Gargoyles X TMNT: Shadows of New York

The Lyin', the Sitch, and the Wall Boom

The four of them sat on the floor of the back of the van, an array of takeout containers and empty soda bottles arranged to mirror the neighborhood a block over. An improvised war room, made entirely from old Burger King takeout.

"We're clear on the plan?" Leo looked at Mikey specifically.

"Why do you always have to stare at me when you ask that?"

"To make sure."

"Yeah, I'm clear on the plan." Mikey frumped into his beard.

Leo gently rolled his hand, gesturing for him to continue. "The plan is...?"

Mikey held up a finger with each point. "Get eyes on April, cause a distraction, grab her, make it back to the van, and go."

"Without...?" His brother prompted.

Mikey sighed, holding up his last finger. "Without being seen."

Raph grunted. Leo's eyes shot him a silent dart. But, he ignored him and said, "I think we can handle that part."

"This time." Leo muttered. Raph felt the simmer in his chest leap up to a boil for a minute. When Donnie opened his bag to dispense gear, Raph snatched his smoke bomb, threw on his ski mask and shrugged on his coat, and stormed out of the van before everyone else was ready to leave. Mikey scampered after him, the pair fading into silence and shadow as soon as they strayed from the headlights of the van.

Leonardo and Donatello were left alone.

"Am I too hard on him, Don?" Leo asked, trying to hide the plaintive note behind a frustrated veneer.

Don zipped up his coat, hiding his shell from view. "Yes. You are." He said, slowly and carefully. "We're hard on each other. We have to be, all things considered."

"Could I have said anything differently?"

"You could've." Don nodded. "But do you think that, given his emotional state, he would have listened?"

"...No."

"And given yours, do you think you listened as well as you should've?"

Leo sighed. Donnie was right. Again. "Why aren't you the leader?"

"I crack under pressure, and I hate confrontation. Neither of those things have ever scared you. That, and you know I overthink things until I spiral myself into a panic attack. That's why Splinter put you in charge."

Don was logical and impartial, as always. Leo didn't want to admit that those were his faults too. He was just better at hiding them. He turned off the lights to the van, and reluctantly removed the hard brace, the cold air making the miniscule scales on his leg prickle. It used to feel like an encumbrance. Now, he felt nervous walking without it, even for a little while. He rolled down his pant leg, picked up his smoke bomb, and secured his katana under his coat.

Soon, both he and Don had vanished into the night.

-

"So, why'd you lie to Leo?" Michelangelo whispered.

Raph whirled on him. The two of them crouched in the shadow of a rusty water tower, scanning the street. "How did you know that?"

"Bro." Mikey looked at him. "Because I know you."

Fair point. Raph exhaled. "Okay, yeah, I lied about the fight with the monster."

"You're going to go off to fight him again, aren't you?"

Raphael didn't answer. "Just keep watch for April."

"Aren't you?"

Raph would have, at any other point, snapped at him. He would have growled a threat that he would never follow through on, intimidated his baby brother into shutting up. But after tonight? He was tired. Too tired to even be angry anymore.