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It had started off just another simple night.
Patrol time had rolled around, but getting people to come was harder than usual. Well, it was just Donnie who didn’t want to come in the beginning- he had been interested in a while in seeing if he could upgrade his bo, and refused to come out of his lab now that he was neck deep in his project.
Figuring Donnie would be better off undisturbed, for his and Leo’s benefit (Donnie could get awfully cranky when he was too far from an almost ready invention), Leo decided to let him be. Unfortunately, Raph decided that if Donnie wasn’t coming, then he wasn’t going to, either. They had just grabbed a new game and he was dead set on beating it tonight.
The two had gotten into a very loud argument before Leo decided to cut his loss and dragged Mikey out to patrol. Mikey wasn’t exactly thrilled and tried batting his lashes to get out of it, but Leo was already irritated beyond belief and didn’t bother with Mikey’s puppy dog eyes. Mikey eventually relents- Donnie would get mad at him for being in his lab, and Raph would get mad if he bothered him while gaming, so might as well head out. He wasn’t doing anything.
With the patrol, Leo gets out a bit of the tension that’s knotted up his muscles. Mikey and him race across the cityscape, and Leo finds himself having trouble keeping up. It’s no secret Mikey’s the fastest, but Leo’s just so used to his often lazy nature that he forgets that he can put up a fight if he wants to.
“Last one to the Empire has to buy pizza!” Mikey shouts, switching course so suddenly Leo nearly collides into a window. Leo cracks his knuckles and chases after, knowing there’s no real threat behind the words but loving a good challenge.
The peace doesn’t last long, unfortunately, though as of late, it never seems to. They’re a block or two away from the Empire State Building when Leo feels someone watching them. He calls out to Mikey, but it’s seconds too late- a laser blast pierces through the air, causing Mikey to yelp as it slices part of his mask.
They move in sync, back to back as the Kraang attack. Hoping to have the upper hand for once, the Kraang finally decided to try a stealth attack. It’s a strange move from them, but it doesn’t work in their favor. There’s plenty of them to toss around, but they’re not exactly putting up a big fight.
Unfortunately, as they make their way through the Kraang, a few members of the Foot clan decide to show up. Leo doesn’t see Karai around, but just in case, he decides to show off a bit, doing a couple more flips than necessary and taking a few more risks than usual.
Mikey even cheers him on. “Do another, Leo! Do another!”
“Focus on your own punching bags, Mikey!”
The Foot tries to get the upper hand, but they end up helping the turtles fight the Kraang. Leo has suspicions that the Shredder might be interested in the alien technology, but more importantly, they’re getting in the way of the Foot’s revenge. Well, what did Master Splinter once say? The enemy of my enemy is my friend?
The Kraang are defeated, but the battle with the Foot Clan is ramping up. Leo decides that now’s the time to call in backup. He can take care of himself, of course, but if anything goes wrong, he’d like his siblings to know what’s up.
Unfortunately, the moment he glances at his phone to type a message, one of the elite Foot soldiers takes the opportunity to strike. The soldier lashes out with his sword, crossing the distance in a fraction of a second- Leo barely has the time to look up from his phone before the sword strikes his chest.
It wouldn’t have been that big of a deal if Leo hadn’t been near the edge of the building.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
He twirls his katanas, prepared to dig them into the side of the building to slow his fall, but the Foot elite had a mighty strength to his hit, and Leo was too far from the building to sink his swords in. There’s a moment of pure panic as Leo tries to figure out what to do- there are no street lamps or vendors or awnings to slow him down.
Uh oh.
Leo flips onto his back just in time to hit the ground. Concrete smashes against the side of his head, and his vision completely whites out for a moment. He’s completely numb for a split second like his body is recalibrating from the shock of the hit, before pain shoots up his arm, leg, and skull. Oh, he’s definitely got at least one broken bone.
“Leo?!”
Mikey’s voice warbles, like laminated paper, and Leo’s pretty sure it’s not just because his younger brother’s overwrought with emotion. He can dimly hear the sound of chains clanking and a whoosh of wind. He must be using his kusarigama to swing down to Leo’s level.
