"What do you think I need to pack?" Mikey wondered as he looked around his messy room. "Obviously, some comics for the road. Do you think I'll need my underwear? I need to find the hamster I lost in here- he might want to go for a car ride."

"Okay," Shelby held up her hand, "stop, take a breath, and take, like, five steps back. Comics are a good idea. What would you ever need underwear for? And Mikey, I hate to break it to you, but that hamster is either dead, or made his way to New Jersey by now."

Mikey frowned, leaning against the wall. "Whiskers would never leave me."

"Okay, so, we have a few hours to get ready before this road trip. You barely have anything to pack... Maybe we should clean up this room while we wait?" Shelby suggested, picking up a three greasy pizza boxes. "For example, this is garbage, not decor."

"Don't you need to pack?" Mikey asked with mock-accusation, picking up and stacking the dirty dishes on his dresser in his arms.

Shelby rolled her eyes slightly. "Like I have anything to pack? I have, like, three outfits, my Ono, and a tPhone to my name." Shelby's eyes widened as she let out a sarcastic gasp, exiting the room. "Would you look at that, I'm ready to go!"

Mikey laughed as they made their way to the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink and throw out the pizza boxes. In the living room, April and Casey were calling their families, each fabricating excuses for disappearing the next few days. Shelby pursed her lips as they passed. How long exactly would they be gone?

"You know," Mikey started as he ran water over the dishes filling the sink, "we never got to take you on patrol."

Shelby shrugged. "You know, it's fine, because I'm getting to skip the boring night patrol step and go straight for the multiday mission. That's quite the leap. Are you guys sure I can handle it?" She teased.

Mikey didn't laugh along. He only smiled sweetly. "I know you can handle it. You're one of the bravest, most determined people I know. You can handle anything that's thrown at you out there." He stated matter-of-fact-ly, looking at Shelby with a hint of warmth in his eyes.

Shelby's cheeks grew hot, and her stomach seemed to do a somersault. She wasn't quite sure how to respond, but luckily, April interrupted from the living room. "Hey, Shelbs, could I steal you for a second?"

"Yes!" Shelby smiled a bit too enthusiastically as held up a finger to Mikey. "Hold that thought." She stated, causing Mikey to deflate slightly as Shelby walked over to April. "What's up?"

"I'm heading to my house to pick up some clothes. I told my dad I was staying over your place for a few days to work on a school project. Do you mind coming with me?" April asked.

"Umm, sure, I guess." Shelby raised a brow as they began to walk out of the lair. "But I'm not sure how much help I'd be helping pick out outfits."

"Oh, I don't really need help picking out clothes. I just thought I'd pull you out of that situation with Mikey." April explained as they entered the sewers.

Shelby's face flushed slightly. "You overheard that?"

"Oh, I didn't hear anything." April chuckled softly. "I could see it on your face that something awkward was going on. I've made that same face when Donnie flirts with me."

Shelby shrugged her shoulders awkwardly. "I mean, I wouldn't say that was flirting... he was just being weirdly nice, I guess."

They stopped at April and Casey's go-to manhole cover- Casey, who must have left ahead of them, had left it open for them. "Well, Mikey's always really nice." April commented.

"Yeah, I know that. But... I don't know, it was really nice. Like, out-of-the-way nice." Shelby yelled up at April as she climbed the railing. "I don't know... maybe I'm imagining it."

April considered everything for a moment. "I mean, you two are awfully close. He probably does like you."

"That just makes everything so awkward." Shelby muttered as they both reached the surface.

"So you don't feel that way about him?" April inquired as they began down the street towards her apartment.

"I... guess I don't know how I feel about him." Shelby admitted. "All I know is that he's always been there for me. Through the whole double agent move I tried to pull, through losing my family, through becoming... whatever I am."

"He means a lot to you." April nodded understandingly. "At first I felt the same way about Donnie. He's so sweet, you know? But... I just can't."

Shelby glanced at April. "Why not?"

"Probably because he's a giant turtle." April let out a sharp laugh. "I mean, that's wrong, right?"

"Well... I'm not sure, honestly. Aren't they half human?" Shelby inquired, her brows furrowed.

"Hybrid or not, it all just feels... wrong to me." April admitted.

Shelby frowned, her muscles tensing. The air around her chilled ever-so-slightly. "I'm a hybrid now." She muttered.

April looked at her in alarm. "Shelby, I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I always forget what happened. You just look so... normal."

Shelby's brows furrowed. "Thanks. I guess."

"Anyways, you're different from the guys because you were a human before you were mutated. The guys weren't. This retro-mutagen Donnie wants to make so bad- it makes no sense to me, because one dose of that, and they become animals again." April explained.

Shelby stared at the pavement as she walked. She realized as April talked more about how being more than friends with the turtles was wrong, the more it dampened her mood. Her shoulders slumped as if an extra weight had been placed there. She must had been feeling something, because now she was feeling incredibly guilty for feeling that way in the first place. "Yeah... I suppose."

April, noticing Shelby was becoming extremely uncomfortable, changed the subject. "So, what do you think we'll find in Philly? I mean, for sure that mutant- hopefully before it kills anyone else. But do you really think that it's the Shredder? How did he get a hold of that much mutagen?"

"He has more mutagen than you can imagine. You know that's why the Kraang disappeared, right? The Foot literally invaded the alien invasion. That was my first real mission. The Shredder wanted an army, he needed the supp- " Shelby's explanation was cut off as she walked straight into another pedestrian. She stumbled back, looked up at him. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, sir, I wasn't- " She stopped mid-sentence as she looked up at the man she ran into.

Tyler stared back at her, dumbfounded.

April grabbed Shelby's wrist lightly. "Isn't that..."

"Shelby?" Tyler's eyes were wide. "I thought you... I saw..." It looked like the gears in his head were turning, but nothing was connecting. "You look completely normal. How?"

Shelby was frozen, unable to answer, unable to move. Should she reach for her Ono? Tyler was making no threats. Should she apologize? But for what, when he and Aiden were in the wrong?

April snapped Shelby out of it by yanking hard on her arm, forcing Shelby after her as they both sprinted away, disappearing into the crowds.

Tyler turned, staring after them with his mouth open wide in disbelief. He slowly reached down and grabbed his phone, clicking the contact and holding it up to his ear. "Aiden... dude, she's alive. And she is not a wolf anymore."