Mikey stared out over the streets from his perch on a deserted rooftop. He'd been sitting here for a long time, and he knew his family was probably starting to wonder where he was. But he just couldn't go back to the lair right now.

Things had been so stale at home lately… it seemed everyone was so wrapped up in their own individual concerns that even Mikey's most earnest efforts to lighten things up accomplished little to nothing. It seemed to just annoy them more than anything… though he didn't know why he still hoped for anything else. They were always annoyed at him for something. He kept smiling through it, like he always did, but lately it felt like it was taking more effort than usual. Mikey sometimes wondered exactly when keeping his exuberant mood up had begun to feel so hard… and how much longer he could keep it up.

His dismal thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he saw something out of the corner of his eye and turned just in time to see a dark shape perched on a nearby building. Mikey immediately stood, squinting to try and make it out. Then the shape straightened, revealing that it was a human figure. The dark clothes made it hard to tell for sure, but they were also form-fitting and the curves of the body suggested it was a girl. Young looking, from what Mikey could see. But before he could get a better look the figure was moving, and his eyes widened at how expertly she ran and leaped over the rooftops. That kind of form was only achieved by years of rigorous training.

Is she like us?

The thought brought both a small sense of excitement and a larger one of unease… if this girl was a ninja too, was she an enemy? She was close enough now that he could make out the colors she was wearing, and they weren't Foot.

Mikey quickly lowered himself into a crouch as the girl passed on the rooftops below, but she gave no sign of noticing him or suspecting anyone was watching. His curiosity piqued, the young turtle felt a small grin come to his face as he braced his feet, then leaped to a nearby roof.

Okay, time for a little reconnaissance.

Mikey made sure to keep far enough behind that the girl wouldn't hear him, but still in sight. He immediately wondered if he should call his brothers for backup, but he didn't dare. He couldn't risk giving his position away. He would see where this girl was heading first, then call them.

He kept his eyes on the stranger, looking away only to avoid missing his jumps. Though he still bore it in mind that this girl could be an enemy, he couldn't help but feel impressed at her impeccable form. She moved with a silent fluidity that might even make Leo jealous, and so fast that Mikey was hard-pressed to keep up. But he kept tailing her, determined to find out where she was heading and get some idea of whether she might be friend or foe. Several minutes passed, but the girl continued to run and leap with no sign of tiring.

Man, this kid can move.

Mikey was beginning to wonder if he might need to give up the pursuit when suddenly the stranger vaulted over the side of a building and down, disappearing from his sight. He immediately sped up, determined not to lose her. When he reached the edge of the roof she had jumped from, he slowly and cautiously moved to the edge and peered over.

No one. The alley underneath appeared completely empty, and Mikey felt his heart sink.

Shoot… did I lose her?

After double-checking to ensure no one would see him, he quickly but quietly made his way down the building's fire escape. Stepping out into the alley, he looked around, every one of his senses straining to hear, to detect any sign of the mysterious girl. He knew he needed to be on full alert… she could very well be an enemy, and Mikey wasn't in the mood to be shish kabobbed on somebody's blade tonight.

The faint whistling sound had barely reached his ears before Mikey recognized it and ducked just in time to avoid the three shuriken, which embedded in the wall behind him. As he whipped out his nun chucks, his mind began analyzing the situation. Glancing at the shuriken, he noted that they hadn't been thrown to kill… merely to incapacitate. So at least this girl wasn't outright trying to kill him, but Mikey wasn't willing to press his luck.

As he scanned the alley, he saw a shadow shift in a dark stairwell, then heard the smooth, metallic shing of a sword being drawn. In a slow, cautious, yet surprisingly graceful motion, a dark-clothed figure stepped out into the light of a nearby streetlamp. It was dim, but Mikey could see enough to confirm it was indeed a girl. The black mask covering her lower face obscured a good deal of her features but judging from her height and other visible features she was about his age, maybe a few years younger. Her curling dark hair, surprisingly, was unbound and hung to her shoulders. But most noticeable were her eyes, bright and piercing blue.

