Leonardo woke up slowly, getting used to the feeling of the warm water around him. He was lying on his back in a tub filled with water, enough to keep him hydrated after his last confrontation with the Foot Clan. He remembered the intense battle against Shredder and his minions, the exhaustion that had overcome him just before he passed out.

He blinked, his blue eyes focusing on the space around him. Touching his face, he noticed that his blue bandana was missing, and he felt a sting in his right eye, where a bruise was well marked. He also didn't have his katanas, or their sheaths, or his belt or bandages, which made him feel vulnerable, almost as if he was just an ordinary turtle without his equipment.

The bathroom door opened softly. Leonardo sat up as best he could in the tub, his eyes widening. There she was, his enemy, a female ninja of the Foot Clan. She had tried to take him down and his brothers, especially him, always testing his leadership and strength.

She looked different. Her Foot Clan ninja suit had been replaced by another outfit, one he hadn't seen before. Leonardo understood who she was. She was the same mysterious woman who had secretly intervened at critical moments, helping him and his brothers escape or get out of impossible situations.

Confused and distrustful, he watched her, not knowing if she was there to help him again... or if this time, things would be different.

Leonardo looked at her suspiciously. He tried to speak, but his voice came out barely in a whisper. "Why did you help me? I guess I owe you one... although I never thought I'd say that."

She held the lettuce out to him. "It's the only thing I found for... a turtle. I thought you'd like it."

Leonardo let out a sigh and accepted the lettuce, although he looked at it with a mixture of resignation and humor. "Great. The first time I accept food from my enemy and it turns out to be... a lettuce."*