"Why are we doing this again?"

"Because Big Mama order me to"

You sighed as Big Mama's new assistant undid your warpings, letting the tinted soiled bandages fall to the ground. You sat in the med bay with a pout as the faceless woman applied new dressings on your boils. You noticed that she only had three fingers, like Donnie and Leo, but that wasn't uncommon here in the hidden city. Still, you couldn't shake off the feeling that this meant something.

You hated that Sidney had to go for a supply run, you didn't want to be treated by this attention-hogging snake.

"Why couldn't Chad or Todd do this"

The woman laughed behind her mask and glanced up at you.

"Do you think those idiots have any medical experience?"

You peered off to the left, thinking for a moment with pressed lips before letting a small grin form on your face as you answered.

"No, they probably don't.."

You chuckled lowly as the woman finished applying the ointment. Mei let go of your hand for a moment to grab the roll of bandages. You noticed how she moved with this grace and precision, yet handled you so softly in her care.

She probably had a family too..

That must be nice...

Mei grabbed you slightly above the wrist, making you wince a bit. Your skin was still very raw, unlike the rest of your body, your wrists, ankles, and neck were branded with third-degree electrical burns. The woman stopped for a second, gazing down our your injuries before being to wrap your wrists and palms, you cringed as pain shot up your arm.

The woman peeked up at you, her movements were soft and slow as curved your body a bit more toward her so she could start on the other arm. You just let her do what she wanted with you, that was basically all you could do. You were in no condition to fight at the moment, so being obedient was your best bet for survival.

It was quite funny... You couldn't remember when life become less about living and more about surviving.

How f*cked up is that?

You sigh as Mei repeated the process on your other arm as you watched. The woman paused for a beat before quietly speaking.

"I take it that... They don't treat you very well here.. Do they?"

You stiff a bit, peeking down at the masked woman with bafflement. No one has ever asked you such a question. No one really cared about you here, well Sidney likely did. However, this tiny voice was in the back of your mind telling you that he was using you as some bodyguard or leverage.

You trialed your eyes to the side, determining how to respond to Mei.

"Well, uh I have more scars than friends if that answer's your question?"

You chuckled but you can tell that Mei didn't find it all that amusing. The yokai reminded silent, looking back down at your arm and wrapping it up. She patted the bandages down to make sure they were packed in and then angled her face up at you.

"I'm done with your arms"

You sorely laid your arms carefully in your lap as the woman stood from her knees and walked off. Mei fetched for more supplies as you patiently sat there in silence. You swang your legs as they hovered above the ground ever so slightly.

Maybe Mei wasn't so bad after all.. She has done nothing but treated you with empathy. Sure there was the VR box but she was just following orders. Big Mama was the one to initiate everything.

You glance back up as the woman pads back over to you with supplies in hand. She plopped down on the bed next to you, making you cringe a bit. The woman gazed at you for a moment before reaching over to your neck.

On instinct, you blocked her hand with your arm and gaped at her with furrowed brows. Your breath was a bit unstable as you tried to intimidate her with your icy gaze. The woman stood silent and still before sighing slightly.

"I can't treat you if you don't let me touch you"

You bare your teeth before huffing and you move your wrist away. The woman hesitated for a moment before placing the cold cloth onto your neck, which made you flinch as you close your eyes. Tightening your grip on the fabric that lay on your thighs.

The woman moved swiftly in her attempt to try to make you more comfortable, slathering the dressing on your neck after disinfecting it. She then delicately wrapped the bandages around your throat, after she moved her hands away, you skim your fingers around your neck, feeling the tender care that wrapped around your injuries.

You stay mute as she stood to her feet and began to clean up, placing the supplies in the small cabinets that they were designated. You press your lips together as you scratch at the bandages of your neck before taking in a deep breath.

"um... thank you.. for you know.."

You fiddled with your fingers as the woman stopped placing items in the cupboard in front of her and twisted her head toward you. Stillness fell over the room, it was awkward or malicious but calming and serene. The woman then puffed through her mask and placed the jar of dressing into the cupboard, she whipped her hands off on her pants and tilted her head towards you.

"It was no problem"

You nodded your head and reverted to staying quiet, the woman finished up her cleaning and walked over to you. The guard extended her hand towards you, you stare down at it, your mind going blank for a minute. Thoughts flooded your head but despite your better judgment you hesitantly reached out and clasped your hand in hers.

She gently pulls you to your feet and lets go of your hand, your palm felt cold without hers. It was ironic because the gauntlets she wore were supposedly freezing. You stumbled a bit as you walked forward, which made the woman hover above you just in case you need assistance.

