Hello, readers! I just wanted to quickly say thank you to the ones who have reviewed and especially one who went out of their way to PM me to say my story was great :) That means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy!
Mikey
"Here, Mikey. This should help with those headaches."
Dr. Donnie popped a bottle of painkillers open, handing me one with a tired smile.
"Are you sure it's just a headache, Donnie?" I asked hesitantly.
"I'm positive. You're going to be fine," Donnie said with another weary grin that I could tell was forced, but I knew he still meant it, and I trusted my big bro. He could fix anything and everything when he really put his giant brain into it. When we were little turtles, Donnie would fix all my toys, and they broke a lot, given it was hard for Sensei to find good-quality items from the inky gutters and trash piles of New York. Now he builds us awesome "toys"! I love my big bro.
I swallowed the pill with a sip of decaffeinated tea, scrunching up my features at the taste. Even with some sugar, I could never drink tea like Master Splinter and Leo.
"Would you two help us open this thing already?" Raph snapped from across Donnie's lab.
My oldest bros were at Donnie's desk, eager to open the case we snatched from Tiger Claw. It was taking all of my red-banded brother not to break the lock with his sais and possibly damage the weapon inside.
Donnie only sighed. "I'll get my lock-picking tools."
"What do you think's inside?" Leo asked, folding his arms and leaning his shell on a shelf full of tools and do-hickeys.
"I'll bet it's a nagamaki," I piped in, sipping my tea.
"Yeah, like Shredder ain't got one of those already," Raph said sarcastically.
I hesitated, glancing at the size of the case that Donnie had crouched in front of. "…a naginata?"
"Forget I asked," Leo muttered.
We circled the genius as he picked the lock with his tongue out, tracing the edges of his mouth in concentration despite our eager glares behind him. As I watched, the drumming pulsations came back, faintly lingering in the back of my head. And just as Donnie opened the case—BOOM! My head pounded harder than ever, like I had fallen off my skateboard without a helmet, my noggin smacking concrete. I dropped my tea in order to grab my head with a whimper escaping me, the glass shattering at my feet and spilling green liquid everywhere.
"Mikey!" Leo was suddenly there, grabbing my arm and looking over me.
"What is it?" Donnie demanded.
My breathing hitched, and I struggled not to cry. "Make it stop."
Donnie rushed over with a small flashlight, tilting my head up to gaze into the light. "Are you experiencing blurry vision?"
I shrugged. "No."
"Nausea, confusion? …Well, more confusion than normal?"
"No," I grumbled, shaking my head away from the bright light. "I'm telling you, that thing is jacking up my head!" I pointed an accusing finger at the weapon lying in the open case, still untouched.
"That makes no sense!" Raph grunted. "How could an object cause that kind of pain… other than me whacking you with it?"
I tightly frowned at him, clenching my fists. "You guys never take me seriously!"
"Mikey…" Donnie sighed and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. I saw he struggled with what to say next, which caused anxiety to rush over me like rainfall. My bro always knew what to say, how to fix owies like this. If he couldn't find the answers, what would I do? "Tiger Claw must have hit you over the head or something. It doesn't seem like a concussion or anything serious to me. Just give that pill time to work."
"But…but the pain didn't start until we got that thing," I defended self-consciously, given I was clearly making zero sense to my bros.
And just like that, the pain was already waning, and I felt a little better. Yet there was still a distant buzzing in my head.
"Sheer coincidence," Donnie replied matter-of-factly.
Now it was Leo's turn to drape a hand on my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Trust us, Mikey. You are fine. If you need to turn in, go ahead, but we're going to examine this weapon, okay?"
Mustering all my positive energy, I flashed my oldest bro a slight grin and bobbed my head. Inside I was still flipping out, focussing on nothing but the fact that the inside of my head sounded like I had an unwanted bumble bee buzzing around! I guess it did sound bizarre that an object could make my head hurt just by being in the same space as it, and granted, I loved to make-believe wild stories for fun, but I really did believe this. Leo, Donnie, and Raph had no clue of the twisted feeling I got when Tiger Claw pulled out that case. Like the feeling I had when we met April's "mom." …Oh yeah, they didn't believe me then, either. My posture loosened, and I frowned.
"What the heck! This is what we risked our shells for?" Raph complained, pulling me from what he called "la la land."
