Chapter Text
Mikey
It happened again. The sleepwalking. It had started happening more and more often, especially after he opened that black hole and swallowed up all those krangified.
They looked up at the wall they had been staring at. It was covered in their newest art piece.
Two hands with glowing cracks covering them held up a small black hole as several blurred objects were being sucked inside.
Mikey sat down, dropping the spray can it had been holding. It scooted around til the wall was behind them, it didn't want to look at it.
It had been a painting night, one of the many things Mikey had been doing in xis sleep recently. If xe remember correctly, then xey also hunted down krangified and other villains and fought with them.
I need to tell them. But, how would they react? Mikey had been avoiding telling his brothers about his sleepwalking problem because he didn't know how they would react.
Thick wet hot tears burned their eyes as their nose quivered before they blinked and it all spilled over, into the mask they had been wearing to help with the spray fumes. They silently thanked their subconsciousness for properly preparing them.
It pressed its eyes onto its knees, its jeans soaking up the tears that continued to leak from its eyes. It felt so hopeless, what. What could it do? It seemed so unreal, like a bad nightmare it’d wake up from at any moment, was it a nightmare?
Xe looked up from xer knees, and spotted a figure across the rooftop xe was on.
They stood up from the crouched position they had been in once they noticed they had been seen. They took a couple of hesitant steps towards Mikey. They didn’t move, their nerves were shot and their heart was pounding so hard they could hear it.
As they got closer, Mikey saw that they were wearing a black skin tight suit with red webbing patterns. Was this another villain? Mikey didn’t have the energy to fight at the moment. If that's what they were here for, then it was in big trouble.
“S-stay back!” Mikey said, trying and failing to keep xer voice from shaking.
“Its okay.” the stranger said, crouching down in front of him, too close for comfort at the moment
More tears began to pour over. “I said, stay, BACK!” Mikey’s combat boot connected with the stranger’s face, making him fly backwards and land on his back. Curling up tighter, and huddling against the wall, Mikey squeezed their eyes shut. Trying to block everything out.
A shuffling sound reached Mikey’s ears and it opened its eyes just a crack to peek at the stranger it had kicked. They had sat up and were rubbing their face.
“What was that for?” he asked. His voice was low.
“Stay, back." The ninja said again in between deep breaths.
"Are you okay?" The stranger asked.
Mikey's mind went blank. Was this guy not actually a villain? Then if so… "are you not here to hurt me?"
"What? No way! I saw you painting and wanted to get a better look. Saw you crying when I got down here and wanted to see if you were okay." Stranger said.
"Oh," xe lowered xer head. glancing up at the stranger, "sorry, about kicking you in the face then."
"It's okay. I've had worse." Mikey thought he could see a smile through their mask. "Was it the mask? Most people tend to recognize me when I'm in it." The stranger asked.
Mikey nodded, "reminded me of a villain that almost got my big brother killed.
"Oh." The stranger crouched again, further away this time. "If it makes you feel better," The stranger pulled off his mask, revealing dark skin and curls. Mikey couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was.
"Oh. Wow." Was all Mikey managed.
"So, what was your inspiration?" The not so stranger asked.
"The invasion. Its supposed to be a bunch of krang getting sucked into a black hole." Was all the orange clad turtle said to answer. "I kind of did it in my sleep, so that's all I've got to say about it."
“Really? That sounds awesome man! I wish I could paint in my sleep like that! How’d you do it?” Stranger asked.
“I’ve been having sleepwalking problems, ever since the whole invasion thing.” Mikey pulled its knees closer. That day had been a living nightmare of its own.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” The two of them sat in silence for a bit after that. Mikey liked how peaceful the night felt.
“Hey, uh, so what's your name?” Stranger asked.
“Oh, Um…” Mikey, Miguel… uh, oh, Mikey Jistu? M.J? Yeah that’ll work. “Call me MJ.”
“Okay then, MJ, call me Miles.” he said. "I was planning on visiting a friend, would you like to come with me?.
