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bleachanimefan1 · 3 years

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Turtles Forever Part 65

The Lesson

"Donnie, What's the big surprise that you had to drag us all out of bed?" Raph growled, irritated. The three brothers, Splinter, and four girls were in Donnie's lab, wondering the same as well. Donnie was standing in front of them.

"Yeah, Don. Couldn't it wait in the morning? A turtle does need his beauty sleep, you know?" Mikey groaned tiredly, rubbing his eyes, yawning. Leatherhead walked into the room wheeling in a strange monitor.

"Leatherhead? what are you doing here?" Leo asked.

"Leatherhead and I staid awake all night fixing this. But, we did it! We've finally got it to work!" Donnie shouted barely able to contain his excitement.

"Did what, my son?" Splinter questioned. Donnie walked over to Mona and took her hand gesturing her to the bed, with the monitor next to it, to lie down on it. Cautiously, Mona laid down as Raph walked over to her standing beside the bed next her. Donnie started up the monitor and began to rub some gel on the mutant's stomach. Then he took a sensor that was connected to the monitor and began to rub it over Mona's belly. A picture came on the screen followed by an erratic heartbeat. Oh the screen, was a small baby with a tail as it moved. Raph and Mona's eyes widen in shock as did everybody else as well watching the screen.

"O-Our baby?!" Mona stammered. Raph watched the screen in silence, completely paralyzed in shock. Donnie scanned Mona over again then inspected the image on the screen.

"By the looks of it, the baby's definitely gonna take after Mona. But, I can't tell what the gender is because of the tail in the way. However, they seem to be healthy." Donnie explained. "I'd say it'll probably be about three months before they are born."

"Donnie, this is the best gift ever! You and LH really out-did yourself!" Raph exclaimed. Donnie smiled sheepishly, rubbing his head.

"It was nothing really. Just a few broken circuit boards and wires."

The turtles and the four girls jump down in front of April's shop. They walked in as they entered.

"April?" Leo called out. "Anybody home?"

Suddenly, they hear a scream and the sounds of someone getting beaten up. "No!"

"April's in trouble!" Donnie exclaimed. He pulls out his staff and runs towards the back door. The others follow him with weapons drawn as they ran out into the alleyway. They see April holding a bat.

"I give, I give!" They hear someone shouted. Leo adjusted the light bulb and everyone was surprised to see that it was Casey. April panted as she looked down at him.

"Easy April, it's only me!" Casey protested. April gave him an angry look.

"Casey, what the heck are you doing?" She questioned. "That has to be the dumbest thing in the history of dumbest things anybody could do!" Raph and Donnie walked over and helped Casey up. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I'm glad that's just a whiffle bat," Casey commented, rubbing his head. "Sheesh!"

"No, I mean, why would you do such a thing?" said April as she threw the bat away and started walking towards the back door to her shop.

"You asked me to, remember?" Casey asked.

"I did not!" April protested.

"Sure you did!" Casey said as he steps to her. "You was bragging about your ninja fighting skills," He flaps his arms. "And I said I ought to sneak up on ya sometime and test out how good you was. And you said that sounded like an interesting idea."

April glared at him, placing her hands on her hips. Then she looked at the four brothers and girls. "So, how are you guys doing?" She asked. "I was about to make some hot chocolate. I can easily make enough for nine," She smiled. Everyone cheered as they followed April to her shop.

"Great, I love hot chocolate!" Casey exclaimed, happily.

April counted as the four brothers and girls walked into her shop. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight," She smirked and pointed to herself. "And nine." Slamming the door on Casey's face.

"Come on April, you weren't that scared," Casey protested outside. "You beat the crud out of me!" He groaned. He hears no response. "April? Guys? Geez, everybody's so sensitive around here," said Casey, as he kicked a can and started walking away.

In the living room, Mikey and Leo were sitting on the couch, along with Yuuki and Alopex, Raph was sitting on the chair while Mona sat on the arm rest of the chair, Donnie was sitting on the table while Venus sat in a chair next to him.

"Think Casey's okay out there?" Mikey questioned. Suddenly, Donnie's shell cell began to ring.

"That's probably him now," said Leo.

"He's such a bonehead," Raph commented.

"Uh, hello?" Donnie asked as he answered his phone. But, he winched as he heard static. "Huh, it's not Casey. Sounds like somebody's trying to send me a fax."

April growled in frustration. "Oh that Casey gets me so mad!" She carried a tray with nine cups filled with hot chocolate as she walked over to the table. The three brothers and girls walked over to her at the table, taking a seat.

"What are you talking about, April?" Raph asked. "You totally clobbered him!"

"Well," April hesitated. "It's just that I really thought I was getting somewhere in my training with Master Splinter," The turtles, and girls take their hot chocolates, listening to her. "But Casey totally caught me by surprise. I should have heard him coming. You guys would have."

"Well, if it makes you fell any better, April. I'm still learning myself." said Yuuki.

"It takes a lot of practice," Donnie tells her.

"Master Splinter spent a lot of time training us to be aware of our surroundings at all times," Leo explained. "After a while though, if you studied hard enough, you got a sixth sense for it."

"Maybe you guys could help with my ninja training?" April suggested.

The four turtles give her surprised looks.

"Yeah, that's actually not a bad idea, April." Yuuki commented. The four brothers looked at each other, before shaking their heads.

"No way!" Raph said, waving his hands. The four girls looked at them surprised.

"Why not? I'm a quick learner!" April protested.

"It's not you, April," Donnie explained. "It's us."

"Last time we tried to play sensei...well, let's just say it didn't work out too well," Leo said, hesitantly.

