Chapter 31: Checking in

"I'd like to pound whoever hurt our brother, till he's barely just a head in the ground!" Raph growled clenching his fists while he paced back and forth in the kitchen; their eldest brother meditating in the dojo.

It shocked all of them to learn that their brother turned human still meditated, if only Leo knew all the little habits and quirks that were so familiar, that he kept doing without his knowing. They all knew how frustrated Leo was about his memory loss, a frustration they all shared, though their oldest brother just didn't see how very much he was still the same older brother and leader they all knew and loved. He just kept reminding them of this, from the Jasmine tea, to his natural reflexes he showed on the trip to the zoo their older brother was always full of surprises.

With Mikey's wisdom they had been marvelling in the new and the old. Glad and hopeful when they saw old habits and traits emerge that was just so 'Leo' but, also glad when 'Peter' would let down his walls just a bit more, happy to get to know the side of their brother they had missed this last year, but supportive enough not to push.

With the insight he'd given them last night, it took all their self control not to push, not to demand to know who had broken their brother's trust. The discussion had been fairly short, and what he'd said could have been taken relatively lightly, but not to those who knew Leo. Their older brother was one who always seemed to see the better in people, an admirable trait that sadly had hurt him in the past. Leo took trust very seriously, it was often something that had to be earned, and when it was broken..

They knew that whoever their brother had trusted in his vulnerable state with no memories or past, had hurt him. They didn't know how, but they knew from the look in those sapphire eyes that this person had been a friend, someone their brother was close to and this person had evidently betrayed that trust.

"I swear" venum dripped from Raph's voice.

"Don't swear Raph" Donnie sighed, running a hand down his face. "I'm not happy about this either, but we don't know anything yet and being angry won't help." The genius shook his head before continuing. "Leo was about to tell us, but it wasn't the time. We were all emotionally exhausted. He will tell us in his own time for now we just need to trust him and be patient."

"I hate being patient," Raph growled as he slumped into his chair. "I've been being patient"

"And look at the rewards" Donnie smiled. "He's opening up to us, we're reforming our bond as brothers."

Mikey beamed.

"Though with this new light now I think it provides some insight of why it took so much time to gain his full trust" Donnie frowned.

Mikey let out a sigh. "It makes me sad, thinking about that whole year he was alone out there. Learning that he had some friends made me feel better, but now knowing that one of those friends hurt our bro in some way" Mikey frowned, his eyes narrowing in a glimpse of uncharacteristic anger.

Raph crossed his arms gaze shooting back toward the dojo. "I can't get over that he's meditating", he said after a minute of silence shaking his head with a snicker. He looked up and made eye contact with his younger brothers, resolute. "Look Leo's showing us that he's still our Leo. Yeah this last year was hard on all of us an' we're all still healing from it. But the thin' is is that we're healing together." The corners of Raph's mouth turned up in a half smile. "Being patient ain't my best trait but I'm doing it" Raph let out a sigh "cause your right Don, Leo is dropping those walls of his. This last year is what put them up in the first place, but now that he's around us they're coming down. This thing with Stockman and Leo's memory; these are problems we'll face together" his gaze traveled back to the dojo "just one step at a time."


"Alright I'm coming in" the Mutant pig called out as he leaped over the gate to the zoo enclosure. "Told you I'd be back soon Mr. Steranko" he smiled at his friend turned Rhino who was over in the corner of the enclosure pawing the ground.

"And look I even brought you a treat, um um um Solyanka!" he placed the container on the ground near the Rhino the smell of the Spicey Russian soup wafted from the dish. "Oh come on" he prompted gently "it's your favorite..from when you were a kid" Bebop sniffed the air smiling "doesn't that bring back good memories?"

The Rhino sniffed the air experimentally before letting out a huff and charged. Bebop let out a shriek before he leaped into a nearby tree. Rocksteady charged and hit the tree hard, nearly shaking Bebop loose.

"Oh come on Man!'' the mutant pig shook his head. "You gotta be kiddin' me dog" he let out a sigh "I'm getting tired of this Mr. Steranko, I miss you, the real you, I mean sure you were still bullheaded and charged without thinking and stuff but this is extreme!"

A soft beeping and a high pitched mechanical shriek drew Bebop's attention, turning his head he was just barely able to make out the outline of a small robot about the size of a small dog sitting on the wall. Bebop's next words caught in his throat because he did in fact recognize the well-hidden visitor: it was one of Stickman's old M.O.U.S.E.R.S, something he thought had been destroyed long again. Man he hadn't seen any of those since Stinkman was still a fly.

