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“That’s it, that’s all the humans.” Raph said, glancing over his shoulder to see Leo balancing on a rotating blade along with Kraang Sub-Prime.
Donnie nodded. “Sending the last set of coordinates, ours! Get us outta here, Rockwell!” He shouted at his Tphone.
Confirmed.’ Came Rockwell’s reply. Raph then looked up to check on Leo again only to see Kraang Sub-Prime land a hit on his brother, knocking Leonardo into the blunt end of a blade.
“Leo!” Raph leapt forward towards his falling brother, hand out to catch him. Just as his plastron hit the platform, he realised he’d been too slow. The tips of his fingers brushed Leonardo’s wrist, their eyes locking for a split second before Leo fell past him and to the large rotating blades below. “No! LEO!”
Raphael unconsciously looked away, but he could do nothing for his hearing and the sound of metal smashing carapace tore him in half. Shaking, he was barely aware of his two younger brothers beside him, of Kraang Sub-Prime now towering over them. He was deaf to Donatello yelling at Doctor Rockwell to get them out of there, and then, the feeling of falling before they hit the roof of a building in New York.
Everything seemed to come rushing back at once, the memory playing over and over in his head. The only thing Raph could think about as he knelt there on the rooftop, was that he’d been too slow to save his older brother and wouldn’t be seeing him again.
Mikey stood watching Raph, taking in the emotionless expression on his face. He hadn’t seen the event very well past Donnie but he had seen Leo falling and Raph diving to catch him. The fact that Leo wasn’t here told him all he needed to know. Without realising it, Michelangelo had knelt down by his older brother and was now fighting back sobs as he tried to think of a way to comfort him. “I-It’s gonna be okay bro… Just like the t-t-time we thought Master Splinter was gone. Leo’s gonna come back…” Mikey finally broke down, now sobbing into his older brother’s shoulder while Raph had turned to wrap his arms around him.
Donnie had watched the two, wanting to believe what Mikey was saying. After all, Leo had always come back, right? He’d survived the time the Technodrome crashed into the sea, and the time he fought the Shredder and most of the Foot clan alone. He could survive this… Couldn’t he?
Hearing movement behind him, Donatello turned around to see the Mighty Mutanimals climb onto the rooftop, looking joyed at first until they saw the state the turtles were in.
Leather Head approached Michelangelo, bending down to meet his eyes once Raph had released him. “My friend, what has happened?” When Mikey didn’t answer, only sobbing harder, Leather Head seemed to piece it together himself. “Leonardo…”
Slash bowed his head, looking guilty. “I’m sorry… This is my fault. If I had been a better leader, we could have gotten you all out of there sooner. Leonardo would still be alive.”
Raph had slowly stood up, shaking his head as he looked over at Slash. “This isn’t your fault Slash.” He said, almost in a monotone voice. “We should head back and let sensei know… It’s better than keeping this from him.”
As the others started to leave, Raphael couldn’t help but pause. “I’m so sorry, Leo…” He muttered, before following the others.