TMNT: One Small Turtle: Red Raph

part of my AU (some violence...but I dunno if it needs to be rated....so take this as your warning.....if you think I should rate this please tell me.....
~~~~~~~
“Mikey!” Raph called, “time to go!”  It was Raph’s turn to make sure Mikey had the sewer tunnels and ways memorized.

“Coming!” Mikey said running up to his brother.

“Okay Little Ninja, today is your big test. I’m going to take you out a little ways and you will lead us home okay?”

Mikey nodded. “Can do!”

“Good now let’s go!”
----
Raph lead Mikey nearly thirty minutes away. This was Mikey’s first time this way be he had to learn to mark his way home, in a way no one would know.  It was nice trip, Raph was telling Mikey stories about when Leo, Donnie, and himself were younger.

Mikey pulled at Raph’s hand, “Raphie I---”

Raph held a finger to his lips, the look on his face told Mikey he heard it too. The pair looked around they were surrounded by Foot Soldiers. Raph held a sai in each hand and Mikey held onto his nunchaku. It was twelve to two easily, but Raph was not even sure Mikey could hold his own against elite ninjas like these. Sure his little brother was talented, but this was his first live fight.

Raph heard a soft cry from Mikey, he turned around to see his brother lying on the ground with three ninja stars sticking into his carapace. Raph quickly pulled them out and used them to throw back at the enemy. He flipped Mikey over and held him in one arm, he was not moving.

“Mikey? Little Ninja?” Raph asked, nothing. Raph adjusted his hold on Mikey and that is when he found it, the small dart. They poisoned him! Raph laid his brother down and jumped to his feet, his eyes were pure white. Using his own throwing stars he attacked the enemy.

Mikey slowly blinked, he felt a little dizzy, but other than that he was okay. The liquid inside the dart was only meant to knockout the victim, by slowing their heart rate, it was not meant to kill, just simulate death, not that Raph would have know.

Mikey pushed himself into a sitting position, the tunnel was covered in blood and so was Raphael. “Raph!” Mikey called dizzily jumping to feet spinning his weapon over his head. Just as Mikey got close to his brother he could see Raph’s strong hand around the neck of the enemy.

“No one kills my brother and gets way with it!” Raph growled, then there was sicking snap.

Mikey pulled at his brother’s leg, “Raphie! Why’d ya do that? I’m not dead!”

Raph turned around to Mikey, his eyes still white, blood on his hands. Mikey started breathing heavily. Raph could see the fear in his little brother’s eyes. “Mikey,” he said calmly his eyes turning back to green.

“S-stay back!” Mikey cried running away from Raph.

“Mikey wait come back here!”

Mikey looked back he was still a little dizzy and used the tunnel wall for support. After five minutes the dizziness got the better of him and Mikey fell to his knees.

Raph had a hard time catching up with Mikey since he was faster and taking random turns. When he finally found him the smaller turtle had his knees pulled to his plastron and was laying on his side. “Mikey?” he said gently, but he soon realized his brother hard cried himself to sleep. Raph picked up Mikey and held him in his arms.

Raph was almost home when Mikey woke up. “Let go of me!” Mikey yelled squirming around forcing Raph to drop him.

“Little Ninja---”

“Not your Little Ninja! Stay away from me!” Mikey ran the rest of the way into the lair zig-zagging the whole way. Mikey finally reach the lair, ran into his room and barricaded the door shut.

“MIKEY!” Raph yelled running into the lair and began to pound on Mikey’s door, “get outta here now or I will rip of the door off!”

“Whoa, whoa, Raph what is going on?” Leo demanded.

“I ain’t tell’n ya!” Raph snapped banging in the door.

“Uh why is Raph covered in blood?” Donnie asked.

“He won’t tell me!” Leo snapped causing Donnie to take a step back.

“GO AWAY!” they heard Mikey yell.

“MIKEY---” Raph went to yell some more, but Leo tackled him away from the door.

“Tell me what is going on! That’s an order!” Leo hissed.

“Why should I because you are the leader?” Raph snapped.

“No because you are harassing my brother!” Leo snapped.

Donnie took this time to knock on Mikey’s door, “Mikey, buddy it’s me Donnie,” he said.

The door slowly opened and Mikey’s mask and nunchaku came flying out.

“Guys,” Donnie said watching the wrestling match going on at his feet. After a few more attempts Donnie gave up and got the bucket of water and dumped it over his fighter older brothers.

“What the shell Donnie!” Raph snapped, as Leo just glared at him.

Donnie simply held up Mikey’s mask and weapons, “There a note too,” Donnie said, “written in orange crayon.”

“Well brainiac what does it say?” Raph demanded.

Donnie read: If that is what being a ninja is then I don’t wanna be one.

“Raph what does he mean by that?” Leo asked.

Raph rubbed his head, “I have to go clean up,” he said.

“Not before you tell who’s blood you have on you, why you have it, and what you know about Mikey’s note.”

Raph sighed and explained everything and then quickly went to take a shower.
----
Leo and Donnie spent the better part of the next hour trying to get Mikey out of his room, but the youngest turtle was not speaking. He did send a nice note under the door that them to leave him alone.

