Well here's another. Yay! It's up sooner than the last one. : ) Sad to say it's a little short, but I needed it to break off where it does. A little warning, it's a little more intense than the last chapters. So be forewarned.
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Chapter 22
Leo sat up on the pipes high above the sewer junction, staring off unfocused as he mind wandered completely focused on his thoughts. He had snuck out of the lair hours ago. He couldn't stay there anymore, couldn't face his family. The only way to do avoid them was to lock himself in his room and even that didn't seem to be working out too well. He heard their footsteps come up to the door every once and awhile. Sure they didn't say anything, but then again why should they? He had intentionally tried to kill them. He worked with the Foot for goodness sake! Who could forgive that?! Nobody. Nobody would ever understand either. Turning against your family was in no terms honorable, even if you didn't know the ones you were attacking was your family. True, he had gotten the vile from the Shredder's tower that saved his family, but yet again that was not to help them. That was to ensure his own safety! He wondered if the Foot even noticed Shade was missing. He doubted they would care anyway. None of the Foot ever cared about what they did. That's why they always attacked him and his family. He growled. "Dishonorable cowards," he muttered under his breath.
He swung his legs back and forth, his hands in his lap, thumbs twiddling. He was right a few days ago. There was no other option. He couldn't bring himself to carry the job out in his own room. There were too many memories there. And anywhere else in the lair was not going to work either. He didn't want his family finding him. They didn't need that. So that was why he had snuck out. To do what he had planned all along. And now was the time.
Leo gulped wondering if he had the guts to do this.
He scowled.
Yes. Yes, he did have the guts to do this. He'd faced many battles with the Foot and lived. There was no way he couldn't do this. It was just impossible.
He stared at the churning water beneath him. The way it swirled and turned, spinning with speed. Nothing would get out from that. Or anything that did would not be alive whenever it did make it out.
And that's what he wanted.
But he didn't want to go that way. No, he couldn't drown himself. He could disappear that way, but he wanted his death to be instant. Drowning wouldn't quite be instant. At least not as soon as he wanted.
Leo stood up on the pipe he was sitting on. He slowly unsheathed one of his katana, a metallic ring echoing in the junction he had escaped to. He held it in front of him, looked at his expression in the side of the blade, and sighed. He looked pathetic. The katana didn't. It looked shiny and pristine, well taken care of. As it should look for all the time he had spent working on it after every work out over the years.
He shut his eyes and put the point to his chest, felt the sharpness of his blade quiver just slightly as his hands shook. It would go straight through his heart. The fastest end possible.
The blade shook harder.
Leo opened his eyes and pulled the katana away. The blade continued to shake hard in his hands. He scowled. His blade never shook in his hands. Ever.
He sighed and glanced at his reflection in the katana again as soon as his hand stopped shaking it. He didn't like what he saw in it.
He saw fear. Raw, cold fear.
And regret.
Regret for for attacking his family, for disappearing on them, for entering a building that ended up burning down a year ago.
Leo swallowed. There was so much regret. He didn't want it to end. The regret yes, but not his life. He didn't want to go through with this, but yet at the same time... he did. He had to. Honor demanded it. There was nothing worse than betrayal. Especially betrayal to your family.
Slowly, he slid his beloved katana back into his sheath, metallic ringing once again, and reached into his belt and pulled out his tanto. He glanced into the blade, saw the same reflection staring back at him.
It was time.
Leo swallowed again and pressed the blade against his wrist just to make sure he could go through with this. He hated failure. He couldn't fail this.
He braced himself and quickly pulled the blade across his skin, flinching in the process. His head tilted to the side as he saw the blood drip down, slashing onto the pipe he stood on before slipping down to the churning water beneath.
Yes. He could do this.
Leo's left hand fell to his side, dripping blood at his feet.
His right hand put the stained tanto to his chest.
He gulped.
"It's time," he whispered softly to himself.
Leonardo pushed the tanto in slightly, felt a little bit of pain. He half smiled at the feeling. No more emotional pain to deal with. No more failure. No more letting his family down. It would all be over soon. The thought bringing him just a little bit of peace as he prepared to push the tanto all the way in.
