Leonardo pulled away from the mutant so fast it was as if touching her burned him. As he pulled away she turned her head to follow him and he razor sharp fangs sliced through his wrappings on his hand. Leo quickly shoved his hand in his pocket, panic flowing through his veins so quickly that he felt like his heart would pop out of his chest at any second. The other hunters slowly approached him, awe in their eyes. Raphael's brown eyes were sparkling with excitement as he clapped his hand on Leo's back with such strength that Leo stumbled slightly from the impact. His legs weak like jelly, Leo took a few tentative steps before his legs gave out and he found himself on his knees in the dirt.

Raph was immediately at his side, helping him to his feet. He wrapped his arm around Raph's shoulders and leaned against the young man as they limped back to the truck. He heard Raph snort in distaste when some of the glowing white blood that covered Leonardo from head to toe got on his clothes. Leo let out a weak chuckle in response and the young man glared at him.

When they got to the truck the hunters helped Leo into the back of the truck where he immediately assumed his meditative position. Raph insisted on helping the other men load the spoils of their trip into the bed of the truck, making sure to leave enough space for Leonardo to rest comfortably. When they had collected everything that was usable, Raphael climbed into the bed of the truck with Leonardo and tapped the roof of the cab to signal the drive that they were ready to leave.

He turned to Leonardo as the truck started to move away from the bloody clearing.

"So ya gotta tell me how ya did all of dat fancy shit buddy." he demanded with a grin but frowned when he noticed that Leonardo had ascended into meditation. Raph waved his hand in front of his face and called his name but the man remained motionless.

"Damn!" he cursed and leaned back against the edge of the bed of the truck, watching the landscape pass by. It was in these minutes of silence that the true impact of what they had gone through hit the young hunter. He had seen his first Black mutant and it had been utterly terrifying. He shuddered just thinking about the dead eyes of the beast and the mangled corpse of Bryant. The blood dripping from its jaws was the blood of one of his men, one of his friends. He sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to banish the images that flashed in his head and the guilt that accompanied each one. But most of all he was trying to banish the fear that had frozen him on the spot, the moment where he had been unable to do anything to save his men and had to entrust their safety into the hands of a stranger. Donatello's strange patient.

Raph glanced over at Leo and noticed with a frown that one of his hands was still shoved into his pocket while the other lay open on his knee. Curious, Raph reached for the limp arm that rested in the pocket of Leo's tattered trench coat. His fingers were inches from the wrapping on the arm when a strong grip on his hand startled him and shoved him away from Leo. Raph sheepishly looked up at his companion but Leonardo's face was hard and emotionless. Suddenly Raph was reminded of the exact same face that he wore when he killed the Black mutants.

"Uh... I was just worried bout yer hand. Did the beast getcha?" he said gruffly, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"I am fine. Merely a scratch." Leonardo said shortly, his tone had a sense of finality to it but Raphael had never been good and stopping before he went to far.

"Ya better let Doctor Don have a look at it." Raphael pressed and for just a moment he saw a flash of paralyzing fear in those electric blue eyes but it was quickly hidden behind an impassive mask. Leonardo just nodded wordlessly and looked out at the barren landscape around them.

"So where ya from?" Raph asked awkwardly, trying to keep the suffocating silence at bay.

"What was left of Japan." Leo sighed and got a far off look in his eyes.

"Woah. You survived in Japan? I heard that everyone on that whole damn island go mutated.

"Not everyone." Leonardo whispered, as images of his master appeared unbidden in his mind.

Giving up on any hopes of conversation, Raph leaned back and looked out at the scenery, his mind now full of questions about the stranger rather than the guilt of Bryant's death.

When they arrived back at the compound the gates opened automatically for the familiar truck and as soon as they parked a crowd of people gathered to help unload and here about the hunt. Raphael was pulled aside by his father and both men had a somber look as the walked back to the guard tower to discuss the events of the hunt.

Leonardo tried to shakily sneak away from the crowd to explore the town but a metal hand clamped around his arm and he found himself face to face with the tall for of the doctor that had saved his life.

