Absement Timelines

by Kinun

Summary:

Suddenly Leo is gone, just to emerge again. It's just that... Now he's different. The Leo that tumbled to the ground before them is much taller. Older even. Covered in scars and.... what happened to his right arm?!
_________________________________

In which the time portal Future!Mikey creates only works by switching people.
Master Leonardo gets sent into the present, just as he planned. The key is already lost but he can deal with that. He's had worse.
But at what price?
Leo is now thrown into the midst of the final stages of the invasion. No brothers and only the cold, sobering reality of a destroyed world.

Notes:

This is the first writing that I ever showed anyone woop woop! (as far as I remember)

English is not my first language, so there may be obvious mistakes that I just don't realize because what even is language?

Remember to drink water and make sure that what you read in this and any other fic you may come across isn't too distressing! Take care of yourselves lovely, little reader gremlins.

Anyway, imma leave you to it. Just know that I'm basically winging all of this, so Idk what I'm doing but I'm doing something haha

Chapter 1: Freaky Time Fiasco

The portal opens. 

 

It illuminates the entire crowd in a warm glow, bringing more comfort than any of them have been able to feel in ages.

 

Master Leonardo just watched his brother die. He literally turned into sparkles right in front of him.

He turns away for a moment. Pain. Sorrow. He still lost him after all this time. The little sunshine of all of them.

But then he turns back to the portal. A smile on his face. Pride. Determination. Mikey made this. Literally his magnum opus right there. It's so beautiful, like anything he has made. 

 

He sacrificed himself for this. It's his entire being. And it's oddly fitting. Mikey, Out of all of them, would be the last hope. He didn't just hold it. He didn't just make it. He is it. The sun. The little spark in the darkness finally turned into a blaze. It may have burnt out the candle but it's oh so beautiful.

 

Of all the gruesome ways he could have met his end, Leonardo is happy it's this one. Going out with a bang and leaving them a second chance to lead a better life. All of them. Mikey might just save the world. And he is more than happy to give this to his little brother. 

 

Now it's on him to not waste this hope that Mikey has manifested. It's his task to prevent any of this from happening. He's going to stop this at the source and he'll be damned if he fails. 

 

The resistance leader grips his sword at the hilt. It's a steady weight against his hip and the masks on it a constant reminder. He's not going to let them down. Not again. And he strengthens that promise with his first step towards the portal. 

 

As soon as he stands in front of it, he regards it with another gaze. It's just so Mikey. Warm and light. Inviting. 

 

He puts his palm first. An old habit to prevent from walking into walls or similar. There were.. too many instances.  

He wonders to which moment it would lead. Did Mikey even have that much control over it to decide a specific moment? 

He expects to go through the portal and then be somewhere in the past. That's how portals work. How they always have worked.

 

There's resistance. 

 

It's like he's touching a smooth, warm wall. A magical wall that shouldn't be a wall. What is going on? 

 

He pushes. Why isn't this working? There's no way his little brother somehow messed this up! He's a mystical, magical warrior damn it! Yes, this definitely is a complicated spell but he's dealt with those before. 

 

And yet, his hand isn't budging. It stays a wall and his panic is rising. 

 

Has Mikey sacrificed himself in vain?! 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the portal opens in the present lair. The first to notice is Michelangelo, who curiously inspects the glowing anomaly. The four brothers gather around the portal, not sure what to think, even less to expect. 

 

Donatello, with his scientific curiosity, gets to work right away trying to figure out what is going on. Portals are nothing new to him, sure, but this one is weirdly different. Why does it feel familiar if it's his first time seeing it? 

 

Raphael, the ever protective brother that he is, rather wants them all to stay back from the portal. What if something dangerous suddenly shoots through it? But then again it is just a portal. They've had experiences with those before. It should be fine, right?

 

And it was. Until Leonardo decided to 'just take a look' and put his hand onto the beaming surface of the portal.

 

Suddenly Leo is gone, just to emerge again. It's just that... Now he's different. The Leo that tumbled to the ground before them is much taller. Older even. Covered in scars and.... what happened to his right arm?!

 

 

 

On the other side of the portal, Leo looks up to see a giant group of people gazing down at him. Shock stopping even the air dead in its tracks. They are in a giant bunker of sorts. The light is dim and irregular, as if many lights are broken and have yet to be fixed. Still, he can make out the confused faces of the people standing right in front of him. You could hear a pin drop and that makes Leo incredibly uncomfortable. He can feel some sort of pressure engulfing him.

 

"uuuuhhhh did I crash some sort of party?' he asks in an attempt to lift the tension as he gets up. "Listen, I'm sorry about that but you really need to work on your party planning. The atmosphere is dead enough that people might think the world is ending"

 

That didn't seem to help... Everything stays silent. Unmoving. The only things that move are the faces showing even more confusion. 

What is happening? Everyone loves his jokes! How is not even a single person in the entire crowd snickering? 

Actually, his attempt at a funny hyperbole seems to have dampened the mood further... If that is even possible. That is the exact opposite reaction to a joke! 

 

While Leo usually basks in the limelight that is a crowds attention, he is starting to get seriously creeped out. Well, either this is creepy or concerning. Both probably. A crowd with no humor? No wonder their party didn't take off.

 

"You know what? I think I'll just leave you to it." he starts to slowly back up to the portal. The thing he knows is the gateway straight home. 

Away from these people acting like they have never seen a mutant teenager in their lives - which would be weird because half the people here are yokai -, and back among his brothers, his family. 

"My brother is actually the party dude. He could help you out if you want. He can do everything from the music to catering. He's available on weekends, ten a.m. to eight p.m. Pricing can be negotiated in person. You should really consider it, he's great!" he isn't sure if his ramblings are supposed to distract them from him, or himself from the nagging feeling of wrongness that keeps growing every second he stays.

 

Finally, he reaches the portal. It felt like ages, but he can feel its warmth on his shell and see its golden glow in his peripheral vision.

These people don't seem hostile towards him, but he isn't going to find out how long it would stay that way. Nope. Time to dip.

 

Still facing the crowd, he puts a hand on the portal behind him.

Weird. He can feel resistance.

Maybe it takes some time?

 

Suddenly, he detects movement among the numerous people. To his right, a teenager breaks away from the frozen statues. The kid wears a mask on his head. It's currently moved above his face, revealing incredulous and anxious eyes. Actually, it may be closer to panic. Sight focused on the turtle mutant but darting all over him. 

 

The kid is walking towards Leo and he isn't sure if he likes that. Actually, screw that. He doesn't like that. And so he presses further into the portal. Hoping for Pizza Supreme above to let him leave this place. 

