hey so you know that rise!/2k12 crossover you mentioned where the 2k12 boys realize the rise! turts lost their leo? are you still planning to write that? because it sounds delightfully angsty

Thanks for being my first ask ever!! 🥳🎉

Yes! I got a little side tracked with figuring out edits 😅 but I am still writing it, here’s a snippet from the parts that I’ve completed so far. (I’ll reblog the original post with this soon too, and attach the full thing there as well so it all stays together)

It’s Him.

A little hard to tell since he looks almost identical to his brothers, which really threw Raph off at first, but the blue bandanna sticks out like a sore thumb and he can see the hilts of his katanas sticking out from behind his shell. It’s too much, it’s everything he’s dreamed of since that day but also his worst nightmare because this isn’t him, this isn’t his little brother, it’s some strange older version of him and from the way he’s backing up in a defensive stance, he seems to be afraid of him.

Leo was never afraid of him, not until the Krang used him as a puppet and even then…. he might be sick. But he needs to keep composure, be a leader, for his brothers- now huddled behind him, but Raph can’t seem to force any words out. His brothers haven’t said anything either, and from the way Mikey is gripping Donnie’s arm… He figures they might have spotted him too.

The confirmation of this is a horrible groaning wail from behind him and an orange blur, and suddenly Mikey is clinging to Leo (not him it’s not him at all)- down on his knees sobbing for forgiveness, telling him how sorry he is for not being able to save him. Raph can hardly hear the words through the pulse in his ears, and it’s getting hard to see donnie from his peripheral from blur of tears, but he can spot that Donnie- HIS donnie (the other seems to be stock still with confusion and concern)- is backing away slowly with wide horrified eyes, curling in on himself, likely a sign of an oncoming panic attack and Raph should really do something about either of these things, he should, he really, really should, and he would if he could move at all.

Right now he finds himself swaying on shaking legs and most of his concentration is being used on keeping his knees from buckling. He supposes that’s why some hot tears slip out unnoticed- there goes any chance of being the unshakable leader they need right now- but then, when was he very good at doing his job? He already failed at being the protector and Leo paid for it, he can’t do it again, he can’t lose another- FOCUS!

He pushes through, packs it all in and takes a big breath- there’ll be time for tears later, but he needs to fix this first. Once he finds the strength to stand he realizes Mikey is still clinging to… he needs to deal with that first, before these other turtles get anymore freaked out then they already are. “Mikey… you need to let go”, Mikey finally peels his face off where it had been jammed against this Leonardo’s plastron, only to turn to him and shout “NO! W-what if he disappears again? We just g-got him back! I ca- We can’t lose him again!”. Raph struggles to word this as gently as possible, “Mikey, that’s… that’s not our Leo, you know that.” he inches out while slowly approaching.

It’s silent for a moment, then “I know.” is whispered out while Mikey untangles his arms from where they’d been wrapped around Leonardo’s shell, Leonardo silently taking one large step back once released as the other turtles step forward to be almost shoulder to shoulder with their brother, wearing grimaces with varying levels of confusion and distrust.

A large hand comes down on Mikey’s shoulder, warm and familiar- it should be comforting, but he only feels colder.

“…I know.”