I've been waiting to write this one for months and I'm just thrilled that the wait is over. I wrote a new story on Wattpad, if you have an account. It's almost like a rewrite of Life with the Turtles but Jewel will still be in the Foot Clan, she'll know about her powers already, and there's a few more twists and I don't rewrite any of the TMNT episodes. Okay, I don't think there's much more for me to say except that I hope you enjoy the chapter and I hope the people who reviewed know how much I appreciate their kind words.
Redbat132: I always snickered every time I rewatched that ending of the episode. Rob Paulsen as Donatello just cracks me up and it makes so much sense that they cast him as 2012 Donatello. When I watched the episodes of the 1987 series, I thought him as Raphael didn't make much sense since his voice doesn't have that hardened edge Raph's voice supposed to have. And trust me, Jewel won't be the only one dealing with chilling nightmares. Gwen's both in the episode and not in the episode. And as for the fire and shock attack thing...you'll just have to find out for yourself.
Clare: I appreciate the ideas, hope you're feeling better.
crazylil'bunny: I know how you feel, I couldn't stop laughing either. And I don't think the others will like the fact that they have another version of Raphael. I certainly know I wouldn't.
TheGreatGodzilla: Your ideas sound really cool. And I read somewhere that there's gonna be a Descendants 3, so I'm somewhat excited about that. And as for your questions about Casey, don't worry, I'll mention it in the chapter later on. And Casey knows about Gwen since he and Raph are like best buds now. I'm sure Raph would be thrilled to brag about having an awesome girlfriend. And as for Slash returning with the Newtralizer and Casey and Raph's spat...let's just say everyone is about to be in for a doozy when I get to that chapter. And do not worry, my friend, Raph WILL be slapped plenty of times by the women.
Guest: Chapter's officially updated and I'm glad you're excited for Jewel's reaction. Trust me, it's gonna be wild.
He found himself laying sprawled across a rooftop. He felt water droplets fall all over him as he heard the booming thunder and he automatically assumed it was raining right now. This was New York, after all. It was always raining. His body ached all over, his lungs burned for the need of air, and the worst he felt was this splitting headache that was ready to tear his brain into two. He knew he had to move, to stand up and search for his brothers and Jewel. But he was just so tired and he was hurting all over. And the cool air and the heavy rain felt so nice against his scaly green skin. It's been a while since he truly had any time to relax. The only times he could relax was either when he was spending time with his little brothers and friends, or when he was hanging out with the girl of his dreams. He needed this so much, even though he knew it was selfish, but couldn't he afford to be selfish?
Immediately reprimanding himself for his childish actions, Leonardo frowned deeply and forced his heavy eyelids to peel open and he was blinded by the moonlight. He blinked several times before his eyes finally adjusted. Leo was laying on his back and he blinked once, confused. Furrowing his brows in confusion, the blue banded leader sat up and he instantly regretted it. His abdomen flared with pain and he slapped a large hand over his midsection. Leo groaned under his breath as he sat there hunched over on the rooftop, gritting his teeth as he observed his surroundings. It looked like any other ordinary rooftop he's seen and ran across in this city. It looked no different from the others. His blue eyes morphed from pain to confusion as he carefully turned his aching head around.
Questions began to surface his mind. Where am I? Where are my brothers? Where's Jewel? he asked himself as he slowly sat himself on his knees, planting his hand onto the gravel as he shakily forced himself upright, his legs swaying as pain again blossomed around his skull. The pain in his head was getting more intense and he could feel something warm and wet slither down from his head to his neck, and Leo shivered slightly. He hissed through his teeth again as the pain grew around his abdomen. What happened? The last thing he remembered...he didn't remember. Wait...he knew he was in the lair earlier with his family, but he didn't remember anything about them heading up to the surface.
Bewildered, Leo sighed and worried on his bottom lip. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Maybe they did head up to the surface but he probably just didn't remember because he might have a concussion based on this stupid headache. That was probably it. But who were they battling this time? Was it the Foot again? The Kraang? Did Slash suddenly come back for revenge? He couldn't think about all of this all at once. This was too much thinking for his headache. All he wanted to focus on was finding his brothers and Jewel. He needed to make sure they were okay first.
"Guys?" He called out, and he waited for a response. After a moment, he heard nothing. "Donnie?" he called again, no reply. "Jewel?" Nothing.
Before he could call out again for anybody else, he screamed as the weight from under him suddenly shifted and he fell through the rooftop. His vision spun and he grunted in pain as he collided against the cold, metal floor. Leo hacked as he landed on his stomach and forced himself to stay somewhat upright as he sprung up again. His eyes blinked rapidly as he coughed into his elbow. The dust finally cleared from his eyes and he blinked some more as he assessed his new surroundings. It looked like some old warehouse or something. The hole he had just made from the roof helped the lit moon from the sky illuminate the dark room so he could see a little bit in here.
Leo squinted his eyes a little as he cautiously stepped around in the dark. He kept his steps low and light as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. It was eerily quiet in here and that was just too quiet for the blue banded turtle. He knew from past experience and from what Sensei had taught him that if his surroundings were too quiet in a vulnerable area, it could be a sign of trouble. His suspicions grew when he heard someone cough from a distance away from him and Leo stalked his way towards the direction from where he heard the noise. He saw a spark of a golden orange light glow around the corner which he rounded and found himself facing a closed door. His hand shot out for the knob and Leo held his breath. He heard someone cough again and he tensed his muscles under his flesh. Leo heard his heart pounding against his chest and he narrowed his eyes further. He knew someone was in there but he didn't know who. He knew he couldn't fight them alone in this condition and he didn't know where his brothers and Jewel were.
But that's exactly why he needed to open this door. If he didn't, then there might not be a chance he would be able to find them. This person could be the enemy and maybe they were holding them captive or something. Leo didn't see them back on the rooftop and he surely knew they didn't leave him there. Leo knew they wouldn't betray him like that. So, with all the bravery he had in that moment, Leo nodded firmly and turned the knob. He swung the door open and immediately unsheathed his katana swords. The whites could only been seen from his eyes as he readied himself to face his -
He blinked once, his eyes no longer determined, and they widened as he felt his heart plummet to his stomach.
It was an empty room. The only furniture that was there was a nightstand that held the lamp that was lighting up the whole room just barely. The walls were a soft crème color, and the floor was a simple sky blue, but they were stained in various places with a dark and sickening crimson color. Laying sprawled across the sky blue carpet, their weapons lazily laid in the palm of their hands, were his brothers and Jewel. Their skin was littered with black and blue bruises, dotting almost every inch of their flesh, blood pooled from under them as they began to bleed through the carpet.
Leo's breath hitched as he immediately rushed over to one of his brothers, Mikey. He kneeled beside his baby brother and his eyes wildly searched for any serious injuries. He gently grabbed Mikey's shoulders and proceeded to shake him roughly, "Mikey, Mikey! Can you hear me?" he asked the usually wild and flamboyant turtle. Mikey's eyes were closed and Leo nearly feared the worse until slowly, unbearably slow, Mikey's eyes fluttered open. His eyes were dazed and they looked so unlike Michelangelo as they searched for the voice that was calling out to him. "Mikey?"
Mikey's blinded eyes finally met Leo. Baby blue meeting oceanic blue. Mikey panted lightly, "Leo?" he slurred, and Leo's eyes stung with unshed tears. Mikey sounded so frail, so weak, nothing that Michelangelo was. His eyes were so happy and full of innocent joy. Mikey's shaking hands went up to grasp his eldest brother's. Leo immediately noticed and quickly reached to grasp Mikey's hands, and he held them tightly like they were Leo's lifeline. Mikey's hands felt so cold compared to Leo's. "I'm here, little brother," he assured the youngest turtle, offering him a shaky but reassuring grin, but that grin on his face was a lie. Leo was incredibly worried. "Don't worry, you're gonna be okay." he said again to his baby brother. To his surprise, Mikey only frowned deeply, his eyes pooling with tears as a few escaped and slid down his temple. Mikey's dazed and pained eyes suddenly seemed more...disappointed?
"I-I thought you were gonna save me, Leo." Mikey's shaky voice said, and he sounded so sad that Leo wanted to do anything to make the younger feel better. maybe he could order a whole buffet of pizza for Mikey to drown himself in? "Y-You ALWAYS save me, you were my h-hero. But y-you weren't...you weren't..." Mikey whimpered as his eyes suddenly bulged and he shrilly scream into the silent air as his screams echoed against the walls around them. Leo reeled back in surprise and his eyes widened in alarm as he clutched Mikey's hands tighter and he leaned close as he stared down at his screaming brother in concern.
