Author's Note: Standard disclaimer still applies. ;) Just a quick not before I begin - many, many thanks to Tori Angeli for doing a fabulous job as Beta reader. If you haven't done so, be sure to read her stuff! If you already have, go read it again! It's that good!
Another long chapter, but I hope you enjoy it.
Bound
By KameTerra
Chapter 10
Catalysts for Change
Once Donatello had found a suitable location for his new living quarters, the fact of his move went from a distant possibility in Leo's mind to a looming certainty. Don spent every moment he wasn't training or sleeping trying to get things ready, and while Leo pitched in where he could, it was Michelangelo who really came through for Don, throwing himself into the effort with all of the energy he usually put into avoiding anything that remotely resembled work.
Maybe it was partly because he'd been the one to find the place, or perhaps it was more due to Donatello treating him as an asset rather than a nuisance for a change. Whatever the reason, days around the lair began to resemble a stage production with extended intermissions—long periods of quiet while Mike and Don were away cleaning the new space from top to bottom or off on salvage runs, punctuated by bright, animated scenes co-starring the two of them getting things ready, brainstorming and joking, arguing and cooperating.
And then there was Raphael—an extra with no lines.
Raph was aware that Don had found a location for his new living quarters; Leonardo had personally seen to that. Unsurprisingly, the only response Raphael had given was a shrug and a muttered, "good for him." But that night Raphael had gone out again, and when he'd returned just before dawn, his smell, his energy, was all wrong. Wherever he'd been, Leonardo would bet his katana it wasn't with April.
Since Don and Raph didn't seem inclined to spend time together voluntarily, Leo settled for making it happen by pairing them up frequently during rooftop runs, hoping it might help them re-forge some sort of connection. But he was reluctant to put Don and Raph together for anything more involved than short drills—they encountered trouble semi-frequently on their nighttime excursions, and any slight hesitation, any awkwardness when they were fighting together could lead to detection, injury, or death. The problem was, how would he really know for certain he could trust them unless he just turned them loose together?
The chance to find out arrived unexpectedly one night during an otherwise typical workout. They had just reconvened and were heading home at the end of several hours of practice on the rooftops, when telltale noises alerted them to suspicious activities taking place down below. The four halted as one, and moved soundlessly to investigate.
What met their eyes when they peered down into the alley was a burglary in progress—two men shuttling loot between a first floor window of the very building they were standing on, and a van parked just inside the alley, situated for a quick getaway when the theft was complete. There was also at least one man in the vehicle, and at least one inside the building. He figured there could be as many as seven men, and the leader felt rather than saw his brothers' eyes as they turned on him—eager, waiting. It was his call.
He studied the men below more closely, trying to gauge their level of expertise and physical fitness. Not pros, he concluded, but not novices either. The job seemed well organized, and these men didn't show the jumpiness, the hesitation typical of amateurs. The two he could see well looked like they could probably handle themselves in a tight situation. Leo considered briefly, weighing the risks against the possible benefits, but it was too perfect to pass up.
"Raph. Don. You're up," he said in a voice just barely above a whisper. A flash of white in the dark was all he caught of Raphael's eager grin, and Mike shifted restlessly. "Mike and I will be on standby if you need us," he added, effectively letting them know they were to come up with their own plan.
Ignoring Mike's groan of disappointment, Leo did some more quick factoring in his head. No, the odds weren't quite what he wanted…
"Switch weapons," he instructed firmly without taking his eyes off the men below. He didn't want things to be too easy on his brothers—that would defeat the purpose.
Don and Raph glanced at each other but hesitated, the tension between them almost visible, rippling like heat distortion over hot asphalt.
"Come on. Switch it up and get moving," Leo prompted, and he heard a frustrated noise from Raph that was typically accompanied by one of his dark scowls. The two exchanged weapons, with Raph muttering, "Better off using my bare fists."
"This is NOT a Nightwatcher gig, Raph," Leo warned harshly.
"Gee thanks, Fearless," hissed Raphael. "Almost forgot I wasn't wearing two tons of metal armor."
Donatello rose, belting the sai before shrugging off his shoulder bag. "Anything else?" he said dryly, obviously no more pleased than Raph by either his partner assignment or his change in weapons.
Leo started to speak, but was cut off by Michelangelo speaking in a deep and exaggeratedly serious voice.
