The thick, long claws collided forcefully against the metal of a worn sword, seeking to destabilize its opponent, but the mutant turtle did not even blink.

The mutated dog would have to do much more to provoke a reaction in the hardened warrior.

Once again a frontal attack, sharp appendages seeking to tear the scales of the unknown soldier who dared to challenge them, avoiding a simple and quick robbery. He had no right to attack them like that and Razhar would teach him what happens to turtles, of any age, when they dare to meddle and play hero in his city.

Both fighters must be attentive and avoid the several piles of scrap that had become a group of robot ninjas that were sent to first attack the armored vigilante who dared to intervene when Razhar and his group knocked out the factory guards that They had been ordered to steal. It was a simple job ruined by a pale green idiot with no arm and a lousy pun who was strong enough to stand up to him and then some.

Thanks to him he had a lot of explaining to do and his boss would not be happy.

Not happy at all.

A movement from the unknown mutant turtle threw the mutated dog against a wall causing a terrified gasp from its companion; Bradford was never happy with the company, he knew that Stockman was a coward, most of the time, and a classified idiot at specific moments like this. He would receive no help from him. It's not that he needs her either, he was more than enough to take down the almost two meter tall mutant menace that loomed over him with a cold gaze of uneven colors. If he were a coward he would be shaking now that the ancient sword was pointed at his neck, but he wasn't and his threatening growl was proof of that, if he was shaking it was because of the adrenaline, nothing more.

The mutant turtle did not even hesitate, Razhar had experience intimidating beings like him, the sworn enemies of his boss always shuddered when the threatening growl emerged from between his fangs, he could see it clearly and enjoyed bringing terror to the young hearts of the damned reptiles that ruined his life, although they bravely faced him Bradford was sure that their presence plagued the nightmares of the younger ones. And how he enjoyed that knowledge.

Unfortunately, in front of him stood a figure who did not understand the message well and dared to be on an equal footing with him, who had the nerve to look down on him as if he were a fucking turtle god and he was nothing more than garbage to the to trample

I wasn't going to allow it.

With a powerful roar, the former martial master struck the sword with his claws, removing it from his neck and, although the tip grazed his fur, causing him to bleed, he launched himself against the muscular mass that kept him cornered.

— Don't you dare feel superior to me, disgusting turtle — the guttural roar that comes from his insides is destined to terrify his enemies, but it barely makes a dent in the attitude of the stranger in front of him who evades his attack without much effort — no. You are nobody, just an apparition from nowhere that does not mean a problem for us, you are as insignificant to Shredder as are the other turtles like you - an expression of surprise rests for a moment on the wrinkled face of the older turtle and Razhar knows that moved something inside the seasoned warrior, he found a weakness to cling to, a crack within his stoic attitude - my master will be delighted if I show him your severed head, he will surely use it as an ornament on the altar that he will make to your ridiculous family when I'm done with them.

A shadow obscured the taller mutant's face and Razhar barely had a second to regret his words before he felt the hairs on his body stand on end at the electricity that began to be felt in the air. Behind him the anguished wail of the almost forgotten fly-man only reaffirmed the terror that was beginning to brew in the mutant dog-man's chest. Contrary to what he thought, his mention of the other turtles and the threat implicit in the name of his boss did not produce the desired effect, it was not fear that kept the other mutant with his gaze lowered and his body tense. It was pure anger and the mutated former actor later realized that that anger was intended only for him.

Lightning crossed the sky over the city even though the night had been clear until a few moments ago, the imminent feeling that lightning would strike on you was growing stronger every second in the mind of the mutated dog and its fur. The black man stood bristling in response to his body's growing fear. Suddenly he wanted to be far away from there, his mind asked him to curl up in a corner, make himself as small as possible to escape the threat that he himself launched over his head. The mutant in front of him was not someone he could intimidate with a few growls and flashing long claws as a promise of imminent pain; No, this was a turtle who had faced hell and was not up for games. And for the first time since he mutated, Christopher Bradford felt the animal terror that blinded his conscience, making him act based on pure instinct, lowering his ears and moaning piteously while he retreated on all fours.

