Chapter Three – Finale

Master Splinter shifted in the chair next to the cot Leonardo was resting on. His back ached. His neck stiff and a sharp pain thrust upwards from his shoulder to his jaw whenever he turned his head too far to one side. It was his body reminding him of his time limit here on Earth. Splinter gave a small sigh that was more of a soft groan of discomfort. How fleeting the years had actually been. How insubstantial and ethereal, like smoke running through fingers. The things that had made so much sense now seemed awkward and forced.

He pinched his eyes shut. It was the grief making him think this way; clouding his sense and reason when he sought peace with meditation while sitting here. But what peace came for a grieving father? What peace did he deserve when he should have done more to save her? Back when he was young and strong. When he was cock-sure and arrogant. But no, that moment of weakness when the fire raged and he stood by; immobilized; as if standing in a painting depicting cowardice at its prime. He had accepted the thought that the fire had consumed them. Both his wife and his daughter. And while he was so quick to accept this, the other one, his rival, his enemy, his once dearest friend had rushed back. He knew that bitter truth now. He had rushed back into those greedy flames. Had he considered the price of such actions? Did he hesitate and weigh the outcome against the risk to himself? The way the fire had spread, so violent, so fast, there was no way that Saki had even taken a moment to rethink his actions. No. He had cast aside his own safety to dive into the inferno. He risked his life to do what was Yoshi's job as father. As he stood by, safe in the false knowledge and blinding blanket that was grief, Saki had walked through hell to rescue his daughter.

And now it was he, Karai's own father, who had molded and so intricately crafted the weapon that ended her life.

Leonardo stirred and opened his eyes. "S-Sensei?" he asked. His red-rimmed eyes cast about as though he wasn't sure where he was or if he was dreaming.

It was the self-loathing that choked him, but the regret and despair warring within his constricting chest that made him glare at the not-so innocent mutant child laying on the cot before him. The one who had killed his daughter. His daughter. His flesh and blood. Trembling hands curled into tight fists. It took him a minute to compose himself and reinstate a seemingly calm demeanor.

"Leonardo."

Silence fell and hung on them like cobwebs; sticky and persistent.

"M-Master Splinter?" Leonardo ventured.

He wasn't sure, but he suddenly felt upon waking that his father was angry with him. The tension filled the spaces between them; taunt and oppressive. Leonardo shifted and scooted himself backwards to sit more upright. He winced and held his side, arm draped across his abdomen. He noticed the IV attached to his arm and grimaced. He did not like needles and seeing one jabbed into his flesh turned his stomach. He stared instead at the edge of the blanket, pulling at the frayed edge with his fingers. The events of the last twenty-four hours came back to him. He knew he had to tell Splinter that an altercation had happened between him and Karai and that it ended with him having to take her life. Something that he still wasn't sure about. If he hadn't . . . at the very end . . . could she have survived? He wasn't Donatello. He didn't understand the fine line between mortal injuries and those that you could come back from. Did he do the right thing? Remembering the sounds she was making sent a tremor through him. His eyes darted to Master Splinter, seeking reassurance, but as their eyes locked, his breath caught in his throat. The look Splinter was giving him could only be described as piercing.

"Tell me what happened," Splinter said and his voice sounded strained.

Splinter leaned forward in his chair as Leonardo went over the events of his capture and subsequent battle with the robotic Foot soldiers. He told his Sensei of their skill and his worry about his brothers' having to fight them, but Splinter indicated to stay focused and tell him more.

"What of Karai?" he asked.

Leonardo dropped his head. "Sh-She was there. Controlling them. There was a device she was using. She was . . ." He looked up at Master Splinter and wetted his bottom lip. "I-I'm thirsty, Sensei."

Splinter shook his head impatiently, "I will have Donatello get you something, but please, go on. You say she was there and these soldiers . . . they were all mechanized?"

Leonardo nodded.

"And yet . . . your sword." His amber eyes rose up. He fidgeted and then stood up. Splinter began to pace in the small confines of the room next to Leonardo's cot. "Your sword was coated in blood, Leonardo. Whose blood was that?"

