Chapter Text
Raph was so utterly determined to get his brother back. In the moment he hadn't even thought to consider the consequences that come with opening another portal.
The burning cracks on his and his brother's hands were nothing compared to the sight of Leo before him. Floating with no gravity in an endless void of gray. Raph hadn't even registered the state of him. Leo reached his hand out, a small hopeful smile crossing his face. Behind him a roar of anger came from the shadows.
Raph stretched his ninpo to its limit in an attempt to grab his brother. Despite the fact it was his ninpo that had grabbed Leo's hand Raph could feel the tremors running through the body of his younger brother.
Raph yanked on his brother's arm. Trying his hardest to get him through the portal as fast as possible, but it was to late. It took mere seconds before Kraang prime was inches away from Leo. Wrapping his metallic claws over Leo's arm. Donnie flared his ninpo and launched a massive purple drill at Kraang Prime's face.
The Kraang latched onto Leo with a split second motion. There was a wet crunch followed by Leo's agonized scream.
The lack of tension made Raph fall backwards unfortunately taking both of his other brothers with him. Without Mikey's focus on the portal it began to close. Something wet and red came flying out of the portal, landing a few feet away. Raph had only seconds to think before the portal shut.
In that time he came to a decision that would change his life. He flared his ninpo in one final attempt. He swung himself full force off the ground and through the portal. Before it snapped shut behind him.
The momentum sent him crashing into Leo full-force. Kraang Prime had been knocked a little ways away due to Donnie's drill. Leo and Raph were sent flying across the void. It didn't feel real. What had just happened? Had he just forced his siblings to watch two of their brothers commit suicide?
Raph didn't have time to process everything before he was slammed into a large rock formation. The solid stone beneath him seemed to have somewhat of its own gravitational pull?
Raph couldn't deal with the physics of this place right now. That was Donnie's job. Donnie had always been the smartest of the family when it came to science. Mikey knew the most about emotions, Raph was the strongest, and Leo...
Raph's head snapped to Leo who was laying in a heap on the ground. Raph ran to his brother, hoisting him up into his arms. Leo was nothing more than a bloody mass of limbs. Raph couldn't pinpoint the exact place the blood was coming from even if he wanted to. There was so much... and somewhere beneath it all was his little brother.
The one who he had found in Donnie's bed during a thunderstorm. The one who had first taught Mikey how to skateboard. The Brother who said he could do anything and did it.
The one who proclaimed as kid while playing Lou Jitsu that he would save the world. Here he was... he had done what he said he would do... and look at what it had cost him.
A roar came from the distance. It was followed by several thuds and crashes that grew progressively louder.
Raph didn't think there could be anymore adrenaline pumping through his veins. He was proved wrong however, when a flash of heat came over him. Heart thudding like nothing he had ever felt. It was worse than that time he had found Leo at the bottom of the skate ramp with a concussion and a broken wrist.
No! Stay focussed! Leo needs you. He's gonna die if I just stand here!
Raph's legs began moving so fast he couldn't even register where he was going. It was all a blur and pure instincts.
Leo had always been the fastest. Followed closely by Mikey. Raph was actually faster than Donnie in terms of physical exercise but Raph was no match for Donnie's tech.
However, he was sure he had reached or maybe even surpassed how fast Leo could move on his feet. The adrenaline was making it hard to focus on where he was going. Not that he knew anyway.
Everything was dialed to eleven. The sticky blood that now coated his forearms. The repetitive smack of his bare feet against rough stone.
Raph was sure that he had put some distance between him and Kraang Prime. If he hadn't seen all of Leo's blood he probably would've turned to face Prime by now. But the gasping body that was slumped in his arms was the main priority.
Stop the bleed. Protect him. Hide. Hide. HIDE!
Raph ducked into a rock alcove that was just small enough for them to move around in.
Don't think about the small space. Save him!
Raph zeroed in on the biggest injury that he could see. Raph had to stop himself from gagging at the sight. Leo's right arm, just above the elbow was missing. The frayed bits of skin and flesh and oh god he could see Leo's bone. The thing was practically gushing blood. The red substance quickly painted the ground like a murder scene.
Okay! Maybe don't think about murder right now.
A while back (before Leo and Raph had started fighting) Leo had forced all of his siblings into watching his own 'Basics in First Aid' class. It hadn't interested raph much and he had pretty much zoned out halfway through. Now he was really wishing he had payed more attention. Mikey and April had goofed off most of the time. Donnie had always been squeamish about the subject so Raph hadn't felt that bad about not learning it.
Leo however, had always been fascinated by the concept of healing and medical procedures Raph had never known the reason why. He wished right now that he had studied and taken notes on every one of Leo's and his Dad's lectures. It would really come in handy right now.
One thing did come to mind though. Raph had zoned back in to watch whatever game Mikey had been playing on April's phone. He had apparently registered something about tourniquets and blood loss.
Raph strained every inch of that memory to remember exactly what Leo had said. He ripped off his red bandana and tied it around Leo's remaining stump of an arm. He asked silently in his head for Leo to forgive him with being so aggressive about it, but he doubted he could feel much more pain than he was already experiencing anyways.
