The chanting began low, gently tickling the back of his mind with the sound, as if it was the echo of a far off memory that wasn't even worth reaching out for because it would always slip through your fingers like it was never there at all. He barely even noticed its presence at first, not even bothering to make the conscious thought of ignoring it. Then it grew louder, became more refined and he could even pick out the sound of individual voices all chanting in the same alien tongue.
He turned in his sleep as he felt himself returning to consciousness and the chanting filled his ears. Surely it wasn't real, he reasoned to himself. It was just some part of a crazy dream long forgotten in the depths of his sleep. But that theory was soon shattered to pieces as he slowly opened his eyes to the darkness of his bedroom and at the very edge of his hearing the chanting continued.
He frowned and sat up slowly. His limbs still ached from sleep and he stretched them out to relive them. Where was the noise coming from? Did one of his siblings leave the radio on? Was someone murmuring on the left-on TV and somehow he picked up the sound even in his sleep? He found that if he focused on taking in the darkened objects from around his room then he could tune out the chanting almost indefinitely, but it still hummed in the back of his head, a twittering buzz that seemed to wait patiently until his attention was inevitably draw back to it again.
Twitching the stiffness from his fingers and toes, he carefully stepped out of his bed and stood on the cold stone ground. It was almost as if the sound was coming from inside his mind, like it was an old lullaby that he had long since forgotten in the days of his childhood and was just now manifesting itself, familiar and old in his head.
It was strange to say the least, the chanting wasn't loud and it didn't even try to overwhelm his senses. He strained to make out the words that blurred together in the chanting and was surprised when he found that the basic voice tones was like nothing he had ever heard before. Wherever the chanting was coming from, they certainly weren't human and their language was defiantly not English or any tongue he had ever heard of.
He shook his head slowly, trying in vain to dislodge the sound from his brain. He'd been through a lot of weirdness in his short teenage life, but the very last thing he would put up with was that strangeness finding a way into his head in the middle of the night. He wondered briefly if he should go to one of his brothers and ask for some advice, but quickly dismissed the idea. The very last thing he wanted was to worry them that he was quite possibly going insane, (he was hearing voices in his head) and that he wouldn't able to lead them in this state.
The thought brought a sigh to his lips. There was a thought that shouldn't enter his mind as often as it did. Perhaps he really was legitimately going crazy, it wasn't that impossible considering the last few weeks. He had been under a fair amount of stress recently, especially the night that his brother almost died. They had been so close to losing their brother and afterwards everyone had expected him to be the leader and the rock that everyone needed as his brother recovered. He had been so traumatized by the event himself, how was he supposed to comfort everyone else?
In the end he had swallowed his constant insecurities and done what had needed to be done, between taking take of their recovering brother to comforting his two remaining brothers, but had felt so drained afterward that he barely could sleep some nights for fear of the nightmares that would most defiantly plague him. But he had never heard voices in his mind before, so the newness in this current breakdown was almost intriguing to him.
A small smile curved on his lips and he had to stop himself from laughing at the irony. It would be just like him to break under the pressure, to give his brothers something to talk about behind his back, not that they didn't do enough of that already. His attention turned back to the chanting that continued to sing in his mind and he had to bite back another sigh. Might as well try and figure this out on his own before anyone else learned about it.
He stood up off his bed and stretched his arms above his head, cracking his well-muscled limbs and couldn't hold back a yawn. Why did these things always have to happen in the middle of the night? Shaking his fatigue and annoyance, he silently walked out of his room and into the hallway. Without a second's hesitation he turned to the right, walking towards his brothers' rooms. First he had to make sure they were okay, then he could go downstairs, maybe make himself a cup of tea and think about the chanting that had suddenly started up in his head.
He stopped first at his youngest brother's room, comforted slightly by the familiar sound of snoring as the orange-banded turtle dreamed. He carefully opened the door, finding that he could only do so slightly because of the cluttered junk that littered the floor. Slipping into the room, he carefully navigated through the mess and stopped at the bed, chuckling at the sight of his baby brother snoring into his pillow with his rear in the air and the blanket twisted between his legs. He smiled softly, glad that for once his baby bro was having a good night sleep without the constant nightmares that had haunted him ever since the almost demise of their brother.