Looking around and not seeing Bebop in the tree the M.O.U.S.E.R let out a high pitched squeal before leaping down and approaching Rockstead who was pawing the ground and circling the bowl of soup. A safe distance away the M.O.U.S.E.R stopped and an eerie red light ran up and down scanning the distracted Rhino, a red light beeped on the M.O.U.S.E.R.S' head.

Bebop's eyes widened, he may not be a scientist but he had a good guess that the robot was transmitting some sort of signal to Stockman probably about Rocksteady's location. Letting out a growl, Bebop jumped down and shot the M.O.U.S.E.R with a laser. Rocksteady now alerted, the Rhino charged the metal intruder, crushing it further underfoot.

Bebop nudged the machine with his foot. "I need to call the turtles."


I raced across the rooftops alongside my brothers, the wind in my hair, my brothers at my side, I'd never felt so free.

I let out a loud whoop as we leapt across the rooftops, laughing as we ran. Sure I know that this was a slower pace and that we could at least be going twice this speed, but I wasn't complaining. I was enjoying the view, memorizing the route, just experiencing it all. It was all so new yet so familiar.

Donnie had let out a whoop of his own as he darted across the rooftops. I looked over and smiled and the confident and content smirk on Raph's face as we raced side by side. I let my eyes wander to the two swords draped across his shell, it was odd he always carried them when he went out but in practice he always fought with the sias. He never used the swords, he just carried them. Alongside his twin sias he carried the two swords, but unlike his sias which he carried with pride, he carried these as though a welcome burden he wasn't yet ready to part with.

I had my own conclusions about the swords. I couldn't help but wonder if they had once been my own.

"Hey Leo watch this" Mikey smirked as he did a backflip off the edge of the roof landing safely on the next.

"Nice Mikey" I smiled as I landed next to him, not adding any pizazz to my own jump. I remember back when I first found the dojo in my town and discovered the ninja reflexes that lay just under the surface, the muscle memory that held hundreds of moves and counter moves, though I honestly don't know the name for any of them. I was so tempted to join in on practice this morning, but opted to stay on the sidelines. I would tell them about my muscle memory, but I needed to tell them about Baxter first, I didn't need any more excuses to get distracted from that goal.

"Oh man you're going to love pizza gyoza, it's the bomb bro!" Mikey smiled as we climbed down the fire escape.

My eyebrows shot up in delighted surprise. "I agree, it's pretty good"

"Wait" Raph turned around, his green eyes narrowed. "How do you know? Murakami invented the recipe, I don't think any other place sells them."

I nodded. "No, your right Pizza Gyoza is unique to Murakami's restaurant, I tried them once when Marcus took me here when visiting the city just before last Christmas." Internally I frowned, wishing I had asked Murakami more questions when he recognized me, maybe I would have found my brothers sooner.

"I knew it!" Mikey fist pounded the air. Beside him Raph and Donnie facepalmed.

"What?"

"Just before last Christmans, Mikey swore he sensed you nearby and when Mr. Murkami mentioned that he gave away our order to someone who sounded like you.." Donnie trailed off.

I let out a laugh. "Just imagine how things would have gone if Marcus hadn't drug me away because Muracami was spooking him out a little" I chuckled wistfully.

My brother's smiles were just as wistful.

"Yeah...wait" Mikey turned to me. "Is that why I found you at Murakami's?"

"Yeah" I smiled, "beside the warehouse, it was my only lead. I'm just thankful I ran into you."

"Wow, mind blowing" Mikey made the mindblowing gesture with his hands before Raph nudged him with his shoulder and all laughing we headed into Murakami's restaurant.

"Ahh my favorite customers" the old man smiled.

"What-up Mr. Murakami?" Mikey smiled as he grabbed a seat at the counter.

"It's good to see you again Mr. Murakami" I smiled.

The old man's face softened. "Leonardo-san, I am so glad that you have found your place once more, you were sorely missed."

It felt good to hear the name once more and belong to it this time. A smile spread across my face. "I'm glad to be found"


In an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city Baxter Stockman sat at his makeshift desk working on his laptop. The slightly impromptu location may not be ideal, but Stockman reasoned that it would work.