"Be careful—and remember, this is NOT a game. Also, this may come as a surprise to you, but thieves don't typically like to be interrupted mid-robbery, so be prepared for some sort of resistance. And watch yourselves going down because it's dark. That's what happens at night, it gets dark, which you ought to know, but I'm telling you anyway because I'm Leonardo. It's kind of chilly out tonight, too, so if you happen to find any mittens or scarves on your way down, you might want to put those on so you don't catch a cold. And-,"
"We'll meet back here when you're done," Leo said firmly, cutting off any further commentary from Mikey and shooting his brother a glare that most likely couldn't be seen in the dark.
Don and Raph took the cue and moved off. When they were out of sight, Leo turned to his younger brother. "Mikey, go to the other side and take position closer to street level, but stay hidden. I want to see how they do on their own. Understand?"
"Yeah…gotcha," Mike replied, his voice serious for once. "Where are you gonna be?"
"I'll be right here," Leo answered, and he pulled Don's bag of tricks closer, rummaging around until he found what he was looking for—night vision goggles. He held them up for Mike to see. "Watching."
Mikey flashed him a quick smile and moved away, going some distance from the crime scene before looking for a place to cross to the other side. Meanwhile Leo put the goggles on and moved to the edge to view the action. The scenario couldn't have been better if he'd planned it himself. It was the perfect test run, so to speak—a chance for him to see how Raphael and Donatello worked together for a real mission, but still under relatively safe conditions, with both him and Mikey ready to assist should they need help. It was harder for Leo than he let on to relinquish control of a mission, to remain in the sidelines while his brothers took the risks. But a good leader must know when to step back, he reminded himself.
Even so, he waited anxiously for the first glimpse of his brothers. The night vision allowed for pretty good visibility in spite of the distance and the greenish cast over everything; Donny never went halfway on technology, that was for sure. Leo hadn't watched Raph and Don descend, so he had no idea where they'd show up first, but he didn't have long to wait. He first caught sight of one of them diving stealthily into the shadow near the front of the van, followed by the other taking position just above the window of the building where the theft was taking place. He wouldn't have seen them at all without the help of the night vision. For a few minutes Leo saw no further movement, but then one of his brothers emerged from underneath the van. That would likely be Donatello, Leo thought, finished with disabling the vehicle. A smart move when they didn't know how close the thieves were to completing their haul.
Just then Leo's cell vibrated, and he answered it.
"Agent Orange to Blue Leader, come in Blue Leader," came Mikey's whispered voice.
"Mikey, Agent Orange is—nevermind. Just tell me what's going on."
"Hey! What are you trying to do, compromise the mission? That's why we have code names!"
"We don't. Have. Code names," Leo said through clenched teeth. "Now tell me what's going on."
"Not until you say it right."
Leo was loath to give in, but he knew compliance was the quickest way to get the information. Besides, there would be plenty of time to think of a fitting punishment later. He drew a soothing breath, and replied stiffly, "Blue Leader here, requesting an update. What's your status, Agent Orange?"
An image of Mike's victorious grin appeared in his mind, and he squeezed his phone a little more tightly than necessary. If his brother didn't tell him what was going on RIGHT NOW…
But he never finished his mental threat. Michelangelo, apparently aware that he'd pushed Leo as far as he was going to go, gave him the update without further delay.
"Okay, there's another dude over here," Mike said. "He's hanging out around the corner, disguised as a bum, but I'm pretty sure he's part of the op. Probably a lookout."
"Can you see if he's armed?"
"Can't see, but what d'you wanna bet he is?"
"Keep track of him," Leo said after a moment's pause, "but don't interfere unless you have to. Use your best judgment."
In another situation, Leo might not have been so keen to leave things to Mikey's 'best judgment,' but he knew Michelangelo could handle one guy—he'd take the guy out or alert Don and Raph before he'd let someone harm his brothers.
"Roger that, Blue Leader. Orange out."
Leo ended the call, and returned his focus to the events unfolding below.
The two men shuttling the stolen goods back and forth had picked up another load from the window, and as soon as they started towards the van, one of his brothers—probably Raph, if that had been Don under the car—slipped inside the building. The men dropped off the next load at the van, and when they'd moved away again, the hidden turtle rose from his crouched position alongside the vehicle and swiftly entered the back, presumably to neutralize any men inside.
