I sat in the chair and watched Leonardo pace the length of the living
room floor. After about a minute, I spoke up. "You gotta rest, Bro."
Leo turned to me and sighed. "I know, Mike. It's just---" He trailed off without completing the thought.
"I'll wake you up if anything happens," I told him hiding a smile. I knew damn well that wasn't why Leo was pacing the floor and not sleeping. But it gave him the opportunity to leave without losing any face. I knew he was worried. Maybe even scared. It was better left unsaid. Leo would be humiliated to know I could read his emotions so easily.
But I guess Leo wasn't looking for an out. I should have known that too. Leo wanted answers. He sat down. "It's a trap," he said quietly.
Of course it was. That was obvious. Especially since they wanted Splinter to come as well. We both knew our sensei could easily take any one of us without breaking much of a sweat. But we also knew that Splinter wasn't that young anymore. Any major fight in below zero temperatures would test even his will power. With Donnie injured that just left Leo and me fight ready. And with the cold against us---I forced that thought away and shrugged. "They didn't leave us much of a choice, Leo."
Leo stood. "I'll be in the dojo."
"Splinter wanted you to rest," I reminded him leaning back in the chair with a smirk.
He didn't look at me as he walked toward the dojo, but I heard him mutter. "I'll rest when Raph's home."
The sound of a heavy bag being beaten to death followed moments later. I shook my head and glanced up as Splinter walked into the room. He looked around briefly and sighed. "Leo's kind of edgy right now, Master," I said by way of explanation.
Splinter nodded and sat down. "I was not expecting him to rest, Michaelangelo. Although I was hoping he would."
I changed the subject. Over the years I had gotten really good at doing that. "Is Donnie ok now?" Kind of a dumb question to ask really. Splinter would never have left Don's side if he wasn't ok.
Sensei nodded slowly. "He is sleeping for the moment."
"Yeh.guess he could use it." I stared at the door. I was hoping that Raph would walk through it. Lord knows, if anyone could find a way to escape from the Foot it would be him. But hoping and expecting were two different things. I knew Raph wasn't coming home until we went to get him.
"Donatello is adamant that it was not the Foot Clan who attacked him," Splinter said breaking into my thoughts. And for a moment I thought he was reading my mind.
I glanced at him. "That doesn't make any sense, Master. Who but the Foot Clan would have a reason to avenge Saki?"
Splinter didn't answer. I had the feeling he didn't have an answer to give. The sounds of Leo's attacks on the heavy bag echoed through the lair. So many times in my life I wondered why Splinter raised us the way he did. Living in a human's world, we were certainly outcasts. Living as ninja, even more so. Still, I knew that my training was vital to my survival. I could go about in the shadows as much as I pleased without worrying about being seen by 99 percent of the population.
It was the other one percent that worried me. I never questioned Splinter's motives. Some might say he used us to restore honor to his sensei. But how could he have known when he plucked us from that ooze, that the four of us would be capable of doing so? His intentions had to have been selfless. I glanced at my master. He had been the one to take care of us through illness and injury. To comfort us during storms and nightmares. He loved us. I had no doubt. But now, with one of my brothers missing and at the mercy of our enemies, I, in a way, hated the life I was given and I couldn't help but feel some degree of anger at the one who showed us this life.
I sighed and forced those thoughts away. They wouldn't help right now. And that's not who I was anyway. I was Michaelangelo. I was the incurable optimist and the jokester.
"Sensei, maybe you should rest while Donnie's sleeping," I suggested.
He smiled slightly. "I was thinking the same thing, My Son. However, sleep is not what I need." He stood. "I will be meditating. Please send Leonardo to me when he is through."
I nodded. "Sure thing Master." I smirked. "Can I tell him he's in trouble for disobeying you?"
"He is not in any trouble, Michaelangelo," Sensei said with a surprised expression.
Grinning, I replied, "Oh I know that Master. Would still like to see his face when I told him though."
