"Honestly, April. Why do I have to go again?" Maya muttered, looking sideways to her older sister. April ran a hand through her short red hair. "For the last time, I'm telling you, you need it. The turtles were nice enough to agree to do this, and they've promised to teach you all of their techniques. You'll thank me for this one day." She replied, keeping her eyes on the road as she drove. Maya sighed and rolled her eyes. She slipped her pink Beats over her ears and turned on her iPod. She closed her eyes and mouthed the words lazily until her sister stopped the car and turned it off. She opened her eyes. "Get your things. I'll wait for you." Maya grabbed her backpack and suitcase and climbed out of the car. When she saw April standing next to a sewer cap, her eyes widened. "You never mentioned this. I'm not going in there. No, no, no, no, no." she sputtered. April raised her eyebrows and cocked her hips. Maya's shoulder's sagged and she slammed the car door shut. She dragged her suitcase over just as the four turtles- Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo- jumped out of the manhole. Her eyebrows rose as she took them in. She caught the gaze of one of them- the red one- and mumbled a half-hearted "'Sup," The one with the blue mask walked forward and took her suitcase. Maya turned to April to ask her which one was which, but her sister had already beaten her to it. "Maya, this is Leo, Donnie, Raph, and Mikey. Leo, Donnie, Raph, Mikey, this is Maya," She pointed to each one as she said their names. Maya waved and half-smiled. Everyone paused, and then Leo broke the silence. He walked forward and took her suitcase. "Raph, you can take her down there. Help her get settled in a bit." Raph gestured for Maya to follow, and he led her down the manhole. Leo turned back to April. Once they were out of earshot, April said, "You might have some trouble with her. If you haven't seen enough yet, We're complete opposites." April couldn't have been less right; Maya liked pink, phones, glitter, boys, and all things girly. Her sister, on the other hand, liked dark blue, silence, and couldn't care less about what other people thought of her. Leo shrugged. "We've dealt with that before." He murmured. His brothers nodded. "Give her some time alone for a bit, and she'll soften up." April suggested. "Well, I guess this is where I leave you. They all mumbled their parting words and turned away. "Oh, and, Leo? She's used to getting her own way, so you might have to find your way through that. Here's your bait," April said, tossing him a set of car keys. She pointed to a cherry-red convertible parked a little way down the street. "Thanks." Leo mumbled. She sped away and the turtles went back to their lair.
When they got back, Raph was slumped on the couch half-asleep and flipping through channels on the TV. "Raph, I'd asked you to help her." Leo said, annoyed. "She's even more stubborn than April. She says she doesn't need it." Raph replied, yawning. He sighed and closed his eyes, dozing off. No sooner had he fallen asleep then he was jolted awake by the sound of music being blasted upstairs. "Sounds like Mikey's getting carried away again. Mikey, turn it down!" he shouted. "I'm right here," his brother said from behind him. "It's Maya," Donnie said immediately. "I don't like this already." Raph muttered, half-way up the stairs. "Don't be too hard on her, man," Leo said softly. When he got to the door of her room, he didn't bother knocking. He opened the door and she looked up from the Vogue magazine she was skimming through. "It's kinda rude to just drop in on a girl. You never know what she might be doing when you throw open a door like that." Maya muttered, returning her eyes to the article she was reading. "Whatever. Would you mind turning that thing down a bit?" Raph countered. She shrugged and picked up the remote to the stereo and pressed a button. "I have more to get from downstairs, anyway." Maya said, brushing past him. He stood in the doorway for a moment, and turned to follow her downstairs. She picked up a few bags and started to go back up. "Hey, what's this?" Mikey said from behind her, picking up a small bag of feminine items. She turned and snatched it from his hands, her cheeks flaming. Shoving it into her backpack, she started up the stairs. After dumping the load on her bed, Maya went back down for the rest of her things. She spent about thirty minutes organizing her room and headed down for dinner. After seeing the pizza boxes that occupied the table, her eyes widened. "I'm ordering a salad." She walked over to the couch and plopped down onto the cushion. She pulled out her phone from her back pocket and began scrolling through her Instagram updates. "Hey, Maya, just so you know, training starts tomorrow." Leo murmured, his back to her. "Tomorrow? I'm completely booked." He turned around. "You just might have to cancel, then." He replied. "Hey, I'm kidding! I already know. What time?" she asked. "We always wake up at six for training." "Six? Ugh, this is summer, not a school night." Maya muttered under her breath. She yawned and stretched. "Well, I'm gonna go and shower." She said, getting up and heading to her room. The turtles exchanged looks. "She's really something." Donnie said. "Yeah, a feisty little thing." Raph added. "I have a feeling we might need Sensei's help with her." Leo muttered, shooting a look at Splinter's study.
