Non-Mutation (Book Four)

Chapter 20: Begonia

A red flower meaning "beware".

❁

The second Raphael gets back into the lair, Leonardo is waiting. His blue-masked brother has his arms crossed over his plastron, a stern look in his sapphire eyes.

"You saw her again," he states.

Raphael crosses his arms over his chest. "Yeah, and?"

"She's the enemy, Raph," he snaps. "Every time you see her, you're endangering us further."

"I don't care," the second mutters, brushing past him and trying to head for his room.

Leonardo's body follows his movements. "You have to focus on what's important and that's taking down Mutacorp and whatever they're planning! You can't let a girl distract you."

Raphael seethes, his teeth grinding together, and he turns back around and storms towards his leader. "You're the one who told me to information out of her!" He jabs his finger against Leonardo's chest.

"That was before I knew she was the enemy!" he retorts. "Before I knew that Taylor was the Purple Dragon girl!"

"You're such a hypocrite."

"Me? That's a lie."

"Oh? Want me to pull up a chart of past incidents?" Raphael asks, his tone gaining more and more mockery by the second. "First there was Karai, who you insisted was good even after she threw a knife at your head. Then there was the brooding and you being convinced that she could be changed just because you were completely in love with her—"

Leonardo growls. "No, you don't get to use that. That's over. It was over the moment I discovered that she's my sister," he says, shaking his head. "That's one time, Raph. That doesn't make me a hypocrite."

"Ba-ba-da-ba!" Raphael imitates a fanfare. "You were the exact same with Destiny! Even before you dated, you were always protecting her, making sure she was okay, trying to stop her from leaving even though we had the Foot Clan to worry about—"

"They weren't a threat."

"Right! Exactly! They only became a bigger threat once she showed up and, you being you, you spent all your energy on her even when she nearly killed all of us! You always looked out for her before us." He gets up in Leonardo's face, his temper boiling over and his arguments blending together. "Don't tell me that I can't let a girl distract me or that I have to focus on what's important when that's all I have ever done! You're the one who focuses on your hormones instead of thinking smart. How many times did you ditch us because Karai or Destiny was in trouble, huh?!"

"Raphael—" His tone is bristling.

"You can't even get over the fact that Destiny broke up with you! I've tried to help you through every fight that you've had with her and you can't be bothered to give me that chance. Maybe I'm not an idiot like you and I don't care if Taylor's robbed a few banks! At least she hasn't mauled my brothers half to death!"

"Shut up, Raph! It wasn't her fault!"

"Oh, there you go defending her again!"

"You don't get what it's like anyway! You've never loved someone like I have!"

"WELL MAYBE I LOVE TAYLOR!"

Leonardo freezes as his expression floods with shock. There's a loud smash from the kitchen and both turtles whirl around to see Destiny standing there, hands shaking, her emerald green eyes brimming with tears but her mouth set in an angry frown. Dishes lay in shattered bits at her feet but she acts as if the mess isn't there, her eyes only on them.

"Funny, how fights can reveal what someone's really thinking." She laughs humourlessly, her voice revealing hurt. "I'm going for a flight."

Leonardo starts to say her name, reaching out for her, but she runs from the lair with tears rolling down her cheeks. Leonardo stands, defeated, and slowly looks back at Raphael. His fire is dead.

"Just for the record, maybe I am a hypocrite, but I haven't always ditched you for her. I could've followed Destiny when she ran from us that night," he says. He's lost the rage, guilt tinging his words. "But I stayed. I stayed instead of looking for her because you and Donnie and Mikey and Casey and April are my family just as much as she is." He moves past his brother, heading for his bedroom, but stops and calls over his shoulder, "If you love Taylor, fine. Just know that if everything falls apart, it's us who'll be there for you." He forces a laugh, the sound more miserable than anything. "Shell...she could be the one who makes it fall apart."

"How would you know?" Raphael snaps, tired of his brother's philosophical, deep speech.

Leonardo sighs. "You said it yourself. I experienced it. I don't want you to feel the way I did when Destiny left us behind, when she left...me." His shoulders slump. "I'm just trying to protect you, brother, like a good leader should."

The blue-masked turtle slips down the hallway and the gentle slam of his bedroom door resonates in the lair. Raphael tries to take cleansing breaths, shoulders heaving, and he shouts and punches the nearest stone pillar. He disappears from the lair before any more of his siblings can question what's got him so messed up.