Chapter 4: Mikey's Prank
"Xever, where is the turtle?" Karai asked angrily, she was already angry at them for what happened with the three oldest turtles. There was a long silence, "Xever! We need to dump him!" Karai scoffed and she walked around to the back of the van, "do I have to do everything myself!?" she shrieked, "where is he?"
"Not here," Xever said trying to avoid her fiery eyes.
"What!" Karai shouted kicking Xenver, "my father does not hear about this!" Karai snapped and she slammed the van door shut and then kicked it.
Mikey was sitting at the kitchen table he was playing with ends of his mask. He waiting for Raph to come with the pizza. This was the first time he was going to eat since coming back home. The entire time Mikey never met anyones's eyes, he would blankly ahead. Raph placed the slice of pizza in front of Mikey, who's only response was to slowly pick up the pizza and eat it slowly. When Mikey was done he stared down at his empty plate and then to the box of pizza. Raph picked up another splice of pizza and placed it on Mikey's plate.
"I can have another one?" Mikey's voice cracked as he spoke, he eyes were of disbelief.
"'Course you can Mikey," Raph said his tone was gentle.
"T-thank you," Mikey said his voice cracked again.
"You can have as much as you want," Raph said placing a hand on is brother's shoulder.
Mikey jumped, "don't touch me!" he shouted, knocking over the chair, then he dropped to the ground, due to his broken ankle. Leo, Raph, and Donnie looked at Mikey.
Mikey slowly swayed from side to side. They knew they could not help him up because he freaked out when Raph gently touched his shoulder. Mikey tried to stand back up, only to fall back down again.
"Mikey, let me help you up," Donnie said brining over Mikey's crutches. "Mikey, it's just me, Donnie, your brother." Mikey nodded, Donnie handed Raph the crutches to hold. He slowly lifted his brother to his feet, while Raph held the crutches in place. "See we don't want to hurt you," Donnie smiled.
"I-I don't want to be alone," Mikey said quietly. Mikey's three older brothers escorted him to his room, and then helped him into his bed.
"You want to me lay with you like when you had nightmares when we were younger?" Raph asked gently. Mikey nodded slowly, he curled up next to Raph. Leo and Donnie sat with the backs to Mikey's bed. It was the middle of the afternoon, but all boys were soon sleeping.
Mikey was sleeping with a pillow tucked under his plastron, his arms were crossed in front of the pillow, his chin was resting on his arms. His blanket was covering the top of his head. Mikey spend much of his first week back sleeping since that was all he did when he was held captive.
Everyone spent else most of Mikey's first week back walking on eggshells. Mikey's mood was very temperamental, one minute Mikey would be his usual self, but then something would set him off and he would become paranoid. For some reason Mikey seemed to avoid Leo, while he stuck to Donnie as if they were glued together.
Unlike Leo, Mikey managed to use his crutches with great silence. One afternoon Mikey was in a surprisingly good mood considering he had panic attack that morning. Raph was sleeping on the couch. Mikey snuck up behind Raph, he ducked down behind the couch. Using fishing line he tied a fake spider to one end and then he tied to the end to the lower half of his crutch. Carefully, Mikey dangled the spider over Raph, lowering it enough to tap him and then raising it again, Mikey repeated this until he got a reaction out of Raph.
Raph woke up to see a spider dangling in front of his face, he let out a girlier scream than even Mikey could manage. "Mikey!" Raph shouted running around the couch, Raph went to whack Mikey upside the head, but he stopped when he saw Mikey cowering in fear.
"D-don't hit me, I-I'm sorry," Mikey cried. Raph looked blankly down at his brother, he did not know what to do.
Leo and Donnie came into the room after hearing the yelling and crying from their brothers. When they came in Mikey was laying on his side sobbing uncontrollably.
"I swear I didn't hit him!" Raph shouted, "I almost did, but I stopped."
Donnie knelt down next to Mikey, and pulled him into his arms. Mikey stopped crying, but he laid in his brother's arms. Mikey snuggled against his brother's plastron, soon Mikey was sleeping. Raph and Leo joined their younger brothers. Raph sat down next to Mikey and for the first time really noticed the long crack on his carapace, he gently ran his hand over the crack.
