It's been about 2 hours since my alternate dimension bros have finished training and it's kinda surprising on how quiet the lair is. Mini Me and I are currently in the living room, him on the couch with a pillow under his injured leg and me on the floor next to him. We're playing some weird version of Go Fish but it's working to keep his mind off the of the pain and it's keeping my mind from wandering too much. Mini Me was a little bummed that he wasn't allowed to train or even make breakfast this morning. Master Splinter made us some eggs and bacon, which was pretty good, seeing as the resident chef isn't available to cook at the moment. But Mini Me has been pretty quiet since breakfast and any of the smiles that he's given out have seemed pretty forced in my opinion. Part of me is suspecting that something else happened while he and his bros were on their mission last night that has him upset. But, if he's anything like me (which, I mean, he kinda is being an alternate me and all) he's trying to keep it all inside as to not bother anyone.
He manages to lay down his last card and I grin.
"You won, dude! Best 3 out of 5?" I ask as I scoop up the cards and start shuffling them. Mini Me shrugs, glancing off to the side as I bridge the cards and I frown. "Everything okay, bud?"
Mini Me opens his mouth, obviously about to say that he's fine until his baby blue eyes flicker over to my face. Sighing, he sinks back on the couch, eyes flickering about as if checking to see if his brothers are around. As I wait for him to talk, the smaller turtle fiddles with his finger wrappings before peering at me.
"Can…Can I ask you a question?" Mini Me asks softly as his eyes drop off to his left.
Concerned, I place the cards down and shift to my knees, scooting closer. I offer the younger turtle a soft smile.
"Sure, dude! Fire away."
A flicker of a smile briefly forms on the lighter green turtle's face, his freckles lighting up before a concerned frown graces his lips.
"You…You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Mini Me states quietly, drawing a random pattern on the couch cushion. I merely wait quietly, offering him all of my attention as he tries to formulate his words.
Even if I didn't want to, I'm gonna do it just to get that look off your face.
"Do…Do you…" Mini Me pauses, glancing around once more.
Reaching out, I place my hand on his good knee, regaining his attention.
"Do I what?" I coax and Mini Me's lips twitch as his eye ridges furrow.
"Do you and your bros ever not get along sometimes?" Mini Me asks, voice just above a whisper, a tone I haven't heard from the younger turtle since Sensei and I met him in the sewers. "Like, as in, they make a comment and you didn't like that comment and tell them that and they tell you to stop being so sensitive?"
So, something DID happen during the mission, I think as I slowly nod as Mini Me side eyes me.
"Yeah," I admit, keeping my tone low but confident. "There has been some missions where my bros were ragging on me harder than normal and I couldn't figure out why. And when I would call them out on it, they'd call me 'sensitive' and tell me I was 'overreacting'." Mini Me fully lifts his head and I smile at him. "At first, I would have a hard time not believing them even though I would get mad and huffy. But after a while I learned that it was okay for me to not always like their teasing. I also learned that it's okay to call them out on their behavior toward me. Because if I didn't then they wouldn't know that it bothered me. And the more I called them out on it, the more they started to realize that, sometimes, words can hurt. Even if they didn't mean them to."
Mini Me swallows thickly, chewing on his bottom lip as he processes my words. Wheels turn behind his eyes and I can see him warring with himself over some mental stuff. I remain quiet, not wanting to distract him as he comes to his own conclusions about his feelings.
When it comes to my brothers, it's always a slippery slope on how I can behave around them, especially when I was much younger. On one hand, I never wanted to disappoint my bros or ever really show them up, always ready to crack a joke at my own expense if it meant making them happy. But as time went on, there were times where I just didn't WANT to be the butt of my bros jokes anymore. That sometimes, the way they said something or joked about something just hit me wrong. Especially when it was about how smart I am or about my skills as a ninja. Because, when you hear something long enough, you start to believe it yourself.
Mini Me shifts uncomfortably, wincing when he jostles his leg. He glances at me, sad baby blue eyes gleaming and reflecting just how upset Mini Me is.
"But aren't you afraid that if you say something, no matter how many times you mention it, that your bros aren't gonna believe you? That they're just gonna brush off your feeling like they always do?"
My eyes narrow.
Tiny Raph's comment at lunch yesterday comes to my mind and just how surprised Mini Me looked when Tiny Don and Tiny Leo stood up for him. And then how his Master Splinter spoke to him about it not being his fault during the battle last night and the shock that appeared on his face. All of it is really telling in my opinion. And that's not a good thing.
Apparently, my Mini Me is used to being blamed for everything and nobody listening to his feelings on things either.
Irritation spikes inside of me and I release a deep, slow breath. Doing my best to remain calm, (seriously, my Leo would be much better at this type of talk than me but I'm gonna do my best) I squeeze Mini Me's knee gently.
"How often do your bros blow off your feelings about things?" I ask softly even though I can guess just from his question. My fears are confirmed when he stares down at his hands again and shrugs with a single shoulder. "Have you sat them down and told them straight up that you don't like what they're saying about you?"