You caught your balance and gave her a reassuring glimpse before moving forward, your legs throbbed with a flaring pain as you trekked. Big Mama's assistant made a note to meet your strides and to monitor you intently for any signs of weakness.

She didn't want you falling on your face if your knees gave out or something to that effect. You hated being doted on like a helpless child but you tolerate it regardless, you had no room for the air at the moment.

After some more wavering on your part, you and the guard made it to your cell. You watched as she inserted the keys and with a dreadful click, unlocked the chamber. A three-fingered claw motioned inside the cell and you, in turn, defeated, padded inside. Your feet bonded softly on the cold tile and you gave a cursory sniff to the inky blackness before the creaky door shut.

It made you flinch a bit, you turn back to see if the guard was still there, the glint of her helmet shone in the light as those rusty keys turned. Damning you inside that cell for however long Big Mama pleased before she needed you for entertainment. A low groan inside the cell caused you to freeze, a shiver ran up your spine while you feverishly rub your arms for warmth.

You walked over to your bed and pull the pitiful sheets around your body. You warped yourself like a sad taco and sat on the frigid surface crossed-legged. You stare down at that damp dark door across the room. The overwhelming feeling of loneliness overtaking your chest, you squeezed the sheets around a bit more before pursing your lips.

It was going to be okay...

You looked off with an aching smile.

You were going to hang out with your friends later tonight... and see Leo...

The grin on your face widened at the thought, after all you've been through this week; you couldn't think of anything better than grabbing a slice and joking with your Leo.

Speaking of Leo, he was having a terrific time dealing with his father's constant yelling about how irresponsible and impulsive he was.

Which was all true, but it still hurt to hear.

The turtle was still dealing with the crack in the back of his shell, it ached and throbbed with every movement and it pulsed when there was no motion at all.

It was the most horrid thing to deal with, well not the most horrid. The most horrid thing was the fact he was going to miss y'all's pizza date.

It was like tradition at this point, you and he would go out on Friday nights, eat pizza at Hueso's, hang out, and then depart for home. Then on Saturday, you would meet up in the market square at night because of Leo's schedule shop or just goof around for a bit, and then Leo left again. Sunday day was just a repeat of Saturday, but sometimes, you and Leo would just sit on the roof and talk.

What about? Well, that didn't really matter. You could talk about how chocolate was better than vanilla or how amazing it felt to look at the city below.

When Leo was with you he felt like he could take on the world. Sometimes he wondered if you felt the same.

You understood him like no one else ever did, he admired you more than you will ever know.

This poor sappy lovesick turtle sat at a desk in his room, nose stuck in a book. He was studying the difference between all the different body systems. Right now he was on the muscles for turtles, and humans, and with the help of a full body scan from Shelldon, he and his brother's body systems as well.

Since he and his brothers were mutants, they had very complex structures. Their bodies were so unique, according to you, Leo appeared to look like a regular Kappa yokai but there were a lot of differences between them. That was to be expected though, Leonardo hasn't fully explained what he was to you yet. You just assumed that you were too sheltered to see that they were several different types of Kappa out there and dismissed him as just a new variation of the species.

But Leo knew the truth and he was scared to reveal to you that he was an abomination of nature. He was created to destroy humans, he didn't think you would be too fond of that considering you are one. There are a lot of things you haven't told Leo but there are a lot of things he hasn't told you either.

Leo sighed as he closed the textbook, it was full to the brim with sticky notes, explaining things for him to remember and such. Leo was extremely passionate about learning how to be a medic. He was tired of feeling less than and useless compared to his brothers.

Everyone single one of them had their special talents. Raph was strong and responsible, he was the leader of the team and guided them through everything. Donnie was smart and collected, he was a tech whizz and a genius. Mikey was supportive and uplifting, he was also the most agile and determined, and he was the glue that kept the family together. Even Venus, who still hasn't been heard from, was usually wise, strategic, and sharp! She was the oldest and kept everyone in line, making sure the turtles were well cared for when their father didn't.

So what was Leo? What did he contribute to the team other than problems? He was neither strong, smart, nor skillful. He wasn't helpful, he wasn't even funny. Every time he tried to pop a joke, pun, or oneliner, no one ever laugh. They barely even smiled at him, they always said how annoying he was.

Leo was the face man, the pretty front of the team whos always supposed to be laid back, smiling, and lighthearted. It was so tiring, he couldn't even do his job right but he continuously had to hold up this mask for the sake of his own sanity; So he didn't feel like a complete utter failure, he wanted to have a purpose. He needed his brothers to need him.

