Rating: T for occasional language. Also see other warnings.

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.

Summary: Bradford has always blamed Michelangelo for his misfortunes and especially for his mutation so when he manages to capture the young ninja, he's going to make sure he knows exactly what it's like. 2k12 AU.

Warning: Warnings for physical and mental torture in this story abound, as well as for implied and highly disturbing situations. Trigger warnings may apply for some chapters. There will not however, be gruesome details. Some things are best left up to the imagination.


A/N: Text surrounded by { } denotes translated Morse code. Any spelling or grammar mistakes within Mikey's speech is purely intentional. I've only included the grammar because I can't live with it otherwise (and don't want it to be too jarring and off-putting). If you see any other mistakes within the story, as always, I appreciate the head's up.

In which Leo tells a story and fills in some blanks.

Concrit, thoughts and comments always welcomed.


Fandom Announcement!

Turtle Wishes is on again, this time for Easter!

What is this?

Basically, this is an e-card service, featuring our favourite foursome. You can choose up to 4 people to send Wishes to, whether they be friends or someone you admire, to show them you care or that you appreciate them. You choose the brother featured on the card and the message and Turtle Wishes sends them on your behalf come Easter morning.

What do the cards look like? Well, that you'll find out once the cards are delivered as you don't want to ruin the surprise.

For more information and the link to the form https{:/}www{.}tumblr{.}com/blog/view/turtle-wishes or https{:/}www{.}deviantart{.}com/sampsonknight/journal/Turtle-Wishes-Easter-2021-Forms-Open-872664412 - just remove the {} to use the links.


Minnie1015: Thank you :-) Yeah, Mikey's brothers certainly have a history of not listening to him which is a shame because beyond the craziness, he sometimes has some really good, out-of-the-box ideas. He's improving rapidly with the Morse but he's not fluent enough to try to tell them anything yet. Yeah, Mikey's made his feelings about the Astral Plane very well known already (at least to the readers XD) Glad you got your apple, haha.

Guest: Yeah, he is in some ways, not quite so much in others though. Thanks! I'm looking forward to getting them out. I only don't do it faster than every couple of weeks because otherwise I'll catch up to where I've written to too fast and then you'll be stuck waiting longer. That and I also have other stories to work on and get out as well.


How Much is that Turtle in the Window

ch 22

"I still don't like this," Leo griped worriedly, "but Donnie and Raph both insisted on it."

'Yes,' Mikey blinked impatiently. He knew this already. He was there for the discussion. After all, it wasn't like he could actually leave.

"Raph and I will head out first to get into position and keep watch. When Donnie opens the door for you, promise me you'll stay in the doorway and won't go out past it."

'Yes,' Mikey blinked again, desperate for Leo to just get on with it so he could see the sky and breathe fresh air sooner. {Promise,} he tapped haltingly.

"I'm serious, Mikey," Leo insisted again. "There's a large drop not even a couple of feet from the door. If something happens, freak wave, sudden dizzy spell or anything else unexpected and you fall, you'd never be able to catch yourself with those manacles on and if you were discovered... I don't have to tell you how much of a disaster that would be, do I?"

{I stay in door,} Mikey assured him with a double-handed tap after the first o as he looked up at Leo impatiently. Donnie tossed Mikey a questioning look.

"Come on, Leo, let's go. You've already gone over the rules five times now," Raph said, rolling his eyes impatiently. "The poor kid's already waited long enough and Donnie'll keep him in line if he forgets."

"Alright," Leo sighed reluctantly. "Remember, just half an hour for tonight, then you go back inside and away from the doorway without argument."

{Hai, hai,} Mikey tapped, giving a double-tap after the first yes again.

"After all, we still have a mission to work on tonight as well."

{Pls go, L. Need out!} he tapped desperately, wishing Leo would just get going already. The sooner his brother did, the sooner he'd get some relief.

