Chapter 9: No Laughing Matter
A/N: Hey, everyone. I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year. I know that it's been a long time since I updated this story, but I sort of hit a wall with it. This particular chapter has been done for a while, but I wanted to wait until the whole story was finished before updating again so you guys wouldn't have to wait between updates. Well, that didn't really work out as I hit a big wall of writer's block, so that's why it's taken this long for me to really get in gear and update. But now that it's a New Year, I've decided that my New Year's resolution is to update stories that I've kept on hold and to try and finish them. That includes this story, and I hope I can do so. I really hope you enjoy this chapter and that you stick around for more.
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
"Mikey, it's time to go on patrol!" Leonardo called up the stairs.
Michelangelo sighed. He had just gotten to the best part in his new Justice Force comic, and now he'd have to finish reading it later. He put the book on his nightstand and headed down the stairs, eager to see what adventure they'd have this time. Though he was sad to leave his comic, he hoped they'd encounter something exciting.
He found his other brothers waiting with Leo. He figured Don had been in his lab and that Raph had either been lifting weights or working on the punching bag in the dojo.
"I'm here, guys, Mikey said.
Splinter smiled at his sons. He had come out of his room when he heard Leonardo call to his brothers. "My sons, I see that you are ready to go on patrol tonight. I will be waiting for you until you get home."
"You don't have to, Master Splinter," Leo reassured him. "I'm not sure when we'll be back."
"I know I do not have to wait up, Leonardo, but I want to," Splinter told him. "All I ask is that you be careful."
Mikey smiled. "Don't sweat it, Sensei," he said cheerfully. "We're always careful."
"We'll be safe, Master," Leo reassured the rat. "See you when we get back."
"Good luck, my sons," Splinter said as the four Turtles left the Lair.
The four brothers walked through the sewers until they came to a ladder that led to an alley. With Leo in the lead, they ascended the ladder and into the alleyway. From there, they climbed a fire escape of the nearest building (taking care that no one would spot them) onto the roof.
When all of them were on the roof, Leo gave directions. "Okay, here's the game plan," he said. "This will be a routine patrol. If we spot any trouble, we'll scope out the situation first. No engaging the enemy unless it's absolutely necessary. Got it?"
"Yeah, we got it, Leo," replied Raph. He'd heard the same speech many times before.
"Well, I say we make this patrol more fun with a game of ninja tag," suggested Mikey.
"Mikey, this is no time for games," replied Leo. "We're here to make sure people are safe."
"Yeah, but we can still have fun, right?" asked Mikey, giving his older brother his best puppy dog eyes.
Leo sighed. It was very hard for any of them to resist that look. "Okay, we'll play a quick game of ninja tag," he answered. "But I still want you guys to be on the lookout for anything suspicious and contact the rest of us via Shell Cell if you see anything. Understand?"
"Yep," answered Mikey. He tagged Leo on the shoulder. "You're it!" he cried and started running across the rooftops. He looked back and saw his brothers chasing after him.
Mikey was doing his best to put some distance between himself and Leo. He looked back but didn't see anyone chasing him. Apparently, his brothers had decided to split up to make things easier. He vaulted over a rooftop then stopped to scan the area across from it. Seeing nothing, scanned the area below it as he remembered that he was also on patrol.
He flipped over to the next rooftop and scanned the area once again. He was surprised no one had come upon him yet. What was up with that? Before he could ponder what was going on, his Shell Cell rang.
"Talk to the Turtle," Mikey answered.
"Mikey, we got trouble!" Raph cried. "Get over to Fifth and Main!"
"On my way!" Mikey replied. He closed his Shell Cell and started hopping the rooftops to Fifth and Main. What sort of trouble were his brothers in? Knowing Raph, he'd probably engaged a couple of Purple Dragons again. But Raph sounded really worried this time. Maybe it wasn't Raph's doing.
When he arrived at Fifth and Main, he saw a large group of Foot Ninjas attacking his brothers. He jumped into the fray, his nunchucks whirling madly. He managed to knock down quite a few Foot Ninjas with a whirl of his 'chucks.