“Uh.” Mikey pulled out xer phone to check the time. Only 1:07. I’ve got time. “I’ve got a few hours till I need to head back home, so, sure!”
"Okay, then I'd just need a minute to change." Miles said smiling.
"Okay, I'll wait here." Mikey said, a tired sigh slipping out right before a yawn.
"Alright then, I'll be right back." Miles said, standing up and walking to the edge of the roof and jumping into the alley below. Mikey was used to seeing his brothers or April do the same thing, and didn’t react.
He was alone again, he’d gotten used to that too. With all the arguing between Raph, Leo, and Dad, Mikey had begun sneaking out whenever he felt unsafe or unheard at home. Sure he had Donnie and April, but he didn’t want to overburden them whenever he felt like he needed something.
And sometimes, a turtle just needed a night to themself
Maybe that's why their half asleep brain would take them out of the lair at night. They didn’t feel safe there any more. Maybe they should stay away for a while. Would that help? Would their brothers notice? They don’t seem to have noticed their sleepwalking problem, not even Donnie.
A burning sensation brought Mikey back out of its thoughts. Its scars were glowing under its biker gloves. They would do that if it ever got caught up in too many negative emotions. Mikey was sure it was some kind of instinct, like they would activate its mystic powers when it was in danger.
Deep breaths. Mikey thought, doing xer best to calm xemself before fire started flying out of xer eyes. Clutching xer hands tightly closed and pulling them to xer chest, xey tried to block out the pain in xis arms.
Don't think about the pain, think about something else. Anything else! There's a bunch of new art spots now! Donnie found a new cookbook from Japan! C'mon, c'mon!
Mikey clutched his hand even tighter, the pain becoming almost unbearable. His clothes felt like they were strangling him. He pulled his black hoodie off as fast as he could with the pain in his hands, leaving nothing but his sleeveless black shirt that was beneath it.
The cool night air felt good on their skin as they took off their mask and shoved it and their hoodie into the bag they had brought with them. They pulled their hands back in as a few of the cracks spread, cursing more pain. Soft tears were falling down their cheeks as they wished for the pain to stop.
A soft hand gently pulled their hands away from their chest, looking up Mikey saw Miles, now wearing a green and red hoodie and ripped jeans.
"You can't be alone for a minute can you?" He teased, before gingerly spreading Mikey’s fingers and holding onto the gloves. "May I?" They asked, pulling on the gloves gently.
Mikey nodded slowly, and Miles pulled the gloves off, revealing the cracked glowing scars that ran all across their green hands and forearms. Miles studied them, softly turning Mikey's arms to better examine them. Miles pulled his hands away, and Mikey noticed blood.
"Are you bleeding?" Xey asked, leaning forward to get a better look.
"No," Miles said, whipping the blood off with a cloth Mikey hadn't noticed him pull out, "you are. How did you get these?"
"It… it's a long story." Mikey said, it's mind flashing back to when it had opened the portal to save Leo from the prison dimension.
"That's okay. Can I wrap 'em up for you?" Miles asked, pulling out a small first aid kit from a backpack next to him. Mikey nodded, changing his seating position so that Miles could reach them easier.
A sharp hiss escaped Mikey as Miles placed the first bandage on their hands. Miles whispered an apology as he continued to wrap up Mikey's hands with enough efficiency to rival even Leo. They were surprised at how much it hurt. Did it hurt this much before? Was I in shock or something?
It took an uncomfortable amount of time for Miles to finish, but it was over soon enough. More tears were slowly streaming down Mikey’s cheeks and dripping onto the concrete roof below..
"There, all done." Miles pulled away, kneeling in front of Mikey as it took deep breaths to help calm itself. “All good?” the other teenager asked.
Mikey nodded, staying silent until the pain passed. “So, where's this friend of yours?” xe asked, forcing a smile.
“Oh, you still wanna come?” Miles asked, looking back at Mikey.
“Yes? Why would that have changed?” he asked, mildly confused.
