What They Don't Understand, What They Can't Conquer (#5)

"People fear what they can't understand, and hate what they can't conquer."

-Andrew Smith

TMNT 2k14/2k16 - Leo and Mikey

Part One-What They Can't Conquer

Notes: Part two of this mini-arc will be between Don and Raph, but with the same concept. Not same reason, but same brother needs brother moment.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NINJA TURTLES OR THEIR AMAZING BROTHERLY FLUFFYNESS

"Mikey? What're you doing up this late?" Leo's voice, though loud enough and clear (since Splinter wasn't asleep anyways and Raph and Don were never getting up), it barley reached the youngest turtle brother.

"Mikey." Leo's voice became soft and concerned when he saw what his brother was watching on the internet.

'Raw footage: Teens' final moments on South Korean ferry – YouTube'

"Mikey, you shouldn't be seeing this." He immediately tried turning his innocent little brother's eyes away from the laptop screen, but Mikey wasn't budging. That's when Leo saw tears in Mikey's eyes.

"W-why…" Mikey trailed off, his baby brother's voice was cracking with each word.

"Why would someone leave a bunch of kids, n-no older than…than us… to-to drown?" Mikey's voice broke the normally stoic leaders heart.

Leo sighed, heart torn, and sat next to his baby brother. He pulled him into a tight hug and shut the laptop down.

"Mikey… sometimes people just don't have humanity. The people that left those kids, left them to sink, they were just afraid and too panicked to even consider those kids. They were selfish."

Mikey let a small sob out and Leo just squeezed tighter.

"W-why? Those kids had families, Leo; families! Like if we went on that and didn't come back to papa! It's not fair! Why would s-someone do that?" Mikey said this all through the hiccups. His voice was mumbled due to being buried in Leo's plastron.

"I don't know exactly why ototo. I think- I think it's because people hate what they can't conquer. They couldn't stop the ship from sinking, so they were afraid and angry and took it out on those kids; only thinking for themselves." He said, trying to soothe his baby brother by rocking him.

"Leo, how do we stop it?" Mikey's voice was so hopeful, as if thinking Leo had a plan. A plan that could stop all bad and evil in the world, a plan that could stop selfish people and greed, stop anger and fear and death. Oh, how Leo wished.

"There are just some bad in the world baby brother. Some bad we can't stop. Some bad that'll always be there. I wish we could stop all this from happening, I wish. But we can't stop everything. Do you understand?"

"So, so we can't stop it? So wh-why are we trying?" The way Mikey said it, chilled Leo to the bone. His voice was cold and quiet.

"Ototo." Leo grabbed Mikey's chin and lifted it up to face him. "Never give up. Yes, there will always be bad. But there will also always be good. And I assure you, there will always be more good than bad. It's only because we, as living beings for humans and mutants, tend to see only the bad things, and ignore the good things. But you're different Mikey, you've always seen the good side. You need to keep seeing that side. Promise me?"

Mikey digested what his brother said and Leo didn't push, he saw the contemplating look they all knew so well.

"I Promise."

"Good. Now," Leo took the laptop from Mikey, swearing in the back of his mind to talk to Don about banning certain YouTube searches," Let's get to bed okay? Training's going to start in a couple of hours."

The terrified look that crossed Mikey's face told Leo enough.

"Want to sleep with me ototo?"

"Please Ani …" Mikey wasn't the bravest turtle, but Mikey hasn't looked at Leo with such fear of sleeping in such awhile, it broke a bit of him inside. Mikey was so damn innocent. He was only 14, it was bad enough they did what they did every night, but now this? Seriously, YouTube was banned from now on, on that damned computer.

"Of course. I'd never say no Mikey, you know that."

As Mikey and Leo curled up in Leo's bed, Leo couldn't help but watch Mikey's innocent face. Mikey was curled into his plastron, obviously trying to ignore the disturbing thought of kids being left to drown, and being naively unaware of the fact that they were slowly sinking and going to drown; die. Leo had seen the video before, it made him disgusted that someone would do that. The pleas of those children… If it made him hurt this bad, he couldn't imagine what Mikey was feeling.

"I love you ototo. Don't forget our promise okay?"

"I love you too Ani. And, I promise."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

A/N:

I believe the ages in 2k14/2k16 universes are…

Mikey – 14

Don – 15

Raph and Leo – 16

Mikey just looks too small and Don I just want to be younger XD I would put Leo down as 17 but that could be a stretch considering (I think) Leo is shorter than Raph (Woah Raphie, growth spurts change everything don't they?)

Hope you enjoyed!