"Glad you could make it, Mikey," Raph grunted as he stabbed a Foot Ninja in the shoulder with his sai. Then he performed a roundhouse kick, knocking the ninja down.
"Me too," Mikey replied, blocking a katana strike and disarming the Ninja. "Where'd these guys come from?"
"Don't know," Raph answered. "Leo was chasin' me, and they just came outta nowhere."
Mikey nodded and continued to ward off Foot Ninjas. It looked like things were turning in their favor as the numbers seemed to be dwindling. Mikey felt confident that he and his brothers would come out on top.
"What's the matter?" he taunted a Foot Ninja. "Have you lost your touch? Do you really think you can beat us?"
His enemy didn't answer, but Mikey didn't expect one. He'd noticed that none of the Foot Ninjas ever spoke to them. Why was that? Was it because they had to keep up the ninja charade, or was it because they were anti-social?
Before Mikey could ponder this, he heard Raphael shout, "Leo!" The orange-clad Turtle disposed of his opponent and looked over at Raph. Then he spotted Leo lying on the ground. Mikey frantically ran to where Leo was, but before any of them could reach him, the Foot Elite appeared, blocking their path.
"Get out of the way!" Raph snarled. His tone implied that if they wouldn't get out of the way, he would make them move.
The Elite Ninjas said nothing and just stared at them. Then one of them picked Leo up and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The other Elite Ninjas blocked the Turtles' attempts to try and rescue their brother. The Turtles tried in vain to fight back, but it was impossible as they were distracted by their worry for their brother. The Elite Ninjas knocked them down and disappeared before the Turtles could do anything.
"Come back here!" Raph yelled. He tried to go after the Foot Ninjas, but Don held him back.
"Raph, don't," the purple-clad Turtle commanded. "There's nothing we can do now."
Raph rounded on Donatello. "They took our brother, Donnie!" he cried. "We gotta go after them and get him back!"
"Not without a plan," Don pointed out. "If we go in there now, the Foot will wipe us out. We need to go home and figure out an effective plan. You know Leo would do the same for any of us."
Mikey was watching them apprehensively, wondering what Raph was going to do. He sighed in relief when Raph's expression softened.
"Yeah, you're right," the red-clad Turtle said softly. "We can't just go stormin' into this. Leo wouldn't want that. Let's go home and figure it out."
With sadness in their hearts, the three brothers headed home, dreading their father's reaction to the news that their blue-clad brother was missing. Yet they knew that if it had been any of them who were missing, Leo would have formed a strategic plan to rescue them. Still, they felt a lot of anxiety about what the Foot could be doing to him. They didn't want him to die, and they were afraid that if they wasted too much time, he would be dead before they could rescue him.
As they entered the Lair, they were greeted by their father who was sitting in his chair. His eyes lit up when he saw them but clouded in worry when he saw that Leonardo was not among them.
"My sons, what happened?" he asked.
"The Foot ambushed us," Raph answered. "They took Leo."
"We knew that if any of us were missing, Leo try to come up with a plan to rescue us," Don added. "That's why we came home."
"That is very true," Splinter agreed. "It would not be wise to go into this unprepared."
"So what should we do?" Mikey asked.
"There is nothing we can do tonight," Splinter replied. "We should get some rest and start thinking of what to do tomorrow."
Mikey didn't like that suggestion, and he knew his brothers didn't either. They needed to work on a plan now, or Leo would be a goner.
"I'll call April tomorrow and tell her what's happened," Don said. "I know she may not be able to come, but maybe she can still help."
"Well, Casey won't be able to help us," Raph grumbled. "He's at the farm with his mom."
"Maybe we shouldn't tell April," Mikey suggested. "She's got enough to worry about with her sister in the hospital. She doesn't need any more stress." April's sister had been involved in a car accident a few days ago, and April was with her to help out.
