★☆★☆★☆
𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬—𝐨𝐧𝐞
𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚡𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚜
𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚜
★☆★☆★☆

𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀 𝙃𝘼𝘿 𝘽𝙀𝙀𝙉 𝙊𝙉 𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙃 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙀𝙓𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙇𝙔 6 𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙎.

And counting.

She was exhausted, to say the least. The girl who could barely be considered an adult by Earth's standards had been through a lot in the past 24 hours. Stevie was sadly stranded in New York for the time being and she was not quite sure what to do with herself.

Somehow, she stumbled her way through the busy streets and ended up at Galaxy Con in the middle of Brooklyn. Apparently, her space getup was more than convincing enough for people to just let her in.

She did not complain either, despite being born on Earth, she was only raised on the planet until she was eight years old. She had never been to a Galaxy Con, Stevie had always wanted to attend one though.

Stevie did not even think she looked all that much space, but still, she had been garnished with compliments left and right. According to many, her look was right on with some television series called "The 100" that evidently took place in a space-themed future.

"Right on with that cool-looking mask!"

"Nice hair! Very Harley Quinn!"

"Oh wow! You even went as far as to get the 'hell and back look'!"

"Ooh, you look positively exhausted! Jupiter Jim would be proud!"

"And that smell! You smell like you haven't showered in days, awesome job!"

Stevie had just been insulted by that last one. She eyed many of the mutants and Yokai wandering around. Last she had been on Earth, their existence had not exactly been as out and open to the public yet.

Her belt jangled as she walked, the girl taking in everything around her with a smile. This was the perfect distraction from everything else that she had been through. She was still planning on what to do after she left.

She figured it was not too far off to find a hotel after this.

It would not be too hard to use one of her devices to hack into an ATM for some quick cash. Her device worked for most ATM machines across galaxies. It was only particularly advanced planets that she had to worry about.

One time she attempted to hack into an ATM on Deloitte — one of the richest and most advanced planets around, and she was thrown in prison for 2 months before her dad found her and busted her out.

Yeah, not her best look.

Stevie hummed as she made her way through the people.

Surprisingly, there were not too many people here. She figured this must have been more of a low-budget batch of people, especially seeing as she got in for free.

Her thoughts were proven right as she stood in the midst of the crowd listening as the voice actor for a princess on some low-budget sci-fi show called Super Robo Mecha Force Five!

She was intrigued as the actress started to talk about different ways that she changed her voice. However, her attention was taken to her right arm as a surge of heat flared through her. Quickly, looking down toward her arm, she frowned upon seeing pink and purple swirling energy course through her veins before disappearing.

Well, shit... this was worse than she thought.

She shivered as she remembered the heat from the force that had hit her — the feeling of POWER merging with her soul and forcing its way through her being. A small sweat broke through her head as pink and blue energy flashed through her vision.

She shook her head willing the thoughts away. Stevie had to stay relaxed about this, panicking would do her no good.

In the same room, a group of six suddenly entered.

"Ah — Galaxy Con right where we belong!" Leonardo cheered with his brothers as they took in the other fans and nerds dressed in cheap space apparel.

Like always, people immediately looked at them in wonder and with smiles. All the boys had to do was put on a fanny pack and some fake alien antennas and they passed as the turtle aliens from Jupiter Jim.

And most people thought their costumes were amazing, it was one of the only places where the guys actually received compliments.

"This, my friend, is what living in a world without Krang is all about," Leo had slid to Casey's side, throwing an arm around him.

"This and pizza!" Mikey piped up with a cheer.

Don was freaking out as he noticed the voice actress for his childhood crush — Atomic Lass — was about to speak in the next few minutes. April was the one he was freaking out too, the older girl dressed in a fake yellow space suit.

The girl who was basically Donnie's older sister only crossed her arms as she listened to him gush with raised brows.

"As long as we don't run into that freak Marcus Moncrief," Raph scowled.

"AKA the actor who plays Jupiter Jim who may take his role just a bit too seriously — pish poss — but is all around an awesome guy!" Leon explained to Casey while Raph gaped at his younger brother.

"He kidnapped people, Leo—!"

"But anyway, Casey Jones, your first Galaxy Con, big deal!" Leon patted his back before making his way toward the sign that pointed out where all the guests were meant to be and at what times.

Casey, on the other hand, was looking around with an almost sad smile. The whole place was galaxy gthemed. He could hear Stevie's voice echo in his head.

