Chapter 28: I'm Coming Along
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"Okay" Donnie's quiet voice was interrupted by the squeak of markers across a tag board. "We have secured the sewers here, here and here and have set up servalious cameras around the zoo at these key locations." Donnie's tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as the genius continued to update the map.
"Even with the surveillance we should patrol the zoo regularly just in case."
"I agree Don, we have no idea when Baxter will show back up, but trust me when I say he will." Heads turned as Peter walked into the lab taking a place by his genius brother's side, a frown on his face as he stared down at the map.
Donnie took a breath, even as a human his brother's features were so familiar.
"When was the last time the zoo was patrolled?" Peter's voice held a calm authority as piercing blue eyes looked up to make contact briefly with everyone around the table.
"..err three days ago I think, but me and App were thinkin' about headin' over there again tonight." Casey answered.
Donnie's eyes darted back down to the table, yes three days ago. Three days ago April and Casey patrolled the zoo. Three days ago they learned about their brother's scars…
"I agree, another patrol is in order."
Donn let out a sigh, looking between his two other turtle brothers it was obvious they were just as unsure of how to react to Peter's authority as he was. They had followed their older brother's lead for years, trusting him with their lives. Donnie was sure his brothers would agree that they would have followed him to the ends of the earth. But Peter wasn't Leo. Their brother was still getting used to them. He didn't have his memories. He didn't have the ninja skills and training that he used to have. Donnie wasn't sure where this 'leader voice' was suddenly coming from, but it didn't exactly fit with the picture of Peter he was still forming.
Time to run interference.
"I definitely agree, Raph you want to organize a patrol group?"
"..yeah" firefly green eyes darted back and forth between Donnie and Peter, as though unsure.
Raph shook his head slightly, his voice more sure this time. "Yeah, Mikey, Donnie and me will head out after sunset, April, Casey you can hang here with Peter"
"No need to babysit me Raph" Peter rolled his eyes before grinning. "I'm coming along"
Donnie gripped the edge of the table tightly, his eyes darting to the now known scars barely hidden by the hem of his brother's hockey themed shirt.
No, Peter wasn't ready for this.
"Peter dude, I think it's best you sit this one out, me, Dee and Raphie got this." Mikey smiled, his hand gentle as it rested on Peter's shoulder.
Their human brother shook his head. "No, it's my fault you're all in this mess in the first place." Sapphire eyes met thiers, set with determination and burning with an unplaceable fire. "I'm going."
Beside him, Don felt Raph take a deep breath preparing to argue, but one look from those piercing sapphire eyes and his red brother's words died on his lips.
As the meeting came to a conclusion and everyone moved back to the living room, Donnie couldn't help the unease build within him. Things were still too raw. Their brother had just returned to them. None of them were ready for Peter to go to the surface, especially not with Stockman still out there. Peter didn't know Stockman and how dangerous the evil scientist really was. Their brother had lived a sheltered life as a human. True, they didn't exactly know what their brother's life had entailed, but he was slowly giving them glimpses of what they had missed with him this last year. It was frustrating really how little they knew, but Donnie knew better than to push. Things were still so very raw and new. They didn't want to overwhelm their brother. Donnie couldn't even imagine what it would be like to lose your whole past, your memories, your very identity, everything. Donnie in a way had lost everything in fire nearly a year ago and it shattered him. How his brother had managed to build a new life from the ashes of that fire, and now after finding them, trust and accept them so openly it was really an answered prayer. And Donnie was determined not to take this second chance for granted. This life was new to their brother. Being the hero and fearless leader had nearly killed Leo once, he was damned well sure that wasn't going to happen again. It was up to them now to protect their older brother. To shield and protect him as he had always done for them. It was their turn now. Their turn to be fearless, their turn to be the protector.
Raph drummed his fingers across the handles of his sias as he waited for his brothers by the turnstiles. It was crazy, he'd been above ground for several missions and patrols, but never had he felt so nervous.
Get it together Raph.The hothead internally berated himself. He needed to be focused. Needed to be in control. The safety of his brothers depended on it. The safety of all of his brothers.
Wow.
