The sudden concerned murmurs of Raphael and his Master Splinter echoed through the lair. Before Leo could calm Mike, he turned to his heels, hiding his concerned away, and halted by the entrance. Michelangelo only stared at the darkness that coated the tunnels ahead. His mind started fighting a second thought. He drew a breath inwards and, as he turned to his brother once more, he set it in bittersweet release.

"I'll be back, Leo, I promise. I can take care of myself." He looked at his brother in comfort, his voice hushed and his eyes twinkling with hope. Hope that Leo had trust the night Donnie has disappeared.

"Trust me."

He said nothing. Leo wasn't sure what happened to Mikey this past week. Ever since Shredder took their genius brother into his captivity, he found Mike as being impatient, yet mature. The past week there was no giggles, or Dr. Prankenstein or Mikey being Mikey. Mike avoided the lab at all costs when he used to always go bug Donnie there, and now without Donnie, Mikey wasn't the same. No one was.

And the leader wasn't afraid to confess his eagerness to bring his brother back into their small makeshift home, but he just couldn't take his remaining two bros' outside; both the weather and Shredder's goons can kill them. He already failed one brother― he wasn't about to lose what little family he had.

His little brother's calmness put Leo in a state of surprise - his brother never had this level of maturity before… His baby blue eyes held a reassurance of his safe return that almost convinced him. Looking his brother with newly fresh respect, all the leader could do was nod. He watched his brother dash within the distant fogs in a blink of an eye.

And even as Mikey took a dash to defiantly save their brother, Leo had to follow him. He didn't know what he was thinking, Mikey can't just go alone… But Mikey's agility was the best, and Leo had halted, because Mikey disappeared in sight; the icy water now sat under his feet, but he stayed there for a few seconds. Master Splinter and himself have said not to go, and even if Mikey did, he couldn't go after him.

Leo turned to see both Splinter and Raph staring at him with wide eyes. Splinter threatened to leave their warm home, but Leo raised a hand up to stop him. And Leo glanced at the tunnel ahead one last time, a whisper delegated his lips and his mouth shifted to a wintry breath.

"Be safe…"
_______________________________________

"Where the heck did Mikey go?" Raph asked, and his eyes showed all his anger. Leo did not just let his baby brother go out alone where he could be captured just like Donnie.

"He…" Leo lost his words, he should have stopped Mikey. He should have shaken his head, not nod. He doesn't want to lose two of his younger brothers in less than a month, less than two weeks. "He went after Donnie." He finally choked out, feeling the sudden nausea and a wave of dizziness hit him. Donnie's been assumed dead after a week with the Shredder…

Shredder wouldn't want his enemy alive, especially one of Splinter's son. If he could take Karai away from Splinter, Shredder had no problem doing the same with their brother. But instead of raising him as his own, he would've want him killed in an instinct, but Leo tried to push that away. He clung to the smallest piece of hope he had left.

"You wouldn't let me go after Donnie, but you let Mikey?!" Raph shouted, jabbing his finger against Leo's chest. Anger spreading all over him, leaving his face with a red flush.

Leo raised his hands up as a defense, and he looked at Splinter for help, but their Sensei stroked his beard. Splinter wanted to know why he let him go too.

"Raph you almost threatened the mission and nearly got yourself killed. Mikey… I don't know, okay? I know he can take care of himself, and it's almost seven PM, the Foot doesn't come out this early." Leo told him, but he still felt his stomach churn. He should call him, bring him back home. It wasn't safe out there. One brother was gone, and he didn't want it to be two…

Leo pushed Raph aside before Raph can speak, and he pulled his T-Phone to dial Mikey. The infamous ringtone they all had, rung on the couch, the phone vibrating until it fell to the ground. Leo sighed both from anger and tiredness, Mikey forgot his phone…