Hey guys! Welcome to the month of October. With the month of Halloween upon us, why not get back on track with the turtle who's masquerading as a human to find the perfect girl for him. That's right, it's time to move forward with Mikey's next date! Before that, however, let's go ahead and answer some long awaited reviews!
IcedShadows: Oh wow. Thanks for the compliment man. I'm honored that you like the story so much. I figured that even if they don't get together, Mikey and Marcy would be great friends.
Quiet Reader: Never fear. Why? Because October is finally here! Lol! In all seriousness I hope that the wait wasn't too long for ya.
I figured that, since this service was basically made by me, I'd cover the bases of those who have a valid reason for their status to be incorrect. Mikey was going to see it eventually, so I figured it would work out rather well. He has had the tag for every date that he went on.
I figured it was about time that Marcy got a mention, especially seeing as Mikey specifically asked Casey and April to try and reach out to her. Now she's got a friend in April. It'll be good for stories based off of this one moving forward if the two are friends at some point. You've come up with some interesting ideas for who the date will be. Now you'll just have to wait and see who the girl is.
Djinn: Thanks! I'm glad that you find it interesting. Here's the next chapter so I'm hoping that it was worth waiting for.
That's all of them as of posting, so let's get started. I don't own TMNT or any of the series that show up here. I do own original characters, items, concepts, and other such whatnot unless stated otherwise.
Voices
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"YELLING!"
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, big twist at the end of a section."
"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"
"Whispering."
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."
September 9, 2012
New York City, New York
Casey twirled his tonfas as he squared off against Donnie, doing his best to be unpredictable. They had been clashing weapons for a while now, another spar set up by Splinter himself. The sport lover found himself getting used to the weapons as he practiced with them, finding a good grip with which to hold them. His mind was brought back to the fight as Donnie rushed at him with his staff at the ready. Casey blocked the attack with his weapon, doing the same for a few more swings.
He then found an opening to slide along the staff before hitting Donnie with a tonfa to the face. He cheered at his own success, only to receive a bop to the ear from the staff. He cried out in pain as the duo quickly separated.
"My ear!" cried Casey. "I knew I should have worn my helmet. Not cool D!" Donnie rubbed at his face instead of responding to the outcry, groaning as he paid close attention to his nose. The smart turtle frowned as he pointed towards the human boy.
"Hey, you got me right in the face!" cried Donnie. "I have a date with April tomorrow and you decide to attack my nose! You deserved it!" The duo growled at each other as they prepared to continue the fight. Their plans were ended, however, as Splinter tapped his cane.
"Yamen!" cried the currently human master. Both boys grumbled as they stood normally, Donnie turning human in order to make sure his nose wasn't broken. The smart guy turned to watch as his father looked his way. "Donatello, you struck well in an attempt to take advantage of your opponent's chosen weaponry. You also found an opening to strike during his counter attack."
The ninja master narrowed his eyes a bit as he turned serious. "However, you allowed him to land an attack that could have ended in a less recoverable situation depending on how fast his weapon was moving. Had that been a sword or other kind of blade, you would have been scarred deeply in the best case scenario. Remain vigilant and remember to disengage when you see such an attack coming." Donnie nodded his head as he bowed respectfully.
"Hai, sensei. I'll work on it." He watched the master nod his head before turning towards Casey.
"Casey, your proficiency with the tonfa is increasing at a steady pace. That being said, you left yourself open in the midst of your counter attack. I cannot stress enough how important it is to ensure that you leave your enemy as few openings as possible. In any fight, it is best to avoid unnecessary hits." Casey nodded his head as he spun his tonfas a few times.
"Got it," acknowledged the vigilante. "Guess I'll have to keep working on it." This response garnered him a nod and a small smile from Splinter. The moment was cut off as a speeding sound filled the sewers. The trio watched as a familiar orange blur passed them by, heading straight for the lab.
"D!" cried Mikey as he opened the room. "I brought a freaky robot head that I pulled the tracking device out of!" He looked around the room as he placed the promised robot head on the counter. "D?" He suddenly turned around as he watched Donnie run over with an excited look on his face.
"You brought me what!?" cried the genius. He pushed Mikey out of the way as he looked over the machine. "It's definitely Earth-based in design, meaning I'd have to use a closed system to access it and ensure no software can send a signal to whoever built it. Where'd this come from?" Mikey rubbed the back of his head, having an idea of what was about to come next.
"Oh nothing much. Just… some government robots that tried to kidnap or kill my date." Donnie seemed obsessed with the machine as he was taking a while to process what the blonde had said.
