Michelangelo watched the warehouse nervously from the rooftop. They should be out by now. He thought to himself as the feeling of dread he'd been trying to squash for the past 20 minutes grew into a suffocating weight in his chest. It was like when he'd swallowed a whole bunch of spicy gummy worms at the same time and he could feel them going down slowly only like 10 times worse.
He'd been on bait and distraction duty, like usual, only after complaining profusely at Leonardo's plan, whining loudly all the way to the docks from inside the hood dryer in the Shellraiser that sat over his head making his voice echo inside it. He knew it wouldn't sway their decision, he was awesome at this job even though the reasons they gave for giving it to him were that he couldn't be quiet and stealthy. It wasn't true. When he really wanted to he could it, it was just that sometimes he needed to say stuff. Important stuff. That needed to be said.
They've been gone 30 minutes.
He got up from his spot and headed over to another rooftop to see the warehouse from another angle to try catch a glimpse of them. He whimpered and began pacing when he couldn't. The windows had some sort of paint covering them and he'd have to get close to actually see through them but Donnie had explained that there were cameras and security thingamabobs and other whatyamacallits set up all around which made it a bad idea.
That had been the initial plan. He'd head to a window and peak in, pretending to be caught in the act and leading the footbots on a crazy chase around town while the others infiltrated. He'd managed to take them out one by one as they followed him and headed back early but he hadn't actually seen them get in and hadn't heard back from them and now it was 45 minutes since they were meant to show up and they were still missing.
Movement caught his eye and he ducked behind the ledge, peeking over it as he watched a van pull up to the cargo loading area. The big garage door rolled up and Mikey saw foot soldiers dragging two of his brothers out, Raph and Leo who struggled against their captors before being pushed into the back of the van. Hun walked out next with one of the purple dragons carrying an unconscious Donatello.
"No!" He exclaimed under his breath.
From this distance he couldn't really tell what they were saying but his eyes never left the blood on the side of Donnie's head as he was tossed like a rag doll into the back with the others. They were probably going to be taken before the Shredder and he had to act fast. His only chance would be to intercept them before they got there where an army of foot soldiers would be waiting.
He ran across the rooftop as Hun got in the driver's side and started up the van, mentally tracing on the map in his mind which way the van would have to go and where he could safely attempt a rescue. All that time sitting in the hairdresser's chair on navigation duty was paying off. He could cut over the rooftops while the van had to go a long way around due to some one-way streets and construction work.
He sprinted as fast as he could to a lower building from which he could jump onto the roof of the van. Seeing it turning the corner he accelerated and launched himself in mid air, slipping on the shuko spikes onto his hands as he came down right on the back edge with a loud thump.
So much for stealth. The guys inside were bound to have heard that.
Mikey swung around the side of the van as it swerved and the back doors opened. The purple dragon looked around until he caught sight of him through the van door window. Sewer apples. Holding unsteadily onto the door and lifting himself partially up onto the roof of the van the dragon swung out with a knife to try cut Mikey's hand and make him fall, slicing the back of his hand before he could pull it away safely. Mikey grit his teeth through the pain and tried to readjust his grip but the constant movement of the vehicle was making it difficult. If this kept going he was going to fall off.
He let go completely with his injured hand when the dragon moved to cut him again, kicking out with his foot as hard as he could against the door that slammed shut into the man's back, knocking the purple dragon off balance with a howl of pain and out of the van to skid against the rough tarmac below. Michelangelo began almost feeling sorry for him but then schooled his face into a serious expression remembering the state of his brother and how he was treated.
Mikey managed to swing up onto the roof before a foot soldier poked his head out and was ready to give him a face full of nunchuck by the time he turned, joining his friend on the road as well. Easier than a game of whack-a-mole! He held onto the edge with both hands and lowered himself slightly to peek in, smiling wildly as he caught the sight of his two mostly unhurt brothers, wrapped in chains and gagged but kneeling by the third, still on his side. He'd taken care of the goons and now he only had to deal with-
Hun slammed on the breaks, bringing the vehicle to a skidding stop. Mikey rolled over the top, head-over-heels to fall down onto the wind-shield with a loud grunt and crunch as his shell made contact and smashed the glass forming a spider web like fracture over it with a hole directly under the impact.
His head was still spinning from the jarring shock when he was launched forward as Hun kicked out the window along with him and he fell on his hands and knees directly in front of the van. For a second the only thing he could think of was "Ow".
His arms and legs were now covered in little cuts from the glass as he crawled out from under the part of the wind-shield that was still holding together, shaking off the other shards while he tried to scramble to his feet as he heard the engine rev and he realised he was about to get run over. He jumped up on the hood at the last moment with a back flip (backflips are where it's at!), surprising Hun.
The image of Donnie's bleeding and unconscious body came to his mind as they stared at each other and Mikey bared his teeth in a rare show of fury, his voice breaking as he roared in anger before grabbing Hun by the hair and slamming his head against the side window, his pricey sunglasses shattering and flying off his head.
