Family Meeting [Tag: Hamato Clan]

The insults continued. Everything that Raphael said seemed to roll over Leo, like water over stone. Unfortunately that was something that the Hot-Head had yet to master. He tried to muffle an angered growl, but it only made the vocalization sound more menacing, and despite his earlier attempts to keep himself from reacting, the matter was soon out of his hands... literally. One of the knitting needles cut through the air, stabbing through the egg that Leo had been toying with for far too long. In a matter of seconds, it was pinned to the wall. Miraculously being 'stabbed' with the needle wasn't enough to completely break it, but the impact with the wall did the trick....


..unfortunately the egg had hit the wall right above their Sensei, and the slimy 'innards' plopped onto the Rodent's furry head...


Raphael winced. Dammit.. this wouldn't end well for him.....

Splinter's ears twitched at the sounds of his sons arguing, yet again. That wasn't new. It is difficult to concentrate when your son's egos start clashing. Before he could get back to his meditation, he felt a sticky substance plop on his head. His eyes darted open. This definitely wasn't pizza. Touching his fur he realized it was the remains of the egg Leo had been balancing. Getting up, he glanced at the needle that was pinned to the wall.

"RAPHAEL!!" His voice reverberated into a warning,"ENOUGH! Another hour for the both of you."

Michelangelo Hamato wrote:

Mikey waved it a dismissive hand,"Forget about it. I could've taken care of myself. I'm not completely helpless. Splinter just insist on treating me like a baby. Hell, he treats all of us like a baby." He lifted the bag,"Doritos?" He couldn't help but privately agree with Leo. They were close to being eighteen years old. On Mikey, it would've been okay, since he is only sixteen. Leo and Raph, the other hand were full grown turtles.

Then again Mikey doesn't mind feeling the rush of blood go through his head as he stands upside down on his skateboard. But it doesn't mean it can't get trite every now and then. Honestly, Splinter needs to lighten up.

Don was glad that Mike saw the other side of this argument and it was in his favor.  It didn't make the decision from Splinter sound too out of balance anymore.  He smiled and took a chip from the bag. "Thanks, Mikey."  Then he popped it into his mouth and chewed it thoughfully.  Mike's thoughts also shared Don's stance on the whole situation as far as Splinter was concerned.

They were old enough to make their own choices.  However, between Raph and Leo (especially Raph) sometimes they needed to be chaperoned to make sure they didn't do anything too stupid.  But, on the other hand, everyone makes mistakes.  Surely Raph didn't try to pick a fight with the Shredder...right?

And Leo was making friends with humans.  That wasn't entirely a bad thing.  If more humans accepted them for who and what they were, that would be great.  It would be nice to have more human allies for a change.

And Don's situation did end semi-badly in its own right.  He had a lot to be thankful for.  Like his brother and he was especially glad that Love backed down.  Don thought her apology was sincere enough, but he still was going to be wary of her.  But he still intended to keep his promise to her.  Splinter couldn't stop him from doing what he thought was right.

Just then, Don heard his father's voice bellow from the direction of the dojo then he looked at Mike and shrugged. "Oh, boy. This can't be good." He heard the rat's words utter another hour for both of his older siblings. Don wondered what they did for this extension of their punishment. He was just glad he wasn't a part of it.

Leo knew that Raph was in trouble, he did not expect for himself to be in trouble though! That wasn't fair! Leo was calm and collected the whole time. He didn't yell, he didn't make a scene. He blanced his damn egg! Raph was the one that couldn't control himself.

Another hour? Why do I have to stay, I didn't do anything! Leo stood up . He was ready to just leave. No it wasn't in his nature to argue with their father, and he would never just walk away from Splinter. But things were changing, Leo was changing, he was seeing things in a different way now.

It had nothing to do with Lexi, he had felt this way before meeting them. Splinter, always ordering them around, punishing them for every little thing. He was a man now, old enough to start take charge of this family. Isn't that what Splinter had wanted all along?

Maybe now it was time to take charge. Maybe now was the time to assert his athority.

I have to be somewhere. I can't stay, I'm sorry sensei. I did my punishment, I don't deserve anymore.