When Le..Peter spoke up back in the lab, he hadn't known what to do. On one hand there's nothing more that he'd like than to pass the mantle of leadership back to where it truly belongs, with his older brother. On the other hand he knows in his heart of hearts that really isn't an option. Leo aint well...Leo anymore. They all have to face facts that their brother is human now and aint got any of his memories.
He'd be the first to say that he don't give two shits that Leo ain't a turtle anymore. Though he'd give anythin' for his brother to have his memories back, it still doesn't change anything.
The only thing that's different now is that his older brother is no longer the ultimate ninja. Fearless can't protect them like they used to. No. Now it's his turn.
At the funeral he swore to Leo that he'd keep their brothers safe, that he wouldn't let anything ever happen to them. Now that 'them' included his older brother. It was a miracle, an answered prayer that their older brother was returned to them. And Raph was damn well not going to take that miracle for granted.
Raph looked up as his brothers approached, letting his eyes travel over each brother in turn. Seeing Donnie and Mikey decked out in their gear, weapons handy. His breath nearly caught in his throat as Peter approached, never thinking he'd get to run another patrol with his older brother again.
All he wanted that night was for all of us to run a patrol together. He shook the haunting thought from his mind.
It didn't feel right that it was him leading them up, instead of his older bro.
"You ready?" he asked. It was weird to see his brother without his katana or bandana. The only gear his brother had were some knee and elbow pads along with a few shurunkins. Peter wore the hockey shirt that Casey gave him instead of his long sleeve shirt. The scars still bothered him, they always would. But he was glad that his brother felt comfortable enough around them that he didn't have to cover them up any more. The summer days and nights were getting too warm for sleeves anyway.
Peter shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be"
The rhythmic drumming of four pairs of feet was music to his ears. Well not really music, but it was still really cool. He never thought in a million years that he'd get to patrol with all his brothers again.
He couldn't help it Mikey felt over the moon.
Sending a shining smile Leo's way, he couldn't help but want to run over and hug his older brother at the confident smile he sent back.
Raph and Dee still corrected him when he called Leo, 'Leo' but for him his older brother would always be Leo. He couldn't get used to 'Peter' plus for the most part Leo had stopped correcting him on it. So that was a good sign wasn't it?
Ahead Raph slowed his pace slightly, it took every fiber of his being not to speed up and outpass them all. He knew this stretch of rooftops by heart, plus they were going really slow. Mikey took a breath, he knew they were going this pace for Leo. Their brother was human now after all and not a ninja. It didn't really bother him going this pace, not if he got to run next to his brother.
Speaking of which, Mikey turned his head to see his brother turn human hurtling an air conditioning unit keeping in perfect pace with him and Donnie as Raph ran point.
Although it was super cool to get to be running the rooftops with his awesome oldest brother, he couldn't help but wish his brother had stayed home. It was dangerous out here after all. He didn't know why Leo thought that any of this mess was remotely his fault. That crazy self blame habit seemed to be hanging on tight, despite the memory loss. Miked had wanted to talk to his brother about that, but after Leo said he was coming along on patrol, things got tense and he hadn't had much of a chance to talk to Leo about it.
Mikey bit his lip as he ran. Ever since he learned about the scars, it was like a huge truth had been revealed to him. He'd been so caught up in the amazing miracle that Leo was alive and back that he'd almost forgotten that for the last year his brother had been living another life! He barely knew anything about Leo's human life, except that he worked in a pizza shop. Which in itself is super cool! Don said something about Leo living in a town outside the city, but Mikey doesn't know when he moved there or why. He doesn't know if Leo had any friends, or what his brother liked to do as a human, or if he misses anything. In so many ways his brother is exactly the same, loving, protective and caring older brother he always knew but at the same time he's also a mystery.
"Hold up" Raph held up a hand, and the group slowed to a halt.
"What's up Raph" Leo asked, coming to peer over the side of the building.
"To get into the zoo, we're going to have to scale that wall there and then sneak past the surveillance to get to the african safari section where Rocksteady's being held."
Leo nodded his arms folded in front of him as he listened to the plan.
"You think you're up to this?" Raph asked, his voice gentle.
"Yes" Leo answered, already climbing down the fire escape.