Smiling indulgently as Raph turned and reached for the door, Leo motioned to Donnie to come close. "See what I mean about his technique slipping when he gets impatient?" he murmured. "Not only was the timing speeding and slowing at random but there were odd taps that made no sense."

Mikey scowled. {Can hear fine,} he accused unhappily.

Donnie chuckled, switched off the light and shooed their brothers out. A moment later, he sat down beside Mikey in the dark. "He wasn't wrong, you know. Not only were you shortcutting words again and your timing wasn't consistent but there was also a weird double-tap that has no place in Morse Code. Was there a reason for that?"

{Double,} Mikey explained impatiently.

"Double? Double what?"

{Letter or word,} Mikey explained, demonstrating with another double-handed tap after the t.

Donnie just stared at him in the darkness in shock for several moments. Then, "That's... that's actually a really good idea!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I mean, it wouldn't work if communicating in Morse to anyone else because they wouldn't know but between us? That's brilliant! I just wish you'd told us of it earlier so we would have known rather than just start using it mid-conversation."

Mikey grinned sheepishly, pleased by the unexpected praise; he hadn't been sure how Donnie would take to the idea. {Just thawt of,} he admitted.

"So you didn't use it during your conversation with Leo last night?"

{No,} he replied, looking over at the door that was open only a crack and wondering how much longer he'd have to wait. {Hed hurt to much to consentrate.}

"Concentrate," Donnie corrected, spelling it out.

Mikey pulled a face and contemplated trying again but deliberately spelling it even more wrongly before deciding it was too much effort trying to tap out longer words and keep track.

"I'm definitely going to have to start giving you spelling lessons too, I think. Still, I'm really proud of you, Mikey. I know this must be hard on you," Donnie suddenly said after a few seconds of silence.

Mikey canted his head curiously at his brother, silently questioning what he meant when they finally heard the signal sounding the all-clear.

Donnie carefully eased the door open and allowed Mikey to edge his way to the doorframe where he sat and stared out into the night sky in relief, soaking in the cool, fresh ocean air and the bright starlit night. He sighed in bliss and laid down on his plastron, propping himself up on his elbows. Once he was comfortable, he began swinging his legs back and forth in the air, something he hadn't been able to do for a very long time.

"I meant in regards to how hard you've been working to learn how to communicate with us," Donnie explained after a few minutes. "I always had faith you'd be able to pick this up but I didn't think you would manage this fast or well."

Mikey looked sideways up at Donnie. {No choice,} he tapped softly, mindful the noise would travel even more out here without the blanket to tap on to deaden the sound. {Want to talk again. Bad.}

Donnie swallowed noisily. "About that," he began nervously, "I'm really curious about why you can't talk. Are you able to tell me yet? Do you... do you even know why you can't?"

Mikey clenched his fingers as tightly as he could and stared out into the star-speckled darkness. {I no,} he finally admitted. {But too hard.}

"Too hard to explain?" Donnie questioned softly.

{Hai,} Mikey tapped, hanging his head in dismay over disappointing his brother.

And himself.

"Okay, I won't push for the answers now then but I really do need to know in order to have a chance to help you."

Mikey pushed himself up onto all fours, then shifted so he was sitting and leant tiredly against Donnie. He lifted a paw and rested it on Donnie's leg and tapped silently. {Alredy helped. Saved me. Help talk again.}

-:-

When the thirty minutes were over, Leo and Raph soundlessly returned and Mikey reluctantly retreated back inside. {I go out later?} he asked anxiously.

"Yes," Donnie replied, even as Leo said, "We'll see." The two then had a glaring contest and a brief argument before Donnie pointed out how much improved Mikey already seemed and that it was better for his recovery and mental health. Meanwhile, Raph took Mikey aside and prepared them all cold stew from a can, followed by a can of mixed fruit to share. Then Donnie and Raph left on their reconnaissance mission, leaving Leo and Mikey alone again.

Mikey climbed carefully onto the mattress, curling up as he watched Leo warily. Despite Donnie having talked to Leo on his behalf earlier, he was still really worried about being alone with him again after the previous night and it looked like the feeling was mutual.

