Note: So yk since things arent the same in this universe, Spike never turned into Slash:) so Slash and destroy never happened. Thought it wouldn't make sense since well the mutagent would have never been in Raph's room, because's not there. Aight thats it.

Also I'm sorry for not updating for so long, had a rough month but ey im trying. thank you guys for all the support! :)

The brooding vigilante scans all the roads and buildings, searching for any danger nearby. However, this night seems to be quite uneventful. He groans as what he had hoped to be an insane night of crime fighting turns into a night of watching the stars. Ugh… Is being a hero this boring?…

He had been expecting something more than just stargazing and, of all things, watching rats skittering around the roofs. God… he really hates those furry little freaks. The creepy, dark-black eyes, the filthy fur and the way their tails dragged across the ground—it made his skin crawl.

One of them just had the nerve to come up at him. The damn thing was lucky it escaped before Casey could turn it into roadkill with his hockey stick. "I hate those furry little freaks!" he grumbles, seething in disgust.

Just as he sheathed his hockey stick, a desperate cry shattered the stillness. "What do you want from me?!" The voice, panicked and raw, echoed from around the corner.

Adrenaline surges through Casey. He springs to his feet, peering over the rooftop's ledge. In the dim glow of a flickering streetlight, three men loom over a terrified victim, their words low but their intentions clear; one had a knife to his throat, threatening for money, as if he's his bank account. How pathetic.

Casey didn't hesitate. He slides down the building, his movements silent and deliberate. As his boots hit the pavement, he pulls a hockey puck from his pocket and in one fluid motion, he launches the puck like a missile. It strikes one of the thugs square in the forehead, sending him sprawling with a grunt.

"AH! What the—?!" the man shouted, spinning to face him.

Without a second thought, the victim seized the moment, darting away into the night. Casey doesn't mind. He prefers it that way.

Stepping into the light, his hockey stick slung over his shoulder, his sharp gaze cutting through the tension. "You slime balls pick the wrong night…" He glowered.

"Nice outfit. Who's this clown?" The middle one laughed, shaking his head.

He didn't feel intimidated. Not at all. After all, he's Casey jones. "I'm the last guy you see before you wake up in the hospital."

He runs at the nearest thug, his hockey stick slamming into his stomach. The thug doubled over with a strangled cry, stumbling over the ground.

Another man lunges at him, only for Casey to swift dodge his attack, swinging his arms back with brute force, tossing him over to the trash.

The other guy tried to swing at him with his knife, however with each try Casey's movement is much too fast for him as he easily steps aside with each strike.

Blow after blow, the fight was over before it began. despite being outnumbered Casey could still keep up with the other. He slams the last man to the ground as he stumbles to the ground face first. "Please! Have mercy please!" He begs.

Casey glares at him as he grips on his jacket. "Oh yeah? And why should I?" He threatens. "Punks like you should know their place!"

Sweat drips from his forehead as he starts to beg even more. "Please! I-I'll give you anything! Money, a car—whatever you want!"

Casey glares, pulling his face closer to his so he can take a good look at Casey jones' eyes. "I don't want anything from bastards like you."

The thug's eyes widened in panic. He squirmed, trying to break free, but then his gaze darted behind Casey. His face turned pale as he shouts, "It's the turtle!"

He kicks Casey hard in the stomach, forcing him to stumble backward. The thug scrambles to his feet and yells to his companions, "Retreat! Retreat!"

Casey wheezes as he recovers, his eyes narrowing as the three men sprint into the road. "Cowards," he mutters.

But then as Casey turns, his breath caught in his throat as his eyes landed on something. A giant turtle stood a few feet away, its neon-green eyes wide and glowing in the dim light.

"Holy—" he immediately stands up and grips on his hockey stick.

The turtle shrink back, its head sinking into its shell as he realizes he was caught. Casey takes a moment to pause before a surge of adrenaline hits him.

"Thought I wouldn't see you huh?" Casey sneers, stepping closer, his presence looming like a storm, making the frail turtle shrink even more. "Tried to hide from me? Huh? HUH?"

The turtle shakes his head frantically, its movements desperate and jittery. "You freaky mutant... God you look even more uglier in person"

Casey eye's furrows, his fingers clenches into a fist as he steps even closer, the weight of his anger pressing in on the already terrified creature. "You damn monster!" He grits his teeth, his fist trembling as a surge of fury washes over him. "Don't pretend like you're scared or some bull crap! You're the reason so many people are in danger! Why so many people are terrified!"he spits, his voice shaking with rage.

