Disclaimer – Well, here's another Metacafe-inspired story. As always, I own nada. Enjoy.

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Hungry

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Michelangelo's keen sense of smell quickly told him that someone had brought home a piece of heaven – or slice, if one wanted to split hairs.

Pizza was in the air!

Scrambling out of his room as fast as his ninja legs could carry him, he made a beeline for the kitchen, dropping down to the living area with practiced ease.

As he barreled into the room of his destination, he stopped short, and nearly screamed.

"You – brought PIZZA home, and didn't even ask if I wanted some?" he wailed in protest.

Raph looked up, just before taking his first bite of pie, and grinned, explaining, "Hey, you said you didn't want anything when I asked you earlier."

"But, but, but – you never said anything about going out for PIZZA!" Mike whined piteously.

"Hey, wasn't on my agenda, eithah, but I was hungry and that new Italian restaurant was nearby, so…" Raph said casually, and then prepared to chomp into his meal. He hadn't thought about eating, but after doing a bit of patrol duty, his stomach changed his mind.

However, before Raph could take his first bite, Mike interrupted as he pouted and said, "At least you could've brought home enough for both of us."

"Didn't have enough cash for it," Raph answered, "Besides, you hogged the last one, so this is just payback, oh piggish brother of mine."

"But, I'm HUNGRY." Mike complained, his voice squeaking in protest.

"Should'a thought about that when I asked ya earlier about pick'n someth'n up." Shrugged Raph and tried again to take his first bite.

"But I wasn't hungry then," he explained. Jumping up and down a little, Mike pleaded, his hands clasped together as if begging, "Can I have just one teeny tiny slice, though? I promise to let you have first dibs on the next pizza."

Raph looked down at his 'individual' size portion of pie and then looked up at his eager brother, "Promise?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, yes, I promise, I do, I really do," Mike's eyes widened in excitement, nearly giggling the words out.

Sighing deeply, Raph shook his head, "You know, you're pitiful, you really are, but – okay," he took up the smallest cut of pizza and offered it to his brother.

Gleefully, Mike took the proffered slice, not even seeming to care that it was the smallest, and shoved almost the entire portion into his mouth. Raph quickly followed suit.

As Mike swallowed his first bite, however, and before Raph could do likewise, he began to sputter. The color in his face began to pale, and then darken, his eyes watering and then bugging out. The next thing Raph saw was Mike collapsing to the floor, gagging and then contorting, his limbs going rigid as they trembled in protest to whatever it was that was happening to him.

Instantly, Raph spit out his own nearly chewed bite of pizza and quickly dropped his slice to the table, falling to the floor on his knees beside his brother, "MIKE, MIKE, what's WRONG?" he asked as panic took over him.

However, Mike could not respond, and as his eyes rolled back in his head, his brother knew that it was one of two things. Either Mike had choked on his hastily ingested bite, or – the pizza was poisoned. Since the pizza joint in question was new and the turtle's love for the food well known among the Foot, Raph wondered if they would be so bold as to set up a fake restaurant, just to be able to poison his family. It was a random thought that took all of a split second to come to mind.

Just the same, as Raph crouched beside his brother and watched painfully as Mike continued his spastic reaction, the red-banded turtle knew that his time to save his brother was short. Common sense finally took over. Quickly checking to see if Mike was indeed choking, Raph found his brother's airway free and clear. Nevertheless, the red-banded turtle knew that time was of the essence if it was indeed poison.

Leaping up and racing out of the kitchen, Raph grouched worriedly, "Great, just great. Fine time for this ta happen, with everyone over at April's house to watch that silly classic movie."

He leaped up the stairs to his bedroom and quickly found his shell-phone. Flipping it open, he punched the number two button and speed dialed April's place. "Come on, come on, answer the phone!" he nearly cried as the second ring rang out in his ear.

Finally, "Hello?" April answered.

"GET DONNIE!" screamed Raph.

"What's happening?" April asked, her worry now coming through the earpiece loud and clear.

"NO TIME, GET DONNIE!" Raph bellowed impatiently.

Soon, Don was on the phone, "Hey, Raph, what'd Mike do this time."

Rolling his eyes, "It's the pizza, I think it's poisoned. Mike just collapsed in the kitchen and it looks like he's dy'n. He's jerking all over th' place!" The cry in Raph's voice was unmistakable. He couldn't help it though; he loved his brother too much to act his nonchalant self. "YA GOTTA GET BACK HOME, FAST," He then paused a moment, and then desperately added, "I don't know what t'do!"

"Hey, we're already on our way!" Don tried to sound calm, but the same kind of panic edged his voice as well. The distant sound of a window opening came through the phone line, telling Raph that everyone had already assumed the worse and were preparing the way, even before Don had given his assurance to Raph. "Just make sure he doesn't hurt himself," he instructed.

"Okay, but ya GOTTA run, dude. Don't know how fast-acting this poison is." Raph cried out.

Hanging up the phone, Raph tore out of his room and leaped off the second level of the lair, landing and then rolling to break his fall. Smoother than silk, he was back up onto his feet again and running towards the kitchen.

However, as he slid into the room, he stopped short.

There, sitting at the table and taking the last bite of the last piece of pizza, sat Mikey. He looked up at his brother, who by now had figured out what happened, and grinned sheepishly. Swallowing his last morsel of 'heaven', Mikey licked his lips and then his fingers.

Raph's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, "You – FAKED getting poisoned?" His breathing began to take on deep, epic proportions as the reality of what his brother had done began to settle in his mind.

Shrugging, Mike simply explained, "Hey, you should have called and asked if I wanted some."

What happened next would make the rating of this story too harsh for tender eyes. Nevertheless, what Raph did to Mike made the poor, conniving orange-banded turtle wish he had indeed choked to death.

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The End….maybe. The family isn't home yet, so…more retribution seems to loom on the horizon for our hapless and mischievous turtle in orange. Bwahaha LOL