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So Casey has this bag.
It’s a black bag. It’s an old bag. It’s actually turning a bit gray around the edges because it’s that old and worn out, the fabric starting to go from gray to white at the bottom corners. There’s a hole that’s halfway sewn shut that makes the bag not round out like it’s supposed to and one of its straps broke off ages ago, but it’s Casey’s bag. It’s ol’ reliable! Still zips, still keeps the water out (somehow), and stays right on his back.
Most days, at least. Or it did have a place on his back until he started carrying too many books for school that he knows he’ll never read. And then it eventually carved a place for itself in the ratty old carpet of his room, next to his navy bedsheets he kinda definitely needs to wash. Not that he meant to leave it there but hey… fighting evil aliens and murderous ninjas is a dangerous job, alright?
This bag, Casey’s bag, was special.
That bag held a selkie’s biggest weakness. That bag — dirty and a bit smelly and has he mentioned ratty? — held his pelt.
And if his pelt gets ruined to a point where he can’t fix it, Casey dies.
So yes, maybe he’s come by the habit of keeping his pelt by his bedside instead of his back. Maybe he only takes it out for midnight swims, now featuring a way too curious Mikey. And maybe that could or could not have consequences!
For example!
His pelt could have been left behind in the Kraang invasion, leaving it and him completely helpless to whatever may happen to it. If his apartment building collapsed? Well, Casey could’ve randomly had his entire body collapse too! And wouldn’t that have been fun on top of the comatose Leo that everyone’s been worried about?
Seriously, if he left his pelt behind, he could’ve died. Or he would’ve slowly dried out and become a literal husk of what he once was, letting dehydration squeeze the life out of him drip by drip! It’s a bit horrifying to look back on…
…except for the fact Casey did not leave his pelt behind!
Suck that, Doctor Donnie!
Not that Donnie knows about my pelt, Casey muses to himself as he follows a rather bouncy Mikey through tall, itchy grass. He’s been waiting for Leo to wake up to tell everybody about his whole situation and, now that the eldest turtle is walking around, the time may be nigh…
Donnie would’ve killed him, though, if Casey hadn’t listened to Mikey’s weird gut feeling to bring his bag along to the fight. A selkie with no pelt is practically a dead selkie, and the rant about responsibility the self-dubbed doctor would go on the second he found out about him leaving such an important thing behind would’ve been monumental.
Except it’s all theory — oh no he sounds like Donatello — and when Mikey said “Bro, you should like, totally bring your pelt with, yo,” Casey listened. And he’s avoided the hypothetical rant. And he’s in great health because of it! Really, he should be thanking Mikey for saving his life!
“So,” said orange turtle says as soon as they’re deep in the woods, out of the eyeline the farmhouse residents may hold. Mikey raises an eye ridge. “What’s the plan?”
Casey huffs, the sound deeper than a normal human would make. Never mind, Mikey doesn’t need a thank you, not when he’s reminded Casey of his tight deadline.
“Does it really matter?” he half whines, adjusting the strap on his shoulder once more. The weight of his bag both comforts and stresses him. “I’ll tell them in two days, that’s that.”
“No chickening out?” Mikey prods, starting to walk backwards as he lists things off with the few fingers he has, much to Casey’s dismay. “No running away? No excuses? No changing the topic? No saying ‘my apartment has spontaneously caught on fire and I must leave’—“
“That could’ve happened!”
Mikey snorts, throwing his arms behind his head. “Just saying, yo! Your track record is worse than Leo’s toasting skills, and that’s saying something. Leo can’t toast nothing.”
He doesn’t bother defending Leo’s honor. He’s seen the toaster graves lining the Shellraiser’s exit tunnel. He knows there’s nothing to defend. Instead, Casey shakes his head.
“My dearest Michelangelo—“
Casey ignores the ensuing snort.
“—all of the plans I’ve made before failed because of just that,” he announces, jumping up and onto a fallen tree. “They were planned!”
Mikey nods along, mask tails bobbing with a hand under his chin. “Uh huh, uh huh…” His hand drops. “Uh, dude, isn’t that the point of a plan? To work?”
