"Hello, this is Don from Omnitech, how may I help you?" Donatello said tiredly, resting his elbow on the armrest of his chair. He lounged lazily in the chair, turning it back and forth as he stared up at the ceiling. The lights in the lair were out. It was just two hours past midnight. Don blinked sleepily and popped another caffeine tablet into his mouth with his free hand. The tablets would keep him awake for a few more hours, long enough for him to finish his shift.
"Mhmm. Can you tell me what model that is, sir?"
He glanced aside at the sound of footsteps. His older brother had a bag slung over his shoulder. Raphael's shoulders hung low and he looked like he'd barely gotten any sleep. Don frowned and forced his tired body to sit up, wincing as his aching muscles protested at the movement.
Raphael's amber gaze turned Don's way at the movement and he paused on the stairway, staring at his brother.
They watched each other, gauging each other silently. Don slid the control on his headset to mute.
"Where are you going?"
Raph rolled his eyes. "Does it matter? I'm going out."
Don's brows rose without amusement. "Really?"
Raph shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose."
The purple masked turtle shook his head and sighed. "Is this really what you want?"
"What I want is to have no part of this stupid conversation. What crawled up your shell?" Raph replied with a frown, making his irritation obvious.
"If you're going to be an ass then just go, Raph. It's not like you'd understand the consequences of your actions. You'll just slink back into your room to sleep it off while I take responsibility for your continued reckless behavior. It's no wonder Leo never," Don began but abruptly cut himself off, biting back his words.
Raphael laughed and fixed a glare on Don. "Oh, finish your sentence, Don. What were you going to say? Leo isn't back because he's tired of my shit, is that right? That's what you wanted to say, right? Come on, Don. Say it."
Don raised both of his hands in surrender and shook his head in disgust.
Raph's amber eyes narrowed and he nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He continued his descent down the stairs and headed for the lair's entrance. Don followed him with his eyes before sighing and turning to his computer screens.
Raphael paused at the entrance. He turned to glare at the back of Don's chair. "You aren't Leo, and you aren't my leader. Quit trying to be his replacement. It was bad enough when he was here." He snapped bitterly before disappearing out the entrance of the lair.
Donatello stared at his lap for a moment before turning the mute control off.
"Of course, sir. You'll need to plug the HDMI cable into the HDMI port on the back of the CPU for the monitor to work."
.,.,.,.
Acura cautiously crept into the room behind his partner. A carbine was held limply in his left hand and supported by his right. His jet black hair had been cut short to the military standard: no sideburns, hair off the collar and not touching his ears. His soft and smooth features betrayed his youth. His tender hazel eyes glanced the dark room over before settling on the figure standing in front of him.
Acura rose to his full height behind his seasoned partner and closed the door behind them. He tapped away at the keypad, setting the locks on the door. He turned and yawned as he did so.
"So, Trench," he began.
Leonardo turned and glanced over his shoulder at Acura.
"You ever heard of a 'Buddy-buck'?" Acura asked calmly, one hand resting on his hip and his rifle resting on his shoulder.
Leo stared silently before heading past several shelves stacked with military grade gear. Acura followed him at a steady pace. "So is that a yes or a no?"
"Need I remind you of where you stand on the totem pole? The others barely take you seriously as it is. You need to keep these questions in your head."
"No need to be a dick about it. I'm just saying—these Buddy-buck things are crazy. I gotta get my hands on some. Jack was telling me about them," Acura went on.
"You trust Jack with this type of stuff?" Leo wondered aloud as he turned a corner, his pale hazel gaze searching the shelves for a set of serial numbers he had memorized.
"Well, no, but I checked on Wikipedia and it looks legitimate."
Leo halted and turned to face the rookie. "Acura."
He froze and stared at Leo, as the other Contractor never called him by his name.
"There are others who would like your place. They would kill you to take it." Leonardo spoke calmly.
Acura glanced away for a moment, considering his partner's words. Since he'd become a member of Leo's team, there had been a pay increase and plenty of perks to go with it. He hadn't considered what the other Contractors might be feeling about it.
He tapped his free hand on his thigh in thought. Leonardo watched him silently, knowing exactly what Acura was thinking about—having been there at one point. He'd been a rookie once. Before he'd become a Contractor, it was always the worst jobs and the worst perks. He had risen through the ranks, watching warily as the other Contractors wiped the blood from their hands, ready to moisten them again in a crimson lather. He had known what would happen should he drop his guard.
They would have slain him. Easily. It would have been a small personal service, and they would have served it with a smile—if Contractors could sincerely smile.
Leonardo knew. He knew too well of the dangers lurking behind the façade erected by a Contractor's defensive need to pretend. To fit in.
Acura turned back to Leo. "So if I start acting like you, I'd be considered too much of a threat to contend with?"
Leo studied him for a moment before turning his back to Acura. A huff of breath, small amusement, escaped him unheard by his partner. He found Acura's naivety amusing and refreshing. Calm stillness came over him swiftly, wiping away his amusement. He was a Contractor again. "No."
