#CBIDD

[crackedpumpkin]

|| ᴄʜᴇʀʀʏ ʙʟᴏꜱꜱᴏᴍꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴅɪᴍᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ || ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴇɪɢʜᴛᴇᴇɴ ||

a/n: lol this somehow reached 2.3k hits on ao3, I will never know how. I'm so tired it's 4am and this is a very very lengthy chapter xo pls enjoy I'm gonna go crash now who even needs Grammarly anyway I AM the Grammarly

“You’re a princess?”

“I mean, technically? I don’t really like to talk about it much.”

“But how did Casey know?” 

Y/n hesitates. “I…Don’t know. I don’t think I’ve told anyone besides you.” She admits softly, her eyes trained on her nails as they pick away at her cuticles. 

It’s silent for a while, and she glances up nervously to check on Leo’s stunned figure. His lips are pursed, exhaling steadily with eyes of acceptance. “Huh.” He says after a while, leaning against the wall next to her. 

He looks back up with a small smile. “And I’m the first one you told?” 

She nods.

“Hey, lovebirds! We could really use some help over here!” Raph yells across the room at the two. She starts slightly, accidentally making eye contact with Leo before ducking her head, feeling a gentle heat on her cheeks.

“Coming!” She walks off, Leo following suit. He can’t stop the smile that’s stuck to his lips. 

She told him first. He’s the first one to know more about her.

The thought makes him euphoric, helping y/n pick up scattered comic books on the floor, the pages drenched from her earlier actions. “So, how does it work where you’re from? Y’know, the whole princess thing?”

Y/n looks up in surprise, not expecting him to ask more about her background. She pauses, trying to explain it as best she can. “I’m the niece of the Northern Water Tribe’s chief. I’m just a princess in name, though. It wasn’t made official.” 

“Why not?” 

She stiffens, looking away from him. “Some stuff….happened. I mean, it’s not that important since I ended up going with Aang, Sokka, and Katara.” She brushes over it, though the slight tinge of sorrow in her voice only serves to pique his curiosity.

He hums. “In that case, do we have to refer to you by your title now, princess?” He jokes, but his teasing smile falters when she looks up at him with wide eyes and a beautiful flush on her cheeks, making part of him want to tease her more if only to see that same expression again.

“I-I mean, you don’t have to. It’s just a formality thing.” Her voice fades into an almost shy whisper, averting her gaze and focusing on arranging the wet comic books on the floor. His cheeks blossom with a soft pink matching hers, mirroring her actions. His hand brushes against hers, both flinching and drawing their hands to their chests as if they had been burnt.

“What’s going on here?” 

She clears her throat, standing back up with a quick shake of her head. Raph watches them both with a playful smile, his hands crossed and ignoring Leo’s flustered glare. Neither responds to Raph, y/n focusing on bending all the water out of the pages and leaving them dry again. 

Mikey whoops happily, scooping them up into his arms with a gleeful grin. “Thanks!!” He scurries back into his room with comic books in tow, ready to stash them away in fear of another incident like earlier happening.

“Anyway,” her attention is back on Raph, who regards them both with a skeptical gaze, “don’t you gotta go home for school tomorrow, Pipsqueak?” 

We’re on nickname terms now?

This makes her grin, glad that she’s been acknowledged by him. The reminder makes her pause, looking around the more or less dry lair. “What about April and Casey?” 

“I’ll walk her-”

“I’ll walk her back.”

Donnie interrupts Casey with a hostile glare, making the boy quirk a brow at the turtle’s odd behaviour. “Sure… See you tomorrow then, Red. Princess.” Casey shrugs, turning to head out the way he followed Raph.

“Oh, would you look at that! It seems that y/n doesn’t have anyone to walk her home. I gotta do…stuff, and so does Mikey.” Raph rubs the back of his neck with probably the worst acting y/n’s ever seen, though she does chuckle at the effort.

“We do?” Mikey shuts up when Raph glares at him, pouting at how mean his brother is. “I guess we do.”

“But April and I live together-”

“Actually, I have something to discuss with Master Splinter. You go on ahead first, y/n.” April grins mischievously, patting y/n’s shoulder with an encouraging nod. 

“I’d be glad to accompany you.” Leo offers with a roll of his eyes at how obvious everyone is being, taking the hint. She nods with a warm smile, walking past the turnstiles with him. 

“Shall we, princess?” He asks, holding his hand out to her with a charming grin. She’s about to take it, but a hot flash of pain rips through her head, the familiar line making her wince.

“Shall we, princess?”  Jet holds out his hand to her with a teasing grin, undeterred by the hostile scowl sent his way by the very girl he’s called out to. 

“Jet. Nice to see you again.” Her eyes are narrowed into a glare, hands clenching into fists. Just in case, though, she bends a stream of water out of the buckets beside her, steadying herself in case he attacked. After what happened, she couldn’t trust him. Not anymore.

“Calm down,” He chuckles, hands lifted up in surrender. “I’m here to talk.”

“Does that talk include trying to drown another innocent village?” She scoffs, the hairs on her neck bristling when he takes a step forward. “Don’t,” She warns, the water bubbling as it begins to heat up from the rapidly growing anger in her heart. 

“I’m here to help. For real this time, I promise.”

“We both know what your ‘promises’ are worth.”

“Not this time. Please. Just hear me out. It’s about your parents.”

Her breath hitches in her chest, eyes widening before she swallows a bitter lump in her throat. “What do you mean?”

“I promise it’ll be worth your time. I don’t have the gang with me anymore; all I want to do is talk.” She eyes his outstretched hand with doubt, but her curiosity ultimately wins. She lets the water drop to her feet, splashing onto the dry floor without soaking her dress in the slightest. 

“Fine. I’ll hear you out. But one wrong move, and you’ll be frozen for the next five years before you know it.”

She expects him to flinch. Instead, his lips curve into a playful grin, reminiscent of the day they met. Heat crept across her cheeks, tinging the tips of her ears with a rosy pink before looking away with a huff and crossed arms. Damn, those good looks of his.

He holds out his hand, waiting for her to take it. “It’s good to see you again, princess. I missed you.”

“You can leave now!” Raph calls out from a short distance, and she’s instantly brought back to the present. She looks up at Leo’s eyes filled with nothing but warmth and kindness for her. Her stomach turns, her hand about to brush his before she snatches it back. She swallows, unable to bring herself to look him in the eyes.

“Yeah, let’s go.” She mumbles, brushing past him in a hurry. He hesitates, eyes filled with mild hurt at the cold way she rejects his hand. He follows suit, missing the wince on April’s face as she watches them leave. 

“Should I tell her that tomorrow’s Saturday?”

— — — —

Y/n runs across the rooftops, the cold breeze whistling past her ears soothing her somewhat. Her heart is heavy, but the sensation of practically flying across the rooftops is freeing. 

She barely registers Leo following along, having slowed his usual pace for her. She appreciates the thought, her steps slowing so they walk side by side. His curious gaze unnerves her slightly, still unable to bring herself to meet his innocent eyes that hold so much worry, and so many questions.

“So, how’s school life going for you?” 

“It’s going good, I suppose. I introduced the history of the avatar and the war to my classmates.” 

“You what?” 

“I know, April told me not to do it again. Not even about the frog talk too.” She replies grumpily, crossing her arms with a huff.

Leo’s bemused by her words, every single sentence of hers still catching him off guard. Just when he thought it couldn’t get any more baffling, she always managed to surprise him. 

His gaze softens, watching her kick a stray pebble. She’s so endearing, he thinks with a chuckle. 

“About earlier,” He sees her stiffen slightly, probably thinking about how he’d address her rejecting his hand. “What’s it like being a princess?” 

“It was…” She pauses, looking out at the city. He stands beside her, waiting patiently for her reply. “Isolating.” She finally says after a few moments, lips pursed. The silence from Leo spurs her to continue, his reassuring presence encouraging her to speak more freely. 

“When I was little, my parents left me with my uncle. He was the chief of our tribe, and it was one last favour he did for my parents before they left. That’s where I met Yue.” She recalls peeking out from behind her father’s legs with a timid smile, meeting her cousin for the first time. 

“Yue and I were close growing up. We played dolls together and studied together. We were like sisters. But as we grew up, it became more and more apparent that she was of higher status. She’s the direct daughter of the chief, while I’m just his niece. I wasn’t mistreated, just less…included.”

“What about your royal duties? Did you knight any knights? Dance at balls? Have a coronation?”

“What are knights?”

“Y’know, like, warriors who wear armour and wield swords? They’re loyal to their kingdom and their kingdom alone? You have to knight them with a sword? They swear all loyalty to the princess?” 

“I don’t think we have those,” Her eyes shine with humour, smiling at his amusing reply. At first, she thought he was describing himself, what with the swords and all. He had mimicked a ‘knight’s’ actions, dramatically holding out his katanas. She had to hide a giggle at that.

“That’s a shame. I think being a knight would’ve been pretty cool. Why’d you choose to follow them, though?” 

His question makes her hesitate, glancing up at him. “There was no more reason to stay.” If she had, Yue’s betrothed would’ve only gone to her. She’d forever be a replacement for her cousin. 

But no one could ever replace Yue.

It’s silent for a while, both settling into comfortable silence. 

“I’m tired of losing people.”

The loaded statement that slips past her lips is weary, with pure exhaustion laced in every single word. She’s too tired to realize how it sounds, her true feelings bubbling to the surface. 

“It must’ve been hard.”

His single reply comes instantly, his words nothing but heartfelt. She doesn’t realize that her eyes have already started tearing up until her vision becomes blurry. She blinks, the tears sliding down her cheeks. She feels something soft brush against her skin, slowly registering a green finger brushing off her tears with a gentle smile. 

“It’ll be okay.” Leo promises. “We’ll get you home.”

She sniffles, allowing herself to melt into his touch with a tiny sigh. “Thank you.”

“For now, though, let’s get you home.” Leo chuckles, letting his hand drop to his side after her tears stop flowing. She manages a nod, the both of them starting a slow jog with a shared smile. 

Something’s off.

She glances around; brows furrowed in confusion, when she doesn’t spot anyone else. She could’ve sworn they were being watched. The prickling sensation that ruffles her nerves isn’t easing; her gut twists and tugs slightly in a particular direction. 

“Something wrong?” Leo asks, curious as to why she’s suddenly on high alert. He didn’t sense anything. But then again, y/n had slightly keener instincts than any of them did.

“Just…felt like we were being watched,” She murmurs uneasily, rubbing her arm in discomfort. She didn’t like the sensation, reminding her too much of the days when they were busy being hunted down by Zuko. 

“I don’t see anyone around. Maybe you’re a little tired from earlier.” Leo suggests, the skin above his eyes creasing in worry. “You should get some rest.”

“Maybe,” she still can’t brush it off but continues to jog back to the apartment building. The feeling fades after a while, the tension leaving her body. She unlocks the window, sliding it up. Leo watches from the fire escape, the close proximity making her stiffen slightly. 

“Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight, princess.” He says, the nickname filled with fondness. A breathy laugh falls from her lips, still flustered when he calls her with such affection. She climbs into the room, pausing before gesturing for him to come closer. 

His eyes widen slightly in intrigue, taking a step and leaning in. She gestures for him to come closer still, as if she’s about to tell him a secret. 

“Thanks for keeping me safe, my knight.” She whispers, brushing her lips gently against his cheek. 

He’s frozen.

She leans back with a heavy blush on her cheeks, her neck hot. She slides the window shut, clearing her throat. She watches him take a step back, climbing back up the fire escape with jerky movements and a blush that matches hers. 

“Wow.” 

Y/n yelps at the sudden voice, stumbling back and almost falling onto the ground. She grabs onto the chair nearby in time, looking up wide-eyed to see both April and Donnie in the doorway, stunned into silence. 

“I mean…wow.” Donnie can’t help but be impressed by y/n’s boldness, April lifting her hands to clap slowly, eyes filled with awe. ”Wow,” She agrees.

 “Y-you saw that?” 

What was she even asking? Of course, they saw it based on their reactions. She groans, holding her head in her hands. She could never recover from this.

“That’s it. I’m banishing myself from all interactions.” She mutters, brushing past them both and into the kitchen to make some tea to calm herself down. April doesn’t stop the slow claps, sharing a mischievous grin with Donnie. 

“We’re so gonna bring it up around them, right?”

“Without a doubt.”

— — — —

She can’t sleep. Y/n turns and shifts in her spot on the shared bed, freezing when she hears April mumble a sound of protest. She sits up with a sigh, moving to exit through the window and heading up the fire escape to the rooftop. 

She’s barefooted, standing on the cold, dirty ground that no one bothers to clean. She takes a moment to sit on the ledge, looking up at the night sky. Her heart is heavy, recalling just moments ago when she had so daringly pressed a soft kiss against Leo’s cheek.

Her heart hammers in her chest like a hummingbird’s melodious thrums, except she’s sure that hers is faster and much louder. How had she been so bold? 

Did she even deserve to have the right to feel this way again? After what happened with Jet, it's hard to believe so.

A weary sigh leaves her lips, looking down at her calloused hands with regret starting to fill the emptiness that makes itself known. The silence is deafening, almost too much for her to bear. 

Jet.

She hadn’t remembered that name in a while. After everything she’s been through in this dimension, it’s easy to let the name of one’s first love slip their mind. With fighting aliens, discovering mutagen, and befriending a girl with psychic powers, it’s hard to believe that she isn’t just in a fever dream.

Who knows, though? Maybe it really is, and she’d wake up to Katara nagging at her to wake up for another of Aang’s pranks that she’d been a victim of. Sokka would snort at her, and she’d bend a stream of water to soak him in response.

She pinches her hand, wincing at the sharp pain. She huffs out a sad laugh. What had she expected?

It’s not a dream.

“So princess, you gonna come with me or what?”

“Shut it, Jet. I don’t trust you.” Y/n huffs, following Jet with a cautious gaze. 

“I really have changed, y’know.” Jet turns to face her with a sorrowful smile she almost falls for, her eyes softening before the reminder of what he did to the innocent village makes her sober up. 

“People don’t change so easily.” 

“I’ll prove it to you, princess. I promise.” 

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why?” He sounds genuinely surprised, and y/n crosses her arms defensively. The both of them are in an alleyway, with no one else around. She glances behind her, wondering if she should just make a run for it and forget this all ever happened.

“Because you don’t have the right to. Not anymore. Not after what you did to me. To us.” 

What had they been, anyway? A couple of teenagers with a mutual crush on each other? That’s all they were. And safe to say, hers had burned out as soon as he endangered her friends.

“Y/n…” He hesitates, his hand falling to his side. “I’m sorry.” 

It’s sincere, but she can barely bring herself to look him in the eyes. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” 

He nods resignedly, continuing to trek forward. “Where are we going, anyway?” She asks, staying a wary distance from him. 