 

And it seems like they listened to him as he falls back. He let's out a gargled noise before his shell hits concrete. 

 

Hoping to see the familiar ceiling of his home and maybe atleast one of his brothers looking down at him in confusion, he opens his eyes again. 

Just to see that he is still in front of the crowd. The portal gone. 

 

Embarrassing. 

Looks like the Pizza Supreme want to see him suffer. 

His fall has snapped everyone out of their bad staring habit atleast. They're now looking at eachother. 

The teenager has made his way closer to Leo while he was distracted. He had shouted something when he fell. Was it Sensei? Why would anyone call him Sensei? The thought would have gotten a chuckle from Leo if he wasn't stuck who-knows-where. It wouldn't be a problem if he had his swords....

 

Oh no. No no no no no. 

 

He doesn't have his swords. He put down his twin Katana before the portal opened and then just fell through. What is he going to do now? He has no idea where he is. For all he knows he could be on the other side of the earth! Portals are crazy like that! 

 

Okay. Calm down. First, find out where you are. Then you can panic.

 

Atleast it's not another crazy dimension, telling by the clear existence of humans around. Though, he has never heard about large groups of humans and yokai just coexisting somewhere. It sure is a sight to behold. 

 

"Sensei!" 

 

Leo jolts at the kid shouting next to him. Then he regards him with an narrowed eyes, while leaning away ever so carefully.

 

"I'm sorry, but you're not acting like yourself and you're freaking me out! Did you hit your head when you first fell?"

 

What is he going on about? Does he know him?

 

No, he would definitely remember someone of this get up. He doesn't exactly wear casual clothes.

 

Also, he would remember another human acquaintance. Especially one that is this caring.

 

"No, I did not. And who are you to say I'm not acting like myself? I would say I've been doing fairly well for being thrown into an unknown situation in an unknown location without any weapon for self defense." he crosses his arms in front of his plastron.

 

The kid regards him with another confused and concerned look.

 

"...Do you really not remember anything?"

 

What does he mean? Wait, did he hit his head? Is he supposed to know what's going on? 

No. Now the guy is just confusing him.

 

"Well, there's no hole in my memory if that's what you're asking." 

Leo sighs. Having attitude won't help in this situation. He should keep it light and straight to the point if he wants to get back home soon. He scratches the back of his neck. 

"Listen. I have no idea what you're talking about or who you are, but it would be nice if you told me where I am." 

 

It takes a moment for the boy to reply. Hurt flashes over his face. Then there is this anxious panic rising back up and mixing with it. He glances over at the crowd of people, who have formed little groups, whispering among eachother. 

 

"You're in the hideout."

 

Hideout? Their hideout? Of the yokai-human group? Is this still in New York? Why do they need a hideout anyways? And why does it look so scuffed? He'd have spiced up the place twenty times over by the end of the week. He and his brothers have done much better than them in even less time. 

 

Leo looks back at the crowd "You're going to have to give me more information than that."

 

"You don't even remember the hideout?!" 

 

This kid isn't very helpful. Whoever he thinks he is, he must know quite a bit about this place. Actually, the guy must be very knowledgeable if the kid's disbelief is anything to go off of. That gives him an idea. 

 

He puts his attention back to the boy who seriously looks like he may have a panic attack any second now. His fast breathing sure Isn't a good sign. 

 

"Why don't you try and help my mind? Y'know, tell me what's going on and where I am and stuff. Maybe it'll help me remember."

 

That seems to calm the boy slightly. He takes a deep breath.

 

"Right, something like CST. Of course. Uh."

 

Leo can tell his mind is going a thousand thoughts per minute right now. It unnerves him how worried everybody is upon seeing him. Of course, you'd be worried if someone you knew changed and suddenly had amnesia. But this much? Also how are they so sure he's the same guy? 

 

"I don't even know where to start. What do you remember?"

 

"Dude, I don't know. One second I was home and the next I tumbled through that portal" he shrugs.

 

"Home?"

 

"Uhh yeah? The place where you live? Where you return to everyday?"

 

An exasperated sigh "Can you describe it?"

 

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to tell you where I live. I don't think we're that close, chico."

 

That makes him pause with that expression of pain again. He must be close with this dude.

 

"Does the name Casey say something?" his voice is shaking lightly.

 

"Hmm.. Mikey always calls Cass Casey." do they know Cass maybe? Would be fitting enough. She would know both humans and yokai. Not sure why they would set all this up though. But this means he is still in New York.

 

"Mik-.... 'Cass'?"

 

Is he confused about the nickname? "yeah! Cassandra. Mikey always calls her Casey but I'm not so sure where he got that from. That's why I rather use Cass."

 

"Cassandra..." now he has an incredulous look on his face.

 

"Yes. Y'know, energetic and loud. Loves to fight."

 

"No no, I'm Casey!" he says as he stands up and points at himself. Then he starts pacing back and forth and muttering "if Sensei doesn't even remember me then this is bad. Really bad.."

 

Okay, so they don't know Cassandra. Back to square one. 

Leo stands up aswell and dusts himself off. Tired of being looked down upon by the glances he keeps getting.

 

He takes the time to get a better look at the hall room, now that the crowd isn't as dense anymore. It looks like the middle is commonly kept empty and spacious. Though there are plenty of benches that were obviously pushed to the walls. 

 

Also lining the walls is various equipment of all kinds of uses. Leo can see some first aid kits and dishes strewn about on tables that have seen better days. Crates are filling corners and there are even blankets here and there. 

One wall has a big opening that presumably leads to the hallway to the rest of this place. Opposite that is a wall that is completely sectioned off into what looks like a makeshift kitchen. 

 

Casey wasn't kidding when he called this a hideout. It may aswell be one of those shelters you see in disaster movies. Even the people look like it. All scuffed up. Wearing old, tattered clothes in multiple layers. They even have that hopeless, sad, melancholic look on their faces. 

 

Taking all this in, it's pretty concerning. Is there something happening he hasn't heard about?

But there's no way he or his brothers wouldn't have noticed something that would cause a situation like this. Donnie has eyes and ears everywhere. 

 

"Okay. Does the word 'Kraang' ring a bell?" Casey finally questions. There's exhaustion washing over his face. 

 

"uh, Gesundheit?" 

 

"You don't remember the Kraang?!" he raises his voice in disbelief. Then immediately shrinks when people look at him in alarm. 

 

Leo isn't sure what to tell him. 

