Like everything else, it felt weird to go back to school, even though he had only missed four months. Trek, Lyle and Natalia had been kind in giving him the work that he had missed. And what had taken them days to finish, only took Leonardo a matter of hours. In little under a week he had caught up and was now ahead of everyone in his classes.

"Is that really our Leo?" Lyle asked quietly as Leonardo wizzed through a Math assignment.

"I don't know anymore," Trek confessed. "He's a completely different person."

Natalia rubbed her arm as if it hurt. The guys noticed the motion.

"You okay?" Trek asked.

"I'm fine," Natalia answered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Trek frowned. He got to his feet. "I'm going for a walk. Wanna come?"

Lyle and Natalia nodded and also stood up.

"Wanna come, Leo?" Trek asked.

"I'm busy," was all Leonardo said.

The three friends headed out of the cafeteria.

"So, are you gonna tell us why you're always wearing long-sleeves nowadays?" Trek asked.

Natalia rubbed her arm again. "Leo changed while he was gone," she began.

"We already knew that," Lyle told her.

"But, did you know that he hits me if I 'talk out of line'?" Natalia asked.

"He what?" Trek and Lyle exclaimed.

Natalia pulled up her sleeve, revealing a large bruise on her forearm. The guys looked at each other as their friend pulled her sleeve down again.

"I don't know what's gotten into Leo, but I want it out," Natalia said.


When Leonardo walked through the door, Brad was just getting off the phone. The look on his father's face told Leonardo that he was in trouble. However, he wasn't worried. He was heading upstairs when Brad stopped him.

"Hold on, Leo. I have to talk to you."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. Get down here."

Growling, Leonardo made his way back down the stairs and over to where his father was waiting.

"What?" he asked.

Brad tossed Leonardo his jacket. "We're leaving."

He grabbed the car keys and headed out the door. Leonardo pulled on his jacket and followed his father out to the car. Without a word to his son, Brad started the car and drove off. Leonardo stared out of the window. He vaguely remembered being in someone`s car and driving to the hospital.

"Sooner or later they end up in the place they hate the most."

Pyro was telling me that the place he hated most was in the Watch Tower.

"We're here," Brad announced.

Leonardo blinked back to reality. They were parked outside a martial arts school. Brad got out of the car, followed by Leonardo. They made their way inside. Leonardo looked around. He had been here years ago when he was a kid.

"Summers-san, it is good to see you again."

Leonardo turned towards the sound of the voice. Brad was bowing to one of the teachers.

"It's good to see you too, Master Splinter."

Leonardo blinked in surprised. He could feel Maddy's excitement run though him.

"Master Splinter," the hyper twin said with glee.

All the students, and even some of the other martial arts teachers, called him Splinter. He was the fastest and most skilled teacher and fighter the school had employed. He was named Splinter for the simple fact that he could split anything in half. He was the favorite teacher of every child and parent that had ever walked through the doors. His gift was martial arts, his specialty was beating out the bad attitudes of his students. It was another reason why parents always asked for Splinter when signing up their problem child.

"Does he honestly think that old fossil is going to do anything?" Toxis asked, crossing his arms, his eyes turning back to red.

"Aren't you happy to see Master Splinter? It's been ages since we've seen him," Maddy said.

"I couldn't care less," Toxis admitted.

Splinter turned to Leonardo and smiled. "Hello again, Leonardo. It has been awhile," he said.

"Not long enough, if you ask me," Toxis muttered.

Leonardo managed a stiff bow, which rewarded him with a strange look from his old teacher.

"It would seem that you have been out of practice for quite some time," Splinter noted.

"He wouldn't be sayin' that if he had seen what Leo almost did to O'Connell," Toxis put in.

Splinter turned back to Brad. "When would you like him to begin?" he asked.

"As soon as possible, if it's okay," Brad answered.

"Wait...what?" Leonardo demanded. "You don't actually expect me to start training again, do you?"

In a split second, Splinter was behind Leonardo and had him on the floor before he knew what was happening.

"You could block that attack at one point," Splinter said. "You are out of practice. And, perhaps we will be able to get rid of that commanding tone in your voice." He hit Leonardo in the back of the head with his walking stick. "It would seem that you have been bitten by an extremely venomous viper."

"What's that old coot talkin' about?" Toxis demanded.

"He's taking about you and Bishop," Maddy spat. "Bishop's the viper and you're the venom."

Leonardo rubbed his head. "What was that for?" he asked.

Splinter hit him again. Brad didn't do anything to stop it. He felt like hitting his son a number of times since he returned from Speedway. Leonardo reminded Brad too much of his old police partner.

"You may go, Summers-san," Splinter said. "There is much work to be done and I would like to start right away."

"Thank you, Master Splinter. See you in a few hours, Leo."

Brad walked out of the school. Leonardo rubbed his sore head. This was going to be a nightmare. Unfortunately, he was powerless to stop it.

"Now, let us begin your training," Splinter said.

He started for a vacant dojo. Leonardo got to his feet and, still rubbing his head, followed his old sensei. The same thought past through Leonardo's, Toxis' and Maddy's mind. However, Maddy was the only one who wasn't being sarcastic.

This is going to be fun.


Let me know what you think.

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