tushanshu | [TEXT] Leo to Team, COME IN TEAM

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[TEXT] Leo to Team, COME IN TEAM

[The cart ride into Keeliai is long, exhausting and stressful. Leo presses himself into the furthest corner to hide (which still leaves him painfully visible) even as his sharp blue eyes peer through the slats, taking in as much of the alien city as possible.

On one hand, this is the most amazing thing Leo's ever experienced, an exhilarating adventure straight out of Space Heroes. On the other, he's never felt so alone, out of control and exposed in his life. Sure, he always wanted adventure, but not without the guys - and not hauled down a city road in broad daylight, surrounded by people turning their heads in curiosity.

At least the few kedan on the street who take a close enough look into the open-backed cart to spy him out don't scream or run. But there are some stares, and he can feel the undercurrent of hostility like a flame inches from his skin. There's a tension in the air in some parts of the city they go through, a hard look to some of the kedan when they see someone not like them...

Leo slips into his appointed building like - well, like a ninja, or as close as possible while lacking the cover of darkness. When he gets to his temporary quarters he leans his shell against the door and sighs wearily; alien robots and plant monsters are one thing, but this? This is an entirely new level of crazy.

Water had seemed a natural choice when the kedan gave him options. He's glad of his choice now as he splashes some from the room's small fountain over his head, then winces as he does the same to the burn mark forming on his shoulder. It's not serious, but Leo's entire arm aches and tingles from channeling Justin's electrical shock through his katana. He's certainly pulled smarter moves.

Hopefully whatever jerked him "sideways" during that explosion also took his brothers through in slightly different places, and he can link up with them again once they all get their bearings. He knows the team can handle this situation, but first? They have to be together.

He'll start canvassing the city come dusk, one Sector at a time if he has to. But until nightfall, Leonardo has time to kill, and he isn’t about to sit around doing nothing.

Settling in at the console, Leo sets it up for a text message - and pauses, considering his options. This is a public network; he has to get a message out that his brothers will understand if they're listening, but that won't arouse too much civilian curiosity or alert any enemies.

There is one thing... He'd batted around an idea for a code word with Donnie. The problem being, it was never official - Leo just hadn't anticipated a realistic situation where it would be useful. The idea was just idle talk.

He hopes that if Mikey or Raph are alone out there, they'll recognize his reference. Donnie will catch on at least, if he's listening. One way or the other it's the best Leo's got until he can search the rooftops.]

ANy New Yorkers out here? if you know the 2nd Time About shop on Bleeker, contact me ASAP

[Ryan to Dauntless, come in Dauntless...]

Aalso. Look, I got the story from the kidan ans I know i can;t be the first person to ask. But Im looking for any leads on how t get back to my own world... stories, rumuors, anything. Thankyou.

[Please don't let him be alone out here. Leo presses Return.]

[ tl;dr Enter one cagey ninja turtle boy with delusions of being a Great Hero! Leo v.2012 is here and super worried about his bros ;A; ]

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[Leo is the embodiment of respectful attentiveness, eyes straying now and then to the topic of their conversation as if he's trying to duplicate the scenario in his own mind. It's somewhere between the regard he would give Splinter, and the equal-meeting-of-minds he had when discussing mission business with Donnie.]

"Probably?" Were they that secure?

[Because if Leo had entered through one of them, he would know where they led. What had stopped them from breaking in through a simple kitchen door? Either a guard so tight even ninjas couldn't finagle their way past, or a lock Big Leo couldn't hack without his Donatello at hand.]

Edited 2013-05-01 23:09 (UTC)

The locks weren't the problem - the palace architecture is straight out of a later Chinese dynasty. [An irritated edge seeps into his tone; it's not aimed at Little Leo, but at the recalled frustration of failed attempt after failed attempt. They had to have tried about ten doors total that night with nothing to show for it. And he's still trying to wrap his head around the thing that actually stopped them.]

A few yards into each vestibule there's some kind of...force field. An invisible barrier. [His mouth flattens.] It doesn't have weak points. It can't be cut or shattered. All of it just bounces back. Everything but the main entrance is completely sealed off.

