smile spreading across his face as his eyes shut. He had no idea how he had gotten so lucky to find a girl like Noelle, but he was thanking his shell that he'd stepped out of the shadows to talk to her the night they found her. She'd changed his life forever.

The warmth that spread through his chest was the hottest it had ever been, and he realized now that he wasn't sick, but that he was absolutely in love with her. He'd do anything for her, even giving up pizza if it meant she'd be his girl forever.

He kissed her on the cheek and then laid back, his arms spread open as he invited her into them. When Noelle laid against his plastron and his arms wrapped around her while his cheek nestled against the top of her head, she realized that things had never felt so right.

They both lay there in silence, not needing to say anything as the moment took them over, hearts beating wildly and a sense of peace enshrouding them. Mikey reached out and pulled the blanket across both of them as they eased down onto the pillows, still in each other's arms. Soon enough, they were both asleep, the worries of tomorrow forgotten.

[][][]

Leo was the first of his brothers to wake up, per usual. He rubbed his eyes and put his mask on before he headed downstairs to the dojo so he could stretch and get ready for their mission. What he didn't expect to see, however, was his youngest brother sleeping with Noelle in front of the couch. Mikey smiled in his sleep with his arms firmly wrapped around Noelle and her head rested on his chest. Leo was still in disbelief that Mikey had managed to get a girlfriend, but he was grateful that it had been somebody as kind as Noelle, and he was really happy for the both of them.

He entered the dojo, unsurprised to see Master Splinter already meditating in his usual spot in front of the tree. He sat beside his father, and closed his eyes. "Did you see Mikey and Noelle?"

Splinter's eyes remained shut. "I did."

"Do you approve?"

"I think Noelle is a good person, and I am more than happy to have her as a choice for Michelangelo. However, I must admit that I am surprised he is the first of my sons to find love." He chuckled. "I am pleased to see their hearts so full, and think they balance each other perfectly."

Leo smiled, and together the two of them sat in silence, continuing their meditation.

[][][]

Mikey's eyes fluttered open before they squeezed shut as he let out a wide yawn. He smiled as he looked down to his left and saw Noelle laying with her face pressed against chest, her left arm draped across his waist. She continued to sleep, her face one of peace and contentment. She was kind, smart, talented, and beautiful, and Mikey felt lucky.

As if sensing him staring at her, Noelle's eyes gradually opened and focused on him. The way her cheeks colored and her eyes twinkled at him as she smiled made Mikey's heart melt. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her closely against him in a sleepy hug, earning a happy giggle from her.

"I guess we better get ready," Noelle stated as she regretfully pulled away from the embrace and rubbed her eyes. She'd barely moved in her sleep, so her hair wasn't as messy or tangled as it usually was. In fact, it had probably been the best sleep of her life.

Mikey stood up and held his hand out to her, which she gratefully accepted as he pulled her up to her feet.

"You two looked comfy."

Cheeks heating up, Noelle swiveled around and saw Casey grinning with a smirking April next to him. "So, did you guys sleep well last night?" the redhead cheekily inquired.

"We sure did! We had so much fun!" Mikey cheerful responded, unaware of Noelle's face burning brightly.

Casey burst out laughing. "I bet you did!"

Donnie and Raph suddenly walked down the stairs from their bedrooms when they heard their friends' voices, and Leo stepped out of the dojo, Master Splinter following closely behind him. Everybody grew quiet and turned their attention towards the fatherly rodent as he stood in the middle of the den, his eyes shut.

"Today, the world depends on all of you. I will not lie; you have been tasked with a heavy burden, but there is nobody I would entrust with this mission except my family." Splinter opened his eyes, focusing on the teenagers before him. He beamed at them and bowed his head in respect. "I am so proud of all of you, and wish you much success in your journey. I am so grateful to how hard you have all worked. I know you can do it."

The students returned the bow, all of them smiling as they did so. "Hai, Sensei."