The rookie's shoulders sagged.
"I'm my own person, just as you are. You can't survive by pretending to be something you're not." Leonardo replied quietly. "Just watch yourself or I'll have to."
Acura raised his head at those words and stared at Leo's form. He couldn't believe the words he had just heard from Leo's mouth. He swallowed and opened his mouth to speak.
"Just remember that we're on a job right now. Keep a look out for anymore security guards." Was Leo's strategically placed response, ending the conversation before it turned into something more relaxed—more easygoing. Something reserved for a friend.
Acura sighed and muttered a few choice words as he kept watch, turning his back to Leo. They remained silent; the only sound in the room was the whirring of the giant metal fans built into the ceiling and the rustling sound of Leo moving boxes around.
Leonardo dug through a cardboard box, sifting through uncleared and classified military documents. He pulled a folder out of the box and opened it, reading through a few of the pages that weren't blotted out in black ink.
Acura shifted uncomfortably and sighed. "How can you not know what Buddy-bucks are? Aren't you American?"
He turned to look at Leo as silence met his question. He came face to face with Leonardo, who was suddenly but an inch away, and stumbled back, lowering his weapon and shooting instinctively. Leo shoved the barrel of the weapon to the ground and yanked it out of Acura's grasp. "Quiet." Leo hissed before tossing the weapon back at Acura, who caught it with both hands, a startled expression plastered on his features. Leo turned and shook his head as he headed deeper down the row of shelves. Acura sighed.
"Maybe you shouldn't creep up on me like that if you don't want me to shoot at you." He muttered as he turned around and kept watch. He leaned his shoulder against a shelf and it creaked slightly. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake.
"Oh fuck." He uttered as he leapt away from the leaning shelf.
Leo stood up from his crouched position and leaned back with a grunt, hearing several bones pop. He didn't understand where the files he was supposed to steal had been placed. The organizing system in the warehouse was in need of changes.
He blinked at the sound of a very metallic creaking and turned in the direction he had heard it. He stared as an entire row of shelves tipped back into another row and continued the chain as a domino effect. He blinked and glanced aside at a sheepish and nervous looking Acura. His pale hazel gaze narrowed to slits as there was a sudden cacophony of noise as metal shelves toppled into each other, spilling boxes and their contents on the floor in a mess.
Acura shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands in surrender. "Sorry." He mouthed.
Leo closed his eyes. Acura glanced at the doors they suddenly slammed open, revealing a lone guard wearing plated Kevlar armor and a black trench coat over it. The male guard strode forward with a slow and confident gait. Leo exhaled softly—easing the tension from his body.
"You could cast this guy to play the Terminator." Acura said in disbelief as he moved to Leo's side, leveling the barrel of his rifle on the guard.
The guard's face was covered with a metal face plate. The guard lifted his gloved hands and Acura's trigger finger moved to squeeze.
The guard's right hand shot out, flicking in a circular motion as if he were grasping the air. He drew his hand into his midsection and curled in before flinging his arms out and wriggling his fingers in a smooth set of Jazz-hands. A red line sparked across the guard's face plate.
"What in the actual fuck?" Acura breathed before he and Leo dove to the ground as a flat crimson cone of light blasted above them with a popping sound. They rose to their feet and Acura glanced back, seeing that the crimson blast had melted through the fallen metal shelves and the wall behind them.
"Keep him busy while I find the file in the mess you've created." Leo ordered before turning on his heel and leaping over the fallen shelves.
"I'm sorry!" Acura shouted after him before turning back to the guard.
He sputtered a few choice curses and opened fire on the security guard. The guard dropped to one knee and lifted his Kevlar covered forearm over his faceplate to guard his face. Acura leapt aside as a blast of the same crimson ray burned a hole in the ground he had stood on. He fired several rounds again and ducked into a roll as he evaded yet another ray. He sighed and peered at the guard as the armored male rose to his feet. Acura raised his weapon and fired at the ceiling above the guard. A metal fan dropped from the ceiling and onto the guard with a crashing sound.
Acura smirked and rested his rifle on his shoulder. "Not so tough with one metric ton of metal crushing you, huh?"
His smirk vanished and he lowered his rifle as he took a step back at the sight of a fierce red glow from underneath the metal. "Son of a bitch." He muttered as the metal melted and the figure of the security guard rose from the wreckage.
The security guard tilted his head from left to right, cracking it before he lowered his gaze on Acura. He moved out of the wreckage of the metal fan and started towards Acura, breaking into a sprint.
Acura dropped his gun and stumbled back. "Hey, Trench! You might want to hurry up back there! I don't think I'm very good at keeping this guy busy!"
Acura dodged aside, escaping a grapple and moved back, leaning from left to right to avoid swipes from the guard's hands.
"Use your power." Came the all too calm and quiet reply from Leo as he sifted through a box at the top of the fallen shelves. The terrapin paid Acura's struggle no true attention; instead he focused on finding the designated file. He lifted another folder and sifted through its contents quietly as he crouched down.
