Chapter 11-Fixing The Brotherly Bond
Raph walked through the sewers as he followed Mikey's shell cell signal on his own shell cell.
He was surprised by how far Mikey had been walking, despite having a still-healing leg fracture, because the signal on the shell cell indicated that the youngest turtle had walked over 5 miles away from the lair.
'Where'd ya walk off to, Mikey?' Raph thought as he continued on with his walk towards the signal's location.
Whilst he was doing that, he still hadn't noticed that Leo and Donnie were secretly following him whilst quietly moving in the shadows to avoid being spotted by him.
When he had finally reached Mikey's position, Raph saw a lone figure crouched down and leaning against the tunnel wall. As he got a bit closer, he instantly recognised the figure as Mikey before he heard the sounds of sobbing coming from him.
It was then that Raph realised that this was the real reason why Mikey was taking so long to come back home from his walk; he wanted to be in a far and isolated place where he could release all of his emotions without anyone around him or worrying about wasting everyone's time.
When Raph took another step forward to go and talk to him…
Splash!
Raph unknowingly and accidentally stepped into a puddle of mucky water, causing him to flinch and Mikey to jump and turn around quickly despite the aches and pains still in his body.
"W-Who's there!? Show yourself!" The orange-banded turtle called out shakily as he took out his nun-chucks and stood in a battle pose.
Raph sighed quietly and mentally slapped himself for being unaware of his surroundings and exposing his position, before he slowly stepped out of the shadows to reveal himself to Mikey.
"Y-You…!?" The youngest turtle said in shock with widened eyes.
"Yeah, it's me…" Raph replied softly, though he could tell that this didn't make Mikey feel any calmer.
"D-Did…Did you come to kill me? Y-You waited until I was all alone in the sewers to finally end me, didn't you!?" Mikey questioned in a terrified state.
"Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Mike, I'm not here ta hurt ya…!" Raph instantly told Mikey reassuringly whilst holding his hands in the air to say that he meant no harm to him.
"T-Then what do you want!?" Mikey questioned, still not convinced that Raph was not here to do him any harm.
"I just…I only wanna talk ta ya, that's all…" He said awkwardly.
Mikey just looked at Raph suspiciously as he stood shaking in silence for a moment before he lowered his weapons, turned around, and sat back down.
The red-banded turtle slowly walked towards the edge of the tunnel opening and stood a metre away from Mikey, whilst Leo and Donnie hid behind a wall not far from the duo's position and listened in on their conversation.
It was then that Raph felt a familiar air to this place as he looked around a bit more.
"Hey, didn't we used ta come here all da time years ago?" Raph questioned curiously as he sat down.
"…T-This place…used to be our hangout as kids…I-I was the one who found it during a training session…" Mikey answered shakily without looking at Raph.
"And then we forgot about it overtime, huh…" Raph added sadly.
"I-I still remembered it, though…I-I've been using it as a place of release and sanctuary…" Mikey said after giving Raph a nod.
Raph was surprised when he heard that, but he didn't question it and decided to change the subject to the matter at hand.
"Ya haven't been answerin' Donnie's calls…Why? He's worried sick about ya cos ya were gone fer a while…" He told Mikey.
"I-I just wanted to be alone…I didn't mean to ignore him or worry him, I just didn't wanna see or talk to anyone right now…" Mikey explained immediately, still not looking up at Raph.
"He's not mad at ya if dat's what yer thinkin'; he's just worried cos yer still recoverin' from…ya know…" Raph reassured before he stopped himself due to worrying about bringing up that horrible memory that happened months ago and cause Mikey's mental health to go downhill again.
"I-I've put him through enough stress and pain already; first, the monster mutation, and now all this…All I've done is make him waste his time and recovery on me, a useless burden…!" Mikey cried out before he sobbed in his folded arms again.
Raph looked at him in shock at what he just heard. Leo and Donnie also looked at each other with shocked expressions on their faces, because they never knew that Mikey was still viewing himself as the family's burden until now. They were then snapped out of their shock when they heard a heartbroken Mikey speak again.
"…I-I'm so sorry…I-I didn't mean for any of this to happen…I-I tried to deny how bad I am to this family for so long, but…y-you were right after all…I-I'm a terrible brother to you guys…a-and I'm an awful son to Master Splinter…H-How can someone like me even be alive still…!?"
"…Cos it ain't yer time ta leave us yet, Mike…" Raph told Mikey softly whilst shaking his head.
