A/N: Hey guys! I KNOW you're all waiting for those other updates, so here's something for you guys whilst you're waiting!

If you follow me on tumblr, you may remember that thing I said I wanted to write about Tiger Claw rescuing and kidnapping Mikey, and then they end up talking. Well, I gave in! XD I'm not too sure where this could take place, so I'll just say some kind off odd rift where the Kraang suddenly come back again even after they were teleported back to Dimension X (because those buggers are as relentless as hell.)

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Turtle to Tiger

"...so, is there a reason you tied me up and threw me over your shoulder like this?"

"Yes."

"Is there also a reason why you saved me back there and then wrapped up my bad leg?"

"...Yes."

"Do you have any intention of telling me the real reason why you did it?"

"..."

"I'll take that as a 'yes', too?"

With a roll of his eye, the tiger assassin sighed, trying his best to ignore the questions of the young orange clad turtle he'd slung over his shoulder as he walked on, trudging through what remained of what had used to be one of the more secluded areas of Central Park. And in truth, though he wasn't about to admit it out loud to the turtle boy, the only reason he was ignoring him now was due to the fact that he couldn't answer his last question.

Why had he saved him back there?

At the command of his master, the Shredder, Tiger Claw had been tracking the four reptilian ninjas for the past few hours, hunting them down and eventually driving them into Central Park, where a battle had quickly commenced. He'd been gaining the upper hand - barely, for the turtles had seemingly gotten stronger and faster than ever before - when the unexpected arrival of an army of Kraang droids had intervened. As what usually happened whenever they spotted the mutants, the alien creatures began to recklessly fire at all of them, shooting at everything but the mutants themselves due to their embarrassingly poor aim.

Of course, Tiger Claw was going to retreat once the chaos had ensued and leave the turtles to be finished off by the Kraang...but something had stopped him.

An energy cannon had been fired, missing the turtles by inches and instead hitting a large, thick tree. The tree tipped over, hurtling down upon the unfortunate orange masked turtle who'd been previously injured from a Kraang gun, and was unable to get up and move out of the way in time.

His brothers had been out of reach. His leg was bleeding, twitching oddly, and his eyes were wide and terrified as he screamed, watching helplessly as the trunk fell towards him.

And Tiger Claw had just...reacted.

In the blink of an eye, his jet-pack was activated, and he'd flown over to the turtle and grabbed him seconds before the tree hit the ground.

Once they were far enough away from the melee of aliens and the remaining three turtles, he'd bound the turtle's hands and tossed him over his shoulder, making his way back towards his master's lair, saying nothing about what he'd done beforehand...or why he'd treated his injured leg as well.

Even now, his actions still puzzled him. Why had he saved the young turtle? They were his enemies, sons of the rat ninja master that Shredder sought to take his vengeance upon, thorns in his own side for getting him trapped inside that wretched worm that cost him the loss of his eye...

...and yet, they were only cubs. Merely children that had been thrown into the center of a meaningless war that should've had nothing to do with them. They were children that, in truth, had done nothing in order to become the center of the Shredder's hatred and his murderous vendetta...

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt rhythmic tapping on his back. His brows furrowing, he cast a glance over the shoulder unoccupied by the mutant turtle, only to find him drumming his fingers against him to his own little musical beat, whilst humming a tune to himself.

Tiger Claw raised a brow. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Michelangelo stopped drumming and humming, tilting his head to glance over at the tiger mutant that held him captive. He shrugged.

"Bored."

Tiger Claw nearly tripped at that. "What?"

"I'm bored," Mikey repeated with an innocent shrug. "I mean, yeah it's bad that you've kidnapped me again and stuff, but can't we just, I dunno...make it less awkward and quiet or something? It's like, it's bad enough I can't move around with you carrying me, and I get a little agitated when I gotta stay still for a long time. Donnie says it's something to do with ADHD...or was it ADD? I can' remember..."

Staring at him in silence for a moment, Tiger Claw let out a huff as he turned back to the dirt path ahead. "Who do you think I am, reptile?" he growled. "I am an assassin, and you are my hostage. My mission is to take you to my master, where you will pay for your -"

"- where I will pay for my crimes against the Foot Clan and Shredder will be a step closer to seeking his vengeance upon Hamato Yoshi and my loathsome brothers yadda yadda yadda," Mikey droned with an exasperated roll of his eyes as he sighed, taking the tiger by surprise as he raised a brow yet again.

"I get it, dude. It's not like I haven't heard the same thing over and over again by the Shred-Head or even my older brothers," Mikey continued, idly picking at the ropes that bound his wrists together, which were uncomfortable and really starting to itch. "And I totally get that you're job is to kill me and stuff - which you could've done before but you didn't, might I add -"

Tiger Claw growled at that. Mikey shrugged it off and continued.

