I keep feeling I have so much to do before I put up another story! Therefore, I've decided that this story too needs an update before Suicide II is revealed.
No one minds, right?
Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!
Disclaimer: It'd take a lot of luck to convince anybody that I'm the owner of the TMNT, so you already know that I don't, huh?
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Day 2
The sun had not yet risen; that was the first thing Leonardo noticed as he opened his eyes. The sky, however, was not as dark as it had been so he figured it was nearing daybreak.
But his inner alarm clock wasn't his reason for waking up. Perhaps his imagination was playing tricks on him, but Leo could've sworn he'd just heard something, muck like the hollow sound of two objects lightly coming in contact.
Wary, the young turtle turned over on his side. The sight of the blond waiter from the night before crouched down only a few feet before him nearly sent him out of his shell. He was sure the man would notice his green skin in an instant but then remembered he was still concealed in the hat and jacket he'd found last night. But still, he was cautious.
The waiter, seeing Leo's uneasiness, just smiled. "It's okay." He said softly, reassuringly. "I know what it's like to be on the other side."
Leo tried to make sense of his words. The other side? Is he saying that he used to be homeless? Leo figured that was the only possible explanation, at least one that related to him.
After watching the waiter quietly for a few minutes, he calmed down. He figured he could trust this man, for now, anyways. After all, the man hadn't done anything to prove otherwise… yet.
Still studying him, the blue-clad turtle turned his gaze towards the man's hands, locating the source of the sound that had woken him up.
It was a dish. But, like with any hungry customer, it was what was on the dish that interested Leo. Plump scrambled eggs; glistening sausage links; golden hash browns. And to the side he found a carton of orange juice.
Even before his moment, had he still been with his family down in the sewers, this would've looked like a buffet. Now, in his mind, it greatly resembled a feast for a king!
He was about to dig in when the memory of the man he'd encountered while looking for food yesterday flashed through his mind. His stomach was still sore from the punch and he suspected it was bruising nicely. The memory made Leo fearful that this man before him now might end up being just as cruel but smarter. Would he snatch the food away at the last moment? What if it was poisoned? The list went on and on…
Apparently sensing his discomfort, the waiter sat down and took a miniscule taste of each item before pushing it closer to Leo. "See?" he said calmly. "Nothing bad in here." Still smiling, he handed him a fork.
The gesture was comforting, to some extent, but Leo wasn't quick to gobble down the food just yet. Splinter had taught him and his brothers long ago to analyze every situation thoroughly before acting.
However, the sausages smelt really good. And he was just as hungry.
Fork in hand; Leo picked the dish up, balancing it in between his two legs and using his blanket as a drop cloth. He ate slowly, savoring each bite. Wanting to save some of the food, he began wrapping some of the sausages for later tonight, in case he, once again, couldn't find any food, when the waiter interrupted him.
"Not the sausages." He said, bending over the plate. "If you're gonna save anything, save the eggs. You'll be looking for more food today, right? While you're gone, you can bet someone's gonna be attracted to the small of the meat or the hash browns. And if they aren't, some animals will." He began to help Leo wrap up the scrambled eggs. "You'll have to eat these within a few hours, though. Eggs don't really last too long."
Leo nodded to show he understood and went back to eating. When he'd finished off the last bite of hash brown, the waiter stood up. "Sorry I can't bring you more food later, kid. Today's my last day of work; restaurant's going under."
Blinking, Leo looked up at him. He hadn't even thought of this man bringing him more food. That would've been nice, but since the idea hadn't occurred to him, it wasn't as disappointing that it wouldn't happen.
Though he was smiling again, the blond waiter looked sad. "Listen, I'm gonna give you one tip about surviving in this world." As he listened to the words, Leo knew he was speaking of the world Leo himself had willingly thrown himself into. "You do what you need to do to stay alive. Be as kind as you'd normally be, but don't take anyone's crap. 'Cause when push comes to shove, they aren't gonna take yours."