The next morning, Maya came downstairs at six o'clock sharp, wearing a tank top and yoga pants. "You came," Leo said in mild surprise. "Yes, I did." "Well, we just need to wait for the others." He stretched and yawned just as Donnie and Mikey walked in. "Good morning," Mikey said. "Morning," Leo and Maya mumbled. Maya pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. "We gonna start or what?" she asked. "Raph probably slept in again. Someone needs to go and wake him up. Any volunteers?" "I will," she offered, starting up the stairs. When she got up to his room, she opened the door and flipped on the light. "I'm trying to sleep," Raph mumbled. "Turn off the light." He rolled over. "It's time for training," Maya said. He groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes. He reached for his mask and put it on. "You forgot to knock. You never know what a turtle might be doing," he said, mimicking her. Maya rolled her eyes and said, "Well, we're training. Feel free to come down when you'd like." She turned around and walked down the stairs. When she was about halfway, Raph jumped over the stair railing and joined his brothers. Once everyone was ready, they went into the dojo. "Okay," Leo started. "The first and most important thing Sensei ever taught us was to have a balanced mind. You must be calm and peaceful. So with you, we're gonna start out with some meditating." Everyone sat in different corners of the room. "Free yourself from unnecessary thoughts." About five minutes into the exercise, Maya's phone dinged. "Sorry," she stage-whispered. Everyone opened their eyes to look at her. Without getting up, she reached over to open the door and tossed her phone out of the room. Everyone closed their eyes again except for Raph. He kept his gaze on her for a moment. There was something about her that he couldn't put a finger on. Sometimes he couldn't stand her and her girly, sassy attitude, but somehow, he could see past it. He couldn't help but think that she- "Well, I think that we're done. We'll do this again tomorrow, and then the real training begins." Leo interrupted Raph's thoughts. Raph shot a look at the clock and couldn't believe it was already seven-thirty. Sighing, everybody got to their feet. As he glanced around the room, he got a frown from Leo. He lowered his head slightly. Had his brother noticed his behavior through his training? He pushed the door open and let himself out of the dojo. Maya followed and bent to pick up her phone. As she turned it on, Raph couldn't help but look over her shoulder. She had gotten four new texts from someone named Tyler. He instantly assumed that she had a boyfriend, and felt a strange pang of jealousy. Disgusted with himself, he shook it off. Why did he feel so weird? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maya flop on the couch, her eyes still glued to her phone's screen. Eventually she shoved it back into her pocket and went upstairs. When she came back down, she was wearing more casual clothes and she had put on makeup. She walked over to Leo and said, "I'm going to go and meet someone at Wilson's Coffee Shop. I should be back in an hour and a half. Okay?" Leo sat thoughtfully for a moment and said, "How about an hour?" "Fine." She smiled and started to walk away. "Thanks." A few minutes later, Raph decided to take a spin on his motorcycle. When he got up to the manhole, he found Maya struggling to lift it. "Need help?" She jumped at the sound of his voice and looked over her shoulder. "Sure, thanks. I'm never gonna get used to this." He lifted it up as though it was nothing and jumped out. He crouched and helped her up. "Thanks." She stood and started to walk away. "No prob." Raph muttered. He began to lift the tarp off of his motorcycle. "Hey, wait, do you want a ride?" he called back to her. She turned back and said, "Well, it's close enough that I could walk, but a ride would be nice…" She saw his bike. "Unless it ruins my hair…" "Get on." Sighing, Maya got on, but made sure to keep a safe distance between her and her "chauffer". Raph revved the engine and purposely made his motorcycle lurch forward, forcing Maya to hold onto him for dear life. He laughed and they rode the rest of the way in awkward silence. When they got to Wilson's, Raph noticed a guy with brown hair and blue eyes waiting outside. He saw Maya and smiled. When she got off, she walked over to him and slipped her hand into his. She turned back to wave at Raph, but he had already sped away. Shrugging, she followed Tyler into the coffee shop. After they had made their orders, they sat down at a small table across from each other. "Maya, I wanted to talk to you." The bluntness in his voice caused her to stop chewing for a moment. "I'm listening." She murmured, making it sound more like a question. "Well, I was thinking, it's getting harder and harder to balance having a relationship with you, my job, and football. When school starts, it's going to be even crazier." "So… what are you saying?" Maya said nervously. "We both know what I'm saying. You're a great girl. You've been very good to me. I promise you that this isn't your fault, but we need to break it off." Maya's eyes widened and she sat back in her chair as though she was taking it all in. "Tyler, we've known each other for years. I love you. Why can't we keep it this way?" Her voice wavered. "I'm not disappearing from your life. We can still be friends, just not like this." They fell into an awkward silence. "I'll walk you home if you want." Maya said nothing and stood. Tyler followed her and when they got to the street across from the sewer cap, she stopped. "Why does it have to be this way?" she said quietly. Tyler started to talk, but instead he leaned forward to kiss her. When they pulled back, he fell unconscious. Raph was standing behind him, his fist where Tyler's head was seconds before.