The light left the entire sector, leaving the dark rooftop gently illuminated by the ghostly glow of the edge of the mutated reptile's sword. Razhar, frozen as he was, could not take his eyes off the shadow that grew larger and larger as it approached him at a steady pace; Each stride of the enemy caused a slight tremor in the building beneath them, and between the hum of electricity in the air and the roar of his blood in his ears, Bradford could hear the people in the apartments murmuring in alarm at the unforeseen movement. In his terrified mind the canine mutant wondered if the warrior's footsteps would cause the building to collapse and lead to his rapid death under the rubble, a preferred fate before the painful torture promised by the disparate colored look on the enemy's face.

Two seconds after vomiting with fear, the powerful and worn-out voice of the mutant turtle in front of him forced him to lower his ears and make himself smaller if possible, his body reacting to the terror produced by the stranger's cold gaze.

—Where are my brothers? — The warrior roared as lightning crossed the sky illuminating him like a vengeful and terrible god rising with a promise of death above the once proud martial master who could only howl pitifully as he had no answer to give to his future executioner.

Leonardo was not well, at his young age he was used to feeling pain and chronic fatigue in his body. He was young, yes, but he was also a ninja warrior with a purpose: to keep the city he called home safe.

A noble purpose that kept them awake all night and the half-day rest barely compensated for the effort he and his family made fighting the forces of evil. Leo didn't like to show weakness in front of his little brothers or his friends, but this time his fatigue got the better of him and he rested his cheek against the kitchen table while he waited for the Mikeys to finish breakfast.

I was barely listening to the animated conversation that the two Donatellos were having, both excited to have someone with whom to share all their scientific talk; Nor did he pay attention to the enthusiasm with which Raphael intervened in the conversation of the purple ones with some ideas that, at another time and with a clearer head, would have terrified the eldest of the family. He barely noticed his little brother sitting next to him and putting a hand on his arm to get his attention, it wasn't until the youngest of the four shook him with a little more force than necessary that he diverted his exhausted gaze to the young man in orange noticing the worry written in his light blue eyes.

"Leo, you look terrible," the youngest comments in a far from subtle way. "You haven't said anything and you've barely touched your tea." The boy in blue moves his eyes to the forgotten cup in front of him and the absence of steam is indicative that the water got cold a while ago — you haven't even rushed us to go to training or something. Do you feel bad? — Mikey's voice was unusually soft and the frown was a clear sign of the concern that filled the heart of his loving little brother.

Leo stood up, stretching the sore muscles of his arms over his head and the phantom pain that had been plaguing him for a few hours made him let out a moan that he tried to hide but that did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

—Eh, Leo? — Donnie's voice overpowered the annoying ringing in his ears — you look terrible, brother. Have you been sleeping enough? — It was a secret to no one in the family, nor to his friends, that Leonardo suffered from insomnia every night, although this fact did not seem to normally affect him.

Perhaps the weight of so many strange events was finally taking its toll on him and his body was begging for a rest.

— I've been sleeping as usual, but since yesterday I feel uncomfortable, exhausted and sore — he collapses in the chair again, but smiles gratefully when Angelo places a new cup of fresh tea in front of him — overwhelmed, my mind fills with scattered thoughts that dissolve without me being able to fully understand them and that exhausts me — the oldest of the group of brothers sighs and takes the tea cup in his hands enjoying the heat that emanates from the ceramic — I tried to calm my mind with meditation and it didn't work — he confesses and his brothers look at each other confused at the vulnerability their leader shows — it's as if the thoughts came from outside my mind and passed through my head, leaving only the sensations but not the words...

