Archive of Our Own ^beta

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.

Chapter Text

Donnie couldn’t believe what was happening.
They had really done it.
After almost losing hope, they had gotten their brother back. His twin.

But Donnie knew something was wrong the very first moment he saw his brother’s body.
He shouldn’t look that small.
Or that… d̶e̶a̶d̶.

For a second, Donnie thought they had pulled out a corpse.

But when Baron Draxum confirmed that Leo still had a pulse, they rushed him straight to the medical bay in Donnie’s lab. Not the old one in the lair, but the new one he had built in the Hidden City to help yokai after the invasion. It had grown into his company: Hamato’s Tech, which was slowly earning its place in the city.

Donatello still couldn’t process it.
After all the effort.
After seven years.
They had finally pulled Leo out of that dimension—still a mystery to them, but certainly a hell for Leonardo.

Of course, Donnie hadn’t expected his brother to come back with the same age he had when he first went into the Prison Dimension. He expected Leo to look older, like the rest of them.
But it didn’t matter.
That was just a detail.
What mattered was that their brother was finally with them.

After a few days of healing his wounds and keeping him under observation in the medical bay, Leonardo had woken up… only to become overwhelmed and faint again.
Donnie didn’t know what to do.
He didn’t know how to handle any of this.
But he was the one who stayed behind at night to watch over Leo, while his other brothers went to rest.

He saw Leo tossing and turning in the bed, muttering in pain.

Leo looked so small.
So broken.
Leo wasn’t supposed to look like this.

"Please… stop," his brother whispered, pleading.

Donnie’s stomach twisted.
He saw Leo frowning, letting out small whimpers of pain.

"Please…"

So, in an attempt to ease Leo’s burden, Donnie reached out and took his hand.
Through his ninpo, he let Leo know that he was there.
Even if it was just to offer the tiniest sense of safety.

It had been so long since they had connected like this, as twins.
But Donnie hoped that, no matter how many years had passed, Leo would still accept his ninpo.

And he did.

His brother seemed to relax.
Little by little, Leo opened his eyes.
Donnie watched him stare back with confused, disoriented eyes.

"Get some more sleep, Lee. You need it," he said softly, trying to sound confident.
But if he was being honest, the only thing he wanted was for his brother to stay awake.
They had waited so long for this moment… it felt unfair to have to keep waiting even now that Leo was finally back. Yes, he knew it sounded selfish, but Donnie really had missed him.

Leo didn’t respond. He just closed his eyes and began to cry.
Donnie watched him sob, tremble, fall apart right in front of him.

And it was like something cracked inside him too.

He couldn’t stand seeing Leo like this.

He couldn’t imagine everything Leo had suffered at the hands of the Krang—especially after examining his wounds: the fracture in his shell, the breaks in almost every bone, the bruises, the cuts that would scar…
And Donnie couldn’t help but think they had taken too long.

Yes, they had brought him back.
But they had still failed him.

Because the Krang had hurt Leo in ways none of them could ever understand.

Because they hadn’t spent seven years in that place—where there was probably no food, no water, no one. Leo had been completely alone. Seven years alone, with only the Krang for company. Just the thought of it made Donnie’s stomach churn.

Because they hadn’t returned to a world that had changed without them. They had grown. But Leo hadn’t. They would never truly understand him.

That made Donnie feel even worse.
Why did everything feel so unfair?
Why did his heart ache so much even though he finally had his other half back?

It wasn’t fair.

He didn’t want to see Leo suffer. His little brother had already suffered enough.

"It’s okay… I’m here," he whispered, moving closer and wrapping Leo in an embrace.

He knew he’d been an idiot in the past.
That he hadn’t valued what he had.

Like the saying goes: you don’t realize what you have until you lose it.

And that’s exactly what it felt like when Leo was gone.

The lair had been silent. A suffocating silence that hurt worse than any punch.

No jokes. No sarcasm. No witty comebacks from Leo.

Everything had felt wrong without him.

Donnie realized just how much he missed Leo barging into his lab late at night. Leo never slept, and he would just talk about anything and everything.
Donnie used to treat it like background noise.
Like a podcast that never shut up.

And for a couple of days after the invasion, he couldn’t create anything new.
Because he needed Leo’s presence there.
He needed that noise, the noise he had once claimed to hate… but now missed with all his being.

And he knew that from then on, his nights in the lab would be unbearably silent.

Later, when he turned sixteen without Leo, it was like being doused in ice water. That was when he realized—they weren’t twins anymore.

It was the worst birthday of his life.
He didn’t even leave the lab.
He locked himself in and cried.

After that, he stopped celebrating his birthday altogether.
There was no point without Leo.

And he thought…
Maybe, when his brother felt better, when things began to settle…
They could have a party.
A huge party.
The kind you never forget.

But now wasn’t the time to think about that. Now, he had to take care of Leo.
He had to give him security. He had to tell him so many things… so many things that had happened…

Like Splinter’s death. Something Donnie didn’t even know how he’d say without breaking down.

Splinter had died two years ago, of old age.
No mystical medicine or Donnie’s inventions could stop it.
The inevitable had simply come.
And they had to endure it.

At that moment, it felt like they had lost someone all over again.

Donnie wanted to cry.
Splinter never got to see Leo again. They had taken too long.

Then he saw Leo stir again. He had been resting peacefully, but now he looked distressed once more.

Suddenly, Leo bolted upright, panting, drenched in sweat.
He looked around, confused.
And then his gaze landed on Donnie, with an expression of awe.

"Donnie?" Leo asked between gasps.

Donnie nodded, holding back tears.

"Is it… r-really you?" Leo’s voice cracked, trying to steady his breathing.

"Yes, Leo. It’s me. You’re home."

His brother looked at him for a second.
He looked like a scared child.
So broken that Donnie wanted to destroy something, anything.
Again, Leo wasn’t supposed to look like this.
So small.

"Then… if I’m home… why can I still hear him in my head, Donnie?" His desperate smile sent shivers down Donnie’s spine.

And Donatello froze.

He watched his brother break down again, crying, sobbing, clutching himself as if that was the only thing keeping him together.

Donnie feared he might hurt himself, with how tightly he dug his claws into his own skin.

