The odds were against them, it had been obvious from the beginning. But now, now the odds were impossible. As the portal closed behind Raphael Leonardo knew that for the first time in his life he was on his own. He didn't have his brothers to fall back on. He didn't have Raphael to come in and save the day. To get him out of this like he had so many times in the past. But that didn't matter anymore. Raph had been right, despite how bossy he had often been over the years, he was right.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that Leonardo had been with his brothers trying to break the pizza box stack record. Had it really only been a of couple days?

He wasn't the same turtle he had been then. Now he was wiser, stronger, more responsible. He'd finally taken on the mantle that Raphael had carried for years. The responsibility that had been handed to him by Splinter after they'd defeated Shredder. The responsibility of his family. His brothers.

Seeing Mikey and Donny go flying through the air, knowing they would fall to their deaths unless something interfered had made his chest tighten. He couldn't breathe. The thought of losing his two brothers terrified him. In desperation he'd turned to Raphael with tears dampening his mask. Raphael was their only hope. Because this fight wasn't over, he needed to stay here and finish it. But Raph… Raph could save the others. Keep them safe. Even when he wasn't around to do it anymore.

He knew that Raphael had saved the others. He also knew that now… now… he was on his own. All alone. And fighting something that was far stronger than anything they'd faced before. Together they hadn't been able to defeat this Krang. Leonardo knew what the odds were. But it didn't matter anymore. He had to finish it.

Leonardo's body was aching, he'd already taken quite the beating from Raphael when his brother had been possessed by the krang. He could feel the stiffness in his muscles, the ache of the bruises that had not yet formed.

A blast of wind came at him automatically had him flinching, he closed his eyes, gripping the hilts of his swords. The feel of their weight in his hands grounded him. Gave him strength. His legs shook as he tried to force himself up to his feet, using a sword to help support his weight. But immediately he found himself on his knees again as pain rolled through his body.

He could see the Krang approaching him, slowly, a smirk on his face. What was he doing? He couldn't possibly defeat him on his own, and the Krang knew it. Even if he was able to get the upper hand and get the Krang into the prison dimension, there was no way he could keep him there long enough for Casey to close the portal. Unless… unless he was inside with him. If he could us his swords to portal the Krang far enough into the dimension and away from the opening he might just have a chance of keeping him there. As long as he was in there with him.

The end results were grim. He'd be trapped in there with a very angry Krang. But his brothers. His family. They would finally be safe. The threat of the Krang would be over, and his brothers could go on. Would live. Would be safe. He'd always thought that his brothers had need him, but the truth was they could go on without him. He couldn't go on without them. This was his only chance. He had to try.

"Casey, Casey, come in."

He heard the small trill of the communicator activating as he spoke into it.

"Sensei, I'm here! And I've got eyes on the key. Just tell me when you're home free, and I'll pull the plug."

Leonardo looked up from the small communicator on his wrist, and back up at the Krang, he was still approaching Leonardo slowly. As if savoring this moment, knowing that his victory was inevitable. His eyes glowing underneath the lip of his metal exo-skeleton.

"Casey, listen to me. When I get to the other side, you close that door."

"What? Sensei, no!"

"Casey, it's the only way. He's too strong. He's not going to stay on the other side unless I keep him there."

"There has to be another way!"

"We've tried everything, Case. This is the only way."

"Leo!" Raphael's voice was desperate as it rang through the communicator. The pain there was something that Leonardo himself had recently experienced. But he couldn't let Raphael talk him out of this. No matter what he said. Besides… it was what he would do if he were in Leonardo's place. "Please, don't do this! Leo!"

Leonardo let out a single chuckle at the irony of the situation, but there was no humor in it.

Leonardo had often hidden behind his humor, his bad jokes. It had been the best way for him to hide how he was feeling from his brothers. How he dealt with the fear of not being good enough to be part of their team. He'd always felt that his brothers were better than he was. Donatello was smart enough to think of any solution to get them out of almost anything, plus his scientific brain was always coming up with new tech that in most ways surpassed Leonardo's mystic abilities. Michelangelo had picked up on his mystic powers faster than he or Raph had. He was super creative and very skilled at whatever he put his mind to. And Raph… well, Raph was their big brother. He'd looked after them as long as Leo could remember.

