Title: Death Note
Author: vashsunglasses
Rating: T
Fandom: TMNT
Disclaimer: The TMNT belong to Mirage, not me.
Summary: Four chapters, Four turtles, Four possible recipients of the Death Note.
Chapter Three
Leonardo
(continued from Prologue)
Leonardo was a pragmatic being. He was also a deeply spiritual one. So when he saw the Death Note he immediately recognized the dark power it possessed, and knew that it could be a valuable weapon in the right hands. He rented a safety deposit box as far away from the lair as he could find, so that his Master Splinter wouldn't sense it's power and question him or even take it away.
Leonardo knew that the book was evil, but he also knew that the world was evil and would snatch his family away if it could. So he kept the book hidden and ready for the day when his family would be in dire peril and it would be time to use it.
But today was not that day. Today he was fighting the ex-cop, current Foot Clan, waste of space known as Cha Ocho. They had worked together once, in order to find the killer of Cha's wife, but Cha had taken it too far and had killed the culprit. Leonardo had given him a scar across his face to mark his dishonor for all time, then left him. But Cha Ocho wasn't so easy to get rid of, and as Karai's right hand man, he seemed to find special pleasure in making life difficult for Leonardo.
And now they were fighting across the rooftops, his brothers around him fighting lesser Foot while Leonardo fought Cha. Cha was bragging as usual, something about how he "had the juice" to destroy Leonardo once and for all, but Leo wasn't worried, Cha Ocho was big on words, but next to him, he was nothing, juice or not.
Leonardo dodged each of Cha's strikes, while leaving stinging little cuts on Cha's body in return. Cha was breathing hard, but Leo hadn't even broken a sweat. Then Cha made a wild swipe with his sword that left him wide open to defeat and humiliation through Leo's sword. And Leo took the opening, stepped forward into an unseen oil slick, and fell in a heap at Cha's feet, swords clattering away to his sides, face planted in the roof tiles.
The fighting stopped, then everyone, brothers and enemies alike began to laugh. Cha laughed the hardest, turning his back on Leonardo and dismissing him as if beneath his notice. He called off his Foot and they ran away across the rooftops, sporadic laughter still ringing from time to time.
Donatello leaned over Leonardo's still unmoving form, "Leo, are you ok?" he asked in concern.
Leonardo twisted away, hissing in humiliation, "I'm fine." He snapped.
"Are you sure-" Michelangelo started, only to be stopped by Raphael.
"Just let Fearless Leader have some time alone Mikey," he said, still smirking slightly.
The image of the Death Note appeared in Leo's mind and soon it was all he could think about… "I'm going on a walk," he snapped, running towards the next roof, "Don't follow me, I'll be home later."
Leaving his brothers behind he ran across town, his legs and lungs burning but ignored by his driving anger at himself, and the piercing humiliation of what had happened. He slipped into the subway station with his safety deposit box and opened it. Thinking for a moment, he wrote what he needed to write, then shut it again. He needed to get home soon if he wanted to be rested for what would take place tomorrow night.
Entering the quiet of the Lair he lay on his sleeping mat, but was unable to sleep. He tried to meditate but everything was clouded. All he could think about, repeating over and over in his mind, was this night's humiliation and anticipation for tomorrow night. The day was long, and Leo was restless, but everyone left him alone, chalking it up to his defeat the night before.
And then it was night once more, and he lead his brothers across the rooftops back to where last night's fight had occurred. And there was Cha Ocho, just as he had written. And they fought again, just as he had written. And eventually Cha Ocho left a wide opening in his stance, just as he had written. And Leonardo struck Cha Ocho across the stomach, spilling his organs and killing him, just as he had written.
And his brothers stood around him, cheering him on. Cheering his victory. And he put on a smiling face over the emptiness inside him. This victory was hollow.