"Leonardo, your punishment is not over until I say its over." There was tension growing in Splinter's voice. This wasn't like his son to just walk out of a punishment. He never asserted his authority before. Where did this act of rebellion came from? It didn't have anything to do with the humans did it?

"You're not planning on visiting those humans, are you? I warned you about interfering with the outside world." Splinter pulled himself up with the cane and looked down on his son,"I forbid you to leave this room."

Raphael finally lost his balance when Splinter began to yell, colliding hard with the floor. Fortunately his ego was bruised far worse than he was, and now the sentence was being extended.... great! The Red-clad Turtle was quick to pick himself up and with a frustrated sigh, retrieved the knitting needle from the wall and spared their father an apologetic look as he remounted the unicycle...


"Sorry, Sensei... it... slipped.." Because it was completely believable that it just so happened to hit that egg without him even trying. Hearing Leo's outburst only furthered his irritation. Yeah, it was crap.. but it seemed like Fearless was missing something...


"You already had another hour, Numb-Nuts. He means my sentence is now as long as yers.. geeze. Clean the Love-Wax out of yer ears.."

They are my friends! I'm allowed to have friends! Leo snapped back.Just because you fear the outside world, doesn't mean we all have to. More human friends is a good thing. We need help from the outside world. We can't be scared of everyone we come across. I wont be.

Leo turned his back on Splinter and folded his arms.

Raph, Punishment is over.

adrenaline was pumping through Leo's vaines. Even he knew that his words would only add fuel to the fire, but they needed to be said. It was time Leo take his spot as head of the clan. He would dish out punishments and give orders. Splinter had done his job, he raised four sons well. Now it was time they were set free.

Splinter never gave it much thought. No, he wasn't afraid of the outside world. It was the safety of his sons he was considering. Leonardo is just blinded by teenage angst. His yearning for friendship and acceptance by his peers, the desire for relationships...but Leonardo wasn't an ordinary teenager. He is the leader of this clan of ninjas. The family is what its important. Even if Leonardo is too blinded by his own selfishness to see it.

There was a look in Splinter's eyes that none of his boys had seen before. He was trying really hard to control the anger that is just waiting to burst,"I see...if freedom is what you want, that is exactly what you will receive. And in order for that to happen I will relieve you of your duties as leader of this clan. It is quite clear to me that family is not important to you." There was a coldness to his voice. It was serious. Splinter is at his wits end. He was tired of Leonardo and Raphael's power struggles. Even Leonardo was beginning to defy him.

A lesson needs to be learned here. And Leonardo is going to learn it the hard way.

Raphael was seriously taken aback by the way Leo was talking to their father. He had gotten a glimpse of this defiance earlier... but this was something else. In this moment, Leo and Raph weren't so different, and perhaps that's why they clashed so much. Sure, Raph had argued with his father a time or two, but never on this level. Even with his temper tantrums.. he knew better. Leo was off his rocker, and now Sensei was pissed!


Even though the Hot-Head would like nothing better than to end this punishment as Leo had 'permitted', he knew that Splinter was still the head of this household and to go against him wouldn't end well. Then came the words that Raph never thought he would hear. Leo was being stripped of his role.... damn. For some reason, the rebel of the group thought that's what he always wanted to happen, but right now.. he actually felt bad for his brother. But the way he was acting, Splinter's decision wasn't uncalled for....

Leo expected something. To be kicked out, to be yelled at, so when Splinter announced he would no longer have his leadership roll it didn't surprise Leo. He stood still a moment, glaring daggers at his father. He was angry. This was uncalled for. Leo cared for his family, that's why he was fighting so hard to give them more freedoms and less punishments, That's why he was fighting for Splinter to stop treating them like children. He was trying to help his brothers. At least that's the way Leo seen it.

Splinter couldn't handle it though. He couldn't handle not being in control. Leo had no purpose anymore. No reason to stick around. He wanted freedom, that's what his father was giving him.

He didn't say anything, just gave a nod and left the room. He headed to his bedroom to pack his things. He was sure April would let him crash at her place. He would ask Lexi but didn't want to seem like a bother to her. Of course he would contact Lexi and let her know what happen.

The turtles didn't have ears, but somehow Mikey managed to hear the shout coming from the room they usually have their punishment. But now it has gone quiet. Something didn't feel right. That room got quiet all of a sudden.

