#Draxum's Nightmare comic

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Completed Draxum's Nightmare Comic!

CW: PTSD, nightmare, anxiety attacks, implied character death, trauma, Mikey's hands do the snap-crackle-pop-glowstick thing

I had a fun time creating this miniseries comic, answering interesting asks about writing Draxum's character and angst ideas, and just seeing people fall to their knees over the angst I fed them.

Thanks for reading! See ya in the next comic!!

Now go get some rest.

[zee-rambles]

———-

When you share custody of your kids…

First I Prev I Next

[truths33k3r4]

Draxum's Nightmare Comic Dub

THIS.. TOOK... ALL... DAY. But I FINALLY finished!!! :)

All credit for the art of the comic itself goes to @phoebepheebsphibs! While I lent my voice for the characters and edited. :) Epidemic Sound covered the music and sound effects.

Hope you enjoy! And thank you, Phoebe, for letting me dub your comic!! :) The art is so beautiful and I love how squishy you draw Mikey. :)

To God be the glory!

~ Melissa

[aleksiej]

does rottmnt donnie dislike touch?

i have rewatched all of rottmnt and am ending this debacle once and for all (at least for me lol)

based on the two seasons, the movie and the comics (tho the comics don't really bring anything to this conversation) i think i have the answer to one of the more controversial topics in this fandom

(no, it's not the yuichi vs usagi debate, usagi obviously wins that no sweat)

so, does donnie dislike touch?

in the series, he is shown being fairly touchy with his siblings throughout the series, with some exceptions i will try to list now, tho not with proper episode names as i am not looking them up, sorry not sorry:

pilot episode, captured by draxum in a cacoon with mikey he's visibly uncomfortable and tries to get away

mikey's solo mission, he doesn't look at any of the and in response to a hug he pats mikey's head with a metal arm from his battle shell.

glued together, he's showing visible discomfort at being forced into close (touching) proximity of his brothers, tho that discomfort is somewhat elevated when they do a second go-round after the sticky foam ball got crushed

that time splinter caught everyone in a trap hanging in the lair (i think it's the forest survival episode?), he's, again, uncomfortable and the first to find a solution to their entrapment, be it on his phone

there's probably more, but that's what i remember from the series and spread out on about 60 episodes it's noticeable, but not a deciding factor, especially since donnie's also seen being fine with touch. now, the movie offers us even more of a look into donnie's relationship with touch. this list will include every instance presented i can think of, in no particular order.

during leo and raph's fight after they lost the key, donnie jumps on raph's back in an attempt to stop him from advancing in the fight, as mikey tries to shield leo. it's a very quick decision and doesn't seem to particularly trouble donnie.

after the kraang come through the portal and the turtles escape-pod out, mikey's panicking and grabbing cj, also causing him distress. donnie grabs mikey under his arms like a plushie and is shown to carry him until leo gets back with a panic attack and news of raph, upon which leo starts at cj with a fight in mind and donnie and mikey keep him away. again, no distress is coming off of donnie, no more than the regular situation call for (although he gets more logic-minded and quiet as the movie goes on with only small donnie moments breaking it up, which seems to be how he reacts to stress, but that'll be in another fever post)

he's touching mikey sometimes during the subway battle, but it's most likely he either didn't notice or didn't care, considering everything else happening in that fight (ps the kraang train is my favorite villainous entity in the franchise, give me more of the kraang train and i will give you my soul)

he's shown very visibly having sensory issues (very relatable) throughout the whole movie because of the kraang. not necessarily to do with touch, oh except for the part when he had to get EATEN BY THE TECHNODROME THROUGH HIS BARELY TOUCHED AT ALL SOFT SHELL which is shown to be a sensory nightmare and awful to touch and yes, i had night terrors if that, thank you very much.

at the very end, they all hug with no visible problems except for the fact that they are on staten island. that is to say, there's one important scene still, it happens before the end, but i wanted to have space to gush about it so here we go.

the famous scene of raph grabbing donnie and mikey flying through the air, yelling "don't worry donnie, it's not a hug, it's a rescue". probably the most important thing said in accordance to donnie's relationship with touch.

in my personal opinion, donnie doesn't mask (i mean look at his behavior) or if he does, he does it, rarely in public and even rarer with just his brothers. so every one of the hamato clan knows at least the most important of donnie's boundaries, especially related to the autism, as it's handled well within their family structure (both donnie's and mikey's autism is) . so, if raph calls out to him to warn about the hug he's giving donnie and treats it like a potential bad thing, there are really only two conclusions we can get to.

one, donnie doesn't like/hates physical contact. disputed by just about everything else in the show, except for the listed above exceptions.

two, donnie being open to touch or not is conditional. and considering the mentioned exceptions and raph's rescue from the movie, there's one similarity we can notice between them.

the touch affecting donnie is happening without his consent and without a form of escape.

(except for when donnie's hugged by mikey in his solo mission episode, but considering he's already kind of detached, i'm assuming he's just not up to it and so he uses his robotic extra arms to give comfort instead of ignoring his little brother which aww)

that's the uncomfortable part, the unpredictability and lack of a way to detach himself. aka, donnie's just like me for real. lmao.

donnie probably doesn't mind touch and welcomes it, but needs to be in control of the process and be able to leave if he gets overwhelmed. and his family knows that, hence raph's words in the movie that led so many people astray...

this might just be another evidence of how well donnie is written as an autistic character, both with his low empathy not being demonized and not preventing him from creating bonds (tho sometimes making it difficult) and the fact that the most common opinion of autistic people (that they hate touch, which is something a psychiatrist brought up as evidence of me not being autistic) doesn't apply to everyone.

as a summary, rottmnt donnie is probably the best version of donnie right now and he doesn't hate touching, he just has to touch on his own terms. extremely valid, extremely relatable.

[an-artistic-failure]

✨H O W D Y✨

I'm hank :) / fledgling adult / she/her pronouns

I will curse, and sometimes draw blood and gore and body horror or discuss/depict mental health issues, and probably other stuff (I will try to put warnings and tags) so if that bothers you then ig I'm not for you. If there are any posts that you feel don't have proper warnings lmk.

I have social anxiety, but I'm very friendly (I think) so don't be afraid to talk to me! but also, I might be afraid to talk to you lol. Also, if I don't respond to your ask/DM I probably saw it and didn't feel like responding, so don't resend it or spam me.

You can use my art for pfps and whatnot just be sure to credit me. DON'T repost or trace my art, or claim it as yours.

Hope u enjoy :D

Art tag: #hank's art

Comic tag: #hank's comics

Villain Mikey tag: #villain mikey au

Links to comics and whatever under the cut:

Leo’s Missing + Bonus

Serious Question

Appreciation

Double Standards

Girls Day Out (9 parts):

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Still Alive • Shut up

Define “weapon”

Off day

Krang Raph

Annoying

Chomp

Valentine's Casita

F!Don's boo boo + uhhhh

Brains and Brawn (4 Parts):

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Krang Trauma Bonding Time (2 Parts):

Part 1 | Part 2

Human disaster twins

Purple Dragons Strike Again

Villain Mikey AU:

Welcome to My Nightmares

He’s just bein’ spooky

Draxum

Draxum Lore Dumping

You weren't there

Do it again

Stay tuned for more stuff ;)

[gonetoforks]

My first post on here, hello!! 👋 These drawings are from what I call my ROTTMNT Haunted! au!! Below is a pretty long explanation ⬇️

When Casey jr went through the portal, as the lone survivor raised by the Hamato clan, all the spirits from the timeline he knew went with him. After the movie, on the morning of halloween, Michelangelo wakes up to discover the undead spirits of himself and his brothers from the Darkest Timeline in his house. He can talk to them, touch them, but nobody else except Draxum can even see them.