“Your parents are here. In Ba Sing Se.”

“What?” 

It’s as if the breath is knocked out of her with that statement alone, disbelief tinging her voice. “That can’t be.”

“It’s true, princess.”

“Don’t lie to me!” 

“I’m not, princess. They’re only a few houses down. Please.” Jet holds his hand out to her, but she’s hesitant to take it. It couldn’t be. Everything she’s built up to protect herself from her parents abandoning her is crumbling in her hands. She can’t let herself believe it. It’s easier for her to think that they’re dead. 

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” She hesitates, the painful lump in her throat and tightness in her chest scaring her more than anything she’s faced so far, “I’ll know for sure that they really abandoned me.”

Once the words leave her lips, she feels herself crumble to pieces, dropping to her knees as her eyes sting with tears. She feels his warm arm wrap around her back, holding her against his chest. The warmth brings her painful comfort, allowing the tears to spill over. They wet his shirt, but his hold around her only tightens. She clutches his shirt, crumpling the fabric in her hands as she hiccups through her sobs.

It’s as if she’s back in the throne room again, waving goodbye to her parents with an uneasiness in her gut that she brushes off as a mere stomachache. That was the last time she ever saw them. The warm kiss her mother pressed against her forehead and her father’s affectionate ruffle of her hair. Those were the last forms of affection she’d ever receive from them.

She calms down after a while, having held onto Jet for dear life. She’s about to move away from him, her shaky breaths not doing much to convince him that she’s okay. She yelps, Jet picking her up in a bridal carry and walking back the way they came. 

“Put me down!”

“Calm down, princess. You’re tired.” 

She narrows her eyes into a glare, though it’s less hostile than before. Her eyes drop to his neck, stubbornly refusing to look into his eyes. She tries to move her feet but finds that she’s lost all feeling in them after having sat on them for as long as she did.

“Any more glaring, and you’re gonna burn a hole through my shirt, princess.”

“Good,” She grumbles with a huff. 

His chest shakes with a deep chuckle, her own heart warming at the sound. “Let’s get you something to eat.” She hesitates. Was this really a good idea? Maybe Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka would be worried she’d get back so late. Maybe he was actually taking her to be captured again. 

Maybe he had something else up his sleeve.

“Fine.”

The first few drops of rain snap her out of her memory, before the rest come down in full force. The rain pelts her body, droplets sliding off her hair and streaming down her face. Her entire body is soaked, and the shirt and shorts provident little protection. 

She cups her hands, the rainwater quickly gathering in a small pool. Her body feels heavy and tired, her heart filled with all sorts of emotions that crash against each other like raging waves in a vast ocean that she’ll never be able to calm. 

She stands up. She takes a deep breath, bringing her arms up into a circle and suspending the raindrops in midair when her hands meet above her head, moving to sweep her left foot in a semi-arc. 

The movement guides the water to surround her in streams, mimicking the image of a hurricane she had seen in passing during geography class. Her movements are slow and controlled, but as thoughts start to cloud her mind, they become more erratic and more emotional. 

She thrusts her right arm out to the sky, a jagged spike of ice following suit. The edge is as sharp as the hot flash of anger in her heart, anger at herself for being so helpless and pitiful in this state, anger at her parents for abandoning her, and anger directed at herself for being unable to control anything around her.

She shifts her arm back, leaving the large spike of ice as is and allowing herself to feel the next emotion: Despair. How could she even think about falling in love in a dimension that isn’t even hers? She had to leave sometime. Whatever she felt for Leo would be over before it even began. 

She despairs for a life lost, for the various that she’s seen leaving the plane of mortality in the blink of an eye. Despair for her parents. Despair for Yue. Despair for Jet. 

Despair for all the lives lost in the war. 

Despair for a love that once was. 

The water around her seems to adapt to her feelings, shifting and surrounding her in a flurry of churning, rapidly moving stream that she almost lets go of. 

Then, Fear takes hold. Her body is simply flowing along with the water, allowing herself to become one with its motions. She’s scared. She’s scared to lose the people around her. She’s scared she’ll never make it back to her home. 

She’s scared that once she takes the first step forward to confirm what she and Leo have, she’ll lose it. 

She’s scared that she’ll lose him. 

The water bubbles, drawing back and coating her body in a protective shield, leaving her face unguarded. 

All her guarded emotions finally rise to the surface. She raises her hands again, bending every drop around her to form a huge orb of water above the apartment building. 

Then in a single movement, she bends the water to become mist, letting it — and her emotions, dissipate into the morning of New York City, surrounding the buildings with heavy fog.

She sighs softly. It’s as if a huge burden has been lifted off her shoulders. She walks back down the fire escape, slipping back into April’s room and under the covers, not noticing the dirt that covers the soles of her feet and staining the white bedspreads.

She falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow, lip curved upwards into a soft smile.

Maybe she should do that more often.

— — — —

“I never understood how turtles — could be so fast!” April says between pants, breathless from the amount of running they’ve just done. Y/n nods in agreement from beside her. She could run, just not for two hours straight.

“C’mon, April! This is just the warmup,” Mikey encourages, all four turtles completely unfazed. “I’m sorry — the warmup?” Y/n echoes in disbelief, holding a finger up as she catches her breath from beside a tired April, “For two hours??”

“That’s what ninjas do. Training sometimes lasts for four–five hours at a time. Awesome, right?” 

“Awesome?” April’s baffled by how normal this is for them. “Are you kidding me? I’m gonna puke.”

“I second that motion.” Y/n raises her hand from beside her, already leaning against Donnie, who supports her with a worried smile. Her stomach turns, all her stamina spent. Her legs have zero feeling in them, barely managing to hold herself upright.

“What about a real mission?”

“It took fifteen years of training before Master Splinter let us go on a ‘real mission’. You got a long way to go, sister.” Raph scoffs, sassily dismissing April’s request.

“Not that long. A decade or two will fly by like that!” Donnie snaps his fingers to prove his point, but it only serves to heighten April’s dismay. 

“For a turtle!”

Y/n groans softly, the familiar unnerving sensation back again with full force. It had been plaguing her for the past couple of days, and she wanted to tell the rest but didn’t know how to — especially after that night when Donnie and April had both caught her kissing Leo’s cheek.

She constantly felt like she was being followed, but every time she glanced around to try and narrow it down, the feeling disappeared, as if whoever was doing so had fled. It’s back again, though - and growing more intense by the minute. 

Everyone’s voices fade into white noise. She closes her eyes, trying to focus on what exactly her instincts are trying to tell her. Her gut twists and turns as if it’s wringing itself out to dry. However, it’s tugging in a particular direction, and she opens her eyes to see April pointing in the same direction as well. 

A masked figure is hidden in the shadows, but the brightness of a neon sign reflects onto the signboard they’re hiding behind, revealing their location. They flinch at being caught, grabbing their things and running away. 

Great. More running.

She staggers to her feet with a groan, beginning to give chase. If it’s one thing she’s learnt about being watched, it’s that it never leads to a good outcome. 

Case in point: Sparky Sparky Boom Man. 

As they run to catch up to the mysterious stranger, y/n gets a better look at them now that they’re more exposed to the light. She stops at the edge of the building they’re on but pauses once she bends the water out of the water bag on her hip. She judges the distance between the two buildings, unsure if the amount of water is enough to create a bridge over. 

However, she’s hastily scooped up and pressed against a strong plastron, instinctively wrapping her arms around Leo’s neck as his own circle her waist protectively. He jumps off the building after securing a grappling hook to the next, pushing himself off the ledge and landing safely on the rooftop. 

He sets her down gently, y/n whispering her thanks softly as their gazes lock. “Make goo-goo eyes a​​​​t each other later; we got a guy to catch!” Raph rolls his eyes, the both of them flustered at suddenly being called out. 

They resume their run, though the distance between them is a bit closer than before. She reaches the edge once more, kneeling down to get a better look at the man who slips into an apartment in the opposite building. 

She allows herself to get carried over by Leo, the gesture almost second nature now. She lets go of his neck once they land on the fire escape, hands reaching out to open the window. She’s stopped, however, when Leo shakes his head, his hands holding hers and gently pushing them down. 

He produces a tool from behind his back, y/n stepping aside in understanding as he jimmies the lock open before slowly sliding it up. She’s already prepared a shield of ice in case any arrows come flying, holding it in front of them both. 

Luckily, no projectiles come flying at them. She breathes a sigh of relief but still keeps her shield up as they enter the apartment. It’s comparatively devoid of decorative furniture, a potted plant in the corner drawing her attention.

She walks over, noting how its leaves are somewhat wilted. She bends a small stream of water to soak into the soil around it, smiling when the plant looks a little livelier than before. She bends the rest of her shield back into liquid form, guiding it back into her water bag.

She hears a gasp, everyone having gathered around a board in the middle of the room. She walks over, curious as to what they’ve found, but her words fall short as soon as her eyes land on pictures of the turtles and April. 

“Uh, Y/n? You should see this.” 

She turns to Raph with raised brows, walking over to see what he’s looking at with such wide eyes. He passes her his flashlight, and she shines it onto a board that’s separate from the rest. 

“Tui’s gills….”

Pictures. 

So many pictures of her litter the board, pinned up with metal thumbtacks in a crazed organization system. Red thread connects them all haphazardly, words scribbled in red onto each. 

There’s a picture of her healing Baxter Stockman, and another of her on the rooftop with Leo. Another is of her healing people during the Kraang Invasion, while one captures her mid-laugh, eyes gleaming with happiness and her nose scrunched at a joke someone says. 

There’s also another of her slumped on the ground in the alleyway, moments away from having blood-bended. Her eyes are dark, her expression blank as blood trickles down the side of her head. Her hand is outstretched to Raph, who’s not captured in the photo, lips parted as if she’s talking to another.

Then there’s another of her with angry tears in her eyes, the close-up shot sending chills down her spine. It captured every emotion she had felt from that night — anger, helplessness, fear…

It’s unsettling. Her hands grip her arms, shuddering at the thought of someone taking all these photos of her without her knowledge. She shines the torch on the hastily scrawled words, beginning to read them.

‘Power over water?’

‘Not of this earth.’

‘Kraang mutant?’

‘The blue one.’

The sentence is scribbled next to a photo of her and Leo looking at each other with gentle smiles as if they’re in their own little bubble. His hand is brushed against hers, and the memory brings a strong heat to her entire face. She sneaks a look around, Raph having walked over to the other board where more photos of their existence are. 

She reaches up, quietly removing the thumbtack and stuffing the photo into her pocket. It’s not like she isn’t creeped out by the photo — It is incredibly weird and unsettling after all. 

But she kinda liked that one.

She shines her torch on the left side of the board, catching a few messily written words on another piece of paper. She moves the torch to shine on it, her breath hitching in her chest when she reads it. 

‘Possible affinity with blood?’

Sudden light-headedness strikes through her head like a shard of pain, her breathing stuttering in her chest. She takes a step back. The red ink starts to bleed, dripping down the pictures of her with a crimson red that both draws her in and terrifies her to her core.

A loud slam draws her attention to Raph, who holds the stranger that followed them to the wall in an aggressive chokehold, his sai pressed to his throat with the intention to intimidate. She shakes her head and blinks rapidly, her racing heart doing nothing to calm how rattled she is.

“Don’t hurt me, I’m a friend!” 

“Stalker’s more like it.” Raph scoffs.

“After all these months, finally face to face with the talking ninja turtles and April O’Neil herself. Even the Water Whisperer, Y/n.” He takes a step toward Y/n with his hands outstretched to grab her shoulders. Leo instantly moves to protect her, drawing his katana and pointing it at the man, who takes a step back, hands raised in surrender.

“You better start talking, pal. What’s with the photos? Who are you?” Leo’s aggressiveness seems to make the man start talking, eyeing his sword nervously.

“The name’s Kurtzman. I was a journalist on the case of the missing scientist last year. Then I discovered something much bigger.” 

He moves to turn on the light, using his arm to sweep off scattered papers and the mug on his desk. He faces them with a book, placing it down on the desk with a thud. “The Kraang.”

He begins to explain, opening the book and showing the research and pictures inside. “The alien infiltration is long-lived. Ancient, in fact. The Kraang have been trying to use the mutagen to terra-form our planet for thousands of years. But they couldn’t use the mutagen in our universe without a specific chain of human DNA. They spent millennia capturing people. Shaping humankind’s genetic code until finally….” 

He lifts up a picture of a baby, and April inhales sharply when she sees it. “That’s me.”

“Your mother was taken by The Kraang before you were born. Then, she was experimented on.” He flips to a family picture of April and her parents. April’s eyes are filled with pure shock, discovering new information about her family for the first time. 

“My mom was experimented on?”

“That’s why you’re so special, April. Your DNA can perfect the mutagen in this dimension.” Kurtzman reveals. 

“I-I think I need to sit down.” April slumps against a chest of drawers, holding her head as she processes everything he’s said. Y/n, on the other hand, has questions. She takes a step towards the man who’s been spying on them. 

“What do you mean when you called me ‘Water Whisperer’?” She questions, her arms crossed defensively across her chest. 

“Because you can control water! I couldn’t believe it at first, but once I saw those bridges made of ice, and the streams of water you surround yourself with, I knew at once you had some sort of power over it. There’s something I’ve been dying to ask, though.”

“What is it?”

“Well, it’s a fact that the human body consists of up to sixty percent water, with over ninety percent of it making up blood. So theoretically, wouldn’t it be possible that-”

He’s cut off with a single flick of her wrist, a small stream of water instantly covering his mouth and y/n freezing it in a split second. He’s effectively silenced, all four turning to look at her in shock. Her eyes are cold, her outstretched fist that’s aimed at Kurtzman a silent threat. 

“If you complete that sentence, your mouth isn’t going to be the only thing frozen.” 

The promise rings through the quiet room, and she unclenches her fist, bending the water back into its liquid state and back to her side, though the threat reminds everyone exactly how capable she is.

Leo’s about to say something – to check if she’s okay, when the door is slammed open by three disguised Kraang bots. They enter the room with their blasters, armed and ready to fire.

“They found me,” Kurtzman says, his voice filled with fear, “I don’t know how, but they found me.”

“Kraang, the human known as ‘Kurtzman’ has allied himself with the ones called the ‘turtles’, who are turtles.” The bot on the left says.

“Observe, Kraang. Disintegrate first, capture for interrogation later.” The bot on the right says.

All three start firing, beginning to spread out. Y/n’s lips curve up into an empty grin. “You came just in time. I have a few frustrations to take care of.” She jumps out of the way from a blast that’s aimed at her, letting out a cry as she moves her arms in a small arc, bending the water out of her water bag and crafting a spear of ice in an instant. 

