Chapter Text
Leo crept back into the Nexus, feeling much better but still slightly woozy. To his great relief he didn’t bump into Raph or the Draxula on his way to his room, and hope blossomed in his chest that maybe no one noticed his absence.
Until he opened his door.
”Leo!” Exclaimed Raph the second the slider entered, and suddenly Leo was nearly crushed by a giant bear hug. Raph let out a couple of distressed clicks and chirps before pulling away and noticing Leo’s busted-up face. “What the shell happened to you?! Where’d ya go?”
”Nah, don’t worry about little ol’ me, Raphie.” Leo chuckled nervously, wincing as Raph ran a finger along the bottom of his black eye. “Just got into a bit of a spat…”
”You got into a fight? In this condition?” Raph’s face turned angry. “Are ya completely brain dead? Last time I saw ya you were hungover silly! And your skin is still pale…”
”I was fine Raph!” Leo ducked out of Raph’s grip. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Raph looked like he was about to say something more when his communicator went off and Draxum’s urgent voice crackled through. “Raphael, grab Leonardo and get to the lab. I require your assistance with Agent Sixty-Four and Leonardo can keep watch.”
Raph glowered at Leo. “You’re lucky I didn’t get a chance to tell Draxum you were gone yet. But since you’re awake you gotta come help this time.”
Leo groaned. “I already got into a fight today!”
Raph stopped and fixed Leo with a dead stare. “You just don’t get it, do ya, Leo? We were created for one mission, one purpose. And you can’t even do that right.”
”Geez, call me a screw-up without calling me a screw-up.” Leo rolled his eyes as if Raph’s words didn’t sting. “Why not say to my face that I’m a worthless little failed experiment, huh? Go on, I can take it.”
”That’s not what Raph said and you know it, Leo!” Raph growled. “But we can discuss this later. You get to Draxum’s armory and I’ll head to the lab.”
”Yes sir, Mr. Leader!” Leo quipped, and Raph gave him a disappointed look before leading the two of them outside and over to the large violet portal. Upon stepping through Leo immediately turned on his heel and sped over to the armory, not feeling like seeing Draxum just yet.
”Keep it cool, Leon.” He attempted to convince himself. “It’s all gonna be okay. Just guard this super secret room that no one knows about and everything will be—OH MY GOSH THIS IS SO COOL!”
Leo’s jaw dropped upon entering the armory. He was only ever called to Draxum’s lab when something big was going down and hadn’t even visited all of it in person (although he had memorized maps of various places for missions). At the sight of the glowing weapons on the rack radiating mystic power he could feel himself almost swoon. That sword at the top was almost too pretty to use, and that’s probably why Draxum kept it down here. But it was still one of the most beautiful sights Leo had ever seen.
”If we ever have to trade in weapons for anything and somehow get compatible with mystic energy, dibs on the sword.” Leo whistled in appreciation to no one in particular, but then suddenly he heard the loud groaning of metal cranking open. The slider barely had time to look up before suddenly he was assaulted by three falling bodies. He grunted in pain as he hit the ground before the intruders were scrambling up and gaping at the armory.
”Oh, it’s like magic and science had a baby!” Came an admiring voice that made Leo freeze. No was was that…
”Hey there!” He called out coolly from his place on the floor, and Donnie, Mikey and some yokai in a human cloaking brooch turned to him in surprise. “Long time no see.”
”Ohmigosh, it’s you!” Mikey hurried over. “Did we squash you?”
”I think a more pressing question is what are you doing in some wacko scientist’s evil lair?” Donnie crossed his arms and raised a—yes Leo was pretty certain it was—sharpie eyebrow.
”Y’all know this guy?” Asked the girl, and Leo scrambled to his feet.
”Eh, we’ve run into each other here and there.” Leo shrugged.
”Once.” Donnie grumbled, and Leo rolled his eyes.
”It’s hard to tell. Anywhizzle you three aren’t supposed to be in here, so why not run off to stop some other mugging?” Leo snatched his odachi off the ground and held them up. Mikey’s face positively lit up as his eyes widened.
”Are those swords? So cool!” The box turtle’s grin stretched across his face. “Are you gonna help us free April’s dog-thingy?”
”Mikey, those swords are being pointed at us!” Donnie raised his bō. “Low blow, you ingrate.”