They just stared at each other for a long while before the man nodded his goodbye. He'd turned and gotten to the door that led back down into the restaurant when Leo finally had the sense to actually say something to him.
"Thanks." He said, his words carrying over to the waiter before he left. The man looked back, smiled. And then he was gone.
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Why did he feel that something was wrong? Splinter scratched his chin softly, pondering the question. Ever since he'd went to bed last night, he'd had the intense feeling that there was something amiss in his household.
And he believed it had something to do with one of his eldest sons.
Usually, he found it best to leave his sons alone for a few days after bouts like this. Both tended to benefit from their time alone, coming out of their room when they felt better. And if they didn't, Splinter made sure to usher them out before the end of three days. Seclusion was constructive, but only for a short amount of time.
However, the old rat was starting to believe it was necessary to check on them as they got older and more willful. And for some reason, instinct was telling him it was especially necessary tonight.
It was only about five in the morning, so he figured all four of them would be asleep in bed. Quietly, he exited his own room to check on them, thus assuring himself that all was well.
His tail swishing against the floor silently, Master Splinter opened Raphael's door, making no sound whatsoever. Empty dishes littered the floor. Turning his gaze away from them, he immediately noticed his son's sleeping from resting peacefully in the hammock he'd come to enjoy. Raphael snored softly, one arm dangling off to one side.
Splinter smiled softly. Funny, they seemed so adorable when they were asleep.
Closing the door, he headed to Leonardo's room. Upon opening the door, he saw, like in Raphael's room, empty dishes in various places on the floor before turning his head towards the bed. His eldest son preferred a mattress. What he saw was nothing too suspicious: the blankets were gathered together, covering a sleeping form, no body parts showing.
At least, it appeared to be a sleeping form.
Cautiously, Splinter took one step inside the room, planning to see if his son was really under those covers or not.
"Master Splinter?" A small voice sounded from behind him. Turning, he was met with a sleepy-eyed Michaelangelo. "What're you doin'?"
Splinter took one last glance at the bed before closing the door. "Nothing, my son. Now, what are you doing up so late?"
"Can't sleep." Mikey said innocently. "Can I have a glass of milk?"
Sighing, the rat nodded, placing a hand on the orange-banded turtle's shell and leading him towards the kitchen. Often, his youngest son would wake up in the middle of the night, craving something to drink. Splinter allowed these nightly adventures simply because they got him to sleep.
He sat with Michaelangelo as the child drank his milk quietly, but somewhat happily. Saying goodnight to him as his son went to bed; Master Splinter debated whether or not he should attempt to check on Leonardo again.
He decided against it. More than likely, his eldest son was fine.
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Snuggling back under the covers, Donny tried to get back to sleep. He'd heard Mikey get up in the other room and, for a moment, had been afraid his little brother was planning on bunking with him again tonight. Luckily, it had turned out to be Mike's random ritual of rising for a glass of milk.
What wasn't routine about it though was when he heard Splinter. What was he doing by their bedrooms? It wasn't time to wake up; far from it actually. Maybe he was checking up on Leo and Raph. He hadn't seen them for a day, after all.
But he'd never really done that before either.
The whole matter of it made Donny nervous. But eventually, he forced himself to go to sleep.
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Dawn came soon after the waiter left. Leo knew then that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. However, he wasn't in as much of a hurry as he had been yesterday. Then again, he hadn't eaten or had had the promise of food yesterday, either.
But, as the waiter had told him, the scrambled eggs could only last for so long. Though he felt like he should guard them like a treasure, and not just because they were gold, Leo knew he had to look for some more food. But he was reluctant to return to the streets he had searched the day before.
Duh, you idiot. Why don't you just go to the other side of the street?
Leo liked the idea, but didn't really like the risks it'd take. The other side of the street, housing a coffee shop, as well as other small assorted stores with goods, would be guaranteed to have some edible pieces in their garbage. However, it was, in fact, a busy street. Cars and all. People.
It wasn't a comforting thought.
