In the lair, the turtles are watching a commercial using Donnie's tablet, Amy reading a fashion magazine as she leans against one of the ramps of the skate park. "Action star Lou Jitsu is back, in Hot Soup: The Game!"
Lou Jitsu sniffs some soup, sighing in delight right before it's taken away from him. He's wearing overalls over his regular outfit. He gasps, turning around to see that it's one of his villains.
"Ha ha! Your soup is mine!" Using the elevator, he ascends to the top, Lou Jitsu pointing up at him.
"I will fight my way up to you, boss level!" He declares, turning to some other enemies.
"60 levels of chop socky violence!"
Lou Jitsu punches a construction worker, kicking another before he grabs the three of them. "Hot soup!" He spins around and throws them into a mixer. They're spun around and Lou Jitsu holds out the game cartridge. The turtles all gasp in awe, Mikey's eyes shining.
"Lou Jitsu was in a video game?!" Donnie asks in surprise.
"We gotta get it, we gotta get it! Amy, if you pay, can we get an IOU?"
"I'm sure you'll find something worthy of how much it's worth to pay me back with," Amy waves it off, still looking at her magazine.
"Aw yeah! Accessing worldwide intertubes," Mikey goes into EBay. "Hm, Lou Jitsu chucks, Lou Jitsu sunglasses-"
"Buy 'em for me," The brunette calls out and he adds them to her account cart.
"Oh, here it is! Lou Jitsu's Hot Soup: The Game. Montes Auction House. Buy it now! Click!" Mikey hardly presses buy to make sure it goes through. "Oh baby! We are the proud owners of one very old, mint condition copy of Hot Soup: The Game!"
"Wait a minute," Raph looks at him skeptically as he recalls something, "You bought it at an auction house? How are we gonna pick it up with uh...this whole situation?" Raph waves around his face, gesturing to the fact that they're turtles.
"That's not your problem," Mikey holds up a finger, jerking it to himself, "Cause I'm gonna go get it. Myself."
"WHAT?!" Raph's eyes widen in panic. "By yourself?! Are you out of your ooze-twisted mind?"
"I'm not a baby, Raph. I got the squillz, the moves, the ninja realness!" Mikey throws down a smoke bomb, Amy coughing slightly. "I'm ready for my solo mission."
"Of course you are," Raph nods in agreement, arms crossed, "In seven to ten years! Right now it's just too dangerous."
"I say we let him go, Raph," Leo speaks up, "You went out on your own when you were his age."
"Yeah, but when I was his age, I was two years older."
"What is up with your math?" Leo asks, rolling his eyes.
"Donnie!" Raph turns to the third turtle, "Could you please talk some sense into these guys?"
"Hm?" Donnie looks away from his phone, sitting on a beanbag chair. "Yeah, yeah, whatever Leo said is probably right," He turns back to his device and Mikey hugs him from behind.
"Thanks for believing in me, Donnie!"
The robotic arm from his spider shell pats him on the head. Donnie was too focused to do it himself. Mikey jumps to Leo, hugging him. "Leo, I love you. As for you, Raph, you get last game!" Mikey pokes Raph, who looks annoyed. Mikey pokes him in the head again. "Mikey out."
Raph shouts in annoyance, Leo laughing at him.
"I'll go with you."
The turtles all whip around to Amy, who puts down her magazine.
"What?" Leo asks in annoyance as she walks up to them. "Why?"
"You never said people couldn't go," Amy shrugs at them.
"Solo only, Mellie," Raph reminds her, crossing his arms.
"But I'm not participating, I'm just observing, so you can't argue with that logic," Amy smirks, crossing her arms.
"Tell me, woman," Leo leans in close to her and she looks at him like he's crazy. "Why do you even want to go with him?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Tell me, woman."
"What?" She asks in disbelief at what she's wearing.
"He said, tell me woman," Donnie calls out.
"I know what he said! Okay, don't call me woman," She starts off, narrowing her eyes. "And you know what's really cute? What's really attractive?"
"Tell me," He smirks at her.
"It's humility! That's something that you're lacking right now," She stands up, clenching her fists.
"Tell me, woman," Raph grins in amusement and she growls.
"Okay, the both of you, never ever call me woman again! The next time someone says that, I won't hesitate to slap you. And that goes for you too," She places her hands on her hips as she gives Mikey and Donnie a look. The two turtles hold up their hands in defense, Mikey backing away a little. She whips back around to a smug Leo. "You know what? Let's make things interesting. If Mikey gets the game, no pizza privileges and no one-liners for an entire. Month!"
"Ooo, I like where this is going," Donnie comes over.
"Okay," Leo chuckles, "And if he doesn't, then I get to say 100 one-liners for a week."
"Deal! Come on, Mikey!" She storms off.
"I can't believe she even wanted to go," Leo scoffs, crossing his arms roughly.
"Why are you so bothered by it? They're just friends," Raph looks down at him.
