Rating: PG

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

Summary: 'The crocodile mutant sniffed the air, coming to a halt. Suddenly he turned, facing the couch Mikey was crouched on and, looking directly into his eyes, rumbled warily, "Who are you?".' When Mikey is left home alone, an unexpected visitor turns up. No OC's. 2k3/2k12 crossover.

Comments, thoughts and concrit is always welcome.

A/N: This story is set in 'AOtGO' continuity approximately 2 weeks after 'Far From Home'.

This story is created for the group TMNT-Allstories Leatherhead Pairing Contest on Deviant Art. Taken from the announcement journal – Write any story that focuses on Leatherhead and his pairing partner. It doesn't have to be romantic or sexy, it can be any genre.

As a couple of people had asked for 2k12 Mikey to meet 2k3 Leatherhead during 'AOtGO' and I had been entertaining the thought for some time, I decided this was my chance. I hope you enjoy :-)


'AOtGO' – Besties

Date : 13th Jan

Michelangelo was BORED!

He sat sullenly on the couch, tapping his fingers staccato, while watching the television array with disinterest and propping his foot up per Doctor Donnie's instructions. All he wanted was to run rampant about the lair, perhaps stirring up Raph again as he went, but instead, he was stuck here, not allowed to get up for any reason other than nature's call.

As the movie built up to its usually exciting climax, Mikey heard the lair door open. Excited for the prospect of company at last, he immediately climbed onto his knees, leaning over the back of the couch ready to desperately call out to whoever had finally come home. However, to his surprise, the person that entered was no one he recognised.

Heart pounding rapidly as he stared at the back of the hulking, green, scaled form wearing an almost pristine lab coat, Mikey quickly hunkered back down out of view, only just keeping his head up enough to peek over the top as the interloper closed the door and turned around.

"My friends, is anybody home?" the stranger called out pleasantly as he stepped further inside. When there was no reply, he turned and began walking towards the lab.

As Mikey watched, a feeling of familiarity coming over him, the crocodile mutant sniffed the air, coming to an abrupt halt. Suddenly he turned, facing the couch Mikey was crouched on and, looking directly into Mikey's eyes, rumbled warily, "Who are you?"

Mikey rose higher, his head and shoulders now fully in view. Wide eyed, he tentatively asked, "Leatherhead? Is that you buddy?"

Leatherhead canted his head curiously, eyes still fixed unerringly on the turtle, "Yes."

A broad grin of delight split Mikey's face as he bounced higher on his knees. "Wow, dude! Amazing! You're so tiny in this world!" he laughed brightly.

Unused to anyone considering him tiny, Leatherhead's curious stare changed into one of sheer bewilderment. "It seems you have me at a disadvantage...?"

"Huh?" Mikey asked, finally settling in place. "What do you mean, dude?"

"You clearly know who I am, yet I do not know who you are, nor, for that matter, what you are doing in the home of my friends."

"Oh!" Mikey blinked. Of course Leatherhead didn't know him. Having been trapped in this dimension for several months now, he sometimes totally forgot he looked as different from his lost counterpart as everyone here did from those in his own world. "I'm Mikey!"

Leatherhead stared in utter disbelief, his features hardening with each passing moment. "Michelangelo has been dead for the better part of a year now, and you neither look nor smell anything like him," Leatherhead growled, his fury stirring as his stance became threatening.

Mikey recoiled from the vehemence in the voice of his best friend's counterpart. "Uh... yeah... I'm from another dimension, dude," he quickly explained, hoping with everything he had that Leatherhead wasn't about to go crazy on him. "I got stuck here a few months ago, and after they found me, my bros here took me in until they can get me home or my own family manage to find me."

As Mikey told his story, Leatherhead began to calm down. "I see. Yet I wonder why Donatello did not give me forewarning of your presence here."

"He's been hurting really badly over what happened to his bro," Mikey offered softly, "so maybe he just didn't know how to bring me up."

"Perhaps you are correct, Michelangelo," Leatherhead conceded with a nod. "Well, while I admit I am very curious to know more, I need to see Donatello. Is he in his laboratory?" he asked, turning his head to peer in the lab's direction.

Mikey shook his head, disappointed, "Nuh, he, Leo and Raph are out checking on some alarm that was sending out weird readings or something," he shrugged. "Donnie thought it must have been damaged somehow and the others went with him just in case."

"And Master Splinter?"

"Out at April's..." Mikey answered glumly, wilting a little as he spoke.