There’s a blur of orange in front of him, but Leo couldn’t make out his face if he tried. He feels like Raph’s dunked his head in the pool again, seeing how long he could hold his breath until Leo either got free or he got bored. Sounds swam around him, but it was hard to understand them.
He tried sitting up, wanting to get Mikey to flee. With him incapacitated, there’s no way they’ll be winning this fight. The best course of action would be to flee.
But there’s a firm hand shoving his plastron down, and suddenly Mikey’s right in his face, close enough that Leo’s vision isn’t blurring, close enough that Leo could count his freckles if his head wasn’t pulsing harder than an earthquake. Mikey’s grinning, and if Leo was in his right mind, he’d be able to notice the way it’s only half a step away from a grimace, the awful determination in his eyes. “Hey, slow down, big bro. There’s no way you fell off that building and didn’t get some sorta concussion. What does Donnie say to do about that…?”
Most of what Mikey says goes in one ear and out the other. Mikey doesn’t seem to mind. “Oh, right! Hey, don’t fall asleep on me, alright? I’ll take care of these creeps and then we can go home and Donnie can take a peek. Just wait a minute, huh? You’re sometimes just as impatient as Raph, bud.”
Mikey moves out of Leo’s sight, blurring again, and Leo hears the thuds of people landing nearby. There are four elite Foot Clan members if Leo is counting correctly and not seeing double, and a couple of other recruits that Leo and Mikey hadn’t finished off earlier. Alarm bells are ringing in Leo’s head, because instead of turning tail as they should be, Mikey’s instead assuming a fighting stance, swimming his nunchaku around, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Mikey,” Leo murmurs, but it sends sharp pain in his head like he had just yelled as loud as he could.
“Hey, don’t sweat, big bro. Mikey’s got this all covered.”
Those are absolutely the last words Leo wants to hear, but they’re unfortunately the last words Leo hears from him. The fight starts, from the sound of metal grating against metal, and Leo squeezes his eyes shut. He needs to be alert, needs to stay aware of his surroundings, but he just can’t stand the sounds of the fighting. It echoes around in his skull, blasting into his brain and making the pounding even worse.
Mikey dances beside him. He’s taunting his foes- “Come on, Bigfoot- haha, get it?”- and it seems to be getting under the biggest elite’s skin, considering all the yelling and cursing happening. Leo sees a Foot soldier go flying, crashing into an array of trash cans like a bowling ball striking through some pins. Michelangelo shouts in victory but is quickly interrupted by more soldiers surrounding him.
Leo can’t keep track of the fight, no matter how badly he wants to. Mikey isn’t… losing like Leo was certain he would, and Leo still has half a mind to wonder at the absolute miracle on display before him.
“Ooh, that’s a fancy move you did,” he hears Mikey say. Metal scrapes and Leo’s eyes widen as Mikey’s nunchaku have been tossed aside, a little more than a yard from Leo’s head. Mikey’s in big trouble.
Leo tries his hardest to reach out towards the weapon, but he really feels like a turtle trapped on the back of his shell. His right arm aches when he tries to move it and moving his left arm shoots white-hot pain through his entire body, and he nearly blacks out a second time.
“I’ve got some fun tricks, too.” There’s a flash of metal, and Leo idly recognizes one of his katanas being flipped up like a skateboard, resting comfortably in Mikey’s hand as he spreads his legs, planting himself firmly on the ground. Leo can just barely make out a wide grin on his face, twirling the sword around for a moment. “You know, I’ve got some more aces up my sleeve. Wanna play?”
The elite charge at him. Metal clashes, vibrating Leo’s entire body. He can barely keep track of the fight, watching as Mikey moves with a speed unparalleled. The elite are unable to keep track of him, and their uncertainty leads to discord in their coordination. They nearly lop each other’s heads off as Mikey dances between them, barely even using the sword in his hands.
“Wanna see a party trick?”
