137A special shout-out to Buslady for helping me out with a punishment!
I've managed to crawl out from under the writer's block that was resting on me.
TMNT are not mine. Yet.
Stalking the Green-Eyed Monster
17. According as circumstances are favorable,
one should modify one's plans.
18. All warfare is based on deception.
19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;
when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we
are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR
The next few days were incredibly busy for the (future) Leader. Plans were made and revised; supplies were gathered. Improvisations were necessary and plentiful but very creative. Days on his little homemade calendar were secretly and dutifully ticked off until he had reached Today, circled with many bright blue circles!
Today was The Day!
Leonardo could not wait!
During training Leo kept up such a nonchalant attitude towards Mike's super secret notebook that he almost smirked at his brother's attempts to draw his attention to it.
"Leonardo, why are you smirking?"
GULP!
"Sorry, Sensei!" he hastily bowed, embarrassment replacing the evidently non-nonchalant look he'd been wearing.
But he did keep a careful eye nonetheless on Michelangelo. Ever since coming to the realization that his brother was attempting overthrow him and take his place as (future) Leader, Leonardo had gone out of his way to make sure Splinter did not have any doubt as to WHO was better suited to that Important Position.
"Say, Sensei," Leo innocently began one day after training was over and he stayed behind (as usual) to put away the equipment that precise, meticulous way that Splinter approved of, "I was thinking... maybe it's time I learned a new kata or two."
Leo saw his sensei and father raise an eyebrow at such a presumption and swallowed just a bit hard. "It is up to the Sensei to decide when the Student is ready" came echoing into his memory after Raph, over a year ago, had insisted that "this kindergarten stuff is borin' an' I'm ready to learn somethin' NEW!"
The only new thing Raphael learned that day was how to scrub the toilet with a toothbrush. Of course, that had led to more trouble ("You didn't say WHOSE toothbrush to use"), and Raph had had to eat his meals standing up for the next two days.
Seeing that Splinter's eyes were still on him, he hastily revised the rest of his statement.
"I mean, if you think I'm ready," he said, making an extra show of straightening up. "I'm not presuming to know more than yo- than the others, but maybe I could.. um, you know... have a few extra lessons? If you think I'm ready, that is?"
And he gave Splinter his very bestest bow.
"We will discuss it later, my son," Splinter finally replied. "I must prepare breakfast now." And Leonardo dutifully bowed his sensei and father out of the dojo, then followed him into the kitchen to Be of Service as a good (future) Leader should.
ooooOOOOOOOooooooOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOooooo
Later, Leonardo was in "his" (for the moment) room, going over his plans and supplies. After lunch was an entire afternoon that was usually devoted to the four of them playing or pursuing their own interests. Don would no doubt stay inside and work on his Major Experiment. Raph was grounded to the lair, so he wouldn't be able to join Leo on his little "trip". And Michelangelo?
Today was Michelangelo's "Secret Hiding Place" day, where he would head for one of his many favorite hangouts and spend a few hours doing Michelangelo stuff (i.e., things he normally did at home like reading comics or making art- only it was more cooler when he'd do it Somewhere Else).
All of these locations were clearly marked on Splinter's large map. When the rat had first insisted on noting these places down, Michelangelo had protested that to do so would then make them NOT secret. Splinter had had a bit of a struggle getting the information; his son was adamant!
"But if we don't know where they are," Donatello had pointed out, "then how can we avoid them?" to which, after a moment of thought, Mike thereupon carefully marked eleven bright red "MSHPSA*" s on the map.
Leo, busy with his preparations, found himself thinking of Sun Tzu's Words of Wisdom.
18. All warfare is based on deception.
19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;
when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we
are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when far away, we must make him believe we are near.'
"Well, Michelangelo, today I will make you believe I am far away. But I will be nearer than you think!"
Before Leo on the floor was his shinobi shozoko, carefully and lovingly put together by himself after long hours of devoted research and much scrounging. True, it wasn't a REAL shinobi shozoko like in the movies he'd committed to memory, but it was Close Enough.
Black pants- made of denim, slightly large, and the legs had been too long until he'd carefully cut them to the proper length. AND he had managed to score some black yarn to tie them off at the bottom in order to keep them from dragging (and hide any ragged irregularity in their look).
Tabi-boots- these he really was proud of, he'd made them mostly himself out of black socks and the soles of old torn up tennis shoes! It had taken a lot of work and effort. In the end he'd had to swallow his pride and solicit some wise and much-needed help from Splinter (who had wondered at his son's need for such things, but had helped Leonardo without prying). But they looked beautiful!