"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Leo hurriedly asked in a worried tone as his eyes frantically searched for anything to severely cause Mikey this type of pain. But his baby brother was dotted with so many bruises and he saw so many gashes around Mikey's shoulders that stained Leo's hands. Leo wanted to gag at the metallic smell that was growing increasingly close. Mikey continued to sob helplessly as he stared up at Leo, his face twisted in pain and sadness. "I-I thought you cared about all of us." Mikey said between sobs as he began to calm down somewhat and instead he just cried quietly.
Leo shook his head as he furrowed his brows deeper, "I do care about all of you." he corrected, his voice thick with tension and confusion. Mikey only shook his head stubbornly, his breaths coming out in shallow pants. "Then why did you let him do this to us?" Mikey asked with tear filled eyes, and his breaths were coming more into pants than breaths. Leo was breathing heavily as he looked at his brother, unsure of what else to say. Him? Who was 'him'? "Who did this to you?" he asked quietly, but Mikey didn't answer. His eyes were blinking rapidly, widening in pain. His baby blue eyes glistened with tears and fear trembled in them. Mikey began to squeal in extreme discomfort and Leo felt his own eyes pop out of his head.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked, but he received no answer. Worry gnawed anxiously at the pit of his stomach, his heart in his throat. "Mikey?"
Tears started to trail down Mikey's freckled cheeks, and as Leo stared down at his baby brother's face, he knew that he was no longer staring down at Michelangelo...he staring down at a scared, injured child. "L-Leo...please...make it stop..." he pleaded the older turtle. Leo anxiously wet his lips, pursing them tightly as he stared, conflicted. He wasn't the doctor of the family, that was Donnie's job. Leo was the big brother of the family, he was the one to pull themselves together and he was the one who told them what to do. That was his job. "I...I..." he trailed, not knowing what else to say. What could he say?
Mikey's sob grew weaker and his skin grew colder in Leo's hands. Mikey's hands loosened around Leo's but the older turtle clutched them tighter than a knot. A large lump suffocated his throat and it intensified as Mikey's baby blues grew duller, and the blood under his head...the pool grew larger, and alarm bells rung loudly in Leo's head. "Mikey?"
Mikey's skin grew paler, his eyes more wild and dazed, "Y-You...Y-You..."
"I-I what, Mikey?" Leo asked as his eyes looked desperate and alarmed and worried all swirled into one.
"Y-You l-let us d-down...b-bro..."
Leo's refused to let the tears fall because he had to stay strong for his baby brother, the baby brother that looked up at Leo with admiration and awe. But now his eyes were full of disappointment and they were unfocused too. A pair of baby blue eyes widened in fear before they shifted from fear to...to nothing...
Leo widened his eyes in fear and concern as he stared down at Mikey's prone face. His eyes were still open, and his head rolled to the side as blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth, his lips slightly parted from where he uttered his last words. A pair of baby blue eyes, once bright and happy, were now widened in pain and fear but they were also lifeless and dull that it didn't suit these baby blue eyes at all. Leo shook his head rapidly as his grip tightened around Mikey's cold hands, and his thumb searched for a pulse. He couldn't find one. "No." his shaky voice said lowly in panic, "N-No, please, Mikey, please." tears welled up in his ocean blue eyes as his hands cupped Mikey's cheeks. "Mikey, c'mon." Leo pleaded, "Look, I promise - we'll...we'll get some pizza after you all come back to the lair, I promise. You guys can order whatever you want, okay? It's all on me, okay?" Leo attempted to urge his brother to wake and his voice was now trembling with desperation, he didn't hear any breaths coming from Mikey's slightly parted lips.
The tears finally dripped down from his eyes and landed onto Mikey's cold skin. No...no this couldn't be. His baby brother, the glimmer of hope of their family, the ray of sunshine...dead. No! Leo refused to believe it. Mikey was fine, he was going to bounce back, ALL of them were going to bounce back. All Leo had to do was call for April, Casey, Gwen, and Splinter to help him carry his brothers and Jewel down to the lair and Splinter would patch them up and everything would be okay again. They all would be okay. Right?
"M-Mikey?" Leo whimpered, his voice cracking pitifully, his tears growing hotter and faster. Mikey didn't make a sound, he didn't even twitch. Before a sob could rip past Leo's throat, another voice was heard. The voice was weak and on the verge of cracking, and the person sounded so disappointed like Mikey had, but Leo could detect the disdain clearer.
"Y-You did this." the throaty voice accused, and Leo turned his head, and his eyes widened in horror. Laying a few feet away from him and Mikey, was Raph. The side of his head was caked with fresh blood that was still oozing out of the wound that looked like only a katana sword could cause, and it dripped onto the carpet with a quiet splat. His electric green eyes still held that fire in them, but those eyes were so full of hatred and absolute loathing. Loathing that was directed at Leo. Raph's shaky finger pointed at his older brother in an accusing way. "I-It's your fault!" his hoarse voice snarled before his finger abruptly dropped onto the ground in an audible thud. And the fire and hate in Raph's eyes vanished like a shadow, dull and lifeless. Just like Mikey.
Leo clenched his eyes shut as he tried to keep his tears at bay. He gnawed anxiously on his lip, and he instantly tasted the metallic taste of blood. A sob worked its way up to his lips, and once it flew away, Leo couldn't stop it.
He held Mikey close to his chest, rocking his dead baby brother as if he were rocking a baby. Leo sobbed violently into Mikey's shoulder, he felt bile rise up at the back of his throat, he could smell the blood everywhere. He could even hear Donnie whispering something to him from where his dying form laid, but Leo couldn't bear to look at the purple clad genius. He couldn't look at the dying faces of Donatello and Jewel. He couldn't look at the disappointment in their eyes, the hate in them, the regret for ever listening to every one of his orders. He just couldn't look at them!
Leo shot up from his bed as his eyes popped wide open. His panted heavily and his heart was galloping like a wild horse in a race, and sweat drenched him. He blinked repeatedly as he tried to regain his bearings. Leo looked around his dark room frantically as he forcefully tried to calm his beating heart, which was pounding in his ears. After a few minutes, once he's seen nothing out of the ordinary in his room, Leo wearily rests his gaze and calms his wide eyes. His breaths came out calmer now, but his heart was still beating in his ears, and now he felt cold because of the sweat that had showered him.
Three weeks. Three goddamn weeks of these stupid nightmares that won't just go away. The nightmares had started after the Kraang invasion, but they were about how he almost drowned back in the water or how he nearly fell to his death back at the T.C.R.I. building. But after that midnight talk he had with Jewel a couple of weeks ago, the nightmares had dulled and came to a brief pause. But then they started up again after a few days. But the dreams had gotten much more intense. This time they weren't about Leo's death experiences. It started out with Leo in a Kraang escape pod, and it was his brothers that were holding Kraang Prime back, and they were the ones who drowned. He remembered swimming wildly in the dream in an attempt to rescue them, but he couldn't find them. He only found their weapons and masks, but they were covered with blood. Their blood. The next one was that Jewel was the one who was falling off the T.C.R.I. building, and Leo remembered gliding across the sky and dipping far down to catch her. He could still remember the fear in her eyes as he flew down faster and faster...before she made a sickening thud and her eyes shut fast.
The nightmares only got worse within each and every passing day. He dreamt once about his brothers being captured by Karai - Miwa - and he watched with horrified eyes as she plunged her sword into their skulls. And Leo watched as their eyes shifted from fear, the hate towards him, and then their eyes dulled before they dropped lifelessly in sync. Leo knew the disappointment in their expressions. They were so disappointed in him in the nightmares. And Leo didn't blame them because he just stood there and he just watched as the life from their eyes faded. He couldn't even run to their aid, he was just too frozen in place. He couldn't move and he didn't even know why he couldn't. The next nightmare was where he and Jewel were sparring and kissing at the same time. And Leo could still remember how happy he was in that moment with her, as she smirked at him in smug satisfaction before her eyes gleamed in mischief as she pressed her lips to his, causing the blue banded turtle to be tipsy before she swiped at his leg and he fell flat faced to the ground. But then the next thing he knew, as he rose his head up, expecting to see her smug and sly expression, his brothers' teasing faces as they hooted at the blue banded turtle, he saw Shredder right behind Jewel. His gauntlet was lodged in her chest, and he could see the blades twinkling in the light, winking at him almost seductively in an evil sort of way, before he abruptly pulled his blades away from the girl. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes looked at him as if to say...
