Before You Go - P.6 | Future Donatello & April O’Neil Insight
(Reader Included)
A/N: Any constructive criticism is appreciated. Reader comments and feedback are also welcomed a lot.
I have been gone for a long time. Just occupied with my studies! No fan fiction author curse or anything (yet).
Summary: You’re both adopting-parents of Casey. The story follows the perspective of Donatello and April O’Neil during the Kraang apocalypse. You and Leonardo decided to ask them to watch over thirteen-year-old Casey.
In other words, familial interactions between April, Donnie, and Casey Jr.
Reader: Gender-neutral pronouns are used, except the terms “(Mom / Dad)” are also used. Second POV.
Pairing: Rise! Future! Leonardo X Reader
Warnings: Bittersweet.
Word Count: ~3490
Parts: One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six / ...
~
Donnie knew how much of a genius he was.
It was no surprise after all. In his late teens, he improved NASA’s satellites to communicate with planets light centuries away. He cured breast cancer through the use of protons in radiation therapy to target specific cells, rather than affecting the harmless. Hell, he even managed to discover a new type of radioactive particles: mutons. By that point, he—.
“—should have been given a Nobel Prize in Medicine and in Chemistry.” Donnie cursed under his breath. He strolled over to his lab bench, equipping his goggles.
Squeeeak.
April– who was found seated on Donnie’s roughed-up, spinning gaming chair– raised an eyebrow. Her hair had grown out and was left unbounded. Faint wrinkles and eye bags on her features displayed maturity, in contrast to a couple of years ago. However, everyone was well aware that time was not the only factor.
“Whatcha going on about now, Donnie?”
The softshell huffed. “Recall when I wrote a report about my experimental findings with an invention meant to revive a deceased human being?”
“...You mean the one where you thought it was a good idea to open up Curie’s tomb? Even gone as far as to ask for my help?” April grimaced. “Who’d ever forget that.”
She proceeded to massage her temples.
“God. You were in all kinds of messed up for that, Don.”
Lightning-like yellow sparks flickered as Donnie had his robotic hands occupied with a butane torch. His goggles were sealed tight around his eyes as he built a oval-looking device on his lab bench. Titanium outer-layer over a seriously complex circuit-board; appearing as if Samsung marketed grenades.
He scoffed. “Oh please. It wasn’t as if I’d taken long to understand how Marie Curie deserves her rest for her great contributions to radiation. Thus is why–.”
“–You decided to take a poor random husband of an old wife,” April interjected.
“Ahem.” Donnie pronounced. “The poor woman was begging me for her husband to be alive again. I was simply gracious and generous enough to not charge her for the process.” He set aside the butane torch. “At least it progressed well; he stayed alive for an additional two years. It gave his wife psychological comfort, and I was able to submit my paper to the N.S.F..”
He picked up a screwdriver. “Except....”
April could tell her friend’s eye was twitching.
“They rejected my findings, nearly had me detained, and claimed it was far too ‘unethical.’” Donnie raised his volume. “Scoff! As if those researchers weren’t committing the crime themselves! Taking bodies away from families and claiming them as scientific property without permission.
If I could go back in time and shove my documents in their jaws, you bet I would.”
April smirked. “Well, I have my regrets too, Donnie.”
“You sound rather amused, April. Is that so surprising? And here I never thought you would regret your part-time job at Albearto’s. Or the fact you wasted money to switch to journalism in university.”
WHACK!
April threw her bat at Donnie’s head, flying back to her hand like a boomerang.
“Watch your mouth, mister. I may have regretted Albearto’s, but not a single moment in my life did I ever regret my journalism passion.” She stood up.
“Ouch.” The softshell vocalized, squinting his eyes toward her. His robotic clampers paused, setting aside the torch and taking off his goggles.
“Mind yourself, April. Horse-playing is forbidden in the laboratory. I am not consenting to having yet another silver-titanium apparatus get scratched because of you.” Donnie gritted his teeth. “Can you hear the negative connotation?”
