Runaway
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any chibi, or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Rating K.
"Michelangelo, that is enough!" the rat snapped, his hair bristled, as the youth in question finally came to a stand still and turned large, watery eyes up at his mentor, the bottom lip quivered ever so slightly.
The boy knew that his father had often caved in to such things before, when he was in trouble and if you had a good thing that worked, especially if it got you out of trouble why not use it? " I'm sorry Maser Splinter," he looked down at his two toed feet, "I won't do it again."
Splinter heaved a sigh, " That is what you said ten minutes ago when you took Donatello's pliers and played keep away with it..."
" But I mean it this time," the boy pleaded, "Cross my heart." he looked at his plastron and scowled, unsure where his heart was he made a large X over his entire plastron just to be on the safe side.
" Before that you ended up smashing Raphael's game," Splinter reminded the turtle child firmly.
" Yeah well he pounded me for it. See," the six year old quickly pointed, to a couple large bruises on his arm.
" You knocked over the candles in the dojo this morning, and tried to blame it on Leonardo." Splinter continued sharply glaring at his son, " And now this, you have smeared an entire jar of peanut butter in my bedroom."
"But it wasn't meeeeeee!" the boy whined, "Honest Sensei..."
"Michelangelo do not go digging yourself into deeper trouble. Now, I want you to go to your room and stay there for the rest of the afternoon, then this evening you can clean up this mess, Also since you saw the need to waste food, which is hard enough for me to obtain for all of us, you will have no food for the rest of the day." Splinter informed his youngest, his teeth clicked together as he glowered at the youngest, " Perhaps while in your room you can think about your behaviour and ways to not get into so much mischief."
Mike's bottom jaw dropped as he gaped in surprise, " You are going starve me?"
" You will not starve in a few hours Michelangelo, Now get to your room" Splinter ordered.
The lad gave his mentor a sullen look as he slipped past, veering quickly to avoid a timed blow from his mentor's stick. Splinter was onto the boy's evasiveness and the staff still connected with the young turtles back area.
"Ouch! Master Splinter!" Mike howled, as he hustled from the room heading for his own bedroom, though apparently not fast enough to miss his brother's remarks.
" He's in trouble again" snickered Raph.
" Yeah and he didn't weasel out of it" Don chirped, his eyes glowing.
"Bout time he got punished for somethin" Leo commented, " he's spoiled."
Mike whirled, " I am not Leo, you get everything, your Splinter's favourite."
" No way, your the baby you are." Leo retorted with a huff crossing his arms over his plastron.
" But..." Mike began only he halted instantly, as Splinter emerged from his room.
" Did I not tell you to get to your room Michelangelo?" the rat inquired sharply while raising a bushy eyebrow.
"Yeah but Leo..." Mike protested, pointing an accusing finger Leo's way.
" Leonardo is your brother, it matters not what he says. It is I, your father, who you should listen to," the rat warned sharply, " Now go!"
Mike stood glaring at his brothers who chuckled and laughed amongst themselves before seeing the dark look on Splinter's face and scurried to his room, before he truly incurred the wrath of the ninja Master. Yet, Mike couldn't help but grumble and complain all the way there about the injustice of life, or in the proper child perspective, " Life is so unfair. Splinter hates me." the boy ranted, "He likes the others, specilly Leo. Leo is sooooo his favourite."
Keeping up this low discourse with himself the young turtle child, stomped and huffed his way into his bedroom, he crawled up onto his bed and picked up his favourite stuffed toy, a worn dog, with patches of hair and one eye missing, not to mention a ragged ear. " Everyone hates me." he sniffed, " I don't wanna be stuck in my room all day." He rubbed his belly, " No food even, told you Maser Splinter don't like me. None of em do."
He sighed miserably as he flopped back on his bed, "I'll lay here and die." He said, then he shook his head, " No, since they don't care. Why don't I go?"
The thought was tempting, but it was also scary, because he had never gone far in the sewers without Splinter being with him, and Master Splinter was always saying it wasn't safe for them to play out there. Yet that warred with the fact that his family really didn't care about him, and didn't want him. Plus they were being so mean to him, locking him up all for a few tricks...that was crazy, could he help it if he had been bored. Splinter had told him to find something to do. It wasn't his fault that what he found to do for some reason or another, annoyed one of his brothers, or his Master.
