Same As It Never Was (TMNT 2012 Short Story)

Chapter 5: Failed Leader and Broken Rebel

In a desolate tunnel, surrounded by the normal rubbish and debris from the Shredder's take over of the city, few sounds are made save for the scurrying of rats or the whistling of the wind in the empty chambers. The place could easily work as a representation of what the once great city has been reduced to.

A dark shape climbs into the tunnel, a dark cloak swirling around his muscular green legs. The cloak hides the injuries and brands he received on his shell, too gruesome for him to bare to look at. Dark sunglasses cover his unseeing eyes, dark scars crossing his head and his neck from past injuries. He once wore a blue mask, but not anymore. Even with his disability, he's learned to hone his senses acutely to the world around him, allowing him to almost sense the presence of other people and objects.

A loud thump of something heavy landing nearby makes him spin around and unsheathe his single katana. If he could see, he'd notice the form of a second turtle, a red mask covering his face. His left eye is sown shut, closing the empty socket, while his bright green right eye almost blazes in the dim lighting. As he stands up, he adjusts the tattered bomber jacket that he's wearing.

"What the shell?" he mumbles, shocked. "Leonardo?"

"Raphael?" Leonardo responds, on guard. "April's men didn't mention you being here."

Raphael's face twists into an angry grimace. "What's the matter, Leo? Do I remind you of when you made us abandon Master Splinter when he needed us most?"

He jabs his brother's plastron, and Leo swipes it away with his free hand. "It was what he wanted, Raph. To save us! If we had gone back we would've all been destroyed!"

"We could've saved him!"

"You know we couldn't!"

"Oh? And I bet we couldn't have helped Mikey save Annalise either and stopped him from running out on his own!"

"That was his own fault! I told him to wait so we could figure out a plan!" the older turtle snaps. "Besides, you could've stopped fighting with me just because you were upset about Taylor, but no! You had to keep yelling all the time! You know that's why Des left in the first place!"

"I made my choice, Leo! Taylor's safer if she's away from us anyways," Raph growls. "You could've actually tried to lead the team instead of going all cold and depressed all the time! Maybe that's why Des snapped and gave us away!"

"Shut up!"

Before they can throw any punches, a bō staff whips out of the darkness and knocks the quarrelling brothers onto their backs. They groan and push themselves into sitting position, and Raph's eye lands on the turtle in front of him.

"Raph, Leo, we have to talk," Donatello speaks, holding a hand out to both of them.

Leo, unable to see his hand, pushes himself up. Raph accepts his brother's help, his mouth open slightly.

"Donnie! No way!" the red-masked turtle says happily, engulfing his brother in a tight hug. "How come you still look like a scrawny teenager?"

"Donatello?" Leo whispers, reaching a hand out and touching the purple-masked turtle's shoulder. "You're back...I can't believe it."

"Leo? Can't you..." Donnie starts, but he trails off when he sees the state of his once-leader. "Are you-"

"Blind...yeah," Leo finishes, removing his glasses and revealing his pale and unseeing eyes. "You've missed a lot."

"Leo? Raph?" Destiny's voice sounds as she moves out of the darkness of the rubble near her.

Leo's face instantly slackens, not yet putting on his sunglasses again, recognizing the voice he hasn't heard in so long. He moves towards the direction of her voice, hand outstretched.

"Destiny?" he calls softly.

She lets out a strained laugh, closing the distance between them hesitantly. Leo's hand brushes her cheek, his fingers running along the scars on her face and her hair.

"Oh Leo..." she breathes, tears welling in her eyes as she touches his hand.

"You're alive..." he murmurs, shutting his eyes as he presses his forehead against hers, both hands now caressing her face. "I'm so sorry...I'm sorry I chased you away."

Every single word he says is soft and earnest, like he only wants her to hear him. She stays incredibly close to him, her eyes shut as tears run down her face and she revels in his gentle touch.

"No...I'm sorry. I'm the reason you can't see me right now," she says, her sadness making her voice thick. "I'm so sorry..."

"Ssh...I can never forget what you look like. You're still my Destiny."

His fingers brush her chin, gently tilting her lips up to meet his. It's soft, gentle, saying more words than the sincerest apology ever could and showing more love than they could express. They break apart, and she buries herself in his embrace, his arms surrounding her protectively.

"Now that the happy reunion's over, we've gotta talk," Michelangelo speaks, feeling almost happy to see the couple together again.

"About what?" Raph asks, skeptical.

The orange-masked turtle moves closer to his brother with April in tow, looking just as indecisive.

"Brainiac here wants to take on Shredder," he says slowly.

Leo puts his sunglasses back on, sighing heavily as he turns to face his brothers and April but never taking his arm away from its spot around Destiny's waist.

"We've already tried that, Donnie," he says sullenly. "How do you think we lost Casey?"

"Shredder's palace is surrounded by Foot soldiers," Raph adds.

"And upgraded, giant Foot bot mutants."

"And I bet Tiger Claw, Xever, and Bradford are waiting with General Subject to take down intruders."

"We can't even get inside to fight him," Destiny finishes, resting her head on Leo's shoulder.

Donnie's face falls at the thought of his girlfriend, but he quickly hides it and straightens up.

"I think-" he starts.

"Zzilly turtlezz," Stockman cuts in, flying from the shadows and landing next to April. "Shredder'zz new exo-suit is more powerful than ever, and I should know, zzz. I dezzigned it."

"It's impossible," Leo says, his hand running up and down Destiny's arm as he speaks.

"It can't be done, Donnie," Raph sighs.

"I don't know exactly what happened to you guys, and I definitely didn't experience it, but the mutants I knew would never give up or back down from a fight," Donnie says, his voice the most confident it's been in years. "Please. I need you guys to back me up on this. Brothers stick together."

Leo looks at the spot he remembers Raph's voice being and holds his hand out, smiling a little. Raph accepts his outstretched hand and shakes it, nodding to each other. Raph then holds his hand out to Destiny, but she ignores it and hugs him instead, making him tense for a moment. Then, he smiles weakly and returns the hug, taking a deep breath.

"I missed you," she whispers.

"I missed you too, little sis," he responds.

Donnie looks to April, narrowing his eyes a little as he thinks. "April, have you got anything remotely resembling an exo-suit or something we could use to tunnel underground?"

She thinks for a moment before nodding. "Stockman has been making a giant drill...although I have no clue why."

She looks to the fly scientist, who buzzes and rubs his hands together. "I thought it could be quite uzzeful. My brilliant mind hazz been proven again."

"Good, we can use that. Then, we need to go back to the lair," the turtle continues.

"The lair? It was trashed years ago," Raph exclaims.

"Not all of it. Trust me."