Hamato Raphael growled as he struggled to wash the glittery pink paint off his dark hair. He refused to step out of this house for school the next day looking as if a unicorn puked over him. After he finally gets the paint out he would have to get revenge on his brother.

His baby brother. He so did not deserve that title, anyone who saw the pranks he pulled knew he was not as innocent as he acted. However, the problem was that no matter what the hothead planned against the youngest, Michelangelo was always one step ahead of him.

Spider in cereal, Mikey knew it was fake.

Water bucket balanced over door, Mikey knew and insisted Donnie to enter the room first.

Cling film on the toilet, Mikey made sure to go when he was at his friend's and immediately went to sleep when he came home.

It was as if the overexcited brat had eyes everywhere. There were no cameras, Raphael checked. He had no idea how Michelangelo was always aware of what went on around the house.

Raph snapped his fingers. The house. Maybe it was time to do the planning elsewhere, and maybe get some help from his friends to form the best prank ever.

"Ya sure this ain't to over the top?" Raph asked Jake as they set everything up before going home.

Jake, a guy Mikey had yet to be introduced to, nodded. "Don't well me short, man. It's not like we're gonna hurt the kid."

Too much in the need for revenge, Raph simply agreed to the prank without thinking it through. No one would get injured and Mikey didn't know Jake. Who had a very muscular and taller build than his brothers considering he was three years older than them.

"Let's do this."

"Mike, I'm headin' out." Raphael informed the boy sitting on the couch too intrigued with his laptop.

"How long'll you be gone?" Mikey muttered, only giving his brother some spared attention.

Shrugging on his jacket he replied, "I don't know, around three hours? Now, nobody ain't at home so you're alone right now. Dad's gone with the short, fat dude; Leo's with his friends and Don's at some geek club. Don't go openin' any doors."

"Yeah, sure, I'll be safe." Mikey said, "Bye, Raphie."

"See ya squirt."

"I'm the same age as you!"

Raph ran over to the backyard, seeing Jake ready in his outfit. "C'mon, the window's open."

"Help me up the tree, idiot." Jake grunted, attempting to reach the second floor. After he finally made it Raph followed, making his friend roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, ninjutsu shit. Whatever."

"Shh! Do you want this to work or not? He does ninjutsu too!" Raph whispered loudly, opening the closet of his room with the door ajar; holding his phone camera ready.

"This better work..."

BANG

Mikey jumped at the sudden noise. Hearing it again, he set his laptop aside. "Raphie?" He whispered.

It came again from upstairs. He silently cursed, tempted to call the police but he remembered when he did once and he got in trouble because it was a false alarm. Mikey could handle it. He just needed his nunchucks...which he left in his room upstairs.

Mikey bit his lip as the sounds continued overhead; he was certain it wasn't paranormal activity. It was a natural cause. He could rush out the door and try to catch up with his brother. Although if it really was someone who entered the house then that would give the criminal enough time to steal their father's precious items.

Tiptoeing to the kitchen, Mikey drew a knife from the drawer. Using it like the weapon his father taught him it was. Holding it in front of him in a defensive position, Michelangelo silently made his way up the stairs. Successfully, he managed to avoid the creaky boards and slowly but steadily made it to where the noise came from.

Raphael's room.

Breathing deeply, he held the knife out in front of him. With his free hand he opened the door and glanced around. Nothing. Still keeping the weapon in front of him and his other hand in a fist, he entered the bedroom.

Before Mikey could react he felt something pressed against his back.

"Drop the knife, kid."

Michelangelo's breath hitched. The voice was one he did not recognize, gruff and scratchy. This was no joke, he felt the barrel of the gun through his T-Shirt but leave himself defenseless by dropping the blade?

"Are you frickin' askin' me ta shoot ya? Drop the knife!"

Instantly, Mikey let go and the weapon clanged as it reached the floor.

"Hands behind ya head."

Obeying reluctantly he did as ordered. Forcing himself not to shake. Fear overwhelmed him quickly, nobody was coming around to rescue him. His family were all off doing their own thing. How had this man even succeed in breaking in?

"Kid, ya got money around this dump?"

Mikey swallowed thickly, his father and brothers worked their sweat and blood off to earn that money. To reveal it to the thief just like that?

A gloved hand grabbed at his short, blonde hair. Tugging it back violently so Mikey faced the ceiling. He gasped at sudden pain but didn't dare to call out for help with the weapon behind him. His heart pounded so hard he was sure the thief could hear it.

"If ya make me repeat myself I'll rip that hair off ya ugly head."

"I-I don't have any money." Mikey breathed with much effort. "Pl-please, my family will be here soon." He lied.

"Eh? So now I've got to kill more losers? Great."

He whimpered loudly at the thought of his family meeting this criminal. They wouldn't be armed having arrived from outside. A gun would...

"Don't hurt them," he begged through the fear and pain. "Do what you want to me just don't hurt my family."

"Ya lil' shit, that's the biggest mistake ya could make."

No longer able to hide his trembles, Mikey shook violently. Opening his mouth to try and speak but nothing came out.

"The hell d'ya t'ink ya doin-"

"Okay, that's enough, Jake."

Mikey gasped at the familiar voice. His hair was suddenly free and the weight off his back was removed. Immediately the room was filled with laughter.

"Ya should've seen your face!"

"Didja get it, Raph?"

"Finally got ya, Mike! Say hi to the camera."

Still unable to stop his trembling, Mikey stared at the two teenagers laughing and a phone which kept being pushed in his face.

"Mike? Hey, Mikey, c'mon. I pranked ya! Finally got back at you after all these years." Raph mocked.