She sends it flying at the Kraang bot that’s firing at both her and Mikey, the latter throwing two ninja stars that embed itselves into the gun and its eye, while her spear pierces its abdomen. She hears a sharp squeal of pain that goes quiet after, the bot no longer moving to get up. 

She waves her arm dismissively, bending the water back into its liquid state and reusing it. It’s tinged pink now, having pierced through the Kraang’s very being. She regards it with nonchalance, levitating it above her hand with her fingers around it. 

“Y/n, watch out!” 

Leo’s about to make a move to stab the bot that’s moving behind her but falters in his steps once she turns at his cry and sends the spear through the Kraang in the middle. It leaves a gaping hole through the pink flesh, the bot falling to her feet. 

“Retreat!” Raph cries out as more of the Kraang begin to enter the apartment. They escape through the window, y/n groaning in annoyance when Kurtzman doesn’t make his exit. He flounders, trying to get to his notebook. The Kraang refuse to allow him to get near it, firing away at him. 

She’s so close to just leaving him there. But she sighs, grabbing the back of his collar and pulling him back with as much force as she can muster, falling out the window. 

She’s miscalculated his weight, and they both hurtle toward the ground at a terrifying rate. She doesn’t scream, the sound caught in her chest and only a choked exhale escaping. Was this how she would die? Saving an idiot?

She vaguely feels something circle around her leg, and it tightens when they’re inches away from meeting the pavement. They dangle upside down, and she looks down to see Mikey above them, holding on with all his strength using his nunchucks to secure both her and Kurtzman.

He slowly lowers them to the ground, and she collapses onto the ground, releasing Kurtzman’s collar. She stands back up with a grunt, dusting off the dirt on her clothes and ignoring the man’s pained cries. The creep could take care of himself.

“This way, move!” Leo orders after giving y/n a quick glance over to check if she’s injured. He looks away as soon as he confirms that she isn’t, his eyes hardening. His main priority is to get all of them out, unharmed.

They’re about to leave, but a van screeches to a halt, blocking their means of escape. The doors open, and the Kraang step out in spider-like robots. The clawed ends clatter against the pavement, the sound sending a chill down her spine.

A large blaster is revealed when the front panel moves aside, and they start to fire at everyone around. “This way!” Y/n cries out, gesturing for everyone to leave through the other side of the alleyway. Donnie ushers them into the secret entrance installed that leads to the garage, all of them piling into the ShellRaiser before Leo starts the engine up and drives it to the surface.

“Everyone, brace yourselves!” Leo calls out a single warning, y/n grabbing the closest thing to her, which is a handle attached to the wall of the van.

“Here’s the plan. We’ll infiltrate T.C.R.I. Then, we’ll wipe out all the ingo the Kraang have on April and her DNA.” Kurtzman suggests.

“T.C.R.I? I thought you guys blew that place up.” April points out. Donnie stiffens slightly at the reminder, glancing at y/n who doesn’t notice.

Leo drives to a safer area, everyone getting out and staring at the large building a short distance away in disbelief. “They rebuilt T.C.R.I? Raph mutters.

“We break in, erase April’s DNA codes, and get out. Infiltration only.” Leo orders in a hushed whisper.

“Le’s do this,” April clenches her hands into fists, ready to take action. 

“Great. You and Kurtzman stay outside on lookout.”

“Stay outside? On lookout?” April’s incredibly offended, her hands on her hips. 

“No problem. Take this,” Kurtzman rifles through his pockets, taking out a card and handing it to Leo. “It’s a key card I stole from one of their vans. It’ll get you into T.C.R.I.”

“I can be lookout.” Y/n volunteers, giving her friend a half grin. She shrugs at Leo’s baffled expression. “Hey, give her a chance. It’s the least you can do after you left me behind that night.”

Leo’s wounded expression makes her inhale sharply. She couldn’t help being salty over it still, having felt hurt that they excluded her. “Be careful out there, April.” She cautions her friend.

“Fine,” Leo caves in easily, unable to fight back against her. “Thanks Mr Kurtzman. Look after her.” He says sternly, casting one last worried glance over his shoulder as he leaves with April and the rest. 

Y/n raises a brow. Just who was protecting who, here?

She’s left alone with Kurtzman, who she can see in her peripheral, is just itching to ask her questions. His eager eyes make her sigh, caving in. “What is it?” 

“I just have a few questions. How did you receive your powers? Do you communicate with water? What exactly are your limits? How many phase changes can you make? Do you ever get dehydrated?”

She feels as if she’s a blueprint being studied by Sokka.

“I was born with waterbending. I don’t communicate with water, no. I feel the flow and simply guide it to the results I wish to produce.” She demonstrates using a simple stream of water from her water bag to wrap around her arm in a spiral, Kurtzman watching in fascination and awe. 

“I can change it to be mist or even ice. And yes, I do get dehydrated if I don’t drink enough water. There was a time when I was in the desert and was really tempted to drink cactus juice.” 

“Oh,” He sounds genuinely surprised at the last answer. He hesitates. “About my question from earlier….” 

Y/n tenses, shooting him a glare that tells him to stop. But he pushes on, determined to find an answer. “Doesn’t this mean you can control people’s bodies?”

He waits for an answer, wishing he had a piece of paper to jot everything down. She takes a shaky breath, trying to steel herself. “Mr. Kurtzman. I do not know why you want to know this information, and nor do I plan to reveal it to you. Consider yourself lucky that none of them are around right now, or I would have frozen your entire being right here for speaking of such things.”

“Is that a yes?” 

Her gaze darkens. This man is treading very, very thin ice. “It is a taboo power. A dark one I wish I never knew. Some things, Mr. Kurtzman, are better left unanswered.”

A moment of silence passes, y/n leaning against the wall and mulling over her own thoughts when Mr. Kurtzman speaks up again. “Maybe we should secure a van for their escape.” He suggests.

She moves to stand flat on her feet, nodding in agreement. “How about that one?” He points out a van a few feet away. They make their way over, Kurtzman jimmying the lock smoothly with ease. 

She regards him with a mildly impressed nod. He rubs the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. “Had to secure a few getaway cars myself when investigating the Kraang.”

She sits in the passenger seat, Kurtzman sitting behind the wheel and hotwiring the engine. It starts with a purr, and he sits back up with a satisfied smile. She hears the sound of doors being smashed open, looking at T.C.R.I. to see the four running away from a crowd of Kraang that are chasing after them.

Kurtzman holds down the gas pedal, y/n yelping as the van suddenly moves. They screech to a stop in front of the five making their escape, y/n opening the door. “Get in!” She urges. They pile into the vehicle, Leo shutting the door behind them as Kurtzman drives off.

“What happened? Why is April dressed like that?” She has so many questions, but none get answered as the driver laughs loudly, gleeful at escaping the Kraang.

“Thanks for the save, Mr. Kurtzman.” She had to hand it to him; Leo was anything if not polite.

“I owed you one! So, did you wipe out the Kraang computers?” 

“We did, by the skin of our noses.” Donnie shrugs.

“The only reason we survived was because of April. Whatever you did back there saved us all.”

“I have no clue what I did,” April sighs, clinging to her friend’s arm for emotional support. Y/n pats the top of her head softly, offering comfort in whatever way she can. “I was freaking out and then zap. The Kraang were toast.”

The van slows to a stop, and Leo opens the door for everyone to exit. “Well, I’m off. Somebody’s gotta keep an eye on the Kraang. Let me know if you need my expertise again, you know where to find me.” He hands Leo his card.

“And uh, blue one.” Leo’s about to walk off with the rest, April filling y/n in as they walk back to their apartment. Kurtzman gestures for him to come close, and he obediently leans in. He sees Kurtzman hesitate, looking at y/n in case she overhears. 

“Here’s a piece of advice. Watch out for the Water Whisperer. Remember the question I wanted to ask earlier? Remind your brainiac brother about it if you want to stay safe. 

You have no idea what she’s capable of.”

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[crackedpumpkin]

ᴄʜᴇʀʀʏ ʙʟᴏꜱꜱᴏᴍꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴅɪᴍᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ || ᴘᴀʀᴛ ꜰɪꜰᴛᴇᴇɴ ||

2k12! Leonardo x Waterbender! reader

a/n: Ooooo we really getting into the backstory now :) I already can't wait for the s3 arc, i have so much planned!! tw: gets a bit dark

“April?”

Y/n is startled when she hears the door open, then loudly slam shut. Peering around the corner of the wall separating the kitchen from the living room, she spots April tossing her bag onto the floor.

“Did something happen?” She turns off the stove, bringing out a glass of water. April accepts it gratefully, though the scowl on her lips remains as she gulps down the refreshing liquid. 

“Yeah, Donnie followed me home,” April answers bitterly, Y/n taking the now empty cup from her hands. “Anyway, I just came by to drop off a few things before heading back out again.”

“What about dinner? I made some fish stew,” Y/n tries to coax, gesturing to the pot on the stove. April hesitates but shakes her head in response. “C’mon, at least bring along some salmon jerky.” 

“You already gave me some. It’s still in my bag. I’ll have that and microwave the stew after I return home.” April stands back up, grabbing her bag and slinging it across her waist again.

“Who will you be out with? Don’t come back home too late.” 

“I’ll be going to see a friend. Casey Jones. Y’know, the guy I’m tutoring?” Y/n shakes her head in response, April looking at her blankly before remembering that Y/n didn’t go to school. She had stayed at April’s home for the past week, doing her own thing.

Ever since that night, when the small voice of temptation whispered in the corner of her mind, Y/n tossed and turned in bed, restless. She didn’t understand where it had come from, much less why it had turned up.

But she knew it was a reminder of the memory she tried so hard to push to the back of her mind, one that haunts her if she doesn't try to forget.

“I don’t want that kind of power.” 

It was the night of the full moon, and Y/n and Katara stood behind Hama. Y/n had bluntly refused Hama’s initial offer to teach them bloodbending, Katara nodding in agreement. 

“The choice is not yours. The power exists.” Hama’s voice hardens. “It’s your duty to use this gift to win this war. They tried to wipe us out, Katara. Your culture, your tribe, your mother.” Hama switches to winning over Katara instead, the soft-hearted girl hesitant.

Y/n places her arm in front of the younger girl, taking a bold step forward protectively. “You’re the one who’s behind the missing people, aren’t you?” She realizes, putting the pieces together.

When Toph mentioned voices under the mountain, they all thought she was joking, maybe even hearing things. But now Y/n knew for sure that Hama was behind everything.

“They threw me in prison to rot, along with my brothers and sisters,” Hama’s smile twists into a sneer, practically spitting her words, "They deserve the same. You must carry on my work.”

“No, we won’t. I won’t use bloodbending, much less use it as a means to an end. It's not something that should be tampered with.” Y/n states with finality, grabbing Katara’s hand and turning. “C’mon, Katara, we need to find the others.”

She lets out a yelp when her arm is twisted behind her back, fingers letting go of Katara’s wrist. She spots Hama moving, bloodbending her entire body along with Katara’s. She grunts, trying to fight back. Her arms are forcibly pinned down against her sides, teeth gritted as she glares at the witch.

“Let me go!”

“You should have learned the technique before you turned against me. It’s impossible to fight your way out of my grip.” Hama cackles in glee, “I control every muscle, every vein in your body!” 

As if to prove her point, she forces Y/n’s body to move against her will, making her dance as her limbs move jerkily, like a mere puppet on a string. Katara struggles, trying to escape and help her friend.

Y/n’s pinned against the tree trunk, eyes burning with unshed tears as every cell in her body screams in pain. Nothing was listening to her; she had never felt so powerless against a foe.

Katara screams, Hama forcing her to kneel down. “Stop, please,” Y/n begs. Katara was probably going through the same pain, wanting nothing more than to protect the young girl. 

With a flick of her wrist, Hama pulls Y/n’s body to kneel closer to her, placing a foot on her bare shoulder. Evil laughter echoes throughout the forest, Y/n seething at her helplessness.

No. No more. She wouldn’t be manipulated by someone like this. Not by someone who has taken them in with false kindness, someone who had given them hope that everything would be okay again.

The howling wind fills her ears, the light of the full moon shining down on them in the open area of the forest. Her eyes are closed, feeling the tears trickle down her cheek. She couldn’t surrender to her. Her mind races with thoughts and potential ways to get out of their situation. But no matter how hard she thought, there was no way out.

But in a moment of desperation, it hits her.

There was only one way to even the playing field.

Her fingers curl into fists, the grass that tickles the skin of her fingers wilting as a circle of death spreads out from under her hands. She slowly stood up with all the courage and strength she could muster. Her eyes open, filled with a new determination.

Sure, she was a healer from the North Pole and didn’t know what Hama had gone through. But she was tired of hiding and having others fight the battles for her while all she did was heal. 

She watches Hama’s expression turn into one of shock, stumbling back. “You’re not the only one who draws power from the moon, Hama. I’m a more powerful bender than you’ll ever be.”

She moves her arms into a circle, summoning a ring of water surrounding her. She sends it hurtling towards Hama with all the force she can muster, but Hama manages to catch it, sending double the amount back. 

The stream of water narrows as it gets closer, Y/n watching with focused eyes and a calm gaze. She’s a healer, one that can see the flow of life itself. Defence and healing were her strengths, which she would wield as her weapons. 

Now.

She sees how the water flows, closes her eyes and places her hand in front of her. In a single moment, she takes control, suddenly stopping its movement. It splashes onto the ground around her, droplets landing on Hama who’s taken aback by the sudden display of power while Y/n stands firm, untouched. 

In another swift movement, she draws on the moon's power once more, using the water to pull Hama’s feet from below her, flipping the old woman and making her land on the dirt.

She spots Aang and Sokka running towards them, gasping when she sees Hama’s eyes light up with a sinister smile. 

“We know what you’ve been doing, Hama!”

“Give up; you’re outnumbered!”

No. 

Not them. 

Dread pools in her gut, feeling it twist as Hama chuckles.

“You’ve outnumbered yourselves.”

“Y/n? Hello?” 

She starts, looking up from the cup in her hands to April, who looks at her with concern.

“Are you okay? I’ve been calling you for the past five minutes.” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She forces a smile, trying to assure the worried girl. “Go hang out with this ‘Casey', but don’t be back too late, okay?” 

April rolls her eyes with a smile, her earlier encounter with Donnie now forgotten. “I’ll be fine, Y/n. Don’t stay up too late, though.” She walks to the door, glancing back at the quiet girl who looks back down at the empty cup in her hands. 

She hesitates. Was it really okay to just leave like this?

“Hey,” She finds herself speaking, “Would you like to come to school with me tomorrow?”

Y/n practically lights up, sitting upright when she hears April’s words. “Really? You mean it?” 

April nods, chuckling when Y/n claps her hands excitedly. “I can’t wait! What will I wear??” 

“You can look through my closet. School’s at 8 am tomorrow, so we gotta leave by 730.” 