"What's he doing here?" Raph asked angrily. Tyler, groggy and disoriented, opened his eyes and said, "What the heck are you?" "Leave. Now." The turtle growled in response. Without a question, Tyler got up and ran. He threw one look back at Maya before he turned around a corner. Raph lifted the sewer cap and jumped in. He held it open for Maya, and she followed with one last glance over her shoulder. Behind him, Raph heard her sniff. Was she crying? He said nothing, and when they got back to the lair, Maya went straight upstairs to her room, leaving the door slightly open. Raph sat on the couch doing nothing for a few minutes, but finally went upstairs as well. He gently pushed open the door to her room and said, "Are you okay?" She looked up and he saw that there was mascara streaked down her cheeks. She had obviously been crying. "Just a little homesick, that's all." She lied. He nodded and said awkwardly, "Look, I'm sorry I knocked your boyfriend out." He paused. "And scared the heck out of him." She gave a short laugh and said, "He deserved it. And he's not my boyfriend anymore." "Oh, well then I would do it again." Maya half-smiled and they sat together in silence for a moment. Finally, she stood and said, "Well, I look like a wreck. I need to clean myself up." Raph nodded and walked toward the door. Leaning against the door-frame, he opened his mouth to say something. She now had her back to him, so he closed his mouth and left. In her room, Maya was feeling sad and confused. She felt down because of Tyler, and she had mixed feelings about Raph. He had acted like a jerk, until now. If it was a sign, she chose to ignore it. It was probably just a one-time thing, anyway. She shrugged and walked to the nearest bathroom. She pushed the door open and turned on the sink. Leaning over the faucet, she took her time to rinse the mascara off of her face. When she was done, she dried it with a towel and paused to look at herself in the mirror. Sighing, she went downstairs and flopped onto the couch. Raph was a few feet away on the couch, lying half-asleep. He heard her approaching and opened his eyes. He watched as she sat down and curled up into a ball. She settled and closed her eyes, lying motionless until she was breathing heavily and evidently asleep. Raph smiled to himself and laid back in his recliner. When his brothers came in for lunch, they gaped in surprise, seeing them asleep on the couch. They weren't snuggled together, but they were asleep next to each other. Eventually, Raph jerked awake to find his brothers in the kitchen, occasionally glancing at the couch. He stood up and stretched, looking down at where Maya was fast asleep. He walked over and joined his brothers. They all looked at him closely and went back to their food.
Later, Maya woke to find herself alone on the couch. She looked at her iPhone clock and saw that she had been asleep for three hours. She sat up and noticed that the turtles had gone somewhere and were probably doing their own thing. She quickly became bored and decided to run upstairs and grab her two favorite nail polish colors. After grabbing the hot pink and jet black bottles, she returned downstairs and sat in the same spot. Once she removed the chipping polish that was already on her fingers and toes, she picked up the pink one and painted every other one. After she was done with that, she moved on to the next color. While waiting for them to dry, she looked around the lair. Her gaze fell on what looked like a camera in a corner of the ceiling. She thought for a moment but couldn't remember seeing it before. Shrugging, Maya went back to her nails and tested them, and then got up to put everything away. She saw the time once more and shuffled into the kitchen and searched for something to eat for lunch. After not being able to find anything appetizing, she settled on a bowl of cereal. Raph walked in with a set of headphones around his neck. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he saw her dazed expression. One side of her normally curled hair was flat and her eyeliner was smudged. "Off-day?" he said with amusement, doing his best not to laugh. "You have no idea." Maya mumbled, looking up at him. Raph couldn't hold it in any longer; a chuckle escaped his mouth. She glared at him, but there was a slightly playful gleam in his eyes. "It's not funny," she muttered. Still smiling, he turned his back to her and opened the fridge. He reached for a soda and opened it. After slipping a straw into the lid, he sat down and put his headphones on. When Maya was finished, she rinsed out her bowl and put it in the dishwasher. After going through the things she could entertain herself with, she decided to watch TV. As soon as she turned it on, the screen flashed with a breaking news report. The TV reporter went on to tell that someone had been trying to hack into some of the most top secret facilities in the country including the White House, the Pentagon, and several police departments. "This group has come to be known as the Cobra League. Their primary symbol is an intricate tattoo of a cobra on their forearm and is assumed to be a terrorist organization of sorts. Suspects are considered armed and dangerous. If they are found, they will be taken in for questioning, and possibly charged for breaking into police records. Anyone who has information, please call the Manhattan Police Department." Maya looked back and saw that Raph had gotten up to stand behind where she sat on the couch. His headphones were around his neck once more and his eyes were glued to the screen. He looked down and met her gaze. Maya noticed that he almost looked scared. She turned back to the screen and swallowed.
