Soulcatcher
part 11

"Leonardo."

With a start, Leo woke, jerking upright to look over at Raph before realizing that it was his father who had said his name.

Master Splinter stood near Raph's cot, his brow furrowed as he watched his oldest son rise from the chair and walk over to join him.

"Is something wrong? Raph . . . ." Leo trailed off.

"Your brother is all right," Master Splinter assured him. "He is resting peacefully. Come, we have things to discuss."

Leo again looked at Raph. "I shouldn't leave him."

"Raphael will be fine," Master Splinter said. "I will be able to sense if he experiences any distress. We will only be gone a short time and then I will return to watch over him."

"I can do that," Leo said.

Master Splinter shook his head, his expression firm. "No. You will sleep. Come out now, before we wake your brother."

Leo obediently followed his father. Before leaving the infirmary, he took one final look at Raph's sleeping form, etching it into his mind.

The pair proceeded on to Master Splinter's room and the aged rat pushed his shoji screen door closed once they were inside. Leo took his usual place on the tatami mat and his father kneeled opposite him.

"I sent Donatello to bed," Master Splinter said without preliminaries. "He did not argue over my instructions."

Leo could see that was worrisome to his father and knew why. It was out of character for Don to acquiesce to such a directive without protest, especially when there was work to be done.

"Did you learn anything of his condition?" Leo asked. "Any clue as to how he was changed or where this shaman might be?"

Master Splinter tapped a clawed finger against the small wooden table that was between them, a sure sign that he was disturbed. "There is a place in each of us that contains all that we are," Master Splinter explained. "A place that cannot be seen by man's machines but is nevertheless filled with our essence. It resides here." Master Splinter touched a spot just below the hollow in his neck.

"Our . . . soul?" Leo asked.

"It is one of many terms, but it is fitting," Master Splinter said. "Those who are spiritual understand and acknowledge the importance of that essence. Your brother Donatello's is empty."

Leo was silent for a moment as he let Master Splinter's words sink in. "Don's soul is gone?"

"Yes." Master Splinter took a deep breath. "We had suspected that to be the case, but discovering that to be the truth leaves me quite dismayed. It is not easy to rob someone of their soul; it clings to its host most strenuously. Having it ripped from him must have caused Donatello great pain."

"It did," Leo said, recalling the image of that moment when the shaman robbed his brother of that most precious part of himself.

"The soul is the place within us where our heart and mind meet," Master Splinter said, expanding on the topic. "What comprises the soul is different for each of us. For some the heart has greater dominion, for others it is the mind. Within Donatello there resided an amazing balance; his brain has incredible power, but it is tempered by the largest of hearts."

"The body and brain must coexist," Leo said, following his father's explanation. "Without the soul, there is no conduit for them to meet."

"The brain takes over," Master Splinter said. "The subject becomes a pure thinking machine. It continues to command the heart to perform basic functions, but no more. Emotion; joy, love, pain, sorrow do not exist in the brain."

Leo's eyes drifted to the table as he became lost in thought. "When we experience a loss, it physically hurts us here," he said slowly, touching his chest.

Master Splinter nodded. "The brain is capable of rationalizing feelings, but it cannot appreciate them. When we speak of evil men, referring to them as 'having no soul' we are telling a deeper truth than we know. A person like Agent Bishop for instance, a man who may truly be termed a sociopath, lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. If one were to delve into his soul, one would learn that his heart has no power there. He is unbalanced."

"Now that term has greater meaning," Leo said with a slight smile. It faded as another thought came to him. "Does this mean that Don's actions will be dictated entirely by his brain without regard to right or wrong?"

"Yes," Master Splinter said. "You must keep that in mind, Leonardo. If you go into battle with this shaman, Donatello will act only as his mind directs. If he sees the opportunity to complete his mission he will take it, whether or not one of his brothers is in imminent danger."

"If I give him explicit orders . . . ." Leo began.

"He will likely ignore them," Master Splinter said. "He is incapable of weighing the distinctions that give more weight to a brother's safety than that of destroying a threat. He will not understand what the loss of a family member might mean unless it directly corresponded to the odds of completing the mission."

"He'd only save one of us if it meant our loss would jeopardize our chance of success," Leo said, phrasing it in a way that made it clear to him.

"You understand that it may be necessary to retreat and regroup in order to avoid a loss of life," Master Splinter said. "Donatello will not. If he calculates that the odds of victory are enough in his favor, he will continue onward, no matter who may suffer. He will have no regard for anyone's feelings because he lacks even the most basic emotions."

"Like when he administered the sedative to Raph," Leo said. "He knows that Raph despises the loss of control over himself, but Don showed no remorse about doing that anyway."