"You are here alone then?" Leatherhead asked in surprise.

"Yeah..." Mikey sighed. "Donnie wouldn't let me come with them," he explained, pulling a face as he remembered that particular conversation.

Leatherhead walked over, moving around the couch to sit in a large seat nearby, and Mikey twisted around to face him, propping his foot back up and readjusting the icepack on his ankle.

"Ah, I see you are injured. It is little wonder Donatello would not allow you to join them. What happened?"

Mikey pulled another face. "Slipped on an icy patch in the sewers earlier," he admitted, leaving out the part where he'd been running full pelt from Raph after hitting him with a slime filled balloon. "It's not really that bad but Donnie made me promise to stay off my feet for the rest of today and then he'd see how it is in the next couple of days."

"That is understandable," Leatherhead rumbled, knowing full well how firm Donatello could be when a family member or friend was injured. His friend had always disliked the necessity of having to treat his family for injuries and illnesses, seeing as how he lacked true medical training. However, Donatello took the role seriously when needed, as there was simply no one else to do the job.

"Don can be really scary you know!" Mikey suddenly spoke dramatically, eyes wide as he stared at the large mutant crocodile.

Leatherhead canted his head in confusion. "Are you certain we are speaking of the same person? The Donatello I know is the gentlest soul I have ever met."

Mikey burst into loud laughter, "Not if you cross him when you're sick or injured, he's not! Then he's like 'Heckle and Jyde'!"

"I believe you mean 'Jekyll and Hyde'?" Leatherhead gently corrected.

"That's what I just said, dude!" Mikey said seriously, then grinned again. "Since I've been here, I've seen him threaten Leo several times a few months back and once he even followed through and actually tied Leo down to the bed with Raph's help! It was both terrifying and hilarious all at once! You should have seen it!"

Leatherhead smiled faintly, unable to fully imagine the scene from his gentle friend, yet amused at the thought all the same.

"So... you came to see Donnie?"

Leatherhead nodded. "Yes, I did. He contacted me nearly a week ago, requesting my aid for a project. Unfortunately, I was unable to get away until now."

Mikey sat up straighter, eyes alight with interest. "What sort of project? Rocket powered skateboard? Retractable metal bo? Automatic pizza maker? Ooh! I know! Was it dream machine?"

"A... dream machine?"

"Yeah! For keeping bad dreams away and giving you control over them!" Mikey exclaimed in excitement. "If I could control my dreams like that, the world would be made of pizza and ice cream, and both of my families would be there together, whole and with each other always!"

Leatherhead gazed at Michelangelo, bemused. "I am afraid Donatello neglected to explain the nature of his project, just that he wanted my help if I was able to give it."

Ecstatic to have company, especially that of his best friend outside of family, Mikey cheerfully continued to natter away for the next few minutes to a Leatherhead who wasn't quite sure what to make of him. Suddenly he paused, and smiling wide, said, "Man Leatherhead, I know you're not my Leatherhead, but it's really good to see you!"

"Your dimension's Leatherhead and I look alike?" the mutant crocodile asked curiously, wondering if it were even possible considering how different Michelangelo himself appeared.

Mikey shook his head emphatically, "Nuh, not even close, dude! And you're only like half his size too!"

"Then how was it you knew who I am?"

Mikey's smile turned sad for a moment, before quickly brightening once more. "Only know one giant, mutant 'gator, bruh! Who else could you have been?"

Leatherhead nodded mutely, not bothering to point out he was a crocodile, not an alligator.

"Plus Donnie mentioned you once, so I knew you existed here!"

All of a sudden, an unusual noise began blaring loudly from Mikey's belt and bemused, he pulled out his T-phone and stared down at it.

"Are you not going to answer that, Michelangelo?" Leatherhead queried.

"There's no caller ID and its never made that noise before," Mikey replied doubtfully. He tapped the unfamiliar icon. Immediately a map popped up onto the screen with a blinking red icon surrounded by flashing, concentric circles like a radar. "Hey! So that's how that works!"

"How what works, Michelangelo?" Leatherhead asked curiously, leaning forward to see.

"The emergency beacon and tracker app!" Mikey returned cheerfully. Then his face fell as he realised what he just said. "The emergency beacon! They need help!" The young ninja immediately jumped off the couch to his feet, wincing slightly as he put sudden weight on his twisted ankle.

