NaNoWriMo is officially over, and boy it was definitely a challenge! On the bright side, I managed to finish a bulk of the story and hopefully I'll be able to update more regularly from this point on. :D

Many thanks to those who reviewed/followed/favorited this story! Much love to you guys!

長所は短所 - Our strong points are our weak points

The fighting commenced in earnest, and as usual, Mikey was facing off against Rahzar, formerly known as Chris Bradford. His so-called friendship with the jerk was one of Mikey's least proud moments in his long history of screw-ups. To think he had been played so smoothly like a fiddle by such a phony!

"Heheheh, look what we have here," Rahzar's lips tugged a cruel smile. "The smallest turtle, about to become turtle soup."

"Yeah right, like you ever made good that threat, Rahzar!" Mikey twirled his nunchuks daringly. From the background, he could hear Donnie take on some of the Kraang droids while Leo and Raph double teamed Tiger Claw.

"Cocky, aren't you? Let's see how confident you'll still be when I do this!" Rahzar roared as he lunged for the orange masked turtle. Mikey did a quick leap to the opposite direction then jumping forward to beat Rahzar with one of his chucks. The wolf like mutant swiped his claws but Mikey was able to dodge each time, hitting Rahzar in the torso, arms and the head with his spinning weapon.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey cried, performing a spinning roundhouse kick straight at Rahzar's face, sending the other mutant flying to the other end of the warehouse.

"Argh, little pest," Rahzar growled, landing gracefully to his feet in time to see Mikey standing in front of him with his spinning nunchuks. "You're lucky Master Shredder wants you alive or you won't be so lucky right now!"

"That's a change of tune. Sure we're talking about the same old Shredhead?"

"Oh trust me turtle, Master Shredder has great plans for you and your pathetic brothers," Rahzar said almost gleefully, sending a chill down Mikey's spine. "In fact, I should probably thank you. You just made our job easier for us."

"W-what?"

"Play time's over, Michelangelo!" Rahzar snarled. "You're coming with me!"

Tiger Claw is definitely not the Shredder's best Lieutenant for nothing. Despite Leo and Raph practically tag teaming the bigger ninja, Tiger Claw was giving both of them a run for their shells.

"Foolish turtles," the tiger mutant growled, successfully blocking one of Raph's sais with a cruel smirk. "You really think you stand a chance against me? Did your last strings of defeat at my hands not teach you anything?"

Practically roaring, Raph aimed his other sai at Tiger Claw, only for the other ninja to side step and grab Raph's arm, sending the bulky turtle careening to the ground.

"Raph!" Leo barred his katanas and took a deadly swing at Tiger Claw, only to be blocked by a broadsword. Tiger Claw pushed Leo off before firing a series of freezing bolts at the blue masked turtle. Leo rolled away from the bolts and charged at Tiger Claw at the same time Raph leapt at their opponent. Tiger Claw's only eye narrowed for a second before turning around faster than a blink, first kicking Raph before elbowing Leo viciously away from him and sending them both to the far wall.

"You were lucky to make it this far, turtles" Tiger Claw aimed his gun at the knocked out turtles. "But now, your luck is at an end!"

SHIIING!

The whoosh of a shuriken reached Tiger Claw's ears before the throwing metal stars hit the spot where he once stood.

A gaze to his left revealed Donnie running past the downed Kraang droids and robotic Foot ninja, bo-turned-naginata raised to strike. Tiger Claw easily blocked the bladed staff with a sidestep and a grip on the wooden upper half of the weapon, flinging Donnie aside.

Those few seconds however gave Raph the time he needed to get back on his feet and bodily slam into the tiger ninja. Tiger Claw reeled back momentarily stunned, then giving Leo the chance to counter-attack. The larger mutant was able to block the first sword but failed to catch the second, which came hurtling from the side that made Tiger Claw fall back in a direction far from the three turtles.

"Well what do you know," Leo said coolly, pointing one of his blades at the slowly rising Tiger Claw. "Looks like we're winning this one after all."

Far from concerned, however, Tiger Claw smirking. "I would not be so sure about that, Leonardo."

"What are you—?"

"GYAAAH!" A pained scream rang from the opposite end of the warehouse and tore straight into the very hearts of the three turtles who shared a look of mutual panic.

"MIKEY!"

"AAAH!" Mikey screamed when his shell hit a box of crates after Rahzar threw him by the leg like a rag doll. The wolf like mutant really didn't hold back: even without Donnie, the little turtle could tell that he was littered with cuts and bruises, and the burning pain on his mangled leg told him that he may have even broken a few bones.

And to make it worse, Rahzar was still not done.

"Not so cocky now, eh, turtle?" The villainous mutant rasped, flicking his clawed fingers maliciously. "I don't even understand why you try. It's not as if you're the best fighter in your team. Hell, you're not even any good."

The remark stung but Mikey fought to keep his taunting smile on. "Please, if I sucked the way you put it, I wouldn't have given you such a hard time, Rahzar!"

"The only reason you lasted this long was because I wasn't supposed to kill you this time!" The black mutant snarled before raising a clawed hand. "Say good night, Michelangelo."

Mikey wanted to move, he really did, but his leg hurt so much and his strength was almost sapped that the most he could do was budge an inch. Mikey shut his eyes and braced himself for the painful hit.

Leo! Raph! Donnie! Help!

"GET. AWAY. FROM. MY. BROTHER!"

"URGH!" Rahzar grunted in pain when a green blur landed a kick so hard square in his chest that Mikey swore he heard something crack. Baby blue eyes opened hesitantly to see two of his brothers standing in front of him. "R—Raph? Leo?"

"Mikey!" He heard footsteps to his side and a panicked voice that he knew belonged to Donnie. "Mikey, are you—oh my God!"

Mikey flushed at the horrified look in Donnie's face, even more so when Leo and Raph turned around and mirrored their genius brother's expression in seconds. "I'm fine, guys, really. I just feel a bit…dizzy."

"Leo, Raph, we have to get back to the Lair!" Donnie's voice was awfully fuzzy all of a sudden, and the colors all splotched resembling poorly mixed paint.

"D-Donnie…?"

"Sorry about this, Mikey, but we need to move. Just hang on tight, OK?" Donnie's voice was warm despite the quivering panic underneath, and the arms supporting Mikey gentle despite the cool, clammy touch.

"Argh! You won't get away!" Rahzar growled from somewhere. Not missing a beat, Leo scowled. "Like hell we aren't!"

The last thing Mikey knew was the world exploding in purples, dark blues and a loud, furious roar.

I know, it's pretty short. But wait till you see the next ones. ;)

Feel free to review for any comments/suggestions/violent reactions. But the flames will be used to roast marshmallows!