Chapter Text
If you were to ask Leo where he was as he woke up, he would have answered No idea! Since he had passed out in the middle of a beating from a planet-conquering alien and then woken up in what he could only describe as a futuristic prison-cell.
His head was pounding and his vision blurred occasionally. Slowly he got his bearings. The gray, metallic floor was ice cold; made worse by his cold-blooded nature. Neon strips of energy flowed along the walls, the neon colors in a vibrant purple/pink mix.
Leo grunted as he turned his head to the other side of the room, all walls of the cell were the same except the one opening up to the hall, that one was like a big open door. The door was closed with a wall of the same neon energy, Leo didn’t want to find out how much it would hurt touching it.
The wall bathed his bruised body in neon, making the dark splotches and occasional cuts stand out nastily against his lime skin.
Leo scooted his way backwards with a handful of grunts and small curses. As his carapace hit the gray wall he relaxed a tiny bit in a sitting pose. He placed himself a foot from the energy-wall to his left, letting him look down the hall as well as he could.
The only thing beyond his cell seemed to just be more cells; unoccupied.
Leo tried again to remember what had happened, it was fuzzy but he was sure no one but him and the Kraang leader had been there. A punch had been delivered to his head so hard he got knocked out, and then he was here. A sigh left him.
The prison wasn't like the gooey tentacle-tech of the Kraang, their ship had been destroyed anyways by him and Casey, so there was no way it was them.
He had succeeded; he had
saved
his family.
•
Leo wasn't sure how long he just sat there on his butt. He kind of wished the tech-walls would make a buzzing sound or something since the silence was borderline maddening. There was nothing to distract his mind from the pain of his aching body.
There was no way out without his katanas, no way out without someone to let him out either.
That’s what he thought, just as he heard a cough.
The sound was so sudden it startled Leo, he whipped his head to the left to look out into the hall; empty.
He couldn’t see anyone down the hall, not on either end or in any visible cells. Whoever coughed was on the right side of cells like him, making them impossible to see because of the walls.
Leo summoned up a bit of courage.
“Hello?” He called out, his voice echoing a bit against the empty cell.
A few seconds passed. “Hi?” Someone else responded, they sounded like a teenager like himself.
“Hey, are you in a cell?” He asked, cursing a bit at how shaky his voice came out.
“It’s a prison dude, not a lot of other places to be.” The voice sounded exasperated, Leo hoped he wasn't the reason. He needed an ally.
Leo tightened his hands into fists, ignoring how much his hands hurt. “Y-yeah I know but… I just woke up here and I don't know where I am. I don’t know how I even got here.”
The other voice didn't respond for a few minutes, had something happened? No one had come down the hall, nevertheless his heart sped up a bit.
There was some shuffling behind Leo, the slider quickly came to the conclusion whoever it was was in the cell right beside him.
A little thump came against the wall he was leaning against, maybe they were sitting as he was too.
“You’re in Dimension X. Alien dimension for a buncha’ creeps called The Kraang. This is one of their prisons.”
Leo’s ears began to ring at the words, his hands shook and his breath began to quicken.
The Kraang!? How the hell did they have this place? Their prison dimension was a mess, only three of them had even been alive after being trapped so long! I failed, I FAILED! His mind screamed and panicked.
“-ude. Yo dude chill! Come on man you gotta breathe, in and out slowly.” The voice of the stranger rang out as he panicked.
“I think you gotta count it, breathe in for like four seconds, and hold your breath as long as you can and breathe out really slowly. Come on neighbor.”
With a bit of difficulty Leo followed the stranger’s advice. He knew the technique, having used it often with his own anxiety attacks.
It was silent for a few minutes as Leo’s breathing settled down.
The stranger was the first to break the tense atmosphere. “You alright? Sorry if I freaked you out.” They sounded genuinely apologetic. Leo felt embarrassed, losing it so fast like that in front of whoever that person was.
