Paradox: Chapter 4

In the shadows of trees, two figures materialized. Renet turned around, relieved no one had seen their arrival. She stowed the cube. "July 1, 1983..." she said softly. If there had been a time-ripple in 1953, it hadn't bothered the cube much...

Leo didn't answer, he was already moving through the trees, away from her.

"Huh? Leo-?" she called, but he didn't seem to be aware of her.

He headed to a section where the ground dipped down, overlooking a small creek below. When he stopped to crouch at the edge of a covering shrub, she knelt beside him. Wordlessly she waited, but Leo wasn't expecting danger. He was looking down at a sewer entrance, his face reflecting intense longing.

A finger pointed, reached towards the dark entrance. "This... This is where we come out into the Park from -" his voice cracked as he gestured in another direction. "I'm - there... Home..."

It's the time, Renet thought. It's one thing to be in the fifties, but now it's hit him. Can't let him get like this.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "And you will, but right now I don't think it'd be a good idea to go visit yourself. The shock would be overwhelming. And I don't think Splinter would like having twins. Course, you guys nearly look alike anyway."

"We do not! Raph's got the biggest nose!"

Renet smiled, gotcha! "C'mon, we've got work to do."

She moved back through the trees and after checking to make sure it was clear, stepped out on the path.

Leo joined her, setting the hat on his head and flipping the flap on his coat up to hide his features. He was becoming more relaxed about moving in public.

"Renet? What if we mess up again?"

"Hey, third time's the charm! You can't worry about the what ifs in this line of work. Unless you like headaches. Now let's go find us a hotel. We're staying first class tonight! Experiencing some of the finest in New York accommodations!"

The finest accommodations of New York all right, Leo thought a short time later, sizing up the situation. We haven't even been here half an hour and we're already being mugged!

They'd arrived in the evening, and the sun had soon dropped below the skyscrapers. The lamps were growing stronger as the dark night began to stretch out from the trees.

"Heya baaybee. Don't fight it, then I won't have ta get rough, ya know?" The one tough showed a switchblade, flipping it around his hand as he closed in on Renet.

Three others surrounded Leo, snickering. They didn't seem to be packing guns. That was a good thing.

Renet glared as the tall youth swaggered. "Think yous can handle the kiddy? While I show the lady what a real man is?"

"I don't think you can..." Leo grumbled, then suddenly spun into action. His hand snaked forward, pulling one kid in close for a twist of joints and a foot sweep that had the villain in agony on the ground in a second. One punched him low in the back, where, if not for shell, it would have hurt.

"Wha- tha - owwwww!" he moaned over his hand backing away in fear.

Laughing in a low chuckle, Leo ducked the third to get to the knife-wielder.

But Renet was not foolish after her years of time traveling. It was clear she knew knife fights were messy things, often a matter of what were you willing to sacrifice to get the knife. She stood quiet, appraising her macho man. Her purse carefully set for defensive purposes. Leo was pleased with her.

The macho tough puffed up, showed off by flipping the knife around as he stepped into her, until the incoming turtle did a foot sweep that had him down kissing dirt, Leo's knee in his back, and an arm twisted back in a pain-numbing hold.

Renet stomped on his other hand, and kicked the knife away, as the punk howled.

The one Leo had dodged around came at him from behind, Leo ducked again and grabbing his arms, went into a roll that had the punk landing with painful thunk with the sound of snapping bone.

That kid started screaming, holding his arm.

The knife punk was enraged, and used his chance to scramble to his feet, scrabbling for his knife.

Grinning as the kid finally got it, Leo stood up, and reaching back - removing the cloth covering - drew a sword.

He did a quick show-off flash move, just to make it clear in terms the kid would understand, 'I know how to use this.' He took a ready stance, and waited, studying in his opponent in total stillness.

"What the $%&* are yous, man?! You jus' ain't right!" The punk fled, running with the others.

Leo sheathed the sword, and started shaking.

"Well done Leo! Uh... something wrong?"

"I... just fought people for the first time! I... never actually used all that stuff against anyone but my brothers in training."

Renet grinned, kissed him on the cheek. "My hero. Thanks."

Leo smiled back.

"Now, let's see about getting somewhere with a hot shower and no bed bugs!"

~o~

He yawned and rolled over. Snuggled back into the sheets, amazed at the sheer luxury of all this. Sleeping in such a huge bed. Ice machines, a color TV that worked perfectly, mints on the pillows...