Future Mikey, who has been affectionately dubbed “Uncle Angelo,” has a theory for why they aren’t at rest; Hamato souls have specific slots in the ninpo family line. Since their exact souls already exist in the good timeline, they’re duplicates who don’t have anyplace to go. So he devises a plan; create a mystic spell to add additional slots to the family line to let the Dead Dogs lie.

Casey jr has almost nothing to do all day, so he’s been spiraling lately, not getting sleep and constantly looking for things to do. Every time he finds something enjoyable, he just wishes his family, the family that raised him was there to see it. He always tags along on missions to create and fulfill the slot spell, even if it hurts.

Future Leonardo (“gramps” to Mikey,) tends to fixate on Jr, how/what he’s doing. He’s pleased to see his mental health in a good state, but that’s only because he saw him when other people were around. When the truth about Jr becomes clearer to him, he becomes more.. reluctant about the spell.

However, as time passes, the veil between the spirit world and the mortal plane begins to thicken, and the lines between the present turtles and their future counterparts begin to blur. Mikey starts dreaming about fights he never fought, older than he ever was in kraangified wastelands he’s never seen anything close to. He’ll wake up in a cold sweat, thinking like an old wizard before he remembers he’s 15, he lives in the sewers, and he stopped all that stuff from coming to pass. These nightmares are becoming more vivid. Time is the one luxury they do not have.

Will the spell work?

(Additional context; Donatello can move things with his pointer finger slightly, like that politician character from that Ghost show. Additionally, Leonardo can try to deliver messages to people in their dreams, Mikey has some control over wind, Raph can make things rattle a bit, and April, they don’t know where she went. They know she’s here, where is she?)

These drawings are from months ago, I’m reposting them here because I’ve given up on revealing the lore through comics 😭😭😭 it’s easier for me to write it out. I can’t keep the Thoughts a secret anymore, I have to talk about it aksjakshaj, textposting save me textposting

[obsidiancreates]

Out Of The Shadows and Into The Neon (Part 13)

Leon walks into the living room and all but collapses onto the couch. “Leo’s finally asleep.”

All is quiet.

“... So. We might’ve told them some stories too early.” Raphie rubs the back of his neck. “I-I thought we’d watered them down pretty well.”

“The ah. Ahem. Better than The Shredder, apparently.” Donald looks at the comic, held aloft by robotic arms. “These are… wimpy.”

Leon groans and covers his eyes. He sniffs.

Splinter walks over to his son and places a hand on his plastron. “I have heard how you tell them about our battles. You have watered the stories down. It is not your fault.”

“Then why couldn’t Leo stop crying?” Leon sits up, his own eyes watery as he glares down at the floor. “Why couldn’t he breathe normally? Why does he keep having nightmares? Why is he so convinced we’re going to die on him?!”

Angelo rubs his bicep. “Leon… do you think… Leo might have anxiety? Like… the disorder?”

Leon blinks. “Anxiety disorder?”

Donald hums, and pulls up a holographic screen from his wristpad. “It… seems like it fits. The pressure on himself, the nightmares, the constant worrying about things that aren’t really possible… I should stop listing distressing things.”

“... How-how could I have missed that?” Leon looks up, and looks…

Small.

Small and afraid, in a way he hasn’t since…

“How could I miss my kid having something so big hurting him?”

Raphie sits next to Leon and puts a hand on his back. “He didn’t exactly wave a bunch of red flags at us for it. Leo’s always been… strong.”

“But–”

“And, we know a therapist.” Raphie pats Leon. “The one Raph went to when he was little. And it’ll be a great excuse for getting the kids down to the Hidden City to take that tour with Draxum!”

“Raph.” Leon pushes his brother’s hand away. “I know you’re trying to help me feel better about this, but I just… need some time. He kept–”

Leon bites back a sob.

“He kept begging me not to go. Every time I promised I wasn’t leaving him. ‘Please don’t go, Dad. Please.’ I don’t know how to just…”

The room goes quiet again.

…

Draxum stands. All eyes follow him as he moves.

“I can watch over Leo tonight.” He gestures to Leon. “You… are a disaster.”

Leon laughs wetly.

“He may need someone there when he wakes, and you all need to rest.”

“... Thanks, Barry.”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leo’s eyes are still puffy as he sleeps, drooling from how deep into his slumber he is. The situation has left him… drained.

Draxum pulls up a chair… and pulls out a portal stone.

He opens it, and reaches through. He pulls in…

A chemistry set. And a needle.

“I will figure out exactly what you boys are,” he promises quietly as he applies a mystic numbing pad to Leo’s elbow crook. When he inserts the needle and draws the blood sample, Leo doesn’t even flinch.

Draxum makes sure to pick a Jupiter Jim bandaid, carefully applying it to the tiny spot. “And whatever it is troubling you, I will solve it.”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Papa?”

“Huh?” Splints blinks awake to see three tiny faces looking up at him from the floor. Mikey carries a stuffed alligator in his arms, and Raph a stuffed snapping turtle. Donnie has a simple blanket, tugging at loose threads in it’s seam.

They’re all sniffling.

Splints’s heart melts, and he sits up. “What is wrong, my grandsons?”

“Leo gave us nightmares,” Raph grumbles. His eyes well up with fresh tears. “About him getting…”

“Dad said we should give him space,” Mikey whispers. “... Can you tell us about beating The Shredder again?”

Splints sighs. “Your fathers and I are not sure we should be telling those stories anymore.”

“But we need them,” Donnie all but begs. “To know it’ll be okay.”

“Boys… Oh!”

They all look up with clasped hands and watery eyes. It’s impossible to refuse them when they do this.

“Alright, alright.” Splints scoots over as his three grandsons pile into his bed– they’re getting a bit big for this, especially compared to him, but it’s fine. He makes room, and ends up at the center of a turtle pile as he tells them a very highly edited and kid-friendly-ified version of the battle with The Shredder.

By the time he hears Mikey’s snoring, the whistle of Donnie’s tooth gap, and Raph’s quiet sleep-grumbles, he finds his own eyes slipping closed as well.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Armor is impenetrable. 

The Hamato’s fail.

Leon sees the armor open up and Krang One burst free of it. Tentacles, metal– Shredder and Krang alike reach out, they grab!

But they don’t grab him.

Leon screams as Leo is torn from his arms, crying out for his father to save him.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No-one is particularly well-rested the next morning. 

Especially not when Splints wakes up to his grandsons out of bed, and Draxum jolts awake to find Leo gone as well.

The adults all explode into the kitchen at the same time, praying to their ancestors–!

Never did any of them think they’d be so relieved to find Mikey putting pizza and soda into a blender while Raph stabbed oranges and Leo and Donnie examined the toaster together.

Leon rubs a hand over his face, and plasters on a smile. “Breakfast without us? You’re not grounded from edible food you know.”

