Who would've thought Barry the Sheepman would crash the wedding? I didn't. I was planning on charging headfirst on Mama's Boy for holding Leo like a favorite toy. I'm certain Raph would follow me with no hesitation. I haven't seen Barry in ages. Not since the Mayhem's rescue. I wasn't counting on him being on our side, though. Barry looked down at Big Mama and her son.

"My resources informed me of a wedding in progress", he said as his vine lowered him to the podium. Xander clutched harder on his hold on Leo. "Between your hellspawn and a kappa. Who would have thought it was one of my turtles?"

"Excuse you, I don't belong to no one, Sheep Man!" Leo protested.

"Except me", Xander stated causing us protesting to that exclamation.

"Baron Draxum. So nice of you to drop in", Big Mama greeted with a sickly sweetness, "unfortunately, you weren't given an invitation. On a side note, perhaps maybe you could use the dim door next time. Windows aren't cheap, you know."

"And you should learn real words", Barry countered.

I rolled my eyes. We didn't come all this way for this adult rebuttal crap. "Yeah… I ain't staying for this." Leo, catch! I tossed the odachi. It spun heading for the new couple. Leo headbutted the groom colliding his head into the bastard's nose. The blade sliced the web. Leo caught the sword as soon as his arms her free and made a portal for a quick escape. I was expecting him to stand next to me, instead, his portal opened, and he fell into my arms. I felt like he meant to do that. "Oh look, I got Air Mail."

Leo smirked. "Special package to one Merrill D. Ramirez. Are you happened to be him?"

I smirked back. "The one and only."

"This is disgustingly adorable", Donnie said.

"I think I'm gonna be sick", Raph said.

"I think it's cute seeing Leo happy with the man of his dreams", Mikey replied causing us to blush heavily and I dropped Leo abruptly.

"HE'S NOT YOURS, HUMAN!" we saw Xander's eyes turn red and his glamor dropped revealing a spider yokai like Big Mama.

"…all in favor of blowing his joint say aye", I said to the turtle crew.

"Aye!" the turtles agreed. We bolted out of the decorated room with the doors shut behind us. We ran down the hall. Raph had to carry Leo on his back because sadly his outfit wasn't running material. I slowed my pace. It's only a matter of time before we face off against an army of yokai, Big Mama and Xander, or Barry, hell, maybe all the above! I know for certain I can take out one equation.

"Hello!" a green hand was waving in front of me. I stared into Mikey's eyes. I saw he was holding the jar with the captured insects. I snatched it from his hands and dashed in the opposite direction. "HEY!"

I turned around. "You guys need to bolt. Try not to get strung along with the Spider Fam."

"I'm confused. What's happening?" Raph asked looking between me and his brothers.

"Raphael, our Dark Knight is offering himself as a scapegoat for Draxum", Donnie answered.

"Merrill, you can't!" Leo protested, "You just-!"

"I'm just leveling the playing field", I reassured the slider, "Besides, I was dying for another round with Barry." I was walking backward taking up the distance between us. Leo's eyes focused on my fleeting form.

'Be careful…'

I smiled. Always. I ran. I got a job to do. Just as I was about to enter the elevator the doors were blocked by violet vines. I smirked knowing where they came from. "Took you long enough, Barry."

"I have no time for games, human", he sneered, "I may have a small ounce of respect for your bravery and defiance, but it won't change for the fact that you're human." Oh, cry me a river. "Hand over that jar or suffer the consequences."

I cocked my wrist and shot a pellet to Barry's forehead. He was pissed. "Gonna have to catch me first, Sheep Fuck." I ran away with enough speed in my prosthetic. As I was running, I dodged as many vines as Barry threw my way. I could feel his irritation with every vine he threw. Then, I spotted a couple of vases on pedestals which gave me a quick idea. I dropped the jar into the vast darkness as it gave me a vase. I burst through the metal door of the stairs and ran up. I activated Quick Step. I heard the same door break. I looked over the rail to see Barry glaring at me.

"Getting tired, old man?" I bellowed, "Try to keep up if you want your bugs back!" I dashed away. It seemed like he wasn't aware of the exchange. I don't know how many flights I went up, but I managed to reach the top. I ran off to the edge looking below from such a high perspective. I thought about dropping down, yet at the distance between my spot and down below I don't think my prosthetic legs can survive that fall. I turned around in time to see a vine coming my way. I leaped to the side dropping the vase. I tumbled before regaining my posture. Barry wasn't too ecstatic seeing the decoy.

"Where are my experiments?!" he said, having his tentacle crush the vase.

I shrugged. "I dunno. Did you try retracing your steps?" I smirked seeing his glare harden.

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR GAMES!" Barry cried throwing his vines at me. I dodged his attacks. I ran over to the exit only for a giant vine blocking my path. Then, another vine wrapped my torso pinning my arms to the sides.

Barry hung me over the edge having his thick tentacle wrapped around my body. "Any final words, human?" the sheep man asked.

"Yeah", I responded, "Draxum deez nuts across your face! Also, you don't have the kahunas to drop me."

He sneered. "Don't tempt me."