Suddenly one of the men out in the open halted mid-stride, and wheeled around to face the van, alerting his companion to whatever problem he'd detected. One drew what looked like a phone or a radio from a pocket, and the other drew a gun and began moving cautiously towards the vehicle.
"Shit," cursed Leo under his breath, his fingers clenching tight. He was too high up to hear much, but the men had probably heard a noise from the van.
Leo's phone buzzed again. "What is it," he answered.
"Dude's moving towards the alley, looks like he's drawn a gun," Mikey reported.
"There may be trouble—stay on him and be ready to take him out if you have to."
Leo was beginning to sweat now, and it wasn't exactly warm out. He reminded himself that Raph, as Nightwatcher, had probably taken care of stuff like this single-handedly…but he'd also been wearing body armor then.
The gunman had gone wide and was approaching the back of the van at a diagonal, his weapon held at ready, but Leo saw something that made his heart speed up in an instant—a figure launching itself from the window of the building and hurtling full speed at the man closest to him, the one alerting his buddies. The man began spinning around before the turtle reached him, but he was too slow. Raph—Leo now knew it was Raph by the bo he held—drove the end of the staff into the man's solar plexus, causing him to double over. The ninja then clubbed him in the head and the man dropped, but Raph didn't pause. Instead, without wasting a movement, he executed a series of flips away from the crumpled form just as the gunman near the van reflexively swung the muzzle of his weapon in Raph's direction.
Leonardo held his breath and braced himself for a shot that never came. Instead Donatello came leaping out of the van and knocked the guy down with a brilliant flying kick, sending the gun clattering away. The thug scrambled to get away once he hit the ground, but Don quickly incapacitated him while Raph retrieved the gun. Then, almost as if on cue, Raphael and Donatello both melted swiftly into the shadows closer to the buildings.
Leo nervously rang Mikey to check on the status of the remaining man. Useless adrenaline coursing through his body, he almost pulverized the phone in his fist when Mike didn't pick up. In all likelihood Mike was just too close to the man to answer, but Leo couldn't prevent several other possibilities from flashing through his brain. He could try sending a text message, but there was no telling if it would do any good. Goddamn it, why hadn't he just told Mike to take the guy out before he could become a factor?
He had just made up his mind to begin making his way down when movement caught his eye at the entrance to the alley. It was the final man, dressed like a bum just as Michelangelo had reported, moving swiftly towards the van—and then he saw Mike, hugging the shadows against the far wall across from where the van was parked. Leo gripped the ledge he was leaning on and scanned until he picked out one of his brothers crouched near the rear of the van. He couldn't find the other.
As the thug sidestepped cautiously alongside the van approaching the rear, the turtle near the back of the van slammed one of the back doors shut, drawing the man's attention. In that instant, while his focus was diverted, the second turtle that Leo had lost track of flung himself over the hood of the vehicle and tackled the thief to the ground. There was a scuffle and a gunshot, and Leo's heart leapt to his throat, but in a moment it became clear it wasn't his brother he needed to be concerned about. The ninja quickly gained the upper hand, and it was only arrival of the other turtle an instant later that saved the man from serious injury. Leo had a pretty shrewd guess as to which of his brothers had to be hauled bodily off the of the thief's body.
Once he saw that things were under control, Leo turned away and sank weakly down against the concrete ledge, pulling the night vision goggles off as he waited for his speeding pulse to slow. Fuck. He was sure this wasn't good for him—it took way more out of him to stay back and watch than it did to actually fight. If he'd been down there with his brothers, he would have been cool as a cucumber.
His phone buzzed then, and he noted the time on the display before he answered—the whole thing had taken less than 10 minutes. Felt like five times that to him. "Yeah," Leo answered.
"Did you see that shit, bro?! Raph and Donny kicked some serious shell! I didn't even have to clue 'em in, they were totally on to the guy."
"Either of them hurt?" Leo asked, thankful that Mikey was too excited to bother with code names.
"Not from what I could tell—nothing serious enough to slow 'em down, anyway."
Leo exhaled slowly. "Nice work, Mikey. Hang out there until they've cleaned up, then come on back."
"Roger that," Mike said.
Two minutes later Don called. "Mission accomplished, we're on our way up."
"Good," Leo answered, as if no other outcome had ever crossed his mind. "Any problems? I heard a shot."
"Nothing we couldn't handle—there was an extra man on lookout that we hadn't initially figured in, but Raph heard one of the others radio him so we were prepared. The gunshot you heard was just a minor slip—Raph apparently had control of the guy's hand from the first, but the guy squeezed off a shot before he could hit the pressure point."
