LFLS [Unofficial] Sequel

Chapter 4: This Could've Gone Better

Once they were back in their hideout it was killing Mikey to not know what happened.. Raph was in the kitchen making tea while Donnie was sitting with Leo signing with him about something that seemed very unrelated. Something about school and April..?  

Mikey came into the kitchen, peeking over Raphs side to see him, "You uh.. You good in here?" Raph handed Mikey his cup, "Yeah.. I'm just thinking, I might've been a little..."

"Harsh?" He said back completing his brothers thought. "Its cool, we know you're just lookin out for him. But you gotta tell us what happened Raph. I mean yeah I'm curious, but I also know more then you think about this stuff.." Raphael looked over at him, a bit confused by what he meant. "I mean I've been studying this stuff." He continued, taking a small sip, Raph may look like the muscle but he always made things so gently for his siblings..

"About trauma.." Mikey said softly, leading back against the counter and looking into his cup, "I know you guys think I'm just the innocent kid of the group, and that it'd be better not to tell me heavy things. But I want to be there for him, and you guys too. So even before Leo came home I started looking into it, about how people respond to it differently, how to calm someone down. Signs to look for in a person. Things you can do to help. I mean, we're the good guys, we should know this stuff anyway. But seriously Raph.. If there's anyone you can tell this stuff to its us. After everything that's already happened, there's nothing Leo could do to make us hate him. We're brothers. Nothing's gonna change that."

Raph sighed again, "Man when did you get all mature, its creepin' me out" He joked, "You got a point lil bro. We'll let Leo get to bed then we can talk about it. I promise."

He grabbed the two other cups, his and Leos knowing Donnie didn't like his tea that much and headed back out. "Here Leo, tea, I uh- Guess I should've asked what kind you wanted but this used to be your favorite." Leo finished what he was signing before taking the cup and inspecting it for a moment. Carefully inhaling the steam with a softer expression, taking a sip and closing his eyes as he let himself remember the last time Raph made him tea.. Almost a year ago by now...  

"We we're just talking about.. A lot of different things actually. Leo wants to start training with us again"

"Ohmygosh!" Mikey nearly dropped his cup as he came into the room, much more upbeat then he had been a moment ago. "You really wanna train with us big bro? Was going out tonight that exciting?? Ahh I cant wait to ramp up the exercises now that well each have a sparing buddy!"

'Slow' Leo signed 'I need learn your way again' He glanced to Raph, 'I got carried away tonight'

Donnie looked over at Raph giving him a little nod that he should agree to this, he still had no idea Leo basically tried to commit murder and was an inch away from doing so, but maybe this could be good. He didn't really need training, but maybe a lecture about not killing, just detaining. That could do him some good for sure.

"Alright alright, I wasn't gonna say no anyway. We'll get him back on our schedule in a few days, let him start with the easy stuff. Even if I wanted to I cant stop you guys from doing it behind my back so"

Even Donnie seemed excited about this, despite him trying to contain it.

"After you finish up you should get some rest okay? Mikey's gonna help you with your wraps in the morning so don't worry about getting up at any certain time."

Leo nodded, taking another sip, it wasn't half bad.. Maybe a little sweet, but his brother made it for him so he planned on finishing it.

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Once everyone said goodnight, Mikey texted both Raph and Donnie to go meet up in Donnies lab. It seemed they all had something they wanted to say.

"Why my lab?" Donnie whispered yelled, "Because it has the best sound proofing!" Mikey whisper yelled back. 

He rolled his eyes and looked at Raph, "Well.. Better spit it out big bro"

"Now hold on Mikey said you had something you wanted to say first, so you can go"

"Raphael I cannot stress enough that if you keep me on the metaphorical edge of my seat any longer you are going to be picking up your teeth with broken fingers"

"Damn Donnie, that's cold. But fine. About what happened tonight. Leo heard a scream so we followed it back to that ally, he defeated this guy who was harassing some lady in like five seconds. Cut his weapon right in half-"

"So he did a good job?" Mikey asked a bit confused.

"Well he did, until I was gonna I guess take em down town or something but he didn't put his sword away.."

"Oh no how could he." Donnie added in his usual sarcastic tone. "Tell us more of his defiance dear brother."

"If you'd let me finish-" He sighed, "I looked back up and Leo had him pinned on the ground, sword pointed at his neck. The guy didn't even try to run or nothin' Leo just.. Knocked him down, and I wouldn't have cared if that's where it stopped."

"He didn't.. Hurt anyone did he..?" Mikey asked, his voice much smaller then he meant it to be. Raph shook his head. "I had to stop him, but if I didn't he would've killed that guy.. I saw him raise his sword. It didn't even look like our brother out there. No, it wasn't him."

"So you think he's possessed?" Donnie suggested, still unsure exactly what Raph was trying to get at. Sure killing is bad and all but there's surely worse things, like.. Y'know... Stabbing April.. And throwing his sword at Donnie's neck.. To name a few.

"No! I'm saying that its not the first time he's done that. Like I said, I saw that expression, the coldness- The lack of hesitation as he literally started a helpless human right in his face!"

"So..." Donnie started, trying to piece it together, "Leos committed a few.. Crimes... But that was all forced by you know who. And he clearly didn't like, go looking for it, there was a bad guy doing bad things even I've thought about not letting them go sometimes who doesn't!"

"You aren't listening to me!" Raph said, trying to stay quiet, "And you aren't explaining it clearly!" Donnie retorted. 

"Think about it Donnie, what are the long lasting effects of that kind of exposure. Of doing something like that till it no longer phases you."

"It can lead to cognitive issues," Mikey chimed in, both of them looking to him as he continued, "Like problems with memory and focus.. You can experience flashbacks and nightmares of events, it can make you emotionally numb, if it was complex, and it certainly was in our case- You'd probably find it hard identifying or expressing, and even managing your emotions.."

"When did you-"

"So Raph is probably trying to say that Leo is fighting with his brain a lot right now.. Things like going on missions and fighting are triggering something in him, and in those memories he did those bad things, so he might feel like he has to follow through? Or like he's back in a bad place and wasn't seeing clearly. So letting him do missions, is a bad idea till we can find a way to either make sure we can get him out of that mindset when he fights, or recondition him to associate it with something positive again.."

"That- Is actually really smart.. Are you sure Raph was thinking that? Also- How in the world do you of all people know about complex trauma Mikey! Y'know what, don't even tell me. I don't want to know, its getting late. And I need sleep to be able to work on my gadgets tomorrow. We'll figure this out tomorrow when I have the energy. Goodnight, go go, shoo shoo."