After weeks of being together like this, Leo had finally decided it was time. He was going to ask Yuichi to be his boyfriend. Just thinking about it made him nervous. To say his heart raced was an understatement, as he even planned it out. He set up the timing, thought about the words he was going to say, and of course the place. Leo was going to ask Yuichi to be his boyfriend at the lair. Everyone was supposed to be on an errand except Leo, so this felt like the perfect moment, where he would be most comfortable. The funny part is that they still hadn’t done the sleepover yet, probably because they were too busy finding out what they were to each other.

But, just as Leo was about to ask Yuichi the way he prepared so hard for, Mikey and Raph came barging in, laughing and holding controllers.

“Hey!” You two, wanna play some games?” Mikey called out.

Leo froze. Leo went from smiling the entire day, to instantly being annoyed at everything. He could feel his perfect moment slipping away. All he wanted was just some more time alone with Yuichi, like the 100th time they had lately.

Yuichi, on the other hand, lit up immediately. Seeing this made Leo calm down a lot, as he loved to see Yuichi so happy. It created butterflies in his stomach.

“Yeah, sure! Sounds fun!” Yuichi said, his voice full of energy as always. He got up right away, heading over to the two to join them

Leo tried to hide his disappointment, but it was there, quietly nagging in the back of his mind. 

“Why can’t it just be us when I was about to ask that?” Leo thought as he almost slapped the front of his face with his hand. 

But… he forced a small smile and followed them, though his heart wasn’t really in it. After a while though, Leo figured there were enough moments coming to enact his plan another time.

While they played, Leo stayed close to Yuichi, his attention more on him than on the game. Yuichi laughed and joked a lot more than when they first met. Especially when Leo made a mistake in the game, that’s when he started teasing. You could also say flirting to be honest. Leo loved Yuichi’s laughter. It made the slider feel that he would be the luckiest man in the world if Yuichi were to be his boyfriend.

Regarding April, she did feel a bit left out, as they were supposed to be a ‘triple-threat,’ but she definitely knew that what those two young men had was something very ‘special’. Leo felt her demeanor and tried to call her as much as possible as a result. In hindsight, he also called her because he really needed some of her positivity after his plan got interrupted, so he made an excuse to call her while still playing the game with Yuichi and his brothers.

“BYEEE APRILLL,” Leo said flamboyantly as usual. These two friends acted like they were  ‘girl-bosses’ all the time. Yuichi just giggled at Leo’s behaviour, as he thought it was funny. He also thought how brave Leo was that he could be so confident in the way he acted. Just looking at Leo also made him feel like he wanted nothing more than to stay with him. 

“You are losing in Mario Party, Leo, gotta step up your game KAPPA,” Yuichi said grinning at the turtle. 

“What do I have to give if I lose?” Leo winked at Yuichi, obviously flirting. Raph and Mikey constantly joked about them flirting but were oblivious that at the same time… it might actually be the case. They simply assumed they were just ‘bros being bros.’

“Leo is gonna lose on purpose so he can sit on your lap again,” Mikey said smiling. He didn’t say it out loud, as his whole aura was just one of calmness. People really felt comfortable around the turtle with the orange bandana because of that. Raph responded to the joke accordingly of course. 

“Maybe it is the other way around, gotta switch it up sometime, Leo.” Everyone laughed and Yuichi had to respond by teasing Leo again. 

“You know Leo… I think Raph’s idea is really good. Maybe even at our… sleepover,” Yuichi winked. Leo could handle the flirting a lot better than earlier at this point, with him not becoming a tomato as a result, but this was getting really obvious at this point. Raph and Mikey were about to ask about this secret sleepover until…

“SPLINTER,” a female voice yelled. Both Yuichi’s and Splinter’s mind instantly went in panic-mode thinking

‘It couldn’t be…’ 

The turtles knew about Big Mom of course, but they had never seen her. Even they realised that she had too much influence over the hidden city to accurately do something about her. They did sabotage some of her operations throughout New York however, while making sure they were never seen. They didn’t want that woman on their backs as she was very powerful.

Or so they thought…

As everyone was looking where the voice came from, Donnie came out of his lab as well, being slightly annoyed and puzzled at the same time. And there she was, a pink petite looking woman. Her four spider legs were not behind her back anymore, they were stopping the bleeding of the wound on the right side of her abdomen. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOIN-.” When Splinter saw the wound he stopped yelling, immediately getting a bandage and stuff to disinfect it. 

“I’M TERRIFIED. GABE, HE IS IN A COMA. THAT MAN JUST MADE THE ENTIRE BATTLE NEXUS EXPLODE. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO, I DON’T CARE ABOUT MY STUPID MONEY ANYMORE,” Big Mom was crying frantically. Splinter’s eyes were wide, not being able to react accordingly too. They used to be in a relationship and because of what had happened 18 years ago, the rat thought she had gone on the wrong path towards greed. 

Could he have been wrong?