Black top- an overlarge black sweatshirt. Leo had scrounged what material he could from the old clothes box in order to make pockets. After all, a shinobi shozoko had many many pockets inside and out, made to carry all the small tools and weapons a ninja needed, such as poison, shuriken, knives and so on.
Unfortunately there was little in the box that was black except for some old socks and the remnants of the pants he'd trimmed off. The inside pockets ended up being made from a flowery apron, a worn yellow baby blanket that was covered with duckies (he hoped Don didn't find out), and some mismatched mittens. The outside pockets he made of the old socks (having jabbed himself too many time with the needle trying to sew that heavy jeans material into pocket shapes). But it looked Beautiful.
His only problem was the hood/mask. He had a ski-mask that was dark red. It fit perfectly, but no amount of coloring on it with a black magic marker, or soaking it in a mixture of water and some of Mike's precious black watercolor paint could change its color. His plan was to leave the blue bandana behind and wear this instead, but it just wasn't working out.
Inspiration hit. Sneaking into Mike's art supplies, he retrieved another black magic marker and a tube of black ink (used for printing evidently. Leo wished he'd seen this the other day instead of the useless watercolor paint... oh well, next time). Plan B: he'd paint his face black, and wear his very dark blue wooly cap that he usually wore when scavenging with Splinter!
NOW to fill the pockets!
He studied his array of ninja supplies and weapons.
Ashiko- check!
Well, they weren't real ashiko, more like old cleats that Splinter would attach to the bottom of his boots in winter to keep from slipping on the ice when topside, but they'd be perfect for climbing the walls if needed. And since it hadn't been cold enough for snow and ice, he was sure Splinter wouldn't mind if he borrowed them for the day.
Shuriken-- check!
Not real ones, however- though Splinter was teaching them in the dojo how to throw them, he did not allow anyone to carry them outside of the home. However, Leonardo, being a resourceful (future) Leader, had managed to collect a supply of his own- chiefly old metal bottle caps, weighted with small rocks carefully glued to the inside, but serviceable when scaring rats out of his way while in the sewers.
Fukiya- check!
It had been one of his lucky finds- a hollow, broken piece of bamboo, found on one of his trips to the junk yard. He'd originally thought he could turn it into a traditional Japanese flute, but quickly gave up after smacking his thumb with a hammer in an attempt to put the first hole in it, and settled for sanding down the ends and converting it into a fukiya. He had no darts, but he'd learned to pelt his brothers with a rapid fire assault of spitballs (until Splinter banned that particular ammunition under the edict that it was disgusting and unworthy of a warrior). He soon found that he could make his own metsubishi as long as Splinter didn't think he was wasting all the pepper and toilet paper in the house.
Shuko- check!
(more ice cleats- you work with what you got.)
Kusuribin- double check!
Extra-large old Band-Aids™ metal box, filled with Band-Aids™, a half-empty tube of antiseptic cream, iodine (for REAL emergencies), and a few precious sticks of gum. Every ninja needs a first-aid kit!
Tanto- extra-special mega-triple check!
YES! A tanto- a real honest to goodness tanto!
Splinter had managed to procure four of them and had, with much ceremony, presented each of them on their ninth birthday with their very own personal weapon. True, he'd also started them on real weapons in the dojo, but those were a definite NO-NO outside that place unless Splinter took them somewhere special. But he had allowed each of them to have a tanto!
As they grew older and were allowed to roam farther, Splinter had deemed it wise that they have some small extra protection. They had learned very strict rules about the use of such things- they were not to be thrown at anything or anyone including annoying little brothers, they were not to be used to kill anything even big old scary nasty sewer roaches, and they were not to be used to carve "Raphael was here!" all over anything that could be cut by them.
As Leo carefully and lovingly placed the weapon into the small backpack along with his outfit and supplies, he felt as if he would burst from Pride.
He was Ready for Anything.
Especially Michelangelo the Usurper!
ooooOOOOOOOooooooOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOooooo
Plan Number Three- Follow the (Wannabe) Leader
"Sensei," he said, slinging the pack on his back. "I'm going on a training run. May I go as far as the old drainage junction today?"
Splinter eyed the map as Leonardo pointed to his "destination". It was a very far distance from the Lair, but the route would be one that few if any humans had been in for long years. And Leonardo had been there before with Splinter and the others, so he would not get lost.
He considered the hopeful expression of his son.
"Very well, but stick to the usual route. And I must insist that you be back in plenty of time for dinner," he gave permission. "Do you go alone?"
"Well, I was going to invite Raphael, but as he's grounded," Leo said, trailing off with a shrug. Inside he was thinking Please don't send him please DON'T send him.
Splinter nodded and said no more.
"Thanks, Sensei!"