How could you?
They were getting worse and he's been waking up in cold sweats, unable to calm down his heart, and he couldn't breathe. Sometimes Leo would just sit in his bed all night and wait until it was five in the morning and he got ready for the day, pretending none of it happened, putting on a brave face for his brothers and Jewel. Sometimes Leo would just sit in his bed and shed a few tears, and then he would wipe them away with a sniff and sometimes a sob would escape but it was muffled by the pillow he clutched to his face. Leo hated how he felt when he woke up from the nightmares. The sweat made him feel cold and filthy and he knew he was in a desperate need of a shower. The tears that streaked down his cheeks made him feel like a child that didn't know what was happening to him. He felt weak and useless. Leo felt like a failure of a leader because he was unable to save Mikey from bleeding to death by a stab wound, unable to save Donnie from being shot in the head by a Kraang droid, unable to save Raph from that burning building he was trapped in, unable to save Jewel from falling down that building, unable to save Miwa...
Leo was always powerless in the dreams to stop it all from happening. He tried and tried and he tried so hard to save them all. But he just couldn't and that angered him to his very core. The anger and self-loathing was burning inside of him like a furnace and it was frustrating him so much. Leo was just so tired and he hated himself for these nightmares. He was the leader of this team, he had to be tough and fearless. His ocean blue eyes narrowed dangerously and Leo fisted his bedsheets. "C'mon, Leo, get it together." he scolded himself harshly, gritting his teeth as he threw the blankets off him, and he swung his legs over the bed and shakily got up to his feet. He still felt a little light-headed and his mouth felt like it was shoved with cotton. Maybe some water could cool him down. He left his room and made his way to the kitchen.
Leo blinked in surprise as he paused in his tracks. Sitting behind the counter, lazily sipping at his coffee, was Donatello. His purple masked brother glowed under the dim lighting in their kitchen, and there was multiple sheets of papers with hurried handwriting scribbled all over them, and they laid across the whole counter as Donnie's eyes skimmed each sheet, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. His eyes were narrowed thoughtfully before his expression morphed and he blinked once. Donnie blinked again as he furrowed his nonexistent brows, and Leo guessed that Donnie had finally sensed his presence. Raising his head, Donnie's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of his older brother, who looked worse for wear.
"Uh, hey, Leo." Donnie stammered awkwardly, still gaping slightly. Leo merely blinked and offered his brother a curt nod, "Hey Donnie." he greeted his younger brother, his voice hoarse and his mouth dry as the desert. Leo walked over to the fridge and gently opened the door as he bent down to look for anything to drink. His eyes flew to every object and he grimaced slightly at the smell of the moldy pizza Mikey had left three weeks ago. Greyish blue eyes slid to every other container filled with food before he finally found what he was looking for. Leo extended his arm and snagged the bottle of water over in the back, hidden behind the ketchup bottle. He shut the fridge door and turned back around to face his brother, who was still staring at him with a perplexed expression.
"How come you're still up?" Donnie asked curiously, tilting his head. Leo shrugged as he twisted the cap off, lifting the bottle to his lips and gulping down the fresh water hurriedly. He wanted to breathe in relief at the coolness in his no longer dry mouth, but he didn't want to make Donnie suspicious. He really hated how the genius could be so observant at times. "I should ask the same for you." Leo countered, hoping to change the subject away from him. Donnie simply blinked, almost looking surprised before his eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he answered anyways.
Donnie shrugged, "I was going over a few notes for this retro-mutagen batch I'm still working on," he answered, glancing at the notes below, "I'm trying to see if maybe I could somehow alternate the existing chemicals used from regular mutagen and maybe extract some of April's DNA. It's just a theory, of course." Donnie informed without missing a beat. Leo nodding in understanding as he stared down at the complex equations Donnie must've written down. Donnie stared at his eldest brother and narrowed his eyes as he observed Leo's appearance. He wasn't wearing his mask, so Donnie could see the heavy bags under his eyes and immediately assumed Leo was probably not getting enough sleep. His eyes were red rimmed with either exhaustion or maybe tears as Donnie noticed the faint tear tracks trailing down his cheeks. By Donnie's calculations, Leo looked miserable.
"Hey, Leo," he gained back Leo's attention as he raised his head and his blue met Donnie's mahogany colored eyes. Donnie narrowed his eyes further as he tilted his head, and he planned his words out mentally as he was careful with his wording. "Are you...okay?" he asked hesitantly, his expression concerned, "You look exhausted." he pointed out. Leo's eyes were wide for a second, and his breath hitched, before he regained his composure. As much as Leo appreciated Donnie's concerns, he didn't want to divulge into his nightmares. Donnie was already dealing with so much with trying to complete the retro-mutagen and Leo couldn't worry his younger brother about his own stupid nightmares. He told himself they were just nightmares and they would go away soon. They had to.
Leo shook his head, plastering on a fake smile that felt more like a grimace, "I'm okay, Donnie, really," he lied, "I was just thirsty, that's all." Maybe Leo was spending too much time with Jewel. His lying was getting better and he sounded too convincing than he had used to. Donnie creased his brows and looked confused for a few seconds, before his expression softened and he sighed. "Well...alright," he relented, "But if there's really anything wrong, you can talk to me if you want, okay?" Leo grinned, and he nodded once.
"Sure."
The four turtles, Casey, and Jewel all trekked through the sewers as their eyes searched for a certain red head. Casey resisted the urge to gag as the scent of ripe sewer walls hit his nostrils full force. He was still getting used to the fact that one of his best buddies lived in the sewers of New York. Hell, he was still getting used to the fact that his best buddy was a mutant ninja turtle. That's not exactly normal. Casey had spent some time in the sewers with the turtles and he had gotten a chance to get to know all of them and a certain female friend of theirs. Raphael had told him that Leo was the leader of the team and the eldest, Mikey was the goofball, but Casey could already tell without Raph having to tell the teen, and Donnie was the one with the brains. Raphael had also introduced the hockey player to his girlfriend, Gwen Brooks. To say Casey was shocked was an understatement. Casey was also incredibly impressed that Raph had actually gotten a girl like that. Casey had chatted with Gwen for a little bit, and, well, she was awesome! If Casey didn't like April, Raph would be in for some serious competition.
Casey's blood pounded in his ears as he racked his brain for the memory of where April had ventured off to. He didn't exactly know what happened, everything happened so fast and Casey didn't understand what was going on with the girl. He guessed it must've been something about those weird alien powers Raph had told the teen about. All Casey really remembered that April had started to freak out and he heard something along the lines of a mutant bat or something like that. The thought reminded him of the time when she told him about her father mutating into a large bat-like creature, but that still didn't explain why she had freaked out when she looked into Casey's eyes.
Casey bit the inside of his cheek nervously as he led the way, rounding a corner and he saw some shades of neon greens, blues, and purples peek through the dark sewers. This place was seriously giving him the creeps, making Casey feel like he was in a horror movie...awesome. "I think I-I-I lost her around here." he stammered as he pointed a finger at the sewer tunnel. It was hard for him to remember the exact moment where it happened because it had happened so fast. "You think?!" Donnie repeated heatedly. Casey's skin burned as the purple banded turtle came up to him with his hands balled into fists, his reddish brown eyes narrowed viciously, "Oh, that's not vague or anything!" he quipped sarcastically, and Casey immediately narrowed his chocolate orbs. "Back off, stick master!" Casey sneered, glaring at the genius turtle...who also happened to like April the way Casey did, not that it's a problem or anything, not at all. Oh, and if you didn't catch that, it was SARCASM. Donnie jabbed a finger to Casey's chest, narrowing his eyes into slits, "Who are you calling 'stick master', puck head?" the tallest turtle spat back. Brown eyes met mahogany, two of the teen boys snarling at each other like two lions hunting for their prey.
Leo watched as the two boys continued to glower at one another. He withdrew the urge to roll his eyes and sigh, they did not have time for this and Leo was seriously not in the mood to deal with their crap right now. The blue banded turtles and the other trailed behind them and he sent them both a warning and strict glare, "Easy, fellas," he barked, "We don't have time for this."
