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This is it.He has to get this right.Nothing else in the entire world is more important than him succeeding. No more, will the world suffer from the horrible, cruel monster that smirks down upon them all. No, no more. Michelangelo Hamato will make sure of it.Leo’s record for ‘best trick’ will be flayed. His smirk will never terrorize them again.Mikey puffs out a breath, bouncing on his toes. He clenches the skateboard tight. He eyes the drop. He’s been practicing. He’s got it down. All he has to do is perform it with witnesses, and video proof. He glances down at Raph and Leo, watching from a not-very-safe distance off to the side. Leo’s recording, a light grin on his face. Raph is chewing on his fingernails. It’s a shame Donnie isn’t here to witness it; he’s out on flight patrol (which they all know are essentially jet-shell joyrides).
“Here goes,” Mikey murmurs. He beams, shouts an exuberant, “Cowabunga!”, and flips off the ramp. He thrusts the skateboard under his feet. He swerves left and right, barely pulling back in time to stay on the ramp. He rockets across the ground. He leaps, tongue poking out of his mouth, twisting the skateboard in a horizontal flip. He lands perfectly, swooping up the other ramp. He spirals into a backflip with a whoop.
Moment of truth! Watch this turtle make history!
He pops into his shell. He hears Raph’s strangled yelp. Leo gasps. He lands on the skateboard. He twirls himself around, once— twice— three times! The skateboard hikes up the other ramp, and Mikey bundles his energy. He pops out with a yell of “Hot Soup!”, twists down to snatch the skateboard, and lands perfectly on his feet.He puffs out his chest, beaming down at Raph and Leo. Their jaws are to the floor, eyes bugging out of their heads. Mikey laughs. “The record for the coolest trick is mine, baby!”
Leo shakes his head. “Yeah, not for long!” He sticks his phone in his pouch and stomps to grab his skateboard from where it leans against the opposite ramp. He rushes up towards Mikey, easily scaling the ramp and leaping up the last bit of distance. He bumps Mikey with his shoulder, and Mikey stumbles back.“Hey!” Mikey cries. He glares at Leo. His grip tightens on his board. Can’t Leo accept being second place just once?(spoiler alert: The answer is no)“Watch and learn, mis hermanos.” He smirks at Mikey. “I’ll show you a real skate trick.”He leaps from the ramp— already forgetting the first flip. Mikey drops his skateboard and folds his arms. He’s going to put Leo in second place one day. He’s gonna shove him down there and he’ll make sure he stays.A faint whooshing sound makes him look up— Donnie?Donnie drops from the top floor, hover-shell accelerating his descent. He looks serious, eyebrows inclined a little more than usual. He slows to a smooth stop around Mikey’s level.Mikey really needs to remember to ask Donnie to make him a jetpack.“Hey, Donnie, watch me!” Leo cries. He tucks into his shell. The skateboard continues without him. He slams the ramp and tumbles down.Mikey laughs. It serves Leo right!“Wow,” Donnie says. He rolls his eyes. “Incredible wipeout.” He shakes his head. “That’s trivial. I spotted the Foot Clan making haste into the Pacific Branch of Brooklyn’s Public Library. They are seeking out another piece of the Dark Armor. Since there are three of them, I have wisely returned for backup.”“What, can’t take out three Foot Clan members by yourself?” Leo taunts, standing with his hands on his hips, wearing that smirk that they oh-so hate.Donnie glares at him. “Have you forgotten their ability to cre—”“Enough!” Raph snaps, clapping his hands. “To the Turtle Tank! Donnie, you lead the way!”“Or I could just drive.”“Oh. Eheh, right. Let’s go, team!”Mikey has to snag his kusari-fundo from his room (he’s thrilled he remembered this time!), and is the last one to arrive. He barely gets a chance to buckle up before the Tank takes off. He bounces his leg as they drive. He can’t wait to shred paper ninjas! There’s something so satisfying about it— how they go down with one solid hit, how the confetti scatters into the air like snow… It’s just great.It takes waaaay too long to get to the library, even with Donnie’s reckless driving. Will the Foot Clan even still be there? What if they’re too late? How long does it take for them to find pieces of the armour, anyways? Maybe Donnie should’ve fought them by himself— but what if he’d been hurt? The Mad Dogs fought together, always.Will this be an easy mission? Probably. Unless the Foot Clan have already found what they were looking for and left. It had to have been an hour since Donnie spotted them. Right? Mikey won’t claim to have a good sense of time. He hopes he’s wrong.Donnie parks the tank close to the back of the library, partially up on the sidewalk (and he may have dented a bumper or two). It’s exposed, unideal, but it’s the middle of the night and the city is in peril!Donnie leads them in through a window— apparently the entrance the Foot had taken (Beefy must be with them, because Raph has little trouble getting in). Mikey grips his weapon tight, peering into the lobby of the library. He listens closely for any footsteps.A hand taps his shoulder. Raph.“You and me bottom,” he whispers. “Twins top.”Mikey nods. A blue glow highlights Raph’s outline as the twins assumably portal away.Mikey leads the way, his smaller stature making it easer for him to remain unnoticed. He narrows his eyes, keeping his senses peeled for any sign of activity. He darts to the curved desk, rolling underneath. He pops his head up. He skims the contents, computers, papers, notebooks, scanners, a small troop of rubber duckies—Mikey holds back a coo at the sight of them, in a neat row. He puts his ’fundo away so he can touch them. One is wearing a Hawaiian shirt, one of those flower necklaces (they have a name, he isn’t sure what), and a coconut drink hangs by a straw from his puckered beak. There’s a police officer with his eye scratched out (think of the story behind that!), a doctor wearing a tie-dye coat (coloured with markers, likely by some creative kids), a rainbow line of solid-coloured ducks— what if he drew eyebrows on the purple one? He could show it to Donn— Lei! That’s what the Hawaiian necklaces are—A hand taps his shell. Mikey turns to meet Raph’s disapproving stare.Whoops. “Sorry, the ducks distracted me,” he signs.“You… can… look later,” Raph signs. His hands are frozen for a moment, then he waves one. He looks around the room, frowning.Mikey takes a peek himself. The library is very open, and quite small. He can see into all the rooms on the bottom floor, the only exception being a hall that leads to an exit (probably). Even with limited lighting, he can tell that there’s nobody else besides him and Raph. And the twins upstairs, but they would’ve alerted them if they had found anything. A small library, not many places to hide— the Foot were long gone. Mikey sighs. Raph lightly flicks the back of his head.“I don’t think anyone’s here,” Mikey says, scowling at Raph.Raph shakes his head. He raises his head. Mikey hears him inhale. Does he smell something? Mikey gives the air a good sniff— but his sense of smell has always been weaker. He’s more human in that regard.Movement flashes up on the mezzanine. Mikey’s eyes whip to it. Leo’s waving to get his attention. He signs something, but he’s too far and too obstructed in shadow for Mikey to make out.Mikey shakes his head. “Can’t see you.”…Now that he thinks about it, maybe he shouldn’t sign back.“C—”
*thump*
Mikey whips around. It came from the exit hall. Raph rushes for it, sacrificing stealth. Mikey runs past him, sliding around his arm. He pulls out his ’fundo. No fire no fire no fire. He slows as he approaches the door, sticking his head around to peer inside.Lanky, Beefy, and Trainee are in there. Trainee is on Beefy’s shoulders, her face twisted with concentration as she fiddles with one of the three lights that hangs from the ceiling. Lanky is waiting with a scowl, hands gripped tight in fists.Raph presses in behind him. Mikey pulls back a little, looking up at him. “What do we do?” he whispers.Raph shifts back, grins, and twirls his tonfas.Smash the bad guys, as always. Mikey grins, readying the chain of his weapon. Perfect!Raph charges into the room with a roar, Mikey right behind him with a yell of his own. Beefy and Trainee cry out and topple over, the latter hitting the fluffy green rug with a very familiar thump.“You!” Lanky shouts. “What are— how—” He snarls. “Never mind!” He grabs a nearby book.“Oh no you don’t!” Mikey flings out his ‘fundo. The cackling head whips forward and twirls around the book, yanking it free of Lanky’s hands. A page tears free. Lanky’s hands blur, and there’s a paper ninja leaping right at Mikey.
