Chapter Text
AOtGO – Aftermath
Ch 36
Date: 28th Oct
“Ah, there you are, my grandson,” Splinter intoned deeply in relief as Michelangelo slowly clambered over the turnstiles, feeling washed out and barely there. “You were gone so long that I was becoming extremely worried.”
Mikey's eyes flickered up to glance at the ninja master's before they dropped to the floor again, utterly unable to keep contact in his deep shame. It had taken ages before he'd been able to bring himself to look back over that parapet and by the time he did, they'd been long gone. Something that he was already sure about since he could no longer feel that deep thrumming. In fact, if he thought about it, he was sure they'd been gone long before he even came back to himself after his initial freakout.
“P-please, Sensei, I... I d-don't need a lecture right now,” he begged brokenly as he stood just inside the lair proper, head hanging in exhaustion. Physical, mental and emotional. “I j-just...”
Splinter stepped up from out of the pit where he'd been watching TV while awaiting Michelangelo's return and made his way towards the distraught and pale turtle. “What is wrong, Michelangelo?” he asked gently. “What happened?”
“You... you were right... I... I know I wasn't supposed to b-but I went topside...” Mikey whispered, ashamed at disobeying Splinter's one main rule for him. He'd eased up on telling him off for the occasional outburst of bad language because he knew Mikey was trying (at least he did when it was just him and Splinter, when it was in front of his sons however, he still let his displeasure be known, even if it was just a token effort to show Raphael that it was not acceptable) and of course he was now allowed out of the lair whenever he needed to get out.
“Why did you go up then?” Splinter asked quietly.
Mikey sniffled pathetically again. “Cave-ins from the 'quakes. The way back was blocked so I tried to go a-around and there was another cave-in.” He glanced up again, fearfully, at Splinter's face, expecting judgment and reprimand; however, all he saw was concern and expectation for him to continue. “The... the second cave-in wasn't as bad as the first one and I probably could've climbed o-over it but there was a crack in the wall almost to the top that I d-didn't like the look of so I figured it was safer going up.”
“That sounds like a wise call,” Splinter agreed, his gaze roaming over Michelangelo as if looking for injury. “So what happened?”
Mikey hesitated a moment, unsure how to explain when so much of the encounter was a blank, even though it was such a short time ago. Relatively speaking, anyway. “It was fine at first, good, even. I-I took a couple of minutes just to appreciate being out there, then began running... h-home.” He hesitated again at calling the lair in this dimension home. He'd been told to consider it a second home but though things felt more home-like since moving into his own bedroom, it still didn't quite feel it. But then again, he realised with a pang, home was where the heart was and his heart wasn't in this world. It was back in his dimension with his brothers and his father and his friends. With his family. Not with this achingly familiar but so completely different version of them.
“And... and about halfway back, I... heard something.” He closed his eyes a moment, feeling sick all over again as the image of the Kraang in their human suits marched mechanically towards that glowing, triangular light in his memory. “I... I couldn't not look but when I did, I saw... s-saw them... I s-saw the Kraang,” he whispered brokenly, taking a couple of steps forward to meet Splinter's welcoming embrace and burying himself in it.
“Did they see you, my grandson?” Splinter asked gently, his voice filled with concern.
Mikey shook his head rapidly against the tall ninja master's chest. “Th-they d-didn't get a chance to see me. I stayed on the roof and...” he hesitated again before explaining what happened in shame.
“Come sit down,” Splinter commanded gently, leading him to the pit, knowing that right now, Michelangelo needed the wide-open space of the family room more than the smaller, closed-in space of the kitchen or his room, where they usually talked.
Mikey allowed Splinter to help him sit and stared ahead blankly at the TV screen. It was off, switched off by Splinter when he'd arrived back 'home', but it still offered comfort with its familiar blank screen and shape.
“Would you like some tea?”
Mikey continued staring ahead a moment before realising Splinter had asked him a question. He shook himself and nodded minutely.
“Will you be alright waiting here while I go to the kitchen for it?”
“Y-yeah,” Mikey answered quietly after another beat.
Splinter nodded, then left for the kitchen. Mikey heard the tap running as his other-dimensional grandfather filled the kettle. Then he heard the sound of cups and other items being loaded on a tray and he startled, turning and staring anxiously at the curtain dividing the kitchen from the rest of the lair. Splinter was both a ninja master and a master of tea ceremony and there was no way in hell that Mikey should have heard the collection of items from here, however, he had, and Mikey smiled wanly at the thoughtfulness of Splinter's obviously deliberate noise.