He then carefully moved his younger brother so that he was laying on his side and the blanket once again neatly covered his toes to his shoulders. How long it would stay that way, he had no idea, but for now his brother was comfortable. With another quiet chuckle he left the room, now knowing that his baby bro was safe and asleep.
As he walked to the next room he thought about a time that was really not that long ago but felt like an eternity into the past where he wouldn't have made these rounds to his brothers without a nightmare to provoke it. Comes with being in charge, he supposed.
He was much more careful about being silent stepping into the next room because it was the bedroom of the brother who was still recovering of his near-death experience. He knew that if he even made a slight sound and awakened him, there would be no getting him back to sleep and his brother so badly needed the rest. He walked on tip-toes to his injured brother's bedside and took a minute to just watch his brother's chest rise and fall.
How close had they been to losing his brother? How much of it was his fault? Why hadn't he been faster, stronger? He should have seen the problem sooner and maybe then they wouldn't have come so close. Not because he was in charge, but because he was his brother. He should have known, should have done something…
He sighed. These thoughts were familiar to him, especially in the past couple weeks, and he was way passed tired of them. He quietly sat down in the chair next to the bed and reached for the cloth that sat in a bowl of water at his brother's bedside. His brother had been sporting a fever for the first couple days and they had been trying their hardest to keep it down and him comfortable.
His brother groaned in his sleep at the wet cloth's cool touch on his forehead and he knew that he would soon wake. Light grey eyes opened and his brother turned towards him. Before his brother could open his mouth, he quickly put the cloth back in the bowl and stood up.
"Nothing's wrong, bro." He whispered. "Go back to sleep."
His brother frowned and attempted to sit up, but fell back when he found he didn't have the strength. Instead his brother simply turned his head to him.
"Something must be wrong," his brother rasped, fighting the cough that rose in his throat. "Otherwise you wouldn't be in here, Raph."
"Maybe I just wanted to check on ya," He argued, turning away from his brother and towards the door. "Go back to sleep, Leo. You need it."
The blue-banded turtle, whose blue mask was currently resting by his bedside while he recovered, narrowed his eyes at his younger twin in concern.
"Something's bugging you, Raph." He whispered with as much certainty as a very sick turtle could muster. His eyes softened. "Does this have something to do with your position?"
Raphael sighed and turned back to his sick twin brother. He wasn't about to tell Leo anything about the chanting that was still playing in his head, but he could at least talk to him about this. Wasn't like the former leader was going to go back to sleep anyway.
He sat back down in the chair next to the bed. "I can't do this, Leo." He said softly, avoiding his brother's gaze. "I have no idea why you chose me to be your second-in-command in the first place, and now with you out of commission everything is up to me as leader. If I had been faster, you never would have gotten hurt in the first place."
Leonardo was saddened at his twin's worries and wished more than anything he could take back the burdensome mantle of leader onto his own shoulders right at that moment. He hated how Raphael had been forced as his second-in-command to do his job while he was recovering and all because Leo had made a stupid mistake.
"This isn't your fault, Raph." The older turtle comforted the temporary leader. "It's mine. I don't regret the choice I made, but I should have been stronger so that you guys didn't have to intervene. In fact, if it hadn't been for you, I definitely would have died."
The red-banded turtle shook his head. "I didn't do anything-"
"Who figured out what was happening and led Mikey, Don and Master Splinter to my rescue? Who didn't give up on me when I had already given up on myself? You saved me when I had given up on being saved, Raphael. You pulled me back from the darkness. I hate that you have to carry the burden, little brother, but I don't regret making you my second-in-command. And I never will."
Raph was surprised for a minute, but then he smirked. "Little brother? We're twins, remember? You're like, ten seconds older than me."
Leonardo smiled back. "Makes all the difference, bro. But I am serious. You've done a great job as leader, Master Splinter even told me yesterday how proud he was of you just stepping up and taking the responsibility. Mikey was even taking about even after I'm better, letting you have command for a while. He's really enjoying your training sessions."
The elder of the twins smiled sadly, wishing for the thousandth time since his injury that he could join his brothers in training. His hands ached to hold his dual katana and feel the blades react to the air as he sliced in well-practiced katas. He missed the physical thrill and exhilaration of sparring with his siblings and the playful jokes and laughs that were always exchanged between them. The only interaction he had now was the visits from his family and friends, each taking shifts in watching and entertaining him while he had to lay there in his bed healing and he really appreciated that, but he felt like he was a burden and he missed being there for his brothers and father.