Acura's eyes sparked red only to fade away just as swiftly as the guard grabbed him by the waist. "What the fuck," Acura began in a startled voice just as he was lifted into the air in a rendition of a graceful ballet dance.
He was spun around and swiftly kicked the guard's faceplate with the heel of his boot before pushing off and leaping back to land in a crouch a few feet away. His eyes sparked red and he clapped his hands together in the direction of the guard.
A burst of superheated energy blasted from his closed hands and struck the guard, sending the armored Contractor flying into a shelf and spilling more boxes. Acura straightened as he rose to his feet, smirking as the red glow faded from his eyes.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He muttered as the guard shakily rose to his feet. He turned and spotted his carbine lying on the ground. Acura grabbed it and leapt aside as a flat cone of crimson light melted the ground he had stood on. Acura raised the weapon with one hand, drawing his arm back, before hurling it at the guard.
The guard stumbled back as butt of the rifle hit his faceplate with a clang before bouncing off and clattering to the ground. The security guard shook his head and glared at Acura through his cracked faceplate. Acura blew out a deep breath from between pursed lips. "So, any chance of us talking this out like reasonable adults?"
The guard was silent as he popped his neck. He lowered his gaze on Acura and a thin line of red sparked across the cracked faceplate.
A burst of shadows erupted across the guard's faceplate and caused him to stumble back, arms pin wheeling wildly. Leonardo appeared at Acura's side, shoving a folder into his partner's hands. Acura managed to maintain a hold on the folder, barely catching the papers that fell out as Leo sprinted towards the guard.
Leo unsheathed the katana on his shell as he leapt at the guard. The guard ducked aside and Leo dug his feet into the ground as he spun around, katana striking out and catching the surface of the guard's faceplate. His blade cut a thin line through the metal surface as the guard leaned back to avoid the strike. Leo's eyes sparked red and shadows swarmed over the both of them. Leo rolled free of the shadows and watched the guard stumble through, reeling and disorientated. Leo rose to his feet in a lunge, driving his katana through the underside of the guard's jaw and the only unarmored portion of the guard's body. Blood misted from the stab and the guard slumped, only the blade in Leonardo's grip kept the guard on his feet. Leo yanked the weapon free as he gripped the collar of the guard's trench coat and a line of blood came from the movement, trailing after the silver blade. The guard slipped out of the coat and hit the ground in a lifeless tumble of limbs.
Leo flicked the blood from his blade before sheathing it on his shell. He then sifted through the pockets of the trench coat, searching for anything useful to his situation.
Acura huffed under his breath and approached his partner. "That was showy. Maybe I can use the katana next time." He paused and stared at Leo, studying the terrapin. Leo glanced up at his stare with an expression devoid of emotion.
"You know, that's a good look for you. Totally tsundere." Acura said as he tilted his head to the side, studying Leo and the trench coat. Leo stared at him for a long moment before throwing the trench coat at him. It fell over Acura's head and the rookie Contractor sighed from underneath it as the stolen file was torn out of his grasp by Leo.
"I'll just hold on to it then." Acura sighed.
Acura yanked it off his head and followed Leonardo as the latter sprinted over to a wall of the warehouse. Leo shoved a shelf aside and ignored the sound of the approaching footsteps of a full squadron of guards. "Melt an exit." He ordered.
Acura nodded and threw the trench coat over his shoulder. His eyes sparked red and he pressed his hands flat against the wall. A faint reddish-orange glow emanated under his hands and there was a sizzling sound as the steel began melting. The tip of his tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth.
Leo glanced back towards the broken doors leading into the warehouse and back to Acura trying to melt through the wall. His mind was whirling with thoughts as he worked through their situation. It was taking too long for Acura to melt through the solid steel wall. Leonardo turned back to the wall and his eyes sparked red.
His form became obscured by shadow and he pressed a hand to the steel wall. Acura noticed and he glanced up, mouth opening to question his partner. Leo's hand phased through the steel and Acura's mouth formed an 'O' in shock as the red faded from his eyes. Leo reached down and gripped Acura's shirt before yanking the rookie through the wall with him.
The duo came out on the other side; Acura stumbled into Leo and stared at his partner with wide eyes. "How the hell did you do that? That was fucking-A!"
Leonardo glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Do not make mention of this to anyone else." He ordered sharply and Acura nodded, quickly composing himself. He didn't need to be given a follow-up threat. Leonardo was sure enough to kill him if it got out, he knew his partner well enough to know that.
.,.,.,.,.
Leonardo leaned over the trash can, gripping the edges of it with white knuckles. He groaned and wiped at the sweat that beaded his forehead before tasting the acidic bile that came as the precursor to vomit. He leaned in to the trash can, his retching echoed in the metal bin as the contents of his stomach were emptied.
He hated flying. Hated it with a passion.
