Author's Note: Hello and welcome to Chapter Six! In this chapter, the thoughts entering Leo's mind are represented in italics. Please remember to leave a review at the end! This was a super fun chapter to write. I hope you enjoy the read!

Chapter Six: When the Levee Breaks

Three days later

From where he stood in the kitchen, Leo winced, his head pounding again as he heard Casey yelling once more from the living room.

Leo sighed. It had already been a long morning. Upon waking up, he had found his limbs unusually aching and had practically peeled his skin away from his sweat drenched bed sheets. He had barely made it through his secret morning training, leaving the dojo panting.

"COME ON, YOU STUPID BALL!" Casey yelled at the pin ball machine, whilst he furiously mashed buttons and tilted the game, very much cheating.

On the lounge, April and Donnie sat together, each with a cup of steaming hot instant noodles. Donnie rolled his eyes. "Yelling at it isn't going to help, Casey."

Casey was fixated on the game, but yelled over the sound effects coming from the machine. "Yeah, well you wouldn't know Don, 'cause all of your high scores have just been obliterated by the one and only Casey Jones!"

Even from where he stood in the kitchen, Leo could see the annoyance on Donnie's face.

"Let it go Don," April said softly, before Leo's brother could reply.

Leo stood at the kitchen bench, surveying the scene whilst glancing up at the ticking clock every few seconds, which was nailed into the wall on an angle above the fridge. Raph and Mikey had been gone for too long. The ticking intensified in Leo's ears as his heightened senses focussed on it. Leo drummed his fingers along the bench, nervous for his brothers. His head was aching, though his walls were strong. The wound on his shoulder was itching under the bandage; but it was more so annoying rather than painful.

Leo wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead, surprised to find his own skin hotter than usual, but he disregarded this quickly, too concerned for his family.

"Leo, they're probably fine," April reassured from the couch. "Maybe they're just being extra careful tonight."

Leo shook his head, making himself dizzy slightly. "This is Raph and Mikey we're talking about – they aren't careful. I should have gone with them."

"They're just picking up a movie," Donnie interjected, "they'll be back any second now."

Leo opened his mouth to speak but just then Raphael emerged from the darkness of the abandoned train station, pushing through the ticket scanners where people once would have queued. In his hands was a battered DVD copy of 'Alien'. Behind him and walking slightly slower, was Mikey, keeping his head down.

"Get some ice on that," Raph muttered to Mikey, who nodded.

Leo narrowed his eyes, "What happened?"

Mikey walked past him, avoiding eye contact and instead going to the freezer. Ice-cream Kitty meowed upon the door opening. Leo could hear his youngest brother talking to his pet. He could hear the pain in his brother's voice.

"Anything in there that could help this?" Mikey asked Ice-cream Kitty, whilst gesturing towards his own face.

There was a rustling and then Mikey grabbed something from his cat, "Thanks delicious Ice-cream Kitty. You got my back."

Mikey closed the freezer, revealing that he was holding a bag of frozen peas up to his right eye.

Leo sighed. "Mikey, just tell me what happened."

Raphael jammed the DVD into the player in the living room. "So we got into a little punch up," he said, over his shoulder, "it's no big deal."

Leo raised his hand to gently pry the bag of peas from Mikey's eye. What he saw made him gasp. Under his bandana, Leo could see the already purple and black bruising surrounding Michelangelo's eye. The swelling was making his bandana bulge and fit awkwardly. Tenderly, Leo slid the orange fabric up and off Mikey's battered face. Without the mask, Leo could see that Mikey's right eye was almost swollen shut. Anger built in Leo's chest and he felt the pull in his gut as his telekinesis responded, but he took a steady breath, knowing full well that he had no choice but to keep his emotions in check. He was in control. Since saving his brothers, he knew that he could remain in control.

He turned to Raphael, pointing back at Mikey's blackened eye. "This is no big deal to you, Raph?"

Casey turned off the pin ball machine and a stiff silence filled the Lair. April was stirring her noodles, trying to look busy and Donnie glanced between Leo and Raph as the tension rose.

"It's just a black eye Leo," Raphael replied, "we've had worse."

Leo gave the packet of frozen peas back to Mikey, who cringed as he held the packet back up to his face. "You okay?" Leo asked.