"What happens when two teenagers are alone out at night?" Leo gestures to where Amy and Mikey left.
"Nothing, because they're only hanging out," Raph places his hands on his hips. "She'll be fine, Leo."
Leo frowns to himself. If Mikey and Amy start getting close...
Raph notices something on the ground. "Hey, Mikey," He picks up the object, "You forgot your-" He groans in defeat as he's holding Mikey's weapon. Luckily Amy took hers with her, or else it wouldn't be just Raph acting overprotective. He just hopes that Mikey doesn't mess this up. Is he truly ready for his solo mission?
"Your brother's an idiot," Amy seethes as she grits her teeth.
"Which one?" Mikey questions, the two walking down the sewer tunnels.
"All of them!"
"Hey Amy?" Mikey asks curiously, hands behind his head casually.
"Yeah?" She replies back lazily, hoping to get Leo's rude remarks out of her mind.
"Why don't you like having friends?"
The brunette turns to him as he looks sympathetic. She was used to getting that look.
She sometimes hated it.
But Mikey...there's something about him. Something that makes her think that she can trust him. She sighs, crossing her arms as she closes her eyes.
"It's not that I hate having them. I just don't want to lose them," She cringes, looking away. "In my old days...I had lots of friends. I wasn't always like this. But...before the accident...let's say that I didn't have it easy. Not as other people would think."
"Alina."
A 9-year-old girl with long dark brown hair with some blonde streaks was walking in a school hallway, oblivious to the person calling out to her. She wore a pink long-sleeved blouse, a light-blue skirt with a black belt around her waist, and black flats. Her hair was down as a light-blue headband was on top of her head.
"Hey, Alina!"
She heard the voice this time, turning around to a group of kids standing behind her. "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"We're going to the arcade. You can come with us if you want," A blonde girl wearing red smiled at her warmly.
"No, I can't," Alina shook her head. "I'm running late, I need to go."
With that, she left the group, with the girl whining. "Hey! Hold on!" But Alina was already gone through the school doors. "She left again..."
"See? I told you she wouldn't come."
"Why does she always run off as soon as we get out of school?"
"She's probably going to college classes. No wonder why she's too smart for her own good," Another girl with brown hair snorted in disdain. "You wanna be her friend or something?"
"Yes. She's so stylish and fun!"
"She's amazing!"
"Whatever. I'll bring her to the mall tomorrow," The brown-haired girl stormed off.
"Are you close with her?" The blonde girl asked in awe.
"Nope."
"How will you bring her then?" The blonde girl looked confused now. If Alina wasn't close to her, then it would be no doubt that she wouldn't come.
"What do you mean how? I'll just make her come. What's she gonna do?"
Alina arrived at her destination, clutching the strap from her backpack. She opened the door and walked up to a woman.
"Oh, hello, Alina!" The woman smiled at her fondly.
"Hi," Alina smiled back.
"Lucia, Elena, Alina's here."
A one-year-old Elena and an eight-year-old Lucia turned around from their blocks, beaming at the girl. Lucia ran up to Alina and hugged her.
As Alina was taking the two girls home, Lucia was signing to her. The older girl pushed the stroller, holding Elena's travel bag.
"Maeve and I played on the slide today!" Lucia spoke as she signed. Sometimes she would speak, but she preferred signing. Signing was a way of learning, and speaking was something that she was born with. Her mother always told her to express herself however she wanted to, and Lucia would stay true to her advice.
"Oh yeah? That sounds like fun," Alina smiled down at her.
"Big sister, my legs hurt! Pick me up! Hold me!" Lucia held out her arms.
"You must be tired from that slide, huh?" Alina stopped walking and bent down, holding Lucia with one arm.
"Yup. Lucy's tired," Lucia rested her head on Alina's left shoulder.
"Alright, alright," With her free hand, Alina continued to push the stroller, Elena cooing at the slow pace. Alina sighed a little. She knew that she was neglecting potential friends, but her job was clear: to pick up her family after school, and to never be late while doing it. She can't just take off and hang out with friends. It might be a little much for a nine-year-old, but Alina was up to the task. She was the middle child, it was time to start taking responsibility.
Alina opened the door to Marco and Carol's apartment, locking it behind her. "Alina, is that you?" Her older brother called out.
She walked into the kitchen, Marco wearing an apron over his business suit. "My little girls are back! Come give Marco a hug!"
Lucia grinned playfully as she turned away. "Aw, she likes you more than me," Marco pouted at Alina. "I want some love too."
"Are you cooking us dinner again? I told you, you don't have to do that," Alina frowned as she noticed the pot. "I can cook too."
"I feel bad that you have to pick the girls up from daycare everyday and this is the least I can do for my little sister," Marco rubbed his neck sheepishly. "The container in red is for Elena, and the other one is for you and Lucia."
"Aren't you gonna eat with us?" Alina asked as Marco took off his apron.