Mikey had barely taken in these details, however, then his gaze moved to the ninjato she was holding in a defensive, high guard. Her every muscle taut and ready to spring into motion at first notice, the girl edged toward him. She stopped halfway across the alley, her blade still held at the ready. He saw her eyes narrow and braced his feet, his own weapons at the ready. For a while they simply glared at each other, and Mikey could see her eyes scanning him up and down, filled with surprise and utter bewilderment along with caution.

"Who are you? And why are you following me?"

The sound of that voice caught Mikey completely off-guard. It was soft, but clear and eloquent… even pretty. He blinked, startled by that thought.

Where'd that come from?

When he didn't reply, the girl's eyes narrowed even more and she shifted her stance, the dim light glinting off her ninjato. She spoke again, emphasizing each word clearly.

"Who are you, and why are you following me?" Her head canted ever so slightly to the left. "Can you talk?"

Despite himself, Mikey felt a little indignant at that and was unable to keep it out of his voice.

"'Course I can talk."

He saw the girl's eyes widen a little, clearly surprised.

"Then who are you?" she asked again. "More specifically, what are you?"

Mikey considered his options… he wasn't about to give his name to someone he'd only just met, and still didn't know if she was an enemy or not. But she wasn't outright attacking him, and she seemed genuinely curious. As far as trusting her, it was way too soon for that, but something told him he could answer at least that part of her question.

"A turtle, actually," he said, keeping his tone neutral. "My name, I'm not in the habit of givin' out to anyone I meet."

He swore he saw a flicker of amusement in the girl's bright blue eyes.

"I suppose not."

She scanned him up and down again, then relaxed her stance just a little.

"Then consider this a goodwill gesture. Grace."

Mikey blinked, confused.

"Huh?"

The girl lowered her sword but kept her eyes on him.

"My name. Grace."

He noticed she didn't give her last name and didn't ask for his. Slowly, he relaxed his own stance a little.

"Michelangelo."

The girl blinked, her eyes widening even more. They looked almost suspicious, as if she was wondering whether he was just messing with her.

"That's an… unusual name for a turtle," she said slowly. "Much less a warrior."

Almost automatically, Mikey's mouth quirked up in a slight grin and he raised a brow.

"Yeah, well, Grace isn't exactly a Miss Tough-Guy name either."

The girl's mask made it hard to read her face, but Mikey was pretty sure she was smiling.

"I suppose not. My mother had… personal reasons for giving me that name."

At that, Mikey cocked his head.

"So, who is your mom?" he asked. "Are you new here?"

Grace gave him a measuring look, clearly debating how much she should tell him. Finally, she nodded.

"Yes… we just came to the city this past week. This is the first chance I've had to explore. It's… much different than what I'm used to."

Mikey gave her a wider grin.

"Yeah, but it's great, isn't it?"

"There's certainly a lot to see," Grace replied. "Some of them are… quite interesting."

"I know, right?" Mikey said. "The other night I saw a dude wearing a tinfoil hat and yelling at everyone about how aliens were tryin' to read his brainwaves."

He wasn't entirely sure why he was shifting into such casual banter, but for some reason he felt at ease with this girl. He just had a feeling that she wasn't a threat. Sure enough, he heard a soft chuckle escape her. Then her brow creased in a frown that almost looked apologetic.

"As far as who my mother is… I'm sorry, but I don't know if I should…"

Mikey waved a hand.

"No big deal, I get it. You wanna protect your family."

Grace nodded, then looked at him with a thoughtful expression.

"Maybe if we… get to know each other better."

Mikey raised his brow again, somewhat surprised.

"So… there's gonna be a next time?"

Grace shifted on her feet, and Mikey could swear she almost looked shy.

"Well, I think I'd like there to be. Do you?"

Mikey looked her up and down, then grinned again.

"Yeah. I think so."