WARNING: This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence.
Leo
I shot up at the sound of a voice crying my name. With sweat raining down my face, I opened my eyes in sheer darkness. My hand instinctively drew back for a katana, only to grasp at air. Anxiety immediately took over me.
I blindly rose from the ground with wobbly legs, swallowing hard before listening to my surroundings in order to grasp the situation I had woken up in. To my dismay, it was quiet, so quiet that it was loud. It rang in my ears incessantly until I just had to clear my throat so I could hear something. But it wasn't a problem for long. A shriek broke the silence. I flinched and reached for a katana, frustrated again that I had nothing but the blue mask on my face.
"LEO!"
My stomach churned as my baby brother's shrill voice pierced the air, echoing slightly in the darkness.
"Mikey!" I called.
Spinning around in a panic, I saw him standing under the only light in the area, but far away. Battered and bruised, he was doubled over and hugging his stomach. Angry thoughts raced through my mind as to who could have done this to him, but I had to push them aside. He looked up and met my panic-stricken face, a small smile forming over the grimace as if relieved to see me.
"Bro…" he muttered weakly.
I dashed over to him, yet no matter how far I traveled to get to him, he seemed about the same distance away. I kept running despite this knowledge until I was out of breath.
"I can't reach you. Can you come to me?" I panted, reaching out my arms and desperately gesturing for him to come.
Mikey's grin disappeared, wincing as he prepared to stand. Something came into view as he battled to push himself up. A shadow loomed over his shell like a ghost, looking down at him with glowing crimson eyes.
"Mikey…" I warned cautiously.
My little brother looked over his shoulder once on his feet, gasping as the silhouette of a familiar armored suit came into view.
The Shredder.
My heart thrashed in my rib cage as I darted over to him. This time, I could sense I was actually getting close, unlike earlier. But as the shadow of the armored ninja drew back a bladed gauntlet, I feared I wouldn't get there in time.
"Mikey!"
I reached out a desperate hand as I witnessed the blades drive through Mikey's small body, his baby blue eyes wide with shock and terror as the horrible sound of his shell cracking rang in the air. A gasp that faded into a wheeze escaped him as he instinctively grabbed the blade that stuck out from his plastron. A look of confusion plastered his face before he looked at me, tears lining his eyes. With a forceful jerk, the blade slipped out of his body, forcing him to drop into a puddle of blood.
"NO!"
I jerked out of the tight grasp of sleep, freeing a breath I felt like I had been holding all night. The tenderness in my ribs reminded me of how still I had been lying, turning into a stabbing pain as I doubled over. Even after a week, it still bothered me when I made sudden movements.
I wiped at my eyes as I felt tears welling up and steadied my breathing. I hadn't had a nightmare so vivid since….well, never. Even in my awakening, I could still see the haunting images in my mind. The wide-eyed and shocked look on Mikey's face will be a memory for the rest of my life now. I loathed it so much.
With a sharp inhale, I crawled out of bed. Dawn was just breaking outside. I could have slept another hour or so, but how could I? It was time to exercise the stiffness out of my chest anyway, just like I'd been doing every morning since the fight in the alley. If I didn't, Donnie would hound me until I did, and I didn't want that.
He'd been coaching me through breathing exercises and helping me walk the past few days. Finally, I was given his blessing to sleep lying down last night, which had to have been why they were more sore than normal.
I hated being injured when Shredder and the Foot were out there plotting against my family, but I wasn't the only one. Raph had grown the most impatient and angry. Angrier at the fact that Master Splinter had ordered us to stay underground until I had healed. I couldn't say I blamed him. But now that I was walking without exerting myself and feeling less pain in my ribs, maybe Sensei would change his mind. Even Donnie said I was healing exceptionally fast.
I shuffled into the common room of the lair, noting my future self was stirring out of sleep in his cot and blinking at me sleepily. He took a long look at me as he sat up, a frown spreading on his face.
"Nightmare?"
I stepped into the pit, stretching carefully. "I take it you had them at some point in your past?"
"I still do," Big Leo said.
I stopped stretching to look at him, but he was tying on his mask, looking at the floor.
"Tell me, what did you see?" he asked me seriously.