"Nope. I still have things to do. I have to get back to work. Carol said she'll be late as well, so don't wait up for us and wait till Dad gets here." Marco tickled Elena slightly. "I'll get off from work early tomorrow and come home straight away. I'm sorry you have to babysit the girls all the time. You can't hang out with your friends." He patted Alina on the head.
"I don't mind," Alina smiled as she blushed in embarrassment. "I enjoy it."
"Thanks. How can a nine-year-old be so nice and responsible at the same time?" Marco kissed Elena on the cheek, hugging his siblings before he leaves.
Alina bent down and took Elena off the stroller. "Should we eat something now?"
"Snack, snack, snack!" Lucia cheered, pumping her fists.
"No snacks. We need to have dinner," Alina shook her head, knowing that Alina would want something sweet.
"Snack..." Lucia pouted at her lack of a snack.
The next day, after the bell rang, Alina quickly gathered her things into her backpack. The brown-haired girl, Riley, leaned back as she turned her head.
"Hey, Alina. How about the mall? Mom said she'd take us." She smirked and Alina stared at her, wondering just what was going through Riley's head.
"I can't. I need to hurry back home."
"Which means you don't have anything special going on afterwards. So come with us!"
"I said I have to go," Alina repeated slowly, trying not to lose her cool. She can't tell anyone that she babysits, they'd make fun of her. She'd never hear the end of it.
"But you just told me you're just going back home!" Riley crossed her arms. "Why are you so cocky?"
"By wanting to go home, I'm being cocky?" Alina asked in confusion, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "I just said I needed to be home right away. And I don't enjoy going to the mall anyway."
That was a lie, but she wasn't going to be intimidated by Riley to be dragged into what could be hours at the mall, and she didn't have hours. She left Riley with the other kids, the girl scowling. Just who did she think she was? She thought she was so beneath them, she won't hang out?
"After all that talk, Riley? If she's not going, I'm not coming either," Olivia, the blonde girl, closed her eyes in determination. "You guys have fun, I'm going home too," She left the classroom, one of the girls scoffing at Riley.
"Wow, ditched twice in a week."
"Shut it," Riley growled with such intensity that they backed away. "She's so annoying..."
"What are you thinking, Alina?!" Another classmate, a black-haired boy, managed to catch up to the girl.
"What do you mean?" Alina asked casually.
"Don't you know who Riley is? And I've heard that she has a bad temper. Other kids are dying to hang out with her. Why did you say no?"
Alina glanced at the boy. They want to hang out with her, despite the rumors? "I don't think I'll fit in," Alina shrugged at him. Riley wasn't like her, and they didn't even share the same interests. Alina was more conservative while Riley was a soccer star. "And besides, I'm not just saying I'm busy. I am busy. I have to go now."
"Hey...!" Alina walked out the doors without another word.
When Alina was heading to school the next day, one of her classmates saw her.
Riley.
Ah, she was getting on her nerves. That bitch. What should Riley pick on her about?
She watched as Alina saw a roach and screamed a little. "D-Don't come near me!" She backed away slightly. "AHHH!"
Heh, Ms. High-And-Mighty was a joke after all.
She might just use that to her advantage.
Class was about to start, Alina reading her study guide for the test today. A shadow loomed over her and she looked up to see Riley.
"Hey, Alina."
Everyone turned to look at them, as this could be huge gossip.
"Are you really scared of roaches?"
Alina's eyes widened, wondering where the girl got that from all of a sudden. Did she...did she see her when she was walking to school...?
"Yeah, why?" It was already out in the open, so why bother denying it? Riley stared at her in confusion, trying to decide what game Alina was playing. Why was Alina always so calm? She's so annoying, with how everyone wanted to be friends with her.
"You think you're all grown up yet you're scared of roaches? I saw you screaming and running away earlier this morning. It was priceless."
"So? What does it matter? Everyone's afraid of something."
"What'd you just say?"
"I said," Alina leaned in closer, "What does it matter whether I'm scared of bugs or not? Shouldn't you be more embarrassed about making jokes about other people's fears?"
"Ha," Riley covered her face with her hand. "Maybe I have been too lenient on you. You think I'm a joke, huh?" There's no need for a reason. "What does it matter...?" If she didn't like someone...
She grabbed Alina by the hair.
She can just beat them up.
Riley pushed Alina to the ground, knocking her into a desk. "Ah..."
"You have a talent for making people mad."
Alina put her hand to her forehead. She can't get up, her head is spinning from the push. She looked up at a panting Riley, everyone around them whispering.
"Hey, what's gotten into Riley? Is she nuts?" Olivia whispered to a boy.
"She goes crazy like this sometimes. She's at it again..."
"Shouldn't we stop her? What did Alina ever do to her?" Olivia stepped forward to do something, but the boy grabbed her arm.
"Just leave it! No one can stop Riley when she goes crazy. She won't care who it is."