Mikey twirls his sword before moving to parry the elite closest to him. The elite blocks, metal clanging, but Mikey seemed to have been counting on that. He eases up on the pressure of his own block, dodging to the right just in time. Without a person to press against, the Foot elite stumbles, and Mikey swings his sword out, slicing the person’s stomach. The soldier whirls to face him, but Mikey’s already on the move, twirling behind him before kicking him in the head.
The elite falls to the ground, and Mikey twirls his sword. “Come on! It’s time for you guys to go home, you know. Nobody likes people who stick around after a party ends. There’s no room for all of you to sleep on the couch!”
Mikey ducks and weaves, moving like fluid. He slashes and lashes and almost every strike lands, somehow, some way. He uses the sword like he’s the one who’s been training with it for the past fifteen years, confident in his footsteps, in his grip, in his fluidity. Leo’s sure the shock settling into his system is more from this display of almost artisan swordsmanship than from his ten-story drop.
The other two elite go down without much of a fight. The biggest one, Bigfoot, Mikey had called him, remained standing, looking more than irritated that this fight was still ongoing, and that he seemed to be losing. “Aw, what’s wrong, Bigfoot? Don’t be such a sore loser!”
They clash, metal clanging, over and over and over again. Mikey’s still grinning as he fights, still cool and calm, while Bigfoot seems to be growing more and more agitated. Mikey talks a lot during this fight, and Leo only gets in every other word, before he gives up on actually listening to Mikey’s banter. Whatever he’s saying is clearly getting under the guy’s skin.
Mikey keeps up with him as his stores become more and more unpredictable. Finally, the guy strikes towards Mikey’s head, and Leo blinks in surprise as Mikey copies one of his moves- he holds his sword high, blocking the strike, while his legs flip up, aiming for a kick to the face.
Bigfoot startles back, and it's enough of an advantage for Mikey. He kicks off of him, catching Bigfoot’s sword with his foot as he launches off. Mikey bounces, doing a handstand as he tosses the sword in the air before flipping back up to his feet in time to catch the sword with his left hand.
Now, Mikey possessed two swords and didn’t seem phased. Bigfoot let out a roar, dropping all pretenses and charging right at him.
Mikey grins, jumping in the air, flipping over the man before landing right back on his feet. The man is like a bull, unbridled rage simmering to a boil as he spins around, before charging at Mikey once again. “Alright, I guess I better hurry up. Booyakasha!”
Mikey swerves out of the way this time, letting one of his blades slash the side of the Foot elite. He howls in pain before grabbing at Mikey. Mikey isn’t able to dodge this time, and the elite slams him into the ground. One of Mikey’s swords goes flying, but the elite is too focused on the turtle he’s caught to chase after it.
Mikey grins up at the man. “Oops.”
Mikey kicks the man’s groin, and the man lets out a shout of pure fury. Mikey scrambles out of his hold, sending another kick to the man’s chin. The man stumbles back and Mikey slices, the sword striking the man’s arm while Mikey’s leg strikes his knee. The soldier falls to the ground, and Mikey swings his sword for the final blow, the butt of the katana smacking the man upside the head.
With a strangled groan, the man falls limp, unmoving, and Mikey twirls the sword in his hand for a moment. “Aw yeah, I’m the man! High score, baby!”
He does a victory dance and is only interrupted when Leo begins to groan. Mikey snaps his head towards Leo and rushes back towards him, victory dance forgotten. The katana he had was slipped into Leo’s holster, and Mikey’s picking up his head, causing it to pulse.
“Hey, great job not falling asleep back there! Think you can stay awake just a little longer?”
In the back of Leo’s mind, he knows he should. But his eyes have been slowly drooping this entire fight, and now that Mikey’s not in immediate danger, Leo just closes them in response. Mikey lets out an annoyed huff and even tries to smack him, but Leo remains still. Finally, he gets to drop off into unconsciousness. He’s in so much pain he’s almost begging for it.
“Ugh, of course. Alright, big bro, I’ll get our weapons, and then I’m taking you home, okay?”
Leo’s out like a light before the sentence is even finished.
