Chapter 1: Guide
Chapter Text
Pre-Fic
- Hide-and-Scare
- Right Here
- Post
- Warnings: blood, violence
- The Aftermath
- Request
- Warnings: temporary character death, exposed heart
- Stages of Grief
- Request
- Warnings: themes of depression
- Meet Cute
Fic
Season 1
- The Kill Order
- Request
- Warnings: verbal and emotional abuse (ish)
- Sparring Partner
- EVIL TWIN
- Prompt
- Warnings: character death
Season 2
- FLIP FLOP
- Nightmares
- Request
- Warnings: violence, paralysis
- A Symptom of Being Human
Movie
- Lucky
- Prompt
- Warnings: contemplating death
Post-Fic
- Stay.
- Prompt
- Warnings: family death
Chapter 2: Right Here
Summary:
One and Two being protective siblings.
Song: Right Here
Artist: Ashes Remain
Chapter Text
One
Consciousness pulls to the forefront of One’s mind. The slider snaps awake to the quietness of his brother’s lab. He blinks once. Twice, before registering the fact that he had passed out.
One sits up attentively from where he was sleeping against Two’s desk. “Oh, crap,” he hisses. “How long was I out?”
Nothing.
He’s trapped under a soft purple blanket that had been tossed lazily across his previously relaxed shoulders. One’s limbs fight for freedom, flailing around, eager to detangle from the cozy blanket, which he has no memory of cuddling up with. Finally free from his bounds, One climbs to his feet, clutching Two’s blanket in his hands. “Hey, if you were trying to get me to sleep, it didn’t work.”
Nothing.
One frowns. Now that he’s more awake, he realizes that it’s dead silent. Not even the sound of light tinkering reaches his tympanum to put him at ease. The slider spins around, hoping that maybe Two had just fallen asleep as well, but no. His chair is empty.
Dread seeps into his chest and his heart rate hammers as his eyes dart around the lab.
Where is my brother?
One curses himself mentally and searches the rest of the house. Every room he passes leaves him feeling more and more anxious. The last time he left Two unsupervised, it didn’t end so well for his brother. One’s spent every day since then trying to prevent another accident from taking place and risking Two’s life. He was lucky that he only lost an arm that day.
Every room, he ends up back-tracking and walking through the hallway empty handed. He’s not here. He’s not here. He’s not—
It hits him suddenly, like a wave crashing into a mountain of rocks, and he stops. A fuzzy memory resurfaces. Before he nodded off, Two had been talking about needing to stock up on scraps for future projects. One curses again, silently, in case Huginn and Muninn were perched somewhere nearby and heard him. It’s not unlike them to tattle to Dad whenever he misbehaves. This, especially, Draxum can’t find out about.
There is only one place Two goes to to find junk for his toys. That’s on the surface. The one place that’s more dangerous than their own home.
One rushes to his dad’s lab, thankful that his pops is out running errands, which makes stealing the blue mystic sword much easier. He’s only used it a couple of times before, under Draxum’s surveillance… but he can’t wait for his dad to come home and show him the right way to swing.
He pauses, then slowly reaches for it. When his fingers brush the handle, he almost flinches away, but remembers that Two is up there alone. He picks the weapon off its display and draws a breath, concentrating. In a quick sweep, he makes a portal just big enough for him to squeeze through. It’s not perfect, he thinks to himself, but it’ll do.
One loops the weapon through the sash along his waist and steps through.
Two
Repo’s scrapyard is just a few miles from the closest portal into the Hidden City. Two took the opportunity to slip away while Number One slept, figuring it would be a quick trip. After several days of sleeplessness, Two was sure One would not be awake for a while yet. By the time he noticed, Two will have returned with a wagon full of scraps.
The sky is dark and the moon shines bright. Two pulls his wagon through a narrow alley and takes the route he’s less likely to run into humans, the route he always takes to get to the scrapyard. The paved path takes Two through the woods that are behind the junkyard. It’s usually quiet, which Two appreciates. One accompanies him on most of his trips, unless Two manages to sneak out while his brother is occupied with training or asleep, like today, for example.
He’s almost there. Just a few more steps, until he reaches the torn back fence that gives him full access to the human’s metal scraps.
Something rustles far off to Two’s right, making him stop abruptly and swivel his head in that direction. An unsettling chill runs up his spine; the only weapon Two has is the brand new mechanical arm attached to his left shoulder, but even that is still in its early stages of development. He hasn’t had the chance to test out the new upgrades…
Two hesitates, but continues forward slowly, trying not to make any sudden moves too quickly. He takes a step and hears a growl coming from the same place, and that makes him freeze. He turns his head and stares into the darkness, where he finds two glowing orbs staring right back at him. The animal snarls, baring its sharp, hungry teeth. It inches forward, its crazy eyes glued on him as if he were its prey.
Two’s blood turns ice cold. His whole body tenses, prepared to fight. He’s certainly trapped, he can feel it even without looking. A fight would put him behind schedule, especially with untested weaponry and the months he’s spent out of practice. Two glances to the fence, thinking maybe he can make it if he runs. That was his first mistake.