He didn't like it.

{Tell me a story,} Mikey abruptly tapped out, looking at Leo hopefully in the dim lighting. He'd always loved hearing Leo talk in his rich, warm voice, just hated the lecturing and how he sounded when Raph pushed him too far as was his wont.

"What kind of story?" Leo asked once he'd finally translated Mikey's sudden demand.

{Dunno. Anything,} he replied, foregoing the double-tap since he knew Donnie had yet to explain it.

Leo shifted uncomfortably as he thought. Finally, "How about an episode of 'Space Heroes?"

{'k,} Mikey agreed, vague recollection of what that was surfacing from the depths of his incomplete memory. He couldn't remember much about the show itself, only that he only used to watch and enjoy it because of how passionate Leo became over his fandom but not because it was his own favourite or anything.

Soon, Leo was talking, retelling the story of one of his favourite episodes complete with full script which he could long quote from memory and attempting all the voices, making Mikey huff with otherwise silent laughter at Leo's terrible mimicry skills of the over-the-top characters.

All too soon, the story was over and Leo seemed far more relaxed. "Would you like me to tell another?"

Mikey was all too prepared to tap out yes, wanted to in fact, but what came out instead was, {Y didn't u com for me?} he asked slowly, lifting his head and looking plaintively at his brother.

Leo stiffened with a small but sharp intake of air. "Wh-what do you mean? We're here now so obviously, we did come."

{Ten month...} Mikey sniffled, fighting back tears he learnt not to give into long ago. {Back in NY,} he tapped slowly, explaining what he meant.

Leo slumped and when he finally spoke, he sounded so broken.

"We tried, Mikey. We tried so hard to find you in time but we failed," he said thinly. Leo crawled over the ground to settle by Mikey, looking unsure whether to reach out and touch him, whether his touch would be welcomed or not.

Mikey stared expectantly up at his brother, willing him to say something, anything that explained why he'd been abandoned at his time of greatest need and Leonardo withered even further under his heartbreaking gaze.

Swallowing, "Well, Master Splinter obviously got your message about being on a ship but he lost you before you could tell him where you were being taken, ass... assuming you knew where you were going, of course."

He did but Mikey was hurting too much to even try to communicate that to Leo right now.

"It... it wasn't too hard to work out where you were probably being taken if you were leaving the country but Donnie still needed time to hack into the Port Authority to find which ships were heading to Japan and from which ports and when," Leo explained hollowly. "There turned out to be two possibilities, Mikey, two possibilities from two completely different ports, both of which were... viable options."

Leo swallowed again, obviously having trouble with telling his tale and looked down, unable to meet Mikey's gaze and Mikey was relieved as he wasn't sure he could have kept his own on Leo if Leo had met it.

"We split into two teams, April included. Donnie and Master Splinter took April and they tried one Port while Raph and I went to the other. The Foot were there, waiting for us to make our move so I quickly called Donnie to tell him we had found the right location, only for him to tell us that they were the ones to find it." Now Leo looked up at Mikey, pain filling his eyes, his face. "The Foot were ready for us at both Ports, Mikey and being split up, we didn't have the numbers to break through in time before the ships left, no matter how hard we tried, no matter how hard we fought."

Mikey clenched his eyes tightly closed. He wouldn't cry in front of Leonardo. He wouldn't!

"We failed you, Mikey and I'm so sorry." The apology spewed out of Leo's mouth with such force that Mikey felt that the words must have been festering inside his brother ever since that day a whole lifetime ago.

"To... to this day, we still aren't sure which ship you were actually on... although considering where we finally found you, deep in the Aokigahara, it's likely you were on the one Raph and I went to check," he admitted, sounding so distraught that Mikey had to open his eyes and look up at his brother again.

