Quack! Quack! Talk!
"Scrub a dub dub! Scrub a dub dub! This is the way we pop the bubbles. Pop the bubbles! Pop the bubbles! This is the way we pop the bubbles. Bubbles go POP! Scrub a dub dub! Scrub a dub dub!"
Mikey spread his arms out in front on him pretending to swim in the luxurious bubbles of his hot bath. He may have reached his awkward teenage years, but taking long, relaxing bubble baths was still one of his most favorite past times.
"Swimming! Swimming! In the great porcelain tub. In the morning or at night; or whenever you want!"
Mikey sang happily and loudly until he was interrupted by a sharp knock, or rather pounding, at the bathroom door.
"Hurry up Mike! I really gotta go!" Ralph yelled.
"What's that big bro? I can't here you with all that noise you're making pounding on the door."
"Let me in Mikey! I really gotta go! NOW!
Mikey didn't even reply. He just looked around the room for his rubber duck.
"MIKEY!!!
"Where are you rubber ducky? Oh, there you are."
"Here I am," said the rubber duck. "I'm ready to play."
"Wow!" Mikey shouted. "Can you really talk?"
The rubber duck squirted him in the face with a sudden, strong burst of water. Mikey coughed and cleared his throat.
"What was that for?" he demanded.
"Don't be silly," said the duck "Of course I can talk, and I'm talking to you."
"Why haven't you talked before?" Mikey asked scratching his head in puzzlement.
Was this actually happening, or was he loosing his mind from always loosing to Leo when they spared in practice? Still, it could be a lot of fun to sing and play with the little rubber duck. After all, a turtle could never have too many companions. His rubber ducky would be some one else he could talk to.
Several minutes Later Mikey was singing and splashing in the tub with his rubber duck having the best time while Raph was still pounding on the door.
"Let me in Mikey! I can't hold it much longer."
Michelangelo thought that this indeed had to be the best bath he had ever taken, and soon found himself telling the duck about all his troubles. He talked about how he constantly was in trouble with Mater Splinter, and how Donny yelled at him for messing things up in his lab, and had quite literally had thrown him out. He talked about the reprimands he received from his eldest brother, Leo, for goofing off, and how Raph was always angry with him.
"I'm always putting on this fake happy face for everyone," Mikey began to sob. "Sometimes I don't even think anyone pays attention to me."
"I know how you feel," said the duck. "Being some one's rubber ducky, no one pays any attention to me."
"Leo's always training, and I know it's because he's always under pressure to live up to our sensei's expectations. And Raph, well, he's always angry. I guess I shouldn't annoy him all the time; but he has to release some of that emotion, or it will eat him up."
"And what about your other brother," the duck persisted. "Tell me about your brother in the purple bandana."
Mikey stiffed and wiped his eyes.
"Don, he's always working in his lab. But I'm not complaining too much. With the trouble we get in, we're very lucky Donny's as skilled as he is in Science, antidotes, and technical stuff. I don't know what we'd do if he wasn't. Like the time I got turned into a teenage mutant gerbil. Then there was the time I became human, and once I sent myself to this nightmare land when I was playing with one of his inventions."
Michelangelo was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice a black light begin to glow in the rubber ducks eyes. He just continued to babble on and on.
"Tell me some more about this nightmare land that you were sent to," he requested calmly.
"Some how Leo also got sucked into the nightmare world. He chewed me out pretty good for not listening to Don."
Mikey suddenly stopped talking. How did the duck know about Donatello? He didn't remember ever mentioning him until he was prompted to do so. Something wasn't right. Slowly, he turned his head to face the rubber creature.
The gleaming black eyes started to shine brighter. Then the duck started to shoot at Mikey with his eyes like rays.
"AAAhhhhh!!!"
Mikey screamed wildly before tearing out of the bathroom leaving a most bewildered Raphael gawking at him as he ran past.
"Well it's about time," Raph growled. "You've been in there over an hour."
Raph walked into the bathroom. It was soaking wet from bubble bath being splashed all about. What had Mikey been doing in here?
"And use a towel next time," he called.
Raph looked at the rubber duck sitting so innocently on the edge of the tube. It seemed to have the creepiest grin on its face that he had ever seen. Raph kicked the duck across the room out of frustration, and stomped off.
The duck landed in the trash can never to be seen or herd from again. Or was it?