“We’re trying to make it up to you,” Leo says, side-eyeing the toaster as he walks up to his dad and gives him a hug. “For the fight, and the boards, and the… after that.”

“Hey, you don’t need to be sorry for that last part.” Leon hugs him back. “That wasn’t your fault. … And um, we did some talking, and… do you remember when Raph was little, and Uncle Raphie would take him down to The Hidden City once a week?”

“Yeah. To see someone to help with him being angry, right?”

“Right. Well… the same guy can help you, with your anxiety. If you want.”

“... What’s anxiety?”

“How… worried, you get. It’s… well, it’s not totally normal, Lee.”

“... Oh.” Leo hugs his dad tighter. “... I’m sorry.”

“No! No, not like that! I mean– sheesh, uh, I mean it’s like…” Leon scrambles for a comparison. “Like… my, nightmares. Those aren’t normal either.”

“Oh. … But you didn’t do anything wrong to have them.”

Leon pushes down the stab of doubt, self-blame, guilt. “Right.”

“... So I didn’t do anything wrong?”

“No, buddy.” Leon breaks the hug. “You just need some help with handling something. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“... Okay. … Can we eat first? But, um…” Leo looks at Mikey pouring his… concoction, into cups. “Maybe Uncle Angelo can, take over.”

“I’m glad someone said it.” Draxum steps behind Raphie. “Quickly, before the smallest one uses his pleading eyes to force us into drinking that ooze.”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day passes… surprisingly normally. The boys don’t try to write anymore comics. They mostly entertain themselves with trying their best to act out their favorite movies from memory. Draxum leaves around Noon, and soon after he does April, Cass, and Casey arrive.

“Barry told me what happened last night,” Casey says quietly as he sits next to Leon at the kitchen table. Leon just sighs and nurses his cup of coffee.

“I think therapy is a really good step,” April assures, punching Leon lightly in the arm. “You’re handling things well, Leon. Really.”

“And I brought wine!” Cass slams the box down on the table, making everything in the room jump for a moment. “In case you needed a wine-and-whine session!”

“Cass, it’s like one PM,” Leon says, rolling his eyes. Then he tosses his coffee through a portal and holds out the empty mug for a fill-up. “I so need to whine!”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donald hands the comic over to April. Casey and Cass lean over her shoulders as she flips through it. The blood drains from all of their faces as they take in the drawings.

“Clearly they’re not as affected by that particular story,” Donald says, still avoiding the K-name even all these years later. “But it’s still… not ideal, is it.” He’s less asking a question, and more… seeking confirmation.

“Well…” Casey rubs his chin. “We never saw anything like this in my future. I think this is just… kids misinterpreting stories.”

“You’re sure?” Donald looks at Shelldon, and covers the microphone on his tablet so he can’t ‘hear’ them. “There is… a very irrational, illogical part of me that seems to have become very loud since I became a parent saying… well. What if it’s a… sign?”

Cass shakes her head. “The Foot Clan prophecies were VERY DISTINCT! Nothing like this comic shows was EVER in any of their foretellings!”

“Yes, well, neither were we so I-ha-I find that very not reassuring!”

“Gosh.” April puts down the comic. “This has y’all real shaken up, huh?”

Donald, trembling, lifts a soda can up to open– it explodes before he can. “What makes you say that?”

“Alright. Y’all need to decompress.” April throws the comic into a drawer and SLAMS it shut! “We talked with Leon earlier today and heard all about the Hidden City trip idea, and April O’Neil is officially declaring it a VACAY DAY for the WHOLE FAM!”

“Wait, I don’t think–”

“Draxy, Cass, Casey and I will take the kids, and you four will head to some Yokai spa and find your chill again!”

“Uhhh that’s not how–”

“Too late to argue, that’s the plan now!” April texts the other three before she’s even done speaking. “Everyone is going to relax and have a nice time, or my name isn’t APRILLLL O’NEIL!”

[psychologicalwarclaire]

Asking some writers/artists I follow:

Is there anything in your fic/comic that you as the author know about, but won't end up in the actual story?

There is. a lot.

Spoilers for Spider's Web With Strings Attached (and a really long rant) below the cut

When she took Donnie's mask after Heinous Green bashed his head in, she kept it in her vault in case she needed to perform some sort of magic that required his DNA some day.

Big Mama never intended for Donnie to die.

That being said, she still recorded and sold copies of Donnie's death. It's her most sold recording ever.

Viper requested to fight Leo. Big Mama only agreed if she kept him alive and able to fight.

Like she got the orb that she captured all of New York in from Draxum, Big Mama got the spider brooches from Draxum many years ago. She only had two; she was lying about the other two for Raph and Mikey.

Before he knew where the twins were, Mikey kept having visions of them fighting people and getting hurt. He thought they were just nightmares.

Heinous Green was in the arena because Big Mama often partners with the Hidden City police. Criminals can work of time by serving the community. In this case, they serve the community by providing entertainment Roman Coliseum style.

Big Mama's family introduced arena fights to the humans.

There was going to be a fight where Tyrian fought a scorpion and writhed with agonizing poison for a chapter, but I forgot about it until it was too late to add it -_-

Raph and Mikey's arena names would have been Rouge and Terracotta.

Big Mama was panicking the majority of the fic. Because she kidnapped them very illegally, she had to manage their food, housing, medical care, and fight arrangements herself so none of the people who normally do that (legally) would get suspicious. Honestly, Big Mama didn't expect them to become SO well loved, and then worried about keeping audience interest by putting the twins in harder fights, but not killing off her greatest assets. She, like everyone else, thought that Leo would snap first. When Donnie snapped first and proved to be a very effective killer, some of the audience grew worried about what was happening behind the scenes and raised questions Big Mama couldn't answer. Panicking, she set up the death bracket, hoping that becoming the champion would turn public opinion of Tyrian positive again. She miscalculated, and Donnie died. She also didn't intend for Leo to get mixed up in the bracket. A LOT of people lost a LOT of money, and her stocks dropped. At that point, it became less about business and money making and much more about getting revenge via torture. By the time she offered Astros the 'out' that was one final fight, she was stressed out of her mind with upholding her reputation. Had Leo been in his right mind, he would have seen how much she was unraveling.

Todd turned his non profit lemonade into a fundraiser to find the twins back when they were first missing. There were a LOT of posters and Big Mama had a FIELD DAY trying to take them all down.

Mikey and Raph tried for DAYS to get the trackers back online, but it never worked.

After hearing that Donnie had died, Hypno, Warren, Meat Sweats, and Repo got together and made the Hamatos a gift basket.

April is failing most of her classes right now.

At some point during the recovery arc, Donnie snuck out to secretly turn every blinking red light in the Lair green. You know exactly why.

Raph was wrong when he said crime had been way down since the invasion. Casey Jr had been handling it without anyone knowing. The Purple Dragons hate him a lot now.

Draxum learned slang words from school, but April taught him what they meant

[tangledinink]

i absolutely love the gemini au :D i'm super nitpicky about separated aus but yours is perfection. you keep all the significant relationships (disaster twins, raph+casey, mikey+draxum), you have the sisters (i wanna know more about jennika!), and splinter is still a Dad, albeit more unwillingly. i'm invested in what they're like after all the conflicts and they're together as a family!

hehehehehe thank you <3 i love them very much theyre all nightmare children who plague my every waking thought. next update of the comic,,, soon,,,

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Rise August: Baron Draxum

Lol y'all remember Draxum's Nightmare, right?

