7Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.
Summary: "Are you telling me your brother lied about what happened?" "Nuh, Master Splinter. He wouldn't lie to you, but he wasn't telling the full story either." Mikey grinned mischievously; he was looking forward to explaining this one.
Comments, thoughts and concrit are always welcome.
A/N: This story is extremely loosely based on a true story that sampsonknight told me.
Just thought I would post a bit of light humour before the horrors of Halloween hit! (Besides, been sitting on this story for nearly a year now *coughcough*)
* 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.
The Drop
With worry filling his heart, Mikey propped his dazed, barely conscious brother carefully against the grimy sewer wall so he could operate the hidden mechanism, exposing the secret door to their home. Wincing at the faint squeal of protest from the rarely used hinges as he pushed it open, Mikey made a mental note to mention it to Donnie after his brother recovered enough. This particular door, far from the main entrance, was more an emergency exit for times of desperate need; something they'd learnt the lesson of needing after their previous home was attacked. Unfortunately, he'd used it tonight as it was simply the closest door and his brother was hurt enough that he couldn't risk wasting time by going the long way around to the main entrance.
Stepping back, Mikey hauled the other turtle back to his feet, slinging one arm over his shoulders for added support. "Come on bro, one foot in front of the other; we're nearly there," he coaxed lightly, trying desperately to keep the worry from his voice as he half carried, half led his dazed and injured brother inside.
As soon as they were in and the door carefully sealed once more, Mikey took a deep breath, "Donnie!" he bellowed. "I need you!"
"Shu' it, Mikey," his brother hissed faintly, words slurring together as he struggled to speak them. "M' head hurts 'nough wi'out you screamin' in m' ear..."
Mikey snorted lightly in amusement.
"'s not funny..."
Mikey chuckled insensitively, "Oh, but it really is, bro. Trust me, you'll see the funny side later too." The unfocused glare he received could easily have felled an entire legion of Foot Soldiers but Mikey ignored it and settled for yelling for Donnie again as he helped his stumbling brother down the passage towards the main living room.
Suddenly, Splinter appeared silently ahead, making Mikey jump and almost drop his injured sibling.
Splinter's gaze flickered worriedly between the two. "Where are your brothers?"
Mikey stared at his father in dismay. "They're not home? But..." he glanced down at the brother he struggled to support, "we need Donnie."
"They went searching for the two of you when you failed to return when you said you would, or to answer your phones," Splinter explained pointedly, his gaze locked with Michelangelo's. "I believe they may have also called Mister Jones in, to aid them in their search."
Mikey paled, laughing nervously. "Well, eh heh... funny story there, Sensei..."
"Do share," came the unimpressed response from his stern father.
Mikey swallowed and nodded. "Let me get Raphie here to the infirmary first," he conceded, leading his brother forward once more. As soon as they entered the main area of their pumping station home, Mikey beelined for the infirmary, his father moving ahead to open the door for them. Once he settled his dizzy brother onto one of the waiting cots, making sure he was as comfortable as possible, Mikey hesitantly turned to Splinter before blurting, "I dropped my Shell-cell when I went to call Don for help and it fell into the alley below. By the time we got down there, some homeless dude had taken off with it."
Splinter's ears twitched as he leant his hissing, injured son gently forward to inspect his head wound and clean it. "And your brother's device?" he prompted.
Nervously, Mikey plucked non-existent fluff from his right elbow pad. "He landed his fat shell on it and it wouldn't open after."
"You're one t' talk about fat shells..." Raph slurred in annoyance, glaring just to the side of Mikey and making Mikey certain his brother was seeing at least double.
Splinter sighed in resignation. "Go fetch mine from my room, Michelangelo, and call your brothers home. I will take care of Raphael in the meantime."
Nodding obediently, Mikey dashed off. When he returned minutes later, the normally jovial ninja was empty-handed. Mikey shook his head at Splinter's questioning look. "The battery's so dead its gotta be charged for a few minutes before it'll even turn on, Sensei. When did you last charge it?"
