Hey you guys! I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long! I was struck with covid and didn't make the speediest recovery. But I'm back and I hope you enjoy!


Leo

My flashlight's beam danced across the sewer walls as Raphael and I stalked the waters. He was eerily quiet as we searched for Mikey, his emerald eyes scrutinizing every dark corner with a hand on a sai as if anticipating someone would spring from the shadows and attack us. He'd been on alert the whole two hours we'd been searching. I didn't blame him after what we'd been through tonight. Master Splinter warned us that some Foot bots could still be prowling the sewers and to leave none still functioning if spotted. Though I doubted that was a possibility. Between the damage done by The Heiwa no Buki and us, it was hard to imagine the Shredder had any ninja robots remaining, and if any did, he would be conserving the army he had left. But really, we had Mikey to thank for that, and regret tugged at my heart when I realized I never got the chance.

I knew the powers of the Weapon of Peace were strong, yet it didn't dampen the jarring effects of witnessing what it could do up close. The scrapes decorating my shell reminded me just how hard I rolled across the ground when the forceful wind tore through the alleyway. Imagining the Shredder with that kind of control made my stomach tense. Mikey may have been the only being who could currently wield it, but what measures would our enemy try to force my little brother to use it for him?

My hot-tempered brother studied me every now and then as I kept a hand close to my chest, boring into me like he wanted to say something. When our eyes awkwardly locked, we looked the other way.

"I know you want to say it. Go ahead," I offered with a sigh.

Raph also exhaled tiredly, his gaze studying the inside of a gaping drainage pipe. "Too easy. Not as satisfyin' when Mikey's out there by 'imself." Some silence went by, and his lips curled slightly. "I was right, though."

"Yeah," I muttered, flashing my light around the corner.

"Hm?" Raph hummed.

"What?"

"Nothin', it's just weird to hear you agreein' with me."

I would have smiled playfully at him under different circumstances, but I was solely determined to find Mikey before I could allow myself to think or feel anything other than what I feel now. I felt another pain in my chest, which wasn't my ribs. My heart seemed to have been beating faster than normal, hammering against my bruised rib cage, sore from seeing Mikey's face when he learned the soul-crushing truth of his future.

"We should have told him from the start and prepared him instead of leaving him in the dark," I said.

"Yeah, well," Raph sighed, "he was gonna freak out anyway."

"But he wouldn't have looked at us like that…." I said, my voice fading as grief took over.

There was a pause as I noticed Raph gaping at me through my peripheral vision. He noted the sadness in my eyes and frowned. "Listen, Fearless. Mikey's just scared. I mean, Big Leo didn't exactly let 'im down gently. He'll calm down, realize he loves us, and then come back. I'll bet he's sulkin' in the lair right now."

I shook my head slowly. "It's been hours, Raph. One of us should have run into him between three groups by now." There was another twinge in my heart as I said it out loud.

"You don't think he went topside in broad daylight, do ya?"

"Mikey's impulsive when emotional," I said with a shrug, then allowed myself to grin slightly. "Remember when he ran off to get the centrifuge to cure his shell acne?"

Raph mimicked my smile, nudging my shoulder. "Or when he ran away into the woods?"

A weak chuckle escaped my throat, and then I went still as a corpse, stopping cold in my tracks. These memories only triggered deeper remembrances in me. Mikey ran off to get the centrifuge because we wouldn't listen to him. He ran away from the farmhouse because he felt unappreciated. Now, we searched for him because he'd been lied to. And all I could think about was what he had screamed at me the night we had gone on patrol together.

"Why don't you do what you do best and forget about me?"

Suddenly my knees buckled, and I found myself dropping into the sewage with tears prickling my eyes, an overwhelming tension growing in my chest as I reminded myself that we needed to find Mikey before the Foot. We couldn't let history repeat itself, even if it meant putting up with his random outbursts that hurt my ears, his big mouth that got us into trouble, and his coming into my room just to poke and prod me to initiate play. I'd deal with it all if it meant he'd come back home and be safe with us.