He'd been in near hysterics over that. Candy in bed! Mikey would love this one!

Toilet paper all folded. Everything so incredibly neat and plush and clean. And so airy...

Renet had left early, so she could get a few things she would need for today. She'd left the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, and told him he could order room service as long as he did not go wild on his breakfast.

"I won't do anything to attract attention. I am ninja," he'd said as she left. And promptly sunk back into the bed. It was not quite him to be so lazy, but every once in a while...

Leo'd had time after waking up the second time for a short work-out. He'd stayed light enough on his feet so as not to pound the floor. Even gotten a kick out of seeing himself in the mirrors. Then he'd briefly cleaned up while waiting for Room Service, staying in the bathroom until it was delivered. He was finishing eating a simple breakfast of oatmeal and fruit when Renet returned with a couple bags.

"Well today's the day to find this guy," she said draining the last of a cup of coffee. "Hope he's there on a Saturday or this could get very tricky."

"So he's at Columbia?"

"Yep." Renet finished loading the film into one of her purchases. "Say cheese!" she joked, pointing the Polaroid camera at the Sceptre. A bright flash and the picture was rolling out of the bottom. Leo was fascinated with the thing.

"Here," Renet said, handing him the picture. "Peel the cover off after a minute."

"You think this will work?"

"Do McDonald's clerks have zits?"

Leo grinned, watching the clock closely. "Think our plan is going to work?"

Renet sauntered off to the bathroom. "A little change of clothes, put my hair up just so, pout like Madonna, flash him the photo, and Mr. Scientist, AKA Dr. Destructo will be eating right out of my hand."

She shut the bathroom door, humming.

The minute up, Leo peeled the cover off, and there was the Sceptre, captured on film. Just like the TV commercials! He picked the camera up, studying it. Donnie would have loved this.

An odd string of curses echoed from the bathroom, and seconds later, the door opened as Renet came out in an extremely tight pair of shorts.

"Leo, it's not polite to stare. Stupid fashion trends! 'Daisy Dukes' indeed."

FLASH!

"You fiend!" Renet cried as a laughing Leo grabbed the Polaroid and ran to lock himself in the bathroom until it developed.

"All right, Leo. Enjoy your laugh. I'm outta here. I'm already running late! Remember you're on Guard Duty!"

"Yeah, Renet! Good luck!" Leo called. Hearing the door to the room close, he peeled the cover back. "Not bad. Great facial expression!"

No reply. Cautiously, he opened the bathroom door. Was she really gone?

On alert, Leo crept out into the room, but she didn't ambush him from anywhere. He sat down with a sigh at the table, set the picture down and stared glumly at it.

He was disappointed she hadn't faked him out, he'd been hoping for an attack. Being with her was a blast, but he missed his brothers. Badly. It's ok, everything'll be fine real soon. We'll get it right this time!

Resting his chin on his hands on the table, he came eye-level with the Sceptre...

...which he hadn't held since the day he'd tried to break it. He could still recall the shock it had given him. Numbing all the way up his arms in a weird, non-tingly kind of way. "Are we doing the right thing now?" he asked it.

It just sat there, reflecting light, sands very dimly glowing pink.

"Well, it is your fault I'm here." Leo stood up and walked over to the window. Renet kept the sheers closed so no one could spy into the room. It also meant his view of the day-lit world was veiled.

"July 3. What am I doing? Almost noon... oh yeah. Lunch. Mikey is about to burn the rice..."

He frowned, it seemed like months ago, what he'd done, was doing today. "No wonder Renet gets confused with all this time hopping. But just wait till I get back! Splinter's going to be amazed at how I've changed! I hope he'll be proud of me."

Turning back, he wondered what to do with his time. TV was just soap operas right now. And he didn't want to get in trouble jumping on the beds again. Although that had been fun last night, jumping from one to the other, flipping and flying back again.

Until Renet distracted him with planning how to get the scientist to let her near the Sceptre.

The Sceptre.

That's what it all came down to. That odd, clawed hand. Those mysterious sands... glowing brighter...

Leo's fingers hovered over the light, light that gave off no heat. The hand beckoned to him, the hand that pulled him from death as the water closed over him...

Fingers touched the hand...

And closed around the Sceptre, lifting it.

Part of him was wondering why it didn't shock him. He shouldn't be holding it! He was only supposed to be watching it.