Mikey jumped into action, surprised at how quickly his brother was moving as he scaled down from the roof and raced across the street to hide in the shadows at the front entrance of the zoo. Was he holding back? He did seem to be keeping up pretty well.
"Dude," he breathed standing next to his older brother. "Were you holding back? You can actually move pretty fast"
Leo's eyes widened slightly before they were quickly schooled back to a relaxed neutral expression.
Mikey smiled.
"This is no time to show off" Raph growled.
Despite Raph's words Leo had no trouble scaling walls and balancing as they snuck past different exhibits avoiding the roaming cameras all the while.
Seeing the look of surprise on Raph and Donnie's faces were priceless, though Mikey couldn't deny his own surprise at his human brother's agility.
"Poor guys" Mikey frowned, feeling a twinge of sympathy deep inside at the sight of animals behind bars.
"They don't deserve to be locked up like that," Leo agreed in a whisper, shaking his head. "What a lie their lives are. It's so dishonorable to steal their freedom from them!" The bitter anger in the fierce whisper startled him, and Mikey had to stop and think over those last words for a second.
It didn't take long before they reached the African Safari section of the zoo, and Mikey let out a relieved breath as he hopped down into the safety of the shadows once more beside his brothers.
"What were you thinking Le..Peter!" Raph growled out lowly, a finger pocking their human brother in the chest. Mikey scooted over to stand by Donnie.
"What?" Leo raised an eyebrow. "I was just following your lead"
"I have to agree with Raph there," Donnie chimed in. "this is your first mission you need to take it slower, you were taking too many chances back there. There's no shame in taking it slow."
Mikey was surprised as a quiet chuckle fell from his brother's lips as Leo shook his head back and forth in amusement before holding up his hands. "This isn't my first mission, plus that walkway back there was no more difficult than any obstacle I had to run in the academy."
"Academy?" Mikey asked, confused.
With an amused yet cautious look on his face Leo pulled out an item holding it out in clear view to his brothers.
Mikey's eyes grew wide as he stared at the police badge with his brother's name on it. Well half of the 'human name' he went by. Mikey clearly read Peter, but the last name was covered up by his brother's thumb. But that didn't bother Mikey, he preferred calling his brother Leo anyway, and seeing his brother with a badge was really cool enough.
"You're a policeman?" Donnie's voice squeaked in surprise.
Bashfully Leo blushed, letting his hair fall in front of his face slightly as he nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I loved the pizza place and still kept in touch with my friends there..but I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. When I saw the ad for the police academy it..it just felt right. Training there was one of the first times I really felt like I fit in somewhere. Serving and protecting the community, helping people, it felt like I was making a difference. I can't explain it, I was just drawn and once I was assigned to my placement it was like finding a piece of myself."
For a second Mikey forgot to breathe. It was so rare to hear Leo open up like that and talk so openly about his life this past year like this, but every word he said sounded soo Leo, the old Leo, their fearless leader.
Beside him Donnie stiffened in shock and from the look on Raph's face he didn't know how to respond either. Boy did Mikey understand.
But at the same time..
"Leo!" Mikey whispered, throwing his arms around his older brother. "That is soooo cool!"
Leo let out a relieved breath as he hugged him back.
Raph snorted and Donnie chucked mumbling something about how 'some things never change' while Raph had his own mumblings about a 'bossy leader voice', though the wide smiles on both of their faces spoke loudly of their relief and joy.
Yes, so similar and yet mysterious.
I couldn't help but let out a relieved breath as we finally entered into the rhino habitat at the zoo.
There were many things I was expecting on this mission tonight, but revealing myself as a cop was not one of them. Though I couldn't help but be relieved. Maybe now they would finally take me seriously, and stop worrying so much about me. Though, admittedly the attention and care was comforting and enduring it did get under my skin. I was just wrapping my mind around the idea that they actually did want me around despite my mutation and memory loss. All the attention they've been giving me has been a little overwhelming, especially since they found out about my scars. Though stressful I'm glad I told them about my scars, it's time I let them in somewhat. After all they've done for me, I feel as though they deserve that. Telling them about my job as a policeman is another step in that direction, plus it's much better news. At the very least, they have less of an excuse to leave me behind on missions.