"They wouldn't listen or take me seriously even if I did try," Mini Me mutters, picking at his fingers again. "They don't listen when I have a good idea and they never apologize for when I'm right about something and they didn't believe me. They don't even say 'thank you' when I manage to help them out. Like when the Killer Wasps were gonna eat them and had them mind controlled. I managed to finish D's antidote and even managed to crush those bugs before they could hurt my bros further." Mini Me bites his lower lip. "And, I mean, it's not like I really NEED thanks, ya know? But…I wouldn't mind being told that I did a good job. Leo did it once with my idea with the Squirrelanoids and…it felt nice to be told that I had a good idea. To not be called a 'klutz' or a 'screw up' for once. But it feels like my bros are ALWAYS surprised no matter how many good ideas I come up with. Even though I've proven that I'm not completely stupid."
My lips purse as I listen to my alternate self speak.
I've only known him for little less than 48 hours but I haven't really heard or seen him so dejected. What's worse, is that I can understand what he's talking about it. Maybe not to the same degree because my bros were pretty good about giving me praise when I did something good, but they were just as fast as to point out my faults as well. And the way he's talking was definitely a way that I spoke to myself for a long while.
I hid it pretty well from my bros for the most part but their jabs at how I processed stuff used to really bother me. My brain just processed and saw stuff differently. Things like math never really stuck really well with me and yet my 3 older brothers never seemed to have an issue with it. Donnie was a no brainer because he's a freaking genius and Leo is pretty smart too. I had hoped that Raph wouldn't catch on as fast, but he did. And I know that has helped him with being able to work on his ShellCycle because he can actually understand what Donnie is talking about while also being able to talk strategy with Leo. I can't do either of those things. Like, it's super interesting watching Raph play chess with Leo. While Leo and Don are masters at chess, Raph can still hold his own really well and I've seen him make moves that has thrown both Leo and Don for a loop. He has yet to actually win a match against them, but winning isn't all that important.
But when I try to play chess with them? I just can't do it. I can't remember the names of all the pieces and I can't remember how they move either. And then there's Donnie's inventions. While I've been Donnie's little assistant in his lab, I'm a glorified shelf really. I'm good at handing him the tools but I know there's a reason that Don rarely ever asks me to get hands on with his builds. I think the last time he actually had me working on one of his inventions was that weird welding job that I tried to do when I first met Leatherhead and he tried to bite me in half. And I'm pretty sure Leo has NEVER asked me about strategy, like, at ALL. I just can't do that. My brain can't plan the way Leo can. I barely even think during my fights with the Foot, or well, now the Purple Dragons and the Fist. I just do what I feel is right in the moment while also keeping myself and my bros alive.
Reeling in a sigh, I glance back over at my sad counterpart. To regain his attention, I pat Mini Me's knee until he looks at me. He and I make eye contact and I lean closer.
"You're not dumb, dude. You're not," I state firmly when he gives me a dubious look. "You're brain just works differently and that's not a bad thing. You provide a different perspective for things that your bros wouldn't see otherwise. Even your bros don't think the same way. And trust me, it's gonna take you awhile to realize that. I know it did for me and I will admit that I still have thoughts like 'Why can't I just be smart like Don?' or 'If I could think like Leo, I wouldn't be in this situation' or 'If I was stronger like Raph, I wouldn't have gotten hurt'. But you know what?"
Mini Me shakes his head, a dejected look on his face and I offer him a smile.
"You and I aren't like our bros. And that's okay. And even if your bros don't see it now, they will in the future. But you also gotta be willing to communicate with them. Let them know how you feel. I know it might feel like a humugo waste of time sometimes, but our big bros aren't mind readers. No matter how cool that would be." That gets me a slight smile from the younger turtle and mine also widens. "So, you gotta talk with them. Is it gonna be awkward? Shell yeah. Is there a chance that they might not take you seriously in the beginning?" I shrug. "Yeah. But if you keep going and keep bringing it up, they're gonna get the hint. Our bros may not always keep up with how our brain functions, but they get there eventually."
His tiny smile widens a little and I squeeze his knee again, slipping up to sit next to him on the couch on his good side. It's almost jarring just how SMALL my alternate self looks, all bandaged up and unsure. And it's reminding just how young these four are compared to me and my bros.
And if I'M having 'big brother protective feels' over these four, then I know for a FACT that my bros will have a heyday when they meet these dudes.
Wrapping an arm around Mini Me, I squeeze him to my side.
"Was that all you wanted to ask me, little dude?" I ask softly.
Guilt hits me when the younger turtle wilts, his smile vanishing as he stares down at the floor. There is a beat before Mini Me glances up at me, his baby blue eyes wide and unsure. I wait a beat and he starts to open his mouth, hesitation in his face.
"I did it!"
Both of us jump as Tiny Donnie comes sprinting out of his lab, Mini Me hissing as he jostles his body. Reaching over, I help steady the smaller turtle as he glances at his older brother.
"What did you do, D?" He asks, a cheer in his voice that I know is forced but sounds almost genuine. But the curiosity gleaming in his eyes is genuine and I can't fault him for that.
The purple-cladded turtle rushes over to us and I instantly spot the Dimension Bracelet in his hands. A wide grin splits his face as he stops before us.
"I managed to get the Dimension Bracelet to work!" Tiny Donnie states excitedly as he nearly vibrates in place. "I wasn't able to—"
"What is going on?"
