true colors
a/n: for reference mikey is 7, don is 9, raph is 10 and leo is 11. any writing in italics is a flashback, sorry if its a lil confusing to follow through lol.
disclaimer!!! please do not read if you're sensitive to child abuse! there is heavy mentions of it throughout.
other than that, enjoy if you're reading :)
mikey learns of the true nature of splinters wrath he just didn't know how deep the rage and hatred for them were...
•••
"R-Raph, you okay?" The youngest ninja steps forwards, his voice trembling whilst he clutches his brothers sai. A sickly smell of blood filled his nostrils, eyes trying to adjust to the dark room. His heart was his throat as he looked at the discarded knives and whips on the floor, each painted with a dark red.
Splinter had been in a bad mood and as usual made them suffer for it. Especially Raphael. Mikey didn't think he'd ever know why.
Last night had been brutal, the horrible sounds echoed throughout the empty lair. Raph's muffled sounds of whimpers, forcing himself to not scream. To not give in to his satisfaction.
But even his small body couldn't hold it back and at one point, his body was racked with heavy sobs while Splinter screamed at him to be a man.
"P-please stop, please. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!-" Raph was cut off by yet another whip to his back, a strangled gasp as he tried to regain his composure.
"It's not good enough boy! You deserve this all, look what you're making me do!" The red banded turtle tried to answer but his tongue felt so heavy, everything felt so dull and painful.
He so badly wanted to slip in into unconsciousness, nobody could hurt him here. It was safe and warm, comforting even. And so his eyes closed, falling further and further into the dark abyss. His bloodied hand relaxed, causing a noise to where Mikey looked up desperately from. His heart fell to the ground when he saw the state of him
"No Raph!! Raph!!! Stay awake with me please, please!! It's me, Mikey! It's me!" Mikey gasps, running as fast as his little legs could carry him to where his brothers body lay. He lay his head on his lap, trying to find where the blood was coming from but it was everywhere.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't take the punches, I-I promise I will next time! I promise. Please don't leave us, please don't die. P-please" Mikey hiccups, clutching his brothers hand as tightly as he could between his tiny ones. He shook Raph but the turtle didn't stirr, instead falling deeper into the darkness that consumed his being.
"No.... please...." Mikey sobbed, his tears dripping down his cheek soaking up on the fresh bandage. He had taken the punch for Raphael just a couple hours ago, when he was on the floor wheezing and in pain.
•••
"Please don't do it, please" Mikey whispers softly at Splinter, peeking through a small hole on the wall. Where was Leo and Donnie?? Why weren't they here yet?? Where did Splinter send them??
"You worthless creature, this is what happens when you disobey again. This is what happens to scum like you, you think my punishment is bad? I could sell you to the lab assistants, they'd be so eager to dissect you. Find out what a freak you are" Splinter pushes Raph down to the floor, his hand curled in a fist but the turtle was barely unconscious. His head fell to side, awaiting the cut he was going to deliver.
"No please" Mikey's heart races, watching the horror unfold. Raph couldn't take the punch, he was barely awake as it was. Who knew what lasting damage this one could do.
"You deserve a lesson" Splinter seethed, a knife hidden between his fingers as his hand clenched into a tight fist. Mikey's heart dropped in fear, it was those thick knives that sliced through anything, most specifically anyone.
"No don't! Raph!" Mikey barges in, hoping he would stop. Hoping to at least have the factor of shock to disarm Splinter.
But that never stopped him before and it certainly didn't faze him now.
Mikey stood in front of the knife just as it touches his skin. As Splinters hand connected to his plastron, a searing hot white pain burned through his body. The knife follows after, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.
He fell back to the floor, unable to even gasp at the sheer agony that passes his plastron. It was this side of his shell that had been damaged just last week when Splinter berated and smacked him for being useless in training.
It had just hardly healed and now, he was sure there would be lasting damage to that area.
"M-mikey!" Raph choked on his breath, trying to get to him using one arm quickly.
"You stupid boy! I'll punish you next!" Splinter scowled, his phone ringing. It signified that he would be gone for a few days, finally granting the turtles some peace. But to their utter dismay, he takes the call just outside. Meaning he won't leave just yet.