Since directing training was always the duty of the leader, Master Splinter had declared that until Leonardo had recovered, Raph would be planning and guiding the sessions and this had brought a huge groan out of both their younger brothers. Surprising to everyone though, the red-banded warrior had really gotten into it, taking his own spin on training and making it the way he had always imagined it being. From what Donatello and Mikey had excitedly shared with him, Leo had heard that it was full mostly of games specifically targeted to increase their proficiency in different aspects of their training, like stealth, speed, hand-to-hand combat, ect. Master Splinter had even shared with his eldest that even he had been skeptical at first, but apparently after watching Raph's games in action he couldn't help but be impressed. Raphael was just able to make training fun for both his younger brothers, something Leonardo had always failed to do, and even Mikey had been disappointed when training sessions ended.
When Leo had heard this he had been very proud of his twin but also very sad. Raphael truly was a great leader and even though he himself couldn't see it yet, Leo knew the others had already seen it and accepted it. Leo knew the moment he was better his twin would hand the title back without hesitation and that he was nowhere near being replaced, but it made him wonder how things would have turned out if their sensei had a made a different choice all those years ago.
"You really should get some sleep, bro." Raph's voice cut through the blue-banded turtle's thoughts and he turned his head to look up into his twin's amber eyes behind a blood-red mask.
Raphael had noticed his twin's far away expression and knew Leo was lost in thought, a common occurrence, even before being confined to his bed. He had tried to wait patiently for his brother's attention to return to him, but the lack of conversation had instantly reminded him of the chanting that now seemed to be growing louder in his mind. The fact that it had been continuing all this time and Leo had not commented on it, confirmed the red-banded turtle's previous theory that he was the only one able to hear it. Trying again to ignore the alien chatter in his head, Raph had focused on his brother's wary frame and pale limbs that still shivered even though he knew Leonardo was desperately trying to keep them still. His older twin still had a lot of resting to do before he would even be able to leave his own bedroom, let alone fight and lead. And keeping him up with worrying questions was not doing him any good either.
"I can stay awake if you need me to, Raph." The sick turtle assured, his statement instantly contradicted by the yawn that followed.
Raphael smirked and stood up. "You stay up any later and both Donnie and Splinter will be breathing down my neck. Get some rest, bro. I'll be by in the morning."
"Promise?" His twin asked with a yawn, his eyes already closing against his will.
The temporary leader chuckled and pulled the blanket up under his brother's chin. "Promise. Now go to sleep."
Before he even finished the sentence, the blue-banded ninja was fast asleep, soft snores filling the quiet room and for a moment, Raph almost forgot about the voices in his head and the fact that he probably was going crazy. He quietly stepped out of the room and reluctantly walked towards his final brother's room, wanting nothing more but to go back to bed and sleep the craziness away.
He would have to, not because he didn't care about his brother, but Donnie probably was asleep in his lab anyway and being the level-headed genius of the family, he usually was the last turtle you needed to worry about. But for some reason Raphael started to feel a sense of urgency to see his brother and know that he was safe, something he attributed to his role as the current leader. But as he neared the purple-banded ninja's bedroom, the chanting seemed to increase in volume and speed and Raph felt a sudden dread fill his stomach and he found himself starting to sprint towards his brother's room. Not even bothering to be quiet, Raph flung open the door and peered into the dark room.
The bed was empty.
Trying to tell himself not to panic, the red-banded warrior leaped to the end of the hallway and, not even bothering with the stairs, jumped off the second floor into the living room. He bent his knees to absorb the impact and quickly took a look around. His eyes narrowed on his brother's lab and was somehow not surprised to find no light seeping through the top and bottom of the door.
Donatello wasn't in the lair.
Images suddenly started slashing across Raphael's mind and the chanting increased until it was a roar in his ears. He didn't even need to have noticed the blank handle where his little brother's 'bag of tricks' usually hung or the small scribbled note left on the door to whoever finds the genius missing before he returned to know where he had gone. He probably had been out on a harmless scavenge at the junkyard, probably to distract himself from the recent event at home, Raph knowing this because his brother had done so multiple times in the past week. And every time he had returned home safe and sound and with some new part to whatever he was working on at that moment.