Splinter looked at him blankly for a moment. Then, ignoring the question, "In that case, would you go prepare some tea for your brother? Afterwards, you may either try my phone again or go use a payphone to call Miss O'Neil and ask her to contact Leonardo and Donatello," Splinter commanded, turning away to continue taking care of Raphael's injury.
"Sure thing, Sensei," Mikey quickly obeyed. He all but skipped out of the room, hearing Splinter ask Raph to explain what had happened as he left. Grinning and knowing Raph's pride had taken a major dent that night, Mikey wondered just what Raph would actually tell their father.
-:-
Minutes later, as Mikey left the kitchen with tea in hand, a sound from the main entrance caught his attention. He froze, instantly alert as he stared hopefully towards the door. Moments later he wilted in relief and rushed over, sloshing the hot drink over his hand as he ran.
"Ow! Donnie! Ow! Leo! 'bout time you dudes got home!" he blurted frantically.
"About time we got home?" Leo echoed in disbelief, staring Mikey down. "Do you have any idea how worried we've been about you and Raph? You were supposed to be home over three hours ago!"
Mikey winced. He knew how late they were but hearing it from Leo always made it sound far worse. "I'm really sorry about that, Leo, but..."
"Is Raph home too? Leo interrupted, cutting of Mikey's rushed apology.
"Yeah, but..."
"In that case, if you were together, why didn't one of you at least call when it was obvious you were late and why didn't Raph answer his Shell-cell?" Leo questioned intently, barely giving Mikey a chance to reply.
"And would you mind explaining just why we had to ask Casey to buy your Shell-cell back from a pawnbroker's?" Donnie cut in, affronted by the very idea of his technological baby in such a place.
Mikey winced. Yeah, that was going to be a fun explanation. He shook his head. "That doesn't matter right now, bro," he insisted. Looking Donnie directly in the eyes, he quickly explained before he could be interrupted again. "Raph needs you, Don! He's in the infirmary!"
With that, the look on both brothers' faces shifted from annoyed and angry to deep concern and they ran for the infirmary with Mikey following directly behind.
"What happened?" Donnie asked, a hint of urgency in his otherwise calm voice. Splinter stepped aside, allowing him access to their injured brother.
"It seems your brother became involved in an altercation with numerous opponents. One of whom managed to get the drop on him, knocking his head into a nearby wall," Splinter explained, his ears twitching as he spoke.
Mikey found himself grinning broadly at the story and couldn't help a faint snort of laughter escaping.
Leo fixed Mikey with a dirty glare. "I hardly think Raphael being injured in a fight neither of you was supposed to be in is a laughing matter, Michelangelo."
Careful not to slosh more tea over himself, Mikey waved his free hand dismissively, "Of course not, bro, but..."
"Mikey!" Raph growled warningly as Donnie carefully examined the cut towards the back of his head. Mikey tossed Raph a playful grin.
Donnie, ignoring the two, frowned, his gaze narrowing. "This injury doesn't appear consistent with one's head slamming into a wall. It's more as if something sharp connected with him, and whoever attacked him must have been fairly short to attack at that angle."
Mikey's grin widened as he nodded eagerly. He quickly sat the cup on the bedside table before he spilt any more.
"Raph won't need any actual stitches; luckily for him, butterfly stitches will more than suffice. However, please give me a few minutes to determine how bad his concussion is and treat him," Donnie requested, getting to work.
As Donnie looked after their brother, Mikey sidled closer to Master Splinter and Leo. "Did Raphie tell you that story, Sensei?"
"He did indeed," Splinter confirmed, looking at Mikey expectantly. "Are you telling me Raphael lied about what happened?"
Mikey shook his head frantically. He didn't want to get Raph in any actual trouble, however, he was certainly looking forward to making his tough brother squirm. "Nuh, Master Splinter. Raphie wouldn't lie to you, we all know better than to try that. But he wasn't telling the full story either."