Leonardo shifted. He brought his hands to his middle and began wringing them. A nervous habit that set Master Splinter's teeth on edge. He was a ninja warrior not an old woman.

"Stop that!" he barked, making Leonardo jump.

"I-I'm sorry," Leonardo said in a quiet voice and forced his hands to be still. He swallowed dryly and continued, "The blood was, uhm, Karai's, Master. She had one of the bots on me. H-He was choking me," he trailed off and his eyes widened as the memory surfaced. The feel of the weight of the soldier pressing into his broken ribs, the terror building along with the pressure as he struggled to breathe, the sound of Karai promising to end his life as retribution against Splinter. For something that he was innocent of doing.

"And yet, that is Karai's blood on your sword?" Splinter asked, his back now turned on Leonardo.

"Yes. Sensei, she had the device and . . . I had to . . . my sword . . . and she was next to me. I took the opportunity and struck her."

Splinter's shoulders hitched slightly. "Tell me . . . in detail."

Leonardo nodded, determined to give his Sensei what he needed to hear. "The soldier had me pinned and Karai was to my right. She was telling me that she wanted to use m-me . . . as revenge for you taking her mother away. B-But that isn't true, right Master Splinter. You would never do anything like that. She thinks . . . thought . . . she thought you hurt her mother," he finished weakly.

Splinter spun around. "Stop digressing!" He moved close to the cot and slammed his claws onto the bed, jostling Leonardo who cringed and pulled back into the corner; pressing his shell against the pillow. "Just tell me . . . did you wound her? Is she still alive? Tell me what happened?!" His voice rose to a shout and Leonardo blinked and quailed.

He took in a shaky breath and said, "No. No, Master, I . . . I had no choice. I struck and it hit her," he motioned to his abdomen and center of his chest. Splinter stared at his hands with an intensity that made Leonardo's palms start to sweat. He didn't know what he'd done. But he feared that his actions were wrong in Master Splinter's perspective. He had to convince him that he'd done what he had to for the situation.

"I had to. She had the controls and I couldn't breathe. The soldier was strangling me. So, I struck her."

Master Splinter's eyes inched their way up and locked with Leonardo's.

"She was going to kill me, Sensei."

"A killing blow?" Master Splinter choked out.

Miserably, Leonardo shook his head. At that, Splinter gave a strange, choked sound from his nose. Then the sound of Splinter grinding his teeth cut through the quiet.

"How long have you trained?" His amber eyes flashed at Leonardo.

Leonardo frowned. "I-I don't under-"

"How long have you trained? It's a simple question," Splinter shouted.

"My . . . My whole life, Sensei," came the quick reply.

Splinter straightened up. "That is correct. I have trained you. Your entire life. Trained you to defend yourself and your brothers. To avoid conflict whenever you can. To kill when only necessary."

"It was necessary, Sensei."

"And of this you are certain?"

Leonardo paled. His own doubt about the situation bubbled up. He remembered how close she was. Could he have managed to knock the device from her hands? Could he have broken free of the mechanized soldier without bringing any harm to Karai? Wasn't there a counter to get out of such a hold? His mind raced, his heart thrummed and he started to tremble under Splinter's harsh unrelenting glare.

"I . . . I don't . . ."

"You killed without being sure. You maimed her first. Did you not?"

"I . . . couldn't . . . the-the . . . soldier had me in such a way . . . there wasn't any room . . ." he panted out his attempt at making Splinter understand that he did his best.

"So you maimed her first!" Splinter shouted.

Leonardo nodded, "Yes. Yes, Splinter. I'm sorry. I did. I couldn't get a clear strike. B-But I ended it quickly." The tears that had threatened now were blinding him, but they did not fall.

"What do you mean," Splinter's voice was low, dangerous. His face dark as it crushed into a frown.

"She was . . . suffering. I . . ." he brought his hand up and made a swiping motion across his throat, unable to speak now.

