So, here we are on chapter four! I'm really pleased with how this is going and at all the feedback I'm getting. I've decided to stop mentioning every favorite and follow that I get (eighteen followers! I can't believe it!) but please know that it's still incredibly appreciated! I will, however, still respond to reviews. Yukio 87- Yeah, Raph was kind of a jerk in that last chapter, but let's hope he'll get better! TJHECTOR- Thanks! That first chapter was something I wrote a while ago (I'm forever obsessed with Leo) so I thought I'd add it in, just to see if it was any good. Sairey13- I'm excited to see what you think of what's going to happen next! I'm really glad you like it so far! Divergentlover523- Thanks for the compliment! :) I plan on updating more often now that this story is becoming so popular.
As always, reviews help me SO much, so drop one in if you can! Thanks, and I hope you like this next chapter! Let's see what happens when our favorite leader teams up with our favorite vigilantes….
The cold wind nipped at Leo's bandanna, making it billow out behind him. Raph was in front of him, leading the way. Leo shivered and closed his eyes, thinking back to what Splinter had said. Was it really right for him to give in to his new obsession? But his whole body was on edge. He was eager to disregard any orders Casey gave them tonight. A fire of apprehension stole through him. What would happen? What did Raph and Casey even do on these nights? He was about to find out the hard way.
"Does Casey know I'm coming?" Leo asked his brother nervously.
"Yeah, he does," Raph responded, leaping swiftly from one roof to the next. "I called him right after you left."
"Did he mind?" Leo felt his heart begin to race, and it wasn't just from running hard. Oh, when would he get to feel that thrill of disobedience, and the incredible explosion of fear that ran through his veins as he worried about getting caught?
What was it about disobeying orders that had gotten him addicted to it? Was it because he hadn't ever done it before? Was it because he was sick of trying to be perfect? And why was it specifically Splinter that he wanted to disobey?
Raph answered Leo's question, but he didn't hear. If Casey minded him being there, then that wasn't Leo's problem.
"We're almost there, Fearless," called Raph. "Are ya sure ya want ta do this?"
"Yes," answered Leo firmly. He reflected on what Raph had just said, and then, startled, noticed something.
Raph's Brooklyn accent was as clear as ever, but why did he have it and not the others? Because he was the one that went against Splinter's orders and went topside more often. The others might have it, too, if they hung around New York vigilantes and criminals all night, every night. The accent was like Raph's badge of pride, the one that said 'I go behind Splinter's back every single night.'
Leo tried to imagine speaking in such a way, but shook his head violently at the thought. That would simply not do.
Finally, Raph came to a stop on the roof of the Red Carpet Inn. Casey didn't appear to be there yet, so Raph turned and presented the roof to Leo with a grand, sweeping gesture. "The HQ of our vigilante success," he pronounced.
"Nice," Leo approved. In the corner, some of Casey's various baseball bats and hockey sticks lay, waiting for their master patiently. Other than that, the roof was nice and clean… unlike Raph's bedroom. That must have been why he liked it up here so much. In Leo's experience, people with messy rooms were naturally drawn to clean, open spaces. He himself liked nice, quiet nooks, where you could settle in with a book and a cup of tea and relax. There was one spot in the lair that was perfect for that, but it had been more than a year since Leo had allowed himself to relax that way.
Raph had one of his sais out, and was currently swinging it back and forth, lost in thought. What he was thinking about, Leo could only guess. Maybe about which criminals they were going to beat up?
"So what's one the schedule for tonight?" asked Leo.
Raph gave him a 'what the heck' look. "Schedule?"
"You know, what do you have planned?"
Raph gave him an even weirder look. "Plan?"
"Well, yeah."
"Buddy, in this business, we don't plan," Raph informed him.
"How late are you guys going to stay out?"
Raph shrugged. "I dunno. We'll just go home wheneva we feel like it."
Wheneva. Leo repeated that in his head and tried to imagine saying it. "So, what's a typical night like for you?"
"Well, Casey and I meet up here, we practice-fight for a while- well, sometimes it turns inta a real fight- and then we go on patrol, sorta. Like, we run around the streets until we see anythin' suspicious. Then we attack and beat the thugs up. When we get tired of doing that, we go back here again, talk for a few minutes, and then go. It all depends on how much crime we see." As Raph recounted the events, he listed them on his fingers, as though he was trying to keep track of it all. "But there have been some wild cards, too. One time Casey and I were fightin', and we just kept goin' till sunrise. We don't have a schedule, Fearless. Sorry."
Leo thought it over. It was a new and different life style, invigorating and forbidden. But just how forbidden? How far could he stretch the limits?
"I'm here," called a voice. Casey Jones landed on the roof. "Hey, Leo. Nice ta see ya."
"Um, yeah, you too." Leo suddenly felt the need fire up within him again- the need to disregard orders.
"This'll be excitin'. A three-way fight." Raph cracked his knuckles as Casey went to get his weapons. "Hey, Casey, baseball bat tanight, or the hockey stick?"
"I'm thinkin tonight's a baseball bat night," the vigilante responded as he thrust the aforementioned item in the air. "Don't worry, Leo, I'll take it easy on ya."