So he moved closer.
Slowly.
And embraced him.
He used his ninpo again, this time as a balm.
Letting it flow with protective intent, like a blanket wrapping around Leo completely.

"I’m here… Focus on me, not on him," he whispered, referring to the Krang, as he tried to soothe his brother. "Please, Leo…"

He felt his brother trembling in his arms.
But he also noticed how, little by little, Leo began to calm down.
How his breathing began to match his, pressed close against his plastron.

Leo stayed there. Silent.
He didn’t look as terrified anymore.

But Donnie knew this wasn’t over.
He knew they would have to stay like this the entire night.

Until his brother could breathe without fear.

Chapter Text

Leo, as the days went by, was finally awake. He still couldn’t leave the med bay, but his wounds were healing properly thanks to the advanced technology of his twin brother, who hadn’t left his side since he woke up.

Mikey had been there the whole time too, telling him about all kinds of things that Leo couldn’t quite process. April and Casey Jr. had also come by, and Leo had to fight the urge to cry when he saw them—older, just like his brothers.

April had always been older than them, but now she really looked like an adult woman. Her hair was no longer tied up in her signature two buns; she wore it loose, and she dressed like a professional TV reporter. Casey Jr. looked sharp too, dressed well, like he hadn’t come from an alternate future gone horribly wrong… horribly wrong because of him.

“It’s really you,” April whispered the first time she saw him. Both humans stood by his bedside while he lay there, still weak. Leo saw her eyes welling with tears. “When Donnie told me they had finally gotten you back… I thought it was a dream… Oh, Leo—” his older sister broke down in tears and hugged him.

He didn’t resist. It was still hard for him to get used to touch when it wasn’t a hit, but it felt so good to hug her back. God, he had missed her so much… he had missed them all.

“Yeah, your favorite younger brother is back,” he joked, trying to hold back his own tears as he returned her embrace. He glanced at Casey, standing awkwardly to the side, holding what looked like a professional camera. April pulled back from the hug and looked at Casey, silently urging him to speak. The boy sighed heavily, and then the tears broke through.

“I’m sorry, Leo…” he said, wiping his face as he sobbed between hiccups. He might have looked older, but to Leo, he was still the same kid from the future who once called him “the greatest ninja of all time.” “I doomed you, it was all my fault.”

That threw Leo off. Casey hadn’t done anything wrong. He had followed orders, done everything right… unlike Leo himself.

“Hey, remember what I told you before you closed the portal?” Casey froze. Too much time had passed, and panic clouded his memory, blotting out details from that day—memories his therapist was still helping him untangle. Seeing his hesitation, Leo answered his own question. “I told you that my future self would be proud of you. That I was proud of you then, now, and always. You didn’t doom me, Casey Jones Jr. You saved the world. I knew you could make that choice when no one else could. So don’t cry—you didn’t doom me at all, okay?”

The boy trembled, set the camera down, and collapsed onto Leo’s bed, breaking completely. He had forgotten those words. Forgotten what Leo had told him. And now he could finally let go of the weight that had haunted him for all these years since his sensei had been gone. Leo stroked his hair gently, and Casey clung to him in a desperate hug.

Leo never thought he’d get two hugs in the same day. Since waking up, all he had been shown was love and care. But deep down, he felt he didn’t deserve it. His family had suffered for years because of him. Poor Casey had carried guilt all this time… how many more lives had he ruined?

When Casey finally calmed down, they parted. That was when Mikey came back into the room—he had left earlier to give them privacy with the humans.

“Lee, Don says you need to take your meds.” Mikey handed him a pill along with a glass of water. It was the medicine Leo had been taking these past days. Donnie had explained it was something he and Draxum had developed—designed to speed up the healing factor of mutants and even worked for yokai, since it contained mystic energy.

“Thanks, Mike.” Leo swallowed the pill with the water, and almost instantly the pain that had been nagging at him began to ease.

“Oh, Mikey, have you seen Raphael? I need him for my new report; after all, it’s about his dojo,” April asked, her voice full of excitement. That caught Leo off guard.

“Dojo?”

Everyone turned to him, surprised—especially April and Casey.

“Yeah, Master Raphael has a dojo in the Hidden City. He opened it with my mom two years ago! I think it’s almost as popular as Big Mama’s Nexus!” Casey explained with enthusiasm.

Leo blinked. It sounded exactly like something Raphael would do. The fact that he had opened it with Cassandra shocked him even more. He didn’t want to think too much about Raph, though. His older brother had been avoiding him, unable to even meet his eyes whenever he was in the med bay. Leo couldn’t stop thinking about how disappointed Raphael must be. He wanted to apologize, admit he was right, admit he had been an idiot. It had never been about him. It never was.

“You didn’t tell Leo about Raph’s dojo?” April turned to Mikey.

“I wanted Raph to tell him himself. I thought… at the very least, he’d say something.” Mikey looked frustrated, maybe even a little angry.

“It’s fine. I’m sure the big guy has plenty to do.” Leo tried to ease Mikey’s guilt. He wasn’t angry at Raphael—his brother had every right to stay away. Leo was the one who ruined everything. He didn’t listen when he should have, and because of him, Raph had been krangified. Raph had almost died. They had all almost died… and it was his fault. “I mean, I don’t want to be a bother. Mikey and Donnie already spend too much time looking after me instead of focusing on their work…”

Everyone stared at him, concerned. Mikey especially looked angry.

“Leo, we literally just got you back. Of course we want to be here. You’re our priority right now. And I thought Raph got that… I don’t know why he’s acting like this, but I’ll talk to him—”

The heavy silence was too much, and Leo cut in quickly.

“It’s fine, really. But… why don’t you guys tell me what you’ve been up to? I want to know everything I’ve missed. And you too, Mikey. I know you said you paint murals in the Hidden City, but I want details.”

They exchanged glances, but Casey wiped his face and started to explain.

Casey was April’s right-hand man at work, her cameraman. He was also part of one of the city’s hockey teams—turns out growing up in a post-apocalyptic future gave him incredible reflexes.

April was now a lead reporter for one of the biggest TV networks in New York. She had gained recognition for her coverage of the Krang invasion and was thriving in her career.

