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Casey had really messed up this time.
Sure, there were times when he had messed up before. Like when he was four and tried to go out and find his mum. Or when he was ten and tried to sneak out on a mission outside the base. But all those times, he had been caught.
But this time is a lot different.
He had heard through the grapevine that there was a big undercover mission coming up. One that could turn the tide for the revolution and win them the war. It was on an extremely need-to-know basis, but one of the other kids had overheard talks in the planning room and said they had heard Master Donatello and Master Leonardo talking in hushed voices about specific aspects of the mission.
Like how they were getting the Krang ship. And steps they would take to ensure they weren’t discovered.
Casey had never been allowed to go on an undercover mission before. He had always been stuck on defense or small recon and scavenging trips. Never anything substantial or dangerous. Casey believed Master Leonardo was doing it on purpose, never putting him in harm’s way or on a mission that could be dangerous.
Sensei spent so long training him, only to never allow him to prove himself or show the skills he had been taught and perfected. And it annoyed Casey to no end.
So, he snuck out.
When the band of people who had been let in the know about the mission set off, Casey pulled a hood over his head, covered the rest of his face with a cloth, and followed the group out into the desolate and ruined city—not speaking a word or raising his head so his identity would remain unnoticed.
Things went awry extremely quickly. One minute, they were a few clicks away from the Technodrome. The next, they were retreating, with every soldier injured and many dead.
It was during the escape that his disguise slipped. He had been fighting a krang dog, and it had sliced him across the face, just missing his skin but tearing through the mask and hood. And he froze. Something in him snapped, and he couldn't move. His whole body filled with fear, and it was as heavy as lead. Master Donatello had spotted him floundering and called out his name.
It was almost like all the fighting had stopped, and everyone was looking at him. He had been caught. His heart was pounding; all he could hear was his heart punching a hole in his chest.
Suddenly, a blazing warmth and light shot out in front of him; three flaming floating chains struck and pierced straight through the krang dog in front of him. Each enters and protrudes out of its body from a different angle. Killing it instantly on impact. All the while, Casey stood there in shock.
One of his Sensei’s must have grabbed him. because the next thing he knew, he was being carried off the battlefield and back to the base.
Where he was now standing in front of Master Leonardo. A very angry Leonardo.
There were lots of people around, helping move the injured, patching people up, and taking stock of what had happened. It was hectic. It always was after a big fight. But everyone moved around with purpose: everyone but Casey.
Leonardo had first fretted about his health, grabbing his arms and face and scanning him for injury. When none were found, the concerned hands dropped. Then, the worried yelling came.
Everyone could clearly hear how upset Master Leonardo was, despite everyone not looking and doing their own thing in an effort to help. They were clearly still listening.
“I don’t understand how you could be so selfish, Casey! Did you not see how dangerous that mission was?! You could have been killed!”
His arms were gesturing wildly, almost like he was trying to make himself look angrier than he actually was.
Yeah. Casey got it. He did something stupid. He knew that.
Usually, when he messed up, Sensei would tell him off, critique him, and let it go. But today, the telling-off section of the conversation had been going on longer than it usually did, and Casey was getting more and more agitated.
“If you had just let me go on a proper mission, I wouldn’t have had to sneak out.”
Casey sneered under his breath. Sensei was missing the point! If he had just been treated like everyone else and had been allowed to attend more high-risk missions.
If Sensei hadn’t coddled him and kept putting making excuses as to why he was never put in harm’s way. Then this wouldn’t have happened! Casey had pleaded to do more. He could do more. He just hadn’t had the chance to prove himself.
“What?” Sensei’s voice dropped into a harsh whisper. Sounding unbelieving about what Casey had just said.
“Is that what this is about? Really, Jr? We’ve talked about this; you know why I would never let you go on a mission like this, especially when you’re still just 13. You need to go on easier missions to ready yourself for a harder one. Don’t think I didn’t see how you froze out there today.”