"Yeah, we though we could teach this kid," Raph chuckled. "And we were just kids ourselves."

"Raph, that's no way to tell a story," Mikey argued. "Here, let me do it. It was a dark and stormy night, in a galaxy far far away-"

"Mikey," Raph warned.

"Uh, I mean, many moons ago, on a night much like this one,"

Four younger turtles with shorter masks that covered their heads were running in the sewers.

"We were four young turtle tots facing the most horrible of all dangerous dangers. Dun, dun, dun, the wrath of Master Splinter!"

Splinter smacked his staff against the map of the sewers that was hanging on the wall.

"We'd been warned. We knew what we were not supposed to be doing." Leo added.

Splinter smacks his staff, making the four turtle tots gasp. "Do not go to the surface!" He told them as they were walking across a balance beam. "Never go up to the streets! It is far too dangerous," He warned them as they were having dinner and slammed his teapot down, making them gasp. "Under no circumstances should you ever go above ground," Leo lost his balance, falling off from the beam. "If you ever think of going topside, just do not!" Splinter exclaimed. "You had better hope I never catch you going out of the sewers!"

The four turtle tots gulped and looked at each other.

"So, what did you guys do?" April asked.

Leo opened the manhole cover. "We went topside." The four brothers struggled to slide the manhole cover as they tried to move it.

"When we finally go the lid off." Donnie said.

"Hey, no cutting in line!" Raph warned as they tried to crawl out.

"Then move your big fat shell!" Mikey exclaimed. They climbed out and looked around the alley in wonder and amazement.

"It's amazing!" Leo said. "All this open space!"

They walked further down the alley, exploring. "Man, Master Splinter's been holding out on us," Raph said. "Up here, it's...it's..."

"Beautiful," Donnie finished.

"What we didn't know was that just around the corner, was destiny. Or actually this kid that needed help," Mikey said.

A tall black haired boy was wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and sneakers. With him was another boy who was wearing glasses. They watched as the older boys were playing hockey in the streets.

"It's Danny McDonough and his wolf pack," The boy wearing glasses said.

"Man, these guys think they own the street," The taller boy whined. "How come they gotta play in front of my steps, Stevie?"

"I'll help you," Stevie explained, clenching his fist. "We'll stand up to them." He glanced over at the older boys nervously, gulping.

"I'd like to, but they'd just beat the crud out of us. You just go on around and go home," The taller boy told Stevie. "I'll be okay."

Stevie placed a hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "Be careful. I'll see you tomorrow." The taller boy waved as his friend left. As the taller boy turned to walk to his house, the older boys blocked him.

"Hey guys, here comes Arnie dork. You forgot to pay your toll yesterday. This here's our street!" Danny said, jerking his thumb to his gang.

"I...I don't want no trouble," the boy replied, nervously.

"Well, you got trouble." Danny said as he and his gang advance closer. The boy pushed past Danny and his gang and took off running. They chased as they skated after him.

In the alley, Raphael was standing on top of a dumpster.

"I am Raphael, king of the trash!" He exclaimed. The other three turtles climbed onto the dumpster, but Raph threw them off.

"Sorry, Raph," Leo said as he picked Raph up by his leg and knocked him down. "You're the trash and I'm the king!"

"All hail Leo! King of the trash can!" Mikey cheered. Suddenly, Donnie heard voices that were coming closer towards them.

"Guy's, somebody's coming," He told them. The boy ran into the alley while the four turtle tots hid underneath the dumpster. The boy saw that he was trapped as he was at an dead end. He leaned against the wall panting, trying to catch his breath. As he stood up to run away, his eyes widen.

"Oh crud," The boy muttered. He backed up as Danny and his gang skated towards him.

"Poor little fella," Danny said, smirking. "He ran into a dead end."

The four brothers cringed as they heard the boy getting beat up.

"Somebody ought to help that kid," Leo whispered.

"Yeah, finally some real action," Raph murmured, getting up, ready for a fight. But, Donnie stopped him.

"Remember, we can't be seen," He told them.

As the gang was beating the boy, a trash can suddenly came flying at them and hit one of them. "Ow! Hey man, what's your deal?" He shouted as he pushed one of his friends. Mikey threw a trash bag at one of them.

"Ow! Hey, cut it out!"

Then a rope was thrown at one of their feet, being pulled. One of the boys lost their balance and fell on top of Danny, placing his hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Hey, quit it!" Danny said. He turned towards the boy at their feet getting ready to beat him up some more.

"Danny! Lunch time!" Danny's mother called out. He turned to the boy.

"Next time, pay your toll if you want to use our street. Come on, we're outta here," Danny said as he and his gang left.

"That's when young "Master Leo" convinced us to help the kid out," Mikey said.

"To train him so he wouldn't need little green guardian angels all the time," Donnie added.

"We thought we already knew everything there was about ninjitsu, so how hard could teaching be?" Leo said.

"And it had to be better than being stuck in the sewers doing nothin'." Raph said.

"Okay," Leo explained as he turned to the other three turtles. He was wearing a red hat that covered his face, blue jeans, a yellow shirt and brown jacket. "You guys know the plan. We'll each take turns teaching the kid what we know. Agreed?"

"Agreed." The other three turtle tots saluted.

"But remember, guys," Donnie warned. "No matter what happens, we can't let Master Splinter know what we're up to."

Leo nodded and walked over to the boy as he was getting up. The boy groaned as he rubbed his arm. "Hey kid," He turned to Leo. "I saw what happened earlier. You know, you really shouldn't let those bullies push you around like that."

