I know more people are reading these chapters than there are reviews – I checked m ystats (I didn't know they existed before now! Cool!). Please do review. :D If not,I'll… I'll… Write drivel for the rest and turn it into a horrible romance! (Just kidding… I'd probably die of laughter before I could finish it.) But seriously, please? I'm writing hard for you guys, and neglecting my homework to bring you the latest installments of Upon the Wings of Myths. :P
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.
Chapter 26: Weeks 2-5
Mikey carefully tapped on the door. Ever since the little deformed baby had come out of the egg, Leo had rarely left the nursery. It was telling on the turtle; Don warned him that if he didn't keep himself hydrated, the braniac would knock him out and lock him out of the nursery. Leo had warned him, in turn, that if Don did that he would never be spoken to again. It was a stalemate, and it had the entire lair caught up in a tension so thick you could cut it with a katana.
"What?" Leo asked grumpily through the door. Mikey cracked it open and held a water bottle through in silent peace offering. "Come in, Mikey." Leo's voice lost a little bit of the edge. Of his brothers, Mike was the only one who hadn't screamed at him yet; Raph had gotten pissed off when Leo refused to leave for a patrol, grounding them all at the lair, and hadn't spoken to him since. Don was almost constantly at odds with the winged turtle.
Even Master Splinter had gotten on Leo's bad side, though it wasn't the aging rat's fault. He had merely expressed a concern for Leo's health, in a very calm way. Leo hadn't reacted as calmly; he'd yelled that the eggs needed him more than his brothers did, stormed out of Splinter's room, and hidden away in the nursery for three days before he finally emerged again. He apologized, and Master Splinter forgave him immediately. Their relationship was more brittle than before the trip to Brazil, but it was healing.
Mikey handed Leo the water bottle and sat down a few feet away. Leo got edgy if anyone got close to his eggs. The blue-banded turtle was dirty, sitting next to the little nest. His wing covered it as if to keep everything else out.
"How is everything out there?" Leo asked. Mikey shrugged carefully. "That bad?" The youngest turtle nodded sadly. He didn't know how to make everyone happy and brotherly again; he really didn't like how Raph now avoided Leo whenever he emerged from his lair. Even Don gave the blue-banded turtle a wide berth. While Mikey couldn't blame them, he wished they tried harder to help Leo. It was obvious the leader was worn out; Splinter had ordered him to continue practicing, and it was clear he wasn't getting much sleep.
"It's okay," Leo said quietly. "It'll be over soon… It's almost been a month already." Mikey nodded and looked up at the ceiling longingly. The eldest turtle chuckled softly. "I'm feeling the same restlessness, Mikey. Is Raph taking Lil' Sis out every day?"
Mikey nodded and waved towards the docks. Leo shook his head slowly. "Risky, but… Better than cooping her up in here. Is Don still mad at me?" Mikey raised an eyebrow. "You're right… Don doesn't get mad. He's frustrated, though, right?" The orange-banded turtle hesitated, but nodded finally. Leo copied his movement. "I thought so."
Mikey carefully scooted slightly closer; Leo didn't react, though the leader had to have noticed. Mike mimed playing a video game, watching Leo hopefully. "Mike… You know I don't want to leave them. What if something else happens?" The guilt underlying his tone was so obvious Mikey wanted to slap him.
He fished his pen and paper and wrote in large, blocky letters, "It's not your fault, Leo." He handed it to his brother; Leo scanned it and smiled sadly.
"Mikey, it may not be, but then why did Raph have to find him?"
Mikey didn't have an answer for that, but to him, it was entirely unconnected. Leo just shook his head sadly. "It's my fault, as surely as if I had broken open the egg myself. And who knows? I could have, with my wing… I didn't wake up when Raph came in." Again, that guilt – it nearly made Mikey drag Leo out of the nursery himself. But, if he did that, Leo would never trust him again. Well, not for the next couple of months, and even then, he would still be edgy around his hatchlings.