At that moment, Splinter came back out of the kitchen, gliding gracefully across the space towards him, tray in hand. “I will need to go back for the water,” he said, placing the tray gently down on the table in the pit.
Mikey nodded, grateful for Splinter's gesture of making sure he knew he wasn't alone right now.
“I will be right back,” Splinter promised as the kettle began to whistle.
As Splinter disappeared from view again, Michelangelo glanced around, looking for the cushions he knew were scattered around the pit. He snagged two of the larger ones and placed them on the ground on opposite sides of the table. Then he sat in seiza as Splinter approached.
Splinter likewise knelt before gracefully placing the pot on the tray. Mikey knew proper tea ceremony wasn't normally done this way, and again, he was grateful for Splinter's thought for his current need.
“Would you like to serve or shall I?” Splinter asked kindly.
Mikey bit his lip as he thought. “As long as you don't mind that I'll mess it up.”
“I would not dream of picking holes in your technique this day,” Splinter chuckled lightly.
Mikey forced a smile back. Tea ceremony was meditative, he'd come to learn since Splinter first served him tea in his room a few weeks ago and though the meditative arts weren't his forte, he'd discovered, to his surprise – Leo would've been so smug about it if he knew - that he didn't mind this as it gave him something specific to focus on, rather than the nebulous emptiness of deliberately clearing the mind and sitting still, doing nothing. But each time he and Splinter talked, they started with Splinter serving tea, teaching him more each time, and he'd found that it helped centre him from the start. Something that he often needed and especially right now.
So he breathed deeply and reached slowly out to shift everything into the correct places before beginning.
By the time he'd finished preparing and serving the tea – Silver Needles, his favourite rather than the traditional matcha blends used – Mikey felt a lot calmer and was more easily able to explain everything, even with the shame of his reaction still present and overpowering.
“Some ninja I am, huh?” he half-chuckled – there was nothing humorous about any of it and yet him being him had to inject humour regardless. “I can't even see the Kraang at a distance without freaking the f... without freaking out.”
Splinter hummed in affirmation as he delicately sipped his tea. Mikey lowered his eyes in deepening anguish as his other-dimensional grandfather agreed. Then the ninja master gently placed his cup down.
“It is to be expected that you would react badly to the Kraang as you have been greatly traumatised by them,” Splinter reminded him. “It is for this reason that I have been working with you to gain control over your fear.”
“Yeah, I know but it's not working,” Mikey retorted bitterly. “It's gotten worse, Sensei!”
“Has it?” Splinter asked calmly, amber eyes fixed on the other-dimensional turtle.
“Two weeks ago, I managed to walk past them and only hesitated!” Mikey spat angrily. “Today, I had a full-blown freak out and blacked out at the sight of them! That sounds worse to me!”
“Hmm, when put that way, perhaps anyone might believe that to be the case, but I ask you, Michelangelo, what are the differences between that day nearly two weeks ago and today?”
Mikey stared at Splinter as if he'd grown a second and even third head. “I don't know! One was a Sunday and in the sewers and the other was topside on a Friday night?”
Splinter chuckled lightly. “I cannot deny that those are indeed differences but perhaps they are a little more superficial than the ones I ask about.”
Mikey struggled; he hated this roundabout questioning bullshit when all he wanted and needed was answers. “Well, I don't know what else you mean!”
“The Kraang you came across two weeks ago were obviously dead, with their remains torn asunder,” Splinter explained patiently. “Though from your own prior admission, you reacted poorly at first glance, you instinctively realised they were dead and of no threat to you. Tonight was very much different.”
“Great,” Mikey mumbled in self-recrimination, “so I have a minor freak out over dead Kraang and a full-blown freak out over live ones. Just peachie.”
Splinter nodded again. “The other difference and perhaps the more important one is that two weeks ago, you were on a mission to save two of my sons, your brothers. You pushed through at the time for this reason. Tonight, you were alone and in a place you knew you should not be. Without, I might add, informing anyone of your necessary detour.”
“Yeah,” Mike muttered bitterly. “I thought you agreed not to lecture me about that.”
“I am not lecturing you about that,” Splinter corrected mildly. “In fact, I agreed it was a necessary detour, did I not?”
Mikey nodded reluctantly. “But I still don't see how you think I'm not getting worse when I clearly am.”
“You voluntarily came and talked to me about what happened,” Splinter answered simply. Michelangelo stared at him, mouth agape. “Not once did I get the impression that you wished to try to hide it. Something you definitely would have tried doing in the past. Also...” he smiled knowingly as he trailed off, giving Michelangelo the chance to take in what he'd just said.