I swallowed hard and told him every horrific detail of my dream, even the awful cracking sound Mikey's shell made when he was stabbed. Big Leo balanced his elbows on his knee, his hand covering his mouth as he soaked in each word. He was quiet for a long time. Even after I finished, he remained in that position with a vacant stare that wouldn't meet mine.
"This is odd," was all he could finally say after a painful silence.
"What do you mean?" I demanded.
"I didn't have nightmares like that until after Mikey's death. My presence in this timeline is affecting your memories, almost like we're conjoining or something."
I blinked at him and swallowed again to gain control of my voice. "How is that possible?"
"I wish I could say. All I know is I'm still lingering in this time, meaning I haven't altered the future whatsoever. And I fear that means…." Big Leo couldn't finish his sentence, looking to the ground.
"You're going to change his future. I know you will," I encouraged, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to get the Heiwa no Buki back and get rid of it. I promise."
"You're right," he said with a half smile. "I should listen to myself more often."
I rolled my eyes with a smile as he playfully punched my shoulder.
Mikey
Silence washed over the dojo as I sat criss-cross before Father. I mimicked his steady breathing, studying him like a book until he poked an eye open. I immediately closed my eyes. The small, tired sigh that escaped him told me he had seen it, but he chose not to scold me. It took me longer to reach my center, and he knew this. Despite all the meditating he'd been making me do, you'd think I'd get better at it.
I remembered what he had taught me. Inhale all the outside distractions and exhale them out. Repeat. Expel all thoughts.
Wait, thinking about expelling thoughts is a thought, right? Oh no, that was a thought too. Ah! Make it stop! No. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. You've got this, Mikey.
After what felt like forever, I felt a sense of tranquility wash over me, and my limbs went loose like a rag doll. I felt frozen in place, but I struggled not to think too hard about the fact, or I would pull myself out of the meditative state I fought so hard to reach. Sensei's presence was still there; somehow, I knew he had also slipped into this state.
When I opened my eyes, the familiar dojo wasn't there to greet me, only whiteness. I sat in a pool of fog I'd seen before, a feeling of familiarity hanging over my head. I was in the Astral Realm.
I blinked as a soft glow of light drifted before me like a ghost in the shape of a ball. It circled my head, stopping a foot in front of my beak. My eyes didn't hurt this time as I stared into the light, sensing a presence I knew all too well. Although friendly, a different feeling was still combined with it, something dreadful.
"Michelangelo…" the voice was almost inaudible, so far away, even inches in front of me.
"Zilch, dude, can you speak up? Are you going through a tunnel or something?" I asked, leaning closer to the light. That feeling of dread grew stronger the longer I beheld it, and chills rippled down my body.
"You must…"
I scrunched up my face in confusion, my ears craving for the rest of their sentence.
"What?"
"…danger…"
Even through a monotone, emotionless voice, I could hear and feel the panic behind every word. Anxiety flooded my entire being. My breathing hitched in a sudden gasp as I felt my body being catapulted out of this realm. Zilch's glow diminished the farther I soared.
"Michelangelo!"
The ceiling greeted me when I opened my eyes. I blinked, noting I had never seen it so close before. Wait, I was really close. Why was I so close? Then, suddenly, my stomach lurched as I dropped without notice. My shell crashed on the rugs of the dojo.
That's when I realized I was previously floating.
Within seconds, I was in Father's furry embrace, his usual calm eyes wide with concern. He brought a warm paw to my forehead, and his mouth opened ajar as if his words were stuck in his throat.
"Sensei! I spoke to the Heiwa no Buki. They were warning me, but I couldn't hear them! It was like they were too far away, or I wasn't concentrating long enough. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," I rambled, trying to sit up and failing as Master Splinter kept me still. With a firm grasp of his paw on my shoulder, I felt my body numb, sinking into his hold.
"Calm yourself, my son. You were in a deep trance," Sensei hushed.
"What happened, Sensei?" I asked groggily.
The rat's ears drooped, and he looked away. "I had hoped this meditation would help your spirit, but it would appear your link to the Heiwa no Buki is still there, if not stronger."