"And neither of you are hurt?" Leo had to hear it from the source.
"We're fine, just the usual bruises. Oh, and we secured the scene and called it in on one of their phones, even though it might not've been necessary after the shot."
"Okay. Once you're up here, we'll be off. Nice work, both of you."
Once he knew everything was okay, Leonardo was actually quite pleased with the way things had gone—cool heads all around, team work, even some camaraderie in evidence on the way home as Michelangelo re-enacted some of his favorite moments from what he had seen of the action, punching both of his brothers playfully. Neither Raph nor Don commented much, but they looked pleased as they fended off Mikey's mock attacks. Leonardo even allowed himself to hope that the mission might help generate some goodwill between them. And Mikey's hype over their success, although rather over the top, certainly couldn't hurt.
As they drew closer to their agreed-upon manhole, Raphael dropped back and let everyone else move ahead before pulling out his shell cell.
Mike and Don made their way down the fire escape while Leo remained up top, biting back a reminder to them to wait a minute and make sure the coast was clear before dropping to street level. He'd gotten better about speaking every little bit of completely unnecessary advice that came into his head, but that didn't stop him from thinking it. And as was usually the case when he forced himself to trust his brothers' judgment, they didn't let him down and stopped to watch and listen from the bottom of the fire escape. As Leo waited above, snatches of Raphael's quiet phone conversation drifted over to him.
"Yeah, went pretty well," his brother was saying in a low voice. "Little bit of action, nothin' big."
A pause. "Yeah, no sweat."
Another pause. "Uh, actually, I was kinda thinkin' of stickin' around the lair tonight… ya know, hangin' out with the guys…"
At that point Don and Mike looked up at him, and Leo nodded his approval and moved down to joint them. He was inwardly pleased about Raph's decision to stay in tonight—he tried not to get his hopes up, but it was the first time Raphael had given any indication of wanting to spend time with them in weeks. It was a start, anyway.
Once underground, they ran hard through the sewers to burn off any unspent energy. When they reached home, Leo reported to Splinter while Mikey proceeded to the kitchen with the intention of replenishing some lost calories. Leo emerged from Splinter's quarters a few minutes later to see Raph loitering in the living area, distractedly playing with a dart he held in his hand. When Raphael realized Leo had entered the room, he hastily threw the dart, and then went to retrieve the others already planted in the board.
Don and Mikey came out of the kitchen just as Raph had finished gathering the darts.
Raphael turned to his brothers. "Hey, you guys wanna watch a movie or somethin'?" he asked. And while he was trying hard to seem casual, Leo could sense the energy rolling off him in alternating waves of longing and anxiety. Raph looked between Donatello and Mike, who wore residual smiles from some lingering joke between the two of them.
Mike's grin widened. "Hey, yeah! Nothing like a good old-fashioned movie night with tons junk food to celebrate another fine ass-whooping." He turned eagerly to Don. "Whaddya think, Donny? We can do your stuff tomorrow; I've got the whole afternoon free."
Don shook his head. "No-can-do, bro. I have other stuff I need to work on tomorrow, and I won fair and square—a bet's a bet."
Mike's smile faded to a frown as he stood staring at Donatello, probably hoping he would reconsider, but it didn't work. Though Don said nothing, the way he met Mikey's eyes made it pretty clear that he wasn't going to let him off the hook.
Mikey sighed and looked back to Raph, shrugging apologetically. "Sorry, dude. You'd think by now I'd have learned not to challenge Don in Ms. Pacman, but I did promise him I'd help if I lost. Raincheck, okay?"
Don offered no such apology, but grabbed hold of Mike's mask tails and began pulling him away. "C'mon, time's a wastin'… don't want me to have to get out my bullwhip, do you?"
Michelangelo allowed himself to be lead off, but he didn't respond to Don's attempt to initiate playful banter, and he threw a wistful look back over his shoulder as they left.
"Right… no prob," said Raphael to no one when they'd departed.
The leader's eyes narrowed slightly. Whether consciously or not, Don had clearly used Mike to make sure Raph was the odd man out. And he either didn't notice the way his behavior affected Raphael, or he didn't care.
Leo didn't know which prospect was more disturbing.