The turtle let out a shaky breath, tugging at his mask. He needed a break. Leo stood from his chair and padded over to his bed, the turtle sighed as he sat down at the edge of the mattress.

Leo ran his fingers over the back of his neck, messaging his aching muscles. He was craning his neck down for too long. If he kept this up sooner or later he'll end up looking like Donnie.

The turtle shivered at the thought.

What a hideous notion. 

Leo puffed out a breath before reaching behind his head and untieing his mask. The boy let the flimsy fabric fall to his palm. He started down at it with a hint of bitterness before shoving it into his hoddie pocket.

Leonardo reached up to his face and tugged at the bags under his eyes. The mask covered them most of the time, making them itchy and irritated, but it was better that then people see how depleted he was.

A small growl rang through the turtle's stomach, the boy glanced down at his belly with a puzzled look before shoving his body off the bed and forcing himself to get up.

The boy brushed past his curtain, popping his hood up when he got outside and walking over to the ladder. Leo could hear Mikey's music softly playing in his room. Leo glanced at his younger brother's curtain before shaking his head and pressing forward.

He walked over to the ladder, reaching up with his unhurt hand and gripping the cool metal. Leo hoisted himself up, his body shooting pain through his muscles with every step. Leos's hand hasn't fully recovered, but with the help of his textbooks, he made sure to keep the wound as tidy as possible. Guaranteeing a speedy recovery.

Leo shell on the other hand has been a lot more tricky but that was to be expected. That injury would take a lot of time and tedious care. With the help of Shelldon, it can be done swiftly.

Leo finally made it up the ladder and onto the second floor, the turtle padded over to the kitchen entrance after some annoying grumbling on his part. The turtle's forehead creased as the pain gnawed at his sanity. His shell ached with an angry touch as he stumbled over to the island that resided in the middle of the kitchen. Leo's nostrils flared as he sucked in chapped breaths.

The young yokai made it a point to get some pain medication, He must have bitten off more than he could chew when it came to movement for his back. The red-eared slider made his way over to the kitchen counter and opened a cabinet. He blindly moved his hand around, his fingers searching for any trace of a pill bottle.

Prescription after prescription, the boy set down each small orange bottle until he found the Advil. The boy fumbled as he clumsily twisted open the cap, he then realized that he needed something to go down with the pill.

Unlike Donatello, Leo wasn't willing to dry swallow a pill. The turtle shimmied over to the other cupboard and grabbed a glass. Leonard then turned on the tap and placed the cup under the running water. While the cup was getting full, Leo popped the pill into his mouth and washed it down with the cup of water.

The young teen let out a sigh of relief while he leaned over the counter with a sense of bitterness. Leo ran his hand over his face, tugging at his lime-green skin with irritation.

The turtle then heard a small click that dinged from the countertop. His blue eyes glanced up from his brooding to make contact with a skinny dark olive-green turtle that wore a white cardigan.

The softshell stared back at his twin brother with disdain, though he looked at everything with disdain so that wasn't new. It seemed the turtle was in the kitchen to make another coffee run.

"Nardo."

"Don"

Both turtles gave a curt greeting, a small tension forming in the room though it was quickly brushed off by the older twin, Leo, walking over to the fridge to grab a snack.

Donnie lingered his gaze on Leonardo before turning the coffee marker on. They began the process of brewing their coffee.

"So uh... How are you feeling?"

Leo stopped in his tracks for a moment, sitting at a standstill before shaking off the feeling and grabbing an apple.

"You know... Fine, I guess"

The red-eared slider shut the refrigerator door and tossed the red fruit back and forth between his three-fingered hand.

"Really? Because what it looked like when I walked in was you doubling over in pain"

Leo rolled his eyes as he leaned against the counter. He refused to look at Donatello so he just glued his eyes on the apple in his hand. Trying his best to act causal under pressure.

"Well then, you must have seen wrong."

Leo condescendingly slurred out with a small bite at the end. The boy then angrily took a massive bite of his apple, bitterly chewing on the fruit as he gazed at the ground.

Donnie's eyes pierced at his brother's skull before he let out a sigh and crossed his arms, leaning against the countertop himself.

"Leo, you need to stop moping about this"

The older twin felt a twinge of hostility pierce through his chest as he began to grit his teeth.

"No, Donnie. I can't do this right now. Not today"

Leo shook his head and squeezed the apple that resided in his palm.