The blood continued pouring out. He couldn't tell if Leo's skin was pale because of the dull lighting or blood loss, and he didn't really want to know. His bandana was soaked through almost instantly with the red liquid. Staining the candy red fabric darker than it had previously been.
Just as Raph was considering tightening the knot the bleeding slowed. Raph's hands hovered helplessly as he watched the slow gurgle of blood come to a stop. It was hard to tell at first but after examining thoroughly he concluded that it had come to a full stop.
Leo wheezed again causing more lightning bolts of electricity to rattle Raph's body in worry. He looked into Leo's eyes which were half lidded and brimming with tears.
“Raph?” Leo practically whispered.
It seemed like it had taken Leo the same effort as summoning a rip in dimensions just to utter Raph's name. He breathed in shakily at the sight of his brother. Raph just couldn't help but gather Leo in his arms. The blue turtle winced as he was hoisted into the hold of his elder brother.
“Raph!” Leo yelped in pain. Raph immediately reeled back to see what had given Leo the energy to yell. He was clutching desperately at his own chest. As if trying to pull something restricting off of his body.
The stump of an arm was flailing rapidly as if Leo could still feel the hand that should have been there. He gasped and scraped at his chest like a wild animal. Raph tried to calm him, asking in desperation as to what was wrong.
There was so much wrong. An overwhelming amount of wrong in this situation. Raph couldn't do anything but watch his younger brother claw at his own chest, silently begging and kicking for any amount of oxygen.
As Leo wheezed and scratched Raph's attention was finally turned to the right side of Leo's plastron. It was cracked and caved in a bit. Raph's eyes went wide in horror at the realization dawned on him that there was absolutely nothing he could do.
Tears were pouring down both Leo's and his own face. Leo's clawing slowed. He gave one last gasp for air before his body went fully still. Leo's head fell limply to Raph's arm. His only hand still clutching at the unnatural dip in his plastron.
Raph's eyes snapped up to the rocks in front of him. He couldn't look down. He refused to look down. If he looked down he would see the body of his brother. He would see his c̶̤͉̈́̾̏o̸̭͑̾ȑ̵͈̏͌ṕ̷̼͍̟̐s̵̺̝͎̃é̶̻̻́̾. He would see his dead brother lying limp in his arms. A brother which only minutes ago he had tried to kill.
No... he had killed him. If he hadn't layed onto Leo about taking things more serious they wouldn't be in this situation. This was his own fault. He killed his brother. He killed his baby brother!
The brother that had come crying to him about a nightmare when they were younger. The baby brother that Raph had brushed off when Leo had wanted to play video games. The baby brother that had always come running to show him the newest skating trick he learned.
That baby brother. Who had only wanted to hold onto childhood a bit longer. What had been so wrong about that? Raph was going through every memory of Leo where they had fought. He punched his baby brother through a wall! He couldn't even dream of doing anything like that now.
A sob tore through him like a rabid animal. He killed Mikey's best friend. Donnie's twin. Dad's baby blue... He rested his head against Leo's plastron. He prayed to his ancestors, spirits, whatever God was up there to let him feel the rise and fall of Leo's plastron. And he did.
Raph stopped midway through another sob when he felt the motion. Raph didn't dare move for fear that he was making it up. Leo wheezed, slightly quieter this time but he breathed. He couldn't believe his ears. He snapped towards Leo's face to see his eyes searching around with confusion.
“Lee?” Raph breathed. He felt as if he so much as blinked wrong Leo would disintegrate in his arms. Leo met his eyes.
“Ra-” Leo was cut off when one of the rocks that had been sheltering them was violently tugged away.
“I found you~ pests!” Kraang sang as he loomed over them. Raph raised a hand to block his face when the back of a clawed hand slammed against him, sending him flying a little ways. He held on tightly to Leo as they skipped over the hard surface like rocks skipped over a pond. Prime stalked closer. Before Raph could even think about running he was grabbed by the ankle and dragged over the rocks.
“Now I have two toys!” Prime laughed maniacally at the pair. Huddled close and shivering, Leo tried to stand but Raph wouldn't let go of him. To scared of death. To scared of Leo's death. To scared of Prime.
Raph held Leo down. He wasn't sure if it was for Leo's protection or his own, but he turned his shell so that he was kneeling between Leo and Prime. It was a familiar sight. Prime wrapped a tentacle around Raph and hoisted him away from Leo.
Wait.
Raph was tossed behind Prime's back like garbage.
This was different.
Prime focussed solely on Leo's broken form. Raph wanted to scream for Leo to run. To do something. But Leo's leg was broken, he couldn't run. If he could run where would he go, Prime could outrun him. If he hid Prime would find him. They were cornered, tired, hungry. Raph wanted to go home.
Prime held Leo by the upper lip of his shell. He turned and extended him out to Raph like a trophy he had earned. A greedy smile splayed over his face. Leo twisted and kicked at Prime's arm that held him suspended in the Air.