He straightened, wiping at his mouth with the back of his forearm. His shoulders sagged and he turned to the end of the alley where he received a view of the harbor. Ships rocking gently to the swaying and swelling black ocean. He could hear the bells chime and a wave of nausea ran through him once more. He shook his head and swallowed thickly as he approached the joining of two brick walls and leaned heavily as his hazel gaze scanned the dockside sharply, ensuring that there was no one nearby to watch him.
Leo looked up to the sky. Dark clouds had blotted out the moon and stars. He didn't see any other stars past the thick blanket of darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. He turned and stared at it. The lonely purple star that blazed through the night. The lone witness to his crimes. The only other who knew the truth. His star. His Contractor star.
He pressed a hand over his plastron as his heart thudded against it. He pressed a hand to the wall and bowed his head low as he panted and screwed his eyes shut. An agony filled scream wailed through his skull.
He reeled back, lost in painful memories that twisted his thoughts and turned everything around him dark and sour. He threw himself into a wall, his shoulder slammed into it and he bit back a hiss of pain. He cracked his eyes open and sighed in relief as he was torn out of the memories and freed by the pain.
He leaned against the wall and bowed his head low. He closed his eyes and calmed his racing heart before straightening and heaving a deep breath.
"It wasn't real." He breathed.
He straightened and opened his eyes, much calmer now that he wasn't in the middle of a flash produced by his crumbling sanity. He shook his head and took a few more calming breaths. He had to move on from it. He knew that these flashes were bound to continue happening. He had to reach his family before he fell into yet another. He didn't know what would happen if he came across a human while he was lost to the world around him. His brothers could better help him and he could help them, though at this point he didn't know how that was supposed to happen. He couldn't do anything without hurting someone.
He shook the thoughts free of his mind and turned to a fire escape, eyeing it silently. He moved towards it and climbed up swiftly, the metal did not creak under his weight as he moved up. He planted a hand on the edge of the rooftop and pushed himself up. He stood on the rooftop and studied the city around him. He nodded, having centered himself and broke into a run. His feet slapped against the stone beneath him and it felt as if he were slipping back into who he was.
His foot came down on the edge of the rooftop and he leapt into the air. The wind whispered as it whistled past him and gently caressed his body. He hit the ground of the other rooftop in a run and sprang up the side of a water tower, clambering along the worn wooden side to rise to the top. He snatched hold of a wire and threw his weight forward, snapping it. He flew through the air on the cable, sailing over several buildings. He released the cable and dropped onto a rooftop in a roll. He rose to his feet in a run, enjoying the exhilaration of the run.
He didn't have the worry of accidentally grabbing onto a dangerous snake, stumbling upon a nest, or interrupting the meal of a territorial predator. This was freedom. This was something he could lose himself in-something to do without thought and only instinct to guide his movements. If he didn't think, his mind couldn't fabricate another distortion of reality.
He leapt off the edge of another rooftop and twisted in the air, taking advantage of the space to perform acrobatic maneuvers. He landed in a crouch and wiped at the sweat of exertion that beaded his forehead. He paused at the sound of muffled grunts. A gunshot froze him in place. His hazel eyes turned in the direction of the sound and he stood, slowly approaching the other side of the rooftop, padding on silent feet. He peered over the edge and watched silently.
Muscles coiled and tensed underneath glistening emerald skin.
His hazel eyes became dull and flat and his mouth became a single grim line as he reached into a pack on his belt and held razor sharp shuriken between his fingers. He drew his hand close to his abdomen and turned his body as he prepared to throw the projectile weapons, his hazel gaze focused on a single intended target.
.,.,.,.,.
Raphael gripped the front of the purse snatcher's shirt in a gloved fist and drew his free hand back, allowing his fingers to curl into a fist. He sneered from behind his metal mask as his fist smashed into the thief's face with a thud, nearly cracking the human's cheek bone. The thief wrapped both hands around Raphael's wrist.
"Please, man, I'll be a good guy! I learned my lesson!" He wept openly. Raph smirked and laughed bitterly before dropping the man and studying the human with a comical tilt of his head.
"Why should I have to be the reason you become a good person, huh?" He asked calmly, resting his hands on his waist. "Why can't you have a sense of decency, clean up your act, and go on with an honest living without having someone like me to beat you up?"
The human wiped at his bleeding nose with his coat sleeve and swallowed thickly, staring at the intimidating figure in the leather and metal armor before him. "It's hard being honest in a country full of selfish bastards who'd rather see ya' dead than see their money going somewhere else."
Raph raised a brow and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I know it ain't easy, but it's the hard shit that makes it worthwhile. Go get a real job and quit trying to steal purses or I'll be back to kick your ass." He stated. The human stared at him and nodded as he cautiously rose to his feet. He pressed his back to the wall and slowly inched away, not taking his eyes off of Raphael.
"Hey look, it's the Nightwatcher, guys!" A thick male voice called from the end of the alley. Raph and his former victim turned to see three men, all wielding guns. Raph muttered a curse. He gripped the human's upper arm and moved the young man behind his armored body.