"Oh, it's no biggie," The boy rubbed his arm. "I'll heal."

"It IS a big deal," Leo argued. "It's a matter of honor! You can't surrender your honor so easily. The street belongs to everybody."

"Not for kids like you and me," The boy looked away crossing his arms. "I'm too small."

"No! Those guys are small because they have no heart and no honor. My sensei, my teacher, always taught me that true strength comes from within," Leo explained.

"Maybe, but how do you get it?" The boy asked.

"You train. You train in the art of self-defense," Leo said as he did some moves. The boy watched in awe. "I can help you, teach you." The boy smiled at him.

"Okay, then let's meet back here tomorrow, the same time." Leo said.

The next day, Leo and the boy were on the rooftop, sitting with their legs crossed. The boy was struggling.

"First of all, you have to be serious about wanting to change things. You have to feel the power, connect with the power. Find your inner core, your honor, your true heart. Have you found it yet?" Leo explained as the boy continued to struggle more.

"Uh, I don't think so. Uh, little dude, I can't feel my legs," The boy said.

"That's a good thing, stay focused and breathe and you'll find your true strength," Leo told him. As Leo watched the boy as he tried to meditate, his mind began to wonder back to yesterday with his encounter with the girl with pig tails.

"Uh, little dude, I don't think this is working." The boy said. Leo snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him. How long was he spaced out. His eyes widen. He needed to get back home, fast! Leo stood up. "Just keep practicing. You'll get it! I-uh, need to go to the bathroom. I'll be back!" He said, running.

At the turtle's old Lair, Mikey and Donnie were sparring. Splinter was watching them. Donnie jumped to kick but Mikey dodged it. "Excellent, Michelangelo. Donatello, lift your leg higher for the kick," Splinter instructed. Mikey knocked Donnie and he landed in front of Splinter. Donnie sat up, rubbing his head.

"Sorry, Master Splinter," He said. Splinter held his hand out and Donnie took it as Splinter helped him up.

"That is enough for now. You may rest, my son. It is Leonardo's turn to train," Splinter said as he turned to the couch. Raph was watching the TV with a stuffed bear, sitting next to him that was wearing Leo's mask and a T-shirt.

"Uh-oh, oh boy..." Raph muttered as he looked back as Splinter then back at the bear.

"Come Leonardo," Splinter called out.

"Master Splinter, we wanna keep practicing!" Mikey called out as he and Donnie tried to distract him.

"But it is Leonardo's turn," Splinter explained.

"Leo won't mind, will ya Leonardo?" Mikey called out. Raph lifted the stuffed bear's arm, waving at Splinter.

"Uh, wave if it's okay, Leonardo," Donnie said, nervously. Raph lifted the stuffed bear's arm, waving at Splinter.

"See? Leo doesn't mind." Mikey answered. Splinter frowned in suspicion.

"Uh, is this right, Master Splinter?" Mikey called out as he and Donnie began to spar.

"What about this leaping over the leg sweep?" Donnie asked. "I think I'm getting better!"

Splinter turned to them."I said enough practice. Leonardo, Leonardo?" He called as he began to walk over to the couch. Mikey and Donnie cringed as he got closer.

"This is it, it's all over! We are so cooked!" Mikey panicked as Splinter reached a hand out. Donnie and Mikey screamed. Raph immediately shut his eyes.

"Leonardo!" Splinter shouted as he placed his hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Yes, Master Splinter?" Leo answered. Splinter blinked in confusion.

"It is time for your practice," He explained.

"Oh, okay, coming sensei," Leo said, giving Raph a wink and a thumbs up. Raph returned it. Leo jumped over the couch and flipped, landing next to Splinter.

"Sorry I didn't answer earlier," Leo said as he rubbed his eyes and yawned. "I kind of dozed of there for a moment." He started his katas. Donnie and Mikey were watching Leo and Splinter. Donnie nodded to Mikey and he quietly slipped away without Splinter noticing.

On the rooftops, Mikey finished dressing up, wearing the same outfit that Leo was wearing. "Now the student has become the master," He chuckled as he walked over to the boy. "Ready for more learning?"

"Well, I've been trying to be serious and breathing stuff to find my inner strength like you said,...but kinda makes my head hurt," The boy said as he scratched his head. "And I still can't feel my legs."

"What, are you kidding me?" Mikey questioned. "Get up, get up!" He helped the boy up. "Forget all that baloney, the first and most important lesson is this: you need the right attitude!" The boy blinked, confused, looking at Mikey. "And part of having a winning attitude is having a cool battle cry! A heroic superhero battle cry, like in the comic books!"

"I got it! Goru guru sama!" Mikey exclaimed. The boy scratched his head, completely confused.

"Go ro ro bo...wha?" He questioned.

"Goru guru sama! It means Mister Thunder! Goru guru sama! It's perfect for you!" Mikey exclaimed. "If you yell out Goru guru sama while charging into battle, your foes will flee like cowards before you! Ooo I really wanna see that! Come on, let's try it!"

"Oh, they're just gonna cream us again," The boy complained as Mikey lead him into the alley until the two spotted Danny and his gang.

"Not with your cool battle cries!" Mikey told him as he pushed the boy towards the gang. "Remember, Goru guru sama. Now, go get 'em!"

The boy gulped then narrowed his eyes and walked over to Danny and his gang. He clenched his fists.

"Goru go bolo ama!" He shouted. The gang smirked and skated over towards the boy and began beating him up. Mikey cringed.

"Maybe I didn't give him the right name..." He murmured as he watched.

Donnie and Mikey met on the rooftops. Mikey took off his clothes and tosses them to Donnie.

