Rating: PG (subject to change as the story progresses)

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. Star Trek, Doctor Who and Star Wars do not belong to me either (except for my dvds and videos of them of course XD)

Summary: For months now, Mikey's been through hell with no one to count on but himself. But now that he's finally been rescued there's two problems; he's still desperately missing his family and he has no way home. No OC's. 2k3/2k12 crossover.

Comments, thoughts and concrit is always welcome.

* If you ever see my stories posted anywhere other than under the name Zelgadis55 at Deviant Art, FFNet, AO3 or Live Journal, then they have been stolen. Please report them.

A/N: Thanks to all of you who have commented, faved or followed this story already! I've never had so much interest in a story in such a short time (1 chapter) as this one before. It's a great feeling whenever I see messages informing me. Thanks again guys!

AOtGO – Aftermath

Ch 2

Date : 18th Sept

Leo gave a sharp nod. "Right! Donnie, you stay here and wait with Mikey, while Raph and I go for the Shellraiser."

And with that, Leonardo and Raphael split off, racing across their rooftop playground for home.

Mikey watched Leo and Raph gracefully leap from rooftop to rooftop until they disappeared into the darkness, then he settled back down on the parapet, feet dangling lazily over the side once more.

Looking up briefly from where he stood fiddling with the remnants of Metalhead, Donnie suddenly spoke, "Um, it might be wiser if you moved away from the edge... Mikey."

Opening his eyes, Mikey turned to look curiously at the astoundingly tall turtle who seemed to tower over, not just himself, but his other-dimensional brothers also. "Why?" he asked curiously, his voice a little hoarse from both tiredness and the fact it had been hours since he'd last had anything to drink; once the Kraang had implanted that terrible device in his forehead, he hadn't even been able to eat or drink without their direction, let alone do anything else. Mikey tried to suppress his shudder at the disturbing memory.

Donnie stared back, astonished. "Why?" he echoed, his voice sounding a little tetchy. "You're barely even awake by the look of you. It doesn't take a genius to realise it wouldn't take much for you to lose balance and fall right now."

For a moment, Mikey saw himself falling once more, the ground rapidly rushing to meet him with nothing in reach to arrest his fall. He quickly shook off the memory of the terrifying moment that had led to his recapture... and the metallic cast they had leashed him with... "Nuh, I've got awesome balance, dude," he chuckled dismissively, making light of the situation. "But yeah, okay. I was just enjoying the feeling of actually being free again, you know?"

Donnie nodded numbly. "There are other ways to enjoy freedom than by foolishly risking your life like that."

Mikey tried to smile broadly, but it didn't feel right on his face. "True Donnie, but what better way to feel free than by living on the edge?" he asked even as he carefully turned around and slid down to the rooftop itself. He leant his shell against the small wall encircling the roof, and lay his head on his knees.

Donnie lowered his gaze back to the precious bundle held in his large hands but didn't answer. The silence stretched uncomfortably until Donnie finally decided to break it again. With a brief flicker of eyes to the other turtle, he sat nearby and softly asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Mikey didn't need to ask what his other-dimensional brother meant. "Nuh, it's way too fresh, dude."

For a moment the silence between them stretched once more before Mikey sat up, and looking at Donnie hesitantly spoke. "Hey... um Don... I'm really sorry, dude."

"Sorry for what?" Donnie echoed in surprise, meeting Mikey's eyes for the first time and struck by the pain in those bright blue eyes which were both so familiar, yet so alien to him.

"If... if it wasn't for me, you and your bros could still be out looking for your own brother..." Mikey trailed off. He felt horrible that they'd had to stop their search just for his sake, even though he knew how badly he needed them right now.

Donatello shrugged. "Don't worry about it, it's not your fault," he assured. "Besides, after what happened tonight, we would have been heading home anyway." Donnie clutched the head a little closer. Metalhead was more than just another invention to him; the little automaton had developed a personality of sorts and more so, had been their key to helping to find their missing brother... and now...

