Here it is: Mikey vs Dark!Turtles Round 2! Apologies for keeping you all waiting. Hope you enjoy!

溺れる者はわらをもつかむ – A Drowning Person will Grasp Even at Straws

"Uh, Raph?" Mikey began hesitantly.

He had just fully recovered from Snakeweed's attack earlier and was standing a few feet away from his older brother who was mercilessly beating the stuffing out of the poor punching bag.

Since the youngest turtle woke up, Raph barely said a word to him after that quick hug, and disappeared straightaway before Mikey could get a good grasp of what really happened.

Donnie explained how Snakeweed had gotten had gotten to Mikey before, that Raph felt really guilty about it to the point of freezing up and how worried everyone got when the littlest turtle would not wake up.

But on the bright side, Raph and Leo are good now so Mikey thought he should step in and clear up the last of the tension he knew was lingering in Raph's shoulders, as he had a good guess on why Raph was in a particularly bad mood.

That didn't make the topic any easier to breach, though.

"Mikey?" Raph looked up in surprise that eased away some of the anger from his expression. "What are you still doing up?"

"Could ask the same for you, bruh. I figured you'd be dead tired after that fight with Snakeweed." Mikey did not miss the way his brother's shoulders tightened but went on. "Besides, you oughtta ease on the poor dummy? I think you're this close to actually killing the guy, and it's not even alive to begin with!"

Raph frowned before slumping against the wall with a wordless huff.

Mikey bit his lip for a second before plopping right next to the red masked turtle. "Sooo you wanna let me in on what's eating at you, dude?"

"It's not—"

"And don't even say it's nothing, Raph. Even I'm not that stupid enough to fall for it." Mikey interrupted with a wink. "Look, we can do this the hard way but it would be so much better if you just went out with it."

The red masked turtle grumbled under his breath, making Mikey shake his head ruefully. "Raph, it'll be way easier for both of us if you just told me. I'll even swear I won't tell anyone, on my pinky!" The youngest turtle switched to the puppy eyes tactic. "C'mon, big bro, pleeease?"

"Mikey—!"

"Please, please, pretty pretty pleeease?"

"Oh for the love of—! Fine! I'm pissed as hell because I royally effed up! Is that what you wanted to hear?!" Raph snapped so harshly at his little brother that Mikey nearly scooted back.

Yet somehow, Mikey found it in himself to hold his ground, baby blues so firm against electric green that the latter dropped to the ground first.

"It's just that, I still can't believe what an idiot I've been tonight!" Raph said, glaring at the floor. "I know I always argue with Leo about being the leader but it's the first time it really came to me that I never really meant it. I always knew deep down that I'm not cut out for that but what happened earlier, I can't believe I let it go that far."

Raph then rubbed a hand to his head. "I should have run after Leo and dragged him back with us. I shouldn't have let the argument get into my head and nearly gotten you guys killed. For crying out loud, I just gawked like an idiot when Snakeweed hurt you! The one time I should have gotten my act together because you were counting on me and I screwed up big damn time!"

Mikey gave his brother time to breathe before saying in the most soothing voice he could manage. "Raph, bro, it's OK. I'm fine, you guys managed to get me out of there. And what happened with Snakeweed or Leo wasn't your fault. Well, not all of it. Leo said so, remember? Something about he shouldn't have let you bait him into losing his temper?"

"I shouldn't have baited him in the first place!"

"Well, it takes two to do the luau, right?" Mikey frowned at his unresponsive brother before tilting his head thoughtfully. "Well, if you're going to keep blaming yourself, then I guess it's OK for me to keep blaming myself then—"

That did something. "Wait, I didn't say—"

"—since it was my fault I let Snakeweed pull a fast one on me. Yeah, I was following your orders but I could have done better." Mikey went on. "And if I hadn't gotten hurt, you wouldn't be questioning yourself right now and you wouldn't be acting like you'll never be a good enough leader. But don't you get it, Raph? You can't be like Leo because you're not Leo. And you don't have to be."

The brothers met gazes once more. "You're Raphael Hamato, the turtle always itching for a good fight, the turtle who gives me noogies and chokeholds, the turtle who can actually be a softie around Spike, the turtle who would take a hit for any of our bros in heartbeat. And we all love Raphie-nii just the way he is."