"I just can't believe that you are acting like this for some girl-"

"They're not just some girl, okay Don?! She's the first person ever in my life to make me feel special! Like I actually matter! She makes me feel normal for once in my f*king life!"

Leo snapped out viciously at his younger town brother. Donatello was taken aback by this statement. His lanky body stood in shock as his cardigan clung to his skin.

"Do you know how suffocating it is every day to feel meaningless?! She gave me this purpose, this new exciting side of me where I got to start fresh! And you took that away from me!"

Leo shot an accusatory finger at Donatello, who let an offended scoff.

"What are you looking for? An apology?! Cause you won't find one from me! That girl is bad news! She's putting you in danger!"

"You know those words mean nothing to me right?"

Leo spat out as he trekked over to Donatello with a scowl.

"You have no right to tell me who I surround myself with! You don't get to do this to me anymore!"

"Do what Nardo!?"

Leo motioned his hands up and down at Donatello with a gripe that just burned his skin.

"This! You! You've always thought you were better than me! You always think you know what's best for me, for all of us, but you DON'T!! You don't even know what's good enough for yourself! That's why you make all your little machines, because unlike you they actually know what to do!!"

Donnie stood silent, his eyes glazing over as his blesses pressed together. Their hands shook as they let out a shaky breath.

"T-That's not fair Leonardo..."

"No. What's not fair is that you not even trying to give someone a chance, simply because of where they come from."

Leo's voice got low as he snarled at Donnie, who was seething with anger but couldn't say a word. His throat clenched with a searing burn as he kept his arms to his sides.

"... How can you trust her?.. How do you know she's not lying to you?"

Leos's eyes skimmed down to the ground, a silence fell in the room.

"...That's the thing I don't know, but believe that they're a good person"

"Sounds like wishful thinking"

Donatello and Leonardo have now calmed themselves a bit, their snouts still bristled a bit but they were relatively lenient with each other now.

"It's called hope Donatello..."

Leo breathed out softly before softly turning away, a half-eaten apple shoved into his hoddie pocket. The turtle made it to the archway before stopping, his face leaning a bit toward his monotoned twin brother.

"People are not as bad as you think"

And with that, the red-eared slider left, leaving his younger brother alone with his thoughts.

The like-skinned boy felt an erupting queasiness swirl in his stomach. The turtle's mouth snapped shut, and suddenly that apple wasn't so appetizing anymore.

Leonardo groaned as he jumped down to the first floor, not even bothering with the stairs, and landed on his feet a little more gracefully than usual. He in turn regretted this decision when his shell rang with pain, shooting agony through his veins with a miserable moan.

He limped over to his room, cursing under his breath with every step. He then shoves the curtains aside with his forearm and peers inside his room, he was surprised to see a small white and cream-patched cat sleeping on his bed.

The boy felt his pain start to soothe as a small smile spread across his snout. He softly padded over to his bed, reaching into his hoodie and taking out the apple to place it aside before looking back over to the small cat.

The feline's ear flicked as Leo reached over to the small cat. Picking up the small blue-eyed animal in his arms.

The cat let out a small meow as the boy cradled the pet in his arms like a baby and sat down on his beanbag chair.

"How are you today Icecream?"

The beloved family pet just purred in response as Leo ran his fingers over her fur. Ice cream has been the family cat for about four years, Michaelangelo originally named her Icecream Kitty when he was nine.

The Hamato family only had two pets. Of course, there was Icecream, who belonged to Mikey and Donatello. Then there was Spike, who was owned by Raphael. Leo thought it was kinda weirdly cute that even though they were turtles, Raphael still took it upon himself to take care of a pet tortoise.

Now Raph has had Spike ever since he was 5 years old, most can do the math. So the tortoise was almost as old as Angelo. So Spike was kinda like an honorary little brother to the team.

Leo continued to stroke Icecream as his train of thought spiraled off the tracks. It was Friday... And he wasn't going to see you.

Guilt ate him from the inside out as his face screwed together. He curled up in a ball on his bean bag, shoving his face into Icecream's fur as she was caressed in his arms.

Leo wanted to cry but he didn't, he just took in a few shakey breaths and squeezed on his cat tighter. It's not like Leo and you couldn't last a few simple days without seeing each other. It's just that, after what happened with Donatello... You and Leo both felt like the other hated them now.

Leo, since his brother assaulted you both physically and verbally. You since you would've killed Donatello if Leo wasn't there to stop you.

There was a lot of violence that night. A lot of bad memories would ensue. As well as a whole new chapter of the story...