Chapter Text
The portal was open, the golden edges burning the retinas of the three immense turtles pressed together before it. The shared energy fueled their rage, their desperation. Their ninpō came alive, dancing together and through the small orange member of their trio. A trio that was wholly incomplete without their faceman. As the portal cleared to reveal the other side, the three faces were greeted with a smirk they were all too familiar with.
“Heh. Took you long enough.”
Raph pulsed with red energy, a burning desire to reach his brother. Their Blue. The only other one who could understand the plight he’d felt as a leader. But there was another behind the grinning blue-masked turtle. A looming being clad in metal armour that was far too similar to another foe they’d barely bested.
The Krang Prime stretched his hand out. Raph wouldn’t get him in time. His mind raced. Absolute panic drenched his soul, his determination strengthening as the evil drew closer. He was going to fail Leo. Again. He couldn’t leave Leo behind, couldn’t bear the thought. Raph pushed with what remaining strength he had, his eye and arm battling against the stress put upon them with another surge of agony. Raph would lose Leo.
Leo looked up, hope shining in his sharp eyes. His brothers were here; they were saving him. He hadn’t expected them to be able to get here. It was a final move to throw both himself and the wad of gum to the Prison Dimension, a great sacrifice. One for the ages. Leo had accepted his fate, anticipating death to come before any rescue, if a rescue was even on the table. But something wasn’t right. Raph was reaching out as far as he could, but his ninpō was drained. Leo saw the strain upon each tendon, each fibre of his brother’s being as the red-clad Hamato stretched.
Ah, Leo thought, his grin growing sorrowful, I’m sorry, big brother. I had no choice. I’m sorry, please don’t blame yourself.
Though he knew Raph couldn’t hear this plea of forgiveness, he hoped something would come through in his expression. Raph always was good at reading him. Always knew when he was lying. Leo’s fingers twitched as he began to withdraw his hand…
Donnie was faster, pulling his staff down and conjuring forth an immense drill that shone with a brilliant purple. With a silent plea to their however-many-great-great-grandmother for it to work just this once, Donnie let loose the titan weapon. It collided spot-on, victory fluttering in his heavy chest for a moment. They could do it. They could all make it out, and they would win. As one. Where there are Hamato, there is hope.
The Krang batted it away easily, his speed redoubling. It was all happening too fast. The Krang had Leo by the leg. He had him. And he was still coming. Still coming at them. Coming back.
No choice. No choice. No. Choice.
Donnie pushed past Raph and Mikey, his complex mind finding no doubt to meet his choice for the first time in 16 years. There was one choice. Just one. But it would break everything, tear the family apart so badly that nothing would repair it. But it was their only one.
The purple figure shot past Mikey, effortlessly pushing his baby brother backwards as he did so. He heard the sharp crack of a head hitting stone, guilt thrumming within his bones. No choice. He heard Raph cry out for Mikey and Donnie in quick succession, begging Donnie not to. To stay. Donnie had. No. Choice.
The softshell leapt through the portal as it snapped shut, the orange glow dulling and fizzing away with a quiet laughter they had all become so familiar with but never thought they’d hear again. It gave him strength now, the power to push on. Into the unknown. How funny, Donnie had always dreamed of discovering something no one had ever seen before. True, he and his brothers matched that description, but he’d wanted something for himself. He just didn’t know what it would cost.
There was no choice.
ᯓ.ᯓ.ᯓ.ᯓ.ᯓ.ᯓ.ᯓ.ᯓ.
His surroundings were both untamed and bland. Forever changing but somehow remaining exactly the same no matter where he turned. Floating pieces of metal and rock drifted lazily nearby, posing as perfect perches for the silent figure creeping along cautiously. Pinks and grays clashed unnaturally, the dim light shining as though nervous across the barren landscape. Everything was silent in this void, though perhaps it was merely because nothing could survive here. And yet, this theory was thwarted by the tall humanoid’s quiet footsteps across metallic surfaces. Leo floated tentatively to another chunk of Krang metal, the bag dangling from his shoulder carrying precious cargo he couldn’t afford to lose. His foot touched down upon the chilled surface, sending a shiver up his spine. Everything here was cold and covered in a thick layer of ash. He would never grow used to it.