Leonardo, the one brother who was by far the best at schooling his emotions, had never looked so broken, so miserable or so guilty in his life and it made Mikey feel terrible for asking but... he'd needed to know. With his limbs weak from his own emotional pain, Mikey struggled up and shifted closer to Leo, leaning against him in an approximation of a hug - from their positions he had no chance of getting his metal-encased hands and therefore arms around him. Finally, he lifted a paw, resting it on Leo's leg and tapped against his skin, concentrating intensely so as to not mess it up, {U tried. I forgive u.}

"Wh-what?" Leo finally asked in confusion, pulling away enough to look down at him. "Were you trying to say something?"

'Nope,' Mikey blinked and instead leaned sideways into Leonardo again, burying his head into his warm shoulder.

Actions always did speak louder than words.

-:-

The next few days passed without incident, each much the same as the other, save that sure Mikey would keep to the rules, Leo relaxed a little and began allowing him to stay at the open door for longer, joining him instead of Donatello when the other two left on their reconnaissance.

Mikey's headaches and nausea grew less frequent and he became more confident and eloquent with his Morse Code, often speeding up so much that only Donnie had a chance to keep up with him. However, despite his newfound ability to communicate again, he said little of substance, unable to bring himself to talk about what he'd been through other than the most basic of information. For the first few days, he began to sleep better, buoyed by the fact he was able to get fresh air in the doorway and feeling more confident now he could communicate again and as a result, he began to heal a lot faster. Unfortunately, though he was more rested and felt safe when surrounded by his brothers, it didn't ease his anxiety or jumpiness by much.

Leo and Raph began helping him learn to walk again, holding him upright against the weights on his hands for ten minutes every couple of hours or so as they moved slowly around the shipping container at Mikey's pace. Afterwards, Mikey would take a small break before Donnie would take over, helping him with lifting his arms up out in front, to the side or backwards. The effort left him gasping with pain and exhaustion from the strain and so he was allowed to rest for some time before Leo and Raph would work with him once more.

When Mikey recouped his energy enough, Donnie would randomly fire off common words - including their names, both full and abbreviated - moving on to less common ones when he became used to them, to practice repeating back in Morse Code. The idea was that repetition would make it easier for him to use them without thinking when he needed to and it would also give Leo and Raph a chance to learn how they sounded to more easily understand him.

Mikey yawned as he lay watching a sliver of a moon rising from the horizon, fascinated by the beauty. He'd always enjoyed playing in the night back in New York but until now, he didn't know the simple pleasure and peace of just gazing at the night sky. Something he knew that Donnie would have loved to do back then if only he, Leo and Raph hadn't been so against keeping still and in one place. Mikey glanced up at Leo beside him, wondering what he was thinking. To his surprise, he saw his more stoic older brother watching him back worriedly. He widened his eyes in silent question and Leo smiled gently.

"If you're getting sleepy, we should go back inside," Leo suggested quietly.

'No,' Mikey quickly blinked. He wasn't ready to go back in and didn't want to until he absolutely had to. As in, when the dawn was on the rise or... he froze and whipped his head around to peer in the direction opposite Leo.

"Someone there?" Leo breathed softly.

'Yes,' Mikey responded worriedly as he reached out and tapped Leo once with his old code. Then before Leo could say anything, Mikey rose silently to all fours and began backing back inside even as Leonardo quickly pulled the door closed behind them. Both were thankful that Donnie had greased the hinges on the door after finding some lubricant somewhere on the ship days ago.

Moments passed in tense silence before a soft familiar rap sounded on the door and it opened. Donnie and Raph then eased themselves inside as Mikey's heart pounded and Leo turned on the light once the door was closed again.

"Three almost fully charged T-phones!" Donnie crowed softly, holding one of them out towards Leonardo.

"That's great news," Leo smiled, reaching out to take his phone. "So how did it go, any problems?"

"None whatsoever," Raphael grunted. "Was kinda surprised you two weren't out there when we came back though."

"We were until Mikey heard you and we came back inside, not knowing who it was," Leo stated wryly.