"How would you know that!? You don't care about whether I'm alive or not cos we're not brothers anymore! You told me that to my face months ago, remember!?" Mikey snapped as he looked at Raph with a glare and tears falling down his face.
Raph was so stunned by that comment that he couldn't speak his response to it or react when Mikey slowly got up, grabbed his crutch, and started walking away.
"Mikey, wait…!" Raph called out after he snapped himself out of his shock, quickly stood back up, and caught up with him before he slowly reached into his belt and took out the folded letter. He then held it up to show Mikey as he asked him a question.
"If yer sayin' all dis, then why did ya write me dis letter?"
Mikey looked at the folded letter with widened eyes. He thought that Raph had ripped it up and binned it once he had read it, but there it was; folded up neatly and held delicately in his hand.
"…I-It was my last attempt at fixing everything, including us being brothers…" He confessed as he looked away.
Raph was stunned for a moment after hearing that before he heard Mikey speak again as he leaned his back against the wall.
"B-But it wasn't until I came here that I realised…that I can never make up for the damage that I've done…"
"What da ya mean by dat?" Raph questioned in confusion.
"T-This family's breaking apart…b-because of me…" Mikey managed to say in a shaky tone before he covered his face with his hands and broke down in a sob again.
Seeing and hearing Mikey like this made Raph's heart feel more heavy with guilt and regret. He was the one who had forced Mikey into believing that he was the sole cause of the Hamato family's downfall and Donnie's secondary mutation without even thinking twice on seeing the fully story and how this would have affected the youngest turtle.
However, he wasn't the only one to be feeling this way; both Leo and Donnie heard Mikey's heart-breaking speech, and Donnie did his best not to sob and let his tears fall. Leo held Donnie close in a comforting sideways hug, and they both did their best to stay quiet since they didn't want to expose their own hiding place.
Knowing that he couldn't allow Mikey to continue with feeling like this, Raph slowly moved closer to Mikey and placed a hand on his shoulder before he spoke in a soft tone.
"No it ain't, Mikey…I'm really sorry fer sayin' those things ta ya…"
"B-But you hate me…! You never came to see me or talk to me during my time in the infirmary…! So, why are you here with me now!?" Mikey snapped tearfully.
"…Cos I wanna make things right with ya, bro…" Raph confessed.
That last word stunned and surprised Mikey; he had not been called that by Raph in months. Leo and Donnie also gasped quietly in surprise when they heard that.
"W-What did you just call me…!?" Mikey questioned with widened eyes.
"I called ya my bro…I want ya ta be my lil' brother again, Mikey…" Raph answered with a sad smirk.
"…B-But why now…after all this time…?" Mikey questioned in confusion as to why Raph had taken so many months to finally decide now to speak to him.
"Cos…it took me a while fer me ta finally see what was really goin' on in front of me…" Raph answered slowly.
Mikey looked at Raph with confusion on his face, which the red-banded turtle noticed immediately before he took Mikey's hand and gently guided him next to the edge of the tunnel's opening. It was there that Raph decided to explain everything to him from the heart.
"Bishop's viral outbreak almost ruined our lives by tryin' ta take away one of our own, and yet…I was so angry at da guy dat I let it all out on you when ya were only tryin' ta be there fer Donnie…"
"…" Mikey didn't say anything and just looked down in anguish with tears falling down his face.
"Ya almost lost yer own life ta protect him…and ya doubted dat anyone would miss ya or even cared if ya didn't make it…And ya suffered so much, all alone on the inside, cos ya felt dat ya didn't wanna be in our way or slow us down…" Raph continued sadly.
"I-I just didn't wanna be a burden to you all anymore…A-All I do is let you down and cause so much suffering to everyone…" Mikey explained shakily as he sniffled and hiccupped whilst wiping his tears away, although more tears kept developing and falling after doing so.
"No, Mikey…ya might be a pain in our shells at times, but ya did a lot of good things fer us throughout da years…!" Raph countered, placing his hands on Mikey's shoulders.
"L-Like what?" Mikey questioned sceptically.
"Well…"
Just as Raph was about to answer Mikey…
"Us as a family…!"
He and Mikey jumped when they heard the familiar voice of their oldest brother from within the darkness of the tunnel. It wasn't until they turned to the side that their eyes widened at the sight of Leo himself walking towards them with Donnie walking next to him. They also noticed that the duo had very sad expressions on their faces.
"L-Leo!? D-Donnie!?" Mikey said shakily.