This must be how Raph feels when he loses it, he thought distantly. Another slam and he put Hun's head right through the glass, then yanked him out of his seat by his shirt and tossed him as far as he could. Hun's body flopped and rolled on the street until it came to a stop on its own and for a second Mikey worried he'd gone too far but he remembered Donnie's body being tossed like a rag doll and he shook his head. He could worry about that later, he needed to take care of his brothers.
With a hand on the wheel he managed to get in the still moving van and keep it mostly on the road, squeezing himself into the seat that was at the same time too close to wheel to fit his shell properly and a bit to far to reach the pedals comfortably. He was still able to step on the gas and watch Hun be left behind through the left side mirror.
Mikey didn't stop, he kept driving full speed until he was far enough away and near an isolated manhole cover that would give them access to the tunnels and wasn't too far from the lair. He'd probably have to go back with Raph or Leo to get the Shellraiser later but right now they needed to get Donnie home.
Getting Donnie safe was the only thing on his mind. Splinter will know what to do, just have to get him home. He parked the van and had to take a moment to let go of the slick steering wheel he'd been holding in a death-grip, uncurling his fingers one by one from the sticky leather.
Why is this all wet? His foggy mind thought idly as he fumbled with the slippery door handle until he opened it and spilled out into the street.
He stumbled as quickly as he could manage to the back of the van, hoping to find still three brothers waiting for him and he sighed in relief when he did. Raph looked surprised and angry but Leo only looked scared. They must be super worried about Donnie, maybe he was hurt real bad.
"It's okay." He tried to reassure them. "I'm pretty sure I lost them and we can get to the sewers from here."
It took him a while to fish out the lock pick from his belt, and his hands were shaking as he picked the lock to Leo's chains. Donnie says it's drenaline, his mind offered, there's stuff inside you that makes you shaky after a fight. He whined as the padlock slipped from his fingers for the fourth time, his fingers didn't seem to want to cooperate with him and he was getting really tired. Maybe he should have removed the duct tape from his brother's mouth first so he could talk to him and keep him awake.
With a click the padlock finally came open, the chains sliding onto the floor heavily and Mikey took a moment to sit down. He was kind of woozy and tired and everything hurt.
"Mikey!" Leo called out as the van tilted slightly sideways. Mikey's carapace bumped against the side of the van and he managed to stay upright.
"M'dizzy." Mikey answered holding his head as Leonardo reached for him. "Don't... feel... good. Leo?"
Mikey looked confused at Leonardo who was looking panicked. He turned his head try see over his shoulder if they'd been followed. Maybe he'd made a mistake and led them here, didn't drive far enough to lose them and Hun would show up with an army of purple dragons and footbots. Leo was talking now, saying something to him he couldn't understand. It looked like he was yelling something at him but he felt like he was underwater and he couldn't make it out.
"M'sorry." He slurred, knowing he'd probably done something wrong to make him look like that. "Messed up."
Mikey must have fallen asleep at some point but he couldn't remember when. Everything hurt and someone was making a lot of noise. Raph. His mind provided.
"-on't do this, Mikey! Come on! Wake up!"
"Cut it out, Raph! Don't you see he's-"
"op shaking him Raph, you're NOT helping. He has a concussion! You could be causing him more trauma."
Mikey groaned when he was jostled again and the voices stopped. That last voice was Donnie, Donnie was okay. He smiled.
"Of course I'm okay, Mikey." He heard his brother say, funny he didn't think he'd said anything out loud. "It's not me we're worried about, what did you do? You look like you rolled around in barbed wire. What a mess!"
Through the complaints he could hear relief in his smart brother's voice. He blinked heavy eyelids slowly and big brown eyes came into view along with a tired gap-toothed smile. The glare of the overhead light of the lab burned his eyes and they watered as he squinted. He frowned when he saw the bandage wrapped around Donnie's head.
"Do not worry about that now, my son" He heard his father's voice command, placing a furry paw against his cheek. Mikey must have been making a face. "Your brothers told me what happened, I am proud of you, you kept them safe and brought them home."
He closed his eyes with a pleased grin on his face. "So I didn't mess up?" He managed to answer weakly as he opened his eyes again. The room was now in shadows and it looked like he was alone. He must have dozed off again.
"Mikey?" The quiet voice of his older brother cut through the silence.
"Leo? I think I fell asleep again." He answered.
"Yes, you keep doing that." Leonardo's shadow answered and he could hear the smile in his voice even though the cheer sounded somewhat forced. "You've been saying some crazy things in your sleep."
Michelangelo chuckled but it turned into a wince when the noise and movement made his head pound. "You lost a lot of blood." Leo said quietly as he helped Mikey sit up and held up a glass to his lips for him to drink from, tipping it carefully so the top of the water lapped at his lips.