It's this thing

@sariphantom

[truths33k3r4]

Ok guys... a little help, please?

Thanks guys!!

~ Melissa

[allyheart707]

Wait. Immediately thought of a good Mikey centric comic after posting. @phoebepheebsphibs comic Draxums Nightmare is short but VERY sweet. (Okay... so it's more Draxum centric then Mikey centric... but there is enough Mikey in there to count it!!)

For the TMNT ask game- 28, 29 and 35?

Love your art btw! Your Little Subjects comic is super awesome!!

28. Hmmm... this one is a really hard one because I think there are so many wonderful creative people in this fandom that so much that I would want is already covered. Honestly... I am not sure I have a good answer. I think I may want a little more Mikey focused things- like... idk if I have ever read a really good Mikey centric fic/comic yet (though I may just be forgetting one-). If anyone has any recommendations, I would love to see them!!

29. The only one I can think of right now that I really stick with is that Mikey has dyslexia, though that is more me projecting onto him so idk if it counts!

35. Pretty much any involving Donnie! Disaster duo, pb&j, and brains and brawns are all amazing! ^v^

Thank you so much! I have been really excited about the next few parts of LS that I am actually already done with the sketches for the next part! Hopefully it will be out pretty soon!! :DDDDD

[tblsomedoodles]

The promised 'how Angelo got to 2003 Dimension" post (with an animatic panel b/c it's cute.)

note: This is sad. i didn't intend for it to be so sad when i started this au, that's just how things went. For a three year old to activate mystic powers, i imagined it would have taken a lot of very strong emotions to do. So it's sad. It's 'i'm putting it under a break and a content warning' sad.

brief (kinda stupid) summary in the tags for those that don't feel like reading it in it's (admittedly pretty vague) detail. (I'm probably going a little overboard adding a content warning but im doing it anyways)

Content warning: Attempted kidnapping and attempted child violence.

Angelo got separated due to a combination of the twins darting off while Angelo got distracted by a bucket of paint. Splinter was so busy chasing after the twins he didn't notice Angelo's hand had slipped from his. (By the time he does, he's already gone.)

While he's separated, another mutant sees this tiny thing painting a picture on the wall and decides he's an easy meal.

(that mutant is pretty much just Old Hob (from the TMNT idw comic) if he had been mutated by Draxum and escaped into the sewers. Not quite as conniving yet. Still very much relying on cat instincts at that moment rather than people ones. but he will get there. (I liked the fact that Hob is the reason Raph was separated from his family in the comics, so he's also the reason Angelo gets separated from his Rise family here.))

Anyways, Hob takes the small turtle and is halfway back when Angelo starts making a racket and trying to escape (he was stunned before then. He didn't understand what was going on. He still didn't but by then he just didn't want to be there anymore.)

All this does is make Hob mad. He tries to hurt Angelo to make him stop.

Tries.

Because at that moment, Angelo is scared. He's so scared. He scared this mutant will hurt him. That he won't ever see his family again.

And he so very wants to see them again.

Its enough to get his ancestors' attention. For them to see one of their young descendants in mortal peril and decide, that just won't do.

You see, that fear and desire to see his family was strong enough for Angelo to unlock his mystics, but he wasn't strong enough to use it. So his ancestors give him a boost. Admittedly a too strong boost. b/c instead of helping Angelo to make a portal away from there, they helped him make a portal away from the whole Dimension.

a too big portal, that Hob also fell through (though was far too stunned to do anything to stop Angelo from getting away.)

Raphie doesn't know this is what happened. He simply finds a crying turtle tot in the sewers and brings him home.

Eventually he starts realizing something bad happened to get the kid there (a small crack in Angelo's shell, bad nightmares, etc) but Angelo refuses to talk about it. and Raphie doesn't have the heart to push the issue.

Hob would probably be the main antagonist for the "Angelo grows up in 2003" arc. He would blame Angelo for him being displaced as he is. (he's also the dude in-charge of the lair invasion that results in Angelo getting sent back to Rise.)

So that's how it happens.

[mad4turtles]

Okay, okay, I had to calm down after reading that last request you answered cause WHOOO- 😅

But for another idea, how about one with Casey ii and Leo? We didn't get too much of them interacting other than a tense moment or when a argument takes place and since you did marvelously with the other brothers.....

I cant think of a scenario for them but I know to definitely not doubt that magic writing you currently pocess ✨️

First of all, flattery will get you EVERYWHERE with me XD

Second of all, I'm sorry this took so long, but I really enjoyed the challenge! Here ya go!

---

It's April's idea to drive the whole clan up to her old family home in Southampton for the summer. The turtles were beside themselves with excitement, and with no leg to stand on, Splinter had agreed.

Plans were made, an ex-warring warrior scientist was kidnapped, a caravan was 'acquired' (and modified by their resident genius to fit Raph and Draxum), and they were off. Crammed in what had become a tiny house on wheels, drivers switched between pit stops. All nine of them.

Casey remembers hearing of April's old farmhouse in the rare moments of quiet in the main base. She'd sit down with him after a nightmare or a failed mission—there was plenty of both—and talk about the early days before the war, before the Krang, before mutants or Yokai had been more than a myth or a story in what she called a 'comic book.' She'd get a look on her face, worn with wrinkles and hardened by years of conflict that was softened by the stories of her early youth. Of her parents and the time they had before work took over. Streams and forests unspoiled by pollution (or blood or Krang fluids), singing birds, blue skies and trees that changed with the seasons. It sounded like a dream, a fantasy, and he'd said so aloud.

Commander O'Neil had smirked, a sad thing she rarely allowed, and threw an arm around his shoulders to bring him close. “One day, baby,” she'd said, kissing his cheek, “it won't be.”

As they pull up in the dirt driveway, Casey wishes she was here now to rub it in his face how she was right.

(Technically, she is here, whooping and hollering with the rest of the family as they pile out of the van with their luggage in tow. But it's not her at the same time, and now it never will be. 

He ignores the pang in his chest.)

The farmland itself is beautiful. Wide, spacious, green and free of prying eyes that would have the mutants and Yokai in hiding. The air and the skies are clear, the sun beaming down on them in glares of warm, unspoiled midday gold. He can hear the stream nearby over birdsong and Mikey's laughter as he and Donnie persuade Raph to spin them dizzy on the tire swing they discovered hanging on the branch of a sturdy tree.

Casey drops his bag on the grass. He shuts his eyes, breathes in deep and sighs.

He loves it.

(It terrifies him.)

Once they're settled in their rooms, April gathers everyone in the front yard to pick berries in the brush so Mikey can make pies for dessert tonight. Casey and Leo make up one team, leaving Mikey with a mildly reluctant Draxum as he tugs their stepfather by the hand. April steers Donnie away from poisonous berries, and Raph wrangles a dangerously competitive Cassandra—

“Come, Raphael! We shall acquire the ULTIMATE AMOUNT OF BERRIES! We will be the reigning champions of Berry Pickers in the history of the Hamato Clan!” 

“Cass, yer gonna rip off my arm!”

Splinter hurries to supervise and ensure the safety of the forest under Cassandra's... eagerness.

“God,” Leo says with feeling, watching them go. “I'm still not over her being your mom.”

Casey gulps. “How do you think I feel?”

