Tw: briefly described character death
______
When Casey is two years old, he's already squeaking out anything that he thinks of. Cass is dubbed, 'Mommy!' Leo is 'Dada!' Donnie is ''Tello!' and Mikey is 'Mama!'. When they heard what Casey had been calling them, Mikey burst out into tears, grabbing Casey and spinning him, much to the baby's delight.
And now, before he knew it, Casey had a mouth full of chompers and was using them as best as he could. On people.
Donnie had just recently escaped from Casey's teething, before he heard the telltale tiny footsteps and Casey latched onto his pants, squeaking ''Tello!' with a toothy little grin. He sighs in defeat and ruffles the kid's hair, earning him a whiney giggle.
"Go find dada, mkay?" He tells Casey, desperately trying to not get bit again. Casey pouts at the suggestion and starts climbing Donnie. "No, no climbing 'Tello!" He tries to shake off the toddler, but it just earns him a shriek and surprised squeal. He uses a spider limb to pluck Casey off his back, and meets the boy face-to-face. Donnie is leveled with a pout.
He rolls his eyes and cradles the toddler, gently patting his back subconsciously. Despite not being tired, Casey relaxes in his hold, a huff of air escaping the toddler as he sinks into 'Tello's arms.
Donnie sighs fondly, gently swaying for a moment. When he's sure Casey is calm, he starts to lay the child in his makeshift cot, before retreating to his lab. He thinks Leo said something about doing something, but he can't completely remember. Well, he'll figure it out later. He's got tech scraps with his name written on them.
____________
Welp, it's official. Today can't get any worse.
When Donnie left his lab, Casey had been running rampant and was just about to set off a laser someone left laying around. He quickly picked up the child and left the area, looking for the people that were supposed to watch Casey, since it's not Donnie's turn to babysit yet. The toddler in question had taken to chewing on Donnie's mask tails, which is disgusting. It's so hard to wash baby spittle out.
Soon Donnie realizes he can't find Leo or Cass. Which is weird on its own, but usually he'd just go find Usagi, because he hangs around Leo, right?
Usagi was alone, no Leo or Cass in sight, but agreed to help. He can't find them either.
Maybe he's missing something?
As if sensing Donnie's anxiety, Casey starts fussing and moving around. When he's set down, he darts off, leaving Donnie to trail after him.
Casey instantly manages to find Mikey, and with a small cry, he leaps onto the mystic turtle, snagging his cape and cocooning himself in it. Mikey turns to find Casey snuggled in his cloak, and Donnie notices just how sad he looks. His grief is quickly hidden behind a thin smile when he sees Donnie.
"Hi Don-tron." Mikey speedily greets. Donnie raises an eyebrow in suspicion. Something isn't right.
"Hello to you as well Michael." He returns. He stares at Mikey, whose thinly veiled facade slowly cracks. When Donnie crosses his arms, Mikey sighs and slumps forward, hunching on himself.
Casey, sensing something's up with his Mama, untangles himself from Mikey's cloak, instead motioning to be picked up. Mikey obliged and gently pressed his beak to the crown of Casey's head.
"I bet you're wondering where Cass and Leo are, huh?" He mutters. Donnie nods quietly.
"Leo didn't tell you about the mission, did he?"
"What do you mean?"
Mikey chokes up for a moment, before swaying side to side. More for his comfort than Casey's, since the boy starts to squirm.
"How long do you think they were gone?"
"A few days maybe?"
Mikey shakes his head, shakily coughing. Casey mimics him.
"They just got back, but–" Mikey is interrupted by a sob. Donnie's heart feels like it was just punched. He knows what Mikey will say.
"Cass won't make it. Leo didn't get you because you looked busy, but she's hurt really bad, Leo said she won't make it–" Mikey cuts himself off and buries his face in Casey's hair. The toddler fusses, restless by all the choking sounds Mikey is making.
Nevermind Donnie's heart being punched, it's being torn apart. Slowly and painfully as his brain processes what he was just told.
He feels something warm slide down his face, and before he realizes it he's running to the Medbay in a frenzy, spider limbs automatically redirecting him before he hits a wall. He can't focus on that though, because holy shit, he can't lose another person godfuckingdamnit Leo why didn't you get him–
Pulling back the thin curtain that provides very little privacy, Donnie is met with the sight of Cassandra bleeding out on a medical cot, a large hole punched through where her stomach should be. But there are sickening pink tendrils crawling their way up from the wound, slowly.
Cassandra coughs out a large wad of blood, spitting it out beside her head, before giving Donnie a shaky smirk.
"'bout time you got here." And that makes Leo, who is currently pressing an increasingly more red-stained towel onto the wound, snap his head towards Donnie.
Donnie has never seen Leo look more frenzied, his twin doesn't even look like he recognizes him.
Cass coughs again, and Leo chokes a breathy sob down before looking back at her. The pink has spread while he wasn't looking, now reaching her neck. She looks like someone from a zombie movie slowly becoming infected.
"C'mere for a sec." She wheezes, weakly waving Leo closer. He leans close, and Donnie feels distress as a mournful chirp tries to force its way out. He swallows it down and takes a step into the room just as Leo sits back up.
Cass has her eyes closed, but she's taking deep, measured breaths. Even as she slowly turns more pale, and her chest rises shallowly.
"She wants to go on her own terms." Leo whispers, putting his face in his hands. Donnie feels a new wave of horror as he realizes what he means. "She wants to be taken out back, before the infection spreads."
Leonardo then slumps fully, allows himself a full ten seconds to breathe out a loud sob, then sniffles quietly and picks Cassandra up, who grimaces at the pain. Leo moves with purpose out of the Medbay.
Donnie doesn't think he could have that kind of confidence.
YOU ARE READING
Crestfallen at The End of The World
Fanfiction"But at least we can restart?" - At the tender age of sixteen, Hamato Donatello was trapped in a new circle of Hell, along with everyone else. Thank you, Kraang, he thought sarcastically. It was an accident. That's how it started. It was no one's fa...
