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.
* 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.
A/N: This story is set approximately 2 weeks after 'Far From Home' in 'AOtGO' continuity.
This story is created for the :iconTMNT-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.
Greys-Giovana over on DA has done it again! Created a gorgeous Mikey and Leatherhead cover for this story! Go search her on Deviant Art to see it and her other beautiful art, or alternatively, search me on DA as I have links to her art attached to my stories there :-)
'AOtGO' - Besties
Ch 2
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, ignoring Leo as he called frantically after him.
-:-
By the time Mikey found Leatherhead, the large crocodile was leaning slumped and dazed against a wall. He was shaking his head slowly as if to clear it, with a tall, dark haired human wearing sunglasses standing over him and smirking.
Mikey stiffened at the sight of the agent, suddenly remembering where he'd heard the name Bishop before.
Donnie released the physical contact he'd kept with Mikey, moving to sit down in his own chair at the computer. For the next few seconds, his fingers flew across the keyboard before finally bringing up an image on the computer screen of a harsh looking, humourless human with a deep widow's peak and sunglasses. "Agent Bishop," Donnie finally answered. "He's had us, Master Splinter, and even Leatherhead at his mercy at various times before. If you ever see him, steer clear of him at all costs."
"Leatherhead?" Mikey perked up slightly at the name of his long lost friend, a wistful look filling his eyes, but he shook his head wildly, trying to focus on what they were talking about now. "So what did this Bishop dude do?" he asked in trepidation.
"Experimentation mostly. We were extremely lucky to get out in one piece, and it took all eight of us to drive him off. At that point, he blew up his own base, having decided to set up a new one and that was only our first encounter. Trust me, Michelangelo, you do not want him knowing about your existence in this world."
"You aren't the prize I was hoping for, animal. However, you are a valuable prize regardless," Bishop was saying smoothly, and a chill of fear for his friend raced down Mikey's spine.
To Mikey, it didn't matter which world Leatherhead was from, the crocodile mutant was still the best friend he had outside his immediate family and besides, he cared about what happened to people, friend or not. Raph, his Raph, had often warned them about caring too much about other people. He'd warned them numerous times that caring too much could lead to disaster, but Mikey couldn't find it within himself to stop.
For that matter, he didn't want to.
It was part of what made him him. That and his seemingly endless optimism and generally joyful outlook on life.
Looking at the chilling scene in front of him, he could only hope that this time wouldn't be the one where it led to the disaster his hotheaded brother predicted.
Mikey swallowed and stepped forward, ignoring the warning twinge in his abused ankle as he snapped the chain of a single 'chuck taut, deliberately allowing the metallic klink to be heard.
Bishop turned his head at the small sound, confident Leatherhead was still too dazed to attack.
"Get away from my friend, Black Widower!" Mikey demanded loudly, his face unusually serious and his gaze locked unerringly on the sinister human before him.
Bishop's smirk widened to a creepy smile as he took in the sight before him. "Ah, my true prize, the elusive fifth mutant turtle of rumour finally shows itself," he observed calmly. His tone was unctuous and it was all Mikey could do not to openly shudder under the hidden gaze. "Tell me, I'm curious. Were you brought in as a replacement for the one that died last February during that incident with the Kraang? That was such a waste of interesting genetic material."
Mikey frowned unhappily, not liking the way Bishop spoke about his dead counterpart. "He died a hero!" Mikey retorted angrily. "And I'm no replacement, I'm just visiting!"
Bishop's smile turned calculating, sending yet another chill coursing through Mikey. "In that case, I invite you to come 'visit' my laboratory. I'm sure it would make for a fascinating visit for both of us."
And with that, Bishop rushed Mikey, almost blindingly fast as the turtle stood there staring in horror.
With Bishop practically on top of him, Mikey suddenly realised what was going on and spun away, dodging at the last possible moment. He gasped as pain shot through his ankle, reminding him viciously that he shouldn't even be on it, let alone fighting on it. Bishop immediately glanced down at his right foot, smirking knowingly.
Terrified and realising that the agent somehow recognised his weakness, Mikey knew he couldn't fight his usual way; his ankle wouldn't stand up to his energetic bouncing and jumping about right now. Thinking fast, Mikey's nictitating eyelids snapped into place as he dropped a smoke bomb right at Bishop's feet. On instinct, Mikey quickly spun his nunchaku to gather speed and lashed out with it. As his weapon slammed against an obviously armoured arm, Mikey quickly shifted location again and again, mostly keeping the weight off his injury and striking out with nunchaku, fist or occasional well placed foot each time. He continuously dropped bombs as need be to keep himself out of sight and his enemy off balance, all while keeping completely silent.