The animal attacks while he’s distracted. The next thing he sees is the animal’s teeth gnashing into his face. Two throws his new arm out in defense, hoping to fire a blast, but the machine's transformation stalls. Two curses sharply. The animal’s jaws lock tightly around his metallic wrist. It tugs and thrashes, jerking Two forwards with too much strength. He stumbles. The arm creaks and cracks and Two can feel the wires in his shoulder start to tear. Panic screams at him in spite of him and Two aims a fierce kick at the mutt. That was his second mistake. It pulls and Two loses his balance. He falls back and the animal rips the mechanical arm off with one violent jerk. Pain explodes in his shoulder, but he doesn’t even get the chance to cry out before the canine pins him to the ground with its claws.
Something hard pierces his shell, probably a rock. The dull tip digs uncomfortably into his shell’s soft tissue, making him squirm and kick. The animal snarls in his face. Two flashes his teeth in a threatening hiss. But that’s all he can do. The thing is much bigger than he had anticipated, almost twice his size.
A flash of blue blinds him and the next sound he hears is a sharp whine when Number One tackles the beast to the side. All at once the pressure lifts. Two sits up and scrambles back, his whole shoulder throbbing.
He stares as One fights off the creature, apprehension stirring deep in his stomach when its teeth sink into One’s forearm and draws blood. It starts to pull him, like it had with Two, but One is much harder to throw around. He wrestles it to the ground, shoving its head into the ground until it’s forced to still. Two sees One lift his sword back and hears him swiftly bring it down through the animal’s neck.
Silence hushes through the alley as the rabid canine draws its last breath, and One gets to his feet and steps back. He doesn’t move after that.
Two stares at his back with wide eyes, silent, until One finally turns around.
“You okay?”
Two frowns. One’s stare is vacant. He’s been seeing that a lot lately.
“Are you?” He counters with a raised eyebrow.
One’s eyes trail to his bleeding arm, but he just shakes off the injury as if he’s had worse. “What, this? This’s like a papercut.”
” Scoff . It certainly is not.”
He watches One cautiously as he comes over and kneels in front of him. He places his hand over Two’s and gently moves it so he can assess the damage to the stump at his shoulder.
“You snuck out on me,” he says after a while.
Two turns his head away dismissively. “I needed my supplies. You needed to sleep,” he huffs.
“No, I needed to make sure you didn’t run off and get your fake arm torn off,” One retorts.
Two narrows his eyes and shrugs him off.
Number One rises and picks Two up by the back of his shirt. “C’mon, let’s get that shoulder cleaned up, okay?”
“I didn’t get what I came here for,” Two protests, but One is already waving the sword around, making a portal home. The blood-stained ōdachi falls at his side, then One faces Two and stretches out his injured hand that Two notices is shaking.
“I’ll come back with you tomorrow,” he promises. Two bites back an argument and swallows it thickly. There’s a slight lump in his throat that makes him avert his gaze.
He hates to admit it… but if he had One to tag along as usual, this entire debacle, most likely, would not have happened. But now he’s lost a prototype prosthetic without even reaching the gates of his destination. If there had been people around, the commotion he stumbled into could have gotten him into much more trouble than he’d been equipped to handle. The whole thing was just another disaster. All of this he knows just as well as One, which is why he complies, taking his brother’s hand and follows him home.
Two sits on the floor of the lab while One starts to assemble the tools needed to put his arm back in place. The softshell scowls when he sees Number One’s blood seep through the poorly wrapped bandages around his arm.
“Did you even clean it?” Two asks with a hint of distaste.
“I can do that later,” One crouches beside him and lays the tools out onto the floor. “So, what first?”
Two narrows his eyes. “No, you won’t.”
One lifts his gaze and holds Two’s stare. Two doesn’t look away. He raises an eyebrow. “You won’t.”
“If you don’t tell me which thingy-majig does what I’m going to start guessing.”
Two’s eyes widen. “ Do not do that, you’re going to mess it up!” One’s hand drifts towards the screwdriver and Two just about loses his mind. “Not that one!” he barks. One stops and gives Two a smug look which he meets with a glare. He huffs, then sighs and starts to explain the process of attachment, making sure One follows his directions to the letter.
It takes much longer than Two would like, but finally, they reattach the mechanical arm and he can move it freely again.
One leans back. “There, done.”
Two flexes his fingers and rolls his shoulder. It could do with a few tweaks, but it’s good for now. He looks at One again as he gathers the tools and puts them away. The previously white bandages are now a much darker red.
After a moment, Two stands and approaches One. “Give me your arm.”
“What?”
Two stops and scowls. “Your arm. Let me see it.”
“I told you I was gonna—”
“Let me see it.”
One shifts, but stretches out his arm. Two grabs his wrist and unwraps the bandage around his forearm. Two’s nose scrunches up at the sticky mess under the wrap. One pulls back.
“Don’t worry about it, I can take care of it.”
“I let you fix my arm,” Two retorts.
“Yeah, but you didn’t really have a choice.”
“Neither do you.” Two turns around before One can protest and takes out the medical kit in the back of his lab. He gets One to sit then sits in front of him just close enough that he doesn’t have to reach to clean One’s wound.