The three of us turn to find the rest of the family walking toward us, Master Splinter leading the way with my father, Tiny Leo, and Tiny Raph right behind him.
"I fixed Mike's and his father's Dimension Bracelet," Tiny Donnie explains proudly, holding the small device out for the others to see. "Well, as fixed as I could get it with only having Kraang tech but I was able to get it to turn on! And I was even able to fix the broken glass on the screen." He beams as the six of us lean in to look. "And it looks like your previous coordinates are still saved on here as well! So, all we need to do is get a portal back up and running and you should be home before I finish reciting the first hundred number of Pi!"
Excitement and hope fills my chest as I shoot Chichi a look. There is a small smile on my father's face but the spark in his eyes tells me he is just as I am about the prospect of getting home.
And kicking Leo's shell after hugging him, Don, and Raphie, I think as my eyes drift down to my Mini Me as he tries to lift himself up to see. As gently as possible, I hook my hands under Mini Me's armpits and lift him from the couch. He squeaks in surprise before shooting me a grateful look as I help steady him on his good leg. Tiny Leo appears on his other side and takes his little brother from me, acting like a living crutch. Everyone waits until the two brothers are situated and Master Splinter glances back at his middle genius child.
"And you are certain that this device is ready, my son?"
Tiny Don nods his head vigorously, a gap-toothed smile widening more.
"Yes! I launched two portals in my lap already and they appear to be perfectly functioning. I tied an apple to a piece of string and threw it through the portals, left it there for about five minutes and pulled it back and it was perfectly fine."
Even more excitement fills me and I can see Mini Me starting to cheer up more genuinely as well. The rest of his family, my father included, are looking a little more skeptical.
"Are we sure that the portals are going to send them to the right area?" Tiny Leo questions, holding Mini Me a little closer as he eyes the bracelet. He glances back at me. "As much as I want to send you both home, I don't want you going someplace dangerous by accident."
Waving a dismissive hand, I glance at Tiny Donnie.
"I mean, nothing is more dangerous than New York during rush hour, dude. But knowing that Don here worked on the D.B. is more than enough for me to trust that it's gonna work."
Tiny Don's face flushes and a sheepish smile forms on his lips. Sensei walks forward and inclines his head.
"We deeply appreciate you willing to fix the one device that can return us home. I cannot express how much this means to me."
I cough to cover a snicker as Tiny Donnie's face turns even more red making him look a little more festive than normal.
"Well, c'mon, D!" Mini Me cheers. "Let's see how that little dude works!"
Tiny Donnie jumps before throwing his little brother a smile and takes a step backwards.
"Will do, little brother. I would recommend everyone stepping back a little. Just to have space for the portal," Tiny Don adds when Tiny Leo shoots him a sharp look.
The six of us take a step back. Sensei materializes next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. He smiles down at me as I glance up at him. He squeezes my shoulder gently.
He's just as excited as I am.
Resisting the urge to wiggle, I refocus on Tiny Donnie as he holds out the D.B.
"All right! Hold on to your tails," Tiny Donnie states. "Opening a portal in 3! 2! 1!"
I hold my breath as Tiny Donnie taps on the D.B. The small light blinks once before flickering to life and remaining on. A soft whine fills the room as the light builds before shooting out. A familiar looking portal spirals and appears in the center of the room. My heart pounds and my hand reaches out to grasp Chichi's robe. His fingers twitch and his thumb rubs against my shoulder.
"Whoaaaaaa," Mini Me breathes out, the lights of the portal making his blue eyes glow. "That's amazing! You did it, D!"
Tiny Donnie chuckles as he walks over to Tiny Leo and takes Mini Me from their older brother. My lips twitch at the apprehension on their big brother's face as he reluctantly hands his little brother over, obviously not wanting his younger brothers to get too close to something so strange and foreign. And it's not like I can blame them. My own Leo was apprehensive when the doc brought it up. But hey, I'll give him kudos for at least letting his brothers feed their curiosity.
My eyes flicker over to Tiny Raph. The red-cladded turtle has his arms crossed over his plastron, bright green eyes narrowed as he studies the portal. His shoulders are tense as he watches his little brothers' approach. But whether it's because he's uncomfortable with the portal itself or because one of his bros is hurt, it's hard to tell with this guy. He's been almost apprehensive the entire time Sensei and I have been here. So, who's to say that's not just his default?
Snickering softly to myself, I glance back up at Sensei. He meets my gaze, his brown eyes bright as he smiles at me.
"Ready to go home, Watashi no nikkō*?" He asks quietly. I nod.
"Hai, Sensei. More than ready."
His face softens as he moves to rub my head. Beaming, I turn away to watch Tiny Don muttering something to Mini Me and pointing at something that I can't quite see. Mini Me leans closer to the portal only to have his brother in purple gently pull him back.
"I'm guessing you're pretty excited to be heading home, huh?"
I successfully keep a very masculine squeak to myself. I pout at Tiny Leo as his little smirk tells me that he knows that he snuck up on me but if I refuse to acknowledge it, it didn't actually happen.
Instead I replace my pout with a smile and I nod.
"Shell yeah! I can't wait to see my brothers," I say before scowling. "And giving them a piece of my mind."
"You will be able to scold your brothers here soon enough, my son," Sensei cuts in, resting his hand on my head. "But first we need to get home."