”I’m sorry, what? Mugging? Ingrate? What’s going on?” The girl—April, supposedly—shot Donnie a glare. “Who is that, Dee?”
”Gosh, cloaking brooches are expensive, and that looks like a good one if it’s so hidden.” Leo’s heterochromic eyes did a quick look over the girl to try to find any piece of suspicious jewelry. “Where are you hiding it, anyway?”
”I’m sorry, what?” April’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you…”
”Guys look!” Mikey pointed at the rack of glowing weapons and Leo cringed. “How about we take the glowy ones? My nunchucks are toast.”
”No, don’t touch those!” Leo barked, darting forward to get between Mikey and the rack. “You aren’t even supposed to be here!”
”And you are?” Donnie stepped forward with narrowed eyes. “Did we seriously save a villain from a villain?!”
Leo bristled slightly, cool demeanor faltering. “We’re not villains! We’re the saviors of yokai kind from the human threat!”
”From the what now?” April raised an eyebrow.
”You know, from the human threat. Humans? Ring a bell? The creature you’re disguised as?” Leo rolled his eyes and gestured to her human form. “Live above the hidden city? No? Nothing?”
April seemed to be at a loss for words. “Um… I am a human.”
Leo laughed. “Right, and I’m a dolphin. No human has ever found their way into the Hidden City. Ever.”
”Except for that pizza delivery guy.” Mikey spoke up.
”Imitation crab mutant.” Donnie corrected.
Leo blinked. Once. Twice. “Wait… what mutant?”
”Scoff. The one Boss Man just mutated.” Donnie huffed, but frowned at the look on Leo’s face. “Um… you know? Tall ugly mutant?”
”The Draxula’s not a mutant.” Leo mumbled. “But if’s he’s making more…”
”The Draxula? Is that seriously his name? It fits, heh.” Mikey chuckled, but for once Leo didn’t laugh.
”I didn’t hear anything about that!” Leo snatched his communicator out of his jacket pocket and tried to connect with Raph. The snapper didn’t reply and Leo huffed slightly. Draxum was already making more mutants? His mutagen was finished? So… he was making more of them? More experiments to fuel his army?
Without ever having cared about the two he already had?
Leo stared at April. “So… you’re an actual human? Like an honest-to-goodness person?”
”Geez, I thought you guys were weird.” April muttered to Donnie. “Now looks like I’m the weird one.”
Leo took a tentative step closer, eyes narrowed as he inspected this human girl. “Hmph. You don’t seem like much of a threat to me.”
April’s face scrunched. “Um… thanks?”
Leo glanced over at her before pinching the bridge of his beak to think, not even noticing how Donnie snatched a glowing violet crystal from it’s stand. Focus, Leo. You’ve got three intruders, one of whom you were told is a threat to the yokai’s very existence. Draxum’s gonna forget about you in the wake of greater mutants. Stay cool…
”Cowabunga!” cried Mikey in delight, and Leo’s eyes flew open to see the young turtle with his hands on the mystic kusari-fundo. Leo began to start forward in alarm when he realized that the mystic energy seemed… compatible with the young turtle. What…?
”Um…” Leo stepped a bit closer. “You.. good there buddy? No burning? No tingling? Nothing?”
”Nope! This is cool!” Mikey swung the weapon in a circle, causing Leo to duck under the chain. “Why?”
Leo shook off his shock and offered a grin. “Nothing important.” A part of him told him to stop this robbery but the other part wanted revenge on Draxum for leaving him out of plans. He smirked and stepped back, letting Mikey have some fun. “Glad you like it. But seriously you should put that back…”
”Well he needs a weapon.” Donnie pointed out. “To fight your boss. I kept telling him to make his nunchucks out of high-grade titanium but nooo…”
”Um… okay I’m really confused right now.” April looked over at Leo. “So are we fighting you or what?”
Leo shrugged. “I guess you probably should, but I don’t feel like busting your little naive faces today. Tell you what: put the kusari-fundo back and get out of here and maybe I’ll be gracious enough not to tell Draxum. How does that sound?”
”We have to save the dog thingy!” April crossed her arms defiantly.
”Right, the elusive dog-thingy.” Leo eyed the rack for a second, debating on if he should try it. Tentatively he stepped closer and sheathed his odachi. He then reached out for the shiny blue sword, carefully doing a mental check for any weird symptoms. To his surprise he didn’t find any and he lifted the sword from it’s placement.