“I thought with your hands and all, you might wanna go home instead.” Miles explained, “but if you’re still up for it, you’re more than welcome.”
“I am. I think I need some time away from home.” Mikey said.
“Well in that case, we should get going.” Miles stood up and Mikey followed suit, both grabbing their bags, and Mikey noticed for the first time that he was a foot shorter than Miles. “They’re just a couple of streets away. If you don’t mind walking.”
“Ofcourse!” Mikey smiled.
The walk wasn’t too long, probably only ten or fifteen minutes. But during it, the two talked non-stop about art. Miles was apparently a graffiti artist himself. They talked about some of the best spots they’d found, shading and lighting techniques, where some of the better spray paint could be found.
Mikey had never been able to talk in such detail about art with anyone before. It was so much fun, by the time the two of them got to where they were going, it couldn’t stop flapping its hands. It didn’t think it’d ever been so happy before.
“Oh, we’re here.” Miles said, stopping in front of a mechanical shop.
“Oh, cool.” Mikey looked up at the flickering sign that read: Reptile auto parts.
Xe followed Miles inside, where they were greeted by heavy metal music playing loudly. It reminded Mikey of Donnie’s lab.
"Mondo! I'm here. And I brought a friend!" Miles called as they walked towards the back.
"Aight. Be with ya in a minute." A voice called from where the two were heading.
When they got to the back Mikey saw a small teenager under a car. They had short stubby legs and what looked like a scaly tail hanging off of the cart they were on.
“You gonna be working all night again Mondo?” Miles asked, kneeling next to the kid.
“I could ask you the same thing, Spiderman.” Mondo rolled out from under the car, and Mikey saw that they were a leopard gecko mutant. They stood up and Mikey saw that they were shorter than him.
“And who are you?” Mondo asked, turning his attention to Mikey.
“Oh, Mondo, this is MJ. MJ, this is Mondo.” Miles introduced the two mutants.
“Are you a turtle?” was the first thing Mondo asked.
“Uh, yeah! I'm a box shell turtle.” Mikey answered. “And you're a leopard gecko, right?”
“Yup!” Mondo answered. “Wanna see something I’ve been working on?” Mondo’s smile turned slightly devilish as Mikey nodded. “C’mon.”
They lead the way onto a back room with loads of car parts. Mondo walked right past everything else and led them to something covered in a white sheet with oil stains on its edges.
“Prepare to be amazed!” Mondo yelled as they yanked the sheet off, revealing a stunning sleek black motorbike. “I’ve dubbed ‘em ‘the Shadow Bike'!”
“Woah! When did you finish it?” Miles asked, and Mondo began babbling off about some small details that: “took forever to get all the kinks out, man!”
Mikey knelt down next to it. The metal was sleek and shiny, the wheels were fully filled, and the handlebar grips were lined in a rubber that would keep your hands from slipping around if they got sweaty.
“...now all I need is someone to test her.” Mikey turned his attention back to the conversation. “I would do it but she’s a bit too big for me. I was hoping you could give it a shot, Curles.”
“Ah, I would Mondo, but I’ve never even sat on a motorbike before.” Miles replied, rubbing the back of his head.
“Okay then. What about you, Splatters?” Mondo looked down at Mikey, who was still crouched down next to the bike.
“Me?” Mikey pointed to themself.
“Yeah! Have you ever ridden a motorbike before?” Mondo asked, excitement lining his voice.
“Kinda. Its was a bit different but it should be pretty similar. Right?” Mikey said, standing up.
"Yeah!" Mondo seemed really excited now, their tail swishing quickly behind him.
"Alright then," Miles said, placing a hand on both the reptiles, "let's get this beauty outside.
"…and then you can press here to give a little speed boost. And, if anything goes wrong, press here and it'll come to a full stop." Mondo explained a few more details to Mikey who was sitting on the bike outside now.
"Okay, this should only take a minute." Mikey said, revving the bike. Miles handed him a helmet, and the orange turtle fit it snugly over his head.