I nod but I spot a flicker of sadness flash across the blue-cladded turtle's face. However, before I can say anything on it, Tiny Leo smiles at Sensei and I, his darker blue eyes shining.
"Well, then it's a good thing D's got the portal up and running. Do you both have everything?"
"I think—"
"AH!"
"Mikey!"
My head snaps in the direction of Mini Me's and Tiny Donnie's panicked shout. Horror spreads through my chest as I spot the two younger turtles. Tiny Donnie clings to his little brother as a chain extending from the portal tries to pull him through.
"Mikey!"
"Michelangelo!"
Master Splinter, Tiny Leo, and Tiny Raph rush forward with Sensei and I right behind them. However, before any of us can reach the two struggling turtles, a kunai shoots out from the portal, nicking Tiny Donnie's shoulder causing him to fall backwards and lose his grip on Mini Ne.
"DONNIE! PAPA! LE—" Mini Me cries out as he's yanked through the portal.
"NO!" Master Splinter shouts and before any of us can say anything, he's sprinting through the portal after his youngest. Tiny Leo and Tiny Raph are only seconds behind their father, weapons already out and ready as they vanish into a different realm. By the time Tiny Donnie is back onto his feet, Sensei has vanished after our counterparts. He pulls out his bo and shoves the D.B. into his belt. His reddish-brown eyes are wide as he shoots me a glance, panic swirling in his eyes.
"I didn't-He wasn't supposed—"
"It's gonna be okay, D," I say softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, mindful of his bleeding cut. "Let's go get your bro back."
The genius releases a shaky breath and he nods, his panic dying down and being replaced by determination. Twirling his bo, Tiny Donnie spins on his heels and sprints for the portal with me right on his shell.
A wave of warm light washes over me as I breach the portal and I have to close my eyes to keep from being blinded. It's only for a second before I feel a sudden change in air temperature.
"Give me back my son!"
My eyes snap open at Master Splinter's snarl. Air catches in my throat as I spot just who the ninja master is speaking to.
A large group of ninjas with what can only be a Foot symbol on their chest stand before us with one holding a chain that is currently wrapped around Mini Me. Anger builds in me at the terrified and pained look on my counterpart's face.
"Watashi wa anata ga yōkyū o suru tachiba ni aru to wa omoimasen, furīku," the Foot holding Mini Me spits on Japanese. "Kono chīsana furīku no jinsei ga anata ni totte nani no imi mo nai nodenakereba*?" He pulls on the chain causing it to tighten, making Mini Me whimper before he bites his lip to keep any more noise at bay.
Master Splinter's ears flatten against his head and his tail twitches angrily. His sons also growl and Sensei's hand twitches on the top of his staff. My eyes flicker back over to the cocky Foot and I can just imagine the smirk under that black mask. My eyes narrow and my hands hover over my nunchakus.
So, not only is this not Sensei's and my New York but these Foot dweebs think that they can get away with threatening us AND Mini Me.
"We're warnin' ya, ninja wannabes," Tiny Raph growls, pointing his sai at the group. "Give us our brother and we won't punch yer faces in TOO badly."
All of us tense when the Foot pulls out a katana and points it at Mini Me's head.
"Tell us first why you had a portal coming into our world and we MIGHT give you the little one back," the Foot demands, voice even more gravely in English than Japanese.
Seeing an opening, I shift closer.
"Well, ya see here, dude, we weren't meaning to open a portal to this world," I explain gaining all the Foots attention. "We were hopin' for a completely different world. But you know how tricky world hopping can be. Get ONE number wrong and POOF! You're in a world with ninjas stealing your brother and threatening him." I shake my head for extra effect, having been shifting to the right the entire time I was talking.
"You have technology that allows you to travel between worlds regularly?"
I inwardly smirk at the cautious intrigue in the Foot leader's voice. Hook, line, and sinker.
I shrug.
"Well, I mean, yeah? Don't you dudes have that tech?" I pause before flinching at the silence that follows. "Oof. Yikes. Primitive much? That's kinda embarrassing, not gonna lie. Everyone back home has their own right in their pocket."
The Foot leader exchanges a look with one of his lackeys before his bug red eyes turn back to me.
"We shall make you a deal, furīku," the Foot ninja says. "We shall give you the little orange kame and you give us your device to travel between worlds. You refuse, and we shall kill him and all of you and take your device anyways and bring your heads to our master."
Ok. First? Ew. Second? Yeesh. Where is this guy's manners? Calling people 'freaks' isn't a way to go about making deals with people.
Pretending to think it over, I shoot a look over at the rest of the group. I'm quite pleased to see the younger turtles schooling their features while Master Splinter and Sensei are nearly unreadable. My eyes flicker over to Mini Me. His baby blue eyes are wide as he stares at me, the moon causing his eyes to nearly glow.
"Dude, don't!" Mini Me pleads. "I'm not—"
The Foot leader yanks on the chain, cutting Mini Me's plea off causing him to yelp in pain. My anger flares up again as Mini Me's brothers growl at the sound of their little brother in pain.
"I'll give you my device, but I want you stepping away from my little brother first," I order, pulling out my ShellCell from my belt. "I don't trust you to not go back on your word."