As for Mikey—Leo wasn’t even sure he could still call him “little brother.” Mikey was twenty now, older than Leo, who was still fourteen. He painted murals on commission for yokai businesses, and he had even done one for Hueso’s restaurant. Just hearing the name made Leo’s chest ache with longing. God, he wanted to see Hueso more than anything. Maybe the world had changed, but surely that place hadn’t.

Leo wouldn’t lie—a part of him loved listening to Mikey talk happily about how their lives had changed, how crime dropped after the invasion, how they had all managed to live relatively normal lives again.
But another part of him couldn’t ignore how left behind he felt.

To them, the Krang were over. A nightmare turned into a story of survival.
To Leo, the Krang were still inside him.

A voice in his head that never left him alone. He couldn’t talk about it like they did, couldn’t even think about it without slipping back into that abyss.

For his family, the invasion was the past.
For Leo, it was still his present.

Eventually, the conversation ended. April and Casey had to return to New York. Mikey needed to prepare supplies for his murals. They all said goodbye, assuring him Donnie would be back in an hour. And so they left him alone.

He hated being alone. But of course, he would never say it. When no one was there, when there was no sound… he could feel himself sinking back into the abyss.

Panic rose in his chest. Breathing was impossible. He remembered the blows, the voice, the searing red glow in that black wasteland. He curled in on himself—if he didn’t move, if he didn’t scream, if he didn’t make a sound… maybe he wouldn’t find him.

All he had to do was stay quiet.
Until he got bored and went away.

𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐧, 𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭? 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤?

He heard the laughter.
He heard his heart pounding, his ragged breaths.
But he couldn’t move. He was frozen.
Just silence. Silence would keep him safe… right?

. . .

Donnie got back later than planned. Meetings with yokai officials had eaten his whole afternoon. Running your own company at twenty-two was a headache he hadn’t fully signed up for. He just wanted to see Leo, to make sure his brother was still there, still okay.

Mikey had texted him that Leo had taken his meds, so Donnie assumed everything was fine.

But when he reached the med bay, he froze.

Leo was curled up on one side of the bed, trembling, sweating, lost in some invisible nightmare.

Donnie dropped everything and rushed to him. He recognized it instantly—a panic attack. His chest tightened. He wasn’t good at this. Mikey would know what to do. But Mikey wasn’t here.

Unlike the nightmare from before, Leo wasn’t making a sound. Silent, but shaking violently. And somehow, that silence was even worse.

Donnie did the only thing he knew. He used his ninpo, carefully, as a tether—trying to let Leo know he was there. And he thought it worked. Slowly, he saw his brother’s shoulders drop, his trembling ease just slightly.

“I’m here, Leo,” he said softly.

Leo’s unfocused gaze snapped toward him. Donnie had his attention. That was something, at least.

“How about we breathe together? Just follow me.” He exaggerated his breaths—inhale… exhale… slow and steady.

Leo mirrored him, shaky and uneven at first, but he followed.

“That’s it… good. You’re doing great, Nardo. Just focus on my voice. You’re here. You’re home.”

Bit by bit, Leo’s breathing slowed. His eyes cleared. The tension bled out of him.

“There you go, Nardo. You did it.”

Donnie’s mind spun. What had triggered this? If he could find the cause, he could prevent it in the future. But when he gently asked, “Leo… do you think you can tell me what happened?” Leo only shook his head, pulling into himself even tighter.

Donnie sighed. Too soon. He was no Mikey; emotions weren’t his strong suit.

“All right. That’s okay. I’ll stay right here.”

Leo nodded faintly. He didn’t speak, still too raw.

Donnie settled into the chair by his bed, arms crossed on the blanket beside him. He’d keep watch tonight.

Chapter Text

When he woke up, he felt rather numb; everything around him made him dizzy. He realized he was in the infirmary, and that, in fact, he could feel his twin brother’s ninpo like a sort of invisible protection. When he turned his head, he saw Donnie asleep in the chair next to his bed. He looked around again, then at his hands, which were trembling, and for some reason his chest ached. Then he remembered: they had left him alone. He had panicked, thinking he was back in that place, back with him.

But if he could feel his brother’s ninpo, and could see Donnie right there in the flesh, then he wasn’t there, and he had nothing to fear… right? He watched as his brother shifted uncomfortably in the chair and opened his eyes, finally waking up.

“Leo, you’re awake.”
Leo nodded and gave him a faint smile so he wouldn’t worry. He tried to answer, tried to say ;'same goes for you' but the words wouldn’t leave his mouth, and he choked on them. Why couldn’t he speak?

“Leo?”Donnie asked, concerned, noticing the confused look on his brother’s face. Leo wanted to say ;'don’t worry, I’m fine' but the words just wouldn’t come.

It was like a primal fear that kept him from forming sounds. He never spoke in there; if he did, the Krang would find him. And besides, he was alone. What good would speaking do if no one could hear him? He also realized how much he used to chatter before, and how annoying he must have been to his brothers. Maybe it was better this way: in silence.

"Why aren’t you answering? Are you in pain?” Leo shook his head and pointed at his mouth, hoping Donnie would understand. Donnie watched him for a couple of minutes, until he seemed to figure out his incapacity. That didn’t ease his worry.

“It’s okay, relax. We’ll figure this out… do you remember the sign language we used when we were kids?”
Leo nodded. When they were little, before they had developed their vocal abilities as mutants, Donnie had discovered they could communicate through gestures. It wasn’t quite the same as human sign language, but it worked for them. They didn’t use it much anymore, though it was handy in stealth missions.

Donnie let out a heavy sigh, then began signing as he spoke:
“When I got here… you were bad. You weren’t moving, you weren’t answering, you weren’t speaking… not even groaning in pain. You looked like a statue and…”he rested his hands a moment before continuing,“I got really worried. I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but it would be good to know what caused it… so we can avoid it.”

He finished with a nervous smile. Leo shrugged and curled up against the pillow, avoiding his gaze.

“It was dark, I was alone…” Leo signed, clumsily. “It was like that place.”
Donnie’s face twisted in horror. He stopped signing, speaking out loud instead, anxious and guilty:
“Oh, shit, Leo… I’m sorry. From now on I’ll make sure the lights stay on and someone will always stay with you. We were reckless leaving you alone.”

