Chapter 4: Lesson Number One
Mikey gathered his little brothers up in a row.
"Okay, guys. I'm in charge while Master Splinter is away. Just do what I tell you all to, and we can all have fun."
Raphael didn't look too excited about the idea. Leonardo and Donatello glanced at each other and shrugged.
"Why do we have to listen to you?" the hot-headed tot challenged. Michelangelo smirked.
"Because I say so, that's why," he told him, using the trick his brothers would play in original time to get Mikey to listen to them. He began drawing on a notepad that he declared was the 'rule book'. He made sure to draw pictures so the tots could understand better, but Mikey was never the best a drawing.
"So the first rule you three have to learn is that I know everything. Whatever I say, you do."
"What happens if we don't?" Leo asked.
"Then you'll have to go into the corner until I say you can come out," Mikey told him. "But I don't think we'll have too much of a problem about that." Of course, Mikey was thinking that being an older brother was easy. He could apply both Leo and Donnie's methods of teaching to the younger counterparts of themselves.
"Well, if you say so," Leo hesitantly agreed. Mikey began drawing again.
"Okay, now that rule number one has been established, let's discuss lesson number two." He turned the notepad over so his brothers could see what he was going to explain.
"The second rule is that we must stay in the sewers at all times. Never, ever, go up to the surface."
"Why not?" Donnie asked. "Isn't that where you and Master Splinter go sometimes?"
"Yes, but that's different."
"How come it's different?"
"Because Master Splinter and me know how to be careful on the surface," Mikey explained. "We know how to watch out for humans."
"But isn't that 'Master Splinter and I'?" the purple mask questioned.
"Don't try to get smart with me, Donnie," Mikey frowned, annoyed that he was being interrupted by a grammar lesson. "I'm trying to teach you something important."
"But what's so bad about the surface?" Leo asked. Mikey tapped the tip of the pencil on the paper to emphasize his point.
"Because the surface is bad. Very, very bad."
"Why?" Raph asked. So much interruptions, even in this time Mikey's brothers were not listening!
"Because, Raphie boy," Mikey growled, getting serious like Raph would in original time whenever Mikey was annoying him. "If you go up to the surface the humans will take you to a science lab. Then they will try to dissect you!"
"What's 'dissect' mean?"
"It means you will be cut open."
Donatello shrieked and held on to Leo, who looked equally horrified.
"I promise I'll never be interested in the surface again!" Donatello started to cry. Maybe Mikey had scared his brothers a little too much.
"It's okay," Mikey told them holding them close. "If you stay down here in the sewers with me, no humans will ever find you."
"I an't afraid of being 'dissected' or whatever you said!" Raph declared, standing up and pointing to himself. "I'm tough!"
"You better be scared," Mikey warned, going into 'serious Leo' mode as he pointed the pencil at the red mask turtle. "Because it can be bad news for all of us. You're more likely to be unable to come back home ever again."
"Well, I'm staying here," Leo said, still holding on to Mikey. Donnie nodded in agreement.
"Me too. It sounds scary!"
Mikey's stomach growled. All this teaching and learning was making him hungry.
"Well, I don't know about you three, but I'm hungry! Let's break for a snack."
In a few minutes, Mikey was able to come up with something. His brothers were not sure what to think of it, but Mikey dug in. Donatello sniffed at a spoonful and took a bite, but immediately spat it out.
"I lost my apatite," he said, shoving his plate away. Mikey could tell poor Leo didn't like it either, but the tiny blue mask turtle was being a little trooper and forcing himself to eat it. Raphael didn't even touch the pate's contents. He picked up the plate and was tossing it up and down with one hand.
Mikey could tell what the little turtle was thinking.
"No, don't even think about it, Raph!"
"Think about what?" he asked with a mischievous smile. "This?" he threw the plate in his brother's face!
Leo and Donnie stared at their mean brother with eyes wide as plates, and mouths agape. Mikey frowned as food crumbs fell down his face and the tots could tell he was mad.
"I don't think I want to see this," Donnie said, quickly excusing himself from the table. Leo didn't run and was more interested in what 'big brother' was going to do next. Raph laughed and stuck his tongue out at Mikey.
"Eat that!"
Mikey picked up Raph by the shell-collar and took him to a corner. Raph squirmed.
"Let me go! You're not the boss of me!"
"Oh, yes I am!" Mikey told him firmly and put him down. "Now turn around and put your nose in the corner. You can't come out until I say so."
Raph mumbled, but he obeyed. Mikey noticed Leo was still watching them. Leo quickly went back to eating as if minding his own business. He was smart enough not to encourage Mikey to punish him.