“Seriously, Donnie? Where’d that come from? Not only was that years ago but it ain’t anything except a simple accident.”
“‘Simple accident?’” the softshell repeated with dramatic offense. “An accident, like many others in science labs, which could have caused severe damage! Remember the incident when your teacher dumped bleach and vinegar into the trash bin?
You know, if you had paid any attention in your chemistry class, those two would make mustard gas?” Donnie side-eyed his friend. “Simple accidents can have serious consequences, O’Neil.”
A hand crept up the lab bench.
“Uh-huh, and I’m supposed to believe an instance of me knocking over your phone and books would kill somebody?” April crossed her arms. “If anything, the blame’s yours for not organizing your desk when you got drunk on coffee.”
The hand took ahold of the butane torch.
“Donatello? Disorganized? Sounds cheap coming from you, a student majoring in Journalism.”
April pulled up her coat’s sleeves. “Oh boy, you’re about to get it—.”
Squeeeak!
Heads spun and found a 13-year old boy, replacing April’s spot on Donnie’s chair. Casey eyed the torch with a great yet concerning amount of curiosity.
“Yo, what’s this for, Uncle Don?”
At lightning speed, while April ran to move the gaming chair away further from the workbench, Donnie snatched the tool from his hands. “Child. Casey. Young man.” The softshell heaved loudly. “I must inform you this is NOT meant to be handled with such casual ease. How in Hawking did you even—.”
“Don’t your lab have a passcode or something?”
“–Is what I am wondering myself, O’Neil. I refuse to believe this child remembers the beginning thirty numbers of π–.”
“Nope, only us.” April and Donnie lifted their gazes to his lab entrance. You leaned on the frame while a dear red-eared slider stood just behind. A couple of steps inside, and the metallic lab door shut close.
Donnie– strangely– was quick to hide his device-in-progress off to the side.
“You’re back!” April grinned. “Hell, you would not believe the convo Donnie and I were having a minute ago.” She hurried to hug you.
“Figures,” Leo remarked. “We could practically hear you yards off.”
“Sounds like things never get old.” You smiled.
There was a side-eye between Donnie and April, before the Commander proceeded to inquire, coughing: “Anyhow.. care to explain the occasion? You two don’t seem to be in a hurry.”
“The only times you ever visit my laboratory are to prepare for immediate combat engagement, and you look awfully collected.” The softshell furrowed his brows.
“No, no.” You waved your hands, shaking your head. “Thank God no. We came here to ask if you two could take care of our Casey here while we head out.” The other turtle scrunched his in-quote eyebrows. “You— You came here to request us to... babysit him?”
April jabbed him in his plastron.
“You see? Just like I said.” Leo turned to you. “I know my brother, love. Don’s not the kind of guy to take responsibility for a kid. Or anyone, really.”
“Hold on.” Donnie narrowed his eyes. “I never said I refused, Leo.”
“Don’t know, it sounds like it to me.”
“Well, my misinformed brother, contrary to your belief, I am perfectly capable of handling a child.”
You huffed with amusement. Your husband only winked back.
“If you say so, Don.”
“Where are you two heading off for if you needed us to watch over him?” April inquired. “Wondering, ‘cause this never happened even when you two leave for patrol.”
“Just finding some time for ourselves.”
April exclaimed, “As in a honeymoon? Why not just say so? We’ll leave you two alone–.”
“–In this economy and climate?” Donnie interjected. “Has it also not been six years since your yet-to-be-legal marriage?”
“Alright, alright,” Leonardo chuckled. “Cut us some slack, bro. Finding time wasn’t easy when there’s Kraang above our necks.”
“Right, and you’re going on a honeymoon, how?” The softshell crossed his arms. “Simply because you’re the leader does not equate to you making wise decisions, Leo.”