"Let's go to the staffroom and find the teacher," Another classmate suggests.
"WHOEVER RATS ME OUT!"
All the other students turned to Riley, who was shaking. She turned to the students, looking at them with a crazed look in her eye. "I'll kill you all!"
At that, they did nothing. Riley was capable of hurting them, physically or emotionally. She once put a boy in the hospital using a stapler.
And she didn't use it to hit him over the head.
Alina felt useless as she laid there, knowing that if she told, she'd be in trouble too. There were dozens of witnesses, but no one told the teacher.
Not even Olivia.
Becoming all alone amongst so many people...was so much easier than she thought possible.
She looked down at all the graffiti on her desk, with awful names.
Some who believed bullying was wrong started to rally behind the bully...joining the game.
Others just turned a blind eye and said nothing.
She would try to fight them, but they always outnumbered her.
"Oh look, I'm a big fat roach!"
"Did you see her flinch?"
"Aw, did we scare you?"
"Hey, stop, she's about to have a seizure! Ha ha!"
She knew that they would've bullied her sooner or later, even if she wasn't afraid of bugs. They just didn't like her.
"I should get a rag," Alina murmured at her desk, going off to the bathroom. As she was grabbing a few paper towels, the boy who tried to warn her about Riley showed up, looking through the open door.
"S-See? I told you to be careful!" He stammered, running off.
So...he's saying it was her fault...
Alina leaned against the frame of the door. "I'm not calling anyone out for not saying anything," She called out and he came to a stop at her words.
"What?"
"I'm not doing anything about it either."
Elena smiled as a spoonful of mashed potatoes was being held out to her. Suddenly, the hand wavered as Carol started to doze off. Alina stared at her from across the table, Marco shaking her slightly.
"Carol!"
"Huh? What?" Carol flinched, waking up.
"You two must be exhausted from working all night yesterday," Alina pointed out, Lucia drinking some orange juice next to her. "Get some rest. I'll feed the girls and drop them off at daycare."
"No, no, it's okay!" Carol waved her hands. "You'll be late if you drop them off."
"I'm fine being late," Alina muttered to herself.
"Well, we're not. Mom and Dad already have to work so early that you spend your mornings and evenings with us."
"And we already feel bad enough that you're taking care of the girls all the time." Carol added in, Elena whining for food. "Oh, sorry, baby, sorry!"
Marco noticed Alina's distant look as she stood up. "I'll see you later." He stared after his little sister, his older brother instincts kicking in.
"Hey," He placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Yeah?"
"You look awful," He bent down, cupping her face. "Is something wrong? Do I need to beat someone up?!"
Alina looked away from him, not wanting to see his concern. She didn't want to make him worry. He had enough things to worry about.
"No, I'm okay," Alina smiled up at him weakly, already feeling bad for lying to him. A nine-year-old and her little sister always at her brother's place? She was already causing enough pain. She couldn't bear to cause more. After all...
No one else liked her.
If only she knew that not telling Marco would get him killed...maybe then she wouldn't have attracted attention to Baron Draxum...
At first, they bullied her by ripping her textbooks, hiding her stuff, and vandalizing her things. Later, they turned more violent and physical...
All she could do at the time was not react. Not be provoked. That's not who she was. But...
That only made things worse.
"Lucia got yummy snacks!" Lucia was telling Alina about her day as they were walking back to Marco's. Alina was more quiet than usual. "So, big sister..." Lucia looked up, her smile disappearing as she saw Alina's dull expression. "Big sister. Big sister!"
Alina snapped out of it, looking down at Lucia, who held out her hands. "Gimme a hug!"
She smiled a bit, but when she bent down, she winced. Her ribs still hurt from the beating she took earlier today. "Ah..." She grunted in pain, lowering her head.
"Big sister?" Lucia looked in concern.
"Sorry, Lucy. I can't..." Alina smiled sheepishly, "Not today. I'm sorry..."
All the past months came whirling back as her eyes turned sad. "Sorry..." She wasn't saying just for Lucia, but for herself that she hadn't done anything to stop it...justify that she was being a victim. She started to break down at the fact that she was trying to be strong for her family...
But it didn't work.
"Big sister...are you crying?" Lucia asked, never having seen Alina cry. Her eyes watered that her sister was so sad. "Don't cry, big sister. Don't cry..." Lucia started to cry too, hugging Alina as best as she can.
Just because she didn't react, didn't mean she was okay with the bullying. They festered because she chose to do nothing.
Baron Draxum watched from below. This girl...she could be so much more...and that intrigued him. For now, he'd watch...and see just how much she'd go on...until it was time to change her into something better.
"And that's probably why I changed a lot before high school. I don't want to be like that anymore. It's been years, and I'm still haunted by it...I had no one to turn to. No friends. I was...alone. Maybe if I had told my family the truth...they'd still be alive."