"Interesting. You wouldn't think that the government could make something so…" Donnie immediately stopped observing the robot head as he turned around on a dime. "GOVERNMENT ROBOTS!?" Mikey winced as he heard four sets of footsteps run into the area.
"What's wrong!?" cried Leo. "Are we under attack!?" Donnie quickly gestured to the severed machine head that Mikey brought him.
"Apparently Mikey ran afoul of the government on this date. Apparently this came from robots sent after his date!" Casey took a closer look at the head, only to shake a bit as he took a step back.
"That's one of the newer models of those Sentinel guys I saw on TV!" cried the vigilante. "The ones meant to hunt down natural mutants like the X-Men! You went on a date with a mutant and fought Uncle Sam!" Mikey could immediately tell that the tension in the room was rising, immediately not liking it. He suddenly waved his arms around before anyone could say anything else.
"Wait!" cried the blonde. "Before you say anything else, at least let me explain everything. You can be mad at me for getting involved and yell at me all you want afterwards, but I want to get some important info straight. Please." A long silence befell the others, only for Splinter to nod his head.
"Very well, my son," agreed the head of the Hamato Clan. "Enlighten us to the reason you thought risking your identity and combating the government was a good idea. Know that it could very well be the last time you use this service if I find your reasons to be unjust." Mikey gulped at this notion as he nodded his head. Everyone moved to the living area as the turtle began to tell the story of his latest date.
It took him almost an hour to do so, making him slightly grateful that it ended so soon. He had to make sure that they knew every detail he could possibly think of as important. This included Jubilee's affiliation with the X-Men, meaning that she was a superhero. He finally reached the end as he gestured to the area around him. "And then I ran back home with the robot head and an address with a phone number attached in case we ever need somewhere to lay low." He gestured to the group as if waiting for their responses, earning a huff from Raph.
"So some big wigs don't like that people are being born with powers and decide to target one specific group just because they can point them out for having one thing in their DNA," growled the hothead. "You ended up dating a girl who's one of these natural mutants and, without showing off your human face, worked with her to defeat a lot of these robots. Her friends show up and you decide to bring the head of one of these things back for D to be able to use. Am I hearing that right, because to me it sounds like the plot of some old cartoon like Leo's Space Heroes?" Raph watched as Leo suddenly sent him a hurt look.
"I'm choosing not to give that a proper response, Raphael," grumbled the leader of the brothers. Leo then turned towards Mikey with a serious frown. "It's good that you kept everything on the downlow and kept your identity a secret, but please be more careful." Mikey nodded his head before turning his attention to the one person whose word was law in their family. Yoshi took a moment to think everything over before slowly nodding his head.
"You saw the threat coming, remained inconspicuous until executing your escape plan, and only revealed your hand to your date before assaulting the enemy," listed the rat master. "You did all of this whilst keeping your human identity separate from your true self. It shows your maturity in dangerous situations as well as your increased proficiency as a shinobi. I am proud of you, my son. I will ask you to be more careful in the future, something I cannot stress enough for ALL of you, but I do not see a reason to remove you from the service at this time."
Mikey pumped his fist in success at his adoptive father's approval. Said man smiled knowingly as he nodded his head once more. "Of course, there is something I believe you are forgetting." The goofy boy suddenly stopped celebrating as he thought over Splinter's words. His eyes suddenly widened as he grabbed the sides of his head.
"I've gotta rate my date! The date wasn't bad so I'll give it an 8. Be right back!" The boy quickly ran for his room, leaving a trail of lightning behind him as usual. Splinter waited a bit before turning towards the rest of his sons.
"From now on, unless it is otherwise impossible, I want you three to watch over his dates. Today he was victorious. That may not be the case next time. As his brothers, you must be ready to come to his defense when he needs it." The turtle trio nodded their heads, Raph crossing his arms at the same time. They heard the sound of small wheels rolling coming from Mikey's room.
"Got another one guys!" The family quickly made their way into the room, noticing the smiling face of the boy. "She sounds like an interesting one. Take a look!" He moved out of the way a bit more so that the group could see the screen.
Username: PlantHacker
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Height: 4'07"
Weight: 120 lbs.
Star Sign: Aries
Hometown: Melenor, Arizona
Physical Description: Italian girl with brown eyes and light brown hair.
Personality: A smart, innovative girl. Others have also said I'm excitable, curious, playful, and sassy.
Likes and Interests: Technology, discovering new things, cats, etc.