“His ōdachi can teleport anyone to anyplace, we have some hope we can easily teleport to a remote area,” you answered. “One without Kraang infestation. It’ll be hard, but we may as well try.”
“Bonus points if we find clear skies and an ocean.” The red-eared turtle grinned, wrapping his arm over your shoulders.
“What’s a honeymoon, (Mom / Dad)?”
Your hand went to caress Casey’s cheek. “Parent quality time. It just means you get to handle yourself like the responsible grown-up you’ll become one day. Just promise me you’ll be on your best behavior around Uncle Don and Auntie April?”
“I promise, (Mom / Dad)!”
“Good boy,” Leo laughed, ruffling the kid’s hair.
“You didn’t ask Mikey and Raph to help out too, or?”
“Between you and me, I think you guys are better of making sure Casey doesn’t get into any chaos,” you whispered to April. “Don’t tell them that, though.”
She laughed. “Okay, I see how it is. You both have fun.”
Donnie bit his lip. Right as Leonardo and (Name) turn to exit the laboratory, he extended his arm out to them.
“Leo, (Name).”
You two faced back to him once more.
“Don’t kill yourselves out there.”
Everyone’s eyes widened– April, you, and Leonardo himself. But the brother in blue snickered, holding a smile that reached his eyes. “So you do also care for me, Don. And all this time I thought you were plotting to put me in my grave or something.”
“We won’t.” Leo placed a hand on your shoulder. “You got my word.”
“Bye (Mom / Dad)! Bye Papa!”
“We’ll be back soon, Casey!”
Donnie stood in silence as you finally left, leaving himself with none other than his best friend and his nephew. “I refuse to believe this is the future we have to deal with.”
“Times changed all of us, didn’t they?” April spoke. “One day we wish each other a good one, and the next, we hope we just don’t die. I could’ve been a famous news anchor by now, make my mother happy, fight crime without worrying about dying the next second.
..I wonder if there’s anyone else out there besides the small number of us down here.”
“..I doubt it.”
Donnie pulled himself together and walked back to his workbench, operating his clampers to work once again. He put on his goggles. Casey, being a young teenager of enthusiasm, peeked over.
“Watch yourself, boy,” April warned.
“Don’t worry about me, Auntie. I’m only standing over here.” Casey narrowed his eyes upon the glowing and metal-like ball his uncle had his tools on. “What are you working on, Uncle Don?”
“A sphere.”
“A sphere?”
“You heard correctly.”
“That sounds kind of boring.”
Donnie had to hold himself back from remarking with: ‘That is exactly what every child whose intellect is doomed would say.’
“I’m sure your mother would find it rather moving.”
“(Mom / Dad)? I don’t understand what’s emotional about a ball, though.”
“Hey Casey.” April coughed. “Why not tell us about your mask here? Haven’t taken a good look at it before. Maybe Uncle Don would like to hear it too.”
“You actually want me to talk about my mask?”
“Ain’t a problem, is it?”
“No.” He fidgeted with his fingers a bit. “You don’t have anything else to do?”
“We were just told to watch over you, kid.”
“Yeah, but everyone I know is always busy with the Kraang or supplying weapons. I never really get chances to hang out.”
There was a brief pause in the butane torch’s flame.
April’s expression softened. Her hand came up to brush his black hair. “Things have gotten calmer up there. So you’ve got plenty of time with us now.”
Casey smiled.
“So your mask?”
The boy alternated between covering his face and removing it. “(Mom / Dad) gave it to me. She told me it is based on the one worn by my biological mother. (Mom / Dad) also said that my birth mother was kind of crazy-funny and likes to be loud. She would have a stick to play– what was it– hockey?
I don’t know what kind of game hockey is supposed to be, but I guess it’s nice to know how life was like before all the Kraang.”
A sad smile crept on April’s lips.
“Anyways, I thought the mask looked kind of plain, so I decided to draw red marks on it. See?” Casey showed his mask off, fingers tapping the surface. “Guess who it looks like!”