"Alaula had no chance," Leo whispered to himself. Before he and Don had started arguing, Don had helped him choose the name – it was Hawaiian, and meant "light of early dawn." Leo thought it fit; it was a unisex name, and since Don professed he hadn't checked the gender, Leo didn't want to assume anything. He or she would have been a light in his life, but had been too early – thus the "early dawn" part.
However, Leo had decided that the traditional pronunciation, "A-la-OO-la," didn't fit; he much preferred to slur it slightly into "Ah-LAOW-la."
It was after that naming ceremony – which Don and Leo held quietly together, back at the site of the funeral pyre – that Leo had become more and more stressed.
Mikey scooted slightly closer and rested a hand on Leo's shoulder silently, motioning for the paper. Leo handed it back and Mikey scribbled quickly, "Alaula wouldn't want you to tear yourself up over them. The remaining babies need you." He smiled when he handed it to Leo so the leader wouldn't take it as poorly. Without being able to tone his voice, Mikey was struggling.
"I know, Mikey." Leo's voice was harsh, but it wasn't directed at the youngest turtle; Mikey suspected it was directed at the leader. "I just… Can't seem to stop thinking about the little one. What if I did kill him?" Mikey shook his head vehemently. "We'll never know," Leo pointed out ruthlessly. "I just want them to grow up healthily."
Mikey sighed and nodded. He patted Leo and rose, making a "come with me" gesture. The leader shook his head and handed the pad of paper back before lying down again and checking under his wings to watch the eggs. The youngest quietly slipped out, taking the empty water bottle with him.
~~TIME WARP~~
Mikey woke up, gasping. His throat felt raw; he'd been trying to scream, or cry, or something. He sniffled and swung his legs out of bed, nearly blind in the dark. Klunk, returned from April's apartment finally, meowed at him sleepily.
Usually, Leo would have banished his nightmares by now, but since he was downstairs in the nursery, and Mikey couldn't have alerted anyone to his distress anyway, the youngest had relived the entire episode of watching as his brother got dissecting, and then realizing his voice didn't work…
The most tortuous nightmares were the ones where Raph yelled at him to shut up, and Mikey instantly was mute, and Raph just laughed. The second eldest had said that to him often enough, before their capture by Stockman, but… It hurt now. Then, he'd been able to shrug it off and keep teasing the hothead, but now it really bothered him.
He worked a foul taste around in his mouth, walking to the bathroom. Raph had become more sensitive since Mikey had lost his voice, and even more so after he and Lil' Sis started bonding. However, Mikey didn't like the new, quieter Raphael; his hotheaded brother would never have shown such concern for Mike's well-being aloud, but now Raphael was trying to protect him from patrolling.
Ironically, the red-banded turtle was almost worse than Leo – though Leo had a lot more practice in making his attempts to keep the youngest brother safe secretive. Once, Mike remembered, Leo had even bought him a new video game to keep him in the sewers during a particularly cold spell, though Mike had the most insulation of all of them. Don called it baby fat, but Mikey preferred to think of it as his own little blanket.
Getting himself a glass of water, Mikey quickly downed the liquid and rinsed his mouth out, trying to get rid of the ugly taste of blood. He wasn't truly bleeding, but he could still taste and smell it after a nightmare.
Don, though… Don was another source for nightmares. Mike knew his brother had been trying to help, to fix things, when he had made the electrolarynx, but it had scared Mikey. The thing speaking his words wasn't him, and he'd torn it off in anger, disgust (at himself), hate (again, at himself, and Stockman), and fear. He didn't want his brothers to remember his old voice and constantly compare it to the new one, so he decided he would suffer being mute rather than inferior.
While he was up and had water, Mikey decided to check in on Leo. The leader was probably sleeping, but he often was only dozing. If Mikey could bring him some water, the youngest was sure the leader would offer a calm, quiet place to rest a few minutes before Mike had to go back to his cluttered room.