He backflips out of the way. The ninja jabs at him, and he slips out of the way. He leaps back, twirls, and lashes out his weapon, the barbed head slicing the ninja to pieces. “Yeah, baby!”Three more lunge at him. Mikey yelps, dodging more blows. One grabs at him. He cuts it up with his weapon. He concentrates, and the head swings back to tear apart the other four—But weren’t there only three? Mikey’s not useless at math—Something slams into his shell, sending him into a book case. The books topple down around him, all pretty colours and— No, no! Focus, Mikey! Five paper ninjas stalk towards him. Raph is fending off Beefy and Trainee, with varying success. A paper ninja clings to a light, messing with it. Where are the twins?The ninjas lunge. Mikey launches himself forward, going low and sliding underneath them. He whirls and lashes his weapon, tying them all up and swinging around, catching Trainee right in the back. She’s sent flying into a little wooden tunnel with a scream of rage.No more ninjas.
Raph’s construct fist cracks Beefy’s cheek.Lanky is watching the ninja on the light.“YOU WILL TASTE MY WRAAAAAATH!” Trainee shrieks.Mikey barely ducks in time for the knives to miss his head. He yelps as she rushes at him, eyes flaming. He leaps up to higher ground. He swings at her. She rolls under, lands on her knees, and chucks a book at his face— this one he does not dodge.But the book is little more than a comic, so…She probably didn’t think that one through.
A sharp whir jerks Mikey’s attention to a swirl of blue, appearing right behind Lanky. Leo leaps out, ōdachi ready. Donnie runs out behind him, goggles down and tech-bō set to shredder mode. Leo smirks at Lanky, who gawks. “Hi there, did you miss us?”He swings— and now Lanky’s occupied.Trainee hauls herself up after Mikey. He leaps at her, thrusting out a kick that knocks her right down. Mikey looks up towards the light. The ninja holds something sharp in its hand. Donnie flies towards it, teeth gritted. The shredder contraption whirrs.The ninja slashes the light and leaps at Donnie. The light crashes down onto Raph, who yells. Donnie is used as a springboard, and he drops his tech-bō (which lands safely on the ground). The ninja sails back towards Lanky. Mikey squints at the weapon in its hand.Something hits him, a sort of foreboding energy. He’s sensed it before. A piece of the Dark Armor! “No you don’t! Hot Soup!” He snags the ninja with his ‘fundo, yanking it back towards him and slamming it into the wall. It explodes into confetti. The piece clatters to the ground.“You keep your hands OFF THAT!” Trainee yells. “That belongs to the Foot Clan!”Yeah, no. Mikey snatches up the piece and whips to face Trainee.“Sohcahtoa!” Donnie yells, swooping up and cracking the rocket head of his bō into her side. He whips his back to Mikey and lands, rotors retracting into his Battle Shell. He glances back at Mikey. “Keep behind me. Guard the piece.”Mikey nods.
Trainee leaps to her feet with an enraged shriek, pulling out a retractable spear. Donnie rushes to meet her, forcing her to pay attention to him. Leo yells. Mikey glances over. Lanky stomps a foot on the fallen Leo’s chest. He does it again, and again and— Mikey cringes. Leo gasps and coughs.Mikey rushes over to help. He swings his fundo. Lanky leaps back. He snatches another book. He crafts three paper ninjas. Mikey groans and leaps down, out of their range. Donnie yells his name.Mikey halts, twirling his ‘fundo in a protective circle. The ninjas lunge.A massive arm wraps around his torso and yanks back. He squeals, dropping his weapon and the piece. He kicks out and squirms.“Mikey!” Raph cries. Mikey spots him trying to haul himself to his feet. He gasps as his leg crumples. What happened?!Donnie glances over, warding off stabs from Trainee. She breaks through his defenses and slams his stomach with the thankfully blunt end. He hisses, twirls his bō, knocking—Mikey is chucked towards the wall. He screams.
*CRACK*
Stars spiral through his head. He groans. He stares at the shaky ceiling, the lights gently swaying. He hears Donnie shout, then yelp. He pushes himself up, a hand grabbing his head. Dee?
Paper ninjas pin a writhing Donnie to the wall. Two secure his hands and a third pushes up against his stomach, partially pinning his legs as a consequence. They’re all out of range of his bites. His tech-bō lays idle on the ground.From the doorway, Trainee laughs. She pulls a knife out of her sleeve— How does she store so many?! Would they rattle if someone shook her?“Recruit, come on!”She only hesitates for a moment before hurrying off.“No!” Raph yells. He slams a fist on the ground.Leo runs over to Donnie and swings his ōdachi through the ninjas. Donnie pushes off the wall with a snarl. He shakes out his arms and then brushes invisible dirt off his waist.
“You’re welcome,” Leo says, propping his odachi on his shoulder.Donnie snatches up his tech-bō. He activates his hover-shell and looks over at Raph. Raph grunts and climbs to his feet, face twisted in a grimace. His ankle looks swollen. Mikey cringes. “Come on!” Raph yells. He hurries towards the door. Mikey jumps up to run after him, ignoring his aching head. Leo flanks him. He hears Donnie’s shell whirring behind him.Mikey starts twirling his ‘fundo as they charge into the lobby. At the top of the stairs, a circular portal glows. Lanky stands before it, pointed teeth curled in a vicious smile. “Farewell, turtles,” he sneers. He twists something in his hand and throws it, a small, flickering orb.Donnie gasps. A hand grabs Mikey’s arm and yanks him back. “Look out!”“I got it!” Raph yells, extending a mystic hand.“Raph n—!”
