there’s a hand that claps over leo’s mouth to stifle any possible sound from escaping. he can’t breathe, can’t whimper, can’t make a single sound. he tries recalling all of his father’s lessons on stealth & silence & escaping into the shadows, being as light as a feather, making his movements one with the gentle whistle of wind through the trees or the falling steps of unsuspecting individuals in the distance. now, however, he was alone. completely & utterly alone ; no april, no dad, no casey, & no brothers. the only safety net that leonardo could hold onto for dear life was his swords strapped across his back, what was once a comforting weight as a reminder of protection now seemed to dig into his shell, every feeling now becoming acutely aware as his senses heighten in terror. this was every nightmare come to life, every horrible dream where he wakes up in a cold sweat and the threat of a scream still dangling from the tip of his tongue. he was supposed to have WON. he was supposed to have kept his family – hell, the entire WORLD – safe. were his efforts truly for nothing? he wanted to believe that his sacrifices, the trauma he had endured, the pain he had languished through, were worth it. but with the alien monstrosity calling out to him in a thick, guttural growl, the weight of loss slams into his chest so hard it feels like he can’t breathe around it.
tears prick the corners of his eyes dangerously & he doesn’t know whether or not to quickly wipe them away or simply ignore them. he fears every small movement will give him away as if the kraang might hear the tears drip to the ground & locate leo’s whereabouts. what kind of ninja HIDES, anyway? sneaking in the shadows is one thing, but seeing an opponent that horrifies you enough to make your body slacken where you feel you must hide is something else entirely. what would his ancestors think? some leader HE turned out to be. the sound of metal & rock, steel & plaster makes leo’s knees tremble & he curses his body internally for the muscle spasms he can’t control. he fears even swallowing, lest the sound alert the other to his presence.
he knows that if he fights them head-on, he will lose. leo was confident, not stupid ; at least, not enough to go into a plan on a death wish. maybe if he can get home & alert his family, they could rally enough friends and allies to distract the kraang long enough to portal him back to an even more remote, desolate place. but what if the kraang manages to track leo down to the sewer, to his home? & would they only escape again, if they were to be portaled away? would this be leo’s life for the rest of his existence, waiting for the kraang to return again & again, only for leo to grow more exhausted with each fight? he is aware of a sob bubbling up in the back of his throat & does his best to swallow it down. his tears are blurring his vision at the edges & he blinks to clear them away. one thing is for certain ; he can’t hide behind a pile of rubble forever, no matter how terrifying the scraping of destruction that the kraang is leaving behind is against leon’s senses.
he sucks in a breath through his teeth & finally stands. if he doesn’t do it now while there was a little bit of courage surging through his veins, he would stay hidden until the kraang finds him first, which was seal his fate right then & there (he assumes). he channels everything that he has ; what little confidence he can still scrape together, the idea of being a leader for his family, what it meant to be part of the hamato clan. “hey, big an’ ugly. lookin’ for me?” he hoped he wasn’t shaking as much as he felt, every nerve beneath his skin aflame. he wants to back out now, he wants to wake the hell up, he wants to go back to before any of the baddies that he fought were a true threat, when he could sleep a full night & then be wired enough to bully his brothers come morning. leo suspected those days might be over.
“you’re messin’ with the wrong mutant, pal. i put your chewed-up gumball body out into space once, & i can do it again.” his fingers twitch, itching for his ōdachi. he thinks better of reaching for it, though – not yet, it might make the kraang sense danger (was leo even CONSIDERED a threat to them?) & strike. leo needed to buy some time. “hey, if you wanna get beaten by a mutated teenage turtle – AGAIN – we can make it happen, bud. jus’ for you.”
“ THERE you are . ”
chitin - calloused form twists to glare singular mechanical eye back towards the now revealed mutant who they hold responsible for taking away EVERYTHING the kraang once held in their might . for siblings fallen , for ultimate loss of tyranny and power , leo alone would repay the warlord’s dues . they waste not an instant , form shifted in the blink of an eye as claw extends in a slow pan of rapid approach , clutched like elongated knives digging to scrape divots across turtle’s shell as up leo’s lifted like a trophy in their grasp .
“ hiding away , were you ? not very dutiful of a sworn protector to a sniveling planet , you know . i suppose i can’t blame you , what with your human population being inferior AND incapable of defending themselves . ”
grip tightens around his chassis , practically crunching mutant’s only defense betwixt titan’s claws .
“ a shame you won’t be able to save them twice . ”
a grunt reverbs off of crooked jaws , turtle hurled like a shotput through row after row of girders , half of the site’s foundations crumbling around leo’s discarded body . slow and steadily do the resounding thumps of metallic tyrant approach , tail slung to and fro as kraang studies their opponent . what a foolish creature , so powerful and yet using its strength for weak purpose . it’s no wonder they were destined to fall .
“ you speak so proudly , and for what ? you wield your tongue as though the very sword you swing can CUT me . hm hm hm , yet we both have yet to see such a miracle . ”
and they’re upon him again , claw grabbing turtle by his skull and swiping him like an entire glass across a bar - top , tossed aside to scuffle and tumble through the dirt as a plaything for the gift of a ravenous god to torment . up they leap , arms thrown high as to come spiraling down to slam their weight with both legs upon leonardo , a full - fledged stomp to curb him into the earth .
down they crouch , practically keeled up close and personal to the side of his head to hiss against his metaphorical ear .
“ oh , we have so much to make up for , you and i . ”