 

"Sorry. It's just- I don't know what to do. It's kind of alot to take in if I just tell you everything." he ruffles his hair. 

 

The slider can clearly see how the words 'what do I do?' repeat themselves rapidly in this kid's head. 

 

Maybe Leo should help him calm down. It's not going to help anyone if he breaks down right now. Why isn't anyone in his group helping him out in a situation like this? 

 

"Hey, deep breaths! In and out. We'll figure this out." his hands hovering over the boy. 

 

 

 

Commotion arises from the hallway and someone runs in "Squad A has returned from their mission!" 

 

People start moving and running about. Even Casey suddenly lights up "wait here. Do not move from this spot. I won't be long." and runs out, following everyone else that ran out. 

 

Ooookay... the slider thinks and decides to play along. His only exit is the way the boy disappeared in, so no dice. He could just go and cause chaos. He's good at that and maybe that would reveal a way out of this place. But even he can tell that he's in an unpredictable situation and that pissing these people off could go very badly. Especially without a weapon. 

 

Leo watches as remaining yokai move the benches back to what he assumes is their original spots. Even a few tables are moved to form sitting groups with the benches. 

 

It's not like he wouldn't help them but it also feels like he'd be intruding by doing so. 

 

So he instead chooses an attempt to piece together the information he has gotten so far. 

These people think he's someone they know. Someone from their midst that is pretty important. Still, he apparently has something different to him causing everyone to freak out. This person also seems to be close to the kid, Casey. 

He's currently in their hideout that gives the vibes of 'organized war bunker' including the people inside. 

The person they think he is knows something about 'Kraang' and that it - whatever it is supposed to be - is 'too much to take in' to just explain. 

 

Not much to go off of. The best Leo can do at the moment is that this is some sort of major gang clash or something. 

 

"-pretty on edge himself!" Leo can hear Casey's voice echo from the hallway along with the sounds of two sets of footsteps. One heavy and steady, the other lighter and faster.

 

"I'll be the judge of that." an oddly familiar female voice responds. As his gaze follows the source it isn't the only oddly familiar thing about the person.

 

She spots him. First disbelief and a look of sadness wash over her face. Then it takes a one eighty and it darkens when she starts marching towards him.

 

That look on that face has always been a cause for mild terror to bubble up inside of him. At those times he knew he messed up and deserved whatever consequences she deemed fit.

 

When she finally stands in front of him she just stares him down at first. Literally. She's so much taller somehow.

 

Then she suddenly grabs his sash with a fist and pulls him towards her "What the hell were you thinking?!"

 

Casey, standing off towards the side, raises his hands in alarm as to help Leo out of her grip but ultimately does nothing. 

 

"... April?"

 

Confusion returns to her face as she continues to stare him down. Then realization.

 

She let's him go.

 

Leo chuckles "This must be a very realistic dream. Or maybe something happened on that last mission we went on that makes me hallucinate, because there's no other way to explain you suddenly being this old" Maybe he's finally losing it.

 

"I thought Case was misinterpreting things, but you really don't remember, do you?" a serious tone lacing her voice. 

 

"There's alot of things you don't remember in a dream, April." he deadpans lightheartedly. 

 

"Leo, this isn't a dream." she sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

 

"Is exactly what people in a dream would say if you told them it was a dream!" he concludes proudly, crossing his arms in front of his plastron. nailed it. 

 

Suddenly he is grabbed violently by his upper arms. He stiffens. 

 

"Leo this is serious!" she lets him go "Ugh I don't have the energy for this! All this just because you two dumb-dumbs must be idiotic idiots!" 

 

What is she talking about? 

 

"Who is the other dumb-dumb? I'm gonna need allies." Leo responds airily. 

 

She let's out a strangled noise "You're still not taking this seriously." 

 

"How am I supposed to take this seriously when you say stuff like 'idiotic idiots'?" he snickers. 

 

"It's a habit I developed years ago and you little pipsqueak don't get to make fun of it."

 

"Yeah, I'm sure you won't do it yourself after I wake up. I bet you'll freak out when-" 

 

He's interrupted by a hand slapping him across the face and he realizes he isn't dreaming when pain blooms in his cheek. He just stands there frozen for a second.

 

Casey has a sour look on his face and scrunches up his whole body, showing that he knows just how much this must be hurting.

 

"Pretty painful dream, huh?" now it's her turn to cross her arms.

 

Leo puts his hand on his hurting cheek "Alright. It's not a dream. Buuuut it doesn't rule out some mystic mind-go-crazy magic." his hand moves to his chin "though this is a weird choice for a hallucination.."

 

"Are you kid-" she takes a deep breath.

 

A really deep breath.

 

Then she grabs him by his upper arms again and makes sure to have eye contact "Listen! This is not a dream nor a hallucination nor anything. This is the sad, sobering reality, Leo."

 

 "What do you mean? .." Her intense tone is starting to spook him. 

 

This is where Casey decides to chime in "Commander April, he doesn't remember the Kraang."

 

"Right. Come on, you have to sit down for this one. We'll have to speed run this." she pushes Leo towards a bench that's still lining the wall. 

 

"Is this really a good idea?" 

 

"Case, we don't have the time to baby him."

Chapter 2: Let's get ready to rubble!

Summary:

Leo is overwhelmed as shit gets real.

Rocks are being thrown.

So now they're sitting on a bench off to the side. Probably so others are less likely to listen in. And Leo can't help the slight feeling of doom that is rising in his gut. It's not helping that everyone is all doom and gloom around here.

 

"Okay, where do I have to start? Must be quite a bit back if you don't remember the Kraang." April thinks out loud. 

 

" 'quite a bit back'? " Leo questions. 

 

"I'm just gonna tell you about what happened with the Kraang. It's the most important thing to know right now. We can fill the holes later. Casey, I trust that you'll help with that" 

 

"Of course, miss O'Neil." Casey responds dutifully with a nod. 

 

"Good. Now listen up. Twenty-two something years ago a portal was opened by the foot. Through that portal came aliens - the Kraang. They planned to invade earth and destroy everything that stands in their way. Our family did what it always does: try to save the world from maniacs."

 

Try. The word echoes in Leo's mind. He doesn't like where this is going. "And we succeeded because we are super-mega awesome of course!" he tries. 

 

"We were no match for them."

 

Leo stills. No that can't be. Now he knows for sure that this isn't reality. His family doesn't lose. They defeated the Shredder for crying out loud! How bad can a few aliens be compared to that? Surely they're no match for their awesome ninjosity. No one is! 