"I knew you two would follow me and eavesdrop on me…!" Raph scolded, looking ticked off.
"We had to know for sure that you were being truthful to your words, Raph, but we'll talk about that later…" Leo told Raph before he looked over at Mikey who was looking a bit scared.
Seeing his little brother safe and unharmed, Donnie rushed over to Mikey and engulfed him in a big hug.
"Oh, Mikey, don't ever scare me like that again…!" Donnie scolded lightly, even though he was more worried than angry.
"M'sorry…" Mikey mumbled against Donnie's shoulder as he accepted the hug.
"It's okay…Just send me a text message to let me know you're safe next time, alright?" Donnie told Mikey softly whilst releasing him from the hug and wiping his tears from his cheeks.
"So, what da shell were ya talkin' about just now, Leo?" Raph questioned, immediately getting back to the subject at hand.
"What I meant was that Mikey has done a lot for us as a family in a really positive way…" Leo explained with a warm smile.
"W-What do you mean?" Mikey asked in confusion.
Leo walked over to Mikey and placed a hand on his shoulder before he spoke.
"Mikey, we always have fun and spend time as a family…because of you…"
"We always have new ideas and inventions, because of you…" Donnie said next whilst holding Mikey's hands after sensing where Leo was going with this.
"We always keep fightin' durin' da tough fights and win 'em, cos of you…!" Raph followed after that as he placed a hand on Mikey's other shoulder.
"And there is nothing that can ever break our bond as brothers, because we always find a way to keep it strong together!" Leo added whilst giving Mikey's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Mikey didn't know what to say. He was gobsmacked at the words that his older brothers said to him, and he couldn't remember the last time he was given so much appreciation by his older brothers. Soon, another set of tears streamed down his cheeks and a small smile developed on his face.
"I-I honestly thought that I was…never of any worth or use to you all…" Mikey rasped admittedly.
"You are, Mikey…you always have been…!" Donnie countered.
"We just don't always realise it, and we should've remembered it sooner…" Leo said guiltily.
"Yeah…we owe ya an apology, bro…mostly a big one from me…" Raph agreed with a hint of shame in his voice.
"B-But you had every right to blame me, Raph…I-If I'd have just done more-"
"Then we might've lost both of ya, and none of us would've wanted dat ta happen, bro…" Raph concluded, cutting Mikey's sentence off, as he engulfed him in a hug.
Mikey froze upon contact from the unexpected hug. It was rare for Raph to give anybody a hug, because the red-banded turtle was always known to try his hardest to keep his pride and tough guy personality intact. Nevertheless, Mikey slowly accepted and melted into the hug.
Leo and Donnie watched the scene with warm and sad smiles.
"W-What do you really want from me, though…?" Mikey questioned in a muffled voice.
"…Just…be da annoyin' but fun lil' brother dat we all know and love…!" Raph answered softly after a moment of silence.
"In other words, Mikey, we want you to just be you!" Donnie clarified.
"B-But…I thought you all hate me for being me…" Mikey reminded them in confusion.
"We don't hate you for being yourself, Mikey…! Sure, we get annoyed by some of your antics, but that's what little brothers do…!" Leo admitted honestly.
"Yeah, you're an expert at not only keeping us on our toes, but also at being creative in a lot of things, like cooking…!" Donnie added in agreement.
"Urgh, don't remind me about our attempts at cookin', though…!" Raph groaned with a face palm when he remembered the times where he, Leo, and Donnie had tried but failed to cook meals in the kitchen.
Leo, Donnie, and even Mikey had started laughing as soon as they too remembered those memories. As soon as the laughter died down, Mikey spoke.
"D-Do you really mean it? M-Me being vital to you guys?"
"Of course we do!" Donnie answered instantly.
"And we wouldn't want you to change for anything, not even for the sake of our selfishness…!" Leo added before he engulfed Mikey in a brotherly hug, with Raph and Donnie joining him.
Mikey was stunned by this before he started tearing up and nuzzled Leo's shoulder. He saw now that his older brothers, especially Raph, were sincere with their words and feelings, and they wanted to make things better in their brotherly relationship.
"T-Thank, bros…so much…" Mikey rasped with a watery smile.
"Always, lil' bro…" Raph replied before he, Leo, and Donnie released Mikey from the hug, and the red-banded turtle rubbed his youngest brother's head.
"Come on, guys, let's go home…" Leo said before he led himself and his brothers back home to the warmth and safety of the lair.
