Song: The Kids Aren't Alright - Fall Out Boy

Getting back to the lair is more of a chore than fighting millions of antagonists. We are wounded mentally and physically, and every step is excruciating. We all either limp independently, or lean heavily on one another.

   I am one of those who should be supported by someone else. Instead, I respond to my leader instincts and scout the quickest way home. I travel several meters ahead and come back to report which way we should take.

   Donatello, who is strong enough to walk on his own, stops me before I walk ahead for the fifth time this night.

   "You don't need to do this," he says anxiously. "You've already walked twice as far as we have. Your wounds haven't clotted, so you're still losing blood. You need to relax, Leo, before you harm yourself even more."

   Now that he mentions it, I am feeling a bit light-headed from lack of blood. And my feet are aching. I consider listening to him, but my team's safety comes first.

   "I'll be fine," I reply determinedly. I have to continue ignoring Donatello's disapproving looks for the remainder of the trip.

   Once we're home, Elizabetta, Raphael, and Michelangelo all crash on the couch. Donatello goes to get the first-aid kit from his lab. I would have gone with him, if he didn't stare me down until I take a seat beside the others.

   Noticing I'm next to Elizabetta, I look at her and smile faintly. She returns the smile distractedly, and I'm suddenly curious as to what is on her mind.

   "Are you alright, Lizzy?" I ask her.

   "Yeah," she mutters unconvincingly. Her green eyes avoid making contact with mine.

   I bite my lip. I know how it feels to have the Shredder kill your confidence. Even though it's over, it's like it never ended, because I constantly spend time wondering if I could have beaten him; if I can train hard enough to finally put an end to his destructive nature. I have yet to come up with an answer, and I know she must be feeling the same.

   Losing her family isn't any better. Through her tear-stained cheeks, there is hope that her brother survived the explosion and her mother will be safe with her dad. But deep down, she knows that isn't true. They're both gone again. And it kills me to admit that.

   Donatello returned with three newcomers: Master Splinter, Casey, and April. April sets to work helping the purple-clad turtle clean and bandage our wounds, while Master Splinter observes us from far away. Casey complains loudly to kill the mood.

   "I can't believe you guys went to TCRI without me!" he whines. "I could have helped you whip their butts out of existence!"

   "It's not that simple." Donatello sounds overly annoyed. They've obviously been discussing this since he stepped into his lab. "We were outnumbered way more than usual."

   "So?" Casey argues. "You're trained to take on tons of enemies at once!"

   "Might I add that the Shredder was there?"

   "I could have destroyed him, too!" Casey insists.

   "Yeah," Raphael snorts and rolls his eyes. "You try that. I'd like to see what shape he bends you into."

   Casey shoots him a glare, but it isn't ruthless. It's one that two friends would share to tease each other. "Still," his voice is less pushy and more relieved. "I'm glad you guys got home safe. Explosives are some nasty stuff."

   The room falls silent while Donatello and April patch us up. Though I'm in pain, I force them to take care of the others before they fix me.

   I grit my teeth as Donatello cleans the three, large wounds on my arm. The antiseptics sting at first, but it is quickly replaced with relief. I relax into the couch as my brother wraps my arm in bandages.

   Master Splinter speaks up. "My sons, you have fought the Shredder and survived, yet again. I am well pleased."

   "Leo took all of the heat, Sensei," Donatello replies with a small smile at me.

   "But you were the one whom found what you were looking for, correct?" Master Splinter quizzes him in a calm voice.

   Donatello scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well... Yeah, I did," he admits, a hint of pride in his voice.

   "And I presume that you took care of it?" Master Splinter asks.

   "Yeah!" Michelangelo piped up. "TCRI exploded and took Shredder's plan with it! It was sweeeeeeet!" he exclaims enthusiastically.

   Master Splinter smiles a bit. "Good." I can't shake the feeling that our father sounds relieved. Had he expected something bad to happen to us? After all we've been through?

   Master Splinter seems to sense my curiosity, because he doesn't give me a chance to ask anything. "You all have earned a long rest. We will speak more in the morning." He looks directly at me when he speaks, and I know it means I'm not going to get my questions answered.

   "Hai, sensei." I bow my head respectfully and my brothers copy me. Then Master Splinter gives us another smile before disappearing to his room.

   "Guess who gets to sleep in the spare room again!" Michelangelo says excitedly, while nudging Elizabetta's arm with his elbow.

   Elizabetta seems to snap out of her thoughts. "Who?" she asks in confusion. She must be really out of it.

   Michelangelo laughs and stands up. "Come on, dudette. Let's get you settled in again."

   I watch as Elizabetta is led to the spare room. I suddenly want to follow them, to get in on their usual conversations. It's a strange feeling; almost like jealousy.

   But I don't give it much more thought. I simply retire to my room for the night, though my dreams aren't very comforting.

~*~*~*~

   I wake up the next day feeling refreshed. Though my arm is sore, my mind is clearer than it's been in weeks.

   Out in the main room, my brothers are already awake. Casey, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo are playing a video game. April and Elizabetta stand off to the side, watching. Everyone is smiling and hurdling friendly insults at each other. The feeling in the air is light, like a feather floating on a soft breeze.