Mikey got up from the table and headed towards the room where Splinter bellowed. He poke his head in and noticed it was quiet. Splinter's back is toward him. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"Is everything okay, dare I ask?" He turned to Raph.

The only thing Michelangelo can see is his father's back. He had been facing the wall, not daring to look at his son. A swirl of emotions bubbled inside. Disappointment mixed with sadness. He thought Leonardo know better. Then he heard his youngest ask a question and said, in a somber tone,"As of now your brother is no longer leader. He has walked out on us. As of now, I am appointing Raphael as temporary leader."

He turned to look at Raphael,"Congratulations, my son. You've got exactly what you wanted. You've been whining about wanting to be leader for years." There was a terseness to his voice,"You are dismissed from your punishment." There was no point continuing with this punishment. Splinter is exhausted and far too angry to deal with more family drama.

Splinter walked out of the room and headed towards his own, a place where he can be in peace. It may not had been wise to appoint Raphael as leader but his hot tempered son needed to learn a lesson, too. He was done hearing him complain about Leonardo being better then he is. He was fed up with the rebelliousness which has, somehow, affected Leonardo as well.

All he need is peace and quiet. To meditate, clear his mind.

Donatello wasn't too far behind Mikey when everything became quiet. He couldn't make out what was said, but the air had an incredibly tense feeling about it. He had experienced tension in the family before, but nothing like this. Something horrible must have happened.

He heard enough as he approached the room where everyone what Leo were gathered by now to overhear Splinter telling Raph that he was the appointed leader temporarily. Okay, so, what happened to Leo, he wondered. Leo was nowhere to be found anymore.

Then Splinter walked passed him without saying a word. Don was more than just a little confused and waiting for Raph to explain what had happened.

Leo packed a bag with things he though he would need. He then gave April a call. If he couldn't stay by her place he would ask Lexi. He would have asked Lexi first, but they had just met and he didn't want to seem like a burden. He dialed April's number and waited for her to pick up.

When Splinter stripped Leo of his leadership, Raphael honestly didn't know what the old man had planned. Would he appoint someone else, or refrain from granting anyone of that title? Did he think anyone was ready? Soon curiosity was peeping in in the form of his youngest brother, and he was questioning what had happened. Hell, Raph himself was still trying to figure this one out. Leo had been acting... odd. Now, it was almost like looking at a mirror of himself, personality wise, anyway.


Then, to put all speculations to rest, Splinter spoke up, appointing him as temporary leader. Then, his punishment was dismissed. The large Reptile blinked in confusion, but finally registered that he no longer had to balance on that damn unicycle, nor did he have to continue his newest knitting 'project'. He hopped down from his pedestal, his father's words echoing over and over in his head. He was the temporary leader. He always thought this news would make him happy. Hell, he did think that he would be a better leader than Leo. But.. temporary? So that meant Leo would be reclaiming it whenever this shit blew over. What if that never happened? It never occurred to the largest Turtle that his father was doing this as a lesson, for both of them. For Raphael to walk in his brother's shoes, so to speak. No. Finally, Splinter had opened his eyes. 'Temporary' was just a test, and he would ace it. Instead of threatening.. he would get shit done.


Raph finally exited the Hashi, a mixture of feeling welling up inside of him. On one hand, he did feel bad for Leo. Despite how it may have appeared at times, he didn't hate the guy. Quite the opposite. And that's why he had always been so hard on him. As he passed by Mike and Don, he finally remembered that his little brother had asked him a question. He paused for a moment, but didn't bother to turn and look at them. He was still reeling with emotion.. some good, but a nagging tinge of guilt kept him from gloating.



"Leo's off his rocker.... he went against Splinter's orders. So... I'm the leader now...." He finally said, sparing them a glance over his shoulder....

Another long evening. Sometimes April really did hate her time off. If she wasn't spending it with Casey, or with the guys or Irma, it gave her too much time to think. Thinking usually equaled worrying. How was Robyn doing? It had been a few weeks since her sister made a call home. She guessed California life was keeping the younger O'Neil busy. April just wished that her sister would check in a little more often. There was also still the case of her missing father. Was he even alive? Yeah. Days like this were tough, and the red-head usually spent them in the shop, dusting knickknacks that were proving to be 'lifers' on the shelves. It didn't matter that she hardly made money in this old shop. It was all for her father.



