PRESENT

The ex-human sighed but, convinced by the sensei's words, without hesitation, he showed Donatello's bandana he had in his hand. It was separated into two parts because of the shot and still feeling warm by the blood that stained it.

"Why did you take my brother's bandana!?" Raphael complained, but Splinter imposed silence on him by hugging him more tightly.

As a response to Raphael's question, Rockwell turned the bandana around, showing the side of the bandana that had touched Donatello's skin. Instead of fabric, that whole side was made of a board filled with tiny circuits. But it was so flexible and soft that it imitated perfectly the natural movement of the original fabric when folded.

At seeing that, Raphael asked: "What is that? Was somebody controlling my brother?" He finished asking, looking at the scientist in disbelief.

"That´s the idea that came to my mind too," Rockwell replied sincerely. "Now, I must tell you this: when Michelangelo died, I perceived everyone´s feelings and thoughts, except Donatello's, that puzzled me at the time, but when..." Rockwell bit his lips before going on, "but when Donnie died, I stayed there for a few minutes, then I noticed that some tiny sparks were coming off from one of the shattered edges of the bandana. Taking it off and looking at the other side, I immediately noticed it´s a slightly more advanced reproduction of kraang technology. Many of their armaments and equipment included this kind of circuits, which are barely perceptible to the human eye.

That discovery raised a sea of fears and doubts in everyone's minds. They couldn't believe that someone somehow was controlling Donnie without anyone noticing, not to mention the way they had managed to put that false bandana on him. The mutant ape thought so too and concluded all of them could be in danger.

"Donatello used to record everything that happened in his lab and the infirmary, right?" Rockwell asked, although he was almost sure the answer would be yes.

"That's right, Doctor, how did you know?"

"All of us scientists share many characteristics, especially wanting to keep a detailed record of everything we do, is something we do by nature. Would you allow me to access Donatello's computer? I'm afraid, if my suspicions are correct, someone or something has been watching this place, and there may be some image of the culprit on the computer; if so, I'm afraid all of us we might be in danger."

"Go ahead, Doctor," Splinter answered.

SEVEN MONTHS EARLIER

When it was time to help Leo to move out, they transferred him from the infirmary to his room to be more precise. Donatello gave the green light for his older brother to start feeding on his youngest brother's delicious food.

"Just as Dr. Donnie ordered, Leo," that wooden bed tray had become an extension of Mikey's body just like his nunchucks that at the whim of their owner switched to kusarigamas.

Aided by Mikey, Leonardo leaned against the pile of pillows that his baby brother had placed behind his shell. That way, he could remain seated without feeling any discomfort.

As he used to do, Mikey took off all the bowls' lids to proudly show his oldest brother everything he had cooked for him.

After the freckled turtle´s detailed description of the tantalizing dishes, he sat on a chair beside his brother's bed and placed his head on his hands that he had rested on the back of the chair to watch as Leo ate.

The eldest smiled, but he lasted a few moments without tasting any of the food. His big brother's attitude began to intrigue Michelangelo.

"Leo, if you don't want any of this, I can prepare whatever you want, but please, eat something; you're so skinny." Mikey begged him because Leo's physical condition screamed from the rooftops his weakness was still far from being banished from his body.

"I´m sorry, little brother," Leo replied with a weak voice, placing slowly one of his hands on Mikey's head to caress him with tenderness after hearing Mikey´s voice full of heartbreak. "Don´t feel bad, everything you have brought me looks delicious, but first I want to give myself the pleasure of enjoying the smell of your food. You don´t know how much I missed it." The oldest turtle explained, bringing his face closer to the food´s steam to inhale it and take pleasure in the aromas.

Mikey watched him with joy at seeing him do that, but suddenly his face showed once again the melancholy still nested in his heart by remembering everything that had happened in his nightmares. He was sure those bad dreams could hardly reflect the true cruelty still engraved on Leo's body.

"Leo…"

"Yes?"

"The... the kraangs... didn't give you food... did they?" His little brother´s limpid shade of blue in his eyes faded a little when he asked that question, almost stuttering as he lowered his eyes. Mikey didn't want to bring up unpleasant flashbacks in his older brother's mind.

When Leonardo saw Mikey do that, he smiled sadly. To ease the pain in his little brother's heart, he replied: "No, Mikey, they never gave me food, but you know what? I'm so glad they didn't."

"Why?" The pain in Mikey's voice almost disappeared to be displaced by innocent curiosity which filled his eyes.

Leonardo, smiling once more when Mikey lifted his face to see him, leaned his head towards the prankster's ears to whisper to him: "Because everything they cooked smelled horrible."

The amused grin and the chuckles coming from his baby brother gave Leonardo one of those occasions when he not only enjoyed the food but also the company of the youngest turtle among them.

Leonardo took a spoon and dipped it in the chicken soup Mikey had brought for him. The amount of food decreased over the minutes. The happiness in Leonardo's heart was as great as Mikey's when he saw his big brother enjoy every sip of soup.