The pair fell silent, a far less tense one, before Raph cleared his throat.

"…You haven't called me that in a long time." The older turtle said in a hushed whisper.

"Yeah, well, I save that for super special occasions." Mikey flashed a cheeky grin. "You know, when things get downright sappy and I know I can get away with it."

"Ah, c'mere, you!"

Mikey yelped when Raph pulled him into a one-armed chokehold and the older brother rubbed his knuckles against the freckled turtle's head. "Raaaphie, we were having a moment!"

"Yeah, way to ruin it with your whining, shell for brains." Nevertheless, the brothers shared a good laugh over the whole thing before Raph gave Mikey a pat on the head. "All right, I'll stop blaming myself. Not like it's going to change anything anyway—"

Mikey sighed dramatically. "He finally gets it!"

"—but I will get stronger. I have to be." Raph's voice adopted a steel edge that made Mikey start. "I'm not going to freeze like a deer in headlights next time. I can't let something like that happen to any of you guys again."

The youngest turtle blinked. "Raph—"

"I mean it, little brother. I've never been more scared in my life than that time I thought you would never wake up," The older turtle admitted. "That's probably why I reacted the way I did. Call me a sap but I—I wouldn't know what I'd do if I lost any of you. And I don't—I wouldn't even want to know."

Mikey smiled empathically, burrowing himself against the crook of Raph's shoulder. "Not gonna happen, Raphie-nii. I know you won't let it."

Raph's whole frame straightened. "Mikey…"

"You're gonna stand between us and all the bad guys, you're not gonna let them get their way, and even if we do get hurt, you'll always be there to help us back on our feet again." Mikey said confidently, barely stifling a yawn. "Because if Leo-nii's the leader and Donnie-nii's the thinker, then Raphie-nii's the protector."

Raph's breathing hitched, but Mikey didn't see any more. His eyes are already shut and he could feel sleep calling out to him.

"You're really something else, aren't you, Mikey?" He could still hear Raph though, could feel the gentle squeeze against his shoulder and the way the cocoon of warmth tightened around his body.

"Awesome, right?" Mikey grinned behind shut eyelids. "Admit it, you guys would be lost without me."

A low chuckle and for a brief moment, something lightly brushed against Mikey's forehead. "More than you'll ever know, little brother, more than you'll ever know."

She heard them through the T-phone and saw what they did to Mikey afterwards, but seeing them for the first time is what truly drove reality home for April O'Neil.

What had the Shredder done to them? What had that miserable, crazy, vengeful son of a bitch done to her best friends?

Because the three turtles in front of them were not the Leo, Raph and Donnie Casey had come to love as her second family, with the blank white eyes, threatening glowers and the black and red motif of the Foot clan adorning nearly every inch of them.

She felt her hatred for the Shredder reach a whole new kind of high for what he turned Leo, Raph and Donnie into, for forcing the Hamatos, who had done nothing but good to this world, against each other.

"So you did survive after all." Donatello drawled, tapping his naginata lazily on his shoulder as he, Raphael and Leonardo circled Mikey, April and Casey.

"Well, what can I say, D? Survival is like my middle name!"" Mikey answered, tone deceptively light. "Or it totally would be, if I had one, y'know?"

"Hah, don't you mean scaredy turtle, you little wimp?" Raphael taunted, blades of his arm guards drawn. "Had fun for the rest of the month tucking your tail between your legs and licking your boo boos while hiding under your daddy's robes?"

April's grip on her tessen tightened while Casey gritted his teeth angrily but Mikey made a soft shushing noise at them.

"Aww, Raphie, I didn't know you missed me that much! You should have told me sooner!" Mikey laughed behind his swinging chain. "You guys really that bored without me around? Your new roomies Rahzar and Fishface not party dudes enough for you?"

"Enough." Leonardo said coldly, drawing his twin blades from his back. "We're not here to fool around, Michelangelo. I don't know what your plan is, but your little game ends here!"

Mikey pretended to think on that. "Hmm, well sorry Leo, I'd really love to stick around but we've got other places to be at," Then his smile slid off the slightest bit. "So you raring about killing me for the Shredhead? Yeah, you'll need to put that on hold."