Something pinched my heart as this despondent look hung over my father. I'd never seen his face mold into something so sad. Strength returning to my body, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to my level on the ground. He didn't resist with a paw clasped tightly on my shell. With my scaly cheek pressed against his furry one, his whiskers tickled my beak.
It pained me to see him like this. Tears welled in my eyes as I wondered what was going through his head at that moment. I couldn't allow myself to cry, though. One of us had to be strong; for once, that someone was me.
"It's okay, Otōsan. We tried, right?" I asked.
He only hummed in agreement, and it vibrated my shoulder as he remained burrowed in it.
"We'll get the Weapon of Peace from uncle Shred-Head, and then everything will go back to normal. You'll see," I assured.
A few moments went by. Nothing from the rat.
"Did I ever tell you that you're totally rat-ical?" I asked, hopeful and quiet.
Finally, a sign of life. My shoulder vibrated again as Father let out a wet chuckle. He raised his head and met my stare, wiping away a tear that had escaped the corner of my eye with his thumb.
"My child, your optimism shows no bounds," he said through a forced laugh.
Leo
"Okay, that could work, but what if we entered through the sewers?" Big Leo asked, pointing at my crayon-scribbled map of Oroku Saki's lair.
"Wouldn't that be obvious?" Raph asked, irritation leaking from his tongue.
"Well, we're surely not busting through the front doors," Big Leo said.
"Why not? It'd catch 'em by surprise."
"You're not serious, are you?" I asked.
Raph's eye ridges furrowed, and he crossed his arms. "I don't know! Strategizing is more of Donnie's field than mine. Where is he, anyway? DONNIE!"
"What?" came Donatello's irritated response from behind.
The three of us turned to see our genius brother exiting his lab. His bo was strapped to his shell, and a bag hung from his shoulder. He clutched the strap, casting us a confused look.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Same place I go every third month," he said matter-of-factly. When the rest of us said nothing, he continued with an annoyed edge to his voice. "The sewers. To change the batteries on the sensors and security cameras?"
"Do you have to do that now? We're planning to get the Heiwa no Buki," I said.
Donnie's eyes sank, that bored look he wore so well becoming evident. "Yes. This is crucial for our safety. Besides, didn't Sensei say we weren't allowed to plan until you were better?"
"I did."
We whipped our heads to the other side of the common room, finding Master Splinter and Mikey coming from the direction of the dojo.
"I gave strict orders, Leonardo," the rat said, his eyebrows cutting down as he placed two frail hands on his cane's top.
"But Sensei, I'm feeling much better. Right, Donnie?" I shot him a hopeful look, to which he was unmoving in return.
"You've healed miraculously well, yes. However, it'd still be wise not to exert yourself for the next couple of weeks," Donnie explained.
"We don't have a couple of weeks," I snapped venomously.
A hush fell over the room, each of us looking at either the floor or one another in hopes someone would speak. The tense air in the room suffocated me until I couldn't bare it.
"I'm sorry," I breathed. "Risks must be taken if we want the Heiwa no Buki back. We've waited long enough."
Father sighed, his body going slack. I saw him give Mikey a sad look before straightening back up. "You are right, my son, but plan carefully. It would be wise to stealthily grab the Weapon of Peace without confrontation."
"Already ahead of you," Big Leo said. "We've got Donnie in the Shellraiser watching the cameras, Raph distracting the mutant goons, and—"
"Hey, I'm the distracter dude. I'm, like, ten times more annoying than Raph!" Mikey abruptly whined.
"He ain't lyin'," Raphael muttered under his breath next to me.
"Mikey, you're not a part of this plan because you're not going," I said.
The youngest frowned, meeting everyone's stern glares before stomping his foot. "Why not?"
"Is your skull that thick? You're wanted by the frickin' Foot!" Raph shouted.
"Can I at least stay in the Shellraiser with Donnie?"
"No," the rest of us answered in unison.
"You said risks must be taken," Mikey argued, pointing at me.
"Not that kind of risk," Big Leo said before I could. He stood up, holding his ground. "And this is no longer up for discussion. You're not setting foot in that lair."
Mikey blinked at the harsh tone in Big Leo's voice, a look of betrayal falling over his features. He turned to Master Splinter with glossy and pleading baby blue eyes. The rat only looked back with a tight, stern glower that shut Mikey up before he could even beg.
