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Raphael had never seen Leonardo lose control before.
He'd seen his brother angry. Had seen calculation turn cold and deadly during fights. Had watched Leo take down enemies with precise, ruthless efficiency.
But this was different.
This wasn't precision. This wasn't training. This wasn't even anger anymore.
This was something else entirely.
Blood sprayed across the warehouse floor as Leo's katana found its mark again. And again. And again.
The EPF agent's screams had long since faded to wet, gurgling sounds that barely seemed human.
But Leo didn't stop.
His brother's face was a mask of something Raph couldn't name.
Something that made his stomach turn even as adrenaline sang through his veins. Leo's eyes were distant, unfocused. Like he wasn't really seeing what was in front of him anymore.
Like he was somewhere else entirely.
"Leo..." Raph's voice came out rougher than intended, chest still aching from where the EPF had tried to subdue him earlier. "Leo, that's enough."
His brother didn't seem to hear him.
Leo's katanas hit the concrete with a clatter that echoed through the warehouse. Raph felt his stomach drop. In all their years of fighting, he'd never seen Leo willingly let go of his swords.
But his brother didn't seem to notice or care, fists already finding their mark. Again and again and again. The agent had stopped moving entirely now, but Leo kept going. Keep hitting. Keep breaking.
"Fearless!" Louder this time. Pushing himself off the wall where he'd been catching his breath. His ribs screamed in protest but he ignored them, "He's down! It's done!"
Still nothing.
Just the wet sound of fists meeting flesh, over and over.
Leo's movements were mechanical now, lacking their usual grace. Just raw, unending violence.
The rest of the EPF agents lay scattered across the warehouse floor. Some unconscious. Most dead. The rest wishing they were.
They'd earned it. They'd earned every bit of this.
But this wasn't justice anymore. This wasn't even revenge.
This was Leo coming apart at the seams. And Raph didn't know how to put him back together.
"Leonardo!"
Finally, his brother's head snapped up, freezing mid-strike.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The warehouse was silent except for their ragged breathing and the steady drip of blood.
Raph approached slowly, hands raised like he was dealing with a wild animal. In a way, he was, "It's over. Ya got 'em."
Leo's eyes finally focused on him, but there was something wrong in them. Something fractured. His brother's hands were trembling, knuckles white with tension.
"They..." Leo's voice cracked. He swallowed hard and tried again, "They were going to..."
"I know." Raph was close enough now to see the fine tremors running through his brother's frame, "But they didn't. Ya stopped ‘em."
Leo's gaze dropped to the mangled form at his feet. Something flickered across his face. Horror? Recognition? Before it was buried again beneath that terrifying blankness.
"I couldn't..." Leo's words were barely a whisper. "...stop."
Leo stumbled back, nearly losing his balance as the adrenaline finally began to fade.
Raph caught him before his legs could give out entirely. His brother's skin was cold beneath his hands, shock already setting in.
"I've got ya." Raph's voice was gruff but steady as he lowered them both to the floor. "Just breathe."
Leo's entire frame was shaking now, fine tremors giving way to full-body shudders. His breathing was too fast, too shallow. The kind of breathing that usually preceded either a panic attack or throwing up.
Maybe both.
"I..." Leo swallowed, "I didn't... mean to..."
"Yeah, ya did." Raph's words were harsh but his grip was gentle.
Leo flinched like he'd been struck, but Raph pressed on, "They woulda gotten me, Leo, if ya hadn't..."
He trailed off. They'd known exactly what they were doing. Known exactly how to incapacitate without permanent damage. Known how to ensure successful capture. Professionals, in the worst way.
“Ya did what ya had to do." Raph's voice was firm.
Leo shook his head, a jerky, uncontrolled motion. "Not like this."
"Like what?" Raph shifted, pulling his brother closer despite his protesting ribs. "Like someone protecting their family?"
Leo's breathing was evening out slightly, but his hands were still shaking. "You know that's not what this was."
"No," Raph agreed quietly. "But I understand why it happened."
They sat in silence for a long moment, surrounded by the aftermath of Leo's loss of control.
The evidence of what happened when precision gave way to fury. When protection became something else entirely, something ugly and dangerous.
"They were going to take you." Leo's voice was hollow.
"But they didn't." Raph cut him off.
Leo's hands tightened into fists, "I lost control."
"Yeah." Raph didn't try to soften it, "But ya had good reason."
"That doesn't make it right."
"It makes it understandable."
Leo finally looked up, meeting his eyes. Some of the fractures were still there. But awareness was creeping back in, "When did you get so wise?"
"Learned from all ya damn lectures." Raph's mouth quirked after a beat of silence, “What? I listen.”
That earned him a weak smile. There and gone in an instant. But it was something.
"Come on." Raph pushed himself to his feet. Pulled Leo up with him, "Let's get outta here before more of ‘em show up."
Leo nodded, but his eyes strayed to the bodies one last time. Raph's grip on his shoulder tightened.
After a long moment, Leo retrieved his weapons. His hands were steady now as he cleaned and sheathed them.
They made their way out of the warehouse together in silence, leaving behind more than just evidence.
The night air hit them like a wall, washing away the copper smell of blood. Above them, sirens wailed in the distance.
Leo was quiet, moving with his usual grace now. Each step precise. Like he was trying to prove something.
Maybe he was.
And as he stepped back into the shadows, into the darkness, Raph followed.