At dinner, when everyone was gathered around the table, Raph told his brothers what he and Maya had seen on the TV. "The police know we're out here. The Cobra League might too." He said. Leo thought for a moment, then turned to Maya. "Your battle training starts tomorrow. We need as much strength as we can get." She nodded. "We'll start you on the bo- Donnie's weapon." That night while lying in her bed, Maya stared up at the ceiling, She felt a little scared about the news. She woke up the next morning still feeling exhausted. The training session went fine; the turtles just taught her the basics. After breakfast, she approached Leo. "Hey, Leo? I was wondering if I could have my car keys for just this once tonight. I have a party with some friends at 7:30 and it's across town." The turtle paused. "That's fine, but you need to be back by 11." Maya smiled. "Okay, thanks!" The day flew by and the next thing she knew, it was 6.45. She was ready, she just needed her keys. "Don't forget your curfew," Leo called. "I know." She got to the party right in time. As she looked around, she saw Tyler across the dance floor with some of his friends. He looked up and met her gaze. Maya smiled sadly and joined her best friend, Kathryn, on the other side of the room. She enjoyed the party, and it was over all too soon. After she said good-bye to all of her friends, Maya began to walk to the alley where she had parked her car. It was a few blocks away. As she walked, she couldn't help but notice that someone was following her. She looked back and saw a man staring at her and following her footsteps. She looked away but her stomach was churning. When she turned again a few moments later, she found he was a few feet away. Her car was almost right in front of her, but he was closer. He had her cornered. Through the dim light of the street lamps, she could almost see a tattoo on his right forearm. She gasped and stumbled, just inches away from a brick wall. With nowhere to go, she pressed herself against it and waited for him to close in. When he was only feet away, she whimpered and buried her head. Before she closed her eyes, a shadow flew over her head in between Maya and the strange man. The silhouette of a turtle stood and growled, "Get out." The man's eyes widened when he took in what was before him. He stepped backward, and after a few feet turned and ran.
Maya watched her stalker disappear and looked up at her rescuer. He turned and helped her to her feet. "You okay?" Raph asked her. She nodded and started sobbing. He put his arm around her shoulder and led her back to her car. "Are you ready to drive or do you need a minute?" he asked. She wiped her tears and said, "I can drive." "I'm gonna stay out here and make sure that loser doesn't come back, but I'll meet you back at the lair, okay?" She nodded and started her car. As Raph walked away, she called his name. He turned to look back at her. "Thank you," she said softly. He nodded and turned back as she closed the door. When she got back to the sewer she waited for a moment. Once they were back in the lair, Raph pointed out that she had a small gash on the inside of her arm where the asphalt has scraped her. He helped Maya clean it and wrap it. Clenching her teeth and trying to ignore the stinging pain in her arm, she thanked him again. When he walked her up to her room, they paused at the door. Looking up at him, Maya threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Without waiting for his reaction, she slipped into her room. Her face was flaming. She couldn't believe she had done that. Back in his room, Raph had mixed feelings. He'd never been hugged by a girl before, and he'd never felt this way about one either. They both went to bed feeling exhausted. Training the next morning was uneventful, but Maya was showing improvement, even on her third day. She actively tried to avoid Raph, and he'd noticed. She wouldn't look in his direction or touch at him. At lunch, she somehow escaped. When he asked Leo, he answered, "She went to Central Park." Inwardly groaning, he sighed. Central Park was huge! Even though he was discouraged, he went and began his search anyway. Careful not to be seen, he climbed the tallest tree he could find. From one of the top branches, I looked out at the park, and after some looking, he located her about a quarter of a mile away from the tree. She had spread out a small picnic blanket and had a bag from a sub sandwich place next to her. Raph smiled and climbed down. When he approached her, her jaw dropped. "How did you find me?" "Wasn't that hard. I came because I was wondering why you were avoiding me all day. I mean, I pretty much saved your life yesterday." She looked down and pulled out her lunch. When she saw the size of the sandwich, her eyes widened. "Have you eaten yet?" she asked Raph. "Not yet," he replied. "Want some?" "Sure, thanks." Maya divided it and gave him the bigger piece. "You sure?" he asked. She nodded, and they started eating. After a moment, Maya broke through the silence and said, "Is it safe for you to come out here, because… you know?" Raph finished chewing and shrugged. "That's why we're usually out at night instead. But you chose a pretty tough-to-find spot, so I think we're safe." She laughed. "I meant to… sorry." Another awkward silence fell over them. "Well, like you said, yeah I've been avoiding you. It's because I don't really know what to do or say, after what happened last night," she said, referring to their little "hug" last night. "Yeah, I wasn't really sure how to react to that." he said, grinning. "I honestly think we got off one the wrong foot, like, completely." "That's my fault. I was a jerk. Sorry," Raph said sheepishly. "It's okay. I was too." The two fell into an easy conversation. They were interrupted by hearing footsteps and other people talking, and Raph swore under his breath. "Did you think to bring a disguise?" "Yep, but I hate wearing it in the middle of summer." he muttered while he took out a bag that contained an oversize hoodie and some sweatpants. He slipped into it, and he and Maya began to fold up the blanket they had been sitting on. When they were ready, they walked in the direction of Raph's motorcycle. When they got to where he'd hidden it, Maya stopped him. She got onto her tip toes and hugged him. "This time I'll wait for your reaction," she whispered. He smiled and hugged her back.