Leo whistled. “Geez, what has old Draxula been hiding? This is sweet.” He turned over to his comrades with a smirk. “Tell you what: we can sneak in, free the cat thing and then you three get out of here. What doesn’t hurt Draxum won’t kill him.”
Mikey’s eyes widened. “You mean it?”
Leo shrugged. “Eh, we aren’t on good terms right now ever since he made me chug that stupid vodka.”
Donnie’s jaw dropped. “What…”
”But that doesn’t matter anymore! Right now I’ll help you get your little pet thingy and I won’t have to deal with letting intruders into the armory.” Leo swung the sword in his hands, getting a feel for the weight. “But if we get caught I don’t know you. Got it?”
”Sure! Thanks!” Mikey grinned.
”Such loyalty.” Donnie drawled, and Leo shot him a glare.
”He doesn’t deserve squat from me.” Leo snipped as Donnie’s words hit a sensitive spot, but at the inquisitive look from the soft shell he chuckled. “I mean… ugh just come on.”
Leo stealthily led the trio out of the armory, motioning for them to crouch low on the balcony. He glanced out at the lab to observe Raph talking with Draxum as the scientist held up a mosquito filled up with mutagen. “Finally,” Draxum was saying to Raph. “After all these years I can continue my work…”
”Okay, here’s the plan.” Leo whispered when suddenly he heard a surprised exclamation from above him.
”Leo? Whatcha doing?” Asked Huginn, and Leo looked up to glare at the gargoyles.
”Shh!” The slider hissed, and Muninn flew down to perch on his shoulder.
”You’re supposed to be watching the armory! Boss is gonna kill ya!” The gargoyle exclaimed. “And who are these?”
”Draxum’s gonna kill you?!” Mikey’s eyes went wide.
”It’s an expression, Mikey.” Donnie scoffed, then he hesitated as he glanced over at Leo. “Ahem, it is an expression, right?”
Leo shrugged. “If he’s making more mutants then I don’t know anymore. But he’d have to catch me first. Now you two shush!” He snipped at the gargoyles. “We’re just here for that little dog thingy.”
”Agent Sixty-Four?!” The two chirped loudly in unison, and Draxum and Raph’s heads snapped up toward them as Leo ducked out of view.
”Who’s up there?” Raph barked, and April glared at the gargoyles.
”Little snitches!” She then suddenly leapt off the balcony. “TIME TO GO! APRIIIIIL O’NEIIIIIIIL!”
”Did she just use her own name as a catchphrase?” Leo muttered.
”Ohmigosh she just ran in!” Mikey exclaimed loudly, Donnie having to hold him back.
April leapt through the air and landed on the dog thingy’s cage, trying to gnaw through the vines with her teeth. Huginn and Muninn flew down to yank her off the cage and into the air.
”Let go of me!” April thrashed and the two gargoyles struggled to hold her as they fought through the lab.
”April!” Mikey cried out, leaping off the balcony and reaching out for his friend. Donnie gasped and suddenly his shiny purple shell turned into a jet pack, zipping off the balcony to catch the box turtle.
”How’d ya get past Leo?” Raph raised his sai. “Did ya hurt him?!”
”Erm… get back here you little twerps!” Leo called out, leaping out of hiding and darting down the balcony stairs.
”You let intruders get past you, Leonardo?” Draxum’s eyes narrowed. “With my mystic weapons? And what are you doing with my sword?!”
”Um…” Leo struggled for a lie.
”Your name is Leo then!” Mikey called out happily. “Cool name!”
Leo glared at him. “We’ve never met before, remember? And um… Draxum Sir my swords broke and this was the only alternative I could find in such short notice!”
”Do you think I am a fool? I can see your swords sheathed behind you! But how are you holding the mystic odachi?” Draxum stepped forward. “That is full of mystic energy!”
”Let the dog thing go!” April shouted from her fight with the gargoyles, snapping Draxum out of his musings. The warrior alchemist withdrew from hidden pockets some shiny purple orbs that Leo knew all too well. He gasped and tried to backtrack when Draxum threw the orbs onto the ground and suddenly purple vines shot up, entangling him and the others. He yelped in surprise as he slid down it’s surface.
”Leo!” Raph shouted in worry, charging forward before Draxum held him back.
