The Last Ninja Turtle
By Courtney Kays "Verdigris"
Author's Note: I'm sorry for the massive lateness of this fic. Things have been pretty busy here in RL. I almost wanted to drop this and start it over, but I decided against it. I want to finish this story! I am on a role with this and one other story. I plan on doing a few sketches based on this sometime in the future when I'm not piled to the brim with design work and post it on my account at http:gryen. Here's hoping!
Chapter 3: In the Mind of a LeaderLeonardo sat silently in the living room of their den. He had discovered Donetello and Michelangelo had left more than two hours ago when he was preparing to train in the dojo. His heart had skipped a beat when he saw the two trench coats missing from the mantel above the entrance. Dread was written on his knitted brows and it took all of his self control not to run after them. This was not the first time he had been so worried about his brothers leaving the safety of the sewer. Many countless evenings and nights were spent waiting for his brothers' return. Over the years the cool, strong leader had grown excessively paranoid since Splinter passed away.
They were not as young as they used to be and their chances of surviving slimmed with every year, even with the Foot gone. He cursed under his breath, why the hell was he so worried about this? It was not something he could control or predict, so why did it plague him so? He had not left the lair in weeks and it was nearing a whole month and each day spent without knowing where his brothers were always left him ill at ease. Was this what Splinter felt when he and his brothers went to fight, possibly never to return?
Suddenly the sound of footsteps echoed closer to the door. It was music to his ears. He quickly regained his posture, nearly shaking with relief. The mask of the strong, confident leader instantly returned and stood up and tightened the blue bandana around his eyes.
Michelangelo was the first to push the door forward Leo felt the corners of his mouth lift up into a small smile. His relief quickly left him when he saw the expression on his usually happy brother's face. He watched frozen stiff as Donetello was weakly pulled into the entrance, followed by Raphael. Leo darted toward them, taking in the weary form of his brother who could hardly stand on his own.
"What happened?" Leo's voice threatened to crack as he stood up straight.
"Donetello had another attack." Michelangelo stated nervously. "He can't breath very well." He and Raphael helped Donetello into the living room, assisting him as he lied down on the couch. Leonardo winced at his harsh breathing, followed by wheezing coughs. He was much worst than he was a few days ago and something had to done as soon as possible. His eyes closed painfully.
Don calmed his breathing enough to speak, "Leo. I need medicine. I can't even run a few feet without my air-ways retracting."
Leonardo closed his eyes and nodded. Years ago when it came to medicine other than homeopathic they were at loss. Now they had source or at least an insight on how to get it when they were in dire need. He made a mental note to contact April's daughter, Carrie tomorrow morning. She was Donetello's only hope.
"Where was the fight?" He reguarded Raphael with a harsh look, knowing that was the reason his hotheaded brother was with them. Raph gave him a small dagger-like gaze at his brother for his assumption and pulled off his coat to returned it to the mantel without a word. Leo leaned down to Donetello and glanced at Michelangelo, "Tell me exactly what happened."
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Raphael stood near the door of his room as he tending to the wound on his shoulder. He could hear the voices of his brothers, namely Michelangelo, explaining his view of the scuffle. He could see Leo's expressions in his mind as his other brother continued. Raph hissed slightly when he accidentally brushed his wound against the door. It was not bad enough to need stitches, but it would need proper care to heal. He thought about going to Donetello's room to get the first aid kit, but decided to wait and see if Leonardo had his annual 'You Really Screwed Up This Time, Raphael' speech ready for him. Often in their youth Leo's lectures sometimes led to fights and they turned so violent that Splinter would have to use force to pull them apart. Now the fights often ended with Leonardo backing down from exasperation. He guessed that Leo could only repeat himself for so long. As much as he had dreamed of Leo getting off his back, now when he finally got his wish he found no joy in it. Leo was different now and he did not like it. What exactly was wrong with him? He believed it was Don's breathing problem that triggered his reluctance to confront him, but it he had been acting strange long before that. He could have sworn he felt something more often from Leo over the last year; one that he hid from everyone else. Fear.
"Raphael?"
He grunted in surprise, interrupted out of his thoughts and peeked out his door to see Leonardo sitting on a chair with his back to him. Raph moved toward him and stood at the table, waiting for him to turn around.
"Raph, you had another fight again."
He rolled his eyes, "Thank you Mr. Obvious?" Leo did not move. "Please look at me Leo so we can get this over with. We already know what we're going to say, so say your part and I'll say mine." To his surprise Leo got up and walked away from him, not bothering to face at him.
"Come on Leo." He growled. "Tell me off, get out your big book of lectures and do something already. Just say what's on your mind, you've been starting to freak me out lately."
Leonardo stopped at an old, empty chair and turned his head. "Why do you have to keep fighting, Raph? Didn't you get your fill after all those years? The Foot is defeated and we finally put things to rest and avenged Master Splinter. What more do you need?"