Mikey noticed Donnie's fixation and nodded to the broken head. "Why are you so down about the little metal dude?" he asked, before quickly adding, "I mean, if you're anything like my Donnie, I know you poured your heart and soul into building him, assuming you built him that is... but you can always rebuild, right?"

"Maybe..." Donnie muttered before speaking louder. "Yes, I could easily rebuild his body, but I'd have to do it from scratch as it blew up back there and this is all that's left," he explained as he briefly held the head towards Michelangelo.

"Unfortunately though, I don't really have the time to find the parts I'd need, let alone actually rebuild him completely..." Donnie shook his head sadly. "The real problem however, is that I don't know how much damage was done to the circuitry of his head... to his programming... and he might never be the same."

"Oh..."

Donnie sighed. "I've had Metalhead a long time now, the better part of a year in fact... but I recently finished upgrading him so he could help with our search for Michelangelo," he continued, explaining sadly. "Metalhead was the one that led us to the Kraang prison to help you and the other captured mutants, and then... he sacrificed himself so we could all make it out again."

"I'm really sorry, Don, I had no idea," Mikey murmured softly. He moved closer to Donatello and reached out a hand to touch Metalhead reverently. "I owe the little guy then. I really hope you can fix him."

Donnie smiled, touched by the understanding and empathy Mikey shared, despite whatever hell he'd just been through.

"Tell me about your family," Donnie asked, quickly changing the subject. "Are they much different to us?"

Mikey laughed tiredly and leaned back against the wall once more. "How am I supposed to answer that, Donnie-boy? I don't even know you guys yet."

Donnie half chuckled back, "That's true."

"I can tell you this much though, you dudes look totally different to my bros," Mikey said. He closed his eyes once more, suddenly unable to keep them open any longer and tilted his head back to rest against the parapet.

-:-

After racing all the way, Leo and Raph finally reached home, but instead of entering through the old turnstiles, they went straight to the garage. Within moments, they were inside the Shellraiser and Leo was switching on the engine. As he pressed the accelerator to drive off, Master Splinter appeared in front of the vehicle, looking up expectantly into Leonardo's eyes.

Suppressing a sigh, Leo switched the engine back off and slid out of the vehicle. "Master Splinter," he greeted, with a small bow of respect. Raphael followed suit, trying to hide his annoyance at the interruption.

"You just arrived home, yet you are leaving again? Where are you going?"

"Back out, Sensei. We needed the Shellraiser so... Raph and I returned to get it."

Splinter's eyes peered from one brother to the other, taking in the fact there were only the two of them present. "Where is Donatello? Is he with Michelangelo?" His voice was so full of hope that Leo couldn't help but cringe.

"Ever since the three of you left tonight, I have had the strongest feeling that tonight would finally be the night you would find your brother. Is this why you have returned home for the Shellraiser, my sons?"

"Um... about that..." Leo began, wringing his hands anxiously and looking to Raph for help that his brother couldn't and wouldn't provide. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for explaining to their anxious father. "We still haven't been able to find our Mikey yet, but... we did find another Mikey..."

Splinter's drooping ears twitched. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded.

"We found another mutant turtle called Michelangelo who claims he's from another dimension," Raph blurted out impatiently.

Splinter's stare fixed on Leonardo, silently demanding further explanation.

"Metalhead led us to a Kraang prison tonight, Master Splinter," Leo explained. "There was quite a number of mutants being held prisoner there, including such evil doers as Snakeweed, Spiderbytes and Slash."

"Don't lump Slash in there with them!" Raph spat angrily. Truth be told, after what happened the day Spike mutated, Raph had mixed feelings about his former pet, but tonight, Slash had not only helped him during the escape, but seemed to harbour no ill feelings for what happened before.

Leonardo ignored Raphael's outburst and continued as calmly as he could. "There were also a number of mutants we haven't come across before, and some friends... like Doctor Rockwell and Mr. O'Neil... The Michelangelo we found was among the prisoners and had been for a long time."

"How long?"

"He's not sure but from what he said, probably at least seven months," Leo explained. "He knows when he was taken, but that doesn't take into account the chance of a time difference between our two dimensions."