But it hummed to him. Sang to him. Of Power. Of All Things Connected. Of Time...

Scared, Leo set it down and backed away. "I'm sorry! Don't zap me again, ok?"

The glow of the sands dimmed, but otherwise the Sceptre didn't answer him.

"Yeah. Fine. Think I'll go take a nice long, hot bath. That ok with you?" Leo headed for the bathroom, then stopped. "But I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight. It's my duty..."

Heaving a sigh, Leo reached out again, gingerly picking the Sceptre up, taking it to the bathroom and setting it down on a towel on the counter. No shocks. No strange occurrences.

Letting out a long-held breath, Leo set about filling the nice, large tub. "Guys'd think I'm crazy talking to this thing. Better not tell them about this part..."

~o~

Renet batted her eyelashes ever so slightly. Hours of walking, talking and searching were over. Success was almost here! "Would you like to see it?" From her purse she slipped the Polaroid out and dangled it before him, like a carrot before a horse. She'd gone to the University with the cover of wanting to be a Transfer Student. Had worked up a whole background story, and knew more than enough of physics and science to talk her way into an introduction interview to the professor she needed to meet: Jay Mansour. She impressed him with her knowledge, spiced it with some feminine whiles - he was rather handsome actually - the tiniest dash of her old 'bimbo-in-need-of-male-help' routine. Had finally found a way of bringing up 'a certain odd artefact' in line with the talk of his research projects, this mysterious object that had given her the drive to enter science as a career choice. And that her current University wasn't capable of helping her find the answers about. Smirked to herself that what she was saying really was based on truths in its way.

"My God..." the man breathed, reaching for the picture.

She let him hold it. You're mine!

"What? You have some idea?" she asked, all innocence and wonder.

"You said it was your uncle's?"

"Yes. He was always hoping someone could investigate it, though it didn't seem to have any great value to him really. It has this most unusual glow, but with no heat! It emanates some sort of energy, but what powers it? The setting seems old, but what it is and what it's for?" She shrugged, gave him an intense look.

"Very well, Miss...?"

"Renet. You can call me Renet."

Jay nodded, eyes glazed as she took the photograph from his fingers. Hooked completely!

He blinked. "Renet. So you're wanting to be a transfer student here. How would you like to join me in my research? This object appears to have something in common with my current line of studies on alternative energy sources..."

"Why, I'd love too! Once I get all the paper work processed I will make sure to enroll in your classes."

"Great. How's Monday sound?"

"Uh... huh?" Don't look too eager now, be confused.

"I know what you're thinking, but it's a holiday! A perfect day for doing research!"

"Mm hmm," Renet added in a hint of having caught a suggestion, and gave him a flirtatious look. "Meaning, you just can't wait till Fall term then..."

Jay blushed a bit, "Uh... Yes. No! Uh... What I mean is that we'll have full access to all diagnostic equipment, and no one else requiring usage. We can study the object now, before the semester starts and everything gets crazy."

Renet paused a bit, as though dealing with shock of being overwhelmed with this Opportunity. He really was the hard-driven scientist she knew he had to have been - be. The other Sceptre had his full interest, of course. She was talking to the man who destroyed the world...

"Wow! This is incredible! Can I get a quick tour now? Get familiar with the place?"

He looked at his watch. "I wish I could, but I've got an early dinner appointment, got to keep that grant money coming in don't you know? But feel free to take a quick look around. I'll get Sue to get you a key and pass for the lab door."

"Thank you so much!" she smiled her best.

"So I'll see you Monday afternoon then?"

"It's a date! The object and I will be here!"

Jay got up to shake her hand, then escorted her to Sue, his assistant. She was a genuinely nice woman, and very intelligent. Renet immediately liked her. She got a tour of the labs, memorizing as best she could all the critical stuff for the planned secret return visit with Leo. If Sue seemed suspicious of Renet in any way, she didn't show it.

Renet left with pass and key in hand, comfortable there would be success this time.

~o~

They'd waited until nightfall. Very late Sunday night, or more properly, the opening hours of the Fourth.

Renet had slept in, waking to find Leo in meditation. It was after 11 am before they even sat down for the planning session, Renet making sketches and working out plans with Leo based on her surveillance trip of the place. At one point, Leo groaned he really needed his brothers and Splinter to do this right. She reminded him he had done fine so far. Certainly they could come up with something to deal with the security system. This was only a university building after all, not the World Trade Center.