Raphael was always putting himself between them and anything bad that might come their way, he was constantly keeping them safe, while not caring about what happened to himself. Raphael had thrown himself into the way of the Krang for Leonardo just yesterday and had gotten himself captured. Leonardo had felt so helpless as he'd pounded on the inside of the pod as he'd been whisked away watching his brother fade away into the distance, leaving him in the hands of the krang.

Raphael had led by example and proved it time and time again, that in order to be a hero you needed to be selfless and sometimes it required self-sacrifice. He should know that there was no other way. This was their only chance. One day, Leonardo hoped, Raphael would forgive him.

"You're one to talk, big bro. Hero moves are totally your style."

The Krang chuckled, obviously hearing the last of Leonardo's conversation.

"Outmatched and alone, yet you persist. For what?"

Leonardo forced himself to his feet, gripping the hilts of his swords, the pain now an afterthought as he frowned at the Krang.

"Honor? Redemption? Sacrifice?" The Krang continued, mockingly. "All meaningless."

Determination boiled within him. This might be the last thing he ever did, but he was not going to let his family down. He couldn't let them down.

He spun his sword expertly in his hand. He could feel the strength of his power flowing within him. "We'll see about that…"

And then he was running for the Krang and the Krang was running at him, quickly closing the gap between them. Leonardo gripped his swords and let his legs go out from under him sliding on his knees as he opened a portal and slid into it.

The Krang paused, spinning halfway to look behind him and see where the other portal opened.

Leonardo, appearing a few feet away from the second portal, threw a sword in the Krang's direction. He leaned away, making the projectile miss his armor. The sword spun dizzyingly away, right where Leonardo had been aiming. To the prison dimension.

The grab was rough, he could feel the crushing grip as the Krang's hand tightened around him then threw him roughly onto the ground, hard enough to dent the surface. It took all of his strength to hold onto his remaining sword as he bounced and landed hard a second time.

Ouch… that hurt.

Before he even had time to catch his breath or try to get up again, the foot came crashing down on his chest. He felt something give and the gasp that pushed through him was tainted with the taste of something metallic. Blood he could feel the blood on his tongue.

He grunted, struggling, but it was futile. He was pinned effectively. The weight on his plastron made it hard for him to get a deep breath.

"Leo, please…" Casey's voice came through the communicator again. Sounding desperate. Heartbroken. Leonardo knew that Casey had seen him and his brothers all die at the hands of the Krang in his time. He had come back to save the world. To save them. Now he was powerless to stop what he knew Leonardo was about to do. To what he was going to experience again. "I can't lose you again…"

"Hey… future me would be real proud of you. I'm proud of you." It was the only thing he could give him. Casey had done well, but sometimes, no matter how hard you try. There were some things you just couldn't change.

"Weak words, weak actions!" The Krang leaned in, putting more pressure on his plastron. He could hear cracking sounds. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to know what those were, he forced his mind to focus, to take the pain and lock it away in a box somewhere in the back of his brain so he could do what he had to. "I have forever known, what you fail to understand! Strength always prevails!"

Not this time.

Leonardo brought his sword up and drove the metal almost to the hilt into the Krang's armor, and gripped onto the toe next to his head. He was getting that Krang into that dimension.

"What you fail to understand is… I missed on purpose!" Leonardo's voice sounded a lot more confident than he expected. He ground his teeth together, glaring up at the Krang, driving all his emotion and concentration into his power. The symbols along his sword lit up, and sparks crackled from it before Leonardo felt the familiar whoosh of being pulled through the portal, to where the other sword was tugging them, the Krang going along for the ride with him.

He reached out, grabbing for the second sword as soon as they popped out of the portal, ready to land a quick strike. But the Krang grabbed onto the blades.

"No," The Krang growled, yanking the swords hard enough that Leonardo was thrown forward and forced to let go. "Enough of your little tricks!"

The blow to his face had him tasting blood again as his head was whipped to the side, and a cry of pain pushed through his mouth involuntarily. From the corner of his eye, he could see his swords falling away and disappearing back through the edge of the dimension. Now he didn't even have them. He had nothing.