"Infirmary. Now." Donatello growled, his face red with anger. Leonardo sighed and let himself be led into the infirmary where the doctor cornered him on his cot and began scanning him for injuries. His scanners came up empty but indicated that Leonardo's body was extremely fatigued. He all but strapped the young man to the bed, ordering him to get some rest under his strict supervision. Leonardo's one stipulation had been a few moments of privacy to which Donnie had reluctantly agreed. As soon as the robotic doctor left Leonardo sighed and located his pack right where he had left it by the foot of his bed. He opened the bag and pulled out the roll of bandages that he kept in there. He looked around nervously before hastily unwrapping his previously injured hand. He scowled at the unmarred, smooth skin underneath the bandages and began meticulously wrapping his hand with the roll of bandages from his bag.

Donatello stood impatiently outside the closed curtains surrounding his patient's bed. He felt oddly protective of this stranger despite never having really spoken to him. Currently his conscience was warring with his curiosity as he fought the urge to peek through the curtains and peek at exactly what the stranger was doing. He fidgeted nervously for a few more seconds before he gave in and parted the curtains just wide enough for him to look through with one eye.

He had chosen his human eye considering the fact that his human half is what got him into this. The stranger was meticulously wrapping bandages around his palm, but his fingers were still free. Don only caught sight of the skin for half of a second before the stranger's head snapped up and their eyes locked on each other. In a flash the stranger had turned around to finish his wrapping out of Donatello's sight while Donatello pulled away from the gap in the curtain. His face was bright red with embarrassment and his fidgeting only got worse. That one glimpse hadn't fed his curiosity nearly as well as he thought it would, merely whetting his appetite for the mystery.

"You may come in now doctor." The stranger said from the other side of the curtain.

Ashamed of himself and his lack of self-control, Donnie entered with the intent to apologize profusely but before he could say anything the stranger cut him off. He held up a bag of tea leaves and smiled softly at the curious doctor.

"Would you happen to have some hot water? I believe it is time for me to properly thank you for saving my life." Shocked that the man was not angry with him for invading his precious privacy Donnie merely nodded and went to get some hot water for the tea.

After Raphael helped the men unload the meat to the butcher, who would cut the usable pieces of the animal up into shares for community, he headed to the main guard tower where he knew his father was waiting for the report on the trip. When he reached the top of the ladder, Raph took a deep calming breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Ely's rough voice called from the other side of the door. Raph pushed it open and climbed up into the guard tower. Ely merely looked at Raph expectantly as he pulled a chair over next to his father and they sat side by side, staring out onto the wasteland as the light faded.

"Bryant is dead pop." Raph suddenly said, his voice quiet but still rough with emotion. Ely sighed and ran a hand through his greying hair. "It's mah fault." Raph growled and gripped the wood of the chair with a death grip.

"We was just hunting some low level White mutants, a couple deer for the community, when I discovered dat da guy dat Doctor Don brought in had stowed away in da truck. I was pissed at first but den he saw a small pack of Black mutants. I ain't never heard of Black mutants being dis close to the Lair before pop. Now dis guy, Leonardo, ran ta save Bryant and da others but i just stood there. I ain't never even seen a Black mutant before and when I thought dat I'd have ta fight one I just...I froze up!" Raph angrily punched the wall, the wood splintering under the strength of the punch. Ely put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Go on." he urged and Raph sighed.

"But Leo pop. Ya should have seen 'im. It was like some kind of inhuman death dance da way he killed all dose mutants." Ely frowned as Raph continued excitedly, describing the battle between Leonardo and the Black mutants with detail and vigor. Ely could see the admiration in his son's eyes, but he only felt a deep ache in the pit of his gut that usually meant trouble. Ely had never heard of one man taking down a pack of Black mutants, even if it was small, they were just too intelligent, too dangerous. When Raph finished his story Ely was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"You did well Raphael. There was nothing more that you could have done for Bryant." he squeezed Raph's shoulder, hoping to quell the cyclone of guilt that was building inside of his passionate son. "Do not let these emotions consume you again." he said sternly and Raph nodded, fear in his big brown eyes.

"Now...I think that it's time that a I met this Leonardo who has impressed you so much." He let a small smile out from behind his cold mask, but it did not reach his eyes. Those expressive grey orbs were filled with trepidation and suspicion.

When Ely entered the infirmary it was quiet except for the distant coughing of a sickly elder and the soft voices coming from his destination. When Ely opened the curtains and walked into the small space, Donatello and Leonardo were both cupping empty Japanese-style tea cups while talking quietly. The only light was that of a small gas lamp and the flickering light of the flame threw the face of the young stranger into shadow while it glinted off of the metal on Donnie's face.