“You say that like I’ve never attended school before,” Y/n says with a roll of her eyes.

“Have you attended school before?” April’s already closing the gate behind her, her head tilted slightly. Y/n pauses in her steps, heading to the kitchen.

“I was homeschooled.”

— — — — — — — — 

“Maybe I should bring some brushes!” Y/n finds the tote bag April had gifted her a while back, slinging it across her shoulder with glee. She pauses, forgetting that they used ‘pencils’ and ‘pens' in this world.

So she grabs a few that lay on April’s desk, making a mental note to let her know that she had borrowed them. She opens the fridge next, pulling out some salmon jerky she had made while she stayed home. She wraps them in cling wrap, used to the strong fishy smell that it gives off and shoves it into the tote bag as well.

Pulling out her T-Phone, she scrolls down the (somewhat limited) list of contacts. Stopping at Leo’s name, her finger hovers over it. 

Should she call him? Would it be awkward? What if he didn’t pick up? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing? 

Instead, she calls Raph.

She puts it on speakerphone, sits on the couch and grabs random items to put inside her bag. Sachets of tea leaves go in, with a book to keep her entertained and to brush up on this world’s vocabulary. What else would one need in a school?

She continues to ponder, the phone ringing till it reaches voicemail. She tries calling Mikey next, but it just goes to voicemail. 

Leo it is.

She waits, wondering why they aren’t answering. Anxiety pricks at her gut, worried she was interrupting them on a critical mission. However, Leo picks up.

“Hello?”

“Leo! Guess what??”

She waits for a response, hearing his laboured breathing. Her brows furrow in confusion. “Are you okay?”

“I’m-” She hears the sound of a blaster going off with a yelp from a voice she recognizes as Mikey before Leo continues to speak. “Okay! Just a bit preoccupied right now. But what’s up?” 

“Tui’s gills, Leo. Why’d you pick up while you’re in the middle of something??” She practically scolds him.

“You called. Why wouldn’t I pick up?” She can hear the innocent confusion in his voice, feeling her cheeks heat up. 

“Just- I’ll text you instead. Stay safe.” She blurts out, pressing the button to hang up the phone, glancing at the clock with a sharp exhale. She holds her hands against her hot cheeks, willing them to cool down. It’s only eleven pm. 

Maybe a quick meditation session would do some good.

She sits down on the floor, cross-legged and closes her eyes. She tries to empty out her mind, banishing all thoughts from her mind except one: 

Why now? 

Why had the temptation of using bloodbending only shown up now?

Bloodbending.

It’s a term she never thought she’d ever have to bring up again, not after that night. It draws her in, lacing its dark power with words of honey, promises of control and desires granted.

But she knew better. Didn’t she?

You know you want to. Just bloodbend, and you’ll have the whole world under your control. It’s just a small step away. 

She tenses, forcing away the whisper in the corner of her mind that disappears with what sounded like a growl. She takes a deep breath in, taking in the power of the full moon all around her and sensing the presence of all forms of water around her.

The tap drips slowly, the hot water cooling down in the kettle, even the ice in the fridge. She breathes out slowly, beginning to sense the bodies of people around her. The old man sleeping in the unit above, the dog that looks for scraps in the alleyway beside the building, even the mugger that corners an innocent passerby a distance away… 

It’s so simple; to just reach out and grasp the strings. Her fingers brush against them, pulling on a single thread out of pure curiosity. Just to see what would happen if she did. To control them.

She gasps, her eyes flying open at the thought as beads of sweat form on her brow and trail down the side of her face. Her heart beats rapidly in her chest, and panic begins to overwhelm her.

What was that?

She shakes her head, gritting her teeth and glancing at the tote bag she had placed on the couch. Her eyes soften, remembering April’s words. School. She’s going to school for the first time in her whole life tomorrow morning. 

What happened earlier was probably nothing. 

She stands up, satisfied with what she had packed for the next day, heading to April’s bedroom and lying in their bed. She feels her eyelids grow heavy, letting them slide shut as she finally drifts off to sleep.

And yet, in the dead of night, the mugger a few streets down gasps for air, lying on the cold concrete as his fingers desperately grab at nothing. His heart was being squeezed so tightly it felt like it’d burst. His fingers turn a light shade of purple, and he pleads desperately for the pain to stop.

And finally, it does.

— — — — — — — — 

“Did you hear about that mugger a few streets down?” 

Y/n looks up from her leftover fish stew from the night before, chewing and swallowing with a small polite burp. “No, why? What happened?”

“Apparently, he had a heart attack while mugging someone,” April says, sitting on the counter with a wince. 

“I guess he deserved it,” Y/n shrugs, noticing how her roommate avoids putting pressure on her left arm. She puts down her spoon, instantly suspicious. “Okay, what’s going on? I know bad acting when I see it.” She crosses her arms, watching April shift around in her seat guiltily.

“I might have…Gotten into a fight.” April admits sheepishly. 

Y/n pinches the bridge of her nose, holding out her hand. “Arm.” 

“It’s not that big a deal; it was just….” April hesitates, surrendering her bruised arm to Y/n, who inspects it, bending the water out of her cup and wrapping it around the bruise. She can’t stop the sigh of relief that slips past her lips, grateful for the cool sensation.

“Was just what?” Y/n asks, looking up and waiting patiently for an answer.

“...Was just Karai – OW!” April flinches, pulling her arm back when the temperature instantly drops. 

“Sorry!” Y/n apologizes hastily, gently taking April’s arm and continuing to heal it. “So, what about her?” 

“Well, it really wasn’t anything big. She just tried to…well, destroy me – OW!!” April wrenches her arm away once more from the sudden drop in temperature. “I’m beginning to think that you don’t like her.”

Y/n laughs in embarrassment, April huffing before choosing to keep quiet about last night's encounter. Until she finished her healing, anyway. The yellow skin, splotched with hints of purple and blue, slowly fades until her skin is back to its normal tone and colour.

“Thanks.” April finishes her breakfast quickly, placing the bowls in the basin. 

“I wasn’t done with that!” Y/n complains, but she notices why April’s in such a rush. She glances at the clock above the television.

7.40 am.

“Oh! We’re gonna be late!” April rolls her eyes playfully at Y/n’s realization, grabbing their bags and approaching the door. “C’mon, we gotta be there by eight!”

Y/n grabs a brush, trying to comb her hair nicely. “Do I look acceptable for this world’s society?” She asks April, who gives her a once over, nodding in acceptance. She grabs her water bag, slinging it across her waist, only to be stopped by April, who shakes her head.

“This is school, not a battlefield.” April reasons with Y/n, who frowns. She reluctantly removes it and leaves it on the couch, shutting the door behind her. Oh well, anything to experience school.

They rush there, April running while Y/n jogs. “I don’t get how you’re at the same pace as me while I’m running, and you’re not.” April grouches, struggling to catch her breath as they stand outside the school.

Y/n feels perfectly fine, though a few beads of sweat form on her brow. She shrugs. “I mean, I did have some practice in running away.”

She offers April some of the bottled water in her bag, the latter taking a grateful sip. “I’ll introduce you to my friends later, but for now, we have history class first in the morning.”

“Oh? Does this include the ‘Casey’ you keep talking about?” Y/n teases lightly, grinning when the redhead starts, a blush slowly forming on her cheeks as she splutters, trying to find a response. 

“Yes, it does.” April calms down with just a simple roll of her eyes, smiling back. “Oh! I forgot to tell you this, but I made up with them. Donnie and the rest, I mean.”

A flicker of annoyance pricks Y/n’s gut, her brows furrowing. She pulls out her T-Phone, scanning the messages to see none from the turtles about the new information, much less about the attack last night. “Seriously…” She grumbles, inhaling deeply as frustration makes itself known on her face.

“Why does no one tell me anything??”

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brunnetteiwik

ivuriexo

[crackedpumpkin]

ᴄʜᴇʀʀʏ ʙʟᴏꜱꜱᴏᴍꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴅɪᴍᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ || ᴘᴀʀᴛ ꜱɪxᴛᴇᴇɴ ||

2K12! Leonardo x Waterbender! Reader

a/n: if there's anything I love in this world, it's a good diet of foreboding and build up. tw: mentions of blood

Y/n’s bored.

She’s very, very bored.

“And this is how World War 1 started.” The teacher speaking snaps her out of her daydream, and she glances down at the messy notebook in front of her. She scrawled a few words on it, still trying to get used to the grip of a pen.

As soon as the bell rang (which apparently signals the start of school here, according to April), they made it to the first lesson of the day: History. 

It’s different from what she’s used to; most of her basic lessons have been taught by the private tutor her uncle had employed for both her and Yue. Most of the time, though, she was in the Healing Huts, learning from the older women of the Tribe.

Her aptitude for healing made her famous, though it was only momentary. She was often called over by the elders to help out with injuries caused by the waterbending school Master Pakku ran. 

Her smile falters momentarily when she recalls an old memory that remains stuck in her head to this day.

— — — —- —- — — — — —

"Does no one wanna play with me?" An eight-year-old Y/n mumbles with a pout, stacking the toy blocks absentmindedly. 

"I'm sure they're just shy!" Her cousin chirps from beside her, copying how she stacks the blocks. 

Y/n just shrugs from beside her, brightening up slightly when she sees a few kids her age making their way over. 

"Hi! Wanna play with us, Yue?" 

"Sure! What about Y/n?" 

"She can come too, I guess. But it'll be more fun without her!"

Y/n wilts at the comment, already looking away as her hair covers her face, acting as a shield for the saddened expression on her face. 

"Well, I won't go if she isn't coming either!"

— — — —- —- — — — — —

“You good?” She hears April whisper from the corner of her mouth, glancing over in worry. Her eyes widen when she sees the large blots of ink that stain the paper on Y/n’s desk, practically soaking through. 

Y/n grins sheepishly, holding her pinky to reveal a pigmented blue stain. “Still getting used to it. I much prefer brushes.”

They share a giggle, only for Y/n to sit upright when she hears the teacher clear her throat. “Is something funny, Miss O’Neil? And your friend as well, Miss…?”

“Beifong. Y/n Beifong of the Northern Water Tribe.” She supplies, wanting to be helpful to the teacher. 

“Miss Beifong of the…Northern Water Tribe. Is there something funny about the war?” 

“Kind of,” Y/n shrugs, not noticing how April desperately tries to signal her to stop talking. 

“Would you like to share your thoughts with the class?”

“It’s mainly just that it’s very different from where I’m from. There was a lot of Bending involved in the war.”

“Bending?” The teacher repeats, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Y/n nods, standing up and going over to the whiteboard. She picks up a tool that resembles a pen and starts to draw four separate circles on the whiteboard. 

“Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. These are the basic four elements. There’s also metal, but that’s more of Toph’s expertise.

“The four nations were once united in harmony. My uncle used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. 

But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed, and the Fire Nation neared Victory in the War.”

At this point, she realizes that everyone in the class has stopped talking, staring at her silently. Even the boys in the back who were joking were watching, the girls putting away their phones.

April has her head in her hands.

Y/n grins, happy that everyone is paying such rapt attention. “Here’s where it gets funny; my friends found the Avatar in an iceberg and broke him out! My friend Katara was the one that did so. She’s a fantastic waterbender. Sokka was there, too, I guess. 

We fought against Zuko, the exiled prince of the Fire Nation — now the Lord, though. At first, I thought he was just really depressed. And he was! But I’m pretty sure he’s alright now.”

She’s cut off by the bell ringing, setting down the pen with a massive smile.

“Well, that was…interesting. Maybe you should sign up for our school’s creative writing course.” The teacher forces a smile onto her lips, but Y/n beams at the compliment. 

“Thank you! I have gotten praise from my tutor that I have excellent storytelling skills. It came in handy while we were on the run and needed entertainment.” 

“Okay, we’re leaving.” Y/n’s arm is grabbed by April, who begins to drag her out of the classroom. 

“Wait! I was going to tell her about the time Sokka and Katara had to suck on frogs!” Y/n protests, but upon seeing April’s scarlet red cheeks, she falls silent and follows without complaint.

She spots a few people from the earlier classroom, waving a quick hello with a warm smile. It falters, however, when she spots them whispering to each other and eyeing her up and down. 

Y/n starts to feel uncomfortable. Maybe her outfit wasn’t appropriate enough? She glances down, trying to pinpoint precisely what looked so wrong.

“What’s wrong?” She leans on the sink, the two of them the only ones in the restroom. April sighs, running a hand through her hair.

“Look, Y/n. Stuff like waterbending and earthbending…It’s like a fairy tale to everyone here. If you continue to talk about it, they’ll think you’re crazy!” April tries to explain, Y/n tilting her head in thought.

“So, no waterbending?”

“And no frogs.”

“No frog talk??” She’s already devastated.

“Not in public. But you gotta tell me when we’re back home, it sounds like such a wild story.” April grins, feeling much more relieved with Y/n’s eager nod.

The bell rings, and they share a worried look. 

“Didn’t you say that the bell only rings when…?”

“Yeah. We’re late for class. Let’s go!” April grabs her hand, dragging the waterbender behind her as they rush to class.

“Sorry! My apologies!” Y/n winces when someone bumps against her shoulder roughly, the student sending her a glare until a flicker of recognition flashes across their face. 

“You’re that chick! The Elemental Bending girl!”

“I am!” She slows in her steps, pleasantly surprised that they knew who she was. 

“Your imagination’s rad. You should make that into a show!”

“Sorry, Casey. Y/n, let’s go!” April urges. Grabbing her wrist, they run to the next class. Y/n quickly waves to the boy in the hallway, shrugging off his remark about her imagination.

It stung, but it wasn’t as if she could waterbend in public here.

— — — —- —- — — — — —

Mutant Monsters and robot ninjas are taking over my city. How long before those freaks hurt somebody close to me? Like my dad, my little sister…

April.

Well, I’m not waiting around to find out. All my life, I knew I was meant for something greater. 

This is my calling, my destiny.

A true warrior’s gotta be prepared.

“Scum-sucking mutant freaks of the world, prepare to meet Casey Jones.”

— — — —- —- — — — — —

“My sons, you are truly becoming impressive warriors. But to grow as a team, you must know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Mikey swings his nunchucks threateningly, moving close to Donnie and burping in his face. Y/n groans, sticking out her tongue in disgust. He laughs obnoxiously at her reaction, proud of himself.

“Right in my face??” Donnie cries, outraged, as his eyes start to burn from the rancid smell.

“Garlic and clam pizzaaa,” Mikey says smugly.

“This competition is a free for all. Last turtle standing wins.” Master Splinter states firmly, “Hajime!”

Raph immediately runs towards Donnie, whose vision is still blurred from Mikey’s potent attack, kicking him in the side and instantly knocking him out of the competition. Donnie lands against the dojo wall, and she quickly gets up to help him sit upright.

