Disclaimer: I've almost deluded myself into thinking that Mikey and his brothers belong to me, but Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird would beg to differ and rightfully so!

This fanfic is the second draft of my joint project with astrau, originally published on shimbashka dot tumblr dot com.

Fox Spell

Chapter One

Mikey's POV

It all began when April… No! It really began when Leo and I… Argh! I still don't know how to tell a story properly and smirking face of my brother Raph is no help whatsoever!

When in doubt, start from the beginning, reminds me Donnie quite often and he should be right, 'course he is so much smarter than me. So from the beginning I'll start.

It all began one unwelcome stormy night when I and my brothers left the lair together for our self-appointed patrol duty. As I remember, we immediately started to run across the rooftops looking for trouble and finding it, as always. We were almost out of breath (at least Donnie was!) when our Fearless Leader gave us a sign to stop. It seemed like he wanted to tell us something important. Important, my shell! He just likes to make these lofty speeches like a stupid comic character he pretends himself to be. But knowing my brother, there was no avoiding of hearing his announcement anyway. So we stopped at the end of the roof and prepared to listen carefully to any news our bro had decided needed delivering.

"Guys, April's called me and told me that she would be away all this week, she is on vacation with her Aunt in California."

"April called you and not me?" Donnie was absolutely devastated. "That's just not possible!"

"Anyway," Leo continued. "She was in a hurry and considering the recent Foot Clan activities, she asked us to look after her Aunt's apartment."

"And you are warning us only now," Raph drawled. "Good work, leader!"

"I told Splinter," he answered curtly.

"Figures!"

"It was on the need to know basis," Leo cut off all possible objections.

"Then let's go visit… ah…" I could not finish my sentence. Something sharp scratched my unprotected shoulder. Shuriken, most likely. It looked like our little spat has drawn attention of at least a dozen Foot Clan soldiers. These black clad fiends surrounded us from all sides brandishing pointy objects in their hands.

"We've got company, bros! Let's fight, booyakashaa!" Hurt or not (it's just a scratch!) I couldn't pass an opportunity to talk with my fists. With a shrill battle cry I pulled out my nunchacku and started to spin them. One, two, three, my enemies were falling right and left! How I like it, these moment of joy, of action! Nothing compares to it! Although my shoulder already screamed in pain, I tried to distract myself with the best painkiller there ever was – total immersion in the process of ass-kicking!

I should admit that I am not a tactician, I'm a fighter first and foremost and I don't care for any strategies when I fight. All of my opponents had long bladed weapons, but I didn't care, I charged at them blindly, disposing of them as I saw fit. As the ambushes go, I've seen much worse. This bunch of Foots was not the most skilled I've met. I started to really enjoy my fight; you a not a ninja if you do not enjoy a little bit of ass kicking; when I noticed that our Fearless Leader left our company and follower some creep in black…in an unknown direction. Strange. And I don't like strange.

Raph, who also noticed Leo's departure, gave me a sign to follow our blue clad brother. So I rushed in pursuit. I just hoped that others, after disposing of their opponents, would join us ASAP.

Everybody knows that lil' old Mikey is the fastest of turtles (what irony!), so I've caught up with Leo in no time. My cool, calm and collected older brother was standing in front of a very familiar old building that sported a beautiful bay window under the roof.

"Hey, that's April's house!" I hollered.

"Thank you, Mister Obvious", Leo replied sarcastically, "I guess not all of April's neighbors heard you just now."

"Eh? Sorry!" I cast my head down in shame. "But what are you doing here?"

"I was following a Foot soldier's leader. He was quite fast and agile and I had trouble with keeping him in sight. Looks like I lost him a few minutes ago."

"Lost him where?"

"Lost him near April's house, you idiot!" Leo sounded irritated. He was always so proud of his tracking skills, and there again, nobody likes to admit defeat, especially Leo.

"Sorry," I scratched my head. "You don't think he's entered…there?"

Leo gave me a withering look.

"You think it's a trap? How about we look around? Have you been to April's apartment? Is it big? Is it nice? Do you have the keys?" I continued to pester him. Leo remained calm and didn't bother with an answer. HE clearly was in no mood for jokes.

