WARNING: This chapter begins the dark descent. If you still want to continue you have been warned. The sun is about to go dark.

Disclaimer: see chapter one


"I'm worried about Mikey, sensei," Leonardo said as Splinter poured two cups of steaming tea. "He hasn't been himself since we buried Klunk."

"The loss of a beloved pet can be a difficult thing to overcome," Splinter replied, setting the tea pot down on the small table. "Especially when that pet has been with a family for as long as Klunk had been."

Leonardo picked up his tea cup and looked down into the steaming brew, his eyes searching. "So, how do we help him heal?" he asked, looking up at his father.

Splinter took a sip of his tea and hummed in thought. "I once heard Donatello mention that animals can have a healing affect on those who are hurting," the ninja master said. "Perhaps you should consider getting a new pet, not to replace the one you have lost, but to help you all heal and remember the happy times you spent with Klunk."

Leonardo nodded and took a sip of tea. "I'm just afraid of how Mikey is going to take it. He's been dead set against getting another pet whenever the topic comes up." He swallowed thickly. "He seems darker, more troubled. He's not the Mikey I grew up with."

"Your brother is going through a difficult, emotional time, Leonardo. Be patient. Michelangelo must find his way out of this darkness he is in, as you once did."

Leonardo's hand instinctively went to the scar on the left side of his shell. The missing piece was a reminder of how far he had come from his own darkness. Leonardo hoped and prayed that Michelangelo would not go down his path; turning his anger and pain inward and allowing it to eat away at his soul. Leonardo set the tea cup down on the table and moved to get up.

"You have reached a decision already, my son?" Splinter guessed.

"I know he'll refuse, but Mikey can't let this pain eat away at him," Leonardo said. He bowed. "Thank you for the tea, Master Splinter."

Splinter returned the bow. "Good luck, Leonardo."

Leonardo smiled and got to his feet. He headed out of Splinter's room and went to find Michelangelo. His brother was sitting slumped on the couch playing a video game.

"Mikey?" Leonardo spoke carefully.

"What?" Michelangelo asked sharply.

Leonardo took a deep breath and chose his next words carefully. "The others, Master Splinter and I have been talking and...and we think it's time that we get a new pet," he said.

The game instantly shut off and dangerous, intense blue eyes shot up to glare at Leonardo. The turtle in blue stiffened and swallowed nervously. Never before had he been afraid of one of his brothers...until now. Michelangelo looked like he was about to murder someone. Leonardo hoped that that someone wasn't him.

"You want to replace Klunk," Michelangelo snarled.

Leonardo shook his head. "Far from it," he argued. "We just want to start healing, Mikey. You need to start healing."

"What if I don't want to heal?" Michelangelo asked. "Ever think about that?"

He threw the controller down on the coffee table, got to his feet and stormed over to the elevator, ignoring Leonardo's calls for him to stop. Michelangelo headed topside and hit the rooftops. He broke into a run; running as fast as his legs could carry him. His eyes and throat burned. The others didn't care about Klunk; that he was gone. They just wanted to replace him. Hot tears burned their way down Michelangelo's cheeks and he ran faster. He just wanted to get away. They didn't understand...would never understand.

Michelangelo came to the end of a rooftop and looked down into the alley below. He saw a man standing in the alleyway, just finishing up a phone conversation. The man snapped the cell phone shut and glanced down to see a stray cat walk up to him. Michelangelo watched as the man tried to shoo the creature away, but when it didn't listen, the man shoved the cat to the side with his foot. The shriek of pain that came from the poor creature echoed through the alley and up to Michelangelo. Something inside of him snapped. The turtle launched himself off the roof and landed in front of the man as he was turning to leave the alley. The human stopped short when he saw the turtle.

"What the hell are you?" the man asked.

"Say you're sorry," Michelangelo snarled.

The man frowned in confusion. "Sorry to whom?" he asked.

"The cat," Michelangelo replied harshly. "Say you're sorry."

The man chuckled. "You want me to apologize to a cat?" he asked incredulously. "It's a stray, freak. It gets kicked around all the time. I have better things to do with my time than to play mommy to every stray in New York."

Michelangelo pulled out a small knife from his belt. "If you don't apologize, I'll make you," he hissed.

The man backed away defensively. "Hey now...don't get any ideas."