Two drenches a cloth with alcohol and wipes away the blood staining One’s scales. Aside from a few grimaces and quiet hisses, One doesn’t complain any more. Neither of them say anything for a while, until Two cleans up enough red to be able to see the full size of the bite.
“You need stitches. And something to ensure you haven’t contracted a virus.”
“You think so, doc?”
Two glares at him and One closes his mouth, which is usually impossible for him to accomplish. But Two’s been noticing that a lot as well. A lot of things have started to change recently and Two’s not sure he likes it.
After a few beats of silence, Two retrieves a needle and wire. “I can sedate you, if you’d like.”
“Nah, I’m okay. I should stay awake in case you forget what Dad taught us.”
“I don’t need your help,” Two remarks sourly, then starts stitching.
“Are you mad?”
The question takes Two off guard. He pauses, sensing One’s frown, but continues to poke the needle through. He doesn’t know the answer to that, so he doesn’t say anything.
“You’re mad,” One states. “Why? Because I saved you?”
Two feels the corner of his mouth twitch. “That wasn’t supposed to happen,” he mutters.
“What, that dog thing showing up and attacking you?”
Two doesn’t answer that either, though his jaw tightens around an argument. He doesn’t want to fight right now. He hears One huff quietly. He doesn’t say anything else. Two continues to stitch him up in silence. When he’s finished, he wraps Number One’s arm with a fresh set of bandages. While Two puts away the medical supplies, One cradles his arm close to his chest.
“Don’t tell Dad about this or we’ll both get in trouble,” he murmurs while rubbing his wrist.
Two zips up the kit then lifts his head to look directly at One.
“I would never.”
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 3: Hide-and-Scare
Summary:
One and Two play hide-and-seek with the goyles.
Chapter Text
One crouches low, waiting restlessly for the goyles to pass by his hiding spot so he can pounce. He likes to call this game ‘Hide-and-Scare’, where he and Two get to hide around the house and put their training to use. His favorite part of the game is when he gets to jump out and surprise-attack Huginn and Muninn. Two kneels beside him with an equal amount of impatience and intent and from the set look on his brother’s face, One can tell that it’s his brother’s favorite part, too.
One looks at Two with a mischievous smile. “Ready?” he whispers.
Two’s eyes break their focus when they meet One’s. He nods, then returns his gaze to the empty living room. “I think I hear them.”
One tunes into the distant voices coming down the hallway.
“How long have we been looking for them now?” Muginn asks.
“About 20 minutes,” Huginn answers, flying into One’s line of sight. He rises with practiced caution and silence.
Muginn halts in his path. “Hey, Huginn, why don’t we just wait it out? I know the boss said to watch the kiddos but it’s not like they’re going anywhere.”
The other goyle pauses. “Oh, yeah! Then we don’t have to wonder when they’re going to pop up.” he shivers. “Gah, it’s like they’re everywhere…”
One braces his legs then leaps into the open. “Gotcha!” he shouts, trapping Huginn in a tight headlock. Two follows but snags Muninn in a homemade net. The goyles yelp.
Muninn gives into his defeat quickly. “Man… I hate being the target practice.”
Huginn sighs. “You said it.”
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 4: Lucky
Summary:
What if One was saved from the prison dimension?
Song: Lucky
Artist: Halsey
Notes:
Prompt. Disclaimer: Since this takes place later in the AU, One will be referred to as 'Leo'. Warnings: contemplating death.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
He draws in a shaky breath, rosy eyes fluttering open to meet a bright and busy city. Is… is he dead? Titan, do dead people feel this much pain?
Leo blinks and sucks in another painful breath. All at once, his ribs, knee, and— his whole body, really— feels like it’s either broken or inflamed, like his muscles have been torn open and tossed in a blender. “Ow, ow…” he groans.
Okay… maybe he’s not dead. He’s… actually surprised that he’s still alive. The last thing Leo remembers is the chill air of the Prison Dimension… and the pissed off alien overlord beating him to Hell. Then he blacked out.
“Leo!” a voice screams his name. Leo blinks again, then he sees Mikey hovering over him, eyes wet with tears. “What the hell were you thinking?” he sobs.
Leo’s chest wrenches at the grief glistening behind Mikey’s eyes. Oh. This is his fault, isn’t it? He recognizes it all too well. He’s seen it in the faces of the people he terrorized. He’s seen it in his family, more times in Mikey than anyone else, and he doesn’t understand why his youngest brother didn’t just let him die .
“What the hell were you thinking?” Leo retorts weakly. “I mean, you actually came back for me. After everything I—”
“Of course I came back for you!” Mikey yells as his splotchy markings flash orange. “You’re my brother, Leo, I don’t care what you’ve done! You could destroy the whole planet, I’d still love you!” Mikey takes a deep breath but his tears don’t stop flowing. Leo feels a few drops on his cheeks. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again, do you understand?”
How? How can you forgive me that easily?
Despite the doubts floating in the back of his mind, Leo smiles. “Sure thing.”
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 5: Sparring Partner
Summary:
One and Casey bond.
Chapter Text
When her senseis finally dismiss the clan recruits, Casey leads the newbie to the Foot Clan’s training area. One trails behind her quietly and Casey doesn’t bother to make any sort of conversation with him. There are a few rookies in the training area when Casey walks in, sparring like newborn ducklings learning to walk. There’s a neatly placed stack of wooden training swords lined up against the wall. Casey grabs one of them off the rack.