Being the youngest and smallest, you'd think he would need us the most to guide and protect him. When in reality, it was us that needed him. Without his radiant smile, I'd never see my way through the dark again, and I wasn't ready to face the darkness; I never would be. Why hadn't I ever told him this!?

Raph was there at my side, ushering me to my feet and clinging to me. "Leo, what's wrong? Is it your ribs?"

I swallowed a sob that threatened to crawl out of my throat, wiping at my eyes. The temptation gnawed at me to brush it off, to tell him it was nothing, but I knew better, and Raph knew better. If there was one thing I'd learned from hanging around my future self was that keeping things bottled inside would do all but help me. Yet it felt so vulnerable to be in the arms of Raph—especially Raph—struggling not to cry when I should be brave. He was keeping it together. Why couldn't I?

"We can't lose him, Raph. All the times he'd run away was because of us, and I'll never forgive myself if…if…."

"Shut up, will ya?" Raph begged harshly, yet I picked up the quaver in his voice with a hint of forced control. I looked up to see his eyes lined with tears. Then I knew he was in the same position as me. "That's why we're out here lookin' for 'im… because we won't let 'im die, we just won't! We're gonna find 'im, and then you can tell 'im all of this, but for now, we gotta focus, Leo."

"You're right. Thanks, Raph." I nodded appreciatively with a small smile, waiting, hoping for him to return one.

Instead, Raph wiped at his eyes, growled, and ripped the flashlight out of my hand. He took the lead by storming ahead into the tunnel. "Don't mention it, seriously, or I'll punch you into next year."

My eyes followed him, my legs not quite wanting to do the same, and I shrugged.


My family reconvened with Leatherhead in the pit of the common room, and I didn't have to guess by the sight of everyone's despondent expressions that they were as unsuccessful as Raph and I. Throughout the entirety of our search, I kept my T-Phone close and hoped for a call saying that someone had found Mikey, a call that never came. So I expected this when we arrived home, but seeing it for myself was a whole different feeling than anticipating it. No one bothered asking how the others' search went; it was depressingly evident.

"My sons, I fear your brother has found solace in the city," Sensei said, his shaking hands holding his cane surprisingly steady.

My brothers and I took turns looking at each other, fear and yet annoyance in our glares. How could Mikey be so foolish as to go up top? The risk of being seen by people was nearly as bad as being apprehended by the Foot, and I was scared for him to face that stress by himself. Yet, we seemed unfazed simultaneously because why wouldn't Mikey go topside? It was Mikey!

"I'll look for him. I can handle it," Big Leo offered, his tone smooth and determined. At the first step he dared, Master Splinter snatched his shoulder.

"No, Leonardo. It is too dangerous. You will be too distracted dodging eyes than searching for your brother. When Michelangelo wishes not to be found, he will not be found."

Sensei had a point. When we were kids, even before our training in Ninjitsu, Mikey was always the hide-and-seek champion. The game wasn't over until everyone was found, so our games mostly lasted hours.

Hesitation flared in my future counterpart's eyes, wishing to protest but dismissing it out of respect for our father. Master Splinter noticed this, easing his grip on Big Leo with a forced, assuring smile. "I see you are anxious, chōnan, but you have been through much tonight. Rest for now. When the sun goes down, we will find your brother."

"Hai, Sensei." Big Leo stiffly bowed as Sensei hobbled off to the dojo. I saw the reluctance on his face when he raised his head, the look of someone desperately torn.

"I will keep watch of the sewers," the mutant alligator offered.

"Thank you, Leatherhead," I said, frowning as I watched him stalk away without another word. I trusted him to bring Mikey back if found, but the issue was I doubted that would happen, and sadly, so did he.

"So, what now?" Donnie asked.

I melted at his voice's uncertainty, bringing me back to the fear I had felt during my search earlier. But I couldn't crumble this time; I needed to lead my team, my brothers. Looking at how beat up and exhausted each truly was, I had decided. "We'll rest like Sensei said. It's been a tiring night, and we'll need all our strength to search for Mikey tonight. We'll start with his favorite spots and go from there."

