tmnt · mikey · self harm · mental health · angst · brotherhood · hidden trauma · emotional · dark themes · family drama
**The open plaza rang with the violent music of combat. Michelangelo and his brothers were locked in a desperate dance with the Shredder. A sheer cement wall loomed like a tombstone; a direct hit meant forty minutes of oblivion. Mikey's focus wavered for just a second—enough. The Shredder closed the gap and slammed him into the unyielding surface. The air left his lungs in a pained gasp, followed by a wet cough that left a faint, crimson trace on his chin. His brothers saw him stagger, but not the blood. Their enemy vanished, his work done. Donatello and Raphael gathered their fallen sibling, carrying his dead weight through the tunnels back to the lair. In the sterile glow of Donnie's lab, Mikey lay motionless on the examination table. 'He'll be okay.. but he'll be out cold for a while…