"You gonna say anything?!" Casey growls, his voice sharp and cutting. "Talk, damn it!"

The turtle remains silent, trembling under Casey's piercing glare.

Casey's jaw clenches, frustration boiling over. "Fine then. I'll make this quick." He raises his stick, the turtle retreated further into his shell.

The instant Casey swings, the turtle ducks into its shell, and the sheer force of Casey's swing throws him off balance, sending him stumbling forward and tripping awkwardly over his own feet.

The turtle seized the opportunity, scrambling away.

"HEY!" Casey shouts, scrambling upright. "COME BACK HERE!" He breaks into a run, chasing the mutant through the darkened streets, his mind racing as fast as his feet.

The stars are quite nice today, Leo realizes as he settles on the edge of the rooftop.

The crisp breeze hitting on his damp, scaly skin, a rare moment of peace in his chaotic world. It had been months since they'd learned of Raphael's supposed reappearance—if it even was Raph. Truthfully, Leo still wasn't sure, but he clung to the hope, fragile though it was.

A lot of things have happened; The Kraang has been a huge problem lately, especially with the mutagen spillage; They really messed up there. The Shredder is getting worrisome, they almost barely didn't make out alive last time, and Karai has been well... complicated.

Leo sighs, running a hand over his face before burying it in his palms. Exhaustion seeped into his muscles, loosening them as he slumped forward. How silly it seemed now, to remember how they all once dreamed to be heroes someday. None of them had imagined it would turn out like this.

"Leo?"

A voice pulls him out of thoughts as he swings his head back to lock eyes with his little brothers, a glint of concern brimming in them.

"You good dude?" Mikey asks, his voice still as youthful as it was since they were kids.

"Yeah I'm… I'm fine." He replies, though his gaze drifted away.

"Sure, definitely believable genius." Donatello remarks dryly, Leonardo could practically hear Donnie rolling his eyes at him. "Tell us, Leo."

Leo pauses for a brief moment before hanging his head low. "Don't worry about it guys. Seriously, I'm fine. Just… taking in everything that has happened, you know what I mean?"

A moment later, Mikey settles down beside him as he lay his head on his shoulders. "Yeah… I get it dude." Mikey sighs, sounding almost as exhausted as he is.

From the corner of his eye, Leo noticed Donnie settling down on his other side, arms crossed as he gave a small shrug. "Well… I guess that's just what comes with being mutants… and ninjas."

Leo chuckles softly, a mix of bittersweetness and amusement. "Don, we didn't even have a choice."

"Yeah… Kinda wish we did." He mutters as the purple-masked turtle glances down.

"Well, maybe," Mikey chimed in, tilting his head thoughtfully. "But I don't know… I kinda like being a turtle."

"Never said I hate being one." Donnie remarks. "Just wished we had a choice… you know?…"

Leo nodded, his gaze distant. "Yeah… I've thought about that too."

"But no human could ever be as awesomely cool as I am!" Mikey declared suddenly, his grin breaking through the somber mood.

Leo raises an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk forming. "Awesomely cool? Seriously?"

"What? It's a real word!" Mikey protested, his tone exaggerated and playful.

They all laughed, the sound easing some of the tension in the air. As their laughter faded, they slipped into a quiet, comfortable silence, a warm embracing feeling as if the world had finally paused for a moment.

However, of course reality is never in their favor as they hear a loud commotion from a few blocks away. Leo lets out a sigh as he stands up. "Come on, let's go see what's up."

The three brothers leapt across rooftops, an all too familiar motion, until they landed on the edge of a building overlooking the scene. Below stands a raven-haired boy with a white skull-like mask covering his face, wielding a bat with sharp nails around it. But it wasn't the boy who held their attention.

"Leo…" Mikey gasps softly. "Is… Is that?"

"No… no it can't be…" Donnie whispers under his breath as his eyes widen.

Leo couldn't answer. How could he? His chest beats dangerously loud as his eyes lock on a familiar figure. Well… familiar is an overstatement to be honest. He looks… so different. His bones were so visible beneath his skin he could be mistaken as a corpse. The only clue was the shell on his back— a turtle shell.

It couldn't be, could it?

But deep down, Leo knew.

What other turtle has green eyes like that?

It has to be him, right?

The pounding of his feet echoes across the empty streets, each step with a rush to take another. T-0028 doesn't know what to do, he's sprinting for his life, his breath ragged, chest burning as he pushes himself harder. Behind him, the relentless clatter of footsteps and yelling is trying to close the gap between them.

"YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER!" The strange human yells as his footsteps get louder and louder by the second.

T-0028 is afraid that he might be right. His body, frail and malnourished, begs him to stop running. Days without food had left him weak, his skinny frame trembling as his bare feet pounds on the crack pavement. Every stomp sent shocks through his brittle bones, threatening to give out at any moment.

He risked a glance over his shoulder. He was there—so close he could see the fury burning in his eyes.

A sharp blow struck T-0028's head before he could react. Pain burst through his skull, and his legs faltered beneath him. He hit the ground hard, the world spinning as the boy seized his chance.

"You mutants think that you can take over MY city?! And hurt my family?! My friends?! I DON'T THINK SO!"

With ruthless force, the raven hair teen pinned him down, knees digging into T-0028's thin legs. He raised a clenched fist and brought it crashing down, his strikes relentless, giving T-0028 no time to fight back. Each hit sent a wave of pain surging through his fragile body, his vision narrowing under the suffocating weight of the plummeting fist pounding at him.

"You think you can just roam around the city?! You think you can hurt somebody?! Huh?! HUH?!" His growls, his jaw tightened as he grits his teeth.

T-0028 tries to fight back, he pushes his arms forward trying to stop the angry boy's fist, but he's simply just too weak for him. Each strike comes out new purple and black shades, even crimson coming out from his nose and his close scars; now reopened.

The boy's punches grew slower as he heaved in deep breaths. T-0028 can feel the hot sting of tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over. With effort, he cracks them open slightly, just enough to see the angry figure looming over him. The tension in the air thickens as the boy gasps heavily, his glare boring into T-0028, as if his very pupils could carve out his soul at any moment.

"The name is Casey." He suddenly said, his tone low and menacing. "And you better remember that as the guy who ends you here and now."

T-0028 stares at his black eyes, staring into a dark void as if he's playing back his life like a movie tape. Is this where he dies? Is there where he ends?

Well, He suppose it's better now than later. He knew he was doomed from the start, there was really no way of surviving. He probably preferred dying in one quick shot than starving to death.

Casey looms over the turtle, as he finds him completely defenseless, lying on the ground. He takes out his bat, it was laced in sharp nails all around it; very intimidating to look at actually.

"Nice meeting you, mutant freak!" He spits as he swings his bat to lay a strike.

T-0028 closes his eyes, accepting his fate, as he awaits for them to stay shut; waiting for the world to finally quiet down.

But then, a blade flashes through the air, slicing across Casey's arm with a sharp sting, making him drop the bat. "OW!— HEY! What the—?" He freezes, his eyes locking onto the source of the pain: a shuriken.

The mutant ninjas. His eyes widened as he moved his gaze to one of the buildings and there he saw their silhouette. Three ninja turtles, one gripping on its nunchucks, another holding onto its long wooden stick, another welding two katanas.

"Heh…" he smirks, lifting his hands to crack his knuckles. "This night is getting interesting."

Leo looms down at the raven hair man, his eyes glaring in fury. He scans his brother's boney body now covered up with new freshly bruised and his face even more bloody and swollen. What happen to him? How can a human be so heartless to a defenseless turtle?

"Leo?" Donnie calls suddenly, "What do we do now? You're… You're seriously not going down there, right?"

Leo thought of it carefully, fighting in the ground would pretty much risk their identity being figured out, as well as showing their identity to this man. It could potentially leave them in a bad spot. They could try to stealthily take Raph away, however that doesn't stop the risk of his brother getting hurt. There's no doubt in his mind that if Leo looks away for a second that guy in the bat would try to end Raph then and there.

"Leo?…" Mikey's voice wavers, uneasy with the silence from his older brother.

Leo takes a long, steadying breath, his mind made up. "We're going down."

"W-Wait?—" Donnie stammers, shocked. "A-are you serious? Wouldn't that—"

"We don't have a choice."

Casey watches as the three ninja turtles jump down, now having a better look at them. They all look similar, only the color of their mask and their height differs from each other. He cringes just by looking at them.

"So you're the freaks called the ninja turtles." Casey snarls with a smug tone. "Well you better be worried because I ain't like any regular human."

Leo glares daggers at this scruffy-looking boy, gripping on his swords by his side. "Well you better be worried because we're not any regular turtle."

Mikey and Donnie didn't bother looking at the raven hair boy and moved their gaze to their long-lost brother. "Raph…" Mikey mutters under his breath, his voice quivering.