Leo felt worse. He didn’t want Donnie to feel guilty. But… wasn’t that the only thing he did? Ruin everything.

𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞.

He shook his head. He never wanted to hear that voice again. Donnie was here, at home, not there. (Maybe if he repeated it to himself enough times, his useless brain would finally believe it.)

“It’s fine… not important,” he signed, still unable to form the words. Donnie looked just as worried as before.

“Yes, it is. You’re important…”There was a minute of silence. Donnie stared at him as if he had just realized something. —“Do you think you’re not important to us?”

Leo swallowed hard. He didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t know how to lie, how to get out of it. His hands trembled, and suddenly everything felt too overwhelming. Donnie let out a half-hysterical, almost tearful laugh.

“It’s been so long and I… do you have any idea how much we missed you? Sure, maybe now you see us as ‘responsible adults,’ but before? Before we were broken without you. We were a mess, Leo.”Leo saw him cry. It had been such a long time since he’d seen Donnie cry, not since they were little. That made him feel even worse.

“I’m sorry,” Leo signed desperately, ashamed.
Donnie looked at him with frustration and surprise.

“No, don’t apologize…”he sighed heavily, trying to keep calm. —“I’m just trying to tell you that you are important to us. And never, not once, did we give up on you.”

Leo stared at him, shocked. He would never understand. Never understand why his brothers had fought so hard for someone like him. He wished he could know, or at least understand how they could love him so much despite all his mistakes. He didn’t understand how they didn’t hate him. Sometimes he wished he could silence his brain and believe Donnie, just for a moment.

Sometimes he wished his tears would stop falling. To stop thinking about the Krang and all the harm they had caused him. To stop being looked at as a poor victim, as if he hadn’t been the one to cause the apocalypse in the first place. He didn’t deserve that look of pity.

He just cried, felt Donnie’s embrace, and even if he didn’t deserve it, he accepted it. Because he was weak. And foolish.

. . .

As the days passed, Leo improved physically thanks to Hamato Tech’s special medicine and his own healing factor. Only a few scars remained, unfortunately permanent, on both his shell and his skin. But if he wanted to look at the bright side, at least he could now leave the infirmary with crutches, and from that day on, they never left him alone. They took turns; even April and Casey stayed over a couple of times.

Some days he talked with the others. Some days he kept silent, not even signing, because he just wanted to sleep in the cot and forget about the world.

On many nights (most of them, actually) the nightmares about the Krang were horrible, and he couldn’t help thinking he’d never be able to forget them.

He also noticed a couple of things: Raphael and Splinter were nowhere to be found, and that worried him a little. Though deep down, he thought they were just too disappointed in him to even want to be in the same room.

That day, in particular, Mikey had suggested a movie night. He mentioned something about a Jupiter Jim reboot that Leo had missed because, well, he’d been trapped in a prison dimension. Everyone was there, except Raphael and their father. Leo glanced in the direction where the rat man’s room used to be… and didn’t notice April approaching, who had just arrived for movie night.

“Leo… is something wrong?” His older sister looked at him worriedly. He tensed up; the others were in the background, preparing everything for the movie.

“I was just wondering…”This time he could form the words. This time he wanted to be clear and know what was going on. This time he wasn’t as broken as other times. "I haven’t seen Dad since I got back and I… I just want to know… is he o-okay?”

Everyone froze at that moment and looked at Leo, uncomfortable, as if he had just made a mistake. He heard April sigh heavily before speaking.

“I’m sorry, Leo… he left us two years ago…”

It was like being doused with ice-cold water. His brothers watched his face pale as he swayed. His knees gave out, and he collapsed to the floor along with his crutches. His eyes welled up again. He looked at the others, hoping someone would contradict what he had just heard. But everyone avoided his gaze.

He curled in on himself and felt his hands tremble again. Splinter was dead.

But he didn’t understand. How could he be dead? Yes, his father was old, but he was in good shape. The last time he saw him, he’d been fine. For God’s sake, his father was “Lou Jitsu,” and “Lou Jitsu” couldn’t be dead. The hero never died.

Then the realization struck again. Seven years had passed. Leo had lost seven years of his family’s life. His father had aged, died, and he had missed it all: the funeral, his last words… everything.

He felt everyone gather around him and saw them through his broken, tear-streaked face. Speaking became difficult again. But, even though he had ruined movie night by reminding them of something so painful, they chose to surround him in an embrace and stay with him while he fell apart.

Chapter Text

Mikey walked straight to the doors of his older brother’s dojo. They opened automatically—as much as the place looked like a traditional Japanese training hall, Donnie had installed plenty of technological upgrades: customized sparring robots, traditional weapons enhanced with modern features, all proudly displayed within the dojo of the Hamato clan.

But Mikey wasn’t here to train today.

He was here to talk to Raphael.

Inside, Raph was in the middle of sparring against one of Donnie’s advanced robots. It only took him a few minutes to take it down, crushing it with a powerful ninpo strike. He stood there for a moment, panting, wiping sweat from his brow, completely unaware of Mikey watching from the doorway. That was when the youngest decided to make his presence known.

“Raph.” Mikey greeted with a bright tone, trying to sound casual, hiding the real reason why he had come.

Raph turned, and when he saw him, a big grin spread across his face.

“Mikey.” He pulled him into one of his bone-crushing hugs, the kind that nearly knocked the air out of him.

“Eh—R-Raph—!” Mikey wheezed, half-laughing nervously until his brother finally let him go.

“Uh, sorry. Rapha apologizes.” Raph stepped back, giving him room to breathe. “So, what brings you here, little brother? You here to train?” He threw a few playful punches in the air, as if daring him to a fight. “You and Donnie haven’t come in a while.”

“Well... we’ve been busy.” Mikey sighed, the weight of his thoughts sinking into his voice. Raph tilted his head, curious. “And that’s exactly why I came to talk to you.”

The smile slipped from Raph’s face. His features hardened, and with a weary exhale, he turned away.

“Sorry. Rapha needs to train. Not much time to talk…” he muttered, heading back toward the arena.

