Work Text:
Leo frowns as the rabbit flinches in his sleep again. He leans lazily against the wall, not taking his eyes off the sleeping captain. He chuckles to himself.
Some captain.
"Hana I'm sorry" The rabbit mutters to himself. Leo tilts his head.
"Whose this Hana you keep going on about?"
The rabbit lurches forward suddenly.
"Auntie! I didn't-"
Leo gently presses a hand to Usagi's chest. Shushing him and guiding him back to a resting position.
"My crew! Is everyone-"
"Your crew’s fine. You're fine. Take it easy for me, okay?"
Usagi's eyes widen. "Are you the Karai medic?"
Leo pauses. That wouldn't be an entirely wrong claim. He smiles.
"Yeah, I guess I am"
"That's a relief" He sighs "I'm Usagi"
"I know, Leonardo. Call me Leo"
The door swings open and out steps a fox yokai. "Usagi you better not be dead things have taken a very/-"
The yokai's eyes widen as she takes in the scene.
"I'm sorry- am I interrupting something? I can leave if this is a bad time-"
"You're good"
"I- I was just getting back to work it's fine" The fox nervously laughs. Never breaking eye contact with the Karai Captain.
"Then get back to work" Leo waves his hand and turns back to the rabbit. The fox nods and turns to leave, now shaking.
"What's wrong? What was Kitsune gonna say-" Usagi's now alert despite his obvious pain. Leo smiles at the stubbornness.
"Nothing to worry about. Your ship escaped with the everyone after the Karai crew boarded"
"The Karai crew is here ? On my ship?? Right now?"
Leo smiles and brings a knee to his chest for his arm to rest on. "The Hamato family too"
Usagi's jaw drops, his face twists into a grimace. "They probably all think I'm an idiot. I'm a terrible pirate"
"A lot of the pirates I know are dead now. You're doing better than them"
Usagi laughs. It's a pleasant sound, although strained. It seems more genuine than the drunken laughter Leo's used to. It reminds him of when he and his brothers didn't have the lives of others on their shoulders.
"Only thanks to them, you're very nice for a pirate y'know"
Leo huffs and scans the room, his eye catching on a katana delicately displayed above the captain's bed. Oddly enough it looked completely out of use.
"That's edgewing. It was passed down through my family. From Miyamoto Usagi himself"
Leo's hums. He already knew that but seeing the sword in person was oddly underwhelming.
"Yep! That's part of why I wanted to leave the boring life. And become the best samurai the world has ever seen! Just like him! Oh! Let me show you something" Usagi shifts, grunting as he pushes himself to his feet. Leo takes note of how quickly the rabbit lit up at the mention of his ancestor.
Usagi reaches for edgewing, but he doesn't pick the sword up, instead turning the gemstone encrusted in the handle once around. A chunk of the wall swings open. Leo's eyes widen.
"You're kidding"
"I built this ship myself. Thought I'd add something fun" Usagi winks and steps inside, Leo follows. Much to his amaze there's lifetimes worth of knowledge stored in the books lining the shelves. Techniques that take years of training from an experienced master. It was times like this where Leo wished he taught himself to read like Donnie.
"You're actually fucking with me" Leo spins around to take in the room. There's cracks in the wall boards hidden from outside eye but with enough space to spy on the main room with. It’s incredibly well designed for being ‘for fun’
The floorboard across the room creaks in a way he's all too familiar with and Leo slams the hidden door shut. Usagi yelps in surprise.
"What was that?"
"They're looking for me"
"Well if you're the medic you should go out there!"
"They're not looking for a medic"
"Then why are they looking for you?"
"They need they're captain"
Usagi frowns. "Me?"
"No me"
There's a few moments of silence before the gears click in the rabbits head and he muffles a gasp.
"You- You're Callisto Hamato?"
"Guilty" He smirks.
Usagi doesn't stop staring at him as Raph enters the room, looking mildly annoyed. It almost reminds Leo of better times.
"Raph knows you're here Leo. Fuwa's asking if we're gonna execute the crew and I don't think 'Cap's not here yet' is gonna hold her for long"
Leo looks over at Usagi for help but the rabbit is too stunned to move. Leo rolls his eyes.