He shook his head chuckling and disappeared into his own room. Yup, Mikey the light hearted, lovable, idiot.
Hours passed without so much as a sound from anyone. Leo came out of the dojo after only about thirty minutes. He went straight to Splinter's room without a word from me. Guess he knew Sensei would want to talk to him. They were no doubt plotting some ninja like plan for tonight. I flipped through various comic books, wondering if television was allowed while I was on duty.
"Where is everyone?"
I turned in surprise. Some guard I was. My injured and half asleep brother snuck up on me. "They're in Splinter's room. Planning our-----plan." I stood to help him to a chair. "You doing ok?"
Don winced and sighed as he sat down. "Yeh I'm okay. Just a little sore."
"You need anything?"
He shook his head with a sigh. "Thanks." Don glanced over his shoulder to Splinter's room. "I've been thinking Mikey. I'm not liking our odds in this."
I gave him a smile. "Aw come on Don San. If the odds were in our favor, it wouldn't be us."
"I just wish I knew who these people were," he continued like I hadn't spoken. "Why they wanted to avenge Shredder. Why not just kill Raph and me. Take us all out one by one."
"Splinter said you were positive it wasn't the Foot."
Don looked frustrated. "They SUCKED, Mike. We could have taken them easily. I was outmatched by sheer numbers, not to mention the cold. They let me get away once they gave me their message. And besides, they weren't wearing the Foot's gear."
I grinned. "Maybe it was their new winter wardrobe."
He gave me a look that said he was barely being patient with my jokes. I'd been given that look before by just about everyone. It didn't bother me much "They weren't Foot," he insisted. "I know it."
"Maybe Shredder has his own fan club we didn't know about," I suggested with a smile.
The "barely tolerant" look changed to a "I'm gonna kill you" one. But before Don could move, the door to Splinter's room opened and Leo walked out. He didn't look too happy. He glanced to the clock. We had about 8 hours left until the meeting.
He glanced at Don and me. "Alright guys, in the dojo," he ordered. "We're going to work out, and I'm going to tell you our plan."
Leo turned to me and sighed. "I know, Mike. It's just---" He trailed off without completing the thought.
"I'll wake you up if anything happens," I told him hiding a smile. I knew damn well that wasn't why Leo was pacing the floor and not sleeping. But it gave him the opportunity to leave without losing any face. I knew he was worried. Maybe even scared. It was better left unsaid. Leo would be humiliated to know I could read his emotions so easily.
But I guess Leo wasn't looking for an out. I should have known that too. Leo wanted answers. He sat down. "It's a trap," he said quietly.
Of course it was. That was obvious. Especially since they wanted Splinter to come as well. We both knew our sensei could easily take any one of us without breaking much of a sweat. But we also knew that Splinter wasn't that young anymore. Any major fight in below zero temperatures would test even his will power. With Donnie injured that just left Leo and me fight ready. And with the cold against us---I forced that thought away and shrugged. "They didn't leave us much of a choice, Leo."
Leo stood. "I'll be in the dojo."
"Splinter wanted you to rest," I reminded him leaning back in the chair with a smirk.
He didn't look at me as he walked toward the dojo, but I heard him mutter. "I'll rest when Raph's home."
The sound of a heavy bag being beaten to death followed moments later. I shook my head and glanced up as Splinter walked into the room. He looked around briefly and sighed. "Leo's kind of edgy right now, Master," I said by way of explanation.
Splinter nodded and sat down. "I was not expecting him to rest, Michaelangelo. Although I was hoping he would."
I changed the subject. Over the years I had gotten really good at doing that. "Is Donnie ok now?" Kind of a dumb question to ask really. Splinter would never have left Don's side if he wasn't ok.
Sensei nodded slowly. "He is sleeping for the moment."
"Yeh.guess he could use it." I stared at the door. I was hoping that Raph would walk through it. Lord knows, if anyone could find a way to escape from the Foot it would be him. But hoping and expecting were two different things. I knew Raph wasn't coming home until we went to get him.
