A/N: NEW EPISODE, NEW EPISODE, NEW EPISODE :dances: I think one of my goals is going to be to write a short drabble after the release of each new ep. Just take something that jumped out at me and roll with it. These will all be K+. So, enjoy!

Eyes of the Chimera

Leo grunted, flexed his foot, and retracted it again. He reached for the bottle of ibuprofen next to his bed, popped two in, and took a swig from his bottle of water, setting it back on his nightstand.

He'd pushed it really hard today – he'd had to – and now he was paying for it. But still, he felt like today was an improvement. His leg might never be the same again – like his voice. He simply had to accept that; some injuries are permanent. But that didn't mean he had to let it slow him down. He reflected on the difference between his pained morning training session and his and April's forced march up the mountain side…it wasn't as if his knee had somehow magically healed in a few hours – he just had more important fish to fry (well, flying fish-worms to fry, anyway) and knew he had to put it aside, couldn't let it stop him. He realized now that his lousy mindset had been holding him back every bit as much as his injury - maybe more so. April had shown him that.

He smiled as he remembered her unwavering insistence that they get moving, get up that mountain, do something. The girl had literally just been stricken blind, and at the time, had no idea how permanent that might be. Yet, she refused to blame Donnie, refused to feel frightened or sorry for herself – refused to let it slow her down. She was amazing.

He grinned to himself, and felt really grateful that she'd come into their family – he never had a sister before, and he found he was liking it. There was something easy about his relationship with April – she was at times a confidante, a cheerleader, a sympathetic ear, a shoulder to lean on…and wasn't afraid to call him out for his nonsense, either, or snap him out of it when he got stuck in his head.

Sometimes with a rolled up magazine, he remembered with a chuckle. But that brought up thoughts of Karai, and he quickly pushed them aside.

He scowled momentarily. He'd have to have a word with Donnie. He should know better than to go scrambling with April's brain on a hunch. Leo rubbed his fingers around his knee joint, idly. They should all know the price of overconfidence by now.

There was a timid knock on the door, and Michaelangelo poked his head in.

"Hey, buddy," Leo smiled, "Heading to bed?"

"Yup," Mikey smiled, "Just wanted to say g'nite. Oh, and give you this."

He tossed a package of frozen peas to Leo, who smiled gratefully.

"Icky says 'Hi.'"

"Icky?"

"'Ice Cream Kitty,' bro."

Leo grinned. "Cute. I like it."

"'Course you do. I'm super good at namin' stuff."

Leo settled the peas into the crook of his knee and sighed.

"Thanks, for this."

Mikey grinned.

"Not a thing, chicken wing. How's it comin' along?"

Leo's smile became a bit fixed. It was a question he'd gotten used to. "Hurts, but…I think I turned a corner."

Mikey smiled and nodded, but he didn't make a move to leave. Leo could sense he still had something he wanted to ask.

"What's up?" he prompted.

"Ah, nothin'," Mikey said. He drummed on the doorframe, looking at his fingers, "Just…when the Turducken carried us off to his nest, there were like – all these skeletons around."

Leo got very still. The others hadn't told him this.

"Y'know, like, Halloween-type skeletons?" Mikey chuckled, "it was crazy, dude. I was like, 'whaaaaat?' Heh. But…they were probably just animal bones, though, right?"

His baby blue eyes met Leo's cautiously.

"Right, Leo?"

Leo swallowed.

"Yeah. Yeah, probably."

"Yeah, I figured," Mikey said, sighing and smiling in relief, "Just…I dunno, they looked a bit like people bones to me. But I was buggin' out, so…my mind was probably just playing tricks on me. Y'know, like, exaggerating everything – in my brain."

Leo nodded noncommittally, and suppressed a wave of anxiety, aware that every minute they were not back in action, every minute he hid here to heal, was another minute that the Kraang, and the mutagen they recklessly scattered all over the city, was wreaking havoc – costing lives.

"Yeah," Mikey said, nodding as though reassuring himself, "That's what I figured. Okay! G'nite, Leo."

"G'nite. Hey, uh, Mikey?"

Mikey paused, and poked his head back in the door.

"You did good today," Leo said, smiling, "Get some rest. I'm down the hall if you need anything."

Mikey nodded and gave him a thumbs-up, gently closing the door behind him.

Leo shook his head slowly. They'd been gone too long. There were people that needed them. Tomorrow – tomorrow they'd have to start training in earnest.

Not, not training – preparing. Preparing for war.