 

"We had to retreat multiple times to make new plans and heal. During that time they destroyed more of New York. Of America. And they weren't going to stop there. We had to figure something out, so we ended up asking people for help. We managed to get a system going and went back to offense against the Kraang. People continued to join the resistance, be it to help in the war or for safety. This went on for years. Until now. We've had many casualties and the situation is turning more and more bleak by the day."

 

Is she saying America is gone? That the planet is being destroyed at this point? 

 

Now her voice turns angry "The portal was supposed to be a last ditch effort. But nooo, you just had to go off doing it while anyone who could've stopped you was on a mission. Now this happened and the resistance has lost Its leader!" she gestures to his entirety. 

 

A rumble. 

 

Everybody in the hall freezes. Some even mid-bite. It would be hilarious if he wasn't just told that overpowered aliens are out to get them.

 

Another rumble. Now shaking the entire hall. 

 

April jumps up, muttering under her breath "How the hell did they-"

 

Others follow her example and grab their gear. 

 

She gets to work shouting out commands "Everybody to the exits! You know the plan. Position Z. Routes stay the same. If you don't know the route, stick close to someone who does. And cover eachother! We can't afford more casualties." 

 

 People scramble about. Some run out right away. Others try to save some supplies before following close on their tail. 

 

April turns to the boys, a darkness in her eyes that gives Leo the shivers "We need to get moving too." 

 

 

 

 

They quickly make their way down hallways. Occasionally stopping so April can shout out more orders. The structure is now shaking violently in foreboding waves. 

 

"Commander April there is no exit this way!" Casey suddenly informs. 

 

"I know. I need to check the MB and get some supplies. I'm not leaving those behind if I can help it!" she starts sprinting. 

 

"We're right with you!" Casey continues to follow her and Leo has no choice but to do the same. This hideout is surprisingly huge and complicated. He may have seen some hidden doors earlier. Well, not so hidden anymore as they were open. 

 

They make it into a large room with makeshift beds, cabinets, and crates. Seems like the sick and wounded have been taken care of already. 

April grabs a bag and starts frantically going through the cabinets. Stuffing anything she deems important enough into the bag. Then she closes and shoves it against Leo's plastron, who fumbles for a second. 

 

Right when they make it out of this part of the complex and were about to book it down the hallway the ceiling collapsed in front of them. Red light creeping onto them. 

 

"Casey, you remember the escape routes five and seven, right?" 

 

"Know them by heart!" 

 

They start running the opposite way "We'll try seven first." 

 

While they run he notices the crimson light following them. As if it is an extension of their shadow. Strange, he's sure there's nothing directly following them and they should have gotten past the edge of the light a while ago. Not that he's gonna risk looking back though. 

 

He has no idea where they're running to but he doesn't need to think too long. There is another cave-in, nearly catching April who has been running in front. Atleast there is no ominous red light this time. For now atleast. 

 

"Damn it, we're running out of options!" she mutters frustrated while checking the damage. 

 

"There's still a path!" Casey points out a tunnel through the wreckage. How did he find that so fast? 

 

April goes to inspect it for a second, then addresses the two boys "You go ahead. I'm too big for that one. I'll find another way out." 

 

"But commander April, the two person rule! You were the one to implement that." 

 

"I've been in much worse situations. I'll be fine. Besides I'll be able to preoccupy them a bit. Now go. We're wasting time." she insists, keeping her sight on the hallway they came from. 

 

Right away Casey makes a move, if not as fast as he probably should. He clearly trusts April's judgement and honors her commands but still hesitates. With one last look, he crawls through the space in the rubble before Leo does the same. 

 

He hates the thought of leaving April behind. Or this version of her, at least. She clearly knows what she is doing and is capable of protecting herself but it still feels like he's leaving her vulnerable. Not that he would be of much help right now. He doesn't even have a weapon. 

 

After a short crawl through the tight space he scrambles out of the other end, spotting Casey waiting for him while looking out for threats. 

 

"It's a straight shot from here to route seven" he informs and starts walking again as soon as Leo is on his feet and has picked up the bag again. 

 

The hallway is shrouded in darkness. Who- or whatever is currently attacking must have made sure to damage the power supply. Leo is not sure why that would be a priority but it's not exactly stupid either. 

 

It's strangely quiet. They're in the middle of an attack but there isn't even so much as a rumble right now. 

 

Is that a good or bad sign? 

 

Leo isn't sure he wants to know. He's getting increasingly worried about April already. Should he go back? Did everybody else make it out? 

 

There's a cold draft coming from in front of them. It adds to the bleak atmosphere. Not that it needed it. 

 

They reach a dead end. 

 

Did they go the wrong way? Casey said he knows the way by heart. What if they get attacked in here? They should get out of here as fast as possible. 

 

Casey pulls his mask over his face but Leo can still tell he's nervous by the deep breath he takes. 

 

The calm has found its end as a loud rumble accompanies another quake. For a moment Leo worries that the ceiling will collapse right onto them. Casey looks alarmed but manages to stay focused. 

 

"As soon as we are outside we have to be fast. Being quiet is ideal but communication has priority, so you'll have to tell me if somethings up. Stay close behind me" his voice is tight, maybe a bit unsteady, as he brandishes his hockey stick. Leo hasn't payed it much attention before but now he's confused as to why he has been carrying it around. Don't get him wrong, it's better than having no weapon at all. It's still a curious choice though. 

 

Suddenly blades shoot out of the bent end. 

 

Excuse him, what? 

 

Then they spin rapidly like a chainsaw for a second as Casey is making sure his equipment works. 

 

What kind of hockey stick is that?! 

 

"Alright, on three."

 

What?

 

"One."

 

No, wait! 

 

"Two." he raises his hand towards the barren wall. 

 

He doesn't even know what to prepare for! 

 

"Three!" Casey smacks the wall and makes a run for it as soon as it dematerializes. 

 

Leo has no choice but to run after him. There is no way he would be able to find his way around on his own. Not to mention that he's defenseless.

 

They run through a short tunnel that has an incline and then make it to the surface. 

 

 

Leo's first impression is.. Not so sunny. 

 

And that isn't just because it's night. In fact, there is barely any light whatsoever. New York City, The city that never sleeps, is left in darkness, no more than a barren wasteland. 

 

The only thing that indicates there was a city before are a few, small leftover ruins of buildings that once reached for the sky. 

 

Leo can't believe what he's seeing. 

 

April's apartment. Her school in which they all occasionally snuck in. The baseball stadium they beat Draxum in when he tried to wear the dark armor. The Grand Nexus Hotel that has caused its fair share of trouble. All their favourite pizza places. 

