From the living room; Donatello and Michelangelo heard Leonardo's screams and quickly rushed into the lab. They found Leonardo hunched over in the corner. He appeared to holding something to his chest. Don tip toed over to older brother."Leo ya ok bro?" Leo didn't answer but stared back at Don. "I killed him."He said not much louder than a whisper." Don looked quizzically at him. "I killed him. We all did, don't you see?" Don shook his head not understanding him. "We killed who Leo. I don't see anything, do you Mikey?" Mikey shook his head no as well. "We killed him, we killed Raphael!" Leo yelled back. Don and Mikey stood agape. Why is Leo thinking they attacked Raph? "Look at his injuries; my katana, your bo-staff and Mikey's nun chucks; they match." Leo pointed to Raphael's injuries. He still hadn't realized nothing is real. "Leo there is nothing here, just the three of us. Now snap out of it Leo. Raph is alive in Master Splinter's room; remember?" Mikey moved to other side of Leo. "Hey bro Raphie is alive. We didn't kill or even hurt him." Leo looked up at Mikey, his eyes full of confusion. "But he's right here. His blood is on my hands."
"Leo, there is nothing here bro. If you want proof, go to Sensei's room. Raphie is in there." Mikey stood up; tugging on Leo's arm. Leo slowly got up from his knees; still not believing his younger brother is alive. Don moved to his other side and the two of them pushed Leo out of the lab. The only way to get Leo to believe is for him to see Raphael himself. Holding Leo between them, they pulled him into Splinter's room. Raphael was still in the same position where they had left him. Leo gazed wide-eyed. Raphael remained in the same position; not even the blanket had been moved. How was he just in the lab when he never moved? "But I saw him. I felt his cold body." Leo moved closer and knelt beside Raphael's still body. He reached out and touched his warm hand. "See Leo, Raph is right here and we didn't kill him." Donnie stated as he placed a reassuring hand on Leo's shoulder. Leo stared at Raph's chest; watching it move with ragged breaths. He couldn't believe his eyes; just moments ago he held his brother's lifeless body and now here he is alive. Snapping back into reality; Leo quickly realized the whole ordeal had all been in his head. He only imagined he saw blood and his younger brother's dead body. The blood was never real nor had Raphael been in Don's lab. That's right; Donatello had said earlier not to move Raphael due to his injuries. "It was all in my mind. Raph never left. But that still does not explain his injures. What if we did actually attack him?" Leo moved his hand over Raph's numerous wounds. Donatello scrunched his face. That very same question had been bugging him for some time. How did Raphael wind up badly hurt and there had been no signs of any intrusion in the lair. "Maybe the attacked happened outside and Raph returned inside after the attack." Don couldn't think of anything else to explain the lack of the alarms going off. "You know how Raph gets, he probably sensed something before the alarm could go off." Leo nodded but didn't buy Don's explanation. Something still seemed off about the whole thing. "If you guys don't mind; I wanna stay in here to keep vigil." Don and Mikey glanced at each other. "If ya say so bro; you sure you're going to be ok? I don't want you passing out again."
"I'll be fine Mikey. I just want to be next to Raph for a bit and be alone." Leo softly spoke. "If you say so bro but if anything changes, let me know immediately." Leo gestured back at Don. The two younger brothers left the room.
"Leo is acting strange Donnie and I don't like it."
"Yeah but how do we fix it? We can't even remember what happened that night. I still don't understand how if the lair was ambushed why is Raph the only one injured? When he wakes up, hopefully he will be willing to talk about happened if he doesn't pull his stubborn act again. Something bigger is going on. We just need to work together." Mikey let Don wrap his arm his shoulders. "Now why don't we go play that video game for a bit then head to bed? I think we need a rest. Leo should be able to handle himself for now." The two brothers sat on the couch; each grabbing a controller. Sounds of the racing game filled the lair. Although they played, their thoughts remained on their fallen brother in the next room. Worry filled their minds as to if Raphael would survive or succumb to his injuries.
In the room, Leo kept close watch. Pulling the blanket down, he ran his fingers along the layers of white gauze covering his brother's body. What wasn't covered was mottled with black and blue bruises. The bruises almost seemed to be in the shape of weapons. His chest wrapped in bandages with his arm carefully placed in a sling and bundled to his plastron. An ace bandage tightly bound around his ankle. The deep gashes had been carefully stitched and white gauze taped over them. But the worst of all is the several layers of white bandages across his plastron. He had been stabbed and nearly bled to death. "Oh Raphael, my dear brother; how can I help if I don't know what happened? I keep having nightmares about that night and sometimes I see myself attacking you. Did I attack you; did we attack our own brother?" Leo's mind raced with thoughts. In the back of his mind, something told him that yes you did yet the other side said no. Holding Raphael's hand tightly, he felt himself drift off to sleep.
"Ready to believe me yet? Ready to face the truth?" Dark Leo chuckled. Leonardo snapped awake. On the other side of Raphael sat his dark half. "You are not here and this is not real. You are a figment of my imagination." Leo leveled his eyes at his dark half. "Oh am I now? How real is the attack on Raphael? How real is death?" A red string appeared in Dark Leo's hand. "This red string represents Raphael's life. As long as it is in one piece; he lives but if it is cut then he dies. I currently hold the fate of your brother in my hands. So tell me Leonardo; will you face the truth?" The scenery changed around Leonardo as it switches to that night. Raphael quickly runs across the lair away from his brothers; holding is bleeding side. Slipping on his own blood, he falls to the ground. "Please bros snap out of it. Ya gotta hear me." Standing back up, he grunts at the added weight to already injured ankle. He doesn't make it far before he is cornered. "No! I don't believe you." Leo screams at Dark Leo abruptly ending the illusion. "We may fight but I could never hurt my own brother." Dark Leo tightens his grip on the red string. "Fine but remember; truth is in the eye of the beholder." Dark Leonardo suddenly vanishes leaving Leonardo alone with his thoughts. The room comes into focus. "Why do I keep having these visions? Maybe I should try meditating? What do you think Raph?" Leo knows Raph can't answer him but it's still nice to ask. He stares down his brother who lying deathly still. A sinking felling erupts in his stomach. "Raph?" Leo reaches out but stops; afraid to find out. He brushes his hand against Raph's. It's cold.