"How's it going?" Donnie asked.

"Um, great," Mikey answered, hesitantly.

"Good, because I got something really special planned for them. They're gonna love it!" Donnie said as he put on the hat.

The boy sat across from Donnie looking down at a chessboard that was sitting in front of them. "It's really important to really think your actions through. It's all like a game of chess," Donnie explained. "You have to be thinking three to four moves ahead of your adversary. Planning, knowing what's coming."

The boy looked at the chessboard unsure of what to do and scratched his head. "Uh,..." Donnie tapped his finger on the table. He looked up at the boy, who still hadn't made a move. Hours seemed to passed, as Donnie had his head laid on the table and a pigeon landed on him. He looked up again to see that the boy still hadn't made a move.

"Well, it might take a little more time...for some people, I guess," Donnie said as he stood up. "I'll be right back." He left as the boy stared at the chessboard, thinking.

Donnie ran to Raph, handing him the clothes and tossed the hat on Raph's head. "Good luck," He told him. Raph quickly got dressed and ran over to the boy, sitting down.

"I've been studying the board like you said and I still don't get it. Like the horsey, though," The boy said as he held up the knight piece. "I'm trying to think it through, but I don't know."

"Listen guys, the first and most important lesson is to never think. Never! Just act and react and always attack!" Raph said.

"I sure wish you'd make up your mind. Be serious, use your battle cry, think it through, never think! I don't get it!" The boy shouted, confused.

"What you need are weapons. It's all about the weapons," Raph said. "We gotta find you some kind of weapon."

Raph looked at the chessboard before getting an idea. Across from Raph and the boy were three cans that were sitting on the ledge. Raph held the chess pieces in his hand and threw them, knocking down all three cans. "Ha!" He turned to the boy. "You try!"

"Uh...kay." The boy answered nervously, holding the chess pieces in his hand. He threw it but the pieces hit the wall and rebounded back towards him and Raph. Raph cringed.

"Hmm, maybe you just need a better target. Let's see how you do in combat," He said. Raph lead the boy into the alley.

"Now remember, focus on your weapon. It's all about the weapons!" He explained.

The boy threw the pieces at the gang but missed as the pieces landed near their feet. Raph cringed as he watched the boy get beat up by the gang.

"Maybe we need to work on the kid's aim a little...or find him a different weapon." He murmured.

Back in the Lair, Mikey, Donnie and Leo stood across from Splinter as he stood in front of them. "Now, I wish for you to take what you have learned and use it in pairs. Michelangelo and Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael," Splinter raised an eyebrow, seeing that Raph wasn't there. "Where is Raphael?"

"He's in the shower?" Donnie answered, nervously, jerking his thumb.

"Yeah, yeah, he's in the shower," All three turtle tots said together. Leo smiled sheepishly. Splinter gave them a suspicious look.

"You four have been acting very strangely of late," He pointed out.

"Uh, Raphael, it's time to get out of the shower!" Leo shouted, running off. Donnie and Mikey smiled sheepishly and followed after him. Splinter had a confused look on his face watching them leave. Raph walked in as the others ran over to him. "Raphael!"

"Raphie, hold still!" Mikey told him and Leo dumped a bucket of water on Raph.

"There."

"What was that for?!" Raph demanded.

"You just got out of the shower," Leo whispered. Raph turned to Leo and growled until he saw Splinter walking up to them with a stern look on his face.

"I just got out of the shower, sensei," Raph explained. All four smiled sheepishly as they looked up at Splinter.

"Hmm, I can see that," Splinter answered, hesitantly, crossing his arms."Do you always shower with your mask on?"

"Uhh, yeah, it's a great way to keep it clean!" Raph said. Splinter gives him a questionable look, shaking his head.

"Come, let us resume your training,"

In the alley, Leo, who was wearing clothes again, stood with the boy. "Okay, now it's time to try out what you've learned, to face your enemies."

"But you already made us face 'em, twice!" The boy pointed out. "And they creamed me both times!"

"Em, I did?" Leo asked, confused. "Well, let's try it again, using everything you've learned." He pushes the boy towards the gang. Standing back, watching, Leo saw his brothers walking over towards him.

"So, you think he learned anything?" Mikey questioned.

"I hope so. I mean, you taught him self-defense, right, Mikey?" Leo asked in response. "How to punch and kick? And I covered inner strength."

"I didn't teach him any fighting skills," Mikey answered, confused. "I thought Raph was gonna."

"I didn't," Raph shook his head. "Donnie, did you?"

"Oh shell," Donnie muttered in realization.

"Go so bo gara!" The boy shouted. The four turtle tots cringed as they saw the gang beat the boy up again.

"Okay, we're gonna start over," Leo said. "But this time with the real basics."

"Right!' Mikey commented. "Or as Master Splinter would say, "the foundation of any house must start strong and-" A shadow towered over them and Mikey made a girlish scream as Splinter stood over them.

"Master Splinter!" The four turtles exclaimed.

They gasped, seeing Splinter was not happy. He was furious.

"Um, Master Splinter, we can explain," Donnie explained. "We've been teaching."

"Like you!" Mikey exclaimed. "But not as good as you."

"You know, trying to follow in your footsteps?" Leo asked, sheepishly.

"There's this kid and-" Raph started to add but Splinter hold his hand up.

"Enough! Home, now!" He snapped, angrily, crossing his arms.

"But...the kid," Raph protested.

"We can't just abandon him," Mikey defended.

"You are not ready to teach! You could do more damage than good. The child must find his own path, as you must find yours. Now come, we are going home," Splinter told them. All four turtle tots whined as the hang their heads down.