"Look, I'll call her to see how Robyn is first," Don replied. "If she's better, then I'll tell April about Leo. If she isn't, then I'll just wait until things improve. Raph, you should still call Casey and see if he can come home."
"And if he can't?" Raph inquired.
"Then I guess we'll have to wait until he does," Don said. As Raph gave him a dirty look, he added, "It's better to have as much backup as we can. April and Casey can help us rescue Leo. We can't do this on our own."
"What about the Justice Force?" asked Mikey. "Could they help?"
"We shouldn't need them for the initial rescue," replied Don. "However, it would be good to have some spies to see what the Foot have planned. Go ahead and contact them, Mikey."
"What do you mean, my son?" asked Splinter.
"We know that Foot Ninjas are patrolling at night," explained Don. "More than likely, they'll be bragging about Leo's capture. The Justice Force can spy on them and get news about Leo. That way we'll know if he's okay."
"Don, I could beat them up to find that out," pointed out Raph.
"True, but they'll be expecting that," responded Don. "They won't be expecting members of the Justice Force to spy on them."
"I see where you're comin' from, but they ain't ninjas like us," said Raph. "The Foot would spot 'em easily."
"Not all of them would be there," said Mikey. "Silver Sentry can just fly above and listen to them. All he needs is something to pick up on conversations like a chip that has a microphone."
"I don't have anything like that, Mikey," said Don.
"No, but Silver Sentry does," answered Mikey. "They've been developing a lot of gadgets for us to use. Maybe he can even lend us some so we can patrol too. What do you think?" He was curious to see what his brothers thought of the idea. He just wanted to do something to help with the rescue effort.
"You know, that sounds like a good idea," mused Raph. "I say we go for it."
"So do I," agreed Don. "Maybe I can get some ideas from Silver Sentry for my own inventions."
"I think it is a wonderful idea, Michelangelo," praised Splinter. "Perhaps this will help us find Leonardo sooner. I am proud that all of you are working as a team. Now, I suggest that we all get some rest and prepare for tomorrow."
"Yes, Master Splinter," said the Turtles. They bowed to him, and he returned the gesture. Then they watched as their father returned to his private chamber.
Raphael stretched and yawned. "Well, I'm hittin' the sack," he said. "See you guys in the mornin'."
"Goodnight, Raph," said Mikey and Don as they headed to their rooms.
As Mikey entered his room, he was greeted by Klunk, who had been napping on Mikey's bed. The orange-clad Turtle picked his cat up and began stroking his fur. Klunk responded with purrs as he closed his eyes in contentment. Mikey sat down in his bean bag chair with Klunk in his arms.
"Life sucks, Klunk," he told his cat. "We went on patrol tonight and got ambushed by the Foot. Leo's missing, and we have to find a way to get him back. I'm scared our plan isn't gonna work. I mean, that could be a big possibility, right? So, what if it goes wrong? What will we do then?"
"Meow," Klunk said, rubbing his head against Mikey's hand.
"Yeah, you're right, Klunk," Mikey said as he scratched his cat's ears. "I can't just wallow in self-pity. I have to stay strong and do what I can for Leo. He'd want that."
With this aim in mind, Mikey decided to e-mail Silver Sentry to let him know what was going on and what needed to be done. After he did that, he decided to browse some websites devoted to The Justice Force to take his mind off things. He found a site devoted to him and quickly clicked on it. He saw pictures of himself, some of them drawn by fans. There were stories written about him and even discussions about how cool he was. Mikey couldn't believe that people admired him so much. It made him feel good to know that people thought he was someone special and not a freak of nature.
A knock on his door startled Mikey, and he quickly closed the site and turned off the computer. He knew it was either Don or Splinter since Raph usually barged in, and Leo wasn't there, though he always knocked before entering any of their rooms.
"Michelangelo, are you all right?" Splinter asked.
"I guess so," Mikey answered.
"May I come in?"
