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Leo stepped foot onto the metal platform, staring out into the starry abyss of space. He occasionally glanced at the glass’s reflection; despite the waves of loneliness he felt every time he did so. He wasn’t sure if it was nighttime, but his family was asleep, so it probably was so. Still, he couldn’t sleep and he was unsure how his brothers could either. He still had his spacesuit armor on, as if he was subconsciously bracing for an attack. His shoulder pads hugged his shoulders and clavicles snugly. His belt hugged around his waist just right, making room perfectly for his shell as well as his thigh guards. Only the metal cuffs pinched at his skin, but that was only because of the limp he developed after his fight with the Shredder. If he could walk properly, he was sure it would encompass his quads perfectly. It unnaturally fitted his body in a way that made him uneasy. Perhaps it was the perfection of the suit, or perhaps it was the lack of acclimation to their new environment. One moment they were on Earth, fighting dinosaur aliens and keeping civilians alive, the next moment they were several months back in time to stop said aliens from destroying the world. Honeycutt, the Triceratons, the mission, their perfectly fitting suits. It just all seemed too convenient. Almost premeditated. Too much for the terrapin’s mind to drink up.Leo sighed audibly, his neck relaxing as his forehead pressed against the surface of the glass. The coldness made his reptilian skin shiver. Leonardo’s mind wandered to his friends and family back home and an unwelcome ache began to well in his stomach. He should be happy that he’s saving them and being in space. It was a dream since he was a hatchling to be just like Captain Ryan, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling of homesickness and unbearable loneliness. Space Heroes was a cartoon, and this was real life. He missed his father, Master Splinter, and his friends. His eyes closed as he wandered thoughtfully to images of home in a desperate attempt at comfort. Splinter was probably drinking his tea, waiting for the turtles to return home from the patrol. Leo’s tongue felt dry upon imagining the taste of his earthy herbal tea. The Mighty Mutanimals were probably fighting against the Kraang. He hoped his sister, Karai, was okay… wherever she was. Topaz was probably taking Ruthie to Mr. Murakami’s. Or more like Ruthie was dragging his big sister out of the house. And despite her apprehension, she’s smiling down at him. Leo couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought, his stomach fluttering. He couldn’t help but think of her more and more as the days went by. It was a weird medicine that seemed to alleviate his worries and give him the motivation he needed the most. He could almost hear her voice nagging him, making a sarcastic comment while getting uncomfortably close to his face. Why on Earth was he thinking about her this much? He never thought about her like this. He found her annoying most of the time. He sighed once more, slipping away from the glass and returning to the hallway. By the entrance of the corridor, a thought occurred to him. One of which made him pause and turn on his heel before directing himself to the training room.Inside the training room, he padded to the direction panel and typed out a name. “Topaz Acoff.” An option popped up on the touchscreen, which made the terrapin think. “Location: ...” It read out. Location? He chuckled, thinking of their conversations atop Murakami’s restaurant. The scent of the cooking udon and bustling atmosphere from below. The wind glid through her gray fur and her intense fuschia eyes stared back at him.. His finger swiftly typed on the pad, “Location: Rooftop. 24/7 Restaurant.” Leo stepped back, watching the material of the walls shift and change. The hexagonal plates on the wall lifted, the color shifting and contorting within milliseconds, and the direction panel slowly descended into the ground. The stuffy spacecraft began to feel roomier, a familiar breeze wafting past himself and giving his bandana life. The room had transformed into New York, and any remnants of space and Fugitoid were gone. He was home. Leo drew in a deep breath, smelling the fresh scent of ramen and Mr. Murakami’s special pizza gyoza. The sounds of the city enveloped his senses, making his shoulders relax. It wasn’t until he exhaled that he realized the Earth’s sudden atmosphere made his suit extraordinarily heavy compared to how it was on the ship. Fugitoid must have set the training room up so it accommodated different atmospheres and gravitational pulls. Leo’s face scrunched up as he rolled his shoulders, trying to get used to the sudden weight on his body.