Type of Person I'm Looking For: Someone who can appreciate me for who I am yet give me personal space when I need it.
"Melenor?" questioned Leo. "I don't mean offense to anyone but that sounds like a completely made up word." The blue-wearing brother's criticism was cut off when Casey snapped his fingers.
"I think I saw that on the news," revealed the boy. "Apparently the US government allowed a small nation to re-settle in a part of the Arizona desert. They worked hard to make the land more hospitable and it's like one of those Native American reservations. Neat stuff." This news made Mikey hum as he looked over the date details.
"Well the date's taking place in New York so I can't confirm anything about it. It looks like we'll be going to a place called Caffè del Gatto. That sounds kind of like it's Italian. Is it a coffee shop or something?" The boy decided to look it up himself for a change as he opened a new window.
He typed the name of the place to the best of his ability, quickly coming upon what he was looking for. "Here it is! It's a cafe made by an Italian immigrant that had the idea when his cat pushed a bag of coffee beans off of a shelf and into a cup. Sounds a little made up itself but even Ice Cream Kitty likes to push things out of the fridge when he's bored." Raph frowned as he crossed his arms at this news.
"So that's why there were ice cream sandwiches melting on the floor," grumbled the hothead. "Anyway, it sounds like an interesting place for a blind date. I figured a tech girl would be more Donnie's area of interest, though she sounds like her personality matches up. Guess the only way to know at this point is to go on the date." Raph watched as Mikey turned around in his chair, a big grin on his face.
"And that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I might not be the smartest guy out there, but I can always try." This statement earned Mikey a nod from Splinter.
"A good way to go about it, Michelangelo," agreed the Hamato Clan head. "Rest up and prepare to join us in spars later today. The rest of you, we have work to do." The others nodded their heads as they followed the master out, Casey letting loose a small groan. Mikey smiled as he leaned back in his seat, wondering how this date would go.
The Next Day
Mikey popped up from a manhole cover in a secluded area, making sure not to be seen. He once again had a bouquet of flowers upon his back, ready for whoever his date would be. He quickly looked around in order to make sure that no one would see him as he transformed into his human self. He then walked out of the alley and made his way towards the location of his next date. He smiled as the place came into view.
The small building had a sign depicting a cat sleeping while spooned against a coffee bean, the cat being a Maine Coon. There were paw print decals on the windows, accompanied by coffee cup decals. Even the umbrellas of the outside tables carried this motif. Mikey was glad that he decided to wear his casual date attire instead of regular street clothes as he approached the building. He smiled as he saw someone fitting the description of his date.
The fair skinned girl kept her hair in a bit of a loose ponytail. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a green lion head design on the front and green shoulders, loose black pants, a green bungee belt, and black shoes with green laces. She also had a large green bag hanging from her shoulder, the Project Aphrodite pin attached next to where the strap was. Mikey straightened his shirt collar before grabbing the flowers from the makeshift holster on his back. He stopped his approach within her line of sight, catching her attention.
"PlantHacker?" questioned Mikey. He waited nervously as she looked him over, hoping that he hadn't done something to offend her. Thankfully she smiled at him as she nodded her head.
"That's me," confirmed the girl. "Katie Holt, but my friends call me Pidge. That means you're MCMikey, right?" The blonde felt relief upon his date's response. He quickly nodded his head to keep the conversation going.
"Yup. Michelangelo but, as my username says, everyone just calls me Mikey. These are for you." He held the flowers towards her, making sure to not invade her personal bubble. Pidge took the flowers before smelling them a bit.
"Thanks. I guess we just go in." Mikey grinned as he gestured towards the establishment.
"Sounds good to me." The duo walked towards the building, the blonde boy still grinning. He quickly grabbed the door holding it open for Katie. "Ladies first." The brunette smiled as if she had a different expression before.
"Oh! Thanks again." Mikey grinned as he nodded his head, allowing her to pass through. The duo walked towards the register, being caught in a small line. The hidden turtle looked to his date as he held his hands behind his back.
"So, what are you getting? I'll probably just get a sweet tea and some sandwiches." He watched Pidge cross her arms as she gave him an inquisitive smirk.
"You're at a coffee shop and you're not going to order coffee? Not even a frappe with no espresso?" Her teasing caused Mikey to chuckle as he shook his head.
"Nah. When I get a hold of too much caffeine I end up having way too much energy and can destroy an entire room. Plus the frappe will just have the espresso taste because they work with espresso all the time. If they have milkshakes though I'll definitely get one of those." His date looked like she was thinking over his answer for a bit before nodding.
