Brain Box 4
This takes place in the 2003 series in season 4 during the Outbreak. In this story Mikey has powers from BrightLotusMoon's storyline (which she has given me permission to use and she's also given me her brilliant insight to this story too)
I also wanna extend a big thank you to Brightlotusmoon and Clovee93 for their inputs and ideas!
" " Means talking
' ' Means thinking
( ) Means telepathy
"" "" Means Mind-Link
''''''
The air inside the Turtle-Copter was heavy with tension as they flew through the nightly sky towards their destination.
Leo was observing his family. Raph was at the pilot seat, manning the controls but he could tell that his younger brother was 'Not' happy about this plan.
Leatherhead was monitoring Donnie in the Bio Unit. Occasionally glancing towards the imprisoned feral turtle with sad sympathetic eyes.
It was sadly ironic, often times Leatherhead considered himself to be a dangerous monster because of his brute strength and untamable savage temper but this was not the case. This time it was Donnie who was now the savage brute. All thanks to Bishop, the true evil monster behind all of this.
Donnie had woken up about an hour after they had taken off to Nevada and… needless to say that he was not happy being back inside the Containment Unit again. The feral turtle roared, punched, and clawed at the glass of the Unit, just like before but Leo knew that it was also because Donnie could see that Mikey was unconscious on the floor but he didn't know why.
Leo knew that he wanted to get to his baby brother and that he was angry that he couldn't get to him.
His father Splinter was tending to Michelangelo, using chi replenishing pressure points to help him.
Leo hated seeing his baby brother like this, they all did. It was bringing back painful memories of when he slipped into a 3 week coma at the farmhouse.
This was a mess, a huge catastrophic clusterfrick of a mess!
Leo's mind began to think back to how they were led to this point.
(Flashback)
"You're going to WHAT!?"
"ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR MIND LEO!?"
Leo groaned while tying to soothe his ringing ear slits from all the yelling. He wondered if this is how Mikey felt from hearing too many loud voices in his head.
"Listen I know that this plan is crazy…"
"It ain't crazy Leo, it's suicide!" Raph interjected, "You're seriously considering going to Bishop for help?! The same psychotic bastard who not only wants to cut us open but is also the main reason we're in this mess in the first place!?"
"Which is why we're going to him Raph!" Leo saw that Raph was about to retort so he stopped him, "Look Raph, I don't like it anymore than you do but you heard what Donnie said. Bishop created the Outbreak virus, so he's the only one who can fix this mess."
"And if he won't?"
"Then we'll make him fix it and help Donnie." Leo answered looking determined.
Everyone didn't look convinced about Leo's 'confidence'.
"Bishop is a very dangerous man Leonardo." Leatherhead spoke, "And knowing that fiend, you know that he will demand a price for his 'services'."
"I know… but it's the only option we have left. And if we don't do something soon… we might end up losing more than just one brother."
Leo looked over to the Containment Unit where Donnie was still knocked out cold inside with Leatherhead standing close by. Then he turned to where his father was tending to his baby brother who was still unconscious from overextension of his powers.
Raph really didn't like this plan… no scratch that, he HATED this plan! Going to Bishop for help?! That's like asking the Grim Reaper to give you a neck massage! What the hell is his brother thinking? But what makes it worse is that… he… also… agrees with him.
But there was just one problem with Leo's plan.
"And how the shell are we gonna find Bishop's base Leo? Last I checked he wasn't listed in the yellow pages."
Before Leo could answer Leatherhead answered, "I know where he is. Remember he held me prisoner for months before you found me. During that time he tortured me nonstop." He seethed clenching his fists, "I vowed to even the score should we ever… catch up with each other again."
"Where is Bishop's base Leatherhead?" April asked.
"In Groom Lake Nevada, or more commonly known as 'Area 51'."
"Area 51?" Casey repeated, "As in THE Area 51!" Leatherhead nodded, "Oh man, that's over two and a half thousand miles from here to Nevada. That's a 3 days drive at the least."
"He's right." April nodded while giving her boyfriend an impressed look.
"How the shell do you know that Case." Raph asked.
"Me and a few buddies went to a Sturgis Rally in Nevada 5 years ago. The Rally was fun but the drive down there was brutal."
Leatherhead cleared his throat before continuing, " Mr. Jones is correct, the journey is indeed long." He then turned to the Bio Unit, "And Donatello does not have that much time."
"So what do we do?"
"I think Donnie can help us with that." Leo said with a smile.
