Slash's Revenge

Chapter 33 - Breaking Point

*Author's Notes: I'm back with chapter 33 of 'Slash's Revenge' and it's one of my favorite chapters in the story. Things get pretty dramatic in this one.

I want to thank you all for your continued kindness and support. I appreciate each of you more than words can say. I am just so tremendously grateful...

Okay, before I get too mushy here, we'd best get on with the chapter. I hope everyone likes it.

CJ

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Chapter 33 – Breaking Point

It was painfully clear just from the way Leonardo approached them that something significant had gone down inside Donatello's room. If the scowl rutting deep lines into his face didn't indicate as much, the murderous glare fixed on Raphael certainly did. The bitter expression was no exercise in subtlety.

Sensing a fight was imminent, Master Splinter swiftly pushed himself up off the couch to insinuate himself between his two oldest boys.

"What happened, my son?" There was no doubt Master Splinter was attempting to deflect Leonardo's anger, but the effort was ultimately wasted.

"Did – Did Donnie say something?" More concerned about his brainy brother's wellbeing than Leo's sudden bad mood, Mikey remained oblivious to the mounting tension in the lair.

"Oh, he said something, all right." Leonardo's glare never left his face, despite the fact that his father's taller figure separated he and Raphael.

It hardly mattered. The hotheaded turtle didn't need to see the fury smoldering in Leonardo's eyes to know his brother was cross with him. He could hear the unspoken accusation in Leonardo's tone.

Sidestepping around Master Splinter, Raphael's guilt-ridden green eyes met Leonardo's icy-cold blue ones.

"What'd he say, Leo?" The question was spoken in a quiet, tentative voice, as though the turtle in red was afraid to know the answer. Based on Leonardo's not-so sunny disposition, Raph was pretty sure he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

"He said he wasn't worth saving! I wonder where he got that idea from!"

Raph opened his mouth to say something, but April beat him to the punch.

"Leo, we're all exhausted. Now's probably not the best time to have this conversation."

"Are you kidding me? Now's the perfect time to have this conversation! We've all been putting it off for far too long!"

Still not convinced, April took another stab at intervening.

"Maybe you and I should go up and get a little fresh air first, huh?" April stood up and was about to approach Leo when Raphael held out a hand, motioning for her to stop. His face perfectly portrayed the remorse he was feeling inside as he softly spoke.

"It's okay, April. He's right. Let him talk. This conversation's long overdue."

"You're damn right it is! You did this to him!"

The rare curse word from his oldest brother prompted Mikey to enter the fray. He was scared they were all going to say something they'd later regret. Perhaps they already had. "Leo, this isn't Raph's fault!"

"The shell it isn't! Do the words 'all you ever do is put everyone in danger' ring a bell, Mikey? He called Donnie a screw up and a walking disaster. Now, Donnie thinks he's worthless!"

Hearing the words 'Donnie thinks he's worthless' rendered Mikey mute for several long-drawn-out seconds, but he soon managed to find his voice again, although it wasn't as confident sounding as it had been just moments before. "I know, but this is all because of Slash. He planted those bad thoughts in Donnie's head! He's the one to blame for all this."