Everyone busted out laughing out loud. "Oh man, was Splinter angry!" Mikey exclaimed.

"He must have made us practice for 78 hours straight," Leo recalled.

"I think he wanted to make sure we were so tired, we wouldn't be able to go topside," Donnie said.

"So whatever happened to this kid, anyway?" April wondered, raising an eyebrow. The four turtles looked at each other.

"You know, I don't know," Leo answered, shaking his head.

The boy was walking down the street with a solemn look on his face. "I'll just have to tell that kid in the red hat the training isn't working. Guess I don't have what it takes."

"Hey geek boy, doing a little reading?" He heard and looked up to see Stevie being picked on by Danny and his gang. "Oh, you're gonna cry? Oh look, he's gonna cry!"

"Give it back!" Stevie shouted as he tried to grab for his book.

"Stevie?" The boy asked, before narrowing his eyes, growling.

"What are you gonna do about it?" The gang asked before hearing a loud scream until Danny was punched to the ground. The others skated towards the boy. The boy ducked, causing one to wack the other with his hockey stick. He grabbed the stick and punched the older boy in the stomach and the face. Danny got up with a stick in hand seeing the boy knocking his gang down like they were nothing. He growled and skated over to him striking with his stick. The boy blocked it, striking back until he knocked Danny off of his feet making him fall to the ground.

He looked up at the boy in fear before he and his gang skated away, leaving him and Stevie alone.

"That's right, you better run!" The boy exclaimed. "You bullies better watch it, because Arnold Casey Jones aren't letting you push nobody around anymore!"

"Gora...gora...Goongala! Goongala! Goongala!" He roared out loud as his voice echoed throughout the streets.

"Wow," Stevie said in awe with his mouth slightly dropped. Casey walked over to him and handed Stevie his book.

"Come on, Stevie, I'll walk you home."

#tmnt #tmnt donatello #tmnt raphael #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt leonardo #tmnt 2003 #fanfiction

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thegreatestofheck · 5 years

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Two by Two ♞ Diego Hargreeves

Pairing: Diego Hargreeves x Original Character

Summary: The Umbrella Academy saved her years ago and she finally meets Diego in her bar. They bond over having the same name/nickname.

Warnings: description of torture, lots of talks about scars, physical assault (battery, nothing sexual), there’s a little bit of steamy (?) kissing at the end but it’s mostly fluff.

Word Count: 4352

Author’s Note: This is just a little drabble that I felt like making. Idk, she was meant to be more badass, but it’s okay that she’s not. Not everyone can be strong all the time. If there are any warnings I missed that you think I should add, please let me know and I will be sure to add them. Enjoy!

Diego Hargreeves walked into The Wilting Fleur, a scowl on his face. He plopped himself at the bar and waved over one of the bartenders. A young woman about his age walked over with a smile. She was olive skinned, with dark hair tied up into a bun. Her eyes were a deep brown and betrayed the lie behind her smile. She a long sleeved, high colored red shirt. Diego thought that was strange for how warm it was, even at this time of night. Still, he couldn’t talk. He wore something similar.

“What can I get you?” She asked him. He hadn’t actually decided yet.

“Can I have a water?”

“That all?”

“For now.”

“One water, coming right up,” she said with a smile. He watched her as she poured his water and brought it back to him. “You just let me know when you want something else.”

“Hey, Tess!” Someone in the kitchen called. She smiled at Diego and walked into the kitchen. Diego scowled at his water. Ever since Diego and his siblings saved the world from the apocalypse, he thought that things might be easier. Somehow he had hoped that he wouldn’t have to go around saving as many people’s lives. At least, he wished that they would be more grateful.

The bartender, Tess, came back around to talk to another customer. A man came in, wearing a black suit and a tie. Diego tensed, always wary of men in suits. They usually meant trouble.

“Are you Two?” He asked.

“Yes,” Diego grumbled.

“That’s me,” Tess the bartender said with a smile. Diego looked up, eyebrows pinched in confusion. She looked over at Diego and shrugged.

“I’m here to collect payment,” the man said. Diego’s fists curled. Men in suits asking for money, especially in bars, was never a good sign. He expected Tess’s smile to fall, for her to protest, but all she did was pull out an envelope and give it to the man. He took the envelope, counted what was inside it, and nodded.

“Thank you,” he said and left.

“Have a nice day!” Tess called after him.

Diego looked back at his water. Maybe he was getting paranoid. Not everyone was a bad guy. Maybe he was turning out like Dad.

“I thought it might be you,” Tess said. Diego looked up and she was standing to the right of him, wiping the counter down. “You’re Diego Hargreeves.”

“That’s me.”

Tessa smiled again, but this was a real smile, not one of the usual “I’m working customer service so I have to smile at everyone so I can get tips” smile. She actually looked happy to see him.

“My name’s Tessa. You probably don’t remember me, but when I was 13 you and your family saved my life. And my mom’s.” When it was clear to her that he didn’t remember, she elaborated. “There was this guy, kidnapping mothers and their daughters and killing them. My mom and I were just out shopping when he nabbed us. You were the one who found me first, saved my life. I never got to thank you. So, thank you.”

Diego wasn’t sure what to say. He sort of remembered the mission, but it was one of those ones he tried hard to forget. It wasn’t pretty. He almost smiled, however, knowing that all those terrible things that Dad made them do at least helped someone.

“I was just doing my job,” he said, not looking at her.

“Well, anything you want, it’s on me.”

“I couldn’t-”

“Look, Mr. Hargreeves, I don’t take people saving my life lightly. You want anything, you just tell me.”