"Michelangelo?"

"Chillax, Doc Rockwell," Mikey singsonged to the voice coming from April's T-phone. "Just sit tight and we'll be there soon, OK? Just gotta get the family reunion over with."

"Not a chance!" Donatello shot at them first, naginata arching gracefully from Mikey's left. Mikey, April and Casey jumped out of the way while Mikey quickly wrapped his chain around Donnie's leg and threw him at Leo's direction.

"April, Casey, I'll hold them off! You guys get on out of here once I make some smoke!" Mikey called to his friends while defending himself against Raphael's strikes.

"We're not leaving you behind, little dude!" Casey hollered back, swinging some explosive pucks at the oncoming Leonardo while Donatello found himself occupied by April. "We're all gonna make it out together!"

"Casey's right, Mikey! We just got to…find a right time." April said, barely being able to dodge Donatello's new weapon.

Mikey then quickly did a backflip away from Raphael, who was then pelted some more explosive pucks by Casey, and swung his kusarigama at Donatello to send him away from April. The red head however was immediately intercepted by Leonardo.

"Leo, what the hell?" April cried, blocking Leonardo's swords as best as she could with her tessen but boy was he fast! "Come on guys, it's us! We're your friends, remember? Snap out of whatever Shredder's done to you already!"

"Master Shredder only helped us see the truth! Being with all of you would only drag us down from becoming true ninjas!" The former blue masked turtle snarled. "If you want to live, I suggest you stay out of our way, but I won't have any qualms cutting you down if you insist!"

"You're not cutting down anybody!" Casey cried, skating his way to the fighting pair with a raised hockey stick.

With an eye roll, Leonardo dodged the strike with a huff and sent a flying spinning kick at the vigilante's back. "And just who were you trying to hit, Jones?"

"Casey—AH!" Leonardo did not spare April from her distraction, promptly side kicking her in the stomach and to the floor with her friend.

"Dudes, this is so not cool!" Casey groaned next to April, blearily eyeing Leonardo who was running towards them to Raphael and Donatello double teaming Mikey. "We gotta do something."

April frowned thoughtfully at that.

There was something she had been meaning to try ever since Mikey and Master Splinter told them the details of Operation Recon and Dr. Rockwell's part in it. She just wasn't sure if she could do it or if what she was planning would have the desired effect, knowing that she did not have the same control over her own psychic abilities the way Rockwell did.

But seeing Mikey fighting his brothers, the pain at the resulting confrontation evident on his face despite the light air he was trying to pull, and seeing Leonardo on his way to finish them, April was backed to the corner with little other options.

"Back me up, Casey!" April called out, her hands flying to her temple in an attempt to concentrate.

"Wha—Red, you sure about this?" Casey asked even as he automatically went to block the oldest turtle.

"Like I have a choice!" April said over the building telepathic energy. "Let's just hope it works. Ngh!"

The girl's eyes glowed white as she cried in exertion, sending a powerful mental wave over the area, hitting all three enemy turtles at the same time.

"Agh!" Leonardo dropped to one knee, a sword clanging to the floor as he clutched his head in one hand.

"Shit! The hell—!" Raphael growled, holding his own head in both hands, while Donatello barely stopped himself from falling to the floor with his naginata.

"Guys, please!" April called desperately at the through her telepathy. "Come on, I know you're in there! You have to fight it! You can't let Shredder use you like this anymore! You don't belong with him! You're not one of the Foot! You've got to come home!"

"Y—you—!" Raphael briefly stumbled before letting out a roar. "You bitch! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!"

The muscled turtle ran to April before she could blink, and the bladed gauntlet inches from her face before she could scream.

Thank God Mikey was faster. "NO!"

April was pushed out of the way but Mikey had to take the hit for her, nicking a bit of shell and plastron enough to draw blood.

"MIKEY!" The red head screamed when the winded turtle was kicked to the wall by his bigger brother, who had Mikey by the throat.

"End of…the line, you damn…pest!" Even while panting in effort, Raphael couldn't help the malicious grin on his face as he raised his gauntlet to strike.