"Oh, the places we'll go, kid — I'm gonna take you all on a tour of the universe!"

Casey's shoulder sagged. It had been a few months since he came clean about Stevie and her story to the turtles. They had been shocked, sure, especially Leon as he learned he was married to some awesome space woman in another future.

Yeah... that one took a while to talk Leonardo down from.

April had been brought into the know about it as well as Cassandra.

Casey's relationship with Cassandra was an odd one. They were close friends, sure, but she acted nothing like a mother to him. Not that he expected her to as this version of her had most definitely not given birth to him or anyone for that matter.

However, when everyone found out the entire story of Stevie's life in that version of the future — everyone was quite literally moved to tears. Even Donnie when he learned they died together.

Splinter was especially hysterical (not at his own death) but rather at the death of his unborn grandchild. It had been so close to happening!

Eventually, everyone gathered themselves and questions were thrown around. They were excited to learn that the universe was much bigger and livelier and less daunting than previously believed (especially after the Krang).

Donnie was especially intrigued — he had begged to run a few tests on the music box upon learning it was made with alien tech. Casey was quite protective of it though, he'd only let Leonardo see it occasionally and even then that was when Casey was the one holding it.

The biggest question of all though was whether they would run into her in this version of events. Casey was unsure if not doubtful — in the last version of events, Stevie had been shot down by the Krang and stuck on Earth.

With no Krang to shoot her down, she would not get stuck on Earth. And she rarely visited the planet before she had become stuck on it, so he highly doubted they would be seeing her again. As saddening as it was, it was also the truth.

The universe was a very big place, without those l specific events to bring her to the turtles (AKA Leo) as it once had, it was highly unlikely that something else would.

Talk about Leo's alternate future wife died down in the weeks that passed after the big reveal. They could all see how much it upset Casey when her name was brought up knowing that they'd most likely never see her.

And yet, some nights Leon would be laying in his bed, his thoughts running across what Stevie Carter was like. A girl — his girl — in an alternate timeline.

The thought made him giddy inside... his girl.

But then that was squashed when the reality of him currently having no girl — nobody — hit him again. He supposed it was nice to know that he had someone to call his in some fucked up timeline, but that was erased along with everything else that had happened that time around.

Casey allowed his gaze to rake along the decorations of Galaxy Con. Various planets and stars and glitter hung along the walls and roof. Nearly everyone was dressed up, it is why the turtles did not stick out as everyone had on a costume of sorts.

Or they too were real Yokai and mutants.

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo were crowded around the schedule arguing about where they should go first. April stood behind them with her hands resting on her hips and shaking her head at the four.

Casey's attention was taken to a small crowd on the other side of the entrance hall. He rose a brow at the colorful animation sign — Super Robo Mecha Force Five! Meet and Greet with voice actress Mae Whitman.

A blonde woman with a microphone dressed up in animated colors was walking around on a makeshift platform stage. There was not a big audience around her listening, and it seemed that many were beginning to wander away.

Casey gazed over the crowd, people dressed in equally as vivacious costumes and interesting hairstyles.

A swirling mixture of pink and blue with dark roots met his eyes. She was standing toward the back of the crowd and her back was to him.

And despite the colors, the wild curls were too familiar. But there was no way... it was getting to him, the atmosphere was getting to him.

The space theme, the stars, the wonder: it reminded him too much of her. He was seeing what he wanted.

But still, that girl's outfit — from behind, at least — looked much more realistic than anyone else. More beat, more tattered... and the gear on her belt.

Okay, Casey was not an idiot and he had been around his fair share of weaponry, the stuff that girl was carrying is definitely real.

Her colorful rocket boots — newer and cleaner — but still the same as they had been. Stevie's favorite boots back in his time. The wonderous space boots that allowed her to hover.

Stevie aged slower than average, even with her being in her mid-thirties when she died, she never looked a day over 27. Even from behind, he could tell that this girl was around Stevie's same build: lean muscular.

As though answering his prayers, the female turned around holding a blinking device in her grasp. It looked similar to a phone except for more futuristic looking.

However, that was not what captured his attention. It was the all too familiar features, her face looking slightly younger than the last time he had seen it almost three years ago but the same nonetheless.