"It doesn't feel right resting when he's out there, Chief," Raph said, throwing his arms over his plastron. It wasn't technically an argument on his behalf, and I'll take it.

"Mikey's good at hiding, and the Foot Clan mostly operates at night anyway. I'm afraid we're at a standstill for now," I tried to reason.

"Well, you guys can rest. I'll be searching for Mikey," Big Leo claimed. He had started walking to the turnstiles, but my voice halted him.

"You're going topside?"

"No. But I can't just sit here. This is my fault yet again. I…have to fix this," my future self said.

Donnie stepped forward. "Come on, this isn't your fault—"

"Yes, it is!" Big Leo pivoted, his ocean-blue eyes glossed over with tears. "I haven't been trying hard enough to save him. The fact that I'm still standing here breathing is proof that I haven't changed his future. I should be gone by now, but I'm sadly still here, and soon Mikey won't be if we don't find him. So rest all you need; I'll look for my little brother."

Neither of us was brave enough to go after him as he stomped off into the tunnels, a new uncertainty creeping up my shell.

Mikey

"No matter its reason, were are proud it has chosen you. I am proud."

"Then why does everyone keep staring at me like I'm wounded, Sensei?"

Sunlight scintillating through the wooden boards plastered to the windows caught my eye, and an unfamiliar warmth draped over me like a blanket. I lay sprawled on a tattered couch, my arms snuggly wrapped around myself. As I stirred, memories from last night hit me like a bus, and all I wanted to do was forget them and drift back to the promising nothingness of sleep.

I missed my room with my action figures and teddy bear. I missed the kitchen where I should be cooking breakfast right now for my family. I missed Ice-Cream Kitty. I missed my brothers… Why did I leave? I was too scared about my fate, too weak.

When I came to this abandoned apartment for shelter, the morning sun had taken over an orange and purple sky. Now it seemed to be mid-day when the sunlight was at its warmest, and I basked in it, relishing the fact that I hardly ever got to feel actual sunlight. I wished I was feeling it directly shining on my freckled skin instead of through plastered windows, but it was selfish to be picky right now.

I removed myself from the couch and inched toward the window. My pupils shrunk, and I blinked back the stinging sensation as I dared to see what the city looked like during the famous "rush hour," as they called it. It was almost unbelievable to see how many people could possibly fit together so cramped in the streets and heading in opposite directions too. Being human looked…busy! How do April and Casey do it?

It made me glad to be a turtle for once and that I wasn't alone in that regard… Wait, I'm alone now.

I stepped away from the window and mindlessly twirled a nunchaku as I thought back to the venomous words I spewed at my family, especially my future bro. I told him I wanted him to go back to his timeline, that I didn't want or need him here anymore, and that just wasn't true. Tears filled my eyes as I remembered all he'd done for me since arriving here, how he'd protected me and made me smile, and then I remembered the secret he'd hidden, which overpowered everything else. I had to take control of this myself, then they'd regret trying to "protect" me, maybe even start seeing me differently. And I knew where to start.

I sat seiza on the floor and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out, and then repeated. It took a while to fall into a trance, given I was so used to having Father with me. His presence soothed me in ways I couldn't explain. But I had to try.

When my body had fallen into a relaxed state, I felt my consciousness slip out with a final exhale and opened my eyes to find the familiar and foggy astral realm I've visited three times now.

I rose to my feet and aimlessly strode through the fog, calling out, "Zilch? Yo, dude! I gotta talk to you, like, right now."

A lurking presence from behind alerted my reflexes, and I turned around to find a source of light suspended in the air.

"What is it you want, Michelangelo?"

"Dude, you've got to take my powers away." I jumped straight to business, eagerly wanting things to be normal again.

"I told you before that it is beyond my control. The connection is unbreakable when a pure soul is presented to me."