Raphael crossed his arms over his chest. "You of all people should know better than to ask me why I fight."
"Perhaps I don't know better. You and I aren't exactly the closest of friends." Leonardo's mask faltered, but his determined gaze had not moved once as Raph spoke.
"I fight because it was something Splinter gave to me. He gave me my purpose, my point in life. Don't think you aren't the only one who is upset over his passing."
"I am restless and I always will be and cannot sit here underground when there are people above it who still need to be reminded of us. That there is something to be feared when they do the shit they do. We may live secret lives, but we've lived here long enough to create a few urban legends of our existence."
"I will not dry up and die and I don't want to give them satisfaction of knowing it, Leo. We gave our solemn vow to Splinter that we would never forget who we were. I haven't and you shouldn't either."
His words struck Leonardo like two-by-four and he thought he caught a glimpse of his embarrassment before the determined mask reappeared. "You practice everyday and yet you never put them to any use outside the sewer. "
After what seemed to be only a few minutes Leo finally replied. "We shouldn't have to fight anymore." He looked at the wound on Raph's shoulder and raised an eye ridge at it. "You were shot. Shouldn't that be a reason that we are slowing down? I don't want to raise my katana to anyone anymore."
Raphael burned with anger. "So are you going to tell me to do the same?"
"If I asked you, you wouldn't do it." Leonardo gave me a small grin, but it was laced with misery and shook his head. He gave a tired glance at Splinter's old chair with his cane sitting alone on the beaten cushions. Leo let his gaze travel from the empty chair to Raphael's scowling face.
"Are we done now?"
Leonardo sighed and turned his eyes away. "Yes." He said simply, obviously not in the mood to fight.
"I'm going to talk with Michelangelo about what to do with Donetello. We may need to make a few calls tomorrow morning."
He turned away and went into Don's room without another word. Raph blinked at him, knowing he had never been so easily dismissed before and he was not at all satisfied with it. Normally their fights ended up with him stomping away, not the other way around. Leo just gave up and it infuriated him. The leader was falling fast and his gut told him that this would not be the last, but the first of many things to go astray in their small family. Raph slowly returned to his room and slumped on the bed.
"What is wrong with you, Leo?" He hissed through his teeth.
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The next morning the four turtles sat around the kitchen table sharing a pot of coffee. Michelangelo sat back in his seat with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other. Donetello was nursing his cup and looked very deep in thought, occasionally taking in deep breaths air to control his wheezing. Every time his breathing quickened, Michelangelo would glance up from his book and silently question how he was feeling. Don turned his eyes to him and gave him gesture that meant he was fine. If anyone had any strong apathetic feelings for him, it was Mike. He felt that way with each of his brothers when they were ill or injured and was very compassionate toward them.
Don was never an open book and kept to himself most of the time. He never complained about anything or spoke to any of them when he was troubled. One would think that he never harbored any secrets or deeply rooted emotions beyond his head full of scientific and mechanical know-how. But he had them just like everyone else and Michelangelo knew it better than anyone. His illness consumed him and kept to his thoughts to sort it out, but Michelangelo made sure he knew he was there for him. It had become an unspoken agreement between them.
Donetello may have gotten his full attention when it came to his special apathetic senses, but Mike could not ignore the tense energy that came faintly from Leo.
Raphael slumped in his seat and slipped his coffee noisily while Leonardo leaned on his elbows with his hands resting underneath his chin. He seemed to be in his own little world and his coffee was untouched and cold. Michelangelo glanced up from his book again noticing the quietness of the kitchen had lasted for more than ten minutes and decided to break the ice first.
"Did you know," he said in a thoughtful voice, startling his brothers, "That one out of forty middle aged Americans have eight pounds of undigested red meat in their colons?" He looked at the others with a serious expression until they stared at him with surprise and then gave them a silly grin. Raphael spat out a bit of his coffee into his mug.
"What the hell?" Raph cursed at him from across the table. "Where did that come from?"
Michelangelo grinned a toothy grin. "Aw, much better. It was beginning to feel a bit dead in here."
"Well, maybe none of us felt like talking." Raph growled while wiping away the coffee was running down his mouth. "Where did you hear that?"
"Discovery Channel."
Conversation sped up, as was Mike's plan, and it eventually boiled down to do with Donetello's sickness. Leonardo continued to stare off in the distance while listening in at select words in the conversation. He was deep in thought about had to done about his brother. He hated asking anyone for help and burdon them on their expense, especially after what happened so many years ago. In their youth they had to rely on April and Casey quite frequently. It had been dangerous and trying on both of them, but they were always willing to help. Then the one time the Foot attacked before they left for Japan, they had failed at protecting their friends. He shuddered at what had almost happened to April when his guard was down. Children were not the only reason they left New York City for good.