The strength of Splinter's legs gave out and he fell. Leonardo rushed forward, pulling the IV from his arm in a long streak of blood. He lumbered to the ground next to his father. One hand alighting on his back.

"Master, are you . . . are you okay?"

Splinter shook his head back and forth slowly as the dizzy spell passed him. He felt the nausea threatening to make him spill meager contents of his stomach all over the floor. He did not want Leonardo close to him right now. He did not trust himself. He knew this disaster was of his own design. Fate had awarded his cowardice in the cruelest possible manner. He could not look at his adoptive son, his beloved student without seeing the killer of his lost baby girl. He shrugged Leonardo's hand from his back, roughly. Then, pressing one claw against his chest, Splinter pushed the boy slowly but firmly away from him. He braced one hand on one knee and struggled to stand. Leonardo rushed to his side once more, moving to help him.

Splinter snarled and shoved him back with both hands. "Leave me be!"

Leonardo stumbled back against the mattress, his arms propping himself up as his knees wobbled. His mouth opened and closed but no words came out. Splinter held up a hand, but did not look at him. His eyes were closed. The opposite hand hovered, trembling, just over his brow.

"Leave me be," he repeated in a breathless voice and turned towards the door.

"Master Splinter," came Leonardo's voice laced with hurt and confusion. "What did I do wrong?"

Splinter turned back to him. Leonardo was standing beside his bed, holding the arm where the puncture from the IV leaked a slow thick stream of blood down to his wrist. He was looking at him with round, lost eyes. But Splinter felt no pity. In that moment, he only knew that this one had killed her. Had injured her grievously and then had slit her throat. He had slaughtered her. His daughter. His only daughter.

He had crossed the room without realizing he had even moved. He was screaming, a repeating phrase over and over without ever commanding his voice to do so. "My daughter! She was my daughter!" He had Leonardo in his grip without knowing that he had even touched him. He was shaking the boy vigorously without even realizing he was doing it. Sense came through the thundering madness that was his heartbeat in his ears. He released the boy and he crumbled to the floor, shaking and whimpering; quailing beneath Splinter's shadow. Tears streamed down his face despite his efforts at continuously wiping them away shamefully.

"My daughter. She was my daughter," Splinter continued to say. Then he closed his mouth. Behind him he heard the others. Each one coming inside only to stop after a step or two, stunned into immobility. The scene before them striking each one dumb. Silence settled again in the room, aside from the soft panting gasps of Leonardo at his feet. Splinter looked down. The boy gazed up at him, blinking hard at the hot tears that continued to spill forth unabated.

"I didn't know," he croaked in a mournful voice. "I didn't know."

Splinter took a step back. The room spun. He twisted and lumbered past the others. The ones who had become surrogate children to replace the one he'd lost those years ago. The daughter he thought had been consumed by the flames of jealousy and rivalry. A competition that was so petty and ridiculous that it would have been laughable in some other life; a life where no one was hurt or destroyed from it. In his old age, he could look back at the fools he and his friend had been and laugh and laugh about it. But that was not this reality. No. His daughter's ultimate fate was decided the day he began to train these creatures. The moment he learned that she still lived and had not told these boys, these weapons, that she was precious to him. More precious than anything in the world and they needed to protect her until he could convince her of her true lineage.

But that was all pointless now. There was only grief and hollow regret to accompany him as he slowly closed the door to his private quarters. He moved as if in a dream to the shelf. To the portrait. He lifted it from its spot in the center of the shelf and held it before his face. He stared at the baby girl, all bundled snug and safe, positioned between her mother and father. His eyes roved to Tang Shen's beautiful face; so perfect, her beauty made his heart hurt. Then he gazed at his own image. So proud. So arrogant and self-sure. With a roar of anguish, Splinter launched the framed picture across the room. It struck the wall and the glass shattered; fracturing into slivers and splinters of shimmering glass. Falling in a cascade of broken dreams and mournful loss. A grudge between friends now paid in full.

A/N: Ah, what did you think?