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It was dark out, in any other place, the stars overhead would be out and twinkling, but as it was, there weren't any, because they were in-
“New York, what a town!” Donnie exclaimed, throwing his arms out wide as they took a break on a rooftop, looking out at the city.
“Alright, team, you might be wondering why Raph brought all you guys out here-”
“Is it to take a picture? 'Cause I am so ready for it!” Mikey exclaimed, posing by the edge of the rooftop.
“No. It's for a training exercise!” Raph said, rolling his eyes at all the groans of annoyance, “C'mon, guys! Today's exercise is all about trust.”
“Why can't it ever be about pizza?”
“Technically that's what pizza week is for-”
“But that's not an exercise.”
“Actually-”
“Guys!” Raph scolded, making them focus again, “Focus, we're gonna do a basic trust test that can actually be kinda fun; trust falls!”
“Trust falls?” Donnie asked, raising a brows, “Respectfully, I think it's physically impossible for anyone who isn't Mikey to successfully catch or carry you.”
“One, rude.” Raph said, lightly smacking the back of Donnie's head, before getting up and gesturing towards a wire stretched between the buildings, “Two, this is to test our abilities and stuff! We can't just catch normally, we're spicing it up!”
“Ooh, interesting!” Leo said, grinning, before looking over the edge with a frown, “Hmm, what if one of us falls though?”
“It's approximately two stories, a height we normally fall without injuries, we'll be fine.” Donnie spoke up, flipping his goggles back up after he scanned the area.
“Ooh, okay! Who's first?” Mikey asked, excited to be allowed to us his razzmatazz.
“Hmmm,” Raph hummed, examining his younger brothers, before a mischievous grin spread across his face, “How ‘bout Leo?”
“Aw man,” Leo complained, but walked over to the wire. He stepped on, moving out towards the middle of it and frowned at the street below, “Eugh, last time I fell from a roof-”
“Can it, Leo,” Mikey said, shaking his head and muttering about ‘pettiness.’
“Who’s catching me first?” Leo called, waving his arms slightly when he swayed a bit.
“Ooh! Ooh! Me!” Mikey exclaimed, getting out his kusari fundo, “Fall!”
Leo immediately shut his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest and fell backwards.
Mikey grinned, orange chains bursting forth and shooting out, they wrapped around Leo and he gave a great yank, tugging Leo back onto the rooftop where he landed neatly on his feet.
“Nice! You put the ‘fun’ in kusari fundo,” Leo joked as Mikey held his hand up for a high three.
“I'll go next,” Donnie said as Leo stood back on the center of the wire.
Leo once again fell backwards without complaint, and Donnie jumped after him, he caught Leo mid-air and used his hover shell to carry him back to the roof.
“Eyyyy, nice one Dontron,” Leo congratulated as Donnie set him down.
“What do you expect? Only greatness as per usual,” Donnie said with a smirk.
“Oh, hush,” Leo teased, lightly pushing Donnie’s face away and laughing at his offended hiss.
“Raph's turn!” Raph exclaimed as Leo got back on the wire. He fell back and Raph used a projection hand to catch him and lift him back to the rooftop.
“Wow! Raph you're getting really good with your powers!” Leo exclaimed excitedly, high threeing Raph and giving him a playful punch on the shoulder.
“I'll go next!” Mikey said, leaping onto the middle of the wire.
He fell immediately with both Raph and Donnie, who caught him and celebrated. And then it was Leo's turn.
“My turn,” Leo said, unsheathing his odachi as Mikey stepped onto the wire.
“Wait,” Mikey said nervously, “You're gonna use your sword?”
“Yeah? You guys have been using your weapons and powers and stuff,” Leo said with a shrug, “Why?”
“. . .can you even portal there?” Mikey asked softly, tapping his fingers together.
“Of course I can!” Leo exclaimed, “I've been practicing, just trust me!”
“I. . .” Mikey trailed off, before looking away guiltily, “I'd feel more comfortable if you'd just jump down and catch me.”
Real hurt showed on Leo's face, astonished and shocked, before he quickly smoothed it into his usual grin, although it wobbled a bit on the edges.
“I dunno if I could catch you in time Mikester, you'd have a headstart,” Leo said softly, staring down at the empty street below.
“Um. . .”
“How about I stand at the bottom and catch you instead?” Leo offered, and Mikey nodded gratefully.
