"My son?" Splinter's whisper was bewildered with the sudden rejection.
Leo cringed away, fingers digging into the sheets of his bed.
"Leonardo, you are not acting like yourself. Tell me what is troubling you, my son." Splinter made no attempt to hide the plea.
Leo's breath hitched as something flickered in his eyes. Remorse. Fear. Anguish that hardened into a curt shake of his head, as he looked away.
"I can't." Leo breathed out, as he shut his eyes, shaking.
"I'm sorry, Master. But I can't."
Splinter regarded him with sorrow. "Leonardo, have I broken faith with you? What has changed so much that you no longer feel you can come to me?"
Leo crumbled into tears, as he withdrew the few inches left.
"Father, I'm sorry. But I can't tell you what's troubling me. Please believe me on this and leave me alone."
Splinter's gaze hardened as he scrutinized Leo, warily. Leo's body was clenched, arms crossed over his plastron, hunched over, almost as if he were trying to seek refuge into the unyielding wall at his back.
Leo looked helplessly at his sensai, stared with longing for the refuge of Splinter's open arms.
"Leonardo, you will tell me what is troubling you immediately. Something that causes this much turmoil for this family cannot be hidden." Splinter issued the edict,
clearly expecting obedience.
Leo's reaction was as stunning as it was sudden. He wrenched his shoulder free of Splinter's paw, and slid his eyes to Splinter's. The silence said more than his words as he only glared at his master for a long, brittle moment.
For one moment, he seemed to falter, as his arm instinctively rose to embrace Splinter. But then, Leo shut down. He recrossed his arms with the finality of a door being closed, jaws clamping together.
"Leonardo, you will not be allowed to join your brothers if you continue to behave in this manner."
"Good." The word was barely breathed, but bitter as Leo turned away. Splinter shuddered as if struck, but said no more. Gracing Leo's shoulder with one more gentle paw, Splinter rose and shuffled out, shutting the door behind him.
From his sliver of shadow, Raphael watched in absolute shock as Splinter emerged from Leo's room after a hushed conversation. Splinter looked scraped raw and old as he paused, gripping the door knob with a shaking paw before relinquising his grip. Scowling, Raphael waited until his master was out of earshot before he nearly ripped the door off its hinges and stormed into the room.
Leo flinched as the door slammed into the wall, but only watched as Raphael stomped in and halted a few feet from his bed.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" The snarl was abrupt, and acidic, as Raphael just glared at Leo, waiting.
There was only the infuriating silence, as Leo just curled a lip, and turned away.
Raphael held back his volcanic temper a grand total of thirty seconds before he errupted. "Damn it, Leo, you can either tell me what's wrong, or I'll kick your ass! Those are your options, pal."
The threat was only met by Leo's languid shift from sprawl to propping himself up on his elbows, to peer over the edge of the bed.
"I don't owe you an explanation, Raphael. And who the hell are you to come in and lecture me about an anger problem?"
Raphael paused, completely flummoxed, at both Leo's brittle tone, and the fact he was screaming at him.
Bewildered, and cowed, Raphael only stared at him. Swallowing hard, Raphael grimaced, before attempting a different tactic.
"Leo, you're scaring me." The words felt heavy and awkward, as Raphael forced himself onward. "I mean...this ain't like you. This ain't like you at all."
"Don't you think I know that?" Leo snapped, sharp and sudden as a whiplash. "Why is it that you only give a damn about me when I start acting like you, Raph?"
"Hey, I ain't the one who got so pissy and violent that my own sensei had to drug me to keep me from killin' somebody, Leo! I ain't the one banned from seeing my brothers because I can't control my hissy fits!"
The words flew out of his mouth before he was even aware that he had said something so cruel. Raphael clapped a hand over his mouth in horror as Leo went seething with the sudden, agonizing wound.
"Get out, Raph. Get out before I do something that I can't take back." Leo said, softly, with eyes as hard as concrete.
Raphael tilted his head. "You threatening me, now?" He asked in disbelief.
Raphael recoiled at the sudden, bitter cackle that burbled up from Leo. The smirk on his face looked as if it would shatter, as Leo answered, "Think, Raph. It took all four of you to subdue me, and that was when I was pinned to the floor and drugged."
The smirk grew wider as Leo only eyed his brother with mocking patience. "Now, it's just you." Leo spat, as he narrowed his eyes, all mirth evaporating.
"You really think you can stop me, Raph? Go ahead, then. Try." He breathed the last word as he flipped to his feet.