*BOOM!*
………Mikey’s head buzzes. A loud crackling roars in his ears. His body is on fire. An inhuman scream stabs his skull. He winces and brings his hands up to his ears. He cracks his eyes open.Purple swims all around him. Donnie?It’s the wrong colour. Donnie’s purple is darker than this. If Mikey were to put a specific label on it, he’d call it indigo or grape. What surrounds him is a strange combination of fuchsia and lavender.“Mikey!”
Raph?
He blinks and pushes himself up. His lungs convulse. He coughs, covering his mouth with his hands— his elbow (Sorry, Dee!). He squints.Fuchsia and lavender flickers and flares everywhere, climbing up the walls and spread out all over the floor. Black obscures the ceiling and white lights flash from multiple places. They look like stars. His head pounds from the rapid beeping. His skin burns and buzzes and tingles.Mikey freezes.
Fire. Mystic fire.
He covers his mouth and scrambles back. Something burns at his shell and he pulls away, fire lashing the wall he almost leaned against. He draws his knees close. His tears evaporate the moment they leave his eyes. His lungs pinch and squeeze as he fights not to cough.The fire covers too much of the building. He can’t break through the wall. His weapon is missing. He can’t use it for a quick, daring skip over the flames.He hears Raph’s voice again.
*crack*
*CRASH!*
Mikey cries out as something drops from the ceiling, wrapped in flames. It illuminates a silhouette against the smoke. Large. Spiky. Safe. Raph.“Ra—” He breaks off into a fit of coughing. He barely hears himself over the crackling flames and screeching of alarms— that has to be what they are. He pushes himself to his feet, keeping hunched over in a vain effort to stay out of the worst of the smoke. His heart pounds as he navigates through. He’s shaky, fighting off coughs. He doesn’t even have to touch the fire to feel like he’s burning alive. He stumbles.Big hands grab him and pull him close. He shoves his face into Raph’s plastron. He can barely make out the fear stink through all the smoke. He feels Raph’s chest heaving, shaking as he struggles to breathe.“Leo— Donnie!” Raph gasps. “Have you seen—” He breaks off in a hacking fit, dropping to his knees.“N-no!” Mikey wheezes. He coughs. He turns back, peering through the blinding flames. Fire drips from the bookshelves as books crumple down from their homes. Ashes and sparks fly through the air. There is no sign of the twins.“LE-O!” Raph screams. “DON-NIE!”The two had to be in a safer place. Donnie surely knew the best spot to hide, and Leo would be the one to jump into action to get him there— Oh geez, with all the chaos, Donnie would… They have to find them.“I’ll check the other room!” Mikey cries. Raph grabs his arm.“Stay with me!” Raph shouts.“I’ll be careful!” Mikey puts a hand on Raph’s. He swallows a lump, blinking away tears. He tries not to think of where the twins might be. Aside from okay and safe. Donnie’s tech-bō has a fire extinguisher in it. Surely, if they’re together, they’re all right? “Raph, we’re wasting time!”Raph’s lip trembles, but he lets go. “If you find them, get out.”Mikey nods. “You too!”He stumbles off before Raph can agree (or not). He pulls his mask down over his nose. It only restricts his breathing more. He yanks it completely down.He holds his arms close and sticks to the middle of the hall. The fire isn’t as intense, so navigation is easier. He ducks into the room. “Donnie! Leo!”Flames are crawling across the carpet. The books haven’t been reached yet, but sparks fly dangerously close. Any second now. Mikey hurries to check the tunnels. He leaps up the mini-stairs and looks in. No twins. A spark lashes the back of his leg, and he yelps, jerking away. He runs to check the other three. They’re all empty. He eyes the second level. He’s sure it’s empty, but he runs up the stairs to check, just in case.No twins.Mikey covers his mouth. Where are they?? Has Raph found them? Should he leave—? NO! He’s not going anywhere until he knows his family is safe! He leaps down from the higher level, stumbling on landing. He pants. It’s so hard to breathe…A bean bag pops in a whoosh of flame. Mikey shrieks and scrambles into the nearest tunnel— the one under the stairs. He presses his back to the far wall and pulls his knees close. He trembles. He tries to focus on his breathing, purposely ignoring the urge to withdraw and just shut this all out.He has to get out and get back to Raph.
He crawls out of the tunnel, arm over his nose. His arm sears from the heat of the burning shelves barely a foot from him. Fire licks up the walls, clawing at the ceiling. His eyes droop and the world swims. He stumbles through the nightmare of flame. There’s less safe places to walk, and growing lesser by the second. He has to leap between spots. Just like a dangerous game of hop-scotch. Heat brushes against his legs. He cringes.The building groans. Mikey freezes. His eyes inch upward. The wooden bars that separate the mezzanine from the room are completely engulfed in flames; blackened and crumbling and collapsing to the side—
*CRASH!*
A wave of smoke and heat slices past him. Mikey yelps and falls into a coughing fit. He waves at the air around his face. It’s useless.He thinks he hears someone scream. Donnie? Leo? Raph?He picks his eyes up from the ground. He freezes.
The beams block the exit. The mystic bonfire, stretching up a good foot above Mikey, leaves no room for a daring leap. If he jumps, he’ll be leaping through the flames. Mikey whirls around. There’s gotta be a window!
There! Up above the… burning bookshelves.Mikey looks back at the doorway. Maybe, if he’s fast enough, he can make it with minimal damage. He hugs himself, shivering. It’s just some Razzmatazz. Like the movies! Lou Jitsu’s jumped through fire!(He’s purposely disregarding the fact that they’re movies, and that the stunts are done in a completely controlled environment)Mikey nods, narrowing his eyes. He bounces on his feet a couple times. “You got this, Magic Mike,” he mutters (he barely hears his voice over the roaring of the flames).He sucks in a breath— doubles over in coughs. He’s forced to take a moment to regulate his breathing. He wrestles his control back, and rushes forward. He hop-scotches between flame patches. He eyes the bonfire. It cackles as he approaches.Mikey closes his eyes. “Hoooot soup!” He leaps.Searing heat claws every inch of his body, raking across in a thin but thorough film. Mikey crashes the ground. He’s burning. He’s on fire. He’s going to die from his stupid impulsive stunt that any of his brothers would’ve stopped him from doing—“Remember!” Donnie’s (younger, much younger) voice yells, “Stop! Drop! And Roll!”Mikey does. He rolls on the ground as best he can, patting at his burning scales. His neck is the worst, and he rips off the burning cloth stuck there. Beyond that, it doesn’t help. He’s still burning. He falls limp and cracks open his eyes.He’s not on fire (maybe he never was), but most of his scales are marred. It doesn’t seem to be too… bad? He’s seen so much worse in that medical book that Donnie has. He can’t tell through… everything…He has to get up. He has to find his family.He stares up at the burning ceiling.It’s becoming difficult to suck in air. Each inhale is a stab to his lungs. He wonders if they’re turning black. Donnie said that’s what happens to people who smoke. Is this really so different?Did any of the rubber ducks survive? He’ll gladly adopt any and all he can find…The fire starts to dim. Or is it being obscured by smoke?He should get up. He has to get up…Remember that time, years ago (exact numbers are more of Donnie’s thing— he’s so smart, Mikey sorta wishes he was that smart), when Leo tried to surprise Mikey with a big birthday dinner? He tried to do it all by himself, just to prove he could. He took on too many dishes at once, and very nearly burned the kitchen down.Instead of baked chicken, flounder fillet, green bean casserole, and homemade mac ’n cheese, they had Raph’s lecture for dinner.Well, Raph only lectured Leo, but Mikey and Donnie had watched it. Donnie recorded it.
