Lucia Isabella Camellia-Hamato is the eldest daughter of Elizabeth Rain Camellia-Hamato and Hamato Leonardo. She was 13 years old. She had black short hair and silver eyes. She wore a white shirt and black shorts.
Lucia was just looking at the swords in her dad's weapon closet and she picked one up out of curiosity but right when her hands touched it, her dad just had to walk in. "Lucia!" He scolded and she jumped in surprise, dropping the sword. "Papi! It's not what it looks like!"
Leo crossed his arms. "Looks like you were going through my weapons again. Lucia, how many times have I told you, you are not ready for a weapon!" Lucia growled. "Why?! You were ready for weapons when you were 10! I work really hard every day at training, I know everything about our history and culture, I've even mastered meditating! Why can't I have a real weapon?!"
Leo looked at her sternly. "Because I don't think you're ready, you are still just a little girl." Lucia scoffed. "I am not a little girl anymore! You just don't think I can handle it!"
"That is not true."
"Bullshit!"
Leo's eyes widened in shock at his daughter's language. "Lucia!!" He yelled before grabbing a wooden sword out of the closet and sticking his daughter's thighs with it twice. "OW!"
"You are not ready for a weapon and that's final! As punishment for your disobedience and use of language, you'll have extra training and you're grounded for a month."
"A month?!"
"Yes, you keep disobeying me!"
"Eh!!" A voice suddenly yelled and the two looked to see Liz walk in. "What is going on here?" Leo looked at her. "Lucia went through my weapons again without my permission, so I punished her for a month."
"A month? Leo, don't you think that's a little extreme?"
"That's what I said!" Lucia exclaimed and Liz looked at her. "Cia, déjame manejar esto, bebe. (Cia, let me handle this, baby.)
Lucia sighed. "Si, Mami." She then left, throwing her father a glare as she did.
Leo looked at his wife suspiciously. "What did you just say to her?" Liz sighed. "Leo, you are being too harsh. She was just looking at them is all." Leo crossed his arms. "First, she's looking, then before you know it, she's going to be using them. She isn't ready for a weapon, Liz, she's still just a little girl." Liz smirked. "Is that what this is about? You're afraid you're going to lose your little girl."
Leo scoffed. "No, I just think she needs to mature a little more. She's still so irresponsible." Liz shook her head. "Ay, Leo, she's a child. You can't expect her to be like you when you were a child and act like an adult." Leo rolled his eyes. "I have work I have to do; I'll see you later."
"Leo!" Liz called but Leo was already gone.
…
Edward Leon Camellia-Hamato was the second child and only son of Elizabeth Rain Camellia-Hamato and Hamato Leonardo. He's 11 years old. He had black spiky hair with a red streak and silver eyes. He wore black T-shirt and red shorts.
Eddie was sitting at the kitchen table looking at his report card. He got all C-'s and B-'s. His dad was definitely not going to be happy. Leo walked in and smiled when he saw Eddie. "Hey, Ed, what are you doing?"
Eddie quickly hid the report card behind his back. "Nothing!" Leo raised a brow. "What are you hiding?" Eddie gulped. "N-Nothing!" Leo narrowed his eyes and held out his hand. "Give it here."
Eddie sighed, knowing there was no point in hiding it now and he showed the report card to his dad. Leo frowned. "C's and B's?! Eddie, I study with you all the time, what happened?!" Eddie sighed. "I don't know. I've been really trying, Father, honest!"
Leo looked at him sternly. "Well, you are obviously not trying hard enough. You clearly have been slacking. Edward, your education is important, you need to start taking it seriously. You even failed Japanese and I work with you on that every day!" Leo sighed. "You are grounded for a week, and we are going to study extra hours until you get your grades up."
"What?! That's not fair! I've been trying really hard, why do I have to get punished?!" Leo crossed his arms. "Because you got bad grades and you lied to me about it. I know you can do better than this, Eddie, you just choose not to! Now, go to your room, we'll study later."
Eddie grumbled as he walked out and went upstairs.
…
Fortuna Catalina Camellia-Hamato was the youngest daughter of Elizabeth Rain Camellia-Hamato and Hamato Leonardo. She's 9 years old. She had black hair and royal blue eyes. She wears a baggy hoodie, cap hat, and jean shots.
Lucky was just in her room, minding her own business when her father walked in, looking very upset. "Fortuna, I just got a call from your sensei." Lucky tensed, knowing what this is about. "What did he say?"
"He said that you have been sleeping in class, pulling pranks on students, and have not been taking your training seriously. You are far behind on your training because of it!" Lucky shrugged. "I just wanted to have a little fun, Papi."
Leo frowned and pulled out his belt. "Well, that 'fun' needs to stop. Hold out your hands!" Lucky tensed but slowly did as she was told, and Leo whacked her hands three times. "Ow!" Lucky cried before rubbing her stinging hands.
"You're grounded for two weeks, and I better hear some improvement on your training the next time I talk to your teacher." Leo warned before he left, leaving Lucky to pout in her room. "So, unfair! Why is he such a jerk?!"
…
Later that night,
Leo was sleeping in his room next to Liz, twitching slightly as memories from his past start to fill his dreams.
"Wahhh!!" 10-year-old Mikey was crying his eyes out as he held his bleeding arm. Leo had been left in charge of his brothers while their father went out to scavenge. He had only taken his eyes off Mikey for a second and that's all it took for his little brother to wander off and get his hands into the weapons. Mikey's curiosity was going to be the death of him, Leo was sure of that.