"Oh no, oh no no no. Mikey?? Mikey, it's me. Raph! C'mon buddy, you're all good!" But even Raph couldn't contain his fear, seeing the blood gushed from Mikey's chest.
"Why did you do that, you idiot?" Raph's hand tremble, trying to stop the blood from his chest. He had been the one to help wrap his chest up last time, promising nothing that bad would happen to him and he failed miserably at it.
"You've taken the hit so many times. This..." Mikey coughs and it's unsettling to see the blood come from his mouth.
"This was the nothing. I'm 7 years old, I can take it" Mikey weakly laughs, grunting in pain."
It's not your fight to take on, ya numbnut" Raph chuckles tearfully, gently nudging Mikey's cheek. The blood pooled around Mikey's side, his breathing become weaker by the second. The terrapin heard someone enter their home, praying it was his brothers and not an associate.
"Don!! Leo!! Get in here!!" Raph yells loudly, heart hammering against his chest. 'Please be okay...' He chants in his head as Mikey's breathing becomes more and more erratic. His hands stills, eyes closing in.
"What happened?" Donnie gasps, sprinting to where his brothers were. Nothing could prepare for this, for the way Raph and Mikey looked. For the way Raph had been beaten like a punching bag and for the bloodied knife hit Mikey had sustained.
Leo stands behind him, fear coursing through his body but now was not the time for him to freeze up.
Now was the time to act like their leader.
"Donnie take Mikey, I'll take Raph" Leo wraps his arm around Raph, gently but quickly bringing him up so they could escape the wrath of Splinter.
But sometimes, not everyone gets what they wished for.
"You'll leave him here, the other you may take" Splinter enters the room again, his booming voice shaking the turtles.
"B-but Father I-" Leo could see the fear in Raph's eyes, he didn't have the energy to hold it back anymore. His fingers gripped Leo's skin, not wanting to part away cowering in his arm.
"Do as I say turtle" Splinter snarls, his hand gripping his cane. A warning sign.
"Please-" But the sentence never came, for Splinters hand wrapped tightly around his throat until Leo's skin had started to become purple. No matter how he tried to claw away, Splinter was stronger. Taller. Powerful. And it was a painful reminder that he was this smaller weaker turtle.
"Stop, please I beg you!" Donnie begged, trying to reach out to Leo and Raph while holding Mikey securely. But the rat squeezes tighter, harder until Leo slumps from the lack of oxygen.
The anguish cries from his brothers were dull in his ears, he had prepared himself to fall in the beautiful numbness of the shadows. Maybe he could find some refuge when he was dead?
It was painless now, the feel of the hand gripped so tightly around him faded in the background. This felt warm... comforting even. But as if he had suspected his pleasure from leaving, Splinter's restricted itself from him. And all of a sudden deep breaths were inhaled. As if the oxygen couldn't reach his lungs quick enough, depraved of it all. Desperately gasping for air, his hands flew to his chest. Clawing at his neck, unintentional tears tracked their way down his cheeks.
He looked at Splinter, a sickening feeling filled his stomach. Reminding him of who was really the strong one in this situation
"Leave this room at once or I'll do the same to him!" Splinter ordered, pointing at Mikey who could barely stand up. His blood trickled down his leg, shaking from the blood loss. Raph looked at his brothers, his brows set in a determined frown.
"Both of ya go, I'll be okay" "Raph I-" "Go! Take care of Mikey, make sure he's okay. He'll kill you if you're here" Raph orders them and his heart thumps heavily as they reluctantly go with tears on their face. He had to be strong, he couldn't give in. That frightful voice cuts in, a taunting tone.
"They may tend to that creature but you'll stay here. This is your reminder that anytime you do anything that disobeys me...." Splinter smacks Raph's cheek, making him crash into the wall behind him. Tears dripped down his cheeks, unable to hold them back anymore.
"This happens" And with a sick cruel grin, he resumed what Mikey interrupted. Only this time Splinter laughed at how no one could protect him.
•••
"Mikey? Have you found Raph?" Leonardo enters the room, his tone panicky seeing the blood on the floor. They'd been searching the whole of the lair, dread filling their stomachs at the thought of their brother being somewhere where they weren't able to help him. That still didn't make this sight any easier to see.
