Fantasma

Chapter 8: Anything and Everything

After everything that had happened, someone downstairs was going through the routine of making breakfast. Michelangelo huffed and felt himself wake up fully. If they were going to pretend everything was normal, he couldn't let them do that alone.

The youngest turtle climbed out of bed, putting the blanket around his shoulders and dragging it behind himself as he shuffled to the kitchen table. Raphael clattered around the kitchen making breakfast while Master Splinter was already seated, resting his head in his hands.

"You okay?" Mikey asked, sitting with him.

"I..." Splinter looked up as Donatello came out of the kitchen, setting a cup of steaming tea before him. "Thank you. I am still wary. I did not sleep well last night- None of us did, I imagine.

A bitter mumble came from the kitchen. Michelangelo ignored whatever Raphael had said.

"No one woke me up to keep watch?" Michelangelo questioned, "I thought we were taking shifts."

"I haven't gone to sleep," Donatello murmured, leaning against the table as he drank the dregs of his coffee. "I'll crash in a minute. Raph can keep up for a while now. Look in on Leo now and then."

Breakfast came out, Raphael bringing plates of eggs and toast, a tea kettle and coffee pot. No one spoke, and Michelangelo tried not to scrape the dish with his fork, all too aware of the awkward silence. The only sound filling the room was the soft tap of Donatello's fingertips on his tablet.

"Anything interesting?" The orange-clad turtle asked, more to fill the empty air than anything else.

"I'm still recording data," Donnie responded, stifling a yawn. "It'll be a few days before I can say anything even tentatively."

The empty chair stood in the middle- Leonardo's usual seat, and the second eldest turtle had even put down a plate before he remembered.

"Do you think he can?" Raphael asked softly, "Eat, I mean. Like normal."

"... I'll add that to the experiments to try." The purple cladded turtle noted. "When he's more responsive."

The family, one short, fell into silence once more.

......

The room was painfully still. The candles had burned down to nothing, leaving only a single candle burning in the corner. The floor was empty. In the gloom, Leonardo had to let his eyes adjust for several seconds, scanning the room.

Crumpled in the far corner, Leonardo sat against the wall, facing the bricks. One arm crossed his body, his hand resting on his shoulder, drawing in on himself. His other hand lay in his lap. his legs at an awkward angle under himself. He couldn't breathe.

"You think you're a monster now?" A cold, mirthless chuckle. "You've only scratched the surface!"

"FEED!"

"Monster, Leo! You're a monster!"

Voices entered his sharp hearing. There was a soft knock on the door. It opened, and a hand swept over the light switch, flipping it rapidly when nothing happened. Both their eyes landed on Leonardo instantly, who seemed to remain unfazed by their presence- he didn't move nor make a sound.

"... dude?" Michelangelo poked his head into the room. "I think Don cut the power in here. Did you get the blood, Raph?"

"Got a couple of bags," Raphael said following his younger brother, not looking at the bads in his hands. "Hit the free clinic this morning. I can get more later..."