[][][]

Noelle stared up at the rocket with the others, her heart pounding. Her hair had been pinned up into a bun before a helmet had been placed over her head. Her and the others were each wearing a white space suit with bands wrapped around their knees, elbow, torso, and bottom of the helmet. Each person's band matched their favorite color. April's bands were yellow, Casey's were grey, while Noelle's were a dark blue, and of course the brother's colors were the same as their masks. Noelle and her friends were also equipped with the proper belts for their weapons.

"Let's go," Leo ordered without looking away from the rocket. He stepped forward first, and the others trailed behind him in a single-file line. They climbed up a ladder to reach a platform that would allow them to enter the ship. Eight seats were lined up, enough for all seven of them plus Noelle's mom when they rescued her.

"I know we can do this," Noelle thought to herself as she sat down next to Mikey and buckeled herself securely in. "I know we can."

Donnie sat at the very front with Leo beside him. He flipped three switches and the ship grumbled to life. "Taking off in 5..."

The lights inside dimmed.

"...4..."

The rocket rumbled.

"...3..."

Leo pressed a button and shifted up a wide lever.

"...2..."

The rumbling grew even louder.

"...1..."

Mikey squeezed Noelle's hand and she squeezed back as hard as she could.

"Liftoff!"

Noelle's body was pressed into her seat as the rocket shot up, vibrating and shaking like an old wooden roller coaster. She squeezed her eyes shut as sweat rolled down her forehead and the ship heavily trembled up towards the atmosphere. It felt like a heavy pressure was on her chest, and although she could breathe, it felt like she couldn't at the same time.

She managed to turn her head and look out the circular window that was beside her face, watching as clouds sped by and their surroundings grew darker.

And suddenly, they were in space.

The pressure disappeared, and instead a lighter feeling engulfed Noelle's body. It was an indescribable feeling that made her feel like she was weightless. She gazed at the stars in disbelief, unable to comprehend that the bright dots she'd stared at her entire life were closer than ever before. She was literally among the stars, and it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"Dude, can we take our belts off now?" Mikey excitedly asked as he fingered his strap's button anxiously.

Leo unbuckled himself and waved at Mikey. "Go ahead."

"Sah-weet!" Without wasting time, Mikey unconfined himself and floated up. "This is totally awesome!" He spun around and laughed before he reached down to unbuckle Noelle's seat belt. She stared up at him in awe as he grabbed her hands and pulled her up, swirling around slowly in a spiral with her.

She smiled as she realized that they were actually dancing among the stars. A wish she had never thought could happen came true, and it was all because of these magnificent people in her life. She felt so lucky, and giggled as her and Mikey's helmets clinked together.

"Look! There is it!"

Noelle and Mikey parted ways and floated towards the front of the ship to join where the others had grouped together, eyes widened and mouths gaping. Noelle gasped as she saw a massive spherical space hovering before them, completely enshrouded in glowing circular purple lines. Round tinted windows dotted across the surface, and not a ship but theirs could be seen.

"Holy ship!" Casey exclaimed in shock. They had all had a feeling the station would be big, but not on this level.

Leo bounced his legs up and down, unable to conceal just how ecstatic he was to be in actual space. Never in a million years did he think he'd be able to soar above their planet just like his hero. "Hey Donnie, where's the entrance at?"

Donatello studied the screen on his panel and pressed a button, automatically displaying a map of the Kraang's lair. "Let's see...ah! It's actually right in front of us." A rectangle glowed on the monitor and blinked repeatedly. "We should be able to land there."

"That's great and all, but aren't they going to see us coming and attack us?" Raph asked with a frown.

"Not if we make ourselves invisible," April chirped in, exchanging a grin with Donnie. Her and her best friend had worked on it together and were beyond proud that it worked. They'd tested it one late night when everybody else was asleep just to make sure it was successful, and they were beyond pleased with the results.

"That's so cool! Awesome!" Mikey was once again impressed with his older brother's invention. "Can you make me invisible?"

"No!" all the guys firmly stated, causing the young turtle to pout.

The ship gradually made it's way towards the station's entrance, both vessel and occupants silent as they approached their target. Noelle took a deep breath, too scared to even breathe in case it would alert the Kraang. It seemed she wasn't the only one who was a little nervous, as she heard Leo suck in his breath and watched Donnie's fingers tighten on the steering wheel.