Leatherhead also quickly stood, looking critically down to Michelangelo's wrapped right ankle. "You cannot go, Michelangelo. You are injured," he rumbled in concern, even as Mikey shook his head in denial. "Leave this to me, I shall go to their aid in your place."

Mikey shot the larger reptile a determined look, "I'm not hurt so badly that I'm gonna sit by while my bros are in trouble! Besides, how would you find them without me?"

"I could take your tracking device," Leatherhead suggested.

Stubbornly, Mikey shook his head again, "Maybe, but I'm going anyway."

Leatherhead sighed in resignation, shrugging off his lab coat and letting it drop to the floor. "Then I shall join you."

"Thanks Leatherhead," Mikey smiled in appreciation, already running for the door.

As soon as they were outside the lair, Leatherhead scooped up a surprised Michelangelo, placing the injured turtle up on his shoulders. "Just until we draw near."

-:-

It didn't take long for the speeding duo to approach their destination, and as they closed in, Mikey realised he recognised the area. He leaned down near Leatherhead's ear, "This is only a couple of blocks or so away from April's, dude."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Leatherhead slowed his gait, sniffing cautiously at the air. Suddenly a low snarl escaped him and he growled, "Bishop!"

"Bishop?" Mikey repeated, the naming filling him with unexplained dread as he wondered where he'd heard it before. As he wracked his memory trying to place the name, a flurry of images assaulted his mind; of chess sets; of branded, super powered mutants from the future; and men in strange, pointy hats, both inside and in front of churches.

"He is a monster!" Leatherhead growled furiously. He reached up to take hold of Michelangelo and lift him higher to the piping in the tunnel ceiling.

"You are injured," he reminded the young turtle. "You do not need him discovering your existence. Wait here and hide yourself."

Mikey clung to the pipe above but refused to pull himself up. "No way, dude!" he gasped in disbelief. "Even if my ankle was broken, I wouldn't hide when my bros need me!"

"I cannot guarantee your safety, Michelangelo," Leatherhead warned lowly.

"I'm not asking you to, Leatherhead! No one could guarantee it!" Mikey protested, only barely remembering to keep his voice down. "I'm not hiding! They need me or they wouldn't have hit the emergency button!"

Leatherhead sighed as he regarded the unusual serious set of the young ninja's face. "... Very well, Michelangelo. However, let me take care of that monster while you search for our friends. Make sure you keep hidden and get them to safety."

Mikey nodded but asked worriedly, "What about you?" If this Bishop was as bad as Leatherhead seemed to think, then the last thing he wanted was to leave his friend to face him alone.

"If need be, you may come back to help me after the others are safe."

"Okay."

"Michelangelo?"

"Yeah, dude?"

"They too may be injured, so take care."

Mikey nodded and pulled himself up into the shadows above, quickly disappearing from view. He watched briefly as Leatherhead took off, incredibly fast for someone of his stature, and steeled himself.

He wouldn't let them down.

-:-

As Mikey searched the dingy area from above, he noticed armed soldiers in the shadows at each intersection, watching all directions intently. He swallowed nervously as he silently passed overhead, hyper aware of the danger they posed and the need to stay unnoticed. A couple of the men actually watched the pipes above too, but Mikey easily managed to slip by unheeded. A small part of him wanted to celebrate each minor victory, but he reminded himself that these were no Kraang, they were highly trained soldiers and this really wasn't the time; not with his other-dimensional brothers in trouble.

Before long, he came to a section that widened out into a larger maintenance area, a place for workers to store bulkier equipment and work with more room to move, and this was where he spotted six figures, three of them familiar.

Each of his other-dimensional brothers were laying plastron down, with their hands and feet tied together and then hog-tied behind their shells. Worse, each also had a guard standing over them, hi-tech rifles pointed menacingly at their heads.

As Mikey took in the situation, his worry and fear increased, especially once he realised only Leonardo was even awake. Worse, as Leo surreptitiously tried to break free, the guard over Donatello noticed and with a kerchunk, he flicked the safety of his weapon on and off again, wordlessly reminding Leo of the consequences should he continue fighting to free himself. While Leonardo glared a silent promise of retribution should his brothers be hurt, Mikey prepared.

Blocking out all distraction, his nictitating eyelids quickly shuttered into place as he silently unsheathed a single kusarigama. Positioned a little behind the guards over Donnie and Raph, Mikey waited for his chance. As soon Leo's guard turned to peer down the tunnel, he made his move.