Leo woke up to see all his brothers, but Donnie sleeping. "Hey Leo," Donnie said, "want to help me take Mikey to his room?" Leo nodded and stood up. He went over to Mikey and gently picked him up.
Leo looked down at his brother, it was nice to have him back, even he did spent most of his time sleeping. Mikey began to moan, "Leo why do you hate me?" Mikey asked with pure innocence.
"Mikey I don't hate you," Leo said confused.
"The voice message." Leo could hardly hear is brother. Leo placed his brother in his bed.
"What message?" Leo asked with a hand on each of his brother's shoulders. Mikey did not respond. "Mikey! Talk to me!"
"Leo what are you going!?" Raph shouted pulling Leo off Mikey, "Leo talk to me!" Raph shouted holding his brother by his shoulders and giving him a hard shake.
"Mikey said he hated for, for this voice message, but I don't know what he is talking about," Leo was breathing heavy.
"Leo," Raph said, "did ya leave him a message that would make him hate you?"
"I-I-I don't think so."
"They why are you worried?" Raph said with a half laugh.
"Ever since he came back, it seems like he's been avoiding me, and now he said he hates me."
"Leo, Mikey doesn't hate you,"
As if on cue, Mikey began sleep talking.
"That was very mean message Leo," Mikey voice was half way between a cry and mumble.
"What did Leo say in the message?" Raph asked before Leo could even speak.
"He told me not to come home," Mikey said finally, "Karai played me the message."
"You are listening to something Karai said?" Raph scoffed, "really Mikey?" Mikey nodded, "Mikey let me tell you something about Leo. He may be a Space Heroes freak, but would never be mean to one of his brothers." Raph was being very gentle with Mikey, he know that was the best way not to scare him. It was very freaky to Raph that he was talking with his sleeping brother. Mikey did not respond.
"Everything okay here?" Donnie asked entering the room, to see Raph sitting on the edge of Mikey's bed holding his brother's hand. Leo was standing across the room staring blankly at the wall.
"I found out why Mikey's been avoiding me all week," Leo said pushing past Donnie and running out of the lair. Donnie went to turn around, but Raph called for him to stop. Donnie sighed, he looked from where Leo once stood and where Raph and Mikey were. Slowly Donnie made his way to his brothers, he sat down at the foot of his brother's bed. He lifted Mikey injured leg and placed it on his lap so that it would be slightly raised. Raph filled Donnie in on the situation.
Leo went topside, he was going to find Karai. She was not supposed to go after his brothers and she crossed the line. Leo knew the longer he hung out near the Foot HQ he could eventually find Karai.
"Couldn't keep away huh?" She asked.
"What did you do to Mikey!" Leo demanded.
Karai's heart skipped a beat, "What do you mean?" she asked coldly. Her heart began to race, if they found his stupid brother, she would be in trouble with her father.
"Let's start with capturing, nearly beating him to death, and end with the part where you turned my own brother against me!?" Leo shouted as he unsheathed his duel katanas and lunged at Karai.
Karai kept her cool as he drew her own knife, and deflected Leo's attack. "Do you have any proof of this?" Karai smiled.
"How about the fact that he looked me in the eyes and said he hated me."
"I said proof," Karai scoffed. When Leo did not have a response Karai laughed. "Well this was a nice chat, but I'm sorry I have more important things to deal with," before she left she throw the blinding powder in Leo's eyes. Leo dropped to his knees and slammed his fists onto the rooftop.
Leo's vision cleared to be somewhat usefully Leo began his way home. Thinking about what Karai said, and what his brothers said. Leo rubbed at his eyes as his staggered all the way home. Leo dropped back down into the sewer, but he wondered around the sewer for an hour before he finally decided to go home. When Leo got back to the lair he sat outside of it for another half hour.
"Leo's been gone two hours, shouldn't we go look for him Donnie asked Raph. The two middle brothers were still sitting with the youngest brother. Mikey had not said a word or woken up since Leo left.
Leo dragged his feet alway the to Mikey's room when he got there he knocked on the doorframe. Raph and Donnie turned to look at Leo, who stood there with blood shot eyes.
"Leo what happened?" Donnie asked panicked.
"I went to see Karai."