”He will be fine, Raphael. You have more brothers now.” Draxum then slammed more orbs on the ground, resulting in the ground splitting open and the vines throwing their riders into the air. A loud roar sounded from the crater and suddenly a large mulberry-colored robot broke through and loomed over them. Leo gulped.
”Um, Draxum Sir? I’m still over here…” He began, but felt his chest clench when the warrior’s eyes narrowed.
”I know.” Draxum glared up at his creation. “Get me my experiments!”
Leo froze. Experiments? As in… plural?
He glanced over at the other turtles in bafflement. Wait…
”Are you guys mutants?!” Leo yelped before the robot stomped forward and aimed a punch to the slider. Leo dodged and slid under another punch, cleanly slicing off the robot’s leg.
”Leonardo, do not attack my robot!” Draxum barked.
”Well seeing as you don’t care if this thing kills me I’ll take my chances!” Leo quipped back. “And what’s that about these guys being your lost experiments? Looks like you don’t need me anymore!
”Leo shut up!” Raph pleaded. “Just get over here!”
”I’m just trying to protect Draxy’s priceless little investments!” Leo snarked back, voice sour.
”Cowabunga!” Mikey shouted, tossing his kusari-fundo through the air and effectively chaining up the robot. “Donnie, cover me!”
”Already on it!” Donnie activated some rocket blasters on either end of his bō, grimacing as it began to spin in an uncontrollable spiral towards the robot. “No no no HEADS UP!”
The tech-bō smashed against the robot’s face and rebounded, landing in Donnie’s satisfied grip. “Never mind I nailed it!”
At the blow the robot finally collapsed, knocking Leo and the intruders over as it glitched and fell still. Leo groaned and sat up, rubbing his head as he glanced around to make sure the others were okay.
”Accidentally impressive…” Draxum murmured thoughtfully. “With a bit of training you could finally be the team Raphael deserves to lead.”
”Okay, ouch!” Leo protested. “But since this big robot thingy is down then no hard feelings, yeah?”
”You of all people should know that Baron Draxum never forgets.” Draxum glowered at the slider. “And you were supposed to be fighting for me, not them.”
”Okay yeah but I was kinda in a pickle there…”
”No buts! If you were to be destroyed then you would go down as a warrior!” Draxum snapped just as April suddenly dropped down and began pounding Huginn and Muninn. Draxum sighed and used the orbs to create strong pseudo-fists, shooting out a web-like cocoon to entrap April and send her tumbling at Mikey and Donnie’s feet.
”You did not just do that to our friend!” Mikey swung his kusari-fundo. “Cowabunga!”
Draxum leaned to the side to avoid the flying orb but froze when the chain went taut. He glanced around in surprise in time to see the spiky ball at the end come alive with mystic energy.
Mikey froze. “Oh, magic weap—AHHH!”
The kusari-fundo suddenly sprang into action, dragging Mikey around the lab as it bounced higher and higher, finally diving toward Draxum. Raph shoved the warrior out of the way just in time to take the hit, grunting as he crashed to the ground.
”Raph!” Leo cried out, a sudden fear arising in him at seeing his brother hurt. He rushed forward to help when Draxum sent a cocoon his way. On pure instinct he swung his sword to chop the cocoon orb in half, realizing too late how his sword crackled with blue mystic energy. He froze as a swirling blue vortex suddenly opened underneath him and he fell through with a yelp.
”Woah woah woah WOAH WOAH!” Leo exclaimed as he felt his body zap through the air and reemerge through a second portal right above the first. He then began falling through on an endless loop. “Get… me… off… this… RIDE!”
”You can activate the mystic energy as well?” Draxum stared at Leo as Donnie slid next to him.
”And that’s why I like fighting the old fashioned way.” He said smugly. “With impossibly futuristic high-tech weaponry!”
The soft shell’s tech-bō turned into a jet-powered fist as he twirled it, and suddenly it surged forward to punch Draxum in the face. The scientist flew backwards just as Raph finally got up with a glower on his face.
”Hey! Get back here you—“ Raph began to tackle Donnie when suddenly Mikey’s wild kusari-fundo knocked them apart like bowling pins. Draxum stood back up, eyeing the scene with distaste.