She'd made a lunch run for some pizza. Then back out to get the stuff needed for tonight's raid. Finally they had taken an early evening siesta, Leo showing a few signs of restlessness from being cooped up, it took him a while to fall asleep.

Now, garbed in black, she followed Leo's cues until they arrived at the back of the lab building.

There he left her, climbing a tree to a ledge, and then onto the fire escape. In seconds he was silently at the top.

She checked her watch as she moved to the side entrance, pulling a rock and three full beer bottles out of her backpack. Shame to waste all of it, she thought uncapping one to take a swig.

"Blech, cheap stuff!" she spat. "I'm spoiled from too many trans-dimensionally good beers. Guess this swill can go do its job."

Here she was about to play the truant again. Picking up her armaments, a check to insure no one was around, she ran forward and chucked the rock through the glass doors. Before the tinkling of glass shards settled, the beer bottles were hurled in, followed by a long string of firecrackers hastily lit by the lighter. She heard the security alarm ringing between the bursts as she ran to the back, Leo coming down the fire escape to lower the bottom section for her.

She moved as silently as she could, following him to the upper door he'd opened at the same time she set the alarm off. He picked up the small bag he'd used as a prop, letting the door close behind them. Moving down the hall, they entered a dark lecture room to hide between the rows of seats while waiting out the police and security check.

Admittedly there were a number of ways they could have handled this. But with not enough time to visit the building again to fully learn the security set up, they decided making use of the holiday was the safest option: 'drunken vandals'.

Half an hour passed in full silence. No one had so much as walked through the hallway.

Renet was the one who started to fidget. Leo seemed fully in his element, so still and pulled into himself, as though he was barely there. She did her best to emulate that, but her mind was no more at rest than her need to shift every two minutes. She flitted onto imagining this as torture for her past pranks being a less than stellar student, onto what those glorious pranks had been. Onto this, that, and nearly everything. The cycle kept coming back to discomfort at this lack of activity, anathema to her very being. She was almost ready to scream at the silence when at last she heard him take a deep breath. He rose slowly, making it a stretching of muscles, while she nearly cried out from un-kinking painfully cramped-up legs, clinging to the seats to help herself up.

"This is why I am a Time Mistress and not a ninja," she whispered with a grinning grimace.

Leo motioned to her, demonstrating a stretch he clearly wanted her to do.

She complied, and felt the pain ease. Once more and she could move without stumbling, guiding the way to the lab.

She used her key to get into the lab. They looked for security cameras or other obvious alarms, didn't see any. So they began searching out the spots likely enough to hold the Sceptre. Renet had learned simple lock picking long ago, so she was no slouch as for getting into cabinets. They moved into Jay's office, and then to the inner lab. As much as she was tempted to look for his research on the Sceptre, she kept herself to the task of finding the thing so they could be done and go home. Whatever the that would mean to Leo, Time would be saved and the ripple taken care of. Renet was fully aware of this being personal to her home and family in the Null Void too. Lose this and she could say "oops sorry" to the end of time, to no one and nothing left...

Leo stared at the table, odd thingamajigs and lasery-looking things around it.

It was in the middle of a room, special radiation-proofed James Bond set-up. Not as futuristic or unearthly wildly designed as things in the 79th Level of Null Time. But fully intimidating. Terrifying. He didn't like this sterile place. It haunted of nightmares he and his brothers had.

In this closed off place, all one's attention was directed to whatever was on that table.

One would be able to forget everything else out there...

Renet bumped into him, and he jumped.

"Oops, sorry," she said as he relaxed from the defensive posture. Adding a weak grin as some hidden emotion crossed her face.

"I think we're out of places to look Renet..."

She nodded. Defeated. Shoulders drooped, she was tired and worn out. "I was afraid of this. He must bring it in with him. Dammit! And we don't have enough time to find his home address and raid that." She heaved a sad sigh, "Guess we wasted all this effort."

Leo didn't like seeing her like this. It wasn't the end of the world, yet. "Splinter says 'no snowflake ever falls in the wrong place'."

A puzzled face stared at him. "Huh?"

He shrugged, smirking. Guess she wasn't expecting Zen in the middle of a failed break-in mission. "Uhm... I guess that nothing is wasted."

Renet frowned at him. "Like every attempt we've made? If you say so. Come on, let's get out of here."

Oddly, Leo found himself laughing.

