Disclaimer: *Searches through filing cabinet, throwing files every which way before sighing* Nope, nothing here saying I have any ownership over any turtles...*whimper*
Another side story I did in about 30 minutes. Just a plot bunny after I watched the last cliff scene from the movie "The Good Son".
Please enjoy!
It had started out as a wonderful night, no Foot or Purple Dragon ambushes or fights and he and his brothers had all but been flying around each other and over obstacles, just enjoying each other's company and the free night off as it had seem then. But of course it had to end. Everything has to at one point or another, but Raph serious would have liked to end the night by heading home, seeing a night full of laughs and quality time with his brothers ahead of them, he didn't really envision the situation they were in right now as a option to ending off the night earlier that day, or the possibility of that it could end both his and his brother's lives as well. Leonardo was directly above them, sprouting off nonsense like he had just planned all this stuff to happen, like it was all part of the plan all along. He made it sound as if it was just another inexplicable training exercise Leo managed to prepare them for, in case the possibility of this really happening to them in the future arose. Only it wasn't a training exercise, and it really was happening. Here he was, dangling off the side of a seventeen story high building, his youngest brother right there beside him.
They would have been goners hadn't Leo actually had the luck of grabbing not only one, but both of his brother's wrists before they had completely gone over the edge of the roof. Donnie was right behind Leo, holding off the rest of the remaining ninja, nothing he couldn't handle, but he was also in no place to help his three other siblings at this point in time either, and did Raphael mention Leo's grip was beginning to falter? Yeah, because it was, for both himself and Michelangelo. Raphael also knew that Leo couldn't keep this up forever either. There was four ways this could end. Two very probable ones. One: Leo could pull both of them up, with or without Donnie's help. Both where highly unlikely, for Donnie was still busy at the moment and Leo had spent all his energy on his own battle with the Elites, who had, Raph had just noticed now, mysteriously disappeared, for Leonardo was still fighting when he had happened to grab ahold of them. The second: Leo could end up losing his grip on both his little brothers. That one was indeed very, very likely.
Or he could let one go. Raphael knew that was the best solution, even though it was one he knew Leo would never take. Though it was worth a shot he guessed. He knew he was going to lose his life one way or another tonight and had already came to terms with it.
"Leo…" Raph trailed off at first, not really knowing how to say what he wanted to say. He couldn't very well just come out and say 'drop me.' Then he actually swung there for a moment and pondered that. Leo just might actually be stunned enough to do just that if he said it without any prior warning, then shook his head of the ridiculous thought. If he did that then he might drop Mikey too and that was out of the equation.
"Raph, Mikey, just hold on," Leo growled, his arms shaking with the will to pull them both to safety.
"Nothing else to really do, bro," Mikey laughed shakily. Raph glanced over to him, only to find Mikey looking down at the drop below. He swung towards him, bumping him, making Leo give a shout of warning as they slipped even further.
"Sorry Leo; Mikey, don't look down, you idiot!" He called to their little brother. He knew the uneasiness well enough, for Raph had done the same exact thing when he had first gone flying off the edge of the building. It didn't help, not in the least.
"Leo…Leo…" Damn his emotions, he hated to put Leo and Mikey in this position, knowing they both would feel mortified after it was all over. But Raphael knew he had to do it…and they wouldn't understand, so he just went for it, knowing the shock it would have on both his brothers within earshot, "Leo, let go." And a shock it did have indeed.
"W-What? Raph, no!" Leo cried, starting to try to pull them up farther. Raph could have sworn he felt something in his chest break when Leo gave an angry exclamation as he collapsed over the edge again. Mikey was stunned into silence as he looked wide-eyed to his older brother beside him.
"Raphie…n-no, you can't!" He whimpered as the initial shock passed. Raphael risked another look to his brother beside him and seeing his tear swimming baby blues quivering back at him felt his heart break even further as he diverted his eyes up to Leo, who was decking him with one hell of a glare, but Raph saw the way he was shaking too, not only from the physical strain, but also emotion now as well, so Raph pushed on, trying to reason with his older brother.
"Leo, just let go. It's the only way you can pull Mikey up!"
