Confrontation

Present

Leo lay on his bed, thinking about the situation. It was obvious that Raphael and the others were hiding key elements of his future from him. On one side, he could understand it - after all, he was sort of an intruder here. He hadn't shared the same adventures and experiences that they had. On the other hand, he was highly suspicious and intended to discover what was happening.

He missed his father. If only he could have talked to him, he had no doubt that Splinter would have listened and soothed his worries. He had asked his brothers when Splinter would come back, and they had looked at each other with panicked expressions before Donatello answered 'In a few days'.

Leo's intuition told him that his brother was lying, but he hadn't pressed. If his brothers didn't want to tell him what was up, so be it. He would investigate solo.

Leo stood up silently and left his room. His brothers were discussing in the living room. From his observation point in the hallway to the bedrooms, he could hear them perfectly.

Raphael had his arms crossed and was turning his back to him. From his intonation, Leo could tell that he wasn't exactly in a good mood.

"Donnie, about this time travel machine. How is it going?"

Donatello was facing Raphael, and considering the tools in his hands, he was coming straight from his laboratory. Leo guessed that he was very close to throw said tools in Raphael's face.

"You think it's easy?"

Raphael shook his head, irritated. "And Renet who doesn't answer…"

On the couch, Michelangelo was swinging back and forth. "Give her some time, Raph. I've left her several messages, I'm sure she'll call back as soon as she can."

"'Give her some time', easier said than done!" Raphael threw his arms up. "Do you think we have time? Leo has been here for only one day, and he has already managed to find himself in an impossible situation. If I hadn't arrived on time…"

Leo blushed. Deciding that he had heard enough, he sneaked unnoticed through the living room and inside the dojo.

The room was in the exact same state it had been left a few hours ago, when he had trained with Raphael. He hadn't payed much attention to the place then; he had been too focused on the fight against his brother.

It was time to remedy that.

Leo began his examination with the shelf where his father's favorite picture was displayed, then looked at the armory and its weapons - a few of which he had never seen - and even lifted the carpets, just in case.

Nothing unusual.

Leo glanced at the screen marking out the entrance of Splinter's room. He would never have dared to enter that room without his father's explicit permission. With a shrug, he left the dojo.

Inside the living room, Raphael was hitting his punching ball in rhythm while Michelangelo played one of his video games. Donatello was nowhere in sight.

Still on his tiptoes, Leo went to the kitchen to search the cupboards. He didn't find anything special until he opened the freezer - and jumped backwards.

"Meeeeowwwwwwwww!"

The thing inside the freezer - a cat? a giant meowing ice-cream? - watched him with big eyes.

"Ice Cream Kitty!" Michelangelo hurried inside the kitchen. "Leo, be careful, we don't want her to melt!"

"It's… it's your pet?"Leo asked weakly.

Michelangelo nodded with pride. "She's my cat, and I'm her turtle," he answered while said cat showed her affection by licking his cheek, leaving a trail of ice-cream.

Michelangelo licked it. "You okay, Leo?"

"I… Yes. Of course." Leo shook his head. "I'm not sure I want to know where she comes from."

"I mutated her on accident. Donnie was so mad, but she helped us a lot!"

Leo inhaled sharply. "A baby mutant turtle alien. An ice-cream cat. Is that all, or do we have a mutant dog in the trash can?"

"No, that's all, Leo." Michelangelo grinned at him.

Leo nodded once before leaving the room with the beginnings of a headache. He decided to take shelter in his room to recover from his emotions.

He sighed as he closed the door behind him. He was back to the beginning. Where else could he look for clues?

He was absent-mindedly letting his eye wander over his room when the obvious struck. Of course! His own belongings might help him understand what was going on!

His enthusiasm renewed, Leo began searching.

Oh, apparently he had kept reading strategy books. And his precious comic books were still there…

A package in the back of his closet drew his attention. It was oblong and covered with a black cloth. Frowning, Leo hesitated for a second before taking it and removing the cloth.

He stayed motionless in front of the objects just revealed to his sight. Objects he knew like the back of his hands, objects that he would never have left in this state…

Raphael had indeed lied to him. His katana weren't with his future self, they were there, in this future.

Broken.

Past

Leonardo felt oddly calm as he watched the leader of the Foot clan enter the room. A part of him was conscious of every sound, of every move - his brothers muffled exclamations, Karai's smirk, the whistling of Shredder's gauntlets ripping through the air - while the other was reliving his past… the future… on the rooftop of a burning mansion, breathing the choking fumes of the fire, flames dancing in the background…

The night when he had fought both his father's brother and his father's murderer. The night when he had killed him.

"I didn't expect to see you there, turtles," spat the very alive man in front of him, "but this is an opportunity I won't pass. Tonight I'll have my revenge. Tonight you'll lead me to Hamato Yoshi!"

Shredder jumped forwards, obviously aiming to defeat them once and for all - and after all, he only needed one turtle alive to guide him to his enemy's lair…

Leonardo blocked his attack.

All those present froze, from his brothers to Karai including the last of the Foot.

"What?" Shredder watched Leonardo in sheer incredulity.

Leonardo guessed more than he saw Shredder's next move, and shifted to block him once more.

"Impossible," his opponent whispered. "I've seen you fight. You're not… You can't…"

With a roar, he jumped down Leonardo's throat. His attacks were ferocious and merciless. He was a hardened fighter, a master of ninjitsu…

And so was Leonardo.

His determination was every bit as good as Shredder's. The man would not hurt his family. Leonardo would do everything it took to prevent that from happening, and he had proved it…

Attacks and parries came one after the other, Leonardo's katana slicing through the air with millimetric precision under his brothers' still shell-shocked gaze.

Leonardo frowned. "Move!" he yelled, breaking the spell.

Raph, Donnie and Mikey began fighting the Foot around them while Karai stayed on the side to watch the duel. The archers tried to fire at them, but they didn't dare throwing arrows too close to their leader. Mikey hastened to disarm them one after the other.

Leonardo was focusing on his own fight. Shredder was frustrated and began to make mistakes. Soon Leonardo would have an opening. Soon…

Now.

In one fluid move, Leonardo sent Shredder's helmet flying. The man was at his mercy, his unprotected head within an inch from the very sharp edge of Leonardo's swords... One gesture on his part and Shredder would become a memory unable to cause Splinter's death…

Before he could take his decision, though, Karai jumped on him. Leonardo easily pushed her back, but the moment was gone.

Leonardo had come to his senses. Shredder's death in that time, in that place, would have repercussions that he couldn't anticipate on the future and on space-time itself. It would be madness.

Gritting his teeth, Leonardo used the handle of one sword to knock the Foot leader out.

"What the… Who are you?" Karai whispered as she picked herself up.

Leonardo didn't answer while she scrutinized him. He had never been more aware of the marks that time and countless fights had left on his body. There was that missing part of his shell, and the scars on his throat and arms…

"Leo?"

Raph's trembling voice brought him back to reality. His brothers had managed to knock down most of the Foot soldiers. Those who were still standing, shocked, were no immediate danger.

"We'll meet again, Karai," he whispered to the kunoichi.

Turning to Raph, Donnie and Mikey, he took one of the ninja smoke bombs invented by the genius of their team.

"Let's go!"

Half a second later, he and his brothers disappeared into the night.