"Then perhaps once Donatello is done with him, you may regale us with the full tale," Splinter suggested meaningfully.
Mikey grinned mischievously. Now that he was looking forward to.
"And in the meantime, you can explain how your Shell-cell ended up in a pawnshop and why you didn't call us on Raph's instead," Leo commanded firmly.
-:-
Mikey laughed as he dashed past Raph, yanking at his bandana tails and twisting them so his eyes became covered.
"You damn little! Get back here!" Raph yelled furiously, tugging his mask back in place so he could see again. He spotted the annoying mischief maker right as he leapt from the building edge to fly across the gap to the next, landing with a flourish. As soon as Mikey's footing was sure, he spun around, poked his tongue out at Raph and mocked him.
"Are you a ninja turtle or a tortoise, Raphie? Man, you're slow tonight, dude!" he yelled joyfully across the divide.
Raph smirked as he cracked his knuckles and gave chase, already imagining the pounding he'd give his bratty brother when he eventually caught him. Meanwhile, the chase would get his blood flowing and clear the cobwebs from another long, dull day spent trapped below ground.
Mikey let out an obnoxiously, deliberately loud laugh, back-flipped and ran backwards as Raph sprinted towards him. It was only when Raph lunged at him that he finally sprang to one side and began running properly once more.
-:-
Leonardo sounded weary. "The two of you only went out to pick up dinner. Was it really necessary for you to antagonise Raph, Mikey?"
"Yes. Yes, it was, Leo," Mikey replied, nodding sagely. "We're teenagers. We're supposed to have fun when we can. Besides bro, it's been quiet lately and we were both bored. Would you rather we'd roughhoused here at home and maybe broke stuff? Accidentally of course."
Leo sighed and shook his head, remembering the devastation left in the living room the last time the pair had been bored and antsy.
"There you go then!" Mikey stated smugly. "Anyway, that's why we wanted to get out and grab dinner tonight."
"Yet your antics obviously attracted trouble," Leonardo pointed out wryly.
"Nuh uh!" Mikey retorted, shaking his head emphatically.
"Then how did Raph get injured?" Leo asked, the barest hint of exasperation in his tone. Anyone that didn't know him well would never have picked up on it, but Mikey, used to bearing the brunt of it often, did easily. Suddenly, shock dawned on Leo's face and he had to ask. "Did you accidentally cause his injury?"
"Shell no!" Mikey cried, mortified Leo would even suggest such a thing. "You know I have better control than that, bro!"
"Perhaps, Leonardo, it would be best if we allow Michelangelo to continue with his tale?" Splinter suggested meaningfully.
-:-
Mikey wriggled from Raph's grasp and bounced away, surprising the stronger turtle. The two eyed each other warily, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly, Mikey let out a loud snicker and Raph struck. Mikey immediately jumped back a single step, tantalisingly just out of reach, then bound forward, leapfrogging over his stunned brother's head.
"Whats-a matter, Raphie? Feeling a bit flat? Haha!" Mikey taunted loudly as he ran circles around the other turtle.
Raph growled good-naturedly and snagged a nearby cord from a dilapidated clothesline. Holding onto both ends, he tossed the loose middle over Mikey and tripped him up. Recovering quickly, Mikey pushed off the rooftop with his hands and flipped back to his feet, grinning wildly at his smirking brother.
-:-
"Mikey, as entertaining as I'm sure you feel your story is, could you please just get to the point?" Leo asked, head in his hand, "Who was it that attacked you both and how did they manage to injure Raph so badly?"
Mikey sighed dramatically. "I'm just trying to set the scene, bro. It's important you know the lead-up."
Raph growled unhappily, "Do the details even matter? I already tol' Master Splin'er what happened. No one needs to know the damn play by play."
"Oh, yes they do," Mikey chortled in delight. He leaned in close to Raph with a wide, obnoxious grin. "You just don't want them to know 'cause you know you'll never live it down, dude."