Berry picking goes about as well as Casey expects. He and Leo fill their baskets, casual conversation flowing naturally—about Casey's online classes, adjusting to big city life, his new favourite food joints with the greasiest hot dogs known to man that he adores—and it's fun. Foraging for food isn't new to him, but the berries look delicious, far more than rats or leaves that reeked of rot and mould. Plus, the routine is comforting. A good distraction from—

From what? How good things are? How much fun you're having while everyone from your timeline is dead?

If Leo notices anything off once they rejoin the others, he says nothing. He gives Casey a searching look, but it's gone after the boy smiles and urges him along, losing themselves amid Cass and Raph's victory screeching, having 'bested' Donnie's team in berry picking with their baskets overflowing. Donnie quietly seethes.

Dinner is more the same—loud, chaotic, messy and everything that comes with the Hamato family. Casey remembers moments like this when he was small; back when the Resistance was stronger, more than just the fractions of the family left in the aftermath of hell unleashed. Master Michelangelo would gather them once a week for a meal between raids, missions and rescues, sit them down in a quiet corner of the base and just—be together.

In those small moments, Casey saw a glimpse of who the Hamato's used to be. Seeing them now, whole and everything they are, and will be, as this timeline thrives, Casey's chest aches with a whirlwind of emotions he can't pin down long enough to name.

That's not true. One is grief. 

He excuses himself after several helpings of Mikey and April's delicious pies, shutting himself in the room he's sharing with Raph and Leo. He flops onto his sleeping bag and stares at the ceiling fan. The sunset filters through the window in shades of vibrant red and gold, bathing the room in its warmth and Casey with it.

He's too angry to enjoy it, and that only pisses him off more.

Damn it, why can't he stop thinking? His future (past? Present? Freaking time travel) is gone. The Krang are gone, defeated, and the Key is safely hidden. Everything Casey had feared and despised is gone, replaced with the warmth, love and care of everyone he knew and everyone he never had the chance to meet. He has a family, a life, a second chance.

But he had a family before, too.

The future he came from may not exist now, but the people he'd known since birth were real. His memories, the scars from training accidents, missions and close calls, are real. His Master's dying words were real. 

And he misses them.

He adores his new family, these mismatched outsiders who have given him everything he never had and more. But he misses Master Michelangelo and Commander O'Neil. He misses the mother he barely knew but loved anyway. He misses—

“When you're done saving the world, do me a favour... grab a slice!”

He misses his dad.

The door creaks on rusty hinges as it swings open, Leo strutting inside like he owns the place (technically, he does, but only for a few weeks, and he has to share). Casey startles, wiping tears off his cheeks with a half-baked excuse on his lips as to why he's crying on the floor, but Leo doesn't give him a chance. The slider is on the floor with him, pulling Casey into a hug. One arm curls around his shoulders, the other cradling the back of his head and pushing his face into Leo's solid plastron. Casey lets him, confused, blinking hard—

“Breathe, Casey,” Leo says. “It's okay. You're okay.”

That's when Casey realizes he's hyperventilating. Crying and hyperventilating. Leo must have heard and come running.

Great.

But he breathes in time with Leo, the turtle's heartbeat strong and steady under his ear, and it helps. 

Just like always.

Because Sensei used to hold me just like this when I was little.

The floodgates burst, and Casey's sobbing in Leo's chest, clutching him for all he's worth, weeks and months and years of grief, fear, loss and guilt pouring out in heaving cries. 

Leo doesn't say a word. All he does is hold him tighter, both curled up on the withered floorboards of an old family home Casey had dreamed of seeing with the aunt who'd spun its tales, with the father and teacher he'd adored, now years younger. History repeats itself in the strangest ways.

(It's as he's calming down, feeling Leo's fingers card through his hair, that he realizes he's seen Leo do this with Mikey not long after the invasion when they were all still healing. He'd done it with all his brothers, with April, and he'd seen Splinter do it in the rare moments of vulnerability that Leo lets himself have.

It's a family thing, familiar and loving in every way Casey remembers. It's different. But it's not bad, doesn't invoke the same guilt that's been following Casey like a shadow since the night he arrived in this timeline.

They're still family. Casey's family.

This Leo isn't his sensei, his father, and he never will be. He's gone forever. But Casey has gained a brother in his younger self—four amazing big and little brothers, a sister in April, fathers in Splinter and Draxum, and... well, they'll talk about Cassandra.

It's a strange feeling. But a good one. A really good one.)

Even once he's cried himself out, Leo doesn't let go until after he uses his mask tails to dry Casey's cheeks—which nearly sets him off again, but now he's too tired to cry. Then they sit up, and Leo smiles at him. 

“I may not get what you're going through,” he says, bracing a hand on Casey's shoulder, “but I know what it's like to feel like you've lost everything while trying to save it. And no matter how good things are here and now, what you lived through won't go away. The memories of the people you left behind will still hurt. And that's okay. As long as you remember that you did everything you could.”

He lifts a hand to cradle the back of Casey's head in his palm, smiling bright and wide. “You saved us. You saved me. And no matter what, you're not alone. You'll never be alone.”

Casey's chin wobbles with his grin. “Right. Anata wa hitori janai.”

Leo's eyes go wide with surprise. Then his smile, touched, awed and proud, returns. “... yeah. You're Hamato, alright,” he says, bringing their foreheads together. 

Casey shuts his eyes and smiles through the last few tears.

Then when they part, Leo is grinning. 

Uh oh.

“Hey,” he says, and Casey feels fear. “Y'know what's a surefire way to cheer yourself up after a moment of emotional vulnerability?”

Casey blinks. “... that's very specific, but, no, what?”

Leo jumps to his feet, hands on his hips. “Help me grab all the pillows from the bedrooms, Jr. We're gonna start something.”

~0o0~

When they return downstairs, precariously balancing the biggest, softest pillows Casey has ever seen or felt in his life, the others are gathered in the comfortably cramped living room. They're settled on the couch, both armchairs and the floor, watching a movie with a dinosaur chasing a jeep full of people. It looks interesting--even Draxum seems invested--but then Leo grabs one pillow and taps Raph on the shoulder. 

The snapper turns, smiling automatically at his little brother. “Hey, Leo—”

WHAP!

Leo slaps Raph full in the face with the pillow, Raph's head snapping to the side. All heads whirl to stare as feathers burst from the case and drift lazily down.

Raph blinks into space, stunned. Leo bites his lip hard against laughter.

On the floor, Mikey giggles madly. Donnie's face flattens as he stands and grabs a pillow from where Casey had dropped them. Draxum pinches his brow. Splinter hurries the cutlery and china back into the kitchen. April scrambles for her phone.

Then Raph shakes with a dangerous chuckle. “Ohohoho, little brother,” he says lowly as he stands. Leo's giggling hard now as Raph makes a show of cracking his neck and rolling his enormous shoulders. “You wanna be startin' somethin'?”

Casey grabs one pillow and throws it to Mikey's grabby hands, holding another up to his chest as a shield.

Raph grins sharply, yanking the pillow from Leo's laugh-weakened grip. “Cos you know,” he says idly, “if you're gonna start somethin'. I'm gonna finish it. How am I gonna finish it, Leo?”

Draxum accepts the pillow April throws at him and holds it over his head, hunching low on the couch with a groan.