"Oops!" Donnie said sheepishly.

"Oops indeed," Leonardo replied, eyeing both brothers. "That's something we'll have to work on once we get home again."

Raph snorted. "Or we could just say we did and be done with it."

"Or we could really work on our stealth when we get home and actually get back up to standard."

"Did you forget that Mikey also heard you too, back in Japan outside the factory?" Raphael pointed out acerbically. "Not so perfect after all, huh, Lame-o-nardo?"

Leonardo glowered slightly as Mikey huffed in otherwise silent laughter. It wasn't really so much heard as felt the air disturbed behind him but he wasn't telling them that.

Donnie crouched down beside Mikey, looking at him curiously. "So you heard us but didn't know it was us?"

{Hai,} Mikey admitted. {Only heard one of u and couldn't smell 'cause downwind.}

"What did he say?" Raph asked in annoyance. After Donatello repeated, Raphael looked at Mikey, "Slow down for Leo and me, will you?"

Mikey pulled a face. Slowing down for Leo with short, simple sentences was doable but he had to slow even more for Raph and that was just painful as it took forever and made it difficult to remember what he was up to.

Donnie chuckled slightly. "Well, you don't always have to slow down when I'm here to translate but it wouldn't hurt to do so from time to time to help the others learn."

{'k'k,} Mikey reluctantly replied with his patented double-tap.

"So, now we have the power, when are you going to hack the computer? Do you have to get onto the bridge or can you do it from a distance?" Leonardo asked, changing the subject as he sat down on the ground beside the mattress.

"I don't know," Donnie admitted, also taking a seat but beside Mikey and Mikey took the chance to lean against Donnie's arm. "It would be nice if I can do it at a distance but I'll have to test it out first, see if there's any wifi for one. Oh and on that note, don't waste the power on your T-phones just in case I need to use them."

"Yeah, yeah," Raph rolled his eyes. "We know already. Also gotta keep enough power to call ahead when we get in range of New York."

"Yes," Donnie agreed worriedly. "I'd really rather not have to take the risk of trying to charge them again before we get back so emergency use only, guys."

Mikey pouted. There went his plan of asking Donnie to stream a video or some music for him.

"What's wrong, Mikey?" Leo asked, his sharp gaze suddenly on him.

{Nuthing,} he answered slowly with a huff of air. {Jus' wanted t' hear sum music or sumthing.}

Leo's mouth twitched in sly humour. "Well, we could always ask Raph to sing to you."

"What? I'm not singing!" Raph emphatically decried in horror. "I don't sing!"

Mikey, Leo and Donnie all gave their brother disbelieving looks.

"What? I don't!" he spat in denial.

"Suuure you don't," Leo teased, shooting an entertained look at Donnie and Mikey.

"Name one time I sang!" Raph scowled, his face growing as red as his mask that was still tied around Mikey's upper arm.

"Uh... every time you hit the shower after you've been weight training?" Donnie offered, his head canted slightly in amusement. "Provided you're not in a bad mood, at least."

"Lies!"

"You're accusing us of lying? Really, Raphael?" Leonardo questioned, his tone mock offended.

Mikey huffed with silent laughter.

"Yeah, I am!" Raph retorted, glaring at Leo. "I don't sing!"

"Well, you used to, before... you know..."

{If R won't sing, I'll hav to ask L,} Mikey threatened, quickly redirecting the conversation before it could go down a bad path and tapping slowly for his other brothers to understand.

Donnie stared at him in horror as both Leo and Raph looked on in confusion.

"You can't be serious!" Donnie exploded. "Are you trying to destroy our sanity and hearing?"

Mikey huffed with laughter again even as Raph and Leo exchanged looks.

"What did he say, Donnie!" Raph demanded.

"He said if you won't sing then he'll ask Leo to sing to him instead," Donnie explained, glowering slightly at Mikey.

"Over my dead body!" Raph spat, whirling on Mikey. "You want our ears to bleed?"