The Foot leader pauses, obviously thinking my requirement over. I hold my ShellCell out to the side, hoping that him seeing the device will help speed up his decision. I can already see Mini Me struggling to get a full breath of air and I'm starting to panic that he's going to pass out from the lack of oxygen before this jerk makes up his mind.
"All right."
My eyes snap back to the Foot leader as he signals with his free hand and the mass of black falls back enough that they wouldn't be able to reach Mini Me before we can if they do decide to attack.
Slowly, the Foot leader leans down and loosens the chain around Mini Me, his gaze never leaving me. Once the chains are loose enough, he stands once more and backs away. I mirror his movements, stepping closer as I listen to rushing footsteps and the frantic whispering of Mini Me's family as they work to untie him.
"We have released your brother," the Foot Leader growls, holding out a glove covered hand. "Now, hand over the device."
I risk a glance at Mini Me, happy to find that he is, indeed, chain free now. Master Splinter is whispering to him as Tiny Donnie examines him while Tiny Leo, Tiny Raph, and Sensei are watching us. My eyes flicker up to meet Sensei's eye and he gives me a microscopic nod.
I look back at the Foot leader.
"Sure, dude. Knock yourself out." I toss my ShellCell to him, which the ninja catches easily. "Don't be discouraged if you can't figure it out right away, either. We had an entire course on how to use ours properly before we graduate to get our own, ya know? So just play with it a little and you'll catch on."
I start backing away and I can already spot the smoke bombs in Tiny Leo's and Tiny Raph's hands.
"Oh! And I have one last piece of advice for you," I call out over my shoulder. "Don't say "SC 4 self-destruct"."
"Wha—"
BOOM!
I grin as I throw a look back over my shoulder. The Foot leader is flat on his back, dazed.
"Oh, oops," I say cheekily. "My bad, dude. Welp, now we both are screwed out of a device. Well, see ya!"
The Foot leader snarls as I sprint forward and just as I reach Sensei, both Tiny Leo and Tiny Raph throw the smoke bombs down as the Foot ninjas start to mobilize.
Disappearing into the smoke, the seven of us drop down into the alleyway as the Foot shout and snarl above us. My eyes flicker over to Master Splinter as his maroon kimono flutters around him and I can just see Mini Me in his arms. Chichi falls into step with me as we sprint through the shadows.
"You do know that Donatello will be quite upset that you destroyed your cell phone."
I quietly snicker at my father's comment as we start climbing back up a fire escape.
"Eh, he'll get over it. He already promised to make me a new one. And besides," I grin at Chichi. "He can consider this revenge for using my favorite controller without asking."
"And you guys thought it was a dumb idea to put a self-destruct feature in our phones," Tiny Donnie mutters to his brothers nearly causing me to laugh out loud. Tiny Raph rolls his eyes while Tiny Leo shoots his brainiac brother a tight smile.
"Leonardo," Master Splinter mutters as we reach the top of the fire escape. "Take your brother. Yoshi and I shall scout the area before calling the five of you up."
My lips tug into a frown as I catch a glimpse of Mini Me's face. He's quite pale, making his freckles stand out more in the moonlight than they should. His lips are pursed, as if trying to not make any noise as he's passed into his eldest brother's arms. His gaze is straight forward and a little glazed. My hands flex at my sides, feeling helpless in how to help him at the moment.
Snout wrinkling, I scoot closer to Tiny Donnie and nudge him with my elbow. Reddish brown eyes flicker over to me, acknowledging me without saying a word.
"Do you still have the D.B.?" I ask quietly. Tiny Donnie nods, lips forming a thin line as he pats his belt.
"Yeah," he whispers back. "I put it into my pouch after I fell." He sags a little. "I'm sorry, Mike. I thought I had the coordinates correct. But, this isn't your world is it?"
I shake my head and the genius sighs softly.
"No, I didn't think so. Shell. And now I don't know if we'll be able to just use the Dimension Bracelet to get US back home. Not without having ALL the components fixed."
"Dis is why I HATE technology," Tiny Raph growls, throwing his purple-cladded brother a glare. "It's too unpredictable."
"Raph," Tiny Leo states firmly as Tiny Donnie wilts a little. "Now isn't the time. Right now we need to worry about finding a safe place to check Mikey over."
Tiny Raph glares at his eldest brother, which Tiny Leo is more than willing to meet with his own. A flash of my own Leo and Raph arguing flashes in my mind and I quickly step forward, placing a hand on each of their shoulders, secretly pleased that I can reach easily.
"Dudes, stop," I quietly plead, ignoring how Tiny Raph shrugs off my hand. "Arguing isn't gonna help anyone. Those Foot felt dangerous and I'm sure they're still following us. So, we gotta work together right now and NOT argue about whose fault it is. Okay?"
Tiny Raph turns toward me, his eyes flashing as he points a single finger at me. He opens his mouth about to say something just as the back of my neck prickles. Lifting a hand, I cover his mouth before any sound can come out and I swiftly look over to where Sensei and Master Splinter are. I spot them easily in the shadows but they're not the only thing I spot in moving about.
Heart pounding, I rush forward, leaving the four younger turtles to whisper after me in confusion. Pulling out my nunchakus, I push my legs to move faster as I move silently toward the unknown shadow. The moment I know that Sensei and Master Splinter pick up on the newcomer, I'm already right there, lifting my nunchaku and blocking the incoming attack on my father's exposed back.