Leo led his family to a large chamber and showed them Donnie's latest project. The Turtle-Copter. The helicopter that Stockman had… left behind. Donnie had been working on it in secret, making new modifications to it.
Leatherhead looked it over and confirmed that it could get them to Nevada very quickly.
(End Flashback)
"How is he Leatherhead?"
"Donatello's vitals are somewhat stable for now but they are not improving." The giant gator replied.
Leo's heart sank further at the news.
"By the way, there was something that I wanted to show you."
Leatherhead brought up his laptop and showed it to Leo when it booted up. On the screen was a diagnosis scanning of Donnie that was similar to the one on the Copters computers.
"This is a diagnosis reading of Donatello from inside the Containment Unit when we brought him back to the Lair." Leo nodded, then the mutant gator clicked on a few keys before another image came up beside the first one, "And this is the reading from this morning."
Leo looked at the two readings and… if he was being honest they looked exactly the same to him, until he looked closely at the scannings on the second image.
"It looks like the scannings on the second one are different from the first one."
Leatherhead nodded, "Miss O'Neil showed this to me as I was loading Donatello into the Copter. After carefully reading these scannings we discovered that Donatello's vitals had slowly improved around just hours before you found Michelangelo in the Bio Unit with Donatello."
"Are you say'n that Mikey's been trying to heal Donnie?" Raph asked having overheard the discussion.
"In a way, yes." The gator nodded.
"What do you mean Leatherhead?" Leo asked.
"As you know, Michelangelo does posses some healing abilities but he cannot heal anything that is 'otherworldly'. I believe that through Michelangelo's empathy, his powers must've sensed that Donatello was in distress and has been reaching out to help him without Michelangelo's knowledge. However at the same time it is also taking a toll on Michelangelo himself. Of course this is only a theory."
Everyone took in Leatherhead's words then Leo's eyes widened in realization, "That explains why Mikey looked so exhausted during and after breakfast."
Leatherhead nodded.
"But doesn't that mean that Mikey can cure Donnie?" Raph asked, hope laced in his question.
Leatherhead shook his head, "I'm afraid not Raphael. Although these scans show that Michelangelo's healing powers can slow down the virus's destructive progression within Donatello's body, he can't stop it. Even with Leonardo assisting him with the Healing Hands technique, the amount of energy required to do so would be too much for him. For both of them."
The copter became silent.
"In other words," Leo chimed in, "Mikey wouldn't slip into a coma like before Raph… it could kill him."
The copter fell silent again. Leo turned towards his father who was tending to his baby brother, Splinter looked very worried about Mikey. They all did. He and Splinter had already known about the information that Leatherhead had given them but it didn't make it any easier or better.
"Nnn… mmnnh…."
Everyone turned towards Mikey. It looked like the sea green turtle was having a nightmare but he didn't wake up.
Splinter, knowing what was happening, put his hand on Mikey's forehead, "Michelangelo, calm your mind. I am here my son." He soothed gently. Although Mikey's features softened a little he still looked like he was in pain.
"What's wrong with him Master Splinter?"
"Michelangelo's spirit is in distress." Splinter explained, "From what I can sense he has put himself in a meditative trance."
"So why ain't he waking up?" Raph asked.
Splinter closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, "He is lost within his own mind and is trying to find his way back to us, but something is blocking him from returning."
"Can you bring him out of it" Asked Leatherhead.
The rat master shook his head, "I cannot." He looked to Leo, "Leonardo, you will have to enter the Spirit Realm and help guide Michelangelo back."
"Yes Master Splinter." Leo nodded.
Leo sat himself next to Mikey in a meditation position, he gently took hold of Mikey's right hand, holding it gently in his own hands before going into meditation.
'''''''
When Leo opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the middle of a forest that looked just like the woods that surrounded the Jones Farmhouse, but the strange thing was… it was night.
He shook his head slightly, "Mikey?" He called out, "Mikey where are you? Mikey?" He waited silently to hear a response from his baby brother, but there was no answer.
Leo started to worry but then he remembered his training from the Ancient One. He knelt down on one knee, placed his hand on the lush grass, and closed his eyes.
He took a slow calming breath before saying, "Help me find my brother Mikey."
At first there was nothing but silence, then Leo felt a gentle warmth under his fingers and palm. Then, as though looking through the eyes of another, he was traveling through the forest until he saw a clearing with a pool of water, then finally his brother huddled under one of the trees.
