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It was funny, actually. Leo just floating within this vast darkness that's littered with the remains of the old. All beaten up to a pulp and could hardly even breathe. He had just sacrificed himself to the Kraang, sharing this unbearably grim prison.
He tried to recall the events that led up to his... unlucky predicament. It was like any other day: encountering New York City's usual bad guys, beating their butts, and then victory. Except the last part didn't really happen, he had to just mess it up this one time .
His arrogance took over which led to the almost end of the world with a side dish of multiple near-death experiences in a single day. Up until he pulled out his self-sacrificial card! Bam!
Ya saved the day again Leon! Good job!!!
You're really growing onto this Leader role hm?
Leo promised himself that he'd be different. Different from Raph, leader-role wise. He'd be the fun and totally-not-boring leader. A change of pace, a breath of fresh air because look out world! Leo's The Leader of the Mad Dogs. Look at him bringing his team to glory. Just like how dad expected it to be. He'd make his family proud and-
Who am I even kidding
Not any of them expected it in the first place. Leo a leader? Unbelievable. A total nut would think of giving him such a role. Is Splinter a nut? Totally, nuts through and through. And yet here he is, a self-sacrificing dingus like his brother. Funny.
Raph usually does these "I'll sacrifice myself for you" type of stunts. But no; he's here, Leo's here.
Funny indeed.
He waited in the empty space of the prison, floating endlessly. Waiting for what? You might ask. Well, he's not too sure... though one thing is clear: he could hear the breaking of rubble and the high pitched screeches of the Kraang in the distance. He held his family photo, gripping it close to his chest. He couldn't help but let his tears fall.
No one's going to see them anyway.
More minutes pass...
Hours...
Maybe days...
Nothing
More crumbling sounds in the distance, he couldn't help but flinch with every wave that tingles his senses. Anticipating the Kraang's next attack, his next beating.
Maybe that's what he's waiting for
Nothing.
Nothing for now
Leo isn't usually bothered with nothing since there's always something to do. He's an active guy, he has to do something or he'd die out of boredom. Though, considering his current situation... its unbearable.
He usually hangs out with the rest of the crew. Either assisting them or just causing chaos.
There's Donnie and his tech, he'd either help or would leave a harmless prank. Though in most cases they'd have their usual plant talk. Donnie would nonchalantly tell Leo about his plans on new experiments for his current botany project but it would always leave Leo so flabbergasted and horrified that he'd beg Donnie to not execute such monstrous experiments.
Second, there's Mikey. The kid always wants to hear Leo's own interpretation of his work which would lead to an elongated art talk or maybe teach Leo something new from Mikey's own research for references. They'd sometimes paint which isn't really a good idea... it always ends in a irl splatfest turf match.
Thirdly, there's Pops, it's always nice to have deep talks with your dad while watching an ice tray commercial in loop or have some insights on what happened behind the scenes on Lou Jitsu films.
April. Oh boy where do I start . She's chaotic and such a go getter, it is so rare to not be doing anything with April. Laser Tag, pranks, stand-up contests, singing contests, make-up contests, who could get the most getting blocked on Twitter contests, this and that - anything and everything!
Then Raph... he misses the old days where they weren't constantly in a fight. Simple conversations will always lead to a yelling match between the two. No matter how angry Leo is, it still hurts to argue with someone you care for. He couldn't help but feel his chest twist and tighten with every exchange. Sometimes, with the constant yelling, he forgets to take a breath but the arguments kept on going regardless.
He doesn't want to start yelling, he really doesn't. But whenever one of them starts to raise their voice towards the other, it just clicks like a timer, click click click-
RING! RING! RING!
The air felt so thick that the putrid smell had piled up so much that it was unbearable. Swat it away! Swat it off! Fight it back!
Shouts here and there, verbal fights intensifying. The air heating up every second, thickening and filling it with the smell of gasoline. Explode it now! Fire it up!
The initial talk now lost in the thickness of the air. They're both firing out piled up words of frustrations, venting out their anger in unreasonable speed, screaming out words they don't mean.
I hate you I hate you
-
"I never wanted to be a Leader anyway!"
BOOM!
"... I never did either, yet here we are. You have to suck it up Leo! Because that's what being a leader is, being selfless"
He wanted Raph to take the role back. He denied it, surprisingly. No matter what he'd do, he wont take it back.
Leo couldn't help but think, what if he did? Would their places be switched? Would Raph be here... taking his place?
Stop it, stop it. This isn't right. I am where I am supposed to be.