“Hey!” she yells, smacking the concrete floor. A loud echo reverberates to the farthest corners of the room. The newer recruits freeze in their places. “Everyone out!” Casey orders. “ Now!”
Casey faces One and shoves the bokken into his chest as the rookies scurry away. “Oof— hey! What the hell are we doing?”
Ignoring him, Casey walks over to one of the training swords that were left on the floor. She turns around and points it at him. “Training. What does it look like?”
One huffs. “Screw you, I don’t need any more—” Casey leaps forward, striking swiftly at One’s neck with the wooden sword. THWACK!
The slider stumbles to the side, grabbing the base of his neck, where Casey had hit him. “Ow! Hey!”
She doesn’t stop there. While One is still surprised, Casey kicks his legs out from under him and pins the bokken into One’s shoulder, holding him down. “You are distracted,” she admonishes. “Distractions will get you killed.”
Suddenly, Casey’s falling on her ass. One had jammed her in the knee. He strikes at her chest, but Casey rolls out of the way, stands on her knees, and whacks One’s shell. The slider falls on his plastron. “You can fight better than this,” she scoffs. “I’ve seen it. Something is clearly bothering you.”
“Even if there was, how is that your business?” One snaps, turning on his back.
“Your performance affects everything this clan is working for!” Casey retorts. “Right now, you are nothing but dead weight. If this continues, you will be cut loose.”
One’s jaw tightens. “Why do you care about what happens to me? You don’t know me.”
Casey studies him carefully. While that’s true, she’s seen the way he fights and though she hates to admit it, he’s pretty good. He could be a great asset to the clan… that, and One’s ambition reminds Casey too much of herself. She’s been in this position before, where she was too uncontrolled— even more than she is now— and alone. Nobody really gave her a chance which is why she’s in the same place she was when she started. Years of hard work has only just gotten her senseis’ attention. She just wants to push One in the right direction. For the good of the clan.
But how does she do that? Casey knows she’s not the greatest at emotions but she tries to think about what she would’ve wanted to hear from someone she looked up to. “But I… see you.”
“What?”
Okay, that was awkward.
Casey clears her throat and rephrases. “I mean I can see your strength,” she huffs. “You are driven, but you are angry. I know. I’m angry all the time. I’m still working on it.” Casey takes a deep breath. “You are putting your anger in the wrong places. I don’t care about what you’re going through, do not feed your anger into your emotions, let it be your motivation.”
She waits for a response. Maybe even a comment about how wise she sounds. But there’s nothing.
Casey’s head snaps in One’s direction. “Are you listening to me, Junior?!” she cuts herself off when her eyes meet One’s strict and newly focused gaze.
“Yeah,” he says evenly. “Let’s train.”
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 6: The Stages Of Grief
Summary:
Splinter's mutation and dealing with the loss of his two sons.
Song: The Stages Of Grief
Artist: Awaken I Am
Chapter Text
It’s one of those nights again. A night where Splinter’s remorse keeps him awake until the crack of dawn. He knows it already. The quiet is quickly becoming heavy on his heart and mind, and he knows that he won’t be leaving his bed the next morning. How can he? Looking like this? A disgusting rat man. A failure, on many levels.
After three years of this, one would think he would adjust to this new lifestyle, but no. Splinter finds that he doesn’t want to do anything. He doesn’t want to move and he doesn’t want to see the children. It doesn’t help, especially after Splinter failed so miserably to save two of them. It’s just been getting harder.
More often than he’d like, Splinter thinks about the explosion.
Debris had fallen down all around him as he transformed. All at once, he was bombarded with a collision of sounds. He was disoriented but still managed to grab two. If only he were himself, he could’ve saved the others. They were innocent children and did not deserve the fate they got. More than that, they’re all his own flesh and blood. He is responsible for them.
When he left the Battle Nexus, he had sworn he would never hurt another living creature, but he has not been able to uphold this promise. He isn’t good enough. He will never be good enough. Not now, when he feels so weak, trapped in a body that doesn't feel like his own. How can he be good for them?
There are times when he’s thought about running, only the thought about leaving his children behind makes him think twice. It would be selfish and Splinter would never forgive himself. There are times when he thinks, what if they are alive? But he cannot get himself to search.
There’s no hope, no reason.
They’re gone.
He failed.
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 7: Stay
Summary:
Donnie processes Leo's absence.
Song: Stay
Artist: Zedd, Alessia Cara
Notes:
Prompt. Disclaimer: Since this takes place later in the AU, Two will be referred to as 'Donnie' and One will be referred to as 'Leo'. Warnings: family death.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Donnie hasn’t left his lab for a good 36 hours. On top of being extremely busy with building his criminal empire, he’s also consciously avoiding his ‘twin’ brother. Naturally, Donnie makes little effort to talk to Leo unless it’s absolutely necessary, but he rarely goes out of his way to make sure that they don’t speak for an extended amount of time. Things have changed since Leo ran off to Japan. The most significant change being Splinter’s illness. Leo was not there when he passed and nobody could get ahold of him. At the time, Donnie didn’t think he cared that Leo was absent. It only took 6 months after Splinter’s death out of a total of 4 years of Leo being gone for Donnie to realize that he was angry.