I wonder if he still has it.
He can ask once he gets up.But…But he really doesn’t feel the heat anymore.Perhaps the firemen came and put it out. Will they be nice to a teenage turtle mutant when they rescue him?He thinks so. He knows he still has a bad case of baby face.Donnie doesn’t think he’ll grow out of it. He also doesn’t want him to, but Mikey knows that’s mainly because Donnie’s so used to it and can’t stand change.Is Donnie okay?Is Leo okay?What about Raph? Is he still looking?Is he alone?Mikey hopes he can keep it together… He knows how savage Raph gets when he’s alone…The smoke swirls closer. It’s reaching out for him. Mikey would reach back, if he could.He really, really should just… get up…But he’s not sure if he’s breathing…Maybe… maybe this is all a dream? He’ll close his eyes… wake up in bed… safe and sound…Yeah…Mikey thinks he’ll give that a try.He lets his eyes fall shut.
——APBitTDG——
“Look out!”Leo yanks Donnie out of the way of a collapsing beam. Donnie slams into him, shaky and half-limp. Leo grits his teeth, eyes scanning the flaming carnage around them. This is all Donnie’s fault! They never should have gone to look for his tech-bō, but noooo— Donnie just couldn’t let it go!Breathing is difficult. Leo’s struggling to suck in oxygen, fighting back coughs. He’s pretty sure his leg is badly burned. He hopes it’s numb from adrenaline rather than nerve damage.If only he hadn’t lost his ōdachi! He could’ve portaled them out, and they’d be safe!
Donnie starts to run. Leo tightens the grip he has on his twin’s arm and doesn’t let him go. Donnie flashes him a glare and points to a— path through the fire. Oh. Maybe he’s not as out of it as Leo thinks (he’s gotten better at holding it together in a crisis).Donnie leads the way through. He uses his tech-bō’s fire extinguisher in a few places where absolutely necessary. Leo isn’t sure where they’re going, but judging by how Donnie’s moving, calm and calculated, he’s sure he has a plan.A window. Blown out and with the sill aflame, but a window. An exit.Leo tries not to think of Raph and Mikey. He’s certain he saw them together at one point… He hopes they’re out of the building.
*CRASH!*
Leo jumps and whirls around, nearly yanking Donnie off his feet. The passage to the main lobby is blocked off. Leo gasps. Donnie squirms in his grip. Leo refuses to even loosen it. He’s not even risking separation. If Donnie snaps and makes a blind dash— Nope. Leo’s not letting it happen.He whirls around and points to the window. Donnie scowls at him and sprays it down with the last of his bō’s extinguisher foam. Leo shoves him out first, then quickly scrambles after him. He hits the concrete hard. He coughs and gasps, sucking in cleaner air. He hears Donnie doing the same.
The building groans. Something else gives way and falls, sending purple sparks soaring into the air.
They have to move.Leo heaves himself to his feet and grabs Donnie’s arm. Donnie cries out and tries to pull away.“Wait until we get to the—” Leo can’t finish his sentence before he coughs. Donnie, after a moment, seems to process his words. He stands up on his own, eyes downward and tech-bō held tight in his hands. Leo half-leads, half-drags Donnie to the Turtle Tank. He practically shoves him inside. “Stay here.”Donnie makes a choked noise of alarm. “Where are you going?” he signs.
“I’m going to find Raph and Mikey. You stay here— start the Tank or something. Get the first aid kit out and ready.” Leo glares at Donnie. “Stay. Here.”Donnie nods, leaning heavily on his bō. He looks awful, covered in ash and sporting many nasty blisters, eyes glazed and distant, fingers twitching—
He’ll be fine. Comfort later. Raph and Mikey. Go.
“Stay!” Leo yells, making sure to sign it to really get the point across. He hurries back towards the building. He doesn’t even bother with sticking to the shadows; it’s night, and he isn’t exempt from being soot-covered. He doubts anyone will notice he’s a turtle, and he really doesn’t care. Donnie can wipe any pictures or footage off the internet once they get home.(the crowd across the street makes his stomach churn all the same)He checks the entire perimeter of the building. He finds no trace of Raph or Mikey. Surely, they’d be at the Tank if they’d gotten out? Or were they inside, still? Trapped?“Raph!” Leo yells. “Mikey!”The fire laughs at him, absorbing his cries. With a crunching that sounds like bones breaking, another section of the building crumbles. Leo bites his lip. He scans the building. It’s all too likely that they’re inside— or at least Raph is. Raph would never leave without knowing they’re all safe.Leo pulls at his mask tails with a groan. Fine. He’s going in, too, it seems.He finds an intact window on the second floor. Besides it is a convenient tree to use as a ladder. A mostly easy climb for Leo, with his shell getting in the way a couple times. He flings himself at the window, yanking a trick out of Mikey’s book and tucking into his shell. The impact jolts him, and a sting slices across his scales when he lands, the burns aggravated.Leo pops out and runs between the strewn-about office chairs (he remembers sliding a few at Donnie while he was busy being uptight and searching for the armour piece). The smoke attacks his lungs, and he half-falls onto the hot metal railing that bars the him from the first floor. He covers his mouth, coughing.He doesn’t recover quick enough. “RAPH! M—” He has to cough again. “MIKEY!”He listens, but his hearing has always been the worst of his brothers and the roaring of fire, and the crackles and pops threaten to swallow their voices before he even has a chance to hear them.Movement. A large shape staggers out from on of the little branches. Leo stifles a gasp before he regrets it. Raph! There’s a high chance Mikey is with him, too.
Leo calculates his leap down before he does it, using the wall as both a slide and a springboard to avoid tanking the full brunt of leaping down a full storey. He snakes through the flames, ignoring when they brush against him. The contact is brief and he’ll live.“Raph!” he calls as he gets closer.“L-Le-o—!” Raph breaks into a coughing fit, doubling over. He clutches something against his chest.
