#we stan a fleet-footed slight risk

[remmushound]

Bay/rise 35!! @errorfreak88 @brightlotusmoon @selfindulgenz @digitl-art-monstr @dakotafinely @yarchurr @sententiously-sarcastic @sprinklestheditty

Leo didn't move as he counted down to the last number. He remained still and waited. Leonardo charged forward with all the energy of a young warrior, and all the foolishness of one too. The first to charge was always the first to fall, and that’s exactly what Leo intended to use toward his benefit. When Leonardo got close enough to potentially land a strike, only then did Leo dare move. It wasn’t for a counter attack, however. He simply sidestepped and let Leonardo pass him by, his gaze never once leaving the eager slider. Leonardo ran a few more paces before he could slow enough to stop, and then he turned and focused his energy in another charge that Leo quickly avoided.

Leonardo didn't charge for a third time. He held his sword out at his side and motioned for Leo to approach him. Leo only smiled and shook his head, copying the motion to try and get Leonardo to approach him instead. It turned into a power struggle of patience, which Leonardo quickly lost. No patience, just as Leo had expected. Young and naive and eager to fight. Leo just had to wait it out.

Leonardo was anticipating the dodge this time and stopped just before Leo sidestepped, then quickly brought his odachi swinging at the older warrior. Leo had his katana ready to meet the attack, and the only sound that filled the air was the crash of metal against metal. Blade against blade in a cold stalemate of will and war. Their eyes met in a moment of thoughtful calculation before Leonardo pulled away quite suddenly and ducked down to attempt a swipe at Leo’s ankles. Leo just barely jumped back and then both turtles returned to their quiet planning at a safe distance.

Again, Leonardo was the first to break the stalemate and charge again. Again and again he broke rank and tried to attack Leo with swift movements and quick blows. Again and again, Leo gave it the barest minimum effort required to thwart the attacks, watching as the slider got more and more exhausted with each passing moment.

From the sidelines April, still decked out in her Leonardo cheer-gear, slumped. She leaned over to whisper to the Mikey’s and Donnie. “This is a lot less dramatic than I thought it was gonna be.”

“Wish I could watch.” Donnie grumbled, his back still turned to the fight as Leo had ordered

April scoffed and nudged Donnie. “Then turn around— ain’t nobody care about that rule!”

“It’s so I can’t snitch…” Donnie said softly, daring a look back so he could address April properly.

April crossed her arms. “We’ll I got a better way to make sure you don’t snitch, because if you do…” She yanked down Donnie by the bridge of his chest until their eyes were level, “Then I’m gonna see how long a turtle can live without its shell. Now turn your ass around and be bored with us!”

April pushed on Donnie with all her might until the box turtle relented and turned around to watch the fight taking place. Leo noticed the breaking of his rule, but he didn't dare risk his focus just to correct Donnie. Not when he stood to face a fleet-footed flight risk.

Leonardo seemed to have caught on to what Leo was doing, but it was several minutes too late. His body already felt heavy from the expended energy. He could feel the muscles below his chest working to pull on his lungs and fill as much of the organs as possible with new, replenishing air. Leo smiled as he saw the younger turtle struggling, but still he didn't move to meet Leonardo. He was constantly forcing the other to come to him. Instead of doing that, Leonardo backed up to Donatello.

“I’m getting my shell kicked out there, Don!” Leonardo whispered urgently.

“What do you want me to do about it?” Donatello asked.

“You’re my second— advise me!”

“Don’t let him hit you.” Was Donatello’s advice.

Leonardo turned to him with a narrow-eyed stare. “Very helpful, Don.”

Leo cleared his throat. “Are we fighting or not?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to ya!” Leonardo spat in Leo’s direction, “Can I get some real advice this time, Don?”

“Don’t eat yellow snow.”

“Donnie!”

“Nardo.”

