Dagger From the Mirror (ROTTMNT/TMNT 2012 Crossover Fic)

Deja Vu

Casey Jones had always known he was destined for an epic life. But even he had to admit that being present for not one, but two alien invasions before he'd even graduated high school was insane. Who could have predicted this?

He pushed his feet to go faster and faster as the patrol team ran, desperate to get back to the lair. Both Raphs were having the time of their lives bashing bots' heads in, but even Casey could see the panic they were trying to hold back as the situation got worse and worse. Portals opened up left and right, more Kraang droids pouring in each second that passed. First there were five, then fifteen, thirty, fifty... more droids than Casey could count.

"What do we do?!" New April exclaimed, dodging a blast from a nearby droid before New Raph knocked it down.

Leonardo led the way and took out one more. "We gotta get the Donnies, Mikeys, our April and Splinter and get out of here."

"Yeah, didn't Other Donnie say there was going to be a forcefield or something that'll lock us in here?" The shorter Raph asked. "I'd really rather not be here when they pull that out. I don't know about you guys, but I ain't ready to get mutated a second time with the rest of the city."

"They're mutating the whole city?" Casey asked, grinning. "Wicked!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Not the time, Casey!"

Casey knew it wasn't the time, but he didn't know how else to cope with something as insane as this. He was running crowds of aliens while they tried to destroy the entire city and everyone he'd ever known and loved, and it was likely that he, his friends, and his entire family would be turned into pink-headed Kraang-blobs by the time this was over, stuck in a shielded city, never to know freedom again. He thought he deserved to make it sound cooler than it actually was.

"Guys, focus!" Leo shouted, "Just run!"

And so they did. Street after street, more portals opened up. At one point, a portal opened up right in front of their path, and Casey had to catch New April by the arm to stop her from running right through. The journey back to the lair felt endless and nearly impossible... Especially when the portals began to open even more frequently, and they recognized New Donnie's handiwork among the emerging weaponry.

It was beautiful and magnificent in the most horrifying way Casey had ever seen. He stared up at the giant bots, purple and pink and glowing with hideous maliciousness. They hummed with power as the Kraangs inside grinned with ill intent. Casey may not have known New Donnie very well, but he knew his skills well enough to be able to tell there was no way they'd be able to take these armed gods down.

And judging by the looks on New April's and New Raph's faces, he knew they knew it too.

"This way!" New Raph suddenly shouted, waving the team over to the left into an open garage. Casey followed in and pressed his back against one of the concrete pillars, holding his breath as they waited for the droids chasing them to pass. There were still Kraang outside, of course, but at least they weren't ones directly after them. They could deal with this.

Only after they were sure this danger had passed did anyone speak.

"Okay, we need a game plan," The older Raphael hissed, looking around, "What do we do?"

"New April, do you have any guesses for how long we have until they start the forcefield and gas mutagen up?" Leonardo asked, but New April shook her head. He sighed. "We need to get back to the lair, but it's still another ten minutes from us."

"I tried calling our April, Mikey, and Donnie, but they haven't answered," Casey said, holding up his phone. New Raph and New April exchanged concerned glances, so Casey quickly rushed on, not wanting to panic either of them any more than they already were. "But that could just mean they're busy, right? The Kraang don't know where the lair is."