Are You Sure I'm Not A Villain?

35

Casey walked into the lair, still carrying Kai's black backpack, feeling dejected. He could hear the turtles talking amongst themselves in Donnie's lab. Casey couldn't go in there just yet. He didn't want to come to terms with what all of this meant for him and his relationship with Kai. He yanked off his bandana, letting his hair fly away freely, and sat down in the living area with his elbows resting on his knees and resting his face tiredly in his hands.

He sighed. What was happening?

He sat there for a few minutes until he was startled out of his seat by a hand lightly resting on his shoulder. Casey jumped up from the large couch and turned to face the person that startled him.

"My apologies, Casey," Splinter said. He folded his four-fingered hands in front of him. "I did not mean to frighten you."

Casey let out a shuttered breath. "It's okay, Splinter," he said, collapsing once again on the piece of furniture. "I was jus' thinkin'."

Splinter came around the couch and sat down next to Casey. The two didn't say anything for a little bit. They sat in silence; the only sound was their breathing and the muffled clatter and voices coming from the lab.

"I understand that you... have certain feelings for the boy," Splinter suddenly said.

Casey whipped his head around to face the rat. "What?"

Splinter looked down at Casey with a soft, but pitiful smile. "My sons," he said shaking his head in amusement. "are not very good at keeping secrets."

"You knew?" Casey asked. "For how long?"

Splinter stroked his long, thin beard. "It is of no consequence."

Casey sighed again and looked down at his ratty sneakers. "I guess you're right, though," he said. "Kai is... I like him a lot."

Splinter hummed to himself. "I can understand why. Kai seems like a strong, loyal young man. Don't let his heritage dissuade you from maintaining your relationship with him. At heart, I can sense that he is a good person."

Casey just nodded. He looked down at the backpack that was laying at his feet. Beside him, Splinter stood up and began to walk away. But before he made it too far, the wise rat left one more sentence of advice.

"You have to come to terms with the fact that he is our enemy, but you must also not let it affect you."

Whatever that meant.

***

Casey took the backpack with him to the lab as soon as he heard Donnie's voice calling to the others, saying that Kai was awake. Raph, April, and Mikey met him at the big metal door as they were all outside of the lab while Leo and Donatello kept watch. Raph threw open the door and marched in with Casey following quickly behind.

It was a scene right out of a cop movie. Kai was in the center of the lab, away from everything except for Donnie's algae pools (which had like one cameo in the actual 2012 series. Does anyone know what those pools in the lab were even for??) Except he was tied to a chair. His hands were tied behind the back of the chair, which did not seem all to comfortable for the boy's shoulders, and his ankles were tied to the chair legs. A large light shone above the shorter boy, too bright for the usually dim space. Kai's eyes squinted against the harsh white light as he glared at the two turtles standing above him.

Donnie and Leo were standing with their arms crossed over their chests, trying to look as menacing as possible. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the turtles' hostile expressions were working on the son of Shredder.

Casey hesitantly walked up to where the turtles were waiting for him. Kai's attention immediately turned towards his taller friend. There was a look of relief on his face, but also a twinge of fear plastered behind his eyes. Casey assumed that he was just scared because he was tied up to a chair in front of four mutant turtles and being accused of being evil.