Same as it Never Was

Part One - Leonardo

"Leo," I called, running into our underground hideout. "You have a message. From April's people."

He was in usual place, meditating by an old candle, that looked like it would burn out any minute. His old, worn, black trench coat was draped on a piece of rotten wood, and his dark glasses were pressed tight agaisnt his face. "What do they want?" he asked, sounding as if he was in a trance.

"They just said they needed help with something. They didn't know much," I told him, calmly walking over, and pushing my once blonde, now brown with dirt, short, choppy hair out of my eyes. I had high topped sneakers, that were worn out, but still did the job, and a pair of old, faded black jeans. I had a light brown jacket with my sleeves pushed up to my elbows, fingerless gloves, and the collar of my jacket popped up, with an old, torn, blue scarf wrapped around my neck. Strapped to my waist, was a couple of daggers and a single katana that once belonged to Leo; I had named it Kindness.

"And how do you know they weren't telling you everything?" he asked, opening his eyes, and standing up.

I swiftly pulled out Kindness, and held it at his throat, smirking. "I had a hunch."

He looked at me sternly, pushing my katana out of his face. "That wasn't the right way to get information, you know," he scolded, but kissed my forehead anyway. "What did they say exactly?

I shrugged, leaning up against the wall. "They just said that our help was needed, and that we best get the the resistance base ASAP."

"I sense something bad," he sighed. "So we better go." He pulled on his coat, and started walking out the door, with a quick glance behind him to make sure I was following.

---

"Alright, I'll go in first," Leo started, staring at the big, crumbling building in front of us, "and when the coast is clear, I'll signal you. You stay close, but out of sight. Got it?"

"We do this every time, Leo," I sighed, flinging my scarf over my shoulder. "I got it."

He shook his head, and after quickly glancing around, dashed across the street. I waited a few seconds before following. By the time I entered the building, Leo was talking to another turtle. Based on his looks and attitude, I guessed it was Raphael. He had a red mask, with one eye stitched up, and had dark brown leather jacket. I quietly climbed up onto a rafter to watch the show.

"Oh, what's the matta' Leo?" Raphael was asking. "I remind ya of when you made us abandon Masta' Splinta', when he needed us most?" He made a grab at Leo's throat, but the dark turtle swatted his hand away with the wave of his katana.

"It's what he wanted Raph!" he defended. "To save us. If we had gone back there, we would have all been destroyed!"

"We coulda saved him!" Raphael insisted, and I bit my lip.

"You know we couldn't!" Leo argued. "He was gone!"

With a growl, Raphael shoved his brother away. Leo pulled out his katana, snarling. "All right, Raph," he said, "I'm through with talking! Let's finish this once and for all!"

As he raised his sword, I tensed, reaching back, and started to grab my own. However, at the last minute, a bo staff knocked both brothers to the ground. I hesitantly let go of Kindness, upon seeing another turtle.

Leo had told me about him, once. The purple clad turtle, the genius; the one that left, the one that had held the brothers together. Donatello.

"What?" I heard Raphael ask, as he sat up.

"Leo, Raph," he said, looking at them both in turn. "We need to talk." He helped them both up, but they stared at him like he had two heads.

"Donny?" Raphael asked, disbelieving. "No way!" He pulled his long lost brother into a hug, grinning.