After putting up with the ninja's relentless attacks for a short time, Bishop smirked unpleasantly. He calmly reached a single hand up to his sunglasses, pressed the top, right corner, and then looked all around. The next thing Mikey knew, was feeling a hand suddenly curl around his bad ankle. Then he was flying.
Mikey groaned painfully as he slid down the grimy, brick wall. A faint shadow in the gloom appeared over him and Mikey blinked, his blue irises visible once more, up at the creepy human standing over him.
"I find your fighting style lacking, mutant," Bishop observed. "You require far more training, though I do applaud your attempt at ninja misdirection with the smoke bombs. Too bad for you that I could see through it."
Mikey swallowed and clenched his empty hand. He spotted his fallen weapon out of the corner of his eye and surreptitiously reached over, while beginning to stand up.
Noticing what the young mutant was up to, Bishop's smirk widened. He kicked the weapon away as he lowered a tranquilliser gun level with a suddenly wide eyed Mikey's face.
"Now, I do believe you were expressing your intent to accept my gracious invitation for a visit?"
Swallowing again as he finished standing up, Mikey wondered if he was fast enough to dodge the creep's shot, or if his ankle would hold out with the attempt. Regardless, he had to try, and as he shifted his stance, ready to leap to the side, a ferocious voice roared angrily.
"You will not be taking my friend anywhere, monstrous fiend!"
Suddenly, Bishop was lifted into the air from behind by a very angry crocodile.
"You will not take any of my friends ever again!"
Michelangelo stared into Leatherhead's suddenly greenish eyes as the croc slammed the human into the wall. As Leatherhead furiously stalked towards the unconscious government agent, Mikey realised his friend intended to kill him.
Without thinking, Mikey launched himself to land between his friend and enemy, placing his hands frantically up on the crocodile's chest. "Leatherhead! Lose the crazy eyes, man! He's down!"
"Bishop is a monster and deserves to die!" Leatherhead growled, pushing Mikey roughly aside.
"Yeah, he is, but you're not!"
Leatherhead paused, his inner eyelids flickering back and forth, causing his eye colour to waver between greenish and yellow as he regarded Michelangelo.
"He's the monster here and maybe he does deserve to die, but not like this! He's helpless, dude!" Mikey grabbed one of his friend's clawed hands and tugged him away. "Please Leatherhead, let's just go! The others are waiting for us," Mikey pleaded, desperate to stop Leatherhead from doing something the usually gentle natured mutant would later abhor.
As if unable to resist, Leatherhead reluctantly allowed Michelangelo to pull him away. "You have too good a heart, Michelangelo," he rumbled quietly.
"So do you, Leatherhead," Mikey beamed, limping a little as he led the way to where he'd left Leo, Donnie and Raph.
-:-
Not long later as Mikey struggled to remember which brick to press on, the hidden door suddenly opened to allow Leatherhead and himself entry.
As the door closed behind them, Leonardo stood, staring down at a suddenly squirming Michelangelo, thoroughly unimpressed.
"Are Donatello and Raphael alright?" Leatherhead asked in concern, a single clawed hand ghosting gently over Donatello for injuries.
"They were knocked out by tranquilliser darts," Leo replied coldly, still staring down at Michelangelo. "I checked them over while you were both gone. They seem to be breathing just fine and their pulses are strong."
Leatherhead nodded in relief.
"You should not have run off like that, Michelangelo," Leo reprimanded all of a sudden.
"But Leatherhead needed help!" Mikey immediately argued. "You heard him cry out! I couldn't just ignore him!"
"I was not suggesting you should have. However, you should have told me he was with you when you came for us. I should have been the one going to his aid, not you."
"I'm a ninja too and besides, you were busy with Don and Raph," Mikey protested quietly. "They needed you and Leatherhead needed help right away!"
Leonardo sighed, glancing towards Leatherhead and then back to Michelangelo. "You were injured even before this began, and as we already established, this was a trap to draw you in," he reminded him softly. "You should have been the one to stay with Don and Raph."
Mikey looked down at the grimy sewer floor. Leo was right, he knew that, but he hadn't been thinking at the time. 'As usual...' he thought bitterly. Things could have gone so much worse so easily, especially if Leatherhead hadn't recovered in time to help him in return. "I'm sorry Leo... but it all turned out okay at the end, and even if it didn't, better me than any of you..." he said, refusing to look up.
Leo closed his eyes a moment, feeling sick at the sound of those words from the other-dimensional turtle's mouth. "Mikey," he began gently, "you need to stop thinking that way. You are just as important to this family as anyone else in it."
Then he reached out and drew Mikey close as Leatherhead watched with interest.
