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Slowly, Leo regained consciousness as he took in the world around him. What happened? As the dust cleared, so did his memory. The subway tunnel had collapsed beneath him and Casey. Leo’s eyes flew open as he fully grasped the situation.
“C-cas-ey..?” Leo said as loud as he could manage before wincing at the sharp pain in his side. Looking back, Leo noticed there was a piece of concrete as well as some kind of sign pinning him down. Ignoring the growing pain in his side, he moved the offending debris before turning back to the task at hand.
“Case? Ca-Casey, Donnie, Mikey! Anybody?!” Leo shouted, grabbing his side in pain as he yelled. The sound of debris being moved was the only indication that someone else was down here with him.
Looking towards the sounds, Leo saw Casey sliding to him with a scowl on his face, but Leo couldn’t find it in himself to care. Casey was safe, he hadn’t failed again.
Your brothers might still be dead because of you.
Leo let out a shuddering breath before steeling himself so that Casey won’t see him hurt.
“What the heck was that?!” Casey yelled.
Still a little woozy from the fall, Leo replied, “Some kind of crazy drippy krang monster.” Casey’s scowl deepened.
“No, I mean you! Why weren’t you listening to anybody?” Casey argued.
“Because I was trying to get us into the building!” Leo snapped back, immediately grimacing as it twinged his injury.
That’s going to need bandages. Where’s my medic bag? Leo started examining the ground around him. Casey didn’t seem to notice however.
“That sure worked out well!” Casey argued back.
Leo turned away from Casey to continue looking for his bag as he spoke, “I was doing everything right. How could it go wrong?”
Casey seemingly growled under his breath before speaking again, “Because you weren’t listening to your team! You don’t have all the answers all the time!”
Leo glanced back towards Casey, “But I’m the greatest Ninja that the world has ever seen. You said that.”
Casey grimaced before speaking, “I was wrong.”
Leo froze. Slowly turning back towards Casey, temporarily forgetting about his wound and bag, Leo spoke softly.
“W-what?”
“You’re impulsive, you're arrogant, and you don't see that every decision you make could cost someone their life!” Casey was screaming now. The wound in Leo’s side growing in agony the longer it is left unattended. He still hadn’t even looked at it. Casey wasn’t done.
“You want to know what really happens to your brothers in the future?!” Casey shouts.
Leo’s eyes widened. Casey had been pretty tight lipped about the future so far, especially regarding the fate of his sensei and his brothers. The pain in his side was no longer a dull throbbing, but was now a sharp stapling pain.
Casey turns around as he continues, “They die. Everybody dies fighting the Krang.”
Leo once again freezes. The pain in his wound now ten times what it was before. Why is that? Leo looked down to see red staining his hands. When had that happened? He looked at his side and noticed that it too, was stained a bright shade of crimson. It seemed that Leo unconsciously tightened the grip on his wound, aggravating the injury. He needed bandages asap.
“C-cas..” Leo whispered but Casey couldn’t hear him.
“The world needs Master Leonardo. And all we got is this guy,” Casey finished.
“C-Casey,” Leo winced with each word spoke as the wound continued to aggravate.
Casey finally turned back towards the turtle, “What now-“
Casey cut himself off, his eyes flew open wider than Leo thought they could go, staring at the wound on his side.
“C-Casey I n-need my-y bag, I can’t f-find it,” Leo spoke.
But Casey couldn’t move. Not when this Leonardo, who was so so much younger ( he’s so young how didn’t he notice oh god ) than his sensei, had the same wound that caused him to slow down and not see the laser until it was already-
“C-Casey?” Leo asked, breaking Casey out of his spiraling thoughts.
“What do you need me to get,” Casey said, trying to keep his voice firm as pressure began building behind his eyes.
Leo looked confused for a moment before speaking, “I n-need my medic bag but I dro-oped it when we fell.”
Casey gave a small nod before he began to search the rubble, ignoring the small drops of water leaking from his eyes.
As Casey continued to search the area for the bag, his thoughts kept spiraling.
Why did I say all of that? Another rock moved.
Of course he’s not like sensei, why did I think he would be… More dust kicked out of the way.
He’s just a kid, he shouldn’t have that kind of pressure.
You’re a kid too, aren’t you? A traitorous voice spoke in his mind sounding vaguely like his sensei. Casey sighed before turning to search another area.
It was then that Casey found the bag, slightly torn but otherwise in perfect condition.
Casey ran back to Leo with the bag, but once again hesitated when he saw the turtle.
Leonardo was sitting with his hands pressed on the wound to keep more blood from flowing. It was almost a perfect mirror image of his sensei’s last moments. All of a sudden, Leo looked towards Casey. When he noticed the bag in Casey’s hand, Leo waved for him to sit down.
Casey swallowed dryly before sitting next to him. Leo motioned for the bag, but Casey refused.
“L-let me do it. I can reach better,” he explained.
Leo’s eyes widened slightly before he nodded, turning around so that Casey could properly wrap the wound.
Casey grabbed the gauze and disinfectant, his hands trembling slightly. Turning to look at the wound proved that it was not nearly as bad as his sensei’s wound and definitely not fatal. Casey let out a small sigh before going to disinfect the injury.
The entire room was silent save for the occasional wince from Leo, followed by a hushed apology from Casey.
By the time the wound was cleaned and ready for wrapping, Leo had grown significantly more antsy than he was before and Casey wanted to know why? Most of all however, Casey wanted to apologize for the harsh things he had said. It wasn’t fair for Leo to have to live up to standards that took years of war and loss to build.
“Leo I’m-“
“Casey-“
Both boys stopped, having effectively cut each other off.
“You first,” Casey said, continuing to wrap the wound.