Mikey smiled lopsidedly at him, "Yeah dude, don't worry. It looks worse than it feels."

Leo could tell that Mikey was trying to put on a brave face, "Anywhere else hurt?"

Mikey shook his head. "Just the eye. It's my fault really; I should've been quicker. The dude's crowbar just clipped me."

Mikey trudged past him and slumped into his seat next to Donnie on the sofa, who immediately began checking him for further injuries, whilst Mikey squirmed under his gentle touches, insisting that he was fine and didn't need anything.

Watching them, Leo was grateful for Donnie.

Raphael was staring hard into the television set, as the pre-movie ads played. Leo could tell that he was brooding by the tightness in his brother's shoulders and the way that he hunched in on himself, as if he was trying to ignore the world around him.

Leo walked over to stand deliberately in front of the old television set, just as the menu select screen for 'Alien' faded in. He felt a single bead of sweat drip from his beak, but he kept his voice firm. "Raphael, you know that if you spot trouble, you call us. You don't rush in."

Raph crossed his arms. "There were only three guys!"

"And yet," Leo interjected, "Mikey comes home with a black hole for an eye! What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that we actually had a chance to do something good! They were robbing a store, Leo. We couldn't just sit back and watch it happen!"

"What would you have done if the crowbar had been a gun, huh Raph?"

"But it wasn't!"

"I don't care!" Leo threw up his hands, frustrated. He could feel his emotions boiling and his gut tightening. Again, he took a steady breath, calming himself and not allowing his unruly telekinesis to get the better of him. His walls still were up and holding strong; no thoughts allowed in. "What would have happened if one of you were seriously hurt? Do you even think before just rushing in?"

Raph stood up from the couch, his husky voice seething, "You know I do."

"Yeah, well, you have a funny way of showing it," Leo retorted.

Raph's eyes flashed with anger and in one swift movement he shoved Leo in the chest, avoiding his injured shoulder but making him stagger backwards a few paces, his shell clattering against the TV.

Leo's skin erupted in pain. He hadn't been prepared for the sudden touch. He hadn't expected his brother to lash out. With his heightened senses, the slight shove felt like a coward punch from a pro-wrestler and in the shock, his concentration on maintaining a solid wall in his mind faltered and a brick came lose, falling in his mind with a heavy thud. Thoughts immediately flooded in:

I thought he'd be fucking proud! I tried to do the right thing! Why can't I ever do the right thing?! Raphael's thoughts invaded Leo's mind, enraged and hurting.

I should have been faster, Mikey thought. If I had moved faster, Leo and Raphie wouldn't be fighting. Uugh, my head hurts.

He looks concussed, Donnie worried, still checking Mikey over. I should test his pupil dilation.

Oooo, they're totally gonna fight. Bets on Raph kicking Leo's shell, Casey thought. Leo could see the smirk on his face.

I should get Master Splinter. April's thoughts were calm and level headed. Before things get out of hand. Leo won't let it get out of hand, right?

Leo, whoa whoa, why doesn't he look good? Raphael's angered thoughts suddenly turned into concern.

Leo looked into Raph's worried eyes and tried to concentrate on fixing the wall inside his head. His legs were trembling and his head was throbbing.

"Just play the movie," Leo stated, trying desperately to fix the wall inside his head, but finding that the bricks were unmoving, like they suddenly weighed a thousand pounds in his own mind.

His chest tightened with anxiety.

He found room on the floor of the living room to the left of the couch. He sat, his shell connecting to the cold concrete and sending a shiver up his spine whilst the thoughts of his family and friends continued to streamline into his brain.

Leo was cold, shivering slightly where he sat on the cool cement. Ten minutes ago, with his uninjured arm, he had pulled a blanket from the couch and had draped it over his shoulders. He had pulled his legs up to his chest, trying to capture some of his own body warmth within. It hadn't helped.

He was squinting at the television as the character named Dallas desperately scrambled down a ladder in the dark. He turned and then there was a loud screech as the Alien leapt upon him-

"SHIT!" Raph swore from the couch.

Leo turned, wincing at Raphael's loud exclamation. His brother's eyes were glued to the screen, his lips unmoving. Leo heard his thoughts though: I just would've shot the damn thing. Just shoot it…

Mikey was watching the movie through his fingers; his thoughts terrified. It's not real, it's not real. It can't get you…

Casey and April were huddled together. April had her face buried in Casey's chest in fear whilst Donnie from the opposite side of the couch was watching the two of them, scowling.