“Exactly!” he exclaims, gesturing wildly. “They’re supposed to work and they haven’t been! It’s just my luck! I’ve been more stressed out than ever, man. So I’m not planning a thing from this moment forward.”
“You’re winging it.”
Casey nods, continuing their path to the huge pond-almost lake just over the hill. He grins. “I’m winging it.”
“Dude,” the orange turtle whispers as he jumps up behind Casey. “I think that’s the best plan yet!”
And isn’t that statement ironic? Casey starts to laugh, grin growing wider as Mikey joins in. He hops off the log and starts to run towards the water, watching as Mikey meets his stride before sticking his tongue out at him and picking up the speed. He races after him, eager to swim, if just for five minutes.
Besides! It’s not like anyone will miss them being gone for a measly hour.
Right?
It’s a nice day out. In all actuality, it shouldn’t be suspicious. Sunny, small breeze, an occasional cloud — perfect for a walk.
But Mikey and Casey never just go on a walk. Well, they started to ever since they’ve been holed up here in the farmhouse, yet it still strikes Raph as a bit odd.
The two adrenaline junkies going for… a walk. A nice, long, simple walk.
It doesn't match up! Raph would know as the third adrenaline junkie of the family! Simple walks do not hit the dopamine machine inside his brain (unless there’s a cool animal to spot but that is neither here nor there). So, when he watched Mikey and Casey disappear into the woods for, in his opinion, a piss poor reason… Raph does what Raph does best.
He moves.
“You’re not thinking of following them, are you?” Leo’s voice calls from the couch, accusing and amused all the same.
Raph’s never missed the feeling of being called out before. He finds there’s a first time for everything as he pauses gathering his gear off the doorside table. He tsks and turns around, pointing a finger towards the window. “You saying that ain’t suspicious?”
His older brother’s gaze flickers to the glass. “Maybe they just need some air,” he decides. Not that he's sure of his decision, the small tilt of his head gives him away.
“Right,” Raph says. “Mikey and Casey, needing some air.”
Leo looks back, his lips pursed. “It’s not that hard to believe.”
And suddenly, a third voice rounding the kitchen corner chimes in. “You’re lying to yourself, Leo,” Donnie says, leaning against the wall. “Those two are always up to something.”
“Always,” Raph readily agrees. “It’s Casey.”
Donnie nods like the know-it-all he is. “It’s Mikey.”
Leo frowns at them both but doesn’t say anything. Raph takes it as a win and continues to grab the last of his gear. His frown isn’t permission, but now Leo has no ammo to stop him. Raph is free to stalk his own little brother and best friend at the very little price of his older brother’s judgment… and that judgement is thrown at him a lot. He’s immune by now.
(He’s missed that judgement too, if he’s honest.)
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Raph sighs and turns around, raising an eye ridge. “Leo, do you want a goodbye kiss or something? Because I am not Sensei and it is not happening. Ever.”
He doesn’t expect to turn and find Leo standing, crutch in one hand. He blinks. No. Nuh uh. “Not happening. No way!”
Leo rolls his eyes and starts to walk over. Which is good! He’s made really good progress, having had to learn to walk again! They even take nature walks as physical therapy, they as in Leo and Donnie. Leo can go far and with no problem!
It’s still not happening because that walk has already happened today and Raph does not want his older brother, that is reckless with himself in a way that secretly terrifies him, to push his leg any harder than it already has been pushed today. So, no. Sorry Leo! Not happen—
“Yes way,” Leo says back, flipping his mask tails off his shoulder and to his shell.
Raph’s eye twitches. “Uh, no!” He sputters and turns to Donnie. “Back me up here, Don. He’s already had a walk today!”
“What am I, a dog?”
“I mean, it’s Mikey and Casey…” Donnie says thoughtfully. Way too thoughtfully for Raph’s liking, actually. That feeling is confirmed when Donnie shrugs and pushes himself off the wall. “They couldn’t have gone far.”