I scooted behind my brothers, finally beholding this so-called weapon, which was nothing but a long staff nestled in a bed of velvet. The thing looked old. Not Splinter old, but like, dinosaur old. Okay, maybe not dinosaur old, but you get it. It was probably hand-crafted out of wood, and the only notable thing on it was a symbol of a dove carrying a sword etched in the middle. I was mystified. It wasn't cool…but it was kind of cool.
"It's nothing but a stick!" Raph shouted.
"Hold on now, we have to be missing something," Leo said, resting a finger on his chin with a befuddled look.
"There's nothing to miss, Leo; it's a stick!" my hotheaded brother repeated.
I saw Donnie's shoulders go slack in my peripheral vision. When I turned to look at him, he was holding a look of disappointment, probably recalling how hard Tiger Claw threw him down earlier. He was injured all for what was resting before us. "I don't believe this…"
I pushed a chuckle and a smile. "Look on the bright side, dudes; if we ever have a pinata, at least we'll have something to beat it with."
Raph knocked me upside the head, and I yelped.
"Come on, you three. Remember that Shredder wanted this. There has to be something special about it," Leo said.
He reached out and gingerly took the staff, holding it like a fragile infant. It was shorter than Donnie's bo and came up to the top of Leo's head when held straight up. As our leader carefully examined it, neither of us spotted anything particular other than the dove symbol. After a while, he dejectedly looked up at us, particularly Donnie, who sighed tiredly.
"I could do some research on it in the morning, see what comes up."
"I guess that's all that can be done right now. We should get some rest," Leo said, carefully placing the staff back in the velvet insides of the case.
The four of us started heading out, Raph stretching his arms behind his head. "Don't have to tell me again."
Before I reached my bedroom halfway, a hand grasped my shell behind my neck, stopping me cold.
"How are you feeling?" Leo asked behind me.
Feeling pretty whack because you guys don't believe me, I wanted to comment. Instead, what came out was, "Better."
"Are you sure?" Leo placed himself before me, crossing his arms with concern.
"Yeah. There's still a buzzing in my head, though," I said.
My bro's eye ridges knitted together. "A buzzing?"
I simply shrugged at him, not sure how else to explain it. Trying to get him and my bros to understand me was becoming tiresome anyway.
"I'm sure it's nothing a little sleep can't resolve," Leo said.
I nodded, waiting for Leo to step aside. My eyes darted around us as I wondered why he really stopped me. He could read my thoughts on my face, releasing a slow exhale
"Mikey…" he finally said, yet nothing else came out. I'd never seen him hesitate like this. After a few moments, he finally shook his head a little, patting my arm. "I'll see you tomorrow."
I shot him a weird look, but he couldn't see it because he had already pivoted to his room. I'll see you tomorrow? He's lucky I wasn't our hotheaded bro, or I wouldn't have let him get away with that. Leo just needed sleep. I could tell by how he examined the staff that he was just as disappointed as the rest of us, if not more. The thought that he led us to take something that was potentially nothing, especially when one of his brothers got hurt, must have made him feel cruddy. But I knew his hope would persevere. Surely when he woke up, he'd have a better attitude about all this.
…Right?
Leo
Dawn broke. At least, I was to believe so by looking at the time. My family had no sunlight down here except for the little light scintillating through the grate in the dojo. My sheathed katanas lying next to me, I lay on my shell staring up at the rusty pipes above. Flashes of memories from last night were flickering in the back of my pupils. Tiger Claw shooting straight for me, Donnie getting slammed on the ground, the weapon being revealed as a… staff. I chewed the inside of my cheek before I let myself get too disheartened. There had to be some reason Shredder sent Tiger Claw all the way to Japan to get that thing and why the tiger was so hellbent on taking it back. Did he know what was inside? No, I didn't care.
To think that anxious feeling I felt was all for the stick lying in the lab. Donnie was almost annihilated because of it. And the words he said to me before we left…
I trust you.
The thought that we pulled through as a team and got the staff was the only thing keeping frustrated tears from surfacing my eyes. I thought I was going to be sick, nausea creeping back into my system for the first time since yesterday. Even though we succeeded, my gut still wasn't assured. Trouble was still lurking outside the sewers.
I sighed, knowing that sitting there stewing in my pessimistic thoughts wasn't a good start to the day. It was time to get up.