Ok. Now Casey was mad. Sensei didn’t have to say that in front of everyone. Was he trying to embarrass him? Didn’t Master Leonardo see how stupid he was acting? He didn’t need to be treated like a child. He was very capable of looking after himself. Why did everyone still treat him like a kid?
Casey felt all these emotions stewing in his head. Sensei gradually lifted his arms to reach for Casey’s shoulder. Reaching to comfort. To soothe him. Like he was some baby!
No. he was not a child anymore!
“You’re not ready- “
“YOU’RE NOT MY DAD! STOP ACTING LIKE YOU ARE!”
Suddenly, the room was deathly silent.
Casey had forgotten how many people were there. He whips his head around so he doesn’t have to look at Leonardo, turning his whole body away as well. It felt like everyone stopped what they were doing and were now watching the events happening in the middle of the room.
He really wishes they went somewhere more secluded. But then again, there is no real privacy in a base where people are sleeping head to tail away from each other.
He saw Master Donatello and Michelangelo in amongst the crowd. Donatello was in the middle of collecting and giving out data about the failed mission and what it meant for the rebellion. He had a startled look on his face, penciled-on brows raised and eyes wide.
Master Michelangelo was helping the injured, using some of his mystic magic to heal the wounds he could. He, like everyone else, had stopped to look at the commotion. But he did not look surprised. He looked sad. The lines on his head grew deeper in his upset state.
Chancing a glance back at Master Leonardo, Casey sees that His Sensei did not move from his earlier attempt to put his hand on Casey’s shoulder, hand still raised, hovering mid-reach. It’s like he’s frozen in place. The only thing different is that the look of confusion was gone, now instead replaced with shock. His eyes are wide, and his mouth is slightly agape, looking directly at Casey, flicking around his form, trying to analyze the situation in his head, trying to come up with a solution.
The hand is lowered, and Master Leonardo’s face falls into something sour and scowling. He had made up his mind. Casey had never felt so unsure of what his Sensei was about to do.
"Your right." His voice was now deep and thundery. Almost rattling the room with its intensity.
He had never used that voice with Casey before.
" I'm not your father.” He repeats the fact back to Casey. Head raising higher, and chest puffing out. Looking tall and intimidating, he was looking down on Casey. He had never felt so small talking to Leonardo before.
“But I am your superior. And you will do as I say." Those words were spoken so sternly and with such blazing power behind them. Not only had the force of the words been strong and powerful, but the contents of the words had been as well.
Whenever someone accused Leo of acting like a father to Case, he would always laugh heartily and add to the comment with dad jokes. But he had never outright refused the idea before. Leo had raised him, nursed him to health, protected him, cared for him, and trained him.
In all ways except biological, Leo was his dad.
As Casey stared up at this Turtle. This Being who had stepped up and raised him when no one else could or would. The mutant that reared a child and ran a resistance alongside that. Who kept others safe, fed, and warm.
And he had just thrown that to the side because he wanted more. How selfish could he be?
But it was too late. By the time this realization had hit Case, Master Leonardo had already turned away, walking up to Master Michelangelo, saying something quiet and curt, then lifting the separation curtain aside to walk out of the room to the mission analysis hall with Master Donatello in tow.
As Leonardo’s presence in the room had disappeared, the hustle and bustle of a post-mission base kicked back up again. Humans and Yokai rush about, bringing supplies and people to and fro.
But none of that seemed to reach Casey. Who was stuck, frozen in the middle of it all.
A larger hand grabbed him suddenly. Starting him out of his head.
“Let’s get you patched up, yeah, little star?”
It was Master Michelangelo.
He cupped Casey’s hand between both of his own. And grasped tightly. He was standing rather than floating and was hunched over slightly, so he was head level with the boy. Looking him directly in the eyes. His face was soft, expression calm and welcoming—a small smile on his lips. Completely opposite to the turtle he had just been talking to.
Casey nodded. And followed as he was led to a slightly quieter part of the base.