She suddenly feels a pair of arms around her, surprised to see a crying Mikey. "That's...so sad!" He bawls out. "I never knew that you went through that..."
"I've...never spoken a word of this until now."
"You should tell the others," Mikey encourages, looking up at her. "They'd understand. Maybe Leo would even drop the bet!"
"...Maybe. I don't know. What if they stop hanging out with me?" Amy frowns to herself.
"We wouldn't do that!" Mikey clenches his fists in determination. "I know they won't!"
Amy smiles softly at him. Mikey was so young, younger than her, yet he was so endearing...and wanted to help her... "Okay, we'll tell them together. And Mikey?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell anyone I did this." She hugs him and he hugs her back. "Thanks for listening."
"Anytime!"
"Now let's go get that game!"
Mikey and Amy jump across buildings, Mikey backflipping as Amy jumps like it was nothing. Mikey flips and then he's sliding down the side of a building, Amy chuckling at his antics. He rolls on the roof, looking around to make sure no one's watching. His 'partner' crosses her arms, shaking her head slowly.
They arrive on the roof of Montes Auction House, the two peeking inside through the roof window. Mikey opens it up, holding the auction ticket that Amy printed for him.
"Oh baby. I should've brought candles, cause this is a piece of cake."
"We'll bring a 'told you so' cake back to the others," Amy winks at him.
"Maybe we could make it red velvet?" Mikey suggests giddily.
"Totally red velvet. It'll signify Raph's embarrassed face and Leo's anger when I win this bet," Amy smirks at the thought. The two high-five, jumping through the window.
However, they're not the only ones planning to go inside the Auction House tonight. The Foot are right across from the place, with a new ninja.
"You have shown great skill as a new recruit of the Foot Clan," Foot Lieutenant clenches a fist to Foot Recruit, the new member of the group. "Your final test is a mission you must complete entirely on your own."
"Excellent," She kicks a piece of the roof into the air. "What enemy of our clan am I to crush between my fists?!" She breaks it in half, turning to the two with intense eyes and gritted teeth, clenching her fist that would deal with the enemy.
"Uh, no crushing," Foot Brute attempts to calm her down. "You are here to retrieve a mysterious artifact," He wiggles his fingers for effect. "That was said to be in the possession of action film star Lou Jitsu!"
"Ohhh, he was the best!" Foot Lieutenant fanboys, pumping his fists.
"Ohhh yeah. Jitsu For Justice, that's my favorite," Foot Brute adds in, as it dealt with Lou Jitsu and Tang Shen fighting the government. "It's the movie that got me interested in crime."
"Oh, and Punch Chowder! He defeats an entire organized crime mob using clamshells as his only weapon!"
"Hot soup!" They both say his catchphrase, high fiving.
"Hai, senseis," Foot Recruit bows to them respectfully. "I will study these important motion pictures!"
They snap out of their admiration and look back to the building. "Uh, anywho, you are to enter the auction house and retrieve any Lou Jitsu merchandise."
"I will tear this place asunder until I find every Lou Jitsu item within its walls!" She grins wickedly, Foot Lieutenant patting her shoulder.
"Okay, okay. Lower the intensity, but let's just go stealth. No muss, no fuss."
"Foot CLAAAN!" She jumps towards the building, Foot Lieutenant raising a concerned eyebrow.
"Somebody had her coffee..."
Mikey uses a rope to slide inside the auction house. Amy is lowering the rope for him. "Ah. Okay, Magic Mike. Time to snag that game, go home, and rub it in Raph's face."
The rope suddenly makes a noise and he looks up in time to see the rope break, causing him to fall. He crashes into some equipment and stands up, in knight armor.
"Sorry," Amy smiles sheepishly, landing next to him. "You're kinda heavy."
Mikey lifts the helmet. "It's all good! How much they want for this?" He looks at himself, looking at the feather. "Ooo, it's got a feather!" He blows at it and Amy rolls her eyes playfully.
"This is why I wanted to come. You don't annoy me as much."
"Who are you?!"
They both scream at the voice, turning around to Foot Recruit. "What are you two doing here?!"
"We're customers," Mikey says slowly, not remembering that someone would be there to greet them. "Here to pick up our Jitsu video game."
"Lou Jitsu?" She narrows her eyes, remembering what her senseis said about Lou Jitsu. Amy rubs her arm nervously at her line of questioning. Something wasn't right about this woman...those clothes...the colors...
"Are you narrowing your eyes because you like Lou Jitsu?" He asks enthusiastically. She suddenly starts clenching her fists.
"Lou Jitsuuuuu! Yes, Punch Chowder is my favorite motion picture film movie."
"Oh. Okay."
"Wow, she's, uh...intense," Amy whispers to Mikey.
"Well then-"
Foot Recruit suddenly snatches the ticket away from his hand. Mikey gasps sharply at her move. "What?"
"I shall return. Stay here and do nothing!" She backflips out of the room.
