Chapter Text
The billboard read: Channel 6: Your Home for Local News in red and white over a light blue background. On the right side of the display was a picture of a smiling red-haired woman wearing a yellow blouse under a black blazer, the words April O’Neil: Broadcaster of the Year Award Winner written underneath. The real April O’Neil stood on the roof of her apartment building several blocks away, glaring up at the billboard with her arms crossed.
“I hate it,” she said over her shoulder to the person climbing over the edge of the roof behind her.
“Hey, it’s a really good picture of you,” Irma replied, dropping the orange extension cord she was carrying.
“I thought they were going to use one of the shots of the whole news team.”
“But you won the award. Burne probably figured it would be good for the ratings.”
“It just seems like a bit much. A giant picture of myself I can see from my own living room? Makes it seem like I have a big ego.”
“I really doubt our boss considered your address when he did the ad buy,” Irma laughed. “Now, are you going to help me bring the rest of the stuff up or do you need a few more minutes alone up here with yourself?” April stuck her tongue out at Irma but followed her back down the fire escape, shooting another dark look at the billboard before ducking into her apartment.
It was unusually warm for mid-October, so they’d decided to take advantage of the mild evening and have their dinner celebrating April’s award up on the roof. Together, they carried a stack of plastic folding chairs and a table up the fire escape, setting them up on top of an old rug April had dug out of her closet. A pair of floor lamps plugged into the extension cord running back down into the apartment completed their improvised rooftop patio. By the time the turtles arrived with a stack of pizzas the sun was sinking behind the buildings, painting the sky in streaks of purple and gold. April brought up a stack of plates from the kitchen then deliberately seated herself with her back to the billboard.
“Congratulations April, on a well-deserved award!” Leonardo toasted her with his slice of pizza. She smiled in acknowledgment and took a sip of wine.
“So, does it come with any perks, aside from being able to rub it in Vernon’s face?” Raphael asked.
“I mean, that’s enough of a perk as it is - what more do you need?” said Irma. April snorted into her wineglass.
“Actually, I was invited to give the keynote at the Print and Broadcast Media Society’s Annual Meeting next week. The speaker they’d had lined up had to bail at the last minute.”
“Wow, that sounds like a big deal,” said Donatello. “How’s your speech coming?”
“Uh, well…”
“Haven’t started it yet, huh?” Raphael said dryly.
“They only just asked me! And I still have a week, that’s plenty of time!”
“Nervous?”
“Mmm maybe a little bit,” she admitted. “It’s one thing to talk to thousands of people through a camera, something else when they’re in the same room as me.”
“No worries, you’ll do totally fine,” Michelangelo said encouragingly.
It was long past dark when their rooftop pizza party broke up. By then, the air had taken on a much more seasonable chill. “You guys are bringing this table back downstairs,” April said, collecting the empty pizza boxes. “Irma and I had a heck of a time getting it through the window earlier.”
***
“I’m disappointed, Krang. You promised me these turtles would be a challenge to find, but I’ve barely even needed to look. How dull.”
“Wait, you found them already?!”
“Mmhmm. Watching them run along some rooftops right now,” she replied. “Oh! Looks like they found a couple of friends. That’s interesting. You didn’t tell me they had friends.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?”
“It’s so boring when it’s that easy,” she yawned. “This is almost an insult to my talents.”
“Well, if you don’t think you can get the job done, maybe we should just end the contract now.”
“I didn’t say that.” She flicked her ears in irritation. “You’ll get what you paid for. But I want to have a bit of fun first to make it worth my while.” She considered the group on the rooftop for a minute. “Dead or alive, right?”
“Preferably dead.”
“And you’re okay with a little collateral damage?”
“Sure, what do I care?”
“Perfect. I’ll be in touch in a few days.” The party on the roof was starting to break up. She glanced up at the billboard across the way one more time, then slid off her perch.
***
“She has them in her sights, but won’t do anything because it’s too easy,” Shredder drawled from the back of the Technodrome’s main control room where he’d been eavesdropping on Krang’s conversation. “Could it be someone who calls herself the best bounty hunter in Dimension X might be exaggerating?”
“She found them in less than a day, which is better than you’ve ever done,” Krang said pointedly.
“They’re on the roof of April O’Neil’s apartment building. Oh look, I know where they are too. Do I get a prize?”
“Meh, you’re just jealous. She has a reputation for never failing on a mission. Let’s just wait and see what she can do.”
“There’s a first time for everything, Krang,” Shredder said ominously. “And a reputation isn’t results. Let’s not go singing her praises until she’s actually done something.” The alien waved off his companion’s concern. If he wanted to be surly that an idea he didn’t approve of had a good chance of succeeding, that was his business. But Shredder was preoccupied with the control room’s giant viewscreen which moments ago had been displaying an image of the city skyline and a billboard for Channel 6 News.