Donnie simply turned his head before sending one last glare at Casey, promptly stomping away from the teen before he purposely bumping his shoulder roughly against Casey's. Casey grunted at the slight jab and whirled around to glower at Donnie's retreating form. Mikey watched with amusement as he chuckled loudly and Raph smirked smugly at his friend, holding out his hands in front of him, "Got a problem with that?" he teased before strolling behind the others. Casey pouted behind them and he glanced at their last member, her face a mystery due to the wolf shaped mask. Jewel walked past Casey with a neutral glint in her eye, "You can suck D's dick later, Kathy." the girl droned as she followed the others. Casey's eyes widened and a blush immediately reached his cheeks. He narrowed his eyes at her retreating back before he swiftly sheathed his hockey stick, holding it out in front of him in a slightly defensive stance, "Man, Raph was right about you." he muttered under his breath.
They walked along the path, their feet squelching beneath the filthy sewer water. Casey circled around with his stick held out in front of him, eyes narrowed. It was incredibly dark in here, and he could hardly see a thing other than some cracks showing the light. After making sure nothing was out of the ordinary, he nodded and caught up with the others. He looked at Donnie's back and smirked to himself. He sped his pace a little and purposefully bumped Donnie on the shoulder, making the purple masked turtle grunt in surprise. Casey smirked smugly as Donnie's eyes narrowed, glowering at the teen. His bravado only lasted for a few seconds, however, as a certain rodent caught his eye and the hockey player yelped, his eyes growing wide. Huddled in the corner, chewing at a tomato can soup that seemed better days, were about three rats who squeaked at the teen's startled scream.
Casey clutched his hockey stick tighter, his skin paling at the sight. "Rats?" he said, incredulous, "Why's it have to be rats?!" He saw way too many rats in this city, didn't have any other place to go to? Mikey gave the teen an odd look as he walked closer to the rodents, "Dude, they're everywhere down here." he said in a 'duh' tone, scooping one with his large green hand. The sewer rat immediately nuzzled into the touch, and Mikey smiled at it softly, "They're nature's cuddly little friends." he said as he cooed at the rat, nuzzling it to his head affectionately. Casey looked at the youngest turtle with a mix of disgust and like he had grown two heads, "What is wrong with you?" he asked Mikey in disbelief. He heard Jewel snort behind him, and he glanced at her. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her eyes looked amused, "His dad's a rat, dick head. And we don't have three hours to go into everything that's weird about the brat." she quipped. Casey had to admit; despite what Raph said and everything he told him, Jewel seemed somewhat cool. She had those wicked powers, something he would kill to have, and she had this weird, dark sense of humor. Plus, she had the balls to admit that she was dating a mutant ninja turtle. Leo was living every guy's dreams.
Casey frowned as Mikey continued to coo at the rat, and he sat down onto the brim of a sewer tunnel. Suddenly, the teen heard a high pitched whistle and when he heard it a second time, he finally turned his head and lifted a brow. He narrowed his brown eyes as curiosity got the better of him, and Casey poked his head into a darker sewer tunnel. He saw something shift and then there was this weird pale yellow glow before it looked like it pulled back and suddenly it emitted yellow smoke. The yellow smoke smacked the teen in the face as he stumbled back in surprise and Casey coughed as he curled his nose in disgust when the smell finally hit him. It was like a mix of farts, literal waste, and rotten milk. It was vile.
"That was hideous." Casey gagged as he coughed into his arm. The turtles barely paid him any heed as Raphael smirked at the teen in amusement, placing his hands on his hips, "Dude, you put your nose in a New York City sewer. What'd you expect?" Raph teased as he chuckled slightly. Casey ignored his vague retort and blinked repeatedly, "Thought I saw..." his voice trailed off as he squinted his eyes to get a better look at the dark sewer tunnel. His eyes widened as he saw the familiar silhouette and those hellish red, beady little eyes bore into his soul. The rat twisted and swirled in a circle as it disappeared further into the tunnel, a primsie to his eyes before he vanished. Casey screamed as he paled at the sight, backing up into a wall, his heart hammering in his chest as the nightmares came back to him, plaguing his head, poisoning his mind, making him feel like a scared little kid again. His chest heaved up and down. No, he chanted, no, no, no...
He felt trapped, he couldn't breathe, everything hurt. His bicycle was long gone, the bullies laughing at their latest victory as they clapped each other on the hands, scampering off and leaving Casey all by himself. His arm was heavily bleeding from the scrape, an ache brushed over his skull, and his leg throbbed with pain. He heard something squeak, and he froze. His brown eyes widened in fear as he saw the rat beckon towards him, crawling closer, the beady, cruel eyes piercing him, making Casey feel so vulnerable and so weak. Defenseless, no one to come save him, nothing. The rat crawled closer, bringing a friend with him, and another, and another, another, another, they wouldn't stop coming. They chewed his clothes, he shut his eyes tightly, tears brimming and dampening his lashes, it was the only way he could make sure they wouldn't try and eat his eyeballs. They sniffed their slobbery nose into the scrape, and Casey gasped in pain.
"N-No..." he whispered, letting out a sob, "Please..."
Raph squirmed in his restraints as he shook with fear. His eyes were wide with fright and his heart was hammering against his ribcage. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. This was not happening, this was not happening, THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING AGAIN! Raph breathed heavily in growled pants as he continue to stare at the roaches in horror. They were so large and their emotionless, beady black eyes glinted menacingly in the light. They couldn't be back, they couldn't be back! He destroyed it! He saw it with his own eyes! He saw two large roaches interact with each other and Raph could tell they were plotting to spew his brains out, or claw his eyes from their sockets, or even go after his family and Gwen.
He whimpered in fear and his eyes burned with tears. He hated himself for showing weakness to the enemy - his worst enemy - but he couldn't help himself. One of them spoke to him in a kind, soft tone, like they were trying to comfort him, but he knew they were tricking him. It was a classic strategy for a reason. He screamed that he was freaking out, shaking violently, even as one of the other large roaches came up to him, whispering soothing thoughts into his brain. The roach wrapped his claws around the red masked turtle and bile rose at the back of his throat. His stomach churned and he felt his mouth dampen with saliva when its odd twig-like claws from the mouth began to chitter at him, too close to his lips for his liking.
Raph felt the bile increase and this time he couldn't hold it in as he bent over and spat his guts out and his breakfast. He spat more of the wasted spit and he groaned, his stomach feeling ten times worse. He heaved again and his eyes began to droop and sting at the same time.
He was running, he was running like a wild animal and his lungs burned, beads of sweat dripping down from his chin. He could feel its eyes behind his back, the one red eye glowing in the dark, making it feel like a demon. He knew it was after him, it would never stop coming after him. He forced his feet to move even as they ached from the exertion. His heart was beating against his ribcage, he couldn't think straight, he just had to get away before it could eat him...
He skidded to a stop when he realized it had somehow evaded the turtle, going around him as it continued to stare at the frightened turtle with its cruel, red eye. His eyes widened when he realized it wasn't alone. He saw an army of roaches with the same glowing red eye stare at the turtle, surrounding him, blocking him, trapping him until he could no longer run. His eyes popped out of their sockets when he saw her trapped in the leader's clutches. Her radiant blonde hair was frizzed and tangled, flying all over the place, her blue greenish eyes were wide with fear, but not for her, she was scared for him. Her clothes had tears in them, anger blossomed at the pit of his chest when he spotted the purple bruises around her jaw, running along her long legs.
He saw his brothers, their eyes were dull, the light from their eyes were gone. Leo's oceanic eyes were wide, his throat was slit, blood pooling underneath him, spreading at Raph's feet, Donnie's intelligent eyes looked ahead, stabbing Raph in the heart as he noticed the head wound on the top of his pear shaped head, and Mikey's cheerful and bright eyes had no light to them, it didn't look right on Mikey. Raph's eyes travelled and to his horror, he saw April and Casey. April's neck looked bent as one roach held her tightly against it, and Casey had one of his gouged out, hanging like a limp ragdoll in another roach, which was holding Casey's brown eye in its claws. He tore his gaze away from his friends and tears brimmed his electric green eyes when he spotted his father. Splinter's warm and caring smile was no longer on his snout, his eyes were closed, but his chest had a gaping hole in it, caused by one of the roaches.
He couldn't breathe, he shut his eyes and covered his ears as he tried to block out the noise of her screams, growing louder in volume before he heard something rip. He didn't open his eyes, but he flinched and let out a shaky breath when something wrapped its claws around him. He peeled his eyes open and his eyes widened in terror when he saw the leader trapping him in vice-like grip, the followers crawling closer, closer, and closer...