“This might help.” She bends some water to cover her palm, holding it against his closed eyes as he slumps against her side in relief. 

“Thanks,” He mumbles gratefully. 

Y/n continues to watch the fight, Mikey already out of the battle while Leo and Raph square off. She’s not paying close attention, more focused on patting Mikey’s head when he leans on her with a happy hum and healing Donnie.

“Oooh! Look!” She glances over at where Mikey’s pointing, wincing as she watches Leo use the tree in the dojo to gain an advantage, kneeing Raph in the face. 

“That’s gotta hurt,” She mumbles, hiding the chuckle that almost slips past her lips at Leo’s smug grin. She couldn’t let Raph hear. If there's anything she learnt during her time spent with them, it's that they’re much more alike to her friends back at home than she initially thought.

Raph reminded her so much of Toph, his temperament practically mirroring hers. The only difference being that she was blind, of course. 

He lands face down on the Dojo mat, Leo clearing his throat and propping his katana behind his back as he sneaks a look from the corner of his eye to see if she’s watching. 

She is.

The corner of her lips tugs up slightly, making eye contact with Leo, who averts his gaze with a flush on his cheeks. He clears his throat, picks up his katana and sheathes them on his back. He takes a knee, sneaking yet another peek with a proud smile.

She’s again distracted when she feels the sudden flow of Raph’s blood speed up, practically sensing his heartbeat quicken as he grows angry with each passing second.

Her hands tingle, feeling her body still as everything else fades into white noise. Her heart slows, starting to see the flow of energy and life that surround her in the dojo.

Leo’s is a royal blue, Mikey’s a burnt orange, and Donnie’s is a warm brown. Raph’s is a scarlet red, burning brighter the more the blood rushes to his head in anger. It’s a stunning shade, one that catches her attention instantly. 

The color reminds her of something familiar. The answer’s on the tip of her tongue, a whisper encouraging her to remember it. 

Blood.

“Uh, Y/n?” Donnie voices out worryingly, the once cool sensation quickly turning into a rising temperature he can’t withstand. She doesn’t notice, eyes still trained on the movement of the two brother’s limbs with cold eyes. He shifts uncomfortably on her shoulder, scrunching his snout as the water continues to heat up.

“Dudette?” Mikey waves his hand in front of her face, and she snaps out of it, warmth flooding back into her body almost instantly. She blinks. 

What was that?

It felt as if the cold fingers of death itself had gripped its claws around her heart, slowly freezing it over. But as soon as she snaps out of it, it retreats back into the inky depths from where it came from inside her. 

Suddenly it’s hard to breathe. She pulls her hand away from Donnie’s closed eyes, staring at the rough calluses with tightness in her gaze. Something really wasn’t right with her.

“I…have to go.” She stands up abruptly, surprising everyone. Master Splinter merely nods in approval, and she turns, walking out of the dojo with hurried steps.

“I’m gonna go on a walk too.” Raph grunts with a roll of his eyes, shoving Leo’s shoulder and following the same path that Y//n took.

— — — —- —- — — — — —

My city is infested. A boil, a festering sore. It stinks with evil. 

Pure evil only Casey Jones can face.

— — — — — — — — — —

Y/n’s chest is tight, fists pressed against her heart and trying to regulate her breathing. 

Whatever that was back in the lair, it’s gone now. She looks up, the number of stars that dot the sky incredibly sparse compared to back in her world.

She turns to see the next rooftop, spotting Raph kicking a metal sheet. She takes a deep breath, calming herself down before bending water from a puddle beside her and creating a platform across.

“You good?” Y/n walks over to where he’s now sitting. She sits beside him, and he moves over to make space for her. 

“Yeah. I’m good.” His short answer didn’t deter her; she was already used to the occasional outbursts from Toph when she couldn’t control her anger. She grabs her water bag, offering him a sip. 

He hesitates but takes it and gulps down the refreshing liquid before clearing his throat and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He passes it back to her without a word of thanks, just a simple nod.

She places it back on her waist, sighing blissfully as the chilly breeze brushes against her ears. It isn’t as cold as the North Pole is, but the mornings feel close enough.

“When I first met Toph – Aang’s earthbending teacher, I thought she was cool but also a brat.” Raph glances over at Y/n who begins to absentmindedly tell him about her life. “She was born blind, her parents super overprotective and not letting her breathe. But wanna know how we found her?”

“How?”

“An underground fight. Toph was the reigning champion over all the other fighters in Ba Sing Se. Her stage name was The Blind Bandit.” Y/n chuckles fondly, recalling how surprised they were when Toph first walked into the arena.

“Sounds pretty cool to me.” Raph grins, leaning back as he continues to listen.

“She is! She’s incredibly talented but loses her temper easily and is incredibly stubborn. You kinda remind me of her.” Y/n pauses, seeing Raph frown.

“I don’t lose my temper easily,” Raph huffs, crossing his arms as he glares at her.

“Sure,” Y/n chuckles, unfazed. She’s dealt with Toph almost causing an earthquake once – nothing else would ever be that scary. “But the thing is, she just didn’t know how to process her emotions well. She’s just a kid. But there was one way we vented.”

“What is it?” Raph’s interest is now piqued, intrigue in his frustrated eyes. Y/n stands up, gesturing for him to do the same. She steps back, bending the water out of her water bag and sending a sharp disc flying right at him.

Raph yelps, barely dodging it as it leaves a small scratch against his cheeks. “What the heck??”

He grips his Sais, already irritated by the sudden attack. 

“What’s wrong? Are you scared?” She taunts with a smirk, already preparing for her next attack. She sends a stream of water to wrap around his legs as he charges at her, using his momentum to flip him on his back.

He growls, the smile on her face only angering him further. She draws back the water whip, holding her hand in a mocking ‘come here’ gesture. He runs towards her once again with an aggressive yell, dodging the stream of water she sends his way and doing a quick front flip when it gets close to his legs.

“And here I thought water’s just harmless to turtles,” She feigns a pout, a mischievous glint in her eyes as her words only fuel the burning fury in Raph’s eyes. It’s all too easy to get on his nerves, shifting and sweeping her leg in a semicircle to bring the water back and create a wall of ice to protect herself.

His weapon stabs into it, and he struggles to pull it out. Y/n peeks out from behind it, unable to resist yet another taunt. “Aww, do you need some help?” She offers with a chuckle, yelping when he almost punches her. 

“You little-!” Raph pants heavily, still trying to get his Sais out of where they’re stuck in the ice. “Whatever, I don’t need them to beat you!” He huffs angrily, changing tactics and charging straight at her instead.

Her eyes narrow, bringing her hands back and moving them forward quickly, bending the ice to change it back into its liquid state and sending it once more to creep up his leg and stop him from moving any closer to her. 

He didn’t expect it, the sudden chill that encompassed his leg a surprise. He grunts, trying to move his now frozen leg. He spots his Sais on the ground, lunging towards them and stretching his hands out, barely reaching the hilts. 

He grabs them, using all his strength to break the ice with the sharp prongs. It shatters, and he's in front of her in the blink of an eye. 

He raises his clenched fist, intending to use the back of his hilt to give her a good punch. However, a small stream of water snakes up his arm, and Y/n takes a small step around him, rolling off his back as she uses his momentum against him again. She guides the stream of water and yanks it to the right, using it to veer him off course and land on the ground instead.

He lands with a pained grunt, getting back up almost immediately. She pauses, spotting a few figures in the dark alleyway out of the corner of her eyes. “Wait,” She holds up a hand, eyes trained on the shadowed figures.

Raph doesn’t hear, too focused on winning the fight. 

She raises her hands, gripping them tightly to waterbend a ball of water around his face. His eyes widen almost comically, a bubble of air escaping past his lips as he tries to protest. “Cool off for a minute, okay? Something’s happening down there.”

He nods grumpily, glaring at her. She returns a sheepish grin, feeling bad about the sudden fight she started. She releases the water lock, and he drops to the ground, gasping for air.

She peeks over the edge of the building, overhearing one of the shadowed figures confronting the other three. They’re all dressed in black, so she’s unable to tell who they are. However, the one confronting them is shorter, so they were probably around her age.

“I’m the last guy you see before you wake up in the hospital.”

Y/n blinks. 

That was probably one of the weirdest catchphrases she’s ever heard.

Scratch that; nothing was worse than hearing Sokka go down swinging with his space sword, Sokka Style (also patented by him).

To her surprise, though, the boy down below fights well. He dodges harsh blows thrown his way by the Purple Dragons, fighting back with nothing but a wooden stick and little black discs. He uses the sticks to hit the discs, the amount of force behind it enough to cause enough pain to the attackers on impact.

She raises a brow when he uses the terrain to his advantage, kicking himself off the wall to hit one of the larger assailants. He lands perfectly, darting around and hitting them in the face with his stick.

“I give him 10 for the landing, 8 for the jump,” She murmurs jokingly, impressed.

“That guy’s outta control. Time for a little intervention.” Raph twirls his Sai, still heated from their earlier fight.

“Wait-!” 

Raph ignores her hushed protest, jumping straight down and grabbing the stick as the boy holds it above his head. Raph tosses it aside casually, doing a somersault over his head and landing in the shadows.

“This isn’t going to end well…” Y/n mutters under her breath, quickly making her way down the fire escape. She hurries, hearing their grunts as the both of them fight. She takes the last step down the fire escape, landing on the ground and looks up to see the boy shoving Raph back and running after the Purple Dragons that are getting away.

“You know, anger is a dangerous ally.”

Y/n snorts. She clears her throat when Raph shoots her an icy glare, hiding a smile and masking it with a blank expression. The boy glances behind him, eyes widening behind his mask, when he sees a civilian is in front of a clearly dangerous mutant turtle.

“Get behind me.” He runs in front of her, holding his stick out protectively. She peeks out from behind him, spotting Raph breathing heavily. 

He’s angry, she realizes.

“Stay away, you overgrown lizard!” 

The remark makes her wince. She taps the boy’s shoulder from behind him, and he looks at her questioningly. “I’ll be fine,” She tries to reassure him. 

“What’re you talking about? You’re just a girl.” His eyes are filled with confusion, wondering how on earth this frail-looking girl behind him could hold her own in front of the overgrown lizard threatening him. He blinks multiple times, his eyes dry from all the face paint. 

She looks familiar to him, but he can’t really place where he’s seen her before, especially not with the alleyway being this dimly lit. Plus, his mask made it a bit difficult to have good vision. But it looked cool, so he refused to take it off under any circumstance.

Rule 101 of vigilantism: Never reveal your identity.

“Okay,” Y/n raises her hands in mock surrender, stepping back. “Whatever you say, my saviour.” 

“Why don’t you go cool off for a while,” Raph’s lips are pressed tightly in a thin line, hands gripping his Sai. 

“That’s it, lizard, I’m done with you,” The boy pulls out not just one but two sticks from where they’re slung on his back. Now she’s amazed. 

Was he trying to get killed? She wonders, leaning against the wall.

She watches them charge at each other, Raph kicking the boy into the dumpster beside her. He twirls his Sai, sheathing them before walking towards her.

However, the boy stands up quickly, and she discreetly slides off a hamburger wrapper stuck to his shoulder. He climbs out of the dumpster, unknowingly swinging his stick back and hitting her right in her head.

“Ow!” She winces, holding her head as she stumbles back, hitting the wall behind her. The impact sends her reeling, practically seeing stars in her eyes. “That’s a concussion,” She groans.

“Oops, sorry!”

“Hey! Look what you did!” Raph gestures towards her in pain, about to take a step towards her, when the boy holds out his stick, preventing him from getting close. 

“Don’t put your gross hands on her, you lizard!” Casey threatens. It’s enough to set Raph off, and they continue to fight, forgetting about her.

Y/n slumps to the ground, moving her hand away to see blood staining her clear skin. She feels dizzy from the sight, lips tugging downwards in a frown when she processes the fact that she’s bleeding.

Huh.

This isn’t ideal.

Her eyes are fixed on the crimson red on her palms, dotted across her fingers. She almost can’t look away, seemingly hypnotized by the very substance. She feels something wet trickle down her forehead, snapping her out of her daze.

Right, she’s bleeding.

She should probably heal herself.

Holding an orb of water she bends out of her water bag, she uses the rest of the water to surround the injury, her vision slightly blurry. Everything keeps shifting in and out of focus, permanent spots of black in her eyes.

She frowns. 

Why did it look like they were connected to people?

She tries to brush it off, but the darkness unnerves her. Something about it is just so… inviting. But she shouldn’t. It looked dangerous.

Her brows furrow, resolve wavering. Part of her wants to reach out, to let it surround her. Besides, when has she ever stepped away from danger?

But Raph’s furious yell distracts her. 

She tears her gaze away, barely able to make out his eyes blazing with aggravation.

He’s lost in his rage, letting the emotion engulf him. He holds his Sai up, swinging it toward the boy’s face. She gasps, scrambling to her feet to take a step forward. Her hands flex, so close to grabbing the flow that connects his arm to his body. 

She can’t let Raph hurt someone. But she can control it, make it, so it doesn’t happen.

She has the power to.

But as soon as her fingertips brush against the swell of darkness in her vision, he stops. His Sai are inches away from the boy’s face, the blade's edge almost touching his skin.

In that split second, he regains control. His breaths come out in short pants, and she can almost see the condensation from how heated he is.

“What am I doing?” He puts away his weapons, looking down. At that moment, the boy pulls out a gadget that electrocutes the turtle, making his escape as Raph slumps to the ground with a pained groan. 

She looks away, blinking rapidly as she vaguely registers the graffiti before her. It’s as if she’s underwater, with all the muffled noise from the car horns that blare at night.

Use it. Control them. You can have the world in your grasp. You know that.

“It doesn’t mean I want that.”

You can make it, so they never leave you.

“They won’t. I know they won’t.” She states firmly, her eyes squeezed shut as sweat collects on her brow.

That’s what you thought about Yue.

“You don’t know anything. She had to.” Her teeth are gritted, the familiar yet painful memory rushing back.

— — — — — — — — — —

“You have been touched by the Moon Spirit. Some of its life is still in you.”

“Yes, you’re right. It gave me life.” Yue admits, head hanging in defeat before an idea takes root in her mind. She opens her eyes, standing back up.

“Maybe I can give it back.”

— — — — — — — — — —

He could’ve found another way. He could’ve stopped her.

“Stop.”

She didn’t have to sacrifice herself.

“There was no other way!”

Her breathing is shaky, and the water on her head drops to extreme temperatures. But she doesn’t notice, her grief flooding her in waves. She thought she had gotten over it - managed to accept what had happened.

Y/n can almost see the exact moment she returned from healing the waterbenders injured by the Fire Nation’s army, looking around for Yue, only to see everyone else’s sorrowful expressions. 