“Al-also?” Mikey couldn't help but stutter back.
“Also, you referred to the Kraang by name. More than once.” Splinter leant back slightly, resting his hands on his lap serenely. “That is something you could not do last time we talked without being pushed to say it.
“Michelangelo, these things take time, especially when you have been through such trauma as you have, but you are making progress, I promise.”
Mikey nodded numbly, his mind reeling at the revelation.
“Now, if you would, I would like some more tea, please, my grandson.”
-:-
By the time the pair had finished their second cups, Michelangelo was feeling, if not better, then at least far calmer and far more collected than when he'd first arrived back. He gathered the tea things back onto the tray and stood to take them back to the kitchen when Splinter's twitching ears and a faint but familiar distant ringing caught his attention.
“The Cheese Phone,” Splinter said gravely, looking towards the dojo where his bedroom lay. “It must truly be an emergency.”
Fresh anxiety shot through him as he remembered the first and last time he'd heard that particular phone ring.
“Where is everyone else anyway?” Mikey asked as he followed Splinter to the dojo and his room within. “Leo said they were coming back here so Donnie could look into what was causing the 'quakes.”
“I do not know,” Splinter admitted, his long stride taking the dojo at a quick pace. “April and Casey arrived soon after they came home and then they all left again a short time later.”
“They didn't tell you they were going?” Mikey pressed uneasily.
Splinter shook his head as he reached the sliding fusuma door to his room. “They may not have had time. I knew they were investigating what was going on,” he added as he slid the door open and went inside. Mikey stood at the threshold, watching Splinter answer the phone.
“Moshi moshi! Leonardo? What is the problem?” Splinter asked in deep concern. He listened for half a minute and then said, “Do not fear, my son, I am on my way.”
“You mean, we're on our way,” Mikey insisted stubbornly as Splinter hung up the receiver.
Splinter looked at him in surprise as if he'd forgotten he was there and shook his head. “It is too dangerous, Michelangelo; it is better if you remain here.”
“While my other bros are in danger?” Mikey scoffed incredulously, shaking his head. “They are in danger, right?” He'd certainly gotten that impression from Splinter's clipped and worried tone as he spoke to Leonardo. That and the fact he remembered April telling him early on that Splinter never went out on missions with that one exception. To save her. Then there was the whole Rat King situation but Mikey didn't know if that counted as going on a mission or not, since they stayed in the sewers and Splinter was forced into it by virtue of the so-called Rat King trying to mind control him. ”What happened anyway?”
Splinter studied him for a moment. “Leonardo and Raphael have been captured by a new mutant with the Foot. He captured and threatened to throw Raphael into a furnace if Leonardo did not call me to come.”
“Then it's a trap,” Mikey realised in horror.
“Hai. Indeed, it is.”
Mikey's eyes narrowed. “They're expecting you but they won't be expecting me. I've only even been seen once, a few weeks ago. They won't know I'm still around.”
Splinter's expression grew thoughtful. “You have had a particularly bad night,” he pointed out.
“Yeah, and we talked. I'm okay now,” Mikey replied stubbornly. He wasn't. Not completely anyway, but he was calmer now and no longer shaky or freaking out. He could push aside his lingering fears when people he cared about were in danger. As he knew they would do for him. He fixed Splinter with a serious look to show how much he meant what he said. “I know you're a ninja master and that you can handle yourself but you'll be outnumbered and they're holding Leo and Raph hostage. You need back up, Sensei.”
“Perhaps you are correct,” Splinter agreed reluctantly. “However, if I allow you to come, I do not want you in the fight.”
Mikey opened his mouth to argue.
“You are to stay out of sight, in the shadows and watch for an opportunity to help my sons while I distract the Foot. You are not to get involved or come to my aid unless circumstances are dire and my sons are already free. Is that understood?”
It was the best he was going to get and he couldn't wait behind at the lair alone when he knew the others were in trouble so he agreed. He quickly checked his complement of shuriken and smokebombs and then the pair ran out.
-:-
Michelangelo and Splinter slowly approached the address Leonardo had given and circled in, scouting the layout as they kept to the shadows.
“They appear to be tied with rope,” Splinter quietly observed. “How is your aim with the shuriken? Is it sufficient to cut them free from here?”
Mikey gauged the distance critically and shook his head. “I need to get a bit closer,” he reluctantly answered, wishing he didn't have to disappoint his other-dimensional grandfather. “Like... maybe a third of the way closer?”
“Hmm, then this is something we shall have to work on in future training,” Splinter promised, half-joking and all-serious. “Move in closer and wait for your chance, Michelangelo. I am counting on you to both free them and to be careful.”