His hood was up, shielding his face from all angles aside from dead-on. The ragged cloak was torn at the edges as it was constantly catching on various sharp edges, ash coating the entirety almost as though it had always been there and always would be. He wore thin pants hastily crafted from whatever happened to be floating about, which resulted in a kind of quilted fashion sense. Minus the Pinterest “aesthetic”, of course. His left pant leg was ripped away entirely, giving room to a thin metal prosthetic which seemed to be comprised of whatever parts were available. The false limb was a dark blue in color, with red sensors and lights covering the frame. The sensor closest to the knee flickered like a dying lightbulb, occasionally fading out completely before sputtering back to life. His tactical belt housed his swords at either hip to provide faster access, three satchels on each side filled with whatever knick-knacks he may need that day, and a sacred bag crafted from what appeared to be a purple cloth. Inside was something only he and one other being knew of. Something so important it had to stay with them at all times. They could not survive without it. His blue mask was fixed over the middle of his face, though it was tattered and frayed and beyond repair, held together with hopes and dreams (an inside joke that only got funnier each time it was told).
The debris was precarious, its ancient structure sighing softly against the immense bulk of the turtle balancing upon it. Leo recognized this as a warning that this platform was about to flip over if he didn’t scurry onto a new safety beam. He did just that, leaping just as the area he’d been standing on cracked and flipped over with the force he’d exerted.
Leo landed clumsily, slamming his knee against the new perch with a loud bang of metal on metal. The bag at his side was tipping, its contents escaping. He scrabbled onto the new platform, cursing softly under his breath as gears and knife-sharp metal drifted lazily out as though glad to be reunited with the stagnant air. Leo grabbed each piece, mumbling under his breath. This was SO not “greatest ninja the world has ever seen” energy, but the thought made him smile. He wondered what Casey was doing. Was he finally living life? Thriving, Leo hoped. With the final gear secured once more inside its cloth prison, Leo moved on.
The trek back to their new home was one he’d made hundreds of times, though the route changed with every passing step. New platforms drifted lazily past, rock broke apart and moved to create stepping stones. He had to give it to the prison dimension; it always posed a challenge. Not that he really wanted a challenge when transporting valuable goods, but it was nice to be able to stretch his legs without feeling the need to draw his swords. The bland colors were an old friend now, but he couldn’t help missing the variety in New York.
No point missing it, though. He’d never see it again. Leo shrugged away the thought, burying it deep within his shell. A little picture he would sometimes take out and look at, pondering if it was a dream and he’d really always been in this place.
Leo landed at the base with a soft clank as his left foot hit the ground first. The “base” (he refused to call it ‘home’, seeing as it just wasn’t) consisted of an enormous head of a mech suit with various chunks of Krang metal attached to form rooms. It was dark and dreary, hidden away within rocks Leo had personally assembled around it to make it appear one with the environment. Curtains hung in the entryway, dirtied with ash and dried blood where one of the twins had stumbled in after a ruthless battle with Prime. The head itself was about the size of a double-wide and had been hollowed out of any useful wiring and metal that could be spared. A half-assed woven mat made of discarded wire sat at the entrance, just beyond the curtains, reading “Not home” in red wire. Leo remembered making it when he was confined to his equivalent of a bed after losing his leg. Donnie had been both livid that Leo had wasted resources and amused that he’d somehow managed to create such a thing.
With a dramatic sweep of the curtain/door, Leo stepped inside. Red lights greeted him, his eyes slowly adjusting to the new lighting. Every other step echoed with a sharp tone of metal on metal, loudly announcing his return. He was positive Donnie already knew he’d arrived, but it was better to be loud. There was less risk of spooking the softshell if Leo entered with boisterous noise, a lesson learned the hard way.
“Ohhh Tello~!” Leo cupped a dirty, ash-covered hand to his mouth, “I return bearing an apologyyyy!”
He paused a moment, allowing the call to travel around the base. Either Donnie hadn’t heard him, or was ignoring him. Either was feasible, “Donnie! I got you some parts! Went alllll the way to Creepy Mountain!” Leo sounded again.
Creepy Mountain was less a mountain and more a chunk of twisted rock that had remained in the same place ever since they’d found it. Hence, the name. A scowl formed on the turtle’s face as he made his way towards Donnie’s den. Donnie wasn’t that mad at him, surely.
Leo approached the metal door to Donnie’s room. The Genius Built logo was carved onto it, and a sign hung from a crooked nail, reading “Krang krang go away, come again another day” sat beside the entryway (an addition by Leo when they’d first built this place. It somehow felt satisfying to have what was their equivalent to a “Live, Laugh, Love” sign right by Donnie’s room).
With a hesitant knock, Leo called again, “Donnie, open up! I said I was sorry, and I brought back that actuator you wanted! And those helical gears! C’mon, broski, I went soooo far!” Leo leaned his head against the cool metal, feeling his brow crease.
What came in response was a huff and the sound of a chair scraping. Solid footsteps approached, muttering following. Leo caught only the words “Dum-dum,” and “idiot… no common…”. When the door was finally opened with a soft hiss, Leo was greeted by the only other non-bubblegum creature in this entire hellscape.
“Are they in decent condition this time?” His twin snarked.