Teddy Bear Town where Raph gets his Stuffed animals from. Repo Mantis' junkyard Donnie gets the stuff from to recycle into his inventions. That building near the Empire State Building that Mikey likes hanging out at because the sunsets look particularly beautiful. 

 

Everything is gone. 

 

Gone and destroyed. 

 

All the memories. Happy to sad. Chaotic to meticulously planned. Comfort to pain. The memories they cherished so much- that he cherished and kept close to his heart. 

 

Crushed into dust and blown away by the cold, harsh wind. 

 

Now all that is left is a fleshy substance webbing across the landscape. It obstructs the view even more. Warps and distorts what he knew. Gives the illusion his memories are false. That the home he knows never could have existed in this world. Tells him lies. 

 

Leo lets out a scream when his foot catches on the uneven ground. He makes an ungraceful landing right on his face and takes a moment to collect himself as he pushes himself into a sitting position. 

 

Then he hears Casey shouting. 

 

"Sensei! Get up, we have to hurry!" his voice has a hint of panic as he goes to offer assistance. 

 

As Leo is still trying to get his brain back into their current situation he looks back to see what he tripped on. 

 

It was more of that fleshy web. Pink and - honestly - disgusting. 

 

Why is this stuff all over everything anyway? 

 

 

 

Ask and you shall receive. 

 

 

 

The web moves as if it was muscle. Or maybe nerves, as the movement spreads to any tissue that's connected. 

 

A feeling of slimy dread grows deep in Leo's stomach as he watches. 

 

At once, numerous eyes open across all webbed surfaces. Within less of a second they fixate on the two boys. 

 

Leo freezes as he's pinned by yellow stares. Watching his every movement. Having a sick kind of understanding in them that he only recognises Donnies omnipotent tech having. 

 

Casey, who managed to get the slider halfway up off the ground, mutters a curse under his breath. 

 

"C'mon, quick before-" he is interrupted by a growl. 

 

As Casey turns towards the sound his weapon whirrs to life. He takes a defensive stand. Ready to use his weapon if necessary. 

 

The source of the low, haunting growl is a group of... shadow.. wolves? It's hard to make out their misshapen silhouettes against the darkness of the night. The most visible thing about them being their glowing red eyes and occasional markings twinkling through. 

 

"Predators..." 

 

Leo can guess why they're called that. Finally having a hold on his own nerves again, he makes a move to get up. 

 

At that the predators pounce. 

 

Oh no. Oh shit. Leo quickly grabs his bag. There's no way Casey can fight off three of them alone. 

 

The boy in question slices one of them through the face with practiced motion. Crimson blood streaking the floor. 

 

It screeches and draws back for a moment. The other two taking its place. 

 

"Casey..." the slider can't deny the feeling of uselessness in this situation. 

 

"This makes it.. Much more complicated..." Casey growls while slowly backing up "we need to get them distracted long enough to get a good head start. There's no way we can outrun them outright."

 

Leo doesn't need to look around to know there's nothing of use nearby. He does anyway. 

 

The only potentially useful things are small pieces of rubble on the ground. If Raph was here that would be an A+ weapon. He isn't, though. And there is no way either of them have enough strength to throw something hard enough to actually injure one of the predators in a significant way. 

 

Still better than nothing. 

 

He grabs a piece and chucks it right at one of their heads. 

 

As expected, that just made them angrier and with a shake of its head the hit predator has recovered. They go in for another charge. And the two boys have no choice but make a run for it. 

 

"What was that?! I told you we can't outrun them!" Casey screams at Leo. 

 

"It was worth a shot! I didn't hear you suggesting something- woah! " 

 

They dodge in opposite directions as a predator tries to catch them both in one swoop. 

 

The other two turn to face one of them each. 

 

Great. Now they have been seperated. 

 

Leo decides to still throw another piece of debris at the one staring him down before picking up another one. It's the only way of self defense he has right now. There's no way he's getting into hand to hand combat with these things! 

 

He continues to launch big rocks at the creature every time it prepares to jump him. At the very least it occupies it so it aborts the attempt. 

 

That is, until the other decides the slider is a more interesting target than Casey. 

 

He dodges and tries to rejoin the boy with the weapon. Which fails as he gets cut off once again. Just like his leg nearly did. 

 

And of course, they have brains! He thinks wryly. 

 

Alright. Let's see just how good those brains are then. 

 

He picks up another piece of rubble and reels his arm back as to throw it. 

 

Then, upon noticing the beasts fixation on it, waiting to get hit again, he chucks it the other way. 

 

They run after it to neutralize the barely damaging but annoying threat. 

 

Leo seizes the opportunity to catch up to Casey. 

 

"Let's go!" 

 

He makes a last slash and breaks into a sprint. Leo follows close behind. 

 

 

They don't make it far though, as something big slams down onto them. Barely missing them by a hair and sending them tumbling by the pressure it created. 

 

He coughs the dust out that has lodged into his lungs and takes in his surroundings again. 

 

His bag didn't land far luckily. 

 

Then he looks to see what the hell just came down upon the two and freezes. 

 

A giant claw that has atleast five times his height in length sits on the ground. The ends pointy, sturdy and very much deadly. 

 

His gaze follows it up to it's source and... Oh pizza supreme above. How can something so giant exist? How are they supposed to fight against that? 

 

 

 

Growling. 

 

Growling? 

 

The predators! 

 

He realizes they have caught up and don't mind the giant at all. Fixing their gazes both on him and something to the side of him. They approach rapidly. 

 

The bag.

 

On reflex he throws himself towards it. 

 

He barely manages to cover it protectively before he can feel extremely sharp claws grit into his shell. He screams out in pain as he realizes that this is going to leave a mark. A very deep one. 

 

Leo is starting to think he might not make it out of this one when he hears shrill whines right above him. 

 

Looking up, he sees Casey doing his best at keeping the beasts at bay. 

 

Knowing he can't stay on the ground, the slider stands up and immediately gets pulled along in a full sprint. 

 

All he concentrates on is keeping up and holding the bag in an iron grip. His shell screams at him everytime his feet hit the ground and he's sure that giant is keeping a close eye on them. A single, giant, red eye. Leo is sure he would feel a shiver run down his shell if it wasn't preoccupied with the claw marks stretching across it. 

 

He can feel the air around them getting warmer. 

 

At first it is a nice comfort. A blanket shielding from the cold. But soon he can feel it crackling. 

 

They make it into another tunnel and Casey throws the both of them to the side, right into a wall. Seering pain sparks in Leo's back as it hits the wall.