Upside down, sudden and silent like a spider on a web, Mikey dropped down the chain of his weapon. While he kept firm grip with feet and knees, Mikey's hands flashed out with abrupt jabs and both humans dropped. Before either could hit the ground, the ninja caught them and immediately pulled them up, out of sight into the pipes above.

Leo's guard turned around again. His eyes went momentarily wide before immediately narrowing, his alertness increasing when he noticed his companions simply gone.

"Sampson? Ward?" He called softly as he took a wary step away from Leonardo and towards the unconscious Donatello.

Mikey took that as his cue and jumped from the pipes, landing heavily on the human's shoulders, a single nunchaku in hand. As the soldier started and reached up to grab him, Mikey was in motion, slamming the handles of his weapon hard against the man's head. The soldier, immediately out, dropped, and Mikey pushed off the falling human, landing silently beside Leo before stumbling.

"Mikey? What are you doing here?" Leo hissed quietly.

Grinning in the gloom down at Leo, Mikey quickly exposed the hidden blade of his weapon and leaned over to cut Leo loose. "I got your emergency beacon, bro," he explained cheerfully.

"I never activated the emergency beacon, none of us did," Leo spluttered. "... Bishop! He must have sent the signal! That means he knows about you and was hoping to draw you in!"

Mikey shrugged. All he cared about was knowing the others were safe. "Are you okay?" he asked, reaching down a hand to help Leo to his feet.

Leo nodded. "I'm fine," he promised, glancing worriedly over to his prone brothers as he gave his wrists a quick massage. "They took our weapons. Lend me a blade?"

Mikey immediately handed over his kusarigama and pulled out the other before the pair rushed over to the other two.

"A kunai would have been fine."

"Was already in my hand, dude. Hey, are they okay?" Mikey asked, his fear for them settling deeper as he realised that still neither had moved.

"They were tranked by darts before we even realised we were under attack," Leo explained, his voice on edge as he and Michelangelo cut the bonds holding his brothers. "Bishop used them to force my surrender," he added bitterly.

"Oh... well, we gotta get Raph and Donnie to safety. Is there anywhere nearby besides April's that's safe?" Mikey asked, slipping a shoulder under Donnie's arm to haul the insensate turtle up.

"I know just the place," Leo answered grimly, lifting Raph over his shoulder into a fireman carry. To Mikey's surprise, he then took Donnie's other shoulder.

"Leo?" Mikey asked perplexed, staring at the leader, "what..."

"Your ankle can't support another's weight as well as your own right now."

"Pshaw, Leo! I'm fine, dude!" Mikey protested with a faint whine. Secretly, however, with his ankle aching and twinging on him, he was glad of the help and didn't argue further.

As the two ninja carried their unconscious brothers to the hidden location Leonardo knew of, taking out or slipping past any soldiers they found, Leo suddenly spoke. "You know Mikey, I keep forgetting just how good you are at appearing and disappearing into the shadows like that."

Mikey turned his head to face Leo, beaming at the praise coming from the older turtle.

"Now, my question is, why can't you do that during training?"

Mikey laughed softly and pulled a face. "And there's the twenty million pizza question. I dunno, bro. It comes naturally most of the time but it's hard when I'm actually thinking about it." He winced as a sudden pain lanced through his ankle, and surreptitiously readjusted Donnie to compensate.

"Then don't think about it, just do it," Leo said dryly, subtly taking a little more of his genius brother's dead weight.

"You try not thinking about what you've just been told to do," Mikey retorted quietly. "Especially when you're also trying hard to focus on everything else you've been told so you don't forget anything."

Leo shook his head, "You just need to learn to have more faith in yourself, Michelangelo," he said. "We're here. Can you take Don's weight for a moment?"

"Yeah." Mikey braced himself against the wall as Leo let go of one brother and stepped forward. Then he reached out to press on a specific brick, causing an opening in the shadowy corner to yawn wide.

Leo stepped inside the hidden space and placed Raph gently down on the ground before coming back out to take Donnie from Mikey.

Suddenly, a fierce, inarticulate roar of pain and anger reverberated through the tunnels, sending a dreadful chill down Mikey's spine. He darted a scared look at Leo, and making sure Leo had a good hold of Donnie, dashed off, hearing Leo calling frantically after him.

-:-


To be concluded

A/N: This was meant to be a one shot but DA protested the size of the file so I've split it into two parts. Part two will be out in a few days.

* If you ever see my stories posted anywhere other than under the name Zelgadis55 at Deviant Art, FFNet, AO3 or Live Journal, then they have been stolen. Please report them.