Mikey obviously wasn't too happy about it, but honoring an agreement or promise, even in the form of a bet, was part of their upbringing. Besides, with as much time as he and Don had been spending together lately, Mike was probably reluctant to do anything that might damage things between them.
Even though Raph's recent isolation from the family was self-imposed, Leo couldn't help but sympathize with how he must be feeling right now; he knew what it was like to feel out of place in your own home. After his two-year absence, he had returned to a familiar setting only to find that everything in it had changed—as if the lair had been redecorated not with furniture, but with memories and emotions. There had been fights, tears, jokes, inventions… uncountable interactions while he was gone, changing the entire flow and dynamic of the household. His brothers had given hints of those experiences with every breath and comment, and for Leo it was like smelling something delicious that he would never be able to taste. Two lost years of inside jokes replacing nearly seventeen years' worth—or so it had seemed to him at the time.
With Raphael spending so many evenings away from the lair these days, Leo knew he was probably beginning to feel some of the same things, and without even thinking, he heard himself say, "I could go for a movie. What did you have in mind?"
Raph started a little when Leo spoke, and looked back at him suspiciously.
Oh, real smooth, not obvious at all, Leo chastised himself. He'd blown it before he'd even had a chance—if Raph thought for a second anyone felt sorry for him, he instantly closed himself off.
"Fuck it—I got other stuff to do," Raph said with undisguised hostility.
"Suit yourself," said Leo with a shrug, and he watched his brother head towards the dojo. Then he waited for a minute, listening, and when all remained more or less quiet he presumed that Raphael had decided to go with weights or katas instead of the punching bag. He turned toward the TV and sighed; he was stuck now. Leo didn't particularly want to watch a movie on his own, but if he didn't it would be like announcing to Raph that he had made the offer out of pity, and any chance of Raphael opening up to him would be lost—and his brother definitely needed an ally right now
So Leonardo knelt by the DVD tower and scanned down the list of titles, trying to find something he could tolerate that his brother might find agreeable as well. Once Raphael finished his workout, there was a slim chance he would finish watching the movie with Leo. He finally stopped on the Bourne Identity—it had enough action to catch Raph's interest, and Leo had at least enjoyed the books. He popped the movie in and decided to go ahead and clean some of his weapons while he watched. He might as well do something useful while the movie was on.
About two-thirds of the way through the film, Raph re-emerged from the dojo. He glanced at the TV on his way through to the kitchen, and then came back to watch as he drank water. Then he retraced his steps and called back to Leo from the kitchen. "Hey, you want anything?"
"Uh, ginger ale… and some pretzels."
Leo had almost asked for a beer, but he didn't want to overdo it. He was walking a fine line right now, and he knew the safest thing to do for was pretend he didn't care. Funny how with Raph, he had to put more effort into making it seem like he didn't care than he did into actually helping him.
Raph came back out with Leo's snacks and a soda for himself, and settled on the couch. "Thanks," said Leo simply as he opened the can. They watched the rest of the movie together, and although they didn't talk other than to critique the fight sequences, Leo felt it was a step forward—at least Raph hadn't retreated immediately to his room this time. He even retained a thread of hope that, in spite of Don's rejection, Raph might make more of an effort to be social.
But he should have known that with Raph, things were never that simple.
The next as all four of them were leaving the dojo following their group training, Michelangelo said, "Hey Raph, wanna do that movie thing tonight? Donny and Leo—,"
"No."
"Aw c'mon, it'll be fun, we got this—,"
"NO."
"But it was your idea in the first place!"
"Mikey, I fucking said NO!! If ya want me to be clearer, by all means keep asking!"
One step forward, two steps back.
Apparently Raph's offer had been good for one night only, because he made no further attempts to reach out. In fact, if anything, he became even more withdrawn, and Leo was afraid that if things didn't begin to heal between Don and Raph soon, their relationship would become permanently disfigured, like a broken bone that was never aligned properly. It may one day be functional, but it would never be as strong.
The extent of Leo's worry was most evident when he tried to meditate. While he had become quite good at shikantaza, or meditation by "just sitting" while allowing body and breath and mind to become one, when he felt his mind was in greater turmoil, he often found it helpful to begin with breath counting. Each thought that that threatened to distract him disrupted the counting, thus serving as a reminder that while the thought should be allowed to run its course, the object was dharana, to focus the mind at will, regardless of intrusions. Nothing else existed but the breath, in and out, one through ten, then back to the beginning in an endless cycle until the numbers themselves were obscured by the pure cycle of air from nostrils to lungs through to his very center, the hara, and back again in a golden flow.
