It hadn't been the same since Mikey had left. It just didn't feel right, the home was empty and cold. No laughter, no loud horror movies blaring on the TV, and certainly no pranks. The remaining turtles didn't even try to talk to one another. They passed by each other everyday, but only a few words were exchanged.
Raph had never realized how cold the home was, how large and open the seemingly endless space was. The only one who seemed to mentally contact Mikey on a regular basis was Leo, but it never lasted more than five minutes. Usually it was only a whisper, a faded memory only they shared.
In that way, Raph was jealous of his fearless brother. He knew Mikey was ok, that the youngest brother was keeping himself out of trouble. It might be the after life, but this was Mike they were talking about. He could always get himself into trouble
Everyone was mourning the passing of the little ball of energy, but nobody dared put their problems on the table. Leo locked himself away in the dojo with Splinter, constantly meditating. His sole focus in life was checking on the dead, living in the past and ignoring the present.
Don had set up a second lab in Mikeys old room, but to everyone else it was more of a shrine to the orange turtle than anything else. Their genius brother had even begun to worry Splinter, the old rat could see the guilt eating the purple banded turtle alive. His sanity was surely about to crack.
And Raph had been training nonstop. Trying to push himself to new limits, making sure that what had happened to their hope and sunshine didn't happen to him. No more junk food, no more lazing about, no more fun. It just wasn't the same without Mikey there to help.
With solitude came rage, and Raph was itching for a fight. God help his brothers if he didn't find one.
He made his way to the surface, the always slightly heavy manhole cover felt weightless tonight. Raph took it as a sign that he was meant to be topside on this cold September night. The wind was biting, howling a warning of all the things to come.
His amber eyes spotted a fire escape, and as quickly as his muscly form could, he scurried to the roof. Agility had always been Mikeys expertise, his smaller form had always been able dart ahead of his brothers. He shook his head, trying to get the prankster out of his head. The innocent blue eyes remained thought, shimmering in the back of Raphs head. The fire inside him burned white hot.
Raph lept from building to building, the air cold and intense. The wind stung his emerald skin. Raphael liked it this way. Raw and powerful, nothing holding him back. This was his freedom. Leo couldn't take the wind.
He had considered asking Casey to accompany him, but had decided he didn't want company tonight. The companion would get in his way, inhibit the fire that burned deep inside him. Cultivated from the loss of their baby brother. Mikeys final message to the hothead abandoned and left unheard. He remembered, but rage was all that he knew. He couldn't give it up.
His cloudy eyes darted back and forth, praying for a challenge. The lack of action only made Raph search harder, his muscles practically burning alongisde his rage. He wanted a fight, and he wanted it now.
A couple of purple dragon thugs were wandering around. A sadistic smile crept its way onto Raphs face as he imagined their bones breaking beneath his fists. He could imagine the intoxicating aroma of sheer terror that would waft from these creeps when they realized they were about to die.
Raph hopped down, using the fire escape and a few clothes lines for balance. He tucked himself into a roll and maneuvered quickly into the shadows. Perfect. They hadn't seen him. The red banded turtle Raph drew his sais, drawing the process out. The energy of the upcoming fight flooding his senses. This fight had had a long time coming.
The smallest one was bringing up the rear of the pathetic little pack. When his friends were distracted, Raph dragged him into the shadows, striking the back of his green haired head with the butt of his sai. Twig boy went out like a light. Raph then turned his focus to the overweight brute that followed the leader like a puppy. He put up no fight. With a few strategic punches he fell alongside his buddy.
The leader was the easiest of all, and as Raph stood victorious over the second of the three, someone snuck up behind him. He hadn't heard though, the sound of his own supposed victory deafened him.
Something drove its way through his shell and into his back. Raph stiffened up and let out a small wheeze as the impact registered in his head. He wanted to spin around to face his assailant, but his legs wouldn't cooperate.
He wanted to scream in frustration, pummel whatever was keeping him from walking. Gathering all of his strength, Raph forced his legs to respond. He awkwardly turned to face his opponent, his legs swinging around as if they were jelly. Twiggy stared back, horror filled eyes blood shot and buggy. Raph threw his sais, taking his scrawny opponent out. Permanently.