"How much you think we can get for your dead body from the Purple Dragons?" One man laughed.
Raph shrugged and loosened the tension in his neck and shoulders. "I don't know, I'd hope it'd be higher than the usual rate for dead beats." Raph replied from underneath the metal helmet. His voice echoed and reverberated within the metal confines and made him sound much more intimidating than usual. The weighted end of a manriki dropped into his hand with a sly flick of his wrist without the three humans ahead noticing.
One raised a small handgun and pointed the muzzle at him. Raph smirked. "What'cha gonna do with that squirt gun, pal? Haven't you heard the rumors?"
"What rumors?!" Another shouted in a higher pitched voice, betraying a nervous hand. Raph knew he would shoot first.
"Bullets bounce off my dick." Raph said with a wry grin under his helmet before he shoved the human behind him to the ground and flung his manriki out at the nervous human. A gun shot rang out and the bullet flew past Raph's head, missing him by a long shot. The weighted end of the manriki hit the human's hand with a crunch, breaking bones and shattering the man's wrist.
The human clutched his arm as he threw his head back and screamed. The gun clattered to the ground and his fellows stared in horror. Raph flung his second manriki out, hitting the second human in center mass and sending the man flying into a dumpster. Raph's manriki slid back in place on his suit and he took a step towards the last standing human.
The man shrieked and ran, dragging his injured companion along. Raphael chuckled and turned back to the thief. "Alright, you're free to go, pal. Unless you want me to escort you home, that is."
The thief grinned nervously and quickly shook his head. "Eh no, I'm alright there, sir," He began nervously.
His head suddenly whipped back from a shuriken embedded deeply in the center of his skull. The thief collapsed to the ground in a lifeless tumble of limbs. Raphael whirled around in shock, turning in the direction the projectile had come from. Another flew for his face and he raised his arm just in time for it to embed in his armor rather than his face plate. He dropped his arm and cautiously scanned the alley and surrounding rooftops.
He turned just as a dark form drove into his back. He fell flat on his front with a muscular body forcing its knee into the back of his neck. Raph pressed his hands to the ground and pushed and grunted as he managed to throw his attacker off his back. He twisted around, rising to his feet with his fists up only to see no attacker. He whirled around. Nothing. He turned to the darkened portion of the alley and took a step forward. A round object flew at his face and cracked against the visor. The scent of lemon and pepper filled his helmet and he brushed the remains off his faceplate. He cleared the mess from his visor just in time to spot a fist coming at him. Raph moved aside, barely dodging the blow. The attacker spun around, still barely silhouetted in the dark.
Raph threw his own punch and the shadowy assailant moved forward, twisting enough to avoid the strike and driving his open hand into Raph's throat. Raphael threw himself back, using his momentum to swing his opponent over him. He drove both boots into his assailant's abdomen and kicked him over his head.
The shadow twisted as he was thrown, landing in a skid on both feet, one hand braced against the ground.
Raph whirled around and caught his opponent just as the shadow drove into him. The shadow shoved him back a few inches but Raphael was bigger and stronger. Raph pushed against the shadow and drove it to one knee. The shadow moved fluidly, swinging around him as it disengaged. Raph fell forward but righted himself, spinning around and throwing an arm out to block another strike. He deflected the punch and drove another fist at his opponent, striking the shadow with a satisfying crack as fist met face. The shadow's head whipped aside but it moved with the momentum, spinning its entire body to the right.
The back of its leg came up with a motion entirely fluid and alien to Raphael. It came down at the back of Raph's neck and the Nightwatcher went down from the impressive blow. One knee hit the ground. The shadow's leg touched the ground for a brief moment before coming back up to drive the heel of its foot into the back of Raph's helmet. It paused for a moment and Raphael took advantage. He rose to his feet, a powerful uppercut building up in his right fist as he came up. The shadow moved a fraction too late. The blow caught it hard and sent it reeling back. It shook its head wearily and flung a handful of shuriken at Raphael as it moved back, retreated further into the alley. Raph turned his head and shuriken hit and stuck to the shoulder plate of his armor. He turned back and it was gone just as soon as it had come. He stared at the darkness before turning back to the thief. He approached quietly and stared at the human's body.
He shook his head and glared back at the end of the alley, into the darkness. He didn't know who his silent attacker had been, but he knew that the shadowy assailant would not be able to run from him. He turned back to the thief and sighed wearily as he knelt by the human's side and searched through the man's pockets to find some sort of identification. He flipped open a tattered old leather wallet and stared at a picture of a young child with bright eyes and a polite smile. Raph cursed under his breath.
The thief had a kid.
He shook his head and rose to his feet, tucking the photograph into a pocket of his armor. He snapped open the thief's cell phone and dialed a three digit number.
He paused, waiting. "Yeah, operator. There's been a murder. Just trace this number." Raph rehearsed, as if he had made this call far too many times. He closed the phone and tossed it beside the man. He rubbed the back of his neck and his entire body became stiff and tense. "God damn it." He hissed.
