Synopsis: In a rapidly changing world, how could Raph's discovery bring the turtles back together? A SAINW-based story.

Turtlefreak121: Nice to see another opening up - what is this...three? Well, that's lame... So here it goes peeps - The start of my SAINW-related series. This is sort of an experiment to expand my writing skills but this is me writing as different as it may seem.

Baby Bro

Chapter One

By Turtlefreak121

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is based off of the Mirage cartoon show airing on both (whatever the heck it is now).

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NOT a Family

"SHUT UP, Leo! Just SHUT UP!" Raphael roared before storming into the other direction.

"What is your problem, Raph!" Leo demanded. Raphael should have known that Leo and Splinter acted the same way towards him at this point - like he was some nasty obstacle that needed to be taken care of.

"Ya wanna know what my problem is, Leo! It begins with 'y' and ends with YOU!" Raph growled.

Donatello and Michelangelo remained quiet. Fighting had gotten worse between their older brothers, but nothing like this!

"ENOUGH!" Splinter ordered roughly. He got between his two eldest sons, glaring at both of them with his charcoal eyes. "Leonardo, Raphael, what is the meaning of this?"

Both of the two clammed up and folded their arms - neither was going to budge.

At least they agree on something - Splinter silently thought. "Is this what you want?" he demanded. "To destroy each other as the Shredder is already beginning his assault of the planet?" he asked. "We have to - now more than ever - come together as a family and not destroy each other. This is the only way we can win against the Foot."

Leo bowed his head; Raphael just continued to glare at his blue-banded brother.

"Tell him to take da stick out of his shell!" Raph barked - at his brother, not his sensei.

"Raphael!" Splinter yelled.

"I'm doing what I can to protect our family, Raph!" Leo pointed out with gnashing teeth. "Just because you want to risk your life and go topside alone doesn't mean you can!"

"Says who, Leo? You!" Raph growled back.

"Raphael, you are not leaving tonight," Splinter went ahead and said flatly. He turned to Leo. "And, Leonardo, you need to come into my room immediately."

Leo's mouth could've touched the floor in his surprise.

Splinter turned and walked towards his room. He turned his head. "Come, Leonardo," he said in a commanding fashion.

Leonardo took a deep breath and followed their sensei.

"Whoa..." Mikey let out.

Don looked over as Raphael put on the brown leather coat he'd become accustomed to lately. "Hey, Raph, where are you going?" Don asked.

"Out," Raph spat before opening the sewer door.

"But Master Splinter--"

"Oh, what, Mike?" Raph growled. "Are you Leo Junior?"

Mikey kept his mouth shut and he and Don just watched as Raph walked out into the sewer and closed the door behind him.

The orange-clad turtle turned sideways and faced Don who had his head bowed. Mike knew what he was thinking.

"C'mon, Don...you're still here...that future can't happen as long as you're here...right?"

Don gave a side ways glance to his brother. "But it is..."

"Leonardo," Splinter said softly.

The leading turtle still kept his head cocked to the side, his eyes shut tightly.

Sighing, Splinter cupped his son's chin and made him look into his eyes. "Look at me, my son," Splinter said softly. "What troubles you, my son? You are not sleeping...I have seen with my own eyes that you are loosing control of--"

"That was an accident," Leo said quickly. "I...Raph just sort of touched a soft spot..."

Splinter shook his head. "I am not referring to your brothers, Leonardo," Splinter said quietly. "I am referring to you loosing control over your own emotions...there's such anger...and fear..."

Leo looked down to his legs in their lotus position. "What is happening, Master?" he asked. "I fear Don's tells of the future may come true...I need something to tell me that Don won't go away," he looked up to Splinter. "And I need something to tell me that the Shredder won't...won't..."

The rat closed his eyes. "Do not fear for me, my son," Splinter said softly. "Your concern should be on your brothers - not on I."

Leo shook his head. "My concern is my family...that's you, Master Splinter," Leo said with a tear in his eye. "And the truth is that I can never be you. We need you now...and I know that you won't be around forever, Master...but I want to make sure I can at least let us last longer than this whole world war with the Shredder."