“Mikey?” Leo leans down, peering at it.Raph shakes his head. He holds the object out— Leo’s ōdachi! “I can’t—” His eyes widen. “He’s not— where’s—” He hacks again, shoving a fist against his mouth.Mikey’s missing. Raph is in no state to find him. That’s okay. That’s fine! Raph and Donnie can take care of each other, and Leo will find his littlest brother. He’s around here somewhere. Leo wrenches his sword out of Raph’s hands. He whirls around, charges the energy through the
veins of his arms, and squishes down all the doubt that starts scrambling in the back of his head— His family needs him. He will not let them down.His fingers tingle and sparks fly from the sword as he swings it. The portal swirls to life. He grabs Raph’s arm and pulls him through. They stumble into the Turtle Tank (perfect portal, YESSSS), and Raph nearly trips over Donnie, who’s sitting, knees to his chest, right where Leo left him.Donnie doesn’t even twitch, slowly rocking back and forth. Leo’s heart clenches. The first aid kits aren’t out, and Leo hurries to grab them. He shoves them into Raph’s hands and winces at the blackened fingers on his right. “Take care of Donnie,” Leo says. The portal still gleams, waiting for him. “Donnie, whenever you’re ready, look over Raph and yourself.”Raph’s eyes widen, and the kits tumble to the ground as he throws a hand towards Leo.He leaps back through his portal, and it closes off.
Leo sheathes his ōdachi and drops to his knees, where the air is a smidge less smokey. He squints through the blinding purple, looking for signs of movement, of anything.Or maybe Mikey isn’t—Conscious. He may not be conscious. Or he could be trapped somewhere.A nearby pile of rubble (Leo thinks it used to be the desk) crumples further. Something tumbles out and into the flames. A round, beaked face is quick to melt into an orange puddle.Leo jerks to his feet and gets searching. He calls Mikey’s name. He uses his ōdachi to knock or cut away burning debris (he does not like how the ōdachi seems to give under the flames).It’s when he stumbles into the hall leading to the children’s room (as Donnie says it is) that he finds his little brother.Laying carapace-down with a beam over his plastron, burning rubble pinning his legs.Leo wastes a second gaping at it before he yanks his focus together, unleashing his ōdachi’s might on the rubble. His own hands burn as he’s forced to push and kick parts off when the fire becomes too much for his sword. It doesn’t matter. His hands will heal. Mikey can’t die.Leo shoves the last of the rubble off. He squirms his hands under the beam and lifts. He’s never been more thankful for all the times Raph literally dragged him by the mask tails to work out. It isn’t difficult to pull the beam off. He goes to scoop Mikey up next, lifting him up in an awkward one-arm hold.
Above him, the ceiling groans, shifting and starting to crumble down towards him.He grabs his sword and slashes the air. Blue swirls. The portal doesn’t hold, likely due to his trembling, non-dominant arm.The building cracks. Pieces rain down and tumble off the two of them.Leo grits his teeth and cuts again.
With a whoosh, the portal sticks. Leo rushes through.He stumbles and falls on exit, twisting to spare Mikey the brunt of the pavement. They’re not quite to the Tank, but Leo can see it, and the open door.
Raph’s running towards them. Leo shifts to sit up, Mikey limp in his lap. Raph cries out and covers his mouth, tears swimming in his eyes. He reaches out and carefully lifts Mikey up. Leo’s heart wrenches.It seems not much of his brother’s body was spared from the fire’s touch. Most of it is mild and will heal without issue, but there are some patches that have been greyed— mainly by his neck and a few blotches on his legs. There are burns on his legs that are surely third-degree— his skin is crusted and bubbly. Leo can’t even see the orange spots on his thigh.Even Leo’s iron stomach gives a small heave.His heart handles it worse.Sirens wail in the background— Took them long enough. Raph and Leo stumble back towards the Tank. Inside, Donnie is on his feet, pacing back and forth and fidgeting with something. He looks at them and freezes. The fidget cube tumbles to the ground.“Raph, drive,” Leo says, fighting to keep his voice from cracking. “It’ll be better for Mikey to be home.”Raph stares at him for a few moments. Leo takes the time to trigger the Tank’s door to shut. He puts a hand on Raph’s arm, squeezing lightly. Raph shakes his head and moves to lay Mikey down on a blanket that Donnie is finishing smoothing out. Donnie shuffles back and drops onto his knees. He stares down at Mikey, his eyes dull and posture unnaturally stiff.Leo looks over the first aid kit’s contents, laid neatly out in organized rows. He doesn’t remember much about burns. Do you wrap them? Is there a burn ointment that needs to be put on? Do they have water in the Tank to pour on them? Is that a good idea?Donnie knows. If he can focus enough to remember. Leo waves a hand. Donnie blinks twice— he’s listening.“What do you need me to do?”Donnie doesn’t move. Leo’s jaw clenches but he can’t yell at Donnie because he knows it won’t help. He’s just overwhelmed and doesn’t want to be shutting down like this— but Mikey doesn’t have time for this—“There’s water in the mini-fridge,” Donnie signs. He shivers and hugs himself, scratching at his arms.Leo scrambles to go get it. The water isn’t very cold— but that’s good. Leo remembers that it’s best not to shock the burns with anything excessively cold. He goes to pour it on Mikey’s more severe wounds, but Donnie makes a small noise of alarm. He walks Leo through gently irrigating the charred areas using a damp rag, and together, they loosely wrap Mikey up in a dry towel.
It’s afterwards that Donnie shuts down completely, curling up tight and shoving his head deep in his knees. Leo leaves him be. He gently takes Mikey’s hand in his own, looking down at his unconscious, soot-covered face. He can hear him breathing, wheezy little breaths. Leo isn’t faring too much better, each inhale stinging his throat, but it’s trivial compared to what Mikey is going through.Would be, at least, if he was awake.Leo hopes he’s dreaming of the wettest, chilliest (but not cold) places imaginable. Like a beach. Or Tahiti. His brothers loved that portal mis-hap, even if Leo hated how much stress it put him through.“You’ll be okay, Mikey,” Leo murmurs. “You have to watch me beat your skating record. Can’t do that if you’re— not… awake”Not dead. Mikey won’t die. He can’t. Not if Leonardo has anything to say about it.The ride back is agonizing. Leo hates just sitting with Mikey— surely, there’s something else he could be doing? But alas, Donnie doesn’t budge from his place by the wall. Not even when they arrive home. Him and Raph decide to leave him there. Leo finds a compilation of calm video game music to leave on (Donnie despises silence).Leo leaves his phone right next to Donnie. “We’ll be in the Med Bay. When you’re ready, meet us there.”Raph has already set Mikey up in the Med Bay’s cot. Leo hooks Mikey up to the oxygen machine right away. He’s been listening to his unsteady breathing the whole ride home, fearing it would stop at any moment. Afterwards, he consults Donnie’s ‘idiot-friendly’ medical book on what to do about burns.Per the instructions, Leo softly rubs both an aloe ointment and an anti-bacterial topical all over Mikey’s body. Afterwards, he carefully wraps the burns and gets him started on an IV drip— just to keep him hydrated. He drapes a lightweight blanket over him. It’s all so little, and it feels pathetic. Leo should be able to do more. He wishes he was just better…But he isn’t. He’s done all his sad pile of ‘skill’ can do. He sets out pain meds and anesthesia, just in case they’re needed when Mikey wakes up.Raph has been coughing intermittently throughout the ride home and the treatment. Leo sets him up with another, although smaller, oxygen machine. He takes care of Raph’s burns next (aside from his charred fingers, he doesn’t have anything too serious), before letting him take care of Leo’s (he’s glad, the bad stretch on his leg is really starting to sting). He remembers to take a look at Raph’s ankle— apparently the Foot Brute had twisted it bad. Leo believes it’s only sprained, but he isn’t completely sure how to operate the x-ray machine, so he opts to wrap it up with an ice pack. Donnie can look at it once he’s calmed down.Once they’re done, they just sit together, Leo on Raph’s knee. He leans back against his brother, squeezing the large hand settled in his lap.There’s nothing left to do but wait.He feels Raph’s tears drop onto his head, and he reaches a hand up to pat his cheek.Leo tries not to cry himself.(he’s only partially successful)
I should have grabbed him when Donnie yelled. If he’d been with us, this never would’ve happened.