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"Yeah, you are, Leo!" Raphael and Donatello retorted in unison.

{Raph's snorin' can wake the ded,} Mikey tapped slowly, {an' Leo's singing makes there heads explode.}

"And yet you want to ask Leo to sing to you?" Donnie asked flatly in disbelief.

{If R won't, y not?} Mikey tapped smugly, enjoying the distress of his brothers at the idea. What Raph and Donnie didn't realise, however, was that Leo wasn't actually that awful. It was a shared joke that Leo went along with ages ago when Mikey convinced him to prank their brothers by deliberately singing worse than he actually did for the fun of it. Leo hadn't liked the idea at first, of appearing less than perfect, but Mikey somehow managed to convince him and Leo hadn't looked back since.

"What did he say?" Raph asked again as Leo scrunched his face in concentration.

"I only caught some of that, something about Raph and the dead and then me and singing?"

Donnie groaned. "Seriously, you two really need to work on understanding Morse already. Mikey even slowed right down for you that time."

Raph scowled fiercely. "We're fucking trying, Donnie but it's not that easy!"

{It's ok, D,} Mikey tapped slowly. {Hav u.} He quickly pushed himself up and began walking to the other end of the shipping container to hide his hurt even as Donnie blanched.

"Where... where are you going, Mikey?" Donnie called out softly, sounding as though he was on the verge of panicking.

Mikey turned and smiled sadly at his brother, blinking six times. {Brb.}

"Nice one, Raph!" Donnie hissed as soon as Mikey was out of sight and Mikey winced. Why did they never remember that just because he was out of sight and couldn't speak, that didn't mean he was out of earshot?

"What? I'm not the one with unreasonable expectations!" Raph snapped back in a low voice. "We're not all fucking geniuses with computers for brains like you!"

Donnie bristled at the slur, "I'm not talking about the fact that you can't understand him but the fact that you snapped over it!"

Raph opened his mouth to bite back but before he could, Leonardo cut in.

"To be fair, Donnie, you're the one who claimed we have to work harder. Sure, Raph could have gone without the cussing and making Mikey feel bad but you pointed it out first and not exactly subtly."

"Because Mikey's feeling down about constantly needing a translator when he's been working so hard to be able to talk to us again!" Donnie snapped angrily.

Having finished his business, Mikey groaned silently as he reappeared and stared at his arguing brothers in dismay. 'Just stop, please,' he thought desperately, unconsciously slamming a metal paw down onto the storage container floor and jumping from fright even as his brothers whirled around, likewise startled and more than a little fearful at the overly loud noise.

"Mikey!" Leo hissed his admonishment, "What if someone heard that? The sun's begun to rise which means the crew will be out and about!"

{Stop fightin'! Pls!} Mikey implored, frantically staring from one brother to another as his breathing quickened at the rebuke. {Do... n't like.}

"We're sorry," Donnie winced as he stood and began making his way to Mikey slowly so as not to spook him further. "We'll stop, okay? Just please calm down."

"What's..." Raph began but Leo interrupted him, murmuring...

"He's upset about us all fighting."

"You understood that?" Raph asked, flabbergasted and feeling left behind.

"Didn't have to," Leo replied, shaking his head. "You know he's never liked us arguing and since we rescued him, he's reacted particularly badly when we do."

"Right..." Raph muttered in shame.

"Come on, Mikey, I need you to calm down. Breathe with..."

{No!} Mikey tapped frantically, shrugging Donnie off. {Jus stop! No more fight. Pls!}

"We-we won't, Mikey. I prom..."

{No! No promis! U alwys promise even when can't so no more promises!}

"Mi... Mikey... I..." Donnie watched helplessly as Mikey pushed his way past and stormed to the mattress where he curled up facing away from them and closed his eyes to shut out the small metal encased world around him.

-:-


Concrit, thoughts and comments always welcomed.

Boy oh boy do I love it when Grammarly dings me for deliberate errors (Mikey's spelling) or a character's speech XD