He raised him higher. Looking at Leo like it was a doll he had just found in the park. Then he threw him into the ground with as much force as he could. It was like watching a kid smashing seashells with rocks. Leo yelped out in pain as his form collided with the hard stone surface beneath him.
Prime raised a foot over Leo's head. Raph screamed but in the moment it felt as if he couldn't make a sound. Leo's eyes widened when his face was shadowed with Prime's foot. A grinding smash. Raph couldn't look away at the sight when Prime lifted his foot. Strings of blood and slime followed the movement as Prime kicked the gore off of him like he had stepped in gum.
Fragments of bone and flesh splattered across the floor. Raph refused to acknowledge the fact that some had splashed onto himself as well. The graphic scene made Raph want to vomit. The laugh that echoed through the empty void filled the silence that was now ringing endlessly in his head.
What does he do now? Wait to be killed as well? Run away? Give up? Escape? Cry?
He sat their drawing a blank for what felt like an eternity. Listening to Prime laugh on and on...
*crackle*
*pop*
Raph Zoned back in and watched in horror as bit by bit fragment by fragment. Leo was pulled back together. Starting with his jaw and making its way up to the top of his scalp. The pieces fitting back into place like a puzzle.
Suddenly Leo sprang back to life. Gasping and clawing at his head. Raph couldn't even register what was happening. Leo sat bolt upright. He twisted to meet Raph's gaze and obviously regretted that decision the second the had done it.
Leo raised his hand to his temple. Clutching at it like there was a knife. Hunching over himself, he vomited. The sound alone made bile rise in the back of Raph's own throat, but he held it in somehow. Orange and pink mixed with the blood that hadn't returned to Leo's body.
He tried to make himself stop but there was to much to keep down. It was like an endless stream inside of him. Leo finally met Raph's eyes in unequivocal and raw terror. Raph turned his eyes to Prime who had reduced his laugh to a small chuckle now.
“Oh, please don't look so surprised. It is called the Prison Dimension. Did you honestly think you could escape in death?” Prime threw his head back laughing once again. Raph didn't have time to think. He had no time to process, not even time to breath before he had grabbed Leo and ran.
Raph had once again hoisted Leo in his arms. Still clutching his head and shaking from head to toe. Raph couldn't blame him in the slightest. Looking over his shoulder he found Prime merely jogging after them. Staying at a steady distance away. He was playing with them. Raph didn't need to be as observant as Leo to know that.
He decided to take advantage of Prime's amusement. He mustered up every ounce of adrenaline and fear. It was easy to do since it had only been moments since he was doing the same thing prior. Raph bolted. Full speed no slowing. His hands ached from carrying Leo. His feet were sore and raw from running. He didn't care.
Prime must've caught onto what Raph was doing because the thump of Kraang Prime's feet against the ground quickened. But it was to late. Raph already had covered a lot of ground.
He didn't know what the actual hell just happened but it wasn't time to deal with that. Leo seemed to agree. He smacked Raph on the shoulder to get his attention. Leo gestured to the left with his stump of an arm. Raph followed his direction. Leo's left was hooked onto Raph's plastron while his stump gestured in various directions. There was a piece of land That seemed to have been flipped upside down at one point.
Leo pulled on his plastron to indicate he wanted to go down. But there was nothing down there? Just heaps of rock and more empty land pockets... Leo was insistent. Raph took a sharp breath in a jumped. He braced his hand against the edge of the stone and dirt to keep him from a free fall. His hand caught on something. Raph latched onto it immediately. Hoisting himself up he could see a small cave. Hidden from the view above. He pulled both of them in just as the heavy thudding came to close for comfort.
He shuffled to the back of the cave putting his shell to the entrance and hunching over Leo while the footsteps carried overhead. They were dead quiet. Aside from Leo's quiet wheezing they made no sound. The footsteps came to a stop above them. Raph held his breath.
Please, not again. Keep going!
Raph pleaded silently with his inner monologue. Prime let out a roar of frustration making Raph and Leo flinch. When he finally thudded away there was still no attempt at movement. They were both to horrified to do anything. Once Raph was certain the pounding footsteps were just in his head and not real life, Raph stood up. He just wanted to make sure He was truly gone.
He thought for a moment about placing Leo down but the thought was quickly replaced with flashes of Leo being ripped from his arms so he brushed it out. Raph maneuvered himself to where his own body was mainly faced towards the opening and stepped forward. Just barely peeking out.
He tried to ignore Leo's intense shaking as they moved towards the door. There was nothing. No movement besides the absent shift of rocks in empty space.
Raph had always been willing to follow any of his brothers to the ends of the earth. Today, here and now. He has proved that. As he stands with his bloody and beaten brother in his arms. Looking at the gray and desolate place the Kraang called the "Prison Dimension'' and what could very well be a death sentence.
But there was no death in this place? There was something far worse. Raph only shuddered to think about it. He stepped back into the darker shadows of the hole. Neither of them tore their eyes away from the entrance. Both of them waiting in anticipation to be torn to shreds if they so much as moved.
And Raph asked the question that had been on his mind since he first saw that damned key.
What do I do?