"Oh, no, big brother. You ain't getting off that easy."
Raphael's sai ghosted over his quaking throat, kicked him above his jaw line, and Leo could either roll his head or get another scar. When he didn't move fast enough, he heard Raph's growl, and the familiar thundering ache as Raph clubbed his temple with the sai's pummel. Stunned into surrendering, Leo allowed Raph to roughly shove his face towards the wall, and his eyes dully swept over Raph's bandages.
"You wanna know why I'm not running you through? You really want to know why I don't just stab you in the guts? Because I know that what this feels like."Raph snarled.
There was only that bitter, loaded silence, as Leo just shut his eyes and let his head fall back with a wince.
Raphael watched as Leo groaned, plastron heaving, fingers twitching against the sheets and the knots that Splinter had cocooned him in. Leo's dark eyes were smeared, wet, and nearly glazed over, as Leo finally rolled his lulling head to meet Raph's accusing glare.
And Raph's gut clenched when Leo gave him that mocking, cruel smirk. The brittle chuckle of amusement was like breaking glass, harsh and scraping past Leo's bloodied lips, filling the room, swelling outward.
"And what makes you think I give a damn? If I cared, I wouldn't have stabbed you in the first place." Leo narrowed his eyes, and hissed out.
Leo shook his head and spat, "This would be amusing if it weren't so pathetic. After all the times I lectured you on controlling your anger, you decide to listen now?Here's a scary thought for you. Do you think I would have stopped with just your arm?"
Leo's sick, horrible laugh. Those eyes that once held so much warmth were now like staring into an open grave.
Leo's body trembled as the snickers erupted from his gut, as he arched his neck back into the pillow and fragmented into the sobbing chuckles. It felt like agony.
Raphael swallowed back the vomit, and lurched backwards, feeling his shell collide with the wall, the throbbing of his wound searing through his arm like thunder. The pounding in his brain erupted as the room wobbled before his teary eyes. Raphael didn't know if he was sliding to the floor or if the Lair had suddenly been shook by an earthquake, everything was so blurred and smeared and confusing.
The blood pounded to his temples, and he couldn't stop the shaking. Leo's cackle had suddenly turned into a shrill whine. The door shot open, and Don sprang through, with his bo staff drawn and Mikey peeking fearfully behind his shell.
Donny hesitated for one tortured second, calculating the threats against the instinct. Raphael was withered and sliding downward, the sai dangling from his fingers as he curled and nearly toppled.
And Leo was laughing.
Something inside Donny's soul fractured into nothing but rage. He snarled, curled his fingers around the bitter familiarity of his bo, and swung.
The collision of wood against Leo's bones sounded like a thunder-clap, it was so loud and cruel. Donny ignored the smear of red, Mikey's shriek and pleading hands against his shell.
Donny snarled again, shoved Mikey away, and swung again. The second blow caught Leo flush in the mouth, splintered his lips against his teeth, made Leo's body rise and fall with the force of the strike.
Leo's head lulled, the thin scarlet trickle dribbling from his bloodied temple. Donny raised the bo again, ready to club the horrible sight from his eyes, ready to beat that hated flesh out of existence.
From behind, Donny heard somebody shrieking his name, pleading with him to stop.
He raised his bo again, suddenly heard the scrape of metal against wood, and Raphael materializing between him and Leo. Numbly, Donny noted that Raph had hooked the pummel of the sai over the bo staff.
"Stop!" Raphael's voice was only a breathed out sliver of sound, but Donny felt it like a bucket of ice being dribbled over his searing rage.
Mikey hovered between them, helpless. Raphael's eyes flickered towards him.
"Mikey. Get Master Splinter." Raphael barked out as Mikey nearly flew, he disappeared so quickly.
Donny lowered his weapon in shame, the sickening guilt washing over him like a drowning tidal wave. How in the hell could he have done this?
He swallowed back tears, tried and failed to say anything as Raphael winced and stored his weapon.
Donny lay the bo staff down, trying not to stare at the scarlet that coated both the wood and the sheets and his brother's skull.
Donny heard Splinter's shuffling, the gentle tap of his cane.