”You fight like untrained buffoons! And you Leonardo are the worst of the lot!” Draxum stepped threateningly towards the slider who was still falling endlessly through his portals. “At least they use teamwork and under me could become great warriors!”
”Don’t you… think we… could talk.. about that… later?” Leo gritted out through his falling.
”You disrespected me and let these intruders steal my weapons. You disappoint me.” Draxum growled. “Does that wound like a warrior to you? You should be better than these idiots!”
”We are literally right here.” Donnie crossed his arms, and Draxum rolled his eyes.
”Oh right. I almost forgot.” Draxum suddenly shot out another orb, effectively trapping Donnie and Mikey in a cocoon. Mikey nuzzled Donnie affectionately.
”We don’t spend enough time together!” The box turtle grinned.
”Oh PLEASE not now Mikey! If you haven’t noticed we’re kinda trapped here.” Donnie huffed.
”How are we gonna save the dog thingy now?” April cried out.
”You failed me. Again.” Draxum snarled. “Twice in a single day and I can’t even say that I am surprised. Perhaps if you were here Raphael would’ve been able to catch Agent Sixty-Four before he got to lure a human here!”
”Why are y’all so against humans?” April protested, but Draxum paid her no mind.
”Wait Sir!” Raph exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. “Leo might’ve messed up a bit, but at least you found your long-lost experiments! That’s somehtin’, right? And you already punished him earlier…”
”I did not ask for your advice, Raphael!” Draxum glared at the snapper turtle, who froze in his steps. “Leonardo needs to learn to listen, and not to steal valuable mystic weapons!”
And with that he used one of his enhanced-strength fists to punch Leo out of his loop, sending the slider flying until he hit the wall hard and crumpled on the ground.
”Ohmigosh Leo!” Mikey exclaimed as Leo’s vision swam with stars. He struggled to his knees and glared up at Draxum. Wrong move. The warrior kicked Leo back down. ”You will look at me with submission and respect like your brother. Understood?” Draxum asked coolly, and Leo sniffed.
”And you’ll look at me like a person and not an object. Understood?” The slider bit back dizzily, earning himself a backhanded slap.
”Leonardo, you need to listen to me.” Draxum growled, and Raph anxiously stepped forward.
”Lee I know you’re mad, but it ain’t worth it.” The snapper said in a voice thick with concern. “Ya already got busted enough today.”
Draxum stiffened. “What was that, Raphael?”
Raph hesitated, realizing his slip up. “Um…”
Draxum glared at Leo with malice. “You snuck out again?!”
”Hehe funny story…” Leo chuckled nervously but was silenced by a heavy slap that made Leo’s jaw pop. The slider spat out the blood that gathered in his mouth from biting his tongue despite knowing Draxum would hate it. “I said it was a funny story! You’re lucky I have enough wit to make up for both of us.”
”Shut up and show some respect!” Draxum kicked the slider again. “You’re now one in four rarity, not one in two! And I have the mutagen to replace you in a heartbeat so learn your place!
”That is so seriously messed up that you’re just willing to hit him like that.” Donnie observed bluntly. “Was this supposed to make us want to join you or something?”
”Don’t hurt him!” Mikey squirmed in his cocoon.
”Someone has got to call Child Protective services or something. Mutant Protective Services?” April frowned in consideration. “Seriously, there’s no way he’s older than me and I’m still a teenager.”
Draxum glanced over at them. “The way I choose to train my warriors is none of your concern until you join me. You turtles will soon learn how to respect the great—“
”Um… hate to interrupt, he said in a totally convincing voice and everyone believed him…” Donnie’s voice grew tense. “But the lab is about to explode sooo…”
”Wait what?!” April’s gaze snapped up towards the mutagen container which now had cracks running down the glass with some strange light radiating from the top. A couple support beams crashed down on Agent Sixty-Four’s cage, allowing the little creature to teleport over to April, Mikey and Donnie. “Little dog thingy, can you get us out of here?”
”We can’t leave Leo!” Mikey protested, but Baron Draxum was already creating a portal.
”Not now Mikey!” Donnie snapped, and suddenly the four of them disappeared in a flash of blue.
”Come Raphael!” Draxum barked, and Raph hurried over to scoop up Leo in his arms before darting through the portal after Draxum just as the lab exploded in a flurry of sparks and smoke, effectively freeing the mutagen-fulled mosquitos from their confines and releasing them over the Hidden City.