~o~

Renet came out of the bathroom surprised to see Leo still awake. He was flipping through a travel book on the city. Renet turned off the television. "Bed time! If we don't get some sleep we're gonna mess up tomorrow."

Leo set the book aside and slipped under the sheets. "This time traveling is pretty wild stuff! Almost makes me wish I could keep on doing this with you. But I'm looking forward to getting back to my brothers and Splinter."

"You were always pretty cool about it. But Raph," she laughed, "Raph hates it. He has this knack for landing on his head."

Leo snickered. Then got serious, "Renet? What's gonna happen when I meet you in three years? I mean, from after when I get home. I didn't know you then, right?" His fingers toyed with the edge of the sheet, twisting it.

Renet looked thoughtful as she sat on the edge of his bed. The words of Leo's question itself were a tangle. "No, you didn't already know me. And at that point, I was seven years younger, and I was meeting you guys for the first time too."

Leo frowned. "Then... then what about me?"

Renet sighed. She'd known this would come up sooner or later. But Leo filled her silence, "It's in your past, so you already know that?"

"Once we fix the timeline... you won't remember this one." She watched his face fall in disappointment.

"Then I won't get to tell them-"

"Leo, don't you dare get maudlin on me. I'll remember! And I will come and tell you the story."

"But what if you don't remember either?"

"I'm not the Great Paradox. I'll remember." Renet re-tucked the blankets around him. In three years he'd still be the same height, but the scrawniness would be filled-out. Power with gracefulness would replace the youthful awkwardness. And he would never ask questions this way. The things that were to come would change him dramatically.

She thought of herself in comparison, she'd been a downright brat when she'd "stolen" the Sceptre. But she imagined a thirteen year-old Michelangelo and Raphael... Donatello... baby sitter's Hell that would be. Poor Splinter, how did he handle it?

"But what if I don't believe you?"

"Well, I don't know about that. It hasn't happened yet."

Leo groaned. His mouth twisted as he puzzled through space/time conundrums. Then he brightened again. "The stuff I saw when we were-mind-linked. That's all gonna happen?"

"Assuming we fix time - yes."

"Wow! So I really will see dinosaurs! What else do I do?"

This too was something Renet had been expecting. "Well, I don't know what you guys did until I met you. And with my crazy schedule, I've certainly missed most of what you do between the times I see you. But I do know that I will meet four brave, noble, and totally gnarly dudes on a rooftop in New York one night in 1986."

Reaching up to turn off the light, she kissed him lightly on his brow, "Good night Leo."

"G'night Renet."

She knew he might think she was dodging his questions, but she had told him the truth, the truth as she knew it. She settled into her bed, I'm gonna miss him when we get this fixed.

"Renet? Raph's gonna be taller than me, isn't he?"

"Good Night Leo!"

~o~

It was late morning when he stirred to wakefulness. Considering it had been 4 am by the time they got to bed, that was fine. Then he remembered what today was.

The Fourth of July...

Right now, Splinter was making them work out. Hard. And being all excited at going to the fireworks, it was not one of their better efforts in concentration. "Hmm," Splinter had said rubbing his chin. "If this is the best you can do, I am not sure I can take such as this out into the world this night. The risks for a bit of entertaining fluff are great. Only those who show me they are worthy may make go..."

But for Splinter the fireworks were not just entertaining fluff either. It was like Chinese New Year, only bigger in scale and much warmer outside. Leo knew Splinter enjoyed the 'demon-chasing' light show.

Except that the fireworks that would go off early, had unleashed a world-devouring demon.

His head spun dizzily. "I'm thinking of this like it's the past!"

In fact, it was their last and final chance. Future.

"Forget what I said last night. I HATE time travel."

Renet stirred. Mumbled sleepily. "Tribble? No thanks. Fuzzballs. Worse 'n dust bunnies." She rolled over and fell asleep again.

Leo closed his mouth that was hanging open. Sat with his head in hands. "Never mind, I don't want to know." Which wasn't quite true. He was totally torn between wanting to go back to just being the simple ninja student of Splinter, and what impact this incredible journey had done to him.

How could he even go back to the pettiness of fights with Raph when he had been on the Titanic?

How could he look at Mike's apparent stupid goofiness when he had seen him dead?

How could he belittle Don for wasting time on those gadget things when he had seen the 79th Level of Null Time?

How could he face Splinter's Lessons, all that frustrating and mind-wearying weight of knowledge he was putting to real use?