If it weren't for the crack on his plastron and his bright, neon green eyes they probably wouldn't have known it was him. His bones were pressed so tightly into his skin, he probably hasn't had a proper meal in months; most likely years even. The amount of bruising and scars covering his body is worrying, Donnie couldn't even believe he hasn't died from blood loss.

"Don't you dare hurt him." Leo's voice low and dangerous, a warning towards this boy in front of him, as he motions to Raph. "He has nothing to do with you."

The confusion is clear in Raph's eyes as he blinks at them, trying to make sense of the situation.

"How about I make things easy for ya?" Casey steps closer. "You guys scram and leave this city, and I won't hurt ya? How does that sound?"

Leo chuckles, baffled at the idea. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is our home too."

Casey's grin falters, his expression hardening into a cold line. "Freaks like you don't belong here."

Leo's eyes narrow as he raises his sword, the blade gleaming in the dim light. "Then I suppose we'll fight for it."

Casey grips on his bat tightly, tapping the blunt end at the ground. "You wanna go, Turtle freaks?"

A low grumble rings through Leo's throat, a rare fury igniting. "Bring it."

In a sudden motion, Casey bolted straight towards Leo, immediately aiming his bat for his head. Leo sidestepped in a swift motion, the air whistling from the swing of the bat. As Casey followed up with his second strike, Leo's arm shot up, deflecting the bat's impact with his katana.

Without hesitation, Leo dives a sharp kick to his waist, forcing Casey to push back away from him. With his misstepping, Leo delivers a high kick to the chin, dislocating the raven teen's jaw.

Casey grunts, his footing faltering, but sheer instinct drove him to raise his bat just in time to deflect Leo's blade. The sharp clang reverberated in the air, but Casey didn't hesitate. Pivoting on his heel, he spun in a quick 360, his boots slamming into Leo's temple with bone-jarring force. The impact sent shockwaves through both of them, making both of them step back for a moment.

Leo didn't miss a beat. As soon as he regained his footing, he whirled around, his katana slicing through Casey's bat as the raven-haired boy raised it to block. The blade cut deep, carving a quarter of the way into the wooden weapon and locking them in place. The blade stuck fast, and Casey seized the moment. With a snarl, his fingers curled into a tight fist, and he drove a punch straight into Leo's nose.

Leo recoils, blood trickling from his nostrils as pain blooms across his face. The sudden blow left him momentarily dazed, and Casey didn't waste the opportunity. He followed up with a swift kick to Leo's stomach, forcing him to stagger backward.

"Hah! You like that, mutant?!" Casey taunted, his grin sharp and cruel.

Leo lifts his gaze up again, his eyes closed into a furious stare. His grip tightened on the katana, his knuckles white against the hilt as the sharp edge of the cellulose bit into his palms. He wipes off the blood with his wrist, red smearing across the corner of his lips as he gritted his teeth, swallowing down the malicious anger boiling.

A short distance away, Mikey and Donnie's attention flicked between Leo and another figure sprinting into the distance. It was Raph.

"RAPH!" Mikey yelled, his voice cracking with urgency. But Raph didn't look back.

The two brothers stood frozen, torn between rushing to Leo's aid and chasing after their wayward sibling.

"What do we do?" Donnie muttered, panic flickering in his voice.

"You two—go after Raph. Now!" Leo's voice cut through the chaos, cold and commanding in a way they'd never heard before. "I'll deal with him."

The tone sent a shiver down their spines. There was no room for argument. They exchanged a glance and nodded, bolting after Raph without hesitation.

"Hah! Really? Just you and me?" Casey laughed, twirling the broken bat in his hands. "Man… I was hoping to take all of you down at once, but I guess I'll start with you."

"Don't get cocky." Leo growls. "We only just started, you know."

The two stare down each other, the intensity weighing down on the atmosphere. The wind howls, pulling at the loose strands of Casey's hair, carrying the faint sound of the sound the soft heaving from Leo's chest.

For a moment, the world held its breath, the silence stretching thin. Then, like the release of a bowstring, they charged at each other, the clash of their weapons splitting the heavy air.

Casey raised his bat for a swing only to be parried by Leo's blade. The fight turns into a blur, an exchange of swinging and slicing, then punching and dodging. Time stretches as sweat drips from their forehead, purple and black bruising cover their skin.

Leo ducked under another swing, taking his chance for a kick on the stomach. The teen turns his whole body enough to dodge Leo's kick as he steps back far enough for Leo to not get another attack. However, what Casey didn't expect was a smoke bomb as Leo throws it directly at him, blurring his surroundings.