“Oh, no. You’re not doing this.” Mikey followed, but Raph was already reactivating the robots. One of them lunged at him immediately, forcing Mikey to dodge in frustration. Ever since the invasion, his brother had buried himself in the dojo, drowning in endless training, like his emotions were something he could punch away. Mikey wasn’t going to let that happen again—not now that Leo was home.

Determined, he pulled out his mystic yoyo and flung it straight at the robot’s head. A sharp tug, a perfect flip—and the machine collapsed, sparks flying. Raph blinked in surprise, not expecting Mikey to react so fast.

But before either could speak, the rest of the robots activated all at once, surrounding them.

“What the heck? Why are they this strong?!” Mikey shouted, ducking under a strike.

“They’re on advanced mode. That’s how I train.” Raph grunted, blocking a hit and countering with his mystic fists. “Though... they weren’t supposed to activate all at once. Must be glitching—I forgot to ask Donnie to check them.”

They fought back-to-back, weaving between blows. Mikey flipped and spun with practiced agility, though he couldn’t ignore the dark circles under Raph’s eyes, the fatigue in his movements, the heavy weight hanging over him. His brother wasn’t okay—and that scared him.

“I said we need to talk, and we will.” Mikey slammed his yoyo into an enemy’s chest, his voice full of steel.

“I’ll talk about whatever you want, little bro, but right now Rapha’s busy with a couple of tin cans.” Raph growled, grabbing one robot and smashing it into the floor.

Mikey frowned. “Fine, then I’ll be direct.” With a swift spin, he downed his opponent and tied it up. “You’re avoiding Leo.”

The words hit harder than any punch. Raph froze—and a robot slammed him across the face, knocking him to the ground.

“Raph!” Mikey panicked. He hadn’t expected him to falter like that. His eyes darted to the control panel. With a precise throw, his yoyo hit the red button on the wall, shutting down every robot instantly.

He ran to his brother, who was still on the floor, breathing hard, bruises already forming across his face.

“Raph...” Mikey’s stomach twisted. “I’ll go get medical supplies—”

“N-no, I’m fine.” Raph raised a shaky hand to stop him, still struggling for breath.

That broke Mikey’s patience. “Ahh! I don’t get you, Rapha!” he shouted, louder than he meant to. Raph looked at him, startled by his intensity. “Why are you avoiding us? Why are you avoiding Leo?!”

Raph lowered his gaze. The silence between them was suffocating.

“Tell me!” Mikey pleaded. “Because I really want to understand you!”

Raph clenched his fists, eyes squeezed shut.

“Because I FAILED!” His roar shook the dojo walls. His shoulders trembled. “I failed Leo the moment he thought he had to sacrifice himself to be a good leader... a hero.” His voice cracked, and the dam finally broke. The tears he’d been holding back spilled freely.

Mikey’s heart clenched. He sat down beside him.

“Leo’s sacrifice wasn’t your fault, Raph.” His words were firm, though gentle.

Raph looked at him with desperation. “I was supposed to protect you all. I was supposed to protect him. But when I saw him again... his face... it reminded me of everything I did wrong.”

“Raph...” Mikey took his battered hands into his own. “We were kids. You were a kid.”

The older turtle stared at him, as if hearing something he’d never allowed himself to believe.

“We were kids carrying the weight of saving the world. Do you really think you could’ve protected us from everything? No one could.” Mikey sighed heavily. “We all made mistakes. But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is that Leo needs us now.”

Raph’s lips trembled. “I’m scared, Mikey. I’m scared of seeing him. Of looking him in the eye. He hasn’t changed at all... and I still remember my hands around his neck…” He stared at his hands, shaking, horrified.

Mikey wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “That wasn’t you, Raph. And yeah, the past hurts. It always will. But if you stay stuck in it... you’ll lose the future.”

Raph broke down, letting himself lean on him.

“Leo found out about Dad. He needs you.”

Raph froze. He had forgotten. Of course Leo didn’t know... he’d spent all those years trapped, utterly alone with the Krang. Guilt churned in his stomach.

His eyes drifted to the far end of the dojo, where a hidden room held their father’s altar. The weight of Mikey’s words pressed on him. Splinter would’ve scolded him for leaving Leo like this.

“Is he out of the med bay yet?” he asked at last.

Mikey nodded.

“Good... then bring him here. Let him visit Dad’s altar. And... I’ll talk to him.”

Mikey’s face lit up. He threw his arms around him in a crushing hug, making Raph grunt in pain.

“Oops! Sorry!” Mikey pulled back quickly, smiling sheepishly. “We should get you to the infirmary. And... thanks, Raphie. I know Leo’s gonna be happy to see you.”

Raph gave a small nod, still unsure, but lighter than before. “I just hope I don’t mess it up.”

“You won’t. You’ve always been a good big brother.”

They walked together toward the infirmary, Mikey supporting him by the arm. Raph stayed quiet, bracing himself for what was coming. Tomorrow, he would see Leo. And face him.

Chapter Text

In that dark wasteland, the only sound was metal striking again and again against Leonardo’s shattered plastron, while his shell cracked under the pressure. The metallic claw pinned him against the rock with merciless force, crushing his organs until he vomited blood that stained his chest.

Through blurred vision, he could barely make out the red glow of Krang Prime’s eye. The alien brain’s laughter echoed in every direction, bouncing through his skull in endless reverberations. And though everything was already hell, Leonardo realized it could still get worse.

Without warning, the Krang pressed his other massive, heavy hand over his mouth, sealing his nostrils shut and cutting off his breath.

𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞… 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡?

The pressure on his face grew heavier. No air could pass. Desperate, he kicked and clawed at the grip, but his body was too weak.

Krang looked down at him as if he were nothing more than an insect under his heel. And truth be told, Leo had been reduced to that: an insect.

As the minutes dragged on, his vision dimmed. At last, he gave in. His limbs stopped resisting. He felt his lungs collapse, and the world around him fading to black.

He didn’t want to die. He was tired of dying. But he was nothing more than a toy to the Krang, who could kill him as many times as he wished. Nothing he felt or thought mattered. He wasn’t important.

𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

This time, it wasn’t the Krang’s voice that echoed—it was his own. His own mind. He was nothing but a plague, a pest, or whatever nickname the Krang decided to brand him with. He had never been anything—not to his brothers, nor to the world he had almost destroyed.

So death felt less like an end, and more like a deserved punishment that Leo accepted along with the darkness.

° ° °

Leo’s eyes flew open and he gasped for air. He breathed raggedly, staring around the med bay with panic.

With trembling hands, he clutched his throat, touched his chest, moving slowly, as if to convince himself the Krang’s claw was no longer there. His breathing finally steadied, but the memory had been so real it made him gag. He didn’t want to die again.

He looked down at the makeshift bed set up beside him for whoever was on watch at night. Tonight, it was Donnie’s turn. Relief washed over Leo when he saw his twin still fast asleep, snoring softly. He didn’t want to wake him. Better to leave him be. He had already caused enough trouble.

Leo let out a heavy sigh, sat up, and pushed the blanket aside. His eyes fell on his crutches leaning against the cot. He grabbed them, struggling to his feet, and made his way to the bathroom.

At the sink, he set the crutches against the counter and looked at his reflection. The face he had once taken pride in was now scarred. One cut split his lip, smaller ones marked his cheeks. Without his bandages, he could see the scars running across his torso. He probably couldn’t even recall when he’d received each wound. In the prison dimension, he had dissociated so often.

Sometimes not knowing was easier. Less painful. He knew, to the Krang, he had been nothing more than an insect—a plague to toy with. Probably useful only as entertainment.

And he knew how twisted it was, but the worst part wasn’t that. The worst part was that he missed it. He missed the punishment. Back in the prison dimension, things had been simpler. At least then, he had served some purpose.

Not like here. Not in this place he didn’t dare call home. Not when he still felt like a stranger to his own brothers. Not when Splinter was gone. His knees buckled, and he broke down crying in front of the mirror.

He still didn’t understand why they had brought him back. What use could Leonardo be now, when everyone else had moved on, grown up, while he was nothing but a burden?

He splashed water on his face to hide the fact that he had been crying. Today, they were supposed to visit the Hidden City. Mikey was so excited—he’d get to see Raphael. And Leo… he didn’t want to disappoint him more than he already had.

But his vision blurred, heavy with exhaustion and tears. He could barely make out his reflection anymore. By now, he had sunk onto the closed lid of the toilet, trying to steady himself.

Knocking sounded from the other side of the door, but Leo didn’t hear it. All he could hear was Krang’s laughter pounding in his ears. Why couldn’t he get it out of his head? The Krang was supposed to be gone.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭, 𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞.

The laughter rang louder, mocking him. Another knock shook the door, but Leo didn’t respond. He clutched his ears instead, desperate not to hear it.

“Shut up!” he screamed, trying to drown out the laughter, the banging, the voices calling his name, all clashing in a cacophony.

“Leo… can you let me in? I don’t know what’s going on, but I just want to help.” Donnie’s voice carried through the door, full of concern. And Leo was sick of it. Sick of him worrying. He didn’t deserve it. They had moved on without him—why were they still trying?

𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

That wasn’t the Krang’s voice. That was his own.

“Go away! Leave me alone!” he shouted, pounding his fist against the door. He leaned against it, only for his knees to buckle, sending him crumpling to the floor. A minute of silence followed, broken only by his pathetic sobs.

On the other side, Donnie let out a heavy sigh. He slid down the door too, sitting with his back against it. Quiet. Just waiting for Leo’s cries to fade. He should’ve known Leo wouldn’t take things well—that nothing could go back to normal so quickly. Not after Dad. Not after everything.

Donnie sat there listening, powerless. His brother had asked for space. He should probably return to bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Then, a whisper. So faint he almost thought he imagined it. He didn’t know if Leo had meant for him to hear it—but he did. And it froze him in place.

“They should’ve left me with the Krang.”

Donnie didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t. He just sat there, paralyzed, breath quick and shallow. It was all too much. He wasn’t good at this—at comforting, at finding the right words. He was supposed to be the “older twin” now, the mature one, the one who knew what to do. But the truth was… Donnie didn’t understand a damn thing.

“Don’t say that. Please…” His voice cracked into a plea.

But there was no answer from the other side of the door. And Donnie felt useless, because his brother didn’t want his help.

The twins stayed in silence until Donnie finally rose and walked away, clinging to the hope that tomorrow they might talk—that maybe, just maybe, the visit to Raph’s dojo would bring his brother a little light.

Chapter Text

To say Raphael was nervous would be an understatement. Today, his brother was coming to his dojo. The brother he had been avoiding, because he was still too afraid to face him. He remembered all too clearly the day they pulled Leo out of the Prison Dimension. Donnie and Draxum had worked together on an interdimensional portal, one that could only be activated with Michelangelo’s mystic powers.

They needed that mechanical portal as a catalyst because, according to Casey, if Mikey tried to use his powers the way he had before, he would die. And no one was willing to lose another loved one. That was why it had taken so long: they were searching for options, alternatives, any way to prevent another sacrifice.

During all that time, Raphael trained relentlessly. He shut himself away, perfected his techniques, learned new skills, and went over every lesson his father had taught him. When Splinter passed, he made the decision to open the Hamato Dojo in his honor. If only it had been as simple as it sounds.

His father’s knowledge, combined with the clan’s, needed to be passed on. If something like the invasion ever happened again, more people would know how to defend themselves. And in that process, Raphael discovered his vocation: teaching. His brothers were growing up; they didn’t need him as much anymore. But his students did. That gave him purpose.

Teaching, however, also brought a harsh kind of clarity. With each new student, Raph realized more and more of what he had done wrong with Leo. Maybe he should have been more attentive, controlled his temper, stopped pushing so hard. Some days, he wished he could turn back time and do it all over again—hoping that way, his little brother would never have felt the need to sacrifice himself.

But now, he had to remember Mikey’s words: he couldn’t live in the past. If he stayed trapped there, he’d lose the future. And Raphael wasn’t willing to keep failing as an older brother.

He had to focus. He had to apologize to Leo. He had to be there for him, now that Leo had learned about their father’s death—just like he had been for the rest of his brothers when it happened.

