Chapter 1: The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Chapter Text

Leonardo was particularly glad that his brothers did not have to be here to see this. He had no fight left in him. The beating he'd taken earlier while fighting the Krang possessed Raphael had already left his body achy. The bruises had already started appearing on his skin like dark splotches of paint. His neck felt swollen from where Raphael's tentacle had literally been choking the life from him.

But that… that was a soft feather bed. He'd take it over and over, take it and be grateful.

That had been nothing compared to what the Krang had dished out.

Leonardo was no stranger to pain; he'd grown up in a house full of brothers. Rough housing was to be expected. He and his brothers were usually tussling with each other. When Splinter had first started training them how to fight, the boys had used each other as punching bags. Donatello in particular had loved coming after him.

Over the years he had experienced quite a few injuries. Some he couldn't remember well; others were more prominent in his memory. A few memories stood out above the rest, cracking his carapace when he had been four. The pain had been blinding, he could still remember Splinter's grumbling as he'd had to patch the young turtle up.

The broken arm he'd gotten when he'd been eight. He had been fascinated with the process, but not so much so when it actually came to straightening out the bone. Despite Raphael and Michelangelo pinning him he'd moved and the bone had not been straightened properly, and had to be set again. That had not been a good day.

The stitches in his thigh at eleven. The gash had been deep and his leg had felt funny as his brothers had helped him home one arm over Michelangelo's shoulders, the other over Raphael's. Donatello, as usually had been trailing behind making his "yuck" face while carrying Leonardo's broken skateboard. The softshell had always struggled with getting his hands dirty.

When he and Donatello had been twelve Leonardo had accompanied his brother on a salvage run to see if they could find anything useful for Donatello's lab to improve his tech. It had been on that run that Leonardo had found the discarded medical books and upon impulse had taken them home.

Despite his own frazzled nerves in emergencies Leonardo had taken it upon himself to be the family medic. He knew that someone needed to do it and Raphael, while he loved his big brother dearly, was not always the most careful turtle. Raphael was better at breaking things than fixing them. Asking Michelangelo was out of the question because… well, he was the baby. It wasn't his job to protect the family it was their job to protect him. And with Donatello… well, with his aversion to anything icky, he'd be better off as the backup medic in case Leonardo couldn't do the job himself.

Leonardo had studied the books with an intensity that he had never put his mind to before. He'd even looked up all the difficult words on his phone and asked Donatello to help him fully understand what they were talking about so he'd have a better clarification on things he didn't understand.

He'd found it interesting, and to his surprise he'd been good at it. When his first opportunity to act as the family medic had presented itself six months later, Leonardo had been the calm one. All those months of studying those books he supposed had paid off. He had not felt frazzled but had calmly taken control of the situation and had gotten Raphael's head stitched and kept watch over him until he was sure the concussion wasn't too serious.

After that his brothers came to him with all their medical needs. Whether it be getting a splinter out of a finger, playing nurse maid whenever they got sick, or tending to open wounds. It was a nice feeling knowing that he felt prepared for almost any emergency they could face.

He'd insisted that Donatello learn this stuff as well, much to the soft shell's annoyance. Donatello had been a reluctant student. While brilliant enough to easily grasp the concepts of what Leonardo was teaching him, Donatello had not been eager to practice. But Leonardo had pointed out that it was best to have a backup medic, just in case it was ever needed. So, Donatello had learned.
Leonardo was glad of that now. Raph and Mikey… they'd need Donny to be their medic now. Because he knew, this was it. He wasn't getting out of this. He'd known this had been a one-way street when he'd gone down it. But it had been the only way to keep his brothers safe.

He'd already taken several good hits from Krang now. His chest hurt, copper lingered on his tongue, he knew his carapace had taken some damage. He didn't want to move. He could hear the Krang coming, but his body was frozen where he was.

"You…"

Leonardo didn't even have the strength to open his eyes. The sound of the heavy footsteps got closer.

"You've ruined EVERYTHING!"

Heh, well at least he'd done something right for a change. The Krang was stuck here. Just like he was. He couldn't touch them. He'd done it. He'd saved his family. The future. Casey wouldn't have him in his future now, but the others would take him in. Keep him safe. Show him a future that Casey had never had in his past.

"And now... my wrath will be reserved for you alone…"

The punch came hard and fast, the grunt escaped him without his consent. His head whipped to the side. He could taste more blood.

Before he could recover another blow hit him. Harder. He could hear something crack. His ribs or his plastron he wasn't sure which.