But he remembered what the waiter had told him before he left. He's told him to do what he needed to do to stay alive.
Leo snorted softly. Then again, the guy never had to worry about being discovered as a giant turtle.
Sighing, he looked across the street once more before putting his head into his hands. The man had been right about one thing. Leo did need to take risks. And what did he have to worry about? He knew how to defend himself, and though he wasn't sure if a jerk like the guy last night would take a ten-year-old with two swords seriously, he figured they would eventually. Once they saw what he could do, he was positive they would.
As long as he had the courage to do so.
Taking one big gulp of air, Leo climbed down from the roof of the restaurant and, once he'd made sure his disguise was covering him well enough, started across the street.
Since it was early, not as many people as he would've thought were awake, but there were enough to make him nervous. He got a few stares of offense, but not because they were repelled by the sight of a turtle walking around them.
His clothes were tattered. He smelled. He was a sore thumb amongst a hand of well-manicured fingers.
And he was closer to them than they would prefer.
While Leo would've been happy at that moment to grant their wish and move away from them, he suddenly decided not to. He was the one suffering right now, not them. And he even wouldn't be for long. But there were a lot more who wouldn't.
If they couldn't feel pity for one who was but a child, then Leo knew they must be heartless. No, that was wrong. They had a heart, but it served them and what they loved alone.
Somewhat reassuringly, he did see some people who turned their heads toward him in pity rather than disgust. It was good to know that some people weren't so stuck-up.
But they never stopped to say anything or help.
While the people in the city of New York were obviously sleeping, it seemed that its demons liked to work around the clock.
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When Raph awoke, it was not to a bad dream, nor to an uninvited sound. It couldn't have been to a sudden ray of light, for the sun couldn't be seen in the sewers and the light in his room was still off.
If you were to ask someone, they couldn't tell you that this was how Raphael usually awoke, trusting that he was left to wake on his own and a certain little brother was in another room.
He honestly hated it. The feeling that nothing important was happening around you, yet accompanied by the energy that spilled through the air that told you there was and it was worth waking for. It made him feel that he was missing out on something, be it halfway across the planet or only a mile or two away.
Sitting up and looking at his toys, he growled in realization that some of them were missing. Getting out of his hammock, he went around his room looking for them, finding his racecar had rolled under his desk along with a few crayons. Upon further searching, he located a few action figures jammed in odd places.
He was about to look for some of his other toys, including another action figure, a yo-yo, and a cheap McDonald's toy when he heard a knock on the door.
Time for breakfast. Looking at his alarm clock, he found it to be near noon instead of eight in the morning. He'd slept in. Sure enough, there was his breakfast by the door.
Fine. Lunch then.
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Breakfast went by better than it had the day before, much to Mikey's happiness. Afterwards, he and Donny played a game of hide-and-seek, which was much more fun when ninja stealth was used.
Nevertheless, it worked better with those who were better at it. Donatello won.
Whether it was to make him feel better or just because he was bored, his purple-clad did agree to a game of goldfish later; a game Mike was better at and soon won.
But things did manage to get boring rather quickly. Eventually, the two were sitting on the couch with as much energy as the normal turtles they'd mutated from.
"Donny?"
Don never took his eyes off the hole in the wall he was studying. "Yeah?"
"Why do you like vanilla ice cream better than chocolate?"
"Um," Donny turned to him for a second before turning back to the wall. "I don't know. I guess the chocolate is just too sweet."
"Oh." Mikey got a devilish look in his eyes. "Why?"
"Well, sometimes really sweet things give me a stomachache."
"Why?"
Now realizing what was about to ensue, Don groaned and turned to glare at Mikey. "Maybe it's 'cause I ingested too many artificially saccharine fatty food products."
"Why- wait, what was that?"
Luckily for the both of them, Splinter entered the room before they could continue. "My sons, lunch is ready."
Mikey leapt off the couch. "Yes! Finally!"