April was just about to close up for the evening when suddenly her phone began to ring. She was quick to snatch it from the back pocket of her jeans, hoping it would be one of the long lost O'Neils. But no. It was Leo. Which was a bit.. strange. He was usually the last Turtle to call her. Usually it was Raph or Mikey.



"Hey Leo, is everything okay?" She asked, hoping that he wasn't calling to give her some bad news....

Hey, April. Yeah everything is fine...No nothing is fine. I need a place to crash can I come over? Hopefully April would say yes and he could get out of the lair. He was suddenly starting to feel suficated there. He needed air.

Tossing his back over his shoulder he headed out his room and tried to slip out the lair unseen.

He couldn't believe it. Leo? Their very own Leo? Leo had never went against Splinter's orders before. Since they were kids Leo had been the most eager to please their father. Now Raph is taking Leo's place all of a sudden? So Leo is now Raph and Raph is now Leo? Just the thought of it is enough to give the young turtle a headache.

The tension in the air is still lingering. The orange bandanna wearing turtle usually doesn't like to stick around, especially when there is tension. He didn't dare argue with his brother. Who knows what he is feeling. He hoped it was confusion since that is exactly how he is feeling right now. What are they going to do now without Leo to give them instructions? Now they are going to start taking orders from Raph?

Mikey's stomach lurched. Something tells him that things are going to end badly for all of them.

"What...?"

Don's eyes widened in shock and his hand went to his mouth, covering a small gasp. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Leo had been demoted from his position as leader of the clan? Leo always was a by-the-book kind of turtle. Often teased for being a 'Splinter Jr' of sorts. But, Leo rebelling against his father like that? That just wasn't Leo!

Don also wasn't sure what to think of Splinter's choice to make Raph the leader for a while. Raphael could be brash, hotheaded, and could get himself into more trouble than he knew how to get out of. Last night was a good example of that. With Raph's temper, it was a hard pill to swallow that he would be taking orders from him.

Not to mention, Raph was the only one that thought Don deserved to be punished for his situation with Love. Now with Raph appointed leader, what would happen with that. One thing was for certain -- he wouldn't be able to slip out as easily to fulfill his own duties with the cat lady. Heck, he still hadn't figured out how he could pull it off...at all.

April wasn't sure what had happened, but it couldn't be good if Leo was looking for a place to crash. That was usually Raph's line. Though, Raphael usually didn't call ahead. He would just come over, looking like a scolded puppy, which was kind of adorable considering how beastly Mr. Hot-Head was. But now, it was Leo. April's brows narrowed in concern as she closed up the shop, locking it behind her, all the while remaining conscious of her surroundings. Gangs had been bad lately, the last thing she wanted was to be another statistic.


"Sure, Leo... my place is always open to you guys." She offered her friend, turning to head up to her apartment, still keeping an eye behind her. Once inside, she locked the doors behind her. "I would ask you what's going on, but I would rather get the scoop in person."

I promise I'll tell you everything when I get over there. Thanks, April. See you in a bit.

Leo hung up the phone and was already in the tunnels. He had no idea that Splinter had appointed Raph leader for the time being, Had he known he wouldn't have cared. In fact he would have just felt bad for Raph. Sure, his brother had always said he was the better choice, but he never knew what went into leading the family.

It wasn't that Leo didn't want to be leader. He had taken his leadership very seriously and still did. This really had nothing to do with Lexi. It was something he had been feeling for awhile and it finally all came to a head. Maybe if he would have done things differently like actually talked to his father about what he was feeling. But Leo kept it all inside.

He hated that Splinter stripped him from his title. But it was probably for the best. Because splinter always knew what was for the best, not Leo nope.

Leo rolled his eyes at the thought. the turtle wanted to be leader, Splinter held him back with rules and limitations and punishments. their father didn't think he could handle things. sure Leo had say to what the family did and didn't do, but it usually had to be run through Splinter first. Leo wanted it to be his word, not Splinters.

