Author's Note: HI EVERYONE! I first want to thank everyone who wished their condolences on my recent lost, and most of all, for understanding my lack of update. I'm doing much better now, and even though things are still crazy here, i'm doing a-okay and ready to get back into the story! I'm sorry if this chapter isn't as good, I did most of the writing when I was still blah- but WE'RE HEADING TO WHERE THE SUMMARY WILL MAKE SENSE SOON ENOUGH- MUAHAHAHAH- okay. As usual, thank you all for the favorites/reviews/follows/readers! THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT nor the song lyrics of "Maybe" by Sick Puppies

...

A Turtle and his Sisyphus

…..….

"Maybe it's time to change, and leave it al behind."

/./././././././././././

STUPID. STUPID. STUPID! Pounding each emotion into the punching bag, Leo now knew why Raph loved to take it out on this. This wasn't like him- no, this wasn't him. He had to be perfect, he just had to be the one figure that his brothers would look up to. How could he be so careless- letting a distraction pass by him?

Now Master Splinter…

"My son, whatever comes upon me. You must promise me you will be strong, Leonardo."

"No! Please, Sensei, don't! Please, you're going to be okay! Don't ask me to do your job, Master. I'm not ready- I can't!"

"Leonardo, my brave, brave son. Have faith my son, just as your brothers and I have faith in you…"

"Leo," Raph slowly made his way to his brother, unsure of how to approach his new hot-headed leader. He felt weird approaching his oldest brother, usually it was Leo who'd be the one to clear his head. Heh, well, he attempts before it turns into a fistfight but still-. "Look…we all make mistakes, 'kay? We all screwed up, so stop beatin' yerself up over this, Fearless. Donnie and Mikey need ya-."

"I don't need a pep talk, Raph." Leo rubbed his eyes quickly before sending another punch at the bag. "Let alone from you." Leonardo felt the sting of his own words, but hell he just couldn't hold it on anymore. He couldn't dare look into Raphael's eyes, he couldn't see the look he was giving. I failed Sensei. I failed Mikey…Now Raph.

That was it for Raphael. A deep part of him felt that he should let his brother talk about his feelings. But, damn it! His teeth clenched together, biting back his tongue. Leonardo is supposed to be the level headed one. He shouldn't be acting this way- he can't be acting this way. Not when everything was turning to hell.

Gripping his punching bag tightly he shoved it with all his strength sending Leonardo falling onto his back. Before Leo could protest, Raphael pounced on top of him and held his arms down. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You've been a dick to everyone lately, especially Mikey. What's your deal?"

"Let. Me. Go!" Leonardo thundered, attempting to escape his brother's firm grip. Kicking his brother in his knee, Leo took full advantage of the situation. As Raphael grimaced in pain, Leo crawled away from his brother and jumped back on his feet.

Leonardo trembled at the sight of his brother's struggle. His heart ached with guilt. He couldn't have hurt his brother- no- he was the protector. He can't do that. Quaking, Leo's voice stuttered as he muttered, "J-Just leave me alone, Raph. For once, do me a favor and just go. Please…"

Raphael growled as he slowly recovered from the attack. Since when did Leo get so fierce at him? Hell, he's never seen his brother look as weak as he did now. Jesus, what stick is up everyone's ass? "Obviously yer shouldn't be left alone if yer are beating the non-livin' shit out of my punchin' bag, and myself for that matter."

"Raph," Leonardo warned as he continued to strike the bag. "please, Raph."

"Just give me a fuckin' good excuse and yer can be all emo with my bag all yer want."

"It's Sensei!" Leo exploded, finally collapsing on his knees. Leonardo choked on a sob as he gripped the bag tightly. "H-He's not gonna make it, Raph."

Raphael was taken back at his brother. Master Splinter? Not going to make it? Impossible. Sure, Sensei has gotten older through the years and wasn't as young as he used to be- but how could Leo just jump to conclusions like that? Shaking his head, Raphael barked, "Don't say shit like that! It's just a goddamn cold, he'll be fine."