"Mikey, what were you thinking?! You know Splinter doesn't want us to touch the weapons without his supervision!" Leo scolded, harshly. He didn't mean to be harsh; he was just worried for his brother, the bleeding wasn't stopping, and he didn't know what to do. Leo blamed himself more than Mikey, he knew how curious his little brother can get and he failed to keep a close eye on him.
"I-I'm s-sorry! I-I ju-just wanted to try the swords! It hurts!"
"What is going on here?!" A worried voice shouted, and Leo turned to see Splinter walk in. "Father, Mikey cut himself with a sword, he's bleeding a lot and it won't stop, I don't know what to do!" Splinter quickly rushed over and looked at Mikey's arm before looking at him angrily. "You know you are not allowed to touch my weapons, Michelangelo, what were you thinking?"
Mikey hiccupped but didn't say anything, knowing that there was nothing he could say to justify his disobedience. Splinter then rushed into his room and came back with an aid-kit. Splinter put Mikey on his lap, knowing how squirmy he can get when it comes to pain before dapping rubbing alcohol on his wound. Mikey cried even more at the stinging pain and even louder when Splinter started to stitch his wound. When Mikey was done, Splinter kissed him on the head and patted his back gently until he finally calmed down.
Leo stood there watching the whole time and he couldn't hide the guilt he felt. "Father…I'm sorry, it's my fault, I should have kept a closer eye on him." Splinter put a hand on his shoulder. "You are not to blame Leonardo." He said gently before looking at Mikey sternly. "Michelangelo, do you have any idea how much worse that could have been? You're lucky it was only a cut, that sword could have badly hurt you. You know how hard it is for us to find medical supplies and I can't take you to a hospital if the worst was to happen. You need to be more careful!"
Newly fresh tears started to pour from Mikey's eyes. "I'm sorry, Papa."
"I hope you learn from this. Now, go to your room, we'll talk about your punishment later." Mikey nodded and left. Once gone Splinter turned to Leo who was still looking guilty. "Do not blame yourself Leonardo, honestly I should have expected this to happen." Leo looked confused. "What do you mean, Father?"
"Well, it's very common for young children to think just because they are gifted in ninjitsu and they can now learn how to use a weapon, they think they're invincible. Michelangelo is no expectation, I'm sure he thought he could handle the weapon without anything going wrong. It was my carelessness that did this Leonardo, not yours. Michelangelo isn't the only one who needs to be more careful, I need to be as well, especially in our situation. Now, go play with your brothers."
"Hai Sensei." Leo said before leaving. Splinter had meant for those words to be comforting but it only freaked Leo out even more.
…
Leo was watching his favorite show Spaceheros, and they were talking about how Captain Rayan was so smart and brave. He was thanking his teacher who taught him everything and Leo smiled. "I wish we could go to school?"
"Well, we can't." Raph said from the couch. "Because we're freaks." Leo frowned at him. "Geez, why do you always have to talk like that?"
"It's the truth! Is it not the truth?! Pop says our education is important but what are we ever going to do with it? Nothing! Because we are always going to live down here, with all the bugs and rodents because people will never accept us up there!" Raph said while pointing up.
"Well, Father says it is especially important for us to read and write." Raph rolled his eyes. "And why do you think that is?"
"For our education?"
"For our survival Leo!" Raph yelled and Leo looked at him taken aback. "Science, history, and math is the last thing dad is worried about us learning. Reading on the other hand, if we didn't know how to read, we'll be lost in the tunnels, not being able to read the signs. Everything we do and learn is for our survival Leo, it's not because of our future because we don't have a future other than this!" He gestured to the lair and Leo frowned slightly. "Yeah…I guess you're right."
"I am!"
…
"Thanks so much for helping me get these wires Leo!" Donnie said as they made their way back to the lair. "Sure! So, what do you need these for anyway?"
Donnie put on a proud grin. "Well, I was thinking that I could make us-"
"Ah! What the hell?!" A voice shouted and young boys froze in fear before looking in front of them to see two humans, looking at them in fear. "Uh, we-we come in peace." Donnie stuttered and the people started throwing rocks at them. "Monsters! Get'em!"
Leo grabbed Donnie's hand, making him drop the wire before pulling him along. "Run!"
"But the wire!"
"Forget it!"
…
At the lair,
Donnie was crying in Splinter's arms as Leo explained what happened. "They just came out of nowhere!" Splinter sighed. "Did they follow you?" Leo shook his head. "No, I made sure of it. Are we in danger Father?"
Splinter shook his head. "No, we should be fine. You two we're far from home, they shouldn't be able to find us." Donnie sniffed. "The-y c-called us mon-sters!" Splinter rubbed his back. "I know, I know but that does not make you a monster. Humans are cowards Donatello, they fear what they cannot understand, you must remember that."
Donnie nodded and buried his face in his father's chest. Splinter sighed. "I don't want any of you to go out alone in the sewers anymore. Today was just too close of a call." Leo frowned. "I'm sorry Father, I should have been more careful."
Splinter shook his head. "It's not your fault Leonardo…things like this are sure to happen, that's why we learn ninjutsu, so we can protect ourselves." Leo nodded but he still felt guilty, his little brother got hurt and it was because of his carelessness. He should have been more aware of his surroundings.
…
Back in the present,
Leo's strictness comes from his hard childhood in the sewers, it was a happy childhood, but anyone could guess it wasn't easy. Empty stomachs, living in fear, never having opportunities that other kids had, Leo's strictness comes from love, but it just comes out the wrong way. Everything he does is because he wants better for his kids and he hopes that one day, they'll understand that.