"Fair enough I guess. I'll probably just grab a smoothie with blueberries in it and grab a salad. Let's just say I pulled too many all-nighters and wasn't allowed to have coffee in the first place." This detail had Mikey doing his best not to laugh. They finally were the next in line as they walked up to the register.
"Welcome to Caffè del Gatto," greeted the cashier. "I see that you're today's Project Aphrodite daters. You'll be covered for a meal and a dessert so don't be afraid to grab anything sweet that you want. Anyway, what'll you be having?" Pidge decided to answer first as she was already reading over the menu.
"I'll have a blueberry banana smoothie with a caesar salad," requested the smart brunette. "I'll also take an apple fritter." The cashier nodded her head as she entered the order.
"Alright." She finished typing before turning her attention to Mikey. "How about you, sir?" The ninja looked up as he got a better look at the menu. He smiled as he nodded his head.
"I'll have a sweet tea with a pizza sandwich," requested the boy. "For my dessert, I think I'll take the red velvet cookie with cream cheese chunks." The cashier nodded her head as she put in his order.
"Sounds delicious." She punched in some more buttons before entering a code. She smiled as the receipt printed. "We'll get that out to you soon. Please have a seat anywhere you'd like." The daters nodded as they quickly found a solo booth.
Outside, a very familiar scene was playing out. Leo, Raph, and Casey were currently sitting on a nearby roof, bags and drinks from the same shop sitting nearby. Leo was currently watching with binoculars while Raph and Casey were practicing more combat stances. Donnie was currently on his date with April, leaving the boys on their own. Leo suddenly smirked as he felt a familiar change in the air.
"Glad to see you could join us, Miwa," greeted the fearless leader. Raph and Casey suddenly stopped their practice, only for Karai to drop down in between them. The duo gasped as they moved away from her, spooked by her sudden arrival. She was wearing a black leather jacket with metal spikes on the shoulders, a gray t-shirt, blue-jeans, and black leather boots. She walked past them with a smug smirk before taking a seat next to Leo.
"Looks like you're watching something interesting," commented the girl. "You guys taking an interest in Michelangelo's dates again?" She earned a hum in response as Leo continued to watch over everything.
"Master's orders. After the last few incidents, we need to be ready to help Mikey at any moment we can." He removed a hand from the binoculars as he held up a bag from the cafe to his girlfriend. "A scone with some chocolate covered strawberries. The drink closest to you is an iced macchiato." Karai smirked at him as she took the bag.
"My, what a gentleman. Let me know when you're ready to take a break. I wanna see what this girl looks like, seeing as this has become a family affair." The duo idly chatted while Raph and Casey just watched on. Casey readied a hockey puck, aiming for Karai's head. He was stopped by Raph as the hothead grabbed his wrist lightly.
"Unless you want them both to kick your butt, I suggest not doing that," advised Raph. He let go as Casey slowly put the object away. "Let's just get back to practicing and wait for something to happen. Let the pairs of lovebirds have their time together." Casey nodded in response as he joined the hothead in more katas.
Back inside, Mikey and Pidge were enjoying the atmosphere of the cafe. It hadn't been long since they sat down, but it was clear that both of them were struggling to make the first move. Mikey was about to talk when Pidge decided to go first.
"So, tell me about yourself Mikey," requested the girl. "It must be interesting living in New York, given all of the superheroes." Mikey grinned as he nodded.
"It definitely is pretty cool," agreed the hidden turtle. "I've lived in New York my whole life and it's definitely crazy. Like my profile says I like gaming, DJing, and several other fun things. Of course my favorite thing is spending time with my bros." Mikey watched as Pidge's smile grew while looking down.
"I can understand that. I didn't say it on my profile, but my family is really important to me. I guess that applies both to my personal family and my found one." The turtle boy nodded in response, understanding exactly what she meant. Their conversation was interrupted as an employee walked up to the side counter.
"Order for Project Aphrodite users!" cried the man. "Nice and fresh!" Pidge was about to get up and retrieve it, only for Mikey to get up before her.
"Don't worry, Pidge," reassured the ninja. "I can go get it." He walked over before she could respond, making sure his pin was visible as he retrieved the order. "Thanks dude. Have a good one!"
The man nodded as he walked back to the barista machine. Mikey carefully carried the drink holder and the two bags as he approached his and Pidge's table. He smiled as he saw her typing away at what looked like a rather advanced device. "Here ya go!" He watched the girl quickly put the device back in her bag before nodding her head.