But there was nothing in Michelangelo's eyes except hatred and malice. The man turned and bolted for the end of the alley. With expert precision, Michelangelo threw the knife and hit the man in the back of the leg. He screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground. Michelangelo walked up to the man and roughly pulled out the knife, making the human yell again.

"What were you saying?" Michelangelo asked, pinning the man to the ground. "I didn't hear you."

"Sorry," the man whimpered.

Michelangelo drove the knife into the man's side, making him scream. "What?" the turtle asked, his voice rising.

"Sorry. I'm sorry," the man sobbed. "Please...please don't kill me."

But, his pleas fell on deaf ears. All Michelangelo could see was red and hear the pounding of his heart in his ears. He drove the knife repeatedly in the man's abdomen. He knew the man was screaming, but he couldn't hear it. However, he did hear the silence when it finally fell. It was almost deafening. Michelangelo looked down at the lifeless man beneath him, laying in a growing pool of blood. His eyes staring blankly up at the starry sky. Michelangelo slowly glanced down at his bloody hands. He should have felt horrified for what he had just did; but all he felt was relief.

Michelangelo's eyes drifted upward. Red was replaced by blue and it took him a minute to realize that Leonardo was standing before him, shocked and horrified at the scene in front of him. The knife clamored to the ground as Michelangelo got to his feet. Without saying a word to his brother, Michelangelo started up the fire escape. He began making his way across the roof, his mind blank and numb. Leonardo came up behind him and grabbed Michelangelo's arm.

"What the hell was that?" Leonardo demanded.

"He deserved it," Michelangelo said quietly.

"Do you realize what you've done?" Leonardo asked.

Michelangelo finally met his brother's gaze. "Yes," he replied simply. "I just killed a man."

"For what?" Leonardo wanted to know. "What crime was so horrible that you had to take his life?"

"He kicked a cat," Michelangelo answered.

Leonardo looked at his brother, dumbfounded. "He..." The turtle in blue trailed off as he tried to wrap his mind around why his brother would commit such a horrendous act for something so trivial. "He kicked a cat," Leonardo repeated slowly. "You killed a man for that?!"

Michelangelo slowly shook his head. "You'll never understand," he whispered, more to himself than to his brother. "You'll never understand."

Leonardo released his brother and watched him walk away. He ran a hand over his face and took a shaky breath. He wasn't sure what he was going to tell Splinter.


The water ran hot and red. Michelangelo stood in the shower and allowed the water to run off his body. He had gotten home a few minutes ago with Leonardo right behind him. Of course his brother headed straight for Splinter's room, no doubt relaying the events of the night to their sensei.

Snitch.

Michelangelo washed the blood off of his hands and body, watching the crimson red disappear down the drain. He knew he should feel revulsion, but he felt oddly fascinated by it.

Why do people say, "Murder in cold blood" when blood is actually kind of warm? Michelangelo asked himself.

A knock sounded on the door, breaking his thoughts. "Master Splinter wants to see you," Leonardo called.

"I'm busy," Michelangelo called back.

"Now!" Leonardo ordered, harshly.

Growling under his breath, Michelangelo finished his shower and turned off the water. He dried himself off, put on his gear and mask and stalked out of the bathroom and over to Splinter's room.

"You wanted to see me, sensei?" Michelangelo asked, entering the room.

"Kneel," Splinter instructed.

Michelangelo did as he was told and waited for his father to speak.

"Leonardo has informed me of what happened earlier tonight," Splinter said.

Snitch, Michelangelo thought again.

"My son, why would you commit such a dishonorable crime?" Splinter asked.

Michelangelo stiffened. "You wouldn't get it," he replied. "No one ever gets it."

"Help me understand," Splinter said.

"He hurt a defenseless animal, sensei," Michelangelo replied. "I couldn't let him get away with it."

Splinter sighed and his ears flattened against his head. "Michelangelo, that does not justify what you did."

Fire blazed in Michelangelo's blue eyes. "You never get it!" he yelled, catching Splinter off guard. "You never did!"

Before Splinter could stop him, Michelangelo got to his feet and stormed out of the room. Leonardo watched his brother disappear up the stairs and into his room before glancing into Splinter's room.

"What's happening to Mikey, sensei?" Leonardo asked.

Splinter took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Your brother is deeply troubled, Leonardo," he said. "We must keep a careful watch over him." Splinter swallowed nervously. "I fear that this is not over."


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