"Mikey! Raph!" April forced every bit of her into one more desperate telepathic attack, focusing on nothing but getting to the three turtles even when the noises of Casey batting away Leo and Donnie were awfully close to her for comfort.

Raph would never ever forgive her or himself if she didn't stop him.

"DON'T DO IT! RAPH!"

Holy crap, this is gonna hurt!

Mikey made a move to dodge the incoming blade as best as he could, but knew there was little room for him to escape unscathed.

Yet between him and April being at the receiving end of Raphael's attack, he was glad it was him. He only hoped he could get escape from this alive long enough to help his friends out of here.

Oh, and deliver the precious cargo he was hiding in his utility belt.

But before Mikey could deliver the kick that will hopefully save his life, he heard April scream and Raphael suddenly buck and cry out in pain, making the gauntlet miss Mikey's head by a mere breath away.

Mikey gasped when Raphael leaned against him, and for a second, Mikey thought he was going to be choked to unconsciousness this way (Damn was his big brother heavy!) before Raphael's gauntlet moved again.

Mikey braced himself for a strike. But instead of a punch, the hands on either side of his face were of utmost gentleness; and the youngest turtle nearly forgot to breathe when his gaze was tilted to meet a pair of emerald eyes that he had not seen in ages.

A hushed gasp. "R-Raphie…nii?"

"Mi…key…?" Mikey would have wept with joy right there and then if not for the way his brother was looking at him right now.

The older brother's entire frame was trembling with effort and his eyes, though now green, were dull with confusion and pain. Even his voice sounded strained and unsure, saying the youngest turtle's name over as if it were a prayer.

"M-Mikey, oh God, Mikey, little brother, I…I'm…!"

"It's OK, Raphie," Mikey gripped his brother's arms, willing the tears to stay back. "It'll be OK, niichan. I got you. I'm right here. Everything's gonna be fine."

"No. N—no, it's not," On the other hand, Raphael—no, Raph—didn't even bother to keep in his own tears in check, backing away from Mikey while clutching his head. It struck Mikey with a new wave of grief how their roles are suddenly reversed in more ways than one. "Mikey…you can't, you gotta get back! You can't let me—!"

"RAPH, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" A commotion behind them broke through their little bubble. Mikey's eyes widened when he saw Leonardo glowering over April and Casey like a man possessed, standing in front of Donatello who was on his knees, hands to his head and panting harshly.

"FINISH HIM OFF ALREADY BEFORE O'NEIL ATTACKS US AGAIN!" Leonardo commanded, barely sparing a glance at the two before striking at Casey. But because of April's efforts, Leonardo had obviously slowed down enough for Casey to actually fight him on more even footing.

That didn't ease Mikey's worries though as he urgently turned to his second oldest brother. "Raphie, come on—!"

But before the orange masked turtle could finish, the older turtle darted off him to bodily slam against Leonardo with an angry cry.

The older turtle gasped, rolling off to a standing position several feet away from Casey and April. "Raphael?! What the hell's gotten into you?!"

"R—Raph?" Casey called out hopefully from behind the larger turtle as April helped him up. "Dude, is that, are you really—?"

"Get out!" Raph growled, rising on his unsteady legs protectively in front of the two humans. "While I can still fight it…get the hell…away from here!"

"NO!" Casey was barely able to hold Mikey back when the smaller turtle attempted to reach his brother. "We just got you back, Raphie-nii! I'm not leaving you to them again!"

"Bonehead…" The chuckle in Raph's voice was pained. "I'm not safe yet. You'll just…make it worse…by bringing me back to the Lair. Nothing…you can do for me…right now anyway."

But Mikey continued to struggle, making Casey stumble at the little turtle's strength comparable to a raging bull's. He wasn't going to fail again, to leave a brother behind when he was so damn close he could taste it in getting at least one of them back!

"I'm. Not. Going—!"

"April! Casey!" But, seeing—understanding, even— that he wasn't going to get through the other turtle easily, Raph turned to their two friends instead. "Take Mikey and go. Now. Please!"

Casey felt his heart lurch at the sight of the desperate pinpricks irises laden with tears. He had never seen Raph cry so brokenly before, not even back when Leo was put in a coma or Splinter died during the Triceraton invasion.

How can he, as a best friend and fellow big brother, say no to that?