"Sure, Sensei," Mikey replied. He watched as his father opened the door and noticed that his face was drawn into a look of concern. He knew Splinter wasn't only worried about Leo but also about the three of them. He tried to put himself in Splinter's place and imagined how he'd feel. He knew it had to be horrible for Splinter, and he knew that he'd feel the same way if he had a child who was missing.
"Are you okay, Sensei?" asked Mikey.
"I am worried about your brother, but other than that, I am fine," replied the rat. "But I know that you are not all right, despite the fact that you say you are. You are distressed about your brother and feel helpless because you cannot do anything just yet. You also feel guilty about his capture as though it is your fault."
Mikey wasn't surprised by this. Splinter was very good at reading their feelings, and it was hard to keep anything from him. Even Raphael, who guarded his emotions very carefully, couldn't hide the truth from the Master. It was a gift the Turtles often thought of as a blessing and a curse depending on how it was used.
"Yeah, I do feel guilty," Mikey said. "I wanted to play ninja tag instead of just patrolling. If I hadn't suggested that, Leo wouldn't have gotten attacked."
Splinter put a paw on his son's shoulder. "It is not your fault, Michelangelo," he said gently. "You did not know what would happen when you went out tonight. Even if you had not suggested the game, Leonardo still could have been attacked. Do not blame yourself for his capture. Just focus on rescuing him."
Mikey nodded. He knew Splinter was right, but he couldn't help feeling a little guilty about it. "I e-mailed Silver Sentry and let him know what was going on," he reported. "Hopefully he'll get back to me soon."
Splinter nodded. "A very wise decision, my son," he said. "Perhaps Silver Sentry can aid us in the search for your brother."
"I hope so, Sensei," said Mikey softly. "I feel so helpless right now."
Splinter squeezed his son's shoulder gently. "I know, my son," he said. "We are all feeling that way right now. All we can do right now is keep waiting and hoping that your brother is safe. I have faith that we will rescue him soon."
Mikey couldn't help but trust his father's words. Splinter was always so in tune with his sons that he could read their emotions easily. He had a sixth sense and would be the first to know if anything happened to Leo. Mikey also knew that Splinter would make sure they rescued Leo no matter what. He remembered the time that Bishop had tried to dissect him and how Splinter had come to his aid. If someone messed with Leo, Splinter would fight the antagonist to the death if necessary.
Splinter yawned. "Well, I suppose it is time for bed," he said. "I was just making sure you were all right. Your other brothers seem distracted. Donatello is in his lab, and Raphael is in his room using the punching bag."
Mikey nodded. He could understand that. His eyes traveled to the new comic book on his nightstand. He thought about reading more of it before he went to sleep. Maybe that would keep away the nightmares.
"I suspect you will be reading your new comic book before retiring for the night?" inquired Splinter, seeing where his son's gaze had traveled.
"Yeah, I was thinking about it," replied Mikey. "I figure that maybe it'll help prevent bad dreams."
"Perhaps it will," said Splinter. "I will meditate a bit to help me clear my thoughts."
"Will you look for Leo again?" asked Mikey.
Splinter shook his head. "No, my son," he said. "I will do that tomorrow. I fear that if I attempt it again, I will be plagued by nightmares when I sleep."
"But what if you get a feeling that Leo's trying to reach out to you?" persisted Mikey.
"Then I will try and connect with him," answered Splinter. "I will reassure him that we will rescue him once we gain our allies again."
Mikey nodded again. He really hoped April and Casey would return soon so they could get to Leo before anything happened to him. He said goodnight to his father and watched Splinter leave his room. Then he turned on his bedside lamp, turned out his light, and began to read his newest comic book until he grew tired and went to sleep.
22222
Two months passed with no luck of rescuing Leo. April and Casey still hadn't come back, and the Justice Force had no leads either, even though they'd patrolled the skies at Mikey's request. Mikey feared that his brothers would get angry at him for this, but they didn't. Raph even patted Mikey on the shell and said that he did the best he could. That meant a lot to Mikey, and he felt better about his decision to include the Justice Force.