-
“Woah!”
Leo instinctively reached for his sword behind his back, prepared to take down his assailants. But when the sword doesn’t miraculously materialize, Leo stumbles and feels his ankle roll. Hot pain flares as he practically crumbles, and something green practically crashes into him, supporting him before he drops like a sinking ship.
“Hey now, you’re safe, Leo.”
It’s Donnie, Leo realizes, as Donnie calmly sets him back on the medbay cot. He elevates Leo’s leg and looks like he’s on the verge of lecturing him before he sighs. “You’re just confused, right? You’re not disobeying the doctor’s orders to lie still and off your feet for a few weeks, right?”
Leo blinks a few times. “Donnie, what happened?”
“You don’t remember?” He frowns. “Memory loss is common with severe concussions, and I suppose you did fall off a ten-story building. Do you remember being attacked by the Foot?”
All at once, the memories come rushing back. Leo rubs his forehead, feeling a dull ache come back with his memories. The last thing he remembered was Mikey promising to take him home…
Leo shoots back up. “Mikey!”
“So you do remember.” Donnie lets out a sigh of relief, before adding, “He’s perfectly fine, by the way. A few scrapes but otherwise untouched. He managed to evade the Foot Clan and drag you across town. I’m surprised he’s not more injured, but little miracles, I guess.”
Leo frown’s at his phrasing. “Evade?”
Donnie’s brow furrows. “Yes? You were ambushed by the Kraang and the Foot Clan. After the Kraang were defeated, the Foot Clan attacked you guys. Mikey says you fell off a building. He then came and dragged you back home, running away from the Foot.”
Leo crosses his arms, perturbed. “What? That’s not what happened?”
“Which part?”
“Sleeping beauty finally woke up, and you didn't bother to tell anyone?”
Raph waltzes into the lab like he owns the place, peering over at Leo and only wincing slightly at the sight. Which is valid, considering Leo feels like he was run over by a semi-truck and doubts he looks better than any road kill.
“He’s recovering from a ten-story fall,” Donnie says offhand. “He’s allowed to sleep in. Now, what were you saying, Leo?”
“Sleep in?”
“It’s noon.” A pause. “The day after you went out for patrol.”
“I missed training?”
“We all missed training, Leo.” Raph rolls his eyes. “I’d feel bad kicking your butt when you’re still recovering, anyway. Not that a fair fight would help you, but…”
“Can we backtrack for a second here?” Donnie puts his hands on Leo’s shoulders. “Which part didn’t happen?”
“We didn’t run away from the fight.” Leo frowned, ruminating on his memories. “Mikey stayed and fought all of the Foot. He even used my swords to fight for a bit. He looked like a complete pro, for a while there. I blacked out not long after he finished.”
Donnie and Raph slowly blink at him. “Mikey said there were four elite Foot soldiers.”
“Yeah, there was.”
“And four other Foot recruits.”
“Yep.”
“And you guys just finished fighting the Kraang.”
“That is true.”
Another long lull, before Raph outright bursts into laughter. “Oh man, Leo hit his head way harder than we thought!”
Donnie gives Leo an appraising look. “It’s not uncommon for concussion victims to have false memories, or delusions. Though it does imply your concussion is more severe than I thought. Are you lucid right now, Leo? How many Raphs and Donnies do you see at the moment? What’s your middle name?”
Leo scoffs at their attitudes, trying to shimmy up into a sitting position. Donnie moves over and shuffles a few pillows around so Leo could sit up, and Leo’s glare softens at him, before sharpening on Raph. “I’m perfectly fine, Donnie. And I’m serious. I watched Mikey take down eight Foot soldiers, half of which while using my own swords.”
Raph wipes a tear from his eyes. “You can’t really expect us to believe that you know?”
“It’s a little far-fetched,” Donnie admits. “I know we sometimes underestimate Mikey, and while he is a ninja, just like us, the fact is, none of us could have taken on eight Foot soldiers, all while using someone else’s weapon.”