When Leo opened his eyes he saw a trail of illuminated orange light.
"Mikey."
He quickly followed the brightly lit trail through the woods that would lead him to where his baby brother was. As he following the path he recognized more and more of the forest as the woods by the Jones farmhouse.
Leo continued following the trail until…
'BUNG!' 'Thud!'
The next thing Leo knew he was on the ground on his shell clutching his face before gazing up at the bright orange translucent barrier.
"Ahh what the… a shield? How the shell did I miss that?" He griped, massaging his still aching beak and forehead, "Ow, shell that hurt! Good thing no one was around to see that. Raph would never let me hear the end of it."
Leo stood up and slowly approached the shield, was this the block that Master Splinter was talking about? Was this the reason why Mikey was lost in his own mind? He reached out and carefully placed his hand on it, he could feel the intense sadness emitting from the protective shield containing his baby brother.
Without hesitation Leo placed his other hand on the shield and, not really knowing if it would work, focused on his baby brother. Nothing happened at first but then Leo felt a ripple sensation under his hands, like touching the top of water, before feeling it go through his body. The feeling reminded him of the Daimyo's… liquid portals. Before he knew it he found himself on the other side of the shield.
Leo breathed a sigh of relief before he found himself standing in an open clearing with a medium sized pond surrounded by bushes and trees, just like he saw in his mind.
He recognized this place. Mikey had shown it to him on one of their last trips to the Farmhouse. It was their place to go when they needed some 'me' time.
Then remembering why he came here Leo searched the clearing until his eyes spotted Mikey curled up on the ground at the base of a large tree, his shell was facing Leo.
"I'm sorry… I was only trying to help." He sniffed, "I don't know what else to do. I'm so sorry…"
Seeing this broke Leo's heart, "Oh Mikey."
Acting on his 'Big Brother instincts' Leo slowly approached his distraught baby brother so as not to startle him, he knelt down and reached out to him.
"Mikey? Mikey, can you hear me?"
Mikey opened his eyes a little, "Le… Leo?"
"Yes Mikey I'm here." Leo said gently.
Mikey turned and saw that Leo was indeed right beside him, "Is it really you Leo?"
Leo nodded, "It's me Mikey." Leo, through his 'physical' contact with Mikey, made contact with Mikey's ki with his own.
But instead of being happy to see his oldest brother Mikey turned away, "Why did you come here Leo?"
Leo was taken aback by the question, "What do you mean 'why did I come here'? I came to bring you back because Master Splinter is worried about you. We all are."
"But I'm useless."
"What?! You're not useless Mikey. Why would you even say that?"
Mikey sniffed, "Because I am. I have these incredible powers and I can't even use them to help Donnie or anyone and whenever I do try, I only make things worse."
Leo felt a strong wave of sadness that was almost too much for him to handle, he had to do something, "You're not useless Mikey, and you are helping Donnie." He insisted.
"How? Nothing I do is working." Mikey argued as he sat up to face his brother.
"That's not true Mikey." Leo insisted, "You've been keeping him calm since he changed and… you've also been trying to heal him without even knowing it."
"What?"
Leo nodded, "Leatherhead showed me the results of Donnie's scanning he took from the Bio Unit and he believes that your powers have been trying to heal Donnie without you knowing it."
Mikey let everything that Leo told him set in, "So that's why I've been feeling achy and tired." Leo nodded, "I thought that it was from the stress and despair that I've been feeling from everyone."
"That might've been the cause of it too." Leo then looked guilty, "Mikey, I know that Raph and I haven't been fully supportive as we should've been… and I'm so sorry little brother. We just worry about you because when you overuse your powers you either pass out or you have a seizure, and the last time you pushed yourself so far… you ended up in a coma. That scared all of us. It scared me." He confessed while clenching his fists.
Mikey knew what Leo was referring to. Their last battle with the Shredder. He knows that they all worry about him, he doesn't need to be empath or telepath to know that, and he never means to worry his family.
"We know that you struggle to keep your powers under control Mikey but you are not useless. And you've helped us in so many ways."
Just then the small pond beside them started to glow brightly, catching both the brothers attention. The water's surface started to ripple before an image appeared.
The image showed the underground sewers and all four of the turtles surrounded by destroyed moussers from their second encounter, and Raph crushing the last remaining mousser. Just as they were about to head back, Mikey gasped causing his brother to rush to his side.
"Hey, that's when we fought Stockman's home wrecking robots the second time." Mikey pointed out.