While the youngest turtle's delicious food exerted its prodigious effect on the much-needed organism of his big brother, Leonardo continued to make funny comments about the kraangs. His favorite little one amused himself as he rocked in his chair, rejoicing when Leo assured him that thanks to his food, he felt much better.

Even though Mikey adored Leonardo, he contained his overwhelming willingness to help him because he didn't want to treat him like a baby. He knew how important it was for him to regain his independence as soon as possible. Of course, Mikey was there for him every time his brother's strength wasn't yet fully restored. Like Donatello or Raphael, the freckled turtle was always there to help his older brother anytime he needed him.

At the end of the meal, Leonardo was satisfied, pleased not only physically by the food prepared with affection but also emotionally. He was sure that his little brother would sleep better from that day forward.

…..

Raphael had been assisting Donnie with his big brother's physical therapy. The hot-headed turtle was always at Donnie´s side doing everything he could, helping his big brother regain his strength and flexibility by exercising his bones, tendons, and muscles with the proper movements.

Raphael had talked a lot with the others, but he had hardly spoken with his oldest brother since Leonardo had returned to consciousness. Both, during the rehabilitations, they didn't look each other in the eye. Anyone would have realized they wanted to express something, but they couldn't find the right words.

There was a lot of physical contact between Leonardo and Raphael. The grumpy turtle had practiced many times all the repetitive movements that were appropriate for Leo's recovery. With the help of his incredible strength, he was much better than Donatello to carry Leo to the infirmary, to the bathroom, or the living room.

Almost two months after finding him, Leonardo was ready to return to his daily life, despite all his protests stating that he already felt much better from a couple of weeks earlier. Donatello's fiery looks kept him at bay, not counting his father's orders and the menacing glances of his brother in red.

The last night Raphael carried Leonardo from the living room to his bedroom. The grumpy turtle entered his brother's room carefully and gently laid Leo down on his bed. They looked at each other for a few seconds, and without saying a word, Raphael went to the door. After half-opening it, Raphael lowered his head and stopped for a moment, slammed the door shut, clenched his fists and teeth, approached again next to his brother. who looked at him intrigued as the turtle in red sat on the edge of the bed.

"You're a fucking idiot, did you know that!?" Raphael began talking even without looking at Leonardo in the eye.

Leonardo knew the reason behind those words.

"I'm sorry, Raph..."

"So, you think that just saying "I'm sorry" is enough!?" the hot-headed turtled complained. "During all the time we were looking for you, our father, Donatello, and of course Mikey had the luxury of expressing their anguish, so I forced myself to show serenity... SERENITY! Something I could never have imagined I had to do, Lame-o-nardo! Didn't you think about what would happen to us if you had been murdered!?"

"I knew you'd be okay, Raph."

"And how could you know that!? Do you have a crystal sphere where you can see the future!?" Raphael asked, screaming for the first time, looking at his older brother in the eyes. "You never think about what others feel! Do you!? You don't give a damn about us getting our hearts hurt because of you!" At that moment, Raphael had already stood up because he was afraid to punch his brother, who showed a face full of guilt, something that infuriated the grumpy turtle even more.

"You know what? To hell with you! I'm getting the fuck out!" Raphael arrived at the door in four furious strides without giving a damn about what his brother was thinking, but Leonardo's voice stopped him.

"Can I... ask you a favor?"

"What do you want?" The annoyance filled Raphael's question. Despite being furious, he stopped.

"I would like you to stay and keep me company tonight, bro." Rafael retraced his steps, sat back on the edge of the bed again, and crossed his arms, once more dodging Leonardo's gaze.

A few minutes later, as Raphael exhaled grunts of disgust mixed with sighs of boredom, he felt one of his brother's hands on his arm. As he looked back, Leo was looking at him with a pleading gaze. Raphael immediately turned around and took his brother's hand betweeen his.

"What's wrong, Leo?" Then Raphael's voice sounded worried about his older brother. He had never seen that look in Leonardo's eyes. His big brother was the embodiment of stoicism. The tough turtle had discarded all his bad attitude.

"You know? His brother began his voice filled with shyness and some shame, "the worst thing about being there wasn't the beatings, not the wounds, not even not eating anything... it was..." The turtle in blue stopped. He didn't want to express what tormented him because he felt that it wasn't fair that his little brother in red had to feel distressed again by what had happened to him.

"Leo, trust me," Raphael's eyes and attitude let Leo know that whatever was bothering him, he had all the time he wanted to say it. Raphael would wait as long as it took for his brother to wear his heart on his sleeve.

"Raph, please, forgive me, I didn't want to burden you with this, but... I can't take it anymore, I honestly can't..." Leonardo lowered his gaze and bit his lips trying, with all the willpower he had left, to keep quiet, but it was too late; his best friend would now wait a lifetime to help him.

"Leo... Don't think I'm going to get broken or think less of you, just let it out, we'll figure out how to solve it, I promise everything will be better when you free yourself of your burden." Raphael's eyes reflected a look full of affection. Upon seeing it, Leonardo began by letting out a huge sigh, and finally spoke.