She turned to walk away.

“Can I ask when you’re getting off?”

She looked back at him again with another one of her real smiles. She looked down at her shoes then back at him.

“My shift doesn’t end until closing, but I can take my break in 10?”

“So they call you Two, huh?”

Tessa shrugged. She took a sip of her coffee.

“My dad gave all of his kids nicknames like that. Leah, the youngest, was Little. Sam was Sparks. My older sister, Steph, she was Queenie. I was the second oldest, so I became Two,” Tessa said. She shrugged again. “It was just a family thing.”

“Yeah, my dad did something similar,” Diego said. “You read my sister’s book?”

“I was going to. I wanted to know about the people who saved me, but I couldn’t do it. It felt too personal, like I was invading your life. That wasn’t my place,” she said. “It sounds stupid, I know.”

“It’s not stupid.” Neither of them talked for a few seconds. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember you. I’m not sure I still do.”

“I never expected you to. You guys helped so many people.”

“Would you refresh my memory?” Tessa looked at her coffee cup. She ran one of her hands up her arm, pulling up the base of her sleeve, just barely. Diego caught sight of a thin, white line. He had seen enough of those on himself to know it was a scar. “Of course, you don’t have to.”

Tessa shook her head. She closed her eyes and began talking.

“His name was Carter Worth. We didn’t know him before he took us. He waited for us to leave the store, crept up behind me a threatened me with a knife, said he would kill me if my mother and I didn’t get in his car. He blindfolded us, took us to a shack in the woods with a basement. He held us there for days. He would…” She massaged her collarbone. “He would cut us. Take turns, going back and forth. We were there for three days, maybe, I don’t know, before you showed up. Doctor’s said I wouldn’t have lasted the rest of the day if you hadn’t shown up.”

Diego was just staring at her when she finished. She looked at him and his mouth hung partially open. She found herself laughing.

“I can’t believe I forgot that,” he said finally, leaning back in his chair.

“I’m glad you forgot. I wish I could.”

“Look, if there’s anything I can do to help you…”

“You have already done so much. You gave me my life back.” Tessa looked at her watch and sighed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hargreeves, but it looks like my break is over. I have to go back to work.”

“Call me Diego,” he said, cringing at the sound of his father’s last name. “It was nice to meet you, again, Tessa.”

“Just call me Two,” Tessa said as she stood. “All my friends do.”

Diego watched her walk back to the bar, her real smile staying on her face as she started tot talk to the next guy at the bar. Diego stood, dropped some cash on the table, and started for the door. Just before he pushed the door open, he looked back at her one last time. She caught his eye and smiled again. He offered her a single wave of his hand before he left the bar.

Tessa breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She couldn’t help smiling. She had waited for 16 years to meet and thank the people who had saved her life. She remembered the pain like it was yesterday. She remembered it every night as she went to sleep, however, she also remembered the boy who had broken into the basement she was being held in. She remembered his mask, how with nothing more than a flick of his wrist, Carter Worth died. She was crying. He came over to her, took off his mask, told her it was going to be okay.

The rest of the night was good, even with the drunk men who hit on her and the painful memories that passed through her head just by looking at a butter knife. She slept easy that night, for the first time in a while.

It wasn’t rare to see Diego hanging around The Wilting Fleur after that. Tessa spent her breaks talking to him. When she confessed to him that she had been taking self defense lessons ever since she was kidnapped, he offered to help her get stronger when they were both off of work. She wasn’t too great at push-ups, and they would often end up laughing at her complete inability to do so.

She helped him mop sometimes. She thought it was fun, especially if they turned up the music. She could take off her shoes and skate around on their newly mopped floor. The first time she did so, it took a little bit of convincing to get Diego to take his shoes off too and join her. It was only when he did so that Tessa learned that Diego didn’t wear all black.

“What?” He asked when she paused, trying to hide her laughter. He looked down at his feet and groaned.

“I really love the socks, Hargreeves. Neon yellow is a good look on you.”

He ran at her, forgetting about the slippery ground they were standing on. Tessa turned to run, but she slipped, reaching out to him as she fell. Tessa pulled Diego down with her. Diego was going to ask if she was okay when she started laughing uncontrollably. Her laughter always made him laugh. That was the first time he wanted to kiss her.

When Diego had rough nights on the streets, he would show up at her place and she would let him in, make him a cup of coffee, listen to his day. When he fought with his siblings, she gave him shelter, a place to lay low for a while. When she had nightmares or panic attacks, he would talk to her, just talk, and it was enough to calm her down. He never asked her why she only wore long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and she never told him.

They protected each other from the demons that haunted them, from the monsters that hid under their beds. And it was good for both of them.

The bar was relatively empty at 10 o’clock that night. It wasn’t usual, but it was a Thursday so Tessa wasn’t surprised. Diego had stopped by, but there was an emergency out on the streets. She loved the way Diego’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open when he heard the radio call. He would always try to say he was sorry, but she knew what he did was important. Still, being around him left a lingering smile on her face.

“Damn, I wish I could make you smile like that,” one of her customers said. She looked up, cringing slightly at him. She forced a smile and gave another patron a beer. “What, he gets a whole conversation but I don’t even get a real smile.”

“He’s a friend,” was all Tessa said. She knew it wasn’t smart for her to interact with most male patrons, especially when they’re drunk or even slightly tipsy. It wasn’t safe for her.

“I can be a friend,” he said, chewing on the end of a straw. Tessa laughed uncomfortably. She turned back to the kitchen to grab a plate the cook set out for the male customer. He caught her eye.

“You okay?” He whispered, cutting something. She tried to smile and nodded.

