Paper Cut

A/N: Here is chapter/ story one for Simone Robinson's 10 Days, 5 Stories challenge: Enjoy! I hope...

~Don't own TMNT..sadly.

Donatello knew that he would always be the one to patch his brothers up when they needed him to; this was his job and he had always accepted that.

After every altercation with the Foot, he did a once over each of his brothers, forever grateful that most every inspection yielded only a very bruises and small scratches.

Whenever Raphael overworked himself in the dojo in his rage, it was Donatello who would calm the red-masked turtle down and reset his dislocated shoulder.

Whenever Leonardo took an especially brutal attack while protecting his brothers, Donatello would always stitch him up and sternly shoot down any argument Leo presented to take the blame for an unprecedented attack by the Purple Dragons.

Whenever Michelangelo took a spill while ripping up the pipes in the sewers, it was always Donatello who gently bandaged his scrapes.

Shell, if Mikey gave himself a paper cut reading one of his comic books, Donnie would have bandaged that too.

But this time, there was nothing Donatello could do.

This was a nightmare that he had hoped he would never face, but part of him always knew he would.

They were ninjas; danger came with the territory.

Donatello gasped as the events of that night replayed in his head.

"Catch me if you can, slowpokes!" Mikey called gleefully over his shoulder before jumping to the next rooftop.

"Oh no you don't, Mikey!" Leo shouted before jumping after the youngest turtle.

"You are not gonna beat me, bros!" Raph shouted as he passed Leo.

"Hey wait up, guys!" Donnie called, vaulting over the gap and joining them.

Mikey turned back toward his brothers, a cheeky grin lighting up his face.

"What's the matter, Raph? You too old to keep up?"

"Who you calling old?!" Raph retorted. "Leo is the slow one!" He stated with a smirk.

"Don't embarrass yourself, Raphael." Leo responded with a laugh."We all know you're the slow one."

"Just try to keep up, bro." Raph replied with an evil smile before disappearing onto the next rooftop.

And just like that it turned into a who's-the-fastest-turtle contest.

The laughter of three turtles rang out into the night.

Donatello shook his head and smiled before joining his brothers, no way in shell was he going to be in last place.

"Once again, Mikey, the Battle Nexus Champion, proves he is the fastest teenaged mutant ninja turtle!" Mike shouted while taking a bow "Goodnight, ladies and gentlemutants!"

He was standing on a building near the south side of the city and his brothers had fallen behind a few blocks and he was savoring his victory.

There was no doubt that he was the fastest of the four turtles.

He was about to make a snide remark about his brothers' slowness when he saw movement in the corner of his eyes. He retreated to the shadows and pulled out his nunchaku as several dozen Foot ninja stepped out in front of him.

They had walked into a trap.

All of the ninja turned as a feral battle cry rang out into the night.

Leonardo jumped onto the rooftop, gleaming katana gripping in each hand. He was joined by Raph, who twirled his sai expertly. Donnie was the last to step onto the building, bo staff in hand with a hard look in his eyes.

"It's ninja time." Raph stated with a grin.

It was only a matter of minutes before every last Foot ninja was unconscious or otherwise incapacitated..

Donnie breathed a sigh of relief, he was always glad when they made it through a fight with little to no injuries.

This fight was over. Or so he thought.

He felt himself shoved to the ground by strong arms. He looked up as he saw his older brother tried to fight off the last remaining Foot ninja. But it was too late; he had let his guard down and the ninja had gotten in a fatal shot.

With a roar, Leonardo knocked the Foot ninja to the ground, this time completely unconscious.

Mikey gasped as saw Raph stumble and reached out to grab him before he fell.

"Raph?" He questioned, fear in his wide blue eyes.

Raph groaned and clutched the katana that had remained in his side. He hand was now covered in blood and it began to drip onto the ground by his feet.

Donatello had finally recovered from his shock and ran to his brother.

"D-Donnie?" Raph looked up questioningly.

"You're gonna be okay, Raph." Donnie responded before grabbing Raphael.

"Mikey, I need you to give me your mask, yours too, Leo." he ordered while removing his own. "We need to stop the bleeding."

Both brothers complied, handing them to the formerly purple masked turtle.

Donatello gently laid his brother on the ground. "Raph, I am going to pull the sword out and it is going to hurt." He told his brother softly.

Raph merely groaned and nodded in response.

Mikey knelt beside his brother and grabbed his hand. Leo gently lifted Raph's head and placed it in his lap.

Donatello took a deep breath before gripping the handle of the sword that had been plunged into his brother's side.

He exhaled and swiftly drew it out.

Raph's pained scream rang out into the night as he held Mikey's hand in a death grip.

"I am so sorry, Raph." Donatello said with tears brimming in his chocolate colored eyes.

He slowly placed his brother's masks on the gaping hole in Raph's plastron and watched as blue, purple, and orange cloth turned crimson.

Raph moaned in pain and his breathing became shallow.

"Hang in there, Raph," Leo crooned." I've got you."

"L-Leo?" Raph opened his green eyes and Leo gazed into them and saw the pain his brother was in.

"I am here, Raph."

"I-I gotta tell ya somethin' ..."

"Save your strength, Raph."

"No, Leonardo. I h-have to say this."

Leo started at the use of his full name.

"I know I haven't been the best brother," Raph continued, gasping with the effort. "I want you know I am s-sorry, Leo."

"Don't say that, Raph!" Leo shouted as tears began to run down his face.

Raph smiled up at his older brother "I love you, bro."

Mikey clutched Raph's hand and silently cried. Raph turned to his youngest brother. "I love you too, shell-head."

"No Raph! Stop!" Mikey cried, tears streaming down his freckled face.

"It's okay, Mikey." Raph said reaching up his free hand to touch his face. "It's okay."

Donatello watched in horror as the wound in his brother's side bled profusely and the realization that he could do nothing about it hit him.

Raph began to shiver and a thin trail of blood ran from the side of his mouth. Donnie moved into his brother's line of sight.

"This is all my fault! If I had been paying attention-" He sputtered to a stop as Raph gripped his bicep.

"S-Stop it, D-Donnie!" He cried, hissing in pain. "Th-this was my choice."

Donnie sobbed as he grabbed his brother.

Raph gasped as pain shot though his entire body setting it on fire. He could not remember a time when he had felt pain like this. His whole body spasmed as he groaned it pain. It hurt like shell.

"L-Leo..it hurts.."

"It's okay, I've got you Raph." Leo squeezed Raph's shoulder affectionately as tears ran down his face.

Raph smiled and his eyes gleamed suddenly with a new light.

"Take care of the city, when I am gone or I am gonna come back and kick your sorry shells." He said with a wry grin.

"What are you talking about, Raph? You're not going anywhere. I won't let you!" Donnie cried. "I will get you fixed up and you'll be fine."

Raph gazed up painfully at his brainiac brother. "N-no. N-not this time, Donatello." He reached up and touched his face.

Raph's eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body suddenly stiffened.

"RAPH!" Donnie screamed in orror.

Raphael's defiant green eyes slipped closed and his hand fell.

The red-masked turtle was no more.

iA/N: Should I end it here or continue? PM me with your votes!