“I totally could.” Raph holds his head high. “But also, the fact is, Mikey might be a ninja like the rest of us, but he’s definitely not the best ninja out of us. I wouldn’t believe Donnie being able to do this, and I definitely don’t believe that Mikey did that.”
“But it’s true! I saw Mikey use my katana to take down a couple of them! And he definitely took down the rest!”
“Well, even assuming Mikey’s capabilities are on par with what you’re implying…” Donnie’s expression told Leo everything he needed to know about his opinion on the matter. “The fact is, Mikey told us a completely different story.”
“Where is he, anyway?” Leo frowned.
“Sleeping the day away, I bet.” Raph shakes his head. “I’ll go get his lazy bum, and he can explain what happened last night.”
Raph stalks off, leaving Donnie and Leo behind. The two peer at each other, before Donnie shrugs. “It just doesn’t seem likely, Leo. Can you blame us?”
He frowns. He’s miffed at having his perspective questioned, which is really why he’s putting up such a fight. Leo knows what he saw, even if he was fighting for consciousness the entire time. There’s no reason for him to make all of that up. Why wouldn’t they believe him?
If it was Mikey singing his own praises, sure. He’s a storyteller by nature, and he’ll exaggerate any story he tells, even one he wasn’t a part of. But Leo isn’t Mikey. Leo is actually singing Mikey’s praises.
“I know we used to joke that if Mikey actually focused for once in his life, he could probably be the best ninja alive,” Leo begins, “But I’m starting to think that’s actually true. You didn’t see him last night, Donnie. The way he was using my own sword… It’s like he was the one who had trained with it for fifteen years!”
Donnie crosses his arms, though he doesn’t strike Leo down. “Mikey is more observant than he sometimes lets on. I know we get mad at him for not focusing, but sometimes, he does listen. And when he does listen, it seems to stick. You’d be surprised how much scientific jargon he actually retains when he bothers to listen to my explanations.”
Donnie looks terribly pleased with himself when he adds, “He can hack computers, to a degree. Thanks to me, obviously. But still, you see what I mean? I supposed after watching you fight for fifteen years, he might be able to pick up on some things.”
Leo frowns. Mikey has proven himself to be a quick learner when he’s actually willing to learn. It all really depends on the topic; if it took too much time and patience to learn, Mikey wasn’t fond of it. But if he was innately good at it, Mikey became interested and would even hone that skill. It’s why Mikey liked cooking so much; he was already pretty good at it; he only got worse when he started experimenting too much.
“So you believe me?”
Donnie shifts his gaze. “Let’s see what Mikey has to say.”
“Man, why’d you wake me up?” Speak of the devil, and here he comes, wandering into the lab right behind Raph, scrubbing away the sleep in his eyes as he toddles along. When he rubs his eyes as a sleepy human baby would, Leo’s stance on Mikey’s viciousness softens. Did he really take out eight Foot soldiers on his own?
“Don’t you ever listen?” Raph asks with a huff. “I told you, we wanna know what happened last night?”
“Don’t you ever listen?” Mikey shoots right back, crossing his arms. “I already told you guys.”
“Well, Leo doesn’t believe us.”
“Leo?” Mikey looks away from Raph before brightening at the sight of Leo. It definitely stirs something inside Leo, before Mikey comes bouncing towards him, rushing to his side and enveloping him in a tight hug. “Oh, dude, I was worried about you! I told you not to fall asleep on me, and what do you do? You’re a worse rebel than Raph sometimes, man!”
“Thank you for bringing me home.”
Mikey looks a little surprised by his gratitude and pulls away. He peers into Leo’s eyes for a moment, moving his head up, down, and all around, until Leo slaps at him a bit. Mikey releases him, asking, “Man, how hard did you hit your head?”
“Mikey,” Donnie begins, settling into a chair and looking more exhausted than ever. “What happened last night? Leo needs a refresher.”