“That!” Raph exclaims, suddenly pointing a finger at his traitorous younger brother. “Is the wrong answer!”
Leo smiles at him. It’s smug. Raph scowls back. They too could have gone very far! Mikey is as distractible as Icky and Casey is the King of Bad Decisions. They’ll encourage each other to go far off course of their original “walk”.
“The wrong answer!”
“April!” Donnie calls up the stairway. “We’re going to go stalk Casey and Mikey!”
There’s a couple footsteps from the second floor before another familiar voice calls out. “What?”
“Not stalk, follow,” Leo corrects as their human sister walks down the stairs.
Raph cannot believe this is happening. All of them are stupid. Or traitorous.
April pulls her hair up, tying it off in her signature ponytail as Donnie walks over to grab his things from next to Raph. “We’re stalking them? Why?”
“There’s no ‘we’,” Raph insists.
He’s ignored.
He decides they’re both stupid and traitorous.
“Follow,” Leo reiterates, gently blocking the swat Raph sends his way the second he’s close enough. He feels only a little better when Leo is also ignored.
Donnie brushes past and opens the door. “Raph said it’s suspicious. They’re probably up to something,” he says, like it explains everything. According to April’s expression, it doesn’t… so Donnie continues. “And I’m bored.”
“We are risking Leo’s health,” Raph insists once more, gaping at the flat look Donnie sends him as he walks out onto the porch.
Leo, the smug bastard, pats his shoulder on the way out too.
April at least sends him an apologetic smile. “He’ll be fine, Raph. Besides, a little fresh air never hurt anybody!”
“It could!”
His protest falls on deaf ears. He grumbles and kicks the table before grabbing the door. Leo can handle a little walk, he’s probably being a bit paranoid… especially if Donnie isn’t worried. But still.
He debates in the doorway, fighting with himself. It’d be unsettlingly easy to carry Leo right back into the farmhouse. Raph knows he could do it. It wouldn’t even be a contest.
“You’ve gotta be absolutely kidding me—“
Raph slams the door behind him and marches after the rest of his family.
After all, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t just a little bit bored too.
The sound of splashing is what meets their ears first.
It’s not hard to track Mikey and Casey down, which is only a little bit annoying. Leo thinks that they’ve all been ninja-ing around long enough for them to instinctively cover their tracks, but maybe he’s assumed too much. Maybe he shouldn’t expect it out here in the wilderness. This is Mikey and Casey he’s talking about, after all. Both have licked the floor of a skating rink.
Regardless, he plans a lesson on stealth. With or without a fully functional leg, he’s still the eldest. He’ll wrangle them into it somehow.
Either way, they’re easy to track and easy to find. The pair had essentially walked off in a straight line, right from the tree Raph last spotted them at. It only takes ten minutes of walking to come upon a hill, Mikey’s laughter echoing from behind the mound of dirt.
Casey’s laughter is suspiciously absent.
“I can’t believe they found a pond,” Donnie grumbles from his left, crossing his arms and squinting at the top of the hill. “Have they been going off to swim this entire time?”
Another loud splash causes Raph to grunt.
“Seems like it,” Leo agrees.
Which is honestly quite rude of Mikey and Casey. There’s a reason the Hamato’s have a pool back in the lair — they’re turtles. As much as they try to keep their instincts under wraps around their human siblings, there’s always a few things that slip in between the cracks. Their love of water — rain, showers, pools — is one of those things. Even Raph gets excited for a dip!
Apparently, this does not matter to Casey or Mikey. Leo’s eye twitches as Mikey’s laughter (only Mikey’s?) rings over the hill again, bright as a bell. Shell, he thinks the water would’ve been nice for his knee.
This whole time? This whole time. This entire. Time.
“I’m going to drown them, the both of them,” Raph says, glaring. His declaration gives him momentum and suddenly Leo’s red brother is marching up the hill.
“Count me in,” Donnie calls as he too starts his uphill battle. “I’ll get Casey and you get Mikey.”
Raph huffs and Leo swears he sees a hint of a rather evil smile. “Deal.”
