Encounters:
Leo and the Diva
Leo didn't often visit places in New York City when they were crowded, but there were rare occasions when he did so in order to better himself.
Sometimes it was to test his ninja stealth training by wearing a costume and attempting to blend into his surroundings. Other times he went where there were a lot of people because he wanted to better understand human beings. Watching their interactions was a good way to do that.
Tonight was one of the nights when the latter was his goal. The things that motivated humans were still a mystery to him and he knew that without at least a small understanding he'd never be able to anticipate what they might do. The fact that Mikey, by nature, was better at that kind of insight irked Leo slightly. His youngest brother was much better at a lot of things than the three elder turtles, he just didn't apply himself.
One of the finest places in New York to view people was the Broadway and off-Broadway theater district. Just about every kind of human could be found there; from the jaded New Yorker to the wide-eyed country visitor. Leonardo enjoyed the shows too; sometimes he managed to sneak into a theater and watch a play from a great seat in the rafters. He usually had a better view than some of the patrons.
There was a murder mystery showing at a theater on west 71st street that had piqued his interest and Leo had decided he'd like to see it. The theater was an old one and easy to get into from the roof and that's what he'd done. He hadn't invited his brothers along because Raph liked plays with more pop to them, Don would have pointed out all of the technical errors in the plot, and Mikey would have talked through the entire thing as he tried to guess 'who-dunnit'.
Leo left just after the final curtain call. The play was good enough, but its young star was noteworthy. She was a singer/actress named Lisa Lynn and had been in show business since she was eight years old. Unfortunately, at the ripe old age of twenty-two, she was well on her way to being a has-been.
The only reason Leo knew any of this was because Mikey avidly watched the televised entertainment programs and devoured everything printed in a number of magazines devoted to the industry. Lisa Lynn had made several movies and her talent was recognized as outstanding. Whether it was the early fame or a quirk of temperament, she'd quickly spiraled out of control. Partying, drugs, lovers; she did them all. The result was a young woman who couldn't meet her obligations and was fast becoming a pariah.
This off-Broadway play was a gift considering that the rumor was no Hollywood director would work with her. Seeing her performance, Leo thought that her outside behavior had to be really bad for anyone to pass up an opportunity to have her star in their film.
Once Leo was on the roof top, noises in the alley behind the theater drew his attention and he crept over to the edge to look down. There he saw that the stage entrance was crowded with both fans and paparazzi, all apparently awaiting a look at the play's leading lady and by all accounts, diva.
Leo was certainly getting an education in human behavior tonight. The group of fans consisted of women and men, young and old alike. Some were calmly talking to each other, while some bounced around with such glee that they periodically shrieked for no apparent reason.
For the most part the paparazzi looked bored; one hand on the cameras hanging on cords around their necks while they smoked cigarettes. Leo could see that the boredom was merely a camouflage though; each of the paparazzi had a wary look in their eyes and readable tension in their necks.
His observations proved correct when the stage door opened. The seasoned paparazzi were suddenly at the front of the crowd, cameras flashing as they used their elbows and feet to move people out of their shot. The previous noise level became a cacophony of sound as soon as Lisa Lynn stepped out.
On stage Lynn had portrayed a shy, timid teen embroiled in a vicious murder plot. Having shed her persona somewhere inside, the true Lisa Lynn was the complete opposite of that character.
Snarling at the fans, Lynn shouted something at her bodyguards, who immediately fanned out to push the milling crowd back. When one of the paparazzi got too close, Lynn shoved her hand into his lens hard enough to slam the camera into his nose. Leo could hear his shriek of pain above the other crowd noises.
The other thing he could hear were the string of curse words Lynn hurled at everyone, including her own people. Although a small woman, she somehow managed to break through the crowd and went hurling through the alley with only one other person in tow, another young woman who Leo assumed was a friend.
Making it to the sidewalk she slowed down and started to laugh at something the other woman said to her. Leo jumped across to the next roof top in order to watch her, and saw Lynn walk on unsteady legs away from the theater and her body guards.
Leo followed them. It didn't take much to tell that Lynn was already messed up on something; whether drugs or alcohol was of course moot. Her laughter was too shrill, she stumbled frequently while clutching at her friend, and periodically she would stop moving in order to simply curse.
Having seen enough addicts in his young life, Leo wasn't all that interested in Lynn at that point, though he grimaced at the thought of someone so young, talented, and attractive wasting her life. What kept him there was her friend. He couldn't understand why the other young woman stuck around, considering how most of Lynn's cursing tirades were aimed at her, along with the occasional slap. Leo decided her behavior was something he'd like to try and comprehend.
He guessed they were heading towards a large nightclub located a couple of blocks south of their location. Leo hoped that they'd at least hail a cab rather than continue to hoof it, but it seemed that Lynn was determined to walk the whole way. Maybe once she had a few more drinks she'd be ready to let someone pour her into a cab.
