~Respite~
Tonight, he decided, he wouldn't save anyone. Not a single soul. He would respond to no women's screams. No shouts for help. He would perch here, above the humans' world, and let them deal with their own problems for a change. Let the police handle it. He didn't care. He sat, leaning back against the familiar post of the water tower, and watched the stars. Somewhere, out there, the worst enemy they'd ever faced floated, frozen in time and space, unable to touch them, or anyone else, ever again. The alien was imprisoned, but his influence was being felt, light years below, in the City he'd tried to conquer.
He shifted, catching himself listening to the faint hum of traffic, and listening for a cry that would mean he was needed. He shook his head. Just couldn't get free of that hero complex, even up here. Even tonight. He settled more firmly against the post, deliberately tuning out the night sounds. His brother was leaving in the morning. The City he'd sacrificed so much for, which his family had sacrificed everything for, could do without him for one night. Tonight he would hold his silent vigil for his brother's broken soul.
A/N: Again, for those who might not be familiar with the 2k3 TMNT:
In the 2k3 series, Leonardo makes the decision to blow up a spaceship containing himself, his family, Karai, and the Utrom Shredder. They are saved at the last instant by the intervention of the Utroms, but Leo considers the incident, in which his family were all desperately injured, a personal failure. His anger and self-recrimination leads Splinter to send him to The Ancient One for further training and to find peace. I often wondered how Raphael felt about Leo's leaving, and thought he'd be most impacted by the absence.