Chapter Text
A quiet draft flows through the abandoned subway station, all the Hamatos are asleep but one. Michaelangelo is meditating, floating above the floor of the subway cart he calls his room. Art supplies are scattered on an elbow desk on the far end of the cart, while the other end lies his bed and door into the so called room. His brothers know of his great power, but they don't know that he's been training it, as for the past 5 months he's been more of a shutin. Mikey's reasoning for this is all the fights he and his brothers have been getting into with each other. Raphael insists patrols are the way to go right now while Leonardo says they should lay low and relax. Donatello always has some science-y thing to bring up as a solution, but Raph and Leo get so absorbed in who's right to even listen to the middle man. Mikey has grown exhausted of this, he used to intervene but he feels like there's nothing to be done, no Dr. Delicate Touch, no Dr. Feelings, he had hoped they would work it out but the longer they seem to go with no threat the more on edge they become.
Mikey takes a deep breath, focusing on his ninpō, his spots faintly glowing, and his hair (that of which had started to grow a little over a year ago) lightly floating up. It's around 5am, Raph will wake soon by the hour, but he's at least quiet when he does so, so Mikey keeps his focus on the task at hand. Quietly, apparitions appear in the room with Mikey, the Hamato clans ancestors. Mikey opens his eyes to greet them.
"You have done well to connect with us young one, what might the purpose of this be?" One initiates.
"My brothers... They keep fighting, and I just don't know what to do anymore. Anytime I try to reason with them they fight back against me or ignore me, treating me like a child that doesn't understand anything. What should I do?" Mikey pleas, faint worry in his voice with a strained look in his eyes.
"This is not your burden to bare, you need not worry yourself about it. You have tried, and for that we are proud, but do not exhaust yourself, your energy is important in this time." Another chimes in.
"But- I'm the feelings guy, I always fix these things I don't know what to do if I can't— they can't keep on like this, I'm afraid they're going to hurt each other or get us into something we can't risk-" Mikey's breathing starts to quicken pace as he says this, this being the first time he's had anyone to consult about this.
"Child, the time will come for reconciliation, do not put yourself in the middle of an issue you can't solve, you must—"
"But I always solve it! That's my job! They're so absorbed in this fighting that they don't even notice me anymore, I just want my brothers back!" He quickly realizes he might've been a bit too loud, hoping he woke no one.
Silence.
"They will not know the harm they've done until they see it. Let them see." As the ancestor says this they all start to fade, leaving a phantom shimmer in the air as Mikey floats back down to the ground. He thinks this over in his head. How can he let them see what they're doing to each other and the family if they're refusing to listen to anyone? He sighs, getting up and crawling into bed. He runs his hand through his hair, he hasn't dyed it recently so it's grown back to being a light grayish green. He has however straightened it, so instead of the natural coils he has, it's flat but flowy. Mikey lays in his bed looking at his ceiling, a few minutes pass by before he hears a knock at his door. He looks over, not saying anything. With no response, the door opens, of course, it's Raph.
"Hey big man," he starts, looking worried at Mikey. "I heard some uh, shouting in here? Are you alright? You ain't normally up this early. You slept right?"
"I'm fine." Mikey quickly says, in a flat, I don't want to talk to you, tone.
"Are you sure?" Raph says, this is the first real worry he's had for Mikey in a while, or at least the first Mikey has seen. Raphael has been worried for his youngest brother, but he always gets caught up in something else he forgets to check in on him.
"Yes, I'm sure Raph." His tone is snappy, more annoyed. Anytime he's been faced with his brothers recently he's been getting moody, not wanting to talk to them, being resentful for all the fighting and ignorance to the harm they're causing.
"Well, uh, do you want to join me for breakfast?" Raphaels tone is gentle, trying to navigate the situation.
"No. I'm fine." Mikey quickly says.
"Okay... I hope you're doing alright, you can always come to me y'know?"
Silence.
"I'll just leave you alone then..." Raph begins to exit.
Mikey sighs, partially annoyed and relieved. Why does Raph care now? Does he have to scream for them to realize that they're causing pain? They will not know the harm they've done until they see it. Let them see. Huh. Well that's a chore. Mikey groans, how would he show them? He glances over to his desk, a pile of papers is strewn about, plans of how to approach the problem, a speech for how he thinks they're hurting each other, a question list to make them talk instead of argue, and therapy questions for both of them. He sighs. Looking back up at the ceiling he wonders if anything will ever work.