"Fuck!" He shouted at the starless sky, throwing his arms out angrily.
His chest heaved and he shook his head. "Fuck." He said in a quieter and more subdued tone.
.,.,.,.,.
Michelangelo sat on the couch silently. He pointed the remote at the television and flipped through the channels with a bored and tired expression. He glanced at Don, who sat in the armchair next to him. Donatello was slumped over in the chair, exhausted and asleep. His expression was relaxed and his mask hung loosely around his neck. A notebook sat on his lap and a coffee mug hung from his slack fingers. He snored lightly, almost silently in place.
Mikey sighed and turned the television off. Don's eyes flickered open. "Wha?" He began sleepily, glancing at Mikey with lidded eyes. "I'm awake. Let's," he began.
Mikey waved him off and rose to his feet. "Don, Don, Don. Go back to sleep, bro. We'll watch another time."
Don sat up, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I'm sorry, Mikey. I'm just really tired."
Mikey approached with a chuckle. "It's fine, Donnie. You need some sleep." He reached his hand down to Don to help him stand. Don smiled softly and reached up to take it.
A thick body barreled through them, shoving Mikey back and pushing Don into the armchair. Raphael made his way past them, a glower plastered over his features. Mikey glared at his backside. "Dude, what the heck is your problem?"
Raph paused before whirling around with blazing amber eyes.
"The fuck you think, Mikey? We're just sitting down here letting everything go to shit up there." He snapped, pointing a finger up. "Leo still hasn't come back from his fucking spirit journey in the jungle. To top it off, you shits keep bitching at me 'bout dumb shit." Raph snarled. "You take your pick, Mikey."
Don rose to his feet, looking more exhausted than he'd ever been. "Raph," he began.
"Oh don't even fucking start, Don. You're," Raph snarled.
"Enough!" Mikey shouted as he leapt between them, shoving Raph back. "Quit it, Raph. You really want to fight someone right now, then fight me, but Don is too tired. He works all day and all night to keep this place running."
Raph approached slowly, like a dangerous predator. He sized Mikey up with a scan of his eyes as he leaned over the smaller turtle. "You think I don't fucking know that? You think I'm so self-centered that I haven't noticed anything around here?" He hissed.
Mikey didn't back down, he met Raph's glare with his own. "Then why are you fighting us?"
The older turtle snorted and drew back with a shake of his head. "You don't get it. You never do."
Don placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder as he stood next to the youngest. "Why don't you help us understand, Raph? We're all stressed out these days. We should be helping each other instead of constantly bickering."
Raph chuckled bitterly and shook his head as he turned away. "Oh, I don't think so, Don. You two have enough to deal with. I ain't worth the fucking bother."
Mikey started forward with anger on the tip of his tongue only for the grip on his shoulder to tighten. He glanced back at Don.
"Don't. He's home. You'll just set him off and he'll run topside."
Don turned back to the couches and began picking up the strewn wrappers and stray popcorn kernels. Mikey folded his arms in front of his plastron and sighed. "Why don't you do something about him, Don? You're the leader."
Donatello straightened and turned to Mikey, a vexed look fixed on his features. "I'm not the leader. I'm a scientist, Mikey. I don't like leadership, and I wasn't suited for it. Quit making me out to be something I'm not." He shook his head. "I don't know what possesses you to think that I can be the perfect replacement for him?" His voice rose with each word, not rising above the normal tone he would have, but dripping and oozing with festered frustrations and anger. "I'm not Leo, and I have far more important things to do than to be him for the rest of you. You need to quit pretending that I'm him and get used to his absence because it's more than likely that he's dead or just doesn't want to come back."
Don stiffened and stared at his youngest brother, realizing what he had just said. "Mikey, I," he began quickly in much softer tone, eyes filled with guilt.
Mikey shook his head and took a step back. "No. You're probably right, Don." He replied quietly. His eyes flashed fiercely as he shot a glare up at his older brother. "But you're also wrong. It's our duty as his brothers to hope he comes back and be ready for when he does." Mikey spun on his heel and headed upstairs to his own room, leaving Don to reflect on his words.
.,.,.,.
Master Splinter sighed as he stared forlornly at the old framed photograph that he held in his worn hands. His whiskers twitched as his eyes scanned over the face of his eldest son. The edge of his thumb smoothed over Leonardo's smiling face and he sighed again.
He had missed his son since the first day of Leonardo's absence. He had immediately regretted sending one of his children away on such a journey. He could imagine the dangers Leonardo had faced. He could not imagine just how those dangers could have affected his son. Was Leonardo alive? Yes. Splinter was certain of it. His son was an accomplished ninja capable of surviving nearly any situation. But darkness lingered at the edge of such thoughts. Why hadn't Leonardo returned yet? Splinter could still feel some attachment to his son on the spiritual plane, though it was weak and fading away.