“Nothing unusual,” she said. He hummed, not really believing her. She wasn’t really okay. He didn’t really look like Carter Worth, but there was a mole on his jaw that was far too similar to the one Worth had and it was enough to make Tessa shake. She put his plate in front of him. As she turned, he grabbed her wrist. She couldn’t help the gasp that came from her mouth.

“What’s your name?” He asked her. The fear that ran through her made Tessa feel weak. She hated feeling weak. She thought of Diego; what would he do? What would he say?

“Get your hand the hell off me,” she said, her voice low as not to disturb the man a few stools down.

“Or what?” The man asked, a laugh in his voice. Tessa grabbed his hand with hers, jamming her thumb into the fleshy part between his thumb and pointer finger. Pain crossed the man’s face and the shock was enough to loosen his grip of her wrist, so she snatched it away.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” she said, glaring at him.

“I never got your name.” The bastard still had the audacity to smile at her.

“Get out of my bar before I drag you out by your 3-inch dick,” she snapped. The other male patron snorted, coughing up some of his whiskey. The man in front of her stood up, shoving a few fries unceremoniously into his mouth. He flicked the plate up, the food her ordered going everywhere. Tessa jumped, rubbing her wrist. She jumped again when he slammed the door behind him. She shook her head and collected herself, She grabbed a rag and started to sweep the discarded food into a trashcan.

The other patron walked over to her. He right the plate and collected the fork and knife that were strewn across the counter.

“Thank you,” she said weakly. He dipped his head.

“Here,” he handed her a wad of cash. Tessa knew by looking at it that it was more than his once glass of whiskey cost.

“You don’t have to-”

“You don’t deserve to be treated that way. Maybe this’ll help you buy a taser to protect yourself from guys like him.” He set the money on the counter and turned to leave. Tessa tucked the money into her apron and finished cleaning. She closed her eyes as she passed the plate, fork, and knife back to the cook. She could feel the knife in her hand, the weight of the handle. She felt ashamed of the way her fear controlled her. She thought she had been doing better since meeting Diego.

“The knife isn’t the weapon,” he told her once. “The humans are the dangerous ones. A knife can’t hurt you without a human holding it.”

It was helping her. She could touch butter knives without wanting to cry, but when something like this happened, she felt like the 13-year-old girl again, weak, helpless, pathetic.

“Go home, Two,” the cook said. “We can close up.”

“We don’t close for another hour.”

“No one’s here. Just go home.”

“Thank you, Danny. Goodnight.”

“Night, Two. Be careful out there.”

The air was cold against Tessa’s face. For once, she was grateful for her long sleeves and her long pants. She welcomed the cold. It bit at her skin enough to distract her from thinking about the man, how he grabbed her, the mole on his face. Tessa’s apartment wasn’t very far from The Wilting Fleur. She never had problems walking home. Until tonight.

Tessa walked by a dumpster and the man from before jumped out behind her and wrapped an arm around her neck, clapping his hand over her mouth. It didn’t stop her from screaming. Tessa elbowed him in the gut and he loosened his grip on her. She tried to run, but he grabbed her by the shirt. Her shirt tore as she tried to run, revealing her shoulder. He didn’t keep his hold on her, but she lost her balance and stumbled. She cried out as she hit the ground with a thud.

He grabbed her shoulders and lifted her off the ground. He pushed her against the wall. He hit her face once, trying to get her to stop struggling. Stars swam in her vision. She tried to kick him off of her, but his grip on her was too tight. She was ashamed of the tears that squeezed out of her eyes.

“Go ahead and cry,” he seethed. “No one’s going to help you.”

Tessa couldn’t deny she was praying that Diego would show up and save her like he did before. But maybe she had to save herself this time.

She spat in her offender’s eyes. He recoiled, giving her space to push him away with her feet. She dug her teeth into his arm and he let her go with a cry. As soon as she was free from his grip, she started running toward her apartment. This guy must have been some kind of athlete because he composed himself and caught up to her before she could even get around the corner. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up by the waist.

She was almost more frustrated by this guy than afraid anymore. Only she was forgetting what Diego had taught her about this. She couldn’t think clearly. Her first coherent thought was that she was going to die.

But she didn’t.

All of a sudden, he let her go. She fell to the ground. Tessa scrambled to her feet and ran a few feet, not caring for the first few seconds why he had let her go. When she heard him grunting, she turned back around. She saw a black mass pummeling the guy into the ground. She knew who the black mass was before she even saw his face. That was her black mass.

“What the hell man?” The guy yelled.

“What the hell?” Diego yelled back, kicking him once in the ribs. “The hell is you’re beating up my friend, my girl, and you think I’m going to let you get away with it?”

“Diego, that’s enough,” Tessa said, holding her sore arm. It was like he didn’t even hear her. He grabbed the guy by his shirt and slammed him into the wall.

“You don’t go near her ever again. You don’t look at her ever again. You don’t step foot near her place. Do you got me?”

The man nodded, fear in his eyes. Diego hit him again in the face again and again and again.

“Diego! Stop!”

He did. The man fell to the ground, breathing heavily but not moving. Diego crouched down to talk to him.

“If she wasn’t here, you’d be dead,” he seethed. Tessa felt a shiver run up her spine. She didn’t doubt what he said. Diego stood and turned to her.

She took a step back, afraid of the look on his face. There was murder in his eyes. She wondered how many people had died at his hand, that look on his face the last thing they saw before they died.

But half a second later, his face changed into a look somewhere between relief and concern. He ran to her and folded her into his arms. By the time he reached her, she had forgotten the terrifying look on his face. She buried her face in his shirt, barely caring about the knives on his harness that pressed against her.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly, putting his gloved hands on her face.