"Let's go."

We used the roof, of course. April left one of the windows half open, so we had no problem with getting inside. April's house was not the biggest building in NYC, but it was quite imposing. And that bay window was just so nice! I wouldn't mind living in the house like that… But back on track - we entered and nothing looked out of place.

"Looks like everything's OK." I said. At least there was no trace of black clad freaks with illegal weapons.

"We don't know for sure." Yes, our Leo the alarmist!

"You are such a mother hen!" I pouted, but followed him farther into the apartment.

Leo checked April's home methodically. Nothing escaped his attention. I, on the other hand, just studied curiously the dwelling of an only human I called friend. So this was a place that became April's temporary home! Large and dark and neat and dusty! Fortunately, we haven't seen any traces of breaking and entering, but Foot ninja could be sneaky. Well, sometimes. Leo almost finished his checkup, and only one room was left unchecked when it happened…

"Do you feel …it?" my older brother told me hesitantly.

"Yeah," I answered. I couldn't believe my poor barbels! It was the best smell in the universe, the smell of the fresh baked pizza! Leo and I gave each other startled looks. A lot can be told about our worry that we didn't notice it right away. We both rushed to the kitchen and pulled the tightly close door.

"Looks like she left us a present."

And what a present it was!. In the middle of the large kitchen table sat an enormous pizza with bacon, pepperoni, pineapples and little tomatoes. I started to drool, my hands almost against my will tried to snatch a piece.

"Not so fast," Leo slapped my hands away. "It could be a trap!"

"A trap? A trap?" I cried. Who could be callous enough to use such a beautiful pizza as a trap? Dear friends, if you read this story and if you've at least heard about us, brothers, then you should know that all of us, ninja turtles, are incorrigible pizza maniacs and I am the biggest one of all. When I see a pizza, no matter what pizza, little pizza, big pizza, round pizza, square pizza, pizza Gyoza, pizza soup etc, I just lose my mind. And my other brothers are no better, although they would never admit it in front of our Master. That's why a thought of the compromised pizza slash trap hurt my feeling like nothing else!

"I have to check it first," I muttered and snatched a slice. "You can watch, brother, and if anything suspicious happens…"

"Stop," Leo dug out from the wrappings a small flowery card.

"See these words?" he told me with a meaningful look. "For Leo!"

Two words written in April's steady and neat handwriting spoiled my mood.

"Not fair!" I told my older brother. "Why did she leave it only for you?"

"Because she asked me personally to look after her apartment and that is her expression of gratitude! Besides, all is fair in love and war and pizza hunting!"

"But, but…" I didn't know what to say. So I just decided to spite my smug looking older brother and faster than a human or the turtle eye could see stuffed mouth full of yummy treats.

"Oh!", I sighed contentedly. "I'm on the Cloud Nine!"

"Mikey!" Leo yelled warningly. "It was for me!"

"Don't be a meanie, bro, I'm a wounded one here!"

I showed him a thin line the Foot soldier's shuriken left on my shoulder. Leo just snorted. "Besides, there's enough for everybody!"

I handed him a slice. He looked at it thoughtfully and took a hesitant bite. Then his face transformed in joy and he started chewing vigorously.

"See? April's the best!"

Leo just nodded. Somehow he didn't look very happy. My brother was deep in thoughts and these thought were ninja thoughts, aka not very nice.

"Something's not right," he murmured.

"Everything's peachy!" I was ready to defend April's little present to the end. Leo, you, ungrateful idiot!

"I have my doubts," he said slowly. "Perhaps, it is not a present from April."

"So what is it?" I was skeptical, to say the least.

"I discerned a familiar scent," he told me hesitantly. "I just can't place it…"

He didn't finish his sentence. His face, already somber, started to look positively green (no pun intended). And then he fell on the table and grabbed his neck with his big fingers making heaving sound like he was trying to puke. Or was it me who fell? Was it me who tried to puke? The floor unexpectedly looked so welcoming. And then, I guess, I lost my conscience and everything went black.