Mikey was flipping through channels when Don's Shell Cell went off. He listened as Don talked to whoever was on the other end. Likely it was Leatherhead calling about some experiment. But then Don ran out of his lab with an excited look on his face.
"Guys, April's back!" he exclaimed. "She's coming down here to work on a plan to get Leo back!"
Mikey jumped to his feet. "All right!" he cried. Then he hurried upstairs to Raph's room to tell him the news. He burst into Raph's room without knocking, something that his brother wasn't happy about.
"Jeez, Mikey, can't you knock?" Raph complained.
"Dude, April's back," Mikey replied. "She's coming down to plan a way to get Leo back. See if you can reach Casey."
Raph went to his Shell Cell and dialed Casey's number. Mikey waited until Raph gave him the thumbs up to indicate that Casey was there. Mikey jumped up in the air and yelled to indicate his joy. Raph shushed him and let Casey know what was going on. After a brief conversation, Raph reported to Mikey that Casey was back from the farmhouse and would be coming down to help them set up a plan.
Mikey and Raph went down to talk to Don and Splinter while they waited for April and Casey. All of them were happy that there was now a chance to rescue Leo and bring him home. Splinter had meditated to try and connect with Leo's mind and had felt a flicker of Leo's aura, which meant that he was alive. Mikey felt better about this, but he was afraid that they would be too late even if he was alive right now. Before he could voice his concern, the Lair door opened, and April and Casey came in.
April ran to them and threw her arms around each of them. "Oh, it's so good to see you guys," she said. "I just wish we could have gotten here after it happened."
"Yeah, we're sorry, guys," Casey apologized. "We pretty much suck as friends."
"No, you don't," Mikey told them. "It wasn't your fault. Both of you had to take care of family. You didn't know this would happen. The main thing is that you're here now and we can get Leo back."
"Yeah, now we can go kick some shell," said Raph, punching a fist inside his palm.
So they began formulating a plan. Donatello had learned that Karai was going to Japan to have a memorial for her father and had left already. Although Raph was disappointed he wouldn't be able to kill Karai himself, it was good that they wouldn't have to deal with her. On the other hand, it was still going to be hard because of all the Foot Ninjas they'd still have to face. The Turtles insisted that Casey stay in the Lair, but he wanted to come along and help. April reassured them that she'd be okay and that she could fight any Foot Ninjas who came into the Lair. They wanted Splinter to stay behind, but he demanded that he be allowed to go, too, and none of the Turtles objected to it once he made his suggestion.
When they felt it was the right time to set out, they made sure they had everything they needed in order to carry out their plan. Mikey was nervous but also anxious about what they would find when they got to Foot Headquarters. Would Leo still be alive by then, or would they have to carry his body home with them? He shook his head to rid himself of the negative thoughts. He didn't need to think like that. Leo wouldn't want them to give up hope.
The invasion of the Foot Headquarters wasn't easy, but thanks to Don's and April's skills, it was able to happen. Mikey's nerves were high as they made their way through the building. Foot Ninjas blocked their way, and the battle began. Mikey knew this would happen, but he was ready to fight. A rage he had never had before welled up within him. Usually anger was Raph's department, but Mikey knew all of them were prone to it at certain times. He fought hard, his nunchucks a blur as he battled every Foot Ninja who came his way. He even had the idea for them to use their chi powers to help them in the battle. His brothers agreed and did just what the Ninja Tribunal had taught them to aid them in the battle.
As they made their way further into the building, they started to get tired. Splinter urged them not to give up and told them that they were close to Leo. His words steeled their resolve, and they continued to battle for their brother. They finally reached the room where their brother was held, and the sight that met their eyes was shocking. Leo was chained to the wall with bruises and cuts on his body. His body was limp, and the Turtles weren't sure if he was still alive.