 

It takes him a moment to realize what is happening. 

 

The entrance they just came through gets absolutely obliterated by a red beam. It even burns away the rock floor a good few meters in. 

 

After a few seconds the beam disappears and leaves a clean, black circle in its place. Actually, it's a few meters deep. Even in the tunnel. 

 

A few more seconds later the red beam that followed them finally turns away. 

 

Casey stops pressing Leo against the wall, who then collapses. He needs a breather. 

 

That beam didn't even leave dust. And they just barely got away. 

 

What the hell was that?

 

What in the op invincible boss character was that?! 

 

"Those scratches are pretty deep...We should keep going.."

 

He looks at Casey who walks by him and further down the tunnel. 

 

Why isn't he freaking out about nearly escaping death? He's the one who was freaking out about alot of other, less impactful things before. 

 

Leo took another shaky breath before pulling himself up and following Casey. 

 

 

 

They have been walking for some time. While they're not rushing anymore, vigilance is still high as they pass intersection after intersection. Expecting a surprise attack to be waiting around each corner. 

 

Eventually, a door comes into sight. 

 

As they approach, purple lights greet them. Through the sounds of his breaths and beating heart, Leo could make out mechanical crinkles from the door. 

Notes:

Got stuck on other projects and still had this in the back of my mind, so I may aswell finish editing and post it. As a treat :)

Comments are always appreciated!

Chapter 3: Position Z

Summary:

Glass boy, this world is not what you know.

Lion boy, what do you call home?

Notes:

TW: Mild panic attack and mentions of blood/injuries

The door opens to more hallways.

 

Leo isn't sure what he expected, but this is underwhelming. Not that he needs any more excitement than he already had today.

 

Who would put a security door in the middle of a random hallway anyway? It doesn't seem to keep something out. It did just open without a key or anything. But that just leads to the next question: what does it keep in? Security works like that, right? Maybe that's why it was so easy to open from the outside? 

 

He's unsure if that is any better. They just escaped some kind of cosmic horror. What kind of thing would warrant locking in? 

 

Even worse, why are they walking towards it and potentially locking themselves in with it? 

 

Should he even be trusting this Casey guy? For all he knows he might be leading him into the lions den. What would the den of these aliens even look like? 

 

But no, what is he thinking? Casey has gotten both of them through the minefield worthy of a horror game. Alive. He's the only one around that knows what's going on. The older April seems to trust him. Besides, they're already inside. No point in running now even if this is the lions den. 

 

They keep walking. And eventually meet more purple light around a corner. Another door that klinks and clunks before it falls open and they continue on their way. 

 

These hallways show broken remnants of railways and electrical work. Other than that they are regular bricked boxes like the ones they passed through previously. 

 

Their steps and breathing are the only sounds that can be heard. The dust on the floor is thick enough for them to leave footprints. When was the last time someone passed through here? Is this dust from age or is it just a symptom of the looming threat above? The only blood left the earth can bleed?

 

The permeating sting of rust certainly seems to suggest so. 

 

Leo's throat is dry, he notices. 

 

Casey still makes sure to stay vigilant and checks any blind spots that come up, despite the apparent security measures in this place. 

 

All Leo can do is pay close attention to Casey. He seems to know the place like the back of his hand, so he trusts that he'd notice right away if there's anything suspicious or dangerous. Given that they closed the previous doors behind them, there shouldn't be anything creeping up on them. That's what he hopes, atleast. 

 

They make it to a third door. The purple light that blinks on and only seems to brighten in intensity as the boys approach further is familiar. It's a different shade. A minor detail, really, but Leo latches onto the tiny comfort of familiarity. 

 

Daisy Bush. 

 

Mikey and him once hyperfixated on colors for a week straight. They compared favourite palettes. Complained about slight color changes between jupiter Jim comics and the major differences between the comics and movies. 

 

Seriously, why would they pick a completely different shade for jupiter Jim's chest icon? That's a huge change to make! The implications! 

 

Needless to say, they bugged the rest of their family and it only stopped after they all sat together and figured out everyone's specific shade of their favourite color. It led to alot of revelations. While all this color biz is a bit more useful to Mikey, Leo still has all the colors memorized. 

 

The purple that is now looming over him is no doubt Daisy Bush. And that means Donnie has something to do with it. 

 

The slider exhales a silent breath of relief. Surely, Donnie will know what's going on. He always figures it out. He'll probably rant to him for an entire day straight about how stupid he was for touching the portal and something about probabilities that only his nerd brain can comprehend. But this stuff is exactly what that nerd brain of his likes thinking about. 

 

The door does not open as the others so simply did. 

 

This does not deter Casey as he speaks up. "It's Casey and uh... Leonardo" he side glances Leo. 

 

After a second the light seems to scan them from top to bottom. 

Leo stiffens. 

 

Another second passes and there's the familiar clunking of the door. It's soon revealed why this door was different from the other two. Boxes start appearing along the walls and lights are more consistent. The floor turns into tiles and the wear of the walls is nearly negligible. 

 

Soon they see people walking past the hallway in the distance. 

 

Does that mean they made it? 

 

Only when they reach the end of the hallway does Casey speak up again. 

"We need to drop off the materials at the MB first. That way we can get your shell checked too." 

He leads the way, putting away his hockey... Saw.. Stick. What do you even call that thing? 

 

As they proceed through what Leo figures is another safe space, he can't help but notice the reactions of people passing them. Of course everyone has their own ways of greeting people. Well, greeting Casey that is. Some try to be more cheery, some give him a simple 'hey' or nod. Some just regard him with a look, looking too tired to speak. 

 

But then they look at Leo, who is still on edge, and they all have the same reaction. Their faces fall with mild recognition, unable to utter another word. Some even stop in their tracks. 

 

Leo shrinks down a little. Much to the dismay of his back. 

 

 

They finally make it to their destination. 

Casey peeks through the door at first. Maybe he never wants to bother people in the medical facility, maybe the grunts and hisses of pain indicate he should approach more carefully and assess the situation before entering. 

Either way, he swiftly walks into the room, announcing his presence. 

 

"Didn't you take route two?! That should've been the safest way!" 

 

As Leo follows after him, he finds more patients than what the room was evidently prepared for. Mostly Yokai are sitting on the ground awaiting their treatment. Save for one particularly wounded one lying on one of the medical beds. That's the one Casey went up to. The rest of the beds are filled with humans. Two of which are passed out and the two medical personnel are trying desperately to help out. 