"Hey Peter," hearing my name pulled me back to the present. A fond smile pulled on my lips as Bebop approached, but I couldn't fight the twist of guilt deep inside. It was my fault that his friend was mutated after all, and that everyone including my brothers were in danger.
"Yo dog, I was beginning to think that you wouldn't show."
I smiled, "sorry it took so long Bebop" I darted a glance through the bars "how's he doing?"
Bebop let out a long breath. "The same I think, though I don't know if that's good or bad."
I gave the mutant pig a sympathetic look. I can't imagine how hard it would be trying to reach out to someone you're close to who has been changed so drastically and has no memories of you. It must be so frustrating and overwhelming.
"Has he reacted to you at all yet?" Donnie asked carefully.
"No" Bebop's voice is barely a whisper.
Donnie pulls out a device from his bag, and points it at Rocksteady most likely running a scan or something.
I have to look away. It's weird I'm used to seeing Donnie work in his lab all the time, but for some reason this is making me think of Baxter.
I hate that I miss him.
Bebop is sitting a little ways away on a bench, I walk over to him and let Donnie work as Mikey and Raph check the nearby surveillance.
"I can't get over it..seeing him like this"
I let my gaze wander over to the wild animal behind the bars. Treading the ground angrily as he eyed the intruders warely.
"Were you guys close friends? " I ask.
Bebop lets out a sigh, a small smile forming on his lips. "No not always, actually the guy and I barely got along when we were human. I worked for him as a thief stealing valuables that most thieves could never get their hands on."
Hearing this shocked me but I kept my expression neutral as I listened. I had forgotten that they were probably criminals at some point, it makes sense though as they knew Baxter and had become enemies of his somehow.
"What changed?"
"We did," he let out a snort. "When the invasion happened we grew desperate. We were starving, yo, eating cockroaches off the ground. We took a chance and it backfired. Tried to swindle the wrong guy, found out the hard way when he had his fly scientist freek mutate us."
I had to bite my tongue. Baxter had mutated them?
"We were so angry after what Shredder did to us, but it's not like there were many job opportunities for a mutant pig and rhino after all and we felt like we had to work for him."
I was silent for a second, I could tell that talking about this was hard for him but I think it was helping. I can't imagine how hard it was for them back then. I'd heard about the Shredder from Baxter, I can't imagine working for such an dishonorable and terrible monster.
"We blamed you guys at first"
His words pulled me from my thoughts, and surprised I couldn't help but ask. "Why?"
"When something like that happens, something too terrible for you to wrap your head around, it helps to blame someone. It feels like it makes things easier at first, but it really doesn't. Having someone to blame doesn't change a damn thing, and in your case it wasn't really warranted."
I understood what he ment, blaming Baxter didn't change anything, though in this case the blame was warranted.
"I'm sorry you went through that."
"Thanks"
I turned my eyes back to the enclosure. We sat in silence for a minute longer before he spoke again.
"That's how we become friends. We both lost everything, and all we had were each other. Suddenly it didn't matter that we didn't really get along before, we were all the other had. We became best of buddies."
I reached over and took his hand, providing a silent support and comfort as the tears started to fall. I didn't know what to say, but I had a feeling that I didn't need to say anything at all. He was the one who needed to talk. So I had let him. It wasn't exactly a story I had expected to hear, but it had brought him to the place he needed to be. I had a feeling he hadn't cried yet, adn after everything that's happened that's what needed to happen. He needed to process. He needed to grieve.
I hoped and prayed that Donnie could fix this.
But whether he could or couldn't Bebop needed to grieve.
I looked down at my own five finger hand. I understood Bebop. I understood how close he was to Rocksteady, they had been two friends against the world. All the other had.
I'd been that close with Baxter…
A muffled sob pulled me out of my own sorrow and dark thoughts.
I reached over and rubbed Bebop's back as the tears turned into sobs.
"It's okay" I soothed "let it out"
A few minutes later the sobbing seeced and the tears stilled.
We sat there a few minutes in silence, before Bebop spoke again, telling me stories about him and Mr. Steranko. He told me how he and Rocksteady got their names about how we all used to be enemies. He talked about working for Shredder and how much he disliked the name Bebop at first. Mostly though he talked about how he and Rocksteady became close friends.