Leo hung his head, “we need to tell sensei.” Donnie nodded in agreement.

Leo walked to his father’s room and knocked on the door, “sensei we have a problem,” Leo said.

Splinter slid the door open and looked at his oldest son, the leader, “what is it my son?”

“We need you to talk to Mikey,” Leo said before explaining the situation.

“I see,” Splinter said following Leo to Mikey’s room and then excepting the mask and weapons from Donatello. Splinter knocked on the door, “Michelangelo, I would like to come in,” he said. They could hear the sound of furniture moving, Mikey was unblocking his door. Then the door slowly opened and Splinter slipped inside nearly getting his tail caught in the door due to Mikey’s haste.

Before Splinter could say a word Mikey broke down crying. Splinter sat down on the bed and pulled Mikey into his arms.

“Sensei,” Mikey sobbed, “I don’t wanna be a ninja like Raph.”

“Michelangelo I need to understand something before you make your decision.”

Mikey nodded, but didn’t speak or meet his father’s eyes.

“Raphael, is a brilliant fighter, but his heart gets in the way.”

Mikey was breathing heavily, “I heard the guy’s neck snap,” Mikey said darkly.

“Breathe Michelangelo, deep breaths. Raphael told me what happened. He thought you were dead, he was seeking vengeance.”

“But-but I was okay…..and I was trying to tell him and the SNAP!” Mikey followed with the hand motion, “he did it with one hand!” Mikey was shaking, “if that is what a ninja is then I am sorry I cannot be one.”

“Michelangelo, that is not what being a ninja is all about, that was Raphael protecting you.”

Mikey whimpered, “it was scary….and blood...so much not just the one he-he….well ya know...others….his sais all red….I was scared.” Mikey looked at his feet, “I’m scared of Raphie now.”

“Michelangelo, you do not need to be scared of you brother, he loves you and would never hurt you,” Splinter soothed.

“But what if I do something wrong? And-and he gets angry! And hurts me?”
----
When Raph came back from his nearly hour long shower Leo and Donnie were sitting in front of Mikey’s door listening to what they could.

“What are they saying?” Raph asked.

Donnie looked to Leo, as brother and a leader. Leo sighed, “I am going to be blunt, but you can’t freak out because it will make matters worst.” Raph rolled his eyes and nodded, “you scared the shell out of Mikey, the little guy is all freaked out.” Raph bit his lip, “since that was his first love battle he thinks that, uh, killing is….” Leo trailed.

“He thinks being a ninja means killing people,” Raph said.

Leo nodded sadly, “yeah.”

“I need---”

“Let sensei deal with this situation, we have all seen death,” Leo sighed. He still remembered the first and only person he killed, he never meant to either. The foot soldier more or less committed suicide. Leo glanced at Raph and Donnie, they shared the same bitter memory.  This was Raph’s first kill. “Raph I once sensei is done talking to Mikey, you need to talk to him.”

“Why?” Raph demanded.
----
Splinter just sat there with is youngest son, waiting for him to fall asleep.

Mikey was curled up in the middle of his bed, the way he loved to keep. Splinter covered him up, kissed his forehead. Before he left the room he placed Mikey’s orange mask and nunchaku on his bedside table.

“Sensei how is he?” Leo asked once Splinter closed the door to Mikey’s room.

Splinter hesitated and then looked to Raphael, “seeing a death in his first live battle scared him. I did my best to reassure him that, a ninja does not always kill in battle. I am not sure how much of that he believed.” Leo and Donnie nodded.

“Is he afraid of me?” Raph asked.

Splinter sighed, “I am afraid so my son.” Splinter placed a paw on his shoulder.

Raph growled, “I-I thought they killed Mikey…” Raph’s voice trailed.

“Raphael you cannot let angry guide your fighting,” Splinter said.

Raph scoffed, “hai sensei.”
----
The next morning Mikey went to the kitchen for breakfast, his mask not anywhere to be found. Splinter was sitting at the table and Mikey went over to his father and hid behind him as Raph entered the room.

“Good Morning Mikey,” Raph said smiling. Mikey held onto his father.

“Michelangelo, your brother said good morning to you,” Splinter placed a hand on Mikey’s head.

“M-morning…” Mikey said into Splinter’s arm.

Raph rolled his eyes, “fine,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Raph he is eight and saw his first death, you getting hot headed over this will make is worse,” Leo said.

“Mikey,” Donnie said kneeling down next to his brother, “Raph wants to say something.”

“Mikey I am sorry, you had to see me like that….I just….I though….I needed….” Raph stopped, “will you still be my Little Ninja?” Raph pulled Mikey’s orange mask out from his belt.

Mikey gulped, and was breathing heavily. He looked to Donnie and Leo and then to Splinter. “Yes,” Mikey said.

Raph smiled and tied the orange mask back around his brother’s eyes. Mikey then jumped onto Raph’s back.

Raph looked back at Mikey and thought to himself Mikey I would do anything to protect you, even kill again, no matter how scared you are, remember I love you and would never hurt you. I will only hurt the ones who hurt you. You are my baby brother, you will always by my Little Ninja!”