But even though Raphael didn't know or even recognize the urgent chanting in his head, he did understand the growing pit in his stomach because he had felt it many times before he had ever been made leader and he knew what it meant.
His little brother was in trouble, and he had to get to him now.
Without another thought, the warrior dashed through the front door, pausing only long enough to make sure it was sealed shut after him, before sprinting through the sewer tunnels, his heart keeping pace with his heals and bile rising in his throat. He could hear the sounds of thunder over his head and could tell that it was a pouring in the world above. He didn't even bother thinking about where he was going, he just ran through the tunnels that had always been his kingdom, his safe haven from the world and his family and now that knowledge was made to his advantage.
The chanting in his mind guided him forward, whispering to him which path to take, which tunnel would lead him to the manhole that would lead him to his brother. He didn't even stop to question how this could be, but instead kept running until he found the right opening. Leaping up the ladder, he threw the cover off and bolted into the soaking topside without even bothering to recover the hole.
Crystal water drops fell from the heavens of a darkened grey sky, vanishing quickly from the eye and remaining invisible until their small kiss could be felt upon his skin. Thousands upon thousands poured out of the cloudy facet, hailing down on his head and body and echoing an endless clash of thunder that only accompanied rainstorms such as this.
The pounding of the rain on his skin and the sweet, refreshing chill of the air blowing in his drenched face usually would have pleased and excited him, especially on a rainy night like tonight. But he knew on this night there was no time for running, leaping and dancing in the thunderstorm's thrill and mystery. No, tonight he could not watch the incredible flash of pure energy light up the darkness of the night or listen to the comforting rumble of thunder as if it was an old friend whispering assurance.
His heart beat far too hard in his chest and echoed in his ears to even hear the thunder, let alone enjoy it like he usually did when he went out. Panic filled his being as his feet raced across the hard concrete ground, scratching at his bare feet and freezing his soaked skin. His arms pumped fluidly at his sides and he felt his legs start to tire. But he couldn't stop, wouldn't stop. Not even as the lightning struck and lit up the world for a few short moments or as the ice-cold rain splattered the ground and the buildings and the sky.
He had to get to him in time. He just had to.
He panted as he felt his dark red mask plaster to his face in the rain and he had to briefly wipe away the stray droplets that started to sting his eyes. He easily climbed up to the rooftops and started sprinting and leaping across the buildings in the direction that the chanting urged him to go. If he even had taken a moment to stop and wonder about the strange voices playing in his head, he would have noticed that the song in the foreign language seemed to have changed to a thousand voices urgently whispering English words to him, directing him to his brother and reminding him to hurry.
Raph felt as if an invisible cord had tethered itself to his chest and the other end was fastened to Donatello. He even was a little surprised to look down and find that if he focused enough he could even see the purple and red string in his mind's eye, being woven by the voices that sang in his mind. He didn't know what was happening, but he understood that the chanting was on his side and was helping him find and protect his brother so he quickly dismissed the strangeness and simply followed the in-progress line that connected him to Donnie.
He wasn't sure how far he had run across the soaked rooftops or for how long, but eventually he felt the cord in his chest tighten and the chanting suddenly quieted in his head causing him to stop suddenly as his guide vanished. The rain pelted him in icy droplets, but his attention was only for the nearly invisible string that he could barely see through the darkness. He closed his eyes and strained his hearing, desperate for the chanting to return and help him find his brother, when another sound reached his ears over the booming thunder and flashing lightening.
Amber eyes shot open as the sound registered.
The loud clang of weapons clashing. A fight.
With a snarl that very few beings have heard and lived to tell the tale, Raphael felt as if he had literally teleported from where he had been standing to the rooftop where the fight was happening, though it had to have been at least fifty feet away. His highly trained eyes took in the situation instantly: nearly thirty Foot soldiers surrounding his little brother with weapons raised and some of them stained with the turtle's blood. Don was laying on his side in the middle of them all, Raph spotted his staff and bag a few feet away, and covered in blood that Raph assumed to be the genius's own. He could tell his brother's eyes were squeezed closed and he had relaxed his body onto the gravel, as if he was done fighting and was waiting for the killing strike.
