Surprisingly, it was Michelangelo who left first. We had never realized, until that moment, how much pain we'd been causing him. Every smart remark, every mocking tone, led to his eventual snap. He left one day after a huge fight, we searched and searched, but finally gave up. He wasn't coming home any time soon, if at all.
Raphael left next, about two months later. He and Leonardo got onto a huge argument about Michelangelo, and he ended up leaving as well, again not returning, possibly out of guilt. He had hurt Leonardo badly, but he recovered. Raphael did not return.
Leonardo stayed with me and master splinter for a few more months, but lived in depression. Finally, convinced that he had failed as a leader, and a brother, my oldest brother left as well.
Now it is just me and master splinter. I used to think one of my brothers might return one day. They haven't yet.
Donatello pinched his lip. Sensei had suggested writing in a journal a few years ago, but he only now had the courage, before he'd worried that if they returned and found it, they would leave again. He thought of what he would have written those days.
Chapter one-MikeyMikey left us today, it's mostly my fault, but i hope he returns. I need him, his happy attitude, he is my brother.
Mikey jumped over his older brothers head. "Try and catch me!" he called, waving the comic book. Raph jumped up and chased him.
"Why you little!" he growled, Mikey squealed in terror and dropped the comic book, running for his life. Donnie giggled when he ran past and Mikey tripped over his outstretched foot. Raph grabbed him.
"Hey!" he protested at Raph began punching him in the, well mostly everywhere.
"Raph!" leo said sternly, "stop!" raph looked up.
"Why?" he complained. Leo rolled his eyes.
"He can't defend himself, you know that." Mikey frowned, there it was again, Mikey wasn't good enough.
"Hey!" he protested but, as usual his brothers ignored him.
"Yeah? So?" raph asked, "maybe that's his own fault!"
"Hey!" Mikey said, as Raph got off him to confront leo. "I can defend myself!" he said, but they still ignored him. Raph pointed an accusing finger at leo.
"You just baby him too much leo! If i was leader, he'd be able to!" Mikey tried to step between his arguing brothers before they drew their weapons. Raph pushed him back. "This is between me and leo!" he said, Mikey stumbled against donnie's desk.
"Sorry." he muttered, straightening the stuff he'd displaced. Donnie was totally ignoring the fighting brothers.
"They'll settle it." he said, "let them fight it out." Mikey glared at him and drew his own nunchuck as his brothers drew their weapons. He didn't have to take this, let them injure each other over whether he can defend himself or not. He jumped in between them as they dashed at each other, he kicked leo back.
"Cut it out! You don't have to fight!" he said, leo glared at him.
"This doesn't concern you!" he said, trying to get around him, Mikey tripped him with the chain of his chuck.
"I think it does." he growled, "look at yourselves!" raph pushed Mikey aside.
"I'm trying to help you!" he said, Mikey rolled his eyes.
"No, you just want to be allowed to hurt me! I can defend myself!" raph stopped. He folded his arms, sneering.
"Yeah? How about we fight right now?!" he asked, Mikey held up his chuck.
"Bring it." he challenged his brother. Raph grinned at leo, who was getting up from the floor, his arm was bruised.
"He want's to fight me leo, hear that? You can't stop us." he said, leo looked at Mikey sadly.
"No, I guess I can't." he said, walking out of the room. Mikey turned to his older brother.
"I said bring it." he laughed, "or are you too scared of being beat by little weak Mikey?' raph grabbed his sais and spun them.
"That's it." he said, "you will regret it." donnie stood.
"Wait guys." he said, "that's a bad idea." Mikey glared at him.
"Let us 'fight it out' don." he said, "I can handle myself." raph charged, Mikey jumped up and flipped over him, swinging his chuck around and hitting raph's shell. Raph roared angrily and spun around, slashing his sai, Mikey ducked.
"Argh! Stand and fight!" raph said, "stop dodging!" Mikey crouched and sprang at raph's knees, knocking him over. He shoved upward and sent raph tumbling off his back. Stumbling forward he spun around, raph was glaring at him.
"Want To stop?" Mikey taunted, "or should I stop going easy on you?" he was hoping raph would want to stop, but no such luck.
"I was gonna ask you the same thing!" raph snarled, leaping at him, Mikey dodged to one side whipping his chuck around again, raph caught it this time, yanking it out of his hands.
"Hey!" Mikey said, as raph threw it aside, he grabbed his other one. Raph jumped at him, and this time he was too slow, raph jerked his sai down and Mikey felt it pierce his skin, just above his eyes. "Ow!" he cried, as raph held him down harder.
"What is going on in here?" a voice demanded, and raph got up off of him. Mikey got to his feet, cupping his forehead. "Michelangelo, are you hurt?" sensei asked, in a softer tone. Mikey glared at him, and sensei looked surprised.
"I can take care of myself!" he snapped, "i know you guys think I'm an idiot already." raph was glaring at leo, who was standing beside their father.
"You said you wouldn't stop us!" he snarled, leo glared at him.
"I said I couldn't, sensei can though." Mikey felt the blood begin to run through his fingers, and donnie took his shoulder.
"Mikey." he said, "let me treat your cut."
"No!" Mikey jerked away, "i don't have to live like this!" he backed away from all of them, "I can take care of myself! You guys always treat me like I'm an idiot! Well, i'm sick of it! I'm leaving! For good!" he grabbed up his nunchucks and stormed out, letting his blood stream down his face, he'd never tasted blood before, it tasted like metal, which he had tasted. Long story. He ran out into the sewers.
"Mikey! Wait!" raph yelled, running after him, Mikey didn't turn.
"I said I quit!" he shouted, "you quit all the time raph! What makes me so different?" he heard raph's feet stop pounding on the cement, that was ok with him. It proved what he already knew, raph didn't care if he left. When he got to the surface Mikey jumped to the rooftops, and sat down. He should check his wound. Reaching up, he felt the jagged cut, raph had torn a bit of his mask, and the scratch went into it, it was a few inches long but not too deep. It would probably scar. Mikey wiped the blood from his eyes and thought, where could he go? Not the farmhouse, but maybe up north. Yeah, he would head to the farmhouse, and then north from there. Great plan. Mikey unwrapped his hands and bound up his head, now he was gonna look like a lobotomy patient, oh well. He grabbed his chucks and slipped them into his belt, heading north was a really good idea. He glanced at the sky, so, it was setting over there, so that was west, and that meant that if it was on the left, he was heading, north? He hoped he was right. Wishing he'd paid more attention when donnie lectured him, he set off towards the woods, yeah, this was the way to april's house. He hoped.
Donnie stared at the door. "Did Mikey just, quit?" he asked numbly, leo nodded.
"I, I guess so." he muttered, "I, I wish I hadn'ta, I hadn't."
"Butted in on our convo?" raph snarled, "great idea!" donnie turned away, if he hadn't tripped Mikey, none of this would have happened, strange how one small act can lead to a family disaster.
"My sons." sensei said, cutting off the brothers bickering. "We must find Michelangelo, please, bring him home tonight."
"We will sensei." leo said, bowing, donnie had a strange feeling that they wouldn't see their brother for a long time.