And then they shake hands, which means the deal is done and their fate is sealed before Leo can even try to save Mikey or Casey. It’s fine by him, really. He kind of wants to watch his younger brothers carry out their planned punishment.
April gently knocks his right shoulder with her own. “Should we do anything about that?” she whispers.
Leo hums. “No. They’ve done it to themselves.”
She snorts and offers her arm. Last week that may have offended him — walking up a hill should be easy. But he’s learning that healing takes time and, as annoying as it may be, walking up a hill this steep despite its small size will be hard on his knee. He inwardly sighs. Leo takes the offered arm with a polite smile.
If April sees right through it, she doesn’t say anything.
However, she does mention what Leo has not.
“You know, I haven’t heard Casey’s laugh over that hill…” April starts, trailing off. “You don’t think Mikey’s trying to drown him too?”
Leo blinks at the question. “Has Casey done anything to warrant that?”
His human sister shrugs. “It’s Casey. He could’ve insisted sardines belong on pizza again.”
Leo shudders at the reminder of that debate from two weeks ago. He doesn’t even want to know how Casey knows what that tastes like. The ensuing argument between Mikey and Casey had been pretty entertaining to watch, though, and if Mikey refuses to try a certain combination of food… well then, Leo won’t either. Even if he is a turtle that likes fish.
Fish and pizza do not mix.
“If he did, we’re not saving him.”
April giggles and Leo looks back towards the top of the hill, only to frown to see the still frames of his other two sane, loyal brothers.
And then he hears it.
A deep, guttural clicking sound reverberating from the pond below. Him and April race up the hill as Mikey once again laughs, the sound followed by a rather large splash and then… silence. Fear dowses him and any humor he had in the situation from before is washed away, leaving only small hints of confusion. They meet Raph and Donnie’s side and look over the pond.
The pond itself is huge, almost large enough to be classified as a lake but not quite. It’s surprisingly clear if not still pretty brownish-greenish, and there’s rocks lining most of the shores. The trees clear away from the water, allowing only windswept leaves to float along its surface. There’s some cattails here and there but, overall, it’s a very nice pond.
Except there is no Mikey or Casey.
“What was that?” Leo questions, not daring to move his eyes from the water.
Donnie shakes his head. “I’m not sure, it was moving too fast—“
“Bubbles, there!” Raph points to the water and Leo spots the movement quickly. His head snaps over.
None of them move as the bubbles get closer to the surface. They travel under the water at a rapid pace that has them all leaning forward. It’s too fast to be Mikey, that’s clear. And then… they disappear.
Mikey reappears in the center of the pond, shaking his dripping wet mask tails with a smile that could blind the sun.
Adrenaline, Leo thinks as Mikey hops in the water to do a full circle. The surface ripples across the top of his little brother's plastron, almost playfully. He blinks as he takes in the relaxed shoulders of the orange turtle’s frame. He’s… having fun? He’s not scared. What—
“C’mon, bro!” Mikey shouts from below. The teasing tone is unmistakable; Leo would know it anywhere. “That all you got?”
Raph swears at the taunt and slides down the other side of the hill, startling the rest of them into motion. They follow, though it’s not fear driving Leo anymore. It’s curiosity. Something is telling him that Mikey isn’t in any kind of trouble… not that he’s sure any other member of his family knows that just yet.
Another loud splash sounds as they reach the bank, a rock blocking their view as a dual toned screech hits their ears. Mikey yelps and then there’s a second, small splash, and it’s quiet once more. The rock, once an obstacle, becomes their new vantage point as they stare over the water.
And, on that rock, is Casey’s bag.
Leo stares at it as everyone else peers over the water. It’s odd that the bag is here. It seems like a rather dangerous place for the bag to be, considering it and its contents could get soaked. Casey would never let it get to this point, here on this rock. He’s practically territorial when it comes to the thing!
He remembers, briefly, of a moment between Raph and Casey back at the lair. When Casey had brought his bag with him to their home and left it haphazardly on the couch, right in Raph’s spot. Of course, the red turtle had moved it… but not before Casey had seen the bag in Raph’s hands. The blow up that had happened afterwards left the human of the two storming off for the rest of the night!