Raph tried to lunge at Mikey, only to be hit by a dizzy spell from his quick movement. A moment later, an unhappy Donatello placed his hand on Raph's plastron, pushing him back with a no-nonsense expression filling his face.
"Okay... Now, where was I again?" Mikey asked with a teasing lilt once his brothers and father turned back to hear the rest of the story.
"You were getting to the point, my son," Splinter replied dryly.
"Right!" Mikey laughed sheepishly. "So Raph and I raced around, dodging and weaving over a couple of city blocks as we headed for Rupert's..."
-:-
Half a block from their ultimate destination, Raph actually began to worry he wouldn't be able to take Mikey down before reaching the pizza joint his brother had recently discovered and taken to. If he wasn't able to by then, then Mikey would win the game as once they had their food, they would no longer be able to play in case of ruining it and getting Fearless up their shells; the last thing either wanted after an evening of blessed freedom was a freaking lecture.
The building the brothers now stood upon was one with a rooftop shed and a small garden some enterprising human had set up and Raph grinned, figuring this was his best chance. As Raphael chased his hyper brother, he subtly veered for the left side of the shed, making Mikey instinctively do the same. Quickly, Raph deliberately kicked a small rock to his right, before changing direction to race around the right of the building. He was banking on Mikey hearing the sound and realising he'd never make such a rookie mistake in stealth and keep on going, running straight into Raph instead of turning the other direction.
-:-
"Mikey, if you don't shu' up right now, then by the time I'm done with you, I won't be the only one sportin' a damn concussion," Raph growled fiercely, sounding serious enough to make Mikey pause.
"Uh..."
"No, I want to hear this. Go on, Mikey," Leo commanded dryly, his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on the story-teller.
"... But..."
"I must admit I'm rather intrigued by what happened also," Donnie interrupted. "Especially given how desperate Raph is to keep us in the dark about all this."
"I too wish to hear the rest of this 'entertaining' story, Michelangelo," Splinter added, giving Mikey no real choice in the matter.
Mikey's uncertain gaze trailed from brother, to brother, to brother to master and back.
"I suggest you continue, Michelangelo, unless you would rather have your comics confiscated and sold," Leo added smoothly, cinching the deal.
Mikey turned to Raph, shrugging with a sheepish grin, "Sorry Raphie, majority rules!" As if there was ever any doubt. Turning back to the rest of his family, Mikey's face showed an overly serious expression, yet his eyes were alight with a mischievous twinkle. "So anyway, I guessed what Raph was up to and doubled back to come at Raph from behind as he kept going. What neither of us knew was that there was a kid with a telescope watching the moon rise on the other side."
"Mikey..." Raph growled warningly, trying to get up and go at his brother once more. However, Donnie yet again pushed him back with little effort.
"Wait! You're trying to tell us a kid took Raph down?"
Mikey chuckled in amusement. "Nuh, but I bet that would have been less embarrassing, right Raphie?" he teased cheekily, gazing meaningfully at his bed-ridden tough brother.
"Swear if you don't shu' up righ' now..."
-:-
As Raph prepared to round the corner of the shed, he heard the faint telltale sound of someone laying in wait and shook his head, dismayed and a little disappointed by his brother's lack of stealth. Then he pounced, only to realise he'd made a mistake and that that was not Mikey after all. Too late to stop, Raph managed to twist enough to avoid hitting the young, teenage boy full on, but unfortunately, he still crashed into the telescope.
The teenager, not expecting anyone on his building's rooftop, naturally freaked out, falling backwards into the wall with a loud metallic clatter and crash. Raph began pulling himself back to his feet while chaos ensued with a cacophony of loud squawking and a frenzied fluttering of wings as a small flock of roosting birds took flight.
Horrified, Mikey shot around the corner just in time to see one of the feathered fiends connect beak first with Raph's head in sheer panic, knocking him back into the ground where his head hit with a hollow sounding thunk.
