After six months of missteps, frustration, and arguments, Splinter's family had come to something of an understanding. They would continue searching for information, but it could no longer be the main focus of their lives. Splinter, Raphael and Michelangelo had essentially accepted that Donatello was dead, although they all had occasional moments of doubt. The three were working to move on with their lives, and to honor their fallen brother's legacy. Sure, there were questions surrounding his death, but life doesn't always provide you with the answers you are looking for. Countless families all around the world with missing loved ones can attest to that.
Leonardo alone still held out hope of finding his brother alive. For him, the search had grown into an obsession, robbing him of sleep, happiness, and any leisurely pursuits. Now that he had eliminated all of the leads that Karai had provided, there was one person that he was beginning to fixate upon. This person had an avid interest in the turtles. He had access to nearly unlimited funding and all of the technology and power that came along with it. He even had several grudges to settle with them. Perhaps most importantly, he had been connected to the Foot Mystics in the past. It was Agent John Bishop.
Unfortunately, Bishop was a hard man to find when he wanted to be, and without Donatello around to assist in the search, Leonardo was floundering. He was more than tired of waiting. To him, it was clearly time for a more direct approach, and he had called a family meeting to discuss his thoughts with the others. As he looked around the table, the faces he was met with were not those of the fierce warriors he had come to know. They looked tired, concerned, and full of pity. It made Leo's hackles rise.
"Come on, Leo, you haven't touched your pizza," Mikey urged. He nudged a box in Leo's direction. "You need to eat more. I'm really starting to worry about you."
"This isn't about pizza," Leo growled in frustration.
"Then eat some and I'll shut up," Mikey said, sensibly.
"I agree with Michelangelo," Splinter chimed in. "Have something to eat, Leonardo, then we'll talk."
Leonardo scowled as he aggressively shoved an entire slice of pizza into his mouth and swallowed it after far too little chewing. "Satisfied?" he coughed.
"Yes, my son," Splinter nodded, as he struggled to suppress his irritation at his son's impertinence. "Self-care is important. This is a good start."
Leonardo rolled his eyes, as he made a show of taking another slice. "Anyways, as we all know, finding Bishop has proven to be trickier than anticipated."
"Yeah, and that makes me all the more suspicious that he has a hand in this," Raphael agreed. While Raphael wholeheartedly believed that Donnie was dead, he still wanted answers. Raphael had never been the type of turtle to just take things sitting down. His whole family was suffering. One of his priceless, irreplaceable brothers was dead. Somebody needed to pay, preferably with blood.
"Maybe it's time that we make it clear that we're looking for him." Leo stated firmly. "I think that we should storm Area 51."
Mikey spit soda across the table "WHAT!"
Splinter glared at Michelangelo as he wiped the drink from his robe. "Leonardo, this idea seems...foolish."
"No kidding it's foolish," Raphael shouted. "That place is crawling with hostile government agents. We wouldn't stand a chance of getting to Bishop there."
Leonardo threw his hands up. "Well, clearly we need a good plan first. That's what this meeting is about."
Raphael's response was dripping in sarcasm. "Oh, so you weren't just planning on waltzing through the gates? Well, that's a load off my mind. So, what's it gonna be? Parachute drop? Show up wearing signs that say, 'dissect me'? Sneak in in the back of a laundry truck?"
"Maybe," Leo sneered. "Any other ideas?"
"I've got an idea," Mikey put in. "I say we don't do it!"
"Then what would you have us do, Mikey?" Continue sitting around watching TV and eating pizza?" Leo said as he mockingly waved his slice around. "Our brother is out there, probably suffering and alone, but hey, let's forget about that. Why bother trying to rescue him when we can just sit around on our shells, scarf down a few meat-lovers, and watch a movie or two?"
Raphael immediately stood to defend Michelangelo, his chair crashing to the ground behind him, but it was Splinter who spoke first, in a commanding voice that still made his sons quiver. "Leonardo! You forget yourself!"
Leonardo turned to his father in shock. "We are all suffering!" Splinter continued. "We have all lost a loved one! Do you feel that lashing out at your brothers will improve the situation? Do you feel that ignoring your own needs will bring Donatello home?"
Leonardo sat in silence and absorbed this. His father and brothers quietly returned to eating, not wanting to push Leo any further. They weren't angry. If anything, they were sympathetic and concerned for his wellbeing.