"But, Sensei, the warning," he said softly.
I curiously cocked an eye ridge. "What are you talking about, Mikey?"
Mikey turned to us, poking his fingers together nervously and looking up at the pipes above. "Well, uh, the Heiwa no Buki kind of visited me while I was meditating. I think they were warning me about something, but we had a bad connection."
This time, I tilted my head with complete bewilderment still on my face. The fact that Mikey was giving an object a pronoun like 'they' was peculiar, but one thing at a time.
"All the more reason to keep you underground," Big Leo said.
"But what if the warning was about you dudes? You can't—"
My older self cut down his hand, silencing the youngest instantly. "I said you're not going. I won't watch you—"
Big Leo stopped himself, holding his breath as well as the rest of us. I knew what he almost said, and memories of my nightmare played like a movie before my eyes. Tense air draped over the room again as Mikey eyed every one of us. I watched the wheels turning in his head, his eye ridges cutting down.
"Why do you dudes keep looking at me like that?" he demanded with clenched fists.
None of us answered. It felt impossible to even open my mouth, fearing the truth would slip out inadvertently. He wasn't ready. He never would be.
"Michelangelo, listen to your brothers," Master Splinter said, placing a paw on the youngest's shoulder, who only shrugged it off with an exasperated groan.
"I'm tired of you dudes looking at me like I'm fragile!" Mikey marched to his skateboard that sat propped against a wall and snatched it. "When your super awesome plan goes horribly wrong, don't say I didn't warn you."
"Michelangelo, where are you going?" Sensei asked sternly.
My little brother stopped on his way out, barely looking back at Father. "I'm going to shred the tunnels while everyone else is being useful."
No one stopped him as he angrily pushed his way through the turnstiles. We listened to the faint sound of the wheels grinding concrete until silence overtook us. All except Donnie, who adjusted the strap of his bag.
"I'll stay close to him. I was headed that way anyway," he said.
Mikey
I kick-flipped with force over a crack in the concrete. My cheeks were filled with air, puffing with anger that I released with another stunt. Some '90s rock song was blasting through the headphones plugged into my T-phone as I rolled along the curved walls, somehow making me feel better and helping me concentrate. I slammed my foot down and pushed further.
Remembering how harshly Big Leo had talked to me made tears sting my eyes, but I blinked them away so I wouldn't obscure my vision. It became evident to me that even after five years, he was still the same protective, bossy, annoying Leonardo. I thought he was different.
I couldn't believe they were excluding me from the plan. They needed my mad skills! I didn't want my fate to become a reality as much as the next dude, but I was capable of protecting myself, especially with my bros by my side. With Shredder's goons looking for me, it was like they had forgotten that!
Zilch's warning was distant but clear: danger was coming.
Leo and Donnie already got hurt because of me. It felt so wrong to let them execute a plan that involved breaking into Shredder's pad with this warning hanging over our heads. I wouldn't forgive myself if they didn't come back, not when I'm the one Shredder wants. It wasn't fair!
I took a risk and wiped at my wet eyes, instantly regretting it as my wheels scraped against a rock. My body was flung forward, flying out of a tunnel and splashing in sewer water with a pained grunt. My shoulder took most of the crash landing, throbbing as I battled to sit up.
Then my eyes lit up, remembering that I was holding my T-phone a minute ago. I pulled it from the icky water and desperately tapped on the screen, dismayed to find that it had short-circuited.
"Oh man, Donnie's going to kill me!" I said to myself.
Suddenly, I picked up the sound of shifting water in the distance. I forgot about my phone, standing with my hands inching toward my chucks, when I found a large shadow creeping around the corner down the tunnel I was in. Fear crept into me as I wondered if I should stand my ground or run. But before I knew it, the figure turned the corner and approached me, its massive shadow draping over me.
Then, my fear melted as I studied the scaly giant in front of me, and joy lifted my features.
"Leatherhead!"
Hey, readers! Sorry that the POVs were all over the place in this chapter. I'm also hoping there weren't any errors, given I spent all afternoon trying to finish this chapter just to get it out tonight. I still hope you enjoyed and I hope you have a great day!