Once the breathing became all, he usually slid quite naturally into dhyana, true meditation…but lately, he'd been finding it harder and harder to move beyond dharana. Thoughts intruded relentlessly, and while he did his best to acknowledge them and let go, resume counting, they surged up like waves on a beach. He tried not to let it frustrate him—Master Splinter, the Ancient One, and every source he had on meditation had assured him this was not failure. There was no beginning and ending; no stage was more valuable than any other. Still, concentration was such an essential element of anything relating to Zen, including martial arts, he couldn't help but feel inadequate when it proved beyond him. And that was why he was particularly irritated when he heard a knock at his door late one night just as he was slipping into full meditation.
This better be good, he thought, but when he turned to see Michelangelo standing in his doorway, he knew his brother had something more important to tell him than a new high score on a video game, or a late night Ninja Warrior marathon.
"Sorry to interrupt," Mike said grimly, "but I thought you should see this."
Leo rose without question and followed his brother to the living area, where they both halted just behind the couch.
"I fell asleep watching TV, and when I woke up, the news was on," Mike explained, glancing at Leo.
But the older turtle was already fixated on the television, a mantle of dread settling heavily over him.
"…signs of a struggle consistent with patterns documented by investigators during that period. The five alleged thieves were found bound at the scene when police arrived, along with the stolen merchandise. It remains to be seen whether there will be enough evidence to definitively tie this to the vigilante known as Nightwatcher, but the similarities are too great to ignore…"
Leo didn't need to continue watching—hearing it was bad enough. He closed his eyes and grasped the back of the couch with both hands, bowing his head and trying to breathe evenly and steadily. It crossed his mind that perhaps he'd fallen asleep after all, because this sure felt like the beginnings of a nightmare. But then again, it wasn't like he hadn't seen the signs—he just hadn't put them together.
Raph engaging in maniacal workouts every evening, but refusing all offers to spar; Raph turning in early and holing himself up in his room all night instead of running off to April's; Raph scowling and silencing calls on his shell cell after glancing at the caller ID; Raph crouched on a ledge and gazing off towards darkened reaches of the city while on a rooftop run, heedless of Leo's whispered commands for him to move out, telling a story with his posture that should have sent warning bells ringing in the leader's head.
Raph, entering the dojo for practice this very morning, meeting Leo's eyes briefly and probably accidentally after skipping over Don and Mike, who were talking over endless plans for the new accommodations. That single look had shaken Leo more than anything he'd seen of Raphael's behavior—his eyes had seemed both hollow and somehow fevered. Sick. It also made Leo wonder just when Raph had stopped looking him in the eye as he used to, cocky and fearless with a smirk to match.
Was this what he'd been like when Leo was gone? Haunted by something only he could see, driven to the edge before donning the suit that would make him both savior and scourge of the city?
The newscaster was still speculating about the return of Nightwatcher when Leo's thoughts came back to the present, and he couldn't stand it anymore. "Turn it off," he croaked, and Mike obeyed. After a few moments of silence, the younger turtle spoke up tentatively.
"Sh-should we try calling him? Maybe he was at April's and this thing was all just a, a copycat or something. We can just ask him if—,"
Leo stopped him with a look. "No, Mike, there's no point."
Michelangelo squinted slightly as he studied his face. "Well doesn't he at least deserve the chance to explain before you go accusing him?"
Shaking his head, Leo said, "I'm not going to accuse him of anything. In fact, I'm not even going to mention it." He gave his brother a pointed look to halt any protests. "If that was Raph," and something told him it was, "confronting him won't change anything—acting out like this is just a symptom of the underlying problem. If you want to affect the leaves, you must first look to the roots."
Mike raised his brows. "Dude, seriously? Do you and Master Splinter get your lines from the same book of fortune cookie fillers?"
Leonardo wasn't in the mood to joke around, and when Mikey saw his face, the younger turtle cleared his throat and returned to the original subject.
"Okay, so you're going to, um, study the roots then? And uh, figure out how to influence… stuff?"
Leo took a deep breath, staring down at his knuckles as he gripped the couch. "What I'm going to do is introduce a catalyst—something to speed up the inevitable reaction."
Mike leaned in close and peered at his face suspiciously. "Don? Is that you in there? Have you been experimenting with Leo's brain again?"