"He's not! It's the truth!" He hollered back, now facing his brother. Tears brined the edges of his eyes as he held is breath, knowing if he would, he would break. He cleared his throat, his voice still small, and spoke, "Raph…He told me himself."

"That doesn't mean anything." Raph said firmly. Carefully treading toward his brother, he unfolded his arms and stood a few feet away from Leonardo. Sighing, he carefully sat himself next to Leo. "Sensei's strong. Donnie is gonna fix him up. And," Raphael added with a smirk. "Yer don't have'ta take the burden alone yer know, Fearless. So stop beatin' yer 'self up like a jerk-off won't, ya?"

Leonardo, acknowledging his brother's attempt at being loving, smiled as he patted his brother's shoulder. "Thanks, Raph. I'm sorry for being a…uh, what did you call me again?"

"A dick."

"Heh," Leo chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right. I just, Sensei being so ill lately I'm just worried, you know? And Donnie has been so stressed lately he's gonna get sick too, you've been…"

"I've been what?!"

"Well…Good!"

Raphael raised his eyebrow as he crossed his arms. Leonardo smiled nervously, as he got up on his feet. "R-Raph! I meant that in a good way! You haven't been going topside at night like I said and-!"

Silence.

"Raph."

"What."

"You've been going topside haven't you."

"Course' not, Fearless Leader. I wouldn't dare."

Silence.

Rolling his eyes, Leonardo sighed, "Right. Of course you haven't."

"Besides," Raphael added as he got up and began making his way out of the dojo. "You should be apologizing to Mikey too." Making sure his brother got his message, Raphael turned around. Leo was standing exactly where he was, his eyes glued to the ground. "Yer did get 'little harsh on the bone-head."

"Yeah…" Leonardo hesitated, shaking his head away from his thoughts. "You're right, Raph. I'll talk to him." Waiting until his brother left the dojo, Leonardo returned to the punching bag. Hoping with a few more strikes, all his worries will go away.

He can only hope.

/./././././././././././././

"Please be okay." Donatello whispered as he placed the cold cloth on Splinter's forehead. Doubling checking his temperature, Don haste to jot down his new symptoms. Not as hot as before, but still warmer than usual. His hands are still pretty cold, gotta warm them up somehow. His pulse rate is about normal, considering his current state. Tucking his sheets once again, Donnie forced a smile as he looked back at his father once again. I swear, Sensei. I'm going to get you better. Like every other time.

"D-Don?" Feeling the weight of his body begin to hit him, Michelangelo slowly sat himself up in the cot. His eyes adjusting to the room, he found his older brother at his laptop (as per usual these past few days) sitting beside Sensei as he rested in the bed. Donatello picked his head up, then suddenly put his laptop aside as he rushed to Mikey.

"Mikey!" Donnie chimed as he rushed over to his side. "You've been out for a couple of hours, how are you feeling? Any better?"

Rubbing his head he yawned before answering, "Yeah, my shoulder still kinda hurts but I'll be okay…" His eyes wandered over to his still father, who slept peacefully across the room. Mikey bit his lip as he held his sheets tighter as he pulled them closer to him, his voice shaking, "I-Is Sensei going to be okay…?"

Looking over at Master Splinter, then back to his brother, Donatello smiled. "Of course, Mikey. Just give him some time. He'll be okay soon." Mikey smiled at his brother's words. Surely if it came out of Donnie's mouth, it's just has to be factual. Even growing up, if Don would tell him that it does in fact rain cats and dogs, Mikey believed him in a second. After all, why would he doubt his smartest brother?

"That's good," Watching his brother make his way back to work, Mikey swung his legs over and slowly hopped off the bed. "I'm just going to-."

"Don't strain that shoulder of yours." Donnie called from his work desk, his eyes focused on his laptop. "No heavy lifting or pressure on it for too long, got it?"