"Leo!"
_________________
"Leo!"
Usagi's blood runs cold. Europa, the Europa is looking for Leo. Who. Is. Castillo.
For their reputations Usagi was expecting Castillo to be at least a little more intimidating. But words did not do Europa justice for the pure terror that struck his very bones at the sight of the turtle.
Two Hamatos are on his ship and he's not dead. A part of him hopes that's just luck.
"You'll vouch for me yeah?" Leo turns to him, but Usagi can't force himself to say anything.
Europa grunts and turns to leave. Having given up, as soon as the door closes Leo opens the secret passage again.
"Well that was eventful. You feeling better?"
Usagi just stares at the Karai Captain's relaxed demeanor.
"Y'know getting gut stabbed and hung and all"
Leo frowns when Usagi doesn't respond. Something clicks in the rabbit's head.
"Oh! Wait I have something you might wanna see"
Usagi winces as he shuffles over to his library. Skimming through the hundreds of books on yokai he lands on one. 'The Queen Karai’
Leo takes the book from the rabbit and tilts his head. Narrowing his eyes at the words.
"It's a history on your ship! There should be stuff about the Hamato family in there"
Leo hums and flips through the pages, only stopping when he finds a picture. He cackles at an artist rendition of Splinter.
"That's what they think dad looks like? Ha!"
"What did he look like?" Usagi's curious now, if that's not Splinter what is? And how was it so off it made Leo laugh ? Usagi thought the picture was terrifying.
"Well his teeth aren't that sharp, and his eyes don't glow. Even when he wasn't old he didn't carry this many guns, Pops couldn't shoot to save his life! Quite literally actually" Leo laughs at the grim joke. "He also actually cut his nails- what is it with artists thinking we don't cut our nails?"
"Do you wanna see your page?"
Leo doesn't object when the rabbit flips to the page about the turtles. But he doesn't look happy about it when the drawing appears.
"Is this what they think we look like?" Leo stares at the page, face twisting into anger. Usagi's heart drops.
"I didn't mean to-"
"Usagi. Never show this to Raph. He's self-conscious about his spikes as is I don't need this book to make it worse"
Usagi figures Leo is referring to Europa and nods. He takes the book back and places it back on the shelf.
"You ok?"
Leo plops down on the couch with a huff.
"You ever feel like you're just really lucky? Like one day you're lucks gonna run out and you'll fuck over everyone important to you. 'Cause you're not really helping anyone by being there, you're just the face-man"
Usagi pauses.
"Quite a bit yeah"
"I'm not a captain, Usagi. Raph is. I don't know why Splinter thought I was a good choice"
"I'm only captain because I built this boat"
"I would love that. To start from scratch, to make a new boat. Build my own legacy from the ground up, y'know?"
"I don't know- I think my life would've been easier if I was part of a powerful family like yours. No one really talks about Miyamoto anymore"
Leo grins. "You wanna do something weird?"
_________________
“Leo, what are you doing?”
“I’m not Leo, he’s Leo”
Raph sighs as his brother waves at the rabbit dressed in Leo’s attire.
“I’m Yuichi Usagi, descendant of the great Miyamoto Usagi”
Raph frowns. “The kid is related to Miyamoto? Is that why you were so insistent on-”
“No, I’m Miyamoto’s descendant. He’s the hamato kid”
Raph groans. Leo can’t help but smirk. When the pair turns their attention back to the deck the rabbit’s gone.
“Huh, guess Callisto’s too busy to hang out with his favorite bro” He squints up at the sky. “Is it just me or do the clouds kinda look like hotdogs?”
“April said this ship’s harboring Chizu” Raph completely ignores Leo’s statement. “When you’re done with whatever bit this is I’m gonna go ask the rabbit about her. For now our crew’s questioning their’s”
Leo frowns. “Chizu? Didn’t she kill Hueso?”
“That’s why we’re looking for her. Apparently she’s a cat yokai with some former affiliation with Big Mama”
Leo chuckles. “Hueso was always scared of cats”
“Leo. Hueso was stabbed!”
