"It shouldn't have happened. It never should've happened, but we didn't see the signs - I didn't see the signs - until it was too late. Now...now he's gone. He's gone, and it's all my fault."

One

"Hey, Leo, you up for a round of pinball?"

"No." A frown crosses my face but before I can reply, he seems to realize how it sounded. "I-I mean, no, Raph, thank you though."

"Suit yourself. I'll see if Mike's in."

Leo's expression changes then, turning into that sad little smile he's been wearing so frequently lately. He nods and goes back to reading - The Art of War again. Wow. How original. I shake my head as I walk away.

Looking back on it, I guess that should've been a warning sign for me that something wasn't right. But I was too wrapped up in my own mind to see it.

Kraang, if only I'd have realized...

"You're such a kiss up, you know that?! Always brown-nosing it around Splinter. You practically worship the ground he walks on!"

My brother's eyes fill with hurt and he bites his lip, looking uncertain for the first time in a while. "That's not true."

"Right." I sneer at him, taking a step in his direction. And he flinches - actually, visibly flinches.

It's like he's...afraid. But...why? Is it me? I mean, we've fought before, and he's never acted like this.

"Leo, are you-"

"Leonardo, come here at once! I wish to speak with you."

Just like that, the moment is gone, and a blank expression slams down over his face. Just before he turns away, I catch a glimpse of something in his eyes, something other than that hurt from earlier.

It isn't until I'm lying in bed that night that I realize what it was.

He looked like he always does when he's gearing up for a long, dangerous mission.