Raphael finished his last classes of the day, cleaned himself up, and straightened his clothes. He didn’t want to look careless. Mikey had scolded him about that while patching up his wounds. Then he cleaned the dojo from top to bottom. He wanted Leo to see it at its best. He was proud of what he had built.

He took in every detail: the cherry blossom murals Mikey had painted on the walls, the traditional weapons shining proudly on display, the training robots hidden away in the locker room after that “little altercation” with Mikey. Finally, he put on the uniform: a male yukata bearing the Hamato clan symbol. The dojo was ready. So was he—or at least, that’s what he wanted to believe.

As he finished tidying up, the automatic doors slid open. From the voices, he knew immediately it was his brothers.

“Raph, we’re here!” Mikey shouted, running over to hug him. Raphael welcomed him with a sincere smile, savoring the contact.

Donnie followed, and behind him, a little hesitant, was Leo.

“What happened to your face?” Donatello asked, pointing at the bandages on Raph’s cheek, courtesy of Mikey after his fight with the robots.

“This? Don’t worry about it. The training robots are glitching again.” Raph shrugged, right before hearing his scientist brother’s annoyed huff.

“Fine, I’ll fix them. But this better be the last time you break them.” Donnie headed toward the lockers, and Raph pointed out where he had hidden them.

That was when their eyes met. Leo immediately flinched, looking away nervously. Guilt twisted Raphael’s stomach. Leo barely spoke to him, barely even looked at him. How much worse had things gotten between them?

Mikey cleared his throat on purpose, breaking the heavy silence.

“I think I’ll go help Donnie.” And just like that, he left them alone. Raph knew perfectly well it was all part of Mikey’s “master plan.” And though he appreciated the effort, the truth was he had no idea how to begin. Before leaving, Mikey tilted his head slightly toward the room where Splinter’s altar was kept.

Raphael wasn’t great with hints, but even he caught that one.

He let out a heavy sigh.

“Lee… come on. I want to show you something.” He tried to sound steady, but Leo’s silence only made him more uncomfortable. “It’s… this way.”

He walked to the small hidden room, and Leo followed quietly, head down, limping along on his crutches.

The space was small, lit only by candles whose smoke mixed with the incense burning beside a photo of Splinter. Next to it was another photo of Lou Jitsu. Around them sat some of their father’s belongings and small tributes they had all left behind.

Raphael saw his younger brother freeze in place, staring at the altar. He could have sworn he heard a stifled sob slip from his lips. But he was afraid that if he tried to hug him, Leo would shatter completely.

“Listen, Lee… I’m sorry. I regret all the pressure I put on you. I regret being so hard on you. I never meant—”

He stopped. Leo was looking at him with wide, tearful eyes. That expression tore Raph apart.

“W-why are you apologizing?” His brother’s voice was broken, as if even speaking the words was almost too much. Still, Leo couldn’t tear his gaze away from Splinter’s altar, like he hadn’t fully processed it yet. “You were right, Raphie. You were always right. You have every right to be disappointed in me.”

Raphael felt his breath catch in his throat. That wasn’t what he wanted to say at all.

“No! I was never disappointed in you, Leo!” His voice boomed through the room. Too loud. He saw his brother flinch, finally tearing his eyes away from their father’s photo. He didn’t want to scare him. Why did he always ruin things?

“N-no, it’s fine. You were right. It was my fault the Foot Clan got the key.” Leo began to hyperventilate, words spilling out faster and faster, more desperate by the second. “It was my fault you got captured and krangified. I nearly brought the world to the End of Times!” He broke into hysterical laughter between sobs. “But you don’t have to worry anymore. I learned my lesson: it’s not about me! It was never about me—it’s always been about you!”

He spoke with such certainty it was terrifying. His words echoed Raphael’s own, twisted back at him.

“Look how much you all thrived without me!” Leo shouted through his tears.

Raphael couldn’t take it anymore.

“IT’S NOT TRUE!”

His fist slammed into the wall. The impact knocked their father’s photo off the shelf, shattering the frame. Leo looked at the broken pieces, then up at Raph’s furious face, his large form looming closer. And in that instant, he stopped seeing his brother.

He saw him.

Krang.

Panic engulfed him. Krang was there. He saw him, he heard him—his laughter drilling into his ears, the screech of metal tearing through his mind.

And maybe out of instinct or muscle memory, Leo just ran—dropping his crutches and fleeing. He didn’t think about anything else. Run, get away, escape the dojo. Maybe if he got far enough, he would stop hearing it.

He knew he would never escape. Deep down, he had never truly left.

Tears blinded him. He ran aimlessly, until he crashed headfirst into someone and both of them fell to the ground. The impact was harsh, but enough to pull him back to reality. If he had run into someone… then he wasn’t alone.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. And though his vision was blurred by tears, he could still make out the unmistakable silhouette of a rabbit.

Chapter Text

Leo barely knew what was happening, but when he opened his eyes, he saw him: that rabbit standing in front of him, looking both surprised and maybe a little worried. Everything was so confusing in Leo’s head right now that he could hardly process it.

When he tried to stand up, he failed miserably, realizing he couldn’t do it without his crutches, which he had left behind.

“Ah—sorry!” the rabbit said, his voice shaky and awkward. One detail Leo noticed was that he was wearing the waiter’s uniform from Hueso’s restaurant. “Sometimes I get distracted easily and don’t see where I’m going.”

The rabbit blinked several times as he looked at the turtle. The two of them just stood there for a few minutes. Leo shook his head and tried to get up, but again, it was impossible. He felt truly useless. He’d ruined everything with Raph, thinking, stupidly, that he had actually done something right.

He tried to stand again, but this time, instead of crashing back down, he felt someone grab his shoulder, stopping his fall.

“Looks like you need some help,” the rabbit said nervously with a laugh. “My name is Usagi, Yuichi Usagi.” He introduced himself with a smile. Leo felt embarrassed — not only because a stranger had helped him, but also because that stranger happened to be really cute. Usagi helped him up fully and steadied him to keep him from tripping again. “I think I’ve seen your face before. You’re… Leonardo Hamato, right?”

Leo blinked, not even sure what to say or think. His brain could barely keep up.