"There is just no making them happy." He declared. He glanced around his room and his stomach growled in hunger, this low rumble was enough to encourage Mike that leaving was the best thing he could do, because maybe he could find food. " My family don't want me, so I'm going." He pulled a pillowcase off a pillow and filled it with a blanket, a few small cherished belongings, toys, colouring book,crayons and a bit of hard candy left over from Christmas.
Mike sighed the hard part would be slipping out of their home without being seen by one of his brothers, who knowing those rat finks would gladly sell him out to the King Rat, or in this case, Splinter. Mike had one thing in his favour though, the bathroom was just off the living room, and not far from the front door of the lair. However, the story of "needing to go." Might lose just some of it's effect when packing the loaded pillowcase.
He slipped out of his bedroom, as he neared the living room, he saw that Raph and Leo were engrossed with a game of chess, and Don was almost as occupied in watching the other two play. Chess was a game, Mike had not quite gotten the hang of yet, he had far more fun moving the game pieces any old place while telling a fantasy story about dark Queens and Kings fighting others. Needless to say his brothers didn't care to play, when he did not obey the rules.
"Hmph, well they don't have to play with me no more. Maybe this isn't even my family. Maybe I have a nother family who will love the games I play and never, ever, never punish me either." He assured himself. He looked around for his father, but seeing no sign of Splinter quickly darted for the door. Mike knew that he could be very fast, even Splinter said he was the fastest, it was probably the only good thing Splinter ever said about him, but he knew he could avoid all his brothers in games of tag or keep away.
He used this now, to dart for the door, and stand up on tiptoes to get a good grasp of the door knob he turned the knob and there was a soft click, as the door swung open and in his hurry he darted out of the opening and down the tunnel before someone spotted him and dragged him back.
"They might not like me, but they sure want someone to pick on." Mike said, " But now, I'm free."
XXX
Don looked up from the game, he had a feeling Raph would win this one, Raph was playing a better game, but Leo might turn it around. Then he scowled and got up to head towards the door of the lair, he saw it propped open. He headed back into the other room to inquire of his brothers, " Master Splinter is still here isn't he?"
Leo nodded, chewing on his lip as he thought over his next move "Yeah, he's in the dojo."
Don grinned, " Thanks Leo." Don headed toward the dojo that was off of a tunnel to the right of the living room, he saw the rat moving through a kata, that he was unfamiliar with, but Don thrilled to see the way his father handled the walking cane, in martial arts there might be deadlier weapons then the staff, but there was something powerful, and mesmerizing in something so simple and basic.
Splinter sensed his audience and halted his moves, he turned and bowed, " What is it Donatello?"
Don bowed in return, " I thought, I heard somethin' and the front door is open. But we're all here. I didn't check for Mikey, cause you said we were to leave him alone." He explained.
Splinter scowled at the news, " Thank you Donatello. Please return to your brothers," He urged as he silently contemplated the words, if three of his sons were in the lair, and the door was mysteriously open, that meant but one thing, Michelangelo had left the lair, the boy had taken off, or run away. Still, as if to verify that matter, the ninja Master first went into the bedroom, noting the missing items with ease. He strode with a purposeful determined stride out to the living room.
"My sons, I must go out for awhile, Please stay inside the lair until I return."
All three boys nodded solemnly and chorused " Yes, Master."
Raph waited until Splinter was gone before saying "What bout Mikey?"
" Mike isn't here" Don reported knowingly, " He left."
Raph and Leo looked at one another. "He's gonna get it now" Leo chortled with amusement.
" He won't be able to sit down for a week." Raph said.
Leo shook his head in disagreement, " A month." he countered, then glanced at Don.
Don shrugged, " I just don't want Mike to get hurt." He whispered.
"Would serve him right if he did" Leo pointed out.
XXX
Mike paused as he glanced around the tunnel, this one seemed so much darker and scarier then other ones he had been in. He sniffed a little, feeling uneasy. " Maybe this was a bad idea" the boy muttered aloud, and jumped as the words echoed off the pipes around him. He wasn't sure where he was, or even how he got here, and he was starting to think about home, his warm bed, the toys, and most importantly the lights that made the place feel far less scary.
" I wonder if the others miss me. Maybe they are looking for me" he thought quickly, but then as he thought about the day he shook his head and heaved a sigh, " No, they won't look for me. They'll be glad I'm gone." He moped sadly. He huddled on a dry ledge, against the pipe, watching some churning water go by. He imagined all sorts of monsters in that water, just lying there waiting for him to turn his back so they could come up and snap. Then gobble him up.