"I hear ya, doc." Making his way out of the lab, he hesitantly looked around the lair. He noticed that no one has gotten around yet to cleaning up the mess that the Foot have left. The furniture was turned upside, papers that were around the table were scattered everywhere, cabinets were opened wide. If Master Splinter saw this mess, he'd punish us forever!

Michelangelo tip-toed his way around the lair, the destruction of his home finally kicking in. This was his fault. Why were they here? What were they looking for? Why were the Foot so…Robotic? Why did one of them ask for Leo?

"Hey."

Jumping to the new voice, Mikey turned around and bit his lip at the sight of his brother. Looking like he just fought off a whole Foot army, he looked defeated and troubled. Nervously looking away, Mikey gulped, "L-Leo! Hi…"

Leonardo, standing closer to his brother, locked his eyes on his youngest brother. His voice was more quieter than usual, he muttered, "How's your shoulder?"

"Fine." Mikey cleared his throat and awkwardly took a few steps further way from his brother. Leo watched his brother's movements, guilt kicking in. No wonder he doesn't wanna be near me. I was…harsh.

"Mike, can we talk, please?"

"We are talking, dude."

"Can you come here, then?"

"I'm right here."

"Mike," Though his voice was softer, it still stung with annoyance as he raised his eyebrow. "Okay, then. Look, I'm sorry for being…hard on you. What happened with Splinter wasn't entirely your fault."

Mikey rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he huffed. He knew his brother would some-what still blame him for screwing up. He felt both unmoved by his brother's words, and yet still betrayed. He knew that he nearly got himself and Splinter killed, but hearing Leo say it- still hurt like hell.

He remembered when they were younger; Leo was very motherly over him. Whenever he'd got hurt while playing with Raph, he'll let Donnie fix him up but then cry to Leo about it. And he'd just let Mikey hug him. Raph would have just shoved him off and Donnie would have just stood there awkwardly, unsure of how to react to the affection. Leonardo made Mikey feel both safe and loved.

Looking at his oldest brother now, Mikey grimaced as he glued his eyes to the floor. "I know…"

Leonardo frowned; Mikey never shut him out this much before. Hell, Mikey would be the one to open up to him most easily. Usually with Raph he'd have to beat it out of him, and with Donnie he'd have to insist for his brother to confess. Mikey- being so free spirited- didn't take too long for him to open up. What is holding his baby brother back this time?

A small smile stretched across his face as he slowly place his hand on his brother's shoulder, "Thinking of yourself before Master Splinter was very strong of you. It was brave what you did." His smile faded, his voice gaining it's strength back. "And reckless, and dangerous, and idiotic-!"

"I get it!" Mikey pouted as he wiggled his way out of his brother's reach. Crossing his good arm over his other, he knew in order to get Leo off his back- he'd have to fake it. Let's hope my charm still works on em'! Smiling as best he could, he laughed, "Hello! You're talking to the Battle Nexus Champion! I know what I'm doin'!"

"Of course you are…" Leonardo rolled his eyes. Am I ever going to get through that head of his? Figuring he wasn't going to get any further with his youngest, he simply ruffled his head. Following with a light smack.

"OW!" Mikey cried dramatically, rubbing the back of his head. "What the hell was that for? Leonardo smirked as he made his way into Donnie's lab.

"Wait!" Mikey cried out. He had to tell Leo about his encounter with the Foot. He had to tell him how they were not normal! He had to tell him…that they were asking for him! Leo could be in danger! Shell, how did I completely forget about that?! Pacing himself back into Donnie's lab, he grabbed the door handle to open the door. As he turned the doorknob, he heard his brother's voices…

"How is he doing, Donnie?"

"Better, but he's not out of the woods yet. His fever is steadily declining, pulse is slowly getting back to normal-."

"That's all good things! See, Donnie? I knew he was going to be-!"

"Leo…He has pneumonia. He's going to need a lot more time then his body is giving him."

Pneumonia? Mikey leaned as much closer to the door as his body would let him. He remembered when Raph caught pneumonia when they were five. It was bad, real bad. Memories of the fear of loosing his brother still stuck in the back of his memory. Why didn't his brothers tell him about Splinter being that sick? I thought he had just a cold! That's what Sensei said…!