Yuichi and the turtles came running towards the wounded Big Mom, with Yuichi yelling. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, HAVEN’T YOU DONE ENOUGH, WHEN I WAS 10 AND BEAT THE BATTLE NEXUS OR WHEN YOU EXTORTED MY AUNT?”

Big Mom, however, immediately looked insanely terrified at the angry Yuichi. Many things were happening at the same time. Splinter was also frantic, not knowing who to comfort. The wound on Big Mom’s abdomen was not lethal. The turtles, except Leo who already knew, looked puzzled, trying to grasp what was just said. Donnie had a serious look, he was trying his best to solve the missing pieces of who Yuichi really was. 

“OH NO, GET HIM OUT OF HERE SPLINTER, HE WILL GET US KILLED.”

Yuichi’s heart stopped… It couldn’t be… explosions, a man, Big Mom’s connections… the dots were starting to click.

“OH SPLINTER, THERE WAS PURPLE LIGHTNING EVERYWHERE I, AM SO SCA-”

Yuichi went completely pale for 3 seconds, and after those 3 seconds he was fuming like someone had done the worst thing in the world to him, which was true. Big Mom ruined his life again and made his past catch up with him. He completely punched Big Mom in the face, causing all the turtles to gasp, even Leo. Splinter just looked terrified at what was happening at that moment, as he focused his energy on Big Mom’s wellbeing after she was punched. The turtles proceeded to grab Yuichi, even Donnie, as they were trying to calm him down. 

“LET ME GO!” Yuichi screamed the loudest he could. He was still very angry at that point. Once he broke free from their grasp, Leo tried to grab his arm but to no avail.

“DON’T TOUCH ME LEO, WHY DON’T YOU FOCUS ON DONATELLO’S ANGER ISSUES FOR A SECOND.”

Leo pulled back his arm a little bit, his demeanor shifting from someone who wanted to help into someone who didn’t know what to do. He started having tears in his eyes from that interaction. As Yuichi saw Leo’s face, he immediately stopped, his appearance shifting into someone who was very sad and terrified. He then said the following words. 

“I am sorry Leo. I loved being together with you. I wish we could have sparred more.” 

After Yuichi said this, he ran into the sewers, not wanting to be followed. Leo just stood there, his hand still in front of him, his brothers behind him watching. Donnie was also shocked about what had just happened. Even though he still distrusted the rabbit, he had respect for his power and capabilities, but for him to lose his cool like that just like he did. 

What was going on? 

Leo knew something was up, he knew Yuichi through thick and thin… right?

The turtles then turned to Splinter, who was still taking care of Big Mom, her now having a blue eye. “Can you explain what you know?” Splinter said calmly, trying to calm Big Mom a little. The woman, still crying faintly, started to talk. 

“Yuichi, after his aunt died, stopped paying ransom money after he sold his farm. I tried to find out things about him with my assistant… and I did. There is someone after him I think, someone with mystic powers so great that would even put yours in your prime to shame, Splinter.” 

Splinter was shocked, as he didn’t know what was happening. The turtles were bickering as well, trying to ask all sorts of questions about this ‘man’, but to no avail. Big Mom’s demeanor was way too grim to even talk about what happened. 

“My life’s work… My business… It doesn’t matter anymore. Gabe is in a coma because of my impulsiveness, Splinter.”

A moment of silence occurred, everyone listening intently about what was going to be said. 

“You were right, I made the wrong choices, and I regret everything… I am sorry.”

Splinter just didn’t say anything, as it was too much for him. So many things just happened at once and he had to process it all a bit. Afterwards, Big Mom stood up and went back into the sewer… 

The turtles looked at the limping woman. And even though she was known for being a really bad person, they did see someone else underneath. 

Someone who was in pain, both physically, and mentally. 

---

Yuichi is not running this time around

---

Yuichi entered the hidden city through a gateway in the sewer. He immediately saw a lot of strong, buff men and women looking through the streets. Yuichi waited patiently, so he could ambush one to interrogate him. 

In the distance, a strong looking shark like Yokai with human legs and arms, came towards him in the alleyway. Yuichi immediately stepped out. He knew there was nobody there, and if there was, who cares? He could beat them all to a pulp in seconds. Yuichi was not fuming anymore like before, or not sad like he used to. He was on a mission, a mission to end this 100 year dispute once and for all. 

The shark reacted, not by attacking, but by grabbing his phone. As he started to make the call, Yuichi, with extreme speed, pinned the shark against the wall and held his fiery blade against his throat. Yuichi then picked up the phone himself.

“Have you seen him?” a man answered. 

“Meet me at the following address, let’s end it. I am DONE running,” Yuichi said, determined to sound intimidating to him.

Silence arose…

“Very well.”

As the phone was hung up, the shark immediately screamed and ran away. 

Both Yuichi and the strange man went to New York, somewhere in Manhattan. And there he was… 

A man with a purple glowing left eye. 

The man nodded barely, almost as if he had expected Yuichi for years. Both knew that this was the confrontation of a story that had been going on for generations. 

As they started to see each other in the dim nightlight, both realized that this could be the end of it all…