At about 2 a.m., Donnie put a pause on his work. He felt dreary and was out of coffee. Knowing everyone would be asleep– or, at least, in their rooms– he made a beeline for the kitchen. He doesn’t turn on any lights, he makes no sound. He knows exactly where everything is. Especially the coffee maker.
Donnie places his mug in the slot and waits for it to fill. He waits and listens.
“Really? Espresso at two in the morning? I hope it’s decaf.”
“The day I drink decaf is the day that I die. I thought you knew better.” Donnie turns and faces his brother with crossed arms. “Then again, you haven’t been here in 4 years.”
“Did you miss me, Donatello?” he asks with that annoyingly amused lilt in his voice, which just makes Donnie scoff.
“You’re a selfish jackass,” he retorts quicker and harsher than he can control.
There’s a beat of silence.
“What’s this about?”
“You know what this is about!” Donnie growls suddenly, marching over to the table where Leo is sitting. “Splinter is gone and where were you ?”
Between the darkness, his brother’s eyes shimmer as Donnie sits in front of him, leaning forward with a narrowed stare.
“You were off in Japan doing Titan-knows-what, while the only person who ever cared about us lay dying in his bed,” he hisses.
After a long, tense pause, Donnie draws in a breath. “We needed you.”
Leo’s gaze lowers, but he does not answer. When the coffee machine beeps, letting him know that his mug is filled, Donnie makes his way back.
It’s not until he leaves for his lab that Donnie feels a tight grip on his arm. Although he can’t see his brother well in the dark, the quiver in his voice says it all.
“Wait… I’m sorry. Just… stay… please.”
Please , he thought.
Stay.
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 8: The Aftermath
Summary:
What happens after One's heart is replaced?
Notes:
Request. Warnings: temporary character death, exposed heart.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
All he sees is darkness, for what seems like an eternity. A stretch of black carpet crosses his unconscious mind like a peaceful slumber. For a second, he’s okay. Unaware. Then he feels an icy shock and wakes up.
One’s eyes open and his body takes a minute to process the trauma. Once it does, a sudden pain spreads across his chest, like if someone had grabbed a hot knife and stabbed him in the heart and then twisted it. A sharp breath escapes One’s tight lungs as he shoots upright with a larger gasp.
He can’t breathe.
Panic quickly sets in and he inhales desperately, frantically clawing at his chest. That’s when he feels the cold metal plate against his fingertips and the strange, uneven pulses that don’t quite match what he’s used to. In the back of his head, he hears a rhythmic whirring of something spinning. That just freaks him out more. This is’t right. This isn’t right.
“Hey! Hey… relax.”
One looks up at his brother’s voice. His brows are pulled tight with worry and his hands are outstretched in an attempt to calm him down. He’s not calm. “ What happened to me?” He chokes out with a sound so distorted he hardly recognizes it as his own.
Two hesitates and One can see the guilt on his face, which is not at all reassuring. The last thing One remembers is that Two had had a breakthrough. He was going to make One better. Stronger. So why doesn’t he feel like either?
“ Two, what happened to me?! ” He cries.
“… I don’t know what went wrong…” his brother explains. “There was a complication during the procedure… your heart stopped.”
The world stills.
“ What do you mean stopped? ”
Two gestures silently at him and One finally looks and sees the glowing, beating heart behind his open chestplate. “I installed a prosthetic in your chest cavity…” he says. “The damage was too great. Your heart failed and corroded. Dad repaired what he could and I—”
At that point, One had stopped listening.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is all wrong. He feels wrong.
Before he knows it, One is off his bed and on his feet, struggling to stand.
Titan, this wasn’t supposed to happen…
Something cold touches his shoulder. One pulls back roughly at his brother’s touch, smacking his wrist away.
“… how are you feeling?” He asks, though One’s head is still muddled.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, he repeats like a broken record. The only thing that leaves One’s mouth is a string of shaky breaths.
This isn’t going to give him strength. As far as One can tell, it’s a burden, and he knows that Draxum will see it that way, too. There was nothing wrong with him before but he had to take that chance, didn’t he?
His prosthetic quickens to a rate he can’t keep up with. Something beeps. He hears Two exclaim. Then he hits the floor and passes out.
All he sees now is black.
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 9: The Kill Order
Summary:
What if One was ordered to kill Usagi?
Notes:
Request. Warnings: verbal and emotional abuse (ish).
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The vines must loosen, because Two releases a huff of air and squirms to adjust his position. “I have found evidence that Number One has been coming and going from the Nexus Hotel as he damn well pleases, despite your orders and without your permission. If you release me, I can show you.”
One’s blood turns to ice, but before he can defend himself, Draxum puts them down.
As soon as One’s feet touch the floor and Draxum releases his hold, he lunges for his brother. Draxum’s vines catch him by the shell and arms, pulling him back. One growls and tugs at his restraints. “ Two ,” he warns.
But Two pulls up the video feed, a time lapse of every one of his escapes to the Nexus. One’s chest tightens. Even though it’s sped up, there are short glimpses of the slider just sitting down and crying . His weakest, most lowest moments are displayed on camera, right in front of him. In front of his brother. In front of his commander . And every time… every time Usagi was there to cheer him up. Two freezes the frame in one particularly suspicious shot of Usagi leading One down a hallway, holding his hand.
Slowly, Draxum’s vines loosen and slide away, but One just stands there, staring at the moment frozen in time.
If he wasn’t in trouble before, he sure as hell is in trouble now.
“You have been deceiving me.”
One stiffens at the sound of disapproval in Draxum’s voice. “Just let me explain—”
“I’ve heard enough of your explanations!” the commander shouts. Instinctively, One flinches and looks at the floor, caught in his own web of lies. He hates the tight feeling in his throat.
“You have made a fool of yourself,” Draxum continues. “By coming here, you’ve hindered this mission. Not only that, but your actions have made me question what else you've been keeping from me. You’ve become distracted. Weak. And I will not tolerate this inane behavior any longer.”
A large shadow engulfs One, making him feel small and boxed in. Oppressed. Suffocated. He doesn’t have to look up to know Draxum is the one who’s looming over him. He just hopes that’s the end of it.
The silence that follows seems to last forever. Then the commander gives him his order.
“Kill him.”
One stops breathing.
“This is your final chance to redeem yourself, Number One. I suggest you take it.”
“No,” One’s mouth runs faster than he can think. It’s not the logical choice, but One knew then and there that he can’t— won’t— follow Draxum’s order. Just like he knew that he couldn’t bring 003D and 004D to Draxum.
“ One,” Two hisses.
The slider breaks away. “No!” he shouts, fists tight. “I won’t.”
All of a sudden a vine snatches One by the throat and shoots away from the rooftop, holding the slider above the street far below. One gasps as his neck is squeezed. He kicks his legs pathetically and claws at the branch.
“I cannot afford you indulging these insignificant distractions ,” Draxum growls. “If you can’t handle these simple tasks, then tell me why shouldn’t I just drop you now?”
“Do it,” One chokes, meeting Draxum’s look of annoyance with defiance. “You’re obviously done with me, so let me go.”
The alchemist narrows his eyes. One’s heart thuds, panic and doubt flooding his mind. He fights it, struggles to hold on to reason.
This is all talk. One knows it is. Draxum isn’t going to just let him fall to his death— fourteen years of the alchemist risking his life and career to protect them makes One sure of it— but that doesn’t mean he won’t find another way to punish One for slowing him down.
After a moment, Draxum pulls him back to the ledge and drops him. One falls unceremoniously onto the rooftop, behind Draxum, hitting the ground with a weak grunt.
“That would be a waste,” Draxum scowls. “However, I have another solution to this… complication.”
One looks up as Draxum stands next to Two, with a hand on his shoulder. The softshell glances up hesitantly at their commander.
“Engage deactivation protocol: 001D-Alpha 9.”
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 10: A Symptom Of Being Human
Summary:
Leo cries and Raph is there to comfort him.
Song: A Symptom Of Being Human
Artist: Shinedown
Notes:
Prompt. Disclaimer: Since this takes place later in the AU, One will be referred to as 'Leo'. No warnings.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
This isn’t the first time Leo has woken up in tears. It’s not the first time he’s forgotten why he’s crying, either. Maybe it was a dream he had, signifying a deeper-rooted problem that’s making him feel like shit at 5 a.m.. That’s usually how it goes, isn’t it? At least, that’s Mikey’s theory.
Titan, how fucked up does one person have to be to wake up in a pool of their own tears?
As if that’s not the worst of it, Leo had fallen asleep with his brothers in the living room and Splinter passed out on the sofa. Now Leo would rather die before he’s caught crying in front of his family, but at least Splinter’s commercials are loud enough that his pathetic sniffles probably won’t wake anybody.
He should leave, though. Raph has a bad habit of waking up early and Leo’s not too keen on sticking around for when the snapper discovers that he’s been crying in his sleep. There’ll be too much nagging and too many questions that Leo just doesn’t have the energy to deal with. However, in his attempt to sit up, Leo finds that he’s trapped under Raph’s arm.
Oh, great , he thinks.
Tactfully, Leo turns on his back and slides out from the snapper’s hold. Once he’s freed, he starts climbing to his feet with a wet sniff. Then he’s falling right back down.
Leo squirms as he’s pulled into a secure embrace, fighting back the tears that just won’t stop.
“You’re okay,” he mumbles. “Raph’s got you.”
Leo freezes. How long has he been awake? Leo shifts and opens his mouth to assure his older brother that he’s fine, but his throat tightens and nothing comes out. Raph doesn’t pressure him like Leo thought he might. He just hugs Leo against his chest and makes it impossible for him to escape, which is arguably worse.
His tears overwhelm him. It’s too late. As much as he wants to run away now, he just can’t.
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 11: Nightmares
Summary:
One encounters a mysterious figure.
Notes:
Request. Disclaimer: Season 1 spoilers. Warnings: violence, paralysis.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Halfway through the movie, One gets hit with the feeling that he’s being watched. When he looks into the darkened hallway, he sees nothing. Suspicious that an intruder might’ve found the lair, One stands up and investigates. The others don’t seem to notice him slipping away. If they did, they didn’t bother to ask where he was going. Which made it much easier for One.