" - but c'mon, even you have to think that this is kinda boring and awkward, right? Besides, I saw you back in Fishface's 'Skate to the Death Death-a-thon 5000' thing, and you're totally not as stiff as you are right now. I've seen you let loose before, so..." he trailed off with another shrug, resuming the silence.

Tiger Claw blinked once in surprise, though the turtle couldn't see since he was facing the path again as he walked. He'd almost forgotten about that night when he, that gecko kid and the masked vigilante were thrown into the games, and though he'd lost a bit of cash that night for loosing a bet, he had to admit it'd been rather entertaining to watch. The boy had impressive skills on a skateboard, which he'd effortlessly combined with his ninjitsu, almost as if it were second nature to him...

The turtle had also seen a part of the tiger that he never thought any of his enemies would - or should - ever see. And he had to admit, though he would never dare to do so out loud, but this continuous silence was a little odd...

Oh, to hell with it...

Finally, Tiger Claw sighed. "...very well," he said at last, and he felt Michelangelo jolt on his shoulder with new interest. "Think of this as your last request before your demise by Shredder."

"Sweet!" Mikey crowed with a freckled grin, completely ignoring the threat that had followed the tiger's relent. "Okay, so what should we talk about first? What's your favorite food? Is it fish or milk? Do you like catnip? Do you like pizza? Do you -"

"I now regret agreeing to this."

Mikey snickered. "Yeah, my brothers say that a lot, too. But seriously, I've never actually talked to a bad guy before," he said. "I mean, we throw smack-talk and banter all the time in a fight, but we've never actually talked like normal dudes, y'know?" Then his smile faded slightly as he thought. "...well, except for Chris Bradford before he got mutated into Dogpound, before he got mutated again into Rahzar. But that was only because I didn't know he was a Grade A+ jerk-wad when we met online."

Tiger Claw had only been half-listening to the child's prattling, but raised a brow at the last part. "You...you met Bradford online?" he asked, bewildered.

Now this, he had to hear.

Mikey nodded. "Yep. I was one of his biggest fans online, and I decided to go out and meet my newest human friend," he explained, unaware of the deadpanned look on the tiger's face as he continued. "Turned out he was just using me to get to the guys and stuff. It kinda hurt at first, but I got over it. Besides, I already got my revenge!"

"Dare I ask how?"

Mikey cackled wickedly, and a part of Tiger Claw was glad that he couldn't see his face.

"I unfriended him on Facebook!"

If not for himself, Tiger Claw would've actually laughed at that. Instead, he shook his head and sighed, making a mental note to probe Bradford about this later.

"Still, I guess getting him mutated kinda counts as revenge too, since he's a giant smelly dog now," Mikey alleged. "But it's also a bummer because now he's a lot stronger now than he was before. In fact, a lot of the dudes we fight now are always ending up getting mutated and getting stronger. But despite that, they still wanna be human again. Why's that?" He turned his head to look over his shoulder at Tiger Claw. "What do you think?"

Tiger Claw said nothing for a moment, mulling over what he'd actually managed to follow during the turtle's narrative. "I assume it's because they desire to return to the way they were before," he began thoughtfully. "They were humans for their entire lives. It is only natural for them to want to be human once more, instead of being a hideous outcast of the society they once belonged in."

Mikey hummed aloud, nodding to himself. "...I guess that makes sense. I mean, I wouldn't get it 'cus I was never human in the first place. But when we asked Master Splinter, he said that he was fine with being a mutant rat for the rest of his life, but that's probably because he's spent over fifteen years as one already, and it'd be weird for him to suddenly change back and stuff, plus -"

The turtle continued to chatter on, and Tiger Claw restrained another sigh. Seriously, didn't this kid ever shut up? Why did he even agree to this in the first place? Oh well, they were getting closer to the exit of the park. Once they reached Shredder's lair, Michelangelo would be out of his fur once and for all, then he'd be Shredder's problem -

"So what about you?"

Tiger Claw jolted at that, his brows furrowing as he drew to a halt. "...What?"

"I said, what about you?" Mikey repeated. "How long have you been a mutant? How did you get mutated? And, if you ever had the chance, would wanna turn back to the way you were?"

A silence hovered over them for a moment, with the over-sized mutant tiger stood there, staring down at the ground. He'd never actually thought about it before...well, he had, back when he was a child during the first few months of his mutation. He'd have given anything to be a human again...but after so long, after realizing his true power and gaining new skills, becoming stronger...