The ship slowly entered the hangar, and a shiver ran up Noelle's spine. Rows of ships were lined up neatly, polished and impressive. At least twenty ships were in the area, and half as many armored Kraang bots.

[+]

"Wouldn't be fun if it were easy," Raph grinned, eager to go off the ship and take on the aliens. He tilted his head both sides until his neck cracked twice while he reached for his weapons.

"We want to try and make it past these guys without setting off the alarm. We need to stay as hidden as possible," Leo directed.

Everybody nodded in understanding, remaining silent until the ship landed towards the back of the hangar. One by one, each of them exited off the ship silently, heads swiveling around. Mikey and his brother's eyes had turned white, indicating that they were on full alert for any enemies. Noticing an elevator nearby, Leo gestured to it and crept mutely over to it, the others trailing after with their weapons equipped.

The group entered into the elevator and stayed quiet until the doors shut. Donnie hit the top floor button and the elevator started to rise. Classic music began playing, making the atmosphere a little awkward as all the teens held their weapons and glanced around the moving compartment. Noelle felt Mikey squeeze her hand, and she clutched his in return.

Several seconds later, the elevator came to a stop and the door slid open to reveal an empty hallway. An uncomfortable silence filled the atmosphere as the teens exited the elevator and cautiously made their way down the corridor. Noelle felt her heart pounding in her ears with each step she took, her palms slick with sweat and insides quivering anxiously.

"You've trained for this. You are going to be okay. You're not alone." She swallowed her nerves and followed the rest of the group, mentally reminding herself to be calm and remember her training.

The tunnel curved and led to a set of silver doors. Leo held up a sword, signalling for the others to halt behind him. "Be prepared for anything," he warned without facing them. He narrowed his eyes and pushed the doors open, a blade pointed ahead in case an enemy awaited on the other side.

Tubes with purple liquid inside bulged outside out of the walls and ran up into the ceiling. "Woahhh! I've seen these before in one of my comic books! They, like, suck mind power out of your brain so everybody else can know what that person's thinking and stuff."

"You read too many comic books little brother," Raph stated as he eyed the tubes warily. He knew from past experiences that anything tube related in a Kraang facility often led to bad news.

"I think they lead somewhere, yo," Casey pointed out as his eyes traced the tubing towards the back part of the hallway. Doors with small windows in the front lined up alongside the corridor, similar to the prison corridor Noelle had been kept in on Earth.

"Search all the rooms," Leo ordered, only to hesitate as April held up a hand and closed her eyes.

"Do you sense something?" Donnie asked.

The redhead's eyes opened as she gestured towards the end of the hall. "I'm getting some major energy readings from back there."

"The ones known as the turtles must do the thing known as halting!"

The group spun around and saw about twenty Kraang bots armed and facing them. The bots parted, and a pitch black shadow loomed across the wall, gradually walking closer to them. Footsteps echoed down the corridor, growing louder and louder with each step. Suddenly, the shadow took shape, and Noelle heard sharp intakes of breath.

"Be on guard," Leo ordered through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowed.

The terror Noelle felt when Shredder turned around the corner was indescribable. Her legs felt heavy as lead, her heart raced, her insides felt cold, and sweat gathered on her forehead. His eyes focused directly on her, and they showed only pure hate.

"Shredder," Raph hissed with disgust. Noelle heard shuffling beside her as Mikey took a step forward and protectively shielded her front with his arm.

"How did you even get here?!" Casey demanded.

Shredder ignored his question. "So, you must be the little pest of that woman these imbeciles have captured," Shredder rumbled, his voice sending goosebumps down Noelle's skin. All the training in the world couldn't have prepared her for the fear and pressure she felt as he approached her.

"Mikey, Raph, take Noelle down to the end of the hall and try to find her mom. We'll take care of the Kraang and Shredder." Leo's tone was firm and left no room for argument. Mikey took Noelle by the hand and pulled her away from the group, Raph following after. A part of her felt guilty for running away from the real fight, but she knew now wasn't the time to feel that way. She needed to find her mom.