Cars whizzed past the pair, sometimes honking in appreciation of their short skirted attire. Lynn acknowledged the sounds with a one finger salute, her laughter rough and grating.
Suddenly a black car screeched to a stop alongside them and Leo tensed, thinking that someone had finally recognized Lynn. He wasn't sure how she'd handle being accosted by a fan, but he dreaded what he knew would be an ugly scene.
The back doors flew open almost before the car had finished braking and two large men jumped out. As they both converged on Lynn, she stood her ground and strung together a litany of words that Leo was sure Raph would have been proud of. The men ignored her shouts and grabbed onto her arms as they began to drag her towards the car.
Lynn's friend started screaming and jumped forward to pound her small fists against the nearest man's back. Her reaction was Leo's clue that the men who'd grabbed Lynn were not a part of her entourage.
Before Leo could act, the man shoved the other girl to the ground and the two men hustled Lynn, kicking and yelling, into the back of their car.
Leo moved fast then, running across roof tops and leaping the gaps between buildings as he raced to keep sight of the speeding car. When it turned away from him on a boulevard too wide to jump, Leo dove off a building and caught hold of a power line, swinging from it to the next one with a practiced ease that would have made Spiderman envious.
Since he had no idea where they were headed, all Leo could do was hope they didn't head out to open freeway because then he'd either have to jump onto the roof of the car or lose them. If he did lose them, he would call the police in order to report the incident, describing the car and giving them its plate number.
That was Leo's choice of last resort. He didn't have to be a Donatello to know that every minute Lynn was alone with her kidnappers lessened her chances of remaining alive.
A couple of times he got close enough to the car to see through the back window. It was obvious from those brief glimpses that Lynn was still putting up a fight, whether from natural bravado or the kind brought on by drugs, he didn't know.
The car finally slowed when it reached a residential area and then the brake lights flashed as it turned into an alley behind a florist's shop. Leo landed silently onto the roof of the building adjacent to the shop and watched as the two men yanked Lynn, doing her best impression of an indignant wildcat, from the car.
Leo had to admit to a momentary flash of grudging admiration for her fighting spirit. As petite as she was, it was obvious she was giving both of those men a hard time.
The back door to the florist's shop was standing open and the men dragged Lynn inside. When the door slammed shut behind them, Leo flipped down from the roof, landing at the rear of the car and remaining in a crouch.
It took but a quick peek around the bumper to see that the driver was relaxed in his seat with a newspaper spread open on the steering wheel in front of him. He was alone in the car, the windows down because it was a warm night, one arm hanging out of the car due to the lit cigarette dangling from his fingers.
With the utmost silence, Leo crept along the side of the car until he was directly under the window. Touching his tongue to his teeth, Leo made the smallest of noises and as the man turned his head, Leo jumped up and swung a hard right directly into the man's temple.
The man was knocked unconscious so quickly he didn't have time to utter a sound. Lighting fast, Leo caught the driver before he fell forward onto the car horn and then dragged him out of the seat, dumping him into a nearby trash bin.
Reaching into the car, Leo snagged the keys and tucked them into his belt, his eyes on the shop door the entire time.
Sliding up next to it, Leo tried the handle and found it turned easily. Not bothering to lock the door after they'd gone inside was a good indication that the men didn't believe their kidnapped pigeon was ever going to escape.
Easing into the shop without a hint of noise, Leo swiftly closed the door behind him. It took him but a second to adjust his vision to the darkness and he saw that he was in a small shipping and receiving room. Another door stood partially open ahead of him, a dim light shining through it, and he picked up the sounds of a conversation coming from that direction.
As he tiptoed across the room, he heard Lynn's shrill voice cut off by a deep baritone. A random thought crossed his mind as he wondered at the unpleasantly strident sound of Lynn's normal tone as compared to her manner of speaking when on stage. It was like two separate people occupied her body. Maybe that's what acting was.
"Get your fucking paws off of me!" Lynn shrieked.
Leo paused behind the door, pressing his eyes to the opening between the door and frame. He could see Lynn flanked by the two men who had kidnapped her and another smaller man, his dress and manner decidedly effeminate, standing in front of her.
There was a quick flash of the man's hand as it whipped across Lynn's mouth, the diamond he wore winking in the light thrown from a single overhead bulb.
"Shut up bitch!" the small man hissed at her. "You don't place bets with me and then refuse to pay up. I've given you plenty of chances and all you do is flout me by running off to clubs and throwing money around."
"I don't owe you anything asshole," Lynn snarled. "You changed the line from ten to fourteen after I placed my bet. You're a little cheating prick!"
"The line never changed," the small man told her. "You were just too damn wasted to pay attention to what you were doing. I want my money now or you're going to be known as the late Lisa Lynn."
Rather than frightening her, the words set Lynn off on a tirade that would have burned a sailor's ears. She didn't stop at words; even before she opened her mouth she kicked the small man's knee and started swinging at him, managing to actually hit him once before the two enforcers grabbed her.
