Chapter Text
Casey lay awake for the third time in the span of less than 2 hours. He could barely keep his eyes open. His eyelids were like sandbags weighing down on his vision, obscuring this strange world to nothing but a blur. (he could almost pretend it was his own world like that) Yet something was stopping him sleeping for longer than 15 minutes at a time.
For the, however many, time that night Casey rolled from his back to his side, shifting his covers, if he wasn’t going to sleep he could at least lay comfortably. Closing his eyes a wave of dreariness washed over him. Sleep was so close, it threatened to keep him captive but not before he heared a rustling from the kitchen.
Maybe it was a bug.
It rustled again, louder this time and interspersed with a clatter.
Maybe it was a big bug.
It was coming from the kitchen.
He’d picked up more than a few things from the turtles over the time they’d spent together despite his bodies lack of co-operation he escaped the warm cocoon of covers he’d created and instead tried his hardest to fade into the shadows of the lair. It wasn't hard this early in the morning, any clumsiness concealed by the distant rumble of the subway above.
The soft glow of light pools in the doorway. The rustling continues. Casey flexed his fingers, tensed his muscles and took a deep breath in.
More than ready to attack Casey inched forward towards the blurry silhouette in the room turning on the light, he pounced.
Diving across the space between him and the figure he haphazardly throws a hand over the intruders mouth, although he was more than ready to silence by other means (not death- just unconscious, some good-old blunt force trauma). They both flailed ridiculously on the cold tile floor giving Casey just enough of a shock to open his eye’s fully and therefore register that it wasn't an intruder but a very sleep deprived Leonardo equipped with nothing deadlier than a tub of peanut butter clutched close to his chest.
The fact he was sleep deprived explained the slow reaction- and the noise.
Casey very quickly sat up and let Leo do the same.
“Oh… sorry dude,” the awkward apology echoed off the walls as the other yawned.
“No problem,” Leo mumbled obviously exhausted dark circles muting the vibrant red marks that were now fully visible with his mask removed, “Just chill out a little, I should have warned you about expecting me down here.”
Casey scrambled to his feet and lent the turtle a hand which he gratefully took
“What are you doing anyway?” Casey questioned, he guessed this was a somewhat normal occurrence giving no one else was awake (he was beginning to feel stupid for even thinking there was an intruder to begin with)
“I was hungry- insomnia sucks ass” Leo admitted shoulders slumped as he sat a top the counter tops.
“Hungry for peanut butter?”
“Don't judge, it's delicious”
“Maybe on toast or something but by the jar-”
“I said don’t judge” Leo playfully reminded, hands up in a protest of innocence “What are you doing up then? You sure there’s still no concussion?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” he replied truthfully, “and old habits die hard I guess.”
Leo didn’t push futher on that comment which Casey was glad about he took the opportunity to change the subject putting the peanut butter to the side.
“Now tell me about myself, you know I love it,”
“I told you most of the stuff this morning,” if Casey was telling the truth Leo was probably the turtle he knew the least, well knew properly, “He’s a leader, that I can tell you.” Casey had experienced most of the disasters that happend in his absence, seen the others crack under the pressure.
“No fair-” Leo drawled physically drooping “Surely that mean’s i’m fit to lead, we’re basically the same guy- now if you can tell that to Splinter-”
“I mean, I don’t know, you guys are pretty different, i’m not even sure if Leo even wants to be the leader, he just is.” Casey had never given it much thought before, He guessed this Leo hadn’t either.
“How are you finding life here, I know it’s only been a day but I gotta say your world definitely sounds different, I mean Raph is short .”
Casey laughed “You do know I said that in the same sentence that confirmed multi dimensional time travel?” Leo chuckled before letting Casey continue “Your world? It’s.. Different, I’ve never heard ofDraxum of a hidden city it sound’s nice.”
“Draxum?” Leo’s face scrunched in disapproval “No, no, no, he threw me off a roof, you might even meet him and you’ll see what a-”
“Not him! The hidden city,” Leo stopped what was soon to become a passionate rant to turn back to Casey looking slightly sheepish “Y’know, to not worry so much about humans seeing you, or having to be borderline nocturnal”
“Do your turtles not go out? Because we’ve been in New York way before the Hidden City, just put on a hoodie or some shit, no one cares enough to comment.”
“This New York is insane. Nothing like ours”
“Huh,” sliding off the counter to walk back to the couch gesturing for Casey to follow “Our worlds are pretty different then.”
"Well yeah," duh Casey wanted to say, "but it's also familiar, in a strange way, it’s a lot more, relaxed? I can’t find the right words,” He shook his head, “But it doesn’t mean I don’t want to get back, I stuff to do, bad guys to punch, machience’s to fix you get the idea.” A team to tell about this bat shit place.
