"Alchemy's Pet"

Ch. 3

It was the next day; the morning sun was rising and Bryan was awoken by the smells of breakfast cooking. He slowly rose up, sniffing the air hungrily. His stomach growled and he realized he hadn't eaten a thing for two days.

Getting up he peeked out his door, then slowly he followed the smell of food to the kitchen. Peeking in attentively, he saw Michelangelo at the stove cooking eggs. The other turtles and Gina were sitting at the kitchen table. Raphael was already eating a bowl of cereal while the others waited for Mikey to finish cooking breakfast. He just watched the five timidly. He wondered if he should join them. They seemed nice enough but he just wasn't sure. The one known as Raphael scared him the most. His stomach continued to complain.

"Why don't you join them?"

Bryan made a soft meeping sound when he heard the voice and he quickly turned around to see the elderly looking rat standing in the hallway right behind him.

"My sons only wish to help you, I am sure they would be happy if you joined them to breakfast."

Splinter's voice was soothing like that of a father or grandfather. "I-I don't know… I don't think the mean one likes me." He gestured towards Raphael.

The rat just chuckled. "Do not let his rough exterior deceive you; Raphael is really a very caring person. Do not worry."

"Hey little dude, you're awake!" Mikey exclaimed suddenly. "Come on and have some breakfast with us!"

Bryan suddenly found himself being grabbed by the arm and the next thing he knew he was sitting at the table with the others. He gazed around the table nervously.

"How did you sleep?" Donatello was the first to break the silence.

"Oh… um, I slept fine, thank you."

Mikey grinned placing a plate of toast, scrambled eggs and bacon in front of Bryan. "Eat up, little dude."

The neko-boy glanced up at Mikey then at the food. His stomach growled even louder. Taking a fork he took a bite of the eggs. His eyes widened slightly; never had he had eggs this good. He continued to eat, practically shoveling the food in to his mouth.

"Whoa, slow down!" Mikey laughed. "We don't want you choking."

Swallowing hard, Bryan paused and looked up at Mikey and the others. "Why are you being so nice to me? You know what I am… yet you welcome me in to your home. Why?"

"If you hadn't noticed, we're not exactly normal ourselves," Raphael said, leaning back in his chair. "Believe it or not, kid, we're in the same boat as you."

"We know what it's like to be shunned by the world above. If you're alone, you can become apart of our family." Leo smiled warmly.

"Yeah, we'll take care of you."

Suddenly tears welled in Bryan's eyes and they spilled down his cheeks. It had been so long since anyone wanted to help him; so long since he was ever accepted or cared about. Suddenly he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. At first he flinched but after a few seconds he relaxed.

"Don't cry, little dude," Mikey said, smiling down at the other, "We're here for you."

"Th-thank you…" Bryan nuzzled against the turtle's plastron, soaking up the warmth from the other.


After breakfast Bryan decided to explore the lair and get used to his new surroundings. The others had retreated to do their own thing. As he looked around, it began to feel less and less like the sewers and more and more like a home.

Peeking in a random room, he saw Leonardo sitting Indian-style, his eyes closed. The younger male just watched him silently, wondering what he was doing.

"It's called meditation," the blue bandana clad turtle suddenly said, causing Bryan to jump slightly. "If you want, you may join me. It will help relax your mind and body and fill you with tranquility." Leo let out a deep sigh.

"M-maybe later..."

"Hey, Bryan-Chan, whatcha doing?" Mikey asked, suddenly appearing almost out of nowhere.

Bryan let out a high pitched shriek, jumping nearly a foot in to the air. "Why do ninjas have to sneak around so much?? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Mikey blinked at the other. "Sorry. You sure are jumpy. Anyway, I was wondering if you liked comic books."

Bryan stared at the turtle blankly. "Comic… books? What are those? I've never heard of them before."

Mikey stared at Bryan in disbelief. "You… don't know what comic books are?"

Bryan began to get scared. "Wh-why, should I know what they are…? Why are you looking at me like that??"

Mikey placed his hand on the smaller male's shoulders, mock crying. "You poor deprived child; I shall show you the way." Before Bryan could object, the turtle dragged him to his room at lightning speed.

"This is a comic book," the turtle said holding one up for Bryan to see. "Inside you will find colorful pictures and catchy dialogue," he continued, running his hand over the cover. "Here, give it a try." Mikey handed it to the other male.

Bryan stared down at it blankly, then back up at Mikey. "I don't know how to read…" He lowered his gaze shamefully, sniffling softly. "I-I'm sorry." The neko-boy expected to be smacked but instead the orange bandana clad turtle just pet him gently on the head.

"Don't worry, I'll read it to you then." He grinned at Bryan who looked back up at him, smiling slightly. Mikey situated himself next to Bryan so the other could see the pages. "It was a quiet night in Gotham…"