[Leo doesn't mis-interpret the frustration for a second. It's too close to his own inflection, he knows precisely what Big Leo means by it. And if he faced that situation himself his tone would be identical.]

Force field, huh. I wonder... If Donnie can track the power source, we might be able to shut it down.

[Of course, Leo's thinking in terms of tech, not magic. He hasn't been here long enough to figure out that's now a realistic factor.]

[It's a good idea, and it's another reason Leo is glad for this alliance. As cold as it sounds, having access to his counterpart's Donatello as a resource is an invaluable gain. He's yet to see the extent of this Don's experience, but other-Leo seems to have faith in him - and he's good enough to have gotten them through fifteen years of filthy New York sewers and illnesses. (That's the leader talking, clinical and businesslike. Anything more complicated is not for war room discussions.)]

[But this Leo has seen things that the other one hasn't, so for him it's natural to that second possibility into the pot.]

If there's a power source, I'd bet on it being inside the palace. There's no security on the outside. [There's an emphasis put on 'no', because there is literally none. Not a single guardsman.] If not...we might be dealing with magic.

[Leo's grimace at the conclusion is somewhere between rueful and incredulous. But Big Leo said it with a straight face, and they're both on the back of an impossibly huge giant turtle, so okay. Magic. Magic is... problematic. Maybe Donnie could figure out how to get around it, but Leo suspects this will take a specialist, provided there is anyone powerful enough to take this on. Leo hasn't the faintest sense of what might be involved or how difficult it could be, but he suspects it won't be easy.]

I don't suppose you've met any magicians or um, mages, who could help us out in that case?

[And for what it's worth, Leo's advantage of having a Donatello is one of the reasons he took that step. Big Leo has had a longer stint here, he has intel and experience; but Leo knows full well that it'll take a Donatello to get around this sort of obstacle that baffles the rest of them. And of course Donnie needs information to work with.]

One. He's been missing since February.

[To be fair, they only had a single conversation, and he only knew the man was a practitioner of magic because he'd discussed it with the others in his network post. But perhaps their one conversation was enough - it had been one of suggested rebellion against the Emperor. An agreement of minds who would not be ruled under her thumb.]

[It had been sloppy of Leo. About a month later, that man had disappeared completely from Tu Vishan. Leonardo still isn't even sure whether or not his and Raph's little expedition was ever discovered, but it's hard not to consider the possibility that Martris' disappearance was strategic.]

[If that's what happened, he's got another person on his conscience. And he's not going to make the same mistake twice.]

That doesn't sound good. [Are people who know how to get around that magic shield being eliminated, somehow? Leo wouldn't put it past the authorities around here to do that. He hopes not, because that would mean whomever else they recruited would be put in danger. But that doesn't mean they don't need a specialist any less - they'll simply have to make sure they accept the risk, and work to protect them as best they can.]

Well - if it does turn out to be magic, I guess we'll just have to find someone else.

[Nothing wrong with this boy's problem-solving skills, that's for sure. Of course, that also means he responds to the information as a situational challenge first, with empathy coming second. He figures this out a half-second later and backpedals; the last thing he wants to do is offend Big Leo.]

Um - not that your friend can be replaced. I'm sorry he's missing.

[Leo offers his miniature double a reassuring smile; no offense taken. They weren't close, after all. Perhaps they could have been great allies, but...]

[He inclines his head to the side. If Martris disappeared because of Leo, that's on him. If he disappeared for another reason completely, it isn't. The question is whether or not he's willing to take on the responsibility because of a "maybe".]

We'll keep an eye out for him. [And topic closed. It's the best he can do with it for now.]

[Moving on; Leo glances back towards Little Leo.]

There's one option we haven't tried yet. We can't get in from the front, the back, the sides, or above...

[Big Leo, you are awesome. Leo's eyes brighten with relief before he shutters the topic as well. The longer he spends with his older double, the more he admires him.

Additionally, that proposition is downright creative. Big Leo can sure toss some ideas around. Feasible or not, in order to do it they have to think of it first, and they won't know what's good or not until they work all the angles. Coming up with new and inventive angles is both a talent and a valuable skill, one that Leo's beginning to appreciate.]