Michelangelo's hands we're still unsteady so he just cupped them around Leonardo's, lifting his chin when he was done. Leo put the glass aside and his arms curled around the smaller turtle, pulling Mikey slightly to him. Mikey wasn't one to reject cuddles or any form of affection so he leaned into his brother, pressing a freckled cheek to a trembling leaf-green shoulder, fitting into his embrace the way little brothers did.
"I was so scared..." Leonardo whispered with a shaky voice making Mikey look up at him with frightened blue eyes. Big brothers weren't meant to be scared, they're the ones you hold on to when the haunted house is making you jumpy or when you're stalking an enemy you think you can't take. They're the ones who smile at you and tell you everything is going to be okay and not the other way round. Mikey figured that maybe he'd depleted Leonardo's hero-like bravery, he'd held onto him too long and too hard and now it was time he give him a little in return.
"I'm okay." He assured Leo. "Everything's okay." Maybe he needed to look up what hero's say to give people their confidence back. How did Leo do this all the time? From the way his eyes were beginning to leak he wasn't doing a very good job at it.
"But you weren't." Leonardo wiped the tears from his cheeks and sniffled. "I'm the one who's supposed to keep you safe. I failed you."
Michelangelo shook his head but stopped when it made him feel nauseated. Leonardo's hold was strong enough that he didn't need to worry about falling over even though everything in the room spun. He turned his face into his warm skin and waited.
"Is Donnie okay?" He asked when he was feeling better only he opened his eyes and Leo wasn't there any more. An olive hand touched his head, partly covering his eyes and he smiled. "Dee." He sighed.
"I'm fine, Mikey. You keep asking me that. I'm still fine." There was no frustration in his voice, only a bit of humour. "I only had a concussion, I'm all better now."
"I do?" Mikey asked as he reached for his brother, wanting to make sure he was telling the truth. His memories weren't very reliable.
"Mhmm." Donnie responded affirmatively as he took Mikey's hand and guided it to the lump on his head. "See? All in one piece- OW!"
Mikey smiled apologetically. "Sorry Dee." He answered as Donnie held up another glass of water with a straw in it this time.
He drank to Donnie chanting "slooow... slowwly..." while he slurped on the straw. There wasn't much water in there anyway and he was pretty exhausted already.
"Glad you're okay." He yawned and Donnie tucked the covers around him. "Think I'll take a nap." This time he was aware of falling asleep listening to the rustle of pages as Donatello read a book beside him.
"Did I kill him?" He asked Raph the next morning when he woke up to a fussy angry brother who fluffed his pillows a bit too roughly and wouldn't meet his eyes until he asked the question. He looked awful, his eyes were too bright and there were dark circles he could see even with his mask on.
"If you didn't, I will." Raph answered after breaking eye contact with him.
The answer made him frown, so they hadn't heard from Hun since the fight though he wasn't sure how much time had passed. "I think I cracked his head." Mikey confessed quietly as he remembered how furiously he'd slammed the man's head against the glass. He'd knocked him unconscious with the first blow and it hadn't made him stop. He wasn't sure if he'd only smashed his head twice or he'd just kept going until the window had shattered. Mikey covered his face with his hands as he remembered how much blood there was in the van, he wasn't sure if it was his or Hun's.
What have I done?
"Hey," Raphael's tone softened as he sat beside Mikey, pulling his hands away. "Hey, no, don't do that." Raph squeezed him a little painfully against his plastron.
He was the best hugger, even though he'd never tell him to his face. He tried to look tough but Mikey could always count on Raph's bear hugs when he really needed one. They were fiercely tight so you could barely breathe but warm and always left you feeling kind of light headed, breathless and fuzzy at the end, like after a really long laugh.
"Whatever happened... you were protecting your family." Raph continued as he held Mikey. "None of this is your fault, okay? You saved us."
"So I didn't mess up?" Mikey asked with his face squooshed against Raph, voice coming out slightly muffled.
"You did good, Mikey. Just, don't scare us like that again. Deal?" Raph asked as he pulled away, expecting an answer.
"Okay." He nodded and tried to burrow back into his arms. It didn't usually work, when hug time with Raph was over it was really over and you were more likely to get a shove or a punch than a second serving but this time he just chuckled and squeezed Mikey a little longer.
"We're proud of you, little brother." Raph said and this time he really pulled away and went to get Mikey some breakfast. No pizza, unfortunately, Doctor Dee's orders.
Maybe he wasn't such a screw-up after all. If Raph said so (and he never said something like that without meaning it) maybe Mikey did do a good job. He protected his family instead of needing them to protect him. Perhaps it's time I started doing the protecting around here, he thought as his brothers piled onto the bed around him after setting up the TV he kept in his room on a table and popping in a vhs tape.
Maybe it can wait until after I'm better, he decided, smiling through affectionate pats and arms slung over his shoulders as the movie started.