"...I don't know," he began slowly, continuing down the path once more. "I was mutated by the Kraang when I was a child, much younger than yourself and your brothers. I had nowhere else to go, no home or a family to call my own...but I was soon found by a traveling circus group who took me in. And though I knew I would be safe, housed and fed, I was abused by the other actors because of my appearance..."

"What, seriously?!" Mikey gasped, genuinely horrified by what he'd heard, much to Tiger Claw's mild surprise. "Dude, that's all kinds of messed up!"

"Yes, it was," Tiger Claw muttered sourly. "But I soon found an escape from that life as a teenager. I became involved with the criminal underworld, stealing and selling weaponry, and soon, wielding them against those I saw as my enemies. As I grew older and became stronger, I became known as a dangerous assassin that lurked in the darkest parts of Asia, earning my keep by taking various jobs..."

"Is that when Shredder found you?"

"...yes. Though I hadn't anticipated getting as deeply involved as I am now..."

It was only as he trailed off that he realized what he'd just done.

Oh god...he'd told Michelangelo, one of his master's greatest enemies as well as his own, all about his past.

Why the hell had he done that?! He'd never told anyone before, and had never planned on revealing such private information. So why now, of all times, and to all the people he could've told?! Was that what he'd been planning to do all along, to get his personal information and then use it against him should his brothers or his other comrades ever come to rescue him?

"...I'm really sorry, dude," Mikey said, not a trace of his earlier jubilant self heard in his voice this time. "I can't imagine what it must've been like for you. But...I guess now, even after all that, you'd want to stay the same, wouldn't you?"

Tiger Claw huffed, shaking off his earlier tremor as he regained his uncaring composure, looking back to the path that lay ahead. "And why would you think that, reptile?" he asked.

Though he couldn't see it, he could tell that Mikey was smiling as he spoke again.

"Because my Sensei once told us that our experiences, the trials we face and the people we meet along our journey through life, make us who we are at the very end of it," he recited. "So, everything you've seen, done, heard and all the people you've met through what you've been through have made you stronger, smarter, and maybe a little harder, on the outside that is...and I guess, if you turned back into a human now, everything you've learned on your journey wouldn't mean anything anymore. It would've all been for nothing. Am I right?"

Once again, Tiger Claw slowly drew to a halt, his eye wide open.

With care, he slid Mikey off his shoulder, much to the turtle's surprise, and set him back on his feet again, though he stumbled and winced slightly due to his leg injury. The young reptile looked up at him with big, innocent yet confused baby blue eyes as the tiger stared down at him in wonderment, unable to say anything for several moments.

Finally, Tiger Claw stooped down so that they were eye-level with each other. "...how do you know so much?" he asked bewilderingly.

Perplexed, Mikey blinked twice. Then he shrugged. "I just though that was pretty obvious," he said.

The tiger shook his head, huffing out a breath of astonishment. "It appears you are wiser than your years, young cub."

Beaming from ear to ear, Mikey nodded once. "Yeah, I get that a lot," he chimed. "Oh, and you don't have to worry about me telling anyone else about your past and stuff. That'll be just between you and me, bro to bro, turtle to tiger. That sound good to you?"

Despite himself, Tiger Claw couldn't restrain the soft chuckle that escaped him as he looked down at the reptilian child before him. "...yes, that would be appreciated," he said. In a way, Tiger Claw was inwardly glad that he hadn't let Michelangelo get crushed by that tree. Perhaps this was simply another twist of fate, a glimpse at who this turtle, or even the other three, really were outside of the battlefield.

Perhaps, like he had been misjudged as a child, he was guilty of having misjudged the turtles...and perhaps it was time he considered just exactly which side he should be on in this mindless war that raged on between them...

"So does this mean you'll let me go?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, Tiger Claw's expression flattened as he stared down at Mikey, who looked up at him with big, hopeful eyes and a pleading grin. He folded his arms. "Seriously? You think just because we have found a mutual respect and understanding of one another that I would simply release you?" he asked.

Biting his lip, Mikey hummed aloud. "Ummmm...yes?"

"No. You're still my hostage."

Mikey pouted. "Aw, man. Ah well, it's not like I can fight back or run away anyways," Mikey said, and let out a surprised squeak as Tiger Claw took him by the biceps and lifted him back over his shoulder with effortless ease. "And besides," he continued, "this way, we can talk some more!"

Tiger Claw rolled his eye again at the thought of listening to yet more of his chatter. However, there was a hint of a tolerant smile on his face as he continued onwards, finally reaching the edge of the park and entering the city. "...very well," he sighed. "I suppose you can continue..."

"Cool!" Mikey chimed. "So, what's your favorite food?"

"...fish. Mostly salmon."