There were two bold and thick streaks of red. Each one ran through one eye, truly a defining characteristic. The Commander chuckled, already imagining how much pride her friend in blue would feel from the fact a kid– let alone one he had been parenting– looked up to him so much.
“You know, I am seeing someone familiar here.” April hummed as she put on a thoughtful facade. Fingers holding her chin and everything. “Got to be Uncle Don.”
Named turtle paused for a moment and raised a brow.
“Seriously, Auntie April?” On the other hand, Casey gave her an incredulous look and shook his head. “You probably want to get your eyes checked out, ‘cause Uncle Don doesn’t have any red stripes.” Off to the side. “And even if he did, he won’t look as cool as Dad.”
April snickered behind her palm as Donnie eyed the boy from behind his goggles.
“You’re right, you’re right. Just messing with you, kid.” Her hand ruffled his hair once more. “Sounds like you really admire your Papa, don’t you?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Dad has an awesome sword that opens up portals. He always moves so quickly whenever he’s fighting. Bam! And the Kraang’s gone!” The teenager stretched his arm for emphasis. “Even as the leader, Papa knows when to get serious and when to make people laugh. He also cares a lot about me, (Mom / Dad), you guys, and everyone!”
It made even Donnie himself smile.
However, the way Casey’s enthusiasm died down had not gone unnoticed. “I’ve always wanted to help out though.” He sighed, shoulders slumping. “I want to fight the Kraang right by his and (Mom / Dad)’s side. Except I barely get the chance to, because they keep telling me to stay close to base and hide behind a giant rock.”
April crossed her arms and went quiet. His feelings were nothing new. In fact, she experienced the same thing herself, seeing she had always been a human. It was like that until–.
“Have no hard feelings,” Donnie spoke up, his hands and eyes remained on his spheric gadget. The sparks were flying. “Your parents are merely worried about your well-being.”
“I know, I know. They won’t have to though, if I can have enough training or something.” Casey sighed. “Then again, I also know I’m only a normal sensitive human.
...Why can’t I be a mutant instead?”
“Ahem. You are classified as a human. That is a true statement and one you cannot change.” Donnie hummed. “However, that does not mean you cannot be strong and capable in other ways.”
“Why does it sound like you’ve been in my place before?”
“Perhaps I did. Did you truly think being a soft-shell turtle is easy? I happened to be born as one of the only Testudines species whose outer shell cannot protect.” Donnie remarked. “Casey, your mask.” His hand signaled.
“What about my mask?”
“I merely want to add something.”
Confused, he hopped off the chair and handed the mask over. “Hmm. As long as you don’t mess with the stripes, Uncle Don.”
“Who says I won’t?”
Casey kicked Donnie’s leg.
“‘Ow,’ I say sarcastically without feeling physical pain.”
“Hmph.” He crossed his arms. “Why do you keep saying things like that?”
“Such as?”
“You say those action verbs, even when you’re already doing them.”
April snorted. “Just his thing, kid. Uncle Don’s got his special quirks.”
“Do you have a quirk?”
“Picking unnecessary fights for one,” Donnie commented.
“You only call them ‘unnecessary,’ because you never want to fix the problem.”
He rolled his eyes. “My solution would’ve been ten times more efficient if you had allowed my technology and I to do the work.”
Casey wondered. “Does your tech ever go haywire, Uncle Don?”
“No.”
“Oh man,” April began, “you should’ve been there for this one time. Your Uncle Don was building some kind of overprotective bed to keep your late Gramps from waking up from his beauty sleep.”
“Gramps likes to sleep?”
“You’d be surprised to hear that he sure does.”
“Then what happened?”
“Uncle Don asked your Dad, Uncle Mikey, and Uncle Raph to try punching, slicing, throwing whatever they could on the bed. They were attacking it like crazy!”
“And then?”
“And the bed was even more insane, ‘cause there were actual missiles shooting out! They went straight for his brothers. At some point, it got overboard, so Uncle Don tried to command it to stop.”