2 sharp claw blades meet the wood of my weapon and my eyes widen.
"Shredder!"
"Michelangelo!"
Soulless red eyes stare down at me as he suddenly spins. Air rushes from my lungs when he kicks me in the side, sending me sprawling across the roof.
"I thought I only had to deal with those four turtle freaks and their sorry excuse of a rat sensei. Now I find that there are two more rat freaks with a pathetic weaker version of said turtle freaks."
Wheezing, I roll onto my side and glare at this world's Shredder as I hold my now aching side. Shell. I forgot what it's like to be kicked by a Shredder. Coughing, I smirk at the Shredder as he glances my way.
"I don't know, Shred-head. You're just as ugly, if not UGLIER than our own Shred-head and we've had TWO." I wince as I stagger to my feet. "So, you'd think that you'd be honored to meet just as good lucking opponents as your own."
"Michelangelo," Sensei says, his tone warning as he pulls his katana from his staff.
The Shredder, however, ignores Sensei as he turns toward.
"Oh, I am honored," Shredder growls. "Honored to be given the chance to rid the world of another nuisance!"
My mind blanks for a moment when the Shredder suddenly sprinters toward me.
I never think things through, do I?
"No!" I hear Chichi cry out as he also rushes after the Shredder with Master Splinter right after him.
Thankfully, my father's cry is enough to kick me into gear to at least duck under Shredder's swiping at me. I grit my teeth as my side protests at every move that I make. Risking a look, I check to see where my father is. My stomach sinks as I spot him and Master Splinter sidelined by a group of Foot ninjas that are forming a thick wall of black and red between us. A yelp escapes me when I stagger and stumble as I step on a loose brick accidentally.
Clumsy. Clumsy. CLUMSY! Why am I so freaking clumsy! I hiss as I hit the roof again. A shadow falls over me and I stare up with wide eyes. Shredder stands above me.
"Say 'goodbye', turtle freak."
Well, shell. Not good. Not GOOD! I wince, lifting an arm in a weak attempt to protect myself. I don't even think I'll be able to create a shield to protect myself. Double shell!
"RAH!"
Jerking, I glance up just in time to watch as a blur of green and red and green and blue slam into the Shredder's side. My eyes widen as I watch Tiny Raph and Tiny Leo roll away from the downed Shredder, weapons at the ready.
"Mike!"
My eyes pull away from the battle ready turtles to land on the missing two brothers. Tiny Donnie rushes toward me with Mini Me in his arms.
"Dude, are you okay?" Mini Me asks as Tiny Donnie places him down next to me. He pulls my hand away from my side to check it over.
"I'm fine, honest," I answer, offering the two upset turtles a smile. "Shred-head just got a good hit in, that's all. Nothing I haven't felt before."
Tiny Donnie glares at me as I stumble to my feet.
"Mikey, you shouldn't be moving around. He hit you hard enough that your side is already bruising! And you're already hurt in the first place, you shouldn't be moving around so much."
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I mean, he's not wrong. I can feel the bruise every time I breath but we don't really have the luxury of sitting on the sidelines. Not when one of us already can't walk.
"Donnie, we can't stay here. The sooner we can regroup with the others, the sooner we'll be able to get away." My eyes flicker over to where Tiny Leo and Tiny Raph are dancing around the Shredder, just barely staying ahead of his attacks. A small voice in my head is telling me that there is something familiar about this Shredder.
"I know that," Tiny Donnie hisses. "But if you can't fight properly, you WON'T be leaving here."
Two cries of pain has the three of us turning sharply. My heart skips a beat as both Tiny Leo and Tiny Raph hit the roof. HARD.
"Stay with Mikey," I order as I quickly shove one of my nunchakus into Mini Me's hands so that he's not defenseless.
"But—"
I shoot Tiny Donnie a hard look.
"I've fought 2 Shredders AND a Mega Shredder, dude. How many have you fought?" Tiny Donnie doesn't answer and I stare at him grimly. "That's what I thought. Stay here with your bro and kick any Foot's butt who get too close."
Not waiting for a reply, I rush across the roof as Shredder stalks toward the two fallen turtles. He has just grabbed Tiny Leo by the throat when I reach them.
"Put him down Shredder!" I shout as I punch the back of his helmet.
Shredder staggers and I ignore how my hand throbs from punching solid metal as I flip off my opponent. Sliding between him and the downed turtles, I twirl my single nunchaku.
Red eyes narrow at.
"You shall regret that, freak."
I tilt my head.
"I regret a lot in my life, Shred-head. But kicking your butt has never been one."
Roaring, Shredder sprints at me, claws raised. I duck and weave around each swipe he sends my way, my heart pounding as I do my best to stay out of the way of the gleaming metal. All I need to do is keep him busy until Tiny Leo and Tiny Raph get their bearings and can move. And then I'll lead him somewhere else.
Shell. I wish my bros were here, I think as I fall into a splits before rolling to my left as Shredder tries to kick me. My side protests and I can feel my stitches pulling with each move I make as I dance across the rooftop with Shredder right on my heels.
"Why don't you make this easier on yourself and surrender, creatin?"