But no, he’d grabbed Donnie’s arm. Donnie, who already had a good grip on him.Donnie also had a good grip on Mikey, but it wasn’t a match for the force of the explosion.
Did that make Donnie responsible, too? Or, more responsible than Leo?Donnie had been stupidly adamant on not leaving the building before he found his tech-bō. What if Leo had put his foot down and said no? What if they’d looked for their brothers instead of a stupid metal stick? Would they all be okay right now?No. If Leo had insisted on leaving the bō, Donnie would’ve found a way to slip away to look for it. Leo would probably be looking at Donnie’s burned body rather than Mikey’s.
Besides, Donnie had been in a panic. It would be unfair to blame him.Really, the only ones Leo can blame are the only ones who are objectively at fault; the Foot Clan are the ones who insist on doing their evil ‘destroy the world’ (or at least he thinks, but that seems to be the big goal of all the big baddies— that, or ‘rule the world’) plot. The thin foot-face was the one who threw the bomb.It was his fault that all of them were hurt.“Are you okay, Leo?” Raph asks, shifting their hands so that he holds Leo’s.Leo snorts. “Sure. I’ve just been thinking, and I’m putting those foot-faces on my ‘slice to ribbons to then portal into an active volcano’ list.”“Oh.” Raph chuckles a little.
Score for Leon!
“I can’t say I disagree, but I have to ask; who else is on this list?”Leo grins. “Nobody else. I just made it up. It’s special, reserved just for the idiots who think they can seriously hurt any of my brothers. And that includes Donnie.”Raph doesn’t laugh this time. Leo’s smile threatens to drop. What did he do? What did he say?“Why wouldn’t it include Donnie?”Oh. Maybe this isn’t a good time to make a crack about Donnie’s back-and-forth (and completely pretend!) disowning. “It’s a joke between me and Donnie,” he says. “Don’t worry about it.” Besides, Donnie was the one to start it and disowned Leo more than Leo disowned him. It was a twin thing. Raph wouldn’t get it, the poor twin-less lug.Leo tries to change the topic, but trying to have a light-hearted conversation is like pushing a hundred-pound dumbbell through a pool of half-dried cement. They mainly sit in silence. Leo keeps a careful eye on Mikey, watching his breathing, looking for any signs he might be waking up.After some time, Donnie walks in. He’s clean of soot, and dressed only in his purple hoodie (and probably battle shell). In his arms, he holds Raph’s tonfas and Mikey’s kusari-fundo. They’re clean and unharmed.“My tonfas?!” Raph exclaims. “I thought they got burned up in the fire?”Donnie shrugs. He must still be nonverbal.“Where did you get those?” Leo asks.“I sent Shelldon,” Donnie whispers. Never mind on the nonverbal part. Leo can barely hear him over the clicking and hissing of the oxygen machines, but hey, at least he’s comfortable talking.Leo hops off Raph’s knee to check Donnie over— there’s a rule of no self-doctoring, mostly installed because Donnie has a horrid definition of ‘fine’ or ‘mild’ and has a tendency to accidentally neglect his physical health. The soft-shell is the least cooked of all of them. Most of the damage is in his fingers and toes, though he has what’s likely a second-degree burn on his shoulder; half of one of his twin purple stripes is a sullen grey colour. He has a deep puncture on his hallux, with droplets of blood leaking out from the scabs.Patching him up is a chore. Donnie’s a bad patient on a good day, but now? ‘Hungover’ from his shutdown? He’s awful. Raph needs to act as emotional support for Donnie in order for him to stop squirming. Leo cleans his puncture, rubs aloe on his burns, and wraps everything up.
After the… ordeal (it felt more like a fight), Raph just barely convinces Donnie to stay. Mainly by asking him to take a look at Mikey.Donnie carefully looks him over. Leo’s stomach churns. If you make any cracks about my work, I swear to Pizza Supreme, I’ll make you regret it. I tried.Donnie sighs, actually sighs. He turns to them and signs, “He seems to be stable, at the very least. We need to keep him warm, his burns clean, and hydrated. What we have to worry about is infection. I might want to keep him under, too. Better he doesn’t wake up and feel it.”Leo’s shoulders relax just a little. He waves a hand. “This’ll be easy. We totally got this! Mikey will be just fine.” He glances at Raph, who’s eyes are starting to go distant. Ho boy. Leo jams an elbow into his side. “Mikey will be fine. We’ve got this.”Raph nods. His vision focuses on Mikey. Tears rise in his eyes, and he bites his lip. Leo leans over to pat his shoulder. Raph puts a hand over his. Leo squeezes his shoulder and smiles. He looks over at Mikey and struggles to hold it.Mikey’s unwrapped burns flare in his mind. He shakes his head to push the image away. They’re home, in the Med Bay, with tons of supplies. Donnie will micromanage everything and won’t let anything go wrong. And with their enhanced healing, Mikey will be back to his Razzmatazzing by the end of the week.
——APBitTD——
A soft piano is the first thing Mikey registers.
It’s a familiar little tune, one that hints at good memories that he doesn’t have it in him to recall. It brings a light smile to his face. The scales on his cheeks twinge and sting, shifting against a soft rubber. He taps his fingers against a soft blanket. His hand is stiff, and he’s not entirely sure he’s moving it right. He falls behind the song, but he doesn’t mind.
The next song is more chill than calm, but Mikey prefers this one. He tries to move his fingers to the constant ch-ch of the beat. It matches the clicking and whirring of a machine nearby. Donnie? Is he in Donnie’s lab?He opens his eyes. The room he’s in is dimly lit, sparing him a headache. There’s an oxygen mask fit over his face— oh. That’s what he’s hearing. He must be in the Med Bay, then. He tries to shift his body to sit up, but the moment he twitches, pain rips across his skin. He makes a small noise of pain.Massive red and blue eyes glare down at him, outlined by silver. Donnie’s goggles.“Dee…” Mikey murmurs.Donnie’s fingers tap his chest twice. He moves away from his face. Mikey tries to lift his head to watch, but it feels so heavy… A blanket gets tugged off his body. Donnie is muttering to himself. A gentle, faint touch rests on his leg.“Since speech is available to you, please rate your rate of pain in a numbered scale of one-thru-ten, with one being the lowest, and ten being the highest,” Donnie says.Uh…Mikey concentrates on how he feels. Kind of… numb? His skin feels a bit… weird. Strained? He doesn’t hurt unless he tries to move, and he still stings in certain places from his attempt to sit up not long ago.It takes a little more time to slot that feeling into a number.“Maybe… a three?” he says. “It hurts more when I move.”“A three, a three, a three,” Donnie murmurs.