“I dunno,” Leo giggles. It's infectious as Casey snorts behind his pillow. Cassandra is standing on the arm of the couch with two pillows at the ready, grinning like a shark.

“Ask me, Leo. Ask me how I'm gonna finish it.”

Leo doubles over with breathless laughter. “How—snrk!—h-how're you gonna finish it—?”

“LIKE A BOSS!”

Raph charges, Mikey hollers “Pillow fight!” at the top of his lungs, and all hell breaks loose. Pillowy, feathery hell.

And Leo was right. It's freaking amazing.

It escalates until they're taking the fight outside, the sun fully set behind the trees and the stars glittering in the night sky as their laughter and shrieks fill the air.

In the middle of the chaos, Casey is laughing. Tears prick his eyes again from the ache in his gut (and face from April's eager swings) rather than his chest, where a new (old) warmth sits comfortably.

He leaps from the trees to ambush Raph with a bellowing cry—

“GOONGALAAAA!”

—and Raph catches him against his plastron, falling back to the grass and laughing his heart out as Casey pummels him with his pillow. “Okay, okay, I'm dead, I'm dead, staph, mercy little brother—!”

“Turtle pile on Raph!” Leo shouts, and that's how Casey ends up crushed between four turtles, April, Splinter and Draxum when Mikey yanks him by the arm to land on top of Cass, who wheezes under his weight.

(Casey understands, now, why Commander April had loved this place.

The clean streams, flowers, untouched grass and acres of unspoiled land are beautiful, Casey's dreams made real. But it's laying in the grass, sweating in the muggy summer heat with dirt and feathers on his face and hair, crushed under his brothers and sister(s?) and wheezing through heaving laughter...

That's what made it magical to her. It's magical to Casey.

He loves it.)

He meets Leo's eye in the tangle of bodies, and the slider winks at him. His heart swelling fit to burst, Casey winks back and says, “thanks, brother.”

Leo stares at him.

You're not my Sensei, but that's okay. You don't have to be. You can be someone just as inspiring, just as amazing. 

His crooked smile wobbles slightly even as he shoves Casey in the shoulder. “Anytime, bro.”

And just like that, Casey finally feels at home.

I'm home.

---

(Please send more rottmnt requests, I love writing these dudes!

Also reblogs are very much appreciated <3)

[captain-krow-drozdov]

So, since you've been enjoying the newest version of TMNT, I have to ask:

1) Have you seen the older Turtles Forever movie, a Turtles version of spiderverse.

2) Did you know there was a live action show of TMNT and they had a 2 episode crossover on an older Power Rangers show.

3) Also on that live action show they introduced a controversial female turtle. Which reminds me, I saw on YouTube that in a recent run of TMNT comics they brought back the 5th turtle as a possible clone/Frankenstein creation and in this comic, one of the Turtles loses their shell and had to get it replaced.

4) A thought that crossed my mind, how do you think the Turtles & April from "Rise" would react to a female turtle popping up?

Ooo~ Mkay So I'm A Hella Newbie To The Turtle Brain Rot So Forgive Me/Have Mercy On Any Lacking Knowledge

Answer 1: No But I Caught A Few Out Of Context Clips Of Previous Cartoon Iterations And Mortal Kombat Cutscenes (Mainly 2012 And 2003) Via Both YouTube And My Uncle Being The OG Turtles Fan In My Family. I Also Watched The First Bay-verse Film Cause I Was Into The Transformers Movies At The Time And Was Curious.

Answer 2: No I Didn't But Honestly It Tracks Considering All The Things TMNT Has Officially Crossed Over With (Wonder If I Can Find Any Clips Of That It Sounds Chaotic)

Answer 3: Every Time I Learn Something New About The Comics I Get A Little More Confused, Not In A Bad Way, But Like In A "Do I Have The Funds And Bookshelf Space To Support A New Comic Book Obsession?" Kinda Way

Answer 4: As For How The Rise Bois And April Would React To A New Chica Turtle Really Depends Considering The Whole ✨Hidden City✨ Situation Ya Know?

Option A: She's A Turtle Yokai And She Could Be Chill Or She Could Be Workin With Big Mama Who Knows Endless Possibilities!

If She's On Chill Terms With The Bois (And Let's Say She's Got The Badass Ninja Mojo Too) I Feel Like Her And The Hamato Siblings Would Have A "Friends That's Slowly Turning Into Cool/Weird Cousins Status" Type Relationship. Cause I Can't Really See Any Of The Bois Going The Romantic Route, Puppy Love? Maybe But I Don't See It Going Anywhere (But I'm Also Bad At Writing Romance Stuffs So... *Shrugs*)

Now If She's Working With Big Mama On The Other Hand... Leo Immediately Gives Her Draxum Treatment, No Doubt. Donnie Will Prolly Follow Leo On This One And April Will Usually Join The Twins On Stuff Like This, She's Keeping An Open Mind But Thin Ice Man Thin Ice. Dr. Feelings Senses A Possibly Redeemable Person And immediately Becomes Her Worst Nightmare, No One Escapes The Doctor... Raph Is On The Fence About Her But Family Comes First, So First Sign His Family Will Be Hurt By Her And He's Throwing Hands.

Option B: She's A Turtle Mutant! Which Is Fun Because It Can Also Go Many Ways! Was She Human First Or Turtle First? Is She A Hamato (Turtle Mutated By Splinters/Any Other Hamato Members DNA)? Was She Just A Turtle That Ate An Ooze-Squito? A Human With A Pet Turtle/Works With Turtles And Got Biten By An Ooze-Squito? Did Donnie Fuck Around And Find Out Via Cloning??? Who Knows! Either Way My Brain Says Chaos And Feels! + If She Was A Turtle First Then The Bois Get A Mutant Person Who Understands What It Was Like To Not Originally Be Human, Which Can Go All Sorts Of Angsty Ways.

Oh Dear This Has Gotten Long... Welp This Prolly Isn't Exactly What Ya Wanted On The Whole Reaction To A Female Turtle Mutant Front, Cause I'll Be Honest I'm Not Great With Keeping Characters In Character So It Turned Into A Bit Of A Rambling Fic Prompt Instead... My Bad.

[zombiekillerky]

{ROTTMNT Fanfic} - Insomnia

(This Fanfic was inspired by @dovelydraws​ with their wonderful fanart they made of Rottmnt. Please go show them some support on their account!!)

( WARNING : This is not Turtle x Turtle related at all, this is purely just some family scenarios with no relationships at all what’s so ever. Just regular day in the life turtle stuff)

Leo would never admit it to anyone that he was starting to get Insomnia. His usual joyful and sarcastic self would never tell anyone about his sleepless nights he had been having. Ever since the fight with Draxum and Big Mama at her hotel about the ooze-squitos. He hasn’t been able to sleep at least a couple of hours. He could pin point why he wasn’t having any luck on one thing that came to mind every time he thought about it. Him falling from a skyscraper that had at least around 52 floors or more. He would say it could be PTSD, but he chose not to think about it and just ignored it for the time being. Pushing everything to the side in order to make it through the day with out being questioned over and over by his family. The turtle in blue would say the last time he had a decent sleep was last week or maybe the week before. The fight took place on what he thought was Tuesday. So 9 days he hasn’t been able to catch a few Z’s in order to function properly. It was getting to the egotistical turtle a lot, taking a toll on how he acted and functioned during the day. His reflexes a lot slower then normal and barely any comebacks and puns left his mouth as the days went by. Yet he couldn’t tell his brothers what was going on with him, feeling as though he would just be bothering them at this point. But the looks they give him during the day make him realize that they are on to him more then he thought. 

