Chapter 4: I Don't Have Too See You Right Now
When the sword of rebellion is drawn, the sheath should be thrown away.
~John Singleton Copley
There was a low hum in the Lair, the sound radiated from Donatello's complicated computer setup. It was in the right corner of the living area, always kept on sleep mode- in case of emergencies. Donnie always kept busy during the holiday season, he always felt the need to work. Most of the time it was on antidotes, medicines, machines, gadgets and importantly big projects like the Shellraiser or the T-plane.
It was never a dull moment in the Lair, there was always something happening in the lives of the terrapins.
Leonardo rubbed his face as he stepped into their home, his brothers trailed behind him and they weren't happy. To be fair, no one would be- he had lied and diverted suspicions; he also took longer with his side-trip than initially planned. It wasn't that he had done something wrong, just that he had done it in a very dishonest way. Leo looked over his shoulder as he hung up his blades.
They are eerily quiet, Raph looks angry but he hasn't said a word while Mikey isn't even cracking a joke- Donnie looks like he has a million questions to ask. Where were you? I was getting your Christmas present, which I may have forgotten about, April said that this battery would make your life easier. Did you get hurt? No, but my pride did, I got tricked into thinking someone died-
Raphael glared at the back of his brother's head, he didn't really know how to react, they weren't kids anymore so Leo can go off on his own. Why did he feel so angry then? Maybe it was the way Leo did it, out of character and – shell he didn't know. For nearly an hour he had disappeared, but why? Maybe if he just asked calmly, he'd get to the bottom of it.
"So, Leo what was wit' tha disppearin' act?" Raph crossed his arms, standing to the side slightly.
Mikey looked up at Raph, it had been so weird for him when he couldn't find Leo. It shouldn't have taken as long as it did, for a few seconds he had feared for the worst, which was totally stupid. Threats like Shredder were long gone and the PD's were layin' low after Hun lost his "Master". It had been easy to find Raph, the guy had no patience, and a few well-placed taunts could always draw him out. At first, he wasn't concerned, Leo was ace at ninja-tag. After fifteen minutes they were all silently getting frustrated, it wasn't like Leo to milk it so long that he was better than them- by the half n' hour mark they were getting worried. It wasn't the first time one of them had gotten captured like this. When an hour had passed, the worries increased, Donnie had called Leo and it went straight to voicemail. Next step was tracking-
Leo sighed, facing his hotheaded brother, he could just come clean and deal with the embarrassment, it would be the best strategy, " I had forgotten Donnie's Christmas present at April's, so I created a brilliantly crafted plan to go pick it up amidst our game, "Leo explained with a wave of his hand, "The intention was to slip in and out, as if I never went off. Unfortunately there was a slight problem on the way back as I got caught up with some Purple Dragons."
" Dragons? Thought they were layin' low afta Shredda died..." Rah frowned and when he focussed on Leo again, his brother was heading to the kitchen, conversation over.
"Ey' we're still talkin'!" Raph followed Leo and put his hand down by the kettle, Leo looked up and studied Raph's eyes, " I know- I know, just getting some tea."
"Why didn't ya call us? I mean ain't we ya backup?" Raph said through gritted teeth, he wasn't trying to start an argument. He had to keep his temper reigned in.
Leo shrugged, " You are, but there weren't a lot of them so I just made the call to leave-"
" Oh ,ya made a call?! Course ya friggin' did!"
Leo stopped making the tea and sighed, he didn't feel like arguing, or being the older brother right now. Something was wrong with him, he didn't feel right.
There's a disturbance in the Force...Shell, I have problems.
" You're right Raph, I made a bad and inconsiderate call. Excuse me." Leo picked up his tea and with an apathetic stare he headed out the kitchen and into the privacy of his room.
Raph blinked a few times, did Leo just say he was right? He looked over his shoulder at his younger brothers, they were just as confused as he was.
Donatello sat in front of his computers, deep in thought. Leo's behaviour has been random since Splinter's death, not to make lightly of the event, but Leo was head of the household now. They were in their early twenties, there was still a long road to walk together. Just because their old enemies weren't around anymore doesn't mean they're supposed to forget their code- their job. But with Christmas around the corner, maybe it was hard to be a "crime fighting hero". As Mikey would put it.
Donnie rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath, even if Leo's goal was his Christmas gift, the manner by which he attained it, was out of place for their serious leader. It was as if his adolescent years were only starting to kick in now. They all went through rebellious phases, but now it seems, with Splinter gone. Leo had no one to be obedient to anymore. Don sat back and swiveled in his chair, it could be that Leo was having an identity crisis. They shouldn't ignore this development….Leo would need their help, if it is true, more than ever.
Leo smiled as the music played in the background, it was a nice time for the four of two days later, everything was somewhat reverting back to normal. But to Leo, something still felt off and he could not understand what that was. The blue-banded turtle lifted a red decorative ball from a box of old stuff and chuckled at the crudely painted name. He and Raph were decorating the tree.
"Hey, Raph- would you look at this?" the blue banded turtle held it up to his brother, who merely rolled his eyes. "Shell, I rememba' when Sensei made us paint those." Raph took it from Leo and turned it around in his hands, some emotions surfacing. This would be the second Christmas without their father. His amber eyes flickered before he cleared his throat and hung it up. Leo stood next to him, the sudden cheer gone, they did really miss their father, his death was part of the reason why they decided to finish off Shredder the year before. It was a unified decision to finally avenge Hamato Yoshi. Who lost his wife to the evil clutches of that monster…
Leo took a breath before clapping his hands together, trying to break the somber mood, "Wonder how far Mikey is with the cookies? April said she'd come by later to help him with the icing."
