Listening to Each Other

Mikey took advantage of his brothers' bafflement to find himself a nice hiding place, right on top of a prefabricated building. Despite his utmost care, he couldn't avoid leaving feet traces in the dust covering everything. He hoped that his brothers wouldn't climb here and notice it, but they were deep in conversation.

As Mikey had made sure to stay close enough to listen to said conversation, he only had to keep his ears open.

"So what now?" Raph asked, hands on his hips. "I have a shop, and pets to feed. My assistant can handle it, as long as your guys let him inside." He glared at Leo. "But I would rather not leave all the work to him."

"Your own actions led to you being here," Leo lectured, his eyes scanning the area. "You're lucky to be alive."

"No thanks to you," Raph retorted.

Mikey thought that it was a little unfair. After all, it wasn't like Leo had remained idle while Mikey saved Raph.

Donnie must have been thinking the same, because he redirected the conversation. "We can't go out the same way we came in, at least not for a while." He didn't seem very bothered by that prospect. "How about we explore this place in the meantime?"

Raph tilted his head. "How about we start by asking Mister Agent here where we are?"

"I don't know anything about this place," Leo said reluctantly.

"Oh really?" Raph raised an eyebrow.

"I believe he's saying the truth." Donnie lifted one finger. "First, he didn't have the authorization level to open the door." He grazed the surface of the closest machine with his finger and displayed the dusty results for the other two to see. "And second, nobody has been here in a very, very long time."

"It does look like it, doesn't it?" Raph said pensively. "I wonder why."

"I have several hypotheses," Donnie said. "It could have been abandoned because it was unpractical, or because its purpose was fulfilled, or because an accident happened that rendered it unsuitable to human life…"

Mikey saw both Leo and Raph's eyes widen at this last sentence.

Donnie noticed it too. "It would be the case if something exploded that gave out deadly radiations, for example," he explained. "We wouldn't be able to see it, but it would slowly attack our cells and kill us."

Mikey gulped audibly. He shrunk back in his hiding place when he saw Leo suddenly looking in his direction.

"Donnie," Raph said. "I appreciate you trying to help, but please don't feel obligated to share such hypotheses with me." He turned around to watch the door that they had used to come in. "Are you sure we can't go back?"

"Absolutely sure." Donnie crossed his arms. "We'll have to wait." He looked at Raph, then Leo. "Are you sure you don't want me to have a look at you?"

Raph shook his head.

"No, thank you Sir," Leo said. "But could you please give me back my access card?"

Mikey frowned, bothered by Leo's too formal tone.

"Please call me Donnie," Donnie said. "And here it is."

Leo took the item and considered it pensively. "How did you manage to use it to open the door?"

Donnie grinned. "I have my ways. The most interesting locations are always locked one way or another, so I've had a lot of practice." His grin suddenly vanished. "But you might find out that it, uh, doesn't work to its intended purpose anymore. Sorry."

Leo grimaced, and Mikey successfully held back his laugh.

"And," Donnie added, suddenly hesitant, "thank you for jumping in to save me."

"You're welcome," Leo said.

His voice was softer than Mikey had heard it since this whole ordeal had begun, and it made something squeeze tight in Mikey's chest.

"By the way," Leo said. "I have some water in case you're thirsty." He opened the backpack that he was carrying. "I don't think you have a lot of equipment with you."

"Again, whose fault is that," Raph grumbled, but he didn't complain when Donnie took the offered water bottle and shared it with him.

Leo drank at his own flask. Mikey would gladly have drunk water too, but he could do without it for a while more.

"May I ask your name, or any name that you can share with us?" Donnie said. "I don't know how to call you."

Leo hesitated.

Raph snorted. "We can always call you Mister Agent. Or The Mutant Killer. Both suit you, no?"

Leo took a deep breath. "You can call me Leo." He glanced at Raph. "And how may I call you?"

Raph shrugged. "My name is Raph. You can use it, but don't think it makes us friends. It's just more practical, if we're going to be stuck in whatever this place is together."

It wasn't as warm an exchange as Mikey had hoped for, but it was progress and all progress deserved to be celebrated.

Donnie clapped his hands together. "Great. Now that this is settled, I suggest we split up and investigate this place a little more." He started heading for one of the buildings. "I'm dying to know what's inside."

"Your wording choices are killing me," Raph said matter-of-factly.

Leo remained impassive, as if he wasn't interested in taking part in the bantering. "We shouldn't split up before assessing that there is no danger here. I would also advise against touching these machines. We don't know how they work, and it could be dangerous."

"That's what makes it fun," Donnie pointed out, not slowing down in the slightest.

Raph grinned as he started following Donnie. "You know, I thought scientists were boring before meeting you. My apologies."

Leo went after them, clearly on the lookout. Mikey followed, making himself as small as he could to avoid being detected.

Mikey gave his billionth long-suffering sigh of the day.

Donnie, Raph and Leo had been exploring the place for hours, going from building to building and from machine to machine, and Mikey was beyond bored. And hungry. He had already eaten all his snacks, and his environment didn't look like it offered a lot of food.

His brothers hadn't discovered anything of interest until now, or at least nothing of interest to Mikey. Donnie was absolutely thrilled to be here, while Leo and Raph seemed content to accompany him. They weren't talking to each other, but they weren't working against each other either.

While Mikey followed his brothers, he chose not to try entering the prefabricated buildings with them. These buildings were small, and the risk was high that he would be noticed, which he didn't want for now. He hoped that his brothers' memories would be triggered if they kept being with each other, and he was gathering his strength for a later introduction of himself, where he knew he would have to fight tooth and nail against the pink genie's pressure in his brain.