Then he cheerfully and pointedly informed all three of his brothers (while steadily NOT looking at Mike) that he was "off to the old drainage junction for a training run. Try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone" to which Raphael earned twenty flips with a "get the hell outta my way yer blockin' the tv".
Whistling cheerfully, he exited the lair, and vanished as quickly from sight as possible, all the while keeping the door of the lair well within sight. Quickly and silently he dressed himself in the shinobi shozoko. He pulled the tube of black ink from the bag, regretting that he'd chosen a section of the tunnel that was very dark. He should have brought a gando with him, or at least a flashlight. But he would manage in the dark, as he squeezed a generous amount of the soft substance into his hand and began to apply it as best he could to his face. Absently he wiped his hands on his pants, eyes still on the front door.
As he pulled his dark blue cap onto his head, the door opened, and Mike's "see you later, Sensei!" echoed slightly into the tunnel. Then the young turtle, a pack on his back and his Annoyingly Tempting Secret Notebook firmly under one arm, headed in the same direction as Leo!
It took all of Leonardo's Strength of Character to NOT grin in triumph. This would be easy.
He faded well back into the shadows, no sound escaping him, as his brother passed by him unawares, humming some cartoon theme and occasionally kicking some stray rock into the adjoining channel, where the satisfying "splash" was the cheerful reply.
Leonardo, clinging to the shadows, silently moving as if he were nothing more than a shadow, followed at a safe distance.
Considering the noise Mike made, it would be safe for Leo to lose sight of him. He shook his head at his brother's carelessness, though to be fair, no human would probably had heard him. It wasn't like he was stomping through the tunnels, bellowing out "He-MAN-duh-DUUUH-de-duhduhduh-DUH! He-MAN!-" as he went. But to Leonardo's (future) Leader ears, he might as well have been.
Making yet another mental note to take his younger brother aside later and offer to work with him on his stealth, Leo followed Mike quite a long and winding distance. He kept a check on his landmarks, however- if it appeared that the young turtle were going in Directions Not Condoned by Splinter, he would have to reveal himself for Mike's own good- though it would pretty much ruin HIS plans.
Still, when one is a (future) Leader, one must be prepared to-
It suddenly occurred to Leo that Mike wasn't singing any longer. In fact, he couldn't see Mike at all. For a very brief moment panic threatened to swell up underneath his plastron, but then the soft slithery sound of a rope being tossed through the air oriented Leo's eyes to a shadowy area, where he could see Michelangelo tossing what appeared to be a grappling hook above his head towards a large tangle of pipes.
Mike had a kaginawa ? How comes he didn't know this?
Boy some brothers...
On the third try, it hooked, and after a few satisfying tugs to make sure it would support him, Michelangelo climbed up into the darkness and vanished.
Leo counted to five then made for the rope- only to hastily retreat to the shadows once again as it began to ascend into the darkness. Mike was not leaving anything to chance, apparently.
But Leo was not deterred. He knew that Secret Hiding Place number seven- the Loft of Solitude- was situated in a minor tunnel that was blocked at one end. The entrance was just to the right and a bit lower than the tangle of pipes Mike had vanished into.
Pulling his shuko and ashiko from an outer pocket, Leonardo prepared to scale the wall. He would be able to reach the pipes from where he was, then work his way closer to the entrance, where he could spy on super secret Michelangelo and his super secret plans to take Leo's place as Leader!
Climbing aids in place, Leo proceeded to follow in the footsteps (or rather, shuko/ashiko steps) of countless ninja before him.
Fifteen minutes later he'd finally managed to get about three to four feet off the floor. By then the sound of his brother lowering the rope from above sent him into near-panic! He didn't dare move. It had taken him some time to get the sharpened cleats to hold onto the slimy, slightly crumbling walls without making any noise whatsoever. Then it had taken all his determination to NOT shout out when the first three times he fell on his shell, freezing after each incident, wondering if Mikey had heard anything, fighting valiantly to NOT sneeze when the dust he'd stirred up invaded his nasal passages.
And now when he was finally managing to support his weight via his desperately tiring hands and sweating in their tabi-booted prison feet, grimy and sticky and biting his lip to keep from swearing in English and Japanese, his brother was leaving?
Leo clung to the wall, hidden by the dark, and waited, praying to his ancestors (if he had any; he didn't really know, but it always sounded so cool in all those movies) that he would not be discovered.
Luck and his ancestors (if he had any) were both with him- Mike slid down the rope, and with a few deft flicks dislodged the grappling hook, then started on his merry way down a side tunnel.
Leo released himself from the wall, landing softly as a ninja should. Shedding his climbing tools, he hastened to catch up to his brother, more determined than ever to discover just what Mike was up to.
Mike might have escaped him for the moment, but Leo would not rest until he succeeded.
That is what (future) Leaders do!
tbc