"Thanks," greeted Pidge. She smiled as the bag with her salad and apple fritter was placed in front of her. It didn't take the duo long to pull their food from the bags and begin to dig in. Mikey happily chewed on his sandwich as he watched Pidge take a bite of her salad. They remained like this for a bit before each of them were halfway through their meals. It was at this point that Mikey decided to speak up again as he took a drink of his tea.
"So, Pidge, what's your story? I saw that you were from Melenor, which apparently only popped up recently. What's it like there?" He watched his date give him an interested look for a moment as she chewed on her salad. She took a few seconds to swallow the food before nodding her head.
"It's a pretty neat place. It's not as condensed as New York but it's been able to build up nicely. My family and I played a big hand in getting things set up, which I will brag a bit that I helped get some important systems set up. I used to live in Italy before a trip with some friends of mine led me to build up my found-family." Mikey grinned as he nodded his head.
"It all sounds so cool! I wish I was smart enough to help with stuff like that. In my family I'm a bit of a clown, but I'm a clown with a purpose. I like to try and keep everyone smiling, especially when times are difficult." Pidge's smile grew as she leaned forward a bit.
"You sound like my friend Lance, only he's just trying to get with girls he thinks are cute." She suddenly looked down as a frown took over her face. "I'm gonna be honest, I figured you were going to be like him and my last few dates. The previous guys couldn't even read my profile beyond what I look like and what my username is. I could tell that they were thinking something else when they read that I'm Italian, though I haven't had a bad review yet so I guess they weren't complete jerks."
She rested her cheek in her hand as she looked down at the table. "You aren't like them though. You actually paid attention to my profile and haven't tried to get in my personal space. From what I can tell you're just being yourself." Mikey smiled as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I feel like you should just be yourself when trying to find that perfect someone. Sure you shouldn't show off everything as there are some things you don't show until you really know someone, but you shouldn't try to be something you're not. Whether it's a friendship or a relationship, being yourself is key to making real connections. Like how I didn't try to hype myself up as some super genius to match your profile when I'm not the smart one of my brothers." He watched his date send him a smile as she placed a hand on his wrist.
"Well even if you aren't the smartest, that sounded pretty wise to me." Mikey blushed as he looked down at his meal. He looked up as his date sat up a bit. "Let's finish up and go for a walk. I wanna see as much of this city as I can before I have to leave." The hidden turtle grinned as he nodded his head.
"Sounds good! I'll be happy to be your guide of the Big Apple!" Pidge chuckled a bit at his goofiness. It didn't take long for the duo to finish their meals, leaving a tip before walking out. As they exited, Leo and Karai quickly moved back from where they could be seen.
Leo was about to say something when he noticed something concerning. Two individuals walked out a minute after them, two older teens if he had to guess. One of them was skinny with tan skin and brown hair. He was wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt, a white hooded jacket, blue jeans, and black tennis shoes. It was clear that he was the leader of the duo as he shushed his companion.
The second guy was a larger, heavy set fellow with mahogany skin and dark brown hair. He wore a yellow long-sleeve shirt, a green polar vest with shoulder pads, frumpy brown pants with knee pads, gray boots with orange straps, and a gray belt with mechanic's satchels on each hip. He was obviously uncomfortable as he looked like he was being chewed out for his outfit. Karai joined Leo in glaring as she hissed, her eyes turning slitted. The duo looked back at Casey and Raph, the training duo having stopped as soon as they heard the girl hiss.
"They're on the move, and they're being tailed by two larger guys," informed the leader of the group. "We move out now." Raph nodded as he quickly followed the couple. Casey did his best to keep up as the group traveled across rooftops. Thankfully they were close enough together to where he didn't have to worry as much about missing the jump.
The group followed Mikey and his date for a while, watching over their second set of observers and the events of the date moving forward. Mikey did a rather good job as a tour guide, introducing Pidge to a lot of the fun things to do around town. Sometimes he'd bring her to an area that was more tech based, bringing about her energetic side as they looked around the place. It would take them a while to actually leave the store and continue with their walk, but Mikey didn't seem to mind.
In fact, unknown to them, the blonde was having a blast just hanging around with Pidge. He now understood why April liked to hang around with Donnie. The way Katie's face would light up every time she saw something that peaked her interest was honestly adorable to him. It was honestly nice just getting to be around her. They grew closer to the Central Park area, only for Mikey to stop as he noticed something.