"What do you mean, 'more time then his body his giving him'?"

There were a few moments where no one spoke. Only hearing his heartbeat echo in his hears, his curiosity begging him to open the door and find out himself what is going on. Finally, a voice breaks through to save him from his own insanity!

"Yer do know yer can just open the door, right?"

CRAP- IT'S RAPH! Clasping his hands over his mouth, attempting to hold back a scream, Mikey jumped a few feet away from the door- bumping into Raph in the process. "Dude," Mikey whispered, puling Raph away from the door. "I'm in the middle of eavesdropping on a very important conversation!"

"I couldn't tell." Raphael muttered sarcastically, shaking Mikey's grasp off of his shoulder. Noticing the bandaged cloth wrap about his shoulder, he asked, "Don't yer need to be in a bed or somethin'?"

"Na, it's just a scratch!"

Raphael hated to admit it, but Mikey always did have a soft spot in him. Mikey would be the one he'd turn to fight the monsters that were in his closets, the one chase away the bad dreams, the one to protect him. He'd never admit it out loud, of course, but he felt partially responsible for Michelangelo's injury. Crossing his arms, Raph eyed his youngest brother's mannerism. "Sure don't look like it. What the hell happened, anyway?"

"Uh…" Mikey sighed, looking back down at the floor. "It was the Foot. But it wasn't the Foot-!"

"What do you mean?" Leonardo asked as he and Donatello emerged from the lab and joined their brothers.

Greaaat. Now I gotta tell everyone how I screwed up. Yay. "Well…There were about a dozen Foot, right? Uh. They attacked me but…I kept on taunting them like usual and they didn't react normally- thinking about it- they didn't even budge! When I kicked one of them, they didn't even wince or fall back or nothing! And it was hard! Like- they were made of metal or something! And one of them got me down and asked me where Leo was. Then they just left like that-! It was weird…!"

"But, what was the point of sabotaging the lair? Hell, how did they even find the lair in the first place?" Donatello inquired, looking at each of his brothers. "If the Foot know where we are now-."

"Dude, that's exactly my point!" Michelangelo exclaimed, waving his hands frantically. Attempting to get his brothers attention, he cried, "I don't think the guys that attacked me were Foot. They looked like them, but their voices were robotic and their fighting stances were not like the Foot we normally fight!"

Evaluating the destruction of their home, Donatello questioned, "Robotic Foot ninja? Why would somebody put the effort into making us believe that the Foot were attacking us?"

"I'm more concerned at the fact that someone knew where the lair was." Leonardo looked over at each of his brothers. "Are you sure none of you were followed back here?"

"Positive. I take a different route home every time I meet up with April." Don stated confidently.

"How would I know? I don't go out on my own." Raphael answered innocently, a smug smile still showing.

Glaring at his brother, Leonardo crossed his arms and warned, "Raph."

Chuckling, he shook his head and replied, "No. I don't. Same story as Don's."

All three turtles gave looks to Michelangelo, who was now looking down at the floor. He could feel the eyes of his brother fixed on him, each of them expecting the similar answer. Humming any tune he could think of, Mikey shuffled his feet hoping that maybe- just maybe- they would just skip over him. Sure, he checked that he didn't spot anyone following him when he picked up pizza. Er- except that ONE time when I thought I heard someone…But that was like- WEEKS ago! Surely it wasn't me…It wasn't! No!

"It wasn't me!" Mikey exclaimed, hoping his "puppy" eyes would tug at least one of his brothers' heartstrings. "H-Honest!"

Leonardo, knowing that he wasn't going to get a straight answer, rolled his eyes and sighed. "Nonetheless someone followed one of us. Raph, help me clean up the living room. Whatever they were looking for it had to be in here. Don, see if you can look at the surveillance videos from the attack. Also update the security perimeters, we don't want another incident like this to happen."