Mikey gently opened the door without knocking; he didn't want Master Splinter waking up and being worried that Mikey was bothering Leo so late.
The water went flying, the glass shattering against the wall, as 250 pounds of furious beast tackled him. Thankfully, the door was open; Mikey spilled into the hallway, trying to scream as Leo pinned him in an eye blink.
Leo's wings were half-open, tilted forward; Don called it mantling, and said it was a sign of aggression. Mikey could feel Leo's tail holding his ankles together, tightening; his ankles creaked and the bones ground together. He gritted his teeth in pain.
Leo hissed, teeth bared in a snarl, leaning forward to glare at Mikey. His hand was tightening around his brother's throat, his other effortlessly holding the pinned turtle's hands to the floor. He was kneeling on either side of Mikey's torso so that he couldn't twist out from under Leo.
The edges of Mikey's vision began turning black; he gasped for air, struggling furtively. He knew Leo had him beat; Mike tried to see into Leo's eyes, his gaze pleading, but the black holes in Leo's mask responded without caring.
"Leo!" Raph launched himself to Mikey's rescue; how the hothead heard, when Mikey couldn't yell and Leo was almost silent, Mike would never know. He was grateful to be able to breathe again and rolled onto his side, coughing. His throat was badly bruised; he wouldn't have been able to speak if he had his voice box anyway.
Two large hooves filled Mikey's vision, and a worried Lil' Sis nuzzled his face. She whuffled at his beak, nudging him almost like a small foal she was trying to assess for injuries.
Mike wheezed and heard two more pair of running feet; Master Splinter knelt next to him and gently tried to pry his hands from his throat. Leo had gone for the throat because it was most vulnerable, but it had terrified the youngest turtle; he batted away his father's gentle hands, scooting back.
"Michelangelo, you are safe now. Leonardo has been…" Master Splinter looked up. "Taken care of." He looked back down at his youngest son. "I have to assess your injuries, my son. Please."
Mikey slowly calmed himself down, forcing himself to take deep breaths – though it hurt. Eventually - though it felt like hours, it was only minutes - he let Master Splinter feel his throat; the rat declared it was just a bad bruising.
Don and Raph were talking to Leo quietly when the orange-banded turtle managed to look over. Raph was holding Leo, though it was obvious the leader was shaken badly and wouldn't have tried to move if ordered to. Don was talking, quickly and quietly, in a voice that told Mikey Leo was about to lose it again.
Mikey stood up and walked over; Leo shrank away guiltily, eyes shining with tears of regret and pain. One of his brothers – or perhaps him – had taken his mask off, and since the only light was from the living room, Leo wasn't blinded.
Mike felt his fear and anger wash away, though he would always remember to knock in the future. He touched Raph's shoulder, and the hothead moved out of the way. Before Leo could try to escape, Mikey moved forward and hugged him.
It took Leo a minute, but he returned the hug, holding Mikey close but so gently Mike felt like a piece of fine china. They stayed like that for a minute, giving and receiving forgiveness and love through the simple touch, before pulling away simultaneously.
"I'm so sorry, Mikey," Leo said quietly. "I just… Don't know what came over me." Mike nodded quietly and knocked on the wall, indicating that he wouldn't forget to knock next time. Leo managed to smile slightly.
"It has been an eventful night," Splinter remarked, coming up behind the brothers. All four turned. "Leonardo, please be aware that you are hypersensitive. Michelangelo, I trust you have learned the value of requesting permission before entering anyone's space. Donatello, Raphael, please return to bed." All four bowed and Don and Raph quickly went back to their rooms. Master Splinter told Mikey he could also return to his room, though he advised the younger turtle to take the pieces of broken glass with him and throw them away, carefully.
"Sensei, I…" Leo looked down and knelt suddenly, his grief overcoming him. "I've failed."
