Narrative may not be totally accurate or canon to the au.
"He- he hasn't been eating."
Leo tears his eyes from the vampire. "What-"
"He hasn't been eating!" Raph snaps back. "Of course, he hasn't- we keep the woods so sparse to not attract trouble. You've isolated him, practically starved him- how haven't you tortured him!?"
"I left him there so no hunters would find him!" Leo shouts past the guilty swell in his chest, "You think so low of me to-!?"
"Yes! Actually, brother, I do!"
Leo jumps back, hands behind his back, pressed against the window as the curtains snap closed, his brother's eyes bright and fangs bared as he flies towards him. Leo had always known Raph to be fast. This was an inhuman type of speed. "I know exactly what you do to the people like me. I've seen it, I've heard about it, and if I ever discover that you tried anything on our brother before 'letting him go', you are going to have a fight on your hands."
"I already have a fight on my hands," Leo says, as he carefully pries the hand away from the holy water on the back of his belt. He straightens as Raph pulls away, looking more like a Hamato as Leo wrenches open the curtains. He gestures down below, to the caravan. "And it's got Donatello."
"It's got your brother."
Leo doesn't pay that any mind, "So stuff away your fangs and let's get control of this situation like the team we're supposed to be."
"Oh, please."
Leo grabs his jacket and yanks at it, forcing his attention. "Before Donatello suffers for it."
"Donnie's already suffered," Raph counters, wrenching himself free. "More than you know."
He storms towards the door, and Leo looks out the window to where the vampire is slumped on the ground. Terrified eyes are locked on the door- not the caravan, where the hunters lie, but on the house that he grew up in. His gaze was stuck on the door that was meant to keep the good in and the bad out. The one they'd closed on him.
"Are you coming?!"
"Yeah," Leo says quietly. "Let's wake Mikey."
"They muzzled him! Leo, they muz-!"
"It's standard procedure when handling a vampire," Leo says calmly, with the same collected control that he's always had when dealing with the enemy. It makes the fire in Raph burn. "You know that."
"Guys," Mikey begs, "You can fight later. Donnie needs help now."
"We have to play this safe," Leo takes his gun off the rack by the door. "They expect us to be unforgiving. If they suspect we're there for a rescue, they'll kill him."
"But they can't-"
"It's what we'd do." Leo inturrupts solemnly. "It's what we've done. A sentimental family could lead to a dead village."
"As much as I hate to agree," Raph instinctively goes for his blades, always ignoring the edges tipped with silver. "Leo's right about one thing. We need to play this carefully. We need to keep the Hamato reputation intact."
"You?" Leo's brows shoot all the way up. "Care about our reputation?"
"Towns only trust me enough to let me in because our reputation proceeds me," Raph meets his gaze. "I only get to save lives because nobody questions a Hamato who says the vampire is dead."
Mikey grabs his chucks, fiddling nervously. "Play carefully how?"
"We have to make them think we're out for blood." Leo sheathes his blade. "That we see the vampire over Donatello."
Mikey swallows, pale. "I don't know if I can-"
"You don't have too," Leo reassures with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "They might be suspicious if none of us feel anything towards the change. Let them see you're worried, but don't let your worry get in the way, yeah?"
He takes his hand back, holding it out. Mikey cups it, squeezing at their chestline. "Yeah."
"Good." Leo releases. "We need to make them think we want to dispose of him privately. Get him out of sight."
"I want him," Raph steps closer, "When those doors close, I want to be the first face he sees. The first person he talks to. He'll understand better if he's with me."
"Take him," Leo consents dismissively, looking towards the door. "I was always better at the diplomatic niceties anyway."
"Hey, Leo," Slash grins, all teeth, large hand pressing the pale face to the ground. "Guess what I found."
Donatello whimpers, trying to wiggle out from under the massive foot on his back, fangs visible as his teeth bare under the muzzle. Leo knows vampire cues, and Donatello's is all show. Worse, he knows his brothers' cues, and- Donnie is scared. He's scared to his core.
Leo's presence has always been one that's supposed to prevent that.
Leo saw that look on his face before he sent him away.
It's haunted his hours every moment since.
"Wonderful," Leo says, face and tone schooled. The sarcasm makes Donnie shrink down. "And why did you bring it here?"
"It's yours! Don't you want it?"
"Not really," Leo admits, a half-truth of sorts. "Where did you find it?"
"Oh, I didn't. But when I saw it in a cage, I figured you'd want the honors of taking it out yourselves." He kicks him out, sending Donnie scooting a few inches, kicking up dirt. Mikey yelps behind him. "After all, you love dividing family."
"Pete was already gone, Slash." Raph cut in firmly. "He'd already gotten a taste of mutant. We weren't going to let him take anyone else!"