Another growl filled the red-banded ninja's throat and the Foot ninja nearest to him had no idea what had hit him before it was too late. His comrades turned quickly away from the younger turtle to see a flash of red as lightening lit up their surroundings and suddenly three more of their ranks had been defeated, lying groaning at the feet of a figure they could barely make out in the darkness. Before any alarm could be sounded, the figure had vanished, moving faster than they could follow and two more cries of Foot ninja filled the air.
Fear started to fill the minds of the remaining ninja and, not for the first time since they had faced the turtles, they started to truly rethink their life choices and really started to wonder what the heck they were still doing there. They did not have much time to ponder on it, however, because within moments an earth-shattering growl sounded in their ears and the next instant all they knew was blackness.
The few remaining made a split-second decision and decided that there really was no point to gambling their lives on their admittedly limited ninja skills, and one glance at the approaching shadow only proved to further motivate them to drop their weapons and flee as fast as their legs would take them. Though none of them dared to look back and see if the turtle had followed them, the very mental image of just that insured that not one of them would return to their master to tell him the news.
Abandoning Shedder was a very bad idea, but facing that turtle in the dark of the night and rain was downright suicide.
Raphael watched them go just to be sure they were really leaving, before turning towards his little brother who was stilling laying on the ground.
Donatello himself had heard the growls and grunts and screams, and for a moment he had wondered if he had already died even as he had waited for the killing blow from the Foot ninja that had ambushed him. The logical part of his brain reminded him that if he was dead he wouldn't be feeling the pain of his injuries and the gravel underneath him biting into his skin.
He had wondered how long it would take for his family to even realize he was gone and that he wouldn't be coming back. His heart had clenched as he had thought of his little brother Mikey who had just nearly suffered the loss of his hero and eldest brother about a month ago and now how to lose his immediate elder brother in the darkness of the night. Donnie had cursed himself for being so stupid as to go out without backup, but he had needed his space and to focus on something other than caring for a recovering Leonardo.
Leonardo…
He knew his older brother would most certainly blame himself for Donnie's death, though Don wished with all his heart that he wouldn't. What would they do without him? How would they survive? Would they take care of themselves properly? Bandage their wounds correctly or take the right amount of medicine for pain like they're supposed to? Would they…
None that mattered at the moment though because, as ashamed as he was to admit it even to himself, Donatello was simply scared, afraid for his own safety and just wanting to be warm and safe at home where the pain would end and there was people who cared about him. This is why he kept his eyes shut when all the noise around him had stopped. He didn't want to see how alone he was or how threatening his attackers were. But, as the silence except for the rain and thunder continued, the genius forced himself to just look at what happened.
Dark brown eyes slowly cracked open, but then suddenly widened at the sight before him. The Foot ninja all lay defeated on the ground and a figure cloaked in darkness was making his way towards him. He wasn't afraid though, in fact he let out a sigh of relief as he spotted the red bandana tails that blew in the wind and when the figure reached him he felt strong, familiar, battle-calloused hands grip his arms and a deep Brooklyn accent urge him to stay awake.
The genius turtle knew then that everything would be okay and that he was safe. He gave his older brother a small smile and looked up into amber eyes that seemed to be filled with reassurance.
Donatello was a practical turtle and scientifically he has never believed in silly things such as angels. There just never was any evidence to support the existence of celestial beings. But maybe it was because of his previous terror or the blood loss he was currently experiencing, but at that moment, as another strike of energy lit up the sky and his brother was bathed in bright light, Donnie could have sworn that Raphael had wings.
Raph looked worriedly into his younger brother's dark brown eyes, not quite understanding why Donnie was looking at him like that, but pushed aside the thought for later. Right now he needed to make sure his brother was alright.
"Donnie? Hey, it's me. Can you hear me, bro? Don?"
Don blinked and relaxed into Raph's arms. "I'm… I'm okay, Raph." He croaked out, smiling at his older brother. "Good… good thing you got here when you did."
The red-banded warrior sighed in relief. "You really scared me there for a minute."
Donnie gave a small laugh. "Must… be what happens… when you become leader. You're… worried about everything."
Raph snickered as well. "Then is this the part when I give you a long lecture about leaving the lair in the middle of the night without backup?"
Donatello at least had the grace to look embarrassed. "I would rather you didn't actually. I imagine… it would be much worse with you than with Leo."
