Summary: Three months after the defeat of the Stone Generals, life for the four brothers is slowly returning to normal. However, with so many things left unsaid and so many apologies kept behind closed lips, it is only a matter of time before new evils arise and tensions begin to stir...especially between the two eldest brothers...
Disclaimer: I do not own. All rights belong to their respective owners.
A/n: I found this story on one of my old hard drives and thought I would dust it off and see how it goes. Takes place three months after the 2007 CGI movie.
Outcast
Chapter One: Regrets
Three months have passed since the defeat of the Stone Generals, and the destruction of Winters Corp. Putting aside their differences, four brothers came together to stop the paranormal threat, and by acting as one, saved the earth from certain doom.
After they had dealt with the threat, the four brothers; Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo, fell back into a familiar routine of training, meditation, and everything that came with Ninjitsu.
But with so many things left unsaid and so many apologies kept behind closed lips between the four brothers, it was only a matter of time before old evils arose and tensions begun to stir...especially between the two eldest brothers...
MICHELANGELO
They were fighting again. The unmistakable sound of raised voices echoed throughout the lair. Sighing and pinching the bridge of my beak, I looked up from the open comic book I had on my desk. I was reading the latest issue of 'The Justice Force', which was my favourite superhero comic. April had brought it for me earlier this evening, and I had been eagerly waiting all day to read it, (I had to wait until after our daily training, meditation, and chores). I had only made it to the tenth page when I first heard Raphael's raised voice.
Closing my half-read comic book in annoyance, I got to my feet and poked my head out of my bedroom door, surveying the scene below.
Raphael and Leo were still in the dojo. They preferred to train all night and all day, like the gruelling three hours Master Splinter put us through each day wasn't enough. The door was firmly shut, but that had little effect in blocking out the noise of increasingly loud voices.
There was the sudden sound of something crashing in the dojo, causing me to start in surprise. The sound of muffled curses quickly followed, and I had the sinking feeling that this fight between Leo and Raph, whatever it was about, had turned physical.
Thinking of calling out to Donnie for backup, I started to make my way quickly towards the dojo when the door was pushed back roughly. A furious Raphael emerged, a fine sheen of sweat covering his body. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, and his amber eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits behind his blood-red mask. I was shocked to see a trail of blood running from his nose. He made no move to wipe it away.
He pushed past me roughly with bearly a glance, striding purposefully towards the exit, every muscle in his body coiled and tense, as if he were about to leap into battle.
"Raph, hey Raph, wait!" I called after his quickly retreating form, knowing that if he left now, in the state of his anger; either he or some other poor soul would end up in the hospital tonight.
"Raph, wait!' I called again, jogging to catch up. Laying a hand on my brother's shoulder, I was completely unprepared for what happened next.
Laying a hand on my hot-headed brother's shoulder, I was completely unprepared for what happened next.
Raphael whirled around, his fist nothing but a blur, striking me straight in the eye. The force was so sudden, so strong; it felt like I had just been hit in the face by a train. The force of the unexpected punch lifted me from my feet and sent me crashing down to the ground on my shell.
I lay on the floor, confused and disoriented. Blinking to try and clear my vision of the white dots that burned my eye, I blinked up at Raphael in shocked disbelief. Clasping a shaking hand over my eye, which was already starting to puff and swell beneath my fingers, I slowly got to my feet, unsure if Raphael would strike at me again.
"You can't leave," I whispered before Raphael had the chance to say anything. My voice shook with hurt as I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to escape. "You promised! You promised you wouldn't fight with us anymore!"
Raphael didn't say anything, his eyes still narrowed dangerously with anger. I knew when Raphael was like this, all he could see was red.
Klunk appeared from the kitchen, apparently craving attention. Not noticing the tension in the room, my small orange kitty started to purr and rub himself up against Raphael's legs.
It was then that something inside of Raphael snapped.
"If ya' want me ta' stop fighting, go and tell Leo to stop bein' a fuckin' prick! And get the hell off me you stupid cat!" With a fierce kick, Raphael sent Klunk flying halfway across the room. Klunk hit the coffee table with a bone-jarring crash! He didn't get back up again.
"Klunk!" I ran across the room and knelt next to him, nearly crying with relief when I saw his chest rise and fall faintly under his blood-mattered fur.
"Mikey...I...I'm so sorry," Raphael said, blinking his eyes in apparent confusion and looking down at his hands as if they were covered in some unholy substance. "I...I didn't mean..."
The anger that had been boiling up inside of Raphael like an uncontained fire dispelled instantly to ashes. He blinked his eyes to try and see through the red that had been clouding his vision.
"Who are you?" I whispered, staring at the stranger in front of me that I had once called my brother. I couldn't keep the hurt or the disgust out of my voice. Hurt and anger and pain all pulsed through my body like an electric current. Tears stung my eyes and my heart throbbed painfully inside my chest. "You should go," I murmured, my voice soft but strong with determination. "Run; it's what you do best. But this time, don't come back."
Raphael took a hesitant step towards me, hand outstretched as if he were trying to comfort me, stopped short when he saw the burning daggers in my eyes. Whirling around, Raphael fled from the room, disappearing into the dark night.
A/n: I would love to hear what you all thought! I'm a busy bee at the moment. The amazing Amonraphoenix has given me a ton of wonderful ideas TMNT, and I am in the process of sorting ideas and writing! I hope to have a one-shot up soon that Amonraphoenix gave me for the idea for and is currently Beta-ing.
If you have any questions/comments, please feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.
Until the next time,
~Cat