A small perky bulbous-tipped nose, full lips, and a freckly cocoa face. Behind long dark lashes lay the cosmos, her eyes a swirling mixture of purples, pinks, and blues. An impossible coloring for any human, but she was not completely human.

Stevie growled while shaking the device in her grasp.

Just as she had already tried fifty times that day alone — still broken... great. Still no way to contact her father.

She put the device away with a sigh, her attention no longer on the voice actress. Perhaps she should just dip out now and find somewhere to lay low for the night. Her side began to ache once more, the girl cringing while placing a hand over it.

Everything hurt, but her side hurt more than anything. She still had not had a chance to look at it.

Upon looking around, she suddenly locked eyes with muddy brown ones. The guy could not have been older than 17 or 18 — and his face was rather cute but rather rough looking. A patchy beard that needed to be shaved and his dark locks were in desperate need of a haircut.

Stevie rose a brow and made a face at his staring. He was quite obviously staring at her, and upon her turning around to face him his eyes seemed to grow to the size of saucers. He was looking at her in familiarity, as though they knew each other, but she was positive that she had never EVER met this dude in her life.

"Casey? Case!"

His attention was taken down to April who wore the makeshift yellow spacesuit, her hair pulled into two curly poofs.

"Ya good?" She asked having left the guy's side, Mikey was right next to her having noticed Casey's odd behavior.

Casey was silent, his eyes still wide as though he had seen a ghost. And in a way, he had. A ghost of the past.

"Dude, what's up?" Mikey asked, fully prepared to take him back to the lair if he needed.

The turtles and April had their fair share of trauma, especially after the Krang invasion nearly a year ago. However, Casey by far had it the worst seeing as his entire life was running and just living to survive before then.

It was still hard for him to adapt to this new world. But he was getting better.

Both Mike and April shared looks, they had a feeling they knew what was up. But neither wanted to say her name. Galaxy Con no doubt was making Casey think of a certain future wife to Leon: a certain Stevie Carter that none of them had ever had the privilege of meeting.

Casey did not respond, rather he looked away from Stevie and allowed his gaze to fall over the decorated starry rooftop and the walls. The fake spaceships and pretend aliens that wandered around.

The moonrock structures and glowing sets. It was beautiful... even if it was obviously fake.

And there was Stevie, still standing there staring at him in confusion trying to decide if she actually did know him and where she knew him from. Stevie supposed it was possible, after all, she had come across a lot of people in her relatively short life. Bound to be some faces that she just did not remember.

Perhaps she knew him from prison?

"Okay, it's decided — we are going to visit Red Fox and Jupiter Jim, then we will swing around to Atomic Lass before..." Leo proclaimed while turning around, his voice dying as he, Raph, and Donnie finally caught sight of the situation.

Don had been grumbling about not getting to see Atomic Lass first.

"Hey buddy, you okay?" Leon asked in a soft tone, seeing as Casey was taking in everything around him with wide eyes and frantic breaths.

"Case...?" Raph started only for Casey to shake his head and mutter a single name.

"Stevie..." was all he had said, all that he was able to get out.

"Oh no — is it too much, pal? How about we head out and get pizza instead? Or head back to the lair and watch a movie?" Raph suggested while the others were kicking themselves.

Of course, Galaxy Con was bound to be too much for Casey to handle at the moment. Everything about it was space-themed, a reminder of the spacewoman who raised him alongside everyone else. The spacewoman who Casey nor anyone else may ever see.

"No," Casey shook his head, eyes lighting up with such unbridled joy it startled everyone, "No, I mean Stevie. It's Stevie. STEVIE!" He yelled to the girl staring at him from across the room.

Stevie had been standing rubbing her chin trying to think.

Zandar? Skaro? Erato? No, she did not know him from any of those places.

She jumped as he suddenly yelled her name and charged for her. Stevie's eyes went wide.

Well, that confirms that she must have known the dude since he screamed her name. However, she was unable to pull her blaster out in time as she noticed him running at her.

Someone who did not like her?

There were plenty of people who had it out for her. Many men and women wish death on her.

Her thoughts were proven to be wrong when he tackled her, but not in an aggressive way. Rather, he pulled her into just about the tightest hug of her life and lifted her in the air with a spin.

Stevie was not necessarily short (for the human race that was), she stood at a sturdy 5'6 and was built with lean muscle. However, this dude just happened to be taller and made of more muscle than she.

He had no issue lifting her up and swinging her around, his eyes misty and glistening with tears.