— Maybe it would be good for you if Mikey accompanies you to meditate — Angelo suggests resting a hand on the minor orange's shoulder — he has improved a lot in creating protective barriers around his aura and I'm sure he can use that ability to protect you. mind and that you can rest - the smile that adorns Mikey's face at the thought of helping his older brother with his new abilities can light up the room and Leonardo does not find the courage to refuse no matter how much he still feels wary of his new powers. younger brothers.

— It's an excellent idea — he says instead and his little brother's smile becomes brighter — after breakfast we can go meditate at the dojo.

Angelo leaves the brothers and returns to his work in the kitchen, there was a tacit agreement that the two Michelangelos would take complete charge of the culinary affairs after a failed attempt at breakfast by the three eldest of the host family, one that resulted in high amounts of wasted food and half an hour of derisive laughter from Tello Von Ryan. In order not to go through that situation again, everyone kindly ceded the cooking rights to the orange people and the matter was never discussed again. The responsibilities of the others were reduced to ensuring that everything was clean after eating and, even so, one of the two cooks watched over them after a slight affair with some glasses and flying saucers. The three diamondbacks and the softshell are on the line and their rations may be severely reduced if the flying earthenware incident happens again. At first the younger ones assumed that Von Ryan's powers could minimize the punishment imposed by their little brother, but they were quite disappointed when they saw that the eldest purple simply followed the orders of the youngest of his family without complaining with the subsequent explanation that it was better. keep the doctor's gentle side delicate touch and that washing the dishes would ensure they kept the beast asleep. After that the other three accepted the agreement without a word.

"You'll have to excuse Donnie and me," Von Ryan suddenly says and all heads turn towards the older purple. "We've made an extensive list of things we can get at the city's junkyard and we'd like to take advantage of the sunset to collect as much as possible before the natural light runs out - at his side, Donatello reviewed the list, crossing things off and adding others - Raphael has been very kind in offering to accompany us for safety reasons - and the lie is so obvious that the others in the kitchen they don't even waste time pointing it out — we'll be back, at the latest, an hour after nightfall.
Leonardo nods in approval of the plan of the family geniuses and even has no problems with the exalted warrior accompanying them. He knows that the eldest Donatello is very competent and has enough appreciation for his middle brothers to ensure that they return safely to the lair He knows that they also have the protection of Angelo who, despite maintaining a playful rivalry with the resident red, would never allow his older brother to be careless with the boys. Von Ryan respects the mystical warrior too much to arouse his fury.

And he couldn't deny that the idea of being in the lair, meditating, alone with his little brother and without the constant noise of metal against metal in the laboratory or Raph's blows against the practice dummy would help his tired mind a lot and It would be easier for him to reach a state of relaxation such that he could clear his consciousness of all thoughts and wait for Mikey's new ability to achieve its goal. He desperately wants to free himself from the weight of so much intrusive and tiring thinking.

Within a few minutes both groups had divided, Donnie, Von Ryan and Raphael, carrying bags, left the lair in an animated group and Leonardo could clearly distinguish the words "Machine gun" and "mystical grenade launcher" floating between them, but he preferred to let them. That problem for later, he could barely think clearly and the discomfort in his left arm was increasing. He really needed that moment of rest.

They entered the dojo where they paid their respects to the photograph of Tang Shen and Miwa, since Angelo announced to them that the spirit of Splinter's deceased wife was linked, in some strange way, to the tree in the middle of the dojo every day. They were presented to her when entering or leaving as a sign of respect and affection to the memory of the woman who could be called her mother.

— Sit in front of each other — Angelo's voice begins to guide both young people — Leonardo, you must let Mikey reach you and Mimi, you must imagine that you cover Lee with your aura — both turtles nod, settling on the carpeted floor, closing their eyes. eyes, freeing the mind from all thoughts.