"Come on, Mikey."

"Casey—!"

"Look at Raph, Mikey, he's barely holding himself together." Casey hissed, pulling the struggling turtle closer while keeping a watchful eye on the dueling Leo and Raph. "If we take him back to the Lair, it could be a Slash and Doc Rockwell incident all over again."

"Mikey," April choked, and the two boys could see her eyes shining. "I know it's hard but do it for them. Do it for Raph."

She would have fought tooth and nail along with Mikey to keep Raph with them when she heard the onslaught of thoughts emanating from his frazzled consciousness…

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We're not safe. We're supposed to protect him but we're not safe. You have to get him out. Don't let us hurt him. Don't let the Shredder take him.

GET MY LITTLE BROTHER AWAY FROM ME!

April squeezed her eyes shut, the pain overwhelming her already weakened sense. "Mikey, please!"

Mikey let out a cry of anguish from the depths of his cracked throat before swiping at his belt.

"I'm coming back for you!" Mikey hollered through hard baby blue eyes. "You hear me, Leo-nii, Donnie-nii, Raphie-nii? I'll get you all back and then I'm gonna beat the Shredder to the ground for everything he's done!"

The room was filled with the familiar burst of purple, leaving only the ghost of Mikey's parting words in its wake.

"And that's a damn promise!"

Three hours after the team has returned from successfully capturing some brainworms, in the silence of his room, Splinter meditated.

These past several weeks have been some of the most trying times he had ever faced in his life. This is especially true for his youngest, whose free spirited and loving heart had taken one merciless beating after another with everything that has happened thus far.

"We got the worms, sensei." The youngest turtle said, presenting them bag containing the writhing devil incarnates to him and Rockwell. But despite the obvious success, the subdued way Michelangelo spoke, the sight of April's tears and the way Casey rigidly held himself at the side set off alarm bells in Splinter's head.

Michelangelo would later explain to his father how the team Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello tried to stop them from escaping, forcing Michelangelo, Casey and April to fight them.

Slash also confirmed that the minute Leonardo and his team heard the alarm, they quickly disengaged from the skirmish with the Mutanimals. They tried to get to where Michelangelo and the others were, but were slowed by the Foot bots coming after them.

"If you have heard what Raph was thinking at the time, Mikey…"April paused then shook her head. "He wanted us to leave. Despite what I did, he, we both knew he wouldn't be able to stay in control for long. It's a miracle I was able to get to him actually."

"It's my fault. If I hadn't tripped that stupid alarm, none of this would have happened." Casey kicked the floor with a glare of absolute loathing. "Some help I was. A damn good for nothing! I'm so sorry, Mikey."

"Don't say that, Casey," April said gently, placing a hand on the vigilante's shoulder. "It was an accident. Besides, there's no telling that we wouldn't have run into them even if you hadn't set the alarm off."

Splinter opened his mouth to confirm April's statement when Michelangelo suddenly took two quick strides to Casey's side and enveloped him in a tight hug.

Casey's jaw slackened in confusion. "W, woah, Mikey?"

"It's not your fault." The youngest turtle said as firmly as he could.

"M—Mikey," Casey's own voice broke. "But I, little dude, I'm—"

"It's not your fault, Casey, so don't go blaming yourself for anything, OK? I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys. You and April did a great job." Michelangelo said in the same hushed tone that tugged at Splinter's heart.

"I'll get them back," the orange masked ninja added, meeting his father's gaze. "I'll bring my brothers back home no matter what it takes."

Splinter could see it plainly in Michelangelo's eyes that his child blamed no one but himself for failing to fully save Raphael when they had the chance, but as much as Splinter wanted to have his sons back, the safety of his youngest and his friends were the rat's primary concern.

So it was with words of comfort and encouragement, praise for a job well done and a promise for more training tomorrow that Splinter sent the young ones to bed.

It was almost amusing to see how the thought of training actually eased some of the tension in his youngest son's face when it used to do the opposite.

The things people do for love, really.

The rat's train of thought halted abruptly when he felt an intrusion in his space on the astral plane. Splinter quickly stood up, taking a ready stance. "Who goes there? Show yourselves!"