Leonardo walked out of his bedroom, covering his mouth as he let out a small yawn before returning to the front area. His brothers had just woken up at their regular times of the day. At least from what he thought since he could hear some of their voices in different rooms when he first decided to leave his dark room. Yet here he was not a wink of sleep, walking out like a zombie that rises fresh from the grave. Did he want to make a joke about himself, yeah, but he had to keep his personal issues a secret. At this point in time he was sure his brother’s had noticed a change in his body and the way he has looked. It was one of the things the turtle in blue didn’t want to deal with or talk about at the moment. He just wanted a calm day, maybe by himself if he was feeling up to it. As the laid back turtle walked in to the kitchen area his brother glanced at him in confusion. Mikey quickly glanced around the corner to make sure Leo was in there before going to his brothers in Donnie’s lab. As he walked in they both gave him the same look he thought they would give him before he fully entered.

“What’s up with Leo guys, he looks so tired and sad all of a sudden....do you think something happen to him?” Mikey asked as he hugged himself thinking about how he has been looking the past couple of days. He’s been wanting to ask him about it for a while now, but knowing Leo he would just tell him he’s fine and brush it off. Leo has always never really wanted to talk about his true feelings with things. They were all almost used to that aspect of him by now from previous times. But the state his brother was in was starting to worry Mikey greatly. He would do anything for his brother to make sure he was okay. The youngest of the three turtles glanced to the oldest for answers, watching his tense and anxious nature was not helping him at all.

“I don’t know but he keeps stealing my coffee in the morning and it’s starting to annoy me. That’s one of the main things that keeps me going and not having all of it is taking me down a notch” Donnie replied as he turned in his chair to face his younger brother standing behind him. The words that left his mouth seemed like he was more annoyed hen worried at the moment. Even though they were very serious about their brother’s condition and state of mind. Taking note on his worried face he had at the moment like it was a surprise to him. Donnie wouldn’t admit it but he has noticed his brother’s sudden change in behavior lately. His usual annoying self has died down a bit which he would say was good. But it was so weird not hearing his sarcastic come backs and his puns he always says through out the day. He also didn’t want to admit it but he did kind of miss his sarcastic attitude he had in certain situations. Realizing this is what it would have been like if he made his gift to him permanent. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted things to be like that now that he got a small taste of this attitude.

“Do you think something is bothering him?”

“Of course there is Raph other wise why would he look like a zombie coming out of his room every morning the past couple of days then?”

“Nightmares?”

“I don’t think Nardo would get that scared of nightmares like you and Mikey do when you both have them” Donnie replied, a frustrated sigh followed as he rested his head on his palm. Not wanting to continue his sentence in worry that his brother’s would get offended by his words, which they would have. But his main thought was trying to think of a possible way his brother could be acting so different then normal. He felt as though he would be the only one to find out why especially with his scientific skills on board. The overly smart turtle over heard his older brother sigh as he glanced out of the lab. Watching their brother in need walk out of the kitchen with a coffee cup and a cookie in his hand for his so called breakfast. You could smell how strong the coffee was from where they were standing. Raph couldn’t unseen the look on his brother’s face, the tired, emotionless look he was giving like he was in thought all of the time. This wasn’t the Leo he knew no, there was defiantly something up with him and he was desperate to know what. He was supposed to know what was wrong and how to make things better. He was the older brother, this was his responsibility to know what was up. He felt like he was failing him in some way not officially knowing what was making him sad.

“I should just go and ask him-”

“No you’ll just annoy him by asking him Raph, I’ll handle this alright just give me some time.” Donnie replied as he turned back around to work on his bow staff. The simple taps of his foot hitting the ground showed he was in thought at the moment. Raphael bit his bottom lip as his brow knitted together. It didn’t look like he was trying to figure out what was wrong with their brother at all. It almost looked like he didn’t care that much if he was being quite honest. Maybe this was just Donnie’s version of tough love that he gave. But Raphael wasn’t having any of it, he needed to know what was up and now before things got worse. The eldest of the turtle’s in the room started to walk out. His gaze turned to Mikey who was following right behind him. Already knowing what his older brother was up to and wanted to help out like always. The duo of the lighter colored masked turtles made their way out of Donnie’s lab as quickly as they could. Making it to a point where they could actually speak to each other in private of their other brother’s in their home.

“What are we gonna do now Raph....what if Leo says nothing to us?” Mikey asked suddenly, doubting his skills to help his brother in need. Raph was honestly thinking the same thing at the moment. But he knew he couldn’t tell his younger brother he had the same doubts in mind. He needed to stay positive about this whole thing and hope for the best out come. 

“Well we aren’t going to force him in to doing anything....we just need to make sure that he is alright....if he doesn’t want to tell us what is going on then he doesn’t have to if he isn’t comfortable enough.” Raphael replied, watching the ends of Mikey’s lips curl in to a small warming smile. The leader in red wasn’t to sure about his own skills in comforting his brother at the moment either. But he needed to try, he has vented to Leo in the past about some problems of his. So he needs to make sure he knows that he is there for him too. The turtle in red sighed slightly, covering his mouth with the end of his fist as he stood there in thought. Thinking of the best way for him to go in there and ask him what was up. His overthinking nature was taking over his mind at the moment, making him unsure of everything. Raph soon stopped himself, clearing his throat before walking over where his brother’s room was. His steps were quiet as he walking carefully over. Noticing the light was off that he usual turned on when he woke up. Raph’s gaze went back toward his little brother behind him. Getting a quick thumbs up with a small grin that followed for good luck. His hand raised and returned the gesture before walking in after knocking on the side of the cement in the doorway. 

“Hey Leo what are you doing?” Raph asked calmly like any other normal day of the week. Watching Leo set his comic book down he seemed to reread over and over every once and a while. He took note on the look on his face, the bags underneath his eyes. Not to mention how slow he was really moving. The turtle in blue stretched slightly, hearing a small pop of his back before shrugging ever so slightly as a reply. Raphael soon walked in after, feeling like he was sort of welcomed in by his brother. The end of Leo’s bed sunk due to his weight being on the end compared to Leo’s in the middle. The awkward silence was very unsettling as they sat in the dark bedroom next to each other. Something neither of them were used to with their quite loud family they have. 

“Nothing” Was the soft reply that was heard coming out of Leo’s mouth. His expressions were slow and his excitement was minimal then what his normal range was. Raph’s eyes darted around the room for something to talk about, feeling as though he shouldn’t get straight to the point of why he came in to his room. 

“D-Did you need something? Wanting a training partner like you said yesterday?” Leo asked to try and lighten the mood. Faking acting like he was himself when Raph could see right through his brother’s charade. Raphael leaned forward and rested his hand on Leo’s shoulder. The laid back turtle glanced up in to his brother’s eyes questionably. Already bracing himself for the questions to come once he saw the worried look in his eyes. His gazed went to the side and found his much younger brother in the doorway as well. Acting as if he wasn’t there and Leo couldn’t see him. But right now he needed to pay attention to what his older brother was saying.

“Are you okay?”