"No! I won't save one brother only to lose another! I'll pull you both up, just hang on!" Leo growled, as his eyes started to shine as well. Raph looked up to him sadly.
"Leo, you know as well as I do that that's not possible, you're all out of energy. If you don't let one of us go, then you're gonna lose both of us and we both know none of us could ever let Mike go, so that leaves me, so just let go-," Raph couldn't finish the sentence before Leo cut him off, Raph glared with sorrow and rage at the detailed bricks that was level with his eyes when he heard his eldest brother's voice shake at his next sentence.
"NO! I'm not going to drop you and that's final, Raphael!" A wet droplet hit his cheek and Raph looked up to find Leo's dark blue eyes glassy with tears. His own golden orbs softened.
"Leo, please…you can at least save one of us," By this point, Mikey's body beside him was shaking with sobs, but Raph kept his eyes glued to Leo's, "Leo, just let go." He whispered a second later and Leonardo choked on a sob above him.
"I-I can't," Leo's voice broke as he whispered wretchedly back.
"Leo…please, you have to let me go," Raph begged and blinked away the blur his eyes started to developed when Leo choked on another sob and buried his head in his arm, shaking his head back and forth repeatedly.
"Raph…Raphie, I can't…I don't want to live a future without you, I can't live a future without you by my side!" Leo moaned from the fold in his arm, his body shaking with his cries. Raph had nothing to say to that, his mind coming to a blank at his brother's broken response.
"Leo, I'm sorry," He finally decided with as he let go of Leo's wrist, also diverting his gaze. Leo wailed as he felt Raph slip further, tightening his own grip to where it promised to be painful for Raph.
"NO! R-Raph, hold on to me! Raph!" Leo cried out loudly as he sobbed. Raph winced at the pain his brother was causing his wrist, but didn't reply, only started to wiggle around, trying to get his brother's grip to slip.
"RAPHIE, STOP! Please, STOP!" He heard his baby brother's wailing voice shriek from the left of him, but ignored it as well, not stopping in his fight with his older brother's hand.
"Guys, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Raph whispered, his only reply were increased exclamations from both above and aside him. He was getting nowhere with struggling, so he took it a step even farther. Reaching up with his one free hand, he started to pry Leo's fingers apart.
"RAPH, NO! Stop, please stop!" Leo screamed from above him as his grip tightened further if that was even possible, but Raph was relentless.
"Shh, it'll be okay. It is going to be okay," He continually whispered to both brothers as he worked on Leo's grip. Mikey was crying hysterically beside him and Leo was still sobbing above him, when Raph remembered a disarming technique their father had taught them, not a week ago. Slowly he moved his hand from Leo's fingers to his wrist as he grabbed it again, but Leo immediately knew he wasn't grabbing to help hold himself, the grasp was wrong first off, secondly, Raph eyes bore into Leo's, showing his tear filled eyes woven with regret and sorrow.
"I'm so sorry Leo, please forgive me. I love you guys, I love you guys so much," Was the only warning Leonardo ever got before Raph used the pressure point in his wrist. His grip faltered for only a second. But a second was all Raph needed, for his hand slid free of Leo's and he fell backwards into air.
Raph kept his gaze on his brothers through his freefall. He saw Leo's face flash in understanding horror and fear the millisecond after his grip loosed. He saw Leo's eyes widened, mixed with dread and trepidation as he couldn't avert his eyes from his imitate younger brother falling figure that was growing further from him, all in slow motion it seemed. Raph smiled lovingly, reassuringly up as his brothers that were steadily getting smaller and farther away. He didn't know how close he was to the street, but after he had given his brothers his final goodbye, he slid his eyes closed. Hence, he didn't see his older brother grab ahold of Michelangelo as he was finally able to pull him over the edge of the building. He didn't see his brothers tear streaked faces twist as emotional turmoil and torment overcame their senses, he only heard their screams.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPHHHHAAAEEEELLLL!"
.
.
.
He then knew no more.
So, as of now, this is just a one-shot.
But if you want another chapter about either Leo, Mike and Donnie going down to find Raph's body or them going down there to find his body, only to realize he's still alive...? Then I will be happy to provide another chapter and make this into a short story thingy.