He screamed like he never did before.
"BOOYAKASHA!" Mikey hollered at the top of his lungs as he leapt high in the air, spinning his nunchucks high in the air. He whacked some of the Fungus Balls - as he liked to call them because that was a badass name - and they flattened like pancakes when he began to stomp on them with little effort. A thought suddenly occurred to him as he ran along, stomping the Fungus Balls to Fungus Pancakes and a grin stretched across his freckled features as he laughed in delight. This reminded him of a game he used to play when they were eight years old and Donnie had just installed their television set and scoured the dumps for DVD collections. He suddenly imagined his surroundings pixelated like a videogame.
"Check it out!" he exclaimed, his attention diverted, "Super Mikey Brothers!" he quipped as he imagined earning extra bonus points. His smile vanished instantly as something smacked onto his stomach and Mikey dropped to his knees. His eyes widened in fear when he realized one of the mushrooms attached itself onto his body and crawled along his plastron and onto his shell. His large hands flew up and he attempted miserably to get the thing off of him, "Get it off! Get it off!" he screamed desperately. He patted his shell and suddenly he didn't feel it on him anymore. He lifted a brown and crane his neck to get a better look, confusion evident on his freckled features.
"Where'd it go?" Donnie murmured and that's when Mikey felt it again. As if on cue, he felt the mushroom crawl along his neck and his eyes widened in horror when he felt the thing tighten around his head, and Mikey let out a loud, girlish scream. He heard Donnie whoop and he felt a searing pain as he smacked his Bo staff onto his head, and Mikey groaned as his head now throbbed, stumbling on his feet as Donnie grinned sheepishly, "Oops, sorry. My bad." Donnie apologized but Mikey didn't pay him any mind as he continued to clumsily step on his own two feet. He spun clumsily and found himself bathed in the stinky yellow dust that smelled worse than the sewers itself. He sputtered and his hands flew to his face, coughing violently into his hands. Mikey groaned and his eyes popped when he felt his stomach grumbled uncomfortably. He covered his mouth with his large hands before he spewed his guts out. He groaned again as his head ached but then he felt his eyes widen when he saw a multitude of squirrels shriek at him, hairs standing up and Mikey screamed as he backed away from them in fright.
He fell and rolled onto his back and landed roughly on his knees. Groaning, he looked to find none other than a menacing and scary Squirrelanoid screeching at him, its cruel eyes shaking Mikey to the core. Mikey screamed at the top of his lungs as he scrambled to his feet and sprinted at breakneck speed, away from the vicious monster even as he heard something call out to him, calling for him back.
He was falling, he was falling rapidly and deeply into the depths of the sewer drain. The water spun him around like vicious tornado and Squirrelanoids surrounded the orange masked turtle. They chomped their sharp and carnivorous jaws at him as they tried to land a bite. Mikey felt himself shaking and his heart was hammering, like a skilled drumming beating the drum. He flailed his limbs, looking desperately for an escape. His chest heaved as he tried to look for his brothers faces. Where were they? Were they coming back for him? Were they going to save him or not?
He felt a leathery tail wrap around his leg and Mikey screamed, trying to jerk the thing off of him but it was relentless. It screeched at him, promising a painful death with its sharp eyes. the world became blurry and he couldn't breathe anymore, the world was growing darker around the edges. He tried to scream for his brothers, he tried screaming for Jewel, screaming for April, screaming for his father to come and rescue him. Why wouldn't he rescue him?
He screamed again when he was dragged into darkness, never to be seen again as they chewed on his flesh...
"April, please!" Donnie begged as he held out his arm. The girl did nothing but growl at him, her teeth sharp like fangs, her eyes full of hate and resentment. She slapped his arm away, and he couldn't do anything but numbly stare back as she ran away from him, screaming that she hated him, yelling at him, accusing him of ruining her life, blaming him. He didn't mean to hurt her. Donnie would never hurt his princess, his April. He loved her so much and he would never try to hurt her on purpose. He loved her too much.
"YOU MUTATED MY FATHER! I HATE YOU! I NEVER WANNA SEE YOUR FACE EVER AGAIN!" she hollered at the top of her lungs, pointing at him before smirking coldly. She grabbed Casey by the shoulders all of the sudden, planting a kiss to his lips. Donnie felt his heart shatter into a million pieces, even though he knew it was metaphorical, but it might as well be literally. Tears gathered in his eyes as he tore his gaze away. he couldn't stand to look at them like that anymore.
It was all his fault. He wasn't fast enough to prevent the mutagen from falling down, he couldn't save the one relative she had left. He let her down and he hated himself for that. He was never going to feel her soft lips on his ever. That was just a silly dream Donnie had always held close to his heart. He wasn't good with feelings, he liked to calculate, he liked solving the problem in front of him, feelings were unpredictable, he didn't know what the possibilities were. But April made it seem so easy for him. She would watch him work with an amused grin, her eyes brightening, sharing her leftover pizza gyoza with him when Mikey wasn't around to steal one from them. Her eyes were a crystal blue, kind blue eyes that had a rare affectionate look reserved for him. He reserved his lovesick eyes just for her, because she was the only girl for him. There was no one else to compete with her.
But now those eyes were filled with hatred, narrowed in disgust, and she snarled at him like a wild animal. Her nose scrunched at him in distaste, "You're nothing but a freak, you're just a science project gone wrong." she spat with venom, fire suddenly surrounding her and claws grew around her fingernails. "You can't win a girl like me over, not with that hideous face of yours. You're nothing, Donatello. The sooner you realize it, the better."
He was never going to be accepted. He was a freak and nothing else. He was never going to be treated as an equal and he couldn't handle that truth, It was like overdrive for his brain.
Donnie planted his hands around his head, blocking out her cruel remarks, "Please. S-Stop. Please, I beg of you!" he pleaded, tears trailing down his cheeks, "I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry, April!" he whimpered, "I'll do ANYTHING to fix this, anything!"
She smiled at him like a shark would before it caught its prey, and she leaned into his ear, whispering coldly and Donnie shivered, his heart skipping as beat at her next words, "You can go and fucking die."
April shook as all of the bats surrounded her, nicking at her neck and she whimpered at the sting of it. They were everywhere, they wouldn't go away. She pleaded for her father, she wanted nothing more than to run into his warm arms, stare into his kind and aged features, to be safe with him again. But her father's eyes were cold and cruel, wild like an animal. His brain looked like it was throbbing like a heart and she saw his heart pump through his chest.
The bats were all over her, flying around her like a herd of bees with sharp fangs, promising an agonizing pain. Sweat drenched her whole body, her breaths sounded more like heavy pants, and her throat felt raw from the screaming. "Please don't eat me, dad!" she pleaded to the largest bat, but he didn't listen. Quicker than a flicker of the lights, her father flew directly to her direction as he bared his fangs, glinting in the light as it winked at her. His arms grabbed her shoulder, causing her to gasp, and she looked up to the man who took care of her since birth with fear pooling in her eyes, hurt and sad. "D-Dad..." she whispered brokenly.
Kirby stared at her for a long time, his cruel and wild eyes narrowed at her, his tongue licking his lips. His claws dug into her shoulders, making her cry out in pain. April screamed at the top of her lungs, "Get OFF of me!" she demanded as she used her feet to kick him directly in the chest, knocking the bat away from her. He instantly released her and April fell down, landing onto her butt painfully. She grunted at the impact and immediately scooted away from the bats. God, there were millions of them, it was too much. Tears pooled into her crystal blue orbs and they fell like a waterfall, dripping onto the floor like rain.
April sobbed violently as she tucked her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her chest. She shook, it was so embarrassing but she couldn't help it. Her shoulders still stung and she saw red bleed through her shirt but she paid no mind. Everything was a mess and she couldn't stand it anymore. She tried to look for Donnie, Casey, Master Splinter or the others. She wanted so desperately to go home and talk on the phone with Irma, pretending like none of this ever happened. or spend time with Donnie in his lab, helping him out with his experiments. They looked pretty cool.
She cried and she ran and her father just wouldn't go away. It's like she could never run away from the one thing that scared her. The millions of bats followed him, following her, chasing her and cornering her like a wounded animal. They just kept coming after her and she could do nothing but run. She couldn't hide because they would always end up finding her and she was so sick of it. She was sick of everything. She was sick of her life being a mess. She was so sick of everything that she loved turning into crap and going into shit. She was sick of this bullshit!