Maybe his face gave away more than he let on because Leo didn’t return his smile instead he sat down and put an arm over Casey giving him an attempt of an reassuring squeeze.
“Don't worry dude we’ll get you back.”
“I know.” Casey tried to make it sound like he beilived it.
Leo removed his arm and instead reached for the remote turning on the TV, somehow knowing the Casey wouldn’t be getting to sleep any time soon, Leo hummed under his breath the theme tune to what could have only been the Jupiter Jim show they had spoke of earlier.
“I guess some thing’s never change,”
“You know can you promise me some thing,” his eyes were still on the TV screen, he took Casey’s silence as a yes, “You know your Leo, tell him to take a break sometime,” serious undertone quickly disappeared less than a few seconds later, “It couldn’t hurt to be more like me.”
»»——⍟——««
At some point sleep must have finally claimed him, but not before binging at least 2 seasons of Jupiter Jim with Leo, the show was way more engaging than the Space Heroes one back home. He'd have to try and bring some form of it back with him.How would he know if he ended up defeating the suspiciously familiar pink aliens- plus his Leo would probably like it.
When he next woke up it was to 4 mutant turtles looming over him, (A terrifying sight to anyone who wasn’t him or April) Not so quietly whispering about waking him up. They seemed ready to do something, go somewhere- maybe they had a mission.
The hushed whispers soon grew into overlapping almost indistinguishable chaos:
“Oh, your awake!”
“That makes things a lot simpler-”
“We’re going somewhere, you need get ready!” Mikey was positively vibrating as both him and his brothers watched Casey sit up.
“What’s the time?” was all Casey managed to responded, his voice hoarse from sleep.
Donnatello checked his phone-
“7:38 am.”
“We’re a little enthusiastic,” Raph said scratching the back of his shell awkwardly “Feel free to take as much time as you need.” he watched the brothers awkwardly back out of the room each one blaming the other for not checking the time.
Casey changed from his borrowed clothes to his own worn ones. His turtles better come and get him soon, he couldn't wear these clothes more than another day at best.
Walking into the kitchin he’s slightly disappointed by the lack of pancakes but there was a large selection of cereal to which he filled himself a bowl then joining the turtles at the table.
“April's going to meet us there,” Donnie said slipping his phone into the pocket of his purple hoodie.
“Cool! Where are we-” Casey was cut off,
“You’ll find out,” Mikey said with a knowing smile, before shovaling more cereal into his mouth.
As Casey eats everyone else keeps looking at each other, he feels sort of left out if he’s honest. He’s also pretty sure Leo told the other’s about him waking up, mostly because no one asks him how he slept.
Instead they talk about their world and despite his heavy eyes Casey is keen to listen to everything: the mystic power’s, the mutants, the colour this world seems to overflow with.
An hour or two passes, or however long it takes to recount finding out one of your dad's tried to kill you and then also got possessed by evil armour and now works at the local school.
“He hates everyone?” Casey says cereal long finished, “You literally found them the perfect job,”
“Why thank you,” Leo say’s with a grin, “ I would gush more but I think we better get going,”
“Is it far?”
“Maybe- but not as far as you’d think,” is the cryptic response he receives.
“As far as who thinks?”
Shit it's Splinter.
“Oh! Err were just taking him to do that thing,” Raph fumbles with an unsubtle wink as his brothers cringe.
“Ahhh, I see well in that case let me offer him some advice,” winking in the same manner, “You, follow me.” to which Casey looks around for reassurance for which he get none.
Except mikey who offer’s a tentative thumbs up.
He follows the former movie star, Battle Nexus champion out the room and hears the door slam behind him as a tail slips around his ankle and pulls him to the ground. Again.
"Tch- you should have learnt to dodge that by now," Splinters back was too him if only he could- Casey tried to sit up but a weight is on his chest keeping him down. A foot.
I don’t trust you one bit, and if one thing happens to my boy’s well lets just say you won’t be going home anytime soon.” He sure didn’t seem so short now. “Have I made that clear?
This was definitely more like the Splinter he was familiar with- but with a feral edge- like he’d lost everything, even himself.
Casey nodded mutely biting his tongue so hard he could taste blood trying to hold back the thought that was debating which Splinter would win in a fight. He hears shouts from the other room, and Casey can breathe once more. He is thrown upwards and shoaved into the kitchen without being able to process it.
“What was that noise?” Leo questioned leaning to get a better look at Casey examining him for injuries.
“This guy fell over honestly how is he even alive being so clumsy” Casey felt a sharp pinch at the nape of his neck.