"HEY!" Amy shouts, running after her, but Foot Recruit pulls something from her belt. She throws a smokebomb at Amy, distracting her. Amy coughs, trying to see past the purple smoke as Foot Recruit leaves the room. The face plate falls over Mikey, who tries to pull it off. Amy walks over and pulls as hard as she can.
Foot Recruit leans against a wall once she's left the room and pulls out a tiny mirror. Foor Brute and Foot Lieutenant appear on it as an image. "Recruit, what's wrong?"
"There are people here. A talking turtle and a female! And they're asking about Lou Jitsu merchandise!" She reports and they know exactly who they are.
"Those turtles and the girl again? They must be after the artifact too!"
"Oh yeah, you're gonna need help," Foot Brute suggests, "We'll be right ov-"
"No, no," Foot Lieutenant interrupts sharply, glaring at his partner. "You know the rules. To pass, she must complete her mission by herself."
"Senseis, permission to vanquish their souls to the depths of oblivion!" She exclaims in determination. Crushing enemies was the same as defeating them in her book, no matter how much they suffer.
"Yeah, sure."
"Okay, why not?"
They only agree because she's ambitious, and not because they want the two destroyed...okay, maybe it's because they want them destroyed. Without another word, Foot Recruit hangs up.
"What if they destroy her instead?" Foot Brute wonders, as they've been defeated by the five before.
"Well, then we promote Jocelyn instead. I mean, we go through a recruit a week, right?"
Mikey thinks as he paces around, Amy just watching him. "Something's up. She says she works here, but the lights are off."
"When did she say that?" Amy raises an eyebrow.
"But, maybe there's a power outage. But, she didn't care about this whole situation," He gestures to himself.
"Maybe she's used to seeing people like you, sure," Amy shrugs slowly, "But I don't think that's a standard uniform that she's wearing..."
"Hm, but maybe she thought I was in costume."
"Or maybe she's so crazy that she doesn't care," Amy mutters under her breath.
"But, she did like Punch Chowder. And only criminals like Punch Chowder!"
As soon as he says that, he's hit by Foot Recruit, who has returned. His arms and legs are boxed in as he lifts the helmet by jumping. "Hey! What's the big idea?"
"Why are you here? Talk!" Amy pulls out her weapon.
"Amy, no! I'm supposed to do this by myself!" Mikey insists to her.
"But I can't just ignore it!" She tells him, "Whether I like it or not, you are still my friend. And friends help each other out!"
"Wow..." He murmurs in awe as she could potentially lose the bet, but she's risking that to help him.
"An enemy of the Foot must be perish," She's holding an axe, "You will not claim the artifact!"
"The Foot?!" Amy gasps in shock.
"But I have a receipt!" Mikey sinks slightly in the armor. She runs towards them and Amy grabs Mikey, running as she swings her axe at the girl. "Is this how you normally treat customers? Cause if it is, I'd like to speak to your supervisor!"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Amy cringes slightly as Foot Recruit uses the other end to hit Amy into a wall. She drops Mikey and he lands on a record player, playing some music. Foot Recruit laughs as she raises the axe, Mikey screaming. She slices at him, removing the armor.
"Wha-I'm not paying for that!"
"Don't look at me," Amy calls out as she stands up, hearing more laughter. Mikey yelps as Foot Recruit kicks him so hard he lands against a wall. She throws the axe and he screams his head off, throwing a cabinet in front of him. He sighs in relief as the axe lands against the cabinet, Amy joining his side.
"You okay?" She pulls out a tiny stick, which extends into her axe.
"Yeah...hey!" He sees something in front of him. "Our game! You're getting that soup, Lou baby! Solo mission complete!"
Hearing a yell, they both look up to see Foot Recruit heading towards them. Her knuckles turn into knives and they scream, rolling away just in time. She lands against the wall and gasps.
"Lou Jitsu..." She eyes the game in Mikey's hand. "The artifact. Give it to me!" Considering how there's nothing else to suggest that it's from Lou Jitsu, that thing had to be what her senseis are looking for.
"I told you, we own it fair and square!"
"I didn't pay for it just to give it up!" Amy screams as they run off, Foot Recruit jumping off and landing. She narrows her eyes and the two turn to the emergency exit, but it's locked. "Oh no!"
"Ha!"
They turn around to Foot Recruit, who speeds towards them, throwing three kunai. Mikey cringes, pressing his back against the door. Amy spins her axe, blocking all of the knives. She throws another one and they both duck, Mikey trying to crawl through a vent. Foot Recruit grabs his leg and Amy tries to fend her off. Suddenly, one of their phones ring and Amy lets go of the woman to check her phone.
Mikey picks up his orange-decorated phone and picks up. "Hello."
"Hey buddy," It's Raph calling to check in. "Just checking in, making sure you're, uh, okay. Uh, everything okay? Mellie's taking care of you? You're okay, right?"
