Chapter 4 – Glowing highway

Hello everyone.. I am back after a six month hospital admission and months of therapy but hey I'm sane now, I think its safe to say while I was in that hospital, I got more than enough ideas to fill a book by now.. anyway sorry for all of you waiting on this, without further hesitation, let the reading begin :) Also I'd like to thank all of you wonderful reviewers 3

I do not own TMNT but hey maybe in a past life I did! Who knows?

Pov – Leonardo

There I was… walking down a highway in the rain, the wet ground lit up by reflective golden lights from the street lamps high above. This was new for me, I had no immediate sense of urgency for the first time in months… it was a pleasant feeling, I had almost.. forgotten.. Though there was one feeling I wish I could push aside… Sadness, it pained mehell, I wondered if I could just keep walking and never wake up to the hell that my life had become as of late. My brothers… they thought I was nuts, crazy… Insane. cant say I blame them either, maybe I really was but either way I will not risk my family's safety, no matter what.. I just have to wait until my father returns. Then there was also the voice… the Shredder… I have no idea, was it me? Was it a ghost? I have the feeling I'll find out all too soon.

I walked along the highway still… through the puddles, the silence… the rain wasn't even making a sound… it was strange.. I am totally aware of everything though I know I must be dreaming… am I lucid dreaming? Is this a vision…? For now I'll keep walking… and I did… for god knows how long, I walked until the rain stopped…. Until the fog started, until I saw a tall figure, one I knew all to well.
"Raph? What are you doing out here, are you dreaming too?" I placed my cold hand on his shoulder. He slapped my hand away, I stared in shock "Hey whats-"
"Fuck off will ya? Why did you follow me? Cant you give me a couple of fucking hours to myself, is that to much to ask!? IS IT!?" He growls scornfully.
"Raph would you just cool it for two seconds? I didn't follow you. To be honest I don't even know where I am, do you know where this is?" It took him a few moments to answer.
"I thought you of all people had a built in compass, fearless." A smirk playing on his lips…
Thats when I heard… a car? This place seemed deserted so I was kind of surprised in a way. "Hey lets move, I hear a car or something. He seemed to mumble, I turned back to him "Hey, did you hear me- Shit" His eyes… they weren't his own anymore, his eyes were… black. "Raph? Hey?" He shoved past me then spoke the voice again not his own this time.
"This turtle always loved cars and Bikes, this seems a fitting downfall for him, wouldn't you say?" My eyes grew wide, I ran over as fast as I could, trying to grab his arm, screaming my brothers name to snap him out of it only to get thrown back by some unknown force, unable to move… the only thing I could do was watch as the Shredder took his full control over Raph… to make him just lay there… the tire of the car coming closer at a really high speed, I screamed.

LEAVE HIM ALONE TAKE ME INSTEAD WHY ARE YOU MAKE ME SEE THIS!? OVER AND OVER AND OVER!?

The car collided with my brothers head… a sickening crack and the splatter of blood that followed moments after were so clear… so real… I cried… Screamed… thats when..

I woke up… sat in my room in a cold sweat, breathing heavily as if I had just ran for miles, I looked around it was as if nothing had ever happened…
"Fucking hell" I was never the one to swear but things are getting way to real. I lifted my arm only to wince at the stinging sensation, it reminded me of yesterdays events, how I cut myself, How I scared the hell out of my brothers… oh god I hope Mikey didn't see that, i'm suppose to be the leader, the strong one. Master Splinter was counting on me and look how I repay his trust… I stain his carpet, taint his glass… scare my bros. They wont forgive after yesterday, I just know it. I held my head in my hands.

