Changing How It Could Be

Prologue: Skipping Roots

A/N: This story has racked my brain for a long time and I finally found the courage to post it. Hopefully you guys like it. This story is AU but it's mostly based on the Same as it never was ep. All feedback is welcome!

I own nothing.

"Does everyone know the plan?"

Michelangelo stayed in the back of the ground with his arm resting at his side. His baby blue's were dim and cold. He was no longer the playful joker but a boy forced into adult hood because of the hardships that had his family had been thrown through during the last thirty years. He watched his eldest sibling as if he were going to disappear and a part of him wished he would.

The younger turtle down casted his eyes and let out a slow breath. He allowed the rotten air to fill his lungs before exhaling. This was never going to work. He knew it, April knew it, and his pig headed brother knew it.

Evidently no one had enough balls to come out and knock Leo back down off his pedestal. No matter, the orange bandanna turtle no longer held his tongue against his oldest brother, not when so many lives were in danger.

Mikey pushed his bandanna up onto his forehead and marched to his eldest brother." This plan is ludicrous, why are you willing to risk the lives of everyone in this room when you know their other alternative!" He meant to raise his voice but it only came out as a timid growl.

Leonardo, still considered the authority figure within the group even though he had lost his touch just a smug, met his youngest brother with a tedious smile. He would give anything to actually look into Mikey's eyes and reassure him that everything would be alright, but he no longer had the belief or the means to lie. Being blind left little room for the former fearless leader to come up with dangerous strategies that would not only endanger the lives of the people closest to him but the very foundation that was keeping their small rebellion alive.

He let out a small sigh and places his hand, or he hoped he had, on his brother's shoulder. "You know why we can't even consider that, Mikey, Yes Donnie meant for us to use it but only as a last resort. He wouldn't want us-"

"What the hell would you call a last resort, Leo? Was master Splinter and Casey's death not enough for you?"

The whole group froze, a silence spreading through the people like the smog casting in the air. The deaths of the inner family were something never talked about or even thought about. It became too hard to work and fight with the lingering thought of their master and close friend in the back of their minds. The guilt made it impossible to take the necessary steps to achieve their goals.

Michelangelo knew this all too well. It had been years before he could look at either of his brothers. For the longest time he had blamed them both for not only Donnie's disappearance but for Master Splinter's death. Of course he knew it wasn't their fault, their father had risked his life to help his sons and no one knew what actually had become of their genius brother. He was just gone one day. Without a trace.

The orange clad turtle knocked his brother's hand from his shoulder and turned away, the poncho vanishing his only arm. "Donnie wouldn't have wanted us to sit here and do nothing. We need to do this. "Mikey narrowed his eyes at his scarred feet, "When my brother return come and find me. " He vanished out of the room and into the dark streets of a now run down New York City.

-TMNT-

Mikey was furious. Here they had the chance to go back and change everything. Make everything better and Leo was standing there with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face.

Damn Leo!

Who was he to get away with shooting down his idea? Going back to change what happened would mean better lives for the people they were fighting for. They wouldn't have to fight in a war that shouldn't have begun in the first place. Why couldn't he see that?

The orange ninja turtle ran across rooftops well aware of the awaiting dangers. Years ago The Shredder had had the foot set up traps on all the buildings, sewers and anywhere his brothers would wind up. It made grabbing resources difficult but at the moment Mikey didn't care. He needed to blow off his steam before he went back and strangled his brother.

The youngest turtle leapt, swung and dodged the explosives as he set them off. Really it was just another test for him. Another reminder of how cruel the world was now. Stopping at the back of the old pizza palace, Mike sat to collect his thoughts and to catch his breath. He missed Donnie. At times like this his brother would have wrapped his arm around his shoulder, smiled, and said that everything was going to be alright. Everything would work itself out in the end.

Donnie's disappearance was so sudden. They woke up on morning to discover that their brother was missing. They searched all of New York and not a single sign of him turned up. It was like he didn't exist. This wasn't true because upon questioning LH he too noticed the lack of appearance by his science buddy. After a week Leo had given up the search, stating that if Don wanted to found they would have already discovered his whereabouts.

Mikey couldn't help but feel he had failed his brother. He was closest with the purple turtle, they were best friends and yet Mike had no idea where he gone to.

"The world doesn't work like that anymore Don..." Mikey whispered against the wind, letting it carry the message to where his brother was.

Having collected his wits, the ninja slipped back into the shadows and made his way over to the make shift apartment he had required shortly after the team parted ways. It wasn't much compared to the lair but it was better than nothing. In the beginning, he found it hard to live on his own. His whole life, Mikey had learned to rely on his brothers and work as a team at whatever task Master Splinter threw at them. Being separated put a new perspective on his life.

Now he didn't want nor need their help. He was fine on his own.

Michelangelo slipped through the open window and placed his poncho on the chair near the fireplace. The old thing hadn't worked in years but it still brought a comforting feel to the room. However right away he noticed something wasn't right. It was too quiet. Clunk usually mewed by now, the dang feline couldn't be quiet to save her life.

Mikey slipped the small Shuriken out from the pouch on leather strap on his shell and took aim.

"Whoo, be careful with that big guy, you could poke someone's eye out. "

Raphael might have looked unaffected by the drastic change but you didn't have to dig too deep to discover that the turtle had changed. His anger grew and eventually consumed him until it became too much to handle. Mikey had to pull his brother back to prevent him from taking Leo's life. After that his second oldest brother vanished and he hadn't been seen since.

From what Mikey could tell his physical form was intact, his left eye was still stitched shut from when The Shredder launched his attack on Splinter and small scars lined his body but other than the visible, his angry brother seemed normal.

He narrowed his eyes and walked past Raph to retrieve the Shuriken now lodge in the wall. "What are you doing here?" Mikey slipped the weapon under the book cover and turned his over protective brother. "It's been ten years, Raph, I didn't expect you back so soon. "

"Can it with the sarcasm, Mikey. " He watched as his older brother ran his fingers through the orange pelt of his cat. The original Klunk had passed away years ago but Mikey couldn't bare to live by himself so he went looking for another cat to keep him company. "I'm here to help you."

Who did Raphael think he was? Returning after ten years with nothing and bossing him around like when they were young. Mikey was no longer the scared little boy tucked in his shell, years of war and terror had changed him and he would be more than happy to make that point perfectly clear to his idiot brother just as soon as he got Klunk out from under his hands.

The younger turtle took the cat from his brother and placed her on the chair, "I don't want your help. " He muttered, fighting against the urge to clench his visits together. He couldn't help but flinch when Raph placed his hand on his shoulder; it was too familiar, almost...comforting. Forcing himself to meet his brother's gaze, Mikey curved the corner of his lips into a smile and his breathing all but stopped at the next words that left Raphael's mouth.

"We are going to do what Donnie wanted us to do. With or without Leonardo's help. "