 

"Ah, Casey!" the sturdy Yokai on the bed croaks out through breaths. A small smile appears on his lips as he looks at the boy with one faded eye. 

 

"I don't know how but they just appeared out of nowhere... Those bastards really aren't letting up. Thankfully those two-" he motions to the passed out humans "had their 6th sense at the ready. Who knows how that would've ended otherwise." the hares chest heaves a deep sigh. 

 

"Will you be alright? You're not healing as well anymore.." Casey's voice is thick with concern. 

 

"Eh, you don't have to worry about me. These old bones may not have as much bravado as in the past but I'm still far from turning into dust, don't'cha think? " he chuckles, patting Casey's shoulder with a heavy hand. Who responds with a small smile himself. 

 

"Glad to see you got here safe with.. " the yokai looks over to the person Casey came in with. Putting the attention of other patients in the room on the hunched turtle at the entrance. 

 

There is a brief silence before Casey suddenly walks up to the slider. 

 

"Right! We brought some stuff over from the MB" the medical personnel immediately snap their heads towards Casey, who is taking the bag from Leo's grip. 

 

He didn't notice he still has been holding onto it as if it's a lifeline. Now that the comforting weight has been taken from him his hands start fiddling. He still has eyes on him. 

 

"These are just what we needed! Looks like there still are some miracles in this world!" one of the staff says after having sprawled out the entirety of the bags content. 

 

On instinct Leo thinks this exclamation as strange. Their own medical supply always left to wish for back at the lair too, but they were never this short on them. But it makes sense that there is such a shortage if America had been obliterated. Or even more. 

 

This thought restarts his brain about the situation he's in. This entire time he's been busy worrying for his life. But now everything is connecting to what he experienced first hand. 

 

Those dogs.. The predators. And that giant. Even down to that fleshy substance he had tripped on. That was all the aliens. Or caused by the aliens at least. 

 

Aliens that his family kept fighting for decades according to the older April. 

Aliens that are taking over earth. 

Aliens that kill everything they see. 

 

Suddenly the slider is incredibly aware of just how much blood could be seen in the room. Nearly everyone in here has open wounds. 

 

"Commander April made sure we took these with us so they wouldn't be wasted." Casey watches as the staff get back to work. Then he makes little hand gestures to himself while thinking. 

 

"Makes sense. I was wondering why you took so long to get here, since we got held up big time" the old yokai chimes. 

 

"Oh... Actually we had a few run-ins aswell..." He looks back at the turtle, who is busy looking around the room. 

 

"What's the matter, boy? Normally you'd already be done telling us what happened." 

 

"It's just that he's gotten pretty bad scratches but everyone here is even worse off..." his voice is thick with hesitance. His posture stiff with anxiety. 

 

"Bring him over. We'll have to take a look either way." 

 

When the slider makes no movement at the statement, Casey walks over and gently pushes him towards the staff. Only then they look up from their work and lets their colleague continue while examining Leo's back. 

 

The sensation on his back screams at him. The pain screams and the touch lightly tracing the wounds makes the sharp claws flare back to the forefront of his mind. He breathes through the memories of feeling something ripping through his shell as if it's nothing more than soft wood. 

 

His vision is still focused on the sticky red around the room. Everywhere he looks there is dark red. It seems to engulf everything. There's no running from it.

 

"Hmmm... Considering how deep these are we shouldn't leave them uncovered..." they inform. Then a sigh. "Since we're short on supplies and don't know what we'll need, could you keep an eye open while you're walking around? These should be cleaned and covered. And of course make sure it doesn't get bumped too much." 

 

With that they get back to helping their patient. 

 

"Understood." Casey waves at the yokai in the room as he gently leads Leo out.

 

They're now in the hallway. 

 

Though, the red even reaches here. It trails people's paths. Marks their bodies. Their minds. 

It reflects in their eyes. Red flashing anger. They're overwhelmed. Scared. In pain. 

Everywhere Leo looks, it lunges at him. Trying to also take a piece of him. 

 

It's cold. Freezing actually. Is it supposed to be this cold here? How is it so cold? What have they done to the planet? 

 

Though, Leo knows. He's seen it with his own eyes. The local wasteland is telling that not even a single ecosystem has been left alive at this point. Everything is just.. dead. yet it's so loud. Howling winds whipping across the land. The crumbling of whatever is left of towers that once reached for a dream. That crackling beam of red light that turns everything to dust. And the screams. The voices that cry out to be saved. The heart wrenching sound of pure devastation. 

 

It's so loud that it doesn't allow Leo to tune it out. It's pounding in his head and makes him dizzy. Where is he? What's happening? 

 

The world is ending, that's what. You just had to go through that weird portal and look what you've done. They warned you to not touch it and now there's aliens tearing everything apart. 

 

He's scared. 

 

Leo realizes he's scared. 

 

And that sets him off the most. 

 

"We really need to get going, please excuse us." Casey's voice sweeps through his mind as he's being pulled into some direction. 

 

The slider distantly picks up the last few words of the two people that apparently stopped them in the hallway "-having a rough time." 

 

His voice wobbles when he tries to use it again. Tiny cracks making it in before he has enough control to stop them "Just a regular Monday, right?" he manages after a ghost of a chuckle. 

 

That makes Casey turn towards him abruptly, an incredulous look on his face. He studies the turtle mutant for a second before turning back around and continuing to pull him along. The kids voice is calmer and slower than Leo remembers, but maybe his racing mind is just too fast in comparison "You're not doing well. We're going to find a quiet place to rest. I'm just hoping I can find something to cover that scratch."

 

The sliders mind keeps rattling, looking for anything to ease the tension that has built up within him. The next words practically fall out of his mouth "I'd say I need to get a grip but you seem to have it covered." his eyes flicker towards Casey's hand around his wrist that has been tightening steadily. 

 

At that the grip loosens with an apology, yet it doesn't leave entirely. "I didn't realize.." the boy whispers, still keeping his face forward and hidden from Leo's view. Not that he's gonna pry. He also has the urge to hide. An urge he can't give into. 

 

They enter another hall. This one has a much lower ceiling than the shelter they just ran from. Instead, it stretches on far longer with open side rooms in which people have set up camp. It could still be straight from those disaster movies but atleast it looks more permanent here. Cozier, almost. 

 

Beds and cots are strewn about anywhere they fit. Clothes are stuffed in dressers, that are obviously not made to handle this quantity, and hang to dry on makeshift clothes lines that hang low enough to act as dividers. On top of that, there's countless bags all over the place. Presumably holding whatever people could salvage of their old lives. 