(Flashback)
"Please just calm down please… don't make me make you, Leo" Don said nervously
"A-Are you fucking serious!? You could be in serious danger! Why wont you listen to me!?" My eyes wide, I thought of all people he would back me up… right?
"Yeah like you are in ya right mind Leo, slicing yourself up like that, what the fuck were yathinking!? What if Mikey had come in and seen this mess. Raph said all to seriously.
"Leonardo-" That infernal voice again.
"NO" I shouted, I tried to run only to be pulled back by my brothers.. my own flesh and blood didn'tbelieve me. They thought I was insane.
"LET GO YOU DONT UNDERSTAND, WHY THE FUCK WONT YOU LISTEN!? RAPH. DON. WHY CANT YOU HEAR HIM!? WHY!? WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE!?" Again with the shouting.
"Don will you give 'im something, calm him down. Anything. Raph said flatly, still holding me tight. Don was hesitant but agreed.
"Leo… hey bro calm down, please. I'm going to get something to help you relax and sleep a little.. okay?" Donnie spoke softly before leaving me in Raphs hold. I shook my head.
"No… No Don! Don't make me sleep please it only gets worse when I sleep!" Struggling I managed to pull one arm free from Raph, I was desperate.. no more dreams NO MORE.
"Leo stop strugglin'! This is for yer own good." Raph… I know he meant well but he didn't help, this wasn't helping in the slightest, I kicked his feet from under him then I did something… stupid out of panic.. I grabbed a big piece of glass "S-Stay away"
Raph stared at me in horror "Bro, put it down seriously." He inched closer to me.. hand reaching out to me, I backed into the wall.
"Not until you listen to me, how else can I get through to you!?" I cried out to him hoping he'd go along with it… instead he lunged, grabbing my wrist, I pulled ended up cutting right down his cheek with the glass.. it was an accident… I just wanted to get him off… I hurt one one of my brothers.. after that I just let go of the glass, staring… he winced "I-I didn't mean t-to… Raph I'm sorry I-" A sharp sting descended in the back of my neck… Tired… I suddenly felt so tired.. I turned to see Donnie's face… before everything blurred.. I stumbled faward… I fell.. got caught by.. Raph? I couldn't make out much of what they were saying...
"We're going to have to call Splinter back, this is getting serious, Raph, we cant let him go on like this and um… thats going to need stitches, thats a hell of a cut" That was Don… I wanted dad back.. so bad…
"You call 'im I'll take fearless to his room...you think he'll be okay when he wakes up?" Raph… sounded like he actually cared for a moment there.
"I don't know Raph… I just don't, Maybe this really is the Shredder?" Yes Don… please believe me… not to long after that everything was gone… the sounds of my brothers..

(End of flashback)

"Hey… Leo? I made you breakfast" Mikey popped his head around my door then walked in with some pancakes "Look I even put nutella smiles on them for you" He grinned "Heard you weren't feeling well so… um… here! I totally expect you to do the same for me when I get sick though, just so you know" He poked his tongue out at me… is that what they told him? That I was sick….
"Thank you.. Mikey so much" I smiled back at him "And yes I will make you pancakes when you get sick… but you know I'm not a good cook, I burn cherios" I wasn't lying on that, I once in the winter tried to make warm cherios so I put the milk in a saucepan with the cherios in and left it on the cooker for a while while I meditated… I kind of lost track of time only to be pulled out of my meditation to find Donnie screaming "FIRE FIRE" then running around with a fire extinguisher… apparently the cherios had been left there so long the milk had evaporated into some black smokey ash and the smoke had set off all the fire alarms in the Lair, Raph kind of got the blame for that one, he had to clean all the cooker and air out the Lair…. I had to chuckle at that memory.. I never did own up to that… until now.. oh crud.
"I SO KNEW THAT WAS YOU!" He burst out laughing "BLACKMAIL FOR LIFE" He shouted through laughter, holding his side. I sighed.
"Whats the silence worth?" Hanging my head. He grinned his goofy grin again.
"£50, 5 matches where you loose against me in sparing in front of Splinter and the others aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I want unlimited pizza delivery for the next month"
"Are you serious!?" Damn he drives a hard bargain but if Raph or Splinter ever found out about this they'd never let me live it down!
"£30, 3 matches where you win and unlimited pizza delivery for a month, Deal?" He pondered for a moment but agreed, we shook on it and he left, I sighed with relief Damn little brothers are powerful when it comes to blackmail… but then again so are big brothers, I pulled out a picture from under my bed frame of Raph asleep in a drunken state clinging to an extreme sports model calendar with one random sock on his right foot and a dick I drew on his head in permanent marker… as well as the words "Mikey's bitch" on his thigh… that wasn't me that was of corse it was Mikey but it was so funny when he woke up and found out! He dosent even know I have this picture, I'm saving it for a special occasion when I need to blackmail him… My smile slowly faded as my thoughts went back to what I did to him with the glass… I slipped the picture back under my bed. "I should apologize" I mumbled to myself, getting up then walking out of my room.. only to be stopped in my tracks. I swear I saw..… no it must be my imagination…

TBC