Splinter nodded his head. "As long as you and your brothers continue as you are...then you shall shape your own futures," he said quietly.

The blue banded turtle ducked his head again. "But I'm not here because of my fears...this is because of Raphael..."

Splinter paused before answering. "Yes," he said simply. "I am fearful that Raphael and you are becoming distant...as if you are no longer related."

Leo sighed. "Yes, master...I have sensed it as well..."

"What reasons do you give for this sudden shift, Leonardo?" he asked.

"I believe Raphael is beginning to sense the reluctance between our present and Donatello's future."

Splinter nodded. "I believe that also, my son," he sighed. "I believe it also..."

The muffled sounds of a young child wailing could be heard echoing throughout the whole sector of this ghost town. The man lifted the hammer one last time. "I'll teach ya to run away ya little freak!"

Crack!

The pain was so much that the child could no longer breathe through the stress his lungs were being put through. He couldn't feel his feet at all! His immense tears poured off his cheeks and were forming a pool around his head and neck. But despite his physique and pain, not more than a few muffled-like moans escaped his lips.

The man then reached over to lift the child up. His superior would kill him for doing this, but he had to keep the kid from running away and those so-called 'containment-units' weren't worth a dime for keeping in such a small child.

Still, the child tried to crawl away, not using his feet since even the movement of his upper body seemed to jar the pain he had in his feet. His skin hurt and felt stretched as he continued to run. The dark black and blue bruises from his beating were beginning to show up in his dark skin. His tiny fists tightened as the man quickly grabbed him up again.

How he wished he could yell out for help. He wished he could do anything but give out a muffled shrill as the man bound his feet together with some strange tape. He felt like the oxygen around him was leaving, and that the cut on his shoulder was slowly draining him of much needed energy. He didn't dare look as the man stopped.

"What're ya doin'?" another man yelled out.

The man that had hurt him shoved him into the wall behind them. He gave another muffled cry of pain.

"My superior will have your head if this kid escapes cause of your interruption!" the man with the hammer yelled.

Frightened by the loud tone of words, he hid behind some debris by crawling on his elbows but could not take his eyes away from the 'action'. The man with the hammer yelled some more when the other man just pulled up his gun and aimed. The other man backed off and told the other not to be so rash when...

POW!

His whole body began shaking as he rolled some more backwards. Tears were flowing down his face as he continued to scoot backwards until his back collided with the other wall of the alley. Then, he just broke down.

He tucked his trembling knees under his chin and hugged them tightly before forcing his forehead down onto his knees. Letting out large sobs, he remained in his position, rocking back and forth.

The Foot soldier kicked the dead man over and sneered at him. He was going to shoot him again - just to be doing something when he heard something odd. He looked over to where the man had shoved what he had guessed were some sort of foot. He raised his gun and walked slowly up to the pile of debris. He glared down as the small creature rocked back and forth like psychotic man. He'd recognized such a creature before. This was one of his master's enemies - he knew it!

He pointed his gun to the pathetic 'animal's' head. The small creature's head tilted upwards and he stared at the man he now knew was probably going to kill him.

"Get up," the man growled.

He hesitated; he couldn't even turn over and seat up on his own let alone stand. He looked like a lost puppy that had never been trained to sit.

The man pressed his guns nuzzle up to the child's neck making him shake all over.

"Get up!" he roared.

Without doing much else, the child tried to get up, but wailed in the pain he had in his feet. He began to cry in fear for his life.

"Shut up!" the soldier snapped.

The child continued to weep. It was strange to the soldier, for though the child was weeping, he made no noise.

"Stop yar crying," the soldier commanded.

When the babe continued, the soldier turned his gun around and used the end like a club and hit the youngling over the head. It lay out on the ground to only shivering some in the cool fall breeze.

The soldier picked him up by the back of his shell and then held him under his arm, for the soldier could only imagine what awaited the one who brought one of the turtles to the Shredder!

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Turtlefreak121: Heh - my characters are real troopers... I love macaroni for dinner - gives you that noodle feeling down your soar throat (takes a throat lozenge) I really love winter...but I really hate winter...