Leonardo ducked into his shared bedroom upstairs, and Raphael immediately glanced up from his magazine. The blue-masked turtle chose to say nothing, but climbed onto the top bunk instead.
"You okay, Leo? You don't gotta keep going up and down if you're hurting."
"I told you, I'm fine."
"What about you and Donnie? Are you guys gonna be fine?"
"He searched me out when he came back."
"What'd he say, Leo?"
"Some story about throwing spars because he thought it would make us like him more. I don't know what to think about it. This is so ridiculous it would be laughable, if he wasn't serious."
"Why would he think somethin' like that?"
"Raph, your guess is as good as mine. Don doesn't communicate. I've asked him repeatedly to tell me what his issue is. All he told me is that he'll do better. Where do I go from there? Am I really that mean to him?"
The red-masked turtle shrugged. "We're both protective as shell. Sometimes being nice ain't the way to go, not if you wanna help 'em. You gotta say the things nobody wants to hear, but it's the stuff that they need to."
Leo flopped against his mattress. "I told him he could get out if he wanted. The option to quit ninjutsu and patrolling is on the table. He says he doesn't want to stop, yet it feels like everything else is more important. We've fought and grown together for years, and now he's pulling away. He's the one doing it, Raph. I never shoved him out the door. Have you?"
When his brother didn't answer, Leo peered over the railing at him. He found the eighteen-year-old staring at his feet.
"Raph?"
"I swore to Donnie years ago, I'd never put my hands on him outside of a spar, a fake fight. That was when he finally started to trust me. I broke that, Leo. I hit Don when he got between us, and I ain't sure I fixed it. Don't know if I can."
"Raph, it was one blow. One. You didn't wreck anything. If he can't forgive you for it, why should I forgive him?"
"It ain't about forgiveness, Fearless. It's the trust thing. I could be the reason he's acting this way."
"Raph. He pulled away before our disagreement. There was already a separation of his own making."
"Ya think we should talk to Sensei? We could probably use his help with this."
"I would prefer not to involve him."
"Just 'cause you and I were fighting again? He'll get over it, Leo."
"No. Because it's not his job to fix everything. We're not ten years old. We've been training together a long time, and we're going to be one unit again."
"Any idea how?"
"Resuming group patrols will help. I'm done splitting up for a while. We'll head back out tomorrow night."
Raphael looked disappointed. "Rather ya made it tonight."
"It's been a long day for me, Raph. I want to make sure Don's head is on straight too. He seems to be genuinely sorry, but I just don't get this. I mean...have I been too harsh?"
"You're askin' the wrong guy, Leo. If you're that bad, what does it make me?" Raphael snorted.
Leonardo shrugged. "I know we can be rough on both of them sometimes. The point has never been to hurt anyone. Master Splinter has pushed us, and we're pushing them. It's tempting to ease up occasionally, because I don't like fighting this way. If I do that, though, I feel like Don will disappear on us entirely. He spends 80% of his time in the lab as it is. And what will Mikey do if we leave him to his own devices?"
"He'll screw around," Raph filled in. "You don't have to ease up completely. Don and Mike still need to toughen up a bit. We're doing it for their own good, even if they can't see it yet."
"How long do you think it will take for them to see it?"
"I dunno." His brother smirked. "Ten more years, give or take?"
"Shell, I hope not. I feel like getting back out there as a team is the answer."
"Well, yeah. Nothing makes us a better team than putting some other creeps in their place. Sure we can't go tonight?"
"I'd rather not. I'm too distracted right now."
"Ya sore too?"
The hint of a taunt made Leo scowl. "If you don't shut up, you'll be sore."
Donatello was secretly elated to end up in Central Park less than twenty-four hours later. It was one of his favorite places to patrol, and offered many opportunities to do things they couldn't openly in the streets. Being among what little nature Manhattan possessed always left him feeling more alive.
The four turtles had been making circuits of the park for a little over an hour and half, seeing a couple mild moments of action before lapsing back into the silence of midnight.
In the midst of another quiet patch, Raphael fell into step beside Donatello. "So how's your girl, Donnie?"
"She sounds good. I talked to Jenna this morning. She'll be starting college in a few weeks."