“Yes. So. So. Clumsy.”
»»——⍟——««
Casey stays close to the turtles sides, which is harder than he first expected, as under layers of hoodies and clothes and large hats mutant turtles can actually blend in pretty well. Maybe this would work back home. He’s too engrossed in these thoughts to properly realise that the group has come to a stop by a brick wall.
“Are we here….” Casey trails off into silence as no one answer’s him, instead Mikey draws a pattern, or symbol, or ruin on the wall and it glows.
It glows brighter and brighter, until it's a swirling mass with another side which he is being dragged through and through his ever presence search for adrenaline and lack of self preservation he does not protest.
His jaw was too far on the ground to do so even if he wanted to.
“This my friend, is the Hidden City” Raph punctuated with a pat on the back and Casey not for the first time wished he could find the right words to convey his emotions. He can’t.
Instead settling on clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly whilst an unintelligible stream of words pour to exit his mouth, as the rest of the group peer over a map adorned with many vibrant locations:
“Would there be one in Witch Town?”
“We should probably steer clear of there,” Donnie suggested,
“What about the resort? maybe it’s got some sort of mall complex-”
“I think that might be an issue…” Leo let everyone else fill in the gaps
“Is there anywhere you guys aren't banned?” Mikey sighed in mock disappointment.
“I’ll phone April,” Donnie concluded realsiing that they were getting absolutely nowhere and it would continue that way without someone intervening.
Many, many wrong turns and an hour of walking back and forth later they had finally arrived. An hour and a half as Casey was very close to wandering into every dark alley they walked past and the turtles we’re more than happy to let him do so, telling the stories that match with their own misfortunes having had made the same mistakes.
So, they stood outside a building that seemed drab compared to the surrounding ones, not that Casey had time to truely inspect it, or make any judgment before he was ushered inside.
On first glance the inside seemed no better; Casey was mildly disappointed, no very disappointed. Every cool place in this mystical city and they take him here? But then he heard the semi familiar thrum of music through a wall- 80's music and as they kept walking the music only got louder and black walls began to be swathed with splatters of neon paint- he felt a smile creep onto his features and the subtle sting of longing for another world subside.
As they entered the main area the music seemed to vibrate the walls and the lights shined in a multitude of colours, the main rink wasn’t too busy, just a few mutants scattered around, some younger ones clinging to the railings and a feeling Casey had an overwhelming feeling he couldn’t quite place coursing through him, he decided to just call it adrenaline.
"You're finally here!” dressed in leg warmers and flared jeans April skated up to the side to greet them almost flawlessly wavering slightly as she came to a tentative stop trying not to crash into the side. “I thought you weren’t ever going to find it!”
“How did you find this place?” Raph questioned in as much awe as Casey.
“I have my ways,” She said with a wink, “now come on!”
As the others went to get their skates Casey lingered behind.
"Casey, you okay?"
"Yeah i’m fine," he paused,"just, how did you know i’d like this?"
"Well originally we were trying for ice skating but its out of season- so roller skating was the next best bet!"
"But, like- how?"
"Hockey sticks, exploding pucks- some degree of athlethesism it wasn’t too hard plus it’s nice to do stuff like this. You won't be here for too long might as well make the most of it!"
April playfully pushed Casey to go get his skates almost loosing balance herself as the rest of the turtles same back all varying levels of confident in their new footwear.
After tying his laces with practiced movement it only took Casey a few moments to find his sense of balance. Skates were like a second nature to him, more natural than walking, although not more natural than running (he'd been doing that a lot more than just in gym or at training since meeting the turtles). As he approached the rink 80’s pop still rang out and everyone seemed to be having a good time; Leo attempting to pull off the flashiest moves - with a 25% success rate- Raph falling over repeatedly before eventually finding his feet (which Donnie had extensively recorded both of these while not falling over himself due to in his own words “the power of maths”)
April and Mikey when they werent laughing at the others were spinning flamboyantly to the music and going wickedly fast: Mikey being the closest one out of the five others to match Casey in speed and the only one who was able to beat him in agility.
They played stupid games like trying to do limbo, and races, and sing along to that god awful music before requesting there own songs and sing twice as loud but just as badly as the previous ones.
Hours ticked by until they were the only ones left on the rink. Hot, and sticky, and only slightly achey they pushed and pulled at each other until they eventually all collapsed with laughter: chests heaving and eyes watering.
It was the most relaxed Casey had been in…. A while
»»——⍟——««
Dragging themselves up from the battered rink floor and feeling just their bodies feeling just as battered, they removed their skates and the group made their way towards the back of the building. Towards an arcade and Casey felt his often detrimental competitiveness kick in.
