From Beyond The Shadows | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Chapter 8

Splinter walked into the dojo when he heard two of his sons arguing.

"She saved Mikey yesterday! Why can't you see that maybe she really is our ally!" Leo barked as he held his swords against Raph's sais.

"It's obvious that she's just trying to get close to us!"

"Then how come she hasn't tried to get information out of us?!"

"Yame!" Splinter said sternly and both boys stepped back from each other. "What is this about?"

"Leo won't listen to reason! He's trusting Shadow way to easily even after you told him to not trust her! What if she hurts us?!" Raph shouted.

"I never said not to trust this girl. I merely said to be cautious. Why is it that you think you can't trust her?" Splinter asked as he motioned for his sons to sit down.

"Well, she won't tell us her name," Raph said as he knelt down, resting his hands on his knees.

"Because she wants me to guess it," Leo spoke up. "It's a game to her. She's just trying to have fun."

"That's what you think," Raph grumbled.

"Now, Leonardo, why is it that you think you can trust her?" Splinter asked.

"Well, she wasn't looking for us when we first met. We actually joined her in the fight so it's not as if she was trying to find us. And she has helped us quite a bit. She even saved Mikey today even though she was hurt because of it. She doesn't pry for information either," Leo explained.

"And because you think she's pretty," Raph teased as he bat his eyes at his brother.

Leo rolled his eyes. "That's not why I trust her. Yeah, I think she's cute, but I wouldn't trust her because of that. I trust her because she's proven to be a useful ally and a good person. You seemed to trust her before, so what changed? What else do you want her to do to prove herself to you?"

Raph opened his mouth to speak before he growled. "You know what? Fine! But don't come to me when she betrays you!"

The red clad turtle stomped out of the room.

Splinter sighed as Leo stood up. "I trust your judgment. You are the leader of this team and there will always be decisions like this. If you feel that this Shadow is a useful ally, then follow your intuition."

"Hai, sensei."

🍕

"What you up to, Donnie?" Leo asked as he watched his brother draw on a large poster board, Mikey and Raph watching him too.

"Just putting the finishing touches on my master plan," Donnie answered as he looked at his brothers.

Raph quirked his lip as he looked at the diagram Donnie has designed. "Master plan?"

"Yeah, to get April to hang out with me," Donnie answered.

Leo chuckled as he shook his head. "Try this, 'April, do you want to hang out with me?'"

"Yeah, you see, it's not that simple. I have to prepare for every possible response to maximize my chances of success," Donnie replied as he waved off Leo's ridiculous suggestion.

"Aw, that's so romantic!" Mikey gushed.

"Yeah, for instance, if April says she can't because she has homework, then I will suggest an informal study session and serve healthy, brain-stimulating snacks," Donnie replied with a proud grin.

"Well, what if she says she can't because you're a total nerd?" Raph teased as he gave his little brother a smirk.

"Ah, that's this thread here," Donnie said as he pointed to the line. "I will list my many non-nerdy qualities and suggest activities that will highlight my coolness, such as skateboarding or shark wrestling."