Mondo stepped back and Mikey took off steering the bike around a corner. The speed was amazing, Mikey let out a loud shout and laughed as they sped down the street, flying past the few cars in the area. They hit the petal Mondo had told them about, the speed picked up tenfold.
Mikey couldn’t remember the last time it had felt so alive. And free. Maybe it was the lack of its brothers, maybe it was the wind whipping around its hoodie, or the thought that it had made two friends that seemed to really understand it.
It didn’t matter what it was, Mikey was too happy to care.
Xe slowed the bike down as xey passed the last corner and got back to the auto garage. Xe stopped in front of Miles and Mondo, hopping off the bike and yanking the helmet off, placing it on the bike before bounding over to the other two.
“That. was. AMAZING!!” Mikey jumped up and down excitedly as the other two watched on amused.
“Dude! You’re a total pro! Where did you learn to ride like that?” Mondo was just as excited. Their tail wagging furiously behind them, a small cloud of dust forming.
“I’ve never seen someone so capable before. You’ve gotta show me how you do that.” Miles agreed, eyes beaming.
“What else do you have in there?” Mikey asked. Hands flapping at mach ten.
“I’ll show you. C’mon!” Mondo led them back inside.
They spent the rest of the night laughing and testing out all the gadgets Mondo had lying around the workshop. Mikey felt peace for the first time in three months. No brothers pestering him, no one trying to bash his head in. It was perfect.
.
.
.
Raph
“Hey buddy.” Raph peered over at Mikey from across the living room. “You look pretty tired, did ya get enough sleep last night?”
Mikey glanced up at Raph from their sketchbook and nodded before returning their attention to their current project. It had taken them five hours to get the linework alone, and they weren't gonna stop now.
Raph couldn't help but notice the bag underneath his baby brother's eyes. They seemed to be getting darker every time he saw him.
He thought about asking him about it, but it didn't seem right. I need to talk to him about it soon. Raph didn’t want Mikey going to the surface by himself anymore. After the black hole incident, he could tell Mikey wasn’t as ready as he had originaly assumed.
But not now. Raph couldn’t bring himself to say it yet. He knew it would crush him. Raph left the living room and headed to the kitchen. He’d talk with Mikey eventually. But now just wasn’t the time.
Leo
Mikey was tired. That's the first thing that Leo noticed every time he saw his little brother. It was starting to stress him out.
Leo had sleeping problems of his own, but it never made him look quite so miserable. Is it a mystic thing? Could he just be tired from using it all the time?
Leo sighed as he scrolded through his phone aimlessly. “I wonder if Raph’s told him yet..” he mumbled to himself.
“Told who?” Casey poked his head in through the curtains to Leo’s room.
“Nothing, CJ. What are you doing here anyway? Don’t you have work or something?” he asked, making space for the dark haired kid on his bed.
Casey sat down next to the blue turtle. “Nope! It's saturday! Which means I’m completely free!” Casey always got real happy on his free days. Something about there being no time to relax for too long during an apocalypse.
The two began to chat away. It was always the highlight of Leo’s day whenever Casey came to visit. He’d started seeing him more and more like a little brother.
Donnie
Donnie sighed and leaned back in their chair. It had been months, and they still couldn’t get a tracker on Mikey without it deactivating. It was starting to take a toll on their mental well being. Even more than what they had already sustained.
It didn’t make any logical sense. Which could only mean one thing; mystic energy was in play. Donnie had become more accepting of the concept after unlocking their ninpo mumbo jumbo, but it was still so hard to comprehend.
Donnie dragged their hand down their face. What a fucking annoyance. If I don't come up with some kind of Mystic resistant tracker, I'm gonna…!
Donnie took a deep breath to help calm themself. Maybe they would talk to Draxom about it. He seemed to be a genius when it came to the stuff. But for now, I rest.
Donnie sleepily made their way to their bed. Sleep was stupid, but everyone needed it, unfortunately.