"You got that right, genius." Raphael snorted, carefully lifting his little brother into his arms and carrying him bridal style.
"Raph," Donnie mumbled, trying to raise his head enough to see around them. "Raph, my stuff…"
"I got it, bro." His older brother reassured him, walking over to where the staff and duffle bag lay and with one fluid motion with his foot flipped them both into the air and turned just into the right position so the strap of the bag landed across his shoulders, catching the staff in his free hand and sliding it onto the strap on his back.
He smirked at his surprised younger brother. "Better?"
Don nodded slowly, snuggling in closer to his brother's chest. "Yeah… that's good. Hey, Raph?"
"Yeah?" Raph grunted in response as he turned towards the fire-escape at the edge of the roof, already planning on where the nearest manhole was where he could lower his brother into the sewers and get him home where he could be dried off and his wounds could be treated.
"How did you find me, anyway?"
Raph frowned. "Not sure. I just… woke up feeling strange. Then I just knew you needed help and where to find you. It's… difficult to explain."
Donatello looked thoughtful at his brother's answer, but it was hard to tell since he also looked exhausted and in pain. Raph could barely keep a hold on him as well as his things because his fingers kept sliding on the blood that still ran from his brother's wounds. Raphael adjusted the genius in his hold, wincing as the younger turtle let out a small gasp.
"Anything hurt bad?" He asked, carefully gripping his brother without aggravating his cuts again.
Don shook his head. "No, just a few shallow cuts." He winced again as his brother stepped onto the fire escape. "Okay, maybe a lot of shallow cuts, but I'll be fine."
"You better be." The red-banded turtle muttered under his breath as he cleared the last step of the escape and, down to street level once more, started walking towards the manhole he had emerged from earlier. "The last thing we need in another turtle stuck in bed for days and complaining about it nonstop."
Donnie chuckled at that, knowing better than anyone, (except maybe Raph at this point) what a horrible patient Leo has been lately and how many times they had come very close to resorting to strapping him to his bed to have him heal. In fact, all the Hamato brothers were pretty lousy at sitting still and letting themselves heal, but Raph and Leo were the worst. Neither liked laying around doing nothing and both considered themselves a useless and worrisome burden on their family while they were healing, so keeping them in bed was always a nightmare.
That, thankfully, was one of the reasons the blue-banded turtle was even in bed resting and moving towards recovery. Don knew that if his brothers had let him, Leo would already have been stumbling to the dojo on his shaky legs and started training nonstop even though he knew he was physically and spiritually too weak to do so. In fact, the genius was positive that his eldest brother would be in there right at this very moment of it hadn't been for Raph getting on his case about it. That was the thing, Raphael understood what his older brother was feeling and was able to convince the former leader that rest was what he needed to heal. Though Don knew as part of that deal, Raph had as the current leader agreed to allow Leo to stretch his limbs once a week and go on a slow walk around the sewers with one of his brothers or father joining him to make sure he made it back home and didn't do anything stupid, (like try to take out the Foot) while he was recovering.
Donatello for one had been surprised that Leonardo had accepted bed rest so easily, (he himself had been trying for years to get his older brother to do so) and had been very impressed at how Raph had been understanding and supportive of his older brother and was able to come up with agreeable terms that gave both of them what they wanted. Come to think of it, Don was impressed by Raphael lately full stop. Everyone knew he wasn't Leo, he would never be Leo, and he never tried to act like Leo, but the former leader's twin seemed to have his own way of doing things and, surprisingly to everyone except maybe Master Splinter, it were working.
"Let's just be glad it's not you." Don teased. "We'd have to chain you down and lock you in your room before you'd even consider resting."
Raphael snickered at that, setting his brother down to lean against the wall of the alley while he retrieved the manhole cover he had discarded earlier. "Point taken. But at least then we would have our leader to nag me into submission."
That got a real laugh out of his little brother and Raph smiled as he helped the genius lower himself down into the sewers. "I highly doubt anyone can do anything to get you into submission. As far as Leo's nagging… Let's just say that I'm relieved you didn't resort to such drastic measures when convincing him to rest."
Don smiled as his older brother landed down beside him in the sewer tunnel after he had shut the opening behind them. "Besides Raph, no one can deny that Leo is an amazing leader, but you haven't been doing such a bad job yourself."