Trash talk. Something that Leo was familiar with and knew how to do, he just had never participated in it before. It would be rude and improper, and besides that, it would- oh, just let it go! Let it all go!
"I don't think that'll be necessary," Leo shot back cockily, his eyes gleaming, full of ego. Casey just chuckled, but Raph did a double take. Leo? Trash talking and having an ego? Since when? Leo wasn't supposed to get cocky during fights. He always told Raph about the importance of not trash talking.
"In fact," Leo continued, much to his own shock, "If I don't go easy on you, you'd be splattered all over the floor. So I wouldn't talk." He smirked as he said this, and he felt disgusted with himself.
Raph nearly toppled over. Leo smirking and trash talking at the same time! What was going on?
Casey chuckled darkly. "You're awfully feisty tonight, ain't cha? I guess even leaders need to blow off steam."
Something flickered in Leo's eyes, but his smirk remained. "If you're so confident in your ability, why don't we start?"
"Gladly."
They leapt at each other, Raph completely forgotten, and (despite what they had said about going easy) tore at each other roughly, snarling the whole time.
Raph's eyes widened. "Leo…" he whispered under his breath. Who was this new turtle, trash talking, egotistical, cocky and arrogant? Not Leo. It couldn't be Leo….
Yet it was, and it was the very same Leo that won the sparring match. He had his feet planted on either side of Casey's body and his sword at his human friend's throat. Casey had his hands raised in surrender.
"You did pretty good for an idiot mutant freak," Casey joked good-naturedly as Leo helped him up.
Leo smirked- again. "Thanks. You did pretty well for a hot-headed idiot vigilante."
Raph blinked, flabbergasted. "Uh…" was all he managed to say, and, to his annoyance, it came out like a squeak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "We should really start-"
Suddenly, a woman's scream was heard. Everyone on the roof turned.
"We're in business!" whooped Casey, running towards the source of the sound.
Raph was about to follow, but then he turned back to Leo.
Leo knew what that look meant. It meant Raph was completely and utterly shocked. Leo was, too- at himself. It was one of his rules not to trash talk, or have an ego. He didn't know what, but something had come out of him- and he felt good.
"Who are you and what have you done to my brother?" asked Raph, before he disappeared after Casey.
It took a few seconds for Leo to realize that Raph was being serious.
They caught up with Casey in a dark alley, where there were a group of men attempting to rob a woman. She was screaming as one man held a knife to her throat.
"Let her go!" cried Casey, running at them wielding his bat. There were about five there. Leo took out a katana, and Raph took out both his sais.
Casey attempted to take on all five at once, while Raph stood and watched. Leo gave him a funny look.
"Aren't we going to help him?" Leo asked.
"Not unless he really needs it. Casey got here first, so it's his job. It's first come, first serve," Raph explained. "Every man for himself."
"Oh." This made no sense to Leo, but he went with it anyway.
Casey was obviously beginning to get tired after the third guy went down, but Raph stayed firmly in place, and Leo hesitantly copied him. Casey managed to get all five knocked out, though, and then called Raph over.
"The woman ran away screamin," Casey said. "What do ya say we do with these guys?"
"Turn them into the police," Leo said without thinking.
This earned him two eye rolls.
"Leo, man, you run with us, then the boys in blue don't get involved," Casey said.
Right. Of course.
"Let's just leave them here," Raph decided. "They've learned their lesson, haven't they?"
"Good point, Raph." Casey turned back to Leo. "Leo, I've got a rule for you."
A tremor shot through the turtle's body.
"When we fight like this at night, we don't show mercy. Sometimes, we'll have ta kill guys. We don't go out of our way to make sure that they're safe." Casey nodded at the five he had knocked out. "This went smoothly, though. I didn't have ta kill anyone."
"He wouldn't have hesitated to do it, though," Raph added quickly.
There. That was Leo's order from Casey. He was ready to disobey. He was ready to break the rules. A grin plastered itself on his face. "Okay, I got it."
Casey nodded and turned away, but Raph shot Leo a suspicious look. "Casey, call me if you hear anythin'. I'm gonna talk ta Fearless for a minute."
"Go ahead," Casey said. "Brother to brother talk, I get it."
"Thanks." Raph led Leo deeper into the alley, and Casey left to wait for them outside.
"What the hell's wrong with ya, bro?" Raph said suddenly, turning on Leo and glaring.
"Nothing," Leo insisted sharply, shaking his head.
"If I don't go easy on ya, you'll be splattered all over the floor," breathed Raph.
Leo winced, hearing his words from earlier. "Well, you've said worse."
"I'm not the point!" Raph made a x in front of himself with his hands, as though he was crossing himself out. "Ya've got ta listen ta me. Ya neva trash talk. Eva. Why did ya do it just now?"
Leo shook his head. "I'm fine, Raph! There's nothing wrong!"
Raph gave him another skeptical glare. "The Leo that I know doesn't have an ego. He doesn't like fighting people for no reason, and he wouldn't even be here in the first place!"
"You're talking to the Leo you know!" whispered Leo harshly. "I'm right here! I ain't- I mean-"
Leo covered his mouth abruptly, horrified at himself. Raph stared with wide eyes.
