Disclaimer: TMNT aren't mine.
For the third time, Michelangelo heard his TurtleCom chirping with an incoming call. He glanced at it out of his peripheral vision, rubbing his free hand on his thigh nervously before chucking the offending object under the van seat where the roar of the engine drowned it to a dull beep. His conscience was tugging in his mind, pulling with incessant fingers. A few times he had almost turned around and headed back to the lair, but his hand remained firmly planted on the steering wheel. By the time he reached the convention center and parked the van, all thoughts of leaving faded with the final turn of the van keys.
He sat in the seat for a few moments, silently observing the throng of people heading into the massive building. His excitement grew as he took in the myriad of costumes and listened to the flutter of voices drifting through the air. Mike thrived on being around others and thus having the opportunity to freely interact with them openly beyond the small circle of his family and the few humans he knew was drawing him in like the hapless moth to a flame. Eyes wide and brimming with exhilaration, he exited the van and shut the door.
He stood in one spot, breathed in deeply, and advanced forward, clutching his entrance pass in his hand like it was a priceless gem. The orange clad terrapin strode leisurely, but purposefully, wanting to etch every sight into his memory.
About halfway through the parking lot, a vehicle parked about two hundred feet away caught his eye: a Channel 6 news van. His mouth quirked thoughtfully as he strayed from his intended path to investigate.
"April maybe?" he wondered out loud as he drew closer to the vehicle. "I wonder why she is here…"
His suspicion was confirmed when he caught sight of a flash of reddish hair on the other side of the van through the windows. He heard her distinctive voice complaining about something he couldn't discern clearly. The ninja came around the side and leaned casually against the hood of April's van, crossing his arms.
"Hey dudette!" he called out enthusiastically. "What's the haps?"
The human twirled around, nearly dropping the microphone from her hands.
"Michelangelo?" she asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?" Realization dawned on her the moment the inquiry left her lips and her next words become flat and lost the questioning tone. "Never mind, a comic convention…should have known."
"Exactamundo, dudette, I could ask the same of…" his words trailed off as he took in what she was wearing. She had on a skin-tight Catwoman costume that clung to her body accentuating her curves and coming to a dangerous "V" at her chest. A mask was hanging limply around her neck, dangling right above…
Mike froze in his spot, forcing himself to avert his gaze as he cleared his throat uncomfortably.
April caught his awkward reaction, but took it completely the wrong way.
"I see you noticed this ridiculous thing," she commented disgustedly, flattening her hand and raising it up and down as if she were a game show host showcasing the item of the hour. "Burne made me wear it. I know you love this sort of thing, but I really don't understand the appeal of it…"
Mike's mouth felt dry, as if stuffed with cotton. He fidgeted uneasily.
"I do…" he murmured absently.
"What?" April inquired, thankfully not catching what he had said.
He snapped out of his daze and shifted his eyes to his feet. He had four toes. Cool.
"Um…nothing," he replied, his voice cracking an octave higher. "You look totally tubular, April."
"Thanks?" she replied, her unsure tome indicating she didn't quite believe her friend.
Dude, get a grip…Michelangelo berated himself. This is APRIL for crying out loud…APRIL, your FRIEND… who just happens to look really hot right now…ohhhh man…I hate hormones…
Mike let out a shaky breath and ran a hand over his head, desperately attempting to douse the fire in his veins.
"And also," April began, "I'm surprised Splinter ok'd you coming here…isn't this normally the time you and the guys would be practicing?"
"Oh…uh…" he began, not even sure of what he was going to say. Being reminded of sneaking out was enough to send Mike unpleasantly crashing back to reality.
His train of thought was cut off by the arrival of another person who came to stand next to April. Mike scowled when he saw just who it was.
"Ugh!" Vernon groaned. "Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse, those slimy green reptiles had to be here, too? Just my luck."
"I'm right here, dude!" Michelangelo said indignantly. "You don't have to talk about me as if I'm not here."
Vernon crossed his arms defensively and sneered in return at the teen. "That was the point…you not being here." He moved his hand in a "go-away motion." "Now go crawl back into whatever nasty mutant hole you came from."
Michelangelo frowned and furrowed his brow in frustration. This ignorant human was one of the few beings that could get on the normally mellow terrapin's nerves. His haughty, cowardly nature really got under Mike's shell.
"Vernon, just shut up," April snapped at her co-worker.
Vernon huffed, but remained silent. He knew how intense April could be when irritated, and that was not something he wanted to deal with right now. He was miserable enough.
Michelangelo shot April a grateful grin and mouthed "thank you, dudette" to the human. April nodded her acknowledgment.
"Well," April stated, eager to get moving and get her day over with, "I suppose we should get inside."
She affixed her press pass to her outfit while Vernon dug through the back of the news van for his camera, muttering to himself the whole time. Michelangelo made it a point to not try to make out what Vernon was saying, positive he did not want to know.
April playfully hooked her arm around Michelangelo's and smiled widely down at her friend. "Would you like to lead the way, Turtle Titan?"
Michelangelo grinned lopsidedly in amusement and chuckled. "Turtle Titan?"
"I think it sounds like a nice superhero name for you."
Michelangelo's grin grew as he took the lead. "Well then, O Evil Catwoman, the mighty Turtle Titan orders you to come with him into the convention."
April giggled in response and fell into stride next to Michelangelo. Vernon trailed behind, still mumbling to himself and lugging the camera on his shoulder.
A/N: So sorry for the wait on this chapter! It's short...but I wanted to get it out there. Life and writer's block got in the way. And with Mike's reaction to April's costume...he's a teenage boy. Just playing on that a little.