Leo frowns. He already knows what happened last night. And he opens his mouth to tell the tale, but Mikey beats him to it. “Well, me and Leo went on patrol last night because you guys were too busy playing with your toys. We got ambushed by the Kraang, and while we were kicking alien butt, the Foot showed up! They helped us fight the Kraang, but once we defeated them all, they totally turned on us! Not cool, man!”
Raph raises a brow at Leo, who pointedly ignores him.
“It’s a totally epic battle, bro! We knock down one or two of them, but Leo’s distracted trying to look for that Karai chick, and some ninja knocks him over the side of the building. I’m busy beating up a couple myself, so I can’t get to him in time. I meet up with him on the ground, and he’s like, barely hanging on to reality, so I drag him across town and totally flee. Shaking off those Foot was hard, man, but I eventually got them off our backs and slipped down the sewers.” Mikey pauses. “I guess you can figure out what happened there.”
Leo frowned, staring at Mikey, who stared at him right back, albeit a bit confused. “You didn’t run away, though.”
“Huh?”
“You stayed and fought. You defeated all of those Foot soldiers, even the elites. I watched you take them down. You even used my sword to do it. You didn’t flee- you stayed and fought and won! And then you took us home.”
Mikey stares at him for a very, very long moment, before he bursts into laughter. “Oh man, you hit your head hard, bro! Usually, people see stars though, huh? I mean, I see unicorns, but you get it. Can’t believe you imagined a whole fight scene. Man, that’s awesome. I hope I get to hallucinate myself being BA the next time I get a concussion.”
Donnie and Raph exchange a glance that clearly tells Leo what they think of his story. Leo’s temper flares and he crosses his arms. “I’m not lying, you know. I didn’t hallucinate or whatever. That really happened, Mikey. You and I both know it.”
Mikey frowned. “I mean, that sounds awesome and all, but I would totally remember doing something as awesome as that. But we just ran away, man.”
“Mikey-”
“And even if we did stick around and fight, that part about me using your sword doesn't make any sense? Why would I use those old things when I have my beautiful nunchucks!”
“They got knocked away. My sword was within reach. You used it like a total pro.”
“Man, I wish. I’ve barely even used a sword, though.” Mikey shakes his head. “I mean, I’ve watched you and Raph, and April’s given me a lesson, or maybe two, I don’t really remember, but there’s no way that's enough to go tit for tat with those creeps. I appreciate the faith, though.” He narrows his eyes, peering over at Raph and Donnie. “It’s not something I get a lot of.”
Leo can’t believe what he’s hearing. He feels like he’s going crazy because the memories he has are quite crisp. They might be a bit blurry, considering he did have a concussion, but the parts he does remember feel so real to him.
But why would Mikey lie? He absolutely adores attention, and he’s always looking for ways to prove how great he is. They all do underestimate him on occasion, and that would be a great time to remind them that he’s just as capable as the rest of them. So why would he bother denying it?
He fists the sheet and stares into his lap, mulling over the events. It doesn’t really make sense for Mikey to win that sort of fight, and it really doesn't make sense for him to be able to use that sword. It does make him wonder, though, if Mikey would be as proficient with Raph’s sais or Donnie’s bo, given the opportunity.
“Alright,” Leo finally relents, because there’s far more evidence to support Mikey than there is to not. “Did you guys check the area where we fought, though?”
“Totally cleared of evidence by the time I showed up,” Raph announced. “You know how the Foot are. Hear no evil and see no evil.”
Leo slumps and leans his head back in defeat. “I see. Well, you made a good choice in running away, Mikey. Half of any battle is knowing when to run.”
“Aw, man, you’re way too young to be spouting that sorta fortune cookie stuff!” Mikey shakes his head. “You trying to be Splinter?”
“Would that be such a bad thing?”
Splinter appears in the doorway of Donnie’s lab, startling all four of them. Mikey clams up for a moment, before giving Splinter a charming smile. “Haha, not at all! But he’s Leo, not you. And also like, half your age, bro.”
Splinter raises a brow while the other three turtles wince. Mikey seems pretty impressed by his own “save”, but Splinter seems to be willing to dish out some mercy today. “I think it’s time Leo got some more rest, don’t you think?”