"HEY! That's not fair!" He yells, turning his eyes all around him. "COME OUT AND FIGHT ME, PUNK!

Leo's glares at the boy in front of him, as if shadows have their own pair of eyes. "Fights aren't supposed to be fair."

Leo seizes the moment to strike. He sheaths his katanas in one fluid motion and drives a blow into the back of Casey's shoulders. A swift kick to the knee. A sharp strike to the elbow. And then, a crushing punch to the face. Casey stumbles and grunts with each shot, feeling each of the purple marks growing on his skin.

Casey almost loses his step as his face almost crushes against the floor. His body is about to give out, he has to think quickly. His eyes dart all over the place, the turtle's next move can be anywhere at this point. As swift as his synapses clicked, he somehow manages to dodge Leo's fist and grips it tightly. He pulls him into his reach and takes out his wrist taser, electricity shocking through the turtle's skin.

Leo stumbles and his body moves away further from the cloud of smoke as it dissipates into thin air. Casey follows and places a strike with his foot on against Leo's chest. Leo grunted as he fought back the urge to fall back, refocusing his eyes on this reckless teenager. In a split second, Leo's eyes caught the next impact from Casey's bat as he blocked it with his katana, almost cutting straight through.

With his free hand, he swings his blade across, slashing against Casey's elbow. The raven teen swallows down the wail as he steps back, thankfully he manages to move out of the way in time so the cut wasn't too deep.

"Tch… Not bad for a turtle…" he spits out his spit to the ground.

Leo stares, in shock that he even tried to slice his arm off. He didn't mean to! Seriously! He was simply in the heat of battle!

Leo takes in a deep breath, it's fine—he can't fold into his inner thoughts right now, the boy doesn't seem like he's back down anytime soon. He can't afford to feel pity as of now. His brothers need time to get Raphael to safety.

Casey grips tightly on the freshly cut wound, crimson dripping from his fingers. As composed and crazy he is that hurts like a fucking bitch. Shit…

He knew it's near impossible to win like this. Every movement he makes hurts like hell and this damn turtle moves way too fast for him. But there's no way he's giving up now. Not until you pound him into turtle soup.

He throws his bat off to the side and pulls out his hockey stick. "Let's finish this."

Leo's eyes turn cold, his body moving into his all too familiar fighting stance. "Go ahead."

Just as Casey prepared to launch himself forward, legs coiled like a spring, a voice rings out, cutting through the tension.

"CASEY! LEO?!"

Both of them froze, heads snapping toward the sound. Standing a short distance away in her usual yellow shirt was a redhead they both recognized instantly.

"April?" Casey's eyes furrow in confusion, "wait, hold on— she knows you?"

Leo just shrugs at his question.

April sprinted toward them, her face a mix of bewilderment and frustration. "What are you two doing here?! And what are you doing here Leo?!"

Leo pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing slowly, too exhausted to even answer. "It's a long story…"

April's eyes flicker between the two, scanning through the amount of injuries they have. "And what happened to you two?! Casey what happened to your arm?!"

The raven hair boy looks at her, "Well glad you ask Red, because this mutant tried to slice my arm off!"

"Leo!"

"April, listen!" Leo said, his voice tight with agitation. "I know it's my fault, okay? I didn't mean to hurt him, but he did try to kill my brother."

"Casey!"

"Are you seriously trying to defend them?!" He flings his arm to the air, frustration boiling over.

April groaned, rubbing her temples. "Jesus… Look, let's just get out of here before anyone sees you two." She grabbed both of them and began pulling them off the road.

"April wait—" Leo stops in his tracks. "Sorry I need to do something right now."

"And, that is?" April asks, placing one hand on her hips.

"Raph" He starts, his voice still has a hint of disbelief. "he's here"

April blinks, her eyes widened slowly. "You're… You're serious?"

Leo nodded grimly. "Yeah. And this guy," he gestured sharply toward Casey, his eyes glowering red. "almost killed him."

"Hey!" Casey snapped, stepping forward. "Stop pointing fingers, dude! If it weren't for you mutants, this city would've been a hell of a lot safer!"

"Casey!" April's voice was sharp, cutting him off mid-rant. He froze, startled by her tone.

"Don't." She said, firm and steady. "Don't you dare say that"

"W-What—wait—?" Casey stammered, his anger evaporating into disbelief.

"I mean it," April said, her glare unwavering.

Turning back to Leo, she softened slightly. "Let's go get your brother."