The slider slashed open a portal, stepping out neatly below the wire and held his arms up.
“Oh! I didn't think you could actually portal there!” Mikey said, sounding guilty, to make up for it, he fell back easily, letting Leo catch him and give a weak grin.
He accepted being carried through another portal that, again, brought them exactly where they were supposed to go.
“I know, I know, I'm amazing,” Leo boasted, closing the portal and watching as Donnie walked over to the wire.
Again; Raph and Mikey were allowed to catch him, but as soon as it was Leo's turn-
“No, Nardo.”
“Come on! You just saw me open two portals back to back that went where they were supposed to go!” Leo argued, throwing his arms up in exasperation.
“According to all other times, this is just a fluke. Statistically, you will not be able to open a portal to the correct location again-” Donnie said, tapping at his wrist band.
Leo interrupted him by slashing open a portal above him and then one opened below the wire, “There. Fall through and I'll catch you.”
“I do not know where the one below leaves,” Donnie said, hesitating, “It could lead to somewhere completely random.”
Leo pointedly stuck his hand through the portal above his head, sure enough, the one on the ground had a green, three fingered hand with a blue glove come through. He flipped Donnie off.
“Fine. Don't close it.” Donnie ordered. He put his arms to his side, only to immediately stop and turn around to see it.
“Just go!” Leo snapped.
But Donnie didn't, it took a literal five minutes of Leo yelling at him to go (and even threatening to tell Mikey about ‘The Incident’) before Donnie finally fell through.
He immediately landed in Leo's arms, who dropped him right after angrily, “See?”
“It was still an abnormality, adding this to my statistics, aaaand, now it is a seven point three percent chance that you can portal properly-”
“Bullshit! You're just using stuff from when my portals didn't used to work!”
“They still don't work,” Donnie said, looking a little bit guilty at the shock on Leo's face, “This is just a fluke. I apologize, but science doesn't lie.”
“Whatever.” Leo muttered, turning away, “Raph, your turn.”
Raph let Mikey and Donnie catch him, then stood on the rooftop, not going back on the wire.
“Good job, guys,” Raph said encouragingly, “We did pretty good overall-”
“Uh, Raph,” Leo said, “You didn't let me go!’
“It's fine, Leo,” Raph said quickly, “Anyway, we need-”
“What!? Dude! This was about trust, remember?” Leo exclaimed, “You're not even letting me go! I caught both of them just fine! You let Donnie and Mikey catch you!”
“Look Leo,” Raph sighed, “It's not that I don't trust you, it's just. . .” He trailed off.
“Just what!?” Leo snapped, “Cause this sure seems like you don't trust me!”
“Alright fine!” Raph snapped, “I don't trust your portaling! Raph knows you can't do it!”
“What!? You just saw me do it multiple times- shut it, Donnie!- why won't you just let me catch you!?” Leo demanded.
“Alright, fine! You've been a pain all day and Raph ain't lettin’ ya use this as a way to get back at him!” Raph snapped, poking a finger onto Leo's plastron, “Besides, you wouldn't’a been able to open the portal as any of us fell!”
“You really think I'd do something like that!?” Leo yelled, smacking Raph's hand away and ignoring his shocked look, “I've been practicing and I wouldn't let you guys get hurt! You guys just don't trust me!”
“That's not it, Leo!”
“Then what is it, huh!?”
“Guys, let's calm down-” Mikey began, but it was too late.
“Y'know what, fine. We don't trust you!” Raph yelled, voice echoing off the surrounding buildings.
Leo was frozen, only managing a small, “What?”
“You heard me! You constantly goof off and get us in trouble and into the middle of nowhere or in danger!”
“You might not trust me, but Dee and Mikey do, right guys?” Leo asked, eyes filled with desperation.
Mikey hesitated, “Well. . .”
While Donnie bluntly said, “I do not trust you when portaling.”
Leo's face was filled with hurt. And Raph reached out, looking guilty, “Leo-”
He regrets admitting it, not saying it.
“No.” Leo said, stepping back before Raph could grab him. He turned, slashing open a portal.
“Leo!”
“It's fine, Raph.” Leo said, pasting on a bright smile, “I wouldn't trust me either.”
Then he stepped into the portal, disappearing.
It snapped shut behind him immediately.