So why is it here, of all places? Leo wonders.
“Woo!” A splash, very close to the rock. Everyone jumps at the sudden appearance of Mikey, the youngest turtle wiping his face clear of water. “Dude, you gotta—aaaahahahahaha! Ha! Hey, guys!”
Each of them blink at Mikey, who nearly jumps out of his shell when he sees them. His following smile… does not ease any nerves. All of them are hit at once with the knowledge that he is most definitely hiding something.
Though, to his credit, the youngest does try to play it off.
“What—?” Mikey sputters loudly, waving a hand while… doing something under the water with his other. “What are you doing here?!”
“Making sure you and Casey aren’t doing anything stupid,” Raph says, squinting at the water and—
And there they are! The bubbles from before! They’re back and heading straight for Mikey, way too fast for them to even do anything!
Not that Leo thinks they need to. No, if anything, he’s starting to think Mikey is trying to hide whatever may be in the water. The question now is what could that thing possibly be?
Leo gets his answer.
He is very not prepared for his answer. Neither is anyone else, by the gasps of his brothers and the small surprised shriek April lets out as a large seal jumps out of the water, drapes himself over Mikey’s shoulder, and lets out the same guttural clicks all over again… which Leo now realizes is laughter.
They all stare as Mikey topples over under the weight of his new friend. It feels like it all happens in slow motion. And, most importantly, the seal stares back.
Right at Leo.
Directly at Leo.
It was an eerily familiar stare.
The resounding splash as the two disappear in the water is loud. Leo’s resounding screech is louder as the puzzle pieces he’s been gathering ever since he met the boy finally make a clear picture.
“Casey?!”
“What do you mean Casey?!”
“That thing is not Casey!”
“It wasn’t a thing, it was a leopard seal!”
Mikey is up and above the surface before Casey is. Thankfully. He doesn’t exactly hear what Mikey is saying because his brothers are too busy yelling over him, but he’s sure Mikey is helping. Helping and stalling long enough for Casey to snap himself out of shock.
Seems like my plan to wing it in two days failed too, he thinks to himself, before sighing and throwing off his pelt. He shoves it between his legs as he stands, forcing the easiest going grin he can with his arm finding a solid place over Mikey’s shoulders.
Immediately, there’s quiet. He’s sure his grin cracks just a little at the rather shocked stares from the four people on the rock.
“I heard my name?” Casey says, ignoring the very prominent voice crack in the middle of his sentence.
This is better than my plan, he tells himself. Much better! I don’t have to agonize about how much time I have left to tell everybody because now everybody knows! Score!
Now if only he could believe that…
Raph looks between the water and Casey, face scrunched up tight with the most confused expression he’s ever seen on his best friend's face. April seems to be stuck in shock, opening and closing her mouth like a fish as Donnie puts his hands on his head. Leo, however, looks at him like he’s finally seeing Casey Jones in his entirety for the first time. And, technically, he is.
Casey shifts under the stare. Talk about vulnerable!
“You’re a selkie,” Donnie breathes.
“Oh, great!” He shoves the wet hair in his face back, eager for something to do with his hands. “You know what that is! Cool, cool—“
“You’re not human?” April asks and, woah, Casey can’t read that tone.
He shrinks back, just a little. “Uh—“
Raph leans forward. “Is this that secret you were trying to tell me?”
Casey gulps. “Yep! Was gonna tell everyone in two days, actually, not that that really matters anymore, but!” He laughs nervously, watching their reactions carefully.
Four blank faces stare back at him. Mikey does nothing under their silence but be a steady pillar, the traitor.
“Huh,” Leo finally says, placing his crutch down on the rock and sitting. His legs hang off the rock’s edge. “Cool.”
“Cool?” Casey tentatively echoes. That’s it?
April moves. She slides off her shoes and takes off her shirt, revealing a sports bra beneath. She stuffs her socks in her shoes and takes the short jump into the water. Mikey looks between the two and unhooks himself from Casey’s grip, so now he’s really a traitor.
