Chapter 3- The Snap

Author POV

Michelangelo lays in his bed, the sheets feeling cold under the dim lit room. It's been a week since that fight, since he watched as he watched his brothers left him in the middle of road, turning their back on each other.

It felt wrong, cold, Rejecting maybe. They were falling apart pushing each other away and Michelangelo? What was he supposed to do? Talk? Smile? He's also breaking. He stares up at the concrete sealing, a tear rolled down his baby blue eyes. His closed for a moment to breath a bit.

Michelangelo doesn't get that peace, as his vision shows, His brothers spaces between them, resentment glaring at each other, and then they walked away into different parts.

Michelangelo's fear shows as he tried chase to pull them back, to be a family. He found himself grabbing nothing, opening his eyes he realizes he's on the ground. Michelangelo gets up, shaking his head. "No, No, that wouldn't happen… They wouldn't leave... They wouldn't..." He found himself convincing himself, but he knew deep down.

"W-we…fight all the time, and we always come back stronger...always... that's..." His voice softens, "What Splinter taught us." He rubbed his eyes burning with sadness and tears.

Down in the dojo, Donatello stands between his older brothers, who were supposed to be training, but it goes physical, brutal. "Enough! Both of you! Mikey will be down soon!" Donatello yelled, his voice laced with exhausting, he was too young for this.

Raphael cursed, "Who cares? That shell for brain couldn't even watch those iron heads, and they escaped!!" His voice laced with anger, "Your still on that! Or did you forget what you said to me! Or how you just left to shell know where!?" Leonardo snapped back, pushing against Donatello arms that's separating them.

"Oh for the love - You both left and so did I, and we left Mikey to walk alone!? We're here fighting like animals. Mikey is also hurting!! Do you hear him complaining..." Donatello's voice trailed off as reality slapped against him. Michelangelo wasn't grieving he was trying to help them.

Leonardo defensive stance had fallen, his eyes widen. They were all grieving? Anger. Yelling. Tension. Everyone except Michelangelo, he was still smiling trying.

He wasn't grieving openly, but why would he? There was so much tension between, Him, Raphael and Donatello, enough to fill a bowl. Raphael anger faltered, his baby brother, something clicked between the three.

Michelangelo wouldn't grieve or even talk to them about his feeling with them, but they couldn't stand each other. They all need space. They immediately shook that thought from their head as soft footsteps stop in front of the dojo.

"Mikey… Leonardo called out to his baby brother, who raised his head entering the dojo. Michelangelo's scans the situation and the boys immediately separate composing themselves. They had to fix themselves, they had to try. They looked at each other and nodded.

And try they did, Try after Try, and it always ended in fight, I'm bruises on one another, it was going well.

Raphael, couldn't stand Leonardo and his leader complex, he stated drifting, never following orders. He kept it subtle, not enough to raise suspicious, and it felt nice to be on his own, making his rule, and soon he started going on patrol by himself.

He enjoyed freeing from everything it was peaceful, but Michelangelo's sadden face crushed his heart. Raphael closed that feeling Donatello and Leonardo would be there for him, Michelangelo doesn't need him.

Leonardo, tried to be a good leader, but only Michelangelo was the only one following orders. Staring at him with trust and admiration it made him feel strong. But, then he found himself going on patrol by himself early through the night, it was peace away from everything.

Not from his baby brother! No, never! Just for him, so he made schedule, For himself, waiting until everyone was a sleep, and he would patrol. It didn't always have to be the four of them. It was just tiring, and then he would look at Michelangelo's baby blue eyes and his heart would tighten.

Leonardo shakes those thoughts, Michelangelo has Donatello and Raphael, he didn't need him.

Donatello, ever the wise guy, the realistic one the smart one. He tried, but his patience was thinning. They were doing for Michelangelo and that should count, but he couldn't do it not for so long he couldn't keep pretending.

He couldn't keep acting as if they weren't falling apart. He found himself wanting peace, so he found it with April, watching her study for university. It was peaceful no team, no fights just books and his brain working with April's.

Then he would look at Michelangelo and his heart stung, and he pushed it away, Leonardo and Raphael were just as protective over Michelangelo like him. They would take care of him, He doesn't need him.

Michelangelo saw how his brothers started doing his own thing. Now, he was patrolling by himself, no fun, no jokes, no teasing about training being boring just cold, heartless silence. It burned into his soul he was slowly losing his brothers, but they were calmer.

There hadn't been a fight in two weeks since they started and Michelangelo didn't want to be selfish and ruin this for them. They were healing even if it was together at least the came. Yeah, they always came home and eat in silence.

Until the dining table had no sound and tonight wasn't any different. Michelangelo was patrolling, he lost track of time it was late, and he was just wandering the rooftops of the city.

Back at the lair, three brothers just strolled in from their own peaceful night and the house felt quiet. They glanced at each other, "Mikey!" Donatello called out, silence. They searched and searched no signs. They started pointing fingers.

THE PICTURE HAS SHATTERED

"Where's Miley!?" Leonardo questioned the two and they got defensive. "What do you mean, me? Ain't you the leader, where is he, fearless!" Raphael shot back, "Yeah, I was with April studying, so I wasn't even here." Donatello explained, Leonardo and Raphael's eyes snapped towards.

It dawned on them, no one was watching Michelangelo, and now they couldn't find, the peace the once had shattered, started fighting, screaming, punching.

Michelangelo, after taking the longer way home walked into find the lair in chaos, grunts of pain, swearing and yelling. He ran inside, the sight hit him, seeing his brothers on the weapons out fighting, his breath hitched and that draw the attention.

" MIKEY!!!" They yelled in unison, rushing to him weapons in forgotten on the floor checking for bruises. None, thank goodness and the lair fell into silence, "I was patrolling..." Michelangelo broke the silence.

Silence fell again, patrolling on his own, Each brother thought the others were watching Michelangelo. Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael, all looked at each other, silently communicating before nodding.

"Our fault Mikey, won't happen again." Leonardo said patting Michelangelo's head with affection and Michelangelo beamed with happiness. They were getting better healing.

The brothers all disperse to their rooms, after the night they had. Michelangelo, felt relieved another fight hadn't broken out. He fell asleep in peace.

He didn't hear, Donatello's phone call, to April talking about applying for university as a online student, promising that Michelangelo had Leonardo And Raphael.

He didn't hear, Leonardo on his bed, with a bag being packed and a picture of Splinter in sanctuary in Japan.

He didn't hear, Raphael on the phone with Casey, talking about going on an adventure, learning new things, maybe try new hobbies.

He heard none of it, he slept in peace thinking his brothers were getting better and slowly so was he, they would be fine.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***