There’s a soft noise that Mikey believes is Donnie pacing, his big brain probably going at warp speed, all sorts of smart things running through. He wonders what it must be like in there.
The chill song has been replaced by a much more intense piano. Mikey imagines that the player really pressed hard on the keys.Donnie’s face leans over him again, eyes still covered. Mikey wishes he could reach up and flick the goggles off, and see Donnie’s actual eyes. Maybe his brother would be fine with eye contact for just a moment? Mikey always felt special on the rare occasions Donnie actually allowed it.Donnie’s frown deepens. He turns away. The beeping of his arm-screen-thingie follows.“What’re… you doing?”“Running scans and projections,” Donnie says. “You’ve been out for about a day. Healing has just begun. I’m debating how long it will take, pain levels, and whether I should put you under with anesthesia. It would probably be a mercy. I’ve heard that burns can be excruciating, and while you may be all right now, I can’t guarantee that will last when it comes time to change your dressings— which is rapidly approaching. It would be easier for all of us if you were under, at least for that process. But there’s a natural risk of anesthesia, as well. I should probably read up on the complications, since I’m not entirely sure of the risk. I don’t want to hurt you any more.”…What?Donnie’s Speech-Mode (as Leo oh-so ‘lovingly’ calls it) is often hard to follow, but his brain still feels like it’s lagging.Leo… How is Leo doing?“Dee?”Donnie’s face is hovering over his in an instant. “Are you in pain? Should I register anesthesia now? Are you hungry? Thirsty?” His head whips to the side.Mikey chuckles. “No, I want to see Leo and Raph.”“Leo and… oh…” Donnie looks back at him and finally flicks up his goggles. Gentler shades of red and blue gaze down at him. Mikey much prefers them. “Yeah, I can text them,” Donnie says.He starts to pull back, but Mikey calls, “Stay. I wanna see you,” and he does. Mikey rolls his head to the side to better see him. The little electronic clicks as he types is a very nice noise. He sends the message with a little swish, then looks back at Mikey. He makes eye contact, for a few moments, before dropping his gaze.Mikey cherishes those few seconds.“Hold my hand?” he asks, curling and uncurling his fingers.Donnie jolts a little, his hand pulled close to his chest.“You can say no.”Donnie’s fingers twitch. After a moment, he reaches down to clasp Mikey’s hand in his own. It’s nice and warm, as Donnie typically is. Mikey tries to squeeze his hand, but his fingers are still stiff.Thundering footsteps have Donnie’s head whipping towards the Med Bay’s door. They swish open, and Raph bursts in. “Mikey!”
Donnie’s hand jerks away.
Raph is hovering over Mikey, tears forming in his eyes, a thumb stroking his cheek. “Are you okay? You’re not in any pain, are you? Oh, I’m so sorry!”Sorry for what?
Oooh. This is the part where everyone else blames themselves for Mikey’s injuries. He isn’t the only one hurt, judging by the bandages his brothers sport, but he’s the only one who needed to be confined to the Med Bay.Yeah no. Mikey is not letting that slide.“It’s not your fault,” Mikey murmurs. His voice is hoarse. “It’s none of your faults.” He wishes he could be more forceful with his tone, or even grab Raph’s face to really drive the point in. “Say it. Say it’s not your fault.”Raph pulls back a little, blinking rapidly. “But—”“Raphael,” Mikey rasps. Not as snappy as I wanted… “It’s not your fault. It’s not Donnie’s. It’s not Leo’s. It’s not mine. You didn’t… start the fire. Foot-faces did. It’s their fault. You did your best…”Raph opens his mouth, but Donnie appears to slap his arm. Raph shoots him a wide-eyed look.Mikey giggles, ignoring how grated it sounds and how it scrapes against the inside of his throat. “Thanks, Dee. Really pound it in him!”Donnie cracks a little smile, glancing at Mikey. “Say the word, and I’ll hit him as many times as you need me to.”Raph lets out a shaky breath, a sliver of a laugh ending it off. “Okay, okay… You’re right, it isn’t my fault…”“Thank you,” Mikey says. “Donnie?”“Yes, I know. It’s not my fault, either. You don’t have to repeat yourself.”Mikey narrows his eyes. You don’t sound like you believe it… “Raph, slap him.”They both jump away from each other, so in sync that Mikey almost bursts into laughter (but he’s trying to have a serious talk, here!).“Mikey, this isn’t necessary,” Donnie says, tapping absently at his wrist tech.Mikey rolls his eyes (or tries to, he’s never been able to do it). “Uh-huh. I’m not having any of my brothers upset or blaming himself or… or thinking he didn’t do good enough… or feeling like he failed me… or whatever you’re worrying about!”“You!” Donnie snaps, glaring at Mikey. “I’m worried about you! Forgive me for being concerned over the fact that my little brother was nearly burned ALIVE! You could have DIED, Mikey! You still could die, if I’m not careful! Stop worrying about us and focus on yourself!” He whips away, grabbing his elbows.Mikey blinks. …What?
Raph’s head turns back and forth between them. He taps his fingers together.
All Mikey wants to do is brighten Donnie’s mood. He isn’t worrying about himself because he isn’t alone. He’s home. He’s in the Med Bay. His brothers are here, looking after him. He knows, that if he asked, they would find a way to stick the universe’s prettiest stars on his bedroom ceiling. There isn’t anything he needs to stress about. They’ve got him.“I’m sorry, Donnie…” Mikey whispers. His eyes tingle. He blinks rapidly to try and hold them back. “I just wanted to help.”Donnie glances over his shoulder, eye narrowed to a slit. He sighs, actually sighs. “I know. But you’re not. So stop. Leo already had that talk with me. I don’t need two.”Leo did? Of course he did. He always looks out for Donnie… Maybe Mikey should have thought about that beforehand… He doesn’t want to leave things off on a sour note. “I love you, Dee.”Donnie closes his eye and nods.
Mikey smiles. I know you love me, too. “And I love you lots, too, Raph,” he says, just to make sure the snapper doesn’t feel excluded (like he probably has during this whole exchange).Raph’s tension melts away into a smile. “I love you lots, too Mikey.” He spreads his arms. “Way more than this much!”Mikey laughs a little.The Med Bay doors swish open again. The squeaking of rusty wheels has Mikey wincing. He tries to lift his head. Raph notices and gently slides a palm under the back of his head. Leo’s dragging in a cart, with Splinter’s old box TV wobbling dangerously on top. Mikey notices he’s walking oddly, a testament to whatever lies under the thick wrapping of blue bandages on his left leg.
