@crazydazeymuses
when he sees that portal flickering with light in front of him, he’s certain that he’s dying. that’s the only logical explanation, right? (he wishes he could ask DONNIE -- being logical never was leo’s style). he’s heard the stories plenty of times ; a bright light right before... whatever is supposed to happen. but he never expected it to look so REAL, almost tangible, with its shimmering edges and orange sparks. a new feeling blossoms in leo’s chest, and he’s shocked to realize that it’s a sense of hope. that might be his escape, a chance of FREEDOM. despite his ribs screaming in protest, he extends a hand outwards in the hopes to reach the portal and get away from the vengeful, alien monstrosity that was determined to use the turtle as his personal punching bad for the rest of his life.
there’s a flash of light that completely overtakes the teenager and he thinks he might have yelled out with a mixture of surprise and pain, but it’s hard to tell. there is no up or down, no right or left, and any feeling left in his body is replaced by an ache that he can’t swallow. the light fades and he realizes that he’s falling, falling, FALLING until his shell connects to solid metal. he rolls off the dumpster that he had tumbled on top of and groans, mouth filling with the taste of pennies. it takes him multiple seconds to regain some semblance of comprehension as to where he was. he was laying on his back in what appeared to be an alley, the slow but steady trickle of rain pelting his body. he allows himself to welcome the coolness of the water, not having realized how hot his body had become. he knows that he’s hurt, but the extent of his injuries is lost on him, and he can’t place exactly WHAT hurts. his entire body felt like one big bruise and his mind was still swimming, but one thing manages to keep him tethered to earth. he was away from the kraang. he was safe. he was HOME.
a sob rips through his throat and for a moment he lets himself lay in this abandoned alley beneath the rain as tears streak down the sides of his face, as if following the pattern of his red stripes. it was over (it HAD to be, he wouldn’t let himself think any differently, if the kraang had escaped with him he would KNOW, but he was safe and so was his family and he refused to believe anything else) and he could finally go home. but first, he needed to get up, figure out exactly where he was, and find a way back to the lair. easy-peasy. okay, leon. you got this. c’mon, primetime. c’mon, mad dog. c’mon, teenage mutant ninja turtle!
it takes everything (and then some) for leo to manage a standing position, and even then he’s forced to extend a hand against the wall beside him to remain steady. he looks around and squints into the rainy night, trying to make sense of his surroundings. maybe it was because he was possibly concussed, or because it was late, or maybe the rain was making it difficult to make out familiar buildings, but new york simply looked... different, somehow. it had a distinctly new york look, so it was hard to believe he hadn’t been portaled to his beloved city, but it wasn’t the same. it reminded him of what someone might create as their IDEA of new york, a close reimagining but not the real thing. his stomach turns with worry but he presses on, walking slowly and leaving a red trail behind him, blood dripping from his wounds and smearing across the wall as it follows his hand.
it feels like he has been walking for AGES, though he had probably only walked a few short feet. when he feels what little hope begin to fizzle out, he takes notice of a large figure in the distance, hiding in the shadows ; leo would have never noticed him if it hadn’t been for his own training. his brain feels like sludge and it’s too jumbled to think clearly but for a moment leo thinks it might be raph. that spark of hope returns and ignites into a flame. with stuttering steps, one hand against the wall and the other across his stomach, gripping his ribs, he tries to run towards the other, which only really amounts to a shuddering limp that was slightly faster than a crawl. upon closer inspection, he’s able to take note of dark green skin and what looked like a shell peaking from his back. leo swallows another sob of joy and gets quicker in his steps until he can make out the appearance of the other a bit better. leo’s face contorts in confusion, seeing what looks like a blue mask. he thinks he might have said something along the lines of, “you look WEIRD,” before finally crumbling to the ground, the world swirling up to meet him.
