4: Casey

Caius's Dream

A/N: I forgot to mention that in Chapter 3, Be 'Joke was described as Joker and Beetlejuice combined and he is. Thank you for the support you have given, so enjoy Chapter 4.

I can totally get Leo's dilemma. Maybe it's because I'm afraid of rats, and an abusive Splinter makes sense. It's the cutting thing that I don't get. I'm not going to try to figure it out though.

Be 'Joke leads us to a iron, old fashioned looking restaurant. We go in and gap. Wood round tables are scattered throughout the room. On the right side is a counter with seats under it. On the wall behind a pale, black haired bartender is a glowing red sign that says: THINK YOU CAN BEAT SUIDES AT THE GAME OF LIFE AND DEATH? THINK AGAIN.

"What is this place?" Donnie asks. Mikey jumps as a guy slams into the wall feet from him. The guy gets up, flaps his ginormous wings and zooms across the room.

Be 'Joke laughs at our faces. "This is Caius's Dream. The best restaurant/pub in the country. At least for suides anyway."

We all sit on a stool, while the bartender shuffles around.

"So what else do we need to know?" I ask while Raph rubs his forehead. He's still mad at Leo. No surprise there.

"I'll tell ya'," Be 'Joke says, "after Leonardo here gets a drink. Caius! Get this boy some of your best Ever Away."

"New boy, Be' Joke?" The bartender who must be Caius asks.

"Indeed. And his family just discovered he's a suide!"

"Oh, rough day! Rough day!" Caius howls.

Mikey turns to Leo, "Leo," he starts, "this is just a dream, right? Sensei doesn't really beat you, does he? Those cuts aren't real, are they?"

Leo sadly turns to Mikey. We all turn to him. Raph just groans and glares hatefully at Leo. Leo sighs. "Mikey… this isn't a dream. It's another dimension, like dimension X. Only we can get here through our dreams. And whatever happens in real life," Leo looks down at his wrist, at a bright scar that looks recently added," must be here too. Yes, I cut. And I don't have to explain why I do. You can't make me."

"Fine," Raph snaps, "I will get it out of you. But first, I don't believe Sensei hurts you. I can't. You're the perfect son! Why would he hurt you?"

Leo narrows his eyes, "You want proof, Raph? Here's some." Leo takes off his bandanna. A big black and blue eye meets us. I suck in a breath. Raph looks like he's going to fall off his stool. April goes around Mikey and cups Leo's face in her hands.

"He did this because he knows I know, didn't he?" She says. Leo looks down avoiding all our gazes.

"It's not your fault." He mumbles.

Raph lays his head on the counter, groaning." Casey," he says," I don't feel good anymore." I have no idea what to say to that, so I just pat Raph's shell.

"Two Ever Away's," Caius calls, coming to us. He puts two small glasses in front of Leo and Be' Joke.

"Don't mind if I do," Be 'Joke says and takes a big gulp of his drink. Ig's gone after one swallow.

Leo swirls the orangish drink around, then swallows it. His eyes grow big and he starts tilting to one side.

"Another?" Caius asks his white with brown spotted wings ruffle. Leo nods.

"Oh, yes, please."

"Uh, Leo," Donnie says, "I don't think you should drink more of that."

Leo doesn't listen. He just gulps down his second drink. Then his third, fourth, fifth. We don't stop him. Mainly cause Be' Joke won't let us. Finally, he's stopped on the sixth.

"Alright, Leonardo, better give it a break for a second. "Be' Joke says. "Old Jack gon' start chimen'."

"Why?' Leo asks, pushing his cup away.

Suddenly the whole of Caius's Dream starts counting down, "Three…two…one…"

They all scream! Mikey jumps back as Leo screams loudest. They hit the tables, writhing in pain. Some almost fall out of their seats, like Leo. With the screams, we hear a clock chime eight.

Cuts, bruises and black eyes pass before us as Leo screams, acting like he's being beaten. The smell of blood wafers up to my nose. Be' Joke is bleeding from cuts around his mouth. Leo's blood floods the counter as his wrists and neck bleed. All we can do is sit and watch in horror.