"When you devise a plan of action, you may have to decide if having Donatello with you would be a benefit or a liability," Master Splinter said.

"He'll have to be with us," Leo said. "We may only get one shot at forcing the shaman to reverse whatever he did to steal Don's soul. Don had to be present for the shaman to take it, he probably has to be there for its return. From this discussion, I'm guessing you didn't discover a way to retrieve Don's soul without our needing the shaman."

"I could not perceive the magic used to remove the soul," Master Splinter admitted. "However, I did learn the path that it took. The shaman used the Soulcatcher to suck Don's soul up through his mouth. That process in reverse will return Don's soul."

"Were you able to discern any clues as to who he is, or where he might be?" Leo asked.

"Very few," Master Splinter said. "There were glimpses inside Donatello's memories. I can only see what your brother saw; the things that flashed past him too quickly to imprint on his conscious mind but were embedded in his subconscious. I sensed no malice; no intent to do harm."

"But he's robbing these people of something that is essential to their quality of life," Leo said with surprise.

"He may believe he is performing a service," Master Splinter told him. "Whatever the need is that he is serving by the taking of souls, he is only choosing victims that have suffered a loss. Perhaps it is merely because the soul's essence contains more power when it is in such turmoil, or that it becomes easier to take at such a time. Or possibly, he feels that they will not miss their soul if it also takes away their suffering."

Leo remembered the woman who had tried to kill herself. "Some people are certain that they can't continue to live with the pain."

"There are many out there who can feel the anguish that others are experiencing," Master Splinter said. "Medical professionals, Holy men, first responders, and those who have embraced their spirituality. They can read the aura that a person who is suffering exudes. This shaman may have that ability. He may see this vulnerability and chooses his victims accordingly."

"Like he chose Donatello during their second meeting, but not the first," Leo mused. "Don was angry about what happened, he was scared for Raph, and he was feeling pain at the loss of the poor man's life."

"That was a powerful mixture of emotions," Master Splinter said. "It was strong enough to send Donatello out to do something that was extremely foolhardy."

Leo snapped his fingers. "If the shaman can read the aura of suffering, it means he has to have had contact with his victims. Mikey was right, he's not finding them through obituaries. We have to locate the common link between his victims."

"Michelangelo's understanding of cultural behaviors has many benefits," Master Splinter said, watching Leo closely. "We tend to overlook his many attributes because he hides them well."

Leo wasn't sure if his father had an underlying message in that statement, or if he was simply being humorous at Mikey's expense. It certainly called to mind that fact that Mikey was currently annoyed with him for being made to feel undervalued.

"How can we know for sure that we've found the shaman? If he's meeting these people somewhere, he must look normal to them. Do we even know it's a man and not a woman?" Leo asked.

"It is a man," Master Splinter said with certainty. Closing his eyes, he seemed to be accessing a visual memory. "The glimpses I got from Donatello's mind confirmed the shaman is male. His skin is of a tanned hue, his hair and eyes dark. His mouth is full, his nose more flat than pointed."

"The Soulcatcher amulet looks old," Leo said. "Perhaps it was handed down within a specific family. Donny said it was used by shaman in tribes, perhaps this man is Native American."

"There appeared to be a mark just at the base of his suprasternal notch," Master Splinter said. "Perhaps a birthmark or tattoo. It was not clearly visible and he may keep it covered most of the time."

"That's directly atop the location of the soul," Leo said. "Significant."

"As we have learned through our martial arts, this is a prime target for finger strikes," Master Splinter said. "He will most likely have more than a layman's understanding of its susceptibility."

"If we close his throat it could prevent him from accessing whatever it is he wants from the amulet," Leo said. "Don's soul is inside that thing, but the shaman never got the chance to pull it out again because Donny yanked it from his neck."

"We have Donatello's soul," Master Splinter said, leaning forward to touch Leo's arm, "and all of the others the shaman has stolen. He will want them back. If you do not find him, he will surely find you. Donatello may not have the ability to empathize, but he still has the skills necessary to find this man. Once he has rested, this must be his task."

There was something else weighing on Leo's mind and he felt it was his duty to bring it up. "It will be difficult keeping Raph from accompanying us once we discover the shaman's location. He won't want to be left behind."

"You must not delay your search in order for Raphael to have time to heal," Master Splinter said. "We do not know if the delay in returning the soul to its host will have detrimental effects. A lengthy separation might result in rejection of the soul by the body it originally came from."

"If Raph can walk he'll insist on going with us," Leo said, explaining something his father already knew. "Don might again choose to sedate him without his permission. Raph will be hurt by Don's actions. He won't understand why Don would do that to him."