"You think you've won?!"

The blows were coming faster now. The pain that had been there before intensified tenfold. He heard more cracks. Snaps. Blood bubbled in his throat and coated his tongue.

"YOU WRETCHED…"

PUNCH!

"LITTLE!"

SLAM!

"PEST!"

"Gahhh…" The ground gave way from under them and searing pain flared through his carapace as Leonardo landed hard on the new patch of floating rubble they landed on.

He slowly blinked. Every inch of him was on fire now, the pain overwhelming. On a scale of one to ten… a thousand… maybe more. His mind seemed to be spinning. He was having a hard time thinking straight. Pain was demanding all of his attention. Even in the back of his mind his medic background kicked in and began to start calculating the damage.

Broken ribs, cracked carapace, definitely have a concussion, possible skull fractures, internal bleeding…

Leonardo stopped paying attention. He didn't want to think about it.

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked seeing the picture of his family still clutched in his hand. He blinked staring at the faces of his family. They were safe…

You want to know what really happens to you brothers in the future?! They die! Everyone dies fighting the Krang!

Not anymore. It wouldn't happen now. Only one of them would die. Five lives for the price of one. He'd take it.

Despite the pain in his face and jaw Leonardo felt a smile pull at his beak, though it didn't stop the tears from falling. He'd miss them. He'd miss his family.

"WIPE THAT GRIN OFF YOUR FACE!"

Another blast wave had the Krang shrieking and Leonardo felt himself floating… and alone.

He pulled the picture to his chest, more tears falling as his body involuntarily curled up as he rocketed quickly at first, then more slowly through the empty space of the prison dimension.

His family. The only thing he'd ever truly had in this world. The one thing that he had always been able to depend on. They had always been there for each other. He had never felt like he'd fit in with them. He'd always been the most disposable.

They couldn't go without Donny's tech. Donny was always coming up with some new invention or other and his scientific genius had come in handy more than once. Leonardo had always been awed by the things his brother had been able to whip together. Like the turtle tank. Or the way he had made up for his naturally soft shell with his battleshell. The dude could freaking fly with it! Now if that wasn't cool what was? He would just have to get over his aversion to getting his hands dirty. He was just as well versed as Leonardo was in the medical field. He could take over.

Mikey was the light of their family. Without Mikey they just couldn't hold together. Mikey was the cook and the artist. Leonardo had been amazed the first time he'd seen Michelangelo really take to his art, first drawing, then painting. The youngest turtle was so intune with himself and his emotions, not to mention that his mystic powers were incomprehensible. Leonardo was sure that his brother would still be the greatest mystic warrior the world had ever seen. That he would help keep the family together. That he would continue to be the sun and source of light for everyone. He'd make sure the family stayed together.

And Raph… Raph had always been meant to be the leader. He was the oldest, and the strongest. Yes, his mother hen routine could be tiring. But Raph always meant well. He had a genuine heart underneath all that bulk and had always kept them on course in the past. He'd known the responsibility it took to be the leader, something that Leonardo had not fully understood himself until just recently. It was a heavy burden, but Raph had always done it anyway. He'd do what he'd always done. He'd protect them.

Leonardo blinked his body felt so heavy. So… so very heavy. Despite the weightlessness of it at the same time. How was it possible to feel so heavy, and be floating?

The annoying medic voice in his head had finally gone quiet, something Leo was grateful for. For a moment it was just quiet, beside the harsh sounds of his own breathing. He could feel something bubbling in his chest and could taste more blood on his tongue.

That couldn't be a good thing…

He let his eyes close.

He had always heard the cliché saying your life flashes before your life before you die, and the light at the end of the tunnel.

Well, no images flashed across his eyes. Only the blackness of his eyelids. But when the golden glow appeared it was so bright that he could see it through the darkness.

Leonardo lifted his heavy eyelids and blinked.

Huh, guess it was true. There was a light at the end of the tunnel after all.

He supposed this really was it. At least his death hadn't been as dragged out as he had feared it might be. He rolled over in the air, the picture slipping from his fingers unnoticed as he stretched his arm out to the light.

If this was it… he was ready.

But… wait… the light was…

As he got closer the portal fully opened and the three faces he thought he'd never see again were on the other side.

Michelangelo's eyes were brimming with tears, his arms outstretched as he kept the portal open. Golden sparks lighting up his eyes.

With those two hands, you sent me back in time.

Wow! Huh, guess Mikey really was the most powerful mystic warrior.

