they failed,
as ninjas,
and as brothers,
TW: child murder, blood, dissociation?
Leo walks into the living room of the spaceship carrying two slices of pizza on a plate.
He sees Mikey sitting on the floor, staring out the window, the stars reflecting in his empty eyes.
Leo sits down next to him and gently nudges him with his elbow.
"Hey, Mikey. You hungry?" He asks softly, his voice filled with concern.
Mikey slowly turns his head towards Leo, his expressionless eyes meeting Leo's concerned gaze.
He nods slowly, then looks back out the window.
Leo hands the plate of pizza to Mikey, who takes a piece and begins to eat it slowly.
After a few bites, Leo tries to engage him in conversation.
"So... how are you feeling, bro?" He asks, his voice gentle.
Mikey doesn't answer.
Leo didn't expect him to, really.
He'd been like this for about a week now.
Mikey didn't laugh or smile, he didn't read his comic books anymore, he didn't play pranks or joke around.
He still did stuff, but it was like... he was a robot, not like Mikey.
Leo sighs and leans against the wall, watching his brother carefully.
"I miss you, Mikey." He says softly. "I wish we had saved you."
Mikey stops eating and looks at Leo.
He swallows hard and nods slowly, then turns back to the window.
Leo leans his head against Mikey's shoulder, a single tear forming in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Mikey. I'm so sorry." He whispers, his voice barely audible.
"I wish I could have saved you."
He feels a lump forming in his throat, threatening to make his voice crack.
Mikey continues to stare out the window, the stars blurring together in his vision.
Leo takes a shaky breath and wipes his eyes, trying to be strong for Mikey.
He knows that Mikey wouldn't want him to be upset, but it's hard.
It's been hard for everyone since they lost their home, their father and had to come here, but Mikey... Mikey had always been the light in their darkest times.
And now he was gone.
Leo still remembers the day they had lost him the memory fresh in his mind,
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Leo found Mikey's inner self, and held him close, trying to protect him from the invaders.
His every move was gentle and caring, as if he were cradling a fragile flower.
But even his best efforts couldn't shield Mikey's inner self from the relentless onslaught.
"Mikey... Mikey... please hang on. We're here to help you. Just hang on." Leo's voice was soft and reassuring, his eyes filled with concern.
He held Mikey's inner self close to him, trying to shield him from the invaders.
The little turtles' eyes were wide with fear, his tiny body shaking. He clung to Leo, his grip weakening.
"Donnie, Raph, we need to get Mikey to safety. We can't stay here any longer."
Donatello nodded in agreement.
They began to make their way through the chaos, trying to find a safe exit.
Suddenly, a powerful shock wave hit them, sending them all flying. Leo tried to shield Mikey's inner self, but he couldn't hold onto him in the midst of the commotion.
Leo struggled to his feet, his movements slow and labored.
He looked around frantically, searching for any sign of their youngest brother.
"Leo... Raph... Donnie..." The little turtle's voice was weak and raspy, barely audible over the sound of the invading neutrinos.
"Mikey! Mikey, where are you?" Leo looked around frantically, desperate to find his brother. Suddenly, he spotted something lying on the ground nearby. It was Mikey's inner self, still alive.
Leo started running over to him as fast as he could.
He wasn't fast enough.
A neutrino emerged from the shadows
It moved silently, its movements graceful and deadly.
Before Leo or Raph could react, the neutrino plunged its laser sword into Mikey's back. There was a sharp cry of pain as the blade pierced his tiny body, and blood began to seep from the wound.
"No! Mikey, no!" Leo cried
He tried to reach out to him, but it was too late.
The neutrino yanked the blade out of his brother.
Leo ran and scooped Mikey up in his arms.
Blood was pouring from the wound, and Mikey's tiny body went limp in his grasp.
"Leo... I'm sorry..." Mikey gasped, his voice weak and hoarse.
Blood bubbled up from his lips as he spoke, staining the ground beneath him.
"No, Mikey! You didn't do anything wrong! It's not your fault!" Leo cried, tears streaming down his face.
He cradled Mikey's limp body in his arms, rocking back and forth as he tried to comfort him.
"Leo, we can't stay here any longer! We gotta get to safety!" Raph yelled over as the world around them started to crumble.
His voice was harsh and urgent, but there was an underlying note of fear and desperation.
"April Now!" Donnie called.