If only he could order a dozen delicious pizzas to help with said gathering of strength. Alas, his T-Phone didn't reach any network from down here, which had the disadvantage of preventing him from telling his friends that he was fine, mostly.

He really hoped that they weren't freaking out.

Mikey sighed again and walked around the last building his brothers had decided to explore, waiting for them to come out. It felt depressing to hang out in this kind of apocalypse-like environment without being able to cosplay with his brothers and pretend to be the last life form on Earth, or scheming to prank them, or...

A sudden movement caught Mikey's eye.

On the ground, half-hidden behind a crate, a cockroach was slowly making its way around the building.

An impish grin stretched his lips, and he delicately grabbed it.

Now that Mikey had something to look forward to, he was feeling a lot better. He bid his time once his brothers were back, waiting as they found a place to sit down.

"Did you find anything?" Raph asked Donnie, stretching his arms. "I have no idea what you think is that interesting in all these dusty files."

"Hm," Donnie said. He was writing furiously in a notebook. "I found a lot of things, but I still need to think about it more." He paused, looking at Leo. "A few of my theories could be tested if you let me try to use these machines, and…"

"No," Leo stated.

Donnie sighed.

In the meantime, Mikey had found the perfect spot to be, on the roof right above Raph. His focus was absolute as he slowly extended his arm and the cockroach on his fingers.

When he opened his hand, the cockroach fell right on Raph's neck.

Raph stiffened, then stood up and shook his body frantically. The cockroach fell on the floor.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Raph yelled.

Mikey took great satisfaction in that yell, both because it was another successful prank to his record and because it meant that Raph had kept most of his personality intact. He quickly retreated to another hiding location, just in case one of his brothers decided to investigate.

Then he realized that his head was throbbing slightly. Did the pink genie think that pranking was a way of communicating? But it wasn't as strong as before, so maybe they were confused about it.

Below, Donnie had run to where Raph stood. "What is it?"

"Nothing! Nothing," Raph said, blushing furiously.

Donnie leaned forwards and picked the cockroach.

"Keep it away from me!" Raph exclaimed, horrified.

"Are you afraid of cockroaches?" Donnie asked, softly stroking the insect's head.

Raph took several steps backwards. "It's a phobia," he protested, glancing at Leo. "I can't do anything against it."

"I didn't say anything," Leo said, his voice perfectly neutral.

"You thought it!"

"How could you possibly know what I'm thinking?"

"I just know it."

Mikey grinned. The result was beyond his wildest hopes. His brothers were connecting right before his eyes, and it was all thanks to him!

His head started to throb more.

Maybe that qualified as communication for the pink genie after all. Maybe they had made up their mind after seeing the results.

It meant that they didn't have a full understanding of the way Mikey's brothers were. It gave him an advantage.

He would use it after a short pause. If only he still had snacks…

"Anyways," Leo said. "I think it's time to take a longer break." He took something from his backpack.

Mikey's eyes widened.

"Does anyone want one?" Leo asked.

As Donnie nodded, followed by Raph after a short hesitation, Leo tossed them not one, but two energy bars each.

Leo had brought food. Leo had brought food!

Mikey extended his hands, as if expecting Leo to toss him energy bars too, even though he was hidden out of Leo's sight.

And of course Leo didn't.

Mikey pouted. How dare his brother not share his food with Mikey? Like Mikey wasn't the one to cook for everyone the rare times when they weren't ordering pizzas!

And yes, theoretically he could still do without food, but it didn't mean he wanted to. Especially as someone here had perfectly valid food available.

Mikey's brain started trying to find a way to steal Leo's food stash. Maybe if he found other cockroaches, and Raph distracted the others…

"Please excuse me," Donnie suddenly said. "I'll be right back."

Raph looked at him with suspicion. "Where are you going?"

Donnie watched him innocently. "I'm going to bring our new little friend somewhere away from you. Do you have any objection?"

"No, go on," Raph said, his voice strangled.

Donnie smiled and proceeded to move away from the others, silently followed by a curious Mikey. Once Donnie had walked a sufficient distance, he delicately placed the cockroach on the ground.

"Good luck, little one," he whispered.

Then he walked another few steps and placed one of his energy bars on the ground.

"I thought you might be hungry too," he said, glancing everywhere as if looking for something.

Or someone.

Mikey was about to cry. Donnie was such a nice brother. So considerate. So nice.

Donnie took a few steps back and waited. Mikey didn't even hesitate. He jumped down from his current hiding place, grabbing the bar before pausing to look at Donnie. He wanted to say something, but his lips were sealed.

"Are you hurt?" Donnie asked. "I want to help."

Mikey just kept staring at him, fighting the growing pressure in his head.

"Donnie? Is everything alright? I heard you talk," Leo's voice said from some distance away.

Mikey swallowed hard. Now was not the time to try communicating with Donnie, not when he didn't know for sure where Leo stood. The last thing he wanted was to break the fragile truce between his brothers.

He jumped away, hiding again as Donnie was turning around and telling Leo that everything was fine and he had been talking to the cockroach.

Leo didn't seem convinced, but he didn't comment.

Mikey started munching mournfully on his energy bar. It soothed his headache a little, but it didn't do much for his aching heart.

He forced himself to remember what Splinter often told him. His time would come; he only had to be patient.

And Mikey knew how to be patient when the stakes were high. It was like in Northampton, waiting for Leo to wake up from his coma, except this time all his brothers had to wake up.

Except this time he could help.