Licking his dry lips, Mikey blinked. "You- he...it was all a prank?"

"The best prank!" The boy apparently named Jake yelled in his face.

Too relieved to care he threw himself on Raph, clinging desperately to his shirt and burying his head in it. Chuckling in confusion, Raph raised a brow to his friend. "Okay, Mike. This is where ya yell at us for being assholes."

"I thought it was real." Mikey's breathing quickened, "oh my God, Raphie, I thought it was real."

"Well, yeah. So, the prank worked." The hothead was honestly confused.

Keeping his arms tight around his brother, the youngest glanced over to the new boy covered in black who still held the plastic gun in his hand. Turning back to bury his head in Raphael's shoulder he whispered. "Please, make him go away right now. Please."

Eyes wide at the desperation in his voice, Raph turned his camera phone off. "Uh, you should probably go, Jake."

"Um, alright. Call me later." He waved awkwardly and showed himself out.

"Mikey you can let go of me now." Raph tried to pull away bit to no avail.

"I thought it was real, Raphie. I thought he was going to kill me. Oh my God." Mikey hugged him tighter.

He nervously laughed in response, "C'mon, man. As if I'd actually let that happen."

"I-I didn't know you were in here!" He choked out before whimpering.

"Mikey?" Raph felt a wetness on his shoulder, "Mikey, are you crying?"

A pained sob answered his question. "Yes." He admitted unashamed, "yes, Raph. I'm crying. It was my worst nightmare come true."

"Damn, Mikey." Raph shook his head, he thought he actually got Mikey this time with this prank. Now that he thought about it, the act felt so over the top. "Aw, crap."

Raph exhaled and led him to the bed, "let's go sit down. I was planning on talkin' to ya anyway."

"Damn, I can feel his heart banging." Raph thought, slightly disgusted in himself now.

Mikey began sobbing loudly, barely able to form coherent words. "I th-th-thought he'd kill m-me. Then you all w-would come a-and he'd sh-shoot you-u-u." Although furious at his brother Mikey wasn't able to let go of him, desperate for the reassurance.

"Calm down, Bro. That ain't happening." Raph but his lip while his brother hiccuped violently on his shoulder. He rubbed his hand over the blond's back, hugging him as tight as the hug he was receiving.

"N-no, b-b-but the gu-u-u-un-"

"Shh, Mikey. It's okay, please Bro. Don't cry." He soothed, distressed at his brother's obvious pain. He began rocking him. Hushing him whenever Mikey attempted to speak through his cries. Only by the time the hiccups settled slightly did Raph pull away from the shaken up boy.

Tears and snot were dripping down Michelangelo's face and Raph was aware that his shirt received the same treatment but didn't care at the moment. Reaching across to the desk he pulled out a tissue, handing it to the trembling blond.

"Does your hair hurt?" He bashfully asked.

Raph was responded by a nod while Mikey wiped his face. Obviously tired by the events which just occurred.

"Bro, I'm...Mikey, man, I so sorry. I didn't think it through-"

"That really scared me." He said with his now rasped voice.

Raph winced, "shit. I shouldn't have trusted that guy. I was just so mad! I've only known him for a few weeks. Gah, this is all my fault."

"I'm sorry I made you mad," Mikey weakly said. "I won't prank you again if you want."

"Don't stop pranking, Mikey. It's who you are. What I just did wasn't a prank. It was plain cruel. I'm the one who's sorry." The red accented turtles wiped a tear from his youngest brother's cheek.

Raph took in a breath, "I need to discuss somethin' else with ya."

"Mm?" He asked.

"Back there I was watching." Raphael said, now ashamed of the fact he watched while the life passed through his brother's eyes. "Why didn't ya tell Jake where the money was? Ya know, if he'd been the real deal he'd have hurt ya."

"I couldn't just tell him," Mikey looked down. "Everyone worked hard on that money, dad especially, I couldn't just give it away."

"I think all of us would agree that your life is more important than some money." Raph argued. "Next time, God forbid if this actually happens, straight out tell them the money's in dad's cupboard. In fact, no, leave the house or just call the cops."

Meekly, he nodded, "Okay."

"Come here, Mikey." Raph pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry. Can I tell ya somethin'? I really hate Jake now."

"But he's you're friend..." Mikey pointed out.

"He ain't no friend of mine. First off, he convinced me to scare my brother to death. Then he lied to me by hurting you when he pulled your hair. And after that he swore at ya." The older child rubbed his hand comfortably on Michelangelo's head to try and soothe the pain in his scalp.

Whimpering softly, Mikey laid his head in Raph's dry shoulder. Raphael began rocking him again, unable to believe he actually just stood and watched what had happened a few minutes ago.

"Raphie?"

"Yeah, Bro?"

"I'm sleepy...but-"

"Ya wanna sleep here with me?" He guessed. Without waiting for his response, he laid his brother down before reaching over and pulling a blanket over them. Mikey kept a hard grip on his arm, not allowing him to turn off the lights but that was alright. His brother probably wasn't too fond of the dark right now.

Bending over, Raph kissed his hair, hating that his 'friend' caused Mikey pain and fear. When the baby blue eyes fluttered closed Raphael smiled softly. Quickly taking his phone out to delete the video.

Looking down at his brother, Raph stroked away another tear which leaked down his red face even as Mikey tried to sleep. He was so innocent. Mischievous, but Mikey was very innocent. If anyone deserved the term, 'Baby Brother', it was definitely Mikey.

"I'm so sorry, Mikey. I love ya, Baby Brother." He whispered.

"I love you too, Raphie." Mikey smiled softly and reached out to hold his older brother's hand.