Suddenly, they were sucked back into the real world, the dream world fading away as they found themselves back in the spaceship.
The glow of the technological devices cast strange shadows across the floor.
Mikey's real body lay limp on the ground in front of them, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to breathe.
Leo knelt beside him, shaking his shoulder urgently. "Mikey! Mikey, wake up!" he cried.
Raph knelt down beside him, concern etched on his face.
Raph gently slapped Mikey's cheek. "Hey, baby brother, wake up!" he said, his voice filled with worry.
Mikey slowly opened his eyes, but they were dull and blank, devoid of life.
He struggled to focus on his brothers.
"Mikey, you're okay. You're back with us now." Leo said, his voice shaking as he tried to comfort his brother.
He looked at Raph, his own eyes filled with tears.
"He's okay, Raph. He's going to be okay."
Leo knew that was a lie.
Something was wrong.
Mikey showed no emotion, his eyes blank and lifeless.
Leo couldn't help but feel a knot in his stomach as he watched his brother struggle to focus on them.
He wanted to believe himself, wanted to believe Mikey would be okay, but something inside him just knew it wasn't true.
Mikey was alive. But it was as if he were a shell, a husk of the lively, vibrant turtle they had once known.
Everything that made Mikey, Mikey, was gone. His personality, his smile, the life in his eyes, all gone.
He was just a body,
moving through the world on autopilot.
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Leo sighs, his heart heavy with guilt and pain.
"I wish I could have saved you, Mikey. I should have been stronger. I should have found a way. But I didn't, and now you're... gone."
His voice breaks on the last word, and he feels a fresh wave of tears threatening to spill over.
Mikey turns to look at his crying older brother and he reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder.
There's no warmth or life in the touch, but it's something.
Leo looks up at his brother, hope flickering in his eyes.
"Mikey..." he whispers, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I'm so sorry. I love you, man. So much."
Mikey's hand on his shoulder feels like a weight, but it's comforting too.
Leo leans into it, feeling a small measure of relief wash over him. He wipes his eyes and takes a deep, shaky breath, forcing himself to be strong for his brother.
"I'm gonna find a way to get you back." he whispers, " I promise."
The kitchen is small and cramped, with various appliances and cabinets lining the walls.
The countertop is covered in various kitchen utensils and ingredients, making it difficult to navigate through.
A stove stands in one corner, its burners currently in use.
The air is filled with the aroma of something sizzling on the stove.
Raph walks in and sees Mikey working at the counter top.
"Hey Mikey, whatcha got cookin'?" Raph asks with a hint of curiosity in his voice, leaning against the kitchen counter.
He glances around the kitchen, taking in the various ingredients and utensils scattered about. His stomach rumbles at the smell of whatever Mikey is making.
Mikey turns to Raph and that's when Raph sees that Mikey has cut his arm quite badly while cutting up some sort of vegetable.
Blood is pooling on the cutting board.
Mikey doesn't seem to notice or care, his focus entirely on the task at hand.
Raph, on the other hand, starts to freak out.
"Dude, you're bleeding all over the place!" Raph exclaims, quickly rushing around and over to the counter.
He grabs a dishcloth and begins to press it against Mikey's arm, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Are you even paying attention to what you're doing!?" he asks, his voice filled with concern. "You could have killed yourself!"
Mikey glances down at the cut and then back up at Raph, seemingly unaware of the severity of the situation.
Blood is dripping onto the floor.
"Mikey, we gotta get you to Donnie. He'll know what to do." Raphael says, his voice filled with worry as he looks his brother over.
He reaches out to grab Mikey's arm and pull him away from the counter, not wanting him to make the injury worse.
"Come on, let's go," he says urgently, "No time to lose."
Mikey doesn't budge from his spot by the counter.
Blood is still flowing from his arm.
His expression remains unchanged.
"Mikey, are you even listening to me? We need to get you to Donnie right now!" Raphael pleads, his voice raising in frustration.
His grip tightens on Mikey's good arm and tries to pull him away from the counter again, but Mikey doesn't seem to register the pain or the effort.
Mikey continues to stand there, unfazed by the blood loss and the supposed pain.
His expression remains emotionless, and he doesn't seem to be listening to Raph.
His focus is still on the counter and whatever it is he's trying to make.
"Goddamnit Mikey, don't you care about yourself?" Raphael growls, beginning to lose his patience.