Mikey was half-tempted to joke about how being careful and the name Michelangelo were not synonymous with each other but thought better of it. Instead, he nodded seriously and worked to focus fully on the task he'd been given as Splinter worked his way around to approach from another direction.
It only took a short time to reach a prime throwing location, and from there, the wait was interminable. As he waited, he took note of the wind speed and direction – he'd likely only have the one chance at this – and watched for any sign of hidden Foot around the rooftops that they may have missed while scouting the area. He also worked to keep track of Splinter, but like the true master ninja he was, Mikey quickly lost track of him.
Then, to his horror, he saw the large tiger-like figure speak and begin to push Leonardo and Raphael towards the furnace beside them. Mikey's breath caught in his throat and he couldn't help the instinctive impulse to run to his other-dimensional brothers. Before he could do more than move half an inch, however, Splinter's angry voice rang out.
“Release my sons! Now!”
Mikey's gaze flicked ever-so-briefly to where the voice came from and he breathed in relief at the sight of the tall, commanding ninja master, protective and proud in all his glory as he stood on nearby but higher ground.
A few words that he couldn't make out from this distance were exchanged. Then the cat and the rat exploded into action, launching themselves at each other in a flurry of fists, feet and energy blasts.
He could have happily kept watching, they were so fast and skilled, but he had a job to do so he forced his focus back onto the captive turtles, nervously fingering the two shuriken he held ready as the tiger mutant rapidly shot at Splinter.
Michelangelo was great with weapons of all kinds, a natural prodigy with them, so he'd been told. Much like with his agility and ninjutsu, he'd never had to work hard to learn to use them, unlike his brothers, who had varying degrees of success with weapons outside of their chosen specialities. Small weapons that required throwing precision, like shuriken and throwing knives, on the other hand, were a different story. Those had never come so easily to him. Unlike Leo, who, determined to be perfect with everything he did, put hours and hours upon hours of practice in, until he could throw perfectly with his eyes closed and without even looking first. Then there was Raph, who, for him, throwing things with unerring accuracy was like second nature. As long as there was a straight line and a clear shot, Raph could hit it without even trying, be it shuriken, knives or even his sai. Or the remote control. When it came to ricocheting angles, Donnie was your turtle. He could instantly calculate the perfect angles and throwing force necessary with his mathematical prowess. If Donnie and Raph combined skills, they would be scarily like that fictional supervillain, Bullseye, only good rather than evil. Himself, on the other hand, he had to work to hit things in a straight line and while he could hit the target, he didn't always hit it perfectly dead centre, especially at a distance of fifty metres or more. Which is why he was worried now.
His eyes flickered back to the fight. It was intense. Splinter was insanely fast and precise, not one wasted movement, and though the tiger dude relied more on his blaster weapons, an interesting mix of heat and ice, he, too, was fast and skilled.
And both of them were still far too close to Leo and Raph for his liking.
Seriously, Kathmandu was fast and observant enough to easily knock his shuriken away if he let fly now and being a trap, there was no way that tiger dude was alone, even if Mikey hadn't been able to spot anyone else around yet.
“Move him away, Grandpa,” Mikey mouthed silently, desperately willing the ninja master to somehow pick up on his thoughts and do as he begged. He toyed with moving closer but dismissed the idea as he was close enough to hit his target.
Suddenly, the dynamic of the fight changed as Tony the Tiger abandoned both his flight and his guns, pulling out a katana instead and in moments, Splinter had him on the ropes. Mikey's eyes widened at the spectacle before he snapped his focus back to the captured brothers and let fly with his shuriken.
“Now!”
At the abrupt deep, accented command, Mikey whipped his head around, catching sight of a small, lithe shadow rising behind Splinter, holding what looked to be a blow gun. His heart leapt into his throat in panic as his hand shot down to snatch up more shuriken. Before he could aim, a glint of light flashed and knowing he had no time, he threw, simultaneously yelling, “Grandpa, behind you!”
But he was too late. He watched helplessly as the dart impacted and sank into Splinter's furred neck as his own shuriken whizzed uselessly by.
“No!” he whispered fearfully, panic rising as Splinter reached a faltering hand up to pluck the dart out.
The ninja master stared at the offending object a moment before dropping it and stumbling. Mikey leapt to his feet, determined to race to the rescue when the figure from the shadows sauntered haughtily into view.
Now freed, thanks to the first shuriken he threw, Leonardo and Raphael likewise leapt to their feet, dropping into ready stances to protect their father. From this distance, Mikey couldn't hear what Leo was saying, but whatever it was, it made the young woman – Karai, if Mikey had to guess – furious and she drew her sword, intent on striking the weaponless turtles down.
