Risetober 2022

Kids

A/N
You guessed it! Another sequel!

Raph smiles as he ties the orange bandana around his younger sister's head, just like he used to do when they were tots. Leo and Donnie are the best at it, always experimenting with the mask tails of each other and their other siblings, but Raph is no slacker. He hums as he loops the bandana, pulling the tails just right. Raph smiles down at his work, picking up his phone to show Mikey how she looks.

Mikey just turns her head to look at the mask tails and nods.

Raph takes that as a win. He pulls his sister against his chest as he looks over at his siblings. Casey and Draxum are arguing over something as Splinter keeps a close eye on Donnie as they work with April and Junior. They are still on edge around the three humans and it took a lot of arguing to convince Donnie to put the spear down.

The spear has been replaced with a bo from Draxum's armoury, not the mystic weapon they didn't steal, since that weapon is a death trap waiting to happen.

But the bo is more deadly than the spear in Donnie's hands.

"It's going be okay, Mikey," Raph whispers, feeling Mikey just sit in his arms, "He's strong. We'll find him and we won't let him do something stupid like that again."

"We said that last time," the whisper is quiet, but in the silence of the room, the words are deafening, the truth ripping through everyone's hearts, "We promised never to let something like this happen again, but it did- and I COULD'VE STOPPED IT!" Raph can't contain a flinch at the scream and choked sob, "I was right there and I couldn't- I can never protect any of you!"

"Mikey..." Raph whispers, arms opening so he can look at his younger sister, even if she refuses to meet Raph's eyes, "You can choose to protect people, just like they can choose to protect you, but we can't always keep each other safe and that's just how life is, especially for us..." Raph looks away, feeling his snaggletooth prick his skin as he chews the inside of his mouth. He stops and sighs, looking back at Mikey who looks at him, finally meeting his eyes, "We couldn't stop this, none of us could. Maybe we could've done something different and changed the outcome, but that didn't happen," Raph places a hand on Mikey's head, "But we won't let that stop us. We're the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Co. and no one takes our family without consequences. We'll be alright, once we get Leo back, just like always."

"Besides," April calls, ignoring how the turtles all tense up slightly, "there's no trace of Leo's location."

Donnie slams their hand on the desk that holds one of Donnie's computers that Draxum and Casey salvaged from the Lair, hissing at her.

April rolls her eyes, "Yes yes. That's a bad thing, I know, buttttt," April holds up a finger, restraining herself from glaring at her skittish family, "that means they're hiding it."

Raph frowns, but Donnie has a realisation, shoving past April and typing away at the computer, mumbled chitters escaping their mouth that make no sense to Raph. He feels Mikey's hand rest on top of it and turns it so his own hand faces up and he can cradle it, squeezing it slightly.

April stumbles, but just brushes herself off and smirks at them, "It means they don't want us to find Leo. They're scared of us finding him."

Raph's eyes widen and he grins, unoccupied hand resting on one of his sais, "They're scared of us."

Before, Raph would've hated that and done everything in his power to make them see the true versions of him and his siblings, but now, he revels in the sense of power he feels, the sense of security.

They are at the top of the food chain, not these humans.

Donnie chirps.

"You found him?" Mikey pulls out of Raph's grasp, standing up on shaky legs as tears fall down her cheeks, "You did?"