Moonlight Mutation (A TMNT Fanfic)

Chapter 39: Fearless

Leonardo wakes up the next morning feeling utterly groggy. He yawns, stretching his arms and working out the stiffness in his muscles before getting up, snagging his mask off his bedside table and tying it on as he walks to the kitchen.

Everyone else in the lair is awake already, or at least the other three turtles are. The only other mutant who isn't in the kitchen is Destiny, which Leonardo finds odd. Usually, she's up to help Michelangelo with breakfast, seeing as she finds it hard to sleep anyways.

At the thought of her, he mentally kicks himself and stops a noticeable cringe. He almost said it yesterday. He couldn't help it at the time, she looked so cute and innocent...

"Leo! Yo!" Michelangelo calls. "You want bacon or ham with your eggs?"

Leonardo snaps his head upwards, realizing that he's standing at the entrance to the kitchen. Michelangelo stands before him with a pan in hand, a bright grin lifting his freckled cheeks.

"Oh...uh, bacon," Leonardo answers.

"Sweet!" the orange-masked turtle chirps. He practically skips back to the stove, casting a quick look to the red-masked turtle seated at the table. "What about you, Raph?"

"Same," Raphael replies with a tired grunt.

Michelangelo hums to himself as he starts to whip the eggs together, occasionally sweeping his free hand over to lay bacon on a sizzling pan. Donatello walks into the kitchen, his lips puckered slightly. He looks around, scratching his head as he rests one hand on his belt.

"Hey Don, bacon or ham with your eggs?" Michelangelo asks, setting a plate of fresh bacon down on the table.

"No time for that, Mikey," Donatello says swiftly. "Destiny isn't out here with you guys?" he asks, although it sounds more like a statement.

"Nah. She's probably still sleeping," Raphael responds, snagging a piece of bacon off the plate and starting to gnaw on it.

"Yeah, she was pretty tired yesterday. Right, Leo?" Michelangelo teases, jabbing his brother in the side before dumping some eggs onto his plate. Leonardo rolls his eyes and reaches for his own strip of bacon.

"No, she isn't sleeping. She's not in her room," Donatello says.

Silence covers them. Leonardo's hand freezes over the bacon plate. Raphael stops chewing.

"Is she in the bathroom?" Michelangelo asks, the egg pan clattering against the stove top as he spins to face Donatello.

"No," the purple-masked turtle responds.

"Dojo?" Raphael suggests.

"No!"

"Anywhere in this lair?" Leonardo demands.

"NO!"

Leonardo stands up, hesitating for a moment before he grumbles under his breath and starts pacing back and forth across the floor. His hands rest on top of his head, his face tilting towards the ceiling as he taps his foot against the ground repeatedly. How did he not hear her leave? He almost always does.

There's a synchronized ringing as all four t-phones go off and within a few seconds, the phones are in the hands of each turtle. The brothers stare at the screen, where a mass text message from Destiny can be seen. One look at the message, however, proves that it is not from their wolf girl and someone else in possession of her phone.