"My sons." Splinter paused in anguish, as he cupped a hand to Leo's bleeding cheek, and raised his reddened, trembling paw. Leo's face was bruised, and swollen, the mottled purple arching across from his busted mouth to his left eye. His bloodied temple bore the dark indention from Donny's strike.
"Is Leo going to be alright?" Mikey asked softly.
"Donatello, you will help me with Leonardo. Michelangelo, assist Raphael to his room, and stay there with him until I come to speak with you both." Splinter snapped abruptly.
Mikey only stared with those huge, scared eyes, as Raph finally groaned, and gently shoved Mikey forward with his good arm.
"Come on, Mikey. You heard 'em."
Mikey stumbled out of the room, his eyes never leaving Leo.
Splinter waited until Mikey and Raph were gone before attempting to address the situation before him. Mercifully, Donatello's moral instinct to help any in need had returned, because the turtle was silently examining the wounds, with shaking fingers. Donny recoiled at the blood, the withered grimace of pain, how tightly shut Leo's eyes were.
His two hits were cruel, and painful, but Leonardo was still breathing. True, the bruises looked horrible, but Donny secretly harbored the smug, sick satisfaction in knowing that Leo had at least gotten some taste of his own medicine at last. If Donny truly wanted Leo dead, he would have been doled him out a skull fracture.
What in the hell is wrong with me? Donny winced when he stared at the aftermath.
This was the second time that he had hit Leo. Was he falling into madness as well?
He was distracted by the sound of running water, as Splinter came back with an arm full of rags, the first aid kit, and a large bowl of water.
Splinter quietly shut the door behind him, pausing to cobble together his fragmented nerves and resolves into the frail veneer of calm and peace he would need to help his sons. Raising beseeching eyes to the heavens, he breathed inward until he felt calm enough to turn and face yet another agonizing act from his sons.
Sighing, Donny flung a hand at Leo's battered face, and whispered, "He'll be alright. I didn't hit him hard enough to do much more than put him out for a few hours."
Splinter knelt with the rag, gently dabbing away the blood from Leo's face.
"You were cruel to your brother, Donatello. The fact that you did not injure him more severely does not change that fact."
Splinter's fingers clenched at the cloth as he looked up at Donny.
Donny's head snapped up at that, his eyes narrowed and dark. "What about what he's done to Raph? To us?"
Donny bit back another snarl, inhaled in the attempt to calm himself. Out of the four of the Turtles, he almost never mouthed off to Splinter like this.
"Master Splinter, I am sorry for my disrespect." He bowed his head, apologetically, before continuing, "but what are we going to do? This thing here that stabbed Raphael and threatened the rest of us is not my brother. I can't forgive this. Not when I'm worrying that Leo may attack and do worse the next time."
Splinter blinked back tears, before he forced out the choking words, and the comforting paw to rest on Donny's rigid shoulder.
"I will not sacrifice three of my sons to save the life of one, Donatello. Nor will I ask that of you. This, I promise."
Splinter cupped his head, allowed his fingers to convey some comfort.
And a preview to the next chapter:
Mikey felt the edge of the katana tremble at his throat, threatening to slice it open but never even gracing his flesh enough to cut. Leo's breathing was ragged in his ear when he slid his other arm across Mikey's plastron. Mikey shuddered at the unknown threat, as the tears kept spilling down his face and the sobs nearly brought him to crumbling. He didn't want to die!
His shrill whine of panic was abruptly severed when Leo withdrew the blade from his throat and sheaved it.
Mikey felt Leo's gentle hands steady him to his feet, and grip his shoulders. Leo peered deep into his eyes for one, long moment.
"Mikey, I'm sorry." Leo whispered in agony, as he let go of his baby brother and everything that he had left to give.
Mikey nearly toppled from the shock, numbly grateful that Leo had apparently decided to let him live after all.
Mikey flinched in terror as Leo inched away, palms wide and pleading to show that he meant no harm.
Mikey stared, bewildered as the tears trickled down Leo's face. "Forgive me. Please."
Mikey yelped as Leo suddenly lunged forward, gathered him up in his shaking arms and crushed him to his plastron in the fierce embrace.
"Good-bye, Mikey." Leo whispered, as he let him go.
And Leo had vanished before Mikey could even answer.