Pushing Mikey's face away from his own, Leo responded, "Just because you didn't pay attention to chemistry lessons doesn't mean Don's the only one who absorbed anything.
"Hey, I absorbed stuff," Mike said defensively.
"Like what, all the smoke and vapors emitted when your lab projects exploded?"
This was supposed to be an insult, but based on the way his eyes glossed over, it didn't faze Michelangelo. "Ah yes, the explosions… I did have a few good ones before Don took control of the entire lab space," he said with a wistful sigh. "Though Donny had some good ones of his own, I have to admit."
They both went quiet then, and Mike's expression turned somber. He was probably thinking, as Leo was, that Don wouldn't be taking over the lab space for much longer.
"So what do you have in mind? To speed things along, I mean," Michelangelo asked.
"I don't know yet," Leo answered grimly. "But I'll figure it out." And there was no time to lose.
Leonardo didn't know if Splinter would approve of what he intended to do or not, but the difference was that this time, it was immaterial. This was no longer a decision based in logic; within moments of watching the newscast, he'd known in his gut what he had to do, and all of his former reluctance was replaced with clarity and resolve.
What he'd told Mikey was true—his only intention was to help set things in motion, give a tiny shove in a direction he hoped would lead to reconciliation between his brothers. If executed properly, no one would even know the part he played. Even so, Leo was prepared to accept any consequences that came about as a result of his involvement, whether from his father or anyone else. His mind was made up. Now he only needed to bide his time until he saw an opportunity, a way to mobilize one of his brothers without making it seem too obvious.
A couple of days later, when he and Raph were working out independently in the dojo, the right set of circumstances came together. Leo was doing some weight training, and Raph was in the process of sending his punching bag to an early grave when his cell began ringing. Raph pulled it out of his belt and glanced at the display, then strode out of the dojo before answering the call.
His brother stopped just outside the room, close enough that Leo could hear the conversation. And even though he knew that if Raph really wanted it to be private, he could've gone farther away or simply lowered his voice, Leo felt slightly guilty for listening.
"Yeah," Raph answered shortly from where he stood just outside the doorway. "Yeah, I'm here," he repeated irritably after a moment's pause. "Reception's fine. Guess I just don't feel the need to talk every second."
Pause.
"I'm actually kinda tired, think I'll just stay in tonight. Turn in early."
More silence.
"Jesus, April!" he exploded, making no effort to keep his voice low. "I said I was tired, okay?! I don't gotta travel halfway across the fucking city to see the fight, we got a TV right here!!" Raphael waited, listening, then cursed under his breath. "Gimme a copy of the fuckin' schedule, then, so I'll know how often I'm expected to come over. Just don't forget to block out some time for training…unless I'm supposed to discontinue that now, too."
Another pause, longer this time.
"Yeah, I heard you! I'll call you if I think of it."
When he re-entered the dojo seconds later, Raphael attacked his punching bag with renewed vigor, a tight expression on his face.
Leo's gave no outward reaction of having heard the phone call, instead channeling the shock and outrage he felt into his workout while his mind raced to figure out if he might be able to somehow use this information. When Don poked his head in the dojo moments later and did a quick scan of the room, Leo had a glimmer of an idea, and before his brother could retreat, Leo called out to him.
"Oh hey, good timing—can you give me a hand, Don?" he asked, setting the bar down on the floor.
Donatello halted. "Well actually, I was just looking for Mikey to-"
"It won't take long. I just need someone to spot me on bench."
Don hesitated, looking slightly put out, and glanced at Raph, but he knew better than to suggest Leo interrupt someone else's workout when he was standing right there.
"Sure thing," he said with a sigh, and made his way over. Leo adjusted the weight on the bar, and settled himself on the bench as Don took up position near his head. Leo began his first set, taking his time in spite of his brother's ill-concealed impatience. Halfway through the first set, Mikey burst into the dojo, bracing his arms on either side of the doorway.
"Oh, hey Don, there you are! Still need help moving that stuff?"
"Yeah, that'd be great, Mike. I'll be right there—could you maybe start loading boxes on the sewer slider for me?"
"Well that depends—and I want to be absolutely clear, here. Does this mean I actually have permission to go in your room? Unsupervised?"
"Yeah, sure, just grab the boxes stacked-"
"And I can touch things?"
"Just the boxes."