Casey's thoughts were loud and boasting, as he threw a teasing look towards Donnie. Eat shit, Donnie. Red chooses me...

April seemed oblivious to what was happening, her mind only on the movie. Why did Raph choose this one? He knows I hate horror movies…

Donnie was fuming. How can April go to him? What does he have that I don't?

Leo shivered.

Again, he retreated into his own mind, closing his eyes for a moment and breathing deeply, tapping into meditation methods. The bricks still were littered at the base of his wall, too heavy to replace. Leo opened his eyes, but found that he could no longer focus on the movie screen, the picture becoming blurry as the thoughts of everyone around him continued to invade his mind:

Just shoot the fucker!
Shit, shit, SHIT!
I can't watch. This is too scary…
LOOK OUT!
There it is!

Leo squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the noise, but to no avail.

Standing on shaking legs, the blanket around his shoulders fell away.

"Where you going, Leo?" Raph asked from his bean-bag.

Leo looked towards his brother, unable to block out his brother's concerned thoughts as they entered his mind.

Whoa, he looks like crap.

"To the dojo, to meditate," Leo managed as he began to half stumble and half walk away.

"Do you want us to pause the movie?" Mikey yelled out after him. "We can finish it later."

On instinct Leo began to wave his right arm into the air, to signal back at Mikey, but jolted when a hot pain shot from his injured shoulder, burning right down into his fingertips. He clutched his arm to his stomach, instead calling back at his family. "N-no. It's okay. You guys have fun."

Leo reached the dojo and only just managed to slide the door closed behind him, before his legs buckled underneath him, sending him harshly to his hands and knees.

On all fours, Leo tried his best to remain calm. His vision bobbed in and out of focus, darkening around the edges. The wound on his shoulder burned, sending fire up his neck with each breath he took.

He slowed his mind and focussed on his breathing, like he had done so many time before.

Breath in.

And out.

He looked within himself.

Breath in.

And out.

He found the wall in his mind and his panic only increased. New cracks were appearing and bricks one by one were falling to thump to the ground with dreading finality.

Breath in.

And out.

Leo focussed, trying desperately to re-place a single brick, but then a violent pain shot from his shoulder, rippling through his body.

He screamed.

And in that moment, he felt his entire wall crumble, turning into dust before wafting away into the darkest corners of his mind.

Instantly, Leo heard the thoughts of his brothers as they ran towards the dojo.

LEOOO!
What in the hell was that?
LEO!

The dojo's doors flew open with a crack.

Looking up and through his own tears, Leo could just barely make out the green shapes of his brothers along with April and Casey as they crouched around him.

He felt their hands on his shell, further sending ripples of pain through his body.

Donnie was kneeling in front of him on the ground, his purple bandana blurring into the green of his skin. His lips were moving but Leo couldn't make out the words as the noise and panic in his own mind was too loud, with the thoughts of his brothers and friends colliding and crashing together.

LEO!
WHATS WRONG WITH HIM?!
Leo!
OH MY GOD…
He doesn't look good.
Why isn't he answering?
LEO!

Leo breathed. He looked up, his heart thumping in his chest and his breath hitching on his words, "It's a-al-alrigh-t. I'm o-okay."

There was a pressure on each of his shoulders as Donatello attempted to pick him up off the floor and then he felt additional hands hook under his own arm pits as his brothers tried to help. Half way towards standing however, agony shot from his shoulder, turning his vision white and his gut tightened as his telekinesis responded, inducing only more panic from Leo. With the little strength he had, Leo kicked out, struggling against his family's assistance.

"NO! D-DON'T TOUCH M-M-ME! LEMME GO!"

His flailing sent him crashing back to the ground, with it rising up fast and inducing nausea. Back on his hands and knees once more, Leo heaved, vomit burning his throat as it made its way up his throat to spew from his mouth. His whole body shook as he emptied his stomach, over and over again, retching onto the once clean carpet of the dojo.

He couldn't stop his brothers thoughts from entering his mind.

Oh god Leo…
It's okay…it's okay...
Shit Leo...

Once there was nothing left to vomit, Leo swallowed, rocking back onto his shell to sit against the door of the dojo, trying to catch his breath.