"Shell!" Mikey swore, seeing the scared and upset kid. Suddenly, he noticed Raph wasn't getting up and hoping he'd be okay, realised it was up to him to get them both out of there without being seen. Too bad he could do nothing about them having been heard. While he only had eyes for his unconscious brother, Mikey spoke up as soothingly as he could. "We're so sorry, dude! We had no idea anyone was up here tonight. Are you okay?" he asked as he leaned over to check Raph for injuries in the darkness.
"No! I'm not!" the teen cried out in dismay. "My telescope probably got busted and Mister Cotter's birds escaped. He's gonna kill me!"
Mikey bit his lip a moment, worried over Raph's lack of response as he lightly slapped his unconscious brother's cheek. "But what about you? Are you hurt, little dude?"
The kid seemed taken aback by Mikey's question and hesitated a moment before answering. "Uh yeah, I'm okay... What about your friend? Is he okay? What're you doing up here anyway? You don't live in the building do you?" he asked, trying to peer at Mikey and Raph in the gloom, making Mikey grateful Raph had at least fallen into the shadows.
Mikey shook his head. "Nuh, we don't, dude. We were just playing... uh... tag across the rooftops," he reluctantly admitted, concerned since Raph still hadn't moved. "My bro's out cold," he added, worry filling his voice.
"Hang on, I've got a torch here somewhere... and a phone. I can call an ambulance if you want."
Mikey's head snapped up in panic as the teenage boy turned around, fumbling about in the dark. By the time he turned back, Mikey had hauled Raph over the side of the building and onto the nearby fire escape.
A light snapped on above and moments later a voice rang out, "Hey? Where'd you go?"
Mikey called out, making sure to sound as cheerful as he could so as to not worry the teen further. "I've gotta get my brother home. Later, dude!"
"But!"
"Oh, dude?"
"What?" the teen called, sounding a little closer and Mikey figured he was following his voice; he had to make this quick.
"If your telescope needs fixing, leave it up here with a phone number or something to contact you with attached. One of my bros'll come by in the next couple of nights to fix it. We'll let you know when you can come back up to get it!"
-:-
Then everyone's attention was on Raph, who flushed, his current pale complexion darkening until it was darker than his usual healthy emerald green.
Leo was silent, obviously still unhappy over Mikey and Raph unwittingly dragging an innocent bystander into their undisciplined mayhem. However, Mikey could see Leo struggling to keep the corners of his mouth from quirking up with amusement.
"Birds?" Donnie asked incredulously. "Really?"
Mikey nodded eagerly.
"Raphael was felled by a flock of birds?"
"Shut up!" Raph snapped, completely mortified.
Splinter chuckled. "It just goes to show how even the mighty may fall when overwhelmed by 'numerous opponents'.
That was it. As Raph sank lower into the bed, even Leo burst into unrestrained laughter.
Finally, as the merriment died down, Splinter spoke up again. "Let this be a lesson to you both about maintaining awareness of your surroundings at all times, even while you are 'having fun'."
Mikey and Raph glanced at each other guiltily.
"As soon as Raphael has recovered sufficiently, you will both join me for extra lessons in awareness."
"Yes, Master Splinter," both chagrined turtles echoed.
Splinter reached out and cupped a gentle paw against Raphael's face. "I am pleased to know your injuries are not severe, my son." Then he turned and walked from the room, chuckling once more as he passed through the door.
Flushing yet again, Raph glared up at Mikey reproachfully. "Master Splinter was fine with the general version! Didja really have to go tell everyone everything?"
Mikey nodded, his grin wider than ever as he forgot about their upcoming punishment. He sat on the edge of Raph's bed. "Sure did, bro!" he said brightly. "This'll keep me going for years!"
Raph's expression turned calculating as he looked towards their other brothers. "Leo? Don?"
Leo and Donnie stepped closer.
"I think it's time I told you how Mikey really lost his Shell-cell!"
-:-
Owari