"That wasn't your choice to make!" His hands go up, gun pointing at Raph's head. "None of you had a right."
"It had to be done!"
"So you say..." Slash lowers the weapon to Donnie. "And now I want to see you do it again."
"Is this your idea of payback?" Leo demands, gesturing to their bound and silenced brother. "Because it's sure not theirs." He gestures upward, to the crew that hasn't been able to meet their eyes.
"Leatherhead?" Mikey calls weakly, only for him to duck back into the caravan and close the door behind him.
"They do as I say," Slash growls. "And you do as your code does. Go on. Shoot him."
"We will," Leo assures him, walking up to the quivering form. Donnie's staring at the ground, tears darkening the dirt below him. "But not here. This shame dies on our terms, not under the sick gaze of a corrupt hunter."
"I bought him," Slash jabs his thumb to his chest. "He's mine!"
"Then you should have killed him when you had the chance," Leo's gun clicks. "Now are you going to get off our property or not?"
"Dude," Mondo speaks up, "Let's just go."
"A retreat would be advisable at this point," Rockwell adds in. "They are not a group to be trifled with."
Leo crouches down to grab the chain and Slash roars. "NO!"
Gunfire rings out. From behind him, Mikey yells, "One more step towards them and this one goes between the eyes!"
"This is a family matter," Raph comes in clutch. "Leo knows how to handle these monsters better than anyone."
Leo understands how he was fooled for so long. Raph was good at playing the game. Too good, if the way Donnie's entire body flinches is any inclination. He didn't even flinch at the shot.
Then again, Leo might have caused that reaction all on his own.
Donnie is so weak that the chain isn't connected to anything, yet it is still able to keep him down. He yanks at it, and Donnie stumbles to his feet. Leo feels like the metal is burning against the palm of his hand.
Even if Donnie were to die, he would not have let it be like this.
"Walk away," Leo steps back, bringing Donnie with him. "Walk away and I won't put your bodies where I put his."
"Not until you kill him," Slash looks about ready to explode. "Not until you do what's necessary. I want to see it."
"Slash, let's go." Mondo begs. "Let's just ditch, bruh."
"Not until they-!"
"Kill our friend?" Mondo demands, grabbing the arm with the weapon. "Like they killed Pigeon Pete? That's right? This is all cool to you?"
"They said-!"
"I don't want to see this." Mondo fights back. "I don't want to- and I don't think you do either."
"Yes," Slash bites lowly, shaking him off. "Yes, I do."
"Donnie, this is really, really important," Raph begs, hands under his little brother's arms, holding him up. "Have you drunken any human blood? Even a little bit? Be honest with me, man."
"No," Donnie shakes his head. "No, no, I couldn't-"
"No mutant, either? None?"
"No- Raph- I'm not- I don't want to be a monster-"
"You're not- you're not," Raph promises, pulling him back into his arms and bearing his weight. "You did good. You did so good, Donnie. And you're okay now- you're safe."
"Raph-" His voice breaks, choked. "I was- I was so scared. I was so-"
"I know, little brother." He whispers, pressing his beak into the top of his head. "But you don't have to be scared anymore."
"Like looking in a mirror, huh?"
Leo frowns, "What?"
"Slash," Raph mutters, not accusing, just solemn. He runs a hand over the brother who hasn't detached from him since he discovered that he wasn't alone in the affliction. "Sometimes it's like looking in a mirror. Just glad I shattered mine."
He turns to Leo, glowing eyes sharp. "What are you going to do with yours?"
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going hunting," Raph grabs the crossbow, tossing it to the bed and then grabbing the rifle. "Donnie needs to eat."
"We have medical blood. Can't we-"
Raph is suddenly in front of him, frantic, "Do not feed him mutant blood! Do not- under any circumstances!"
"Okay, okay," Leo steps back, hands out peacefully. "But why not?"
Raph hurries away to continue packing, "Vampires get addicted to the blood that they taste. It's a survival thing. Eat what's near you, and you always know where more is. Once they start, they can't stop. They can't help it. That's why they have the reputation that they do. Once they taste human or mutant blood, there's no going back."
Leo is used to tracking vampires who think advanced speed is going to get them the upper hand. The disorienting part is that this swift blur is his brother.
"Vampires don't crave it until they have it. They only think they do because hunters spread stupid legends about things they don't understand."
Raph stops to shove things in his duffle, "He can only eat what we're okay with him eating again. If he gets a taste of our blood-"
He zips the bag, "You can't come back from that."
"Wait- are you saying-"
"There's a reason vampire hunters exist," Raph slings it over his shoulder, facing him with a dark look. "They just don't kill for the right ones anymore."