Raphael gave him a sideways look as they started to limp along towards home, the temporary leader supporting Donnie with the genius's arm over his shoulder. "Was that almost a complement, Donatello? You must seriously have lost a lot of blood back there. You're talking nonsense."
"Yeah, well, I am feeling pretty dizzy." The genius teased back, blushing slightly. It was no secret in the Hamato household that he had been especially hard on Raphael since he had taken up the mantle as leader. It wasn't that he had been angry at his red-banded brother, (on the contrary, he was quite relieved that they wouldn't be going leaderless and even more relieved that it hadn't been him) it was just that he had been stressed about caring for Leonardo and had just wanted Raph to do a good job.
Eventually, he had found himself constantly criticizing everything his older brother did, whether it was out loud or in his head, and had earned many a strange looks from his father and youngest brother. He had resolved not to comment at all around his recovering eldest brother, (who as far as Donnie knew was still in the dark about the genius and his twin's new relationship) because he didn't want Leo to worry as he recovered and had instead avoid the subject of Raph's new leadership altogether when around the ninja in blue.
To his and perhaps everyone's surprise, Raph had taken Donnie's words rather well, and instead of getting angry he simply would crack a smirk at his younger brother and thank him for his input. He rarely ever followed the genius's advice, but he never showed any sign of becoming annoyed or tired of Don's constant interruptions or critiques. His eyes always seemed to glow with a certain playfulness that the younger turtle didn't understand.
It was like he was silently saying, I know what you're doing Donnie-boy, and I don't mind. Just don't think I'm an idiot.
After a few weeks, Donatello had realized that though he was trying his hardest to help and advise his older brother, his efforts had resulted in an increasing gap in their relationship and he found that he missed the time when Raph wasn't leader and they both could be just messing around in the garage, bonded by the their mutual love of machines and having a good time. He even admitted, somewhat reluctantly, that maybe perhaps the real reason he was giving the red-banded ninja such a hard time was because he was frustrated at the sudden difference between them and it scared him to think that maybe even after Leo was better and had his position back that they would never be able to get that friendship back.
Raph had seemed to sense this, though, and it wasn't a full day later that Don and gone into their warehouse and found his older brother and temporary leader up there working on the Battleshell.
"Don't you have leadership training to get to or something?" Donnie had asked, being cautious to guard against being disappointed even as hope started to fill him at the thought of working with his older brother again.
Raph had laughed, rolling out from under the armored truck and grinned at his younger brother. "I asked Splinter for a day off and he actually said yes. Figured I'd celebrate by hangin' with my best bro."
Don had watched as his brother stood up and grabbed a rag to wipe the grease from his hands. "You mean Mikey wasn't available?" he asked.
His brother had snorted. "Only if I wanted to play Mario Kart for hours on end." He grinned again
"But nah, you were my first choice. The Battleshell seemed like it needed a good tune-up and since it's been a while…" He trailed off, gesturing towards the truck and raising an eyebrow at his younger brother. "You wanna give it a go? See if we still have it in us?"
Donatello instantly had a grin large enough to match his brother's. "I'd like that, Raph. I'd like that a lot."
And now as the young genius leaned against his older brother who was carrying most of his weight, not to mention the weight of his things, Donnie suddenly felt very grateful that Raphael had been chosen as second-in-command instead of him, (because he knew he had been considered). It was a big job, not only when you had to step up as leader, but probably even more so when you had to back-up and take care of the leader, making sure Leo considered every possibility and didn't become too cocky or under confident in his abilities. Don considered that perhaps he understood Raph a little more and was starting to understand why he does what he does. He also silently promised himself that, with Raphael as the current leader, Donnie would do his best to watch his back as well as he had always watched Leo's. And maybe give the hothead just a little bit of credit that he really did deserve.
Not that Donnie was ever going to tell him that out loud.
They reached the Lair a short time later, though to Don it felt longer because he ached all over and he felt sticky with blood. Raph basically carried his younger to the kitchen where they kept one of the first aid kits and quickly cleaned off and bandaged each one of the genius's wounds.
Thankfully, Donatello was telling the truth when he said none were very deep, and Raph inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to stitch any of them. He was exhausted enough tonight and wasn't sure if he would even be able to hold the needle steady and he could tell his younger brother was tired as well. He smirked silently as he finished the last bandage and Don tried and failed to hold back a yawn.
