The work of saving the world does not end even when you die

First steps

The morning found the brothers of the future huddled against each other. Michelangelo slowly regained consciousness wrapped in the warmth of his brothers. At first he didn't want to open his eyes, he couldn't be sure that the appearance of Rapha and Leo hadn't been a trick of his anxious mind and that, looking around him, he was actually still alone.

Feeling the thick, rough scales of a giant arm against her skin and the grumpy snort of a snapping turtle with little desire to wake up, her eyes filled with tears again, no matter how much the previous night she cried her entire reserve of tears. She opened her eyes quickly only to find Leo's shell almost on top of her: her immediate older brother found it a good idea to spread herself on top of them all like a starfish, occupying all the possible spaces above them. Uncomfortable and endearing.

He carefully freed himself from both Raph's arm and Leo's body and crawled across the floor until he could stand up. At that distance she saw the pile of turtles belonging to his beloved brothers and felt like crying again. How much he had missed them, how much he had mourned their deaths, how many sacrifices had been made by each of them, they were heroes even though they were just children, intelligent, brave and dedicated to the cause, but children, after all.

Something caught his attention to his right and he turned quickly with his eyes and spots shining as he turned on his mystics, but he only met Leonardo's wide gaze and embarrassed smile. The young leader was heading to the kitchen when he stopped to observe the family.

His counterpart intrigued him. He knows, thanks to conversations with Angelo, that Azul was the absolute leader of the resistance, both humans and yokai followed him and obeyed his orders, they had absolute trust in him. His brothers believed in him until the last moment, Angelo even accepted without question when he asked him to use the life he had left to send someone to the past and avoid the event that started it all.

Meeting him made him anxious, he sounded like a great warrior, serious and formal, someone trustworthy and serene whom he could ask for advice on how to be a better leader and a better brother. Until now he had not given any vibes of any of that.

Maybe I just had to give it time.

He watched Orange escape from the tangle of arms in the least elegant way possible, watched him crawl until he could stand up and look with deep affection at his brothers. Leo preferred to remain silent before making himself known to the warrior. He understands the intimacy of the moment, the need to make sure that the family is okay, especially after so much loss and pain. The story is close to him, he has not lost his brothers, but he knows that they live in constant risk and it would not be unreasonable to think that at some point luck or skill abandons them and someone falls; He knows that he doesn't have to think about that, that he should trust more in his own abilities and those of his little brothers. He can't just focus on his fear of losing his family or he'll go crazy with anxiety, they're not even in an apocalypse like adults. He takes a few deep breaths and looks back at Angelo, surprised to see him glowing menacingly. He raises his arms and takes a step back to indicate that he is not a danger to him or his family and the older orange turns off his powers, blinking several times in confusion and embarrassment.

— Leo, I'm so sorry — he apologizes in his whisper — you surprised me — the youngest blue nods and gestures for them to go to the kitchen, a place where they can talk a little louder than in whispers.

Soon the water was boiling in the teapot, the older of the two mutants at the table got up to pour two cups of tea. Leonardo receives it and enjoys the heat that is transferred from the ceramic to his hands.

- How do you feel? — The question that had been on her mind since he saw the older man being so protective of his newly reunited family left his lips without even thinking about it.