**PAUSED** As Fate Would Have It

Making Sense of Things

Chills go down Leonardo's spine.

No way, seriously?! Dang it Leo, you're going to croak now because you couldn't make yourself focus?! I didn't even think to use a single portal. Ugh, I am such a stupid excuse for a leader.

"Listen you feral lagomorph, I don't know what you're talking about!" The purple one retaliates. "I've never heard of such a place, much less are we responsible for you being here."

"LIARS!"

Leonardo notices the blade in front of him begin to shake ever so slightly. The rabbit's huffs have become more accelerated.

"You're ninja, you have to have some part in this. I just know you're doing someone's bidding. Another bad guy that's trying to get even or...I don't know, something!" He cries out in frustration. "So you all captured me! You're probably all another group that's after the Ki-Stone in our sacred temple, well I won't let it happen! I'm its chosen Samurai warrior and I have to live up to that role."

His jaw tightens and eyes narrow, attempting to strike fear into all of them.

And while being up so close would make it much worse for many, for the slider turtle it did not. Being this close only made him notice things he hadn't before.

"My ancestor fought his entire life for his people, hundreds of years ago. Miyamoto Usagi stopped at nothing to do so. I, Yuichi Usagi, won't hesitate to do the same!"

Yuichi stiffly nudges the tip forward, almost grazing it against the turtle. Leonardo doesn't react, he's too busy studying the rabbit and his injuries— there's far too many of them. He hadn't noticed how serious they were. Didn't Donatello say he hadn't actually fought anyone yet? The turtles hardly have gotten a scratch on him...these can't be from them.

The forming bruises on his face, the small streak of blood that's running down from the inside of his ear, the stains of red under his nose, how one eye is slightly more shut than the other. The deep cut over his knuckles that's started to scar. Not to mention how worn down his clothes look.

Someone did all of this to him...

"I already told you this once and I'm not going to say it again." He strains, frustration dripping with each word. "I don't know what any of that is!! You're out of your mind, threatening us with Leo's life won't make us suddenly know more information!"

His markings glow again, preparing to dive in again.

"i suppose we'll have to see whether you're faster than my mystic tech-"

"WAIT!"

Leonardo shouts before things fully escalate, he can't let this go any further.

"Donnie, hold on! I think he's just confused!"

"Well of course he is! He's speaking nonsense, he's obviously out of his mind."

"No, not that! Listen, I think... I think he needs our help. I mean just look at the poor guy. He looks so out of place."

The brother raises an eyebrow at this, not understanding what he's getting at.

Yuichi's eyes soften, watching the blue turtle intently.

"Are you switching sides? You're going to make them take me back to Neo Edo?"

The questions almost sound as if he were pleading, hoping for the answer to be yes.

"I don't think we are even on different sides."

The purple ones eyebrows furrow and Donatello gets to thinking. His eyes scan the rabbit in front and slowly his face morphs from being pensive to shock. He must be on the verge of some kind of realization.