Proudly, the mystical warrior sees how Mikey's aura becomes visible in all its orange splendor, a cloud that seeks to embrace his older brother's body like a protective blanket. Leonardo's soft luminous aura soon responds with his open-sky glow; Both essences come together and converge in a kaleidoscope of dawn color. Angelo can only imagine what is happening between them, but Leonardo's face loses the tiredness it had shown all morning and finally shows his usual serenity. The older warrior is happy to see that his teachings towards Mikey have borne enough fruit for the younger one to connect with his brother and manage to protect his mind from any external stimulus that was overwhelming him. If he continues like this, Michelangelo could become a great mystical avatar and protect his brothers in a way that Angelo himself could not in his timeline. It is true that he managed to recover Donatello and he will always be grateful to whoever the entity that achieved the miracle was, but, deep in his heart, he knows that he failed to protect him the first time and the weight of his death will be one that he will carry forever. in the soul.

Something changes in the air, the calm that surrounded both brothers begins to dissolve and separate, the orange trying to reach the light blue and the latter changing from its peaceful glow to a vibrant electric blue that energizes the area causing Angelo's scales to glow. bristle in response to the power floating in the environment.

Gusts of wind begin to surround both young men, Mikey still trying to reach his brother's aura with his own, but being rejected by the unknown aura that surrounds the katana ninja; The tails of the ocean blue mask whip against his face without provoking any reaction in its wearer, which worries Angelo, although he diverts his attention from the swordsman to focus on the anguish that his student emanates from not being able to reach the his older brother. The mystic rushes towards his younger counterpart, taking her hands in his and invoking his own aura to envelop the youngest and help him out of the trance that the desperation to reach Leonardo caused him. Mikey opens his eyes slowly and takes a couple of seconds to focus on his teacher in front of him but, as soon as he does, he lets big tears fall from his eyes.

— They attacked him — he groans in anguish — Razhar, an enemy of ours, attacked him in his dreams and that's why he can't rest — Mikey clings to Angelo's arms looking for comfort and he hugs him, whispering an old lullaby that his father hummed to them when they were little and afraid of a world they were not allowed to know.

"Don't worry, whatever is happening, we can protect it," the older man responds with a smile that tries to reassure his student, although the gesture falters when the sensation of static in the air becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.

The scent of ozone hits Angelo's memory hard, taking him back to happier times when his immediate older brother used his portals to get on the nerves of his enemies and older brothers alike; the one in blue winking at his only younger brother, causing the youngest to laugh as he fled through a portal of Donatello's justified anger.

Shit, I missed him so much.
The door to the dojo opens violently revealing a frightened rat man with his hair standing on end due to the electricity in the air. The sensei looks around and draws a quick conclusion about what is happening, his youngest son in the arms of his older counterpart watching in fear his eldest son in a semi-lotus position, eyes closed, relaxed posture, in the middle of a deep meditation. which would calm him down if it weren't for the fact that the calm and soft aura that always surrounds Leonardo didn't now look like a thundercloud about to burst.

—What happened here? — Her voice sounded a little more upset than she expected. Both Michelangelos looked at him with the same anguish, except that the clear eyes of his youngest son were shedding tears.

"Dad..." he called his son and Yoshi, for a second, did not see the student with the most potential or the ninja destined to save the world from the shadows, but rather his eyes gave him the vision of the smallest of his children, that one. who always hung onto his yukata and looked at him with eyes full of love and trust. The one who always stretched out his arms for him to carry him when he felt afraid, blindly trusting that Yoshi could keep all danger away. The same child who surprised him with his empathy, so similar to the sweet existence of his lost wife, as if the youngest of the family had inherited his character from the woman who could have been his mother - teacher... - the boy repeated and Yoshi launched into hug the little boy, protecting him from the chaos that reigned in the dojo. Angelo looked at him grateful that he protected his student so he could go try to control the older brother and his aura unleashed from him.

—Leonardo Do you hear me? — Angelo opened his own aura trying to reach the older brother — you are not in danger here, you can relax — the face of the young man in blue turns towards his voice but his eyes remain closed — you are scaring your little brother here —