"Leo? Did you hear what I said?" Michelangelo stressed his words. "Are we going to call Carrie now?"
Leonardo clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth before answering. "Yes. I'll dial and Donetello can speak to her and explain the problem." He went for the phone on the wall of the kitchen and called, listening for the click of the speaker as it rang. Leo reminded himself that it now safe to converse with their friends above ground. The Foot was gone, what was there to be frightened of?
Someone finally picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Carrie, it's Leonardo."
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A young woman in button down, sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans with the legs rolled up beneath her knees, was eagerly picking up her apartment. She was overjoyed that her four unique friends were paying her a visit, yet slightly unnerved about what was wrong with Donetello. She hoped she could provide some help for him, especially since they hardly visited her. It was a pity that they had to live in recluse in the New York City sewer. She smiled to herself. That gave her all the more reason to spoil and fuss over them when they came. No sense in them going through the trouble of sneaking all the way to her apartment and leave empty handed.
As she smoothed the rug on the floor, she heard gentle but forceful knocks at the door. Rushing to the door she peeked through pinhole, smiling at the sight of the tops of four battered fedoras slightly warped in the tiny glass hole. Quickly she opened the door, ushering them in as they disappeared inside. With a careful look around the building she closed the door. Grinning widely she let loose a small cry she had been holding.
"God, it's been ages! How have you been?"
The four turtles nodded to her, half taking off their coats as she reached for them with open arms. Leonardo kept his distance with her, waving away the gesture and smiled gently. "We're fine, Carrie. But we have been better," Leo stated politely and bent his head to her. He knew the reason for their visit was not a pleasant one and he did not want to pretend otherwise. However, Carrie thought different and he remembered his manners and took her hand between his. "It's good to see you again."
Carrie rolled her eyes affectionally at him. She knew Leonardo too well to be upset with his usual uptight manner and teased him, "Enough with the formalities. I've known you nearly all my life and you still treat me like a off and on friend. You are always welcome here anytime you like."
Leo smiled warmly at her, but kept his tone was serious. "Even so. It's dangerous to visit you and we always grateful to enter your home." He gave her hand a squeeze and backed away, standing less than a foot away from her.
"Oh pah-leese." Michelangelo groaned at him, "Leo, if you're not going to hug her, I'm going to. Come 'ere!" He swooped her up in a crushing bear hug and Carrie laughed as she took off his hat and kissed him on the top of his head. She cared for all of them, but Michelangelo would secretly always be her favorite.
Carrie managed to peel Mike's arms from around her, ducking under one of them to look at the others. Leo was not the only stand offish one in the group. Donetello and Raphael carried a similar body posture of anxiety and nervousness, though they were hiding it better. "Please, make yourself at home. I'll get you something to eat."
Following orders they went in the dining area and sat in the seats. Raphael leaned back in his chair, letting his eyes travel around the room. Carrie's apartment was small as most New York City apartments were and very expensive. Working as a nurse at one of the major hospitals helped her afford one of the more moderately sized one. There was a clang of some pots and the sound of cupboards opening and closing.
"Does anyone object to grilled cheese?" Carrie called out from behind counter.
"Nope." They all said at once. She smiled at automatic response and reached for a frying pan. She hoped a little greasy food would ease the tension before they got down to business.
Leo hesitantly got up from the table to look around the living room. He was anxious and sitting made it worse. His eyes caught sight of some new picture frames and he zeroed in on them. There were snap shots of Carrie and her close friends back in college, one of David, her brother, proudly standing next to his '64 red mustang and one their mother and father. He frowned sadly when he looked at the picture of April and Casey at their fifteenth wedding anniversary party. Casey had his arms around April and they were smiling up at the camera. He reached out to touch glass frame gently.
"Leo! Would like a Coke?" Carrie called from the kitchen.
The yell startled him and his large fingers knocked over the picture and it crashed to the wooden floor. Carrie quickly put down the frying pan and sprinted toward Leo. "Are you okay? You didn't cut yourself did you?"
Raphael was on his feet and leaned over on the wall looking at Leo and shaking his head. "Good job, Bro. We've only been here for twenty minutes and you're already wrecking the place."
"Raph, sshh." Carrie snapped and shooed Leo away so she could sweep up the glass.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.." Leo sputtered, embarrassed and bent down to help her. "I'm sorry…"
Carrie waved a hand at him. "Please, don't worry about it. It's just a picture frame. Mike, could you turn off the stove and get some plates?"
"No Prob!" He called out.
She pushed his hands away and pointed to the table. "Go sit down already." As he stood up Carrie whispered to him so only he could hear. "Try to relax and enjoy yourself, Leo. You're among friends."
Leonardo sighed heavily, looking at the picture of Casey and April before retreating to the kitchen.
TBC