"Wait!" We looked over to see Leo huffing and puffing. His outfit was tattered, and his makeup was smeared. He had the jar of oozequitoes underneath one arm and sword posed forward. "Let him go!" how the hell did he get those?

Barry stared at the turtle. "Hand me my experiments and I'll set the human free."

"Don't think about it, Lee. This shithead is all talk", I reassured Leo.

"Quiet, mortal! Your opinions mean nothing! I won't hesitate to end your life."

"Bitch, I triple dog dare ya to drop me. I ain't scared of this drop! This is a skydive for me!"

"Merrill, stop antagonizing the bad guy who's threatening your life!" Leo warned.

Barry looked at Leo. "I have spared you of your pathetic sacrifice to that son of a spider wench. If there was something that can match my hatred for humanity, it would be my hatred for Big Mama. She's willing to adapt with the humans instead of ridding their existence. She was willing to use my creation for her precious Battle Nexus. I would rather see her empire crumble before her eyes than let her have my warriors under her command." What shit was he on?

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't know? How unfortunate. I thought I made it painfully obvious, but I shall speak clearly. I created you. My first invention! You and your turtle comrades into the perfect soldiers you were meant to be!" Leo's eyes widened as well as mine. Leo and his brothers were his first attempt before the mutagen. Holy fucking shit toes! That would explain why Barry was enamored. He's basically their dad! Who's gonna tell Splinter? "Join me, and together we can create a new world where yokai can be seen in sunlight rather than hide in the shadows."

The slider was quiet. Don't tell me you're considering his offer 'cuz that's dumb even for you.

I saw his eye twitch. 'I wasn't going to anyway, you asshole! Give me some credit!' Leo looked at Barry. "As tempting as your offer sounds, I'm gonna have to say no. It's not you, it's me, but it's mostly you. hope we can still be mortal enemies."

"Ha!" I laughed, "In your face, Sheep Fucker!"

Barry grew furious as his vine crushed my body; I winced at the sheer tightness. "You would choose this human over your creator? The one who gave you the power to move on your two legs? The one who gave you newfound life?!"

"Hey, you didn't raise Lee and his brothers so technically you're a stranger to them", I informed Barry.

"Enough of your quick wittiness!" the villain's vine released me only for it to grab my wrists and raise them over my head. "You would choose this arrogant human whose lifespan is a speck of dirt than your own creator!" I could hear my metal wrists groaning as the vine got tighter. Aunt Claire's gonna kill me if I survive this fall.

"Yes." My gaze quickly landed on Leo. His eyes were determined as his irises became an electric blue. "I would always pick Merrill over you."

My heart was beating faster than a drum set. That was fucking hot.

Leo's face flushed.

"How pathetic", Barry tossed me over the building like a used towel. I wasn't kidding about the whole skydiving thing. Mother did toss me over the building to see my reaction time. I know… she's a sick woman. Should I mention I was 10? Alright, no reaction just action.

"Merrill!" The slider called my name as he threw his sword at me before he was caught by a vine. The spinning blade was coming at me. I managed to grab it almost missing the hilt. I raised the odachi to summon a portal, but I heard a yell from above. Did Barry throw Leo off the building? I twisted my body seeing Leo's falling body. I spun the sword and dived it into the metal structure. I reached my hand for the fallen turtle. He grabbed my arm. The sword wedged a bit but held its place. I pulled Leo close while he quickly wrapped his arms around my neck.

"You okay?" I asked.

The turtle nodded with gasping breaths. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. I should be telling you that. Good thinking on stopping the fall."

"I'm surprised your weapon didn't break on me, but I'd rather not jinx." Leo rested his head on the nook of my neck. "You look like shit." he chuckled at my poor joke.

"Your nosebleed said otherwise." He raised his head to stare at my eyes. "How are we getting down?"

I looked up at the thought, however, I saw a long trail of released oozequitoes. I felt Leo shift looking up. A sense of dread and exhaustion appeared. Man, all that hard work just to be let go again.

I sighed. "So much for keeping the city mutant-free. No offense."

"None taken. To be honest, I kind of expected something like that to happen. Whether it be Barry or Big Mama. I guess we go back to square one."

"That's rather obvious." I looked back at the turtle bride. "How did you manage to find me?"

Leo gave me a dubious stare. "Are you seriously asking me that? Let me tell you it wasn't easy. Raph had to fight against Xander on his own."

"He better beat Mama's Boy or I'm beating both of them and pee on their unconscious bodies."

"Ew."

"What? I am and will." I surveyed our circumstances. "Hey, think you can open a portal as soon as I let go?"

Leo's arms tightened around my neck. "Yeah… it's no problem." I nodded. I was about to activate Gauntlet Beta when Leo stopped me. "…Merrill?"

"Yeah?" I almost lost my grip on the unexpected Leonardo's action. He kissed my cheek. It wasn't a quick peck like after the Meat Sweats incident. The kiss lasted longer than before. I felt the warm tenderness from his lips to the warmness in our chest.

He pulled back and gave me a big smile. "It's good to have you back."

I blinked. I didn't know what he was implying so I just smiled back. "It's good to be back."