#ftfd

"Sorry, my filter's a bit... scrambled right now." Don rubbed his face tiredly. He didn't sleep very well, since... well, since he had to get an awful job with awful hours and deal with his awful older brothers- anyways.

"It's alright." Older Leo - and they were going to have to get nicknames or something sorted out, really - gave a small smile. "...Seriously, you doing okay? You look... exhausted."

"I'm just... very busy." Donatello sighed. "And now all this-" He motioned to the bright expanse around them. "-happens. I was just recovering from the last big weird thing we went through." Leo coming back like all was okay just because he was here, Raph and him at each other's throats, fighting Winters, giant monsters, whatever the hell the Foot were up to back in NYC again...

"I get that." Leonardo said, sounding tired. "We just got Don back, just got the new base set up, safe to live in, and now this. I just... hope they don't freak out too bad."

Donnie's blood ran cold. "Your... your Donatello was... gone?" He regretted his lack of filter when Leo sighed like the entire world was on his shoulders.

"Not... of his own accord. Not that the same can be said of- of the rest of us." Leonardo said quietly. "We all messed up. But we were working on it and we finally got him back and then..." He spoke very stilted and uncertain, like he had to remind himself to keep speaking. He sounded hoarse too. Strange.

Donatello hesitated now. The older Leo was beat to hell, scars covering every inch of skin he could see. His jacket was old and beat up with age. His gear looked like it was put together from scraps. Even worse was the way he looked at all of them. Regretful. Exhausted in a way Donnie didn't have words for.

"My family drama isn't... important, right now, though." Leo shook his head as if waking up and looked out into their strange surroundings. "Do you need to get some sleep before we start looking around? I can stand watch."

"Or Big Raph can just carry you!" The short, freckled version of Mikey jumped into their conversation with a wide smile.

Big Raph growled in annoyance but nodded. "Wouldn't be the first time, though you're a lot lighter than my Mikey."