Leo nodded as he studied the memory, "It is, and it's also when we first met April." They watched as the memory played, with Mikey leading them through the tunnels until they found April and saved her from the moussers that were chasing her, "Your empathy helped us get to April in time and save her."
The memory faded in the ripples of the water then another image was shown in the waters surface, showing them in the underground city with Quarry and the other mutated creatures. Then the Y'Lyntian High Mage appears and offers them and the creatures a place with him in the underground city, he even offers to help Mikey with his growing empathy. While Mikey did consider the offer but something felt… off with the High Mage and he and his brothers declined his offer but then the High mage attacks them. Leo, Raph and Donnie were all caught leaving Mikey alone against the High Mage. Throughout the scuffle Mikey tries to reason with the Y'Lyntian Mage but he refused to listen. Finally Mikey had no choice but to use the Mage's own weapon against him and trap him in his own crystal prison.
"You tried to reason with him but he was beyond all reasoning."
"I didn't want to do that."
"I know you didn't," Leo assured putting a hand on Mikey's shoulder, "But you had no choice." Then he smiled, "But you helped Donnie find a cure for Sydney and the others."
The ponds surface showed Mikey and Donnie in his lab studying the effects of the Y'Lyntian crystals and finding a cure.
Another memory showed itself in the pond, showing Leatherhead.
Leo smile grew wider, "It's because of you that we made a friend for life in Leatherhead."
Sure their first encounter with the giant mutant gator had started out… rocky but if not for Mikey stepping in, stopping Raph from stabbing his sai into the gator's head and calling for a truce then things could've gone disastrous.
More memories appeared in the ponds surface. Memories of when they were young tots learning and helping Mikey with his empathy abilities, then his telepathy, and telekinesis as they got older. Memories of their past adventures and how Mikey had helped them with and without his powers.
Meeting Silver Sentry and helping him defeat his arch foe.
Finding and saving the legendary Green Man from a crazy monster hunter.
Grabbing the Triceraton Guards keycard with his mouth after… throwing up on him. Both Leo and Mikey cringed at the memory because it very disgusting.
"Sorry about that Mikey." To this day Leo still didn't know how Mikey grabbed the Guard's keycard with his mouth. Thank goodness he didn't swallow it.
"It's cool bro."
Finding Klunk in the park on Christmas Eve and stopping the Purple Dragons from ruining the Holidays for young children.
Mikey using his psychic energy to free them all from the Necro Monsters hold on them.(Both Leo and Mikey shuddered at that memory as both were hoping to never be reminded of that again)
Mikey meeting Superhero versions of themselves and stopping an evil version of Splinter from wiping out the whole world, sparing him from his own destructive device, and taking him down with his ninja skills. (Leo made a note to ask him about that later)
Mikey facing Kluh at his rematch at the Battle Nexus and defeating him despite being forced to wear a bracelet that was draining his energy.
Even stepping in to stop Leo from hurting Master Splinter before he left to find the Ancient One.
The last one Leo felt extremely guilty. Not only because he lost control of his own anger but because Mikey had to put himself in danger to stop Leo from hurting their father. Thank goodness Mikey wasn't hurt either but it was still a risky thing he did.
"You see Mikey? You're not useless. You're an important part of this team as well as our family." Leo told him.
More memories appeared in the ponds surface. Showing them doing things as a family. Helping Donnie in his lab with a project or putting upgrades on the Battle Shell. Helping April with her shop and her training. Hanging out with Casey, either taking down Purple Dragons or going to a Hockey game with their vigilante friend. All of them relaxing at the Jones Family Farmhouse. The guys showing off their 'new moves' on their own sports gear. Things that normal families do.
Each memory shown brought a smile to both the brothers faces and made Mikey feel better. He felt himself being rejuvenated with positive reassurance.
The last memories showed the events of the previous night up until Mikey using his powers to allow Donnie to talk to their family before falling unconscious.
"And you've also given us hope to save Donnie."
"Even if it means… going to Bishop to do it?"
Leo nodded, "It's a risk but it's the only choice we have."
Mikey let the words sink in before nodding. He remembered Donnie saying that Bishop may be the only person who could possibly have a cure that could end this nightmare. He didn't like it one bit and he knew that his family didn't like it either… but what other choice was there?
With new rejuvenated determination to help his brother Donnie, Mikey wiped the tears from eyes and face then turned to his big brother, "I'm ready to go back now."