"WHOA! When did that get there!?" His eyes were set on a massive green and white mechanical lion that was laying down amongst some nearby trees. He didn't get a response from Pidge, causing him to turn her direction. "Do you see that huge lion robot!?" The girl quickly sent him a nervous smile as she shook her head.
"Mikey, there's nothing there," informed the girl. Mikey looked back in an effort to correct her, only for the robot to be gone. He rubbed his head as he looked around the area.
"I could have sworn I saw a huge robot lion. It was green and everything." Pidge began to pull on his arm as she dragged him towards Central Park.
"Let's not worry about it! I wanna see the Central Park Zoo! I heard they have a pretty cool lion there." Mikey gave the area one more look before smiling and following his date. The unknown human duo who were following them quickly popped out from an alleyway, having been hiding in case they were spotted.
"That was too close, Lance!" cried the heavy set guy. "We were almost caught! Let's just head home and let Pidge have her date in peace. If Shiro found out we followed her he'll…" The skinny guy turned towards the bigger fellow as he held up his hands.
"They'll never find out, Hunk," whispered Lance. "As long as you don't go blabbering to them about it, we'll be fine. Plus, you saw how Pidge looked after those first few dates. I don't wanna take any chances." Hunk suddenly waved his hands as he shook his head.
"I know, but I can't help but get the feeling that we're being watched! It's eating at me man!" Lance didn't give Hunk time to explain himself anymore as he pulled him along.
"They're going to the zoo so we can get some cotton candy or popcorn there to get it off your mind! Let's move before we lose them!" The duo were soon out of the alleyway and back onto the sidewalk, tailing their targets. Once they were far enough away, the Hamato clan members stepped out of the shadows and looked their way. Casey let loose a sigh of relief as he wiped sweat from his brow.
"Well at least they're not enemies," stated the hockey player. "I say all's well that ends well." Raph looked towards him with a deep frown.
"You've seen what we can do when we think a family member or friend is in danger, right?" questioned the hothead. "We can't take any chances." Casey was about to object, only for Leo to nod his head.
"Raph's right," agreed the leader. "We can't take chances that they'll turn hostile. Looks like we're heading for the zoo." Casey groaned as he leaned forward, wanting this to be over. Karai smirked as she suddenly grabbed Leo by the arm, pulling him along.
"Sounds nice, in spite of the reasoning," agreed the daughter of Splinter. "I haven't actually been to the Central Park Zoo before. I'll buy the popcorn." Leo blushed as she continued to pull him along. Raph growled as he watched this, feeling like a fifth wheel as he and Casey followed after them.
Soon everyone was on the ground as they made their way into the zoo. Mikey couldn't help but show his excitement as he hadn't been able to visit the Central Park Zoo as a paying guest before. He and Pidge visited everywhere they could, starting with the penguin exhibit. The penguins were acting weirdly as they seemed to just be standing and waving, though they were still adorable. Mikey could have sworn a crazy looking one among them was looking at him like he was a suspicious character as they moved on. The others approached just as the duo moved on, getting a good look at the birds.
"Oh I remember these guys," stated Casey. "They're always doing weird things, like stealing spoons from kids that get too close or disappearing when no one is looking. I swear it's almost like they think they're a military commando squad or something." His comments were not given replies as the group continued onwards. Casey looked back for a moment, noticing that one of them disappeared again before shaking his head and moving on.
There were several other interesting exhibits to be found, each one garnering the excitement of Mikey and the interest of Pidge. There were Lemurs that appeared to be living the life of the party, elephants that seemed rather bored, a polar bear that seemed rather sleepy, and even a dolphin named Flippy that was visiting. They finally circled back around as they came upon a four way connection. The first section they approached was a pool area that had a hippo living in it. Mikey hummed as he looked over a plaque nearby.
"It says here her name is Gloria," read the hidden turtle. "Apparently she's a bit of a diva and loves the attention." The hippo seemed to understand him as she waddled over in her pool with a bit of a miffed face. "What's up girl?" Pidge smirked as she bumped him playfully on the arm.
"She doesn't like that you called her a diva, goofball," guessed the tech girl. She leaned forward as she got a closer look at the hippo. "You look great, girl. Keep up the good work." The hippo seemed satisfied with this as she took a dive under the water. Mikey chuckled as he shook his head.
"Should've known that's what it was. Nice catch, Pidge." His date sent him a small smile as she rubbed her arm. The duo then moved over to the next area, becoming a bit more concerned. It looked like a giraffe was being given medical attention by a few vets, one of the men waving at the duo.