There was a pause before the light tapping, sounding just like hooves, filled Splinter's ears, and a shadow from his right periphery made him turn around.

Nothing? Splinter frowned thoughtfully. Strange, I thought I saw…

Then there was a trotting noise from behind him, and Splinter was able to move fast enough to make out a deer like frame darting away.

The shika spirit! Splinter realized in surprise.

One of Kami-sama's messengers and one of the dwellers who roam the astral plane, he had met the shika a few times in his life, the first time during survival training back at the early days as a shinobi, and the last during his time struggling to survive after the Shredder's vicious attack during the Kraang invasion.

While the shika was a gentle, if not quiet, and helpful guide, Splinter cannot help but be wary of its appearance, as it often heralded a significant change or event (be it good or bad).

Even more so now that his family is in the middle of the most trying time of their lives so far…

"Wait!" Splinter called out, as he tried running after the galloping figure. But the shika spirit made no sign of slowing and was thinning away from the rat's view against the fog.

Then, to Splinter's disappointment, the deer completely vanished from his view.

The astral plane remained quiet and empty save for Splinter's ragged breathing right after the spirit disappeared from his view, and for a second, Splinter contemplated calling out to it again when he heard a voice speak up before he did.

"S—Sensei?"

That voice. Could it be—? Hardly daring to believe it, Splinter turned around to the source of the voice. The rat man took a deep breath at what he found.

Eh? Did I just leave you guys another cliffhanger? XD

Sooo the missions was both a success and a failure at the same time, eh? Mikey just can't get a break! But at least he's got a brainworm now. How that tidbit can actually help? We'll just have to wait and see, eh?

Thanks again for all the reviews! You guys are awesome as always! See you in the next one!

Chuchi's Cultural Corner!

The Deer Spirit: Remember that cute deer that turned out to be a guiding spirit in 2012's Vision Quest episode? According to the Shinto mythology (the traditional Japanese religion), deer spirits are frequent companions and messengers of the gods, thus are sacred to the Japanese the same way cows are to the Hindu in India.

And just like in India, there is a prefecture in Japan—the Nara prefecture—where deer roam freely among humans. The species of deer there are called Sika deer, named after the Japanese word for deer, which is shika (鹿).

Yeah, Naruto parallelisms strike again. But I'll just leave it at that.

Kami-sama: God (Technically, it's just Kami. The -sama is an honorific denoting much respect)

Oboreru mono wa wara o mo tsukamu (溺れる者はわらをもつかむ): A Japanese quote that means that a desperate person will jump on anything that they perceive can help the situation, even if their predicament is already hopeless.

Guest Review Replies

Guest- Oh man just what did Casey step on?
The laser trigger for the alarm system, after the gang's hard work in avoiding it. *facepalm* Well, no one did say this mission was going to be smooth sailing right? Thanks for reviewing!

Headcanons and Other Extras!

-The turtles according to weight, from lightest to heaviest: Mikey, Leo, Donnie, Raph (because Donnie, despite being thin, is still the tallest turtle so he outweighs Leo but only by a small margin)

-Splinter has encountered the Shika spirit a few times already, being a practitioner of the Shinto religion and meditation. In fact, it was through the Shika's guiding presence that Splinter was able to recover from his loss of Tang Shen and Miwa, and it was also the Shika that led Splinter to New York. It was also Splinter's devotion to his faith that prompted the Shika to guide the turtles during the Vision Quest, if only as a reward to its faithful.

Still, Splinter's bit of wariness to the appearance of the Shika still stands.

-Back when they were tots, Mikey, much like most Japanese kids, addressed his bros with the affectionate suffix –niichan. This was eventually shortened to –nii come school age days before it was mostly removed come preteen days, because Mikey thought his bros won't like being called with such a childish term of endearment seeing as they are already growing up.

That said, Mikey is always on the watch for moments when he thinks he can get away with it (as he mentioned to Raph above). He is also more prone to using said terms of endearment whenever he is emotionally vulnerable under great stress and/or sadness, so don't be surprised if you hear him refer to the others as Leo/Raphie/Donnie-nii more often as the story goes on.

But what Mikey doesn't know (and his bros never said) is that the three older turtles miss Mikey calling them niichan and wish he'd do it more often. :P