“No I… I’m okay. It wasn't you, I just— I thought the Kraang was defeated?” His voice was a bit panicky, brows furrowed as he looked into the empty hall.
“Defeated? No way, those guys live it up good here. This is their home-turf, full of their own allies and weapons. Why would you think they were defeated?”
The slider’s mind was reeling at the information. “But I beat them? I beat their leader and destroyed their ship.”
“They only have one leader, Kraang Prime. Whatever ugly alien and ship you destroyed wasn't the main ones. I would have heard about it, sorry dude.” Their voice was low and careful, probably sensing Leo’s stress.
Leo cradled his head in his hands, bringing his legs up to his plastron. His whole body shook. Did I do all of that for nothing? Is anyone even safe?
The stranger knocked on the wall to get his attention again. “Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but good job on knocking some alien heads! Any of them dead or beaten is progress, even if it feels like an uphill fight.” Leo wiped the few stray tears from his face.
“We can talk about something else, if you want to stop focusing on it.” The stranger offered.
Leo sniffed. “Sure…. What about?” He asked.
“Well, what about your name?”
Leo hesitated, the stranger seemed nice but he was still weary regardless. Should he give them his real name? Not yet, not yet at least he decided.
“You can call me Blue.”
The stranger snorted, followed by a light airy laugh. “Alright dude. You can call me um… call me Scavenger then! If we're gonna use code names.”
“Okay, Scavenger.” The nickname was odd, but so was Blue, so who was he to judge? At least
Blue
was still familiar, due to his dad.
“How did you end up in jail?” He asked Scavenger, letting his head rest against the cold wall.
“Well, me and the fam were going to go here actually and I jumped ahead into our portal-door-thingy. They never followed me out of it so I’ve just been surviving, hoping they’ll show up or I’ll get my hands on another portal.” Leo’s eyes widened, they were abandoned? By their own family?
Leo was almost afraid to ask. “So… how long have you been in this dimension?” He held his breath.
“About a year and a half, probably a bit more. It’s hard keeping track of since this place doesn't have night and day change”
Leo whipped his head around; agitating his headache. He looked at the wall Scavenger was hidden behind as if he would be able to see them if he stared hard enough. “But that… that’s awful! They didn’t leave you on purpose, right?”
Maybe that was too personal to ask, but Leo’s mouth always ran faster than his brain. He heard Scavenger sigh.
“I don’t think they meant to. I probably just messed up; I have a habit of it. I’m sure they’re coming, one day.”
“Anyways, how are your family? If you have one.” Scavenger asked, voice a bit more quiet now.
“I do have one. My dad, two brothers, one sister and one sibling. Recently another addition came but I’m not sure where he fits yet.” The memory of Casey and his family flashing in his mind.
“That sounds nice. It’s our dad too, me, my two brothers and one sister back at home for me. Then two friends who pop in now and then too.” Scavenger added.
Leo felt warm as he remembered his own family. “I miss them a lot. I’m not sure how long I’ve been away from them, but it already feels way too long.”
“I know the feeling...”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to-“
“Nah you’re fine man, I get it… wait are you actually a dude? I feel like I’ve just been calling you dude and man a lot.”
Leo chuckled. “Yeah, I’m a boy. What about you?”
“I’m a boy too, heh.”
They both chuckled for a few moments.
“I’m glad you’re here…” Scavenger confessed, voice still a bit breathless from the laugh. “I mean, I’m not glad you’re like here as in I’m glad you’re in prison I mean I’m glad I have someone to talk to . Gahh! You know what I mean!” Leo laughed again at his neighbor trying to formulate himself.
“Every time I’m here it’s just me alone, or some alien that doesn't speak English… though they’re pretty rude even when I don’t understand them, I can just feel it.”
“No I get it… I’m glad you’re here too to let me know what’s going on. It was nice to not wake up and be completely scared and lost.” Leo was in thought for a moment.
“Wait… you said ‘Every time I’m here’ have you been caught before?”
