Mikey felt his heart pounding against his ribs as he and the others raced out of the abandoned building and into the shadows of the nearby alley, Donnie and April dragging Leo between them. Once safely hidden, they turned to stare at the fire blazing inside and flicking out the windows, the shouting of the human Foot and snarling of the Krang infected ones rising above the roaring of the flames. Then Donnie spoke, keeping his voice quiet.

"It won't be long till they figure out we're not in there, and Leo needs help now. We've got to move."

Raph nodded, his anxious eyes moving to his younger brother.

"Then let's get back to the tank," he said.

April spoke up, and though she was quiet too the fear in her voice was apparent.

"He's in bad shape… he can't walk anymore."

Raph immediately sheathed his sais and moved over to her and Donnie.

"Here, I'll take him."

With smooth, practiced actions, he scooped his injured brother into his arms. Mikey could tell Raph was just as scared as the rest of them, but he kept his voice steady.

"Alright, let's move."

No one spoke a word as they hurried through the alley and up the block toward where they left the Turtle Tank, Leo all but unconscious and the others on high alert for any sign of pursuit. Thankfully, none came, and soon they'd reached the alley where the Turtle Tank was. Donnie was the first inside, the others close behind.

"Raph, set him down carefully. We'll do what we can, but we've got to get back home as fast as we can."

The eldest turtle nodded, laying Leo down as gently as he could before racing to the front of the tank. As he started it, Mikey moved straight to one of the storage compartments and snatched one of the pillows kept in it. All he could think was that Leo needed something to rest on… he couldn't let him lay on the cold, hard floor.

Mikey knelt by his blue banded brother's side and carefully slipped the pillow under his head, his throat tightening as he listened to Leo's heavy, ragged breathing.

"Is it safe to go back there?" Casey asked, his voice grim and anxious. Donnie was already rushing around to gather the necessary supplies but replied without looking up.

"None of the remaining Krang-infested people have shown up since the invasion. I think we can assume they're not one of those who knew the location. We should be safe there, at least for now. Casey, can you give me a hand?"

The human teen nodded, a grim look coming to his face.

"I've treated things like this before."

Just then Leo let out a few weak coughs and another groan, prompting Mikey to grab his hand.

"Breathe, Leo… it's okay," he said, but his brother's eyelids quivered as he took a ragged breath, clearly wanting to say something. Donnie and Casey rushed to his side and Casey took his other hand, speaking with a calmness that suggested he'd done this many times before.

"It's okay, Sensei… we're all fine, everyone's safe. Just save your strength, don't try to talk."

Mikey blinked in surprise when Leo relaxed a little and looked up at Casey, debating whether to ask what he was thinking, but it was apparently visible on his face. Casey only glanced at him before speaking.

"Whenever Master Leonardo got hurt, he'd always ask if everyone else was safe… no matter how bad it was. Telling him was the only way to calm him down."

"How'd you know that's what he wanted t' ask?" Mikey asked.

Casey replied without looking up, his voice soft and thoughtful.

"I… didn't, really. It was just the first thing I thought of, and I guess it was right."

Looking back at Leo, Mikey couldn't help but hope he had heard what Casey said. The slider didn't talk about it much, but Mikey knew he still felt sure he was nothing like his future self. But there were so many ways that he was, and it seemed he was the only one who didn't see it.

"Mikey, try and keep him steady," Donnie said. "Too much jolting isn't going to do him any favors."

Mikey nodded and took Leo's shoulders in a gentle but firm grip as the tank raced toward home. The blue banded turtle cringed as Donnie began peeling away the crude dressing on his side, which already had blood seeping through.

"We've got to clean this and get the bleeding under control until we can stitch it up," the genius said. "Casey, antiseptic." The human teen nodded and poured some clear liquid on a clean cloth before handing it to Donnie. He hesitated and the only indication of his emotional turmoil was a slight quiver in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Leo… this is gonna hurt."

As he pressed the cloth against Leo's side, the slider stiffened and let out a sharp groan, teeth clenched hard. Mikey felt his eyes sting, knowing his brother didn't even have the strength to cry out. Raph's anxious voice came from the front.

"Donnie?!"

"Just drive!" the genius snapped. Mikey started feeling more scared than ever; if Donnie was worked up enough to lose his cool, it was bad. Memories of the Krang invasion flashed in his mind, of those horrible moments when he thought they'd lost a brother for good. The idea of it happening again, this time right in front of him and with no hope of getting him back, left him sick with dread.

I can't… I can't…

"Mikey!"

The youngest turtle jumped at Casey's alarmed exclamation, then became aware of a familiar tingling heat in his arms. He looked down and his eyes widened; the cracks along the skin, which had long faded, were beginning to glow with a faint golden light.

"Mikey, don't!" Donnie snapped. "You are NOT pulling that on us now!"

Jolted out of his shock, Mikey looked at his genius brother with desperation in his voice that he knew matched that in his eyes.

"But Donnie, this could kill him! I can help, please! I can…"

A hand rested on his, and he looked to see Casey now crouching beside him. His eyes bore into Mikey's, haunted and pleading.

"Michelangelo, please," he said softly. "If we lose you saving him, it'll kill him for sure."

Mikey wanted to keep pleading, but Casey's words struck a harsh chord. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew they were true. Just like after the invasion, the orange-banded turtle would gladly give everything he had if it would save Leo. But even if doing that would save his brother's life, it would still destroy him in entirely another way. Donnie spoke again in a calmer, almost gentle tone.

"We'll handle it, Michael. Just try to stay calm."

Casey gave Mikey's hand a light squeeze.

"Trust us," he said softly.

Mikey felt his throat tighten, but he knew he couldn't break now. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and ordered himself to calm down. The warm feeling in his arms slowly faded, and when he opened his eyes again, the glowing cracks were gone. He directed them to Leo, trying to hold back the brimming tears as he sent a silent plea to his brother.

Please stay, Leo. Don't leave us again.