-:-
Mikey started as the hidden door suddenly opened and Leonardo slipped silently back inside.
"There's no sign of Bishop or his agents anywhere. It's safe for us to head back home."
"That is good," Leatherhead rumbled quietly. "I would like to get Donatello and Raphael back to where I can monitor them better."
"I thought you guys said they were okay?" Mikey asked, immediately panicked that someone wasn't telling him the full truth.
"I would simply prefer to err on the side of caution," Leatherhead explained gently.
Relieved at the reassurance, Mikey nodded and jumped to his feet, wincing slightly as his ankle protested. He hoped no one noticed. "Well, I can hardly wait to get home! It's so boring in here!"
Leo shot Mikey an amused look, "You had your T-phone to keep you occupied, you were fine."
Mikey pulled a face. "Yeah, but no where to sit, nothing to look at... Ooh! I know! Maybe later we can come back here with some cushions and paint and decorate this room up? You know, just in case we need it again some other time!"
"It's a safe house, Michelangelo. It's only used in emergencies," Leo stated dryly.
"Doesn't mean we can't decorate and make it more comfortable!"
As Leatherhead picked up Donnie, cradling him gently in his arms, Leo did the same for Raph, but again, over his shoulder. "Its a moot point, Michelangelo, you won't be going anywhere for a few days anyway. Not after straining that ankle further like you have."
"But Donnie said only for today!" Mikey whined loudly.
"He also said, 'then we'll see how it is tomorrow', and that was before your antics on it today."
Mikey pouted petulantly. "I'd do it again you know, Leo."
The small group left their hidden shelter, closing the hidden door behind them, and began the journey home.
Leo smiled gently. "I know you would, and so would any of us in the same position. I can still guarantee you'll be spending extra time on the couch though."
Mikey sighed overly loudly. "But it's so boring, Leo! I need to move!"
Leonardo stopped walking and gave Mikey 'The Look'. Mikey sighed again.
"Fine! But you're entertaining me!" he grumbled. Leo affected a pained look that Mikey knew was mostly for show. "You know you wanna."
"If only to stop you from taking out your boredom on us in the form of more pranks," Leo qualified dryly.
"Haha! I've got a couple good ones planned that I haven't tried yet too."
Leatherhead chuckled as he listened to the conversation play out behind him.
Mikey perked up again at the sound of the laughter and called out brightly, "You'll keep me company for a bit too, right Leatherhead? I mean, after Raph and Donnie wake up and we know for sure they're okay!"
Leatherhead paused and turned back to look at Michelangelo as he answered. "I may not have much time, Michelangelo," he apologised. "It all depends on what it is that Donatello requires of me."
The crocodile mutant then faced forward again and continued walking as Mikey stared after him forlornly, an unusual and uncomfortable twinge of jealousy tugging at his soul. For the life of him, he couldn't work out just what it was Leatherhead and Donatello even had in common that would make Donnie call for him.
"Is it really that much fun grabbing Donnie by the face?" Mikey couldn't help but call out.
Leatherhead turned and glanced at Mikey again, this time with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about, Michelangelo?"
Mikey immediately gave a cheeky smile and shook his head, but otherwise didn't answer. Bemused, Leatherhead looked to Leo before turning around and walking once more.
As they trudged through the sewer tunnels, Mikey's limp became more pronounced and he began to trail further behind, staring miserably at Leatherhead's back; Leo slowed to keep pace with him.
"If you need to lean on me for support, I don't mind," Leo offered softly, following Mikey's gaze.
Mikey shook his head, forcing a bright smile onto his face. "Nuh, I'm fine, Leo."
"Uh huh. Now, be honest, what's bothering you?" Leo asked, his concern obvious.
Mikey's smile faltered as he answered softly. "You know, back home, he's my best bud."
"And here, he's Don's," Leo realised, suddenly understanding.
Mikey nodded slowly. "Seeing him though, even here, is really good..."
"But?" Leo prompted when Mikey fell silent.
"It makes me realise how much I miss him and reminds me of how scared I am that I... I'll never see him again," Mikey admitted, sniffling slightly as the emotion choked him.
Leo shifted Raph's limp form a little, and looked askance at Mikey. "It's okay Mikey, we've promised we will get you home and no matter what it takes, we'll keep that promise, so stop worrying," he reassured.
Mikey shook his head rapidly and his voice rose a little, before immediately lowering again, mindful of Leatherhead up ahead. "No, you don't understand, bro... I'm actually pretty happy here now that I know my family is okay and they know I am... and I've got you guys..."
"Then why is this bothering you so much?" Leo asked, at once curious and concerned. It wasn't like Mikey to get so upset about things he had no control over.