“Y-yeah, but… how do you know that?” he asked. The rabbit smiled again.

“There’s a portrait of you where I work, as a tribute. My boss always talks about you…”

Leonardo blinked several times, dazed. If this guy worked at Run of the Mill Pizza, then he was talking about Hueso. Which meant Hueso had put him up on the “wall of champions.” Something that, by now, Leo had completely forgotten about — and it made him feel awful. He didn’t deserve it.

“T-thank you for helping me,” he said timidly. The rabbit gave him such a sweet look that Leo knew he would never forget it.

“No problem. Do you have somewhere to go? Maybe I could take you to where I work. My boss would be happy to see you.”

Leo was surprised, then nodded, not wanting to go back to Raph’s dojo. He didn’t feel like facing his brothers right now… not after the mess he had caused.

“Great! This way.”

And before Leo could react, Usagi picked him up by the knees and carried him bridal-style. Leo had never been so embarrassed in his life.

“W-what are you doing?!” he stammered nervously. Usagi just laughed at his reaction.

“Relax, it’ll be easier this way. You clearly couldn’t walk on your own.”

The rabbit simply laughed again. Leo stood frozen for a moment before giving in. Being carried like this… it felt safe, though he hated to admit it.

He let the rabbit carry him, bounding across the rooftops of the Hidden City until they reached Run of the Mill Pizza. And in that entire trip, Leo realized he had stopped hearing Krang — or any of the dark thoughts that usually poisoned his mind.

° ° °

Hueso was a busy yokai: too many customers to serve, too much to do. During the invasion, his restaurant had been destroyed by the panic of fleeing yokai, so he’d had to rebuild it. Still, he hadn’t changed a thing. He wanted it exactly the same… and for one very particular reason.

That reason was a certain blue-banded turtle. After learning of his sacrifice, Hueso wanted Run of the Mill Pizza to be a safe place. He had watched everything around him change: los hermanos de pepino growing up, the Hidden City adjusting to the Hamato factor. And over the years, Hueso realized that when Pepino came back (because he never lost faith he would return), the boy would need a constant in a world that had moved on.

The only thing he changed in the old restaurant was the portrait of Leonardo on the wall of champions, because after saving the world, the boy deserved to be there.

As Hueso was closing up the restaurant, he saw one of his employees, Yuichi Usagi (whose shift had ended an hour ago), carrying a very familiar face.

“Mr. Hueso!” Yuichi called out, running over before the yokai could shut the doors. His eyes met Leonardo’s. The boy immediately looked embarrassed, laughing nervously. His employee set him down carefully, holding him steady since Leo clearly couldn’t stand well on his own.

“ t’s been a while, huh? you missed your favorite annoying turtle?” Leo joked, though his words carried a fragile undertone. He scanned Leo from head to toe, still not fully believing it. He couldn’t understand how Leo had the same face as when he’d left. His mind couldn’t process it.

Seven years had passed. By now the kid should be as grown as his kappa brothers. But there he was: the same face Hueso remembered. And yet, despite that, Hueso knew he wasn’t the same.

He could see the scars, the weariness etched into him, and those hollow eyes that looked like they’d lost their fire a long time ago. Whatever his Pepino had gone through, it must have broken him to pieces.

Without hesitation, he pulled Leo into a hug, unwilling to let go. He had missed his annoying voice more than anything, that immature grin, those dumb jokes. Hueso hadn’t just gotten back a regular customer — he had gotten his son back.

They pulled apart. Leo looked at him through tears. The older yokai glanced around, then asked:

“Where are your brothers, Pepino?”

Leo gave him an uncomfortable look, as if regretting something.

“At Raph’s dojo, but… I don’t want to talk to them right now. I think I really screwed up…” he admitted sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. Hueso sighed heavily and looked at Usagi.

“Thanks for bringing him, kid. You can head home now. I’ll take care of him.”

Usagi looked at Leo with concern, who seemed lost in a torrent of thoughts.

“Are you sure?” the rabbit asked. The yokai nodded. Yuichi let go of Leo, and Hueso steadied him.

“Yuichi, wait! I… I wanted to thank you,” Leo said with a slight blush. The rabbit smiled sweetly, his ears perking up.

“No problem, Leonardo-san.” Those were his last words before leaving.

Leo thought about the safety he’d felt while Usagi carried him, trying to understand why it had felt that way. Maybe his mind had just chosen to focus on Usagi to avoid thinking about… well, everything he had ruined.

Not giving Leo a chance to speak, the yokai guided him to a section of the wall where portraits of various yokai hung. Among those heroes and champions was a portrait of Leo.

And at the sight of it, Leo felt like vomiting.

“After what you did, I think you deserve it.”

Leo shot him a bitter look, but staring at that stupid portrait — with that stupid confident smile and a pride too big for his small body — he truly hated himself. That wasn’t him anymore. He despised the person hanging on that wall.

“You should take it down…” he muttered. The yokai looked at him, confused. Leo felt tears prick his eyes again. “I don’t deserve to be there, Hueso.” He spoke with grim seriousness. The Mexican yokai’s expression darkened with worry.

“Pepino, you saved us from the Krang invasion,” Hueso said firmly.

Leo let out a hysterical laugh.

“Yeah, the one I caused. Why can’t anyone understand that? I let the Foot Clan take the key! I let my own brother get Krangified! The Krang almost took over everything, and it was my fault!” Each declaration cracked him further. He cried openly, gesturing wildly as he spoke, looking at Hueso with desperation. “Why can’t anyone see the world would be better off without me?” he sobbed at last, his voice breaking. It seemed like crying was all he could do anymore.

Hueso’s heart broke at the sight of the turtle, so he stepped closer, gently.

“Oh, Pepino…” the yokai placed his hands on Leo’s shoulders in support. The turtle did the only thing he could — he hugged him tightly, desperately needing Hueso’s comfort. The yokai embraced him back firmly. “It’s alright now. You can cry.”

Those words were enough to shatter Leo even more, clinging as hard as he could. Because yes, maybe Splinter was gone, maybe his brothers had grown up without him, and maybe everything had changed… but this place, Hueso, was still the same. And it gave him a profound sense of safety he hadn’t felt in a very long time.