Leo was growing up, he was noticing things that he didn't before. He was feeling things he hadn't before and was starting to become his own person (so to speak) He no longer needed his father's guidince. Maybe an opion here and there, advice at most. But in the end Leo wanted it to be him who delt out punishments and dragged his brothers to a training session. If Leo had to be honest with himself. He was ready to be the one to tell Splinter what to and not to do. A true leader of the clan. He wanted to lead everyone. Not be held back. But he couldn't do that now. Now he was nothing. He had no reason to stick around.

He wasn't needed.

Mikey turned to look at Don, also trying to take everything in. He understood how Don must be feeling. Leo could seem like a hard ass, but he always thought his brother had been fair with all of them. Raph is the one who usually goaded Leo into the fight. He tries his best to stay out of it. Often times he finds himself taking sides with both of them. However, he agreed with Leo that Raph can be hot headed.

The big question is: How would Raph pull it off? What would be their first mission? He hoped it wasn't to go after Shredder. Shredder seriously kicked Raph's tail. If it weren't for Leo, Raph would've come home in pieces.

Mikey looked at Don, not knowing what to do or to say. He felt completely lost. Should he try to talk to Leo about this? Something tells him that Leo needs to figure this out on his own.

Raphael waited for reactions to meet his ears. Other than Don's 'what', the room fell silent. You seriously could have heard a pin drop at this moment, and that was doing little to settle the new leader's thoughts. There wasn't even so much as a peep from Mike, which was extremely shocking. But they didn't approve... he knew that much. He knew they had no faith in him, but Raph felt he was capable. With Leo acting so childish, someone had to step up.


"Yeah, I know.. shockin'..." He exhaled those words in a sigh. "But someone has to make this shit right again.." Not that anything would ever be 'okay'. They would all have 'wants' and there wasn't a one of them that was okay with this life. With living underground like the city's dirty little secret. They all wanted futures. Something more. But humans were dangerous and judgmental. And apparently mutants of other species would eat you. Yeah, they only had each other, and now it was his responsibility to make sure everyone was safe... even Leo.


Leo would want to be alone right now, Raphael knew that much. Still, the Hot-Head needed to make sure that the former leader was okay. Obviously his brother wasn't thinking clearly and he knew that could land him in danger.



"You two stay put." He told the others without even turning to address them. Without uttering another word, the new leader headed out of the lair, destined to track down his brother.

Leo made it to the streets and headed to the nearest roof top. He could have probably gotten away with walking on the streets if he stuck to the shadows, but it was safer on the roofs. Once up there he set his bag down and sat down. Before he met up with April he needed time to himself to think. things really blew up in his face, he had to fix it, maybe. Or maybe this would show Splinter that things are changing. He was changing. yeah.

The last thing Don wanted to do was 'stay put'. Especially since Raph was going after Leo. Not that Don didn't think that Leo could handle himself if he needed to. He knew Leo was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. At least he hoped so. With Leo's current mindset, who knew what could happen.

Don thought this shift in power was just the beginning of things to come.

Don decided he would stay in the lair and let Raph deal with their rebellious brother. It was strange referring to Leonardo as rebellious; that was usually Raph's title. But, whatever his brother did in front of their father must have been something really shocking to have Splinter make that kind of decision.

On the other hand, Don thought about the probability of the two (recently) clashing hotheads. That wouldn't end well if Raph managed to catch up with Leo. It once again made him question Splinter's decision to make Raph leader, because Raph didn't know how to control himself under extreme pressure.

Don had always been the one to patch them up when those two brothers got into it. In fact, he could recall more times on both of his three-fingered hands how many times both Raph and Leo got into serious fights with each other and needed major first-aid. Don always saw the aftermath, and no matter how many times he scolded the two, it didn't matter. And Donnie never wanted to be involved in these disputes to begin with.

It just came with the territory, he guessed.

Finally, Don looked at Mike, giving him a lost and helpless expression. It hurt to think this much about every scenario and possible outcome. Unfortunately, Don's analytical mind wouldn't have it any other way. He had seen the results time and time again.

"I'll be in my lab," he answered with a defeated sigh, slumping his shoulders forward and hanging his head as he headed that direction. Then he looked stopped and looked back at his brother in orange, giving him a stern look. "Don't get any ideas, little brother," he added with a warning of his own.