Mikey's gaze skittered frantically along the rooftop, looking for something, anything to help, and to his delight, he saw Leo's katanas and Raph's sais nearby. Too far away to help this second but close enough to help if he could just distract Karai for just a moment.
Thinking fast, he pulled out the tanto he'd taken to carrying in this world and threw it. It missed Karai – he hadn't taken the time to take proper aim but neither did he try to hit her – but it landed close to her with a clatter, making her look to it and then around. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of him but Mikey was already running. Diving into a roll, he snatched up his other-dimensional brothers' weapons, throwing them their way as he bound back to his feet.
Leo threw himself into a forward somersault, grabbing his and Raph's weapons in midair and redirecting the sais to Raphael. Raph snatched them neatly out of thin air and dashed towards Splinter as Leo ran to intercept Karai. Mikey, likewise, ran to go help but before Raph could even reach Splinter, the tiger dude had snatched up the semi-conscious ninja master. He held a blade to his throat and sneered.
“Take one more step and the rat dies.”
All three turtles froze. Leonardo kept his katanas up, however.
“You wouldn't dare. You said it yourself that the Shredder wants to finish him off himself,” Leonardo retorted coldly. But Mikey noticed he didn't step closer. “What do you think Shredder would do to you if you kill him now?”
“Less than he'd do if I allowed the rat to escape,” the tiger mutant growled, pressing the blade closer. Karai, likewise, adjusted the grip on her weapon, her hate-filled glare never once leaving Leonardo.
Splinter somehow managed to open his eyes and he looked up weakly, even as Mikey heard heavy steps fast approaching across the rooftops.
“Go... my children. Save yourselves and run!”
And with the last of his strength, he pulled out a smoke bomb from his robe and threw it.
-:-
“Ugh! I can't believe you made us run, Leo!” Raph complained angrily back at the lair. They'd come back to deal with minor injuries and restock weapons like shuriken and smokebombs, etcetera. “We fucking outnumbered them!”
Mikey shook his head glumly. “There were more coming, those Footbot things, I think. I heard them.”
“So did I,” Leo said grimly. “I'm sure Master Splinter did too and that's why he told us to run.”
Raph's scowl deepened as he turned on Leonardo, getting into his face and poking him roughly with a thick finger in the middle of his plastron. “It's all your damn fault that those bastards got Splinter!” he snarled bitterly. “If you hadn't fucking called him there, then...”
“Then you'd be dead!” Leo snapped back angrily, cutting him off. “I can't lose another brother!”
“We haven't lost Mikey!” Raphael roared fiercely at Leonardo, daring him to contradict him. “He's out there somewhere! Waiting for us to get up off our shells, find him and bring him home!”
The anger and fear in his voice was so desperate that Mikey could feel it, and in many ways, it felt too familiar. Much like when he and his brothers had lost their father so long ago. Only, while they hadn't realised it at the time, their father was safe. Taken in by people who later proved to be allies and who were giving him much-needed medical care. It was only a pity that said future allies hadn't told them what was going on so they wouldn't worry.
“And... and as for Donnie...” Raph fell silent, spent by his outburst, by his roiling emotions.
The pain likewise made Leo look old and tired. “We'll find him, Raph,” he said quietly but firmly, “and April and Casey. They'll protect each other, you know that. Right now, though, Master Splinter needs to be the priority.”
Raph nodded numbly.
Mikey stared at them, wide-eyed. He'd wondered where the others were. Now his anxiety was rising once more at Leonardo and Raphael's ominous words. “What happened to the others anyway?” he asked plaintively. “Why'd you split up?”
Leo glanced at him, seemingly surprised as if he'd just remembered he was there. “It's a long story, Mike and we promise we'll tell you later, okay? For now, just trust in them to look out for each other.”
Mikey nodded reluctantly; Leo was right after all. He and Raph were obviously worried about their brother and their friends but not as worried as they were about Splinter. He couldn't blame them, considering that he'd just been poisoned and captured, likely taken to the Foot's evil lair for the Shredder to murder. He hated being kept in the dark, but yeah, priorities.
“You know where they'll have taken Grandpa, right?”
“Right,” Leo replied grimly.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Mikey asked, getting to his feet, ready to leave the lair that instant. “Let's go get him!”
“You're crazy if you think you're coming with us!” Raph spat, suddenly regaining his energy. Despite his momentary lapse into despair, he was still seething over their loss and the indignation of Leonardo calling their father to save his sorry shell. “You're not ready for this!”
