Chapter Text
For a few days Big Mama Would only assign him simple tasks, all in the hotel and forbidding him and Frida from leaving the building, always all over them like a vulture. But that was not a problem for Leo. For some reason he hadn’t told Frida about - there wasn’t a good reason to bring it up - he didn’t want to go out or talk about the Sando brothers.
She just asked once and then Leo cut her off immediately, so she understood and never mentioned it again, but she wanted to know what happened for him to be so mysterious about it, to shiver when being reminded of that day.
They were cleaning the dojo, after their sparring it always ended up messy.
“She wants me to find someone else…” He fidgets with his fingers nervously, after putting every weapon in its place,
“Is there a problem?” Frida asks, turning around, knowing by his tone of voice that something was unsettling him.
“Maybe, I don’t know if I can.” He says so low it’s almost a whisper.
She narrows her eyes, “Why?”
Leo stood quiet for a minute, then left the room without saying anything, and Frida would’ve followed him to make sure he was fine, but not this time, she let him go. After the fight they had some sort of silent agreement to keep their distance.
Days later Leo came back from his hunting, headed to Big Mama’s office and dragged an unconscious man all over the floor.
“You were quick to catch him this time,” Frida said.
He nodded and spoke from behind the mask, “She knew where he was, so I did too,”
Big Mama asked to be alone, so they left him and whoever that man had to do with her was none of their business, but maybe he was the same competitor they saw days later on the Battle Nexus, being smashed by the Kraken.
She decided to listen to the ghosts, keeping things calm between her and Leo, with the boy being so distant from everything, it was easy, but the sudden change of attitude got her nervous all the time, knowing what it could mean.
“Is this what I’m going to do?” He asks from outside of the dojo, scaring Frida, “hunt people so she can put them on her battle?”
“Is that what she asked you to do this time?” Leo nodded, looking down and walking in, without taking off his mask, like he would usually do. “Then yes, that’s what you’ll do.”
“Is that what you used to do?”
“No, that was someone else’s job, now it’s yours.”
He shakily breathed, grabbing a Katana along with Frida, “I’ve never hunted so many people before, I’ve never had to…”
“I remember you saying you would do whatever to stay here,” She said, on guard.
“Well I have to,”
“Not necessarily,” The katanas collided, “But I won’t tell you what to do, you’ve taken your decisions.”
He shook his head and pushed forward, Frida did as well.
____________
At the same time, Big Mama wanted good news, anything.
“Still nothing…”
Patience is the key she’d say often, but after so much time, both of them were tired of waiting.
“Can you do something?”
“I’ve done a lot, maybe it wasn’t what we thought.”
Big Mama sighed annoyed.
“We’ll wait a little more, if nothing happens I’ll figure it out .”
The girl nodded, opening her mouth to speak when the doors of the office burst open. Foot Lieutenant walked in along with foot brute and foot recruit.
“What are you doing here?” Big Mama asked dubiously, knowing she didn’t forget about any meeting.
Frida looked from feet to head at the man, the metallic arm replacing the old one standing out from everything else.
“I’m looking for someone,” Foot Brute closed the doors and kept there, blocking the way out. “You’ve probably heard about it, one of the turtles is missing.”
“I know, news runs as fast as the light,” She sat behind her desk. “But what does that has to do with me?”
“You’ve said it, news runs fast. Do you know where the boy is?”
Frida noticed that he wanted to get closer, so she stepped in, middling between Big Mama and Foot Lieutenant.
“No one knows where he is, I don’t think he’s in New York anymore.” She sighed, “but I have not been actively following up,”
The man pushed aside Frida and hit the desk with his palm.
“I care! And I can give you whatever you want if you help me to find him.”
The woman stood up, looking enormous and menacing, “I know what he did to you, but that’s not my problem and I don’t have any desire to get involved,” she hissed.
“He could come for you,”
“That’s exactly the reason for me to stay out of it, do your thing and find him, but don’t bring your drama to my doors.” She narrowed her three pairs of eyes, and leaned in, “if it’s helpful for you, I heard he stole a cloaking brooch, that’s the last thing I knew,”
He exhaled, “That’s all?”
“Would you’ve preferred nothing?”
The man considered it. Something was better than nothing, actually.
“Let’s go.”
Foot recruit and Foot Brute opened the doors and walked out, silent, and on the way out of the building, they crossed paths with someone. A person carrying an unconscious man on his shoulder.
He looked at them and they looked at him for a brief second, and continued their own way.
“I know he’s near.” Foot Lieutenant said once out.
He dropped the man on the floor.
“Good job, blue. I have now a special task for you.” Big Mama invited him to come closer.
Leo closed the doors and stepped in, noticing three pictures the woman left on her desk. He took them.
“You know them, I want you to find and bring them here, don’t hurt them more than necessary.”
“Yes, Big Mama.” He said, putting the pictures of Hypno, Meat Sweats and Ghostbear in his pocket.
He left, rushing to his room and slapping the doors closed when he got there. Leo had covered the mirror with sheets, sometimes he’d consider taking them off, but never actually do it.
He had seen Foot Lieutenant’s arm, it was now an image he couldn't forget. Leo curled up in a ball on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to calm down.
____________
“Don’t tell him about the Foot Clan,” Big Mama rested her hand on Frida’s shoulder.
“I wasn’t going to…”
“I hope so. That’s not something that could benefit anyone.”
“Yes, Big Mama…”