"Hey there!" greeted the man. "Don't worry about old Melvine here. He may act like he's sick but he's just a big crybaby. Most of the time nothing's actually wrong with him, but I think he likes the attention a bit too much." Mikey grinned as he nodded his head.
"That's a relief. It looked like something serious for a moment." The vet nodded his head before returning to the examination of the giraffe. The duo were about to get a good look at the lion, only to hear an excited huffing nearby. This was soon followed by a horse-like neigh, the duo moving that way to see what was going on.
What they came upon was a zebra running around with a few others, apparently racing each other. Mikey grinned as they ran by, each of them getting some water in their mouth. The creatures suddenly stopped racing as they moved back and forth a bit. The zebras suddenly turned to the duo before spitting on them. Pidge sounded her disgust as she took a few steps back.
"Eww!" cried the girl. "This is a nice shirt! Now it's covered in zebra spit." Mikey frowned as he immediately began to take off his overshirt. He quickly draped it around her, causing her to look at him with a bit of a blush.
"Here. I'm sure we can find a shirt for you to change into at the gift shop. If not, you can take the shirt home with you. I can always get another one." He watched his date smile a bit as she nodded her head.
"Thanks. Let's just go see this lion." Mikey escorted his date away from the zebra enclosure, looking back with a frown. He was a bit weirded out when it looked like the middle one of the creatures was winking at him. He decided to ignore the strange moment as he looked forward.
Nearby, Casey was goofing around as he was messing with some chimps. Raph just rolled his eyes as he waited for the situation to blow up in the boy's face. Leo and Karai were keeping their focus on Mikey and Pidge as they stood side by side, some cotton candy in hand. While this was technically a mission tasked to them by Splinter, the cool duo couldn't help but treat this like a date of their own. Karai smirked as Leo took a bite of cotton candy.
"Who knew that Mikey could pull the moves on a girl?" questioned the daughter of Splinter. "I swear it's like he's been dating for a long time." Leo smiled as he nodded his head.
"He's matured a lot ever since he started the service," agreed the sword user. "I think dealing with his breakup and actually taking time to think things over has helped him a bit. He's still childish and goofy, but I think he's become wiser than he gives himself credit for. I'm sure that if he keeps this up he's going to make whichever girl he picks very happy." Karai nodded as she grabbed a bit of cotton candy herself.
Suddenly the duo noticed Lance and Hunk walking over, though it was clear that the duo was trying to get a better look at Mikey and Pidge than actually noticing the group. Lance suddenly looked towards the nearby chimp enclosure as Casey had his fill. He smirked as he walked over, getting a better look at the animals. He began to mess with them himself, actually being more annoying than Casey. He barely paid attention as the chimp grabbed something off the floor of the enclosure, earning a grin from Raph.
"Wait for it," whispered the hot head. Casey looked at him in confusion, only to turn around and smirk as he noticed what was about to happen. "Wait for it." Lance turned to look at Hunk for a moment, missing that the chimp was winding up. The tan guy turned around just in time as the chimp threw something at him, screaming like a girl as the object splattered on his face.
"GAH!" cried Lance. "I got monkey crap on my face!" He suddenly began to heave like he was going to puke and ran for the bathroom, Hunk not far behind. Raph and Casey suddenly burst out laughing, clutching at their guts. Casey was the first of the duo to calm down a bit as he pointed to where Lance went.
"Crap bomb, critical hit!" cried the vigilante. "Hope he has deodorant and some body soap!" The rough duo began to laugh again as Leo rolled his eyes. Karai chuckled at the scene, more entertained by her family than what happened. They decided to give the duo a break as the quartet followed Mikey and his date.
As this was going on, Mikey and Pidge were approaching the area with the lion. They were surprised to see that the enclosure had a huge rock in the center of it. The lion could be seen walking around the bottom, a rather large male with a good sized mane to him. There were a few toys that were definitely meant for him to entertain himself with, though it looked like he was waiting for a certain time. Mikey hummed as he looked at the lion.
"I wonder what the big guy's waiting for," commented the hidden turtle. "Is it feeding time soon?" Pidge hummed at his side, sharing his confusion. She decided to pull out her device as she looked it up. She smiled as she nodded her head.
"Apparently he's a bigger ham than you are," joked the girl. "He has a few performances that he does for guests, and one's coming up soon." Mikey suddenly looked her way with a huge grin.
"No way! We totally gotta see it! I bet we'll get a good view if we wait long enough." He watched his date nod her head in agreement. Before they could begin the waiting period, however, her device suddenly went off.