"And what is your definition of a box. Does that mean anything rectangular in shape, or does it have to be made of a particular material, like wood or cardboard? And what if-"
"Mikey. Just shut up and load the boxes, okay?" Don said with a roll of his eyes and a tolerant smile.
Michelangelo laughed. "Sure thing bro!" he said brightly, and ducked back out of the dojo.
Leo wrapped up the set, straining with the last few although he finished unassisted, and Donatello turned to grab more weights to add to the bar.
"Twenty, Don. Thanks."
Leonardo took a new grip on the bar, but he didn't raise it yet. Instead, he stared at Don. When his brother realized he hadn't resumed lifting, he looked down, and Leo fixed him with a calculated look before glancing pointedly at Raphael.
Don got the message, but judging by the way he rolled his eyes upward as if asking for patience, he wasn't happy about it.
"Uh, Raph," Don said.
There was no break in Raph's activity.
Donatello cleared his throat. "You wanna… give us a hand, too?"
Leonardo continued lifting, exhaling slowly through each upward push.
Raph let one more kick fly, sending the bag swaying on the chain. "Sorry to disappoint you," he said, "But I got other plans." And without looking back, he grabbed a towel and stalked out of the dojo.
Leonardo glared up at Don, who merely shrugged. "You heard him, he's got other plans," Don repeated.
Yeah, right, other plans, thought Leo. He wondered what those other plans could be, since based on the phone call he'd just overheard, they apparently didn't include April. His stomach knotted in anxiety, but he pushed it down. Now wasn't the time for that.
Leo shook his head. "Could you have made it any more obvious that he was an afterthought?"
Don snorted in response, and wordlessly added more weight when Leo replaced the bar again. He worked through the final set in silence, muscles shaking, and though Don had to spot him on the last three, he didn't quit until he'd completed eight reps.
"That it?" Don asked when Leo let go of the bar.
Leo sat up slowly. "No, that's not it," he said answered, kneading his palms. He met his brother's eyes. "When are you going to be through punishing him?"
Donatello looked back at him expressionlessly. "What are you talking about?"
"You're too smart to play dumb, Donny. You know what I'm talking about."
"What, just because I don't feel like acting like we're best buds? Come on, Leo, he was lying to me! To all of us! For a month! Doesn't that make you mad?!"
Leonardo shrugged noncommittally, taking in Donatello's huffed breaths. "I'm sure he feels bad about that, though."
"Well he should! Stop looking at me like that, like you know what's best for everyone. You have no idea what this feels like, so cast your holier-than-thou bullshit judgment on someone else."
Leo felt a flash of anger at Don's words, but he immediately siphoned it away, using it to inflate the mental image of a golden balloon on a string, watching it become buoyant before letting it float away in his mind's eye. He couldn't let his brother turn this into an argument. Start an argument with Don, and he would simply use his outstanding logic to counter every point that was made. But plant a suggestion, and it would tumble relentlessly in his mind like a stone in the surf, until he had no choice but to grab hold and examine it.
At least, that's was what Leo was banking on.
"I'm not trying to judge anyone—all I'm saying is that I think Raph would like to make amends, but it's hard for him to reach out. Would it kill you to make it a little easier on him? Meet him halfway?"
Don turned away and started towards the door, casting his next words over his shoulder dismissively. "I'm sick of being the one who has to fix everything."
Leo waited until his brother was almost through the door before he played his final card. "Well whatever you're doing, I think it's working," he said in an offhand way.
Donatello stopped cold, but he didn't turn around. "What's that supposed to mean."
"He hasn't been going over there lately, and I heard them arguing on the phone earlier. I don't think things are going very well."
The subsequent blade of silence that cleaved the air was narrow, but significant all the same. "Whatever. Not my problem," Don said finally, and walked the rest of the way out.
Leo closed his eyes and focused, feeling the turbulent wake of his brother's disturbed energy even after he'd gone. It was a risky move, but if his instincts were right, he had just set things in motion…he only hoped he hadn't used too much force. Leo himself could handle any backlash, but there was no way he could control the direction things took from here.
It was up to Don now.
A/N: The Bourne trilogy, by Robert Ludlum, is highly recommended reading! Truly among my favorites. And if by chance you've seen the films, fear not - the basic premise of the books is the same, but the actual plot is very different, so having seen the movies will not spoil them.
Oh yeah, and feedback is always appreciated.
KT