The Krang's hand wrapped around his throat, squeezing. Reflexively, Leonardo grabbed onto the arm, trying to stop it from strangling him. But this was it, this was his chance. Now or never.

"Casey! Close the portal now!"

"What?" The Krang snarled and looked back down to the opening of the prison dimension.

He threw Leonardo away from him, and started back down. Leonardo pushed himself forward and caught onto the edge of the Krang's mouth. The only place he could grab onto and hopefully have it be effective.

"No! Let go of me!"

The hand came smashing against the side of his head, slamming it into the side of the Krang's armor. His ears instantly began to ring. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. Casey had to close the portal now!

"Casey!" The hand slammed against his head again, making the pain double. "Please!"

It happened quickly; Casey had obviously listened to him. The edges of the prison dimension rapidly began to close getting stuck against the outer edges of the technodrome before the whole thing exploded.

Leonardo grinned, he'd won. He'd done it! His brothers were safe. It didn't matter what happened now. The Krang was trapped. Back where he belonged. He wasn't getting out of here again. He was sure his brothers would see to that.

He let go, seeing the blast wave coming right at them. "You've been portal chopped."

The blast wave hit him with a force he'd never experienced in his life, he was rushing rapidly through the air, pieces of debris flying all round him, until he slammed into hard ground. He grunted, rolling, slamming into the ground again and again, until he felt himself slam up against something solid, stopping him forcibly and making all the air leave his lungs.

His whole body hurt. He couldn't move. But then again, he didn't want to move. Despite the odds, he'd managed to save his family. Save the world. Stop the horrible future that Casey had experienced. His brothers were not going to die at the hands of the Krang. Nothing mattered now. Not the Krang. Not the fact that he was stuck in here. Not the fact that he knew the grim reality he wouldn't be getting out of here. Not until he was dead.

"You!" The Krang was furious, Leonardo could hear him approaching. The heavy sounds of metal on ground, stomping in his direction. But he couldn't even bring himself to lift his head. The box in his mind had shattered now that his job was done. He knew more was coming. But why fight it? What was the point? His life to save millions. The price had been clear and he'd been willing to pay it.

"You've ruined everything!" The Krang's roar echoed around him. But still Leonardo did not move. His body, the only thing he had left, was already broken. He was going to die here. But it wasn't going to be a quick death. The Krang's plans for conquest had been ruined, and Leonardo was the only one here for him to take his anger out on. There would be pain, and a lot of it. His death would be slow. Dragged out. He didn't want to think about it.

"And now..." The Krang's chuckle was humorless. "…my wrath will be reserved for you alone."

The punch had his head whipping around. He could taste more blood. He kept his eyes shut. Gathering his strength. He would face this, without fear. Like his family would want him to. Death was just another plane of existence. He was sure one day he'd be with his family again. One day they'd join him and he'd be waiting. He held onto that. His reunion with his brothers, his father. Keeping their faces in front of his closed eyelids.

"You think you've won, you wretched little pest?"

Blow after blow rained down on his body, pain began to radiate through every inch of his body. Crushing, body breaking blows. Even with his advantage of his plastron and carapace he knew he could not withstand this kind of beating for long. They'd crack and when they did vital organs could be exposed. Pierced. The pain would be unbearable.

The ground gave out from below him and again they were falling until he was slammed once again into the ground. He lay there, feeling the pain throbbing throughout his body. There was nothing to fear in death. Splinter had told him do not pity the dead, pity the living, for their trials are not yet done. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the only thing he had left. A picture of his family. The reason he'd made this sacrifice. Their smiles. The love he had for them.

A tear fell, but he felt his mouth turning up in a smile. Yes, he'd die here. It would be a horrible death. But he had still won. The Krang could do whatever he wanted. Leonardo didn't care anymore. Death was inevitable. It was a part of life, but family, the love he had for his brothers. His father. April. What they'd had. It was enough. His life had been full, and wonderful. He'd lived a full life. He didn't regret it, and he didn't regret his decisions that landed him here. He had finally become the kind of leader Raphael had always been. The kind of leader that Leonardo hoped made Raphael and all his brothers proud. One that they trusted. Respected.