I knew Sensei was awake; he always woke before us. But I also knew he had to be meditating, so telling him about our escapade last night would have to wait. In the meantime, I could have gone for some breakfast, given I hadn't eaten much yesterday. The nauseous feeling had settled a bit, and I needed to take advantage of it.
When I entered the kitchen, I was taken aback to see Mikey sitting at the center table. Ice Cream Kitty purred before him as my little brother was hunched over the surface, almost like he was sleeping.
"Moring, Mikey."
My kid brother jumped up and turned around, instinctively reaching for a nunchuck. Wait, why did he have his weapons this early? Did he not take them off before bed? Did he even sleep?
His defensive stance loosened, and he sat back down, smiling shyly. It wasn't one of his natural, radiant smiles, though. This one was forced.
"Good morning," Mikey greeted.
My eyes almost narrowed. Did he think I couldn't read him like a book?
"How'd you sleep?" I asked as I grabbed a drink, glancing slightly over my shoulder and noticing that he was melting in his chair.
"Okay, I guess."
I hummed in response, sitting across from him with some juice. Looking at him, it was clear to tell he was fibbing. His red eyes looked hollow with a dark shading beneath them. He could hardly keep his head up without the support of his arm.
A realization struck me: the headaches.
"Headaches keep you up?" I asked.
Mikey sighed, immediately giving up on his lie. "Just the buzzing."
My lips pulled into a frown, unsure how to help my baby brother. I was hoping this issue of his would dissolve with some sleep, but it seemed the kid couldn't even do that. Feeling helpless when it came to my brothers was a horrible sensation. If pain medicine and sleep weren't the answer, then what was?
"Hey, Leo?" Mikey asked gently, his voice weary.
"Yeah?"
"What were you going to say to me last night?"
I blinked, remembering he and I had a small chat before bed. If you could even call it that. I had cut the conversation short and left him standing there because I didn't know how to piece together my question. I was curious to know if he also had a bad feeling about the whole weapon situation like I did. But instead of nausea and a haunting sense of foreboding like me, he was experiencing headaches. I faltered because I didn't want him to think something was wrong, that I was worried. Donnie already knew about it, mainly because he talked it out of me. But with Donnie, I knew he could handle the news, whereas it was different with my youngest brother. I couldn't tell him something was wrong; he would feel the same and worry more than I. It's not that I didn't trust him; I just decided to spare him.
Ultimately, I shook my head at him. "I don't remember."
Mikey buried half his face in his arms, not saying anything. After a few moments of painful silence, he finally stood and turned on the stove. Even when dead tired, he wanted to cook for his family.
"I can cook if you want," I offered.
"No can do, ani. I don't think the fire department can make it down here in time." Mikey glanced over his shoulder at me with a turning grin.
I couldn't help but mimic with a smile of my own, giving him a sarcastic laugh. It was nice to see that he was still his joking self.
Raph, Mikey, and I were watching TV in the pit of the lair before Donnie shuffled out of his lab, holding the staff with what seemed to be disappointment hanging over his features. I turned down the volume upon seeing him.
"What's up, Don?"
The genius sat down with us. "I've been researching this thing all morning. There's nothing I could find about this stupid stick. I uncovered some kanji etched in the wood after some careful dusting; even that didn't help my search."
"What does it say?" I asked.
"You guys know my kanji isn't very good," Donnie replied, a little irate.
Suddenly, Mikey perked up. "Just let the master read this."
We rolled our eyes. It was true that of the four of us, Mikey and I seemed to have a better understanding of kanji, but even mine wasn't perfected. I knew darn well his wasn't either.
Mikey took the staff and squinted his eyes at the writing with his tongue sticking out. After a few moments, the rest of us smirked at him.
"What does it say, master?" Raphael asked sarcastically, leaning in close.
"It says you need to brush your teeth," Mikey retorted. Raph raised a fist, and Mikey flinched. "Heh, heh… Just kidding. The only word I can make out is 'weapon.'"
"Perhaps I could translate, Michelangelo?"
The four of us turned to see Master Splinter entering the common room, his hands laced neatly behind his maroon robes. Mikey handed him the staff. After Sensei's eyes scanned the piece of wood, they widened a bit. He stiffened, turning to us.
"My sons, where did you get this?" he asked seriously.
