Partly from "Tales of Leo:" I do not own.

Salvaging in the sewers was tricky work. Dry weeks led to being able to find things once covered in water. However, water did its damage to almost everything.

If something was plastic, it would often survive and even be useful even after being entirely submerged under water for months, after the mud and other substances had been washed off it of course. Splinter had found many toys for his children this way.

Human children tended to leave toys outside a lot, the rat had found. He'd drawn a line about what to take and what to leave of these. If plastic toys were left out on the surface, where a child or even a grown up could easily find them again even under bushes or up a tree, he would leave them there. They would last. Once a plastic toy was washed down a storm drain or carried through pipes into the sewers, however, he knew no human would come looking for them there. Then they belonged to his turtle sons if they wanted them. After, they were washed of course.

Things that deteriorated more quickly, like sidewalk chalk or cardboard planes, he'd leave until he thought rain would fall or a nearby sprinkler system would turn on over them in minutes. It might as well not go down the drain and be entirely ruined then.

Clothing and cloth toys he would allow to get wet. If he found it down the drain or on the surface a day later beginning to mold, however, he would take it somewhere and hang it to dry before taking it home to his turtle sons. They might as well get some use out of it.

Paper had to be grabbed quickly and carefully, and dried to be useful particularly if it fell down the drain first. Books, newspapers, and magazines could sometimes be salvaged and be of some interest to him or one of his sons. He would have to teach them how to swiftly snatch these as they sped by them on the surface of the water flowing through their tunnels though.

Cardboard was just a little better. It had many uses from cushioning hard floors like carpet to being building material for Donatello's projects or even his own. Michelangelo tried to color and draw on it when there wasn't much paper for him to do so on instead. Cardboard tended to drift slower on the surface of the water flowing by them than paper but was heavier for them to pull out.

Metal could last longer than paper, cardboard, or cloth and stuffing in water, but corroded in it eventually. It often drifted slowly and sank to the bottom. One could find it as it was swept by in the water and pull it quickly to dry it off, or find it after the water level fell to reveal it. By then it had already started to rust. He could dry, then clean, and then sharpen and shine it until it was useful again. The process took time, however. He didn't usually have the turtles help since sharpening metal was dangerous and working long on such a project was boring.

Splinter's greatest nightmares were not what would happen to him if he was discovered, but that while he was caged, or dead, his turtles would also die slowly of neglect or quickly by accident trying to take care of each other and themselves. It was partially out of these fears he decided to teach them how to scavenge with him in the sewers. They weren't babies anymore, not teenagers yet, but already stronger, bigger, and smarter than they had ever been before. He thought they were ready, or, ready enough at least. The fear of what would happen if he was taken from them had finally become greater than his fear of taking them with him at least on "some" scavenging trips.

He didn't want them either endangered or discouraged their first time out, however. He picked the times he took them with him the first time carefully. He would not take any of them after either a lengthy or a heavy rain over the city. Sudden floods came up too often then. Even a mild rain could sweep good pickings down storm drains though. So, Splinter waited for such a rain before asking one of his sons to help him scavenge for the first time.

He had thought to take Leonardo before any of the others. He did not want to have to keep his eyes on four, three, or two sons when there were dangers to constantly guard them from possible human interactions and the still ever present possibility of a sudden flood. Teaching one was also easier than teaching more than one, he'd found.

His eldest son was his most mature and responsible too. He was usually the one whose behavior deserved to be most rewarded. Then, Leonardo confessed to having gone into a boarded-up tunnel and fighting a giant alligator before the next gentle rain.

So, Donatello became the first son who Splinter took scavenging with him. The outing had gone quite well. Like Leonardo, Donatello was mature for his age. He had obeyed orders and been quick to notice what could be of use as they watched debris float by in the briefly and slightly risen water levels.

They had come home with more than he usually did alone. Donatello had told his brothers all about his endeavors. They had become even more excited for their own turns.

The next son he took out was Michelangelo. Raphael and Leonardo were still to stay home due to their earlier disobedience. Little actual scavenging had gotten done that day. In the end, Splinter had wondered who was more grateful when Leonardo's punishment for his misadventure with Raphael was over, Leonardo or himself ...

Leonardo had seemed excited, but in an even more quiet way than Donatello. His genius son had chattered long and constantly during their scavenging trip. Michelangelo had been louder and less on topic than Donatello, though he'd paused more to breath or apologize. Leonardo, in contrast to them both, was very quiet during the start of their scavenging trip. Mostly, he just asked questions always looking to him for instructions and answers. Splinter savored it while he could. He knew Raphael would not be the same way. Splinter had not seen Leonardo's scavenging problem coming.

They started in tunnels near their home. Leonardo did not complain. His son simply asked questions while staring at the water with serious and intense focus as debris floated by. When he asked him too, Leonardo pulled items out of the water and put them in a bag he carried just like his father did. Soon, Splinter's eldest son was recognizing what their family could use floating by in the water himself. He was very proud of him.

Then Splinter tried to take his eldest to the upper levels. Pickings were usually better there, though you were more likely to run into humans. They would have to be careful, but it could be rewarding. Many things got stuck on the way down as the water fell through. When they got stuck, they stayed still longer to be collected.

However, Leonardo did not rejoice at being told to climb up with him. He had just been explaining to him the need to observe one's surroundings carefully to avoid becoming lost in the miles and miles of sewer tunnels. Then Leonardo froze behind him. Actually, Leonardo was not so much frozen as shaking behind him.

Even then, Splinter didn't let the signs convince him of the truth at first. He'd been the first to call Leonardo "fearless." After encouraging him to continue, hearing his son say he could not while shaking worse, and encouraging him some more, Splinter watched Leonardo try. His son shakily pulled himself up one more wrung. Then he slipped and gave a wordless cry of fear while dropping the bag he had filled with everything he had scavenged so carefully during his first ever expedition to do so.

He watched his son cling with both hands to the rung, close his eyes, and cry out "No, no," in a voice he hadn't heard from Leonardo since his son had seen his brother Michelangelo bleed for the first time. Splinter had latter learned his careful warnings to them about infections had convinced Leonardo any of them who began to bleed even a little from scratching themselves in the sewers were doomed to a slow and painful death. He'd had to carefully comfort his son in blue as well as attend to his brother in orange that day.

On that ladder in the tunnels then, Splinter accepted a sad truth. Leonardo was afraid of heights. Such a fear was not baseless. Falling could certainly do one damage even kill. For his son Leonardo though, so dexterous, so strong, and already possessing such a great sense of balance, it was sad. It could hold him back so greatly.

He knew Leonardo wasn't defiantly doubting him on whether or not the route he led him on was safe. The way his son looked down with open mouth, the way he trembled, the way he'd tried to go up that next rung before panicking let Splinter know all he needed to. His son, Leonardo, had a phobia.

With only an inner sigh, he picked up his frozen son and placed him on his back. Leonardo clung there. His arms made a stranglehold around his neck. His legs did the same with his stomach. Splinter felt his son's fear spread to him a little bit.

Leonardo's phobia could hinder his ability to provide for himself and his brothers in the sewers if anything happened to him. He had planned to make him leader, leave him in charge if he himself could not return to them. He had believed him most capable of keeping the others alive then, perhaps even happy after a long while when they had healed. Now … He had to help his fearless son conquer his fear.

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes