Chapter Text
“Week 1”
~Casey~
Casey stumbled slightly upon the rubble, ankle rolling on a stray piece of broken tunnel, body shifting to right the load he carried, a box full of other small boxes, each full of invaluable supplies, tipped to the side. He made a small sound, and quickly righted himself, not wanting anything to tip over and fall.
“Careful,” April called over her shoulder from where she walked up ahead. “Don’t wanna drop anything. ‘Specially cause the surface don’t have much.” She rattled her own box lightly, as if to make a point.
Casey nodded quickly, his messy ponytail coming undone by the action, flyaway strands sticking to his face. “Yes ma’am. Sorry ma’am.” He called out quickly, wanting her to know that he understood her.
It was true indeed that the surface didn’t have a lot to spare as it had only been a week’s time since the invasion, and folks all across New York were struggling. It had even been a hassle to get these supplies, and they nearly had to fight someone for a pack of band-aids. Brutal stuff. Casey wasn’t unfamiliar with people acting a bit rabid over supplies, but even this felt particularly intense.
As such, April and Casey had been staying in the lair with the boys, for several reasons. One; April’s mom had been locked out of New York, away on a business trip. Two; because the boys were all in desperate need of help, and lastly, three; Casey didn’t have a home, and the surface was a wild mess. All very valid reasons.
All of the Hamato’s had been hurt during the invasion, which was another reason for April and Casey to stick around. April and Casey’s injuries were only minor, making it easier for them to head up to the surface to collect supplies.
Casey remembered about a day after the invasion, The Baron Draxum, a person he hadn’t seen since his childhood, had swept into the subway lair, vowing ever so dramatically to help, gushing loudly about how his ingenious designs for genetic buildup would ensure a swift and efficient recovery for the boys. Casey didn’t doubt it.
Back in his day, or perhaps was it forwards in his day? Either way, the Draxum of his future, was a complete whizz when it came to bodies, and genetic makeup. The yokai had single-handedly healed a huge portion of the troops before he was lost to them. Truly amazing. It was… strange seeing him again. Everything was strange.
Casey hadn’t been very old when they had lost Draxum, meaning, he didn’t know much about him besides the fact that he was a gifted alchemist, and had supposedly tossed Master Leonardo off a roof. This knowledge only made it more confusing to him when he saw Mikey run up, and hug Draxum tightly, as if greeting a long-lost friend. Hadn’t the Hamato’s disliked Draxum? Apparently not… Either way, it had caught him off guard and kept catching him off guard each time he saw it.
Like right now.
April led Casey through the remaining stretch of the subway tunnels, leading him into the lair where Draxum was walking about in the garage, pen and papers in hand, reading glasses resting on the tip of his animalistic nose. April walked right in, not the least bit nervous as she greeted him. “Sup Drax. How’s it goin’ Mikey?”
Draxum simply made a small, annoyed sound, glaring down at his pages, tapping his pen frustratedly against the log of all their supplies. Though it was no surprise as to why he was so aggravated, since Mikey was following him around, walking directly behind his ‘Dad’ like a lost puppy. He had his arms gingerly folded against his plastron, bandages circling all the way up to his biceps.
Casey entered the garage, hefting up his box full of boxed supplies, listening as Mikey voiced his complaints in a very whiny tone. “Barry! Barry, should my arms be itchy? It's weird and I don't like it!” He complained in a slightly raised no-nonsense voice, moving his head to accentuate the words, clearly having a ‘Mikey pity party’.
Casey had seen him do this enough times to know he was probably more upset than he was letting on, expressing tears through a simple whiny tone. Draxum barely paid him any mind, replying almost nonchalantly. “Itching means healing, so shush small warrior child.”
April snickered upon seeing the interaction, and the following reaction, setting her box down near one of the tall pillars holding the lair up. “Aw, is Mikey itchy? Itchy baby?” She teased, swooping forwards to scoop him up into a hug, pulling him away from Draxum, and Casey quite literally saw Draxum’s shoulders drop in relief.
Casey made his way further into the garage, unsure as to where to set the supplies he gathered. Next to April’s? But she had set them wherever. Maybe with the other boxes? But his box was unsorted. He stood uselessly in the center, frozen over where to put the box. Draxum paused what he was doing to stop and stare at Casey, making him feel like he was in the spotlight. Cautiously, Casey offered him a little wave, nearly losing his grip on the box. His cheeks flushed, and he wished he could just evaporate away. Luckily, Draxum didn’t seem to care, and casually pointed a finger to a location with other half sorted boxes.
As Casey made his way over to the pile, grateful to the chance to turn away and let the red fade from his face, he heard Draxum address April. “Watch his arms O’ Neil.” He said in a surprisingly caring voice. Casey glanced over his shoulder to see Draxum watch April and Mikey fondly, then felt a jolt of nervous panic as Draxum glanced back in his direction. “It seems I have more to inventory.” Casey then scuttled away from the boxes, unsure of what else to do, backing away to instead watch April and Mikey.
April was holding Mikey in a comforting hug, and replied. “Don’t worry Barry, I got it!” She pulled Mikey just a hint closer, continuing. “He just needs some hugs to distract him, yeah?” April squeezed Mikey a little tighter, as if to squeeze the sadness out of him. Mikey chuckled sadly, gently wrapping his arms around April and smushing his cheek against her shoulder. Mikey hummed. “Thanks April…” Closing his eyes and leaning against her.
Casey watched them carefully, eyes distractedly trained on the stumps of Mikey’s wrists where hands used to be.
When Leo had disappeared through the portal, and into the prison dimension, Casey had been told that Mikey had torn apart reality with his bare hands to pull him back. Though Casey hadn’t seen the act itself, he had certainly seen the aftermath. And it had been brutal.
Parts of Mikey’s hands, like a portion of one thumb, a finger here or there, and chunks of his palm had been absolutely burnt away, leaving most of his hands dead tissue. It had not been pretty, and that was coming from the guy who had lived through the apocalypse.
They had needed to amputate, much to Mikey’s dismay, as the dead tissue would have harmed his body. The black flesh was practically peeling off the bones anyhow. An amputation was the kindest, and the most logical option.
Honestly, looking at Mikey now, probably the only reason he wasn’t off crying (either for his hands, or for his brothers) was because Draxum had him doped up on pain meds. Which was a good thing, as Casey knew how badly an amputation could hurt. Though, now that he thought about it, that would explain the sleepy puppy behavior that Mikey was displaying.
Casey startled when Draxum addressed him with a firm tone, scribbling something down on his clipboard. “If you are willing,” He raised his eyebrows in high arches now that he had Casey’s full attention, looking down at him, in what Casey hoped to be a non-judgmental way. “Now, Future boy, if you happen to be free from your current job, it would be beneficial for you to check on the Red-eared slider. If you will.” He tapped his pen against his clipboard, as if to illustrate his point.
It took Casey a second to process what had been asked of him, but when it clicked that he was being asked to check on Leo, he nodded vigorously, hair becoming even messier. “Yeah, I can do that.” He replied, resisting the urge to stand at the ready while speaking, hoping his tone was far more relaxed than he felt.
Draxum nodded, raised brows lowering. “Well, carry on then.” He hummed, almost distracted. “I will have the rest of the boxes taken care of.” He pushed his glasses down, looking at Casey over the rims. “And I have to go back to work as soon as the schools open up, so it really is imperative that we finish as much as we can.”
Casey nodded quickly, clenching the sides of his borrowed hoodie, exclaiming “Y-yes sir!!”
Draxum’s gaze was intense, and was making Casey feel as if there was more to do than a simple checkup. He wasn’t used to people looking so wildly serious when it wasn’t an emergency. Usually, hard stares were reserved for highly important missions. Though, Casey supposed that checking up on Leo did count as an important mission of sorts.
Casey stepped back, cutting himself out of the conversation now that he had a mission, staggering backwards. Leo was still on bed rest, meaning he wasn’t allowed to get up for anything. Meaning, Casey wasn’t necessarily checking to see if he was alright but checking to see if the younger version of his Sensei was actually still in bed.
As he left, Casey heard the fading remnants of a conversation. April lightly teased. “Barry don’t freak him out, we’re good, yeah?” while the Barron simply made a scoffing sound. There was more chatter after that, but Casey was too far off by then to hear it properly.
The trek through the lair was interesting. It was full of tidied up wreckage, as parts of it had been destroyed by the Krang, and the Foot. The lair was a complete mess, but luckily, not unfixable. Casey himself had seen far worse situations and had been told of far worse situations. As far as this mess went, it wasn’t bad at all!
Upon making it to Leo’s designated subway car, he halted, not knowing exactly what to do. Had it been his Sensei, he’d peek through the windows or listen in on him to determine whether or not to spy, or just barge in loudly. But this Leo was different. Casey had no idea how to interact with him. It was really weird being an adult, while this version of his Sensei was still just a kid. A mere seventeen-year-old. Casey had a good three years of age on him now. Eventually, after a few moments of awkward stalling, Casey bucked up the courage to get his attention. “Hello?…” Casey called out tentatively, knocking on the metallic door frame of Leo’s room, waiting patiently in front of the curtains. “You awake?”
There were a few seconds of silence, that Casey recognized as Leo trying to disguise that he was still awake, and not resting, before he called out. “S’that you Case?” voice raspy from everything but still containing a lively tone.
Casey carefully pushed aside the curtains covering Leo’s door, waving awkwardly upon seeing the younger version of his Sensei. Leo waved, but only slightly, as he was healing from bruising. “Sup. You come in here to relieve me of my boredom?” He grinned cheekily, face stretching slightly, like it hurt. Casey felt sympathetic for him, resisting the urge to frown. He was clearly just putting on a brave face, because he was idolizing Casey much like Casey found himself idolizing Leo. Luckily, Leo was still in his bed, like he was supposed to be, with an IV hooked up to his arm, and a mini heart monitor attached to him. The heart monitor was one of Donnie’s portable ones, the ones that hooked up to his tech 24/7, which in Casey’s opinion, having known a Leo for most his life, was a good decision on Donnie’s part.
Ah, he was thinking too much again. Not being present in the moment. Casey laughed, albeit a little awkwardly, as that just seemed to be the way he functioned and shrugged. “Ah, no. The Baron sent me to make sure you’re doing alright.”
Immediately, Leo’s mood shifted, and he offered only a playful yet annoyed scoff, undoubtedly thinking he was slick, but Casey knew his tricks. “Ugh. Barry… feels weird to have the guy who chucked me off a roof, actually care if I’m healing, y’know? Prolly, he’s just worried about whether or not his lil’ super soldier project isn’t wrecked or whatnot. Anyways, whatever, doesn’t matter—“ Leo waved a hand, dismissing everything he had said, not even allowing Casey a chance to cut in. “What’s going on out and about? Any news on April’s mom? How’s the fam and whatnot? Please, man I need entertainment!!” Leo ended with a pleading tone, clearly milking this moment for all it was worth, clasping his hands together while grinning lightly.
Casey couldn’t help but let a little chuckle slip, wanting nothing more than to just roll his eyes. He had seen this all before. Oh well, at least Leo didn’t seem to be in an overly moody mood. He could supply him with a little bit of news that wouldn’t do any harm. “Everything is going well. Cleanups have started above ground,” Casey began, purposefully skipping over the part where the cleanups involved body disposal. Leo didn’t need that on his shoulders. “April and I just got back from a supply run. As far as we know, Ms. O’Neil is still out of state, and as far as it goes, New York is still on lockdown. Haven’t really checked the rest of the family yet, sorry. Mikey’s doing alright, he’s managing. A little out of it, as he’s still all doped up on pain meds, but doing good.”
Leo’s attentive expression briefly flickered, and Casey saw a flash of deep-seated guilt and grief before it was covered back up with a fake smile. “Aw, if Mikes having a hard time, he should come bug me!!” He exclaimed. “I’m not supposed to be up and about, so I’d welcome the company.” Leo chattered; an ever-present laugh stuck in his tone.
Casey found himself frowning at that. “Leo,” he began, “you don’t need to make yourself cheerful for us, ok?” It bothered him to see Leo acting so fake. Maybe it fooled his family (doubtfully) but it certainly didn’t fool Casey.
“Ahaha!!! Would you look at the time?!” Leo laughed loudly, looking at his pointedly bare wrist. “When was the last time anyone checked on Raph? Or Donnie? Or heck, even dad, amiright? Maybe they need company too? Or, ooh, ooh, if you can, could you convince Donnie to leave his lab? Come watch something with me? Yeah? I promise we won’t watch anything stressful, just, like, Bluey or whatever yeah?”
Casey hesitated, glancing off to the side, uncomfortable with the way Leo was clearly rambling. Part of him wanted to keep calling out Leo’s behaviors. It had been a thing he and his Sensei would do. If either of them got stuck in a certain mindset, they’d call each other out. Casey didn’t know what to do for this Leo. He didn’t know how to talk to him. He didn’t know what to do. “Um…” He hesitated, unsure of what to say. “I don’t…. Yeah, I could go fetch Donnie for you, yeah…” At least, finding Donnie seemed like a good idea. Leo hadn’t communicated his emotions, but he had communicated a solution, so Casey would take that.
Leo gave him a huge thumbs up, grinning wildly and nodding. “Sweet, cool cool cool. Alright, I’ll expect you back soon with my twin in tow, yeah? Vaminos!!” He waved at him, a mix between a regular wave, and a shooing motion. It hurt, just a little bit.
Casey nodded, uncomfortable with the entire situation, feeling more and more like a round peg in a square hole. Wrong wrong wrong. He quickly backed up, making as if to slip through the curtain on the door, and Leo joked. “Dude. There’s a literal hole in my wall, covered by only a blanket. You could go through that, easily!”
Casey replied in a voice that was much too high and very forced. “Whoops! Guess I’m already going through the door!” In a poorly disguised tone of sarcasm, and stress, Casey departed, giving Leo a singular two fingered salute, slipping out quickly.
Casey moved quickly, shuffling away from the subway car to give himself room to breathe. Eugh… that really didn’t go how he wanted… Oh well, at least Leo wasn’t isolating himself. Casey would go get Donnie, and also probably get a blanket or two, since the Red-eared slider happened to always be cold. That’d be the right action for this situation. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully…
Donnie would be in his lab, right? Casey assumed so, and as such, began making his way over there, walking up the stairs leading to the lab. The first thing he noticed was the bright lights, and the pattering of footsteps. Quick, and shuffly footsteps, the kind used when rushing from desk to desk. He leaned over, gripping the doorframe, and peered into the lab. Yup, it was as he suspected.
The lab was just as messy as he had last seen it, with broken tech littering the ground, and random bits and bobs scattered every which way and that. All because the Sister Krang had crashed through the lab, no regard for the precious things she crushed. Just as Casey had suspected, Donnie was running about inside, muttering to himself, one of Raph’s giant hoodies hanging down to his knees, whipping around as he moved faster than he was medically permitted.
Once again, Casey did what felt like the same old song and dance, knocking on the lab entrance, hoping to get his attention. “Donatello?” He questioned, hoping to gain his attention. There was a chance that Donnie was in the zone and wouldn’t hear him.
Donnie looked to the side, making eye contact with Casey, indicating that he had indeed heard him. “Casey.” He acknowledged. Casey couldn’t help but let a little smile show at the sight of him wearing a hoodie. It felt special. Casey remembered his Donnie, always covered in grease, and clad in thick overalls, speaking fondly of warm thick hoodies. Casey even remembered having a conversation with him, in the dead of the night, where he described in lengthy details, his favorite purple silken jacket he had possessed in his entire lifetime. It felt like a reward to see a Donnie wearing a hoodie.
He was holding a camera with its lens broken and the base hanging off by copper wires. He looked like he had been bringing it across the lab, to the pile of the many many other things that needed fixing around the lair.
Casey stayed outside the lab, respectfully, not wanting to intrude. He didn’t fully know the social rules pertaining to this Donnie, so it was better to just play it safe. “I was checking on mas— Leo, and he said he’d appreciate your company.” Casey told him, his voice slightly robotic as he recited what he had been repeating in his head. He had almost gotten it wrong, nearly calling Leo after his Sensei. It was a small mistake, but it was still impactful, and he had to stop making it.
Donnie closed his eyes, tossing his head to the side. “Oh, haha, naturally he feels the need to bother me in the midst of my work.” Donnie sighed, walking over to a desk covered in electronics, setting the camera down. “And naturally, I feel inclined to say yes.” He hummed, as if musing to himself, almost amused in a way.
Casey found the corners of his mouth turning upwards at the simple way Donnie spoke. It was familiar. Out of all the Hamato’s Donnie had been the one whose vocal inflection had changed the least. He quickly steeled his expression when Donnie turned to face Casey again, walking to the entrance of his lab. “It is quite tempting to clone myself and give the clone to Leonardo.” Donnie’s words sounded somewhat exasperated and angry, though his tone and body language were purely sarcastic, if not tired.
Casey relaxed a little, since this was a language he could understand. “That’s just how Leo is, isn’t it?” He chuckled lightly, shifting to move out of the way of the door. “What you working on?” He questioned, tilting his head to the side as Donnie made his way out. “Security?” He was genuinely curious as to what was keeping Donnie so wildly busy these past few days, as Donnie had pretty much been living in his lab.
Donnie stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket, moving past Casey easily, making his way out and down the hall. “Security is my main objective. Structural integrity is high on my list as well, though Draxum has been helping with that.”
Casey nodded in reply, walking alongside him. “Very good.” He paused for a few seconds, psyching himself up for what he was about to say. “Y’know, if you ever wanted help, my Don—“ Casey was never able to finish his sentence, as Donnie’s wrist cuff went off, pinging him with its little emergency tone. The one used for Leo’s heart monitor.
Donnie spared Casey a split-second glance before running towards Leo’s train car, his feet tapping down the stairs with practiced precision.
Casey’s brain short circuited, looping through a mantra of confusion before it clicked what was happening, and he tore off after him, leaping over anything in his path, quickly catching up with Donnie. Within seconds they made it to Leo’s train car. Casey tore the curtain to the side, eyes wide. “Leo??” He called out, making a sound as Donnie shoved past him, accidentally slamming him against the wall. He didn’t blame him one bit.
Leo’s heart monitor was beeping wildly, and he was laying upon the bed, stiff and twitching. His eyes were unfocused and somewhat rolled back, as he shuddered, jerking and spasming. It looked as if he were being electrocuted. This looked like a seizure.
“Leo?” Donnie exclaimed frantically, grabbing his shoulder and rolling him onto his side. “Leo, I’m here!” Donnie let out a nervous chuckle, tears brimming his eyes in the sudden panic. “Where’s Barry?” Casey saw in that split second, that Donnie didn’t know what to do.
Casey’s eyes darted around taking in the scene before him. “I-I-I—“ he stammered, then let himself shift into soldier mode. No time for hesitations. “I’ll go get him. Keep him on his side!!” He instructed, quickly turning, and racing out of the room.