He'd finally found himself. He'd finally overcome all those fears and that feeling of not being good enough that had always plagued him. The odds had been stacked against him, and yet he'd still won. All those times he'd doubted himself, all those times he'd though he wasn't good enough that he'd never be good enough, he realized now that he always had been good enough.

His brothers had needed him as much as he had needed them. They had always needed him.

"Wipe that grin off your face!"

Another blast rolled through the dimension and Leonardo found himself floating through space, holding onto the only thing he had left. The picture of his family.

He couldn't help it. He'd miss them. This was the only thing he had left. The endless space around him allowed him to just drift along. There was no escape out of here, nowhere to go. No one to turn to. His family would go on without him. Would know his sacrifice was inevitable and would know that he would die in here. They probably already knew.

More tears fell. He knew what pain this would cause his family. His brothers. Especially Raph. Despite Leonardo taking on the role of leader, Leonardo was still Raphael's little brother. His biggest fear had always been a mistake would cost them everything. Would change everything. As he'd told Leo the night the key had been stolen, he had still felt like it had been his responsibility for keeping them all safe. Making sure they could handle anything that came their way. Because if he didn't, they could all end up dead. Now, Raphael's worst fears had come true.

Leonardo had felt the same responsibility of his brothers' lives on his shoulders. It had been terrifying seeing them in the clutches of the Krang. Having that responsibility. Knowing that his decisions would either result in a victory or cost his brothers their lives. It hadn't been an easy thing to shoulder, but he had done it anyway. Because that is what it took. That was his job. That was what it took to be a hero, as Raphael had always said.

He drifted, not at all sure where the Krang was. But for now, he didn't care. He felt like he was apart from himself, just drifting. He could see himself, but he could no longer feel the pain. Was this what it felt like to die? He'd never really thought about death before. But right here. In this moment. It was almost peaceful. If this was dying. It really wasn't so bad.

A bright light suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of him, so bright it was hard to look at at first. He'd always heard about the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps this was it. He could be done. Perhaps his injuries were worse than he thought and this was the moment. That moment.

Suddenly he found himself within his body again, slowly turning. Reaching. He was ready. Even if this was the end. It was an escape. An escape from this dimension. An escape from the Krang. An escape from the pain.

But then the portal opened and he saw… his brothers. Michelangelo was opening a portal, with his mystic hands. He'd tapped into the power that Casey had been describing to them when they'd been going to save Raph. Donny was there. And Raph too. There were tears in their eyes. But hope surged through Leonardo once more. His family. His light. The only thing he would ever want was just out of reach.

"Took you guys long enough." He joked, forcing a smile as he tried to mask the pain. The fear. The acceptance of death that moments ago he'd been all too ready to accept.

How could he be so ready to die, when his brothers obviously still needed him? His brothers had found a way to reach out to him, to find him even in this horrible place. His brothers had always overcome impossible odds but even now he was having a hard time trying to grasp the fact that his brothers were here. That they had come for him. They were going to get him out!

But as he stretched, reaching, he felt the secure grip of Raphael's projected hand close around his.

"LEO!"

Leo blinked seeing the strain and fear in Raphael's eyes and looked down. The Krang was right below him, racing for the portal opening even as his brothers desperately tried to pull him out.

He heard Donatello's cry and then something large, and purple spun past him. Donatello's mystic drill. It hit its target right in the Krang's face, distracting him.

The force pulling Leonardo out suddenly doubled as Donatello helped Raphael and they both fell backward as Leonardo was yanked through the portal and landed hard on the ground between them

The bright light of the portal seemed to disappear on the other side of Leonardo's eyelids as he lay frozen on the ground. Somewhat lost in a stupor as to what had just happened. The pain was returning now in full force. The aches, pains, bruises and abuse he'd taken the past few hours were now demanding his attention.

Leonardo ignored it. His brothers had come for him. They'd gotten him out. They'd won. They'd all won.

"Leo?"

Leonardo slowly opened his eyes. The side of his head where he'd taken the pounding felt swollen, his chest burned and taking a deep breath was impossible. Things were shifting around inside his chest that he was sure shouldn't be.