Raph looked to Leo incredulously. "I don't remember Donnie saying anything like that."

"He didn't need to, Raph," Leo replied, glancing at his brother. "I've seen enough 'Space Heroes' and other sci-fi to know that time in other dimensions doesn't always run parallel."

"You're seriously basing your 'science' off of a stupid TV show?" Raph exploded. "Do you know how cracked that sounds? It's almost as bad as learning how to be a leader from Captain Ryan's example!" he spat.

Leonardo whirled to face Raphael. "I know it's fiction, Raphael, but it's science fiction! Even Donnie said some stuff is based on..."

"Enough!" Splinter commanded sharply, his hand held to his head wearily.

"Sorry, Sensei," both Leo and Raph echoed, chagrined.

"Anyway Master Splinter," Leo continued a moment later, "the point is that he's been a prisoner there a long time and now finds himself in the wrong reality. He's got nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Except for us."

"So it appears," Splinter agreed, arching his brow. "So where is he now?"

"Waiting for us to come fetch him in the Shellraiser," Leo replied, trying not to shuffle his feet where he stood. "He's been through a lot and probably wouldn't have managed to make it back here across the rooftops. Donatello is waiting with him."

"Then I suggest you go pick them up."

"Hai, Sensei!"

Leo and Raph scrambled back into the waiting vehicle and drove off as Splinter stood aside and watched.

"He must be who I have been sensing all this time," Splinter said aloud to the empty room, once the Shellraiser disappeared from view.

Then he turned and slowly headed back into the lair.

-:-

"Hey! Don't go to sleep, Mikey!" Donatello suddenly snapped in alarm as he saw the other turtle's head beginning to nod.

"But I'm so tired..." Mikey whined petulantly without opening his eyes. It felt like forever since he'd been able to do anything he wanted and right now, all he wanted was to sleep and try to put his whole living nightmare behind him.

"I understand that," Donnie snapped again, not even trying to mask his annoyance. "However, this is not the time, nor place to sleep!"

"Heh... you sound crotchety, bro..."

"I am not your bro!"

"Chill Donnie, you kinda are, in an interdimensional way." Mikey yawned, trying to pry his eyelids open and failing. "Besides, it's just an expression. Kinda like dude."

Donatello breathed in sharply, then more calmly, added, "I need you to keep awake, or when Leo and Raph return, we'll have trouble getting you back down to street level."

Mikey swayed slightly where he sat and fought another yawn, not even bothering to cover his mouth. "How long until they get back?" he mumbled through it curiously.

Donnie stared off in the direction his brothers had run in. "Under normal circumstances, assuming they didn't run into any Foot or Kraang activity, they should be arriving with the Shellraiser any minute now. However, the chances are good that they've been waylaid by Master Splinter."

"If so, how long?" Mikey asked again, feeling a pang of longing at the mention of his father's name.

"... At the absolute most, I would think another fifteen to twenty minutes."

Mikey nodded then struggled to his feet. "Let's head down now then. Otherwise, I'll fall asleep before they get here."

Donnie sighed and fidgeted. "I really don't think it would be wise to head down before Leo and Raph return for us," he said, restraining himself from mentioning about Michelangelo's current state making it dangerous to climb back down without backup.

"Nope! Gotta move now, dude!" Mikey headed for the fire-escape, staring down into the darkness of the alley below. 'At least this isn't a tall building,' he thought, swallowing at the sight. It had been difficult enough climbing up as his exhaustion caught up with him, and though Donnie hadn't said anything, he could definitely understand the other turtle's concern. "It's either we go down now or someone carries me down later, and you're way too skinny to carry both me and Metalhead," he added, forcing a cheeky bounce into his tone.

"I'm not skinny, I'm svelte!"

Mikey winced, holding onto the top of the ladder as he stepped out. He'd meant it to sound teasing, not strike a nerve. "Sorry Donnie... I didn't meant to upset you by calling you skinny. It's not like I said scrawny or anything, which you're totally not, by the way!" he added quickly, worried about that being taken the wrong way too.