About two seconds after he enters that hall, a hand wraps around One’s face and drags him deeper into the hall. The slider grunts, latching onto the wrist with his claws while his opposite hand goes for the knife attached to his belt. One hooks his fingers around the blade and almost stabs his kidnapper in the leg. Before One can hit his target, he’s thrown into the wall.
One grimaces but his grip tightens around his weapon. “Big mistake, pal,” he growls, pushing off the stone surface to attack the large silhouette in front of him. The figure snatches One’s jaw between its claws and shoves him back. His weapon is knocked loose, which leaves One clawing at the figure’s arm. He tries to shove him off, squirming and seething, but the figure doesn’t let up his grip.
“Still playing games, huh?” he says in a steady voice, eyes glowing a dark, rosy pink.
One’s brows pull together. “What the hell?”
“You don’t know who I am?” He asks. Now that One’s hyper-aware of the situation, he recognizes that voice as his own. He sees the red crescents and the scar on his face. But despite the obvious traits, this version of himself is different. Bigger. Stronger. Angrier. It’s not until he makes this connection that One’s body starts going numb.
“Well, I know you,” he continues. One’s panic officially sets in as the lack of feeling spreads from his reflection’s hand, into One’s chest and arms, and down his legs, completely immobilizing him. He doesn’t realize how close his double has gotten until he’s speaking in his ear.
“Do you really think they’re going to forgive you? Shredder?”
One wakes up in a cold sweat when he feels something sharp plunge into his heart.
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 12: EVIL TWIN
Summary:
Alternate ending to Many Unhappy Returns.
Notes:
Prompt. Disclaimer: Season 1 spoilers. Warnings: character death.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
One jumps at Two through the smoke and spray of green empyrean and purple sparks and takes him to the ground. Two cries out as the raw flesh on his shell hits the floor and sharp claws dig into his throat. Two winces against the thick pressure of the mystics radiating off of One. Two chokes and grabs at the metal with his remaining hand. He refuses to look at One’s face, so he just squeezes his eyes shut and tries to push back and away, only causing the grit on the ground to cut deeper into his shell. One doesn’t loosen his grip and Two can feel the energy getting more and more suffocating. He can see the light of the armor’s power through his eyelids. His heart pounds against his plastron as desperate to escape as Two is. He hears the same verse over and over again in his mind.
I’m going to die.
Two strains and fights to speak through the pain gripping his throat, his back, his arms, his chest. He opens his eyes and finds the faintest sliver of blue remaining under the relentless pink glow in the wild, glazed eyes of the armor. He inhales, but no words make it through.
Instead, Two shuts his eyes again. Distant memories of an insignificant childhood flash behind wasted tears— a cruel reminder of every single failure he’s made in life.
Two’s chest burns and he can’t breathe. It takes only a second for One’s mystic energy to snuff Two’s out completely.
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 13: FLIP FLOP
Summary:
One's return in Two's POV.
Notes:
Prompt. Disclaimer: Season 2 spoilers. No warnings.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The doors to the lab seal shut. Two’s heart rate quickens, drowning out the comfortable silence of his workspace.
Taking the tools off his desk, Two checks the corroding metal around One’s heart. He pauses for a second to steady his unstable hand. Two takes a deep breath and gets to work, setting his frustrations aside.
Despite knowing better, Two can’t help but preoccupy his mind with one question…
How did you survive?
Two can’t tell if he's relieved or angry that One is here, occupying his work table, but regardless of how Two feels, he can't let One die.
He works in silence for the next few hours, carefully replacing the tarnished metal with spare parts around the lab. Two pours all his focus to One’s heart until the prosthetic functions how it’s supposed to.
When he’s finished, Two leaves the lab.
Mikey stands and opens his mouth.
“He’s stable,” Two mutters, then locks himself up in his room.
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
Chapter 14: Meet Cute
Summary:
How One meets Usagi.
Chapter Text
It’s no surprise when One finds himself at the hotel bar, watching a rerun of the latest Battle Nexus match in hopes of clearing his head. He’s been doing that a lot lately, it seems, although he has no idea why. He knows if he gets caught, Draxum will unleash the fires of Titan on his ass, but that’s a big if. Big Mama hasn’t found him yet and, until then, he’s not going to worry about the consequences.
As One watches the pre-recorded fight, he’s tapping the side of his glass. He doesn’t realize it, but whatever current expectations Draxum has of One is just getting too overwhelming.
The surrounding audience erupts in a cacophony of cheers, snapping One to attention. The warrior on-screen had just landed a critical blow to his opponent, who staggers, disoriented as it bleeds from a deep gash in its stomach. One’s eyes linger on the young warrior as he makes his finishing move.
Surprisingly quick and sharp, the warrior finishes off the beast, which One remembers is one of Big Mama’s more difficult hybrids. Admittedly, One’s slightly impressed that someone so young managed to defeat a combatant twice his size. The only other person who had been able to take on an adversary that strong at such a young age was One, back when he trained here.
Back when Draxum was easier to impress.