From below. [Leo's brow furrows as he works this possibility over in his mind.] No sewer access, I'm presuming.

[It's the most natural, obvious choice for them. Which means Big Leo has already thought of it, and there's a reason it hasn't been tried yet.] We would need some serious equipment. [Or shovels and a lot of patience. Leo isn't sure even HE has as much patience as it would take to tunnel under the Palace by hand. He'll want to know they have a good chance of success to make such effort worthwhile.]

And we would need to know where to dig. We can't just poke around in the dirt and hope we find a door. [They'll have to take into account getting through whatever part of the structure they tunnel for, as well. It's a good idea, one their security might not see coming, but the logistics are a little overwhelming.]

Actually...

[There's several conflicting tones in that single word, all vying for presence in his voice - thoughtfulness, hesitation, anger, disgust. His eyes trail away from Little Leo; focus on the pinpoint tower in the distance, and then sweep across the vast horizon, as though studying some invisible blueprint.]

[Finally he speaks again, his gaze still piercing through the ground itself.]

There are sewers. A giant network of them. [He glances back to Little Leo again, but those warring inflections in his voice have petered out into a single note of strain, the one that says the logistics of the job aren't what worries him.] Didn't your brothers tell you about it?

[The younger turtle's jaw snaps shut with a click as he realizes what his twin is getting at. As a matter of fact, Raphael did mention the sewers, and not merely that they're heavily-guarded against foreigners. Leo's expression tightens, not simply mirroring Big Leo's grim countenance as it is coming to the same destination via a path all his own, but parallel to that of his double. Completely independent, flawlessly in-tune.]

I heard enough. [And tried not to think on it. Leo takes a moment to swallow his own nausea and disgust for the situation. Even if the sewers weren't guarded, he wasn't sure he could live down there knowing what he did.] Do you think we would have to... get through his - his shell to get under the Palace?

[Leo hadn't been sure how much dirt there was built up between structure and shell, but if the sewers and prisons were carved into Tu Vishan then it only follows. He doesn't think he could do it. Even if it was the only way to get home... was it really worth doing that to another turtle? Sure, the tunnels were probably just in the upper keratin layers, maybe Tu Vishan wouldn't even feel it but - but Leo doesn't think he's got the stomach for it. And even if he did, he couldn't imagine convincing his brothers.

Some lines we just can't cross.]

We might not have to. [His gaze cuts back out to the Palace as he speaks, and there's a note of hardness in his voice: we won't. This is a possibility he's long discarded from the beginning.]

[Tactically speaking...it's brilliant, on the Emperor's end. A castle entirely fortified everywhere except - maybe - from below. And even then, the infiltrators would probably have to bore through solid shell to get there. The logistics of digging that far are tricky. The idea of tunneling through living flesh to get there is morally abhorrent.]

[But they might not have to. It's a long shot, and he communicates his lack of certainty in this theory with a tight, frustrated huff of breath.]

There has to be a reason there are guards in the tunnels and not around the palace. They were hiding something down there. Something important.

[Maybe...just maybe, what they're looking for is already there.]

[Leo is relieved to hear the hard note of refusal in his double's voice when it comes to boring through shell. They have many differences, but thankfully this line is one neither will cross. He hadn't truly expected them to disagree here, not after everything, but it's still reassuring.]

Security's tight.

[If the lot of them could be living in the sewers, they already would be. Leo might not have been here long but he's already figured out that underground tunnels aren't the interference-free haven they were in New York.

And he's certain it's much worse up by the Palace. From the sounds of things, the Emperor's guards will have full control over limited entrances, tunnels with undoubtedly tight quarters for which the turtles have no map. They can't exactly bust a window or slip in through an unguarded door to access the basement level. It's a daunting infiltration job. They'll need a plan, or else any attempt will surely end in disaster. Leo's never faced anything quite like this; he lacks information about the specific security measures and he's not sure where to start.

How about with the older version of himself, who's seen plenty of action and been here longer? Yeah, that's a good place.]

Any ideas?

Better: a lead.

[Leo straightens slightly, his hand tucking into his belt to grasp something at the inside pocket. It sits there as he begins talking once more.]

