Okay, so do you ever get this feeling around someone? Someone special? But then there's that someone who likes to step in and just rip your special someone away from ya?

Yeah, I didn't think so...Don't get me wrong! There's nothing wrong with that...unless I misheard...but he's just so...and he's...GAH!

Alright, alright, I'll get to the point, my name is Ryūō Masutā. I'm 18 years old, and I'm a mutant. No, not like the X-Men or some superhero.

I'm a mutant lizard.

I had so much...a girlfriend, a team who liked me, a family.

But now they're gone. I was alone.

Until I met them.

The turtles. And more specifically, Raphael and

...Leonardo.

I smirked as I entered the lair.

Michelangelo and Donatello were having another conflicting moment.

A battle of the toppings as I like to call it.

I can still remember the penicillin incident. What can I say, it was funny.

I know the guys are still trying to get used to me.

I'm still trying to get used to my tail and scales.

But I can't help but think of the night we met...

It was summer. Late summer, when the wind would pick up. I enjoyed this time of year the most. My mother would return from Tokyo. My father would make his famous sushi, and my baby brother and sister would give us each something new.

But this year...was different.

I had just one year from graduating-

HEY DON'T JUDGE ME, I SUCKED AT MATH AND WAS HELD BACK IN 3RD GRADE!

- and I knew where I wanted to go in life.

The army was my last option, but I really wanted to become a doctor of some sort.

Maybe for children or the disabled...

I dunno.

Continuing, I hate to say it, but...I'm kinda glad I ended up this way...

"-hey, are you even listening to me?!"

Crap...

I blinked and looked up. Raphael looked down at me.

His emerald eyes pierced my amber ones.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Raphael rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "I asked if ya wanted to join us topside."

I smiled slightly, "Sure..."

I stood and cracked my spine.

"I need a break."

We walked out and met up with the others.

I felt my eyes narrow as Leo walked over to Raphael.

And no, I'm not jealous!

I just don't like Leo.

Is that so bad?

Raphael stared at me oddly and I looked away, like some fool.

GAH, WHY?!

"So," I said breaking the silence, "we going or not?"

I could see the 'oh right' appear on their faces.

I smirked slightly as I grabbed my sledge hammer and throwing knives.

I strapped them on and walked over to the nearest man hole cover. I looked back and saw the turtles behind me.

I caught Leo's gaze and frowned before I climbed up.

The moment we were on the surface, hidden from humans-

Ya know, I just realized something. Our lives are basically that of Ariel's from the Little Mermaid.

Except we can't find someone who will love us for who we are, with the exception of our human friends, and have our Sensei use his "magic" to turn us into humans.

And we don't burst into song either...well, Mikey does. But he's Mikey.

Anyways...we were scaling the roofs, jumping from one to the other.

Everything seemed fine.

But then Leo had to open his mouth and say, "Who's up for a game of Ninja Hunt?"

Mikey, Donnie and myself deflated at that, while Raphael beamed at his older brother.

I grumbled under my breath.

"I'll count, and the four of you hide and try to avoid me." Leo added as he twisted his mask around, "I'll even go blind for a while."

I sighed and turned to see the others split up.

Mikey headed west, Donnie north, and Raphael headed northwest.

I looked at Leo, who was busy counting, his back turned to me.

I smiled as I realized this could be my chance.

So, I hightailed it in Raphael's direction.

Ya know, out of all the turtles, Raphael is the one who I always found myself hanging with.

I guess it's because he's the one who found me...

I was walking home from visiting a friend. He had given me a baby lizard, his own having giving birth to them a few months ago, and they were up for adoption.

I couldn't say no.

I love reptiles. I swear, if I didn't get a lizard, I would have gotten a turtle. Maybe even a snake.

Wait, are snakes even reptiles?

Ah, I'll look it up later.

Well, as I was walking home, I ran into these men.

One was holding a canister of ooze.

It was a bluish green and was glowing like a lava lamp.

I frowned as I saw them head over to a couple, both looked about fifty and had a child of about ten with them. Possibly grandparents and their grandchild.

I ran over to the men and tugged them back.

What?

I don't like it when creeps get creepy...did that even make sense?

Whatever, the gist is, the dudes weren't happy and poured the ooze on me.

It burned like hell!

They left and I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was in the same spot.

"-ver there!" I heard a man yell.

A bunch of men, and a few women, ran over to me, weapons in hands ranging from kitchen knives to pistols that looks like it was taken from a cop.

"Hey, did you come to find those men, becau-"

"Shut it, freak!" A woman sneered.