Donnie sighed again. "Just come back onto the roof, Mikey."

Mikey tossed him a surprised look, then nodded as he saw how serious Donatello was.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just that I've often been picked on for my lack of build over the years," Donnie apologised. "Now... uh... I don't mean to imply you are incapable or anything, but you are obviously not in any state to climb down safely right now. I'd feel better if we had a safety line between us, just in case." As he spoke, Donnie pulled out his grappling gun and pulled free the rope.

"It's okay, don't tell anyone but I think I'd feel better about it too," Mikey agreed reluctantly. He hoped however, that the precaution wouldn't prove necessary, or if it did, that Donnie wouldn't be hurt trying to help him. "As for being uh... svelte? At least you can reach stuff on the top shelf, right dude?" he laughed, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Donnie smiled tightly as he began securing one end of the rope around Mikey.

"Anyway, so you're not Raphie, who'd wanna be, right?" Mikey continued, shrugging. "You're probably stronger than anyone else besides him anyway, right?"

Donnie froze, staring at Mikey in astonishment, even as he wished Mikey would just drop the subject. "I doubt very much that I'm stronger than Leo."

"If you're anything like my Donnie, I bet you are." Mikey allowed a smile to play across his face. "I mean, not counting that heavy bo you're always swinging around, what about the heavy machinery you're always playing with? You do play with heavy machinery, right?" Mikey asked, glancing at Metalhead's remains where they rested nearby.

"At times, yes. However, I use a gear and pulley system to aid me," Donnie admitted, now finishing tying the other end to himself. He gave an experimental tug on both ends before, satisfied, tying the severed head to his shell. "Okay, we should be good to go. I'll go down first. That way, if the worst should come to pass, I'll have more time to react."

Mikey nodded, swallowing, and waited for Donnie to step onto the ladder before following him.

-:-

The journey down was a harrowing one. Through his exhaustion, Mikey missed his step a couple of times but luckily didn't fall. However, he couldn't help the brief memories of falling that plagued his vision on both occasions as he clutched desperately at the rungs. He swallowed again, wondering if this was how Leo used to feel before their father tricked him into getting over his fear of heights. Once on the ground, Mikey closed his eyes, leaning his head against the cool brick as he tried to push away his nausea.

He truly wasn't afraid of the thought of heights, but still, that memory kept haunting him. All he could hope was that it was due to his tiredness and that it would leave him alone once he caught up on some sleep and recovered some.

"Are you okay?" Donnie suddenly asked quietly, making Mikey jump. He began reattaching the rope to the grapple gun.

Mikey nodded, pushing himself away from the wall. "Yeah, I'm fine, Don," he reassured. Then to distract himself from how he felt, he added, "I seriously can't get over how tall you are! What's your secret, dude, and is it too late for me to do it too?"

Donnie simply gave Mikey an 'Are you serious?' look, then turned away, watching the open end of the alley for his brothers.

Sighing at the lack of response, Mikey wracked his brain for something else to talk about. "You know, my bros and I have been to a few other dimensions before and met other versions of us and they always looked like us. Well, sort of anyway. One dimension I went to, our counterparts had awesome superpowers that changed their appearances, that was so cool, but they still looked the same when they weren't in costume or using their powers. So how come you dudes look so different when they didn't?"

Donnie was quiet for a moment. "I could go into the science of it if you like, but that would take hours and we really wouldn't have time for that right now. Not to mention, I'm not certain how much of it you would even understand anyway."

"Ouch!" Mikey chuckled, putting his hands over his heart to dramatise how he'd been wounded. Honestly, he knew basic reasons why, he did read comics after all. Though while the other-dimensional counterparts usually looked pretty much the same in his books too, that he mostly put down to laziness on the creator's parts, just like in cartoons when characters flashbacked to memories of their younger selves, yet still had the exact same hairstyles or clothing as when they were older. "Just keep it simple enough for my poor, tired brain to understand then, dude," he suggested, leaning back again.