How could he go back?

Maybe Renet is right, it is better if I forget all this.

But part of him wanted so bad to tell them all of it. How good it had felt to use the stuff Splinter had taught him. Even to admit he'd been wrong about some things. Life was a lot bigger and more complicated than he'd believed in his ignorance.

He hopped off the bed to gently tap Renet's shoulder. "Renet, time to get up."

Renet groaned. Leo repeated the request.

"Is it afternoon already?"

"It is now."

Renet grumbled as she headed for the shower. Leo used the time for a work out. "Figures it would come down the Last Chance," he snorted, honing his focus by recalling the details of the lab. Now that he had the place known, and he knew the destruction would not happen till evening, he felt better about this attempt.

"We didn't waste that trip last night." And last night had been Fun! There had been a thrill that ran with the fear something would mess them up, the adventure of it. But having the confidence he could do it. They had things planned out...

An awake and cheerful Renet emerged from the bathroom. "Ahh, much better. Except these gnadding tight shorts!"

"Gnadding?"

Renet giggled. "Oh! A friend started, that, it's dang backwards! Sometimes I do slip up on what I say when."

"Geez! Do you realize how much we say has words about time in them? It's giving me a headache!" Leo groaned, gathering his gear together, checking it all over for weaknesses. First the leather, then the blades. He still felt a thrill of pride at hefting his Splinter-bestowed swords.

"I will not fail you Splinter... my brothers..." he whispered with a reverent bow.

The whole process also a mind-clearing ritual, as he put all the pads and harness on, settled the swords in place, and lastly tied the bandanna around his head.

A grinning Renet appraised him. "Very impressive. You know, you have really changed..."

"It's the years." Leo joked. Going over without thinking about it, he picked up and handed her the Sceptre with a bow. "Shall we?"

"Let's blow this pop stand!" Renet reached to take the Sceptre, only to fall backwards as it gave her a shock. Leo almost dropped it in surprise. "Renet?!" he asked, voice cracking with panic.

She reeled in surprise from the jolt.

"What could this possibly mean?!" she wondered aloud, her face drained of color. "My Sceptre has never done this to me!"

Setting it down on the table, Leo backed away. "There, try again. Must have been my mistake holding it."

Tentatively, she touched it, her hand jerking back in reflex as it shocked her again.

"I'm sorry Renet! I didn't mean to mess up the Sceptre!"

Renet stood in frozen tenseness. "No, Leo, no... This is not your fault. If the Sceptre is doing this to me, then it has its reasons."

She looked him over with a searching gaze. Being studied, probed, interrogated, and questioned by her eyes disturbed him. He took a step backwards in rising fear.

"It wants you, Leonardo. It has thrown me over. For you..." She chewed a fingernail, clearly upset. "Dear Sands of Time, Sim was right! Oh, Leo," she said with tears in her eyes. "You are the Holder of Sceptre of the Sacred Sands of Time now."

He couldn't accept what she was saying! "But it hates me! It shocked me when - "

Renet grabbed his shoulders, cutting him off. "Leo, we don't-" she sighed. "We don't have time for this. There are things that each Holder must learn. And I have to teach you, or we are going to fail. It takes Years to train Holders!...years..."

She could not stop the tears. "Sim, dammit! I hope you're laughing at this! 'What goes around'? But this is not a joke! EVERYTHING is at stake in this!"

She wanted to take hold of the Sceptre and beat it to dust for its insolence. It was HER Sceptre! And with what was the single most important thing she would ever do at hand, it betrayed her!

A green finger gently lifted a tear from her face. She looked into eyes that overflowed with sorrows as deep as hers. She had Seen them. The Sceptre had chosen her for its reasons. Now she had to bend to its decision to choose Leo -

"Ok," she sucked in a shuddering breath. Wiped the rest of the tears away. "Well, good thing we know what's going to happen when, 'cause we are going to be a bit delayed. I don't have the time to teach you all you should know, but I will do my damndest to make sure you don't mess up."

~o~

Admit it.

You're lost.

And this confusion isn't helping.

You made a wrong turn somewhere.

Leo stopped near a grate, squinting upward, hoping for some clue to where he was.

He was for the first time since the- Accident-back in the haunts beneath the City. Their streets.

Renet had watched him descend, asking in concern if he was sure he was able to do this. That she could try to find some other way of getting him to the lab with her.

I needed to do this...