Jewel coughed into her arm as the yellow gunk sprayed her. How that little motherfucker caught her off guard was a mystery to her. But she was going to make that little shit pay. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she looked and tightened the grip on the hilt of her small sword and prepared to slice that sick mushroom into dices she could use for vegetable soup. However, once her vision was cleared, she blinked in surprise as she no longer saw the room lightened with neon blues and greens and purples. Blinking repeatedly, she immediately surveyed her surroundings and found that she was no longer in the sewers, to her confusion. Creasing her brows, she turned her head and her eyes widened. Staring back at her was a small group of Foot Soldiers, all of their arms folded across their chest and she saw Karai at the center of all of them. Karai's face was stoic and emotionless, her amber eyes dull as she stared at Jewel with a bored look.
She realized with a start that she was in some warehouse. The whole place was dark but the light from the moon peeked from the grate above her, shining a light on her. The whole place was empty aside from her, Karai, and the Foot Soldiers. She didn't know how she ended up here, and she couldn't find the turtles, April, or even Casey. They were nowhere in sight and her heart thrummed at a faster pace. She maintained her calm and alert composure because she was not going to look weak in front of the enemy. The kunoichi gained into a defensive stance and poised her Tanto sword towards Karai and the group of soldiers. They didn't move, however, they stood still as statues, completely unfazed.
Jewel raised a brow as she narrowed her eyes skeptically. They're unarmed, she realized. They held no weapons near them, which was strange because Karai always made sure she had a weapon on her. There was nothing for them to use other than their limbs for a weapon. They were completely vulnerable to her. Jewel shifted her feet and kept quiet, straining her ears to catch any tricks they had on their sleeves. The Foot ALWAYS had something up their sleeves. Karai blinked at her, looking like she rather be anywhere else. Jewel held her breath, and she felt a gust of wind slither down her neck. In a flash, she whirled around and held the hilt of her Tanto tighter. Her skin prickled uncomfortably and she could sense another presence in the room.
The shadow shifted in the far corner of the dark building, and Jewel narrowed her eyes into slits. "I know you're there," she said in a calm tone of voice, because she wasn't scared, she would be ready for the attack. "Show yourself." she demanded. The shadow shifted again, Jewel held onto the hilt of the sword tightly, careful to control her strength. After a long moment, the shadow stalked forward, and Jewel waited as he came into view, revealing his appearance. Her eyes widened. She almost dropped the short sword in her hands.
It was her father. Jewel stared wide eyed in shock as light began seeping into the room, revealing his entire form...and she nearly hurled at the sight of him. He still looked the same as he did on the day of the accident, the bed he had died in. Bruises dotted across his olive toned skin, cuts were littered up his arms, and his clothes were teared. But what caught Jewel's attention the most was the deep gash across his hairline, blood slithering down from his face, dripping down his chin, the only sounds that occupied the warehouse was the platter of her father's blood droplets. Jewel swallowed thickly, resisting the urge to gag. "Father?" she croaked. Her father smiled at her, the same smile he always reserved for her, the affectionate gleam in his deep brown eyes, "Hello, daughter." he said. Jewel weakly smiled behind her mask. How was this possible? Was this an effect of the fungus? She didn't want to believe it, it felt so real. So vivid to be a lie.
She gasped when someone latched their hands onto her shoulders, and Jewel was whipped around before being slapped across the face. She flew across the room but she maneuvered herself and flipped herself backwards, landing in a low crouch. Jewel held her sword tighter and wildly looked around the room, berating herself for letting her feelings get in the way. She was still trapped with the enemy, her father was just a distraction they were using against her. Speaking of her father...
He still stood in the same place, but his smile was replaced with a disappointed frown. He shook his head at her, the blood still dripping from the gasp, and she could've sworn she saw parts of his brain in there. "I trained you better than that, Julia," he scolded, "Letting your emotions overpower you in an enemy's territory? I am truly disappointed in you, daughter."
Jewel's insides clenched at her father's words. She had always aimed for his approval, it mattered most to her and she wanted nothing more than to live up to his expectations. Hearing how disappointed he was in her was like a punch to the gut. She fought down the childish urge to cry and she maintained her stoic expression, narrowing her eyes when she saw a shadow loomed behind her father. The shadow still had no face, and Jewel's heart skipped a beat when she realized it was the same shadow from her nightmares. The same shadow that followed across the dark woods and dragged her away into the dark, nobody to hear her screams. Her surroundings shifted and she discovered with fright that she was now back into the woods. The woods that haunted her. There was no sound other than her father's blood leaving his system, his skin growing paler.
The trees were tall and towered over her and everyone else. She looked up to find the sharp, twisted branches that were connected to the trees, making them looking something akin to a child's nightmare. The moon peeked behind the dark clouds and Jewel almost shook in fear as she realized the cruel trees surrounded her. Nobody said anything as the shadow loomed towards her, like he was the predator and she was the prey. Jewel backed away as her hands began to tremble, and she was surprised that she still held her Tanto sword in a vice-like grip. Her back knocked into a tree and Jewel flinched in surprise when the branches wrapped around her, trapping her. Her arms stung at the sharp pieces but she kept the grip in her short sword strong. The shadow came closer and she could see sharp, horrifying eyes peek through it, and a fanged grin stretched across it face. It smiled like a devil before it flew for her with breakneck speed, and Jewel yelped and she squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the pain, the burning pain...but no pain came.
Slowly, she peeled her eyes open. When she did, she saw that the shadow was no longer flying towards her, her father was stuck in the same place, blinking at her with an emotionless expression, and Karai and her soldiers were nowhere in sight. Jewel furrowed her brows in confusion and she blinked. She was still in the woods, she was on her knees, Shredder was stalking towards her and -
Wait...what?
Jewel immediately narrowed her eyes venomously at him and her hands tightened even more on the hilt of her sword, and Jewel shook with rage at the sight of the man who ruined her life. The Shredder watched the girl with no emotion and he stepped beside her father. "Julia," he greeted with a nod. Jewel's jaw tightened, her eyes filled with hate, "Asshat." she spat, and Shredder chuckled. "Always the snarky one, aren't you, Julia?" he mused. His mask was off, revealing his scarred and burned features, his lips were curved in an amused grin. "I still do not understand how you degrade yourself to such a level," he said with a disappointed tone, "You were a valuable warrior to our clan and you had shamed yourself by spending all your time with rat and his disciples," he spat, and her father frowned in her direction. "Come with me, Julia. Your skills are put into much better use with the Foot, not with these sniveling freaks."
"Go to fucking hell, you sick, twisted buffoon!" Jewel barked in rage, her voice coated with so much hatred that it burned. Her whole body grew warm as smoke rose off her form. Her chest heaved and she gritted her teeth. "Hamato Yoshi is an honorable man and he has treated me with nothing but kindness. I am proud to call him a friend." she yelled at the Shredder with a passionate rage. Her father narrowed her eyes, and he placed a hand over Shredder's shoulder, "Let me handle this, Saki." he told the man, stepping in front of him a bit. "Julia," he began, "you should listen to Saki. Leave the turtles, come back to the Foot. You're only wasting your potential remaining in this so-called team with them. Yoshi has nothing to offer you. Saki does."
Jewel shook her head at her father in disbelief. "How could you be so daft?" she asked him incredulously. "Father, this man has no honor. He nearly killed me when he realized you were no longer there to protect me. He has no honor! Not like you do." she argued, but her father simply gave her a patronizing look. He gestured a hand to her, "Oh, daughter, how foolish of you. You say you care for these freaks, and yet here you are telling me about honor, when you have none yourself."
Jewel blinked in confusion and looked down from where her father was pointing. Her eyes slowly travelled below her and her eyes widened. Her sword was plunged into someone's chest, blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth, his oceanic eyes wide. Jewel immediately shot up to her feet and pulled her Tanto sword along with her, and she stumbled backwards, her eyes wide with horror. "Lion Boy..." she whispered, glancing at her sword, eyes popping at the blood soaked blade, glinting in the moonlight like a seductive evil eye. She looked back at the blue masked turtle, "No..."
