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It's quiet at the farmhouse. In fact, it's so quiet that everyone can hear the steady tick tock of the clock, even though it's in the living room.
Leo's still on the bed. It's been hours, but he hasn't waken up yet. It's difficult for everyone to keep their hopes up with Leo looking like this.
Casey breaks the silence by saying, "Who wants to go find Raph?"
Donnie says, "Sorry Casey, but I have to watch over Leo. Maybe you can Mikey can go."
"No!"
Everyone turns around and stares at Mikey. They don't understand. Why wouldn't Mikey want to go after Raph, his hero and favorite brother?
"C'mon Mikey, we're just gonna get Raph back home! It's no biggie!" Casey tries to convince the youngest turtle.
Mikey turns around, his back - or rather, shell - facing the rest of them. He doesn't want anyone to see the small tear trickling down his cheek.
"Isn't Raph your favorite brother?" April asks. "You guys are pretty close."
Mikey doesn't say anything.
"You know, it's not your fault-" Donnie begins.
"Shut up!"
Everyone stares at Mikey again.
"Um, Mikey, are you oka-" Donnie asks, only to be cut off by his younger brother.
"NO! I'm not okay! It's all my fault!" Mikey cries, the tears flowing freely down his cheeks.
Casey scratches his head. "Uh, isn't it the Shredder's fault? He's the one who took Ra-"
"He wouldn't have taken Raph if it weren't for me," Mikey says icily. The others exchange looks. Since when did Mikey act like this?
Mikey continues. "It's my fault I said that to him."
"Said what?" April asks.
Mikey finally lets the others see his tear stained face. "Nothing you need to know!" He runs downstairs and goes outside despite the darkness, slamming the door behind him.
Donnie is about to go after him, but April shakes her head. "Give him some space," she says. "He needs to be alone."
Mikey never really noticed before, but it's really peaceful when one's outside alone. The wind whips across his face, giving him a sense of tranquility.
He's usually the kind of person who likes being around others. But not right now.
He still can't understand why he said that. He never had anger issues like Raph. He's the easy-going, always forgiving, and prankster king turtle. Or at least, he used to be.
He had betrayed Raph. His worst fear is being betrayed, but instead, he had fulfilled it. He is the betrayer.
What had happened? How did he change so fast? Is it really his fault?
"I miss you, bro," he murmurs quietly to himself before falling into a dreamless sleep.
"RAPH! HELP ME!"
Raph turns around and sees Mikey, Donnie, and Leo being attacked by the Shredder. He grabs his sais and runs over to them. But whenever he runs closer, the Shredder and his brothers seem to go farther away from him.
He finally reaches the Shredder, but it's too late. The lifeless bodies of his brothers lay next to him. They're covered with so much blood, so he can barely see the green on them. He doesn't have to feel their pulse to know that he's too late.
Raph growls and faces the Shredder, getting ready to attack him.
The Shredder laughs menacingly. "You think you can defeat me, you worthless piece of garbage?" He doesn't wait for Raph's answer. "You cannot defeat me."
The Shredder flicks off his helmet, allowing Raph to get a glimpse of his face.
Raph's eyes widen in pure horror. "The Shredder's... me?"
Raph instantly wakes up, his whole body flicked with sweat. He remembers running into a forest, but he doesn't know when he fell asleep. He looks around, realizing that he's still in the forest, although it's hard to tell since it's nighttime.
Images of his nightmare flicker into his head. Does it mean that my anger's getting the better of me?
He knows part of it is true. He killed his brothers. He killed them.
Maybe he didn't kill Leo physically, but he did mentally.
I'm a monster, he thinks to himself as the tears drip down his cheeks.
"Couldn't find him," Casey says, slumping into a chair. "I saw the Shredder, all beat up. I think Raph did that to him, but I didn't see him at all."
"Maybe he's on his way home," Donnie says. He's doubtful though. Raph isn't the best when it comes to finding the way home when he's lost.
"Hope so," Casey replies as he goes into the kitchen to get a snack.
Donnie looks over to his still unconscious brother. It was too bad he had already lost two of them. He doesn't need to lose another.
April checks Leo's pulse and gasps. "Donnie, he- he's not breathing!"
For a few moments, Donnie can't move. No, not Leo too!
Then he snaps out of it and rushes over to Leo, giving him CPR. He's not going to lose another brother. Never again.
A/N: I got the turtles' worst fears from the 2003 episode "The Darkness Within." Mikey's is betrayal; Raph's is his anger; Donnie's is losing his loved ones; and Leo's is failure.
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