My heart sank to the floor, my body drooping with it as I frowned at the ball of light. That must have been why the man in the legend took his own life—he couldn't break the connection when things turned bad.

"But the walking cheese grater who has you wants to use you for bad things, and I know you don't want that. There has to be something we can do to stop him," I begged.

"Young one, you are one with great power. You are capable of many things. Only you have the ability to undo what has been done and take control over those who threaten you. You are a junsuina mono."

Frustrated tears welled up in my eyes, and I sniffled them back. "But I don't want to be a stupid junsuina mono anymore!" I wiped my face, a sob getting caught in my throat. "I'm going to die if I don't get rid of these powers… It's my fate." Saying it out loud brought a bad taste to my mouth.

"Fate is beyond your control, while destiny can be altered by choosing the correct path. Now tell me, Michelangelo. Are you fated by death or destined?"

I stared at the fog, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts, a thousand senses, and feelings all at once. I'd been looking at this fate thing all wrong! Ever since Big Leo arrived here, he'd been changing his past, decision by decision. The only reason he hadn't changed mine and disappeared was that he really couldn't! Only I had the power the change my destiny, not Big Leo and my family. Me!

"Destined…" I replied distantly.

Suddenly, I opened my eyes when I didn't realize they were closed, finding myself in the sunlit apartment with a new determination in my heart.


Once moonlight cascaded over the illuminated city, I crossed the rooftops with one destination in mind: home.

The need to see my family again sent my heart fluttering, fueling my legs with every silent step, every jump, every flip. I wished I hadn't broken my T-Phone the other night. Then, I could have just called them so they could know I was okay. Then again, if I had my T-Phone, Donnie would have already found me by now. It didn't matter. I owed him a big hug, just like the rest of them, and I couldn't wait.

I tried to steady my breathing as I dashed, but I was a little exhausted from having no food all day—another reason I needed to hurry home. I had leftover pizza waiting for me! With little fuel, I decided to rest up halfway there when I found a quiet playground on the streets. I sat on the merry-go-round and shushed my growling tummy through my panting, telling it I would eat soon.

Then my turtle sense was tingling.

I heard the rusted chains of a swing creak behind me, and I turned with my hand grazing a nunchaku only to find the wind had pushed it. Or had it? When I looked back, a shadowed figure was directly in my face, and I naturally screamed as I plucked my weapon from my belt. Before I struck the figure, its head moved into the moonlight, clasping a hand over my beak.

Big Leo!

"Mikey, it's me," he whispered urgently. He removed his hand, a relieved smile curling at his lips before snaring me in a tight hug. "I can't believe I found you. You had me worried sick."

I slowly returned the embrace, still shaken from the scare he gave me. "I'm sorry, ani. I didn't mean what I said, I promise."

"No, Mikey, I'm sorry. I was blinded by the trauma of the past, unable to see that I was only making things worse by not being truthful with you. I just wanted to protect you like I couldn't then… But it doesn't matter. We're together now, right?"

I nodded into his shoulder, clutching him tightly with tears gliding down my freckled cheeks. "I don't want to die."

"I'm not going to let you die, otōto," my bro soothed. "I know it may seem hard now, but you must keep faith in your family like Master Splinter said."

I sniffled. "As long as you do the same."

Big Leo pulled away from the hug, his arms still clung to me with his brow lifted in question.

"Only I can save myself, bro. I've been meditating—" I stopped at the sight of his smirk. "I know, crazy, right? But I learned that we'll never get through this if we don't work together. You need me to change the past."

My bro from the future seemed hesitant for a moment. He wiped a thumb over a tear on my cheek with a proud smile. When he opened his mouth to speak, I watched his eyes dart to a space behind my head, his body going stiff as a building. I went to follow his gaze before I saw movement beyond his shoulder—shadowy bodies descending slowly from a rope. Then we both swapped angles, seeing more figures in black had fully surrounded us.

Foot Soldiers.


It's so good to be back. Let me know what you think by leaving a review, as I'm still trying to improve my writing! Have a great day!