When they finally got home, Maya shot him one last smile and went up to her room. Raph smiled back, and saw his brothers in the kitchen smirking at him. "What?" Raph asked, trying to look innocent. Mikey finally opened his mouth. "Is it just me, or-" Mikey's eyes glowed. "Shut up," Raph murmured, cutting him off. He felt the corners of his mouth turn up, and immediately turned away to hide it. His brothers "ooh"ed and laughed at him. "It ain't that funny, and I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this." "Just don't let it get in the way of your training." Leo said. Raph pulled off his disguise and threw it carelessly on the ground. "Yeah, right. Have you ever known me to let something get in the way of my training? Besides, this isn't what you think it is." He countered. Yet, he added in his mind. He sat down and turned on the TV just in time for another news report on the Cobra League. "Hey guys, they're on again." Raph called over his shoulder. Leo told Maya to come down while Donnie and Mikey flocked onto the couch. "We've received the description of a man who is believed to be a part of the Cobra League." The news reporter said. The man had a stocky build with cropped black hair, Hispanic nationality. He had the cobra tattoo on his right forearm. Raph and Maya turned to each other. "That sounds like-" Maya started. When the report was done, Leo stood in front of everybody. "Do you guys know anything about this?" "We might." Raph answered. "Last night, when I was out patrolling, I somehow found Maya coming home from her party." He met her gaze and went on. "There was some creep who was following her to her car. I wasn't able to see very well in the dark, but judging from what I did see, that guy might match that description." "I saw the tattoo." Maya added. Leo paced back and forth at the front of the room. "Then we might be right." He said after a moment. "We need to start sending out two people instead of one for nightly patrols. The city never sleeps, and this ain't any different." Raph said. Leo nodded. "I'll call Casey and April sometime to see if they've heard anything about this." "It might help if someone kept an eye on the news." Maya suggested. She stood and started up the stairs. "Hold on, I need to grab something." When she came back down, she had her laptop under her arm. The turtles crowded around where she sat and watched as she clicked on her browser. She googled The Cobra League and they all watched as dozens of search reports popped up. Most of the headlines were news reports of them trying to hack into police records. Not only had they tried in New York, but they had also stolen information from Florida, Ohio, Washington, Illinois and several other states. "These guys are all over the place!" Mikey said. "They're making it sound like a national threat. Terrorists, maybe?" "I don't know." Maya said. She clicked on the images link and brought up a picture of the Cobra League's symbol. It sported a black and white cobra that was rearing its scaly head back, as though preparing for an attack. When she saw it, she was overcome by déjà vu. She remembered the symbol from somewhere, not just on the man who followed her. She stood up and put her laptop where she had been sitting. "Here, you guys keep looking." She said. She needed some time alone so that she could think. In her room, she tried to remember any connection she had with a tattoo of a cobra. She closed her eyes as questions ran through her brain like a whirl wind. Without realizing it, she slipped into a well-needed sleep.
