Chapter Text
Raph had always known he was the second oldest, all his brothers knew their roles in the family. Mikey was the youngest, Donnie the middle child, and Leo as the oldest brother. They were all the same age technically, and it was just turtle kids going off pure instinct, or feelings. But it sure damn felt like it was right. They all knew Mikey was the youngest, even though they were all mutated at the same time and place 15 years ago. Donnie had a theory that mikey was the youngest turtle out of all of us and that's why we feel the need to make him the youngest, same reason why we feel the need to make leo the oldest. Though raph always thought of it differently. He pictured Leo as the oldest because he was the most mature, he always protected them, helped them, made sure they stayed safe and healthy, and always had a plan when things went so very wrong.
He wishes Leo was here.
Because things are so, very, wrong.
“Raph watch out!”
Donnie tackled him down onto the dirt of the gladiatorial arena just as the spiked tail wooshed over their heads. Now raph wasn't too educated when it came to dinosaurs, but after months of being called one once school started, he knew almost all of them. Ankylosaurus, that's the mutant they were fighting. He's tried repeatedly to break open its shell, in fact if he was attacking donnie or mikey, their shells would be in bits right now. But the mutant's shell was stronger, thicker, and raph is almost sure even if he cracked it it wouldn't kill them.
His breathing was ragged and un even, taking short and unfair breaths. He looked up at Donnie, whose glasses were in pieces, cuts and scratches were all over his face, partly from the glass that had gotten on him and partly from being snagged in the face with a tail club. He hitched a breath when Donnie pulled him off of the ground, rushing him towards Mikey, who was trying his best to talk to the mutant like they would see the light and choose peace.
“We're not here to hurt you man, We just wanna go home!”
Mikey's voice was dripping in desperation, he wasn't taking this as well as him and donnie, not that raph was doing great. He was in shock and confusion. Ever since they arrived everything felt like a fever dream. The moment they got pushed into a cell, he disassociated, only when Donnie tackled him did he start to realize how bad his situation really was.
“Mikey just fucking sucker punch him!”
Raph's voice boomed through the arena. He knew Mikey always tried to take a pacifist route when he could, and he respected that. It's not easy to put violence aside and try to understand what your opponent was going through, it was something raph struggled with a lot, turning to rage and anger instead to win his fights. But Mikey usually could tell when it was time to throw a punch or two, but he seemed to be trying very hard not to hit this mutant.
“Harder than it looks Raph!”
Mikey rolled out of the way as the mutant swung his hands towards Mikey's skull, donnie yelled for mikey to speed up before he got hurt, or that's what raph heard at least.
Raph pushed himself onto his two shaky legs, evening his breathing. He dusted off his plastron, thanking whatever's out there that he wasn't dead by now. He noticed that Donnie was no longer by his side, but now running with Mikey away from the Mutant, who was booming closer to them. He quickly gathered himself and his mental state, rushing with Mikey and Donnie towards the wall of the stadium, watching as the mutant fell directly on his chest, letting out a roar of annoyance.
“How could this happen, I, we need a plan or that thing is gonna smash our shells to bits!”
Donnie's voice was shaky and out of breath. Mikey let out a huff nodding in agreement, they only had a select few more seconds before their opponent got back up and murdered them one by one.
“Ok… ok listen here's what we're gonna do; Mikey, distract him, make him pissed off I know you're good at that. Donnie, me and you, were gonna push him down onto his shell, and were gonna fucking smash it in.”
Mikey's skin turned green, and it wasn't just his natural hue, he looked sick. He looked at raph and shook his head like a crazy man.
“No, no no no I don't like this, raph he'd die!”
Donnie scoffed gesturing to the mutant. His voice was irritated and annoyed.
“Like he'd give it a second thought if It was us!”
And raph froze. Letting the bickering fade into the background of his mind. His breathing grew ragged. Where was the mutant? They were just on the fucking ground were they tripped. Raph immediately started to look around while Mikey and Donnie slowly realized why. He looked at them, but their eyes weren't directed at him, they were above him, Donnie's eyes were shaking, while mikey was taking steps back
“What are you guys doing we need to find-”
…
sharp and blunt, that's the best way he could describe it. His elbows shook as he pushed himself above the ground, his knees shaking as well. He was hit. Hit with the mutant's tail in the legs, he was grateful it wasn't his shell, but it still was bad. He gasped and gritted his teeth at the pain, shockingly, they weren't broken. But they were bruised and battered. His plastron had gotten cracked when he hit the floor, in the top right panel. It was bleeding, his hands covered in the green ooze. He let out a gasp of air as another shock of pain rang through his legs, he wasn't hit again, but he had subconsciously tried to stand.
He looked around, seeing Mikey and Donnie fighting the best they could against the mutant, they also looked battered and beaten. Assuming that his crack looks fresh, he probably wasn't out for long, maybe 2 minutes tops. He pushed himself against the wall, his legs screaming against the choice of standing. He staggered, making his way behind the mutant. He looked at Donnie, his brother looked at him, then the mutant, then back at him, and he understood immediately. He took a couple steps back, his legs shaking while still at it. He roared as he ran into them, their shell bumping against his snout, making it bruise.
The mutant staggered against themselves, falling forward onto their chest. Raph crawled back, they were out. Not dead, but passed out.
Mikey ran over to him, falling onto his knees next to raph.
“Are you ok! You, you need to use your damn brain!”
Donnie was standing next to the mutant, shaking. He gripped his knuckles.
“We need to finish it…”
Mikey froze. He looked sick again, his hands stilling at the thought. Raph knew Mikey didn't like blood, he hated it. Especially after they were milked for their own, but even before that he struggled to make it through action movies because he couldn't stand the sight of blood. He protested, raph not listening enough to know exactly what he said.
Donnie was right, they had to finish it. Whoever brought them here said they had to kill to win, they had to murder to survive. Raph looked next to him, grabbing the stone that was next to his plastron. He crawled over to the mutants head mikey yelling for him to stop while donnie held mikey back by his arms.
Raph hitched a breath raising the stone in the air.
He heard the cheers of the crowd
He heard the crying of his brother.
But what did he hear the most?
It was the splat that the mutant's skull gave when he bashed his head in.