"Where's she going, Don?" Leo joined them.
Donnie shrugged. "She hasn't told me. I don't know what the big deal is. All Jen would say is she'd call me when she got there."
"Are her parents really letting her go through with it?" Raph wondered. "Seriously, they almost lost her like a year ago...twice."
"I'm sure it took some convincing, Raph. Then again, from the way she describes them, they're rooting for her hard. They sound like the kind of people who would push her to go, even if it makes them nervous."
"And she still digs you, huh?" Leonardo's grin was teasing.
Donatello ducked his head slightly. "I suppose she does, Leo, though why is still a mystery. Jenna could probably have about any guy she wants. You know, if we hadn't met the way we did, I doubt it would have happened at all."
"Don, she fell for you," Mike negated."Yeah, you saved her life, but it didn't force the issue. No one made her keep in contact these last few months either, did they?"
Don smiled faintly. "It's been cool; I can admit it. I'm wondering what will happen when she goes away to school. Jen's going to be a lot busier, spending more time with people her age."
"It don't mean she's gonna forget you, Genius," Raphael said, as if reading his thoughts. "That's a good girl you've got there, Donnie."
He nodded emphatically, eager to remain positive and not display nerves. "I know she is, Raph. I'm really excited for her. I think this college experience will help Jenna a lot."
"Is she still going with music?" Mike twisted around to walk backwards so he could face him at the same time.
"I don't think she seriously considered anything else. Mike, you should probably watch where you're..." Don suddenly stopped in his tracks upon hearing an all-too familiar whooping up ahead, and noted Leonardo froze as well.
"Hold up for a minute," the blue-masked turtle said softly. "We definitely might be on to something. Stay put."
Leonardo moved forward alone into a small grove of trees, disappearing so that Don couldn't see him. While they stood silently by, the boisterous noise increased in the background. Donatello was so distracted by what he could hear, he didn't recognize Leo returning until he was within a couple of feet.
"A pack has three girls cornered. There may be safety in numbers, but that rule barely applies when we're dealing with gangs. Try not to let any of them escape. They're probably going to scatter like the wind," the oldest turtle warned.
Raph spun a sai. "Just what I've been waiting for all night."
"I estimated around a dozen-"
"That's nothing, Leo." Raphael scoffed.
"It's not nothing if they have guns. Take nothing for granted, and let's go."
They crept through the trees the same way Leo had. Don immediately realized if they'd remained on the twisting path, they would have run directly into the circle of laughing and taunting individuals. He identified the distinctive colors of Latin Kings, and the purple-masked turtle's jaw instantly clenched in anger. Seeing them in the flesh was bad enough: the fact that they were openly harassing someone made it worse.
It was difficult to distinguish the young women in the center from those surrounding, but their pleas guided the turtle like a fog horn. It seemed to entertain somewhat inebriated gang-bangers to no end, but the teens weren't prepared for someone to drop in on them.
Don watched Leo for his first move, not advancing until his brother already had hands on the collars of two different boys. He took out the knees of the punk displaying his knife for cringing victims, and followed with a kick to his head to make sure he stayed down.
Donatello's quick gaze flicked between his brothers as they busted up the circle, then focused in front of him He used his bo to block a clumsy jab from the next guy, then caught the same teen by the arm. When he tried to come at Donatello with a pipe again, the turtle finally dropped him with a hard sweep to the stomach.
He looked around again, performing a swift head-count of those still standing and bodies on the ground. It seemed like somebody was missing. The sound of rapidly retreating footsteps drew him up the path, to find one of the teens running for his life with extra bags over his slender shoulder.
"Oh no you don't." Donatello growled under his breath, and immediately took off after him.
The kid had a good sixty second head-start, but he would have needed a lot more to outrun the turtle. Donatello was almost on top of him within a few yards. The teen dropped the purses with a cry of terror and tried to change directions, about two seconds before Donnie collided with him at full speed.
Their combined momentum carried them further, crashing into a fountain in the middle of the path. Donnie accidentally cracked his chin against the stone retainer as they tumbled into the water. Completely non-plussed he maintained control of the runner, easily evading a clumsily thrown punch.