He'd been trying not to think too much as he went about setting up his equipment and putting things into place. Whenever he let himself think, his thoughts seemed to spiral back into the deep sea of doubt, the doubt that said that what he was doing was wrong, that this was not fixing his mistake but only adding to it.

He felt so conflicted, he found himself in unfamiliar territory. Part of him wanted to go about the route he would usually take in situations like this, but somewhere else deep inside a voice screamed at him to do something else. Something much more risky. He..he was afraid to take that route. Right now his fear was winning and he was taking the more familiar route to him, though that voice inside still pleaded with him.

Baxter let out a sigh, running his hands through his curls as he read the transmission one of his M.O.U.S.E.R.S just sent. He hadn't found his brother yet, but the M.O.U.S.E.R had been able to track the retromutagen to the zoo and confirmed Rocksteady's location.

He considered heading over there and dealing with Bebop before his presence was alerted but thought better of it. The thought made his stomach sink. It was odd, his actions had never held such weight before. There was a little voice that told him he was better than this, that he didn't need to resort to this.

His fear had kept that voice at bay when he had started this mess all those months ago, but with everything he couldn't seem to fully push that voice away now. He was afraid, yes, but he was also afraid of losing that voice, losing that conscience.

But at the same time..his fear that led him here, the fear of losing everything outweighed the other.


I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand to keep food from spraying out of my mouth as Mikey continued to tell his humorous anecdote.

"It is always a treat to hear your humorous stories, Michelangelo," Mr. Murakami smiled as he placed down a new platter of Pizza Gyoza.

"Anytime Mr. Murakami" Mikey mumbled around a full mouth " brothers don't always appreciate my jokes."

"Oh it's the jokes and stories we like just fine" I send my baby brother a smirk "it's the pranks that aren't exactly appreciated." I took another bite of pure deliciousness "these are really good Mr. Murakami, I didn't get a chance to compliment and thank you last time."

Mr. Murakmai sent me a kind smile. "You did thank me Leonardo-san, though I agree your friend was in quite a hurry to leave." He let out a chuckle. "Couldn't get over him calling you Peter."

"It's Leonardo now" I answer my gaze on the counter top. It felt right going by that name once more. I could sense the relief in my brothers when I told them, and since then things just seem to feel all the more natural. It was a choice that needed to be made: Petter or Leo, and I feel as though I made the right one.

"And thank you my friends, with your help with the Purple Dragons" Murakami's voice pulled me back into the conversation.

"Of course Dude," Mikey smiled.

"I'm sorry they caused you any trouble, they didn't cause any substantial damage did they? Have they been back?" I asked.

"No they haven't been back and the damage they caused was easily cleaned up" he let out a friendly chuckle "especially with your and Michalangelo's help"

I smiled.

Before Mr. Murakami or I could continue, Donnie's t-phone started to sound, which he answered on the second ring.

"Hello..Bebop, what's going on?..uh huh..are you sure?" I listened to the one sided dialogue, watching as my brother tensed up, his brow furrowed in worry.

"Alright..keep alert...and call me if you see anything.."

"What's up Donnie?" I asked as soon as my genius brother hung up.

Donnie let out a sigh. "It was Bebop, he found a M.O.U.S.E.R at the zoo. It's destroyed and he didn't see any more, but this just confirms my fear: Stockman is back in the area."

A spike of fear shoots through me at the words. I had been planning on telling them everything this evening after we returned home. But if Baxter really was in New York already, it wasn't something I could hold off any longer, especially if he has M.O.U.S.E.R.S. I close as my brothers talk worldly around me, as my mind wanders in fear remembering when Bax had dusted off the vial machine from his past.

"No no no! My creation, my beautiful creation!" Baxter exclaimed from where he sat in his basement turned lab, parts laid out in front of him as a small robot dropped to the ground after taking a few steps.

"Bax, it's just a robot. You're supposed to be working on your lesson plan anyway, plus don't you have those tests from last week to grade?" I asked with a smirk.

"But you don't understand Peter. These are M.O.U.S.E.R.S they are not just robots."

Giving the metal creator a nudge with my foot I frowned. "These are from your past? Do you really think it healthy to be recreating a tool you used for evil?" I lectured.

Baxter let out a sigh. "I'm not going to use them in the same way I did then. A huge part of their programming was tracking, I used them to hunt down those sprayed with radio-isotopes. I can remiage their programming to have a less violent and more helpful purpose."

Crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow I waited for a full explanation.