He yanks Mikey's arm again, still trying to force him away from the counter, but Mikey simply stumbles a step forward, still not registering the pain or the urgency.
"Fine, be like that!" Raph yells, giving up on trying to reason with Mikey.
He turns around and stomps towards the living room, where he assumes Donatello is. "Hey Donnie! You gotta help me with Mikey! He's bleeding all over the place and he won't listen to me!" he shouts, slamming his fist against the wall in frustration.
"Okay, give me a sec!" Donnie calls back from the living room, hurrying over to Raph.
"Is it really bad?"
"Bad enough!" Raph growls, gesturing towards the kitchen. "He won't let me help him or anything!"
"Alright, let's go see what we can do." Donnie follows Raph back to the kitchen, where Mikey is still standing by the counter, blood dripping on the floor.
"Mikey, you really need to pay attention to what's going on here." He gently nudges Mikey aside and examines the wound. "It's not as bad as it looks, but it needs to be cleaned and bandaged. Come on, let's get you to the med bay."
Mikey continues to stand there, unfazed by the blood loss and the pain.
His expression remains emotionless, and he doesn't seem to be listening to Donnie either.
His focus is stuck on the counter and whatever it is he's trying to make.
"Mikey, please, you need to come with me." Donatello pleads, trying to get Mikey to look at him.
He grabs Mikey's good arm,
"It's not safe for you to stay here like this. Come on, let's go."
"Goddamnit Mikey, just do it!" Raph shouts, his patience wearing thin.
He grabs Mikey's other arm, forcing him to move.
"We're not going to let you bleed to death out here!"
Mikey grunts quietly as Raph grabs his other arm, and with both Donnie and Raph pulling him he finally moves, following them to the med bay.
"Alright, Mikey, just lay down on the table." Donnie instructs, already setting up the med bay for treatment.
"I'll clean the wound and bandage it up, okay?"
Mikey nods slowly, still feeling a bit dazed from the blood loss.
He lies down on the table as Donnie begins to clean the wound.
Mikey doesn't make a single noise as Donnie disinfects and wraps the cut.
He stares at the ceiling, his expression never changing, as if he's somewhere else entirely.
"There we go, all cleaned up and bandaged." Donnie says once he's finished.
"You should be good as new in a few days. Just try to stay off that arm for a while, okay?"
Mikey doesn't respond.
Donnie lets out a sigh
He misses how Mikey used to be so full of life, but ever since the Neutrinos he's been almost like a zombie, and Donnie hates it.
"Mikey, can you at least tell me what you're trying to make back there?" He asks gently, not wanting to upset him further. "Maybe we can help you finish it?"
Mikey continues to stare at the ceiling, his expression unreadable.
He doesn't respond to Donnie's question.
After a moment, he finally turns his head to look at Donnie, meeting his gaze for the first time since he was injured.
Without another word, he slowly gets up from the medical table.
He starts to walk back to the kitchen, leaving Donnie.
Donnie watches Mikey walk away, feeling a twinge of worry in his gut.
He knows Mikey isn't himself, but he doesn't know how to help him.
He turns to Raph, who is leaning against the wall, watching the whole scene play out with a mixture of anger and concern.
"Raph, do you think...I dunno, maybe we should ask Leo to talk to Mikey?"
Raph grunts "I don't know, Donnie. Mikey's not really responding to any of us right now. Maybe Leo could help, but I'm not sure what he'd say."
He pauses, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. " we're gonna have to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't hurt himself worse."
"Yeah, you're right. I just...I don't know, it's just so different from the Mikey we all know and love." Donnie sighs, shaking his head.
Donnie feels a tear trickle down his cheek. "Raph, it's like Mikey isn't even here anymore. I miss the old him. I just...I don't know what to do." He wipes roughly at his eyes, trying to hide his tears.
A lump forms in Donnies throat as he thinks about how helpless they all feel.
"Oh, Raph," he sobs, "he could have saved him. But we failed. We failed him."
His words are choked with tears as he breaks down, sobbing uncontrollably.
Later that night, Raph walks to the holographic training room and sees Mikey sitting there,
Surrounded by holographic flowers.
The flowers sway gently in the nonexistent breeze, their colors reflecting the dim light of the room.
Mikey's expression is as emotionless as ever, his eyes blank and unseeing.
He seems lost in thought, not responding to the beautiful illusions around him.