Splinter knelt and tilted Leo's head up slightly, looking his eldest son in the eyes. "You are under much pressure, Leonardo. Your brothers and I understand this. I do not like what you have done tonight, but you are forgiven. It will serve as a reminder to all of us." Leo bowed his head. "However, until you are yourself again, I will place Raphael in charge. He will lead the nightly patrols, and if he orders it, you will go with them. I will be here, and nothing will happen to your eggs. You must be healthy, my son."
Only years of training kept Leo from interrupting his master; when Splinter was clearly finished, Leo burst out, "But, Sensei, they need me! What if something happens, like it did with… with Alaula?"
"That was not your fault, Leonardo. Your eggs will manage perfectly well without you for a few hours, and when the time comes for them to hatch, you will be much better prepared for parenting if you are healthy, both in body and in mind. My orders are final; I expect you to be mature and follow them."
"Hai, Sensei." Leo stared at the floor, fighting back the tears.
"You have a heavy burden." Splinter sighed, resting his hand on Leo's shoulder. "It is one we cannot share, however much we would like to, to relieve you of your pain."
Leo didn't respond; Splinter had no idea what kind of instincts Leo had to fight through every day just to leave the nursery long enough to eat and use the restroom. Don had told him it wasn't his turtle side – it was the human side of him. Turtles left their eggs to hatch by themselves, but humans cared for their young with a passion that few other animals matched.
"Please try to get back to sleep," Splinter advised. "I will inform your brothers of my decision tomorrow morning; I expect you at training." Leo nodded numbly, stood, and bowed to the aged rat. He helped Splinter up as well, and then disappeared into the nursery. Sighing, he lay down, extending his wing over the eggs again.
"Good night," he whispered to them. "Only two more months…" Don had put up a calendar in the nursery for Leo, and the eldest was crossing off the days until the eggs were laid. The red Xs would eventually outnumber the blank days, but the circled date – Don's best estimate – seemed so far away, especially with the shift of power Splinter was going to order.
Uneasy, Leo managed to doze for an hour before giving up, scared of the images of murdered brothers and his hands coated in blood. Leo stood and paced back and forth in the dirt, far from the eggs so he didn't accidentally step on one.
~~TIME WARP~~
Raph knocked gently on Leo's door. Mikey was making a large breakfast, and Raph suspected it was because he felt guilty about sneaking in on Leo last night. The hothead was more pissed off than anything; Leo had to have known was he was doing, right?
"Leo, time fer trainin'," he called through the door. It swung open quickly; Leo looked like hell. It was clear he hadn't slept all night, and equally clear – but the path in the room from the door to the opposite wall and back – that he had been pacing all night.
"Mikey's makin' a pancake breakfast. Shoul' be ready in a bit," Raph grunted. Leo nodded.
"Thank you… And sorry for last night." Raph nodded curtly and awkwardly patted his shoulder.
"We don' unde'stan', but Donnie says ya can' help it, so we're gonna help you instead," Raph said quietly. Leo nodded gratefully and headed for the shower.
Mikey had loaded everyone's plates and placed them on the table. He was already sitting when Leo came in; Raph was making coffee, and Don came in just after Leo. Master Splinter made himself tea and sat down at the table as well.
They ate quietly, remarking only to praise Mikey on his excellent cooking – which was easy to do – and request the powdered sugar, pancake syrup, or, in Mikey's case, salsa. There were chocolate chip pancakes, blueberry pancakes, and banana pancakes; even Master Splinter enjoyed a fluffy pancake, drizzling it with the syrup. His whiskers got sticky, but he declared Mikey's cooking was worth it before leaving the boys to clean up the kitchen and going to wash his face.
They assembled in the dojo; Master Splinter entered after the boys, received a bow from them all, and indicated for them to sit down. They sank gracefully to the floor; even Mikey managed not to flop.