Raph and Don nodded at their orders and got to work. Mikey looked up at his oldest brother helplessly. He could tell that Leo was still ticked off at him, praying that Leo would leave him out of something- yet again! Crossing his arms, Leonardo spoke, "Mikey. Just rest up, okay? You look tired."

And strike two. That's twice in one day Leo shoved me under the buss and have it run over me three times in a row. Not wanting to start yet another argument with his brother, he simply nodded and headed straight for his room. Closing the door behind him, he drag himself back into his bed.

Not even a few hours ago, he was lying in the same bed. Thoughts about the day's events began to pour back onto him. He couldn't help but feel the pain strike him once again. Why didn't my brothers' believe me? Hell, they just threw my ideas completely aside like I was crazy or something.

And for once, he started to believe it.

/././././././././././././././

Rummaging through the devastation of their home, Raphael fixed the furniture as Leonardo went through the scattered papers on the floor. It varied from Donnie's research on quantum physics, to Splinter's crossword puzzles, Raph's TV Guide for Wrestling, old newspapers from days ago, and of course one of Mikey's pizza boxes.

"Are we this messy?" Leonardo asked out loud to himself, putting aside the important papers and the garbage. "Shell, I thought we left this place semi-clean…"

"April usually does it for us." Raph commented, lifting the lounge chair and putting it back in it's place. "Wonder what the Foot were lookin' for anyway."

"I wish I knew." A small light flashed in the corner of his eye, making Leonardo jump over to the source. Inside the pizza box, sat a small silver chip, blinking red every few seconds. "Raph!"

Raphael rushed to his side and examined the small device. "What the fuck is that?"

"I have no idea. It could be a tracking device, voice-recording device…what's this doing in Mikey's pizza box in the first place?" Carefully removing the device from the box, he gently placed it at the palm of his hand. "Better show Donnie." Pacing himself to Don's lab, he abruptly opened the door and placed the device in front of his brother. "Found this in one of Mikey's pizza boxes can you figure out what it is?"

"Hm…" Examining the tiny device, Donatello swipped it under his microscope and took a few moments to inspect it. Then carefully prying it open, he said, "From what I can tell, it's definitely not a bomb so that's good. I don't see any microphones or anything like that so…And I don't see a tracking device either."

"What else can it be, then?" Leonardo inquired, his voice full with worry. "Why put it there in the first place?"

"It looks more like a…almost like a MP3 player, like there's something to listen to inside of it but I can't bypass it. I'll have to work on it. But, from what I can tell, there's some kind of recording on here."

"Why would someone put a recording on it that makes you hack into it to listen to it?"

"And it was inside the pizza box," Raphael added, standing beside Donatello. "How could have Mikey ate the pizza and not notice it? He's pretty observant at this kinda stuff…"

"As soon as I hack into it, I'll let you both know."

Leonardo worriedly looked at both his younger brothers. Splitner's ill. The Foot attacked the lair. A weird device left for him to figure out. What else can go wrong?

Oh, how he knew that deep down, he'll find out soon enough.

/./././././././././././././././

Yes. Yes. Yes. It's all falling into place now. Soon enough, they will all be mine. Smiling proudly at his accomplishments, John Bishop leaned back in his leather chair and took a sip of his whiskey. Like was good. His creation was near complete, he set the clues for the turtles, and hell, his best soldiers even confirmed a blood sample- this was a good evening indeed.

"Sir, we've recovered the blood sample as you wished."

Smiling at the news, he leaned in closer to the intercom and spoke, "Very good. Process with phase delta."

"B-But sir," The monotone voice insisted, "T-The…creation is not ready yet. We have to fix the minor details. He is not ready yet."

"Then I suggest you get to it." Shutting the communication off, Bishop took another sip out of his glass. Yes. He will finally get what he always wanted.

The satisfaction of getting research on the turtles that he longed for…

And the anticipation of what is to come…

Oh, how he loved test subjects that could talk.

With a voice, comes a scream.

Oh yes, there will be plenty of those.

/./././././././././././././