Fantasma

Chapter 7: Dead and Alive

Leonardo was on his knees, staring up into the azure sky above as rain fell in swirling torrents. Abigor stood behind him, her hands on his broad, slickened we shoulders, her cold, firm fingers twisting into the muscle. Then there was the body. One of the many thugs that roamed the jungle, his throat ripped out and exposed for the heavens and earth to see.

Wiping claret off the corner of her smirking mouth, Abigor ran one of her fingers against Leonardo's trembling lips. "Drink."

Leonardo opened his eyes to a pristine white sheet, sullied with the smell of blood and sweat- that was new. He'd never woken up someplace other than where he died, certainly never a morgue. Then he felt the blanket under his hands. Not a morgue. His bed.

It took a moment for things to come back. Leo could hear someone outside the door, pacing back and forth, voice raised for a few moments. "I know, Master Splinter, I know-' Whoever it was, they were crying.

Out of habit, the turtle checked his plastron with one hand- No scar. He kept one eye on the door as he got to his feet, rubbing his eyes. His head hurt, which might have been hunger or dehydration or exhaustion. Apparently being dead didn't equate to being asleep.

Still watching the door, Leo edged towards the corner of the room, hoping it had another exit, when it opened. Raphael was rubbing his face in the way that meant he was exasperated or unhappy or even both, and he looked... tired. Why were his eyes so bloodshot, so crimson? Surely he hadn't been the one crying? Much less any of them.

Then Raph dropped his hand and raised his head, and stared at Leo, who gave up on trying to sneak out and just stayed where he was. The red-clad turtle glanced at the bed, at his brother's plastron, and moved his hand around to where the latter knew he kept his sais.

"W-what the... fuck-?"

Leonardo sighed, knowing from his gaze that his eyes were probably azure again. He hadn't fed in a while. "You know you can stab me if you want. I don't think anyone hasn't done that yet, and I wouldn't bet on it working."

Raphael didn't move his hand, the said shaking in between his fingers. The rest of him didn't move either. "You were dead." He stated, voice hollow. "Explain to me- What are you, 'cause you're sure as hell not-"

Leo wondered if stabbing himself with his own katana would get the point across. "Maybe not anymore." He replied, keeping his voice flat. "You know what I am- a demon."

Leo could see Raph swallow. "... Leo?"

"Yeah," The blue-clad turtle responded, wishing he could say anything else. "It's me."

The red cladded turtle blinked, and then seemed to finally understand why his brother was being so casual about being dead. His emerald eyes went black momentarily, and then he stood up and moved away. "I thought it was just a... that this was the first time. It wasn't... was it?"

"No."

"How long has it been like this?"

Leonardo lifted one shoulder and let it fall. "Since the beginning- when I first changed."

Raphael swallowed, and seemed to almost choke on the next question. "How many times?"

"It doesn't matter." Leo retorted dully.

"How many times?!" Raph repeated, his voice thick with... something.

".... I don't know." He said finally. "I lost count."

"Shit, Leo, I-" The younger turtle groaned and sounded like he wanted to throw up. ".... I'm sorry, this is all just- Insane! I mean, a demon? How did you even! A-a-are you even still alive! Better yet, are you even still... Leo?"