Donatello shoved Leonardo back into the standoff. Leonardo stumbled forward until his blade met with Leo, who had finally started to show the slightest amount of interest in the spar. Though Leo had twin katana, swinging completely independent of each other in a traditional and ancient technique, Leonardo’s sporadic and unconventional attacks were enough to bewilder and confuse the seasoned soldier. Leonardo finally managed to land a slashing blow against Leo’s chest before jumping back out of the katana’s reach.

Leo’s shell was tough, but it was still just scutes covering bone, and scutes bleed. It wasn’t much, but the strike was enough to cause a thin trail of blood to trickle down Leo’s chest and stomach, and Leonardo couldn’t help but eye the wound. Just a scratch, not enough to get infected and minor enough for the scratch to stop bleeding on its own. Already the flow had ceased. Leonardo gave a slight hum at the sight of old scutes that should have shed off of the shell weeks ago, and he made a mental note of pointing out the flaw when he could catch his breath. Leo, spotting his rivals lack of focus, decided to take advantage of it.

Leonardo jumped back. Leo continued to advance. The slider took off running to avoid a few paces. Looking behind him revealed that Leo had stopped, and Leonardo stopped as well, silently cursing himself for wasting even more of his precious energy on a false charge. He couldn’t keep doing this— he had to figure out some method of weakness to exploit. Some advantage that the brute of a box turtle couldn’t expect! He looked down at his odachi, and then the idea struck him like a brick. He smiled.

Leo was almost nervous when he saw the grin, but he kept his stance firm and ready for anything. Or, almost anything. Leonardo laughed before charging the hulking shinobi. He flashed his odachi as if to strike, but swung his blade too soon. Leo raised his katana to meet the attack, but then his mind started turning like the windows loading symbol as Leonardo disappeared in a flash of blue. Leo’s eyes darted everywhere he could imagine the ninja to go, but there was no sign of him. He foolishly turned back to Raph.

“Where’d he go?”

Raph shrugged.

Leo’s answer came in the form of a loud cowabunga! followed by a sudden, unexpected weight slamming down on his shoulders and knocking him to the ground. Leonardo was perched on top of him, standing on the baffled mutant’s shoulders and holding his odachi blade to Leo’s neck for a second before pulling it back and striking a pose.

“Yeah yeah, who’s your champion? Oh yeah! It’s me!” Leonardo started to do a dance on top of Leo.

It took the watching audience a moment to catch on to what had just happened before they all erupted into loud applause and cheers.

“I don’t know how he did that, but that was incredible!” Donnie shifted his glasses in disbelief, then returned to his clapping.

“Speedy Gonzales got skills!” Raph whistled.

“WOO! THAT’S MY BROTHER! GO LEO! WHOOOO!” April cried out.

“Whoop whoop.” Donatello made tired fist pumps.

The cheers of the Mikey’s melded together like clay as they roared, words blurring together into a cloud of excitement. Once the shock was gone, Leo growled and shoved Leonardo off of, grabbing the boy by the throat and hoisting him into the air. The cheers immediately turned into shouts of dismay at the act, and Donnie had to restrain the surprisingly strong April as she tried to charge her brothers attacker. Raph was upon the duo in an instant, ripping them apart and placing himself between them. 

“You okay?” He asked Leonardo, who was still catching his breath. 

Leonardo gave a thumbs up as he almost keeled over, just barely balancing himself on his knees. Leo tried to shove his way past his brother, but Raph held him back with little strain.

“HE CHEATED!” Leo growled accusingly, motioning at Leonardo while still trying to reach him. Leonardo was quick to scatter to the safety of Donatello.

“That ain’t give you no right to strangle the kid!” Raph said, then turned on Leonardo. “How’d you do that?”

“Mystic sword.” Donatello answered for his brother, “He can teleport using it.”

“Then you lied!” Leo spat, “You cheated!”

“It’s not called lying.” Leonardo said, smiling impishly, “It’s called ‘compartmentalization’.”

Everyone gasped audibly, but none louder than Leo. Leonardo smirked at the personal attack and crossed his arms pointedly.