~!~ Okay, I lied. I was going to have some fighting and I planned on bringing in Raphael in this chapter. Unfortunately, I decided that "the plan" needed some explaining so I went back and worked on it and ended up moving the fight and the other brothers' entrances to the next chapter! So you will see action somewhere in this fic, I promise on the Marauder's Map, but this chapter does a lot of explaining that will be needed to understand what the heck is going on. I'm very glad that you guys reviewed so quickly! I was quite encouraged despite the fact that the first chapter wasn't exactly thrilling. Your reviews were very much appreciated, so when you finish this one, please go down and review again! =D Cookies to constructive reviews and all flames will be used to burn my cell phone so I can get a new one. ~!~
Chapter Two
"A... truck? What?" Donatello pinched his brow and sighed. Now I know why I'm the scientist and he's the goofball. He thought sarcastically. After that particular comment, there was no doubt. Seeing the look on his brother's face, Mikey said indignantly,
"What? It's a good idea!"
"Michelangelo, as much as I encourage the use of your mind and inner self, I do not think that getting run over by a vehicle is a, ah, good idea." Master Splinter was thankfully not as speechless as Donatello, and managed to convey his thoughts more diplomatically than his other son, who was ready to take a line from Raph and just slap Mikey upside the head.
"Mikey!" He exclaimed, exasperated. "Be serious! We can't just joke about this; this's our plan to get our brothers back!" Michelangelo dropped all pretenses and stared back at his brother, saying plainly,
"I wasn't kidding.." Don blinked. "If Raph sees me get hit by a truck or something, he'll have to come rescue me, right?" His idea began to dawn on his genius brother. "Raph'll be all concerned and stuff, but he doesn't know how to, you know, be medical, so he'll bring me to you! You're the only doctor we know who can help us giant mutant turtles!" Donatello laughed in surprise.
"Mikey, I take it back! You're a genius!" He exclaimed, high-fiving the other turtle. "Of course, you can't actually get hit by a truck and there are other people that Raph could take you to, but we can work out those details.." While Michelangelo beamed proudly and Splinter patted his shoulder, smiling a little, Don started working out all the kinks.
"Instead of a truck.. Maybe you could get in a fight with some gangsters or the Foot on one of his little vigilante spots. Casey says he goes through the same pattern every day, to the places where the most crimes are committed, so we'll have to set that up. And we'll have Casey and April on surveillance to make sure that you don't get your shell carved up in the fight." Mikey looked vaguely insulted while Don carried on, tapping his chin and pacing as his mind worked some ninety miles an hour. Master Splinter pointed out,
"If you're so set on having them make up, then how do you plan on getting Leonardo here at the same time?" Don pointed at him as he leaned against his computer table.
"That's the whole point; we have to find a way to get him here at the same time that Raph gets here with Mikey. And Raph could still take Mikey to Leatherhead or April, so we have to make sure that the two of them aren't available."
"You just said April and Casey will be watching me, so she has to have an excuse." Mikey added, still gloating over his brilliance. Don nodded, tapping his chin, and ignoring his little brother, who was doing the running man to celebrate.
"We'll have Casey call Raph and tell him that the two of them are going out of town for the weekend." Splinter frowned.
"Will Mr. Jones go along with all of this?" The rat wanted to know, making both the turtles turn to look at him. "He's very close to Raphael and may not agree to manipulate him."
"April might not either.. She may think we just need to talk it out.." Mikey murmured worriedly. Donatello reached for his shell cell as he answered,
"April won't have a problem with it because she understands that it's dangerous for one of us to go out alone. Plus, she misses both of them. The last time she came to the lair to talk with us, she told me that she's worried for Raph. She's afraid he'll get too reckless and get hurt without Leo watching him. And I told her that he isn't answering any of our calls. She'll be happy to help." He started dialing. "I'll work on Casey." The others nodded and watched as he put the cell to his ear.
Casey answered on the second ring.
"Casey Jones here. 'Sup?" Don suppressed a grin. That was Casey for you.
"Hey, it's Donatello. Listen, we need your help, but you can't tell Raph about this." There was a pause and then,
"Um, okay.." He sounded uncertain. Casey had always been a loyal friend, to Raph and all of the turtles, which was probably the reason he had agreed to keeping quiet. Donatello went on to explain that they were worried about Raphael, that they thought he was going to get himself hurt and how he wasn't answering their calls. He reminded Casey that the four of them had always relied on each other, because they were a team, and they were brothers. The four of them were never right if they weren't good with each other.
"Well.." Casey paused again. Then, "You're right about that last thing. Raph hadn't been himself since he left ya'll.. He's been pretty sour and out of it and I have to pull him out of my fridge." Don's stomach twisted with worry.
"He hasn't been eating?" Casey's reply was concerned. He wasn't extraordinarily observant, but the guy wasn't stupid.
"Well, that and he basically comes over to my house to get drunk. I knew something was going on and I knew he'd left you guys for awhile, but I was pretty sure he'd go back eventually.." Don clenched his hands. He knew it had been a good idea to try and get Raph back.
"He's been avoiding us, Casey. We need your help to bring him and Leo back." A long pause.
"Leo's gone too?" Don's jaw dropped and his brother and father frowned at the astonished look on his face.
"He didn't tell you?"
"Didn't tell me what?" Don sighed.
