Runaway

Part 1: Elis; Chapter 1: Far From Home

Leo looked at his hands, the pale green color of his palms seeming much lighter than the rest of his skin.

"Huh... must be the gloves," he mumbled softly, placing the gloves that once covered his hands and halfway up his arms onto his neatly-made bed.

The ōdachi, the damn thing that never seemed to work properly, was placed next to them along with its holsters and duffle-pouch. Next was his mask. He sighed heavily as he slipped the thin but semi-thick fabric off his face and sat it on the bed with the rest of the ninja gear. The only thing he kept on was his boots.

Hey, he was running away but that didn't mean he couldn't be comfortable!

He looked into the body-sized mirror hanging on the wall of his room, the unsettling feeling of being naked sinking in as he stared at himself. He rushed over to his closet, skimming over the articles of clothing he'd used for human disguises, before finding just what he needed; a blue hoodie that slightly resembled the mask that was sitting on the bed a few feet away.

In a fraction of just a few minutes, he was dressed and packed. His backpack was incredibly light, only holding a couple of items: his wallet and the journal that he wrote in every night. He knew that taking his phone would just be pointless so he left it sitting on his bedside table. Placing the handwritten note on top of the discarded ninja getup, he placed his bag on his shoulders and walked out of his room, the sound of the whooshing curtain catching the attention of one of his brothers walking by.

"Where are you going dressed like that?" the purple-clad twin spoke, a cup of hot instant coffee in his hands and a raised eyebrow.

Leo fidgeted before plastering on a fake smirk, concealing any of the anxiousness that filtered his eyes and decided it would be best to just lie so he could leave. "As much as I love my normal get-up, it draws attention to my gorgeous face - I'm just trying something new. Anyway, I'm going topside skating, see you guys later."

Moving quickly, he brushed past his twin and headed out the front entrance, leaving a confused Donatello behind him. Donnie scratched his chin in thought. "He... didn't have his skateboard though," he mumbled softly before shrugging it off and heading towards his lab.

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The air was cold and damp, the last drops of rain finishing up for the day. Leo stood there, in front of the brick alley wall covered in graffiti.

He sighed. "Hey, um, may I enter? I know I don't usually ask but I feel like it's only appropriate to do that right now."

He felt tired, mentally drained even, and all he wanted was to leave the city that didn't need his help.

Nor want it for that matter.

Leo waited a few minutes before the portal on the wall opened up, letting him slip into the warm confines of the restaurant. The smell of hot cheese and pepperoni filled his nose as he waltzed his way through to the back door in order to get to the Hidden City, trying his best to not be seen by the owner.

Señor Hueso stood at a nearby table, right next to the exit that Leo needed to get through to leave, and was taking the order of one of his most frequent customers.

"Shit..." Leo mumbled under his breath as he scanned the area to make a quick getaway.

Hueso's back is facing away from the door, maybe I can take that as a chance to book it? Leo rubbed his chin in thought, finally settling his first plan, and quickly but quietly made a dash for it. He ran behind Hueso and was out the door in less than sixty seconds.

The air was relatively warm in the Hidden City and smelled of freshly-bloomed Cosmos. "Man, does the smell of chocolate have to be so strong? Jesus Christ..." He scrunched his nose a tad, the smell a little too much for his liking. He looked around the place, fruit and vegetable stands stood everywhere as a large banner hung from one building to another: 'Farmer's Market!'