"Enough! Let it go, kid! This is over," Don told him.
"It's never over, you stupid freak! We had your brother before-"*
The statement was all it took to push the limits of Donnie's control. He promptly shoved the boy under the water, holding him there for about ten seconds. Then he yanked the teen out, bracing him against the side of the fountain with his legs so that he could get his wrists together.
The kid alternated between coughing and swearing, and his struggling renewed while Don zip-tied his hands. "Freaking bastard." He panted. "You wait - we'll gun you all down, and I'll kill that blue one myself-"
Without a word Don dunked his head under the surface a second time, pushing the limit to over fifteen seconds. When he yanked the teen out, the boy was shaking like a leaf and choking like he couldn't catch his breath. Donatello wasn't proud of the successfully ignited fear in his face, but he was still glad to see it.
"You're all right," the turtle said evenly. "Breathe through your nose. Air is coming. It's nice when we cooperate, isn't it?"
The youth barely nodded, appearing to relax slightly under his calm tone.
Don couldn't have that. "I like it more when we get along too. But if you threaten any of my brothers again, you're going back under. And this time, I won't let go until the bubbles stop. Capiche?"
The teen went deathly still, except for a persistent shudder. Donatello got to his feet and dragging the boy up with him. The kid didn't even fight when Don drew him over the edge of the fountain, and set him on solid ground. The purple-masked turtle kept a strong hand on his shoulder to direct him back the way they'd come, squeezing his arm intermittently to remind him not to deviate.
For his part the youth was silent and unresisting. Donnie stopped him again so he could grab the purses the boy had discarded, then nudged him to get moving.
"Where are we going?" the teen finally croaked.
"You're gonna be reunited with your buddies, and all of you have a date to keep with the cops."
His captive swore at him, regaining some nerve. "Why you freaks gotta screw with us all the time? This has nothing to do with you!"
"Don't screw with other people, and we won't screw with you," he retorted. "Shut up and walk."
The gang banger jerked his shoulder and tried to make a break for it. Don's sudden pressure against the youth's collarbone made him gasp instead.
"And they call us thugs," the boy grumbled.
The statement only made the turtle twist the pressure point harder for good measure. "Don't start crap, and we won't finish it. You have one more chance to cooperate before I throw you back in the fountain."
When his captive's shoulders slumped, Donnie knew he had won. He experienced no more difficulty accompanying the youth to where they'd started out.
"On your knees," the turtle commanded.
The young man squirmed when Donnie pulled his ankles together.
"Don't move. I can still knock you out if you prefer."
"Fricking hurts," he complained.
"Do you really think I care?"
Once the kid feet were safely restrained ,however, Donatello shifted him off his knees, settling him down to lie on his face.
"Cause that's so much better," he mumbled.
Don ignored him this time, rising to find Leo and Mike on his other side.
"Wondered what happened to you," the blue-masked turtle said mildly.
"I caught the fugitive, and confiscated his carry-ons." Donnie motioned to the small pile of purses.
Mike gave him a double-take before fingering Don's sore jaw. "Are you okay?"
Donatello probed the spot, discovering a slow bleed. "Oh, it's nothing. Kid didn't touch me. I had a minor altercation with a fountain."
"Gotta hate it when the water features jump up and attack you." Raph cracked, coming alongside them. "Nice save though, Genius."
"We all do what we can. Are those girls still around? I'd hate to think they ran off without their stuff."
"They're fine. I think they holed up under the bridge." Raphael pointed a few yards away. "They look like tourists. Figures they come here all excited, thinking nobody will bother them if they're together. Girls are lucky we were around."
Leonardo scooped up their bags and headed that direction. He stoppdd short of the bridge, close enough for them to see his shadow.
"Here are your things, ladies. You don't have to worry about those idiots now. We're gonna call the cops with these coordinates. If you give the police a statement, they might actually get put away for a while. Don't hang around the park after dark, all right? It isn't safe."
"Uh...th-thank you," one of them stammered, inching forward ever so slightly. "Who are you?"
"That's not important." He backed away further, probably so she would feel safe enough to grab their purses, and not get a decent look of him. "Take care of yourselves."
*Once again, the kid is referring to events in The World I Know.