“Sensei thought I was ready enough to come with him,” Mikey countered just as hotly. He might not have been from this dimension but that didn't mean he didn't care about them. Something they all should have realised by now.
“Well, obviously, he was wrong because he got captured and you did nothing!”
Mikey stopped dead, mouth agape at the stinging words. “That's not fair, Raph,” he finally whispered when he could speak again. He forced himself to speak louder. “Sensei told me to stay hidden and keep my distance until I could free you both while he distracted them. He didn't want me in the fight unless things turned dire. His words.”
“And what the fuck do you think that was? A fucking Sunday picnic?”
He'd been too far away to do more...
“Raph, stop,” Leonardo commanded tiredly, pushing his way between them and staring his hotheaded brother down. “Mike did what he could. He freed us and got our weapons to us. None of us were able to do more than we did. We were lucky to get away with our lives.” He turned around to face Mike. “I'm glad you were there and I think we can use all the help we can get, if you're still willing to join us.”
“Of course I am!” Mikey replied indignantly. How could Leo ever think otherwise? He never stayed behind when the others went on missions or patrols because he wanted to. It wasn't his choice and he'd have gone with them in a heartbeat if he had been allowed.
Leo gave a sharp, relieved nod. “Then we need a plan, especially since if Master Splinter's still alive, it will be another trap.” Then, for Mike's benefit, he explained. “The Foot base is a stronghold in an old, formerly abandoned church. It's full of surveillance and guarded by Footbots and mutants, two of which, Rahzar and Tigerclaw, have a particularly strong sense of smell. They'll be expecting at least three of us, if not four, after seeing you tonight, so it will be better if just one of us initially enters to scout for Master Splinter while the other two come in after, so we don't all get surrounded. As the most stealthy among us, I'll be the one to go in first.”
Mikey raised one brow. That was debatable. Thanks to all his pranking experience, he was by far the stealthiest back home, only it was just that it took a lot of effort to keep it up and he actually had to think about it first, unlike Leo who was stealthy without even trying; dude seriously needed a bell. Only he was so stealthy that even wearing bells didn't help. “Are you saying I stink?” he couldn't help but joke. Raph, whose hackles were still raised, gave him a withering look. Leo simply ignored him and continued talking.
“The two of you will hang back for five minutes from the moment I enter, then approach and check things out. If things are quiet, stay and continue to wait. If they aren't, then Raph, you know what to do.”
“Come in and pound some heads!” Raph agreed, perking up as he punched one fist into the palm of his other hand.
Leonardo nodded, a slight answering smile lighting his face. “As for you, Mike, I'd like you to cause a distraction and sow confusion. Can you do that?”
“Do turtles like pizza?” Mikey grinned back. “I can throw down some smokebombs and I think I saw some firecrackers around here somewhere. You know, like the ones they use in Lunar New Year celebrations? And if that's not enough, I can also throw my voice and use impressions to make them think there's even more of us! It'll be awesome!” He cackled obnoxiously in delight at the thought of causing chaos.
Leo nodded with approval. “Good idea. Stock up, turtles and let's go!”
Michelangelo and Raphael raced off to get what they needed and as the trio finally went to leave scant minutes later, Mikey paused, a thought springing to mind. “Just give me a sec, guys!”
The other two stopped and stared after him as he raced for Donnie's lab, Leo with curious expectation and Raph with impatient annoyance. Still, they waited as he dashed into the room, beelining for the new invention he knew the genius turtle was currently working on and snatched up a small box before rushing back to the waiting brothers.
“Give me your T-phones a minute, dudes,” he said with a winning smile.
“Seriously?” Raph asked, rolling his eyes. “We don't have time for this, Mike! Master Splinter's life is in danger!”
But Mikey held out his hand towards Leo, waggling his fingers exaggeratedly. Leo reluctantly pulled his T-phone free of his belt pouch and handed it over.
Mikey opened the phone to its settings before opening the box, pulling two small earpieces out. He paired the two, then handed phone and earpieces back to Leo. “So we can communicate,” he offered by way of explanation. “With these, we can hear each other without anyone else knowing.”
Leo tucked his phone away and slipped the earpieces into his earholes as Raph handed over his.
“I didn't know we had these,” Leo said in amazement.
“Yeah, they're new,” Mikey replied with a shrug. “Two weeks ago, when I came after you and Raph, I realised it would've been easier if I had a headset to use to talk to Don with. We sometimes use them back home for missions when we need to split up, so the next day, I asked him if he had any. He said he didn't, so I said he should totally make some 'cause they're super useful. He thought about it and then the day after, he started designing these,” he explained, handing Raph back his phone and earpieces. He quickly set to work pairing the final set to his phone. “A few days ago, Donnie had finished two sets and asked me to help test them. He's only got three sets so far but totally plans to make enough for all of us, including April and Casey, but this is enough for us to use now.”