“That’s a funny get-up.” A familiar voice echoed behind the turtle.He snapped his head towards her, his eyes wide and the corner of his lips curling into a hopeful smile. Topaz was crouching atop the concrete railing, her paws gripping the cinder as her bright pink eyes illuminated her shadow. She stepped down, revealing her feline self. Despite being a mere hologram, she looked very real. Even the dual-bladed scythe she carried, which was created by the Kraang, looked exact and pristine. He wondered how one robot was able to design something so intricate. Leonardo knew he shouldn’t be doing this, it wasn’t healthy for him, but he couldn’t help it. He missed home. He missed her, whether he’d care to admit it or not.“Are you picking up cosplay?” Topaz teased, unsheathing her scythe, and spinning it in her paw before pointing to his shoulder pads.“You could say that.” Leo shrugged. He couldn’t stop the grin that etched at his features. He was just so happy to be back home.Topaz smirked, sauntering over to him and examining Honeycutt’s superiorly designed spacesuit. The encircling cat made Leo’s face flush slightly, squaring his shoulders while adverting his gaze in a strange attempt to show it off. Or perhaps he was just flustered and subconsciously hid it from himself.“You look pretty terrifying. I’d love to borrow it someday.” Topaz teased, absentmindedly twirling her scythe. Leo scoffed, rolling his eyes.“I’d let you give it a try but I don’t want you hurting yourself,” Leo remarked back, crossing his arms. Topaz feigned offense, putting her free hand on her chest while her jaw fell lazily.“Is that so? Do you want to spar and test your theory?” Topaz asked with a lopsided grin, pressing the butt of her scythe onto the ground.Leo laughed at her invitation, unsheathing his swords and hunching down into his usual fighting stance. Topaz followed suit, leaping towards him while slicing her scythe in his direction. Leo pivoted his heel, guarding himself with the blades of his katana. The clash of steel echoed together, his movements careful and deliberate whilst Topaz was more animalistic and dangerous. She twisted mid-air, landing with her back arched like a cat before diving back towards him. Topaz crouched on the cement ground, jumping high into the air before slicing the glowing scythe against his swords. The impact caused a pink spark, illuminating the two’s faces with a shared grin.“Why don’t you just give in and save yourself the embarrassment?” Leo teased.“Not a chance! I want your brothers to have a good laugh when you come home defeated.” Topaz laughed.The cat mutant spun to the side, gliding her scythe around in an arc and cutting Leo’s cheek just a bit in the impact. Upon seeing the small trickle of blood, she hesitated with a softened expression. At the opening, he pushed her away with his dual weapon, circling her and lunging from behind. Topaz trilled, her head cocked to face Leo before she leaped backward. Swiftly she placed the rod of the scythe between her teeth as her body flipped, landing on her hands behind Leonardo, before flipping once more onto her paws. Leonardo turned on his heel to face her, panting. The two locked eyes for a moment, the cat mutant smirking at the turtle. Topaz crouched on all fours, running away towards the ledge of the roof. Leo grinned, twirling his katana before chasing after her. The two laughed, Topaz looking at him past her shoulder mid-sprint, causing Leo’s chest to flutter again. This time he welcomed it. It was a rarity when the two sparred, but every fight was a fruitful memory. She looked so happy running and sparring with him, her usual angry and piercing eyes softened as they locked a gaze. It was almost like her mask of hate and bitterness was gone. And maybe, just maybe, he was getting a glimpse of the real her. Topaz was certainly a puzzle that Leo desperately wanted to solve.The duo leaped to the other building, landing gracefully on their paws while Leo sheathed back his swords. But the cat wasn’t done yet. Topaz used the opportunity to sweep against his legs while she was still on her hands and feet. Leo was quick enough to dodge her blow, causing her to summersault back onto her feet. Spitting her scythe back into her hand, and putting it back in its sheath, she threw a punch at an already-blocking hand.