“Whose Leo?”
Raph growls in frustration. “Go find Usagi” He turns to leave without another word, Leo rolls his eyes.
“I was captain last time I checked. I doubt Callisto would’ve let that slide” He mutters and wanders off to find his rabbit counterpart. There’s a yelp and Leo follows it to find Fuwa with a knife to Usagi’s throat. Huh that’s not great.
“Leo! Please tell the angry cat lady to let me go”
Leo shrugs. “She’s your crew mate. You tell her to back off”
“The Spanish found us captain. This useless prick won’t tell me how” Fuwa growls.
“Well is that anyway to speak to your captain?”
“Callisto!” The cat’s eyes widen with anger.
Leo waves a hand towards Usagi.
“What are you gonna do rabbit?”
“I- We can disguise ourselves as one of theirs!”
“Great! Does anyone here have nice clothes and speak spanish?”
Usagi sinks down.
“Oh thanks unfortunate”
“What if we send a distraction and ambush them!”
“Great! Who are you willing to sacrifice”
“What!? I’m not going to sacrifice anyone!”
“C’mon Usagi, your crew’s depending on you. Your family is depending on you- your brothers, your legacy. Everyone you ever known could be dead within seconds if you don’t make a decision!”
“I don’t know!”
“Time’s almost up!”
“I don’t know Leo!”
“Their blood will be on your hands”
“I don’t know what to do!”
Usagi curls in on himself, panting at the sudden yelling. Leo stares at him.
“Blood it is”
Leo doesn’t let Usagi break eye contact.
“Captain Callisto!” A young rhino yokai runs into the room. “You saved us!”
Leo grins
_________________
Usagi shivers as the moist air pricks at his skin. The fog is so thick he can barely see three feet in front of him.
Leo pushes himself up onto the small ledge suited around the sail pole.
“You’re a genius Captain!” Hypno calls out. The rest of the crew follows with applaus. Leo smirks and gives a dramatic bow.
“How’d you do that?”
Leo looks at Usagi with warm eyes, the rabbit can’t help but shudder.
“Shape of the clouds and the temperature. Perfect recipe for fog,” His eyes shift to Europa hanging out at the back of the crowd. “Plus Ganymede was going on about the warm front a few days ago”
Europa curses to himself.
“With tonight's full moon the currents will pull us directly to safety. Not a sound will be made as far as the Spanish are aware”
Usagi’s crew claps again. But Europa lifts a powerful hand to silence them.
“Tommorows the full moon Callisto”
“Ganymede said it’s the second. It’s the second”
“It’s the first”
“Fuck off no it’s not”
“That- doesn’t change things much, right Leo?”
Leo doesn’t meet his eyes.
“Blood it is. Raph go swim to the Karai”
Leo pushes himself off the ledge and shifts through the crowd. Worried murmurs spread through his friends. Usagi runs after him.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m gonna get pissed. Might as well use up any fancy shit you have here”
Usagi’s heart drops.
“You’re just gonna leave your brothers?”
“Eh they’re better off without me. Raph’s a good swimmer anyway, he’ll be fine”
Leo curses when the door to the captain’s quarters refuses to open. He kicks it open and falls to the couch, rummaging around the cabinet storage under the coffee table.
Usagi sighs and sits on the floor, using the couch as a backrest.
“This kinda sucks y’know?”
“Yeah. It was due”
Usagi stares at the poor lighthouse painting he took with him and hung on the ship wall.
“You guys seriously not have shit ?” Leo bumps his head as he retreats from the cabinet.
“I’m seventeen”
“Piss off with that. Is that a really blocky whale?”
Usagi sighs. “It’s a lighthouse. Hana made it for me”
“Who is that? You kept muttering about her in your sleep”
“My little sister. It was for my birthday, she said she read a story about one in class. How it guided lost sailors home, she said I was her lighthouse”
Leo scoffs. “I mean you’re supposed to avoid lighthouses but sure”
Usagi frowns. “I never thought about it like that”
“Eh, no one does”
Usagi pauses, realization setting in.
“We need to be a lighthouse”
He’s not surprised when Leo says the same thing.