I have to be selfless
Muffled shouts ringed through his tympana. Alongside the clink clanking of metal to metal, the ripping of plastic, and the very annoying rhythmic beep above him. He swore he could hear faint sobs somewhere to his right. He turned. They sound like Mikey's.
The last thing he'd expect was to be back home, to be able touch the concrete rock of the earth beneath him again. Let alone be enveloped in a group hug. The contact was filled with beloved care instead of the brutal forces that he'd have to endure for the past few months.
One minute he was alone in the darkness, the next; he's welcomed with a bright yellow light overhead. It was his family.
The adrenaline rush soon wallowed down and Leo couldn't help but feel like his body's weight being thrice as heavier. Next thing he knew, he passed out.
He fluttered open his eyes. There were blurred blobs of neon colors, a bright light above him ( heaven? ), and the constant smear of color that's zigzagging and bobbing in sporadic directions. Anything and everything overwhelmed his vision. He closed them back.
Then a gasp.
"He's awake! Donnie! H-he... his eyes!"
"What about it?!"
He felt a light weight loom above him. Scaly fingers touching his eyelids and forcing them open. Leo's eyes met with a brief but painstaking white light. He turned away.
More shouts, cheerful this time. Then constant shushing til it was silenced by a soft but raspy voice.
Silence. Leo swore he thought he was going deaf until-
"Blue can you please stay awake for us?". Rough and need-like fingers touched his, the frailly old fur of his dad's hand soothed his battered one. He said in a hushed voice, "Open your eyes Leonardo and look at me".
He didn't. The dimness that covered over his eyes were more welcoming than whatever neon mess was at the other side.
"Cmon Nardo, just stay awake... we don't want you having a comma now do we?", Donnie said nonchalantly.
"Not funny Donnie", Raph lightly scolded.
He felt so drowsy. The soft cotton started to feel like it's wrapping around him as he sunk deeper to the bed. Like a mother's arms cradling a child to sleep. So warm and welcoming.
"I'm serious! If he doesn't stay awake, there's a high risk that he'd fall into one!". Leo then felt a sudden shake at one of the railings to his left. "Leo, do what dad says, I'm serious!", Donnie squeaked out.
"Leo...? Hey we're here!", he felt a weight at the side of his bed. "Cmon, just stay awake!"
"Leo?"
He felt tired, he just wanted to rest. Sleep for just a second.
He thought: he's here at home with his family, he's safe now.
A little nap won't hurt now, would it?
Probably..?
He knows what might happen if he did nod off, he's the family medic after all. But goddamn he had been through hell and back. Comma be damned. He's taking his rest and maybe a few weeks would cut it.
And so he did.
Leo wasn't responding to anything. His consciousness was going on and off all throughout the drive to their almost destroyed lair. Mikey and Raph did their best efforts to keep him awake but Leo's own exhaustion overpowered them. Whatever happened to him in that prison dimension messed him up, there's a high chance that there's some irreversible damage done to him by just basing at how battered up he is.
Donnie couldn't help but look behind him. He has to asses the situation. If Leo's not here to be the medic then he'd take that role... if he can actually pull through.
No no Donatello! Focus! Focus! What does Leo need first? What should-
"Donnie! The road!" Raph yelled. Donnie caught a glimpse of worry in his eyes as the vehicle swerved, almost hitting some guy with bags of groceries. He turned back and did what was instructed, ignoring such details.
"U-uh- Right! Right, sorry-", he apologized profusely. "Leo needs some medical attention now, one of you has to clean him up to avoid or lessen the severity of infection then stitch up those cuts", he directed. Donnie then looked back to the guys then to April.
"April, I need you-"
"I-I can do it!" Mikey quipped. "Leo taught me how to handle these type of injuries-", he fiddled his fingers as he shakily looked at Leo. "- I know how-"
"We can't let you do that Mikey", Raph said in a cautious hush.
"Raph! I can- I know what to do! If you're too worried about my hands, they are fine!", Mikey argued as tears start to swell up to his eyes.
"Mikey, your hands are literally bleeding out and is tainting the tank's floor", Donnie scolded."I'm sorry but you are in no position to help Micheal, you'll both just injure yourselves way worse than you are now".
"But-!"
"Hey, look I can do this okay? I know you want to help but both Donnie and Raph are right...". April then placed a reassuring hand in Mikey's shoulder, far away from the blood covered and cracked skin on Mikey's arms. "Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. You just have to trust us on this okay?"