With a curse of his own, the small man pulled something from his pocket, his thumb sliding across it until there was a very audible click. Even with the dim light, Leo could see the shine coming off the switch blade in the man's hand.
The man's overly thick lips pulled back in a sneer as he stared at Lynn, his hand shaking not from anxiety but from anticipation. "I've got a better idea," he said, his voice raspy with anger. "I think it will send a much better message if I cut you up so badly your own mother won't recognize you."
The eagerness in his voice told Leo not to wait any longer. As Leo stepped around the door he simultaneously launched a shuriken at the light bulb.
With a loud pop the bulb shattered into tiny pieces and the room was plunged into darkness. Having already memorized where all of the obstacles lay, Leo dashed into the room and made straight for the small man first.
As always, Leo was soundless but it wouldn't have mattered. Lynn was screaming her head off and struggling to break away from the men who were holding her. The small man half turned towards the door where Leo had come from since it was the only one open, and therefore had his face smashed by Leo's fist.
Years of training to make one blow count leant power to Leo's punch and the man went down in a heap. Not bothering to draw his weapons, Leo leaped into a spinning side kick that took one of the big men down. Lynn clawed her way out of the other man's hold and as he clutched at her fleeing form, Leo planted a punch on the bridge of his nose that broke it and knocked him out cold.
Spinning around, Leo saw Lynn making a beeline in the general direction of the door. It was obvious she couldn't see where she was going.
"Stop!" Leo yelled.
Lynn's head turned towards him but rather than listening she plunged forward and smacked right into the wall.
For a second she remained on her feet and then her knees wobbled and she went down. Leo leaped over to where she lay and scooped her up, carrying her out of the shop and tossing her into the back seat of the waiting car.
Jumping in behind the wheel, Leo started it up and backed out of the alley. He knew there was a police precinct station a few miles away and that's where he headed.
By the time he found curb parking a couple of blocks from the police station, Lynn was starting to come around. The street Leo had chosen was deserted and dark because he didn't want to give her a good view of him. He'd find out what kind of shape she was in before calling the police; if she could walk to them it would probably be better for her career than to have a broadcast go out that she was passed out in the back of a car.
There was a nice sized lump above her right temple and she groaned, struggling to sit up. Leo turned in his seat to watch her, wondering if the blow might have knocked some sense into the woman.
Apparently it hadn't. "Where the fuck am I?" she asked in a bitter voice.
"You're two blocks from a police station," Leo said. "I got you away from those men and brought you here so you could get some help."
"Fuck you and fuck your help," Lynn spat nastily.
Leo began to wonder if she knew any other words. "Look, you've had a nasty blow to the head. You should get medical help and report those men to the police so they don't come after you again."
"Stupid prick," Lynn said, groaning as she straightened on the seat. Looking down at her clothes, which were torn and in disarray, she snorted out something that sounded like a laugh. "Did you already collect your reward?"
Taken aback, Leo blurted, "No! I was in a hurry to get you out of that building. I would never touch a defenseless woman."
Lynn seemed to make an effort to see him better and then gave up. "Screw it. You're a fucking weirdo. Gimme the damn car keys asshole so I can get the hell out of here."
"You are not in any shape to drive," Leo told her firmly.
Without any warning she aimed a kick at his face but Leo was too quick for her and ducked. "God damn shithead!" Lynn screeched. "Gimme the fucking keys! I'm not going to any shit hole police station to talk to any fucking police!"
"You aren't going to drive off in this car either," Leo said, trying to reason with her. "Don't you understand what's going to happen to you if you don't change the path you're on? That man is going to come after you again and he's going to kill you."
"I. Don't. Give. A. Fuck!" Lynn said, enunciating each word separately. "Butt the fuck out of my business!"
Leo could see that she was working herself into a tantrum and that his words weren't reaching her. With a sigh, he took the key from the ignition before climbing out of the car, standing close to it so she couldn't see him well.
"It's your choice of course," Leo said. "You only get one chance at life and if this is how you want to spend yours, there is nothing anyone can do about it."
He left her in the back seat as he jogged for the nearest sewer entry. Her vitriolic cursing followed him until he was out of range of her voice.
On his way home, Leo thought about Lisa Lynn and the life she was throwing away. It made absolutely no sense to him that a person could have everything but not be satisfied. He'd gone out tonight to try to better understand the human race and now felt as though he knew less than before.
Leo didn't have a crystal ball but he didn't need one to know that it wouldn't be long before Mikey would be reading to him from one of those entertainment magazines about how the actress had been cut down in her prime. He was sure the reports would talk about how early fame, drugs, and alcohol had ruined her, but he doubted they would mention that she chose those things even over other, smarter options.
His acceptance that this was something he couldn't fix was the product of years of dealing with his own guilt over events beyond his control. Leo was a better leader because of this new found inner peace, but that didn't mean he would forget this experience. It was part of his learning process.