This one is short, but the next scene is going to be long (I hope) and I want to get a chapter out.
Again, I'm not too happy about Splinter being a big rat meanie, but this is one story and I'm sticking to it's original.
I also switch between character shoulders a lot in this one.
And finally, it needs lots of work.
Splinter moves over to the corner that Leo had picked to use. He kicks Leo to get his attention. The turtle looks at him. Silently, Splinter drops a bucket and mop in front of Leo. "Get up."
"No," Leo says, starting to shake.
"Get up, slave!"
"..I am not a slave."
"Yes you are," Splinter grabs the turtle's shoulder and uses a pressure point. "You will do as I say."
"NO!" Leo yells through the pain. Splinter repeats this, but Leo still refuses to agree. So he releases him.
"You won't, yet you are scared of me." Splinter sees Leo shaking under his gaze, and the lingering sting of the pressure he had applied. "Well, then.."
He kicks Leo. His shell hits the wall, causing him to groan. Splinter picks him up by the front of his shell and forces him onto his feet.
"You think you can beat me? You think you can stand the pain?" He punches Leo in the plastron in rapid strikes, leaving no air in his lungs. The turtle collapses again.
"I.. may not be able to beat you.. but I don't have to be afraid of you.."
"Why not? I am stronger than you. I know more of ninjutsu than you. You have no chance against my power."
Leo thinks of something, and suddenly, the thought of Splinter dwindles to something less than a fear. "If you know so much about the Bushido Code, why don't you follow it?"
This stuns Splinter, "What?"
"A ninja, or samurai, follows the Bushido code. Surely you know that."
"Of course I know that!"
"Well, then you would know, that beating a ninja senseless is not honorable. Instead, let him fight for his freedom." Splinter thinks about this..
'Is he, challenging me?'
"You are not being honorable, Master Splinter. A master of ninjutsu would never do this. Even slavery is wrong. All this you know."
"..Alright turtle. I accept your challenge. We duel in the afternoon. It is morning now."
"What are the terms?" Leo says, calmly.
"If I win, you must be my slave again, forever. Once I die, you go to my sons. On and on until you perish."
"And how will you lose?" Leo asks. Splinter smirks.
"You'll have to kill me." Splinter leaves, resisting the urge to hurt the spoiled brat again.
Leo sits down, wincing at his wounds. He will have to kill Splinter? How will he do that? And will he? He knows that he hates Splinter. He feared him, still does a little, but he also hates him. He disrespects ninjutsu by having him as a slave. But he can't kill him. It isn't honorable. The whole fight won't be. And his brothers.. they may hate him.
Leo can't decide what to do. But he will need to. The fight is in a few hours. And either Splinter dies.. Or he will be a slave forever.
Mikey, Raph, and Donnie were as close to Leo's room as they could get. They heard most of what was going on. And they know about the duel. "Leo's going to fight him."
"We've never seen him in action. So.. what if he isn't good enough?" Mikey asks.
"He'll need his swords," Donnie says, looking at Raph.
"They are in my room. But Sensei can't know about them."
"What if Leo dies!"
"Sensei wants him to be a slave again," Donnie assures, "He won't kill Leo."
"But in order ta win, Leo's gotta kill Master Splinter. How is that better?" Raph asks.
"So we have to choose Master Splinter and Slave Leo.. or just Leo?" Mikey asks. Donnie looks at the metal door.
"No. It's Leo's choice, if he can even do it."
Donnie looks at the clock. It's almost twelve. He hears Splinter tell Mikey to go retrieve Leo. Mikey exits the dojo and sees Donnie in the entrance to the lab. He nods once. Donnie dashes to his phone and calls Heather.
Heather has been waiting for a call, or a text, something to tell her if something is happening. And then she gets one. "Donnie, what's wrong?"
=Leo is going to fight Splinter. Leo can only win by killing him= the turtle says. Heather nods and tells him she's coming. She hangs up and starts down the fire escape. It's quicker than the stairs.
Raph sees Mikey with the key to Leo's room, so he goes to his and looks under his bed. Master Splinter had not found the katanas. He takes them out and waits at the opening of his room until the right time to come out.
Leo sits in the corner. He doesn't know how much time has passed, but he knows that at any moment, he'll have to fight for his freedom. He meditates, but decides it is best to just think about it casual like. When Mikey opens the door, he has no clue what the outcome will be, even if he does win.
"Mikey," he says, happy to see his brother. Mikey walks over and hugs him.
"You're gonna win, Leo," he says, "You're gonna win and Splinter knows that. Good always trumps bad and there is nothing bad about you."
"Mikey.. I'm still scared of him," Leo admits. Mikey looks up.
"Then use that." There are few times that Mikey sounds smarter than they give him credit for, and this is one of those times. Leo understands what he means. Because he is afraid, he'll gain courage.
"Thank you, little brother."
"We, all, back you, dude," Mikey says, "We want you to win."
Leo hugs him again, "Then I will." They stand up and Mikey helps him out of the room. Leo's bruises are still healing. They walk to the dojo and Raph joins them. He holds out the swords. Leo smiles, happy to see his weapons again. He takes them from Raph and nods. 'I'm going to win. For my brothers.'
A fight scene is next. Why do I stop? Because I am stuck. The same reason that I haven't posted anything for the past week. My brain decided to deflate and leave me staring hopelessly at the computer.
I know the outcome, but not the means to get there. But I'm going to do my best to finish before Monday.
September is almost here.