"Hey Mikey, you alright?" Raph asks, approaching his brother slowly.
He's not sure how Mikey will react, but he feels the need to try and reach out to him.
Mikey turns his head slowly to look at Raph, his expression unchanging.
He doesn't respond verbally, but he seems to acknowledge Raph's presence.
"Hey buddy did you have a nightmare?" Raph asks "you want me to go get Leo?"
Mikey glances back at the holographic flowers, then back at Raph.
He remains silent for a moment, contemplating his brother's words.
Finally, he shakes his head slightly.
Then signs 'red'.
Raph blinks, surprised by Mikey's response.
He hadn't expected his brother to actually respond at all.
"Hey, you're finally learning some sign language?" he asks, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "That's good, Mikey. That's really good."
Mikey continues to sign 'red', over and over again. Pointing to Raph in between.
Raph watches Mikey sign 'red' again, his brow furrowing in confusion.
But then he realizes what Mikey is trying to say.
His eyes widen in surprise and excitement as he grins broadly.
"You're giving me a name, Mikey! You're calling me 'Red'!"
Mikey nods slightly. He looks at Raph for a moment, then back to the flowers.
He points to himself 'orange'
"and you're orange."
Raph studies Mikey's expression for a moment, wondering if his brother is actually beginning to give them names.
Mikey glances back at the holographic flowers, then back at Raph. He seems to consider his brother's words, but doesn't respond.
Raph: "Hey Mikey What if you give Leo and Donnie names? Wouldn't it be cool to show them that you're trying to remember us?"
Mikey looks at Raph for a moment, then nods slightly.
He signs 'okay', then points to the flowers and signs 'pretty'.
"You think the flowers are pretty, huh?" Raph says, watching Mikey sign 'pretty' at the holograms.
"That's...that's good, Mikey." He reaches out a hand, resting it on his brother's shoulder gently.
The next morning, Raph gets Leo and Donnie together.
They all meet in the living room where Mikey spends most of his time.
Raph explains the situation to them, telling them how Mikey has something to show them.
Donnie listens to Raph, his expression softening as he takes in the news about Mikey.
He glances over at Leo, who gives him a small nod of encouragement.
"Well, we should go see him then," he says finally.
They enter the room where Mikey is sitting.
He doesn't seem to notice them at first, focused on the starts outside the window.
Raph clears his throat, trying to get Mikey's attention. "Hey, Mikey. We're here. We want to see what you've got for us."
He gestures to the others, standing close behind him.
Mikey turns his head slightly, glancing at the group before him.
There's no recognition in his expressionless face.
He doesn't seem to react to Raph's voice or gesture.
But then Mikey does something unexpected.
He stands,
slowly walking in front of Donnie.
He signs 'purple' several times, pointing to Donnie in between.
His movements are jerky and uncoordinated, but there's some form of determination in his eyes.
Donnie looks at Mikey with surprise and a hint of disbelief.
He glances at Raph, then back at Mikey, before slowly nodding his head.
"Yeah... I'm Donatello. Purple is my color."
He takes a deep breath, trying to control his emotions as tears start forming in his eyes
Mikey watches Donnie carefully, taking in his reaction.
Then, he turns to Leo and repeats the process.
He signs 'blue' several times, pointing to Leo each time.
There's a slight pause in between the signs, as if Mikey is trying to convince himself as much as he is Leo.
Leo is taken aback by Mikey's actions.
His heart skips a beat as he realizes what his brother is trying to do.
He can't help but feel a lump forming in his throat.
"L-Leo... Yeah, I'm Leo. Blue is my color. Thanks, Mikey," he manages to choke out, wiping a tear from his eye.
He can't believe his brother is trying to communicate with them.
Raph feels a pang in his chest as he watches Mikey try to connect with Leo and Donnie.
He knows how much effort this must be taking for his brother.
He steps forward, placing a hand on Mikey's shoulder.
"That's great, Mikey. You're doing really well." He glances over at Leo and Donnie, and his eyes well up with tears.
Mikey lets out a shaky breath, his body tense.
He doesn't return Raph's touch, but he doesn't pull away either.
He turns to face Raph, looking at him blankly.
Raph notices this and decides to try something different.
He pulls towards him and wraps his arms around Mikey, pulling him into a tight hug.
The others exchange glances before they all join in, wrapping Mikey in a group hug.
And Raph swears he feels Mikey hug them back.