I can't believe that idiot actually went there!, Raph thought as he quickly walked through the corridors of the sewers following the signal from Michelangelo's T-Phone, a sense of anxiety and restlessness gripping his insides.
When Donatello had told him that morning that their little brother had taken him seriously and gone looking for evidence about the creature, he had simply shrugged, commenting on how the young turtle would be back in less than two hours with his tail between his legs.
But when Michelangelo hadn't shown up all day, he began to get seriously worried. So, after another two hours of wondering where his brother had ended up, he had finally decided to go look for him. But an hour had passed and he still couldn't find him. His sense of anxiety only increased as he entered tunnels and conduits that neither he nor their father had ever dared to explore because they were too far from their refuge.
Raphael checked his T-Phone for the umpteenth time to make sure he was following the right path; at that very moment, however, the signal lost power, before disappearing completely. Raph let out a rather vulgar curse, while he resisted the angry urge to throw the gadget away from him. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath: he had to stay clear, losing his temper wouldn't help him find his brother again.
He looked at the tunnels that branched out in front of him in a metallic and smelly labyrinth; before he disappeared completely, Michelangelo's GPS signal seemed to be towards the right, so he decided to enter the tunnel in that direction, weapons in hand and nerves tense, ready to pick up the slightest sign of imminent threats. He went on for a good half hour before finding himself once again at a crossroads. Which path would have been the right one?
Just as he decided to take the far left corridor, a familiar voice came from behind him, calling his name.
"Raphael, what brings you here to my territory? And where are your brothers and my dear friend Michelangelo?".
As he turned, the turtle's eyes met those of the imposing figure of Leatherhead, the two and a half meter tall mutant crocodile that Michelangelo had managed to win over as a friend, earning his trust and his precious help in the fight against the Kraang.
"Leatherhead, what are you doing here?", The turtle was definitely surprised: she knew that the crocodile had no problem wandering around deep in the sewers, but she didn't expect the reptile to find itself so far from its lair like him.
Or at least that's what she thought.
"This is my hunting ground," was the mutant's response, "I too must feed and there is a delicious overabundance of rodents here," he added, ominously snapping his jaws, a gesture that made Raphael shudder and change his mind. on reminding him that his Sensei and father was a rodent of the same type that the crocodile fed on.
"But what about you, Raphael?", the reptile asked him again, tilting his large head slightly to the side, curious.
Raphael let out a frustrated sigh before replying: "Michelangelo has disappeared, we haven't received any news from him since this morning", he explained, pointing to the ducts behind him, "I know for a fact that he is in these parts but... I don't I know which way to go," he admitted.
"This part of the sewers is not as dangerous as it seems, so don't be afraid, young friend", the reptile reassured him, "I will help you look for your brother. After all, Michelangelo is a very dear friend of mine, I would be very happy to see him again", he added, moving forward of some slow and heavy steps towards the turtle, "If I may ask, why did my dear friend decide to go so far from your refuge alone?".
"That idiot claims that here in the sewers there is a creature that is half woman and half snake... We don't believe it possible, but he intervened and decided to go and collect evidence to prove to us that he was right."
"It seems to bother you a lot...", commented the crocodile as he led the way along the sewer canals.
"...Quite...", admitted the turtle in red after a few seconds of silence, "I just don't understand why he has to be so damn stubborn sometimes...!".
Leatherhead thought about it for a few seconds before saying his piece: "From how much I know you, I understand that, despite being the same young age, each of you has a specific role in your family. You and Leonardo act as 'older brothers', alternating in having the responsibility of watching over and protecting, while Donatello and Michelangelo are the two 'younger brothers', but no less important. However, I understand that, as Leonardo is seen by everyone as the 'oldest', so Michelangelo is labeled as 'youngest', am I right?".
Raphael listened to the speech carefully, nodding in agreement with the mutant's reasoning.
"So, being you the 'old' ones, when Michelangelo alone decides to take a stand on his own choices, you feel obliged to have your say every time?", Leatherhead's voice was calm, but Raph didn't fail to notice a certain tone of regret in the timbre of his words, so much so that he immediately goes on the defensive. "We're just trying to protect him! Miky is naive and impulsive, he always gets into trouble and then we have to get him out of his mess!".
The crocodile stopped his steps at that offended tone, so as to turn to be able to approach the turtle, placing a friendly paw on his shoulder. "Do not misunderstand my words, Raphael, I know that you would protect your brother with your own life if necessary. But, sometimes, the younger ones must be allowed to make mistakes, if they want them to grow", he paused to make sure that the young turtle was absorbing his words, "Michelangelo, like the younger brother that he is, is only trying to gain your approval and understanding."
A few seconds of silence passed after those words, interrupted only by the sound of water flowing in the pipes above their heads; then Raphael let out a heavy sigh.
"You're right buddy... It's just... Ever since we were just little turtles Miky has been acting so impulsively making us... making me worry," he admitted.
Leatherhead let out a soft gurgle that Raf could only interpret as a soft laugh: "I wonder why it reminds me of another turtle I know...".
Raph huffed, turning his face to hide the faint blush on his cheeks at that implication and the smirk that had crept onto his lips. The crocodile wasn't entirely wrong, as he and Michelangelo were similar in terms of being impulsive.
"Come on, now let's go get your brother."
Leatherhead hadn't even finished saying this when a desperate cry came from deep in the far tunnel.
Michelangelo was in trouble!