Before she could even mourn her boyfriend, her thoughts spinning out of control, Shredder stepped towards her. He had his arms extended for her, stepping closer as she stepped back. "Come, Julia. You belong in the Foot." he told her but Jewel shook her head. She ripped off her mask and tossed it aside. She wanted him to know how much she hated him with a burning passion, burning like the lava. She glared at him venomously, poising the tip of her Tanto at him threateningly, "No." she growled, "Stay the fuck away from me, I want nothing to do with the Foot." she spat. Shredder came closer, ignoring her cruel words, "Jewel, come on," he pleaded, and she noted how high pitched his voice sounded. Odd...Shredder never sounded so desperate before. Perhaps she was scaring him off. She gritted her teeth and she could feel the smoke surrounding them now, the flickers of fire forming at her body, "I said...stay...the fuck...away from me!" and she threw a fireball at his terrified and confused face.
Leonardo continued to stare at his girlfriend with a mixture of fear and concern as smoke rose off of her form. She looked - no, glared at him like she never did before. Not even all those times she was angry with him. Flames formed around her hands, which clutched the hilt of her short sword so tightly that it began to tremble under her hold. His greyish blue eyes widened as he watched her with horror. Her beautiful, sly eyes lost their brilliant blue color, glowing a piercing, hellish fire color instead, cracks of the same color began to form in thin vein-like lines around her now exposed face. The lines looked like cracks of lava around the outside of a volcano. The cracks of lava slithered around her whole form and through her outfit even. He didn't feel like he was staring at Jewel anymore...he was staring at some type of demon. Donnie and April still trembled in fear and he held out a hand to her, attempting to calm her.
"Jewel, come on, this isn't you." he told her, trying to soothe her. Jewel only growled at him like a wolf and Leo jumped back, startled now. "I told you to stay the fuck away!" she snarled and Leo raised a brow. What the hell was she seeing? What could she be so afraid of? Leo shook his head, "What are you talking about? It's me." he said, trying to reason with her. Jewel only glared at him with those glowing, burning eyes. "Stay the fuck away or you can say goodbye to your fucking head!" she barked in rage before turning a heel and zipping away with her enhanced speed. Leo called out to her to come back before he heard another scream. April sprinted away from the direction Jewel had left with Donnie following behind. Leo desperately hollered at their retreating forms, his vision blurring with frustrated tears as his heart thrummed wildly.
It's so dark now and he was being sprayed with so much spores as he tried to slice them off, slicing them away from him. The room was illuminated by a dark and green glow. He felt that getting sprayed was unnecessary because he was already living his nightmare. Something he had been trying to avoid for weeks. He blamed himself because he failed his team - and most importantly - his family. Captain Ryan flickered around his gaze, and Leo coughed, "It's your fault, Cadet Leonardo!" Captain Ryan accused, "You blew it." he slapped the turtle across the face repeatedly, "What kind of a leader are you? Are you a man, a turtle, or a zero?"
Leo just watched with wide eyes as his childhood hero berated him and he coughed into his arm, still holding tight to his katana swords. He failed...everyone was gone...completely drowned in their own fears. He heard the mushroom groaning and squeaking and he looked up to find them standing in a single line. Music suddenly surrounded the room and Leo watched, bewildered. They spun around and formed some type of circle and danced like elegant ballerinas all around him. He heard the music play in the background and it was oddly soothing. His eye twitched, and he coughed again when he was sprayed on both sides and he stumbled. he backed as he coughed into his arm before his swords left his hands, and Leo slipped on some cliff and he let out a loud scream as he descended down to the ground, blacking out the instant his head met the surface.
Leo groaned as his head pounded, his whole body felt stiff, and he felt exhausted. "Where...am I?" he asked aloud, before his eyes widened. His brothers formed around his dark thoughts, voicing every fear of his.
"You let us down, bro!"
"You did this!"
"It's your fault, Leo!"
Leo shook his head miserably, "No..." he whispered, and he shot himself upright, "NO!" he said more angrily. He forced himself to his feet, clutching his sword tightly. "Come on. Fight your fear, Leo. Get your head straight. Fight it!" he told himself, attempting to give himself a pep talk. He refused to give up. He loved his brothers too much and he had to save them! No matter what it takes. He whipped around and he stared up at the actual mushroom mutant. It was gloriously disgusting even with the revolting eye. He resisted the urge to gag. He narrowed his eyes when he spotted something from the thing's control panel. "Mutagen," he realized with horror as he spotted the canister lodged into the panel. It must've fell down here on that day, he realized. Great. Another failure to add on to.
It spoke in a dark, sinister tone, shaking Leo to the core, adding to his headache as he turned around, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword as he placed a hand over his forehead, gritting his teeth at the searing pain. "Mutagen. Taste. Fear. Feed..." it drawled as flashes of Leo's brothers appeared. They continued to taunt him, accusing him, their faces plastered in fear, running away, Jewel's enraged, fiery glare, lava cracks forming on her face, her eyes glowing like fire, Casey and April, wide eyed, screaming for help. He was powerless to help them. "It's in my head." he told himself, because this wasn't real. His brothers would never say things like that.
"More fear," the mutant mushroom continued, "Stronger. Spread, my spawn."
"Fight it, Leo. Fight your fear!" he commanded himself, refusing to give it completely. His head felt like it was splitting in two.
"Spread, spawn."
His being shaking, the whites of his eyes only visible, he gritted his teeth. "FIGHT IT!" he screamed and he let out a war cry as he whirled around and ran for the mutant, slicing through the mushrooms that came for him. He ran at breakneck speed as he sliced and dodged, tumbling as he retrieved his discarded sword. He was overwhelmed by the adrenaline, pumping through his veins as he was sprayed with more spores. He refused to go down, he kept encouraging himself, for his family. "Keep going, Leo. Don't give in." he told himself in a determined tone.
Raphael blinked as he found himself alone in the sewers, no longer drowning in a sea of cockroaches, to his relief. He observed his surroundings, noting how it was oddly quiet. Way too quiet for his liking. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he looked around for any sign of danger lurking, but all he saw were those mushrooms everywhere, still as an immovable rock. Raph turned his head and he immediately relaxed. "Mikey..." he said, melting in relief as he ran up to his little brother, putting his hands on his shoulders as he checked for any injuries. He found none, thank god, and he was still smiling, alive and well. Although the smile was a tad creepy but that was Mikey for you. "Oh, boy, am I glad to see you." he told his brother, "What the heck is happening to us, man?" Mikey said nothing, only staring at Raph with those innocent eyes of his, his smile still there, but it looked odd as it was creepy. Raph blinked, faltering, "Uh...you okay?" he asked the turtle in confusion, unsure whether or not he should be concerned. Mikey was no doubt a weirdo, but that smile was just beyond creepy, even for him. His green eyes widened in both horror and disbelief when Mikey's head rolled off his body, and Raph screamed and stepped away in fright. Next thing he knew, Mikey's head hole shot like a canon ball and he was drowning in cockroaches all over again. He grunted as his shell smacked against a pipe and he slid down, smothered in roaches. They wouldn't go away, they wouldn't leave him alone. Amidst of the sea of roaches, he felt his whole word redden as the largest one came to view, a girl trapped in its limbs, she was thrashing and screaming at Raph to run away. His eyes grew in anger, and Raph gritted his teeth. "I'll bury you, cockroach!" he spat, drawing out his weapon and lunging for the freak. The radiant blonde fell and tackled the roach to the ground...
Mikey slammed down hard on his shell as he gripped his chain like a vice. His baby blue eyes were wide with terror as he tried to hold back the Squirrelanoid, its jaws chomping and snapping at him, and Mikey craned his head away as best as he could. "Keep away from me!" he yelled, dodging the hideous creature's attempts to chomp off his head. "Stay back." Mikey warned, blocking another bite, shaking to the core, "I won't let you get my brain juice!" he craned his head as far away from the squirrel monster as another head from inside the mouth tried to get a bite. He didn't want to believe this was happening, he wanted it all to be just one really bad nightmare. Tears trailed down his freckled cheeks and he could feel their horrid breath breathing down his neck. The large squirrel mutant loomed over him like a scary shadow and rose upright, throwing its head back as it howled...
April was curled against a crate and her eyes were wide, red rimmed, and they shone with tears. The bat mutant stretched and flew right at her, fangs bared. Her father would never hurt her, she knew that, but...it feels so real, it's too real and it's like she can't breathe properly. "Stop following me, dad!" she demanded as she threw her arm back and slapped her father across the face. He screeched and glared at her with those wild eyes, flying back at an impossible speed rate...