“Yeah; twice before. I’m pretty awesome when I want to and have escaped. But I think they’re getting better at tracking me.” Scavenger sighed deeply. “I have a plan on how to get out again this time, I just need some time.”
Leo’s eyes widened. If he could get out, he might help Leo too. Help him get home. Scavenger seemed to be from earth, at least from how he spoke. He needed to make sure.
“You’re from earth, right?”
Leo crossed his fingers.
“Yeah, why do you ask dude?”
“Can you take me with you? If you get out, please… I’m from earth too. I need to get home. I-If you get me a sword I can create portals! Just help me get out!” He pleaded. Maybe it was unnecessary but Leo felt more desperate as the prospect of escape and the faces of his family flooded his mind.
“Portals? Dude, what are you talking about? Stop joking, I don’t w—“
“No I mean it! Me and my family have these powers, it’s a long story but if I get a sword I can harness it properly and make a portal out of the prison. If you help me I’ll help you, I swear.
Scavenger was quiet for a moment.
“You’re not pulling my leg?”
“I’m not.” Leo put as much conviction and certainty into his words as he could.
“Okay but… you need a breather mask if you’re going to want to get out of here.”
“What’s that?”
“In this dimension the air is toxic as hell to anyone non-Kraang, if you don’t have a mask with normal air you’re not going to get anywhere outside of the prison yo.”
Leo ran his hands down his face in annoyance. “You already have one?” He asked the other.
“Yeah, my brother made us all one when we were gonna go here together way back when. The chewed-gum looking douches let me keep it, probably because they don’t want to use their supplies on me. It’s surprising since I’ve gotten out so many times, they’re not the brightest heh.”
Leo found that mildy reassuring. If the Kraang of this place were less smart than the ones from New York he might have a chance to face-man his way into letting him keep it like Scavenger.
“So, how do I get it?”
“Either we’re lucky in the break-out and find one, though I don’t know where they keep their stash of masks. Or you convince them to let you keep the one they give you.”
“Why would they give me a mask?”
“Oh well… in the room them torture and interrogate, the air is like the air outside. They need you breathing to get answers.”
Leo voice came out high as the word torture sank in “What! They torture people?” His body already hurt like hell, All they had was poke one of his dozen scabbed-over cuts and he would be screaming.
“Yeah, you can be lucky and all they want is information. Just answer however you need to dude, try and make sure you get to keep that mask.”
“Oh jeez, so easy.”
“Hey man, I didn’t say it was easy! You wanna get out of here or not?”
“Yeah…”
“Good! Get the mask, say whatever you need to, just make them let you keep it.”
“I’ll try.” Leo ran his thumb along a bruise he could feel was slightly swollen along his jaw. He’s pretty sure that’s the punch that had ultimately knocked him out back in the prison dimension.
“When do you think they are going to come for me?”
“Well, maybe a minute, maybe a week. Time is interesting here. The Kraang don’t really rush a lot when they’re in Dimension X. Feels like they have all the time in the world at times.”
“A week!? But I—“
A noise interrupted him from down the hall, the end towards Leo’s side of the hall.
“Just do what they say man.” Scavenger muttered, low enough for what sounded like approaching robots wouldn't hear.
The heavy footsteps stopped in front of Leo’s cell, as he looked to the side Leo saw five tall robots had planted themselves to be looking right at him. They looked much like the Kraang he knew, nestled in the belly of robot suits. All of them have guns ready in their hands as well. Sure they were smaller than the Kraang he knew, less physically intimidating. Leo wasn't taking any chances though.
The one closest to Leo clicked a few buttons by the wall of his cell. The wall of energy dissipated.
One Kraang stepped forward. “The one knows as you will follow the ones known as Kraang to the place known as the place that is called the interrogation room.”
Leo held back a laugh, this was so insane he didn’t even know if to answer.
Two Kraang stepped forward, both planted an arm under his armpits, dragging him down the way they came. The idea to look back and see if he could spot Scavenger only came as the door to the hall closed behind him.
Okay, time to put on a mask to get a mask.