"It is interesting that you use the term 'hurt' rather than angry," Master Splinter said, his searching gaze unwavering. "If it were you or Michelangelo who did such a thing to Raphael, your brother would express his displeasure most vehemently. Do you know that his reaction to an act of this kind by Donatello would engender a different emotion because you have become aware of their attachment?"

Leo gaped at him, though he should have known very little escaped their father's notice. "I didn't know about them until last night. Mikey . . . Mikey may have known before then. How could I be so unaware of this?"

"Because you did not want to know," Master Splinter said wisely. "Your own feelings for Raphael have been changing as well. Seeing he and Donatello together, realizing how close they've become and what that meant, was deleterious to your sensibilities. They have tried to hide their affection for one another so as not to destroy the dynamics of your team. Perhaps also to save you pain."

"I would rather have known," Leo said, his jaw working from side to side.

"Leonardo, you cannot be at odds with your brothers," Master Splinter said earnestly. "Whatever you may have hoped for with Raphael must be set aside for the sake of all of your brothers. Raphael and Donatello's teamwork has been flawless even with their new connection because they understand that none of you survives if their love for one another interferes with their performance in the field. If they cannot work together dispassionately as they have done in the past, then the team falls apart. They are very aware that the team is their first obligation."

"You've discussed this with them?" Leo asked, feeling a sudden resentment. "I'm the leader, Sensei. I should have been made aware of this as soon as it happened."

Master Splinter looked contrite and bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Yes, you are correct my son. Do not blame them, it was my fault entirely. I instructed them to discuss this with no one and to hide their physical displays of affection from you and Michelangelo. Donatello promised that they would adhere to my wishes and though Raphael was hesitant, he did as his brother asked of him."

"Why? Didn't you think I could be trusted with that knowledge?" Leo asked.

"It was not a matter of trust," Master Splinter said. "They were still trying to understand their relationship and why they were attracted to each other. It would have been unfair to not allow them the time to explore everything their attachment might mean to them and their family, and to be able to do so without being placed under a microscope of their brother's attentions."

Working to hide his dismay, Leo asked, "Have you given them your blessing, Father?"

Despite Leo's efforts, Master Splinter seemed to read his consternation. After a moment Master Splinter sighed heavily and said, "Perhaps this is not the best time to expand upon this topic. It has no bearing on our current challenge. We must return our focus to locating the shaman and discovering his secret for capturing souls so that Donatello can be returned to normal. This is your first priority, is it not, Leonardo?"

Master Splinter's wording was a testament to his concern with the way Leo was handling the information he'd just received. Leo had grown used to his father's unwavering faith in him and that last question seemed like Master Splinter was exhibiting a lack of confidence.

"It is absolutely my first priority, Sensei," Leo assured him, hiding his injured feelings behind a stoic mask.

His father's expression softened. "You are tired, Leonardo. It is very late, please go to bed and sleep. I will keep a watchful eye on Raphael."

When Master Splinter rose, it was Leonardo's cue to do so as well. They left the room together, both heading in the same general direction. Before they parted company, Master Splinter touched Leo's arm to gain his son's attention.

"Leonardo, I have great faith in your ability to control this situation," Master Splinter said. "I understand how difficult it must be to set aside your personal feelings in order to focus on defeating the shaman and setting things to rights. Please remember, you are not alone in this. No matter what bond your brothers have formed, they will continue to respect and follow your commands. Do not forget Michelangelo in all of this; he has skills and insight that will be a great help to you."

"Of course, Sensei," Leo said with a bow. "Thank you."

Master Splinter nodded and then disappeared into the infirmary. Leo fought down the desire to peek in on Raph again, instead turning his feet to the stairs and taking them up to his bedroom.

After removing his gear, Leo slid beneath his blanket and turned out the bed lamp. Rather than closing his eyes though, he gazed up at the ceiling, reviewing the conversation he'd had with his father.

It troubled Leo to have learned that everyone knew of Raph and Don's connection except him. His longing for Raph must have blinded him to what had been obvious to everyone else. They had all certainly seen Leo's desire, though he'd thought he was hiding it well.

Leo had been caught in something of a triangle; his hunger for Raph forcing the hot head and the genius into hiding their love from him. No wonder Mikey had felt like the odd turtle out. No one had given Mikey's feelings a second thought.

That led to the realization that Leo had to talk to Mikey. They needed to discuss what Master Splinter had said about how Don might behave during a battle. It was only fair that Mikey have some input into deciding how they would work with a soulless Donatello.

It would give Leo a chance to apologize to his youngest brother. He only hoped that Mikey could forgive him.

TBC…