The realization had hit her then.

“-/n? Y/n! You okay?” She opens her eyes, her lashes wet with hot tears that have spilled over. Raph has his hand on her shoulder, shaking her in a desperate attempt to snap her out of whatever daze she’s in.

“I-I’m good. Don’t worry.” She rubs her eyes roughly with the back of her hand, trying to quell the raging emotions in her heart. Her wound is long gone, the voice receding to the back of her mind with a disgruntled hiss.

Raph raises a brow but doesn’t question her, noticing how her lips are drawn in a taut line. Her hands are shaky, and her eyes are rimmed with red. Instead, he helps her up, slowly returning to April’s place from the rooftops. They walk in silence, and he waits for her to calm down, his earlier anger forgotten.

GIF by verbile

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[crackedpumpkin]

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2k12! Leonardo x Waterbender! Reader

“Hey, sleepyhead,” April greets her roommate, Y/n yawning. She blinks sleepily, processing how April’s holding up her bag. “We’re gonna be late for school.”

“We are?” Y/n can’t be bothered to hide how tired she is, slowly sitting back up and stretching with another yawn. Her eyes feel incredibly swollen, and a quick check proves true as her finger meets swollen skin.

“Breakfast is on the coffee table. You have ten minutes.” April places Y/n’s bag on the ground, and she notices a mug of tea on the nightstand beside the bed. It’s still warm.

She picks it up with a small smile, taking a sip. She grimaces. It’s bitter. 

But the fact that April made it for her makes her smile, recalling how her friend’s eyes widened at Y/n’s dishevelled state from last night when she came in through the window. April didn’t ask any questions but kept a watchful eye over Y/n as she got ready for bed.

She gets out of bed, grabbing a fresh set of clothes that April’s also laid out at the edge of the bed. She takes a quick shower, perhaps standing under the warm water that reminds her of the summer rain back in her world for a little longer than necessary. 

She misses home, the constant bickering of the gAang a sound that leaves a hollow hole in her heart without them around. After everything they’d been through together, they were practically family. 

Thousands of citizens praised their feats, brushing over all the unimaginable horrors they’ve witnessed and sometimes even been a part of and dismissing those as trivial.

But they were just kids.

“Y/n? You ready?” April calls from outside the bathroom. 

“Yeah, I’ll be ready in a minute!”

She steps out of the shower, drying her hair with a fluffy towel April hands her. She grabs her bag and sets off for school.

“Wait.”

April stops her from leaving, looking down pointedly at the water bag Y/n had slung on her waist. 

“Sorry, it's a habit.” Y/n apologizes with a sheepish smile. April grins, waiting for her to take it off before they leave, shutting the door behind them.

— — — — — 

“Well, well, Casey Jones finally makes it to class. What a surprise! Ready for the big trig exam?”

Y/n slows to a stop beside April. 

“What is this ‘trig’?” She questions. 

“Trigonometry.” Irma supplies the answer.

“Oh.” She still has no clue what it is, looking away from Irma with an uncertain smile. Something about the girl is unnerving, and a weird feeling in her gut crawls as if it’s eating away at her. 

“Hey, Princess, Red. I was up all night…studying.” Casey greets, looking up to reveal a dark ring of purple around his left eye. A band-aid is plastered across the bridge of his nose, and he smiles sheepishly.

“Really? Did your homework…punch you in the face?” April winces, leaning in close to examine the various cuts and bruises. 

“Princess?”

April and Y/n have wildly different responses. Y/n’s taken aback by the sudden nickname. “How did you know about that?” She asks, April shaking her head disapprovingly at what her friend is focused on rather than Casey’s injuries. 

She clears her throat, cheeks flushed as a familiar heat coats the tips of her ears. “How’d you end up like this?”

“I had, uh, late-night hockey practice.” He stammers, rubbing the back of his neck and averting his gaze.

“Wasn’t the rink closed down after that mysterious fight a few weeks back?” Irma points out, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “So, how exactly did you get those bruises, Casey?”

“What are you, Irma, my interrogator?” Casey props his hand on his hip, both glaring at each other. 

"Let me heal you," Y/n offers instantly, only to wince as soon as she sees the wide-eyed glare April sends her way. 

"Heal me?" 

"W-with modern medicine of course! That's what I meant!" She laughs nervously, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as her eyes dart to the lockers, "Modern medicine does wonders for the body."

“I guess it does. I’ll take you up on that offer some time, princess.”

“Seriously, how did you know?” 

“Know what?”

“That,” She hesitates, seeing Irma drag April away, “Nevermind.” She follows them, brushing off what he said as mere coincidence.

She tenses when he grabs April’s shoulders, whispering something into her ear. Y/n’s pulled away by Irma, dragging her to class. “C’mon, April, we have that exam, and I will not be late.”

“But I still don’t know what Trig is!!” 

— — — — — — — — — —

It’s been three days, and my body still feels like a punching bag. 

That turtle’s a worthy opponent; I’ll give him that.

— — — — — — — — — —

“Wrists, collar, groin, and neck. You must aim for those spots first when facing an opponent.” Master Splinter instructs.

Y/n nods, her entire body aching as she maintains the pose he’s instructed her to hold. Her knees are bent, her thighs perpendicular to the floor, while her arms hold out the sword. Sweat trails down her forehead, her entire body practically drenched in the hot dojo.

“Hai, sensei.” 

“I will guide you through the movements. You must learn how to link them so they flow, and you can strike at least one of the targeted areas.” He nods at her, allowing her to release her stance. 

She stands up shakily, knees like jelly, as relief floods her veins. She does a quick stretch, regaining feeling in her legs. “Now, follow my movements exactly.” Master Splinter says, demonstrating with a wooden sword.

She tries to copy him, thrusting the blade out fiercely and bringing it back to her chest, holding it vertically as she does a quick spin, ducking and pushing it forward once more.

“Your balance is unsteady.” Master Splinter hums, stroking his beard as he watches her thoughtfully.

She stops, bringing her arms down to rest at her sides. “I’m sorry, sensei.”

“Is there something bothering you?” 

Y/n stiffens, recalling the voices that had been haunting her for days. She couldn’t tell him, though. No matter what. If he truly understood what she was capable of doing…what she did do, she’d be kicked out. Maybe even worse.

She couldn’t lose another family. Not again.

“I’m fine.” She forces a smile, though it's slightly unsteady. 

“I see. In that case, you may take a quick break before we continue.”

She sighs in relief. Thank goodness. She wasn’t sure she could continue in her exhausted state. Y/n grabs a towel, bending her sweat and watering the tree in the dojo with it. 

“That’s gross.” April wrinkles her nose, having walked in to find Master Splinter.

“Hey, water is water.” Y/n shrugs, making her exit to give their conversation some privacy. A commotion attracts her attention, and she walks over. Maybe it was about Mikey’s poisonous algae brownies again.

The four brothers hold down someone covered in face paint in the middle, and she recognizes him from the other night. He was the vigilante that had fought with Raph in the alleyway and given her that injury.

"You're not supposed to be here," Y/n takes a step forward. 

"Princess?? What're you doing here? You know these freaks?!" The boy yells in disbelief, stumbling back when Leo sends him the most hostile glare he's ever received.

"Princess?" Leo mutters, confusion swelling in his chest as he looks over at Y/n, who rolls her eyes at the intruder. Her eyes narrow at what he calls her, a hunch taking form in her mind.

"What's going on? Casey?!" Having stepped out to check on the commotion, April is taken aback by his presence. 

“Casey??” Y/n echoes in shock, pointing at the boy and confirming her hunch. In retrospect, though, the nickname was probably a dead giveaway. Not many guys called her by her title in this world.

"Not you, too, Red! I swear if you guys are hurting her-" 

"Casey, it's fine. Remember those other friends I told you about? Well...these are my friends. Leonardo, Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Donatello."

“Wait, so they’re not the bad guys? And she knows them too? And are they all Italian??” He gestures towards Y/n, still confused by everything unravelling in front of his eyes.

“No, I named them after my favourite painters and sculptors of the Italian Renaissance.” Master Splinter walks over with a book in his hands, Casey letting out a gasp of horror before his eyes roll back in his head, falling to the ground in a faint.

Y/n catches him before his head hits the ground, staggering slightly at the sudden weight. 

“I got this.” Casey is lifted from her arms by Leo, whose cheeks are flushed. “You should wash your hands. In case any face paint got on them, I mean.” He places him on the ground roughly, eyes darting to Y/n’s hands as a flicker of displeasure shows itself in his eyes.

“Casey? Casey! Wake up!” April shakes his shoulders, instantly slapping him as her second resort. The loud smack startles him conscious, and he groans. “This is Master Splinter, Casey. He’s cool.”

“Do not fear, my friend. Rest assured, I do not bite.”

“Is that a t-t-talking rat?” Casey flinches back, practically hiding behind April as Raph smirks. Y/n’s distracted, however, when Leo brings her to the kitchen. “What’s up?” She asks curiously, glancing over her shoulders at leaving Casey with the rest.

“Hands,” Leo states firmly.

She blinks. “What?”

“Your hands. There’s some face paint on them.” He takes her hands from where they hang at her sides, Y/n allowing him to wash and scrub them, though she’s still confused (and slightly taken aback. Was he always this fixated on hygiene?).

However, she enjoys how his fingers massage her hands, gently brushing over the hard skin of the calluses on her fingertips. His fingers accidentally interlock with hers, and she spots a slight red creeping up his neck. She giggles, drawing his attention. 

“What’s so funny?” He questions innocently. She shakes her head with a grin, bumping his side gently with her hip. He chuckles, taking a towel from beside the sink and drying her hands.

“Thanks,” She says quietly, her hands wrapped in the towel he holds in his hands. They don’t say a word, looking down at their hands with soft smiles decorating their lips. 

“Ahem. Not to interrupt whatever you’re both having, but we’re currently being attacked!” Donnie screeches from the kitchen entrance, both jolting and withdrawing their hands back to their sides as embarrassed flushes coat their cheeks.

“We should probably go help.”

She nods, about to bend the water from her water bag when she remembers she left it at home, having gone to the lair straight after school. She glances around, spotting the large pool of water in the living room. Casey and Raph were nowhere in sight, so they’d remain safe and dry from the idea in her mind.

It’s sewer water, but it’d have to do.

Leo rushes off to help Donnie fight off a couple of footbots attacking him, and Y/n takes a deep breath. She raises her hands, her arms extending in a swift arc as she moves her body back and forth and mimicking the motion of waves, building up momentum for the sewer water that begins to bubble.

It begins to rise, a large wave forming. Her eyes open, bringing it down onto everyone. “Really?” Michelangelo sends her a grumpy glare, standing back up as sewer water drips down his arms. Donnie shakes off some of the water on his legs, while Master Splinter narrowly avoids most of the water, though the hem of his robe still gets wet.

On the other hand, Leo ends up getting washed up beside her. He stands back up, chuckling when he sees all the footbots slammed against the wall from the sheer force of the wave. 

“Are you kidding me??” She protests, spotting the footbots getting back up, albeit unsteadily.

“It’s time for training practice.” Master Splinter hands a sword to her, and she barely manages to grab it without slicing herself open. 

“Are you kidding me??”

They continue to fight, most of her usual waterbending moves futile against the footbots that seemed to only be getting better. The most she could do in such an enclosed space was slow them down, sending shards of ice and freezing some of their feet to the ground.

She raises her arms up, bending a puddle of sewer water into a pillar of ice in front of her, using sheer force to send razor-thin discs flying at the footbots that rush toward her. They get sliced in half, some embedded into the wall.

They finally manage to destroy all of the footbots, panting from tiredness. Y/n bends out all the water from the soaked couch, everyone collapsing onto it gratefully. She sends it all back into the small pool behind the tire swing, the living room now relatively dry.

“So, what happened to Raph and Casey?” She asks, Donnie and Mikey shrugging in response.

“Dude, remember when we chased that thing down?”

“And remember when I shocked it with my stunner. How cool was that?” 

Raph and Casey’s voices slowly get louder, both walking back in past the turnstiles. 

“Don’t forget the subway chase; that was the awesomest part!”

The two pause when they see everyone’s stunned expressions, save for April and Y/n, who smile, relieved that they’re unharmed. 

“Hey, Red. Princess.” Casey greets them with a simple wave, and she returns it with a warm smile. She fails to notice the tautness of Leo’s lips that tug downwards in a slight frown, eyeing the teenage boy that jokes around with Raph. Donnie and Mikey go to talk with them, leaving the two on the couch.

"Why does he call you princess?" Leo blurts out, unable to hold back his curiosity and slowly rising irritation the more he remembers how she brushed it off so easily. Y/n’s brows furrow, lips pursing as she tries to recall if she’s ever mentioned her family background to them.

"Because I am."

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[crackedpumpkin]

ᴄʜᴇʀʀʏ ʙʟᴏꜱꜱᴏᴍꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴅɪᴍᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ || ᴘᴀʀᴛ ꜰᴏᴜʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

2k12! Leonardo x Waterbender! reader

a/n: Surprise!! I haven’t updated this series in a good MINUTE and I’m so sorry :”) I hope y’all enjoy, it’ll be resumed with normal posting schedule soon! Also, if you haven’t seen this already, I recently hit 100 followers(currently at 106?) and I’m celebrating it by writing a seven part series! Check out the summary here.

"I leave to take a quick shower for two minutes, and you guys already trash the lab."

Y/n has her hands on her hips, shaking her head with a sigh as the four turtles crash onto the ground. The lab door is slammed wide open, revealing the mess of toppled shelves and cabinets inside.

"Help us catch the squirrels!" Mikey yells out, running after one.

She yelps when another runs right at her, Leo close behind it. He dives to catch the little creature, knocking into Y/n and causing them to fall to the ground.

"Sorry!" He apologizes quickly, getting up and continuing to chase it. She groans, rubbing her right arm. Getting back up, she swiftly bends a stream of sewer water from below the tire swing. She sends it after one of the squirrels, trying to encase it in a water lock.

It senses it coming, its black beady eyes spotting the stream of water flying right at it. It dodges effortlessly, and Donnie gets encased instead. His eyes are wide in alarm, struggling to breathe in the ball of water that surrounds him.

"Sorry!" She calls out, releasing him quickly. He lands on the floor, spluttering and gagging at the taste of sewer water. He quickly gets to his feet, and the squirrel lands mere inches away from him. He uses his bo staff to hit the squirrel but continuously misses as it dodges each time nimbly.

It manages to crawl onto his bo staff and hisses at him, its viper-like tongue flailing about. Donnie yelps, throwing his bo staff away and hitting the box Leo holds, about to capture the other squirrel.

It jumps off of the bo staff, landing on Leo's head. He cries out, struggling to get it off of his face. "I got it!" Y/n shouts, flicking her wrist and sending a stream of water his way.