Leo smiled at his baby brother then suddenly the area around the brothers began to glow brightly. They look towards the sky and sure enough the light starts to 'dissolve' into a shimmering mist.
Both brothers smiled when the mist disappeared. Leo didn't have to ask what had just happened because he already knew. The barrier that was blocking Mikey from leaving was gone.
Leo help out his hand to Mikey and Mikey took it without hesitation. It was time to go back.
''''''
When Leo and Mikey awoke from meditation they were accompanied by their father and Raph. Leatherhead had offered to take over flying the copter some time after Leo went into meditation to help Mikey.
Leo was a little disoriented but otherwise fine, Mikey was a little disoriented with a slight headache, but nothing that some water and few aspirins couldn't fix.
Raph had asked what happened while they were in the Spirit Realm and Leo, after getting the okay from Mikey, told them what happened.
Splinter was sad to hear that his youngest son was having self doubts about himself again due to what's happened to Donnie, but he was relieved to hear that Leo had managed to help him through it.
Raph also felt guilty ashamed of his actions. Instead of supporting his youngest brother he, once again, let his own fears and anger get the better of him and it nearly trapped Mikey in the Spirit Realm.
Mikey felt everyone's guilt all at once, "I'm sorry Papa. I didn't mean to make you all worry."
Splinter shook his head, "You have nothing to apologize for my son."
"That's right Mikey." Raph spoke, "If anyone should be apologizing for anything… it's us, but mostly me." He said with guilt in his voice as he faced his youngest brother, "Listen Mikey, I… I just wanna say that I'm sorry for how I reacted back in the Lair. When I saw Donnie chasin' you around the Lair… I panicked. I thought that he went feral and was going to attack you and… I was afraid that Donnie would hurt you because he ain't in his right mind… but I was wrong. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that and..."
"No Raph." Mikey interrupted, "It was my fault. I didn't stop to think on how it would look to you guys seeing Donnie chasing me. You were just doing what you do best, being a protective big brother. You and Leo both."
"Still… we're really sorry Mikey." Leo said, "We should've been more supportive."
Without another word, Mikey pulled both his big brothers into a hug and held them both tightly. Leo and Raph were immediately shocked by this but then they soon embraced their youngest brother.
Splinter and Leatherhead smiled at the scene.
'Bump' 'Bump'
Everyone turned towards the Bio Unit, Donnie was staring anxiously at the group, more precisely at Mikey. The feral turtle was pressing the snout and hands against the glass on the Unit, pounding a fist the glass.
"Donnie." Mikey said while trying to push himself up only to be held by Leo and Raph.
"Whoa easy Mikey."
"Let us help ya bro."
Leo and Raph slowly and carefully helped Mikey to his feet and helped him over to the Bio Unit.
"It's okay Donnie." Mikey assured his mutated brother, placing his hands on the glass. The contained turtle placed his massive hand where Mikey's was on the glass, "I'm alright bro, Leo, Raph, Sensei and Leatherhead were just helping me. And they're trying to help you too."
Donnie turned towards the blue and red masked turtles, his crimson glowing eyes boring down at them. Not fiercely just… curiously. Leo and Raph didn't know what to make of it. Then Donnie turned back to Mikey and made a gesture with both hands.
Mikey's face lit up with joy, "Yeah. Yeah that's right Donnie!" He smiled, repeating the same hand gesture, "They're family. Our family!"
Leo and Raph both recognized the hand gesture that Mikey and Donnie were doing, Splinter had taught it to them when they were young tots, and repeated the same gesture to Donnie.
Donnie seeing the other turtles making the same hand gesture that his youngest kin had shown him, began feeling the same familiar warmth that he felt with his youngest kin. He watched as the two turtles placed their hands on the glass of his imprisonment and… he slowly put his hand on the glass right where their hands were.
This made Leo and Raph smile with joy.
Mikey was smiling as well as happy tears spilled from his eyes. Donnie finally recognized their brothers as his family.
Donnie then pointed to Splinter and Leatherhead and made the same hand gesture which made the brothers happy.
Splinter and Leatherhead smiled at the scene however they were still worried about what was to come once they reached Groom Lake Nevada.
It would be another hour or so before they reached Nevada, where the most dangerous Federal Agent resided and possibly held the key to putting an end to this alien contaminated nightmare.
''''''
The hand gesture that Donnie was doing was the sign language word for 'Family'. Mikey had been teaching Donnie the hand gesture to help him remember that Splinter, Leo, Raph, and Leatherhead are his family.