"Dude! Where have you been?" Leo walked up to his three brothers, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, as the latter complained about his lateness.
"Sorry. Got, lost, I guess." Leo said, an obvious lie, but his mood was too low to cover for anything. The three brothers looked at one another and Mikey opened his mouth to oppose but Raph slapped his hand over it, reading Leo's body language meaning he doesn't want to talk about it. They would find out later, more than likely.
"Alright, then let's get going." Raph said, turning to the city. "This city ain't gonna protect itself."
Back in the lair, Leo sat at the kitchen table with a cup in his hands, pondering over the night's events. He could hear the telltale clicks of Master Splinter coming up behind him.
"You seem troubled, my son." He says, pausing only a moment to speak before he walked around to see Leo's face. Leo's expression was somber, not really wanting to tell the Master but he knew he couldn't hide anything from him.
"Master... I have a bit of a confession to make." Leo started with a sigh. As if on some cue, Master Splinter sat down at the table and poured a cup of tea for himself, as well as topping up Leo's now cold cup.
"I've… taken a liking to this girl." Leo said. He quickly resumed as he saw his master's eyes widen slightly, "-But she doesn't know about us! I mean- not really anyways, I think." He stammers. He sighs again, but this time in frustration at himself. "I haven't approached her, but she saw me, tonight. Or rather she saw my silhouette. Against the full moon." Leo grasped at straws as he tried to explain, but Master Splinter put up a paw to halt him.
"You like her?" He asked, simply. Leo's shoulders relaxed.
"Well…. Yeah… I guess I do." He said, as if he was realizing it himself. "But nothing will ever happen- I mean I won't ever go near her again, she can't find out about us!" As his words come out of his mouth, disappointment washes over him again, words intended to calm Master Splinter. Unbeknownst to the two, Raph leaned against the frame of the doorway from the living room to the kitchen, eavesdropping. He looked perfectly in place as if he was leaning with his arms crossed, watching Mikey and Don argue about one of Don's inventions.
"Master Splinter, do you think…" Leo started, wondering if he should even dare finish that sentence. "Do you think that she would run?" Knowing the answer, he just stared hard into his cup. Splinter sighed.
"My son, you should already know the answer to your dilemma." He started. Leo's eyes narrowed. Raph leaned in just a bit more. "….Go and meet her." Splinter finished. Leo looked up surprised.
"What?"
"Say what?" Raph exclaimed, slipping off his perch on the door frame. Both Leo and Master Splinter looked back at him on the ground, as he gave a small smirk in his defense.
"Couldn't help but overhear." He shrugged. Mikey and Don's attentions were caught as Raph rose to his feet. Soon, all the brothers were in the kitchen gathered around the table.
"What's going on?" Asks Donatello.
"Leo's got a girlfriend." Raph teases. Mikey's eyes go wide.
"Whoa what! Since when! Duuude is that why you're always late to patrol!" He exclaims knowingly.
"Now children," Splinter said holding out a claw to stop the chaos, "Leo's mind will not be at rest until he resolves this issue. So, I suggest you come up with a plan, in case the girl in question is one of the faint of heart." The four boys stopped for a moment, and then smiled at each other, already knowing exactly what to do.
"So- let me get this straight. I'm supposed to bail you out with some lame excuse if things hit the fan." Casey, an athletic young man with a muscular build, crossed his arms with a puzzled expression on his face. A young woman with red hair stood next to him, her arms also crossed but more lightly, in thought. "All because you got the go ahead from pops to out yourself to your crush. Who you've watched. Don't you think that's rather creepy?" The girl beside him elbowed him.
"Casey!"
"Its okay April." Leo said, his brothers standing behind him. They were in an alleyway not far from a bustling party. "Just say I'm like drunk in a costume or something." He hated the thought of her seeing him like that, but hopefully, just maybe, she wouldn't run. Or scream. Or pass out.
"Well I think this is wonderful for you Leo." April said, smiling warmly. "But isn't it almost time?" Leo's eyes widened. What time was it? Casey looked at his watch.
"Its 8:20." He said, matter of factly.
"Is it?" Leo asked, his eyebrows furrowing. That didn't sound right. She's normally right on time. Leo got a bad feeling, and without a word of explanation hopped up to the fire escape and up onto the roof. His brothers followed, while Casey and April were left in confusion.
Leo leapt across the rooftops, closing in on the bank quickly, with his brothers in tow.
"Leo what's going on?" Mikey asked, but Leo didn't take the time to answer. Something was wrong and he could feel it. Coming up on the opposite side of the street as the bank, he looked down over the side. No lights on. At all. Not even the lights for the machines, which were ALWAYS on.
"Something's wrong." He said, as his brothers took their places by his side. The boys looked down at the bank.
"Its too dark." Raph said, instantly realizing this may be a lot more than a power outage.
"Lets go." Leo said, his swords at the ready. They all jumped down to the streets in the cover of darkness.