While she was asleep, Maya had a dream that was almost like a vision. She was having flashbacks of… Tyler? She watched in sleep-muddled confusion as her mind went through scenes of them when they were together. Through her gaze she saw them taking walks through the park, going out to fancy restaurants, holding hands in the halls of their school, and sitting next to each other in the car while he drove her home. Finally, she saw him during the party last night. Her attention turned to the back of his neck, just above the hem of his shirt. There was something there. Something important. Something he was trying to hide. She could almost see the faint out line of- "Maya. Maya, wake up." She opened her eyes to find Raph shaking her to wake her up. "Leo's wondering if you want to go patrolling with me tonight. It's worth the experience." Maya sat up and stretched. "Sure… Lemme just get changed." Maya said groggily. Raph went downstairs and waited for her. "Maya's patrolling with me tonight." "Isn't that a little dangerous? I mean, she hardly knows anything." Leo said. "I'll keep her out of trouble." She came downstairs, dressed in mostly black. Mikey and Donnie turned away to hide their smiles. They knew what was going on. "You ready?" "Almost." Maya slipped into the dojo and grabbed the wooden bo staff that she had been using during training. "Ready." After they climbed out of the man hole, Maya started to walk toward the street. "Where are you going?" Raph asked. "Patrolling. That's what we were doing, right?" She called over her shoulder. "You're going the wrong way." "Well then where am I supposed to go?" She snapped, turning back to face him. He pointed to the fire escape stairs of the apartment that was closest. Maya froze. "All the way up to the roof? No, no, no. I can't." "What, are you afraid of heights?" Raph asked, smiling in amusement. "Don't worry, we'll take it slow, just don't look down." She reluctantly followed him to the beginning of the stairs. She started to take a deep breath but was cut off as he grabbed her waist and slung her onto his shoulder like a messenger bag. She squealed and struggled as he flashed up the stairs in about two minutes. When he had set her back onto her feet, her face was white and she was out of breath. "Don't look down?" She gasped. "DON'T LOOK DOWN?" She slugged him in the arm – hard. He winced. "Ninjas aren't afraid of anything. Might as well face your fears now." He said, rubbing his arm. "But I guess I did deserve that." "You guess? Well guess what else? I'm human. So that means that I have fears!" She yelled. "Do you want me to trust you or do you want me to avoid you again?" "Look, Maya. I'm sorry. Really." He put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. "Whatever."
After about ten minutes of patrolling, Raph stopped so abruptly that Maya almost ran into him. She opened her mouth to say something, but he turned and covered her mouth. "Shh." He whispered. "Look down there." They had approached a small bank that she had never even heard of, and there were four men wearing almost all black and dark sunglasses who appeared to be breaking into it. They each were carrying large duffel bags and were armed with guns at their hips. "Robbing a bank. Classic." Maya muttered. "Follow me." Raph whispered over his shoulder. They climbed down from the building, and she let out a sigh of relief once they were on level ground. He shushed her again. "You go and hide behind those garbage cans and watch. I'll show you how it's done." He said with a small smile. "Just don't come out." She nodded and did as he said, hiding in the shadows. He easily took out the first two men, but the other two took a lot longer. One of them, a six foot tall, broad shouldered man with a cube for a head rushed at him and took a swing at his face, but Raph easily ducked and nailed him in the gut. His opponent fell back, dazed, and he finished the job with a blow to his head. As he took out the other one, six more men ran out of the bank. They stopped in their tracks after seeing their fallen comrades and drew their guns. "Oh no," Raph muttered under his breath. He might be a ninja, but he wasn't bulletproof. As the first bullets sliced through the night air, he knew he couldn't stand a chance. "Maya, run!" He shouted. She jumped out of her spot and raced toward him. Her frightened scream mingled with the gun shots and faded into the air. Remembering his shell, he reached out, picked her up and ran. Protecting them both, he held her close and sped deeper into the night. Suddenly, a bullet nearly found its mark and grazed his arm. Pain shot through his shoulder and made his vision go black for a few steps. When they had finally gotten far enough away and the bullets ceased to fire, he stopped and put her down. Through his gasps for air, he asked, "You okay?" He ignored his own wound and looked up at her. She was bent over and breathing heavily. "Yeah." She met his gaze and saw the gash on his arm. She gasped. "You're hurt! I'm going to call April and have her pick us up." "It's just a graze." He said through clenched teeth. By now, the blood was running down his arm. "I'm fine." "No, you're not. We both know that." She pulled out her phone and dialed her sister's number. After she hung up, she turned back to him. "She's on her way, and should be here in five minutes or less. She's hurrying as fast as she can." Without hesitation, she slipped off her designer Calvin Klein jacket and began cleaning his arm as best as she could. "Your jacket-" "Doesn't matter. It's okay." He relaxed. "You protected me, probably saved my life. It's the least I could do." Maya said, focused on mopping up all of the blood.
April drove up in her car and rolled down her window. "Jump in. Raph, put pressure on it. Helps it stop bleeding." Maya handed Raph her jacket and he met her gaze, seeing the worry in her eyes. When they got to April's apartment, she pulled a first aid kit out of a cupboard. "This is gonna hurt a bit." She put an ointment on his wound and he groaned, his arm stinging. A thought flashed into his mind, but he shook his head and tried to clear it away. When it stayed, he decided on trying it out. With his face flaming, he awkwardly asked Maya, "Can I hold your hand?" He didn't look up, but felt surprised when she replied, "Of course." She slipped her hand into his. He risked meeting her gaze, and saw concern instead of insecurity. April raised an eyebrow and Maya saw a question in her eyes. Just then, the window was thrown open, and Leo, Donnie and Mikey piled in. Raph and Maya quickly drew their hands away from each other's. "What happened?" Leo asked with his usual worry some tone when addressing criminal matters. "Bank robbery. Nothing serious." Raph replied. "There were too many of them for me to hold off, and they had guns. While we were running, I got a graze. But it ain't that big of a deal." "Lucky for you, but it could have been a lot more serious. Stay out of things if you can't handle them." "Whatever." April finished wrapping his arm and he stood up abruptly. "Let's get home. Thanks, April." Maya stood and gave her sister a hug before following the turtles out of the window. She turned back and April said, "Call me if you need anything." She nodded and slipped out. Looking down nervously, she saw the three story gap between her and the ground. She slowly proceeded down in careful steps. By the time she caught up with the turtles, Leo and Raph were arguing again. She looked around and met Mikey's gaze. He smiled uncomfortably at her. She returned the gesture but kept silent. When they got back to the lair, they had stopped arguing and returned to their welcoming beds. Maya went up to her room and closed the door behind her. She caught a glance at her alarm clock and realized that it was 1:35 a.m.. She brushed her teeth and ran a comb through her hair. When she settled into her bed, she laid her head onto her pillow and fell right to sleep.