This lasts for another two minutes. Then everyone stops moving. There is no sound. Blood evaporates into the air.

"Um… Leo?" Mikey says poking Leo's bruised shoulder. Don and Raph crowd over Leo trying to get a response. Raph shakes him, "Leo, come on, man. Wake up. Come on, Leo. Wake up, bro."

Slowly groans rise in the room. Leo is one of the last to wake up. "What the shell just happened?" He moans.

Be' Joke swallows hard, "It is our one curse here. Every time that clock chimes eight in the morning, we got to feel every pain we've ever felt. It reminds us whey we're here."

"Oh." Leo groans. He tries to sit up but his stomach must have a cramp or something cause he hunches over.

Then everyone calls out a name of a drink as Caius gets up. Ever Away. Pure Life. Self-heal. All these drinks are given out at random. Once Caius is done he gets a drink of Do Stop for himself. Two glasses of Ever Away for Leo and Be' Joke also.

Raph, Mike and Don can't help but crowd Leo. Don eases him up from his cramps. Mikey massages his neck and Raph observes Leo's new black eyes and bruises.

"Guys…" Leo says trying to get away," guys, can I have a little space, please."

When they don't move, and after April tries to tug Mikey away, Leo yells," I WILL CUT MY WRISTS TO SHREDS IF YOU DON'T BACK OFF!"

That gets them moving. Mikey sits back down, and Donnie pats Leo's back before sitting down himself. Raph doesn't move. The two glare at each other. Raph yanks Leo's wrist to him. He stares at it, and then looks back at Leonardo's bitter face.

"You put letters on your wrists like they are paper. You cut to be a pain, don't you?"

"I cut, "Leo hisses, "to prove to myself that I am a person and not a worthless piece of trash."

"We could have told you that. " Raph retorts, "And if you would have told us what Sensei does to you, we could have kept you safe."

"No, you couldn't, and why do you of all people care what I do to myself. I could draw our whole family on my wrists and you wouldn't care."

Fire burns in Raph's eyes and it looks like he's gonna slap Leo so hard that I would feel it. Instead, he squeezes Leo's wrist.

"I. Do. Care," he spits, " You're the one who doesn't care. You wouldn't cut if you did."

"I DO CARE! I CUT BECAUSE I CARE! I STAND THE ABUSE BECAUSE I CARE!"

"SUICIDE ISN'T HOW YOU SHOW CARE, LEO!"

Donnie is back on his feet now… and he is mad!

"LEO! RAPH! ENOUGH! SIT DOWN! WE CAN BICKER AT HOME! NOW SIT YOUR SHELLS DOWN AND SHUT UP!" And to make his point, Donnie grabs Raph, yanks him so he's facing me and kicks him in the butt. I have to jump off my seat in order to catch my red-clad friend.

He whips back around. Leo is lifting the Ever Away to his lips. Raph yells," Leo, don't you dare drink that! Leo, don't-Leo! LEO!"

Leo takes a big gulp of it, but before he swallows, he swishes it around like its Listerine, then gulps it down. Raph shakes in anger. I pat his back.

"Calm down, dude. Sit down." I say.

Raph does eventually sit down, but refuses to calm down.

Everyone in Caius's Dream ignores us. It's as if a fight in here is normal. Maybe it is. Be' Joke and Caius just stare at us.

Finally, Caius says, "Well, you two certainly despise each other. What are your names? Your full names?"

Leo rubs his head, "I'm Hamato Leonardo. The hot-head down there is Hamato Raphael."

"S'up," Raph grunts.

Be' Joke stops drinking the Ever Away and Caius pauses. "Wait… did you say… Hamato?"

With that word everyone stops and looks at us. Our group shuffles uncomfortably in their seats except Mikey who smiles at the crowd.

"Yeah," Leo answers quietly, "Why?"

Caius looks at Be' Joke. Be' Joke glances at him. The bartender turns away from us saying, "No reason."

Funny, I think. When I glance at April and Donnie, I see that Donnie has a contemplating face on. He's thinking the same thing I am.

Be' Joke stands, "We better be going. I have a few more things to discuss with all of you."