"He and Leo had it out a little while back. It was over the same sort of thing. Raph was being too reckless and harsh, and Leo called him on it. The two argued and got really angry over the whole thing. They wouldn't talk to each other, not even for three days. Finally, Leo decided that he would leave for a little while and go to the Ancient One, in order to find a way to better deal with his anger and give Raph some time to cool off." Donatello swallowed. "But Raph wouldn't calm down. He was really angry. Blamed Leo for leaving and not trying to work things out. That was when he left." Silence. Don listened to his heart beat for a few moments before Casey finally said,
"Wow.. I thought he was just having a bad time or somethin'.. Didn't know that Leo left too.. We need to do somethin'." Donatello had to smile.
"Yeah, and we need your help." After telling him to meet up with them, the purple-banded turtle thanked him and hung up, dialing April and informing her that they were going to take action. She told him it was about time and said she would be right there.
"That was slightly impromptu." Donnie said apologetically as he hung up and turned to face them. "But I figured if we could just do this face-to-face, it'd be a whole lot easier." They agreed with him and by the time April and Casey both got there, Donatello was close to having figured everything out.
Mikey had his head and arms over the back of the couch, in-between Casey and April, who seemed a little annoyed that he had placed himself there. Master Splinter seated himself and Don stood up, giving his quick synopsis.
"Okay, here's the plan: I'll have you, Casey, tell Raphael that you and April are going on a trip for a few days." He opened his mouth to ask something and Donatello shushed him immediately, saying, "I'll get to everything, I promise. Now, I'll also call Leatherhead and ask him if he could take a quick trip too, just in case." Casey opened his mouth again and Don silenced him quickly.
"As I was saying", he looked annoyed, "I've plotted out a prediction of Raph's path that he uses when being a vigilante. It calculates his course using the areas of the most criminal activity and the spots Casey told me about. The plan is to have Mikey get in a fight with the Purple Dragons on one of those spots while Raph is out, doing his thing. He may or may not interfere, but he won't leave Mikey by himself to deal with those guys, even though they'll be the easiest opponents for you to fight." He looked at Michelangelo when he said this.
"Despite that, Mikey, you have to get 'injured' in some way. Trip and fall on your face, I don't care, but don't actually hurt yourself too much. It shouldn't take much more than seeing you fall for Raph to join the fight. The biggest problem for you is staying quiet." He pointed a finger at the mischevious turtle. "You can't reassure him or speak or do anything. He has to feel worried enough that he feels like he needs to take you to get help, so you have to act unconscious for the duration of being with him topside." Mikey said,
"What if he tickles me? Or just leaves me?!" Don rolled his eyes.
"If he tickles you, bite your tongue. He won't leave you." Casey looked concerned.
"But what if he does? I mean, no 'ffense or anything, but he's been actin' so weird.. He may just leave Mikey to fight those gangsta's on his own.." Don crossed his arms firmly, disliking his position as elected leader more and more. He sincerely wished that Leo was here to be doing all of this for him. He didn't give his eldest brother enough credit for being a good leader.
"He won't leave Mikey." Donatello told Casey firmly, hoping his conviction was as stronger than the worries inside of him. "Raph's Protective Older Brother Syndrome is just as bad as Leo's. He'd never leave one of us to die."
"That's not what I meant.." Casey muttered while Don carried on with,
"I say that, but you, Casey and April, will be stationed out there just in case of emergency. I have no qualms that Raph won't intervene when Mikey goes down, but.. in case something does go wrong, you guys are Mike's back-up. Casey, if you do have to go up there, pretend that you're driving out or something. Go along with it and make sure that Raph decides to take him to Master Splinter." Casey nodded, albiet a little uncertainly, and April patted his shoulder reassuringly.
"I'll do the talking, sweetie." She said with a small smile. Casey looked relieved.
"Anyways," Don moved on. "Raphael will take Mikey down to the lair, hopefully without any complications. Remember, Mikey," His eyes bored into his brother's. "You cannot, under any circumstances, speak to him. Or laugh. Or anything. He has to believe that you need medical help, so no waking up." Mikey blinked.
"Okay, okay! I get the picture." He said, startled. "Stop worrying so much! You sound like Leo!" Don sighed. Now he knew how the turtle felt whenever he was planning something. This was incredibly stressful. What if something goes wrong? What if I'm wrong about Raph? What if Mikey loses it and laughs or tries to comfort his big brother? He wanted to hit something; he wasn't cut out for this!
"My son." He looked up to see Splinter's concerned gaze. "Are you all right?"
"We can take a break, Donnie." April's voice sounded and he turned to her, seeing that her eyes were just as worried. "Don't feel so pressured; we're here to help." He sighed and rubbed his temples.
"I'm just worried that something will go wrong.." Mikey patted his shoulder, making him jump. He hadn't realized that his little brother was behind him. The orange-banded turtle's chocolate eyes were big and compassionate.
"Just believe in us, bro. Everything will turn out okay." Donatello sucked in a breath and smiled.
"Thanks, you guys. The rest is this: Raph will bring Mikey in. Master Splinter, if you would, you will have called Leo and asked him to come back. We presume that he doesn't know about Raph and even if he does, I'm relying on you to make sure he does come back." His look was commanding, it was pleading. His father and master looked back at him and nodded as he murmured,
"I do not think much of having to trick my sons, but to unite my family, I will do this thing." Don nodded and thanked him warmly.
"Okay, guys, let's take that break. Mikey, you can call for a pizza-"
"Guys!" They all looked sharply at April who said tightly as she held up her cell phone. "It's Leo. He says he's in the middle of an emergency."