"Donatello is adamant that it was not the Foot Clan who attacked him," Splinter said breaking into my thoughts. And for a moment I thought he was reading my mind.
I glanced at him. "That doesn't make any sense, Master. Who but the Foot Clan would have a reason to avenge Saki?"
Splinter didn't answer. I had the feeling he didn't have an answer to give. The sounds of Leo's attacks on the heavy bag echoed through the lair. So many times in my life I wondered why Splinter raised us the way he did. Living in a human's world, we were certainly outcasts. Living as ninja, even more so. Still, I knew that my training was vital to my survival. I could go about in the shadows as much as I pleased without worrying about being seen by 99 percent of the population.
It was the other one percent that worried me. I never questioned Splinter's motives. Some might say he used us to restore honor to his sensei. But how could he have known when he plucked us from that ooze, that the four of us would be capable of doing so? His intentions had to have been selfless. I glanced at my master. He had been the one to take care of us through illness and injury. To comfort us during storms and nightmares. He loved us. I had no doubt. But now, with one of my brothers missing and at the mercy of our enemies, I, in a way, hated the life I was given and I couldn't help but feel some degree of anger at the one who showed us this life.
I sighed and forced those thoughts away. They wouldn't help right now. And that's not who I was anyway. I was Michaelangelo. I was the incurable optimist and the jokester.
"Sensei, maybe you should rest while Donnie's sleeping," I suggested.
He smiled slightly. "I was thinking the same thing, My Son. However, sleep is not what I need." He stood. "I will be meditating. Please send Leonardo to me when he is through."
I nodded. "Sure thing Master." I smirked. "Can I tell him he's in trouble for disobeying you?"
"He is not in any trouble, Michaelangelo," Sensei said with a surprised expression.
Grinning, I replied, "Oh I know that Master. Would still like to see his face when I told him though."
He shook his head chuckling and disappeared into his own room. Yup, Mikey the light hearted, lovable, idiot.
Hours passed without so much as a sound from anyone. Leo came out of the dojo after only about thirty minutes. He went straight to Splinter's room without a word from me. Guess he knew Sensei would want to talk to him. They were no doubt plotting some ninja like plan for tonight. I flipped through various comic books, wondering if television was allowed while I was on duty.
"Where is everyone?"
I turned in surprise. Some guard I was. My injured and half asleep brother snuck up on me. "They're in Splinter's room. Planning our-----plan." I stood to help him to a chair. "You doing ok?"
Don winced and sighed as he sat down. "Yeh I'm okay. Just a little sore."
"You need anything?"
He shook his head with a sigh. "Thanks." Don glanced over his shoulder to Splinter's room. "I've been thinking Mikey. I'm not liking our odds in this."
I gave him a smile. "Aw come on Don San. If the odds were in our favor, it wouldn't be us."
"I just wish I knew who these people were," he continued like I hadn't spoken. "Why they wanted to avenge Shredder. Why not just kill Raph and me. Take us all out one by one."
"Splinter said you were positive it wasn't the Foot."
Don looked frustrated. "They SUCKED, Mike. We could have taken them easily. I was outmatched by sheer numbers, not to mention the cold. They let me get away once they gave me their message. And besides, they weren't wearing the Foot's gear."
I grinned. "Maybe it was their new winter wardrobe."
He gave me a look that said he was barely being patient with my jokes. I'd been given that look before by just about everyone. It didn't bother me much "They weren't Foot," he insisted. "I know it."
"Maybe Shredder has his own fan club we didn't know about," I suggested with a smile.
The "barely tolerant" look changed to a "I'm gonna kill you" one. But before Don could move, the door to Splinter's room opened and Leo walked out. He didn't look too happy. He glanced to the clock. We had about 8 hours left until the meeting.
He glanced at Don and me. "Alright guys, in the dojo," he ordered. "We're going to work out, and I'm going to tell you our plan."