Slash's Revenge

Chapter 21 - Irreparable Damage

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Author's Notes: I'm finally back with a new chapter of 'Slash's Revenge' and it's another dramatic one. I hope everybody's ready for a bit of angst...

Okay, I don't want to make all of you wait any longer for this long overdue update, so let's just jump right in, shall we? Thank you very, very much for reading, everyone! (ᴖᴗᴖ)

CJ

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Chapter 21 – Irreparable Damage

"DONNIE!"

Though it was only a split second, an eternity seemed to pass as Raph frantically rushed towards the ledge of the building his younger brother had just toppled over. Then, the gut-wrenching sound of Donatello crying out for help abruptly came to a stop, right along with Raphael's momentum and his erratically beating heart.

No! No! No! No!

He can't be... gone.

He can't! He just can't!

Scared to death of what he might see if he were to look down, the hotheaded turtle just froze in place, mouth ajar, as he stared at his outstretched hand. The very same hand that had tried and failed to grab hold of his brother right before he had plunged off the rooftop.

Visions of Donatello's already battered body splayed out on the sidewalk below, lifeless and broken, made it impossible for Raph to move. It was even harder for him to breathe. He felt as if someone had filled his lungs with quick-setting cement.

Hoarsely whimpering out his younger brother's name, Raphael sealed his eyelids tightly together, but it did nothing to shut out the pain or the sound of his brother's voice inside his head...

"It's too late, Raph. I'm already gone."

"This is all your fault, Raph! Slash isn't the monster! YOU are!"

Though the words had come straight out of a nightmare, they were still unerringly true. This was all Raphael's fault. All the pain and suffering his family had had to endure. Every awful thing that Slash had done to Donatello. And now... this!

All of it was Raphael's fault.

He was responsible for his own brother's –

He couldn't bring himself to complete the thought. Not without totally losing it.

"NO! Donnie, say something! Anything! Please!"

The silence that followed Raphael's heartfelt plea was more painful than anything he had ever experienced before.

It was a voiceless confirmation that his brother was actually –

A strangled-sounding gasp cut through the damp, night air; almost like Raphael was gagging on his own breath.

What was he going to tell his family?

How could he tell his family?

And how could he ever live with himself after what he'd done?

He couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Donnie. I'm so, so sorry." Raphael's knees were just about to buckle together when he heard a wicked cackle coming from behind him. One that he would recognize anywhere.

Suddenly, it was like there was blistering-hot lava surging through the red-clad ninja's veins and he was about to burst into flames. All the grief he was feeling inside immediately transformed into pure hatred. Pure hatred for the vile turtle now pitilessly laughing at him. Mocking his pain...