"Okay, I'll try," Donnie agreed dubiously. "One possibility is that we may have started out as different species of turtles to one another."

"My Donnie believes we were red-eared sliders before we changed," Mikey piped up. He clasped his hands in front and stretched his arms, as much for something to do as keeping himself awake.

Donnie nodded, "That's probably it then, since I suspect we were mutated from the diamondback terrapin, although..." Then he shook his head, reminding himself that they didn't have time for him to go into depth.

"There are also other possible factors, such as that the mutagen can have extremely unpredictable results. My theory is that it has a lot to do with the DNA of whatever living thing a person or creature was last in contact with, but even then, that doesn't necessary explain a couple of the wilder mutations we've come across," he explained, thinking of Timothy as he answered.

"Also, we recently discovered that the Kraang are trying to perfect the mutagen to give a specific result when used, so the chemical structure of it changes with each batch, resulting in vastly different results each time."

Mikey froze upon hearing their name. "They're responsible for the mutagen in this world?" he asked carefully, a slight quaver to his voice.

"Yes," Donnie replied shortly. He turned to look at Mikey. "You seem surprised."

"Kinda, I guess... The Utrom made it back home by accident." Mikey shrugged, trying to act like what Donnie just said didn't phase him. "They look like the evil cousins of the Utrom, so I guess it makes sense." As a cold breeze whipped down the alley, he shivered and once more wrapped his arms around himself, this time for warmth, or so he told himself.

"Evil cousins?" Donnie asked incredulously, as if implying what Mikey was saying was nonsense.

"Yeah! Kinda like the Romulans to the Vulcans in 'Star Trek'," Mikey eagerly explained, ignoring the other turtle's tone. "Well, I know the Romulans themselves aren't actually evil, it's just their leadership that is, but you get the point, right?"

"I'm afraid I don't," Donnie shook his head. "I can't say I've ever heard of 'Star Trek'."

"No!" Mikey gasped in horror. "Seriously, dude? My Donnie and I used to watch that together all the time! It was our thing!"

"Sorry. Maybe it just isn't that well known."

"Not well known? Donnie! It's only one of the biggest and best known sci-fi ever made, right up there with 'Doctor Who' and 'Star Wars'!"

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of any of those either."

"And you're not gonna get the chance to know 'em now, turtle!" a voice sneered from between the two mutants and the street.

As Donnie whirled to meet the threat, Mikey pushed himself away from the wall holding him up while his hands automatically clutched at the remains of his 'chucks. He peered into the darkness at the three menacing figures blocking their way.

"Fong!" Donnie stated in disgust.

"Hey look, Fong! It's the weak one!" another laughed derisively. "This'll be a piece of cake!"

"And some other mutant freak," the third figure sneered. "This's our lucky night!"

Mikey leaned forward to Donnie's ear slit, "Who are they?"

"Purple Dragons."

Mikey stared incredulously into the gloom. "Those lame-os are Dragons? Where's the rest of their gang?"

"That is their gang."

Mikey couldn't help but laugh. "Really? Just three lame losers? Those are the fearsome Purple Dragons of this world?" He gripped the two handles he held in a firm but relaxed grip as he stepped up beside Donnie.

"Take them!" Fong ordered, annoyed by Mikey's mocking words.

"This is gonna be too easy!" Mikey grinned with anticipation.

"Leave them to me," Donnie commanded, his bo held ready in front.

"No way, dude!" Mikey retorted, taking a step forward to meet the first onrushing assailant. "I can help!"

"You're in no shape to help!" Donnie shot back sharply. He immediately barred Mikey's progress with his bo, pushing him back. Then he snapped the same end of his weapon forwards, across the knuckles of the smaller oncomer.

"Don't advertise it, dude!" Mikey gaped in disbelief that Donnie would give away a weakness so easily to the enemy. "Besides, I'm fine! I'm just tired, not an invalid!"

"Mikey," Donnie warned, irritated, but Mikey ignored him.

