Chapter Text
When he opens his eyes, he’s surprised to see anything other than darkness. He’s surprised to smell that distinct hospital scent. In the prison dimension, there was never any smell. And it was never this bright. Never this overstimulating.
It’s so bright now that the light hurts his eyes, and he can only make out five blurry shapes surrounding him. They’re murmuring, saying things. Their voices are familiar, yet feel foreign—like he hasn’t heard them in years. And after being so used to the silence of the prison dimension, even the smallest noise feels overwhelming.
Needless to say, his entire body aches. He feels completely numb, especially in his shell—it’s a sharp, stabbing pain that won’t let up.
When his eyes finally adjust to the light… he sees them.
And this time, they don’t look like a hallucination. They’re not a dream.
They seem genuinely real. Which somehow makes everything even more confusing.
In front of him are his brothers.
Yes, they’ve changed. They look different. So different that it makes him doubt if they’re really them.
But Leo knows they’re his brothers. His ninpo tells him so.
In the prison dimension, time seemed to stand still.
But now, more aware of his surroundings, he can see how the years have passed… He can see it in each of his brothers.
All three turtles’ eyes are glassy, as if they’re all on the verge of crying.
He can see his twin brother—now clearly older—looking at him like he’s a ghost. Like he’s something impossible to get back… but somehow, they got him back.
Donatello is taller now. Leo would swear he’s twenty or twenty-one. His tech is different, maybe more advanced. But he still wears those signature glasses. His eyes are full of worry. The same could be said for the others.
God… Raphael can barely fit through the entrance to the med bay—or what looks like a med bay.
“You took your time,” he says, breaking the ice.
Because that’s the only thing that comes to mind.
Because that’s the only thing that comes out of his stupid mouth. A joke.
Seeing them all looking at him like he’s a piece of glass about to shatter is overwhelming.
Seeing their faces—so familiar yet so different—makes his heart race.
And it overwhelms him so much that he falls back on humor. As if he hadn’t been trapped with the Krang just seconds ago.
The others glance at each other. Then they look at him again, with an expression he can’t quite read… but that could very well be disappointment.
After all, isn’t that what he always does? Disappoint them.
“Leo…” Donnie’s voice breaks—almost laughing hysterically—and then his twin hugs him.
Imagine how pathetic he must look right now, for Donnie to feel pity and hug him. His twin never initiates hugs.
The squeeze hurts, yeah. But he doesn’t complain. Because he hasn’t been hugged since…
Well, Leo doesn’t even know how long it’s been.
He couldn’t keep track of time in the prison dimension. At first he tried, but when the Krang slams your head into a rock enough times, your brain tends to get fuzzy.
Or you end up with a concussion that makes you forget things.
Leo looks at the others while Donnie keeps holding him.
He sees Mikey through tears. God, Mikey looks so much older it makes Leo want to cry even more.
How long has he been gone?
He sees Raph.
Raph won’t even look at him. He turns away.
But Leo can still hear his sobs.
And he knows exactly what it means: that his older brother is so disappointed in him, he can’t even bear to look at him.
And Leo understands. After all, he caused the apocalypse. He let the Foot Clan get the key. He freed the Krangs.
All because of his stupid ego.
He doesn’t understand why they rescued him. Why they didn’t just leave him there. He deserved to stay there.
“I don’t get it…” he hears Mikey say. And he can’t believe how different his voice sounds. It’s not a kid’s voice anymore. God, no one here sounds—or looks—like they used to. “Why hasn’t he aged?”
Everyone looks at him. Even Raph, who had been avoiding his gaze until now.
Then someone pushes through the group.
A figure Leo recognizes instantly: Draxum.
He stares at him, frowning, inspecting him like he can’t believe he’s real.
Leo probably has some stupid, pathetic, confused expression on his face.
“According to my reports, the prison dimension is designed to contain. Even time itself is affected there. And, without a doubt, your brother’s body has suffered the consequences of that.” Draxum pauses, lets out a heavy sigh, and continues: “Leonardo is still fourteen years old… despite having been locked up for seven years.”
Leo swallows hard.
He looks at his hands. Touches his face.
His heart pounds in his chest.
Of course time didn’t pass there.
That dimension didn’t even let him… d̶i̶e̶.
Of course it wouldn’t let him age either.
Seven years.
S̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶s̶e̶d̶.
No wonder his brothers look so different.
No wonder this med bay doesn’t look anything like the one he remembers.
“But he’ll… be okay, right?” Donnie asks Draxum. The yokai nods. Everyone exhales in relief.
They all look at him with a deep, heavy concern.
“Leo, listen. You need to rest,” Mikey says, sounding nervous. Leo notices his hands shaking.
And when he looks more closely, he sees orange cracks running along Mikey’s fingers. He doesn’t dare ask what they are. He’s already been a burden enough.
“This must be overwhelming for you. That’s why you need to rest. We can explain everything later. Even April and Casey said they’d come once they finish work.”
Mikey tries to cheer him up, but his voice is… different.
Like he’s talking to a child.
Like he’s talking to a sheet of paper about to tear.
Like he doesn’t think Leo understands what’s going on.
But isn’t that exactly what he is?
Still a kid.
A nuisance.
A̵ ̵p̵l̵a̵g̵u̵e̵.̵
The Krang’s voice booms in his head like thunder.
Only he seems to hear it.
It pulls him away from the moment.
The murmurs calling his name blur together.
Darkness begins to cover his vision again.
He feels himself going from half-sitting back to lying down on the cot.
Feels himself slipping away again.
Feels the Krang’s laughter tearing through his mind.
How is it still there, in his head?
How is it still laughing at him?
Is any of this even real?
Or is it just another hallucination?
Leo hopes it’s a hallucination.
Because his brothers sound so different now, it scares him.
Because thinking of all the time he’s lost—everything he’s missed in their lives—makes the prison dimension sound almost comforting. They should never have pulled him out.
It’s too much to process.
Finally, Leo falls unconscious.