April is kind enough to lend him some change and with enough elbow jabs and glares from Mikey and Raph all four turtles cough some up too. Donnatello heads straight for the claw machines ranting to anyone who would listen that it was all just a matter of simple physics, Leo and Raph went straight to the basketball hoops and Mikey rushed to the Mario Kart so he could practice for the game all six of them would play at the end. That left just him and April, and an air hockey table
"You wanna try and beat me?" April teased pulling up her leg warmers.
"Oh your on!"
Rolling up his sleeves both of them put a coin into the machine watching the lights flicker on and the puck slide into play both their features graced with perfectly manical grins.
A minute passes in silence so thinky stretched it could cut glass
Ka-plunk
A series of yells and woops show that Casey got the first point which is quickly rebuted by April who wins the second then a third, whooping just as loud and with a face twice as smug.
"Now i'm getting serious I was going easy on you before,"
"Really? How funny, me too,"
For a moment Casey wonders if his April could ever be as care free as this, if every fucking thing in her life going fucking wrong.
A five minutes left warning flashes: do you want to continue glows in a taunting fashion.
They both slide in another coin.
This will be going on for a while, neither of them are going to give up without a fight. They might as well make small talk.
Well trash talk that eventually fades to small taught because they ran out of good ones within the first 5 minutes.
"I’m curious,"
"About what?" Casey questions, his tongue is poking out slightly in concentrationa habit he plicked up from someone else as the puck ricoetes before slipping through his goal.
“We still don’t know anything about you?” you told us everything about everyone else and I can tell you anything about about the late great Casey Jones except that he’s better than average at air hockey" she elaborated while diving to block another shot.
"Only better than average?" Casey felt an unpleasant feeling rise within him. He squashes it. "Well I have a sister, but I don’t see her too often, most of my nights are spent with the turtles or hockey training, less so hockey training now.”
Shit he needed that scholarship as well.
Mikey, Leo and Raph had joined at the side of the table their eyes flitting back and forth as they watched the game with as much intensity as it was being played.
Ka-plunk April's two points up and he's almost out of coins.
"I miss them you know? I mean i’m here," Casey's laugh is dry, "mutants and mystic powers and I just want to go home back to a place that fucking sucks I should love this sort of thing, I just end up feeling shitty."
Ka-plunk him and April are tied, maybe it was jealousy?
It not even really that he wanted to go back, just that they weren't here as well, no Leo to watch Jupiter Jim with, no Donnie to marvel the multiverse no Mikey to try the pizza of this world, Raph and him have would crushed these guys together in seconds at air hockey.
Why the fuck is the table so blurry?
He might have accidentally said that last bit out loud.
"Shit- anyway i’m out of coins i guess you win? It was only by one point but a loss is a loss," something inside him feels like its about to shatter and Casey Jones is not fragile.
Someone seems like they're about to say something but fortunately a yowl echoed across the arcade, instanly they all ran to the source of the noise only to find Donnie lamenting the loss of all his savings and limp body draped over a claw machine with a longing in his eyes.
"Physics has failed me," he muttered defeated and then melted further into the floor.
In hindsight maybe this wasn't his best idea, but his hands were already in white knuckled fists so what did he have left to lose?
Casey took the handel of his hockey stick and rammed it through the glass panel which shattered on impact.
“Get your prize and run!”
And run they did.
»»——⍟——««
"That makes another place we can't go back to," Mikey thinks aloud, "Maybe I should start a list."
They are perched on a building top overlooking the city, Leo points out the Battle Nexus and recounts his championing of it while Mikey, April and Donnie have their arms bundled with plushies as they slowly make their way back up to the surface.
"Sorry about no Mario Kart" Casey said jogging to catch up with Mikey who's face is only just visible under the comical amount of toy's gathered in his arms.
"Don't worry about it, we can play it when we get back, I think most of us were out of money any way,"
"But i'm still sorry" Casey pressed the guilt gnawing at his insides, "anyway that wasn't my best decision making skills."
Something changed int he way Mikey looked at him.
"Impulsive? Do you do this often?" Casey felt like he was being stared through.
"Err…." casey stuttered, then choosing not to answer the question at all "You know Space- I mean Jupiter Jim," Mikey nodded, gave no less piercing, "do you think I could find a way to bring that back home with me?"
"Probably!" The young turtle said with a smile previous glances forgotten, "but you might have to ask Dee about that,"
Suddenly April and Leo were dragging them forward,
"Come on guys! We have Mario Kart to crush you in- sorry play, last one there gets last pick for characters,”
Casey tries his best to take a deep breath, he can worry about stuff tomorrow, he could be gone by tomorrow, then he started running to catch up.