She pushed herself into a sprint to keep up with the others. Months ago she wouldn't have been able to run at the speed she was going now without getting out of breath, but training had really increased her stamina. She recalled all the nights her arms and legs had felt like they were on fire from all the push ups and fighting she did. Now, her hard work was paying off.

They reached the door at the end of the hall, but a keypad with unfamiliar symbols on it barred them from going further. Before Noelle could even wonder how they were going to proceed, Raph simply stepped forward and jabbed the tips of his Sais into the mechanism, prompting it to emit shocks before it clicked and the door slid open.

In front of them was a sight that made Noelle nearly dropped her weapon in shock.

Her mother was strapped up against a wall with a helmet on her head that was the source for all the tubes in the ceiling that they followed. Her mom looked absolutely terrified as five other Kraang bots in the room faced her, all armed and waiting.

"Leave her alone!"

Noelle's shout drew all the attention away from Savannah, forcing the teens to raise their weapons up in preparation to fight. The older woman simply couldn't believe her eyes as she saw her daughter, alive and safe. Her head lolled to the side, and her lids heavily dropped.

"I told you! We've gotta get her outta there!" Mikey yelled, hating when his comic book scenarios came true in real life. He swung his chucks around one of the Kraang's guns and snatched it out of metallic hands with a delightful laugh.

Noelle bolted forward towards her mom, eager to remove the device off of her mom's head. To help save her some time, Raph dashed next to her and stabbed his Sais through the chest of one of the droids. Noelle jabbed her Jitte into a Kraang alien's face, prompting it to squeal in pain and collapse onto the ground with a sick splat. Mikey kicked another Kraang in the head, propelling it out of Noelle's way so she could jump up and knock the gear off of Savannah's skull.

"Mom!" Noelle cried out worriedly. Her mom looked awful; circles were under her eyes, she appeared malnourished, and her skin was an unhealthy pale shade. Noelle's eyes searched frantically for a button or switch of some sort that would release Savannah, heart settling just a little as she hastily slammed her palm into a purple button. Noelle stretched her forearm out to catch the unconscious woman, kneeling down so she could lay Savannah out on the floor.

Mikey defeated the last remaining Kraang in the room and hurried over to Noelle, his eyes traveling down to the woman on the ground. "Woah! Is she okay?"

"I'll carry her," Raph volunteered as he picked Savannah up bridal style and nodded his head towards the door. "We should go."

Mikey stretched his hand down and helped Noelle up, earning a sincere thanks from her. All three of them briskly left the room and entered the hallway, stopping in unison to take in the sight of their team still in combat with Shredder in a graveyard of littered Kraang bodies. Despite the fact that he was greatly outnumbered, Shredder still managed to hold his own against nonstop attacks.

"Time to go!" Leo announced as he ran to where Noelle was, the others quickly following behind him. Just as Shredder lunged forward to stab at Leo, Mikey threw down an egg, causing them to vanish in violet smoke. Shredder growled out, furious that he'd taken the chance to kill the turtles himself and had lost them when they were within his grasp.

[][][]

"We're almost at the spaceship!" Donnie announced the team ran towards the hangar. Noelle turned her head when she heard a groan and saw her mom's eyes gradually blinking open. She felt so much relief when the woman gazed over at her with instant recognition.

"Noelle?"

Noelle smiled. "Hi mom. You're okay, I promise."

Savannah glanced up at Raph, surprised to find that she was being carried by some green person with a red mask. She was certain that in most cases, a person would scream in fear or surprise at the unfamiliar creature, but for the past few months she'd been locked away in a cell by robots who had aliens for their stomach, so she was rather unfazed. She was, however, dazed and a little confused as to what was going on. Her daughter was in a strange space suit and was armed with a weapon of some sort. Actually, now that she was awake and able to take in her surroundings, it seemed like her rescuers were nothing more than teenagers.

"How did you guys get here?" Savannah asked, her throat dry and raspy.

"You'll see," Donnie gently answered without looking at her.

The group arrived at the hangar and made their way towards the ship. Suddenly, an unfamiliar robot appeared before them and blocked the way. It was ten feet tall and as wide as 4 people, with four metallic arms that were each armed with a gun.