"I can use them to find something or someone valuable, if it is ever lost."

"Baxter" I pinched the bridge of my nose "you are extremely paranoid and also a little creepy"

"Peter.." he let out a sigh. "There are some things..some dangers you wouldn't understand"

"Are you trying to say there's someone out there after me?" I asked half seriously "and if so are you also telling me you're reimaging a weapon of destruction to be a tracking device to find me, because if so that is crossing some very serious lines bro."

I let out a breath. The M.O.U.S.E.R.S. had been reimaged to track DNA or more specifically the Retro-mutagen at least from my understanding of it. If they already found Rocksteady they were already on the hunt, meaning that it was only a matter of time before they found me. I wasn't sure if going back to the lair was a good idea. Protecting my brothers was the main objective. I didn't want to believe that Baxter could be capable of hurting them, but after everything I wasn't sure anymore and I was not going to underestimate him.

It was no longer a matter of timing, I needed to tell them.

"I say we track down Stinkman, and we give him a little taste of.."

"Guys" Cutting off Raph's rant I looked up and met the gazes of my three younger brothers.

"There is something I've been meaning to tell you for quite some time" I looked down again. "I just could never find the words..but that doesn't matter now cause you're all in so much danger."

"Leo?" Raph's green eyes were protective and fierce.

"The M.O.U.S.E.R.S. were originally designed to track down those sprayed with Radio-Isotapes or whatever but they have been reprogrammed to track down those with Retro-mutagen in their veins" My fist shook as I clenched them. "I should know, as it's my blood Baxter planned to use to program it, something I didn't think he did." I let out a sigh of resolution. "As long as you're around me you're in danger."

"What are you saying Leo?" Raph's voice was low.

"I'm saying that we need to slit up, it's too dangerous to be around me," my eyes darted back and forth trying to outline a plan. "I can't go back to the lair he'd track me there, and I don't want him knowing where you live. If I could lure him away from you guys...and maybe we could find a way to catch him or..."

"Leo" Raph's voice was low. "We are not splitting apart!"

"No way we're leaving you alone with that mad man out there bra!" Mikey added frantically.

"Leo" Donnie's hand covered mine. "If Stockman is truly tracking you, why in the world do you think that we will leave you alone for a minute!"

My brother's words touched me to the core, but it also wasn't the time. I shook my head. "He won't hurt me, but you..you don't know how smart he is..how dangerous that is...I" I hung my head.

"Leo, we know how dangour he is..but you don't" Raph argued.

"That's a lie!" I started turning to him, my intense gaze meeting his.

I let out a sigh. "When I woke up at the hospital days after the fire, I didn't have to deal with reporters or paperwork or anything because I wasn't the only one who was in the fire, wasn't the only one who survived, wasn't the only one who was rescued." I watched my brother's faces as I spoke. "When I woke up I didn't remember anything, not even my own name and that terrified me! But then someone came in and I trusted him because I believed what he said, because why would he lie about knowing me, about who I was, about who he was!" I let out another breath fighting back tears. "So I believed him, I trusted him and I continued to trust him, I tried to move forward, I tried building a new life, and in this new life he was the person I trusted the most, the person I was closest too" I let out shaky breath, a single tear slipping past my defense. "Until the lies came out and my whole life shattered."

I turned to Raph "so don't you damn well say that I don't know how dangerous Baxter Stockman is, because I probably know him better than anyone else!" I let out a breath, letting the truth out in the open. "When I woke up in the Hospital I was told that my name was Peter Stockman and was released into the care of my only relative, my Brother..Baxter Stockman. I'm sorry that it took me a damn year to figure out the truth, but when I did I left and I came looking for you." Tears clouding my eyes now, I continued. "He made his choice and I made mine, but my destiny is with you."

I thought they would yell, that they would be angry. I just admitted to being the brother of their enemy, to withholding this truth from them. I did not expect them to hug me. I expected Raph to be angry. I did not expect him to cry.


Wow

The truth has finally come forth

I meant to go further with this chapter, and end on an action scene but once again the characters took over and started writing.

Apologies for the cuss words, like I said the characters took over.

I wanted to check in with our favorite TMNT chef: I didn't want him to feel left out, any. :)

Lots of 'checking in' this last chapter. Just a quick 'check in' with a few major characters.

Also a chapter for secrets ;)

Pleeeaasse let me know what you think! Questions, critiques, constructive criticism :)

God Bless

-windofmysoul