His reasons for sending Leonardo away seemed trivial and petty now. He closed his eyes and heaved a heavy breath. He had wanted his sons to become independent of Leonardo. He had seen them depending on the eldest far too much. The journey his son had been told to undertake was only partially for Leonardo's sake but mostly for the other three brothers. Splinter had been of the mind that Donatello would be able to undertake Leonardo's role as the leader for one year.
The aged master pressed a hand to his brow as he considered the past two years. Donatello had succeeded as a leader for one year. He had been able to mediate fights between Michelangelo and Raphael. Donatello had displayed keen ability to scheduling practices. He had been an exemplary leader during that one year. When the time came for Leonardo to return, things had changed. His sons became overcome with a bitterness that had only festered like a gangrenous battle wound. Leonardo had not returned. He had not contacted them once.
It was three days after Leonardo's supposed arrival time that Raphael had come to him. Raphael had pleaded and snapped at him for a chance to journey after Leonardo and bring the eldest back. Splinter had immediately dismissed Raphael and his son had fled their home for a week, only returning every now and again for meals.
After two months, Donatello had entered his room with a logical and solid argument, ready to defend his case and quest to seek the missing brother. Splinter had nearly agreed to his son's convincing and moving plea. Though his need as a father demanded that he have his son returned to him, his instincts as a ninjutsu master fought otherwise. And so he told Donatello that Leonardo would have to return on his own, as he needed more time to clear his mind and free his thoughts in the jungles of South America.
Splinter's ears pricked at a rustle of movement. He lifted his head and dropped his hand to his lap as a familiar scent came to him. He opened his eyes and went still, staring at the doorway. Leonardo leaned against the door frame, one hand on the wall. Splinter opened his mouth and closed it. The scent was true, it was his son. Leonardo was here.
His eldest son approached on silent feet, making no sound. He eased himself into a kneeling position before his father and bowed his head. His mask tails gently fell against his shoulder, torn and ragged from travel and time. The leather of his gear was worn and weathered just as well; the leather creaked with his movements.
"I have returned, Master. I will accept whatever discipline you believe is necessary for my failure." He began, voice cracking from lack of use. He kept his eyes on the tatami mat beneath him, refusing to meet his father's gaze, afraid that it would send his failing sanity to the edge. He forced his eyes closed, refusing to acknowledge the rush of emotion and relief that threatened to break free of his frail grasp.
He swallowed and bit his lip as the tension festered between them, rising and filling the room with the scent of rotten flesh. Leonardo pressed the back of his hand over his mouth as he fought the gagging sensation that the situation brought to him. His anxiety spiked and he could feel his palms damp with sweat. His stomach clenched painfully.
Master Splinter stared at his eldest son silently before slowly rising to his feet with the aid of his cane, joints creaking with the movement. "You have not failed. You have returned to take your place and resume your duties. You have made me proud, Leonardo." Splinter sighed as he gently approached the kneeling turtle. Leo did not move from his position. He bit back his tongue and stared at the floor, not allowing him to speak out of turn to the father he had not seen in four years. The father that had been dead for two because of his mistakes.
Splinter stood over his prone son and allowed a small smile to creep onto his usually solemn features. "I have missed you, my son."
Leo screwed his eyes shut and bit down on his tongue to suppress his grief at those words. The words he had longed to hear. He swallowed back emotion, forcing on a composed façade. "I missed you too, Master." He said quietly as he rose to his feet, refusing to meet his father's eyes.
Splinter's smiled faded slowly as he watched his son. Where confidence and authority should have been was silence and unease. He found Leonardo's posture to be different. There was an edgy danger that emanated from his son. Splinter touched his hand to his chest out of reflex. Leo's hazel eyes slid to meet his father's and Splinter took an instinctive step back. This was not his son. This was not the same Leonardo he had raised.
"What has happened to cause such change in you, Leonardo?"
Leo's gaze slid away and he kept his composure just barely. "It was a dangerous place. There were things I had to do that I am ashamed of, and things I was forced to adapt to."
Splinter stared at Leonardo. At first, he hadn't noticed the edge to his son's voice that hinted at an unseen cynicism and cruelty. He saw it now. He nodded once, glancing aside as worry and suspicion crept through his thoughts. He glanced back at his son and sighed, shoulders sagging. He could not press Leonardo for information so quickly, not now, even with the sudden surge of worry and suspicion. He did not want to lose his son again.
Splinter turned and took a step towards Leonardo, of which the latter took an equal step in retreat. Leo stiffened and relaxed before bowing his head. "Forgive me, Master, I... I'm still on edge."
Splinter nodded and lowered his hand to his side. "It is forgotten, my child." Splinter sensed a presence nearby and turned his eyes to the door. Relief washed over him. "But perhaps you should see to your brothers. They have been greatly affected by your absence."
Leo nodded. "Hai, Sensei." He said in a monotone voice as he planted his fist into the palm of his free hand and bent at the waist.
Leo straightened and turned to exit the room. Splinter turned to watch him and breathed heavily, unsure of what had happened to his son and desperate with need to find out.
.,.,.,.