"Donnie, you take Noelle's mom back to the ship and check to make sure she's okay. We've got this," Leo ordered.

"Got it!" Donnie confirmed as Savannah was put into his arms by Raph. She was too weak to run herself, so she allowed herself to be carried. She was alert enough to see a space ship looming over her, and then she faded into unconsciousness.

Noelle watched her mom get into the ship before she focused on the robot before her and formed an offensive stance. More Kraang bots appeared out of hallways connected to the hangar and the nearby elevator. They were outnumber by at least a hundred bots, not including the strange new one whose blasters were currently aimed at the group.

"Good, bring it on," Raph challenged, adrenaline rushing through his veins. Leo held out a sword to block his younger brother from attacking, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he attempted to think of a way to get his team to safety.

"Guys, we just need to get to the ship! Donnie and I installed a weapon to shoot at the station and blow it up!" April excitedly informed her friends. "Come on!"

"If the ones known as the turtles do that which is known as flee, the ones known as Kraang will shoot."

[Clash of the Titans- There is a God in You]

Noelle was terrified, and yet there was something in her that prevented her legs from shaking or palms from sweating. She knew she needed to fight to protect the people she cared about, and that seemed more important than her own safety. When Mikey squeezed her hand and smiled at her, she knew she would be okay. Somehow, they would all make it through alright.

"I have an idea," Leo finally stated after being silent with his thoughts. "It's going to sound crazy but it's simple and should work."

The Kraang watched as one of the turtles spoke to the others in a hushed voice before his team mates nodded in affirmation.

"Now!"

Mikey threw a bomb, causing smoke to fill the air and blind the Kraang. Leo and Raph slashed and stabbed at the giant robot's arms, causing all 4 limbs to fall off. Noelle, April and Casey hid behind the limbless robot, the hockey player shooting off more smoke bombs out to prevent their side from being shot at once the smoke from in front of their new shield dissipated. Leo and Raph pushed the robot onto it's side so it couldn't get up, and charged forward with the girls and Casey fleeing alongside it for safety. As they ran, Casey used his hockey sticks to slam more bombs into the robots. Mikey stood protectively in front of Noelle with his chucks swirling out in a fast motion to deflect any possible bullets that might come their way.

Their training paid off, for soon they were at the rocket and boarding in a rapid manner. Shots fired against the ship, creating a deafening noise as bullet bounced off the sides. Noelle noticed her mom strapped in with a helmet on her head and a space suit on. She had regained consciousness and looked absolutely confused.

"You guys flew here on a rocket? Where did you get it?"

"Um, I'll explain later mom!" Noelle called out as she hurried to her seat. As much as she wanted to hug her mom and explain everything that had happened so the poor woman would stop being perplexed, now was just not the time.

Noelle had barely sat down and buckled herself in when the ship took off. It went in reverse, smashing into the back of the hanger and collapsing on top of a large group of Kraang.

"Not this way! You're going backwards!" Donnie shouted at Leo, wincing as the metal plating scratched the hangar's floor.

"It was an accident!" Leo yelled back before he thrust a switch forward, shooting them out of the hangar and away from the station. Donnie grinned and pressed a bright red button on the control panel.

"Here we go!"

A bomb shot out of the ride side of the ship and dropped towards Kraang's base. The aliens didn't stand a chance, for as soon as the weapon made contact with their station, everything exploded in one brilliant burst of flame.

[+]

Noelle squeezed her eyes shut and gripped onto Mikey's hand, his fingers clutching hers tightly. The rocket entered into Earth's atmosphere, violently shaking as it charged towards a vast area of water.

"Pull the lever below your seats!" Donnie ordered. Noelle's eyes flew open and she did as instructed. At once, she dropped through the floor of the rocket and her parachute expanded until she was floating down, still in her seat. Her and Mikey didn't stop holding hands as they watched the ship crash into the ocean below them.

Luckily, the entire group, including Savannah, had ejected themselves out of the vessel in time. They floated in the air, Noelle basking in the view of the sun sparkling across the water. She smiled and allowed her body to relax as they drifted down to the building rooftops below.

She couldn't believe it.

They'd done it. They'd won.