A full burst of relief surged to Donnie as he ran closer to Raph. The cores were there but they are not glowing anymore.

"Your solution is right. I rubbed the cores and Raph said he didn't feel bad anymore." Leo said as he happily discarded his bag and cloak. The purple and blue banded turtle soon burst into tears of happiness. Raph just rolled his eyes for such drama.

"Come on guys, we have to find Mikey." Raph stood up, he knew the other predicament is finished, the other one is still going.

"It made me wonder who sent the cores here. It's weird it just appeared on our doorstep."

"I have a hunch who that person is." Donnie said. "Let's go."

"Come on, Mikey. Answer the phone." April said, chanting profusely without any knowledge that the three mutants re in the ladder outside of her window. The trio stared widely eyed at each other when they heard their baby brother's name.

As April turned around, she gasped when someone gripped her arm.

"So you know where Mikey is all along?!" Raph shouted as Donnie and Leo are trying to calm him down. "HOW COULD YOU LIE TO US?!"

April started to get scared and sobbed.

"Raph, calm down. We know April had a reason." Leo said.

Raph made a deep sigh to relax himself and loosen his grip. "'m sorry." He murmured. Donnie is rubbing April's back for comfort. "April we are not mad at you. We just wanted to know what happened to our little brother. Also, we know you're the one who gave the cores for some reason. It doesn't mix up. It would be better if you explain-"

"I promised. I can't tell you where Mikey is."

"You are going to tell us or else-"

"Raph."

"… Sorry."

"I'm going to make Mikey tell you everything, as long as he receives my call. But promise me not to tell him you knew unless he is home." She said. "And you had to tie your mouths… and Raph's arms so Mikey does not know you are hearing everything."

The three brothers looked confused and in disbelief. They just nodded to her request.

"Wait… How are you able to contact Mikey?"

"I kind of disabled his homing signal."

"What?!"

They waited and waited as April called many times yet no one responds back.

"Hello."

April's eyes widened and quickly set it up to speaker mode. Leo, Raph and Donnie quickly sat next to April with their mouth covered with scarves and Raph's arms to a chair, much to his displeasure.

"Hello, Mikey! Damn it! I'm trying to contact you for hours!"

"Sorry. How's Raph?"

Raph's face lit up as he heard his name. Mikey's voice is hoarse and sounded very tired.

"He's fine. You saved him."

Raph stared at April. Then everything just clicked. Mikey is the one who got the cores. The three brothers are widely eyed by the connection of Mikey being missing the day Raph got ill.

A weak chuckle just heard from the other side. "I'm very glad. Thank you so much, April."

"Since you finished this mission for some reason, why won't we practice?"

"Practice? To what?"

"You do know you have to explain everything why you're gone."

"Oh, man."

"Why won't we do a mock up? Pretend I'm Leo and the others."

"… Oh, man."

"Face it like a ninja, Mikey."

"… Fine."

"Okay, tell me everything what happened." Mikey started to the part where Raph got poisoned. They listened intently to his tale.

"I'm so tired in being oblivious to what's happening. I had to eavesdrop to know what is happened. It really making me felt useless."

The three felt a little bad in what they treating to him. They know it's for his welfare but they never wanted to make him useless.

"I stole Donnie's map and convinced April to save Raph."

To think that he is their baby brother, he can be determined. Despite to his silliness and being a klutz sometimes, his potential is showing when it's needed.

"April helped me made a plan. I escaped the lair and went to the island."

BINGO.

"I don't know. In only a couple of days, I feel like Leo." The leader looked up and smiled bitterly, who would've thought Mikey had to become the next Ghost of the Jungle. Sort of.

"I met a swordsman named Matthew, who was the innkeeper too. He showed me the mountain where the cave is."

They looked at each other. They knew he trust people easily.

"I went to the souvenir shop to get something for you, guys." He chuckled. "Man, I feel I'm in a vacation."

"I went to the cave that night. Instead of the back door, I went to the top latch." Donnie nodded in approval. Mikey thought of other options. It's a good strategy.

"But then again I sort of accidentally pressed the alarm button again."

All of them grunted as April, Donnie and Leo touched the ridge of their noses while Raph just head desk.

"I swung around, got a laser gun and shot them. I got to the central area and got the cores. I got outside and ran."

They knew to themselves Mikey is a versatile fighter. His unorthodox style is proven useful in so many situations on the missions they're in.

"I threw the bag with the cores to Matthew. I had to stop the Kraang from going to the base mountain." They are a little surprised Mikey is able to handle this well.

"They are so many, I lit a dynamite… And hauled it up."

They all listened seriously.

"It exploded… and caused a landslide."

Their eyes widened.

"Next thing I knew, I got trapped under."

They imagined the gruesome scene of their little brother getting 6 feet under, literally. Their sobs are muffled and their tears are soaking their scarves. Even April is crying. She knew Mikey does stupid things but not this stupid. She can see Raph's arms are shaking, he tried not to cry, and he really tried.

"But I saw my family sad, especially Raph. I had to return home, even if they ground me for the rest of my life. I must return in one piece because I promised. And I keep my promises."

"Mikey! What you did is stupid and deadly!"

"I'm sorry. Don't worry, I'll return home tomorrow."

"Are you sure? You just got buried! You rest there for a while."

"I miss my brothers already. I miss the pizza there. I miss everything."

Donnie put his arm on Leo's shoulder and put his head on it. They continued to cry of what his brother had to endure.

"Do you still love Raph?"

Raph stared at April, the one who asked the question.

"… I still do. I always do."

Raph's eyes widened and muffled loudly. He wanted to say something badly.

"But… I had to let him go."

Raph stopped squirming at the revelation.

"Why?"

"… He likes Leo."

Leo got shocked as well and stared at Raph. The red banded turtle stared back while Donnie just got silent.

"How you assumed that?"

"…"

"You can tell me. I'm keeping the secret about your feelings to Raph. What more of this one?"

"… I'm supposed to give a plush to him. I'm supposed to tell my feelings to him. But I saw them starting at each other. It's a different stare."

The two looked at each other and both realized what event it was.

"I want Raph to be happy. When I return, I will not show intent anymore."

April noticed Raph is shaking again. Little tears are falling down.

"But I'm still and always will be enchanted to him."

Woo! Finally! My fingers are tired from typing.