I need you! (Tmnt fanfic)

Chapter 4

His vision blurred as his mind became more and more foggy. He reached out blindly and grabbed for his shaking brother's hand, ending his ramble. "You're... strong. You... love t-them." His voice cracked at his strain whisper. "I... B-lieve in y-you." Leo felt his world sway again as he tightened his grip on his younger brothers hand, letting him know that he would stay with him as long as he could.

He watched the blurry form of Raphael slowly shake his head. "You might, but I can't. I can't!" He felt his brother begin to shake more and retightened his hold on the clammy emerald green hand.

"Everything's g-going to be o-ok." Leo promised as he felt himself beginning to lose the fight against sleep.

"We... we can still fix ya, Leo." Raph's voice cracked, "Just hang in there."

Leo couldn't hold his smile anymore as his body began to relax while more blood pumped out of his body. His hand slowly slipped off of Raphael's strained one as Raph pushed harder on the wound.

"Leo..." Raphael's voice became distant and fuzzy. "Leo no." He could still make out the small whimper that forced its way out of Raph's throat. Leo forced his mind to keep working. His little brother was suffering because of him, he had to comfort him, no matter how much pain he was in, his big brother instincts were fighting. Fighting against Death.

His world swayed again and he almost missed the next words that his brother had said after nudging him. "You're not g-gonna die... you won't."

Leo wanted to reply; wanted to allow his brother to cry into his shoulder, but Death was winning.

"Leo," His brother's voice cracked again. "You gotta... Leo, please..." The wound on his side was now numb, but he could still feel Raph push harder. He felt like he was floating and everything around him wasn't real.

Leo felt Death grip his heart in his cold scaly hand. He felt the need to follow him, his time was now. Then suddenly something wet hit Leo's cold face, forcing him back to reality. It took him a moment for Leo to register what was happening as another wet droplet his face. Then he realized that Raphael was crying. "Don't... D-don't die on me, ok?" He heard his brother plead as another tear hit his arm.

Leo couldn't move, couldn't respond, but he fought. Death back-pedaled at the suddenly rush of hope that was suddenly surrounding Leonardo.

Death laughed. "Hope...?" It hissed and then laughed again. "Hope." He shook his head, "You are strong, brave... you have many qualities that should allow you to keep going. You are much worthier to live then most people on the rotten, wicked planet that I have already taken so many from." Its black cloak continued to ripple, even with no source of wind. The misty fog that spread out from under its feet suddenly began to grow larger, suffocating the blue ninja. "But... you also have many, many flaws."

Leo blinked. He knew he had flaws, he knew he wasn't perfect. 'Splinter Jr.', 'The perfect son', 'Fearless Leader', and many other of his brothers' nicknames that he hated so much suddenly raced through his mind. He hadn't wanted his brothers' to see him that way, he had wanted them to see him as one of them. Not just the perfect leader that they were forced to follow, but as a brother. He suddenly realized that he didn't hate those nicknames as much as he thought, because the proved Death wrong.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, his voice echoing in the black space he was in. He couldn't tell if they were in his mind or already in the spirt realm. Yet, he could still sense Raphael in front of him. "Like what?"

Raphael's breaths became heavier. Leo flinched, even though his body didn't move as an air cutting scream filled the air. He tried to grab Raphael's hand again, in attempt to comfort him, let him know he was there, but he still couldn't force his body to obey his mind.