Lessons Learned
* * * * *
*
Chapter One...
"Dammit, be careful, Leo!"
"Raph–"
"Guys, lemme help."
"I wouldn't do that, Mikey."
"And why not, Don, huh?"
"Raph..."
"Shut up, Leo! Let Mikey help."
Splinter could easily hear the voices of the turtles float to the lair. The subway station had amazing accoustics for outside noise, but kept inside noise in. The Sensei merely shook his head for he had a good idea about what he was about to be faced with.
"Just how do you expect to get down the ladder with a bad arm?"
"Like this, great leader." With that response, Raphael slid down the ladder, his legs wrapped around it to keep from falling. "Well?" He smirked triumphantly, looking up.
Michelangelo followed, copying what Raph had done. "That was fun!"
"And dangerous," Leonardo commented, using the ladder as it was intended to be used.
Donatello followed once Leo was away from the ladder... by sliding down, the same as Raph and Mike had done. He said nothing, but shrugged at the glare Leo turned on him.
The four turtles moved from the ladder and landing into the living room area. Raph broke out in front, hugging his right arm to his plastron, hoping to get past Splinter.
"Raphael."
Raph took a few more steps before turning, heavily favoring the arm.
"What has happened?" Splinter asked.
"We came across some Foot attempting a petty robbery," Leo offered. "Raph went chasing after one and was tackled by another."
"He didn't tackle me! He dove at me, I tried to jump out of the way and the other guy tripped me up," Raph argued.
"You should've been able to avoid both of them," Leo countered.
"Hai!" Splinter knew where this exchange was going. "Enough. Raphael, let Donatello bandage your arm."
Raph glared at Leo, but didn't argue. He simply stomped off to the medic car.
Don gave Leo a withering look before following after Raph. It was going to be an interesting night.
* * * * *
Raphael couldn't sleep. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind and he couldn't shake it. He crept out of the car he shared with Mike and looked toward Splinter's private car, the one he spent most of his time meditating in or just reading. For some reason he couldn't grasp, he was drawn to it. The same gnawing thoughts that wouldn't surface were pulling him to the car.
He peaked in the door at first, just to make sure, then stepped in, closing the door after. He felt around for any type of light, but instead whacked his injured arm, now in a sling, onsomething. Raph hissed in pain and cursed under his breath. He finally found a small lamp and clicked it on.
Raph looked around. Even in the old lair, Splinter had a private room that the turtles were not allowed in, despite now being teenagers. His eyes wandered over books, Japanese antiques, weapons...
Suddenly, he moved forward and picked up an old, frayed notebook. He thought this odd: Mike was the only one used used notebooks. Raph's curiosity peaked and he flipped open the notebook, seating himself on the futon.
He skimmed page after page of Japanese writing, which he assumed had been Yoshi's. It was Hamato Yoshi's journal, he surmised. He understood enough to get the gist of the entries, but kept flipping pages until the first one he found in English. He began reading and realized it had been Splinter's first entry, made shortly after the mutations. The thoughts were a bit scattered, but otherwise well-written. Well-written or not, by the time he finished reading, Raph was fuming. He couldn't believe what he had just read. He gripped the notebook harshly and made his way back to his and Mike's subway car.
Raph would get to the bottom of this in the morning.
* * * * *
The next morning, three turtles stood in the dojo for practice, their Sensei stood by the wall.
Leo crossed his arms over his plastron. Another minute and he'd go drag him to practice... Injured or not, he expected Raph to show up.
And Raph did. He stopped across the opened area they used as a dojo. He held onto the frayed notebook, making it easy for Splinter to notice it.
"Nice of you to finally join us, Raph," Leo commented. He knew this would push Raph's buttons, just exactly what he wanted to do.
Raph remained silent, but the look in his eyes meant much more. He was beyond pissed off and everyone knew it. It wasn't just Leo's comment. Raph flipped open the notebook one-handed, as he'd already found the page he wanted to "share." Leo had since closed the gap between them and stopped in front of Raph, who shoved the notebook into Leo's hands.
Leo read the opened page. His eye ridges raised and he looked up. "What is this?"
Behind the commotion, Don and Mike exchanged confused looks, and watched as Splinter walked up to Raph and Leo.
Raph turned his attention to Splinter. "So, is that all we were to you? An easy way of getting revenge on Saki for killing Yoshi and Shen?"
Splinter's brow furrowed and his gaze landed on the notebook that Leo still held, but did not answer.
Leo also looked down at it, confusion now crossed his face. He looked up again at Splinter. "What is this, Sensei?" Mike and Don appeared behind Leo, trying to look over his shoulders at the notebook.
Splinter sighed. "Their honor was my main concern–"
"Yeah?" Raph interrupted. "What about us? Our honor? Do we even have any honor? Obviously we were only trained for revenge!" Hisleft hand balled into a fist by his side. When he spoke again, his voice was eerily quiet: "And every time one of us has been injured, it didn't matter. No, we just healed and jumped back into the fight head-first. So, maybe Saki truly is the bad guy. My mind hasn't been changed about that. Not after what we've seen from him. But, after reading for myself, that you'd decided even before we could talk that we were only meant to restore honor–" His voice broke off, fist shaking by his side.
"Raphael..."
He swung at Splinter, but his fist was stopped... by another green hand.
Leo accepted the enraged glare from his brother. "Master Splinter deserves a chance to explain."
Raph growled and dropped into a leg sweep, knocking Leo down. Regaining his footing, he yanked the sling off his arm, dropped it at Splinter's feet, gave him a fiery glare, and finally stormed out.
Leo sat up and watched as their sensei turned, leaving for his room.