She freezes it instantly, but the squirrel escapes again as Leo's head gets covered in ice. She pauses mid-run, sheepishly unfreezing a grouchy Leo.

He shakes it off, and they continue the chase. Mikey continues to dive after the squirrels in an attempt to capture them in his hands while Y/n freezes little patches of ice on the ground so the squirrels would slip.

There was a moment when she accidentally bends a puddle nearby to grip the squirrel running towards it but ended up grabbing Raph's foot in an icy hold. He trips, landing on his face with a startled yell.

Y/n gulps at the glare he gives her, his nose red from the fall. It runs towards the direction of Mikey's room, both Raph and Mikey giving chase.

"Not my room!"

"Jeez, Mikey, when's the last time you cleaned?" Raph comments, walking into the mess that was Mikey's bedroom.

"And since when did you start wearing tighty-whities?" Raph uses the edge of his sai to pick up a discarded pair of dirty underwear, Y/n wrinkling her nose when she walks in.

The slightly musty odour resembling spoiled milk makes her thankful that she had stayed in Leo's bedroom for the first few nights of her coming here.

"That, my friend, is a story for another day," Mikey says, seemingly forgetting about the carelessly flung underwear. He grabs it from Raph, refusing to answer any questions about it.

"Let's just focus on the squirrels, comprende?" Mikey tosses it aside, the mysterious red stain on the back catching Y/n's attention.

Let's never ask about this again.

"What's that?"

The underwear had landed on a pile of pizza boxes. They topple from the impact, falling on the ground as the lid flips open to reveal a few slices inside.

"Could we use that as bait?" Y/n asks, pointing at it and drawing the other two's attention.

Did squirrels even eat pizza?

"Aw, sweet! Awesome idea!" Mikey grabs a slice, hopping onto his bed and jumping about. The bed's squeaky springs echo through the room as he waves the pizza around him. "Here, squirrely squirrely squirrel, come get it!" He calls out in a sing-songy tone.

Raph rolls his eyes and bends down beside Y/n, who picks up a slice of her own. She sniffs it, her nose wrinkling in disgust and morbid intrigue by its toppings.

Were those...beans?

Raph takes a bite, much to her chagrin. "Here you go, squirrel!" He takes another big bite. "Have a tiny bite!"

They'd never survive being on the run.

Y/n watches the two with a blank stare. She walks around his room, waving around the slice in an attempt to lure out the squirrel. She checks under his bed, finding discarded comics and a hunk of cheese scattered about.

"Take a bite, Y/n! Try it!" Mikey encourages her from his continuous bed-bouncing. Raph nods in agreement, busy chewing.

Why not.

Y/n slowly pulls the pizza close to her lips, her gut tugging dangerously in a warning to pull her away from it. She ignores the feeling, taking a bite.

Ten minutes later, she returns to her senses, lying on the ground opposite Raph in a stupor. 

"What happened..." She sits up with a groan, her hands greasy and her neat hair in a mess. She looks around, spotting Raph sitting in front of her with a wistful smile on his lips.

"This pizza is the best," Mikey says, lying on his bed leisurely. He had gotten into his tighty-whities some time ago. When exactly, Y/n could not recall.

"Four day old, pepperoni, jelly bean, and maple syrup." Mikey lists off the toppings with a satisfied sigh. Y/n gags slightly, feeling her stomach rumble in displeasure upon realizing what she had just eaten.

Raph shakes his head, the dazed smile still on his face. "Wait. What were we supposed to be doing again?"

The sound of paws scampering on the hardwood draws their attention, spotting the squirrel hiding between Mikey's action figures.

"The squirrel!" Y/n exclaims, pointing right at it.

"There you are!" Raph jumps over Mikey, his foot landing on his brother's face. He catches the top of the shelf, using his legs to hold him up as he jabs the inside with his sais. Figurines fly off the shelf as he empties them. He accidentally stabs one, holding it up and shaking it off.

"Raaph!" Mikey whines, clearly displeased by his precious action figures getting mauled. "That was my limited-edition action kick Unicorn Man!"

"There's the little creepster." Raph ignores Mikey's complaints, somersaulting mid-air and landing on the floor perfectly.

Y/n tries to catch the squirrel and almost succeeds, but it slips through her fingers and lands on the ground. She almost starts to waterbend but quickly realizes that the carelessly scattered comics around wouldn't be ideal.

Sure, she could bend the water out of the paper, but everything else would still be soaking wet. 

Raph continues his brutal assault on the tiny creature. It climbs onto his sai and scampers down his arms. He tries to brush it off, but it runs up his shoulder and leaps right into his mouth.

"Raph!!" Y/n screeches, watching in disgust as the squirrel practically shoves itself into the turtle's insides. Mikey screams in horror at the sight, his knees trembling.

Y/n quickly gets behind Raph, wrapping her arms around him and attempting to choke the squirrel right out of him. She unfortunately fails, and Raph starts to hyperventilate.

"We gotta get you to Donnie, now." Y/n grabs his hand, pulling him out of Mikey's room. Mikey follows behind in a panic, meeting the other two turtles in the lab.

"Donnie, we have some bad news." Mikey whimpers.

"It's in me! Oh my god, it's in me!" Raph shrieks. "Get it out, now!"

Donnie and Leo's expressions soon turn horrified, and the former lead Raph to his observation table. He clears it of all clutter, and Raph lays down. He starts to struggle unconsciously, eyes wide in terror.

Leo quickly straps Raph's wrists and ankles in chains, knowing from previous experience that he would jolt around and convulse soon.

"I can feel it in my guts, munching on the popcorn I ate!" Raph cries out in fear, twisting and turning. Donnie grabs his self-made stethoscope, placing it against Raph's chest and listening intently.

Y/n stays silent throughout, watching in quiet dread. "It's freaking me out, man!" Raph sits upright, his eye twitching. He's quickly silenced by Donnie, who places an oxygen mask on him and pushes him back down onto the table.

"You gotta stop talking because I can't hear what's inside your intestines," Donnie says sternly.

"Oh, I'll tell you what's going on in there. Lemme see," Mikey flips through the pages of a comic, "Right now, the squirrels are probably secreting mucus onto your stomach lining, so when it multiplies-"

He's cut off by disgusted groans and looks up to see everyone's repulsed faces. "Mikey, not helping!" Donnie chides, "But probably ninety-eight percent accurate." He adds.

"Get it out, get it out, get it out!!" Raph's demand builds up into an agitated yell, sitting back upright. Donnie pushes him back down, sighing in realization.

"Just as I thought, we need to perform surgery, stat. Nurse?"

Mikey pulls out a chainsaw that he winds up. The blade starts to spin, the sound making Y/n take a step back.

"Don't you think that might be a little...drastic...?" She voices out hesitantly.

"Yeah, yeah, that! Listen to her. She's smart and a healer!" Raph gestures to Y/n desperately, his face pale at the sight of the chainsaw.

Mikey slowly inches closer and closer, Raph scrambling for any sort of excuse to escape. The chainsaw suddenly stops, and his brothers burst laughing at the prank they just pulled. Y/n places her hand over her heart, sighing in relief. Mikey undoes his chains, and Raph stands up with a glare.

"Why you...you-!" He starts to seethe but is cut off by a loud growl from his stomach. He drops to his knees, holding his stomach in pain and beginning to gag.

"Raph... are you?"

Donnie's question is quickly answered when he vomits two squirrels onto the ground. They uncurl and hiss at them, Y/n taking another step back. She covers her mouth, suppressing the gag threatening to empty out the contents of her stomach.

At least she managed to avoid staining yet another shirt.

The lights begin to flicker, and she hears the machines in the lab begin to shut down. "Donnie, Donnie?? Uh, some sciency stuff might help right about now!" Leo starts to panic, urging his younger brother to take action.

"Guys? I'm not seeing things, am I?" Y/n voices out cautiously, taking several steps back and hiding behind Mikey with the chainsaw.

"Dude! Glowing's bad. Glowing's real bad!"

The doors to the lab are flung open by Master Splinter, and he scans the inside quickly. "I see it is happening here as well."

"These things are putting out a crazy energy signature. It's messing with my analyzer!"

"We're doomed, doomed, I tell you!"

Y/n grabs the comic book, rifling through it with an intense gaze. She gasped, noticing that everything had been accurate up till this point. Sharing a panicked look with Mikey, they follow the rest out of the lab, leaving the creepy, glow-in-the-dark squirrels behind.

She and Mikey both stick close together and squeak when she spots one of the squirrels scampering near the game machine. Her hands grab onto Mikey's arm, repulsed and terrified at the sight.

"Split up and search each room." Master Splinter orders.

"Split up??" Y/n protests, her entire being tense with nervous anticipation of when the squirrels will appear. "I can't go off alone."

"Clearly, he doesn't read comics either. Splitting up is the last-"

"Silence. You are trained warriors. We will find these creatures." Master Splinter cuts him off, sternly addressing everyone in the room.

"But-" Her voice falters when her sensei shakes his head, quietening with a pout. Raph discretely waves her over, and she brightens up immediately, standing beside him with evident relief in her eyes. "Searching for mutants in the dark. Could we pick a more cliche way to be eaten?"

She frowns at the statement, shuddering at the thought of the squirrels getting into her body and multiplying inside it. Her stomach churns at the thought. She places a hand on it, trying to suppress the disgust and horror.

Raph takes out his weapons, wielding them threateningly as he walks toward the game machine. Y/n follows close behind, already bending an orb of water just in case. The darkness was unnerving, and every fibre of her being was tense and ready to strike.

She starts to walk backwards, not ready to turn around and leave herself unguarded. Her back suddenly makes contact with a hard surface, and a chill instantly shoots up her spine. She lets out a small shriek, her eyes squeezing shut before trapping whatever it was in a water lock.

"What're you doing?! I told you I'd check the bedrooms." Raph had flinched from the sudden cry of alarm from Y/n, and he marched over. Mikey's cheeks are puffed in the ball of water Y/n has him trapped in, waving sheepishly.

She brings her arms out, releasing the prison of water that surrounded Mikey. Her heart thuds loudly in her chest, still frightened by his sudden appearance.

"Thought… you'd need backup." Mikey wheezes, spitting out some water that had gotten into his mouth before wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

A small hiss startles all three of them, and Y/n is immediately on guard.

"There was a sound like that in my comic when the baby aliens transform into giant alienoids!"

"Wait, you read it in a comic. How can it sound the same?" Raph points out.

"Tui's gills." Her eyes widen in shock, slowly backing up from the long tongue that reaches down from the ceiling behind Mikey, saliva dripping off it. The creature on the ceiling was unlike any monster or foe she had faced in the past. Its long limbs stuck to the top like glue, its skin a wrinkled mess of purple.

Its glowing green eyes watch them, akin to a predator eyeing its prey. Its jaws unhinge, screeching loudly as gobs of spit and saliva land on the floor.

Calm down, Y/n. Just back away slowly.

It makes a move toward her, and her mind goes blank. The three of them let out a collective scream, running away just as the Squirrelnoid lands on the ground. It begins to chase after them, dodging the flurry of icicles that Y/n sends at it.

"I just wanted," She's breathless, skidding to a stop and swerving right just in time to dodge the creature, "To pick up my things!"

Y/n creates a thin shield of ice just as one of the Squirrelnoids uses its insanely long tongue to attack her, and it sticks to the ice. It pauses in its steps, growling before using its strength to simply break off a chunk of the ice its tongue was adhered to, flinging it against the wall. It shatters from sheer force.

It's clearly angered now, eyes glowing with the promise of revenge.

"N-nice squirrel…" Y/n stutters, feeling her back bump into Leo's and Donnie's shells.

The two had come into the living room just moments before, alerted by the sound of screaming. Now, all five were backed into a circle, mere moments away from being mauled into squirrel food.

Her eyes squeeze shut, praying desperately for her life to not end this way. She couldn't go down like this. Sokka would never let it go. He'd hold it over her head even in the afterlife!

Another screech is cut off with a thump, and Y/n's eyes slowly open to see Master Splinter taking down all the Squirrelnoids with nothing but a staff and bare hands. He uses the terrain to his advantage, moving from the ground to the staircase leading up to the surface.

He deals a few simple but fatal blows, and the creatures all run off, diving into the sewer pipe. "That leads up to the surface! We have to go stop them." Leo states firmly. Y/n's hands are trembling like a leaf threatening to fall from its branch. She sits on the couch, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Go. I will guard the lair in case they return." Master Splinter orders.

"Alone? In the dark, creepy, scary sewers? Without you?" Mikey whimpers. His brothers seem to share the same sentiment, hesitating to step inside.

"Who among you wants to prove you are the bravest? The strongest of will, the worthiest of ninjas?"

I'm not a ninja, so that means I'm out, right?

Y/n watches the four brothers come to a silent agreement.

"We'll use Metalhead."

She watches the screen intently, sitting beside Leo, who has shifted to give her space. Her knee brushes against his.

She peers over at Mikey's comic. It was impossibly accurate so far, so surely it could predict what would happen next, wouldn't it?

"I'm not gonna say this happened in my comic…but this happened in my comic!" Mikey taps the cover page intently, trying to get the attention of his brothers.

They're silenced by a screech, the screen showing one of the Squirrelnoids in a tunnel, nibbling on an unknown material. Y/n shudders, flinching away. She feels a warm hand on her knee and turns to face Leo, who gives her a reassuring smile. Her eyes are filled with gratefulness and relief, thankful for his comfort.

She stares down at her lap, fidgeting with her fingers and slowly playing with his hand instead to distract herself from the fear in her stomach. He allows her to toy with his fingers, eyes trained on the screen.

His skin is warm to the touch, and Y/n brushes her fingertips along his fingers. She presses her palm flat against his, marvelling at the difference in size. Her fingers are calloused, full of memories of the adventures she had been through with her friends. 

She recalls how soft her skin used to be, her comfortable life back in the Northern Water Tribe nothing but a distant memory. Her fingers lace together with his, and he grips them firmly. She flinches at the sudden sound of Metalhead's head being torn off of the robot, clutching Leo's hand with slightly more force than before. He doesn't flinch, but his eyes flicker toward her in mild concern.

Her body relaxes when his thumb rubs comforting circles on the back of her hand, the gesture bringing relief. She knew it was unreasonable of her to be this frightened by a mere animal, but she had never liked the small creatures, much less horribly mutated ones.

She would never admit it, but she much preferred fighting Ty Lee compared to enemies like Fishface and Squirrelnoids. The banter they exchanged was fun, even though they were supposed to be enemies. If not for Azula, she was pretty sure that Ty Lee would have become part of their company.

"Looks like we have to go into the sewers."

The reminiscing of memories brings a small smile to her face, but it falters upon hearing Leo's words. He lets go of Y/n's hand, getting up. She stares at her empty palm, already missing the warmth of his. Her fingers curl into a fist, nodding. She stands up, steeling her resolve.