“I’m hearing a ‘but’ coming.”
“But it malfunctioned and thought Uncle Don was the enemy!”
“However!” Donnie pointed his finger up, interrupting the story-telling. “It did not take long for my creation to recognize his master.”
“Still went haywire in my book,” April remarked.
“Ignoring that.” His robotic hand tapped the edge of his workbench, grabbing Casey’s attention. “Come here, young man.” He slid back the mask, except in his hands, it felt as if the frame had thicken.
“It looks the same, but it doesn’t feel the same?”
“Try wearing it over your face.”
The boy did as told. All of a sudden, a bunch of green rectangles and words appeared in his vision. He gasped in awe. He spun around slowly, watching the rectangle focus on a figure through the wall.
“Yes yes, I know. I am well aware of how amazing I am.” Donnie huffed in pride. “I have opted to construct an interface with your mask. I cannot see why you shouldn’t have something to defend yourself with,” he reasoned. “I have other updates in mind later on. As of now, however, your mask will help you detect life forms across other rooms or through other objects.”
“That’s so cool!” The boy hesitated though. “But I don’t want to break it or anything.”
“Hey.” April rested her hand on Casey’s shoulder, giving a firm squeeze. “Our resources are already scarce. Using then losing them is better than nothing. You better make the most of our tech. Understood, soldier?”
Casey grinned underneath his mask. He fixed his posture up and saluted. “Gotcha–! Understood, Commander!”
He faced the inventor, whose hands were already back to being occupied with the “sphere.” “Thanks so much, Uncle Don!” Casey exclaimed, leaping towards the turtle to give a tight hug. “You’re the best!”
Upon contact, Donnie stiffened up, but his lack of experience with physical touch did not prevent a smile forming on his face. He extended a robotic arm, patting Casey’s back.
The boy then scanned around curiously with his mask. “Hey! Think I spot Uncle Mikey and Uncle Raph two floors down! They’re holding hands over a table or something. Why are so many people circling around them?”
April rolled her eyes. “Sounds like another arm-wrestling match between the our youngest and oldest brother.”
Just like that, Casey booked it out of the laboratory so quickly, it reminded her of a certain red-eared slider. “What the–! Casey!” April groaned. “And here I thought we don’t have to deal with runaway kids. I better catch up to him.”
“Would not worry about him too much,” Donnie commented.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Considering we will not always be alive to protect him... the sooner we leave him to himself, the easier it will be for him to survive alone.”
“Hey. Come on now.” April walked to her best friend’s side. “Don’t you say things like that. We’re all going to survive this together–.”
“April.” Slight pain wavered in his voice. “You know as well as I do how our current reality is. It is only a matter of time before the Kraang finds everyone.”
“Yet you’re still here trying.”
No response.
“It’s all because of the kid, isn’t it?” April affirmed. “He ain’t any genius prodigy you were expecting long ago. But he gave you a reason to try– he became someone worth fighting for.”
“I would not put it as simply as that.”
She shrugged. “That’s how I’d say it. You know you’re not the only one whose life changed because of Casey.”
Donnie paused his work, turning off the butane torch and finally pulling his goggles off his eyes again. “...Casey reminds me of when we were young, being rash and immature teenagers like any other. I hate admitting to such thing, but I was one too. And I hate admitting much more how much I missed those times.
The child has known nothing of the trouble we’ve experienced outside, April: when Cassandra was killed, when Draxum was torn apart, when Dad decided to sacrifice himself despite the slim odds.” His hands clenched into fists.
“Do not expect me to have any false hope for our future, but do not assume I would want Casey to feel the same way. For as long as he can, I want him to hold onto that false hope.”
“...” April had her arms crossed. Her eyes slowly came to linger on the workbench. “Is that ‘sphere’ his false hope?”
“..No. Not his.” Donnie traced his thumb over his contraption. “It’s for (Name).”
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