“Yeah, Diego, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” He checked her eyes, touched the ripped fabric of her shoulder.

“I just want to go home.”

“C’mon.”

Tessa sat cross-legged on Diego’s bed, wearing one of his sweaters. It was warm and it smelled like him. He sat in front of her, one of his legs hanging over the bed. He pressed an alcohol wipe against the cut on her forehead. She cringed and sucked in a breath.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“What for?” She asked with half a laugh.

“I wasn’t there to protect you.”

Tessa put a hand on his.

“Diego, look at me.” He met her eyes. “You don’t always have to protect me. It’s not your job.”

“I can’t see you get hurt.”

Tessa sighed, lowering her head.

“Don’t worry about me, Diego. I’ll be fine.”

Diego lifted her chin to meet her eyes.

“I do worry about you, Two.”

Tessa didn’t respond. She took his hand in hers, looking at the bruises on his knuckles. They were there because of her. She didn’t know what came over her, but she brought his knuckles to her lips. His hands were warm. She heard his breath hitch. She had no idea what she was doing.

She looked up at him to apologize. Tessa met Diego’s eyes for a mere second before he leaned down and kissed her. Surprise was the first thing that Tessa felt. Warmth exploded throughout her. The inner cold she felt before disappeared. She pulled him closer to her, trying to soak him in.

His lips left hers, traveling to her jaw. Tessa tilted her head to the side, giving him more room. The trail of warmth his lips left in their wake made her shiver. He slowly slipped his overly large sweater from her shoulder. Diego kissed the nape of her neck, pressing his lips against one of her scars.

Tessa’s eyes shot open. She pushed against Diego’s chest, her heart pounding.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s not you, Diego. It’s me.” She pulled his sweater back over her shoulder. She hated how her nose burned and her eyes filled with water. “It’s the scars. I see them and I remember that I don’t have control of my own body. That, even if he is dead, I still belong to him.”

Diego didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

“You don’t belong to him, Two. What that man did to you…” Diego breathed deeply, as if trying to control his anger. “That wasn’t your fault. Hey, Two, that wasn’t your fault.”

Tessa sniffed, flicking her finger across the tip of her nose. Diego grabbed her hand gently and lifted it to his face. He pressed two of her fingers to the scar on his eyebrow.

“I got this one when I was 17. It was just after I left the house. My first lone mission. A guy hit me with a vase.” He moved her hand to a thin white line on his jaw. “That was from falling down the stairs when I was a kid.” Tessa bit her lip and moved her hand to another scar on his neck. “Luther threw something at me. Allison was so mad when I started bleeding, but I just told Luther that if he wasn’t a sissy he would have done more to me than give me a scar.”

He showed her a few of his other scars. She smiled at some of his stories. A guy like him and you would think all of his scars would be from saving families from robbers, but most of them were from mishaps as a kid. When she built up the courage, she finally ran her finger along the long, gnarly scar marring the side of his head.

“It looks like something that would need a long winded explanation, but really, a guy was going after my ex-girlfriend. I tried to defend her and he came at me with a knife. Didn’t really end well for me. Luckily, my ex was a cop so he got arrested.”

“I’m sorry,” she said to him. Diego shook his head with a laugh.

“Don’t worry about it, Two. I just want you to know, you don’t have to be afraid of your scars. The only thing those scars tell me is that you’re the strongest person I ever met, and my brother is an actual behemoth.”

Tessa laughed. He loved it when she smiled. She grabbed his hand like he did to her and pulled down the collar of his sweater. Across her chest was a puckered scar. She breathed heavily as she put his hand over it.

“This was the first one he did,” she said, not sure if she could look in his eyes. She was shaking. She lifted the sweater just enough to show him the scar on her ribs. “This one hurt the most.”

As he had, she went through the scars all over her body. She could remember each one, how much it hurt, when she got it. There were a few she had from before, from a crashed bike or a rock she dropped on her toe.

Tessa found herself laughing along with Diego. He touched one on her collar bone, one that looked more jagged than the rest, like it had been cut off part way through.

“This was the last one,” she said. “He was carving this one into me when you broke in. There’s one more.”

Diego could tell by the way her voice shook that this last one was something more than the others, something worse.

“You don’t have to show me,” Diego told her. She waved him off. Tessa sat up on her knees. She lifted her sweater again, all the way to her sternum. Right over the bone, a letter was carved into her skin. Just thinking about it made tears run down Tessa’s cheeks. Diego looked up at her.

“It’s a ‘C’. He branded me. The police said he did it to all the girls before he killed them. It meant I wasn’t supposed to live much longer. It’s a good thing you came when you did.”

Diego put one hand on her waist, trying to steady her shaking body. With his other hand, he touched the carved letter.

“I never told anyone. I never showed anyone. I have to change and shower in the dark. I don’t go swimming. I don’t wear dresses. Until I met you, I couldn’t imagine anyone knowing the full extent of what he did to me,” Tessa said. Diego looked up at her. She lowered herself so she was sitting back on the bed.

“I think you’re beautiful,” he said. Tessa smiled, looking at her hands. He kissed her cheek, trying to tell her that he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Can I stay here?” she asked him.

“Of course.”

Tessa lay down with a sigh. Diego lay behind her. She didn’t realize how tired she was until she closed her eyes. She didn’t fall asleep until Diego draped his arm over her waist.

#diego hargreeves #number two #two by two #the umbrella academy #fanfic #fanfiction #au #diego #original character #maybe ongoing

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