Mikey paused and leaned against the wall to take the weight off his aching ankle a moment. He sighed unhappily. "Because the last time I saw Leatherhead, he sacrificed himself to save Earth from the Kraang," he explained miserably. "We were getting ready to blow up the Kraang portal so they couldn't bring anything through, but Traag made it through first. Huuuge rock soldier mutant thing!" Mikey stood on his tiptoes and stretched his arms up high to demonstrate.
"Like several stories tall and practically unbreakable! You break him or blow him up and he just pulls himself back together and continues! It's creepy!"
Leo nodded, listening.
"So Leatherhead saved our shells and pushed him back through the portal… and got trapped on the other side..." Mikey continued, eyes back on the other Leatherhead ahead of them. He started walking again, trying to cover up his pained limp so as not to worry Leo more while Raph and Donnie remained insensate.
"I don't even know if he's still alive or not, or if the Kraang got him, or if he can breathe or find food over there... or... or even just a friend... He's all alone in the home dimension of the things that hurt him so badly that he couldn't trust anyone when I first met him..."
Mikey turned pained eyes on Leo. "What if... what if he was captured again?" he asked plaintively, before turning away again. "What if... he thinks we abandoned him or worse, that we don't care?" Mikey finished in a whisper, his large, blue eyes now boring a hole into Leatherhead up ahead.
Leo immediately stepped in front of Mikey and turned to face him, reaching out with his free hand and resting it on the younger turtle's shoulder gently. "It sounds to me like he knew what he was doing and did it to stop a major threat, regardless of the consequences. If he is truly your friend, then he'd know without a doubt just how much you really care. He couldn't help but know, considering you wear your heart on your sleeve."
The corners of Mikey's mouth quirked up as he quipped, "I don't have any sleeves, Leo."
"Funny," Leo said dryly. "My point is, anyone you are friends with can't help but know how you feel, and rest assured, he'll know too," he smiled. He released his contact with his other-dimensional brother and fell into step beside him as they began walking through the dingy tunnels once more.
"In fact, I'd wager that knowing how much you care will help him through whatever he is going through, and that one day, you and your brothers will find a way to help him and bring him home," Leo offered. "And if our Leatherhead has taught us anything, it's that despite whatever adversity he faces, he comes through it stronger than ever. I'm certain you'll find the same of your Leatherhead."
Mikey beamed up at Leo, feeling better about his missing friend than he had in a long time. "Yeah! Thanks, Leo."
Leo gave a nod and smiled back.
At that moment, Leatherhead turned and looked back, noticing just how far behind Michelangelo, Leonardo and, by extension, Raphael were. He watched for a moment, seeing how the younger turtle's limp had increased, and then headed back to join the trio, smiling calmly down at them. As Leatherhead regarded Michelangelo thoughtfully, Mikey blinked back.
"I believe I forgot to thank you earlier, Michelangelo."
"What for?" Mikey asked in confusion.
"For coming back to aid me when I was in need." Leatherhead inclined his head gratefully.
"Aw, any time, dude," Mikey grinned up at the crocodile happily.
Leatherhead smiled back before his expression turned critical. "You should not keep walking on that ankle, Michelangelo. You will only do yourself further injury."
Mikey laughed, "Then how would I get home?"
"Climb onto my shoulders like before," Leatherhead automatically offered.
Shaking his head, yet grateful for the offer, Mikey declined. "You're already carrying Donnie. I'm okay."
Leatherhead chuckled. "Physically, I am strong enough to carry all four of you, had I arms to do so with. Do not argue and climb on up."
Mikey grinned broadly and did as he was told.
Leatherhead and Leonardo started walking once more, Leo this time keeping pace with the larger reptile. A couple of minutes later, Mikey leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Leatherhead's neck and smiled happily as he snuggled in.
-:-
Owari
Don't forget to let me know what you think. Thanks everyone who has reviewed, faved or followed. your support means a lot :-)
TheRedScreech: I'm happy you enjoyed! I hope you liked this chapter too. Don't worry, Bishop may be gone now, but he's sure to rear his ugly head again in the future! Heh! I never liked him either, but he really does make a scarily good villain!
TheMaskedTimelord: *snickers* Heh, sorry! I have no current plans to pen that scene, however, you never know what I may decide to add in as I continue to write :-P Well, here's part two. I hope you enjoyed XD
Sparky: *grins* I'm happy you've been enjoying this series XD There's several fics I've reread numerous times too XD
Cutegenius: Haha! Well, you know Donnie, he's a turtle of his word, and you know Leo, he'll train regardless if he can get away with it :-P Yep! Raph definitely would have made the most of that!
Thanks for your comments guys :-)