April O’Neil stands before him. Casey can’t do anything but stare. Not because he likes her, no it’s been made pretty clear that he’s her brother and she’s his sister. That died off long ago. Now he stares because he’s sure if he moves he’ll die — like a T-Rex.
And he’s right. He breathes and suddenly there’s a hand grabbing his ear, pulling him down to her height so she can yell, “You absolute idiot!”
“Ow! April—“
She flicks his forehead. Hard. And lets him go to glare up at him again. “Literally none of us are human! I can’t believe you hid this from us, Jones! I’m literally part alien!”
“I’m sor—“
A hand pushes his jaw back up so fast that he almost bites his tongue. Dangerous with his sharp teeth!
“No, nope. Hide anything like this from us again and you’re dead,” she says. April fixes him with a hard look. “We love you for you, Casey Jones.”
His face turns to flames and he turns his head away. “Wow, no need to get so sappy about it, Red.”
A swift punch to his gut says yes, yes there was a need. He gasps and then growls playfully, ignoring the shock on April’s face when she hears the animalistic sound. He splashes her with the water and finds his smile returning when she gasps.
And then Raph’s there beside him. Funny, he didn’t hear the red turtle get in the water. Then again, he is a ninja!
“She’s right. You’re an idiot.”
Casey rolls his eyes and shakes out his hands, the lingering nerves from before finally starting to dissipate. “Thank you for the vote of confidence, Raph.”
Raph nods. “You’re welcome.” A pause and then vicious neon green eyes meet his. “You know you could’ve told me, right?”
Casey shrugs as Mikey drags April deeper into the water. “Yeah, I did, I just…” He shrugs again. “Nerves.”
“Well,” Raph starts as Donnie helps Leo into the water. “Didn’t turn out to be so bad, did it?”
Casey snorts and rubs his neck. “I think I almost threw up when I saw you all on that rock.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Donnie chimes in as he and Leo make their way closer. “A pool day was definitely needed.”
Leo hums, a small smirk on his face. “I think this is a pond, Donnie.”
“Shut up, Leo.”
Casey laughs as Leo splashes Donnie, Raph joining in once Donnie starts sputtering. Before there’s an all out war, he finds his mouth moving faster than his brain. “So we’re okay?”
All three turtles stop and stare at him. Oh, wow, great — now they’re going to make fun of him for being more vulnerable than he already has been and—
“We’re okay,” Leo reassures. It’s like the answer comes to him as easy as breathing.
It reminds Casey to take a breath. “Okay, okay good! Duh!”
Raph knocks his shoulder again, a bit more gently — a bit more fondly. “Duh. Now you gonna show off that seal stuff or what?”
He smirks at the question and starts to move away from the group, grabbing his pelt and hauling it over his shoulders. “Well, I mean, if you’re gonna ask for it…”
“Yes!” Mikey cheers from the other side of the pond. “Seal Casey!”
Casey lets out an affronted trill. “You just like me cause of my seal side, don’t you?”
Mikey beams innocently. “Is there another reason I’m supposed to like you?”
That smile is easily wiped off the orange turtle's face when Casey returns it, full of sharp teeth. He wastes no time disappearing into the water, chuckling as Mikey starts panicking.
He quickly moves to drag Mikey under, eager to get revenge in everyone’s eyesight. Maybe they’ll be happy too, considering it’ll be a sight to see. It’s not everyday Dr.Prankenstein gets taken down!
And, as he barrels into the youngest turtle, Casey’s delighted to hear the cheers of his family echoing behind him.
Turns out, telling them his biggest secret was the best thing he ever could’ve done.
“So… what is a selkie?”
“Wha— Leo, didn’t Donnie say I was a selkie?”
“Donnie did, Casey. Me and Raph have no clue what that means. Or April, for that matter.”
“But you’re brothers! You got that freaky ninja mind meld!”
“Okay, I don’t know what Mikey told you but we do not have a ninja mind meld—“
“That’s what people with a ninja mind meld would say.”