At first, it was very eerie. This was a homecoming of sorts.

His limited view through the grate showed nothing distinctive, so he climbed carefully at the next manhole, picking a very quiet one. He was in an alley off of 94th.

I am going the wrong way! Reoriented, he headed for the feel of the subway, to get along the 1/9 route. If he could stick roughly with that, it would guide him right to Columbia University.

But his self confidence was fading. He was totally alone in unfamiliar sewers. And the longer he was down here, the harder it was to keep nipping hounds of memory at bay.

He walked nervously. Jumpy. Edgy. Shadow and odd light, echoing sounds of a subway passing stirred up overly vivid memories of the sewers rumbling and collapsing. His leg kinked up thinking of the days pinned with the rock. Summer heat smells brought up the stale air and worse.

Raph's dead stare.

He stopped, bent forward in a dizzying, near black-out. He gulped for air in shallow gasps, his heart racing. His family dead and mangled ringed him round, he was trapped, hands reaching out as legs no longer supported him. Dropping to his knees, the Sceptre Renet had gingerly helped rig to his sword harness thunked him in the shell.

Holder of the Sceptre?

All that Responsibility?

All that Power?

His mind screamed denial.

"I don't want to be a Time Lord!"

I'm just a kid!

He sobbed brokenly, a loss of the youth he should have been for all the death and destruction he had seen. He had no father, no mother ever known, no Sensei. No one to hold him, guide him.

I don't know enough for this! I'm going to screw up!

And then it all ends again...

Ends...

Something took that thought and shoved it in his face.

End.

Death.

That was what he was afraid of. He could not see what was going to happen to him when this was done. He'd toyed at it, never looked it full on. Renet didn't even know what was going to happen to him either.

He felt used. A puppet. Even a little betrayed.

He felt very scared at that Unknown.

What would it be?

Oblivion?

Renet said I won't remember this stuff.

What is going to happen to ME?

Who is 'me' ?

He thought of the Other Leo as a separate person now. Knew he was not the same at all. Not from the moment the Sceptre had appeared and rescued him.

But for what? So I can cease to exist? He goes on and I don't? He never knows me?

So what am I? Nothing?

Aren't we the same being?

He howled a torn and ragged primal cry. Lost in the twisted blackness of despair, until he started coughing from the crying.

Acting like a baby, part of him said. But that only made it worse. It sounded of words of his brothers. Cutting and cold words. That thing of 'grow up'.

He choked again, swallowed hard, laying there a shaking helpless mess. The worst part was, there were no answers he could find. There was no one to tell him the truth. He only had himself. And he was doing a miserable job of it.

Some hero I am.

What does nothing mean?

No value?

So what happens to me? Am I real? Don't I get to Live?

Or am I being punished for being a mistake?

I can't even run away-I have no choice at all-I never had a choice in this! If I don't go, we all die.

If I go-?

How can there be two of us?!

Why two?

Who am I?

He choked again, another fit of coughing.

"Breathe Leo", a voice of memory whispered. Splinter's voice. "Go back to the most basic thing you do, that you do normally without thinking."

He pushed himself up, forced himself into a half-lotus position. Knees touching the ground, he anchored his body. Focused on counting the breaths, and returning to that every time his mind wandered into the tangles. His tears dried as his breathing evened out. Centering and stilling his mind.

Unbidden, another lesson of Splinter's from the Zen masters arose.

"'Even truth is to be relinquished. To say nothing of untruth. When you recognize nature and accord with its flow - there is no more elation and no more sorrow.'"

And for the first time, he truly Understood it. Glimpsed the essence of it.

He jumped up with a new resolve gone beyond thought and logic. Leo still didn't fully Know what he was to do, or Who he was, but he had something to Do. All he had to do was go with it. Then the truths would reveal themselves.

Brushing the dirt off his legs, Leo felt a return to normalcy with his new resolve. "Gah... Got to find some clean water so I don't get to Renet looking like-like I rolled in the sewers!"

~o~

Renet sat on the park bench. In a near doze. She'd called to say she would be late. But Jay seemed to be late himself.

Given rough travel estimates, Leo should be here any time.

Bells tolled out the hour of six.

She sighed and shifted to a new position. Pacing and walking had worn her out after her cab dropped her off.

Waiting again. Don't like this. Leaves me too much time to think. Hoping I told him all he's going to have to know. That I didn't mess up something. He looked so overwhelmed and unhappy, that I could not stay jealous of what the Sceptre did.