He breathed, waiting for his vision to clear and having no choice by to listen to his family's inner concerns.

Okay…nice job brother…
Just breathe Leo…
What's happening to him?

Slowly, he blinked the white spots in his vision away and the anxious faces of his brothers and friends came into focus as they huddled around him.

"How you feeling?" Raphael asked. He doesn't look good…

Leo shook his head and with the movement the nausea returned, forcing him to swallow in order to keep himself from throwing up again. "Could b-be better," he muttered.

To his left Mikey looked as though he was about to cry, "What's wrong with him Don?" Is he going to die?

Donnie's eyes were scanning him, but landed on his bandaged shoulder, his worried thoughts racing. This isn't good. I thought I cleaned his wound…I swear I did…

Straight ahead, Leo watched as Donnie reached towards him. Instinctively, Leo recoiled away from his brother's hands, fearing what might happen. "No D-Don, please…"

Donnie held up his hands in surrender, "I just want to take your bandage off Leo. I only want to look, I promise."

Leo swallowed. He nodded. "O-okay…"

Donnie reached forward again and gently began unwinding the bandage which was wrapped around Leo's shoulder, chest and shell. After a few short minutes of Leo focussing on his breathing, the bandage fell away and the eyes of his family widened. April gasped and Casey took a step back, his face suddenly turning a pale grey.

Their thoughts were that of disgusted terror.

Oh my god…
What is that?
I'm gonna hurl…
Leo…
What the shell…

Nervous of what he mind find, Leo glanced down at the wound on his shoulder.

At the sight, he heaved again, turning his head and vomiting but only managing to bring up bile, spitting it onto the floor.

He looked again.

A pale yellow puss oozed from the stitched wound whilst the surrounding skin was inflamed. The smell coming from the wound was putrid but even more discerning were the popping black veins which ran across his plastron, like a twisted cross word puzzle, originating from the wound.

Donnie's hand hovered over the wound, without touching it. "Leo…I think you've been…poisoned."

The word hung in the air.

Thoughts that weren't his continued to flood into Leo's brain and he scrunched his eyes, trying to make sense of everything. The poison, he guessed, was preventing him from re-building his wall, as for the first time in his life, his mind and body were completely unbalanced. His immune system was broken, fighting against something that it didn't understand.

"C-can y-you fix it?" Leo managed.

"The Odachi must have been laced," Donnie guessed. "I need the weapon to identity the poison. Once I figure out what poison was used, I can develop a cure."

Leo nodded. "The rooftop. The Odachi might still be-"

Involuntarily, Leo's mouth abruptly clamped shut. With shame, he tasted blood and realised that he had bit down on his own tongue. A metallic taste filled his mouth and he felt the warm substance dribbling down his chin. He was aware of a tingling sensation travelling up his arm and he screamed as it reached his wound, as it felt like thousands of bugs were crawling underneath his skin, endeavouring desperately to burst out through the sutures.

In front of him the expressions on his brother's faces morphed from concern into pure horror, their eyes widening.

"Leo, Leo what's happening?" Raphael questioned. Fuck! Leo, come on brother...

And then everything became a haze.

Vaguely Leo felt his shell lift up from the dojo's floor, only to feel it slam back down, his spine attempting to contort, but his shell stopping him from doing so.

He felt hands on him, holding him down.

He gasped, struggling for air, desperately trying to intake oxygen. His lungs were exploding. His neck was contorting. His vision was darkening.

And then there was a pull in his stomach.

Leo tried to hold the energy back with sheer will.

But then his body twisted upwards again as another convulsion took its toll.

And with the movement, a unruly raw energy exploded from within him, like someone had pulled a grenade in his stomach. The energy blasted outwards, like a force-field. The hands holding him were ripped away as his brothers and friends were launched across the dojo to opposite ends of the room.

In a dull haze, Leo watched, as Mikey's shell clattered into the weapons rack. Half conscious, Leo still tried to extend his telekinesis again in order to stop the weapons from falling on his younger brother, but it was too late as a mace smashed against his brother's leg. Mikey screamed.

Leo watched, powerless, as Donnie was flung against the oak tree which stood in the middle of the dojo, his head slamming against the tree's trunk before his body slumped to the ground, unmoving and knocking over lit candle stands.