* *
* * * * *
*
Chapter One...
"Dammit, be careful, Leo!"
"Raph–"
"Guys, lemme help."
"I wouldn't do that, Mikey."
"And why not, Don, huh?"
"Raph..."
"Shut up, Leo! Let Mikey help."
Splinter could easily hear the voices of the turtles float to the lair. The subway station had amazing accoustics for outside noise, but kept inside noise in. The Sensei merely shook his head for he had a good idea about what he was about to be faced with.
"Just how do you expect to get down the ladder with a bad arm?"
"Like this, great leader." With that response, Raphael slid down the ladder, his legs wrapped around it to keep from falling. "Well?" He smirked triumphantly, looking up.
Michelangelo followed, copying what Raph had done. "That was fun!"
"And dangerous," Leonardo commented, using the ladder as it was intended to be used.
Donatello followed once Leo was away from the ladder... by sliding down, the same as Raph and Mike had done. He said nothing, but shrugged at the glare Leo turned on him.
The four turtles moved from the ladder and landing into the living room area. Raph broke out in front, hugging his right arm to his plastron, hoping to get past Splinter.
"Raphael."
Raph took a few more steps before turning, heavily favoring the arm.
"What has happened?" Splinter asked.
"We came across some Foot attempting a petty robbery," Leo offered. "Raph went chasing after one and was tackled by another."
"He didn't tackle me! He dove at me, I tried to jump out of the way and the other guy tripped me up," Raph argued.
"You should've been able to avoid both of them," Leo countered.
"Hai!" Splinter knew where this exchange was going. "Enough. Raphael, let Donatello bandage your arm."
Raph glared at Leo, but didn't argue. He simply stomped off to the medic car.
Don gave Leo a withering look before following after Raph. It was going to be an interesting night.
* * * * *
Raphael couldn't sleep. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind and he couldn't shake it. He crept out of the car he shared with Mike and looked toward Splinter's private car, the one he spent most of his time meditating in or just reading. For some reason he couldn't grasp, he was drawn to it. The same gnawing thoughts that wouldn't surface were pulling him to the car.
He peaked in the door at first, just to make sure, then stepped in, closing the door after. He felt around for any type of light, but instead whacked his injured arm, now in a sling, onsomething. Raph hissed in pain and cursed under his breath. He finally found a small lamp and clicked it on.
Raph looked around. Even in the old lair, Splinter had a private room that the turtles were not allowed in, despite now being teenagers. His eyes wandered over books, Japanese antiques, weapons...
Suddenly, he moved forward and picked up an old, frayed notebook. He thought this odd: Mike was the only one used used notebooks. Raph's curiosity peaked and he flipped open the notebook, seating himself on the futon.
He skimmed page after page of Japanese writing, which he assumed had been Yoshi's. It was Hamato Yoshi's journal, he surmised. He understood enough to get the gist of the entries, but kept flipping pages until the first one he found in English. He began reading and realized it had been Splinter's first entry, made shortly after the mutations. The thoughts were a bit scattered, but otherwise well-written. Well-written or not, by the time he finished reading, Raph was fuming. He couldn't believe what he had just read. He gripped the notebook harshly and made his way back to his and Mike's subway car.
Raph would get to the bottom of this in the morning.
* * * * *
The next morning, three turtles stood in the dojo for practice, their Sensei stood by the wall.
Leo crossed his arms over his plastron. Another minute and he'd go drag him to practice... Injured or not, he expected Raph to show up.
And Raph did. He stopped across the opened area they used as a dojo. He held onto the frayed notebook, making it easy for Splinter to notice it.
"Nice of you to finally join us, Raph," Leo commented. He knew this would push Raph's buttons, just exactly what he wanted to do.
Raph remained silent, but the look in his eyes meant much more. He was beyond pissed off and everyone knew it. It wasn't just Leo's comment. Raph flipped open the notebook one-handed, as he'd already found the page he wanted to "share." Leo had since closed the gap between them and stopped in front of Raph, who shoved the notebook into Leo's hands.
Leo read the opened page. His eye ridges raised and he looked up. "What is this?"
Behind the commotion, Don and Mike exchanged confused looks, and watched as Splinter walked up to Raph and Leo.
Raph turned his attention to Splinter. "So, is that all we were to you? An easy way of getting revenge on Saki for killing Yoshi and Shen?"
Splinter's brow furrowed and his gaze landed on the notebook that Leo still held, but did not answer.
Leo also looked down at it, confusion now crossed his face. He looked up again at Splinter. "What is this, Sensei?" Mike and Don appeared behind Leo, trying to look over his shoulders at the notebook.
Splinter sighed. "Their honor was my main concern–"
"Yeah?" Raph interrupted. "What about us? Our honor? Do we even have any honor? Obviously we were only trained for revenge!" Hisleft hand balled into a fist by his side. When he spoke again, his voice was eerily quiet: "And every time one of us has been injured, it didn't matter. No, we just healed and jumped back into the fight head-first. So, maybe Saki truly is the bad guy. My mind hasn't been changed about that. Not after what we've seen from him. But, after reading for myself, that you'd decided even before we could talk that we were only meant to restore honor–" His voice broke off, fist shaking by his side.
"Raphael..."
He swung at Splinter, but his fist was stopped... by another green hand.
Leo accepted the enraged glare from his brother. "Master Splinter deserves a chance to explain."
Raph growled and dropped into a leg sweep, knocking Leo down. Regaining his footing, he yanked the sling off his arm, dropped it at Splinter's feet, gave him a fiery glare, and finally stormed out.
Leo sat up and watched as their sensei turned, leaving for his room.
* *