Mikey was sick to his stomach but fought the feeling. He couldn't lose his lunch now because he had to fight. He saw Raph leap into the fray, bowling over Foot Ninjas with Casey's help. Mikey saw no more as he was engaged in battle by at least five Foot Ninjas. He managed to defeat them but was met with another group. How were they ever going to escape this? He could hear Raph trying to free Leo but couldn't see if he was successful or not.
Then Raph was able to free Leo. They used smoke bombs to fend off the Foot Ninjas and escape. Don had invented the smoke bombs so that they would last longer than the regular smoke bombs. Casey wasn't too enthused with this plan, but it worked nonetheless. Mikey couldn't believe that they had rescued Leo. As they made their way back to the Battle Shell, Mikey was shaking with terror whenever he looked at Leo.
They hurried back to the Lair and rushed Leo into the infirmary. April had been informed by Don that Leo had been rescued, but she was still shocked when they came to treat Leo. She followed them and helped Don as he got Leo settled in. Mikey was worried as he looked on. There wasn't anything for him to do except wait to see if his brother would wake up. That was going to be the hard part.
April and Casey went home at Donatello's insistence. He promised to let them know if Leo woke up or if he took a turn for the worse. The Turtles were deciding who would take the first watch when Splinter declared that he would be the one to watch over Leo first. The Turtles decided that would be best even though they all wanted to watch over their brother. They arranged for Raphael to watch him next, then Mikey, and last would be Don. Splinter would wake Raph after two hours so that he could take his watch. With this agenda in mind, the three Turtles headed to their rooms to try and get some sleep.
Mikey tried to sleep but kept waking up in anticipation of his watch. When Raph came in to wake Mikey, the orange-clad Turtle looked at his brother with a question in his eyes. Raph told him there was no change and went to his room while Mikey went downstairs. As the orange-clad Turtle entered the infirmary, he tried to hold his tears back. He sat in the chair by Leo's bedside and took his brother's hand. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at his brother's broken form. He talked to Leo and begged him to come back, telling him what life would be like without him and how sad everyone would be. He thought Leo would respond to his voice as he had once before, but nothing happened. After two hours, Mikey woke Don and went back to his room.
As each day passed with no change, Mikey began to doubt that Leo would wake up. He hated to think like that, but it was hard to have any hope left when things didn't change.
They were all gathered in the infirmary one day, hoping that their presence would bring Leo back. The waiting was hard, but they had no other options.
Mikey saw his brother twitch. "Is he awake yet?" he asked hopefully. Maybe Leo would get better after all.
"Not yet," Don replied, though he looked just as hopeful as Mikey that this was a good sign.
"Well, he'd better wake up soon!" Raph growled. "You hear me, Leo? Get your ass up before I make you." The others knew Raph didn't mean it like that and that he really wouldn't hurt Leo that way. He was just impatient for his brother to get better.
Just after he uttered those words, Leo moaned, and his eyes fluttered open. He looked at his brothers curiously as though he wasn't sure he knew them.
Mikey was so happy. "Leo, you're awake!" he cried. He could tell that Leo was confused about something, but they would help him out of that. Leo thought he was dreaming, but they assured him that he was alive. Mikey was a little worried about Leo's confusion. Why would he think that? When Leo revealed that Karai had lied about his brothers being dead, Mikey was angry. But he knew that today was a time for joy, not anger.
Don and Raph left the Lair to see April and Casey to tell them the news while Mikey stayed with Leo. He was so happy his brother was okay he just started chattering about his latest video game. He thought Leo was getting bored, but Leo assured him that he wasn't bored at all. Mikey smiled and continued to talk. Everything was fine now that Leo was awake. They would prevail just as they always did, and Karai would pay once she returned from Japan. There was no way they'd let her get away with what she'd done to Leo. Hopefully, they would finish her, and the Foot would be no more. Then their lives could go back to normal like they had been before the Foot ever existed for them. Mikey smiled at that thought as he talked to Leo and tried to make his brother feel better.
A/N: Wow. That was a long chapter. Sorry for the delay. I promise I will try my best not to leave you guys in suspense like that again. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. Have a shelltastic day.