"Ely." Donnie quickly stood and held out his human hand to shake. Ely shook it slowly, his gaze never leaving the form of the young man in the hospital bed. "What brings you here?"

"I believed that it was time that I meet our new guest. Thank you for saving my sons life today." Leonardo merely bowed his head in respect and a small smile rested on his face.

"How nice." Donnie said nervously. He could almost feel the tension coming from Ely and he nervously glanced at his new friend to make sure that this conversation wouldn't turn to bloodshed. Leonardo, however, was completely calm, his brilliant blue eyes calm and bright.

"I also have some questions." Ely said gruffly, eager to get down to business. He pulled another chair up to the bed and fixed Leonardo with a stare that would have made a lesser man spill his dark secrets. Leonardo merely poured himself some more tea and took a long sip.

"What kind of questions?" Donnie asked suspiciously, feeling protective of his friend once more.

"Questions for him. I want to make sure that the Lair is safe with him here." Ely didn't even glance at Donnie, trying to gauge the responses of Leo. Leo frowned slightly and set his tea cup down.

"I intend no harm to fall upon your people Mr. Davidson." he said in a soft, smooth voice.

"Where are you from." Taking the response as a sign of consent to be questioned, Ely jumped right in.

"I am from Japan." Leonardo replied and Ely's eyes widened.

"You survived Japan? In one piece? I thought that everyone over there was mutated!" Ely exclaimed, his curiosity piqued.

"Your son said something similar when I told him earlier. I told him that not everyone suffered the gruesome mutations that plague the island." Leonardo replied vaguely, the small smile still plastered on his face.

"Why weren't you mutated?" Ely asked suspiciously but Leonardo ignored him.

"Next question please."

Ely growled in irritation and moved on to his next question. "Why do you wear those bandages?" Ely asked and Donnie, who was about to protest the questioning of his patient this late at night, closed his mouth. He hated to throw his friend to the wolves, but he was curious as to the reasoning as well.

"To cover up my skin from the heat of this sun. I'm afraid that it burns easily." The blatant lie fell from Leo's mouth and hung in the room like a dark cloud.

"Why don't you take them off right now then?" Ely pushed stubbornly and Leo's face hardened.

"Is that all of your questions Mr. Davidson? I'm very tired after all the action today and would like to get some rest." Leo said coldly and Donnie began to fuss over him, glaring at Ely for exhausting his patient.

"Yes. I must ask you to turn in your weapons." Ely's face was stony, unflinching in the face of the young man's glare.

"May I ask why?" Leonardo's face was impassive, the small smile gone completely.

"No one except for wall guards are allowed to have weapons in the compound. It keeps visitors and residents safe. If you won't turn them in then I'm afraid that you'll have to leave."

"Ely." Donatello intervened; he could tell that Leonardo would rather cut off a limb than turn in his precious katana. "He is too weak to even wield them right now. I will lock them in my van where no one else can access them. I will also see to any upgrades and purchases that you need at a discounted price. I urge you to accept." Donnie's usually soft brown eyes were hard and stubborn, unwilling to compromise.

Ely gritted his teeth and inwardly battled with his instincts to enforce his rules, but the colony needed the technology and the assistance of Donatello. The colony always came first. Ely grunted and nodded curtly at the cyborg, refusing to look him in the eye, instead glaring in the direction of the hospital bed where Leonardo was resting.

"I think you should go. I will find you tomorrow to see what exactly you need me to take care of while I'm here." Donnie watched Ely reluctantly trudge out of the infirmary and winced when the man slammed the door behind him. Donnie sighed and went back to check on Leonardo, who was now peacefully sleeping in his bed.

"You sure are a trouble-maker." he whispered fondly as he put out the lamp and took the katanas that had been laid out on the table with him back to his van.

The next night when the Lair gathered to cremate the corpse of Bryant, Leonardo and Donatello stood in the back of the crowd, mourning the loss of life in a world with so little left. Leonardo stepped forward after all of the villagers had paid their respects to the roaring blaze that was now Bryant's body. Leo held up a piece of cloth covered in the Black mutant leader's blood.

"May your soul find eternal peace young one." he whispered and then let the cloth drift into the flames to burn with the rest of the kindling. Leo turned around and felt the eyes of Ely Davidson burning into his skin. Leo met his suspicious gaze and gave him a nod before letting Donnie escort him back to the infirmary. Ely made sure to keep his eye on every step that the strange man took. Somehow he knew that this would be the downfall of his Lair.