 

Yet still, there's been an effort to keep the area as clean and tidy as possible. Leo can see trinkets decorating the living spaces. Little pieces of happiness that people have collected and kept safe. There's even fairy lights hanging from the ceiling that actually still work. 

 

It's still very obviously a safety shelter though. It's packed tightly with people and necessities. Privacy is not a luxury people have here. Peace and quiet are compromised by the children running around and the looming threat above their heads. 

 

The people themselves may seem relaxed at first sight but even Leo can notice that tense air everyone has. People laying on their cot with one eye open and parents watching their children a little too closely for being in a safe area. 

 

He can't really blame them. An alien invasion probably does that to people. The effects of it reflect on almost everyone he sees. There's a cat yokai missing one of their ears. A human with just one leg. Even a child, some kind of bird yokai, with half of their face covered in scars and one eye permanently shut. 

 

The shiver makes Leo's wound sting. 

 

"Well," the slider drags out the word as he takes in the sight. "Grand Central Station is busier than I remember." he actually has no idea where they are. The view of the wasteland didn't exactly give any pointers. Does it even matter? 

 

"This is position Z." Casey stops dragging the young turtle mutant and looks around. At the people. Taking in the anxiety in the air and in their actions.

 

"It's the resting place of the resistance. The main base. Here, we keep most survivors. People who can't fight. It's a safe space for people to live. It's home."

 

Home.

 

The word echoes in Leo's mind. 

 

To him, home is a place to rest. A place he feels safe in. He agrees with Casey in that regard. But home is so much more. 

 

He eyes the tight rows of mats along the walls. 

It's a place you feel comfortable in. It's your own space where you keep all your little trinkets. A place you can stretch in without anyone telling you off. A place you can decorate however you want. 

 

Home is a place you can be yourself in. Be as loud or quiet as you want. Somewhere you have your own special brand of chaos that comforts you on bad days. 

 

He watches as people keep to themselves. Hunched up. 

Home is where family is. He can't imagine feeling at home without his brothers. Without hearing Donnies obnoxiously loud dubstep. Or seeing Mikey's new tags on the walls that are already overfilled with them. Or feeling Raphs crushing hugs. It would already be weird if he didn't see dad on his sofa. 

 

They may bug eachother and fight, but that's just part of it. All of them have different ideas and those clash occasionally. In the end it's what brings them closer together. They all love their family, he knows. 

 

Comparing his understanding of home with what he is presented with doesn't add up. The people here don't have the freedom to be loud and obnoxious like he and his brothers do. They don't get to go out for fresh air, do they? 

 

To him this feels more like a prison. Bleak and tense. 

 

Then Caseys voice lowers, almost melancholic "It's where the kids live and grow up." 

 

The tone makes Leo turn his gaze back to the boy, studying his face. His eyes follow the children running by. 

 

Wait. Hold on a sec. 

 

Didn't the older April say that all this started twenty something years ago? How old is he exactly? Doesn't look much older than his April. 

 

Does Casey even know what life was like before the cosmic horror came knocking? 

 

Must be one hell of a childhood. 

 

The kid shakes his head and continues walking. Hand still around Leo's wrist, loose but not quite letting go "We may find something useful ahead."

 

The slider lets himself be pulled along. He's not sure why the dude is so clingy, but atleast he's not going to lose him in the midst of a crowded place like this one. Leo prefers to not get lost here. Not without knowing what is going on. And not with people looking at him like they have been. Besides, the weight keeps his mind in the present, away from spiraling.

 

Instead, he hears the kid mutter "We'll have to go by the water system anyway... Maybe the lab?"

 

He latches onto that word. Lab. The light earlier was a clear sign that Don is involved. The fact that even fairy lights are working down here has him written all over it. Of course he would have a lab! Why didn't he think of that?

 

"Hey, that lab belong to a purple, crazed scientist by any chance?"

 

Casey turns to face Leo, eyes scrunched in mild confusion. Then, the slider recognises the realization blooming in them. He knows who he's talking about. He knows Donnie.

 

This is going to make things so much easier! Don would know about this weird situation, no matter if it's a strangely older one. Actually, if he's also older, like April, then it would be even better! 

 

Not to discredit his Donnie; He's a weirdo, but he's a weirdo that gets things done. He'd probably still figure this out and also have a number of dangerous solutions that shouldn't be tested on living subjects. 

 

He's not here, though. All he has is a possibly looney softshell mutant on a bi-decade long caffeine deficit. Can he even function like that? Leo is convinced that if Donnie doesn't get atleast one cup of coffee a day he'll die. Just - one moment he's standing in front of you and the next he's on the ground. Either that or he's going to make it everybody else's problem. 

 

Leo can practically see a rabit, dissheveled Donnie running around and talking absolute nonsense that only he can understand. He'd still get things done but you'd need to put up a parameter for safety. He's always been a gremlin but this would turn him into a demon for sure. How do they wrangle him nowadays? 

 

But then Casey's face turns sour before quickly turning away again. 

 

What was that? That's not a reaction Leo expected a kid to have that has apparently been in his vicinity. Well, if his theories are true, then he'd probably not be that pleasant? Maybe other people, people other than his family, just don't understand him? 

 

But the deathly silence stretches on, only broken by two sets of footsteps.

Notes:

First of all, thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! I posted these chapters simply because I felt like it but didn't expect much to come from it. Meaning I'd just stop once I'm out of pre-written chapters and only update if I ever felt like getting back into this. But your comments made me want to try to work this out sooner rather than later and see where this is going. I still have to work out alot of stuff here, it's a mess, but it's happening. So thank you so much guys! I appreciate all the interest you've shown.

The previous two chapters were written two years ago and only edited recently. This one is Co-authored by my two year younger self and my current self. Which is awfully fitting to this story!

Still, it gave me a hard time, so I was struggling to finish it until now. I swear I wanted to get this out sooner!

Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading!
Comments are always appreciated.

Notes:

First off, thank you for reading!

As I said this is basically the first writing that I ever showed people, and while I do have plenty other projects, I can only get that good without feedback lol.

I started writing on this AU exactly a year ago and picked it up again only just recently. My writing style now is a tad different from how it looked a year ago, so I struggled with editing and completing the chapter (I refused to rewrite it completely) and it may seem a little chaotic because of it, but it should get better as soon as I have to write new chapters!

Which brings us to:
Please do comment! It actually could give me the needed motivation to work on this again and get my notes together.
I'd also love to hear any thoughts on it!

Also, did you drink water? You better do now or I'll be upset :(