"Yeah, it was hard at first turning from crime," Bebop continued. In the part of the story where he and Rocksteady had allied with them to turn against the trans-dimensional Shredder and Krangg.
"I mean it was like the opposite of everything I'd ever done, dog, so of course it was hard at first. I had to try to change. It took effort but it was definitely worth it."
I smiled at the answer, truelty proud of how far he's come.
He was silent for a second. "It took facing something I really cared about to decide to change," he said suddenly. "I was so afraid of earth being destroyed that I had to stop and realize what I really cared about, after that everything else didn't really matter."
I was quiet for a moment. Baxter had said something similar once. He also had made an effort to turn away from his path as a villain. But was that even true after what I had recently learned? Were those only words? I wanted to believe that there really was good inside Baxter, but after how much he had stolen from me and my brothers it was hard to feel a little more than hurt, blame and anger toward the person I once called brother.
"Hey" the sound of my brother's voice pulled me back into the moment and I looked up as Raph headed toward us. "Donnie finished up his checkup with Rockstead" Raph told Bebop. "Me and Mikey were just going to run a quick surveillance of the area you want to join us?"
I smiled up at my younger brother. "Gladdly"
"You and Bebop have a nice talk ?" Donnie's question pulled me back to the present.
"Yeah" I answered sincerely. It really was a nice talk, though admittedly I'm a little bemused. I was hoping to help Bebop work through his own emotions and talk things through but I felt as though he helped me more than I helped him. The conversation kept bringing to light the very issues I had been trying to avoid.
"Find anything helpful in your checkup with Rocksteady?" I asked hopefully as we made our trek through the sewers.
"No" Donnie let out a sigh.
"Hey" I leaned forward making eye contact with my little brother. "It's okay" I sent him a comforting smile. Feeling relieved when the tension in his shoulders seemed to loosen.
"So when are we going to talk about you being a cop?" Mikey's question seemed to come out of nowhere, pulling a laugh from my lips. I shook my head, sometimes Mikey remindes me of Marcus.
"Sure Mikey, ask me anything."
"Really?" Mikey bounced on his feet, and I was surprised to see my response pulling a smile to Raph and Donnie as well.
"When did you join the force?" Raph asked, a twinkle in his eyes.
"Last summer"
"Did you have a partner?"
"Yes I did, I was paired with a much more experienced police officer and a good man, his name's Parker. I was lucky to become fairly good friends with him and his wife."
"Did you like your job?"
"Very much so" I smiled answering question after question as we headed through the tunnels closer to home, happy to see all my brothers taking part.
"Where does the police force think you are now?" Donnie's question catches me by surprise.
"I mean" Donnie continues "you obviously left your home, did you flee? Do they know where you went?"
I let out a sigh "Technically I'm on sabbatical." out of the corner of my eye I saw Raph raise an eyebrow "My Captain, Avery, wasn't too fond of hiring me in the first place due to my amnesia but I passed the academy with honors so" I shrugged. "But when I came to the station with a wild story about a scientist trying to mutat mutants, I think I just confirmed his worries about me." My brother stiffened beside me. "He didn't even look at the evidence I brought" I bit out angrily. " He barely let me finish my story. My own partener didn't even believe me" I clenched my fists. "I'm lucky to have just been put on sabbatical; they could have fired me, I'm sure I sounded crazy." I shook my head letting out a humorous laugh. "I turned in my gun, though that didn't bother me, I don't like guns anyway. They let me keep my badge though." I shook my head. "I was supposed to talk to a doctor before I could return to duty, never gave them the chance though, I left town that night."
My steps halted, tears stinging at my eyes.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, turning I saw the worried eyes of my brother. I patted his hand.
No, I would save my tears for later. Reflection was good. It was healthy. But I wasn't sure I was quite ready for that yet.
Bebop had been right in saying that blame didn't solve anything. It didn't stop me from wanting to blame Baxter though. I felt robbed of two lives. The one with my brothers that I was just starting to renovate, and the one I created and then had to leave behind.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I enjoy writing from Peter's perspective, but I wanted to take a chapter and 'see' through the eyes of each of the brothers, if even briefly.
There were a few places there where the story took over and started writing itself. :)
Thank you for reading,
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