They wander into the sewers, the occasional 'drip-drop' the only sound breaking the silence.

Well, that and Mikey's whimpers.

She holds a flashlight, walking behind Raph. Mikey holds onto the end of her shirt lightly, his eyes darting around in fear of being ambushed by the Squirrelnoids. Donnie is at the head of the line, using his analyzer to track down the mutants.

"I'm picking up strong readings from both tunnels!" Donnie calls out to the group, standing at the entrance of two tunnels leading into opposite ends of the sewer.

"Then we split up."

"Again?" "Didn't you guys get-" 

Y/n and Mikey's protests overlap, and Leo holds up a finger, cutting them off.

"But this time, in teams, okay?" His hands are on his hips, not accepting any contradicting opinion.

She frowns, crossing her arms and looking away. It wasn't ideal, but it'd have to do.

"It's still splitting up!" Mikey points out, "We're toast! Game over, man! Game. Over." To emphasize his point, he makes large gestures with his hands, and Y/n has to take a step back to avoid getting slapped by accident.

"This way, Donnie, Y/n."

She shrugs at Mikey, who's practically begging her not to go, patting his shoulder and passing him a shuriken made of ice she had crafted on the way down. "Be careful with it," She warns, "It's really sharp but also really fragile."

She jumps onto the large tunnel entrance on the left, following Donnie and Leo with a slight gulp.

"Are we getting closer?" She whispers, sticking to Donnie's side like glue. She felt safer beside the tall turtle, with Leo ahead of the pair.

"Over there!" Leo shines his flashlight down the empty path, Donnie taking the lead.

"Stick with me."

Y/n nods, standing behind Leo, who holds an arm out in front of her protectively. The analyzer's beeping starts to speed up and gets louder, Y/n shining the flashlight at any entrances around them. The beeping slows to a stop, and she breathes a sigh of relief.

"I don't see anything." She remarks.

A cry for help from Donnie makes her turn around, gasping when she sees him being carried off by a Squirrelnoid hiding in the shadowed ceiling. She jumps up, grabbing his legs and hoping to weigh him down so it would drop him. Leo grabs onto hers, his face against the back of her knees.

Leo presses his foot down against the walls of the sewer, anchoring them down while Y/n pulls as hard as she can. Luckily, the Squirrelnoid lets go of Donnie, and they all fall to the group in a pile.

"Ow…" She winces, getting up quickly as the Squirrelnoid drops to the ground.

"Heads or tails?"

"Heads!"

Y/n rolls her eyes in mild amusement. Of course, they'd still throw in witty remarks like these in a precarious situation. She shifts into her stance, bending a column of ice that reached right below her shoulders, sliding her hands along the surface to send thin, sharp discs flying right at the Squirrelnoid.

It uses its claws to hit most away, but one manages to cut deep past its thick skin and leaves an open wound on its side.

It lets out a harsh squeal, slamming Donnie against the wall. She spots another coming, sending another ice disc right at it. "Leo, Donnie, move!"

She sends a few more to buy some time for their getaway, Leo helping his brother up. They run away from the two Squirrelnoids chasing them, reaching the end of the tunnel.

Y/n lets out a panicked cry, all three crashing into Mikey and Raph, who had seemingly appeared out of thin air. They all land on the floor in a heap, groaning in pain.

"We might as well go down in a blaze of glory!" Raph yells, all four running towards the Squirrelnoids and taking one each.

She pauses, her gut twisting in a warning. Something was off. She does a quick head count of the squirrelnoids.

One, two, three, four…

Five.

A growl alerts her to the presence standing behind her. She turns slowly, staring at the Squirrelnoid sliced by her ice disc. Blood drips from its side, and the exposed flesh starts to smell. (Or maybe it was the sewers. She couldn't really tell anymore.)

"Nice, uh, upgrade you got there." She didn't know why she was even talking to the mutated squirrel, but it tilted its head as if it understood her every word. It emits a low growl, perhaps seething from the injury she gave it. 

It lunges at her, and she barely manages to dodge its sharp claws, rolling to the side and getting back up. She bends water from her water bag around her arm, solidifying it with her breath into an ice gauntlet with a razor-sharp end. 

The two circle each other, the Squirrelnoid hissing at the threat in front of it. She moves first, running towards it. It swipes at her, but she pierces through its claw with her gauntlet. It howls in pain, snatching its claw back and leaving a gaping hole in its claw. 

Thick, red blood starts to trickle down the jagged ice on her arm, practically coating the entire gauntlet. 

This would all be easier if you'd just blood bend.

A small voice in her head coaxes, the scent of iron triggering something deep inside her, an ability she wishes she never had. 

No. She couldn't. She wouldn't. She'd never fall for the devil-like temptation. 

Never again.

She slices off the solidified blood stuck to the ice, her gauntlet now thinner but sharper than before. The Squirrelnoid is limping, its wounded claw held close to its chest. She runs toward it again, its uninjured claw trying to stab her. It barely grazes her shoulder, and she can feel the sting of a scratch forming on the skin. She manages to evade it, getting behind and piercing it through the heart with the gauntlet's sharp edge.

Leo had finished his fight a short while ago but had hesitated to jump in to help. He saw how Y/n's eyes turned, almost cold and lifeless, when she watched the blood trickle down her arm as if she was succumbing to something inside her. He was about to jump in then, but she had shaken herself out of the stupor.

Now, she was wiping off the blood that had gotten onto her jeans, and the merciless gaze she held upon looking at the Squirrelnoid was something even Leo flinched at.

She turns towards him, a smile of relief on her lips.

"So, shall we head back?"

taglist:

brunnetteiwik  

ivuriexo

[crackedpumpkin]

Heeellooo!!! Omg I love your writing! I just wanted to check on something

are you still going to be writing the water bender reader x 2012 Leo because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that one and part 14 was so cool I’m excited for the next one if you write it

Hello hello lovely!!

Tbh, as soon as I saw your ask lovely anon, i raced to my google docs and began writing the next part almost immediately lmao. I lost a bit of motivation over time because I didn't really think anyone actually liked it, but the comments and asks like yours keep me so motivated to continue the series, especially with everything I've planned out!

Hint: The s3 arc will be the most jam-packed action and heartbreaking angst with a bit of fluff here and there, so I hope you look forward to it! The newest part is now up, and I really really hope you like that one as well!

Also, thank you so much for the praise, it means so much more than you know to small writers like myself :") (brb sobbing in happiness))

[crackedpumpkin]

Do you have a masterlist for cherryblossms in a different dimension

Hello there lovely! I do have somewhat of a masterlist for Cherry Blossoms In A Different Dimension^^

It's currently on my main masterlist on my profile, the first gif of cherry blossoms you'll see :) My masterlist in general is still rather unorganised, so do pardon the mess!

[crackedpumpkin]

Hello! I really enjoy your CBIDD Fic! I love the concept of A Bender from the world of Atla being sent to the world of tmnt. I’ve been thinking of story ideas and concept after reading your fic for some time now cause I really enjoy it!!

I was wondering if you’d be alright if someone were to take inspiration from your fic and write something of their own with a similar concept but with a different story point/ plot.

I wanted to ask first since it was your idea originally! If your not, I’ll 100% understand!

I hope you have a good luck with your writing and a good rest of your day! ✨

QHDHJEFJJSSN I??? INSPIRED SOMEONE???? TO WRITE???????????

you might not believe this lovely anon but I fucking choked I am so happy right now omfg. The way that CBIDD is both my baby and also a piece of trash i wanna burn in a dumpster fire 😭😭

Of course you can write something new with the idea!! I for one would absolutely love to read it, so make sure to tag me when it's up !!!

Thank you so much anon, this genuinely made my night a thousand times better 🫶🏻 Feel free to drop a message/ask anytime <3

make sure u have a good day as well /threat /i adore u

[crackedpumpkin]

Cherry blossoms in another dimension is probably up there in my top favourite fics! I’m glad you were able to update it.

If you want to get feedback on it you could try uploading the chapters to ao3. It’s a lot easier to get feedback there. (imo)

･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+

oh my god AAAA anon u got me blushin kickin my feet in joy bro. thank you so much!! im really, really happy u enjoy it, like genuinely the serotonin i got from this one ask alone is insane lmfao

also, i have started putting up the chapters on ao3! but ngl, i keep forgetting to update(myb) so technically y'all here on tumblr actually have like updates before those on ao3 🫣

also, most of the reception has been positive so far!! but sometimes i really really wanna rewrite my earlier chapters because that was a dumpster fire all on its own 🫠🫠

however, i update on tumbr wayyy more so most of my stuff here can't really be found on ao3, but shld i post the Caught Red Handed series? lmk what u think :)

[crackedpumpkin]

Ｍａｓｔｅｒｌｉｓｔ

Requests: Temporarily Closed

Ask Box: Always open!

Find me on AO3: CrackedPumpkinSZN

For Milestone fics, click here!

Drabbles: Under the tag #CPDrabbles

Random Asks and Rambles: Under the tag #CPRambles (Get it? Cause CPR? haha)

|| ᴄʜᴇʀʀʏ ʙʟᴏꜱꜱᴏᴍꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴅɪᴍᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ ||

status: being rewritten

2012 Leonardo x Waterbender! Reader

tw: mature language, graphic mentions of blood and violence

Can be found under the tag: #CBIDD 

When a conservative, spirited Waterbender meets four ninja turtles and falls for the leader in blue.

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐱  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐧  

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

Hiro Hamada

|| ʙᴀᴅ ɴᴇᴡꜱ ||

Hiro Hamada x Reader

Series status: ongoing, (very) slow updates

tw: Mentions of death, deals with an actual huge amount of grief

An eager young journalist with a thirst and penchant for sniffing out potential headlines gets fired from her job. Fortunately, her newfound friend Tadashi Hamada sets her up with a new one. Oh, and his cute younger brother who lingers around and compliments her? That’s a bonus.

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

Undercover

You just want to take a break from all your acting gigs, and decide to stop by cute cafe, when you happen to run into the cute boy working there.

|| ʙʟᴀɴᴋ ᴄᴀɴᴠᴀꜱ ||

Miles Morales x Reader

Series Status: Ongoing. Can also be found on AO3!

tw: None, just pure fluff and mild angst. 

He fell first. She fell harder.

“Be my model, Miles Morales.”

“....Que?”

In other words, sometimes the best way to get past an art block is to rizz up your muse.

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐱  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧   

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞

In Every Universe

“In every other universe, Gwen Stacy falls for Spiderman.”

Nishinoya

New Manager

A second year gets roped into the Karasuno’s volleyball team as their new assistant manager, courtesy of Tanaka. However, her shy nature is quickly bulldozed over once she meets an energetic libero whom brings about change in her routine. 

But then again, change isn’t so bad, is it?

tw: none, SFW

Dating Nishinoya Would Include...

A few headcanons for our short king &lt;3

The Mad Dogs

Spiderman Reader Leaving Gifts Headcanon!

Theatrics 

BootyShaker9000

People-Watching

It’s a common hobby, and it’s helped you get out of small situations before. But when you’re stuck in a really dangerous one, who else is there to save you but an unexpected knight in shining armor?

Somehow though, you keep showing up over and over again around him, always in danger. He puts up with it, but the constant saving creates a small friendship between you two and along the way, you’ve somehow wormed your way into his heart.

tw: mentions of kidnapping, SFW

Neon Leon

101 Ways to Live

"Look, here's the deal. I'll protect you in exchange for your cooking. No room and board included." He holds out his green three-fingered hand to you, a lazy smile on his lips while he waits for your response to his final bargain.

You hesitate momentarily, mulling over the options in your head. You lift your hand, grabbing his in a firm handshake. "Looks like we've reached an agreement."

tw: Zombie Apocalypse AU, vivid descriptions of blood and gore, violence, eventual smut.

𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐭   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨

Happy Smurfin’

A shitpost I’m unironically proud of. FanArt by @highoffshrooms​ -> HERE!

Under the Streetlights

All you wanted was to take a walk, in the dark, alone. That’s a lie. You’re scared and afraid of the dark, so when your turtle in blue shows up, you’re relieved that you’ll be safe. However, his brothers have something slightly different for the both of you in mind.

tw: none, SFW

Pregnancy Jitters

Morning nausea isn’t a regular routine you want incorporated in your everyday life. But when you you find out its cause, it might not be such a bad thing to deal with after all.

tw: none, slight(very slight!) NSFW

Liar 

He wasn’t going to show up. He was never going to show up.

tw: angst, SFW 

part two

Instinct

Leo just wants to bite you

Unwelcome Interruption

He just wants to rest with you, but his brothers keep preventing him from doing so. His solution? To not let you out of his arms.

Undercover Crush

When going undercover at April’s highschool to figure out what the Purple Dragons are up to, the last thing he expects is for their newest member to be this cute.

Favourite Things

Songfic(?)

Caught Red Handed

The Sun Festival, a celebration for the many. People flock to the busy streets for wares and game stalls alike, for the seven days it takes place - once every two years.

You're just a humble store owner trying to sell her freshly made pastries, though a troublesome(and very sneaky) thief manages to elude your sight every time, making away with four to five of them during each day of the celebration.

But not this year.

Oh, this year you would catch that thief red-handed.  

2k12 Raphael Hamato

Softie

He’s only a softie around you.

tw: none, fluff, SFW

2k12 Donatello Hamato

Oblivious

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞   𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

When you’ve finally had enough, and a sudden confession changes everything.

2k12 Casey Jones

Weird

A careless bet turned serious, but there’s no way that he’s going to lose.

Just A Bet

When a bet with Raph turns far more serious than he expected.

Robin

When he realises he likes you

tw: none, SFW

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨

Cole Brookstone

Infuriating Melodies

Being able to hear the songs your soulmates listen to is reassuring for most, especially with the distance signifying how far away they are.  Unfortunately for you, it seems that your soulmate’s taste in music is excruciating to the point of disdain.

tw: none, SFW.

Infuriating Melodies (The Series)

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨

Soft Dances and Soft Tunes

Reminiscing can lead to unexpected outcomes.

Flower Crowns

Gift-giving is how you show affection, but nothing is good enough in your eyes for the Earth Ninja. 

But flower crowns do look good on him though.

Familial Ties

Platonic Dad! Cole x Adopted Baby! Reader

Drummer Boy

A cute store assistant gives you drum lessons.

Holy Ground

Imagine a night when the famed ninja show up at your temple’s doorstep heavily injured. Of course, healing them comes first, but it’s what develops between you and the Earth Ninja that really matters.

Jay Walker

Lighting McQueen

You and Jay now have a running joke. Kachow.

Danny Phantom

It Started with a Kiss

When a simple dare becomes all too real for you. It’s just a kiss. That’s all.