"Here!" Mikey calls out desperately, trying to shake Raph awake but his eyes were already closing.
"Oh no no no, Raphael! Donnie!! Come in here!" Leonardo ran to his brother like his life depended on it, in total shock over how much his body was damaged.
"Have you found him?!" Donnie's eyes widened, running through the doors as quick as he could. He fell to the floor besides Raph, eyes tearing up at the horrific damage that went deeper than ever expected.
"Oh this is bad, this is very very very bad" Donnie gulped, trying to calm his heart rate whilst examining Raph's body. Despite being only 9, Donnie had read and educated himself in broken bones, fractures, sutures, etc.
But it is one thing to do something in theory, another to do it in practice
"Mikey help me lift Raph's body and Donnie you help grab the equipment we need" Leo ordered and the other two were thankful, focusing at task at one time. Donnie's hand were shaky, trying to calm himself but he could feel the sobs that so badly wanted to be let out.
He couldn't focus on himself just yet, no he needed to help his brother. Leo helped as best as he could but even he wanted to scream, burst into tears at how unfair the world was.
At just 11 years old, he felt the weight of the world was on his shoulders. It was bad enough being a total different species from the norm, but living with Splinter felt like hell.
Maybe he deserved it.
•••
Raph was finally stabilised, the machines steady beeping kept Mikey's fears at bay. This was was close but how about the next? How about the next time when one of then couldn't be saved?
"Where is... he?" Leo spoke softly, not wanting to even say their carers name. He didn't even deserve to be called that.
"Hopefully dead somewhere, bruised and broken in a ditch" Mikey answered bitterly, his thumb rubbing softly against his bandage on his chest. Every swipe was a harsh reminder that he could never save Raph from this torment.
Thunder roared loudly, echoing in the empty lair. Sadness floods the air, heavy on their minds and heart.
"L-Leo?" The youngest whispered, fidgeting with his fingers.
"Yeah?" The other answered, drinking a glass of water.
"Do you think we can be with Raph tonight? I don't want to leave him alone in case..." He shuddered at the thoughts, clutching the small teddy he used when he was having a bad night. They seemed to be coming in more frequently.
Normally he would have disagreed but even he couldn't argue that after tonight, the last thing they wanted to do is leave Raph vulnerable and alone. Knowing that Splinter's temper would worsen if Raph couldn't carry out his duties. That was, when he decided to even enter the house again.
"Let's make some space" Leo held his brothers hand and watched how relieved Mikey looked, his lips in a soft smile happy that his brothers agreed
•••
The boys pushed spare beds together, times like this they all slept in a pile but with the drips that Raph had in, they daren't risk it disrupted or tugged throughout the night. He looked peaceful finally, Mikey gently stroked Raph's shell. It had seen better days, a handful of new scars to add to his collection.
"I'm so sorry, I wish I could have done more" Mikey whispered, placing the small teddy besides his brothers arm. He looked at Raph's face, it only made him want to cry when he saw how sore it was. Donnie tried to fix it as best as he could but the swelling, the stiches, the blood, all these things made the turtle want to cry. They didn't deserve to go through this, nobody did.
"I love you bro, sleep well" Mikey tucked himself under the blanket, giving one last look over Raph before placing his head on the pillow unaware of how truly exhausted he had been. Leo fell in afterwards, the stress of today catching up to him very quickly.
"Donnie?" He didn't expect a response, considering he'd be uo at all hours of the night fixing something to get his mind off the horrific images from the day before.
To his surprise, Donnie removed his gear and his goggles rubbing his eyes sleepily. He yawned, rinsing his mouth out with the mouthwash he kept on the side. He watched him snuggle in to the mattress wary of Raph sleeping besides him. He didn't have the energy to fix anything else. In the morning with a clear brain, he would go over everything but for now his mind begged for darkness.
"Night Leo" Donnie mumbled, eyes closing almost automatically.
"Good night" He murmured, wishing they could be free of the demon that called himself their parent. Wishing he was able to reduce their pain and sadness. With a heavy heart, Leo lay his head on the pillow. His heart flooding with hope that tomorrow would bring a better day.
They needed it so badly.