"I'm sorry," Leonardo said after a while. "I admit I've been on edge and I've been short tempered with you guys. I'll try to do better."
"Thank you, Leonardo," Splinter said as he placed a paw over his son's three fingered hand.
"But," Leonardo said, "I still think we need to go after Bishop."
"Come on, Leo, what reason is there to think that Bishop was involved?" Raphael asked in the most non-argumentative tone that he could muster.
"Who else would've been able to produce that signal and hack Donnie's network? Who else would take our brother and then ask nothing of us? Our other enemies would taunt us, but Bishop would keep Donnie, study him. It just makes sense, doesn't it?" The edge of anger was totally gone from Leonardo's voice. There was only desperation now.
"The Triceraton could've been behind it. They could've taken Donnie and left without a trace," Michelangelo said quietly. He hated entertaining this idea that Donnie was alive. To him, there was no hope of that. At this point, he was so worried about Leo's seemingly tenuous grip on reality that he felt it was best just to play along.
"If it were the Triceraton, there would've been a ship," Raphael said. "And why would they only want Donnie when they could've taken all of us? They had no specific beef with him." Raphael knew what Michelangelo was trying to do, but deflection and distraction was not what was needed now. Leonardo needed to come to grips with reality. They had been dancing around the truth for long enough.
Michelangelo shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't really thought it was the Triceraton. He was just trying to derail the crazy-train that Leo had boarded.
Leonardo was completely unaware of the subtext of the conversation. "Not only that, but if the Triceraton were around, then Bishop would know about it. So, we keep coming back to him," he said.
Splinter sighed. "You really want to pursue this?"
"Yes, father. I need to."
"Leonardo, may I remind you that just last week you were convinced that Donatello was dead? And prior to that you were convinced it was the Foot? What has changed since then?"
"Nothing father. It's just that every night, when I lay down and close my eyes, I just keep thinking 'what if...what if.' How can I move on when it keeps haunting me? Have you guys? be honest with me." Leo looked at the faces of his family imploringly.
Mikey spoke first. "I'll help you however I can. I'm with you…. But Leo, I don't share these doubts that you have. In my mind, Donnie is….dead. He's dead, Leo. We saw what happened. How could he have made it out alive? What evidence is there that he did?"
Leonardo opened and closed his mouth, but said nothing, so Raphael spoke next. "I think he's dead too, Leo. It's not like I never have doubts, but to me, those doubts are really nothing more than wishful thinking. It's not like I want to give up on him. It's just that I genuinely don't see how he could've lived." There were tears running down Raph's face now, in a rarely seen show of emotion. He let them fall unhindered. "I think he's looking down at us now, and he's wanting us to move on. You know how Donnie was. All he ever wanted was peace. Peace for the world, but most of all, peace for us. It's been six months, Leo. It's time to face the truth. He wouldn't want you doing this to yourself. Especially not on his behalf."
Splinter nodded sadly. "I didn't see what you boys saw that night, but I did feel him being ripped away from us. Not only that, but Donatello's continued absence on the spiritual plane is, to me, very clear evidence of his death. As painful as it may be, I agree that he would want us all to move on and find some sort of closure. Donatello could never stand to see anyone suffer, let alone his family."
Leonardo stared at the tabletop. "If you tell me to stand down, I will."
Splinter looked to Raphael and Michelangelo, who nodded forlornly. "Then it is decided. We are not storming Area 51. Leonardo, your brothers and I will try to help you accept what has happened. Raphael is correct that this is what Donatello would have wanted."
"Okay," Leonardo said simply.
"Leo," Raphael said. "We'll still keep our ears to the ground, and as soon as Bishop pokes his head out, we'll be all over it. Donnie's blood is on somebody's hands. I'm not about to let anybody get away with killing my brother. You're right that Bishop is as good a lead as any. You know he'll come after us eventually, and when he does, we'll be all over it."
"Thanks," Leo said, sadly. "Don't think I'm mad at you guys. I'm not. I guess I'm just...lost, right now." Leo left the table, needing some time alone. The family that he left behind spent the rest of the evening discussing how best to help him heal.
As always, thanks for reading, and thanks to those of you who have taken a moment to favorite, follow, and review. I really appreciate it!
