Alternate Allure

CHAPTER 9: COUNT ON ME

All you can think about lately is projects and exams, but it's not easy to concentrate on that when you're dealing with the whole deal with your dad. Sure, reading your textbooks with Donnie is fun, but you can't help but get distracted by chatting, so it's not a good study strategy.

And let's not forget the icing on the cake: Dee was totally right about getting bruises from the Metalhead throwdown. Trying to hide those suckers at school while dealing with a sore back? Major buzzkill. With all that, you've barely had any time to dig into new leads to find your old man, let alone chill with the turtles. You've been cooped up in the lab or your favorite spot in the park: the swings; with your nose buried in books and articles about vanished scientists whenever you get a sec.

So today, at Donatello's nagging, you tagged along to their training session, even though you brought your study notes with you. You lean against the dojo's tree, nose deep in your books, while Mikey and Donnie go at it. Mikey's pulling off cartwheels and jumps, flipping around like it's a circus, while Donnie's all serious with his precise moves, getting annoyed at his bro's antics.

"Mikey, what are you doing? That's not how you defend against Seoi Nage!"

"Why not?" Mikey shoots back, stretching his legs. "Backflips are where it's at!"

"The best defense is to roll along my back--" " Donnie gestures, trying to explain to his bro. "--Then take me to the ground and put me in an armlock" He stands up straight, thinking. "Unless, of course, I counter with a—"

Mikey just grins, shrugging it off. "Hey, man, you can't take the fire out of-- Hi-yaah!" And he pulls off another backflip. "Dr. Flip-enstein!"

"I don't even know what that means..." Donnie's totally throwing in the towel on reasoning with his bro, just as Master Splinter leaves his room, breezing through the dojo. Dee, not missing a beat, goes straight up to his dad. "What would you do if someone tried to throw you with Seoi Nage, Sensei?"

Splinter continues walking serenely, without even turning to look at him. "I don't know"

"Come on, you must have planned a response for every attack!"

"If you think too much about what is coming, you lose sight of what is" Splinter stops before he gets to the tree. "You must be fully in the moment so you can fight without thinking"

Donnie makes a confused face. "But... why would I wanna fight without thinking?"

"Allow me to demonstrate" The sensei turns to his son. "Prepare to defend against Seoi Nage!" Splinter proceeds to attack Donnie, spinning him and pinning him down.

"Ow!" He gripes, making you glance up from your books for a sec. "That wasn't Seoi Nage!"

Splinter chuckles. "No, but you thought it would be. Now..." He lets go of his hold on his son. "Would you like to prepare to defend against a spinning back-kick?"

"No...!" Donnie rubs his noggin. "--I'm good."

Mikey snickers as Master Splinter leaves. "Know what would have worked there?" He strikes a pose, hands on his hips. "A backflip!"

You sigh as you stand up, shaking your head but smiling at the whole situation.

"Splinter's got a point" You say, approaching Purple and offering a hand. "Maybe you do overthink stuff a bit, Dee"

"Me? Look who's talking" Donnie retorts, grabbing your hand to get up. "You've been hitting the books for days, prepping for exams we both know you'll pass"

"I don't know if I'll pass 'em" You admit, a little worried. "That's why I study hard, I can't afford to flunk any of 'em... I gotta graduate this year to continue with my college degree"