Instinctively, Raph reached behind himself and grabbed whatever had been lodged in through his shell and into his back. A rusty and bloodied up pipe met his eyes, but what frightened him most was the stringy muscle that had been yanked out. Raph knew this couldn't be good. He quickly tossed it to the side with a clink.
After retrieving his sai, Raph made his way towards a manhole. His legs wobbled uncontrollably as he lifted the lid and slid inside. He tried easing his way down, but when he was barely a quarter of the way his knees buckled. Apparently he didn't have as much control as he had once thought.
The red masked turtle let go of the rung he had been holding onto in shock. He barely remembered the fall, but now as he laid sprawled out amongst the rats and sewage. If he knew anything at this point, it was that his legs wouldn't work. Try as he might Raph couldn't get any response from the green masses.
He had to swallow the panic as he reached for his shell cell. He took a quick glance at his legs, and what he saw didn't ease his worries. They were spread out in opposite directions, his right knee twisted one hundred and eighty degrees around. His left seemed to be bent in an off position, probably dislocated.
He quickly hit speed dial, and Dons voice echoed from the other end, "What do you need, Raph?" Dons voice nowadays seemed forced, droning on about things he didn't even care about anymore.
"Hey bro, I could use a lil' help. Think I busted up my legs." He heard a sigh come from the other side of the phone, but it was always like that now. Every problem that Donnie came across was just a burden.
He didn't even try to find the good in life anymore, "I'll send Leo right away. Don't move."
The phone clicked, signaling the abrupt end of the conversation. Looking back to his legs, Raph was really glad he couldn't feel them right now. How the shell did Don think he was gunna move? He leaned his head back and let out a long sigh, this wasn't going to end well.
He'd get a lecture from Leo first, all about how hes irresponsible and they could've lost him as well. Then Don, if he even cared, being told that he shouldn't have even attempted getting back to the lair by himself.
He had been deep in thought up until a rat crept up beside him. Its beady eyes stared intently at Raphs broken legs. With a small squeak the rodent launched itself onto his legs, trying to gnaw on them and make them dinner. Raph didn't seem to notice or care as the rodent began its small feast. In its efforts for a snack, the rat drew the attention of others.
Raph had been in meditation trying to contact his ever elusive little brother. He wasn't looking to chat, Raph just needed some comfort. The warm and happy presence of Mikey was something that each of them would've died ten times over just to feel.
It wasn't until he felt something scurry across his plastron did he abandon his meditation. Raphs eyes nearly bugged from his head as he looked down at his legs. Rats swarmed around him, scaly tails and feet flitted here and there, a sea of gray and brown fur.
"Gah! Get offa me!" He grabbed his sais and began to swipe at them, throwing them this way and that hoping to prove he wasn't a meal. His efforts quickly died in vain, every time he slashed at the rodents, his hands would come back with a few more painful bite marks.
"I said get offa me!" Raph, despite his better judgment, began to drag himself across the concrete. He threw himself into the sewage below, hoping it was deep enough to detour the furry carnivores.
It wasn't.
They continued their swarm, Raph was ready to admit defeat, "Get ready Mikey, Ima bout ta join ya." A flash of orange light nearly blinded the semi-conscious Raph.
Warmth and joy spread across the hot head, "Mike?"
The rats were gone, disintegrated in the presence of the youngest turtle, "Your number hasn't been called Raphie boy, but you gotta stay strong."
Raphs eyes rolled around in his head, "Where are ya?"
His emerald hand shot out, praying that a sea green one would meet it.
"Im here Raphie boy." Raph watched an outline of the orange banded turtle appeared above him, a goofy grin ready to split his face in two.
"Ya a ghost now?" His words were slurred, darkness loomed in the corners of his vision.
"Nah, I'm a guardian, and not for the utroms." Raph missed that smug smirk.
A million questions swarmed in Raphs groggy head, "Fer us?" The transparent outline of his baby brother nodded, "Like I said dude, we will always be brothers." Mikes transparent form gave him a wink before he faded into oblivion.
The darkness claimed Raph, the hothead was just too injured to remain conscious.
So I've been meaning to put this up here for awhile now, and thanks to the lovely Sydthesloth9 I finally did! Anyways, I'm having major writers block for this story, and may even combine it with Dons. Gah, I don't know. Hopefully you enjoy the first chapter of Raphs Struggle, and if you haven't read Mikey's Battle go do it!