"Did ya just…" he muttered.
Leo tried to catch his breath and calm his heart. "I… I'm NOT going anywhere, Raph. I'm the same old Leonardo Hamato that I always was. Just like you're the same old Raphael Hamato that you always were."
Raph shook his head. "I haven't changed the way I talk… or my accent."
Leo felt his face heat up. "That just slipped out. You say it so much that it was bound to happen at some point."
Raph scoffed. "I don't care what ya say, Leo. Ya need help."
"You're not sending me home, are you?"
Raph paused. "Well, no, I ain't, but-"
"Guys!" Casey came bursting into the alley. "Listen, there are some guys in the alley two blocks from here that ain't up to no good!"
"What're they doin'?" Raph asked lazily, stretching and unsheathing his sais.
"They're countin' money they robbed from a bank. Come on!" Casey ran off, Raph and Leo tagging along behind him.
Casey was right- there were ten gang members, seven men, three women, counting money and laughing to themselves. Casey got there first, so he got first pick- he took on five. Raph took on four, leaving Leo with a grand total of one.
Leo unsheathed a katana. That's when he heard Casey call out, "Raph, Leo, these guys are tough! We can't let them live! Fight ta kill!"
That was all Leo needed. He quickly knocked his out, and, unseen, slipped out of the alley, taking the goon with him. He spotted an empty police patrol car and put his prisoner gently next to it. His heart was beating wildly- he had just disobeyed an order! The same thrill as before swept through him, and his addiction heightened. Relieved, he returned quietly to the alley, where Raph and Casey were finishing off the last of them.
"There were some we didn't need to kill," Casey explained. "Hey, Leo, what did ya do with yours?"
"I, um, killed him. He's over in that dumpster over there." Leo pointed, feeling very… odd. He had just disobeyed an order and then lied about it. Then again, it wasn't a very honorable order, so Leo felt like he had an excuse to disobey it. And lie about it. It worked both ways.
"Oh." Casey looked surprised, and Raph looked hurt, like Leo had just betrayed him, but quickly snapped out of it.
"Well, it's gettin' late," Raph pointed out. "Three AM. Casey, I'll go with ya to the roof ta put away your baseball bat. Leo, I'll be back at the lair in a few. See ya, bro."
"Bye," Leo said uncertainly, before leaving. The second he was out of the alley, Raph and Casey turned to each other, wide-eyed, talking so fast they couldn't understand each other.
"-been like that all week-"
"-April's house yesterday-"
"-Trash talking, and an ego!"
"-killed someone! Can you believe it?"
"-don't know what caused this, but I swear I will-"
"-Meditating all the time, don't know how to stop him-"
Then the talking died down, and for a second they just sat, scared and tired.
"I can't believe it," Casey said softly. "He looked me right in the eye, ya know, when we were trash talking and showing off, and there was this glint in them I didn't recognize. It's like he's a new person. Er, turtle."
"Exactly." Raph and Casey started slowly strolling towards the Red Carpet Inn. "He's been acting funny for a while. Last night I caught him organizing his books in the middle of the night."
"Are ya sure he's going ta be okay?"
The question caught Raph off guard. "I ain't sure of anythin'. Donnie's noticed it, too, but he was completely distracted durin' dinner. I guess he's workin' on some genius plan. And Mikey is just shocked. I feel bad fer the little guy, ya know? It ain't like it's his fault. And ya should've seen Splinter's face when I told him that Leo was comin' with me. It was like the world ended."
"Maybe it's all the pressure?" Casey asked. "You guys are sorta responsible for the fate of New York City. And he's responsible for all of you. Maybe he's going completely crazy."
Raph would have raised his eyebrows if he had any. Instead, he gave Casey a confused look.
"Ya know, like, maybe he'll have to go to an asylum or something." Casey made hand gestures while he spoke, mapping out the whole thing. "And they'll have to lock him up! Do you think he'll get a strait jacket?"
Raph began to feel like he was the only one not going insane. "I'll see ya tomorrow. I might call ya, too."
"Got it. Bye." Casey took off into the night. Raph wondered why they said goodbye in real life, but not on the phone. Maybe some habits were just too common and overused to break.
When Raph got back to the lair, Leo was already in his bedroom, with the door shut and the lights off. Everything would have been pitch black if it wasn't for Donnie's lab. The light was on, and it flowed through the slight crack between the door and the wall.
Raph knocked lightly, grabbing the doorknob so that his knocking wouldn't open the door.
"Come in," he heard Donnie's voice say. Raph opened the door and gazed around. Donnie was by his laptop.
"You were distracted during dinner tanight," Raph said. "Have you figured anything out about Leo yet?"
"Not yet. I've been working on other things." Donnie yawned and stretched, rubbing the deep, permanent circles under his eyes. "Why did he get home so late? Where was he?"
Raph rolled his eyes. "If you had been listening, shellhead, then you would have heard the whole thing!"
"Right. Sorry. My mind was on other things. Tell me what happened."
And so Raph recounted the whole event, word for word as it happened, as Donnie listened, amazed, shocked- and clueless as to what to do.