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Leo doesn't move like he used to.
Mikey notices these things. Always has.
The way his oldest brother flows through combat now. How he processes threats before they manifest. How his blades find paths that makes Mikey's breath catch.
Tonight's mission should have been impossible. Too many enemies, too many variables, too much that could go wrong.
But Leo made it look easy.
He moved through the warehouse like a shadow, each step precise, each strike measured. No wasted movement. No hesitation.
Some would call it paranoia, the way Leo cataloged every exit, every sight line, every potential threat before they even entered. The way he positioned himself between his family and danger without seeming to think about it.
But Mikey saw something different.
Saw how Leo's heightened awareness kept them three steps ahead of every ambush. How his carefully planned routes always left them options. How his precise strikes ended threats before they could fully materialize.
Saw strength where others might see scars.
The fight erupted without warning. Purple Dragons working with better equipped mercenaries than usual. The kind of odds that should have overwhelmed them.
Should have.
But Leo was already moving, already adapting, already three moves ahead. His katanas caught light as he flowed through combat with terrible grace, each strike exactly where it needed to be.
Perfect.
Mikey fought at his brother's back, covering angles that didn't need covering because Leo had already accounted for them. But he stayed close anyway. Had his back. Always.
The battle ended quickly. Too quickly for their enemies to fully understand what had happened. Just the whisper of steel and precise movements and Leo's quiet intensity.
Raph would call it disturbing sometimes. How effectively their brother dealt with threats now. How his strikes found exactly the right targets with exactly the right force. How nothing ever seemed to catch him off guard anymore.
Mikey caught Don watching their brother sometimes. Concern in his eyes when Leo's awareness stretched too sharp, when his protective instincts drove him to take hits meant for them.
But Mikey understood.
Understood how Leo's hypervigilance meant always being ready. How his precise movements meant always being in control. How his protective instincts meant always being between his family and harm.
How everything that could have broken him had instead been forged into something stronger. Honed like an unsheathed blade.
They made their way home through shadows, Leo leading them through paths that looked random but weren't. Nothing was random with Leo anymore.
Leo checked the lair's security twice before turning in for the night. Some would call it compulsive, the way he verified every sensor, every camera, every defense.
But Mikey felt safer after his brother did what he needed to do. With his careful double-checking and awareness.
Because Leo didn't move like he used to.
He moved better.
Moved like the brother who had always protected them, just sharper now. More focused. More aware of exactly what he was protecting.
And if others saw scars where Mikey saw strength?
Well, Mikey had always been good at seeing his big brother clearly.
Had always known exactly who Leo was.
Who he still was.