Chapter Text
"No, Leo! You don’t get it!" Yells Raph, his hands set wide from his body and a stern look on his face, "You aren't fit to be leader. All you do is tell bad jokes and get on everyone's nerves!"
Leo wasn't just going to take that, not without defending himself. Even though he didn't wish to be leader, he ought to fill the space properly by not taking shit.
"Yeah, like you're any better Mr. Brawns for Brains!" Leo shouts back, hoping that his words stung. Raph deserved it.
"Just stop it, Leo!" He gets in return, "You always do this, you never take anything seriously. This is how we'll end of dead one day. Because you can't get your head out of the clouds and view things responsibility!"
Ugh, more of what Leo wanted. His insecurities being picked at. He can't stand this. Raph has been doing this ever since Leo became the leader and he's tired of it. Leo refuses to be treated like all he's good at is being the face-man, a bad one at that. He'll show them, he's set on it.
Not wanting to continue this pointless back-and-forth argument, Leo whips out his swords without a second thought and waves them at his side, forming a portal, and jumps through. Raph stares is disbelief, watching as Leo promptly leaves the lair.
"Of course he runs away!" Raph yells to himself, punching a wall in frustration, "He can't even handle the truth-"
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Leo lands on a roof top, somewhere in the city. He doesn’t really know where but he knows where he wants to go. Run of the Mill.
He knows that Senior Hueso will understand and give him a place to calm down until he feels okay enough to return to his shitshow of a family. Not that he hates them, they're just extremely dysfunctional and they all don't like him that much despite how much Leo looks up to them.
Taking a deep breath, Leo pulls out his swords once again, this time setting an intent on where he'd like to go and opens a portal to Run of the Mill. As he steps through it he can smell the delicious scent of pizza. Leo's immediately enamoured.
Walking up to where Senior Hueso was, Leo opened his arms dramatically in greeting, "Hola, Senior Hueso! How are you this lovely night, huh?"
"What are you doing here alone, Pepino," Senior Hueso asks, face full of confusion yet full of understanding all the same, "Did you get in another argument with Raph?"
Leo didn't bother with a response, it was obvious anyways if Hueso immediately knew what happened. He simply nodded in return and sighed.
Leo glanced around to break the usual tension that comes with this situation, which unfortunately, happens rather frequently. His eyes scan across an advertisement plastered messily along the wall. Taking a second to read it, he notices the words "Battle Nexus".
"Hey, Tio," Leo calls out to Senior Hueso, pointing at the poster, "You know anything about that?"
If Senior Hueso could be would've raised an eyebrow at the question.
"I do, but why do you ask, Pepino?"
"No reason," Leo sweats awkwardly, "I'm just wondering why anyone would bother to join such an obvious scam..."
Senior Hueso didn't believe Leo, but brushed it off as him being him and decided to answer.
"Well, it says that whoever joins and does well will earn a hefty sum of money and the glory that comes with being champion," Senior Hueso recounts, almost like he was reading off of a script, "However, you know Big Mama, there's likely a catch behind it."
Leo nods, continuing to look at the poster for a moment before looking at Senior Hueso. "How about the usual, yeah? To help me chillax."
Senior Hueso silently agrees to the pseudo order and goes to the kitchen to give the order to the staff. Leo finds himself a seat and thinks. If he could do well and earn that cash he could prove to Raph that he has skills other than being a poor quality face-man.
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Standing at the entrance of the Nexus Hotel had never made Leo feel small until now. He was unsure of how Big Mama would react nor if she would agree to his submission to be a fighter.
As he goes to enter, someone greets him instead of the silence he expected.
"Well, good evening, turtley-boo!" Called out a familiar voice before him, "I didn't expect you to grace me with your company, blue one!"
Of course, it so happened to be Big Mama standing before him.
"Well, boy do I have news for you, Big Mama," Leo replies, grandly, "I happen to be looking for such the spider yokai!"
Leo takes out the poster he stuffed away and presents it to Big Mama, "I'd like to join."