But oh how I see how other Time Lords must have felt when the Sceptre chose the snotty brat: me.

Not that it still didn't hurt. After all, there was some pride to being the Time Lord to correct this paradox ripple. Even if some would hate her all the more for it. And now she was going to be in the back seat, the sidekick, the back-up. "Long's it ain't bein' a red shirt..."

She ran fingers through errant hair sticking in her mouth and tucked it back behind her ear.

Settling back, she closed her eyes, listening to the city sounds of New York on July 4, 1983...

When she snapped awake, it was to the horror it was nearly seven!

No Leo.

"Shit!"

The whole thing was slipping away now.

Think! He said they were on their way to the fireworks-on their WAY to. Not at.

Which means they would have left several hours beforehand so they could be there wherever they went to watch from.

Which means-

Renet stood up. It means it's going to happen anytime now!

She grabbed her bag, fumbling for the pass and keys as she dashed for the lab.

"Looks like I am going to have to do this without him. Nothing ever goes easy does it?!"

The front doors were unlocked. She entered and used the stairs, having no patience for elevators.

She used the key to get into the lab. Found by the lights that Jay was indeed there. But not in his office.

"Dear Sands - he's in the shielded room!"

And the door to that was locked. A lock she had not gotten a key to, that last night Leo had picked for her.

She knocked. Then knocked again. And again.

No response.

"So much for our date - "

There was a yellow Post-it note on the floor. It must have fallen from the door. She snatched it to read: "Hi Renet, started prelims, will check to see if you made it after. Have to keep door locked for safety reasons. - Jay"

Start prelims?

Yeah, preliminary to something you don't want!

Frantically, she studied the lock, wondering if she could get it picked.

A quick search turned up a narrow metal bar and she started jiggling the lock with it. I've done this before too, she growled.

The bar snapped, leaving the end jammed in the lock.

Too much!

She flew through a long list of curses of many travels, throwing herself against the door in total frustration. A rage born of fear.

"Renet?" a soft voice asked.

It sunk in, and she turned to see Leo.

She almost leapt to hug him.

"He's in there, isn't he?"

She nodded. He was very composed, even though she could see the edge of Things Unknown in his eyes. He's in the grip of this destiny now. It left her unwilling to even ask why he was so long getting here; time was moving, and moving them with its tides.

Leo motioned her aside, touched the door, leaned his weight into it. Then took a step back, and in a sudden snapping kick, his foot impacted near the handle, the lock exploding and falling into pieces as the door flew open, a long crack running up its length.

Neither paused to admire the handiwork, as Renet ran into the shielded lab area, Leo trailing her cautiously.

Behind the window, behind the sealed door, a goggled Jay was working a laser. The other Sceptre was laying on the table.

Renet yelled, pounding on the window. He stopped, surprised to see her. He turned off equipment, then walked to the door.

She felt damp sweat chill as a shiver wracked her. Relief. They had it now!

Until she saw beyond him as he opened the door, and knew what that glow meant. Trouble!

"Renet?! Do you realize how dangerous it was for you to interrupt me? Didn't you see the note?"

"How - " Renet choked. "How far were you going to go? Drill that open?!"

The man's face froze in a mix of awe and horror. His mouth hung open.

"My apologies, but your work is done," Leo said. In another fast move, the Turtle closed in and with the man in a tight hold, twisted some things and pushed on others to send him into unconsciousness. It was mere seconds, and Leo was letting the scientist slip to the ground.

"Help me get him tied up and out of here. I don't know how long he'll be out."

Renet pulled the rope and gag out of her bag. They trussed him up and took him back out to a closet.

They shoved a filing cabinet in front of it as precaution, even though Leo was fairly certain Jay would not get free of the knots he had tied.

She noticed the grimness in him until he was done. Then he lost the sorrow, but the odd seriousness remained. Almost as though he was only half listening to her.

"We did it Leo! We stopped him!" She was not about to bring up what she thought she saw and what that could mean about the Sceptre. That she was sure it was not going to be as simple as picking the thing up and leaving. They'd arrived a little too late for that.

"Renet, promise you'll tell me what I did, someday, when it's ok to... if you remember me..."

"Of course I will, Leo." She gave him a quick hug, then headed for the inner lab. She heard a small rustling noise behind her...

And then the world went suddenly very dark, very black...

~o~