Mikey hesitantly nodded. Then a soft smile formed at his beak, "Okay April, I trust you"
"Attaboy!"
Leo woke up.
There wasn't any light apart from the rays violets and reds in front of him. The smell of burning flesh took over his senses. He turned and saw the half of the Technodrome, it's flat bottom exploding by every minute. There was violent purple fire running up and then engulfing the spacecraft. So that's where the smell is coming from...
I'm here again
Despite such a tragic thought, the colors that spewed and scattered from the explosions were beautiful. Almost calming him; saying that finally it is over .
You've saved the world Leo!
His thoughts mingled for a while. He thought of his now safe family, the innocent lives that were spare-
"YOU!!!" A screech that followed by the thumping of metal feet while the crippled earth below cracked.
Ah... right him. He's here with him
"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" Another cry, louder this time. The movement of stomping feet escalated closer towards him.
He was about to say a snarky remark. Time to show him who's boss. I'm not affected by you. Fuck you
"And now... my anger will be for you alone !"
Everything after that line became a blur. Hit after hit, splatter after splatter, curse after curse... he can't help but feel at peace. Yeah, it was painful sure. But Leonardo Hamato has nothing to lose at this point.
Everything was a mess, it was chaos . Donnie tried keeping up with whatever the hell is going on around him. It was overwhelming, he was under pressure.
The alarms were beeping in the background, later being disrupted by Raph's hurried entrance, "Donnie! What's happening?! Is Leo-"
"What do you think Raphael?! He's clearly not not NOT OKAY -". Donnie scrambled through the drawers, cabinets, tables, anywhere ; just to find that damned defibrillator. He doesn't know where equipment were typically placed on. After all, he's not the family medic. Leo's the only one that knows where everything was in med bay.
Leo's heart monitor continued to play a depleting beep. No rhythm, no beep, just this one singular and excruciating elongated tone.
"WHERE IN THE HELL-"
"DONNIE! DONNIE I GOT IT", Mikey chirped at the corner, pulling out an almost busted up defibrillator that they've found on nearby hospital's garbage dump.
Donnie managed to miraculously recover it when Leo and Mikey brought it home a few years ago. He could tell it was the same one since he noticed his old trademark stamped on it. He couldn't helo but cringe.
The two both hurried to Leo's side. Donnie hurriedly turned it on then peeled off the pads. He placed the pads right on top of Leo's plastron. Electric shocks came afterwards.
Raph was tired.
Despite Draxum's added benefits to their genes via mutation, Leo does not look like he was healing. His wounds stayed longer than usual.
He should be up by now. He usually does...
Raph looked over to his shoulder. He watched Leo's steady breaths fill out and empty his lungs; the steady but shaky rise and fall of his chest.
He couldn't help but notice the colorful drawings and calligraphy that Mikey had left on Leo's casts.
Casts...
What happened to you in there..?
The last time Raph had seen Leo before all this was before he had trapped himself in the Prison Dimension with Kraang 1. He remembered the small scratches and cuts on Leo's body from the fight they had prior, from when he was possessed by that . He promised he'd apologize, that he'd make it up to him one day.
Except, he came back way worse. There were bruises planted on him everywhere. Blood oozed and bones cracked with Leo's every movement. It was frightening to see your little brother to be in that bad of a state.
He hated it. Every moment of it.
The radio silence that echoed in their communicators right after that smug comment that Leo had left for them right before he disappeared .
"You're the one to talk big bro"
He swore he could here a small giggle at the other side before he heard Leo's fight with Kraang 1. It was horrifying.
He was supposed to be the one up there. He is the oldest, everybody depended on him. He was the protector.
He was successful every time, he did his duty well, he protected everyone.
Except Leo
Why was Leo in my place. It should've been me not him-
He sobbed as he leaned at Leo's bed. He didn't dare face Leo, so he just turned away and stood with the intent to leave. He has to find somewhere where he can cool off, to be in the right headspace. He can't just wallow at what happened. It is in the past, nothing he can do anything about it.
He walked towards the door. He moved the curtains away. One step out and he'll get moving outside for some fresh air.
Hesitation
He turned
He can't leave him like this
What if it happens again Raph?
"He's home and he's safe", He whispered to himself. Trying Leo's technique in self-assurance.
Is he really?
"He's home and he's safe...", He hushed. Another try. "I'm here now"
Are you really?
"..."
He went back in. Sat at Leo's bedside and watched him intently. Fists curled as he guarded his brother.
Nothing bad will ever happen to you again. I promise