Leo nodded gratefully as Mikey popped his into his ears and tilted his phone towards them.
“Just press here and they'll activate. Our cells'll pick up everything around us and transmit to the ear buds, so if you need us inside sooner than you think, you can let us know and we'll be there.”
“This is a great idea, Mike, thank you.”
Mikey grinned winningly. “Don't thank me, thank Donnie. I only suggested headsets. He's the overachiever who ran away with the idea.”
-:-
As expected, rescuing Splinter had been another trap but Leonardo's plan to split up to sow division and confusion had worked, along with another timely earthquake. Then the three turtles and barely conscious Splinter had been chased across the rooftops. There'd been no chance to safely get away with Splinter in such bad condition but the ninja master had assured them that if he could just rest and meditate for a few minutes, he'd be able to get the poison out and he'd be okay. Mikey had been super sceptical but Leo had convinced him that it would work. They just needed to keep watch and buy Splinter the precious minutes he needed to recover. Sure enough, despite the Foot catching up to them way too fast and Tigerclaw snapping one of Leo's precious katanas, the trio held out.
Before they knew it, Splinter had miraculously recovered and leapt into the fray, turning the tide of battle. From there, the fight was a blur, abruptly ending with the appearance of April and Casey bursting from beneath the New York streets atop the biggest alien worm that Mikey had ever had the misfortune to see. Seriously, that thing and its teeth were going to haunt his nightmares for a week! And thanks to his current issues with food, he couldn't even blame weird late-night snacks for that one! However, it was the revelations that followed as the sun rose slowly over the city that shocked him, along with April and Casey, that Karai was really Splinter's long-believed dead daughter, Miwa. It explained a lot about Leo's attitude towards her, along with the fact that he'd known for some time.
Mikey realised that he was new to this world and family but it still hurt that he'd been lied to about her 'death' when Leo and Splinter had both known for months prior to taking him in. Then again, it turned out that Raph and Donnie had been kept in the dark also until that very night, shortly before April and Casey arrived and they'd all headed out again.
As they headed back underground and towards their home, Donnie, April and Casey had eagerly told their story and Mikey had shuddered when Casey described being slowly digested in the alien's stomach. He was immediately grateful that when his own Raph had been swallowed whole by a giant cockroach-like thing in the past, he'd been able to break out quickly, before digestion began.
Through it all, though, Mikey couldn't help but feel that they'd left a piece of the story out and it was only when they reached the lair and April, Casey and Splinter went to bed, Casey crashing on a mattress in Raph's room, that the other three turtles pulled him aside and to Donnie's lab where Leo, Raph and Mikey first surrendered the ear buds they'd used on their mission to rescue Splinter.
“They worked great, by the way, Donnie.”
Donnie stared the three of them down for a moment, then nodded. “Good to know,” he said in a clipped tone. “I'll be asking you all about it later, after we've had some sleep. First, though,” he turned to Michelangelo, “we need to talk.”
Mikey nodded warily. “Is it about whatever you guys left out about what happened out there?” he asked, waving his hand vaguely in the direction of topside at the words 'out there'.
Donnie nodded reluctantly.
“We never wanted to hide anything from you, Mike,” Leo promised sincerely. “We just wanted to be able to sit down and talk about it with you once we'd collected more information.”
“Okay,” Mikey replied flatly. He pulled a chair over and sat down, staring up at his other brothers expectantly.
Donnie likewise pulled up his usual chair as Leo fetched the stool. Raph just pushed some stuff on the desk aside, earning a rebukeful glare from Donnie, and perched himself on that.
“The first thing you need to know is that the Kraang were very much involved in what happened last night.”
Mikey nodded, his stomach churning uncomfortably at the reminder. He worked to suppress a shiver, wishing he had his blanket to pull around him for comfort. “I know,” he admitted quietly.
Donnie, Leo and Raph all started, exchanging worried looks.
“How did you know, Mike?”
“You mean besides the giant alien worm thing, Leo?” he asked, canting his head.
“Kathatragon,” Donnie cut in. The others ignored him.
Leo nodded.
“I mean, okay, that one's obvious since no one's mentioned any other aliens frequenting this Earth since I've been here and you were all super careful not to say where they were from,” Mikey pointed out.
“Okay, yes, but you asked besides that,” Leo pushed firmly, trying to steer Michelangelo back to the main point.