At this point, she was just confused. She mentally shrugged though, better than being shot at and attacked. Might as well roll with it.

Stevie hugged him back.

And upon her feet making contact with the ground, and the shorter girl crushing him just as much and digging her cheek into his soft warm chest... it happened.

See, so here is the thing about the Kree. The Kree are kind of... sort of... telepathic and empathic.

Touch-activated, of course.

Some found it easier to read emotions vs minds.

And even then she wasn't all that great with her ability. There was not much control.

Stevie (it is important to note that she is only 50% Kree) found that emotions came to her easier than others' thoughts upon touching a person. And it was not all the time, it depended on how strong the emotions and thoughts are of the person that she is touching.

Stevie is also particularly untalented with that specific ability. However, as the dude put her down there was a flash of blue and pink energy before she felt the emotions of the boy. Sadness, anxiety, disbelief, hope, and a flurry of so many others that it was overwhelming.

Thoughts — his thoughts — hit her next.

Memories to be specific. Memories involving her in some fucked up alternate future. She watched as the other version of her raised the boy along with some others.

Saw herself teaching him to shoot, to dream, to dance. She saw herself married? To a ninja mutant. She saw herself die and that was about it. She saw the promise to take them to space, to take them away from the decay that Earth had turned into. A promise that her alternate future self was never able to fulfill.

It was weird whenever instances such as this happened to Stevie because she could the overall impression of a person's life within a second. There was no emotion or attachment to their life, simply a view. Almost like reading a summary of their life.

The emotions came with her ability as empath. She was hit with so many emotions at once from his life that she was forced to disconnect herself from her own that ability.

This was even weirder than normal though because while she did not know the details she knew the overview. He knew her from an alternate future that he came from.

The alternate future version of herself and others raised him, they had been a family in that timeline.

She had been married? Or was to be married?

And she learned all of this within a second.

Yeah, it is just a tad overwhelming.

Stevie shook her head at that, her tight hug loosening.

No, she had to stay focused — she had to stay present. Shit had literally just hit the fan for her, in the present, in this reality. She was already dealing with a shit ton and now this was thrown on top of that?

"It's you," tears were spilling down his face as he looked her over in disbelief, "I never thought I was going to see you again," he whimpered before pulling her into another hug.

Stevie laughed nervously, hugging him back before patting his head.

"Well here I am, all bright and shiny and newish again..." she smiled at him as Casey looked her over.

Emotion hit her again. His emotions were so strong that she had a hard time staying disconnected from her ability.

His sadness and happiness in this moment was off the charts. Casey is bittersweet.

For Casey: Stevie was, in fact, much younger than she had been since the last time he saw her. Just as everyone was. Her gear was much the same only newer.

"CASEY!"

It was April O'Neil, the girl with cat-eyed glasses shoving her way through the crowd with the turtles following behind. The guys were swarmed by compliments, even more than Stevie had received.

The half-alien rose a single perfect brow. Surprisingly, she had just got them done before the shit hit the fan a few hours ago.

Donnie, Leo, and Mikey were sure to thank every single person for each compliment. Donnie's and Leo's egos and pride only grew at the attention given. Raph shook his head at his younger brothers, choosing to ignore this as he was too worried about Casey.

April froze upon being met by the sight of Casey holding onto a girl who could only be described as the famous Stevie Carter they had heard about.

And honest to God — April's first thought was questioning how the hell the blue one who was practically her brother bagged someone like that. Because the girl in front of her simply looked too cool, too gorgeous (even with the roughness around her edges), and far too human.

Or at least, from the outside. Stevie's galaxy eyes were a very prominent reminder that she was only half-human. According to Casey, that was.

April and the others certainly thought that Stevie looked straight out of space, not in the traditional way either. Rather her tight combat pants and beat leather jacket with the rocket boots gave her a punk space sort of look.

And her swirling mask was the cherry on top.

"Casey is this...?" Raph had trailed off, but he already knew the answer.

Casey's smile could get no bigger because surrounding him was almost the entirety of his family. And knowing that his mother is alive and well, she simply had not wanted to go to Galaxy Con where a bunch of "losers" were bound to be lurking.

Sure, everyone was younger — now all around his age — but it was better than the alternative.

"May I introduce you all to Stevie Wanheda-Andromeda Carter..." Casey spoke and if Stevie had any previous doubts about what she had seen in his memories, then this was confirmation of him being truthful.