Leo looked down at his hands, still red with blood.
“H-how do they…” Leo asked, voice cracking at the end.
Casey stopped, hand midair as he realized what Leo was asking.
“I shouldn’t… it’s not going to happen and it would just worry y-“
“Please,” Leo interrupted, his voice breaking with emotion.
Casey swallowed, pushing his hair out of his face before speaking.
“Master Raphael was first. I don’t know many details because I was super young, but from what I know there was a raid and the kraang took out some of the support beams of the building. He stayed behind to keep the building standing while everyone escaped. There was only one casualty,” Casey stopped momentarily to collect his thoughts.
“Master Donatello was next. It was a few years after Master Raphael passed and he was taking it pretty hard. When he found out about a cargo space ship full of gadgets and gear headed for the Kraang, he knew he had to get it first. If we could intercept the package and enhance our equipment, then we might stand a chance. We got the tech, but when the Krang found out, they tracked down the stolen tech and…” Casey took a moment to breathe. He can’t get too worked up right now.
“Master Donatello stayed behind and set off a giant explosion. He got rid of a lot of Kraang in the blast too, but…” Casey finished wrapping Leo’s wound as he finished the story. Leo turned around to face Casey.
“M-Mikey?” He asked softly. Casey can’t help but feel as though this scenario could’ve been avoided if he hadn’t let his anger get the better of him. Another thing to apologize for… With a shudder, Casey began again.
“This happened… right before I was sent here. I um, you got hurt really bad,” Casey can’t look the turtle in the eyes, so he fiddles with the end of his cape as he tells his story. “I was helping you get to the rendezvous point, but we both knew you were probably not going to m-make it,” Casey picked at the frayed edges of the fabric. “We we’re about to be attacked by Kraang dogs when Master Michelangelo showed up to help. He probably took out at least 20 of them. I asked him to h-help you, but I do-don’t think there was anything he could d-do,” Casey was visibly shaking at this point. His sight had long since gone fuzzy with tears, waiting to spill over. “You s-said for him to make a t-time gateway and he did, b-but,” Casey hesitated as tears began running down the boys face. Casey continued to pick at his cape, threads unwinding at the corners as he continued, “It took everything he h-had.”
Casey heard Leo’s breath stutter as the implications of his statement sunk in.
“After…. t-that, you-,” Casey paused, shaking his head.
“My sensei, he threw me in the p-portal. I think he thought I w-was already gone, b-but I wasn’t. His injury…” Casey glanced towards Leo’s side again. This time the turtle noticed, causing him to realize what injury his future self had obtained.
Casey sighed shakily, turning his gaze back to his frayed cape, “H-his injury made him slower. He d-didn’t even see the laser before it h-it,” Casey finished.
Both boys sat in silence for a while. Casey tried to pull himself back together, while Leo processed the information told to him. After a couple minutes, Leo spoke.
“W-what did you want to say?” he asked hesitantly.
Casey looked at the slider confused. Leo chuckled a little before elaborating.
“We interrupted each other, remember? You wanted to tell me something?” Leo said calmly.
Recognition flickered in Casey’s eyes before he sighed and looked back towards his fraying cape. He took a few moments to steel himself before looking directly at Leo.
“I wanted to apologize,” Casey said. It took a moment for the turtle to process the words.
“W-what? Why?” Leo laughed in confusion which caused Casey to wince.
“For what I said a moment ago. It was unfair of me to compare you to my sensei,” Casey mumbled.
That took leo by surprise.
“No, you were totally right case, I wasn’t thinking about my team. I needed those harsh words or they may have never gotten through my thick skull, ya know?” Leo spoke nonchalantly as he stood up and stretched.
Casey looked up wide eyed before standing up and speaking,” But you’re still learning!”
Leo looked towards Casey confused.
“You shouldn’t have to live up to my sensei! He had literal years of the apocalypse to hone his leadership skills! You haven’t! Of course you won’t be like him and I’m sorry I ever expected that of you,” Casey finished.
Both teens stood in silence for a few moments before Casey moved towards the wall to start moving debris. Leo moved to help and they both worked in silence before Leo broke it.
“I’m sorry about what happened to your sensei,” Leo whispered.
Casey sighed, feeling tears beginning to form again.
“I- I don’t think it’s really hit me yet that he’s gone. Being in the past isn’t really helping all that much either,” Casey confessed.
Leo waited for Casey to continue.
“Pretty much everyone I’ve interacted with in the past so far is gone in my old timeline. My life wasn’t good in the future, but it was still my life…” Casey paused again, trying to sort out all the complex emotions he was feeling. Standing up and looking at the hole in the wall they had created leading to an elevator shaft, Casey spoke again.
“I guess I haven’t had a chance to properly grieve my old family…” Casey mumbled.
Leo looked at the boy, trying to think of a solution. Finally it hit him. Leo leaned over and bumped Casey’s shoulder in a good natured gesture. Casey looked over and leo smiled kindly at the boy before speaking.
“If you wanted, when this whole situation is over, we could make a memorial for your old timeline?” Leo suggested before looking back towards the elevator.
“I know I’m nothing like your sensei, like your family you lost, but if you wanted…” Leo looked back towards Casey, “I’m sure my brothers would never be opposed to another family member in this time.”
Casey’s eyes began watering for what seemed like the millionth time today and a small smile appeared on his face.
“That would be amazing…” Casey spoke softly.
“Alright! Let’s get up this elevator and find the guys so we can beat some Kraang butt and get some pizza! You’ve had pizza before right? Because let me tell you, Mikey might just have a heart attack if you haven’t,” Leo spoke as he climbed up the cable.
Casey smiled before following behind.