Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT

Leo breathlessly climbed up a set of grimy steel rungs to the surface and shoved a manhole cover back into place before leaping onto the nearest fire escape. He rolled onto the rooftop, his movements rushed and sloppy. He set off at a sprint, not knowing or caring where he was going. He could feel the oncoming torrent of emotions, and instinctively had to run away. After his training with the Ancient One, he had learned how to deal with emotions such as guilt and defeat. But nothing like betrayal. If Raphael wanted to leave, then fine! They didn't need him anyways! Forget Splinter's stupid analogy! We don't need him anyways!

They don't need me. I'm the problem, not Raph. Donny even said so. They have all learned to get along without me.

So I will leave. I don't need them either.

Leo continued to run deeper into the darkening city, wishing for any kind of diversion to wake him from this nightmare.

"Sensei, what the heck is wrong with Leo? What did he mean, 'Raph finally gets his wish?" Mikey asked, his face still a mask of alarm at his brother's flight from the lair.

Splinter sighed, and looked to the ground. "You will have to ask your brother that, my son."

Mikey seemed frustrated with his father's inadequate answer, and stormed off in the direction of his adjacent older brother's lab, a grim face of determination.

Her breathing was fast and hard, and she hadn't even thrown the rock yet.

"Come on! Throw the damn rock all ready, new chick! The cops will get here before the alarm goes off at this rate!"

Rough cackling erupted behind her. Brenna took a shuddering breath before darting the last few feet and chucking the large brick into a glass window. The screech of glass shards hitting the pavement seemed to spur the group of rough teenagers behind her into action. The security alarm blared into the night, calling to the police, but the gang members acted if there was no noise and rushed into the building through the broken window. All kinds of merchandise fell off of the shelves and disappeared into dark bags that were soon heavy with anything from antique jewelry to modern technology toys. Brenna hopped inside and grabbed a handful of glittering necklaces from a stand on a glass case. She hefted the rock she had thrown moments before and rammed it into the case, and shattered the fragile glass and snatched up the glittering jewels inside.

"We gotta get outta here!" Some deep voice echoed as soon as the blaring alarm suddenly silenced. It was eerily quiet beside the sound of scrambling bodies. Soon faint sirens could be heard, and Brenna's heart dropped in an onrush of fear. The shadows around her scrambled and one by one slipped out of the store. Brenna hurriedly snatched up anything that looked valuable that was left, wary of the growing noise.

A few startled cries came from the alley way, and several thumps before a comprehendible voice said, "Wait, wait, wait! Here I'll give it back, jus don' hurt me!"

Brenna froze in her tracks, listening to the outside conversation after pinning herself up against the wall.

"Whadya tink, Leo?" A gruff voice said. "Does dis punk deserve tuh leave?"

A sigh, followed by, "He's just a kid, Case. Let him go." Another voice said, "But if we ever catch you again kid, you'll get what you deserve: a ride to the police station."

Brenna risked looking through the broken window. A tall, muscular man let go of one of her comrades that he had had pinned to the wall. He stumbled off, leaving his bag of goods on the ground. The muscular man turned around and picked up the bag, before talking to someone Brenna couldn't see.

"The cops'll be here any minute, Leo. Whatduh we do wit' dese kids?"

Something nagged at the back of Brenna's mind at the mention of the unseen vigilante's name, but before she could remember, her arm bumped into the glass case and a piece of glass clattered on the floor. Before she could blink, she was pinned up against the wall by huge, rough arms and struggling for breath.

"Please!" She gasped. Hard onyx eyes glared into hers. She dropped the bag clutched in her hand, and pried at the concrete fingers around her throat. Tears welled in her eyes, and her mind started to cloud over. "Please!" she cried again.

The eyes opened wide. "Brenna?" the hands went slack and she fell to the ground. She could barely hear voices over the loudening police sirens. Before she could stand, the rough, heavy arms had lifted her and slung her over his shoulder and darted out of the window. Red and blue flashing lights passed over her face as her captor darted down the dark alley. Her eyes slammed shut in fear as she suddenly had the sensation of going up. The vertical ascent didn't slow him, and soon she could tell they were racing over rooftops. Only the sounds of her pounding heart and his controlled breathing could be heard, so she assumed his partner was not trailing them.

Tears rolled down her eyes. "Mom, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry."

The man started to slow down, and after on more leap across buildings that nearly made her scream, he stopped and set her down. As soon as she gathered the courage to open her eyes, she found herself alone on her windowsill.

"Wha?" she gasped.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" a voice said.

She looked around but saw no one. "I…"

He sighed. "I should have left you for the cops."

"No!" she cried. "Th….thank you." She whispered.

"Don't ever do that again. Cuz next time, I won't be so merciful."

"Who are you?"

No answer.

"Please! I need to know."

"My name is Leonardo. That is all you need to know." The figurative light bulb lit above her head.

"Thank you, Leonardo." She whispered.

"I meant what I said in that letter. There are people that care about you, and there is always, ALWAYS, someone out there that has it worse off than you do. You don't want to end up like those good-for-nothing guys you were with tonight. You are better than that. That life is dangerous. You don't need to take risks like that. You deserve and can have something better. Look around you. The world can be yours. You just have to see the good in it."

The ceiling creaked above her, and she knew he was gone. In a daze, she crawled onto her bed, curled up in a ball, and sleep didn't come for a long time.