“’Nardo,” Donnie hisses, hands over his ears. “WHY?”“Entertainment!” Leo says. He throws a smile at Mikey. He pushes the cart closer, waving his hand to encourage Raph to move. “I figured I’d do something useful and save poor Miguel from from boredom.”“Boredom. Right. That’s the most pressing issue at hand.”Leo snorts. He settles the cart into place merely a foot from the cot. “You say that like you haven’t been living here.” He shifts to hop back and sit on the edge of the cot. He leans over to rub Mikey’s head. “You’d make hawks jealous.”There’s radio silence from Donnie’s end.Raph shakes his head.Leo snickers.
Mikey doesn’t get it.“How’s it hanging, Mikey?” Leo asks.“Okay? ’M kinda tired, but it doesn’t hurt too bad… I don’t really wanna move,” Mikey says. And he has no reason to want to, now that everything is perfect. He’s got his brothers. There’s nothing else he could want.“Great to hear,” Leo gently ruffles his head before he pulls back. He claims a hand not long after. “So, Mikey, you up for a movie?” Leo asks. His grin widens. “I brought some of your favorites.” He sing-songs that last word, and Mikey giggles.
“I don’t really mind.” Anything would be fine. Mikey doesn’t think he’ll be able to stay awake through it, anyways. “Could someone sit me up? Maybe?”“Absolutely not!” Donnie snaps. “You’re not to move until you’ve made significant progress on healing. You’re in the early stages, and I refuse to compromise you.”“Whoah, whoah, Donnie.” Leo hops off the bed. He puts his hands on the straps of Donnie’s Battle Shell and gives him a firm shake. “Moving him a little bit isn’t a death sentence. Chill. Take a breath.”Donnie glares at him.“Raph, get the extra pillows.”“But—”“Don’t mind our resident panic, here. I’m just as much a medic as he is and I say sitting Mikey up to watch a movie, for pizza supreme’s sake, is harmless. Besides,” he shifts to meet Mikey’s eyes, “Mikey will tell us if it hurts too much. Right?”“Yeah,” Mikey says. He offers a grin. He wishes he could give a thumbs up.“Okay…” Raph eases his hand out from under Mikey’s head. He leaves Mikey’s line of sight, but Mikey’s more interested in watching the twins.Donnie has a vice grip on Leo’s wrists, his face scrunched up and eyes off to the side.“Donnie,” Leo says gently. “He’ll be fine. Mikey’s tougher than both you and Raph give him credit for.”Mikey smiles. His heart warms. “Aww…Thanks, Leo.”“Anytime.” Leo pulls away from Donnie and claps his hands together. “All right! I say we’re watching Jupiter Jim and the Robo Bloodsuckers!”Mikey gasps, then coughs a couple times; the inside of his chest feels all itchy. Raph makes a noise of alarm, a soft thud sounding behind Mikey.“Mikey?” Leo asks, arms wrapped around a squirming and hissing Donnie. “You good?”Mikey nods. “Yeah. Sorry.” He slowly brings a hand up to rub his chest, wincing at the sting in his arm.Leo scowls. “You don’t have to be sorry.” He shakes Donnie, and the soft-shell falls limp in his hold. Leo just drops him, and Donnie grunts. Leo rolls his eyes. “Raph, just sit him up. He’s fine. Two coughs doesn’t mean he’s going to die. His lungs are just a bit sensitive— you’ve been coughing, too, and you’re still here.”“Yeah, I know…”Raph and Leo work to carefully prop Mikey up. They’re gentle, using soft touches and moving him inch by inch, but the transition from laying down to elevated a foot or so is enough to trigger his wounds. It’s just a small twinge, at first, but it flares up and burns. Mikey tries not to gasp at the pain, gritting his teeth. Tears roll down his face.Donnie, who has been watching, hurries to go grab a needle. “Raph, Leo, administer comfort. I have to find a vein.”Leo and Raph speak to him, Leo trying to keep things lighthearted while Raph speaks in soft, soothing voice. Mikey’s arm is twisted and prodded and he gasps, coughs, and cries. Leo grips his other hand tight.There’s a pinch.The relief doesn’t take long to follow; a sweeping numbness across almost his whole body. Mikey’s tears stop coming. Raph finds a cloth to gently, ever so gently, dry his face. Donnie looks him over again, goggles down. He sets Leo up with a stethoscope on Mikey’s chest. Raph takes over holding his hand.Mikey’s not sure what they’re doing. He doesn’t have it in him to ask.“Can’t we just… Movie?” he asks.Donnie’s goggles whip to him, glinting in the light. “And how do you feel? Any nausea, trouble breathing, or fatigue— tiredness?”“Um… no?” He isn’t tired anymore. The pain shocked him right awake.
Donnie flicks his goggles up, sighing. “I should have given you pain medication earlier. It was my mistake. My apologies. I’m sorry.”“It’s okay, Dee.”Leo takes the stethoscope off his head. “With that crisis averted, I think we’re good to go to another crisis. Far out in space. Where we don’t have to do anything.”“Sounds good to me,” Raph says. He still hasn’t released Mikey’s hand.“Before we do that, I’m required to change Mikey’s dressings,” Donnie says. His fingers flex in and out of fists, and while his face is the same ‘done-with-the-world’ expression it almost always is, his shoulders are tense. “It should be fine, since he just got medicine. Otherwise, I would knock him out for it. Mikey, I want you to tell me if it starts to hurt, and I’ll stop. You don’t have to be brave. You’ve already been.”Mikey’s heart warms. “Thanks, Dee… and I will.”Whatever medicine Donnie gave him is a miracle worker. Mikey doesn’t feel much aside from some mild discomfort. There’s one point where Donnie pulls a new bandage too tight, but that’s all. Donnie and Leo, tag-teaming as always, are very careful with him. Raph helps out a little, too, but is mostly moral support. Mikey tries not to look at his burns, feeling sick at the sight of his greyed scales, raised blisters, and the blackened crust that cracks across a few areas.“Last one,” Donnie mumbles, carefully wrapping up Mikey’s arm.“Great.” Leo’s eyes flick up. “Raph, start up the DVD player.”“O-oh.” Raph looks down at Mikey. He looks as though he wants to say something, or has a question on the tip of his tongue.“Yeah! Start up the movie,” Mikey says. He coordinates his fingers enough to curl them against Raph’s hand.Raph does. The familiar sound of the start-up theme plays almost right as Donnie ties off the last bandage. In his head, Mikey imagines himself jumping and clapping— it’s been ages since they’ve watched this one!
Leo hits the play button, and the brothers scramble to get comfortable. Leo squeezes up to sit by Mikey’s side, sharing the pillow prop with him. Raph takes the floor, but keeps his hand firmly in Mikey’s. Donnie sits on the edge of the bed, close to Mikey’s waist, legs dangling over and eyes fixed on the screen. Right as the establishing shot of the stars fades in, he reaches back and gives a single pat to Mikey’s leg.Mikey even manages to stay awake for the entire thing.