"I think it's bedtime for you, Einstein." He said gently, placing the younger turtle's bag and weapon in the corner where he could put them away in the morning.
Donnie nodded, rubbing his eyes as another yawn escaped him. "Whatever you say, Fearless Leader." He teased, leaning his head on Raph's shoulder and closing his eyes.
Suddenly feeling like they were little kids again, Raphael carefully picked up his instantly asleep brother for what felt like the hundredth time that night, and carried him up the stairs and placed him down in his bed. Tucking the blankets up under the genius's chin, Raph silently cursed himself for being such a softie. He knew it would probably be nearly impossible to salvage his reputation after he was no longer leader if he kept this up, but he couldn't find it within himself to keep his usual indifference while he was in charge. His family's welfare was his responsibility for the time being, he had to be the big brother and the comforter because he couldn't leave that to Leo like usual. He had to show his family that he could be depended upon when he was needed and that he was good for something other than fighting.
A small smile graced his lips as he watched his younger brother sleep. Maybe he had done a good job. Without him, Donnie would have died tonight, as horrible as it was to think of. He had been there for Leo when he had woken up and protected Don as he always would have done, but now it was an expectation. And he had fulfilled it.
The chanting in his head had saved his brother's live, and Raph couldn't help but feel grateful for it and, with it now silent, he concluded that his instincts for his brothers' safety had taken an upgrade now that he was leader. Huh, go figure.
Feeling slightly better about his whole situation, the red-banded ninja turned and walked out of his little brother's room and headed for his own bed. Both his mind and body silently groaned at him for keeping them up for so long and engaging them such tiring activity and he was ready for a long last few hours of sleep.
Of course, he would have to wake up early the next morning for his leadership training with Splinter, and then he would have to check on both Leo and Don to tend to their injuries and no doubt entertain Mikey for a while, but all that wouldn't happen until morning. Right now, he would sleep off the stress of the night and be ready for tomorrow.
This plan, granted not his most thought out with his exhausted brain, was quickly shattered by the sound of beeping noises and tapping sounds followed by quiet but still distinguishable grunts in either disappointment or victory.
Raphael had to stop himself from turning and banging his head against the wall.
Sighing, he turned and walked out to the balcony of the second floor and looked down to see that the living room had been occupied as he had been carrying Donatello to bed. The light from the TV illuminated his brother's face and Raph could clearly make out his sleepy eyes narrowed in concentration and his goofy habit of sticking his tongue out as his thumbs flew across the black controller he had clutched in his hand.
The orange-banded turtle spotted his older brother watching him and gave Raph a sheepish grin.
"I couldn't sleep." Mikey said, defending himself instantly. "And since it was so close to morning anyway, I thought 'Hey, why not get farther on Mario Kart?' so here I am."
He grinned wider and held up another controller. "What'd ya say, Raphie? Wanna help me show these losers who's boss?"
A couple months ago he would have grumbled 'no' and just gone to bed like he originally planned, no matter the pleading in his baby bro's eyes or the obvious fear in them about being alone. But things were different now, and he knew it.
Biting back another sigh, Raphael forced himself to walk towards the stairs and away from the door to his bedroom. He could hear Mikey's already loud chattering as he realized his older brother would be joining him and couldn't believe the energy he felt radiate off the younger turtle in waves at this early hour in the morning. He inwardly groaned.
Man, he couldn't wait 'til Leo got better.
Author's Note: This story was mostly dedicated to all those who never believed that Raphael has what it takes to be a good leader, and also to all those who have always believed.
I wanted to make the point that though Raph may not do things like Leo does, he could still be a good leader in his own way and give a time where Raph had become leader and how the others react to it.
To me, it's always seemed that one of the things that makes Raph so frustrated with Leo is his distance from his brothers for training and other leadership things, and I personally can see Raph as leader specifically trying to avoid that same mistake.
Sorry if I was a little OOC with Donnie, but I could see him, as the worrier and know-it-all he is, trying to give Raph what he thinks is advice and ends up just telling him he's doing everything wrong. Raph doesn't mind though, because he does the same thing with Leo so he understands.
So there it is, please, please, please review, I really want to know what you guys think!