"My sons, before we begin, there is a matter I wish to discuss." The three younger teenagers looked confused, but Leo just bowed his head. "Until the eggs hatch, Leonardo has shown he needs a reprieve from his duties as leader. Therefore, Raphael, you will assume leadership until further notice."
Raph blinked. "Master Splinter, I'm not fit t' be a leader. Leo's a little outta it, but he's still our big bro."
"Raph, he's right," Leo said quietly. "I attacked Mikey last night; I need someone else, someone with a clear head, to lead right now."
"I ain't clearheaded, dammit," Raph grunted.
"Language, Raphael," Splinter scolded.
"Master Splinter… Father," Raph started. It was very rare they called their Sensei "Father" and only when they were truly upset. "I can' lead. I'd get us killed 'r captured 'r somethin'!"
"You can do it, my son. You were named second in command. Would you rather Donatello took up this burden?"
Don's eyes widened. He didn't want to lead his brothers; he hadn't been trained for it. He wouldn't know how to lead patrols, or make decisions about what crimes to stop. The purple-banded turtle shook his head frantically.
"Raph, just do it," Leo insisted. "You'll be fine. It's only for a couple months."
Raph growled. "Ah don't like it," he protested. "But I'll do it. But as soon as yer back, Leo, you get the damn job."
"Language, Raphael!"
"Sorry, Master Splinter." Raph didn't sound very convincing.
"We will train. Raphael, you will decide where and what to patrol; you will also have the power to order everyone to come. Do you understand?" Raph nodded. "Then you may begin." Raph stood up; his brothers followed quickly. The new leader led them through stretches; twice he forgot the proper order, as distracted as he was, but Leo subtly guided him along. Raph was grateful; he didn't want to mess up his first order of business as leader in front of Master Splinter.
The hothead decided to make the best of it. If Leo needed the break – and Raph suspected he did, after seeing him fresh out of the dirt this morning – he would do what he could to give it to the stressed turtle.
He led the katas as well, slowly; Leo didn't try to rush, and kept perfect time. Raph was glad he didn't have to reprimand the former leader; he really didn't want to get further on Leo's bad side. He was already feeling guilty about taking over, even if it was sanctioned by their father.
He paired Mikey and Leo off and went at it with Donnie, keeping an eye on his other brothers as they sparred. Don noticed Raph trying to balance attacking with watching and slowed his attacks; he remembered doing the same for Leo when the young turtle had been first trying to learn how to lead them in training.
Finally, Raph called a halt – after they were all panting – and led them in cool-down stretches.
"We'll patrol tonight," he declared. Leo looked up, gaze pleading. "Leo, you'll come with us. It'll be short – just to the docks and back – but you need the air." Leo nearly glared, but stopped himself when Master Splinter tapped his tail on the concrete in warning. Instead, the eldest merely bowed stiffly and left to take a shower.
Don and Mikey agreed; they were eager to leave the lair, and rushed off to check their weapons and, in Don's case, prepare a duffle bag. The braniac had taken to carrying one around before they left, on patrol; he usually filled it with some first aid supplies, a little money in case Mikey saw a comic he just had to have, and a replacement ShellCell. This night, he left a little room in case they ended up seeing anything he wanted; the braniac was almost desperate to have something to tinker with.
He'd actually convinced Mikey to break the toaster on purpose just so Don could fix it after the third week of their being stuck in the lair. Mikey had jammed a fork into it, crushing a piece of toast in the bottom, and then stuck one of Raph's extra Sais in for good measure before putting the whole thing in the microwave and running away as fast as he could.
The explosion had caused Leo and Master Splinter to scold Mikey and Don both, but Don was happy; he'd had to fix the toaster and the microwave, from parts he had lying around. It was a challenge, but they had a fully functional toaster and microwave by the end of the second day.
Don had recently been contemplating making Mikey break something else. Until he was able to go to the junkyard, he wouldn't have anything new to tinker with. Raph's ShellCycle was all fixed up, though the hothead hadn't taken it out yet – at least, not to Don's knowledge.