"Yes!" Mikey shouts immediately. "Raph, we're fine! Uh, we've got everything under contROL!" Foot Recruit drags him back inside.
"I have the artifact!" She says cheerfully as she holds the game. "And you won't leave until I've smashed your shell into powder!"
"What?" Raph asks, Leo and Donnie having heard as well. "Hey, who was that?"
Amy snatches the phone from Mikey. "No onnne!" She and Mikey roll away as her foot lands on the planks. "It's just the pushy clerk who's trying to sell us the...extended warranty! Yes, and I should know that since I'm always paying off for...oven repairs. Uh, we're not interested! Mikey's got this. Bye!"
She hangs up and gives Mikey the phone back as they run off from Foot Recruit.
Raph looks down at his phone, his older brother instincts kicking in. "My overprotective brother sense is tingling. Donnie, tap into their security camera."
"Oh, sure, let me just load my tap-into-every-security-camera-in-New-York app. Sorry if that sounded like sarcasm. It wasn't," He says sarcastically as he taps into his wrist computer.
"My lady could be in trouble too. What if she's hurt or worse?!" Leo starts panicking. "She's not always able to take care of herself. What if her mother's there?!"
Raph slaps him and Leo shakes his head rapidly. "Ow!"
"Relax, Mellie can handle herself. And why would her mother even be a problem?" He raises a skeptical eyebrow, thinking that Leo knows something that he doesn't.
"No reason," Leo immediately denies, sweating a bit. If the last time he saw Amy would be when she left the lair with Mikey, he'd lose it.
"I am in," Donnie pulls up the footage of the auction house. Leo and Raph immediately join his side to see Mikey and Amy walking around, a bit nervously.
"Oh, I guess they're okay."
Foot Recruit suddenly comes in and kicks them away, chasing after them. "That's it! Mikey and Mellie need us!"
Leo and Donnie stare at him as he has a crazed look, but they don't have time to comment as he drags them away.
Mikey and Amy dodge her punch and kicks before getting kicked in the stomach. She spins a spear, Mikey gasping nervously. He didn't think he'd need to bring his weapon. He looks around and grabs an umbrella. The two defend themselves, backing away slowly.
"You can't hit me!" She brags and Mikey is pushed into a statue of an ice cream cat? He stops it from falling.
"Aww."
"An Ice Cream Kitty! Strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. Good combo," Amy squeals as she looks at it.
"Now that's cute!"
Foot Recruit laughs and throws her kunai. The two dodge, but the statue is broken in the process.
"YOU MONSTER!" Mikey screams at the broken pieces.
"You did not just do that!" Amy clenches her fists as she glares at Foot Recruit. They throw a sheet over her, distracting the woman only for a few seconds. She swings at their weapons and with the umbrella handle, Mikey snatches the game back.
"Back to me, Lou baby!"
Foot Recruit swings at them. Mikey, putting the game in his mouth, opens the umbrella as Amy slices the spear in half. Mikey laughs at her, but she kicks them away, knocking the cartridge into the air. She catches it into her left hand and her mirror rings.
"Hello you," Foot Brute greets once she gets it out. "How's everything going?"
"Ugh, it's under control!" She groans at being interrupted. "I'LL BE OUT IN A MINUTE!" With that, she hangs up and leaps towards the duo. They look up to see her advancing towards them once again. "You're finished, turtle and human scum!"
"Hey," Amy says, offended.
"You're not scum," Mikey replies, placing a hand on her shoulder. He throws a beach ball at Foot Recruit, the duo kicking it. With the force of the movement, she lands in a harp, stuck in the strings. "Yeah!"
They run up to her, Mikey snatching the game back. "NOOOO!"
They land against the emergency exit. "And Raph thought I couldn't do this all by myself! Oh, solo mission complete!"
"And that means I won the bet," Amy smirks as she moves away, the other turtles busting into the room.
"Mikey, Mellie, we're here to rescue you, guys!"
"Narf." Raph looks down to see Mikey underneath the door and Raph's foot. Amy cringes as she looks at him.
"I'm just gonna take a quick look," Foot Brute says as Foot Recruit has taken a while to come back.
"I told you, she must prove herself and-ooo, hello. What's this?"
Foot Recruit's mirror has a perfect image of the turtles and Amy. "They're all there! It's an ambush!"
Enraged, they jump towards the building.
"I had it in my hands! We were literally ready to leave!" Mikey is scolding Raph, "What part of by myself don't you understand?"
"Are you okay?" Leo asks Amy and she places a hand on her forehead.
"Back off, vultures. I'm not dead yet. I told you, we'd be fine!"
Foot Recruit pulls out a kunai while they're distracting, starting to cut the harp strings. Raph just chuckles.
"Little man, woman-"
"What, say what?!"
"What did you just say to me?" Amy whips around to him, Leo rubbing his neck.