Her Earth middle name was also her Kree name. Her parents chose to give her both names of Earth and of the Kree Empire.

To the people of the Kree and to some other peoples in the stars, she was not Stevie Carter but rather Wanheda-Andromeda.

Casey looked at her almost shyly at her look of surprise in his knowing her full name.

There was a moment of silence before gasps and other chaotic motions happened. Stevie was taken aback, to say the least.

"This is Stevie — the Stevie, the girl who marries—" Michelangelo's statement was cut short by Leo as he glided over and placed a tight hand over his mouth cutting him off.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, no need to delve into the deep details, Michael." Leo shook his head at his younger brother before turning to Stevie with a shit-eating grin. "Ohobo, well, hello there, gorgeous. I'm Leo, but you can call me—" and then Leo was cut off by his own twin stepping in front of him.

"Fascinating, a real alien that does not want to kill and enslave everything in sight! What are those gadgets you have on your belt? Mind if I take a look at some of them? Oh, and can I get a sample of your blood?" The turtle mutant in purple was leaning closer to her face with each word, his goggles already pulled down and clicking as he examined her form.

Yep, she was not entirely human.

From behind Donnie, Leo was slowly getting more annoyed and Raph was only shaking his head at his weird nerdy brother.

Was this the guy that she had supposedly married in that fucked timeline? It was either him or blue. She could not remember as they were rather similar to each other.

Apparently, her thoughts had been spoken out loud because while Donnie did not react Leo had never moved faster. He literally tackled his brother away from the space girl and the two got into an argument.

"How many times do I get the chance to interrogate and study an alien, Leon? NEVER!"

"Hey! Back off, she's MY wife... apparently...!"

"No, she's not, that timeline was erased, you dumb-dumb!"

Stevie was not even able to focus on everything they were spouting for Raph had come over apologizing profusely for the twin's behavior and Mikey was questioning what her favorite pizza is because he is supposedly ordering a few boxes at the moment.

Casey was still clutching onto her arm not ready to let go while April was now trying to break apart the twin's argument.

"YOU ARE BOTH ACTING LIKE IDIOTS!"

And it was through the chaos of the situation that Stevie's side finally hit an all-time high with pain and she cringed. It must have been from the tight hugging a few minutes ago. Pushing one of her hands under her jacket and to her side, her face went pale as she felt the sticky warm substance.

Pulling her hand out, she mentally cursed as she noticed the dark purple blood with a red tint to it. Humans bleed red and the Kree bleed blue — her blood was a mixture of the two colors.

She suddenly felt faint. Casey was forced to move his hand as Stevie frantically tugged her jacket off and she was met with the sight of the entire left side of her tank top soaked in purple blood. Stevie had slowly been bleeding out for the past six hours and she just now noticed.

Shit.

Not noticing something like that was abnormal for even her. It was also abnormal how long it took for her to start bleeding so heavily.

Her vision once again swam with energy, her mind going back to a few hours prior.

Her body as she was hit with the force of the sun — the solar flare that instead of roasting her found a home in her body.

She looked back to her bleeding side, she barely noticed as Casey started panicking along with the others.

Power.

With that she found herself falling, her vision and sound going bleary. She was caught, and Casey lowered her to the ground slowly. The others quickly swarmed them.

"Donnie, Leo, can you help her?" Casey questioned the two.

Leo was the official nurse of the clan, but Donnie was who one went to when the injury was major.

"I can try but we need to get her to my lab ASAP," Donnie confirmed.

"She's losing too much blood," Leo added, his own voice scared as he watched the space girl.

"Hey, hey!" Leo snapped his fingers in her face, noticing how her eyes started drooping closed. "You need to stay awake, gorgeous..." he said in a tone far firmer than he often adorned.

Casey said that she had already died once and Leo refused to let that happen again. Especially when he had not had the chance to properly meet her.

"Mmm, but I'm so tired," she slurred, cuddling closer to Casey.

"Let's go," Donnie said, standing up.

"Hand her here, Case," Leo said and Casey did not hesitate in handing the alien over to the Leader in Blue.

"C'mon, you need to keep your eyes open, stay awake!" Leo whispered in her ear as they started running back toward the lair.

Stevie only hummed, allowing her eyes to close and for dreams of pink and blue energy to overtake her.