Splinter shook his head, smiling at his antics. Then he gestured to two plates sitting on the table. "But before you eat, I would like you to take these to your brother's rooms."
The two nodded and headed off, Donny being convinced to take Raph's since Mikey was afraid, if their brother came out of his room, that he'd get pummeled for taking his yo-yo.
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Dumpster diving here proved to be much more beneficial. Leo had found several donuts and a few miniature sandwiches. Keeping them all in a little plastic bag, he was about to call it a day when he heard a crash.
Now out of the dumpster, he moved towards the sound, unknowingly clutching the bag of food closer to his chest. The resonance of heavy punches and someone groaning; gasping for breath filled his ears.
When he'd reached the place he'd been searching for, he wasn't so surprised to see what was in front of him. Actually, he'd almost been expecting it. A mugging. They happened all the time, especially in a city like this.
Before he knew what he was doing, he came closer to the mugger and the victim. "Stop-" Leo had planned to say a lot more, he really had, but then he saw who they were.
The man from last night. One of the stuck-up women he'd seen while crossing the street.
The homeless man sure didn't seem intimidated by his presence. In fact, he smiled and came closer. Leo even thought the woman looked a little amused.
Looking at him, the man brought his head down to eye level. "I know you." He looked dangerous, not to mention stoned. Not a guy you'd want to mess with. "I know you. You're the little bastard that stole my candy bar last night."
As he took another step closer, Leo backed away. The woman tried to take the opportunity to flee, but her assaulter just stuck one arm out, pushed her down and kept his eyes on the child in front of him.
Leo felt the need to say something, to make up for what he didn't do the last time he'd encountered this guy. He tried to make his voice stronger. "Yeah, that's me." It faltered, but didn't come out too bad.
Smiling sickly, the man used his other arm to brush the bag of food casually with his fingers. "What's in here?"
"Some donuts. Food."
He laughed, a scary rumble from deep in his throat, soft and venomous. It was squashed as quick as it came. "This is my territory. You do know that's mine then, right?"
Leo said nothing. What, did this man own all of the garbage on the streets of New York now? He suddenly wondered if that was possible.
The woman whimpered and the man looked at her. "I had some… nasty plans for her. But I'll make you a deal. You keep your food, leave, and I'll let both of you live, but I get to do what I want to her before I let her go." He wouldn't let Leo interrupt. "And every second you waste in going means I get to do something nastier."
Turning towards her, Leo looked at the woman, remembering how she had looked at him earlier. She was a low excuse for a human being, but this guy made scum look good. She doesn't deserve this. I can help her.
The man took out his knife, bent down and rubbed it against her calf before placing it an inch from Leo's face. "Clock's tickin', boy."
Leo wanted to get out his swords, but remembered that they were under his coat. Couldn't take the coat off without revealing what he was. Couldn't risk being seen.
So he walked away. He heard the man whisper 'smart boy' before rounding the corner. From there, he ran all the way to the building where he was staying, nearly getting run over in the process.
Out of breath, he laid on his shell, safe on the roof. He looked at his bag of food and realized that while running, half of its contents had been loss.
But it didn't matter. Leo knew he could've helped. While he tried to convince himself that it had worked out better for him and the woman, he knew it was a lie. What it all came down to was that he was afraid. And it didn't make sense.
Leo wasn't afraid of much, and he certainly wasn't afraid to fight. His bouts with Raph were proof enough of that. He'd fight his brother, but not a guy who really deserved it.
But maybe it wasn't because he was afraid. Maybe he wanted her to get hurt…
Groaning, the turtle rolled over on his side. These three days were supposed to prove what Leo really was on the inside, and they had.
He felt like a coward.
With no desire to enjoy the food that had made its way back here until his stomach protested later that night, Leo didn't leave the building for the rest of the day.
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Hmm… did I do okay on this last part? I liked the beginning, but I feel I messed up the end of this chapter.
Well, that done, I can finally move on to Suicide II! Look for it sometime this week!
Please review!