My snout wrinkles as I twirl out of another flurry of swipes that he sends my way.
"Sorry, tin can, but I've got places to be, so you killing me just isn't in the cards." I backflip over a high kick. "And besides, I've fought scarier things than a weirdo in a metal suit. So, if I'm gonna die, it's gonna be from someone WAAAAAAY cooler than you, dude. So, sorry, no dice. Though I would have thought you'd be faster with how often you wear that metal suit. Unless you're not like my Shredders who practically lived in their suits."
Shredder snarls but doesn't answer as he leaps up and tries to smash me with his heel. Sliding to my left, I press the button on my nunchaku causing my blade to appear and I use it to flick Shredder's claws up before kicking out. Sweat rolls down the sides of my face as I quickly disengage, my little stunt giving me some breathing room. Shell. I'm really not fit enough for this much activity. Especially not against an opponent like Shredder.
My shoulders hunch as my neck prickles and I lunge to the right just in time to miss a ninjato to the skull. My eyes widen as I stare into the angry face of a black-haired female. Her dark brown eyes strike me as familiar.
"K-Karai?" I breath out.
She sneers at me as she gets between me and Shredder.
"Foolish turtle. Did you really think that you could face my father and not expect me to appear?" Karai pauses and her eyes narrow. "Wait, you appear different. More turtles?"
Her eyes flicker over to my counterpart brothers before landing on me again.
"What?"
I shrug.
"It's a long story, dude. And not one I'm really in the mood in sharin', sorry."
Karai sneers at me, lifting her ninjato and pointing it at me.
"It matters not. My father and I shall dispose of you freaks either way."
I can't help it, I roll my eyes.
"Gonna have to get in line, bud. Shred-head already has first dibs."
"Enough chatter! Rah!" Karai snarls and sprints forward.
Mentally cursing, I backflip away from her, landing on the ledge of the building before springing over her head. I barely land before I'm rolling to my right as Shredder tries to kick my face in.
Shell. Double Shell. I can't fight both Shredder and Karai! I haven't even been able to train yet! What would my bros do in this situation? Would they even BE in this situation? Or am I really as unlucky as my bros think that I am?
Dropping into another splits, I swiftly pull myself forward to roll across the roof right under the Shredder.
"Wow," I call out, doing my best to not appear out of breath. "Is this all the two of you can do? I've fought a living plant with better moves than you two."
Karai snarls while Shredder glares at me.
"You remind me too much of that orange banded turtle freak," Karai growls. "Michelangelo, I believe his name is. All talk."
"Hopefully I'm the pretty one out of the two of us," I snark. "I've worked hard to keep this face beautiful. But I will applaud you on actually taking the time to learn our names. Makes you a good villain. Learning more about your opponent. Only the truly wise do that, or so some old guy in a movie told me once." I smirk as I shoot Shredder a sly glance. "Bet Daddy-dearest doesn't even know all of our names. Except for Leo, but like, that's easy. We're always shouting his name 'cause he's some sort of trouble magnet."
Karai's eyebrow twitches and I nearly giggle. I forgot how easy it was to get Karai all riled up. And apparently this world's Karai is the same way.
"I do not need to know your names, scum," Shredder growls. "You shall be dead anyways and nobody will even know or care who you were. And you will only be a distant memory for me. Easily forgotten."
I open my mouth to retort only for the words to catch when Shredder sprints forward. Shell! This guy's sure light on his feet! He makes it about halfway before something shoots out from the darkness causing Shredder to leap backwards. A deep growl emits from the ninja lord and I spot what caused him to fall back.
A sai with a red handle.
I grin and glance over to the shadows.
4 pairs of pure white eyes stare back.
"Well, well, well, if it ain't a huge can opener," a deep voice with a gruff New York accent says and four mutant turtles emerge from the shadows. The speaker, an emerald turtle with a red mask, grins as he flips his other sai. "And his little nuisance. Didn't realize it was meh birthday already."
He is definitely a Raph, I think amusedly as the leaf green turtle with a blue mask (he has to be Leo) points twin katanas.
"Think we should level the playing field, guys?" He asks, a smirk that just SCREAMS Leo on his face.
Letting out a 'whoop', the four newcomers spring forward weapons ready. This world's Leo and Don go straight for Shredder, forcing the ninja lord to snarl and fall back while this world's Raph scoops up his sai, throwing me a glance over his shoulder before rushing over to this world's Mikey as he takes on Karai. It's a little unnerving how close in color that his eyes were to my Raph's. Shoving that thought aside, I twirl my nunchaku before turning to the rest of the fighting. My eyes locate Tiny Donnie as he smacks and bats away Foot after Foot. Mini Me is standing on one leg, throwing shurikens to help his brother thin the crowd. My eyes narrow just as I hear the crack of wood and Tiny Donnie looks down at his bo.
"Gah! Seriously?!"
Rushing forward, I pull two kunai from my belt and throw them at the back of two Foot Ninjas heads. The two split before the blades can hit them. Slipping between the ninjas and the younger turtles, I glance back at Tiny Donnie.
"How good are you with Nunchaku?"
I swear a sweat drop forms on the young genius's face as he laughs nervously.
"Uh, I don't?"