Leo watched as Raphael's body contorted in the air, disappearing through the paper doors of the dojo, as his body ripped through the Japanese designed doors.

He watched as April and Casey were flung straight upwards, hitting the roof before slamming back down onto the ground, unconscious but groaning in pain.

His mind was foggy.

Everything was wrong.

His eyes drifted to close but then he snapped them open again. He had to stay awake. He had to help his brothers.

Leo groggily pushed himself up into a sitting position, exhaustion making his limbs feel weighted.

"Leo? What…"

A voice came from behind him.

In a daze, Leo turned to see Raphael leaning on the destroyed door of the dojo, heavily breathing. Blood was leaking down his face from a deep slice on his cheekbone. Leo tried to find words but couldn't, his mouth opening and then closing again. His arm was still spasming, his fingers distorting.

Raphael's muddled thoughts entered Leo's brain. What just happened? What…oh god Mikey…

Raphael's thoughts turned from curiosity to concern as he rushed across the dojo, glancing at Donnie who was also stirring.

Donnie's thoughts were blurred as he was regaining consciousness. How….Leo…what…

Leo watched as Casey picked April up from the floor, holding her steady as she swayed on her feet. They looked towards him then, with a look that Leo had never seen in their eyes. It was the same look that strangers gave him. It was the same look that enemies gave him before Leo would cut them down. It was a look of fear.

And Leo knew that he was deserving of it.

He had done this.

He had hurt them all.

Mikey was clutching his broken leg. Even from where Leo sat, he could see that it was badly broken, with the splintered bone protruding his skin, whilst Raph was rubbing comforting circles into Mikey's shell, muttering words of support. Mikey looked at Leo then, confused and with tears in his eyes.

Mikey's thoughts were fragmented, as they entered Leo's mind, with his brother barely holding on.

Leo swallowed.

He had hurt everyone.

Donnie was clambering to his feet whilst the oak tree behind him was suddenly alight, the knocked over candles setting it on fire. The fire roared, soaring up the tree at a rapid rate.

"EVERYONE OUT!" Raphael shouted, as he picked up Mikey bridal style. "GO!"

Carrying a whimpering Mikey, Raphael ran past Leo and out from the dojo, followed quickly by Casey and April, who barely even looked at Leo as they ran, ignoring him, maybe out of fear or anger. Or both.

Leo watched as Donnie backed slowly away from the fire, as it burned high and consumed the once beautiful oak tree which had been in the centre of the lives for over fifteen years.

With shaking arms, Leo pushed himself off the ground and found that an arm was in fact being wrapped around his shell, holding him steady.

He looked over to find Donnie watching him.

And then together they limped out of the burning dojo.

The living room was in utter chaos.

Raphael, Master Splinter, April and Casey were running from the sewer, with buckets of water, splashing the contents of their buckets onto the flames which had already reached the dojo's doors, before running back to refill their buckets again.

Mikey was on the couch, clutching his leg and crying. He glanced towards Leo, but then looked away again, sniffling. His thoughts pierced Leo's heart, as they were so full of ache and confusion.

Why Leo? Why? This hurts so much…why…ahhhhh!

Leo turned his head to see Donatello also watching him, his thoughts as clear as crystal in Leo's mind.

I don't understand Leo. How did you do this? It's okay, just let me understand…let me help...

Leo stepped away from Donatello, his legs shaking but his decision already made.

He had hurt them all and with this poison in his veins, he knew that he would continue to hurt them. He didn't need his brothers to understand; he only needed them to be safe. That was his mission in life after-all and if it meant that he couldn't be in their lives, then so be it.

Leo looked towards the entrance to the Lair, knowing that he couldn't stay.

The flames behind him began to simmer, as his family members managed to take back control from the raging fire, with their vigorous buckets of water.

Their trips slowed until finally they stood at the entrance of the dojo, looking towards the burnt interior, their shoulders hunched in collective dismay as their livelihood was burnt to a crisp. Master Splinter was the first to look back at Leo, his face of fatherly concern.

Leo looked at each of his family members as they turned to face him. He looked at Mikey on the couch.

He tried to think of something to say; some kind of goodbye or even an explanation.

But there was nothing, nothing that he could do or say that could ever make this right, except for the two broken words which escaped his lips.

"I'm sorry."

And then he turned around, away from them.

And he ran.

To be Continued…

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