But his brothers were all hovering over him, their faces full of concern, anxiety and fear.

"Hey…" Leonardo forced a smile again and then looked around. "Ew… are we on Staten Island?"

"Come here!"

Leonardo found himself crushed in a group hug from all his brothers, squeezing his injured and aching body. It intensified the pain and drove what little air he had out of his lungs, but right now he didn't care. He was with his brothers. He was with his family. He'd need time to heal. But he'd get through this, he knew he would. Even as his world began to go black. He had his brothers. He was home.

He could hear Raphael saying something else, but he couldn't hear him anymore. The peaceful warmth of blackness seemed to come from nowhere and Leonardo knew no more as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Healing was a long and arduous process for him. He'd woken in the infirmary wrapped in more bandages than he could count. But his chest no longer felt like broken pieces were floating around inside. One of his eyes was completely swollen shut and he'd ached from head to toe. He'd turned his head to find Raphael next to his bed, keeping a constant vigil over him. Just as he always had.

He'd gently touched Leonardo's arm, not wanting to aggravate his injuries. "Rest, Leo. We gotcha. Yer home."

Leonardo had fallen asleep again quickly, but the pain had woken him again. Donatello had been there that time, and after explaining that Leonardo had a cracked bone in his face, several broken ribs, a concussion, and a crushing injury to his lung, which explained why it hurt so much to breathe, Leonardo hadn't been in any hurry to get out of bed. For the first week at least.

When he had gotten up, he'd hobbled around like an old man, finding himself easily winded and if it hadn't been for the help of his brothers, he wouldn't have made it far. They seemed to be taking it in turns to help him. Normally Leonardo would have felt a little overcrowded with his brothers constantly hovering. But right now, he didn't mind. It felt so good to have them close.

It took him almost six weeks for him to start feeling like himself again. The external injuries had healed, and the crushing injuries too had slowly healed. He stopped feeling winded after a few steps and found getting around the lair easier. He'd had more energy to join his brothers in their regular activities and had even felt up for a game of capture the mask.

After a victory for Leonardo, although he felt his brothers had gone easier on him than normal, Raphael had suggested they head out and go get some pizza, and show Casey how great the world was he had helped save.

Leonardo smiled sitting on the edge of the roof, eating his pizza. He felt content, as if everything was how it should be in his life. His brothers were bantering about something he wasn't paying that much attention to behind him.

"You did it, little brother. You really did it."

Leonardo opened his eyes and looked up at his older brother as Raphael sat down beside him, his smile wide. "I'm proud of you."

Leonardo swallowed the piece of pizza he'd been chewing. He felt something within him brighten at Raphael's words. He'd been waiting a long time to hear Raphael say that to him. But for some reason it didn't feel the way he had expected it would.

"This wasn't about me. It was about all of us doing what needed to be done because we're heroes."

Raphael chuckled and smirked at him. "You said heroes."

He held up a piece of pizza with a smirk. Leonardo felt himself returning the smile and bumped his slice of pizza against his brother's as the others joined them. He and Raphael stood and the small little family admired the city, their city. Something all of them had fought to save. It looked so beautiful tonight.

"There it is, gentlemen, our home. What a town." Donatello smiled.

"Beautiful," Michelangelo agreed, leaning casually on Splinter's head.

"And if it needs defending, we'll always rise to the challenge." Leonardo said smiling. He knew in his heart that they could handle anything. As long as they were together. As long as he had his brothers. They could face whatever came their way, as they always had. And they always would.

"Speaking of which, you know what challenge I'm going to rise to?" Raphael's hand pushed Leonardo's head down and forward in a playful gesture. "Beating that record!"

"Yay!" The others called out rushing after Raphael as he hurried to the other side of the roof.

"No way!" Leonardo was startled, and caught off guard, then grinned. "No, okay, fine."

The stack of pizza boxes were piled on Raphael's head.

"Ok, Big Raphie, let's do it!" Leonardo encouraged.

Raphael spun and balancing with the big stack of boxes on his head began wobbling around as Leonardo and his family chanted his name. Supporting and encouraging their brother with his challenge. Just as they would with every challenge. No matter what it was. Because that was what they did. And just like they always would.

The End