Exhausting

This was exhausting. The thought ghosted across Leonardo's mind, as he was slammed backwards against the building. Pain riveted through his shell and left him winded. Leonardo wasn't sure when he had let his guard down, or the exact instant when the swarm of foot ninja he was fighting had pulled his focus away from the rest of the fight, but he cursed himself for it.

Pathetic. The leader did not lose sight of the rest of the battle. Nor did he let his guard down.

He caught sight of Mikey, his youngest brother throwing him a concerned look. Gritting his teeth, Leo pushed back against the assault, the underside of his blade catching his opponent's side. The man went down quickly, giving Leo a second of breathing room. Mikey seemed reassured by this, and turned back to the fight.

Good. Mikey didn't need to worry. He needed to focus on the battle at hand, never worrying that his eldest brother could waver.

Leonardo readied his fighting stance as the rest of the foot ninja advanced. As he raised his swords, he felt the acute pain spread through his shell, prickly and hot. He could feel his chest tightening at the pressure.

This was exhausting. Continuing on when the enemy's numbers were only increasing. Continuing on as if the pain was nothing. The thought crept up unbidden and Leonardo shoved it aside. Pitiful. Venom swirled in his mind. There was no time or place for that. As long as he was the leader, it was his job to keep his family safe. A moment of exhaustion was pitiful.

No sooner had he raised his blades, than the enemy was upon him. He moved around them easily, blades slicing through the sensitive points in their skin, severing arteries as if they were paper, moving as if he was not even there. Yet something persisted, a hesitance in this movements that he did not understand.

Push past it. Push past it.

His quick movements gave way to something else, a spinning in his mind that he knew all too well. He needed to end this quickly. With a swift kick, he dislodged the ninja coming at him, and spun around quickly, slamming two more back against the wall. His breath was coming in low, short bursts, and a quick survey of the current situation reassured him that Mikey and Donnie were both managing and dispatching their opponents quickly. Good. He felt the enemy closing in behind him and he turned, deflecting a kick, the force driving him back across the asphalt. No sooner had he moved to face his opponent than he felt it, the whistle of a blade cutting straight down towards him in shomen-uchi.

There was no time to parry or block. Throwing himself out of the way, Leonardo fell into a swift roll that sent pain splintering up his shell. In that split second, he heard the clash of steel, the thud of a body crashing to the ground.

Turning his head quickly, he was greeted by the silhouette of his brother, sais raised, the body of the ninja on the ground in a heap. Raphael glanced back at him, taking stock of the situation, and shifted his stance to a protective form, "Up and at 'em Fearless." He growled.

Grabbing the wall for support, Leo forced himself to his feet, and moved his blades into defense, ready for the remainder of the battle. Because Leonardo would do whatever it took for the sake of his family, even if it killed him. He would finish this battle, and he would act like nothing was wrong, because he was the leader.

But in those moments when his brother stepped in, he was more thankful than he would ever admit.

Even to himself.