Mikey grinned broadly a moment before the smile fell and he looked down with a miserable sigh. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “I ran into them on the way home last night.”
“You what?”
“Why didn't you say anything?”
“Are you okay? I mean, obviously you're physically okay because you're sitting right here but... are you okay?”
Mikey forced himself to look up at the other three in turn. “I'm okay now, I promise, but... I wasn't at the time. I totally freaked out and...” he shrank down in his seat, making himself as small as possible as he sighed miserably again. “It seriously wasn't pretty...” he mumbled, ashamed all over again.
Donnie reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently to comfort him and Mikey looked up, his eyes filled with pain.
“I talked to Grandpa when I came back. I told him what happened and then we had tea and talked it out. As for why I didn't tell you guys earlier...” he shrugged. “There really wasn't time. Leo called for help and Grandpa and I left to save him and Raph. Then Grandpa ended up in trouble and... yeah... There was no time to tell any of you,” he said, looking over at Leo pleadingly.
“I understand, Mike, but I still wish you'd said something,” Leo said quietly. “I could tell there was something wrong but I just thought it was because of what happened to Master Splinter.”
“Which you still need to tell me fully about later,” Donnie said, pointedly looking between Leo and Raph.
Due to the constraints of time, they'd only been able to tell Donnie, April and Casey the basics of their story and had yet to go into more detail.
“We will,” Leo promised. “Later, after we've all slept.” He turned back to Mike, who squirmed uncomfortably under his direct gaze. “If we had known...”
“Honestly, Leo, by that time it was just about Grandpa,” Mikey promised, cutting him off before he could finish. “Sure, I really didn't want to be alone, I won't deny that, but I couldn't have stayed behind knowing his life was in danger. Just like I couldn't stay earlier when I knew you and Raph were in trouble. You guys are family and that's everything, you know?”
Leo nodded in a combination of reluctance and gratitude.
“You know, my Leo has this saying, 'We only have each other in this world and when one of us falls, we all fall', and he's right. Ever since he told me that just before my Battle Nexus rematch with Kluh, I've lived by it. It's given me strength, and there's nothing you could've said or done to make me stay behind when any of you are in trouble. Not even they... the Kraang... could keep me away if I knew someone I care about was in danger."
“Mike...” Leo said softly, gratified.
“Yeah, enough of the mushy stuff,” Raph cut in brusquely, trying to sound tough and failing miserably. “What I wanna know is where the Kraang were when you saw them and if they're now in the sewers, what are they doing there?”
Donnie opened his mouth and raised one finger as if to speak, then dropped his hand and slumped back.
“That's a very good question,” Leo agreed.
Mike took a deep breath. “Okay, so remember how I needed to detour?”
The others nodded.
“So~ what I didn't tell you guys was that when I did, I decided to go up.” Mikey glanced towards the ceiling, as if seeing topside. “I tried to go around the first lot of debris but found more the other way and there was a massive crack in the wall that didn't look safe so I figured I'd be better off going up. Well, about halfway back, I heard something and went to check it out, and... and it was them,” he explained, trying not to visualise the memory too much and end up freaking out all over again in front of them. “They were marching down some quiet back street towards this purplish, triangular doorway in the middle of... well, the alley.” He blinked. Now that he thought about it, that was even weirder than he'd originally thought.
All three other turtles sat up straighter, taking notice.
“That sounds like what April and Casey saw. Where were you, Mike? Do you know?”
Mikey nodded and gave the approximate address.
“That's the same location!” Donnie exclaimed in excitement. “You were probably on different rooftops but it's a wonder you guys didn't notice each other!”
Mikey looked away in shame. “Not really,” he muttered unhappily. That earnt him questioning looks but Mikey wasn't about to just volunteer the answer that easily.
“Well, anyway, Mike, that portal is what we wanted to talk to you about.”
Mikey looked up and blinked uncertainly at Leo. “Portal?” he echoed dully. Duh! Of course it was. Sure, he'd seen it but that hadn't been what he was focused on at the time so it never occurred to him that that was exactly what it was.
“Yeah, April and Casey brought it back here to show us,” Raph explained with a scowl.
“We opened it and then all went through it,” Leo added.
“It was a portable interdimensional portal, Mike,” Donnie explained, gazing at Mike intently. “It led to what I can only describe as a corridor of portals, each one looking into a different dimension. An artificial nexus, if you will.”
Mikey stared back. Then his thoughts and heart began to race excitedly. “You mean...”
“We potentially have a way to not only get you back home now, but also to find our missing brother.”
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