"Sweet. Mine's mostly carp, but sardines go really well on pizza."

"...you eat sardines on pizza?"

"Yeah dude! It adds flavor! I remember this one time, I made pizza for the bros, and..."

Over two hours later, the old tiger mutant was walking through what had become Stockman's new laboratory, making sure that the fly was continuing with his duties and working on a permanent cure for his daughter, Karai. His turtle captive had long since been imprisoned, caged within one of the prison cells on the levels above the lab, where he awaited interrogation by Shredder.

Whilst the fly was buzzing about, clearly focused on his work, another presence joined Tiger Claw as they came to stand by his side.

"So, how did you manage to get your claws on that turtle brat?"

Turning to face the mutant wolf-man, Tiger Claw smirked. "It was a simple task," he huffed, folding his arms prodly across his chest as he leaned back against Stockman's control panel. "Despite their skills, a single turtle is no match for me, not even Michelangelo."

Rahzar huffed. "I wouldn't be so sure. He's beaten me more times than I care to count..or admit," he growled, mimicking the feline's posture. "Besides, I wouldn't stay so confident if I were you. The other turtles will be here any minute to come get him out."

"That's exactly what we want."

"Yeah, sure...but what if they bring those Mighty Mutanimal freaks with them? We're as good as screwed if they come marching in on us."

"Then we must prepare ourselves for what is to come. We must protect our master's lair at any cost. That is our duty as his loyal followers and warriors of the Foot Clan."

With that said, a short silence ensued between the two of them, with only the constant buzzing of the mutant fly hovering about the place and the whirring of the machines around them as their company. However, the silence was shortly broken...

"By the way, did you really meet Michelangelo through Facebook?"

Eyes popping wide open, Rahzar's head whirled around to gawk at the tiger, his mouth hung open in utter shock. "W-What?! Who the hell told you - I mean -"

"AHAHAHAHA - mrph!"

Both the canine and the feline jumped sharply at the sound of barking laughter coming from above. Even Baxter halted mid-flight as they all stared at each other.

They all looked up, only to find the turtles, having rescued Michelangelo from his cell, standing frozen where they were on the support beams by the giant tank of mutagen. Leonardo and Donatello had slapped their hands over Raphael's mouth, all of them looking utterly horrified as they stared down at the other mutants, who stared right back up at them.

No one moved or spoke for several seconds.

"Get them!" Rahzar shouted.

"RUUUN!" Leonardo screamed before he and his brothers made a break for the nearest exit, with Rahzar, Tiger Claw and Stockman-Fly hot on their heels.

However, as the chase began, Mikey turned around, and locked gazes with Tiger Claw for a fleeting moment. To the tiger's surprise, Mikey smiled at him, before turning back and pelting after his brothers.

The tiger's eye widened.

"...our experiences, the trials we face and the people we meet along our journey through life, make us who we are at the very end of it..."

"...and you don't have to worry about me telling anyone else about your past and stuff. That'll be just between you and me, bro to bro, turtle to tiger..."

Despite himself, and despite knowing that if the turtles escaped that his head would be on the line, Tiger Claw couldn't help it...

Damn it all...

Unhooking his laser gun from his hip, he aimed it and fired at one of the pillars, causing the whole structure to come tumbling down on top of Rahzar and Stockman. As the two mutants became half buried in rubble and metal and struggled to free themselves (shouting some very obscene curses in the process) the turtles skidded to a halt, staring at the trapped pair, before looking up at Tiger Claw, who made no move to chase after them.

He folded his arms, masking his inner thoughts and feelings with a deep frown. "The hunt is not as entertaining if your prey is too slow. You've got ten seconds. Use them wisely," he growled.

Brows furrowed, Leo, Raph and Donnie all exchanged confused glances, before shrugging it off and bolting down the corridor. This was the chance of a lifetime, and they weren't about to waste it. They could discuss his reasons for doing so at a later date.

However, Mikey stalled for a moment longer, grinning back at the tiger. "Thanks, dude!" he called with a wave. "You're not so bad after all!"

Tiger Claw let out a huff, his frown deepening. "Don't think you'll be getting this from me again, foolish cub. Now, get going, before I change my mind!"

With a nod, still grinning even at the threat, Mikey turned around and half ran half limped after his brothers. And all the while, as his mental timer reached zero, he couldn't take his eyes off the bandage wrapped around his leg.

You're not so bad after all!

Once again, Tiger Claw found himself smirking just as Stockman and Rahzar freed themselves from the rubble, ready to continue the chase.

We'll see about that, Michelangelo. We'll see...

A/N: Phew! That was longer than I'd planned, but a lot better too! I hope you guys liked that, and there are more on the way!