“Define okay.....I think I’m fine why?”

“Like overthinking? Sleeping issues? Nightmares at all?”

“Why are you asking?”

“Leo don’t deny it, we have seen you coming out of your room the past few days looking like you haven’t slept at all. It’s starting to worry us even if you don’t see that. I’m speaking for all of us at the moment” Raphael replied as he moved closer to his brother on the bed. Taking note of his expression of thought he had at the moment. The turtle in blue was trying his best to make up an excuse, a lie of some sort to make it seem like he was fine. But the truth was screaming to be let out of him, hoping they could help him in some way. This whole no sleep act was getting to him in more ways then he could count. He couldn’t take this annoying pain away no matter how hard he tried, he just always seemed to wake himself up. Leo’s eyes darted around the room, finally locking with Raph’s as he stared down at him. He would never be able to lie to his face even if he tried. The turtle in blue bounced his leg out of anxiety, running his hand behind his head all the way down to his neck nervously.  

A sigh left Leo’s lips as he leaned forward and rested his forehead on his brother’s muscular arm. Giving up on trying to lie to his brother trying to help him. Raph happily wrapped his arm around him to comfort his brother in need. Watching his eyes stare out at the wall as they screamed for help but no words came out of his mouth. This was his plead to him he felt almost with how quiet he got. 

“Did you sleep at all last night?” Raph asked Leo in his arms, feeling him shake his head calmly and slowly up against him. This concerned Raphael greatly once he learned of that. He bit his bottom lip slightly as he glanced back at Mikey standing there nervously. His eyes went back down to his brother sitting there up against him. Things were now tying up together from what Raph assumed before hand.

“How long has it been since you have actually slept bro.....please be honest with me here?” The older brother in red asked calmly in a soothing tone. Hearing a small sigh as Leo shrugged his shoulder’s slightly in return. Worrying Raph even more so then before hand.

“I don’t remember the last time I had a really nice sleep if I’m being quite honest Raphie” Leo replied with a warn out grin on his face to hide away the pain. Raphael’s brow knitted together as he thought about what he had said more and more. Not being able to understand why his brother was suddenly having bad sleeping issues. Leonardo was one of the main turtles that got good sleep being as though he complained when not getting his usual hours when he woke up to early. Why hasn’t he even told him about this before hand, Leo was one to speak his mind about something he thought was off. He spoke his mind about Big Mama and here she was a villain after all. 

“Why haven’t you been able to sleep.....is there something wrong? Something keeping you up at night Leo?” Raph asked softly, watching Leo’s eyes squint as he tried to think of something. Raphael waited patiently for him to answer, watching his expressions change as he rested against him. The turtle in red couldn’t really pin point anything on his bad sleeping issues at all. Not knowing what was bothering him made his heart ache, he should know after all. The guilt was rising in him that he didn’t know and wasn’t there for his brother when this first started to happen. Feeling idiotic for not realizing sooner and acting sooner then this.

“I-I don’t really know if I’m being quite honest..... the only thing I can really think of is when I was thrown off that roof top back when we were fighting Draxum on Big Mama’s hotel building....nothing comes to mind besides that moment and it’s the only thing that ties up to when I started not being able to sleep I think....I’m not sure other then that.” Leo replied as he glanced up at Raph in front of him. Raphael’s eyes widened in realization as he recalled that night clear as day. Draxum held him over the roof top and asked Raph either his brother or the bugs. Raph was sure he was bluffing, being that he thought every villain does. But once he saw his brother was thrown off the roof as soon as he said no to giving him the bugs. He dropped the jar of ooze-suitos immediately to go and save him. It was close he would admit and he wasn’t sure how he activated his powers. But he saved his brother from falling at the last second and made sure he was okay before they made it back to the others. He hadn’t even realized that fall had caused his brother trauma secretly. He had just assumed since they have been up on the roof tops for ages that he would have been used to the fall and the height. Raph’s eyes darted back down to Leo sitting there with his tired look. His arm keeping him up on the bed soon wrapped around his shell and pulled him in closer.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t see this before bro, I should have noticed this sooner then I did and maybe we could have helped you earlier then this....maybe I could have acted faster then I did back then and saved you quicker”

“no no Raph it’s not your fault bro come on, it’s okay....I’m okay....i forgive you if that’s what you want to hear....but it’s not your fault”

“I am really sorry though Leo....truly I am”

“Yeah we’re so sorry Leo” They both heard Mikey say from the door way with a guilty look on his face. Leo smiled softly as he held his hand out, motioning for him to come on to the bed. Which Mikey immediately did so and joined in on the group hug as soon as he could. For once Leo actually felt safe, he felt all the anxiety go away from him in their arms that held him tight. Comfortable like nothing could touch him like the times when they were little.

“It’s alright guys....I-I’m fine really....I just need to get this under control”

“Well we are here for you bro no matter what, we’ll always be here if you need us” Mikey replied lovingly as he hugged Leo tighter, making the laid back turtle chuckle softly. 

“Well....we could try sleeping medication now that we have found the route of what has caused you such trauma and stress lately. Getting that off of your chest is the first step and if things don’t go back to normal sleeping medication is the next answer for now” The three turtles on the bed glanced toward the door way and found Donnie standing there propped up against the side. Arms crossed as he gazed inside with a small worried look on his face he hoped they couldn’t see. This was the “I try to cover up my worry” look as Leo likes to call it. The turtle in blue smiled softly at him as a thanks, not even daring to move away from his brothers holding him. He didn’t even notice sleep taking him over slowly as he sat there with him.

“Sounds like a plan then D” Leo replied with a small yawn, resting his head back against Raph’s arm tiredly. His eyes slowly shutting as a result of the lack of sleep he has been getting. Raph only smiled as he held a finger to his lips at his two other younger brothers in the room.

“Looks like we’re gonna have a day off today then guys” Raph soon said as he heard the small snores coming from his brother in blue in his arms at the moment. Realizing comfort was one of the things the turtle needed all along to help him get some shut eye. The eldest turtle slowly moved up against the wall in order to rest. Having Leo moved on to his plastron and Mikey right beside him. Noticing Mikey was falling slowly asleep too as he spoke. Raph’s eyes darted over toward Donnie walking in to the room slowly. His hands carefully grabbed a hold of the somewhat folded blanket on the edge of the bed sheets. For someone so loud in their lab he was moving extra carefully and quietly to not wake Leo up.

“His body has probably given up on the resistance of sleep due to the lack of it this whole time.....It seems like you both have helped him by comforting him” Donnie said as he carefully laid the blanket over his overly exhausted brother sleeping up against Raph. Noticing Mikey’s falling asleep as well. 

“Do you want to join too D? I know you stayed up til 3 last night so don’t play games with me.”

“Well I do have some projects I would like to work on....but I am running low on sleep too soooo...” Donnie replied as he looked down upon them on the bed. Noticing Raph smirking since he knew what his answer was going to be. Donnie sighed as he took a step on to the bed and laid up against Raph’s other side. Taking his battle shell off since he wasn’t gong anywhere before laying down comfortably up against him as well. The turtle in red smiled softly to himself as he stared up at Leo’s ceiling. Getting nostalgia from when they were younger since this was how they used to sleep some days. The turtle in red’s eyes slowly started to shut. Glad that he could help his brother in need when he could at that Leo was finally getting some sleep.