My eye ridge twitches at the not answer and I resist the urge to sigh. By the age of ten me and my bros were able to comfortably use each other's weapons. Pursing my lips, I shove that thought away. They're from a different world and had a slightly different upbringing. I can't judge them on that.
"All right, let me see what I can find for you," I state, my eyes scanning the rooftop. My eyes land on a discarded spear. Extending the chain on my nunchaku, I twirl a few times before whipping it toward the spear. The blade sinks into the wood and I yank as hard as I can. I smirk as the spear comes with it and I easily catch it. Twirling it once, I pass it back to Tiny Donnie.
"Here ya go, D. Try not to break this one," I state with a wink before rushing forward and smacking incoming Foot Ninjas.
Leaping around, I spot Tiny Leo and Tiny Raph fighting back-to-back, completely surrounded by Foot. I spare Sensei a quick glance but he and Master Splinter are making fine work of their own opponents and the newcomers are still dealing with Shredder and Karai. Making up my mind, I hurry for the other two younger turtles to help them even the odds. 2 against 15 is fine, but why not have it 3 against 15? Nothing hurts stacking the odds in our favor. Twirling my nunchaku, I work my way through the crowd, frowning as 2 more ninjas always seem to take the place of the ones I knock down.
"Where are deez guys comin' from!" Tiny Raph growls as he punches down another ninja. He grunts as he catches a katana in his sai's guard before it can slice him in the head.
Narrowing my eyes, I roundhouse kick a few more ninjas and I finally make a gap big enough for me to slip through.
"Didn't you know? Foot Ninjas are like little cockroaches," I state grinning as I try to keep my panting at bay. I elbow one in the gut as he tries to sneak up behind me. "They just keep comin' out of the woodwork until you take down the leader, and well, the leader is Shredder right now. And, no offense, but I don't see him going down anytime soon. Not with Karai here."
A scowl forms on the hothead's face as he shoves another Foot Ninja back.
THWACK! THWACK!
Jumping, I turn around and smile as I spot this world's Donnie making swift work of a large portion of the ninjas. Bright hazel eyes glance over at us and he smiles.
"Turtle luck true to form, am I right?"
I laugh.
"True that, dude! Thanks for the assist!"
His smile widens as he salutes and leaps off to help one of his brothers. I turn back to Tiny Leo and Tiny Raph. I mentally wince at how tired they look and I know that I don't look any better.
"Uh, could I get some assistance real quick?! Like, I needed help YESTERDAY quick?"
The three of us jump and turn toward Tiny Donnie's voice. Mini Me is on the ground with Tiny Donnie standing above him, trying to keep a katana from slicing through them. Before I can react, Tiny Leo and Tiny Raph spring into action, taking down the Foot that dared to try attacking their little brothers. Knowing that they've got this, I turn back to the rest of the fight. A frown tugs on my lips when I realize that I don't see Shredder anymore. Karai is currently fighting with this world's Raph and Leo and I wince seeing some Elite Foot fighting with Chichi and Master Splinter. If they're anything like OUR Elite Foot were then their gonna be a pain in the shell to fight.
Did Shredder decide to retreat like the coward that he is?
My neck prickles just as that thought crosses my mind.
Awe, shell.
"Should be more aware of your surroundings, turtle."
Whipping around, I narrowly miss Shredder's claw embedded into my skull. My snout wrinkles as I roll out of my dodge and start spinning my nunchaku again.
So much for him retreating, I think dryly as I glare at the larger male.
"Came back for some more butt whooping, Shred-head? I can kick your butt all day." Not that I want to, but I sure as shell gonna try.
He growls at me as he lowers himself into an offensive stance.
"I would like to see you try, freak."
Adrenaline spikes inside me as he leaps forward and I reach into my belt, pulling out a smoke bomb. Tossing it, the bomb explodes in Shredder's face, causing him to howl angrily as I use the smoke to slip away. Snickering to myself, I swiftly kick an Elite Foot as he tries to sneak up on Master Splinter. The older rat turns and nods at me. It's a little reassuring seeing him barely breaking a sweat with all the bad guys around.
I split kick two ninjas away from me, sending them sprawling into another 3.
"Ha! Take that!" I taunt as I dodge a tiger punch to the head. "I don't think you dudes are gonna win this one. So, why don't you and your little master pack up your toys and—"
I pause mid-sentence as something in the air shifts. Something not good.
"MIKEY!"
Watashi no nikkō – My Sunlight
Watashi wa anata ga yōkyū o suru tachiba ni aru to wa omoimasen, furīku.
I do not think you are in the position to be making demands, freak.
Kono chīsana furīku no jinsei ga anata ni totte nani no imi mo nai nodenakereba - Unless the life of this little freak means nothing to you
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Hello everyone! Hope you're doing well! So sorry about the long wait for this chapter ." but hopefully the wait was worth it. If not, I'm sorry. But just knowing that all of you have stuck with me this long makes it worth it for me to finish this chapter. Chapter 29 is already in the works as well but I'm gonna resist the urge to promise when it will be released. But I'm rather excited about these two chapters and I really enjoyed writing this one here.
But you guys came here for another chapter not for me jabbering away (even if I enjoy letting all of you know how much I appreciate your support and that I'm grateful for all the kind words).
Happy reading!
