Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles belong to Nickelodeon.

It was a warm Summer night in New York City. A full moon cast its soft glow, accompanied by a few stars. People walked the streets, either enjoying themselves or having somewhere they needed to be. They didn't notice the large, feathered creature flying about.

Though it had been quite a while since being removed from The Mighty Mutanimals, Pigeon Pete did his best to cease any criminal activity he happened to spot from the air. However, during the past few weeks, it seemed to have all but stopped, with the occasional robbery or shooting, since the Shredder, Krang, and Purple Dragons were finished. That gave him a sense of vacancy, of not having a purpose.

With a sigh, Pete landed softly on a rooftop, sitting down and letting his feet dangle over the edge. Golden eyes scanned the world below him, watching the people walk by. A small smile graced the pigeon man's beak. Seconds later, a warm breeze blew, playing with his gray feathers. Grinning, he stood, flapped his arms, and took off, flying with the wind. That was one of his favorite hobbies. Flying made him feel free. He could let go of any and all negativity and just soar. He was so caught up in the moment, he didn't notice the large glass window, until he slammed into it. He remained there, flat against the smooth crystal, before slowly sliding to the ground on his stomach. Pete was about to get to his feet when he felt eyes on him. Turning to the left, he came face to face with a teenage girl. She stood close to five feet, with curly, brunette hair pulled into a pony tail, chocolate eyes, fair skin, and wore a black t-shirt, blue jeans, and black tennis shoes. She was staring at the large pigeon in a mix of shock and horror, the latter mirroring it. Pete quickly stood, and they turned and ran off in opposite directions.

Pete landed on a roof that was obscured by trees. A human saw him. A human! His heart pounded against his rib cage as that thought played repeatedly in his mind.

The following night, Pete was flying high above the city. The event from last night was still fresh in his mind. He still couldn't believe a human saw him. Come to think of it, he was just as scared of her as she was of him. He wanted to find her and introduce himself, perhaps be friends, but there was the threat of being discovered by more than just her. He was a mutant, something the world probably would never accept. It was for that reason he, like the turtles and his former teammates, remained hidden. And yet, there was no harm in trying, right?

The bird's heart lurched when he saw the girl walking down a sidewalk. Gathering his courage, Pete took a deep breath and descended towards her. He landed not too far from the teen.

She stopped mid-step and stared wide-eyed at the creature. It had the head and legs of a bird and the body of a human. She was about to turn and run when he spoke, extending a large, feathery hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, it's okay, I won't hurt you!"

She flinched. Did it just talk? She was routed to the spot, too stunned to do anything.

Pete took that as a sign to continue. "My name's Pete. What's yours?"

The teen remained silent, unsure whether to introduce herself or run. He was possibly the ugliest thing she had ever seen, yet he was smiling.

The bird's gaze became downcast. He was about to retract his hand when she placed her own in his. He looked back up, hopeful.

"Ch-Ch-Christina," she stammered.

"It's very nice to meet you, Christina," Pete grinned and shook her hand, yellow eyes twinkling.

Christina smiled back, relaxing slightly. "Nice to meet you too, Pete."