When Raph woke up the next morning, his arm was stiff and throbbing dully. He reached over and put on his mask, and flipped on the light switch. When he was ready, he went downstairs for his training. The others were already warming up in the dojo, stretching tiredly. While they went through some of the basic stances, Raph had to pause and loosen his muscles continuously. As he did, he felt Maya's eyes on him with the same look of concern on her face. When he caught her staring, she jumped as though she was startled. She blushed and looked away. They eventually moved into combat training and just by watching, Raph could tell that she was off-guard and distracted. The expression on her face was one he couldn't name, and it was really getting to her. Finally, the three hours passed and they all left the dojo feeling relieved. The rest of the day dragged on uneventfully until more towards the end. Maya came down the stairs and asked, "What's for dinner?" Donnie was at the table, Leo was by the fridge, Mikey was on the couch, and Raph was by the stairs. All four replied at the same time: "Pizza." She gaped at them. "Okay. This," She said almost sternly, "Has got to stop." She picked up her car keys. "I'm buying some ingredients and making something new for you guys. You have pizza every night. Have you ever eaten anything different?" "Pizza sticks," Mikey suggested. "That's what I thought." She walked out the door, and the turtles all exchanged looks. "Pizza," Mikey whimpered. Everybody rolled their eyes at him and went back to what they were doing before. About an hour later, Maya came back with a couple of small bags. Within thirty minutes more, she sighed and turned off the oven burner "Ready." She said proudly. She laid the dish on the table, where everyone was waiting. "Alfredo fettuccine – it's Italian, like pizza." She watched and stifled a laugh as they doubtfully eyed their meal. "Like pizza," She repeated. Some of them shrugged and piled it onto their plates. Mikey still sat motionless, looking almost nervously at the alfredo. "Come on, Mikey," Maya coaxed with a smile. "This is pretty good," Leo said. Raph and Donnie mumbled their agreement, and she said with a smile, "I might have taken a couple of cooking classes during middle school." Finally giving in, Mikey reached forward and helped himself. She watched with her eyebrows raised expectantly as he took a bite. He chewed slowly and smiled with satisfaction. Raph clapped him on his shell. Later that night, when Maya had come out of the bathroom in a bathrobe after showering and washing her face, she ran into Raph in the hallway. "Um, sorry." He muttered awkwardly, and she blushed. "It's fine," She replied. They both paused, and then began speaking at the same time. "Go ahead," Raph said. "Thanks… how's your arm?" He ran his fingers over the thick white bandages that covered his arm. "It feels fine, thanks." "What were you going to say before?" She asked. "Never mind." He said, trying to keep his eyes on her face. They stood in awkward silence. "Well, good night." Maya finally said, turning in the direction of her room. "Good night," He called after her.
Maya woke up with a start the next morning. She'd had the same dream about Tyler last night, and had woken up at the same point in the mysterious nightmare. During training, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket against her hip. When training was done, she found a few new texts from her best friend, Kathryn. She and Kathryn had been best friends for five years, ever since they were eleven years old, making friendship bracelets and calling each other every night before bed. They eventually fell out of the phone-calling habit, but remained best friends. Kathryn was wondering if Maya was busy at all, and if she wanted to go out and get spa treatments, facials, and visit the hair salon, complete with manicures and pedicures, shopping, and lunch at their favorite place. Maya knew they would be gone until seven or eight o'clock, but she texted a "yes" to Kathryn and set her phone down on her couch. She hurriedly explained the situation to Leo and got his approval before running up to her room to get ready. When she was done, she checked her phone case to see if her credit card was still tucked into it. She snapped the case back onto her phone and picked up her purse. She met up with Kathryn at a spa a couple of blocks away. Back at the lair, Raph had just logged off of his IM. He had been asking April for advice on how to ask Maya out. He liked Maya - a lot. He wasn't exactly sure why... it could be her sassy attitude, or how beautiful she was, but he liked her, and that was for sure. He was kind of nervous to ask her, but he really wanted to. Raph heard a knock on his door and saw Leo standing in the doorway. "Yeah?" "I've noticed how you're acting around her, and it's affecting your training. I'm not trying to get in the way of your relationship with her, but it needs to stop. I need to start seeing improvement from you. Starting now." "Whatever," Raph muttered. Leo shrugged, then turned and left.