Raph was still staring at the glass ball, "Yeah-he promised I could eat out tha bowl."
"Like you do every year. I'm going to go check on him, you just finish decorating the tree." With a last pat on the shoulder, Leo headed off to the kitchen. What greeted him was a variety of smells such as vanilla, cinnamon and maybe even ginger. The smell that stood out, above all the others was the jasmine and thai. Leo came to stand by a tray of Christmas tree shaped cookies, a sad smile forming in the corners of his mouth. "These were his favorite."
"Gah!" Mikey turned around from checking on another batch, hand on his heart. "Dude! Totally uncalled for, man. I mean couldn't you see I was in my zone, bro? "
"A ninja should always be prepared." Leo retorted with some amusement. Mikey was still such a child at his ripe age of 22. His younger brother groaned and hung his arms,"A true chef must always be focussed on his craft, bro. Unlike you, you're not even allowed in the kitchen. Does Donnie know you're here?"
Leo rubbed his neck and shook his head, "Unfortunately- or rather fortunately he does not."
Mikey narrowed his gaze and put his hands on his hips with some sass, "You better not set anything on fire, I mean you can't even boil water."
"I can make tea, with a kettle. No need to over-exaggerate it so." Leo straightened and crossed his arms," Why all of you have to act like I can't cook, I can't even begin to understand."
Mikey chuckled and shrugged, "Must be after the toaster-related incident. "
Leo rubbed his face,"Thanks for reminding me. I'm going to check on Donnie, he'll be better company. "
"Aw, c'mon Leo. Don't be so shellhurt."
Leo rolled his eyes and walked out.
Donnie hummed along to the classic Christmas song in the background. 'Silent Night' might be exclusively for humans to understand, and it did drive him nuts, all these jollies and decked halls. But it was catchy. No one could deny that the sheer repetitive ear-sores weren't the pinnacle of the human jolly season. He was currently hanging up the fairy lights in the Dojo, checking each one, because God forbid any of his brothers tried to do this task. Three years ago Mikey nearly blacked out the entire district, and they don't talk about Raph's unique methods. Donnie stood on the ladder, still humming, until he picked up footsteps in their training sanctuary. Without turning,he smiled. "Come to check on me, big brother?"
Leo chuckled,"Glad someone in this house still have their senses tuned."
Donnie dusted off his hands and climbed down the ladder. "Was that a compliment?"
"Yes, yes it was. I can give compliments you know." Leo rubbed his neck,"You wouldn't mind if I meditated for awhile would you?"
Donnie shrugged,"As long as you don't mess around with the fairy lights, I couldn't care less"
Leo smiled and headed over to his mat, he plopped down and breathed through his nose. He helped them with the decorations. They could leave him be. With a mutter and lighted incense, he set ablaze a lone candle, this was how he got his answers and cleared his busy mind.
Donatello shook his head, studying his older brother before gathering up the ladder and heading out, greeting Raph in the living area.
Breathe in, breathe out.
This isn't the same without Splinter.
Breathe in, breathe out.
I cannot focus, it's like my soul lay dormant inside the pit of despair I have let myself fall into.
Breathe in, Breathe out.
Leo opened his eyes, frustrated that he broke concentration. Scolding himself he sat straighter and closed his eyes again.
Failure, you'll never be what Splinter wanted. Forever you'll be nothing but a disappointment. No matter how hard you struggle, you'll never be a true ninja. Pray your little prayers young kappa, but know this if you let your morals get in the way, a ninja you will never be.
With a gasp Leo flinched back, away from the candle. It flickered in the darkness and soon he realized the whole Lair was quiet- how long was he in meditation? Leonardo stood up and held his head, longer than he should have been. His blue eyes flickered as he picked up the candle and walked across the Dojo, stopping in front of a shelf with a picture of all of them. He picked up the photo-frame and stared at it for a few seconds, before setting it down.
"Leonardo- "
"Who's there?" he spun around, a voice had startled him. It sounded dark, menacing.
"The sword of your master calls."
"What sword?" Leonardo waved the candle around, lighting up the shadows. There was nothing.
"Over there- "
He felt cold. Suddenly, a gust of wind moved past him. It directed his attention to a shelf, one he never noticed was hidden behind the weapons rack, illuminated for him. Leonardo walked forward reaching out, it was then that his hand found a sword, a blade that looked crafted to perfection. His blue eyes widened as he held the piece towards the candle light. It was magnificent, more beautiful than he had ever seen, the katana seemed flawless.
But how does it sound?
He set down the candle and grasped the katana in both hands, slicing it across the air. Leo's breath caught in his throat, the sound it made- the purity of the ring. It was music to his ears.
How long has this blade been hidden here? Did Sensei- know about this?
A/N: Busy with college life. Not much I can say, other than it was a 1000 more words than all the other. Hope this chapter makes it up to whoever reads this.
Update: Fixed some grammar issues.
Thanks for all the reviews and favourites and follows, warms my heart. Chapter 5 is a working process.
Do not own the quote, or turtles. Duh.
