Moonlight Mutation (A TMNT Fanfic)

Chapter 35: An Attempted Repair

Destiny still feels like a shell of someone she used to be. She doesn't think she's acting all that different save for being a little more on edge and aware of what's going on around her, and yet, she still notices that which has indeed changed. She can't watch some of the TV shows that the turtles watch, even though she too used to enjoy them, because the blasts and the bursts of light send her to a place where she doesn't want to be. She avoids knives in the kitchen and eats food that doesn't require cutting. She jumps whenever someone lets out a scream, a common occurrence when living around Raphael and Michelangelo.

She spends more time in the dojo with Splinter, distracting herself with training. The distractions work in the daytime, but memories of her torture come back every night when her dream world is saturated with nightmares. It's always the same. She's alone, the turtles and Splinter arrive, Shredder destroys them and she's forced to watch, April and Casey demand to know why she didn't do anything, and once she's been abandoned again, Diaval asks her to join the Foot.

She keeps saying no, but it gets harder with every night that passes. Leonardo starts staying in her room, holding her close and helping to calm her down as she cries and trembles against his plastron, hardly able to get a solid breath in. When she jolts awake, he's the first reminder that her dream was just a dream.

She gets more comfortable with being close to him as the nights go on. The safety of his arms trumps any awkwardness she once had and is replaced with complete and utter relief. He's alive, his family is alive, nobody is coming for her.

Aside from her new habits, life in the lair is familiar. Leonardo told his brothers about his success at asking Destiny out. That subsequently caused Destiny to wander into the kitchen one morning to find three of the turtle brothers waiting for her, where she endured a good five minutes or more of good-natured teasing, complete with Donatello and Raphael arguing over paying off bets and Michelangelo singing, "Leo and Destiny, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

On this particular afternoon, a week or so after her rescue, Destiny is taking out her anger at the world—or just the Foot Clan—on the punching dummy that hangs in the main living area of the lair, near where April and Casey are watching a hockey game. She doesn't avert her eyes from the bag as her fists fly: one punch, two punch, three, four, kick, repeat. Her knuckles are starting to ache but she grits her teeth and bears it. She lands another hit, her nose wrinkles and her forehead creases, but she doesn't stop.

Raphael watches her from nearby, a glint in his bright green eyes and his lips quirked upwards. "Put more power in your shoulders, not your fist," he says. Destiny freezes mid-punch. "That way it won't hurt."

She looks back at him, her eyes widened and her fists still raised. "There's a proper way to punch?" she asks, glancing down at her clenched hand as the gears in her mind start whirring.

Raphael wanders forwards, motioning for her to turn towards him. She obeys, watching as he lifts his hand and taps his palm.

"Hit this," he states. She does it. He nods once and steps closer. "See, you're not using your shoulders or your back or your hips. Your arms alone won't give you enough power." He adjusts his position towards the bag, lifting his arms and making loose fists. He eyes Destiny, giving her time to copy his positioning. "Swing your hips and use those shoulder muscles to help you punch, okay? You weren't even moving before aside from your arms. Momentum is important."

"I didn't know you had to move," she mumbles.

He chuckles. "Well, now you do."