"This is Shiro to Pidge, Lance, and Hunk!" cried a voice on the other end of the device. "We have a code V situation! Repeat, we have a code V situation!" Mikey frowned as he watched Pidge's eyes widen. He crossed his arms as he looked at the device.
"Code V? What's that about?" He watched Pidge look his way with a sad frown.
"It means that I gotta get home," revealed the girl. "That usually means there's a family emergency. I had hoped I could stay out longer, but now I need to get to my flight sooner than I thought. I'm sorry Mikey." The hidden turtle smiled sadly as he nodded his head.
"I understand, Pidge. Family's important and it sounds like they need you back. I'll walk you to the street so that you can get a ride there." His date nodded as they walked away from the enclosure. They were quickly followed by the others, Lance and Hunk suddenly running by Leo and Karai.
"Scuze us!" cried Hunk. "Emergency!" The human duo ran in a different direction from Mikey and Pidge, seeming to be in a hurry. Leo nodded, realizing that Lance and Hunk wouldn't be a problem from here on. Raph crossed his arms as he nodded his head.
"Sounds like their date's about over," stated the hothead. "If we wanna get back before he suspects anything, we need to move now." The group nodded as they quickly made their way for the nearest manhole cover. Leo and Karai lagged behind a bit as they kept their eyes on the dating duo. The active couple nodded their heads before following Raph and Casey, holding hands along the way.
Back with Mikey, he quickly waved down a taxi for Pidge to take to the airport. The vehicle was making its way over, but traffic was a bit heavy with the people coming to Central Park at this time. He looked back at her with a small smile.
"It'll be here soon. I gotta say, this was pretty fun in spite of the short ending." Pidge sent him a small smile.
"I couldn't agree more," stated the brunette. "Best date that I've had so far. You sure know how to give a girl the New York experience. I should probably give this back to you now." She was about to take it off when Mikey waved his hand in dismissal.
"Nah! It's good! Like I said, I can always get another. Besides… your shirt's a bit see through and I'm trying not to look as it is." Pidge suddenly blushed as she quickly buttoned up the dress shirt she was given.
"Oh gosh! I'm glad you caught that! Guess I owe you one." Mikey shook his head in denial just as the cab pulled up to the side of the road. He quickly opened the door for her.
"The date was already fun enough as it is. You don't owe me anything, Pidge." His date smiled at him as she walked a bit closer.
"You know, I wouldn't mind you calling me Katie more often. It'd feel more personal, even if we don't end up dating. Gotta say though…" She suddenly kissed the boy on the cheek, causing the hairs on his head to raise a bit as he blushed. "You make one darn good impression."
Mikey tried to find the words to say in response, only to fumble his words. Katie chuckled at his goofiness before getting into the cab. "Hopefully I'll see you again some time, Mikey." Mikey could only nod his head dumbly while mumbling "bye" as the girl shut the door of the cab. The vehicle took off, taking a turn back in the way they came from.
Mikey smiled as he rubbed the area on his cheek. He looked up at the sky, only to realize what time it was. He walked over to where some trees could hide his presence before quickly speeding off with his super speed. He had to get back before sun down, otherwise Splinter would grow worried about him. The turtle boy quickly entered the sewers through a large pipe, the thought of his date with Katie still fresh in his mind.
-To be Continued-
Next time on The Many Dates of a Ninja Turtle
My Date with the Witch
And that's another date and chapter out of the way. It was a rather nice date without combat, a great way to start off this month's round of chapters. No one got the fact that it was Katie Holt (Pidge) from Voltron: Legendary Defender on the first try, though some fun guesses were thrown around. There was also a bit of Madagascar thrown in for fun, though it's more of an easter egg than the actual series being involved. Either way, I think this chapter was rather entertaining.
Before ending off, I have an announcement. From here on, thanks to an idea from my beta reader, I'm going to have each past rating for a date be at the end of every chapter. The current date will be displayed, but they will not have their rating until the following chapter. This is because I want to hear from you guys how you think Mikey will rate the dates. It's not anything huge, but I figured it'd be good to help keep up with things.
In any case, what did you think about the date? Did you like how Mikey and Pidge handled it? How do you think Mikey will rate this date? Let me know what you think down below and let me know who you think Mikey's next date will be. This is Inkaliber, signing off.
Date Ratings:
Miyako Gotokuji (Bubbles): 9
Marcy Wu: 10
Mabel Pines: 8
DeeDee: 1
Star Butterfly: 10
Jubilation Lee: 8
Katie Holt (Pidge): ?