Donnie stumbled back as he covered his ears with his hands, squeezing his eyes shut because he refused to look at her eyes, her cruel, animated eyes. "No! Leave me alone! I don't wanna hear anymore!" Donnie hollered hoarsely. His throat was raw from all the screaming and his head ached fiercely. She stared at him with a cold smirk, a wicked gleam in her beautiful expression, it was too painful for Donnie to look at. "What's the matter, freak?" she spat, "Scared?" her arms grabbed his head and he pried his eyes open. She pulled him close to her and he was forced to do nothing but look. "Maybe I should put you out of your misery!" He could hear the ominous music play in the background as he watched several versions of her kissing Casey all over his face, his vision blurring but at least he didn't have to look at the lovesick grin on the teen's face. He scream as the tears fell, her kisses echoing...
Casey screamed at the top of his lungs as his whole world turned green, rats all over his head. The rats pooled together and crawled everywhere. Two larger rats emerged, staring at Casey with their red, cruel beady eyes. "The rats!" he screamed, shaking as they crawled along his lap, "They're everywhere!" His heart was racing, he was shaking and he couldn't stop because these rats wouldn't go away. He felt like a scared little kid, he was just so scared and he wanted nothing more than to go home. They licked his cheeks and the rat atop of his head chewed on his hood, and Casey felt his eyes pop when the largest rat, his fur unkempt, his eyes a hellish red, cruel, sharp, taunting him as the rat crawled at him, slowly, so slow, and before Casey could think he raised a hand and slapped the rat across the face with all the strength he could muster. He watched as the large rat flew away and jumped like a ping-pong ball...
Her whole world was in dark blue, grey combined with a hellish red hue. The Shadow Man lurked behind her and she hurled multiple fireballs she formed in her clenched fists at him. The fireballs disintegrated as they flew right through him, and he grinned. Jewel's fiery eyes widened in rage and she huffed, poising her Tanto sword, the blade was ablaze as it crackled, and curled her nose, "I'm warning you, you sick freak," she threatened, "Stay the hell away from me!" she barked before turning a heel, but she stopped in her tracks and she froze right on the spot. She let out a choked gasp. Donnie, Mikey, April, and Sensei were standing meters away from her, but their whole bodies were lit on fire, and they were all screaming at the top of their lungs. April gasped in pain, limbs flying wildly and Jewel could only stare in horror as the red head reached out for her, but Jewel was too frozen on the spot to do anything. Instead, she backed away, shaking her head. "Do not fight it, Julia," she heard The Shadow Man say, and her chest heaved, "This is who you are. You are a weapon, a killer, that is your rightful place. You were meant to be feared by others, you were meant to conquer the world, you were always meant to take others lives. That is who you are. You will always be that girl." Jewel shook her head rapidly, squeezing her eyes shut as she covered her ears, attempting to block his words out, "N-No," she gritted, "I...I'm not like that anymore! I'm not..." she sobbed.
Mikey's arms were straining beneath the weight of the Squirrelanoid as he yelled at it to keep away from him, his eyes petrified. Raph mirrored his expression as he mustered all of his strength to keep the revolting roach away from him. A bright light flashed across both of their visions and both turtles blinked as their muscles strained less, and baby blue eyes met electric green eyes. They blinked and lowered their weapons. "Raph?" Mikey whispered, hope evident on his features. Raph's shoulders sagged with relief, "Mikey?" he whispered. Mikey looked down at his Kusarigama chain as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Raph reached his hands on Mikey's head and began to attempt to pull his head off, just to make sure he still wasn't living in that cockroach hell. Mikey immediately protested as he cried out in pain. Jewel panted heavily and she peeled her eyes open, still in a fiery color, volcano cracks still around her skin. She looked around, cautiously, and slowly, she lowered her hands, still panting lightly. April, Casey, and Donnie all groaned and April blinked her heavy lids open, straightening herself upright as she rubbed her head. She hardly remembered what happened aside from the sea of bats and her father, but she held strong to the memories from before.
Donnie arose and blinked wearily at her, her back to him, and he hoped to whatever god that was listening that those crystal bleu eyes didn't taunt him with rage and hate. "April?" he said, hope tinting his tone. April turned and blinked at him, and to his relief, his system overriding with joy, she smiled softly and waved. Casey sat up as he blinked, his mind spinning, "W-What happened?" he asked before Raph's voice echoed the sewer tunnel they were in. "Guys!" Raph called with relief as he and Mikey came from above. Mikey grinned widely and stretched his arms high and up, overjoyed, "You're alive!" he exclaimed as he leapt down and tackled Donnie with a hug. Donnie merely grinned at his baby brother and wound an arm around him. Jewel stalked to the group and Casey's eyes widened when he spotted the volcano cracks around her face, her eyes still the color of a flame. "Whoa..." he breathed, "What happened to you?"
Jewel furrowed her brows and, as if on cue, the blaze in her eyes faded and the color returned back to the surface of her eyes, and the volcano cracks faded along, losing their rich, hellish color as they faded into green, before slithering the colors away from her skin and the volcano cracks ceased to exist. Casey continued to stare with a wide eyed look, before a wide grin stretched across his face, "Wicked!" he exclaimed, delighted. Donnie regarded Jewel with a scientific look before bringing his full attention back to Mikey, discussing the problem at hand, seeing as he couldn't find the eldest turtle. "It's good to see you too, Mikey," he said, Mikey nuzzling into him, as if to make sure that this wasn't a dream, that this was real, "But where's Leo?" Mikey tensed and blinked in surprise, fully aware now that they were a team member short. April narrowed her eyes as she remembered something quite significant, "I remember a cave," she said, walking further away from the tunnel as everyone else followed her. "Come on!"
After taking a few turns, rounding several corners, the team finally managed to find the blue clad turtle and their eyes widened. The three turtles and Jewel rushed to his side as they gathered in a circle around him, eyes wide with worry. Leo looked somewhat fine, aside from the bruise at the back of his skull and the bleeding nose, he seemed fine, but just unconscious. "Leo..." Donnie whispered worriedly, and Mikey loomed closer to his big brother. "Oh no. Leo, dude, speak to me, bro." Mikey pleaded, an idea coming to mind, "Do you need mouth-to-mouth?" he asked and Jewel's head snapped up to him and she pinned him with a less than happy expression. A large green hand immediately slapped Mikey across the mouth and Mikey's protests were muffled as the other two looked a mixture of disgusted and weirded out. Leo's eyes slowly peeled open and he pinned Mikey with a flat look. "Absolutely...not." he droned as he lowered his hand. Jewel folded her arms across her chest as he sat up, "Uh, yeah, if anyone's gonna be givin' him mouth-to-mouth, it's gonna be me." she said as she jabbed a finger at herself, giving them all an exasperated look. Leo ignored her and groaned, and they all went back to concerned. His eyes flickered to every one of them, making sure they were fine. "You're all...okay?" he asked uncertainly.
They all grinned down at him and nodded once, and Raph crouched and placed a hand over his shoulder, "Whatever you did, you saved us." he said seriously, "All of us." he clarified with a lopsided grin, "Thanks, man." Leo merely smiled tiredly at his brothers and girlfriend, who looked down at him with a soft smirk that she reserved for him. "No problem," he sighed as Donnie helped him up, latching his arm around him and guiding him to the lair, the others following behind. Leo discreetly observed his brothers, girlfriend, and friends as they all travelled back to the lair. He felt like crap and worse for wear but it had all been worth it. Casey and Raph began to enthrall each other as they told what they had went through, Mikey bounded back on his toes as he began his tale to Leo about his ferocious boos battle with the Squirrelanoid, a happy grin on his freckled face, Donnie assuring him that he should heal up soon and rest for a couple of days, promising to lookhim over and make sure the spores were out of his system completely. He watched as Jewel and April chatted with each other, talking about whatever girls usually talked about, April's grin pleasant and teasing as she and Jewel looked his and Donnie's way. Jewel's brilliant eyes gleamed in mischief and sly smirk curved her lips, and both girls giggled.
This night was complete hell for Leonardo, but he fought and fought his way through, facing his fear upfront, posing as the light for his brothers and friends as they were drowning in their own fears, their own darkness. He would always sacrifice himself and put all of them first. That was his job. He would always make sure they had smiles on their faces, their emotions content, he was going to use every strength, every power he had in himself to make sure they were safe, even if it meant ending his own life.
Because they were his family, and they mattered most to him.
I am so sorry that this took so long. Trust me, this has been hell for me and Div too. We wanted to write this dark because it was a dark episode but they had to tone it down because it was still a kid's show. We wanted to focus on everyone else's fears too because they're going through a bunch of shit like Jewel is. Hope this satisfying and worth the wait. Night!