Human

by RedForRaph

The turtles each have a signature personality: Leonardo, the fearless leader; Michelangelo, the comic relief; Donatello, the genius; Raphael, the hot-head. But what if there's more to them than what they let you see? There's a reason for who they are and why, and it's time you found out.

1. Chapter 1

*Human: Part 1*

Being the eldest brother and leader of our team, a lot of what happens to my family falls back on me. Yes, it can be quite a bit to bear sometimes, but it's my duty, and I always have and always will do it without question.

When I practice my katas late into the night without stopping, my brothers like to joke and tease me, saying that I just want to be the perfect ninja.

They're right in a weird way, but not quite. They believe I just want to be the best, that I want to make Master Splinter proud of me, but that's not really it.

I train to be perfect in the art of ninjutsu because I NEED to be perfect in the art of ninjutsu. My ability to fight may be the difference between one or all of my brothers living or dying, and that's a lot of weight to bear.

They like to call me Fearless. Heh.

I wish.

Honestly, I'm only human. We may not look like humans, but we feel emotions just like humans do, if not more.

Fear and worry are all I usually feel nowadays. I wish I didn't have to worry about Donatello working himself sick or Raphael sneaking out at night and coming home severely injured or Michelangelo getting killed in a fight because he wasn't paying attention.

Whatever happens to my family is my fault, and I don't think they realize how seriously I accept that fact. I can honestly say I'd be whatever my family wants me to be if it'd keep them happy and safe.

My job as leader is to protect them, and if they get hurt or killed, it's because I wasn't doing my job correctly.

There's no room for error when the stakes are so high, and so I have no other options.

I must be perfect to keep my family safe.