The same day April met the turtles and tried to pretend that everything was
just normal. But Leo soon found out that something had happened. April
hadn't been in such a mood since... he couldn't remember - so he was
absolutely sure that it was something extraordinary.
"Hey, April, don't you have to tell anything?", he asked. "You seem to be happy and I wonder what the reason might be..."
April hesitated. Should she really tell him about her love? Wasn't it a bit to early?
"Do you have a secret?", Leo asked surprised when she remained silent. "We are friends! Come on, tell me!"
Finally April told him the whole story.
"One of Shredder's guys?!" Leo stared at her, not sure if he had really understood her words. "You are in love with one of Shredder's guys?!", he repeated.
"I knew you wouldn't understand it!", she replied. "But he's different, Leo. I'm absolutely sure about it. He isn't a danger for us!"
Leonardo sighed. "Perhaps it's just a trick. Have you ever thought of it that way? Shredder might use that guy to finish us off..."
April shook her head. "No, I can distinguish between a simple trick and true love. And that *is* true love. There's no way to talk me out of it."
"I'm worried, April, really worried. What if you're wrong?"
"I am not wrong", she paused as an idea came to her mind. "I'll tell him about your doubts, okay? So you will meet him and see that there's no problem at all."
Leo shrugged. "Alright. But be prepared for a disappointment", he replied. "Shall I tell the others?"
"Of course. I want all of them to meet him."
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Athena jumped back when she heard footsteps behind her and turned round.
"Man, do you want me to suffer from a heart attack?!", she asked when she realized it was her brother.
"Sorry", he simply replied. "But I hadn't time enough to announce my arrival. Is Shredder here?"
"No. He said he'd be back around 11 p.m.. Why?"
"Because I have to tell him that his hostage has left."
"Uh... what?"
"Yes, I decided to release her. Athena, if you only like me a little bit, you'll keep that secret."
"Secret?", Athena repeated. "Which secret?"
Clipper smiled. "I'm so much in love with this lady, you can't imagine."
"You are...... in love?!" Athena gasped. "Wow, that's..."
"Crazy, I know", he interrupted her. "But I can't do anything about it. I don't want you to get in trouble, but..."
"It's okay. I'll find a way to explain that to Shredder", she replied.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
"Okay, now tell me where she is!", Shredder demanded, looking piercingly at Clipper, who was standing in the doorway.
"She... err...well..." Clipper looked over to his sister, hoping she'd be quiet.
"What?!" Shredder was already very upset and Clipper's behaviour increased his anger.
"She escaped, I guess", Athena interrupted them.
Shredder turned to her. "Oh, did she?", he asked sarcastically.
"At least I think so."
"Athena, come with me!", he said, took her by the hand and led her to another room.
"Okay, Athena, I can tell by the lines on your face that you know far more than what you've just said. You can tell me everything, no matter what. I won't get angry, I promise."
"You *are* already angry", she replied.
"Maybe.... yes, I am angry, but I won't punish you."
She wasn't sure what to do, but she knew that she couldn't keep the secret anyway. "Clipper released her and brought her back to the city. He likes her, I guess."
Shredder seemed to be startled. He had expected a lot, but not *that*. "He... he... is a... raptor!", he stammered.
"No, he *was* a raptor", Athena corrected. "Now he's both a human and a reptile."
"Okay, that's enough. He'll get his punishment!"
"You said, you wouldn't ...", Athena protested.
Shredder looked at her and calmed down a little. He knew she was loyal and trusted in him. "Well, we will get the turtles anyway", he replied.
Athena gave a sigh of relief.
"But listen", Shredder went on. "I don't want him to meet her again. That might cause a lot of problems. Make sure that he sticks to that rule."
"I will, Commander Shredder", she said, before she wanted to leave.
"Oh, Athena..."
"Yes?"
"Don't call me Commander. That sound's so formal."
She smiled. "Alright... Shredder."
"Hey, April, don't you have to tell anything?", he asked. "You seem to be happy and I wonder what the reason might be..."
April hesitated. Should she really tell him about her love? Wasn't it a bit to early?
"Do you have a secret?", Leo asked surprised when she remained silent. "We are friends! Come on, tell me!"
Finally April told him the whole story.
"One of Shredder's guys?!" Leo stared at her, not sure if he had really understood her words. "You are in love with one of Shredder's guys?!", he repeated.
"I knew you wouldn't understand it!", she replied. "But he's different, Leo. I'm absolutely sure about it. He isn't a danger for us!"
Leonardo sighed. "Perhaps it's just a trick. Have you ever thought of it that way? Shredder might use that guy to finish us off..."
April shook her head. "No, I can distinguish between a simple trick and true love. And that *is* true love. There's no way to talk me out of it."
"I'm worried, April, really worried. What if you're wrong?"
"I am not wrong", she paused as an idea came to her mind. "I'll tell him about your doubts, okay? So you will meet him and see that there's no problem at all."
Leo shrugged. "Alright. But be prepared for a disappointment", he replied. "Shall I tell the others?"
"Of course. I want all of them to meet him."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
Athena jumped back when she heard footsteps behind her and turned round.
"Man, do you want me to suffer from a heart attack?!", she asked when she realized it was her brother.
"Sorry", he simply replied. "But I hadn't time enough to announce my arrival. Is Shredder here?"
"No. He said he'd be back around 11 p.m.. Why?"
"Because I have to tell him that his hostage has left."
"Uh... what?"
"Yes, I decided to release her. Athena, if you only like me a little bit, you'll keep that secret."
"Secret?", Athena repeated. "Which secret?"
Clipper smiled. "I'm so much in love with this lady, you can't imagine."
"You are...... in love?!" Athena gasped. "Wow, that's..."
"Crazy, I know", he interrupted her. "But I can't do anything about it. I don't want you to get in trouble, but..."
"It's okay. I'll find a way to explain that to Shredder", she replied.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
"Okay, now tell me where she is!", Shredder demanded, looking piercingly at Clipper, who was standing in the doorway.
"She... err...well..." Clipper looked over to his sister, hoping she'd be quiet.
"What?!" Shredder was already very upset and Clipper's behaviour increased his anger.
"She escaped, I guess", Athena interrupted them.
Shredder turned to her. "Oh, did she?", he asked sarcastically.
"At least I think so."
"Athena, come with me!", he said, took her by the hand and led her to another room.
"Okay, Athena, I can tell by the lines on your face that you know far more than what you've just said. You can tell me everything, no matter what. I won't get angry, I promise."
"You *are* already angry", she replied.
"Maybe.... yes, I am angry, but I won't punish you."
She wasn't sure what to do, but she knew that she couldn't keep the secret anyway. "Clipper released her and brought her back to the city. He likes her, I guess."
Shredder seemed to be startled. He had expected a lot, but not *that*. "He... he... is a... raptor!", he stammered.
"No, he *was* a raptor", Athena corrected. "Now he's both a human and a reptile."
"Okay, that's enough. He'll get his punishment!"
"You said, you wouldn't ...", Athena protested.
Shredder looked at her and calmed down a little. He knew she was loyal and trusted in him. "Well, we will get the turtles anyway", he replied.
Athena gave a sigh of relief.
"But listen", Shredder went on. "I don't want him to meet her again. That might cause a lot of problems. Make sure that he sticks to that rule."
"I will, Commander Shredder", she said, before she wanted to leave.
"Oh, Athena..."
"Yes?"
"Don't call me Commander. That sound's so formal."
She smiled. "Alright... Shredder."