Raph and I went investigating down there a while ago. We got separated about an hour in. I teamed up with a few other Foreigners to push deeper through the sewers, and we stumbled across this...laboratory hidden in the shell.

[Several microscope slides appear in his outstretched palm moments later, revealing dark pools of dusty-red blood trapped beneath shining glass.]

[Leo straightens as well, unconsciously reacting to his double's change in posture and tone. He listens attentively to the story, and when Leonardo produces the slides -

Ka-ching! It's payday for Donnie-boy. Leo holds out his hand with a conspiratorial, knowing smile.]

I think I can guess who you'd like me to give these to.

[That smile is contagious. Leonardo echoes it right back at him, easily turning his palm over on his counterpart's hand and pressing down the slides. The size of Little Leo's hand in comparison to his own passes over the edges of his thoughts again, but it's accompanied this time by a fondness he knows far too well. Twenty minutes and this kid's already got him wrapped around his giant finger.]

Think you boys can handle it?

[The boy can work his cute, that's for sure.

Big Leo's hands are almost the same scale as Splinter's. Between the three-fingered structure, green color and small size, warring fragments of memories vie in Leo's mind: impressions of Sensei's clawed, elegant hand resting on his, or Donnie handing him some technological gadget he was trying to show off.

But this isn't from Donnie, it's for him. And Leo can admit to himself that he derives minor satisfaction in helping to provide his brother with something he can turn into useful items for the team. Aside from the obvious benefit to them all, he also gets a kick out of watching his brother devolve into geek mode. He's always so enthusiastic, and never requires the slightest encouragement to plow full steam ahead.]

Well Donnie doesn't exactly have his full lab set up, but – [the slides fold into Leo's hands to be nimbly yet carefully tucked into an un-used shuriken pouch in his belt] – if anybody in Keeliai can do the job? It'll be Donatello.

[A pause, then his Leonardo's "I'm the best for the job" Cocky Grin™ (you know the one, yes you do) turns into a wryly affectionate smile topped by a quirked brow ridge as he thinks about his eccentric brother.] Actually, I think he has his microscope up and running. [Or so Leo gathered, from how Donnie was grumbling about needing to hand-grind the lenses. Or something.]

[Seeing the affection in Little Leo's expression as he refers to Donatello invites simultaneous rushes of familiarity and homesickness. Leo's soft spot for his own genius brother contests even the one for Mikey sometimes, and he's willing to bet it's for the exact same reasons that are currently lifting his double's expression into wry fondness.]

[He smiles back, and it's more one of kinship than sadness. He truly misses his Donatello, but he would never resent his alternate self for having his there. And seeing the obvious affection this Leo has for his brothers is reassuring in ways he can't fully explain.]

[But that's enough sentimentalism. Leonardo tilts his gaze back out to the horizon.]

Good. See what you can learn. It's not much, but if we can figure out what they were doing down there, we might be able to get a better picture of what exactly they're using those sewers for. [And if they can use that to their advantage.]

[A note shifts in the subtle echo between them, but even as Leo belatedly realizes that commentary on Donnie might be insensitive to his older self, he realizes he's caused neither offense nor injury. Instead, the current he feels before he even has a chance to read Leonardo's expression is warming, affectionate even; although it passes in a matter of heartbeats and is accompanied by no verbal dialogue, he feels that they understand each other that much more now. It leaves the impression of a short-lived rivulet deepening a shallow gouge, soon destined to become a flood channel.

Leo inclines his head in a professional, abbreviated nod; he's in full "serious, taciturn leader" mode. But then the younger turtle pauses, visibly weighing different considerations; the cobalt blue eyes that turn back to Big Leo's burn with clarity of resolution. It's his responsibility to ask this; his own brother won't tell him.]

Leonardo… Now that we're officially working together, I need to ask you something.

[A slight pause, both waiting for permission and choosing his words. This is a weighty issue; in the end he decides to ask simply and directly.]

Did you see what happened between our brothers?

[After his conversation with Raphael last night, Leo knew he would have to ask this question. What he wasn't certain of was how forthcoming another Leonardo might be about the answer, particularly if the topic was broached on an uncertain truce.