"I mean big man, Mellie. I will open up my apology wallet and give you a big stack of-"
"Yeah, yeah, mistakes were made, lessons were learned," Leo winks at Amy, who's surprised at his action. Is he actually apologizing for earlier? "We got a video game to play, so vamonos, hermanos and senorita. And yes, I did that on purpose."
"Okay, I thought we established that I'm the only member in the team who's allowed to speak Spanish," Amy crosses her arms.
"Oh come on, you gotta admit, that was pretty good. Give me that one," Leo grins at her.
"What you should give me is no one-liners since I won the bet," She smirks and his eyes widen, remembering that Mikey got the game.
"Ha ha!"
They turn to Foot Recruit, who throws kunai. Mikey and Amy maneuver around them before being kicked down by the woman. She kicks Raph, throws down Leo, and uses Donnie's staff to swing him around, throwing him to the floor. She catches the game in her hand.
"Ha! So long, mission complete!"
Something crashes through the wall, knocking her and the game down.
"We're here to rescue ya," Foot Brute declares and she turns to them.
"Nooo. I had it in my hands. I was literally ready to leave. What part of by myself don't you understand?"
"Yeah, she gets it," Mikey points to her.
"Okay, I am officially freaked out now. Déjà vu," Amy backs away slightly.
"Stay out of this, you little pipsqueak and woman!"
"Whoa," Raph stands near Foot Brute, "Whose brother and friend you calling pipsqueak and woman, toe head?"
"Maybe you're the pipsqueak," Foot Brute points his finger at Raph's plastron.
"I'll protect you, Mikey and Mellie!" Raph tackles Foot Brute. Foot Lieutenant picks up the game cartridge.
"Wait a minute. That is not the artifact we seek."
"But it's the only Lou Jitsu thing here," Foot Recruit tells him.
"Well then your mission is a bust!" He throws the game away. "On a technicality, of course. But don't be discouraged," Two purple portals appear on his hands. "The road to success is paved with miles of favor." He slams his hands together, creating a large portal.
"I shall prove I am worthy next time!" She declares, running up to the portal.
"Yes, yes, I know. Come, we'll get a nice falafel." He follows Foot Recruit through the portal, but Foot Brute stays behind to fight with Raph. Mikey scratches his head, picking up the game.
"Chop socky violence, here we come!"
Back at the lair, he puts in the game, turning to the others. "Sure you don't want first game, Raph?"
Donnie, Amy, and Leo laugh as a beat-up Raph is sitting there, in casts because of his brutal fight. "Oh, I earned it? Why, thank you!" Mikey turns on the game using the controller, but the graphics are nothing like he expected. Lou Jitsu can only move, with no fighting whatsoever. "What? Lou Jitsu's a beige rectangle. This is a ripoff!"
"Whoa!"
They turn to Splinter, who's pouring himself a cup of tea. "Lou Jitsu's Hot Soup: The Game?!" He puts down the cup of tea, but it spills over Amy's boot and leg.
"Ahh, hot, hot!" She cringes in pain, clutching her boot. He snatches the controller from Mikey.
"Look at those realistic ripped abs!" He chuckles as he starts to play. "I will fight my way up to you, Boss Level!"
Amy grits her teeth at him and Leo sighs, standing up. "I'll help you, my lady."
"You need my expertise?" Donnie calls out as he watches Splinter.
"Nah, I got this." He puts Amy's arm around his shoulders, slowly moving as she hops over to the couch. "Does it hurt?"
"Some of my skin does. The boot took most of the tea," She takes off the boot, wiggling off the liquid. Leo runs off to grab some ice as she slowly takes off her sock, wincing at the slightly red skin.
The red-eared slider returns with a pack of ice in hand, placing it over her ankle. "Thank you."
"So...you and Mikey seem to get along well," He says casually and she gives him a look.
"Leo, is now really the time?"
"Just...tell me, are you interested in him?" He looks down at the ice pack touching her burns, looking crestfallen. "Like, have you thought about a future with him?"
"With Mikey? No, and I'm not really interested in him, or any of your brothers. Besides, Mikey's the only one who doesn't annoy me as much."
"Oh..." He recalls her reaction to when he called her woman. "I'm sorry, calling you woman was...stupid. And, uh...guess I'll have to stop with the one-liners now, huh?"
"...Nah," Amy shakes her head. "I'm dropping the bet. I don't feel comfortable changing who you are anymore. Just keep it minimal."
"No promises," He chuckles and she looks at the ice pack, smiling a bit how close his hand was to hers. She leans in and kisses his cheek. His eyes widen at her soft lips, slowly touching around where she kissed him...
"Thank you for being so concerned about me earlier at the auction house," She smiles softly. "And I know I'm a little...rough on the edges, but that's because of my past."
"...What do you mean?" He asks softly, wanting to know more.
"Well...there was a time when I wasn't always like this..." She starts off, the other turtles gathering around to hear her story.
