The Pressures of Brotherhood
By: Phoenix Ride
"Heh," sighed Raphael in frustration, as the red-banded turtle slowly stumbled towards his section of their new lair, his mind still reeling with anger even after Master Splinter had interrupted his and Leonardo's almost fight moments before.
Their old lair had been complete goner ever since the Shredder had destroyed it, plus its location was now exposed so they had no choice but to change places, moving again out of any enemies' range of sight.
Sitting down on his bed, Raphael looked around his room, and noted with his eyes just how much everything had changed.
They had been mutated into Yokai warriors, raised and taught by their superhero Lou Jitsu as a father figure, and have beaten down many bad guys becoming the unofficial heroes of New York.
They've grown, they've learnt, they've fought, but yet, despite that, everything still felt the same.
It had been two years, and even though now, technically everyone had accepted Leo as their new leader, Raphael still found himself stuck in the same position, trapped eternally within his former role.
A growl escaped from Raphael's lips at the mere thought. Leo hadn't changed. None of his siblings remotely have had.
He was still treated as the leader, listened and ignored to just as much as before.
Leo showed absolutely no signs that he ever intended to take his new leader role seriously, joking that they were already awesome as they were, praising his own skills, and ignoring the fact that he was now responsible for the success and safety of the whole team.
Frustration flared up in Raph's mind again as he thought of their recent argument, where he had genuinely expressed his concerns, and tried to make Leo understand why it isn't about him, it's about the team, only to be ignored again, his blue-banded brother grinning, treating it like a joke.
"What's it got to take for him to understand?" Raph thought.
When the next enemy comes, will Leo finally be ready to embrace his new position and properly lead his team?
Sighing, Raphael laid down and prayed, promising himself that even if the moment never came, he would continue to step up and defend his brothers, until Leo finally saw the light.