Now? They're allies, they've shared meaningful intel, and physical goods have swapped three-fingered hands; a relationship is established, and honor demands as honest an answer as his counterpart can give. The timing is a strategic move, and definitely an unfair one.

Sneaky little thing, isn't he? His Splinter taught him not to play fair when it counted, and he does need to know: What happened when their Raphaels met?]

[The question is well-timed. Almost perfectly so, and not coincidentally. Breaching such an obviously delicate topic so early into their relationship may have been a gamble, had they been any other two people in the world - alliances have shuddered on despite rivers of bad blood running beneath the surface. But they both know the game and the chess pieces here. Even with the threads of reluctance and annoyance pulsing in his mind, Leonardo can't help but be impressed at his double for subtly walling him in like this.]

[Furthermore, he knows that it's a perfectly reasonable request from his counterpart, whose brother is one half of the conflict. And if he were in Little Leo's position, he'd damn well want to know what Raph was getting up to and who he was pissing off while Leo wasn't there. It's more than the integrity of their newly established alliance that obligates him to answer honestly; it's the shared burden of being their respective brothers' keepers.]

[Well-played.]

[Still, his answer is not immediate. More than arguably anything else, Leonardo has an obligation to his brother. And while he has no intention of refusing to answer, he does need to decide where the happy medium is between honoring this alliance and honoring his brother's privacy. Leonardo would allow shame upon himself ten times over before he violated Raphael's trust... and speaking of him to another person at all already puts him on very thin ice where that's concerned.]

[It's a difficult position, and it's not one he appreciates being in. It's channeled more towards the situation as a whole than his counterpart, but there's no hiding the note of irritation in his voice when he finally speaks again.]

What have you heard?

[Because it's never as simple as "make inquiry, get information". Leonardo's purpose for posing the counter-question is equally strategic: there are many ways to define what "happened" between the Raphaels, and depending on what Little Leo's Raph told him, Leonardo's own Raphael could be anything from one half of a disagreement to a borderline psychopath. Until his counterpart reveals to him what he's expecting - and by proxy, affirms that this honesty goes the other way - any details about Leo's brother in red will not be forthcoming.]

Edited (tweak) 2013-07-21 06:43 (UTC)

[Of course it's not as simple as "make inquiry, get information." Young Leo is neither surprised nor upset at the rightful question, but it does bother him that he has so little to say in return. The bitterness in his voice as he reveals the depth of his lack of knowledge surprises even him.]

Nothing. [Or near enough to it, anyway. He snorts.] Until now, I wasn't even sure you were there. [Which had been somewhat implicit in the wording of his question, but not necessarily the case. Leonardo's answer hadn't been explicit either, but Leo could pick up the truth of the matter through his twin's tone and expression.]

All I know is… [Leo raises unblinking eyes to his double's pure white gaze, a determination spurred by uncompromising duty writ on his mask.] My brother told me to avoid yours, and insisted I let him "handle it." I need to know why he said that. [Because that kind of partial input doesn't make his imagination go nuts. He doesn't even know if it was a matter of safety or honor that inspired Raphael to insist upon a solo approach. The dearth of information is far from encouraging, particularly given Raph's evaluation of his twin as a nutjob.

Leo both deserves and needs to know, and he hates being in the dark. He isn't accustomed to having his brother tell him to stay out of this business – especially not like this. Their relationship has yet to become so strained; they push each other, but Raphael never pushes away so hard. Although Leo will honor his word to his red-clad sibling, he can't stand this void of information about what actually went down. And if Raphael won't tell him, he will just do his own investigative work. If Raph found out he would probably be pissed to say the least, but Leo considers having the full picture too important.

The young ninja doesn't appreciate being in his position, either. The understanding between him and Big Leo is too nascent for him to be certain, but he hopes the other leader sees the situation as he does – little brother became embroiled in Something Troublesome, and (in this instance at least, considering it affects far more than just Raphael) Leo feels duty-bound to investigate the incident. It may not be appropriate for him personally to engage in damage control, but this cannot go unaddressed.]

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[TEXT] Leo to Team, COME IN TEAM

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GRRRR my notif for this disappeared! sorry for the wait bb <3

np np! <33

n_n!

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