"Besides, there's only three of them and the Battle Nexus Champion has more than enough energy to help take out some lame Dragons!" With that, Mikey immediately dashed around Donnie, heading straight for the largest of the Dragons. Relief coursed through him when he noticed that it wasn't Hun. While he felt okay enough to help take on the three punks threatening them, he knew he was in no state for a major fight. He hit out with the weapon on his right, quickly knocking the knife from the hand of the oversized Dragon.

"Nice to see you listen to reason as little as my own brother does too!" Donnie snapped irritably as he whirled his staff, cracking it sharply against his opponent's stomach.

Hurriedly sidestepping, Mikey pushed away the nausea he felt from his quick movement and desperate need for sleep, and spun, aiming a high kick at the chest of his opponent to knock him down.

"Yes, there may be only three of them, as you so obviously observed, Michelangelo, however, you couldn't even handle the Kraang and they don't know how to even think for themselves!"

Mikey gasped as his foot was caught in a giant, meaty hand. A spilt second later, he found himself being picked up and flung heavily at the nearby wall. Somehow, he was able to twist in time to plant his feet on the wall and bounce off. At that moment, Mikey wasn't sure which stung more, the insensitive words coming from Donnie of all turtles, or the fact that he realised he wasn't even capable of using half of his normal speed right now. That Dragon was no Hun, and he should never have been able to catch his foot mid kick so easily.

"You've got no idea what I can and can't handle and you don't know a thing about what happened to me, dude!" Mikey cried, unable to keep from turning to yell back at Donnie and completely forgetting about the danger they were in. "You've got no cl...urk" Mikey's heated words were cut short as he was suddenly hit from behind. He fell to the ground, the remains of his precious weapons falling from his hand. Before he could move, he felt cold steel pressed against his throat. Mikey froze and glanced up, seeing his adversary grinning maliciously down at him. He swallowed nervously as the human placed a foot on his shell, ensuring he couldn't move without risking being cut deeply by the blade.

"Mikey!" Donnie cried out in sudden alarm, noticing the other turtle's predicament after he abruptly fell silent mid rant. He took a step towards him.

"Drop the stick, turtle..."

"Bo," Donnie interjected petulantly.

"...or the other freak gets it!" Fong commanded, smirking in triumph from where he stood between them and the end of the alley, gloating.

"Donnie, don't..." Mikey croaked, trying desperately to keep still.

Donnie automatically dropped his weapon and backed away from it.

"Good. Now join the new freak," Fong demanded, and Donnie slowly started walking to where Mikey was being held down.

Suddenly a faint whistle of air sounded and the Dragon holding the knife to Mikey jerked, yelping in pain. Mikey winced but didn't make a sound as the blade held against him nicked his skin.

"If you losers don't back off, you'll all be sporting grins from a second mouth in your throats!"

"Great! The psycho one arrived," Fong groaned, turning to face the entrance of the alley.

Without moving, Mikey flicked his gaze over to see Leo and Raph only paces from Fong, weapons held menacingly as they moved closer.

"Whadda we do, boss?" Mikey's captor asked worriedly. "I've still got this one," he reminded, pressing the knife a little closer.

"... Let the freak go, Sid," Fong reluctantly replied moments later as Raph held a sai threateningly against his own face. "They'll all get theirs next time!"

Mikey breathed a sigh of relief as the knife was finally removed and the three Dragons ran, one shoving roughly past Leo and the other two giving Leo and Raph a wide berth. He groped around for his fallen weapons and pulled himself slowly back to his feet.

"Are you two alright?" Leo asked in concern, gazing from Donnie to Mikey and back again.

"I'm fine," Donnie replied primly, heading over to check on Mikey. "How about you?"

"Peachee..." Mikey muttered stiffly, stalking away from a stunned Donnie and towards the others.

"Mikey, wait!" Donnie called a few moments later. "I'm sorry about what I said. You're right, I don't have any idea."

Though Mikey instinctively wanted to immediately forgive Donnie for his thoughtless comments during the battle, thanks to his unknown months of torment he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Instead, he simply nodded and looking to Leo, asked, "Can we go now?"

-:-

To be continued