Over at the NYC salon, Kathryn and Maya were taken to a special room to get manicures and pedicures. "I haven't been hearing from you lately. At all. I need the scoop. How's it going with Tyler? Do you two still have it going on?" Kathryn asked with her usual gossip cravings. "No, he broke if off a few days ago." Maya said with a half smile. "Oh." Kathryn's eyes widened. After a pause, she took a breath and asked, "So how have you been keeping busy? What's been distracting you from your social life?" Maya froze. She couldn't tell her about how she was living with the turtles. She wasn't allowed to tell, plus she would think she was crazy! She thought of all her possible excuses and was relieved when the woman who was doing their nails came in. "And what colors would you ladies like today?" Smirking, Maya chose black with a glossy, deep red. "Red? You always get purple. What's up with you?" Kathryn protested with a smile, clutching the turquoise color she had chosen. Maya shrugged. "I'm getting tired of purple." Her friend raised an eyebrow and looked at her closely. Maya held her gaze and sat down. Their nails were done around twelve, so they headed to a small cafe that was a few blocks away from the salon. When they had both finished, they both got spa treatments and facials at a five-star massage place. For shopping, they headed to their favorite mall. That was when Maya noticed him. A short, Hispanic looking man, who was vaguely familiar. Maya could have sworn she'd seen him at the cafe. "Stalker alert," She muttered under her breath. "What's that?" Kathryn said from behind a row of frilly blouses on sale. "Nothing. Wait, come here," She grabbed her best friend's wrist and ducked into the bra aisle. There was no way that he would have the nerve to follow them into here. She looked out from between the various shades of beige and silver. The man was now looking around in confusion. "Stop it," Maya said, yanking her arm away. The next time Maya looked for the man, he wasn't there. "Maya, you've been acting weird all day. Are you gonna tell me what's going on?" "Later. You done shopping?" Maya asked, eyeing the multiple shirts draped over her friend's arm. "Yeah. Let's go try these on, and then we'll leave." They tried on their clothes and chose their favorite articles of clothing. Proceeding to the checkout, Maya forgot about the man following them, and lost herself in a conversation about the latest news about friends from school. By the time Kathryn had dropped her off a few blocks away from the sewer, it was pretty dark outside, and the traffic had died down slightly. Suddenly, her brain went blank as it started to rain. She completely lost her sense of direction, realizing with a start how lost she was.
Maya checked the time on her phone and saw that it was nine o'clock. She tried to dial the phone number down at the lair, but her phone was dead before she could tap on her contacts. She sighed in desperation and frustration. Pretty soon, her clothes were dripping wet and her shopping bags were soggy. Her makeup was probably smudged and her hair ruined. If this rain kept going, then she might have to wait until morning, when she could see. Just when she was about to give up, Maya saw the headlights of a motorcycle shine in her direction, blinding her momentarily. The person on the motorcycle killed the engine and walked over to stand over her. Maya looked up into Raph's face. "Does Donnie have a tracker implanted in me or something?" "No, I just have perfect timing. You're welcome." He helped her up and they drove home in silence. When they got back to the lair, it was around ten-thirty, and everybody was still awake. Leo, who had been sitting on the couch, stood up abruptly once they walked in. "Maya, where were you? You said you would be home no later than eight thirty!" He said, almost to the point of sounding angry. "Save it, Leo. She got lost." Raph said defensively. From the table, Donnie and Mikey looked up at him in surprise. Maya did as well. Leo crossed his arms and a fierce look gleamed in his eyes. They began arguing, just like the night before, and Maya slipped upstairs. She changed into some dry clothes and wrapped her dripping hair in a towel. Whenever she slept with her hair wet, she woke up with waves that took forever to straighten. Not sure of what else to do, she plugged her phone in, and waited for it to turn on. She heard a knock on her door and looked up as Raph pushed it open. "Hey, you remembered to knock!" She said with a smile. "Yeah," He gave a half smile and paused as though he was unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry for what happened down there. Leo just kinda blew up. You okay?" "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" He shrugged. "Just checking." They both fell silent. Finally, Raph stretched. "Well, I'm going to bed. Night," He murmured. "Good night." Maya stared after him for a moment, and then decided that her hair was dry enough. She let her hair down and ran a comb through it, wincing each time she went over a tangle. When she was finally done, she laid down in her bed, and for the first time in days, she willingly let sleep take over.