Mike sniffed and his bottom lip trembled, on reflex his thumb popped into his mouth, as he fought to keep from crying, but his thumb offered him little comfort for his sad state of affairs. It didn't matter that no one at home liked, or even cared about him, right now it was the only place that he wanted to be. He pulled his thumb from his mouth and began to cry great wracking sobs of despair. " I wanna go home. I wanna go home" he cried.
Splinter had been able to find and follow the trail of his youngest with ease, but the ninja Master decided to keep to the shadows and watch, ready to step in if something wrong should happen, and yet at the same time seeing what might happen, and feeling that this could drum home a lesson to the care free youth. He was amazed and impressed with how far the boy had traveled at first, though usually Raphael was the most adventurous of his sons, and Splinter had no doubt if Raphael had been here the two of them might have goaded and challenged each other to go even further.
Now, as he watched from the pipes over head, and seeing how upset the boy was, he decided it was time to reveal himself, he leaped nimbly down landing lightly on his feet.
Mike screamed, startled by the sudden appearance, and Splinter laid his ears flat against the high pierced shriek that came from the lad.
" It is all right Michelangelo, " Splinter began.
Mike jerked his head up, seeing his father he felt a wave of relief flood through him, Mike jumped to his feet and ran into the rat's open arms.
" I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I" he began to ramble quickly hardly taking a breath as he spoke.
Splinter gasped from air, surprised at the strength in the boy's arms, though Mike had always been a little exuberant, he chuckled softly as he hugged the boy close in return. "What are you doing away from here when you should be at home?"
Mike sniffed and buried his face, in his father's robes, his chest hitched from sobs, " I ran away."
"What ever for my son?"
" Because everyone is mean to me." Mike replied.
" Including myself I suppose?" the rat inquired quirking a bushy brow up, " At least for punishing you."
Mike sniffed and wiped at his nose with the back of his arm, "Yeah. You always punish me." the boy accused as he reached one hand back to rub at his tail.
"But if I did not punish you I would be doing you no service Michelangelo, it hurts me to punish you, for I do not want to do it."
" So don't" Mike declared.
" If I did not, then you would never learn that your actions good or bad have consequences." Splinter replied, soothingly rubbing the turtle's back.
Mike scowled "What's that mean?"
"Consequences?" Splinter repeated, then waited to see Mike's affirmative nod, " It means if you do something very good or very bad, there will be something to let you know what you did. If you have done good I allow an extra treat like staying up late, or telling you a special story," he explained patiently as he sat down on the ledge an pulled the small turtle child into his arms. Mike snuggled closer, listening to the beat of his Master's heart and hearing the rhythmic words he spoke.
" If you do something very wrong I must punish you so that you know this is not accepted, that it might hurt others, that certain things are expected of you my son. If I did not punish you when you do wrong then you would not know this is something you need to work on."
Mike made a soft "Ooooh." His brow furrowed, " You mean like we work on stuff in the dojo Master?"
Splinter chuckled, "Something like that Michelangelo."
" But you like Don and Leo best dontchya?"
Splinter stroked the round head his long fingers cupped the chubby cheeks, " I love all of you the same, and for different reasons. I love you because you are so full of life, and joy."
" Really?" Mike asked as he smiled from ear to ear.
" Really," Splinter confessed, "But sometimes I must admit you wear me out."
Mike snuggled closer to his father, feeling his warmth, " Are you mad at me?" he asked hesitantly, " For leaving?"
" No. But tell me what do you wish to do now my son?" Splinter inquired.
" I wanna go home." Mike replied firmly.
"Then we shall." Splinter assured the boy, he stood up, scooped his son, up in one arm, and the pillow case in his other hand. "That was very wise of you my son, you have independence and a strong will to leave home, but enough wisdom to realize being at home is the best place to be."
Mike nodded agreement, though he didn't quite understand everything his Master said, " Does this mean I still have to stay in my room, and clean up the peanut butter?" He asked hopefully.
Splinter gave the cherubic face a stern look, and just how many times had the boy wormed his way out of a punishment for just such a look, or for gaining an ill timed laugh that got the better of his father's humour. Far too many times, Splinter knew before he answered, "Don't even try going there Michelangelo, remember I must stick to the rules, and so do you. You must fulfill your punishment or you will learn nothing."
Mike sighed wearily, " Okay," he resigned himself to his fate. " But I don't think it really hurts you Splinter," he muttered through a large yawn. Before snuggling closer and shutting his eyes.
Splinter smiled down at his sleeping son mused, ' You may never, know just how much it hurts my son.'
The End