“Had enough?” Topaz taunted with a laugh, dodging a punch of Leo’s own.“In your dreams, Kitty-Cat!” Leonardo retorted, redirecting her arm before aiming a kick to her side. Topaz dodged it barely, palm-striking his leg away before aiming one at his jaw. Leo blocked it with his forearm, directly a clean palm strike to her chest. She gagged at the sudden loss of air, backing away from him and taking a breath. She blocked another punch before kicking him in the jaw. Leo hesitated at the realization of hurting her, making him too slow to deflect the kick. Leo licked his lip at the expectation of blood before getting back to the fight. Topaz prepared a palm strike to his face, but as Leo grabbed her paw to redirect, Topaz aimed another punch, causing him to hold both in a clinch. The pair’s hand squeezed together hard and painfully on the cat’s end. Topaz grimaced at his pressure, knowing in comparison to her strength he was unassailable.“You are getting better, but I really shouldn’t have to go easy on you like this.” Leo gloated, raising a brow as Topaz struggled. Strangely, Topaz chuckled wearily, smiling up at him.“You know if you wanted to hold my hands, you could have asked.” Topaz quipped, causing Leo’s eyes to widen and look up at their hands. His face became hot, and before he knew it, he had gotten a kick to the face knocking him on his shell. The two panted, Topaz walking towards her fallen partner and triumphantly putting a foot on his stomach.“I win.” She murmured proudly, still breathing heavily.“I was just going easy on you. Plus, this damn suit is like a bunch of weights.” Leo retorted with an embarrassed pout.“Why didn’t you take them off?” Topaz smirked, causing Leo to close his mouth and hide part of his face in the cuff of his spacesuit. He was so excited to spar with her that he had forgotten to take off his armor. Topaz smiled at his bashfulness, grabbing his hand and helping him up.“You’re oddly shy today.” Topaz smiled, putting a hand on her hip.“Yeah, well, it’s just the first time you’ve ever beaten me. I-I’m impressed!” Leo smiled, grinning at her and attempting to hide his flushed face.“Uh-huh, sure,” Topaz smirked before walking away to fetch him his katanas.Leo hesitantly looked at his paws and then back to his sparring partner. His heart pounded against his chest like a drum, and he prayed it was just him being out of breath. He pressed a hand on his face, feeling his blush in with a shamefaced expression. He had a stupid urge to tell her his feelings, mentally kicking himself. It was a bad idea, but he wanted to so badly. He cared so deeply for Topaz, and he didn’t know when he’d see her again. That’s if he and his brothers stopped the Triceratons in time. Tongue-tied, he drew in a deep breath and opened his mouth to say something embarrassing, but Topaz cut him off. She placed his katanas in his hands, smiling sweetly at him.“Thanks for sparring with me, Leo,” Topaz said sweetly.“Topaz, I..” Leo started but then noticed the walls fading back.The terrapin’s eyes widened, looking around himself before grabbing Topaz’s shoulders urgently. He shook her gently as if the real Topaz was still there.“W-Wait! I need to tell you something!” Leo blurted out as Topaz gave him a close-eyed smile.“Topaz!” Leo shouted as his sparring partner faded from his grasp, only electric remnants of heat remained on his hands. His heart dropped into his stomach, his face contorting into one of heartbreak and humiliation as he looked back at his hands. He was back in the pure white room of Fugitoid’s spaceship, the eery silence of the training room rung in his ears loud enough it made his head hurt. He closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly while trying to replay Topaz’s training in his mind, but his stomach flipped in embarrassment at the thought. Leo's chest stung and his throat closed, struggling to breathe. It wasn't just about Topaz, it was about being in space. He missed home, he missed his friends, his father, and his sister. He knew he shouldn’t have done it. He knew Topaz was just a hologram. But still… she looked so real. She sounded so real. It wasn’t fair. He felt like an idiot. And all he had left in that moment, was the silence of the room and his promise to save Earth.