One’s fists tighten slightly around his empty glass. Something urgent presses at the back of his head. Really, he shouldn’t be here, considering how hard Draxum fought to keep him out of Big Mama’s grip, but he’s dreading the thought of going home so soon.
A few tears drip onto One’s closed fist. Immediately, his back straightens and he promptly wipes his face dry with his arm before anyone notices.
That’s enough, he scolds himself.
One sighs and pushes his glass away, starting to stand when someone sits on the empty stool next to him. The only thing stopping One from leaving, is that he thinks he recognizes this guy.
White fur, brown eyes, a decorated sword. One hesitates, then glances up at the TV screen. Besides the blood-soaked fur and glowing eyes, One is pretty sure the guy who just sat next to him is the guy whose face is on every screen in the room.
One notices the cast on his arm, then looks at the screen again, noting that the rabbit’s right arm is hanging at an awkward angle at his side. One looks back at the yōkai. While notably less blood-thirsty and more normal-looking, One is now 100% sure this is who he had been watching on the screen. The first thing One does is size him up. He doesn’t look nearly as capable of murder as he did on-screen. Maybe it’s the drooping ears and sad eyes.
One doesn’t know how long he’s been staring. Long enough to get the guy’s attention, apparently. The stranger’s ear flicks, then his eyes meet One’s.
They stare at each other for a solid minute and a half. One hopes he looks intimidating right now and not miserable like this guy.
After a moment, the rabbit frowns. “Is your eyeliner running? I can help with that.”
One blinks in surprise. He did not expect that. An off-handed comment, sure. A threat? Absolutely. One was not expecting an expression of concern.
The rabbit hesitates, then stands. “Here, come with me.”
One narrows his eyes, but decides to follow, if only to figure out what this guy’s deal is. The rabbit is mostly quiet as he leads One out of the room.
“There should be a mirror somewhere around here…” the rabbit murmurs. One raises a brow as the rabbit takes him down the hall and into one of the Lounge’s luxurious bathrooms.
Once they’re through, One crosses his arms as the rabbit makes his way to the sink. He grabs a face towel from a basket on the counter and runs it under the water. One stays near the door. He quickly determines that they’re alone. “So, you gonna beat me up or something?”
The rabbit turns, eyes widening. “What?”
“Come on, drop the act.”
“What act??”
One scoffs. “You’re seriously telling me you brought me all the way here to clean up my make-up?”
The rabbit pauses. “Um… yeah.” He squeezes out the excess water against the interior of the sink, then turns and reaches out. “Here, hold still.”
One grabs his wrist and shoves him back into the tiled wall, eyes sharp. “I don’t buy it.”
The rabbit holds his gaze evenly, completely calm, which deepens One’s suspicions.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” the rabbit explains carefully.
That makes One laugh. “You couldn’t hurt me.”
“Then… you shouldn’t have anything to worry about, right?”
One squints, searching through his deep brown eyes, but he doesn’t find anything remotely hostile about this guy. After a beat, One lets him go.
The rabbit studies him closely, then glances at the damp cloth in his hand and waves it a bit. “May I?”
“Only if you don’t mind losing a few fingers.”
The rabbit smiles, despite One’s clear threat. “Don’t worry, I can take it.” He reaches out again and starts to wipe away the smudged eyeliner. One stiffens at the surprisingly gentle touch, but forces himself not to flinch away because he’s definitely not feeling threatened by someone who’s so close to his age getting close to his face.
By effect, the rabbit sticks his tongue out in concentration while One’s stomach does a funny twist. While the stranger focuses on not poking One’s eye out, the slider just stands and watches and tries not to run away out of nervousness.
He has to break the silence. “So, Mr. Nice Guy. You have a name?” One huffs.
The rabbit meets his eyes. “Yuichi Usagi.” Yuichi then lowers his hand and smiles. “There we go. Good as new.”
One rolls his eyes, but takes a look in the mirror. If it weren’t for the hint of red in his damp eyes, he wouldn’t be able to tell that he had been crying. Which reminds One that he shouldn’t stay here much longer, especially now that someone's seen him like this.
One quickly looks away from his reflection, then heads for the door.
“Hey, wait!” Yuichi starts after him, then falls short when One gives him a look. “Um… what’s your name? I forgot to ask.”
The slider regards him, although he can’t say why. “One.”
Yuichi blinks. “What, like the number?” He says it too fast for One to believe he actually thought about the comment first.
“Yeah, like the number,” One scoffs. “You got a problem with that?”
Yuichi shakes his head. “Nope. It’s nice to meet you.”
One scoffs slightly. “Titan, you have no idea who you’re talking to, do you?”
“Well… I was hoping you’d tell me.”
“No.”
Yuichi deflates a little. “Oh.”
One pauses. “But… maybe another time. If you’re still alive.”
The rabbit’s eyes light up. “Yeah—!” then he obviously back pedals and tries to play it cool. “Uh— I mean— okay. Yeah.”
One feels his stomach turn again— super weird. One rolls his eyes and leaves without another word, making a beeline for the exit. His face feels warm and his chest starts to hurt.
What the hell did I just agree to?
Notes:
See the Guide for a link to the post.
LeonRose on Chapter 10 Wed 21 May 2025 08:16PM UTC
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