A Turtle's Heart

Pudgy's New Look

"It's awesome to find another human who doesn't scream and run at the sight of us," Leo said as the group walked through the alleyways to avoid being seen. The had set a while ago.

"Man, it is alright like, 10:00," Donnie said monotonically, looking at his phone.

"10:00?! Crap! I have to get home before my parents do or im going to be in some deep shit!" Y/N groaned, taking out their phone.

"Do you know how to get home from here?" Asked April.

"Not really but I'll figure it out, see you guys later!" Y/N replied, turning and darting down the alley following a GPS on their phone.

"Wait it's dangerous after dark!" April shouted after them but they were too far gone to hear her.

"I'll follow them, make sure they make it home safely," Raphael assured her, walking in the direction Y/N ran in. April nodded and smirked at Leo who laughed a bit as the four continued their way to April's to drop her off, Mikey not understanding the twos' seemingly inside joke while Donnie was catching on.

Y/N speed walked through the streets, following their phone as Raph followed them by rooftop.

"Crap, no no no!" Y/N grumbled as their phone shut off and blinking an empty battery symbol.

"Damn it. Where am I?" Y/N looked around. Raph noticed and before he could jump in to help, someone walked up to Y/N and began talking to them. Not sure if Y/N knew the person, Raph stayed hidden and watched.

"Hey, you lost?" The stranger asked. He was tall with a black hoodie and shaggy brown hair.

"Nope, all good thanks," Y/N smiled. They may have been new to the city, but they weren't stupid.

"You sure? You seem lost," the person pressed. Taking a step closer.

"All good dude, my apartment is just down the street," Y/N backed up a bit, tensing up and preparing themself to run if they needed to. Raphael caught onto their body language and decided now was a good time to cut in.

Raph jumped down, landing between the two before the stranger could get any closer to Y/N. The person, quite startled, stepped back quickly.

"What the hell are you?!" He shouted.

"If you don't back off, im going to be your demise." Raph growled in a low, menacing tone. The man immediately turned and hauled ass down the street out of sight.

"Sorry if that was a little intense," Raph began, his voice much calmer now as he turned to face Y/N.

Much to Raphael's surprise, Y/N hugged the large turtle.

"Thank you. I never would have been able to fight him off, and I doubt I'd have been able to outrun him," Y/N smiled.

"Of- of course! Anytime!" Raph grinned.

"Do you know the way to 'Lotties apartments'?" Asked Y/N, letting go of the snapping turtle.

"Yeah, that's pretty close to one of the lair's entrances actually, I'll take you," Raph replied with a smile.

And so, Raph and Y/N walked alongside one another for the next few blocks. Neither said much during the trip.

"Here we are," Raph said, stopping out back of a building.

"Thanks again Raph, you're the best," Y/N patted his arm. Raph rubbed his neck shyly and waved goodbye as Y/N rounded the corner towards the front of the building to head inside.

Y/N walked into the lobby and rode the elevator anxiously, hoping their parents hadn't returned yet.

When they got into the apartment, their parents were sitting on the couch, their things had arrived early. 'Crap' Y/N thought

"Y/N. Where have you been. You know you shouldn't be out after dark," their parents scolded. Y/N crossed their arms and looked down.

"Not that you'd care if something happened" Y/N mumbled.

"What was that?" Their father growled, sitting up straight.

"Nothing," Y/N sighed, walking to their room.

Y/N opened the door and smiled. Their smile fell however when they couldn't see their bird anywhere. The bird cage was open and their window was cracked, not enough for Pudgy to fit out but it did worry Y/N.

Y/N began checking all around their room with dread for their beloved pet and best friend.

"Mom! Dad! Do you know what happened to Pudgy?!" Y/N shouted, opening the door and looking out into the living room.

Their mother chuckled and Y/N knew something was wrong.

"We let the pest out, it wouldn't shut up and you weren't here so we opened the window and let it out," Y/N's father replied from the kitchen.

Y/N felt their blood boil with anger as they listened to their father speak.

"How could you?! You knew how much Pudgy meant to me!" Y/N cried, throwing their hands up.

"Take it as a lesson! Don't do things you know you shouldn't and stuff like this won't happen!" Their father yelled back.

"I can't believe you!" Y/N slammed their door with tears streaming down their face. They needed to get out, take a breather. So Y/N opened their window and climbed up to the roof to get some fresh air and get out of the house for a while.

Y/N sat on the roof, wiping tears from their eyes as they breathed in the cold night air.

Meanwhile, Pudgy sat on a roof a few buildings away eating a bug that had been smacked out of the sky. It was a mosquito type of bug. But it glowed a bright green.

Suddenly, Pudgy began to grow and mutate, his chirps of agony growing louder by his growth, drawing the attention of the teenager a few roofs away.

Y/N stood, shuffling backwards as Pudgy shrieked and took flight. Pudgy spotted Y/N and began flying towards them.

"What is that thing?!" Shouted Leo as he spotted the huge bird take off the building.

"Holy banana muffins!" Donnie shouted. The three climbed the building to see the large bird flying towards someone on a roof, Y/N!

"Y/N!!" Mikey shouted as the bird beelined for the frightened teen.

The three darted across the roofs towards their friend. Leo tackled Y/N out of the way as Pudgy nailed his beak into the concrete structure.

"Y/N! Are you okay?" Donnie shouted. Leo looked down at them and was shocked to see tears in their eyes.

"What happened?!" He asked, standing up and helping Y/N to their feet.

"Pudgy..." was all they could muster as they stared at the mutant bird.

"Guys, questions later, fighting now!" Mikey yelled, using he kusari-fundo to attack the bird. Pudgy shrieked again and flew into the air.

Y/N's parents had heard the commotion and went to check on Y/N, only to be shocked when they weren't in their room and the window was open.

They climbed out and up to the roof and were shocked to see three turtles fighting a giant bird and protecting Y/N.

"Y/N! What is going on?!" Their father shouted. Y/N looked at them shocked and then turned back to Leo.

"Leo! My parents!" Y/N tapped his shell and pointed at them. Leo looked over and waved just before getting knocked down by his brother flying backwards into him and Y/N.

"OW!" Yelped Y/N from under the two turtles. Leo and Mikey stood up and apologized.

"Guys! It's coming back down!" Mikey shouted, pointing at the bird as it pelted towards them, claws spread wide. But Y/N realized it wasn't going for them.

Pudgy was locked on their parents as they screamed at Y/N, no idea of the danger they were in.