   I casually stand by the girls. "Did you sleep ok?" I ask, looking at Elizabetta.

   "Oh yeah! I slept great, thanks for asking!" April butts in.  I assume I offended her until I see the mischievous grin on her face.

   "Sorry," I apologize, feeling awkward. I didn't mean for it to sound like favoritism. "It's not that I only care about her, it's just that... Well. I was worried that... I just wanted..."

   Much more to my embarrassment, the girl start laughing. "I get it, Leo," April reassures, a teasing tone to her voice. "You don't have to explain yourself to me."

   I feel my face grow hot as I scratch the back of my head. My gaze drops to the floor, because it's suddenly impossible to look them in the eyes.

   "I'll leave you two alone," April says with a smile still plastered on her face as she heads into the kitchen.

   Elizabetta shuffles her feet. She seems uncomfortable without April. She keeps her eyes fixed on the television screen, though I can tell by her lack of reactions that she isn't really watching the video game.

   I decide the break the ice that has formed between us. "So, you're alright then?" It's a shell-brained way to start a conversation, but I don't know what else to say.

   Elizabetta looks me in the eyes. I can see sadness swimming in their green depths. "I just watched my family die for the second time. I didn't get my vengeance on Shredder, and I found out that it's going to take a lot of training to throw Karai off. And now Shredder wants to kill me. So, no. I'm not alright." Her voice is weak, almost lifeless. It's frightening how much she changed in one night.

   My assumptions about how Shredder affected her are obviously correct. She is second-guessing herself. She doesn't know what to do next.

   I glance at the gamers on the couch. They're so lost in the competition that I know they won't overhear us, but I want to be safe.

   "Come on." I put an arm around Elizabetta's shoulders. "Let's go somewhere more private."

   I steer her towards the lair's exit. We walk in silence the whole way. When we reach the manhole, I can't help marveling at how well Elizabetta has improved in climbing out of it. She's so much more swift and levelheaded about it. She gets to the surface without a sliver of my help.

  It's daylight. The sun is only just rising above the many buildings, casting morning shadows across the ground. The bright star warms my back; it's something I haven't felt in a long time. It's a nice change.

   Suddenly, I hear someone scream. I spin around to see a regular New Yorker staring at me with wide, scared eyes. I feel slightly panicked.

   "You're a freak!" the woman gasps, backing away.

   "Don't be afraid, I'm just-" I start to say, but she doesn't listen.

   "Ew! It's talking! GET AWAY FROM ME!" she yells as she flees.

   I hear Elizabetta giggling behind me. I face her, a small smile on my face.

   "And that is why I only come to the surface at night," I say with a performer's bow.  "These people don't realize or appreciate how many times we've saved their tails."

   Elizabetta smiles faintly. "Well, I'm glad you're here."

   She loosely locks her arm with mine and we head to our regular spot; the rooftop we used to train on. I can tell she is still terrified of heights, but as usual, she refuses to admit weakness.

   Once we get settled, I decide to question her. "So, how I can cheer you up?"

   The earlier laughter reappears on Elizabetta's face. "You can go scare a few more citizens for my amusement," she suggests.

   I smirk. "No, really. What can I do?" I press, though I chuckle.

   Her expression is serious again. She pulls her knees to her chest and looks down at her shoes. "Unless you can bring my family back, then nothing will cheer me up," she murmurs.

   It makes my heart ache to see her so beaten up. But at least she is talking to me instead of bottling it up.

   "I'll admit it," she begins again before I can ask her anything else. "I didn't think Shredder or Karai would be that talented. I thought you were just trying to stop me from hurting myself. I'm sorry I didn't believe you," she says, finally meeting my gaze.

   I give her a forgiving smile. "I didn't believe Master Splinter when he told me the same thing for the first time. I know what you mean."

   "I just want to get back at them!" Elizabetta sigh: in frustration. She picks up a misplaced pebble and throws it across the rooftop. "Just want to get revenge for killing the ones I love. They don't deserve to prosper. And, maybe, I just want to be like you guys," she adds softly.

   I look at her curiously. "You want to be like my brothers and I? Why?"

   "Because you guys make a real difference," she admits. "You protect the people of New York City every single day. You're actual superheroes, like something out of a comic book. I just wanted to know how that felt." By the time she finishes talking, she looks flustered, like she wishes she hadn't told me.

   I put a comforting hand on her shoulder and lift her chin. Our eyes connect, blue to green, and I smile.

   "You act like you can't do the same," I whisper. "But you can."

   Elizabetta shakes her head, but she doesn't break eye contact. "No, I can't. I'm just a normal teenage girl."

   "We used to be normal turtles," I point out gently. "All you have to do is believe in yourself. I can even help you practice again, if you want."

   The thought of fighting evil with Elizabetta makes my stomach fill up with excited butterflies. A new member to the team would be the best thing that ever happened to us! I can already see all five of us taking down the Kraang and the Shredder together.

   But to my surprise, she shakes her head again. "It's not the same around here without my family. And I can't just keep practicing, knowing that I'll never stand a chance against the Shredder," she mumbles.

   I blink, my joy fading. "What do you mean?" I question.

   "Leo." She gives me a guilty, but determined, look. "I'm going to leave New York."