Donnie sighs. “Yes, he really needs it. Bruised ribs, broken arm, and a very sprained ankle are just the tip of the iceberg.”
“You’ve already learned your lesson, haven't you?” Leo nods, and Splinter appears pleased. “Then I shall lecture no further. Come along, kids. There’s still time to get in a bit of training.”
Splinter leaves the lab, and Raph thwacks Mikey upside the head. “Aw, man, you totally got us in more training with your stupid mouth!”
“Well, It’s not like I asked for it!”
The two bicker as they leave. Donnie offers Leo a small smile before wandering after them, appearing terribly contemplative. Leo relaxes in his bed, and while still miffed at these events, eventually drifts off into a comfortable dream.
-
Hours later, Leo’s light sleep was interrupted by some rustling in the lab.
Since Leo was confined to the small medbay, Donnie decided to take a break from his machinery, knowing that Leo was a light sleeper and would be kept up all night by his clamor. Instead, he’s supposed to be sleeping in his room, though Leo thinks it’s more likely that he’s tinkering with some old trinket.
In fact, Leo’s first thought was that Donnie came back in to grab a tool. But Leo doesn’t hear any drawers being opened, and when he opens his eyes, he finds Michelangelo in the lab, peering over at Leo, an indescribable look on his face.
“Mikey,” Leo whispers, which is kind of stupid, considering it's just the two of them.
Mikey doesn’t comment, though, and appears startled by Leo’s murmur. “Oh, you awake? Didn’t the doctor order you to catch some more zs?”
“Someone woke me up.” Leo shifts, trying to sit up, and Mikey has at least half a mind to appear abashed.
“Sorry, man. Just wanted to check up on you. I’ll leave you be, though. Got some righteous gaming to finish before I hit the bricks.”
“Mikey.”
The stern voice causes his youngest brother to stop in his tracks. He turns back around, cocking his head like a curious dog, and Leo knows he’s intentionally ignoring the gravity in Leo’s tone. “Wassup?”
“Did you… did you really tell everyone the truth?”
Mikey’s brows furrow. “Uh… about what happened to Raph’s slice of pizza? Well, me and Donnie split it, so if anyone gets mad, get mad at both of us, not just me-”
“No, about last night. With the Foot clan soldiers and all that.” Leo watches him carefully. “Did you tell everyone the truth?”
“Man, I appreciate how much faith you’ve got in my mad skills. It’s no secret I’m the best ninja here.” Mikey’s chest swells with pride, before his shoulders slump. “Totally wish I was awesome as you were making me out to be, though?”
“Really? You didn’t fight at all after I fell off the building?”
“I got you home, Leo.” Mikey frowns. “Are you trying to tell me that staying and fighting would have been a good choice? Because bro, you looked like you fought the Shredder.”
Leo runs a hand over his face. This is getting nowhere. Maybe Leo really did just see things. This is Mikey he’s talking about, after all.
Which is why Leo peers at him for a few moments, before finally dismissing him. “Alright, alright. I’m going back to bed. Don’t stay up too late, you’ve got training in the morning.”
“Okay, mom.”
Leo watches Mikey’s retreating back. There’s no way that guy could have taken all those Foot soldiers out, Leo’s pretty sure. This is the same brother who likes to spend all of his free time playing video games and coloring and who couldn’t focus to save his own life. He can’t even get through one of Splinter’s lectures without falling asleep.
Leo lays back down, ignoring the aches in his sides as he shuffles into a comfortable position. No, Mikey did the right thing and turned tail. He couldn’t promise Donnie or Raph would have done the same thing- Raph’s rash and bullheaded and would have charged into a losing battle to avenge him. Donnie might have frozen, or he wouldn’t have been able to outrun the soldiers.
Leo sighs. Whatever. He’s home, safe and sound, and Mikey’s his usual self, and he doesn’t have to bother re-evaluating his entire life. Everything’s the same as it always was, and Leo’s sure it’ll stay that way. His brothers, despite their chaos, are often terribly predictable.
(Right?)