Fantasma

Chapter 3: Two Monsters

"-details are frustratingly few." The reporter said, refusing to look behind herself. She had her hand pressed against her stomach as if she was nauseated. "Police are refusing to comment until they notify next of kin, but anonymous sources tell us that no one so far has reported any gunshots, only one brief scream that the taxi driver heard as he went around the corner."

" Look at the wall." Donatello whispered in shock. "The blood goes up to the second story."

"Something had to hit him pretty hard," Raphael commented, crossing his arms over his plastron. "Really hard."

"Not if it was a sword." Leonardo added, but he frowned, "Although that would take one hell of a lucky swing."

Michelangelo stayed silent, eying the eldest turtle fearfully. The latter noticed this and gave him a cold glare, re-enforcing his strict command. "You will say nothing of this. You will not communicate this in any way, do you understand?"

Splinter's whiskers twitched. "Something that fierce and fast on the loose will be a danger even for you, my sons. No one leaves the lair except together, understood?"

They all nodded, responding in a chorus. "Hair, Sensei."

"Maybe we should go and find it." Raph grunted after the old rat left the room, "Kill it before it hurts anyone again."

Leo snorted. "Find one of the many monsters in a huge city. A monster we know nothing about."

"Yeah, we're just lucky it hasn't killed anybody yet." Donatello replied with a nod, "We need more information. I'll start as search, start combing through the news. See if I come up with anything."

"I'll be in my room." Leonardo stated, staring pitifully at the uneaten slice of pizza in his palm. "There's a book I wanted to finish, and Raph needs to start my chores."

A grumble came from the red cladded turtle, "Bite me, Fearless."

As they separated, the blue cladded turtle made a show of putting the edge of the pizza in his mouth as if he were chewing off a bit on his way to his room. Seeing that no one was watching, he tossed the slice away and entered his bedroom.

......

Leonardo sat as he always does, surrounded by an excessive amount of candles, lounging in their warmth. Tonight, though, Michelangelo sat with him, a nervous spectator to his brother's ritualistic habits. The orange cladded turtle anxiously stood by the doorway, now noticing just how much his brother had changed.

"You're fidgety. Sit down on the bed if you're going to be here." Leonardo murmured, his eyes closed in concentration. "I'm not sleeping in the bed anymore, but it should still be made."

"I'm good." Michelangelo glanced at the bed, the sheets pressed in what he was increasingly aware as an elaborate lie. "You don't sleep?"

"No." Leonardo said, "I mean, I can, if I want to, but there's no point in it."

"So you just sit here?" Mikey questioned, "And do nothing?"

"I meditate." Leo frowned but looked slightly amused, the way a cat looked at a mouse trying to scramble. "You forget, I like meditation, and I like the warmth. It's so cold otherwise. And I like listening to you."

"Listening?"

"Well, all three of you. When you're asleep." After a moment the blue cladded turtle continued by saying. "I guess you could say I'm jealous."

"Jealous-?"

Leonardo seemingly ignored the question, only sweeping his hands over the candles so that they'd extinguish. Michelangelo stared at him, lips parted, his breath coming too fast, misting the cool air. The latter made a swiping motion towards the light switch, and it jerked up, illuminating the otherwise dark room in a golden light.