"The worst thing was... not being able to cry." Confessed, at last, the turtle in blue, bowing his head, thinking that he shouldn't admit such weakness. "The kraangs always watched over my cell, and I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me do it, but being alone and hearing oftentimes that I would never see you again..." Leo's voice was beginning to be heard drowning in pain. "I couldn't tell Donnie this because he's already done so much by having to examine the ravages on my body and the implicit damage he had guessed by just seeing me. And neither to Mikey; he has suffered from having those horrible nightmares and our father, who I don't want to give more reasons to be sad. That's why... I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't find a way to soften it... I'm so sorry..."

Just then and there, Raphael hugged him tightly. "Don't hold back anymore, Leo."

Leonardo clung to his little brother's body as if the salvation of his soul depended on it and let out the torrent he had struggled so hard to suppress. Each of the tears that wet Raphael's shoulder made his blood boil. Every sob that ringed in his ears and echoed in his heart made him want to be in the presence of those who had put Leo through that awful experience to crush them mercilessly. But he appeased any hint of the fury that pervaded him because that moment belonged entirely to his brother, who so badly needed it.

Leonardo's heart made the most of this escape route for all the pain that had overwhelmed him. Raphael was honored to have been chosen by his older brother to be the rock that the young leader would use to lean on and rise again with fully restored forces. That sincere confession further strengthened Raphael. He had promised to himself never to abandon his best friend again. He would be at his side to help him with his heavy burden; until his last day of life.

After a few glorious minutes dedicated to getting rid of all his pain, Leonardo managed to articulate the words that, in themselves, were the best reward for Raphael.

"Thank you..." After hearing it, the tough turtle placed his hands on Leo's shoulders, who looked at him with red eyes but free from the anguish that had darkened them.

"I promised you, didn't I? Everything would get better...," now it was Raphael who had started to cry, even though he was trying his best to avoid it," you don't know... how much... I feared not... not to see you again..." confessed the turtle in red, stuttering a bit.

"Oh, little brother..." Once again, both brothers were wrapped in each other's arms. "Forgive me for having worried you, Raph. The only thought that went through my mind was to keep all of you safe," the eldest apologized when he noticed that his younger brother was crying harder.

"I WAS SO AFRAID! The very idea of me living without my oldest brother... You sacrificed yourself for us. You didn't mind what could happen to you. That's why I hate you. That's why I hate you with all my heart!" The turtle in red shouted, hiding his face in his older brother's chest.

"I know... Raph... I know..." Leonardo whispered, tenderly smiling as he heard those words that revealed that his little Raphael was as much or more in need than Mikey or Donnie to always count on his big brother's presence and unconditional love.

A longer time was devoted to enjoying the special bond between the young leader and his grumpy little brother as they lied down, but without breaking their embrace. After Raphael had, like Leonardo, exhausted all his tears, he dared not move because he rejoiced to feel his brother's hands gently caressing his shell a well as the slight touch with each warm kiss given by his big brother on his forehead.

"Don't go telling the others that you saw me cry, Raph." The older brother asked in a funny tone.

"And risk you telling the others the same about me too? Not in a million years! I have a reputation to maintain." Raphael replied, matching his big brother's tone of voice at the same time he sat. "Besides, if you do it, I will give you such a beating that you will remember me the rest of your silly life." The younger brother assured him, giving Leo a soft punch in the jaw, something that made Leonardo smile with loving complicity.

"Are you going back to your room?" Leo asked as his little brother stood up.

"No, Leo, I'm just going to take another blanket and another pillow out of the wardrobe, you know I like to sleep with two blankets, plus you seem to forget that 'someone,' asked me to stay tonight." The turtle in red answered, looking at his oldest brother with joy.

Leonardo immediately moved aside to make more room for Raphael in the bed. When he lay down, Raphael again approached his brother, who immediately hugged him.

"Never sacrifice yourself again, Leo... please..." Raphael begged as he put his head under his brother's chin.

"Don't worry, little brother." The big brother replied. What else could he answer to his best friend? Leonardo would never let anything bad happen to any of them.

Right about the time between consciousness and sleep, Raphael muttered: "I love you, Leo."

"I love you too, Raph."

Outside Leonardo's room, very still, sitting on the floor and with his ear glued to the door was Mikey. When he was sure his brothers had already surrendered to fatigue, he let out a sigh, the perfect endpoint to a large stream of salty droplets coming from his baby blue eyes, but without sobbing, enjoying the affection that oozed from the inside. The place had been the scene of one of the best examples of fraternal love that could exist in the world.

Michelangelo, after hearing Raphael´s screams and filled with curiosity, had left his room. His big brother's room was the next one. The baby brother had heard everything. His soul was glad that the strange behavior between the two brothers has finally vanished. One more month was the cost of Leonardo's full recovery.

It seemed the bad luck gradually increased. Fate had decided that an illness, a broken leg, and an attempted murder weren't enough. Mikey and Donatello would be the ones to suffer the worst scenario.

To be continued…