TMNT Shell Shots

Better Than None

*Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

*Spoiler Alert: This story is based on the TMNT mutant apocalypse arc. If you have not seen those episodes yet, I recommend watching them before reading any further.

--------------------------

*'Better Than None' Summary: When the turtles are unable to stop a deadly mutagen bomb from detonating, one brother awakens to discover that he may be the only member of his family left.

*Author's Notes: Hey! I'm back with another 'TMNT Shell Shot.' After watching the apocalypse episodes, I had so many unanswered questions, I didn't even know where to begin. But the biggest question I had was 'What happened after the M-bomb went off?' So, I wrote this story. Not surprisingly, it wound up way longer than I had planned, but there was just so much to cover. I'll warn you in advance, this one is pretty emotional. I once again managed to make myself cry . . . 😭

I truly hope all of you like what I have done here. Thank you very, very much for reading. 😉 CJ

--------------------------

The ringing in my ears won't stop and I have to wonder if there are additional explosions going off or if I'm just hearing echoes of the same deafening blast over and over again. I can still feel heat washing over my already scalded skin, but it's not nearly as intense as when the bomb first detonated. My eyes are tightly sealed shut, in an attempt to block out the destruction all around me, but I'm pretty sure the image of what I just saw will be forever burned into my retinas.

So what exactly did I just see?

Honestly, I don't even know how to describe it, other than to maybe call it the end of the world.

In an instant, life as we knew it was gone. Blown to shell by some kind of mutagen bomb. At least I think that's what it was. I remember sirens sounding out and seeing a weird device lifting up into the sky, and then -

For some reason, my mind is suddenly drawing blanks and the details of what happened seem to be scattering away from me. I'm guessing it's because I'm in shock.

I suck in a deep breath, hoping it might somehow help me think straight, but all it does is make my stomach turn. The distinct and potent smell of charred flesh is hanging in the air, thick and heavy, reminding me why my eyes are closed.

And so, I just continue to lie here, wedged into the uneven surface that was kind enough to break my fall. I can still feel debris tumbling down on me from above, like it's raining rubble and soot. This is another one of those times it's good to be a turtle. Luckily for me, I'm able to tuck myself up inside the protection of my shell, but not before taking one heck of a blow to the head when the explosion detonated.

Or was it after?

I'm not sure . . .

I think it happened when I landed here, just after Leo pushed us out -

Leo . . .

Though my memory of the incident seems to be getting hazier by the minute, I remember seeing tears in Leo's eyes as he shoved us out of the way. He was right at the epicenter when the bomb went off. He knew there was no way he would survive the blast, but he did everything in his power to make sure that we would. He protected all of us, right up until the very end.

I vaguely remember reaching out for him as darkness swallowed him whole. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, having sacrificed himself in order to save us.