"Swiped it from Tiger Claw. It was meant for Shredder," Raph answered.
"What does it say, Sensei?" Mikey asked, his blue eyes big and curious.
Master Splinter didn't answer directly. He moved slowly into the pit and sat between Raph and Mikey with a serious look that churned my nausea. "This is the Heiwa no Buki."
"The what-a, what-y?" Mikey asked.
Sensei gave him a side eye, and the youngest recoiled into his shell a bit.
"The Weapon of Peace. It was a legend my father would tell Saki and me when we were young acolytes. A man whose name has been long forgotten uncovered the weapon from the earth amid a violent war period in ancient Japan."
"Why would he go diggin' around in the dirt, anyway?" Raph asked.
"Maybe he also heard the buzzing and was looking for the source," Mikey replied.
"Let it go, will ya?"
"Chinmoku! Do not interrupt," Sensei said. "No one knows who crafted it or why. Though just a simple staff, the power that lies within cannot be trifled with. Legend says that the man was a junsuina mono, one pure of soul. He was the only one who could wield the Weapon of Peace. Alone, he used it to stop the war tearing apart Japan using its power, but not all was serene after that. Others sought to use the Heiwa no Buki for themselves, evil individuals. Unfortunately, the junsuina mono took his own life under the stress of being forced to use the weapon for evil, but not before hiding it somewhere sacred. Since then, the Heiwa no Buki was never seen again."
Silence hung stale in the lair. I blinked at Father's story, sharing a look with Donnie.
"Sensei," the genius said cautiously, "it's just folklore, though, right?"
Master Splinter stroked his facial hair with a hum. "With this discovery, I am not so sure anymore, Donatello. If Saki is after this as you say, then perchance we should treat this seriously."
My stomach did summersaults at that. Could this be why I'd had an inkling the past couple of days?
"But you said one pure of soul can use that thing, and we all know that the Shredder ain't pure," Raph said.
"This is a good point, Raphael. Saki's plans are a mystery for now. It's up to you four to find out what he's plotting," Sensei said, looking at each of us and lastly at me.
I bowed my head. "We'll look into it, Sensei."
"Good luck, my sons," Father said, heading to the dojo.
When he was out of sight, my brothers and I looked at one another, probably thinking the same thing. Could this stupid stick really hold great power? If so, how great? Could this staff be the piece to the puzzle on how to destroy his sworn enemy and his family? No, Raph was right. There was no way Shredder or his goons could use it. Maybe if they could find a junsuina mono to access the power. But where would they find one? I couldn't believe I was even entertaining the idea that the staff was all mighty in the first place.
"So we going topside tonight?" Raph asked me.
I looked at each of my brothers, landing on Mikey, who was struggling to keep his eyes open with a broad yawn. "Tomorrow. Let's rest today and let Tiger Claw and Shredder squirm a little, knowing we have what they want."
Raph looked disappointed at my decision, then followed my gaze to find our little brother asleep sitting up. He groaned after realizing the situation and decided not to protest. With that, my brothers dispersed, Raph to his room and Donnie to his lab. I was left with the sleeping kid across the pit.
Mikey was entirely slumped, his chest hitching up and down steadily with his mouth agape. I knew his body would give into exhaustion sooner or later. Perhaps those pesky headaches were finally behind him.
I approached and studied him. There was no way he'd sleep for long in such a crooked position. I surveyed my environs, ensuring my other brothers weren't around to see what I did next. With my hand gently tucked under Mikey's shell and the other under his knees, I hoisted him up. The kid was so exhausted that he didn't even stir. I carried him to his room, cautious not to trip over the pizza box minefield below, and placed him in bed.
My little brother hummed in his sleep as he positioned himself comfortably, instinctively reaching for his tattered teddy bear. I draped the blanket over him, noting how small he looked, fast asleep and tucked into bed. So peaceful, vulnerable.
A part of me wanted Mikey to maintain his innocence as long as possible. Even after all we'd seen and faced, through the discipline and training, was still a child-like virtue clinging to his spirit. The other part of me wanted him to grow up, worried the cruel world would break my brother before long. But for now, at this moment in time, I was happy that there were still moments like this.
Sleep well, otōto. We've got a rough couple of days ahead.
Another long chapter down. Should I cut them down a bit, or do you prefer long chapters? Let me know, and have a wonderful day!