Raph and Donny were peering into the portal anxiously. Raph's eyes wide and Donny's full of tears? Donny was crying?

"Huh… took you guys long enough…" Leonardo forced as he tried a grin.

Raph wasted no time, but used his ninpo to project his arm out and into the portal. The large hand latched onto his own.

Somewhere in the prison dimension Leonardo could heard the Krang roar. He blinked as he was tugged up, towards the opening of the portal. His eyes only for his brothers.

The hiss caught him off guard. The head Krang was right below him. And he was moving fast.

"LEO!"

Leo opened his hand, releasing his own hold on his brother. He met Raphael's eyes and blinked. It was ok, he'd known what he had been getting into. This couldn't all be for nothing. Raphael needed to let go.

Raphael's teeth locked together, he glared into the portal, refusing to let go. But continued to pull.

Leonardo heard Donatello's cry and then something large and purple whizzed past his face and down the length of his body. Leonardo blinked watching as the mystic drill hit the Krang right between the eyes.

The force yanking on his arm doubled. And he looked up just in time to see the edge of the portal go whizzing by as Raphael and Donatello yanked him through. The force of their combined tug had them falling over backwards with Leonardo landing awkwardly on top of them.

He gasped, wheezing for air, his eyes closed. He heard a slight chuckle coming from somewhere and then the golden light on the other side of his closed eyelids vanished.
Leonardo didn't want to move. He couldn't force his body to move. All the pain that had been forgotten during his rescue returned with double the force, with his shoulder and arm now aching horribly from the final yank through the portal. Dislocated perhaps?

Maybe if he just rested here for a while…

"Leo?"

That was a voice he could not ignore.

Leonardo pried open his heavy eyelids and saw he was flat on the ground. Huh... when had his brothers gotten out from under him? And how had he not noticed?

All three of them were kneeling around him their expressions tight with worry.

"Hey…" Leonardo smiled ignoring the pain in his cheek. Then falling back on old habits to lighten the mood of the tension that was continuing to thicken around them he continued. "Ew… are we on Staten Island?"

"Come here!"

Leonardo bit back the cry as his brothers crushed him between them. His chest lit up with a new fire and he could feel the blood welling in his mouth. But he couldn't care less. His brothers had come for him. They had not given up on him. They had not left him there to die… his brothers. His family. His whole world.

Something wet fell onto his leg. He could feel someone shaking against him.

"Donny…"

Hmmm… Raphael sounded like he was underwater. When had the ringing started? It was really loud. And distracting.

The shaking got worse.

"…shock… get him… "

Leonardo blinked his vision seemed to be graying out and his brothers had become blobs of color. His sluggish mind still managed to think of a few jokes for that but his tongue felt heavy. His mouth full of cotton, despite whatever was dripping down his chin.

"Leo… "

A hand touched his shoulder, shaking. The pain that induced was enough to clear out the ringing in his ears.

He hissed, the sound loud and sharp behind his clenched teeth.

"Stay awake… you hear me?"

Donatello was sure being bossy. He was the resident medic in the family. Not Donny. He'd decide what he needed to do. Right now… his mind went blank.

Eugh… boy. Maybe Donny should take over for this…

His chest seized and his lungs seemed to flatten against his spine. He coughed; the movement sent every nerve in his body on fire. His body curled involuntarily at the motion and more water dripped down his chin. Was he drooling all over himself? Well, that was embarrassing. His brothers would never let him live that down.

He reached up, uncomfortable with the way that the drool dripped off his chin. He'd just barely touched it when a hand grabbed his wrist stopping him.

"Easy, Leo. Try not to move."

"'M fine… Raph. Just need to… sleep."

Donatello grumbled something that Leonardo didn't catch. He blinked again; his brain felt fuzzy. He felt like everything was moving underwater.

He let his eyes wander away from his brothers and over to the sun off on the horizon. It sent pinks and oranges across the sky, the water reflecting the colors on their waves.

That was really pretty.

"O? … Leo! … NARDO!"

Leonardo blinked his attention snapping back to Donatello like a rubber band. Heh, Donny sure looked funny with his head all distorted. But he really needed to stop rocking. It was making Leonardo feel sick. His head was already spinning and the shaking had gotten worse. He felt so cold. Even with Raphael's arms still around him.

He blinked again slowly. But he could no longer hear Donatello's nagging demands. That was nice. Donny was being too bossy anyway. The ringing had come back and the pinks and oranges were gone.

He blinked and forgot how to open his eyes. He was so tired. He just needed to rest… just for…

A minute.