'Freak?' I wondered.

I looked around at them and caught my reflection in a knife.

I still had my eyes, my hair, and my toned body, but...

my skin...was covered in scales.

I had no clothes on.

I lost some of my fingers and toes.

And to top it of, I looked back, and I saw a tail.

My lizard was gone.

And so was the boy I used to be.

I knew martial arts.

But at that moment, I could only run, and that's what I did.

I ran.

As fast as I could, hearing the people run after me.

I made every turn possible, I climbed fences, everything, but lucky me, karma decided to be a bitch and led me to a dead end.

No doors, three buildings, no where to hide, and the only exit, was close to those people.

I scowled and lifted my fists, having no weapon of my own, and got ready.

I can take them.

It'll be like the day I took on Casey Jones.

I was about to yell at them to come and try to get me, when I heard something metallic scratch the concrete and I looked over and saw a man hole cover slide up and out.

An emerald hand appeared, followed by another. The arms pushed its owner up and I saw a giant turtle with a red mask.

And he noticed me too.

"Who the shell are you?!"

Turtle profanities... nice.

"I, uh-"

"I SAW HIM GO THIS WAY!"

"I'm gonna be dead." I groaned out.

The turtle looked at me and sighed, "Another mutant, great...c'mon, I'm Nerdatello has something to help ya."

He pointed down to the hole, and I sighed as I climbed down, cringing slightly as the sewer water touched my feet.

The turtle jumped down next to me and gestured me to follow him, and I did.

"My name's Ryūō." I said.

The turtle glanced at me and looked back towards the front, "Raphael."

"Hey Raph," I yelled as I caught up with him, wait up!

The hothead of the turtles turned around and saw me.

He stopped and waited for me to catch up with him.

Once I was next to him, we began to run again.

Now, if you're wondering why I haven't made a move on Raphael yet, well, for one, Leo always finds us before I can, and two, I'm a coward when it comes to love.

It took me a long time to get my first girlfriend. Having my first mutant boyfriend is adifferent story. He's not even human by birth!

Though, I wish he was. Leo would look like Ciel from Black Butler, that anime I like to watch once in a while, and Mikey would look like Alois, just with a better attitude and more people will like him. Donnie would be a nerd, complete with glasses and a bow tie, and Raph would be a, don't kill me, he'd be a girl. A tomb boy.

What? Don't tell me ya don't see it! It's like he's on a 24/7 PMS and he talks to animals like a princess!

"How long has it been?" He asked. I pulled out my T-Phone, way better than my I-Phone, and checked the time, "An hour?!"

Raphael nodded and picked up his pace. I gaped at him as he turned a corner.

I looked behind me. No Leo...yet.

"Raph! WAIT UP!" I yelled and got a laugh in return. I scowled playfully and ran after him.

I made the same turn, but he was gone.

'How did I lose him so fast?' I wondered, when a hand tapped my shoulder and, I admit, I MIGHT have screamed like a little girl.

Well, apparently, scaring me is funny as hell, and it makes Raphael laugh.

"Who invented Ninja Hunt anyways?" I asked as I regained my composure...and dignity.

Raphael shrugged, "It was actually Turtle Hunt, Leo made it up."

'Of fucking course.'

"But I upgraded it to Ninja Hunt, when you, April and Casey joined. None of ya are turtles-"

"Casey isn't a ninja." I pointed out, but Raphael shrugged it off.

"He trains with us, I wouldn't be surprised if he chose to become one."

Okay, he's got me there.

We stood in silence, watching over the city.

I bit my lips, and looked at Raphael. He was looking over the city.

This was my chance.

Probably my LAST chance!

"Hey Ra-"

"FOUND YOU!"

Oh, come fucking on!

I glared at Leo as he walked over, Donnie and Mikey behind him.

"Good game Raph, Ryūō." He pushed me aside and I stumbled a bit.

I growled as I saw him get close to Raphael.

The two smiled at each other and began to relay the hunt to each other.

Leo then gave us the signal to return home.

Raphael, however, stopped and looked at me, "Were ya gonna tell me something Ryūō?"

Yes, I was gonna say I love you.

But, as I said, I am coward at love, so I just said, "I had fun tonight."

Raphael smiled, genuinely smiled, which is rare I might add, and said, "Good."

He ran off and caught up with Leo.

I sighed and looked down at my feet.

If karma's a bitch, then love is its sister.

To this day, I keep asking myself, when will I tell him? How can I tell him? And...will he accept me? I guess I'll never know...