Leo stepped into the living area, closing the screen door behind himself. His body sagged against the wall and he heaved deep breaths as his racing heart pounded rapidly within his chest. He pressed a hand over his face and exhaled deeply as he forced his body to calm.
Seeing his father hadn't caused his mind to suffer another flash. However, he couldn't stop the anxiety and guilt that had torn him asunder under the scrutinizing gaze of his father. The one who was dead and now lived. The one who died for his mistakes. The one who lived because someone else died for his mistakes.
Leo dragged his hand over his face and shook his head. He needed to see his brothers. He needed the reassurance of their breaths.
He straightened and moved past the television, heading towards the stairs only to stiffen at the sound of something moving in the kitchen. He whirled towards the source of the sound and stared at his red masked brother leaning against the fridge. Raphael met his stare with smoldering amber eyes. He lifted the lip of a beer bottle to his mouth and tilted it back; allowing the liquor to fill his mouth as he calmly drank it down. He dropped the bottle to his side and studied Leo, eyes tracing over his older brother's unscathed and unscarred body.
Leo's hand shot out, gripping the couch tightly as he met his brother's stare. He tensed. He pressed his free hand against the center of his chest. Searing pain blossomed under his hand. He could hear the cracking of his plastron and sternum all at once. Heart bursting. Lungs filling with blood. Mouth filled with the coppery taste. Everything burned. Everything crumbled.
He blinked and stared at his brother. The one he had been broken and beaten for. The one he had died for.
He took a step forward, lurching on slow feet as his hand immediately wrapped around his right arm just above the elbow. Stinging numbness surged through the limb. How easy it had been to cut through the tightly knit muscle and bone. How easy it had been to let it fly from his body, torn away by an enemy.
He exhaled and, on quicker feet, approached his brother. His heart thudded in his chest cavity both from anxiety and excitement. Raphael. He rolled the name on his tongue as he approached and a shiver went through his body.
"Raphael," he began softly as he reached out to his brother with a shaking hand.
Raph slapped his hand away, amber eyes blazing with anger and contempt. He straightened and opened his mouth to snap off a harsh word only to freeze instantaneously.
Leo had frozen in place, eyes on the hand Raph had slapped away. Shaking. Leo fell to his knees and pressed his free hand to his face as his shoulders shook and he drew in a wheezing breath. He dropped his head and gasped out a breath.
"Leo," Raph ventured, anger fading quickly. He set his beer on the floor and crouched next to his brother. "Leo, I, ah," he began.
Leo swiftly reached out with blindingly fast accuracy. He pressed the palm of his hand to Raph's plastron and gasped out another breath. He turned, eyes flickering open to stare at Raph. He closed his eyes again, not removing his hand from Raph's plastron.
Raphael stared at his brother and moved his own hand over Leo's.
The older turtle could feel the muffled rhythmic thudding of a powerful heart under Raph's plastron. His brother's chest rose and fell softly with each breath. The warmth of Raphael's hand seeped into him. He sighed contentedly and remained in place, not wanting or needing to move.
Raph studied his brother carefully, amber eyes dancing over Leo's bowed head, unable to see his eldest brother's face.
"I'm sorry." Leo's eyes were closed. His features held a strange serenity in them as he knelt there with his brother. He knew the moment would end soon. The anger he had witnessed in Raphael's demeanor still remained buried deep within, but it would rise just under the surface. Confusion and fear had taken over for the moment.
Raph swallowed numbly, eyes on his brother's fallen form. "Why?" He asked, his voice rising at the end of the word, expanding the single syllable.
Leo's eyes fluttered open. Why had he done it?
Why had he killed so many?
"To protect you." He wanted to say.
That wasn't it. He wasn't noble. He wasn't caring.
Why had he kept working?
"To protect you." He almost said.
That wasn't true. He had done it for the money. He had done it for the perks.
Why had he killed his entire family?
"To protect me." He said quietly.
He could feel Raphael's entire body go taut with confusion, anger, and judgment underneath the hand he pressed to the younger turtle's plastron.
"What do you mean?"
Leo's lips curled into a grim smirk devoid of all humor. He'd seen this question coming no matter what scenario he had imagined to deal with when confronting his brothers. He couldn't tell any of them what had happened before. He didn't want them to know his crimes. He didn't want them to know just how badly he had fucked up. They wouldn't believe that the "perfect" son could have done anything so horrible.
Everything else aside, none of them would have believed he or any other person had acquired mysterious magical powers from the 'stars'. Even less would they believe he'd used such powers for anything other than good.
He was a disgrace. He was not their leader. He deserved to die every moment he drew breath.
He turned his eyes up to Raph's own brilliant amber ones. "I'm a self-centered prick."
A/N: Thank you for reading! I'm sorry I don't update sooner, but I'm just really busy lately. I would like to congratulate all of the nominees and participants in this year's TMNT Fanfiction competition and thank those of you who chose to cast your vote in my favor ._. Really. Thank you. I am truly honored to have been nominated, let alone have placed.